---ra ..• • i— ■ ■ .*-.■•** 5gtsciatsaKr» 'Mmpm MARK TWAIN’S s<map book. FATE NT'S : UNITED STATES. GREAT BRITAIN. FRANCE. June 24TH, 1873. May i6th, 1877. May i8th, 1877. TRADE MARKS: UNITED STATES. GREAT BRITAIN. Registered No. 5,896. Registered No. 15,979. DIRECTIONS. Use but little moisture, and only on the gummed lines. Press the scrap on without wetting it. DANIEL SLOTE & COMPANY, NEW YORK. ; scale but lack of funds To carry them out—were made strikingly apparent in the meetings of the society which re¬ From, . sulted in the abandonment of the proposed observance ofBrandywineDay on last Tues¬ day, September 11, by the erection of a monument to mark the spot where La¬ 6L-. fayette was wounded. This was intended to be the initial step, and some months ago it was decided to take it this year. I It assumed definite shape by the appoint¬ ment of a committee, consisting of Edwin Atlee Barber, James C. Sellers and James Monaghan, to locate the spot, raise WHERE LAFAYETTE FELL funds, select a suitable monument, and make all arrangements. These are all A Uonument to Be Erected on Brandywine practical men, and proportioned their Field by the Chester Count efforts to the length of time and amount of money at their disposal. The monu¬ torical Societ; ment, like the proverbial garment, was to be cut according to the size of the Cloth in the form of greenbacks. The Special Correspondence of committee had about completed all ar¬ West Chester, Sept. 14.—The Chester rangements when it became apparent County Historical Society is composed of that many members were of opinion that the monument was too insignificant and able and intelligent men, all of whom are that the occasion was not being made actively interested in a practical way in one Of sufficient importance, owing to [preserving and perpetuating everything lack of time and money. In other words, relating to the history of the county. It the society was hewing a little peg to jit is distinctively a Chester County organi- a big hole. These sentiments were first j zation. But it numbers among its mem- voiced by Professor D. W. Howard, and finding a responsive echo in the minds ! bers men whose ideas of the prominence of many others finally culminated in the the work which they have undertaken abandonment of the project for this should assume broaden out far beyond j year. the confines of county limitations, and But it is really not an abandonment. who, in conformity therewith, desire to It is in reality but a lengtl give more than local prominence to and arouse more than neigborhood interest in the movement inaugurated to erect monu¬ ments to mark historic spots on the Brandywine battle field. It is a cherished desire on the part of these members to lead a movement, in the name of the society, which will result in the erection James C. Sellers. time in which to carry out the | order that it may assume greater propor¬ tions and arouse new and more extended interest. The society will gather its forces i together, and the final consummation will Edwin be more imposing. This being the case it is still a live issue, and many feat¬ of handsome monuments, the unveiling ures are worthy of publicity. of which could be made a national occa¬ The monument, or “Marking Stone,” as sion. It so happens, however, as is true it is modestly called, is now almost com¬ of many organizations with similar aims, pleted. It is fourteen feet in height, and that while strong in intelligent and ac¬ I in design is Corinthian. It is made of tive membership it is weak in the treasury ! a new product of the kiln, a fine imita¬ department. tion of marble in color and texture, but These elements of strength and weak¬ it is far more durable, as marble will ness—ability to formulate plans on a large crumble away with years, while this sub¬ stitute is practically indestructible. Those who are familiar with the imposing old Anthony Wayne ifrhTc .peared _ over- mjY\ pillars in front of the Chester County name in your issue of 19th inst. The court house will see in this monument gentleman from rwhi information! almost an exact reproduction in design, comes says that hej obi from au old: i the only marked variation being the lady, who died several years ago at a very square stone bas" cannon ball on the advanced age, in that city. In regard to the top. fort,.. either the printer or ,1 blundered, for it! should have been “Fiatte” and not Lafitte, The location of the exact spot where and it was not named Fiatte until 1*12, Lafayette was wounded hahas been at when the old fort) which stood where the tended with some difficulty. But front the government buildings now stand, out on most reliable data at command it is in Penn avenue, near the “forks of the road,” Birmingham township, in a field be¬ was repaired and improved, which it greatly needed. The fort was at that time under the tween nvo strips of woodland belonging command of a Colonel Fiatte, and thence¬ to Mrs. Biddle and Henry Bennett. It forth the fort was known as Fort Fiatte. At is on the south side of the road leading that time the Marquis La Fayette’s name from Birmingham Meeting House to Dil- was, perhaps, even more honored than that f worthtown, east of the meeting house. cf George Washington (with all due apolo¬ The active management of the work gies to Messrs. Ogier and Pennypacker and other American patriots) owing to the during the coming year will fall upon the bitter party spirit prevailing then, and shoulders of Mr. Edwin Atlee Barber, this fact likely caused the fort some¬ chairman of the Monument Committee. times to be called Fort La Fayette, or, He is an active Philadelphia business Fort Fayette as one resident of Pitts-f man by day, and at night can be found burg contended it was its proper name then. So that my “Fort Lafitte” was a sort of: at his home in West Chester or attending hybrid resulting from the two names of meetings of socities where congenial per¬ La Fayette and Fiatte. I did not write my i sons congregate. His associates, Mr. article with the care that a historian would, James C. Sellers, a Philadelphia attorney, owing to want of time, but I hope to make and Mr. James Monaghan, State reporter, all clear in this communication. both reside in West Chester and are I pass over a good deal concerning this eaually zealous in the work. The presl- fori, as it would little interest one not famil¬ iar, as the writer, or any old Pittsburger is, with the locality. But it is necessary that I add that Colonel Fiatte was a gallant old gentleman, a great favorite with the school girls, who passed by on their way home from school, and from a flower garden which he took delight in cultivating, as indeed did all the officers, and which extended from the line of Penn street (avenue now) to the East1 road (now Liberty street), the Colonel was , wont to cull little bouquets for the girls. The ' old lady mentioned in the beginning of this j article was one of those school gins. As¬ suming that she was fifteen at that time, she | was not born until five years afterthe tragic1 event of the youngsoldier’s death, and hence could not have had the story direct as a con¬ temporary, but must have gotten it at second hand. My informant says that “it was once a familiar tale” with Pittsburgers. No doubt this lady heard it often as a young girl, because she was old enough to be in¬ terested in it, and to remember the details, a dozen years after it happened. Such little stories, handed down from one generation to another, rarely, if ever, contain all the de¬ tails; and we must be satisfied with th&main facts in the case. Possibly the names of the officers of that court-martial were unfamiliar to Pittsburgers at the time, for they were ! temporarily there, not constituting a part of the regular garrison. It is hardly to be ex-1 pected, therefore, that an old person, giving the story years afterward, could give also , the officers’ names. And I wish to call Mr. James Monaghan. Ogier’s attention to the fact that my article stated that Wayne tore up the records of that court-martial, and hence it cannot be I dent of the society "is Dr. "George TVIarnsl found to-day on file anywhere. As to the 1 Philips, principal of the West Chester condition of the officers of the court-martial, State Norma) School; and the secretary I presume that they were sober enough to is Gilbert Cope, the historian. Among: know what they were doing, as it is not said j the other most active members are Gib-! that they were drunk at the time. But we may reasonably infer that their brains were bons Gray Cornwell, Joseph Thompson constantly disturbed by whiskey, which was I and Mrs. E. Dallett Hemphill. plentiful and cheap. In the army at the j front, where Indian fighting was going on, it j is said that the punch bowl was never absent From,. from the officers’ quarters, and that even theprivate soldiers had their favorite mix¬ tures of whiskey and other articles con¬ stantly. One can scarcely realize to¬ day just how great intemperance was among the soldiers, and civilians, too, j for that matter, at that period.