The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-06-26
By JAMES PARTON.

We catch our FIRST view of this I'M.
happy lady on q bright May day, in
ITS, when she took part 10 a famous
and splendid pageant at Philadelphis.
She was then beautiful girl of eight.
een-,Miss Margaret Shippen-the
daughter Of IN .opulent and ancient
Phil.delphia family, and one Of the
reigning bellies Of that town. Her an.
csstors were among tho first settlers in
Pennsylvania, and her greatgrandfa-
ther was the first Mayor of Philadel-
phia. In the course Of time the fami.
ly had acquired great possessions j.; and,
laying aside the Quaker garb, had be-
come members of the Church of Eng.
land. During the controversy between
the thirteen colonies and the King,
which ended in the Revolutionary war,
Edward shippen, her father, the head
of the family, was inclined to the
Kings side.
1t was May the 18th, 1778. For
many months the British army had
been quartered in Philadelphia, COM
manded by Major General Sir William
Howe. The Ganeral had now been
superseded, and was about to retarn to
England. The officers of the army
4 wealthy class, who had nothing te do
l-seized the occasion of bis retirement
to amuse themselves by giving grand
festival in his honor: and this was the
day on which it was held.
The affair began With = grand regat-
ia upon the Delaware river, or rather
4 long procession of,g.lleys and bargss,
filled with officers and ladies, which
were rowed slowly down the whole
length Of the city, in an avenue form
ed by the shore crowded with specta-
tors, and a line of men.of.war and
tran'port ships, gaily dressed with flags
and streamers: At half:psst four in
the afternoon, the barges began 70
move, the oars Keeping time to the
martial music, and when they had az.
rived opposite Market street, they all
laid on their oars, while the band play
cd "God Save tho Kiugi'' after which
the soldiers gavo three cheers. Con.
tinuing their course, the company were
conveyed past the city to where q
grand tournament was to take place
and it was in this portion of the enter.
tainment that Margaret Shippen shone
A spacious field, surrounded BY troops
had been prepared for the contest,
Upon one side was stationed oil the
bands Of music 10 the army. There
were two pavilions, with rows Of bench.
es, one above tho other, filed with the
most distinguished ladies Of the city.
| On the front seat Of each Of these
pavilions,were placed seven Of the most
beautiful. young ladies' Pennsylvania
could boast. They were dressed in
Turkish costume-t5o~sers, tunics and
turbans-and in their turbans they
wore the fsvers with which they in
tended to reward the knights who were
to contend in their honor. Among
these lovely maidens sat Miss Margaret
lShippen.= One Of tho knights wht
figured in the tournament was Captain
| Andre, her familiar acquaiotanoe. Lit
tie could either Of them have thought
on this bright day, how fatally thei'
destlnies were involved.
| The trumpet sounded. The herale
appeared. ;Thes challenge was deliver
led, aud the contest occurred, which
ended without loss Of blood, to the salts
faction of all concerned. At the con.
olusion Of the tournament, the oompan,
we're ushered into q magnificent bal