CCMS Medicine Fall 2017 - 22

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The Literature OFChesterCounty
AUTUMN 2017

Bruce
Mowday
F

or the past four years the Journal of the Chester County
Medical Society has been pleased to share the works of some
of the many accomplished artists who make their home
in Chester County. This has been an easy task as our county is
home to a dynamic and flourishing art community. And so it
was brought to the attention of the editors of this journal that
journalists, writers, historians, reporters, and other literati are
found in abundance here in our county. It is our hope that from
time to time we will be privileged to interview and share with you
other Chester County "persons of letters."
We are pleased to present out first Chester County writer,
Bruce Mowday. Although I certainly "knew" Mr. Mowday as a
longtime reporter and editor for the Daily Local News, I must
admit my knowledge of his many literary endeavors was less than
complete. I was delighted to meet with Mr. Mowday and become
familiar with his achievements as an author. To follow is my
interview with Mr. Mowday and I trust you will enjoy getting to
know this accomplished writer and Chester County native.
"Well, Bruce, do you have any inkling why I choose you to
be the first writer featured for The Literature of Chester County?"
"Would it have anything to do with my name?" "There you go," I
replied.
It was a genuine pleasure and privilege to meet Mr. Mowday
and discuss his career as a reporter, editor and author. Bruce,
a Chester County native whose family roots go back at least
five generations, became enamored with history, writing and
journalism when as a youngster his grandmother gave him
copies of articles written during the Civil War by his great-greatgrandfather.
Those yellowed newspaper clippings led to the writing of
the first detailed book on the American Revolution Battle of
Brandywine, which took place along the banks of the Brandywine

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River in Chadds Ford. Bruce was president of the Brandywine
Battlefield Park Associates and working at the Daily Local
News in West Chester when he won an auction of a group of
old newspapers. In that group was a first-hand account of an
unnamed solider who rode with General George Washington at
Brandywine on September 11, 1777.
"I was writing weekly columns for the newspaper and thought
this great account of Washington at Brandywine would be an
excellent column subject," Bruce recalled. "I knew a lot about the
battle but I needed more background information and I went to
the Chester County Book Company asking for a book on the
battle Brandywine. I was told none existed."
The fact no book existed on Brandywine led Bruce on a sixyear journey that included a two-week research trip to London
and many day trips to search out source material for his book.
Philadelphia, Harrisburg and the David Library at Washington's
Crossing were visited for vital background material. Bruce also
went through the records at the state park at Brandywine and the
Chester County Historical Society.
"When I was researching my book, little had been written
about Brandywine," Bruce said. "The gathering of information
took the form of an investigation and I went about the task as I
had when I did investigative reporting for the Daily Local News.
There were a lot of myths surrounding Brandywine. I dispelled
many of them during my research."
Bruce was astonished that no detailed account of Brandywine
was published in the 225 years before his book, September 11,
1777: Washington's Defeat at Brandywine Dooms Philadelphia,
was released by White Mane Books. Brandywine was the main
defense of Philadelphia by Washington, Washington almost
lost his life at Brandywine, major historical figures fought at
Brandywine, including future Supreme Court Justice John

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CCMS Medicine Fall 2017

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