Milford chronicle., 1924-06-20
WHEN LIBERTY BELL
SOUGHT SANCTUARY
Concealed From the British
After Brandywine.
Thrills in Record of Travel
From Philadelphia to
Allentown.

No relic in America is more revered
than the Liberty bell, and "its pro
phetic inscription; its appeal to the
people to assemble for the redress of
their grievances; its defiant clangOr
that memorable day of the proclama-
tiOn of our independence; its joyous
pealing over the completed work of
the American Revolution, and its last
tOlling over the head Of the nation,
gives its story an abiding interest to
the nation and the world"
Since its birthday in London in 1852,
Chaplain Warren Patten Coon tells
the New York Times, this famous bell
has Travelled more than halfway
round the glObe-acrOss the Atlantic
in its initial journey, and later, as an
object of veneration, has been taken
from its home in Philadelphia on ten
different occasions to appear at eX-
positions and other gatherings from
Boston to San Francisco and from
Chicago to New Orleans. But of all
these ten journeys none was of such
moment and historical interest as its
first pilgrimage in America, when it
was hauled fifty miles on a farmers
wagon and hidden in the cellar of a
church to prevent its capture by the
British.
No defeat of the American RevO-
luton was more disastrous than that
of the battle of Brandywine. Pennsyl- |
vania, September II, 1777, when 1000 |
out Of Washington's 140OO men fell. |
This catastrophe took place thirty |
five miles-as the crow flies-west !
of Philadelphia, General Howe, the
British commander, having .os 600 of !
his $4,000 men, moved on Philadelphia,
causing CONSERVATION. The Cont |
mental congress, in session there, hasti-
ly adjourned on September IS to meet
IN Lancaster, a few miles west of
Brandywine where for many months
the affairs of the nation were con-
Quoted.
Bell Disappeared.
Meanwhile, in Philadelphia all was
astir. An immediate movement of the
Continental army, including the sick
and wounded, was begun nOrthward
from French creek and Philadelphia to
Bethlehem and it's vicinity. The state ]
house, or Liberty bell, and other bells,
were taken down and hurried to hid
ing. On September 10, 1777, according
to the diary of Jacob HiltZheimer, an
official of the quartermaster's depart
ment the public money, books and
papers were sent to the home of Abra-
ham Hunt, in New Jersey, for tempo
rary safekeeping. From the diary of
the Moravian bishop at Bethlehem we
know that on Monday September %,
the archives and other papers of con- 1
gress arrived there from Trenton by
way of EastOn, under a convoy of fifty 7
troopers and fifty infantrymen On {
Tuesday. September %, the heavy bag {
gage of the Continental army began I
arriving at Bethlehem, "in continu- 7
ous train of 700 wagons, direct from n
camp, under escort of 200 men, COM T
nanded by Col. William Polk of North n
Carolina" and went into camp. The q
Liberty bell was on one Of these II
wagons.
At the time Of the Liberty bells dis
appearance from Philadelphia. rumor
vas rife that its sacred and patriotic
Ongue had forever been silenced in n ,
vatery grave in the Delaware Some "
historians have said that congress took
to Lancaster and York, making their
eductions, probably, from the fact
hat congress and the bell left and re- :,
lrned to Philadelphia, almost stimuli -,
y =
Loaded Onto Wagon. 3
The fact was that in September y
m, by order of the executive council.
le statehouse, or Liberty bell, the Il, Il,
9lls of Christ church and st. Peters ~
lurch, eleven in all. were removed to -
llentOwn by way of Bethlehem. To P'
e victor belongs the spOils, and his
ry furnishes instances where the e'
Ills of captured cities and towns have
n, or run into bullets. Obviously
S was the reason for the removal of q
2 Philadelphia bells. of
Under the date of September %,
n, the following entry is found in an
= diary of the Bethlehem MOravian RI
lrch: "The bells from Philadelphia
re brought in wagons. The wagon
tn the statehouse bell broke down
re, so it had to be unlOaded the 9th
bells went on" 1t was transferred
another wagon, that of Frederick Ior
aser, a teamster in the Revolution !
J. on September "a, followed the
ers to Allentown. The Liberty bell He
the chimes of Christ church were rim
re secreted beneath the floor of
ms RpPnrnled ch1ircn u-npre fhav q