Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1901-09-02
WHERE THE AMERICAN FLAG
FIRST WAS UNFURLED IN BATTLE

A monument will be unveiled at
Cooch's Bridge tomorrow to commemo- !
rate the first brush between the British
and. Americans in Sir William Howe's
inglorious campaign against Phiiadel-
phia, "the rebel capital" in the fall Of
1777. It was at the fghtthere that the
Stars and Stripes were first unfurled
in battle and the. monument, besides
being a marker of that hot sdrmish, is
also the record OF no less an historic ,
incident than the first appearance of
Old Glory's continual performance to
the world
In company with Henry G. Conrad, of
this place, who Is to deliver the histor
cal address at tomorrow's celebration.
have just gone over the whole route of
the two armies from Wilmington to
Elkton, Nd, writes w. H Richardson
in the Philadelphia Record. We drove
out of Wilmington over the historic
pike that Washington must have trav-
ersed scores of times during the two
weeks from August 25 to September z,
l1777. when he was dating his letters
from this city while his army occupied
the high lands further west. His CORE
spondenee and that of his contempt
raries give a fairly complete itinerary
of his iouTneyings, accommodating the
country and the different roads"
When Washington first heard on
August %, of the arrival of Admiral
Howes fleet of 228 sail in the Chesa-
peake he and his army were at Ne
shaminy camp. The next day the Con-
ifinan tails hound
der to be within striking distance when
The opportunity offered. The first night
OF che march they biyouacked at what
II now Nicetown, and there the final
touches were provided for the show
that had been arranged to influence
the minds of the "disaffected" in Phil
ladelphia, The men were to be excused
from carrying their camp kettles
through the city; the would-be strag.
glers were to be kept in line bya prom
r Use of thirty-nine ashes at the next
Mating place if they broke out: til,
hting and drumming were r.
De done in such tempo tha-
the men could step with ease
without dancing along or totally disre,
garding the music.
General Henry Knox wrote to hi,
, Lucy that their excellent appearance
and marching astonished the Tories
VINO are very doWncast on the respecta
loility of the army"-but then Henr.
. says further on in his qetter he wa,
! absent when the show was put In AN,
3 then. too, We have other authority fo
the belief that the long, purposely at
4 tenuated line of poorly-clad worn,
4 armed representatives of America mill
. tapt were not at all convincing in thei
i lmotley garb-the only uniform q
s which Was sprig OF green in the hats
eventually the army reached tn
r high ridge west of Newport. It's .lef
n wing resting but a short distance from
r ltlat village, while the right extendel
beyond Stanton and rested on Whit
i Clay creek. The centre of the lin
I was at a point near what is now Kia
mensi station on the Baltimore an
Ohio railroad
: Lieutenant James McMichael, of tn
Z PENNSYLVANIA line, who was all owe
the country just 124 years ahead of III
g Twas sufficiently smitten with itseharm
q as to use up good space in his yer
! matter-of-faet diary with the observa
n ton that our encampment here Co
Il Newport Heights)w was exceedingly beau
8 tiful and being chiefly surrounded b
d Wing inhabitants, was to US yer
" agreeable" That is certainly a pleae
d ing tribute from a Pennsylvania to I
It Delaware landscape and to Delawat
It patriotism.
Revolutionary Newport was quite
famous place; boats on the Christian
were loaded there with grain and othe
agricultural produce that farmer
y brought from points as far away )
Lancaster county and the ventures" j
W trade brought wealth and prosperity {
n the town. The big, substantial brio
3 houses still left over from colonii
t. days, remind MS of Viewpoints one-tim
n glory. There is the old Latimer hous
pit -once a widely known hostelry, bl
Id now general store; opposite it is