Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-02-22

Mr.. Albert Thatcher continues his
"reminiscences of early days. Ho gives a |
chapter of what he recoleots in the fire.
side talks of tho old men OF Revolu- |
tionary times who fought in the Battle |
of Brandywlne, at Chadd's Ford, under |
Washington and Lafayette.
Visiting the burned Lea's mills the
other day brought to my mind again |
wildly the time long ago when went
TO the same place to see the burned ruins
of the mill belonging to Tommy Lea,
grandfather Of the present president of
the William Lea & Sons Company.
II was when lwas boy, six years
old, but yet took notice of things. The
old farmer whom | lived with in
.Brandywine hundred, about three miles
from town, as he had helped to build
the mill, was anxious to see its ruins.
remember we'll his taking me along with
him in the old light cart.
This was the first mill and it was
burned to ashes. There was nothing
left but the grain that fell from the
upper stories. | remember the millers
standing around and stirring up the
grain to see if there was anything there
worth saving.
mill to-day is quite different from
what the old mill looked after its
burning. There is much more lumber
and broken apparatus and material scat
tered around to-day. The walls of the
first mill looked pretty good after the
fire.
REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY.
This year of the burning of Tommy
LEAFS mill, 1919, brings me back again
tony boyhood when used to hear the
old people talk. l was one of the boys
who used to sit and listen and wonder
at the tales heard. In the winter time
sitting around the stoves (stoves came
into use about 1s0o) eating apples, was
the business after supper, and when the
cider came in, the stories quickly fol-
lowed.
1t seemed in those days that every
family was a house in itself to manu-.
'facturc all the personal needs of the
jewellers. The fax had been gathered
in in the fall of the year. 1t had been
taken good care Of. 1t was we'll
heckled, the good separated from the
bad, to be used for various purposes,
for none of it was wasted. The fax
was spun in the house by the women
folks to make shifting.
The old lady, as was her custom, was
always busy after supper, either knit
ting stockings or darning them for the
boys, while the young women were
spinning. There was always another
spinning wheel in the house for spin
ming wool. The girls liked working on
the wool best.
THE BATTLE OF BRANDYwINE.
Meanwhile the old men called in.
The favorite subject seemed to be
"reminiscences of the battle of Brandy
wine. Somehow or other they always
seemed to start up on that. The old
lady was born in 1861 and the old
neighbors were all in that class of age.
The battle ground was only or 8 miles
away and all the friends and relatives of
the old men, as well as they themselves
were In the fight or else had something
or other to do indirectly with it.
AT the battle of Brandywine, Wash
ingtou was being deceived by the Tories
whelived around the neighborhood. The
patriots were often in very bad way.
The cid folks used to tell the story OF
the poor fellows as they retreated, some
Of them with old worn shoes. The
weather was cold and the roadway was
marked with the blood running from
their feet.
THE BRITISH RED COATS.
Itook particular notice OF the story the
old men told of how the patriots would
take notice to . bush whose leaves were
turning red and the first thought was
that it was Britisher's red coat. But
1t was not, it was only bright RED
bush.
THEY PAID FOR THE CATTLE.
The English soldiers would AWAY.
take the farmers cattle, but would also
always offer to pay for them. The
farmers were strictly forbidden undel
orders from Washington to accept any
money. And, as q matter of course, the
Brandywino farmers, some of them Al
least, would think it hard that the Eng
lish should take their property from
them in that kind Of way. Some o.
them, not knowing particularly of the
military law, and possibly not thinkin,
OF the strict necessity of it, would taxi
the money. When found out after
wards by the Continental officers /
weat hard with them
SOME UNwRITTEN HISTORY.
The military authorities were alway
looking out sharp for such offenders an,
there were men who would tell on thei
neighbors who had received money iron
the British for their cattle. The me-
would be arrested and brought before
court martial. The punishment wa
whipping on the bare back. And all TIL
money was taken from them again.
seemed very severe punishment. Tn
IN lowest number of lashes | ever heard q
as being adjudged by the Continents
court martial was 500 lashes, and as tn
case was it went sometimes up to Loo
lashes.
EXTREMELY SEVERE WHIPPING.
The whipping was never RENTED
On occasion the victim had to be n
spited and then whipped next day owe
the same bleeding places again. A sui
geon would stand alongside the victil
with bis hand on his pulse in order tn,
the man did not faint or die under ii
lash. The doctor told by the pull.
beat how much the farmer could stant
When necessary the surgeon ordere
the whipping stopped. Then possibl
the victim was given stimulant {
whisky or brandy when the lashes wei
laid on again. This was the punisl
ment invariably giveL ne farme
around here who sold their cattle to ii
British.
often heard the old gray heads tel
ing this. have in my mind one o.
man very frequent visitor to our houi
who had been whipped. In this way
great deal of the whipping was done
this neighborhood. While the old ma
in question did all he could to keep Il
British from getting his cattle and r