The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-09-03
INTERESTING
CEREMONIES.


music of brass band the monument t.
mark the spot where the Stars am
Stripes first received its baptism of fire
will be unveiled this afternoon at Cooch'
Bridge near this city 1t is on the lau,
of j. Wilkins Cooch and the old man
sion which was used for the British fo
headquarters before the engagement il
still standing. If thc day is fair th'
exercises will be attended by hundred:
of people from all parts of the country
Until recently it was cOntrnded that
the flag was first unfurlcd in battle al
the Battle of the Brandywine. Th s
was disputed and it is now an establish
ed fact that the flag tloated above the
heads Of the continental troops while
the battle was waged Mt Cooch's Bridge
on September 8, III. 1t was no mere
skirmiSh as has been stated by some. The
British alone lost five officers bcsid $
many men in the ranks. The unveilng
exercises today will start at 9 O'Clock.
A special train will leave the French
street station of the p, W. Il B. rail
road at 1.20 o'clock.
The monument WAS erected by the
patriotic societies and citizens Of Dcla-
ware. After the overture the boys in
Blue" by the First Regiment Band, Henry
c. Conrad will deliver Il historical ad-
dress. The monument will then be I'M.
vcilnd by Masters Howard DcIIavrn
Ross. Jr.. and Francis Allyn Cooch, jr
Miss Emma Lore will then sing tho
"Star Spangled Banner accompanied
by the First Regiment Band. Hon. j.
Wilkins Cooch will present the monu-
ment to the State ard it will be az
ccptcd by Governor Hum. After tho
First Regiment Band plays the "Stars
and Stripes Forever Walter $. Logan
Of New York will speak He will be
followed by General James II. Wilson
and II. G. Houston. William 7. Smith
crs will read poem and the Rev. Thom-
as G. Potter will pronounce the henr-
diction. Many prominent people from
the various patriotic societies Of other
States will be present.
There is an authenticated record
OF a previous appearance OF the new
standard, on August 6, 1777, when
a flag hastily eXtemporized out OF
the red petticoat OF soldler's wife.
a white skirt and old blue jacket
was run up over Fort Stanwise at
the close OF the battle OF Oriskam.
Still it is a safe historical presum.
ton that the new flag adopted by
Congress as the National banner
the previous June was borne to the
front OF a fight for the first time at
Coochs Bridge.
Mr.. Coochs residence was built
in 1860 by his great-grandfather,
Thomas Cooch, and it got its first
claim to larger fame in the tall of
1777 when it became the temporary
home Of Lold d CORVALLIS, who COM
manded a division OF Howe's army
in the fatelul Philadelphia cam.
paign. From between the trees on
the lawn that slopes down TO the
ChrIstlana, one gets glimpses Of the
near hill on the other side OF the
creek. There it was that General
Maxwell with his Light advance
corps" was discovered by the d.
vision Of the British army encamp-
ed on the slope oil Iron Hill, an emf.
nence rising high at the rear or
west OF the Cooch house.
Howe had landed his army about
y miles below E'klon, Md, on
IS, after a long Journey
round from New York, and he ar
rived at point that was just about
as far from his objective as he was
when Washington faced him a cou-
pie of months before in northern
New Jersey and completely out
played him in his game OF getting
to Philadelphia by the overland
route. His plan Of coming around
into the Chesapeake, then, was
clearly a plea OF confession and
avoidance; he knew he could not
get past the man who was alert to
every move made by the blundering
Aud so Howe tried, oy
the transparent strategy Of de-
coy letter purporting to have been
prepared for Burgoyne, to throw
Washington off his guard and slip
into Philadelphia BY an unexpected
route.
The letter fell as was intended,
into Washington's hands. In it
Howe told OF the proposed sailing
of his army to Boston; it was such
a manifest fraud that Washington
wrote of it, ITO ms no stronger
proof could be gwen that the for
ner General Howe) IS not gong
% the eastward, than this letter
,dduees. l am persuaded
more than ever that Philadelphia
S the place OF destination " And
he nthe Americans moved slowly
,ff 10 the southwark not without
some suspicion. however. A week
liter the feet sailed Washington
wrote ION July 5U that Howe's
lbandoning ot Bursoyne was $50
matterthat till lam
ully assured 1t is so, cannot help
:asting my eyes continually behind
ne,
So after a voyage OF more than a
month in which Howe displayed
urther inconceivable follies, the
invading army arrived at Oldtield's
'oint near the head of the shallow
elk river. some - miles below the
present Elkton. John Marshall
avs there were about $4,000 men
lin good health and spirits, trained
o the service. and admirably we'll
applied with all the implements Of
var, and led By general OF eX-
erience and unquestIonable mill.
arv talents. Later historians
re not 80 kind to Sir William as
ohn Marshall was.