Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-09-13
WITH SHADE OF La FAYETTE,


rocky button with human murmur.
The gap 10 the hills was filled with 4
warm blue smoke, and as the sun grew
hotter I sought shelter under some
WILLOW trees BY the river. tAsIass
musing saw coming down the road
on horseback q short, thick-aet man, \
dressed in full revolutionary uniform,
buff waistcoat cleaning in the sun.
90 his head was o ehree-corneK1d hat
with white resette on the side. Who
could ID, be2 Had / been dreaming
while wandering around this romantic
and festive copnttyy Had i been
dreaming 70 much OF these heroes gf !
~ until perchauce' one of them had
become realf q n nh
looked at tai milestone nearby
Two Miles to Chadd's Ford Right
I in front of me lay the broad stretch of
meatiow over which, 1923 years ago, the
British rode peilmell, led by Ford
CORVALLIS and Gen, Howe, wasting
the country bsfors them Oh that, mem
orable day September 18th. 1f77, on
which was fought the battle Of Brandy
wins. / rubbed my eyes, thinking this
vision must be a child of 10Y dreams,
but deep voice, sad, but musical,
brought me TO the realization that
right here before me was an incarna
ton OF Ut hero.
Beautiful country beautiful is it
not, and ah right here right before
us was where the British ran to the
ford, feigning to cross it, hopipg to
see Gen. Washington. 1t was 5 O'Clock
In the morning, and awoke and heard
the tramp of the foe. Right along this
quiet stream were troops of the strug
Cling colonies. On September 9th Gen.
Washington crossed tire Brandywine
and took has position, at Chadd's Ford.
Gen. Maxwell was posted west OF the
ford and Gen. Armstrong was stationed
two miles below. Gen. Washington b
day before the battle the British forces
met at Kenneth Square, and from there
in the evening portion of them adj
yanced toward Welshe's Tavern, now
familiarIy known as the Anvil The
18th of September was very hot day
| aud the whole British army was 10
motion. At IL o'clock in the morning
the movements of CORVALLIS were first
announced to Washington. 1t was
noon before the news reached him that
| the enemy was Attempting to cross
| Jcffry's Ford. Washington hurried his
| troops OUT, hurried up the hill and
found the host visible, appearing in
| the grand and imposing array before
| the field before them, Gen. Corn
wallis, with his rich scarlet coat with
golden lace and heavy epaulets, made
a brilliant appearance. Both armies
FASTENED forward. but 1t was half-past
four when the first shot was fired; for
d time the lighting was fierce and ter
rible, and at last the brave Americans
| were forced to give way. The troops
wavered, then rallied and wavered
again, and were then forced to retreat.
| Gen. Washington reappeared with
| GREEN'S division, but they were too
late to avert the disastrous retreat.
That road to the left was crowded
with soldiers going on toward Chester.
1t was q clear moonlight night after
| the battle, and the scenes on the field
and along the road were horrible. y
The strange rider then turned his
horse's head to the left. Wondering,
could not help but follow. The way
led straight up the Hill, where the
road was banked With golden rod and
| the purple iron plant, on past the fields
OF corn and clover over which the bullets
flew so many years ago, until we came
| to a square house, beside the road. A
flag wsyed In front Or it and on a tree
on front Of the lawn was posted,
Headquarters Of Gen. George Wash
ingtop, September, l777. q The
stranger reverently raised his hat and !
could see his eyes we're glistening with
house, compact and clean, looking
smiling, as thought it had never WIT
messed such bloody scenes as passed be-
fore its eyes those wild, exciting
times. The Brandywine lay before US.
The sun was directly aioft, and polished
the gold OF the grain and threw pink
shade on the purple clover. On up
the road the stranger aud walked. !
know not what power gave me ease to
60 over these roads, rough as they. are
and hot and sunny as was the day.
But memory and sentiment of those
times gone by fills the atmosphere
about here with courage and strength
that every heat must breathe,
and it seemed as though we
were walking on air that buoyed US
along. Soon we reached the old Ber-
miugham Meeting House that was
used as a hospital for the soldiers after
the battle of Brandywine. Washing
ton had ordered 1t put in condition for
his men, but such is the irony of life
that he had it prepared for his bitter
foe. To the left of the meeting house,
in the field. arose tall shaft oil
granite, surrounded by an iron railing.
This marked the spot where the knight
of liberty, Marquis de La Fayette, was
wounded in battle. The stranger
picked little bunch of golden rod nn6
with sad smile lowering around his
mouth, musingly laid it on La Fayette'f
tomb.
"This field is full of bitter sweet
memories' he went on; "bitter foi
the cruelty it calls up; sweet for the
bravery it brings to mind
81 would liked to have lived in
those days, Stranger, L would liked tc
have been man and fought with the
great Gen. Washington. I would like
to have been with him in that awful
winter at Valley Forge, at warren's
Tavern aud at Paoli, and think, ere,
could have been one of the heroes
would have chosen to be Gen. Ia
Fayette. When read his life through
my woman's eyes L think he was the
bravsst and grandest man in history. y
The Stranger smiled. my dear
young woman, the women in those
days were as brave as the men, and
you would not have had to be Gen. La
n Fayette to have shown courage, fol
those revolutionary maids and DANES
had the courage that only women have,
the courage 80 little understood by
men, that OF patience and silent en-
duranoe of hardship"
The sun was sinking behind the hills
and low south wind was stirring the
trees, the red glow Of, the setting sun
4 q. E..