We proceeded to the north end of the village, and reined up at the entrance gate of "Chew's House," the most noted and attractive relic of the Revolution now in Germantown. It stands back several rods from the street, on the cast side, and is surrounded by noble trees and shrubbery in profusion. The house is a spacious stone edifice with ample wings. In various parts of the grounds were the mutilated remains of several fine marble statues and vases, some standing, others lying upon the ground. They are evidences of the refined taste of its distinguished owner, Chief-justice Chew, * and at the same time melancholy mementoes of the destructive character of war. These fine specimens of sculpture were all perfect before the conflict known as the Battle of Germantown occurred; they were battered, broken, and cast down by the cannon-balls hurled on that occasion. We passed an hour with the venerable present owner of the mansion, the widow of a son of Chief-justice Chew. She received us with much courtesy, and seemed to take pleasure in leading us to various parts of the grounds. The walls of the large room on the south are covered with old paintings, chiefly family portraits, many of them by eminent artists, and possessing much merit. Mrs. Chew showed me several mementoes of the battle, among which are the scars seen at the head of the great stair-case, which were made by the passage of a cannon-ball through the house. In the stable we saw the old doors of the mansion, completely riddled by musket-balls. Mrs. Chew informed us that the house was so much injured, that four or five carpenters were employed a whole winter in repairing it. The battle of Germantown was fought on the morning of the 4th of October, 1777. Defeated [[September 11, 1777]] on the banks of the Brandywine, (a) Washington retreated, with his whole army, back to Philadelphia, and encamped at Germantown. As soon as his * Benjamin Chew was born in Maryland, November 20th, 1722. He studied law first with Andrew Hamilton, and afterward in London. He went to Philadelphia in 1754, where he held the respective offices of recorder of the city, register of wills, attorney general, and finally beeame chief justice of Pennsylvania. His course was doubtful when the Revolution broke out, and he was claimed by both parties. After the promulgation of the Declaration of Independence, he took a decided stand against the Whigs, and retired to private life. In 1777 he refused to sign a parole, and was sent a prisoner to Fredericksburg, Virginia. In 1790 he was appointed president of the High Court of Errors and Appeals, and held that office until the abolition of the tribunal in 1806. He died on the 20th of January, 1810, aged nearly eighty-eight years. His father was the Honorable Samuel Chew, of Delaware, a member of the society of Friends, who was a judge and a physician. [[[Maneuvers of the two Armies on the Schuylkill.--The British Army at Germantown.--Preparations to Attack it]]]