Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-12-11

ners given by the military 10 the citizens.
1t had been frequently used in this man
ner by the British, and now by the
American forces. Two ladies who had
known Andre well when he had been
stationed there, and who had frequently
dined at parties in this same house when
he was one of the guests, were present
at this dinner given to General Wash
ington and some of his aides. As
they were passing through the
groves of cedar trees and catalpas
which surrounded the mansion they
simultaneously perceived corpse dang
ling from one of the limbs in the uni.
form of British officer, and while they
stood terrified the body swung round
facing them, and though calm and stiff
as in death, they both recognized the
features of Major Andre, and then the
illusion vanished. At dinner they spoke
of the vision and with such solemnity
that it provoked smile, and finally,
considerable chatting laughter at their
expense, from Washington and others
assembled, at their credulity; one of
them especially remarking it as being the
first time that she had seen General
Washington indulge in hearty laughter.
Shortly thereafter Andre was hung; and
many years after one of the ladies seeing
Washington again, he then eing Presi
dent of the United States, she mentioned
the circumstance to him, reminding him
of his mirth. He appeared troubled,
and asked her to please never refer to it
again, as the whole subject mad been
source of great trouble and perpexity to
him. The narrator states that one of
the ladies was the daughter and sister of
two of the first physicians of Philadel
phla at that day, and that her companion
was equally we'll connected, but omits
the names.
1t was during Andres residence in
Philadelphia that the most famous mock
tournament of America took place, on
the return of Sir William Howe to Eng
gland, and in that tournament Andre
took leading part, designing the cur.
ious tickets, and also the head dresses
to be worn by the ladies for the occasion.
1t was a grand and glorious triumph of
mock virtue over vice, and tinsel over
solid sense. The river was lined with
boats and barges gaily decked, and the
city was filled with knights riding about
on horseback, for this was the festival
called Mischianza, and the knights of
the Burning Mountain and the Knights
of the Blended Rose met in mortal
combat to shiver their swords in defense
of their true lady loves, who were pres
ent and watched the fray from safe seats
around the circle A great deal of money
was spent, and although Philadelphia
had less than 10000 population then,
they had balloons, Chinese lanterns,
plenty of skyrockcts, and dining room
containing fifty-six pier mirrors and over
1900 dishes. There were some military
men who, of course, objected to all this
knight-errantry business, and one Of
them was an old major of artillery in
the British army, who, when asked by
his child what was the difference be-
tween the Knights of the Burning Noun
lain and the Knights of the Blended Rose,
said that Zone were tom fools and the
other dom fools. " The wife of Benedict
Arnold, then unmarried, and her sisters
were among the frvored ones present,
being the Misses Shipper, and by many
it was afterward thought that it was
through the intamacy and friendship of
Addre for Miss Shippen, the future wife
of the arch traitor, that the first treason
able steps of Arnold were brought to the