Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-08-08
THE BRANDYWINE BANKS
a PEN PICTURE OF THE PIoTUh-
EsQUH STREAM.
Howard NJ. Jenkins in July Harper.

scroll, the Brandywlne deserves other
fame than that conferred by Its revolu.
tionary battle. From Its sources high
mp in the Pennsylvania hills, that appear
al the advanced guard OF the Blue Noun
tains, to ita union, fifty miles below, with
x the marsh-bordered Ohristiana. OF Dsla.
4 aware, the varying scenery Elong its
course presents continual charms.
Richest in attraction, however, are the
lower reaches Of the stream. Par excel
lence theee are .'Ths banks;" south of
that historic semcircle that divides the
three lower counties of his Grace the
Duke OF York from the greater breadth
patented to Mr.. Penn, snd mostly within
the narrow valley that the creek
trsverses, just above its embrace by the
great bays tides under the wallis of Wit
mington. The hand of nature along
these banks haa been prodigsl with
Z features of bold if not wild bsauty.
Taking departure upward from the
rivers mouth, it is a sweep Of lowland
scenery that we survey where the Brandy
wine miugles it's food With that OF the
Obristiana. Eastward, across the en banked
meadow, rises the modest tower Of the
Wilmington light, besides whose friendly
beacon move the ship in f1oeks up f:om the
oapes and back again to pass their portals
out upon the sea. Even here the river ia
bay, its waters soon to betray tinge of
aalt, and its breadth great enough to
hures the cautious coaster into the har-
her OF the Christians's mouth when the
southeastern storm is raging. Back Of
the cape head rises the range of bills
that follow northward up tho Delaware.
They subside into the rolling country
here, but as we face westward to their
last terraces our eye, with that of Bayard
Taylor's Lars, rests where
fair Wilmington, upon her hills.
Looks to the river over marshy msads.
Historic because the Swedes cana in
here to make the fi-st permanent ssttle-
ment OF white men iu the valley OF the
Delaware, less than Is years after the
Plymouth Pilgrims had landed there IS
revolutionary "reminiscences too in thsse
waters OF the Ohristisna near the Brandy
wiue's month. 1t was somswnere here
that in 1915, Just as the b1lder patriots
wore scheming to carry the Declaration,
the war ships of his Majesty, the Rosbuck
and Liverpool, which mad been marrying
all the shores of the Delaware up from
the capes, were boldly attacked by the
s'row. gslleys" that formed the main fio.
tilla Of the Americans in these waters.
After the Our stians enters the Bran
dywine it is 800 yards up the northern
shore that, as old men said, the planks
of the Dutch ship roited whose cargo of
liquors, as she lay here for winter
harbor, was spilled aud lost when the
ioe cut her open. Hence came the name
of the stream. The Indians above called
1t Suspecough and bslow the Delaware
line Wawssst; the Swedes namsd it the
Fishsill; but the Dutch Brandy wine,
more potent than other influences, went
to the head Of the stream from lis mouth.
Here, where the tidewatsr channel may
carry TO day sschooner or barge, going up
60 the old mills for -four or corn meal,
StuYvesants war ships from New Amster-
dsIn cleft the currents on THEFT way to the
capture of Fort Christina. Just above
the point where the two streams seem
about to unite, but do not, we Rre in the
locality OF the famous siege. The site of
the Swedish fort is on the Chris.
tiaps, but only little distance
from the Brardywine. Its roar, where
5tuyvesant placed some OF his guns, is
marked now by the ancient churoh, built
in 1898, under the earnest effort of ths
good Swedish missionary Esio Beorck
Jan Risingh, the giant Sweie, governor
of all the infant dominion in Amedca
which Gustsvus had projected and
4 cherished to the very day of Lutpen,
beheld with dismay the guns of the
woodsn-limbed antagonist posted on this
A higher ground, and commanding com
4 pletely the little fortress OF logs ovel
Il which the Swedish ensign foated
n Other batteries were mounted by
Stuyvesant on the north bsni
OF the Brandywine, and across the
n Ohristiana facing the fort, while his ship
81 lay anchored in the Fishkill. Too mucf
are the surroundings changed to fancy
that We eau now hear the trumpet ohsl
4 lenge of Antony VanCorolear, or ever
make real all the humorous details O
Irving's most geRal chronicle; but herr
IL was that the existence of the New
Sweden, which had endured from less
ended, and the power of the New Neither
lands prevailed. Bloodless, indeed, tht
struggle was none the loss earnest ant
real. When RisinRh, unable to obtai,
even the poor advantage OF delay, signed
the terms Of surrender and gave up tn,
- fort, there was an end to oil the dream
.# OF new dominion which Gustavus had in
dulgsd ard oxenstiern had for tim,
made real.
Where the tides turn, at the foot o
the slope down which the stream make
it's last rush from out the hills, are thu
famous old mills of the Braadywiae
Begun in 1742 by Oliver Caaby, suoesto
of long line of straight coated Quaker
millers, they were known far and wild
in those early days wheu ths wheat orol
of the country was harvested upon
narrow strip along the Atlantic, an
grists came to them not only from the IA
fields of southeastern PgnnsyivAnia an
northern Delaware. but from MARYLAND
and even New Jersey. From one at frs'
they had increased to Is in number O
their most prosperous period. Il was 81
important part of Wasnlns s.on's cOncer
at the end of the l777 summer, and jus
before the battle up the creek when hi
army lay around Wilmington, and b
own headquarters were tnsre in the res
dence of one of the mill owners, In BraI
dywine village, to so mapee1vEe as
cover these great mills, aud prevent the
store Of grain from feeding the army {
Howe, that had just lsndeI 1t the Hea
of Elk. There were none in ii
colonies Of like importance; an
when, three months later, as IL
SHOWS bsgan, Washington called b
lteutepants together st Whitemsrsh
decide where the army should make i
winter quarters, ii WAS as much on this
account that Greene aud Oadwallad'
urged the selection of Wilmington.
was in these mills that Oliver Evans, ii
Delaware inventive genius, claimant vii
Fitch and Rumsey OF honors that Fulto
has been with questionable justi
awarded, put to practical use the gre
improvements in mill machinery whit