Through Colonial DoorwaysWharton, Anne Hollingsworth
History
Through Colonial Doorways
Wharton, Anne Hollingsworth
United States -- Social life and customs -- 1775-1783; United States -- Social life and customs -- To 1775
So ended this afternoon and evening of brilliant and gorgeous
pageantry, resembling more nearly a chapter from one of the
richly-colored Eastern fairy-tales that delighted our childhood than
a story of Colonial days, which was speedily followed by the sober
realities of Sir William and Lord Howe’s return to England and by
Clinton’s evacuation of Philadelphia.
It may be interesting to follow the fates of those gay beauties who
held their brief, brilliant court through that spring afternoon,
especially so to that much maligned class who study the science of love
and courtship, crudely called match-makers.
Strange as it may seem, none of the queens of the Meschianza married
their respective knights. Miss Janet Craig, whose knight was Lieutenant
Bygrove, and who has described the whole scene as one of enchantment to
her young mind, was never married.
The chief lady of the Knights of the Blended Rose, although spoken of
frequently as an English girl, was the daughter of the Rev. Samuel
Auchmuty, D.D., of Trinity Church, New York, a devoted loyalist. Miss
Auchmuty was with her brother-in-law, Captain Montrésor, chief engineer
of General Gage’s army at Boston, to whose skill the success of the
fireworks at the Meschianza was largely due.
Williamina Smith, whose picture, with its bright eyes and tip-tilted
nose, lies before us, had for her knight Major Tarleton, who appeared
with the motto “Swift, vigilant, and bold.” He who was afterward
the terror of the South is described as a fine, soldierly fellow of
one-and-twenty, who, “when not riding races with Major Gwynne on the
commons,” spent his time in making love to the ladies. Miss Smith
became the wife of Charles Goldsborough, of Long Neck, Dorset County,
Maryland.
The Misses Redman, so often mentioned among the belles of the time,
were nieces of the famous Dr. John Redman. Miss Rebecca, whose knight
was Monsieur Montluisant[6] (lieutenant of Hessian Chasseurs), with the
emblem a sunflower turning to the sun, her motto “_Je vise à vous_,” is
said to have been the Queen of the Meschianza, whom Watson describes,
many years later, as old and blind, “fast waning from the things that
be,” yet able to paint in vivid colors the occurrences of this day.
She spoke of André as the life of the company. It is not strange that
this brave young officer and elegant and accomplished gentleman, who
added so much to the enjoyment of the loyalist ladies of Philadelphia
during the British occupation, should have been long held by them
in grateful remembrance. We know that he was on terms of intimate
friendship with one of these sisters, as it was for her he wrote those
tender, plaintive verses, commencing,--
“Return, enraptured hours,
When Delia’s heart was mine;
When she with wreaths of flowers
My temples would entwine.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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