The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-03-27
That Famous Stolen Kiss.

That Famous Stolen Kiss.
! Readers of the interesting sketch 0
Stephen Girard's residence in Noun
Holly, recently published in Tn
News. will remember the anecdote O
a kiss being snatched from Mrs. Girarc
by Colonel Walter Stewart, who wa,
then compelled to apologize to th,
angry Stephen. This story was print
ed in 1882, in Simpsons Life of Girard
which is not considered an entirely re
liable work. After its publication il
THE News, an effort was made to au
thenticate the anecdote by ascertain
ing if Colonel Walter Stewart wa,
actually an officer in the army of the
Revolution, and if there was any
record Of his visiting Mount Holly
The search was successful Stewart
was found to have been a prominent
soldier in the war for independence
and brief sketch Of his history, COM
piled from the Pennsylvania archives
and Heitman's Historical Register. is
given below, as adding interest to the
story of the stolen kiss.
Colonel Walter Stewart, the colonel
of the Thirteenth and afterwards of
the Second Pennsylvania, was OF Irish
descent, had fair, ford complexion.
was vivacious, intelligent and well
educated, and, it was said. was the
h0n0HnFr1 A
Army. - Catstis' RecolEectaOns. On
April ii, 1871, just before starting on
the southern campaign, with Gen.
Wayne, he married daughter of Blair
McC!enachan, a prominent patriotic
merchant OF Philadelphia. He retired
from the service January 1, 1888,
with the breVet rank Of brigadier gem
eral. He was afterwards prominent
merchant Of Philadelphia, major gen
eral OF the first division of the Penn
sylvania militia. His portrait is full
length in TrumbulPs picture of the
surrender of CORVALLIS, on the left Of
the line of the American officers. He
died at Philadelphia, at the early age
Of 40 years, June IA or Is, 1876, and
was buried on the 10Th, with the
nonors Of war, the So :iety of the Gin.
cinnati and the officers Of the first di-
vision following the corpse as mourn
srs. '-Penna. Arch, vol 10, I'd series.
Stewart was Major Camp to
General Gates, June I, 1776, and by
he Act Of November, 1776, was recon-
nended as deserving officer, ito have
'he rank Of Lieutenant-C Colonel by
orevet. and be presented with a sword
II the value Of one hundred dollars. .
That Colonel Stewart spent six DAVIS
a Mount Holly, is proved by the fol-
owing facts:
November II, 1777, by resolution Of
Congress, the Thirteenth Pennsylvania,
5ol. Stewart commanding, was placed
N the Continental Establishment. !
November q, of the same year, the
egiment crossed the Delaware from
Bristol. and camped at Burlington.
The quotations following are from
liary kept by the first lieutenant of the
egiment commanded by Stewart.
On the morning Of November %,
he troops marched from Burlington
0 the heights Of Mount Holly, where
We took post.
November 26. = Having received
Vord that Gen. CORVALLIS with 1000
nen were ravaging the county OF Glou-
ester, at ! a. M. marched to Moores-
own and thence to Haddonfield, near
which we halted until evening. We
earned that the enemy had retreated
Q Philadelphia, after taking large ,
uantity Of live stock with them. We
eturned to our encampment at mid !
light, after fatlguing march"
The route taken was probably the |
ling's Highway, through what is now
Branch street, and the marching army
assed directly by the property Of
stephen Girard.
The troops left Mount Holly on No
ember q, going to Burlington, and
e-crossed the river to Bristol, where
hey ''encamped in the woods, without
ents.
Considering these disco veries, it NAV /
afely be said that the famous kiss.
fhich seems to have echoed down
be corridors OF time, was snatched
'om Mrs. Girard by Col. Stewart, be-
ween November % and November q.
III.
In the previous article it was stated
nat the Girards were married in ITO.
his was incorrect. The event took
lace in 1777, and Mary Girard was a
ride of few weeks when her husband I
,cated in Mount Holly. Under these
Stephens jealousy NAV
e excused.
Efforts to identity the captain of ar
llery named Gryce," who is said to
ave accompanied Stewart on this oc-
ssion, have been unsuccessful. There
as a Lieutenant Grier in the reei-
lent, who may have been the man.
lg letter from gentleman who may be
nd to be an authority on local history
ditor of THE News.
SiF-I have read with much pleasure
o article in one Of the recent issues of
our paper on Stephen Girard's resi-.
ence in Mount Holly in which you
uOte from DIR. Zachariah Read remi-
sciences to the effect that ut is we'll
authenticated that he never mentioned
[ount Holly or the people, no more
IAN if he had never known them.'
his fact seems to be well established
ON number Of sources, but tn ere is
mother fact not so we'll known, but
srhaps equally well authenticated,
hich, in justice to Mr.. Girard, should
2 noted, viz:
At the time Rev. Joseph Lancaster
isited Mount Holly and organized a
,hool in the upper room of the AGA
envy on Brainard street, Alexander