Evening journal., 1900-08-24
WILL OBSERVE
BRlNDFWINE DAY
Interesting Exercises to be
Held Oh September Il
This Battle Is One Of The Few Th a
Boasts a Well Authenticated
Ghost

West Chester, Aug. 23.-Colouel r..
@. Hooten and the Committee OF Nc
Call Post, Of which he Is chairman,
are busy with their preparations to
celebrate appropriately Brandywine
Day on the neld where the battle was
fought me Colonel was there yester-
day superintending affairs, notwith-
standing the rain. A tree for flag
pole has been selected in the woods OF
Mlnshall Sharpless, not more than 100
yards from whore 1t is to stand when
made into a flag pole. 1t Is a chestnut
straight, and We'll formed
Mr. Sharpless authorizes the commit
toe TO take any tree from his woods
they wanted. II viii be cut and dressed
in "a few days and will stand about 70
feet out OF the ground
The borough Of West Chester has
given them the stone needed to build
the masonry that is to support the
cannon. Stone for the support Of one
cannon as delivered yesterday and
the other to-day. The masons VIII be
at work tomorrow. The money needed
has been coming in very slowly so far
but the committee Is confident that the
public VIII sustain the movement and
10 going forward as steadily and as
economically as possible. The exer-
cises win be held on the 11th OF Sep
tember which everybody should re-
member Is Brandywine Day, and be
there TO help celebrate.
Mr. Hooten says that soldiers do not
generally Indulge In suDerstltions with
reference to ghost stories.
They believe that the spirit OF a sol
dior leglum2tely killed in battle re-
poses quietly until the sounding OF the
trumpet OF the Angel OF Resurrection.
They would therefore have no hes
itatiom about standing on picket on
the grounds where large number OF
men had just been killed In battle But
they recognize the existence OF ghosts
where the circumstances admit Cf It,
The battle Of Brandywine, therefore
has its well authenticated ghost.
II appeared that at the time of the
/ battle of Birmingham, a blacksmith
\ shop stood ON Henry Burnetts and
Just at SaI<ly Hollow.
| The blacksmith was an ardent patIi.
IT, The day after the battle n British
officer, so the story goes, rode up tC
| the blacksmith shop and demanded
that his horse be shod. The black
smith consented and commenced thl
work. Finally he and the British offi
Ger got into a heated argument abou
i the rights OF the Colonies, whereupol
1 the officer became so abusive as 10 en-
rage tho smith. who suddenly deal
him q blow on the forehead and killei
him, and then not knowing what Il
do with tho body threw it down th'
well at his shop TO avoid discovery
The British never heard about th'
/ killing and the smith had no conss
lQusntial trouble. Az soon az hc hat
ldisposed of the body he finished shoe
ing the horse as III nothing had hap
lpened and then turned it loose, where
upon 1t ran up to DilwOrthtown
where the British army was.
) II is said that occasionally at nigh
r this horse can be seen tearing up an
! down the road TO Dilworthtown Whe
( you can see it. It IS said IL emits ID
{ sound but when you cannot see it,
j is said you can hear the sound Of it
( hoofs
The late John Woodward, who wa
born at the housa whore Minshal
sharplese now resides and died there
used 10 declare ne had both seen thi
horse and heard it tearing mp and dow
! the road,