The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-11-22
BENEDICT ARNOLD,s WIFE.
Leaves From tho Life History OF an Tn.
happy Lady.

~@NNJ'
we catch our first views of this nm.
haappy lady on bright May day in 177s
~hen she took part in a lannon's and
splendid pageant in Philadelphia. She
was then beautiful girl of eighteen
Miss Margaret Shippen-the danphter q,
an opulent and ancient PhiIqaalnhio
,aanl.y, ,aa and one of the reignipg bells OF
.hat town. Her ancestors were among
Tue nrst settlers of Pennsylvania, and haI
SItSt' St'Gtandiattier Has the first MAYOR of
Ihlia""lphia. In the course of time the
FAMILY had acquired great possessio
ana, laying aside the Quaker garb, had
become members of the Church of Eng.
iand; During the controversy between
the thirteen colonies and the King, which
e,, ended IN the revolutionary war, Edward
Sshlppen, her father, the head of the
family, was inclined to the Kings side.
IL was May l8, l77S. For many
months the British army had been quar-.
tered III Philadelphia, commanded by
Maj. Gen. VIM. Howe. The General
had been superseded and was about to
return to England. nhe officers of the
army, wealthy class who had nothing
10 DO, seized the occasion of his retire.
ment to amusc themselves by giving a
grand festival in his honor, and this was
the day upon which it was to be held.
lhe affair began with grand regatta
upon the Delaware River, or, rather, a
'o,ng procession of galleys and bargcs
hlled with officers and ladies, which were
rowed slowly down the whole length OF
The city, in an avenue formed by the
shore crowded with spectators, ard a line
OF men oi.war and transport ships, gaily
dressed with flags and streamers. at
4.oO in the afternoon the barges began TO
move, the oars keeping time to martial
music, and when they had arrived oppo.
site Market street they all lay upon their
oars, while the band played "God Save
the King" after which the soldiers gave
three cheers. Continuing their course,
.he company were conveyed past the city
10 where a grand tournament was to take
place, and 1t was in this portion of the
entertainment that Margaret Shippen
shone. A spacious field, surrounded by
troops, had been prepared for the contest.
upon one side was stationed all the bands
of music in the army. There were also
two pavilions, with benches one above
another, filled with the most distinguish.
GU idulea VI tue CITY.
On the front seat of each of these pa
vilions were placed seven of the most
beautiful young ladies Pennsylvania
could boast. They were dressed in Tur-
kish costume-trousers, tunics and tur-
bans-and in their turbans they wore
the favors with which they intended to
reward the knights who were to contend
in their honor. Among those lovely
maidens sat Miss Margaret Shippen
One of the knights who figured in the
tournament was Capt. Andre, her famil-
lar acquaintance. Little could either of
them have thought, on that bright day.
how fatally their destinies were involv-
ed.
THE TRUMPET SOUNDED,
the herald appeared. The challenge was
delivered and the contest occurred, which
ended without the loss of blood, to the
satisfaction of all concerned. At the
conclusion of the tournament the com
pany was ushered into a magnificent
ballroom, decorated, we are told, by
mirrors and lighted by thirty.
four branches of wax candles. The ball
was opened by the fourteen bellies in
Turkish dress and their fourteen knights
-one. Lieut.. Sloper, being the knight
who led Miss Shipper out to the dance.
AT 10 o'clock the windows were thrown
open and splendid display of fireworks
was exhibited.
At IL, large folding doors, which had
hitherto been concealed, were suddenly
thrown open, which revealed gorgeous
saloon 2l0 feet long, 40 feet wide, and
% feet high, with three alcoves on each
side. This was the supper room. Upon
the table there were 1900 dishes. As
the guests entered great number of
black slaves in oriental costumes, ranged
in two lines, bowed to the ground. This
vast apartment was one splendor of wax
lights, flowers, ribbons, mirrors and sill.
yer plate. One of the regular toasts of
tile occasion was "Miss Shippen and Her
knight" After supper the company
to the ball room. and kept up
the dance until in the morning, reach.
ing their homes at sunrise. -.
The festival, as Mayor Andre remarks,
was the most aplendid ever given by en-
army to its chief. And little, indeed,
had the chief done to deserve it. An
old officer of the British army, who per-
ceived the folly of paying such extrava-
CANT honors to general who had won
no victories, said, sadly, "What will
Washington say to this2"
Exactly month from that day the
British army evacuated Philadelphia,
and away they sped across Jersey, with
Gen. Washington at their heels. A day
or two after body of American troops
marched in, commanded by Gen. Bene-
dict Arnold. All was changed. The
red coats had disappeared-blue coats
we're in tho ascendant, and the new
Yankee general was the foremost man in
the city. Arnold, a vain, weak man,
ever fond of display and luxury, appro.
priated to himself one of the handsom.
est houses in the town, where he set up
q costly establishment, kept great many
servants, gave splendid dinners and
maintained q handsome equipa0e drawn
by tour horses-a scale Of expenses ut
terly incompatible either with his for
tune or his pay. No one, however, knew
at the time that to maintain the costly
pomp he was concerned in speculations
Unworthy of an officer and gentleman,
and sometimes used the public money
that passed; through his hands.
portion Of the people remarked with
surprise, he was as likely to select Tories
as Wings. He seemed to court the
adherents of the king, and he frequently
had at his table the wives and daughters
of public enemies, who had been public
~ prescribed and had found refuge with
the enemy in New York. Among the
fanilies who attracted his regard was
that of Edward Shipper, and he was
soon observed to pay particular court to