b-^!; Sk^^'j TE 5 I LIBRARX Book! School Library f in the discretion gineer School. Borrc ole for their return in good condition. Books lost, mut- ilated, or otherwise damaged will be charged against person borrowing the same. By Order of Commanding Officer 30 FORT HUMPHREYS, WA. — 9-5-24 — 20000 / \ \ o Me 6h/:^f:)/- /^ y:-^, /4, THE HOME OF WASHINGTON; U. b. Lngineer School Library OK RECEIVED SEP 2 1927 MOUNT Ymm^ AND ITS ASSOCIATION^rmy War College D. C. HISTOKICAL, BIOGEAPHICAL, AND PICTOEIAL BY BENSON J. LOSSING. ILLUSTRATED BY NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS CHIEFLY FKOM ORIGINAL DKAWINGS BY THE AUTHOR, ENGRAVED BY LOSSING & BABBITT, JPixblisliecl \yy Subscription onlj^. nARTFOEDjCONX.: A. S. HALE & COMPAKY. GEO. W. ROGERS, Chicago, lU. E. HANNAFORD & CO., Cincinnati, O. 1870. H. hi • o"" Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1870 by BENSON J. LOSSING. In the Clerk's Office of the District Court, for the Southern District of New York. £ Property of U. S. Army ^ ^ m rnntf states smMMBi poopzcr J- TO HIS FA.TRIOT1C COXJN-TRY-WO DVEKN-, BT WHOSE EFFORTS /-I (C^c Pom£ nnh %amh of Mas^iitgton HAVE BEEN RESCUBD FROM DECAY, Tliis "Volume is HDedicated BT THE AUTHOR. 3 ./INll PREFACE. The materials of whicli this volume is composed, were col- lected by the writer many years ago, during visits to Mount Vernon, and also Arlington House, the residence of the fam- ily of George Washington Parke Custis, the adopted son of Washington. Careful search was made elsewhere for memen- toes of the domestic life of Washington and of his Home on the banks of the Potomac Kiver; and faithful drawings of objects and transcriptions of documents were made, wherever found. It is believed that few of such objects of interest have escaped notice. Delineations and descriptions of these, and facts con- cerning Mount Yernon, of every kind, have been arranged in proper order in the following pages, and so present quite a complete picture of the private and domestic life of the Father of his Country ; for that life, from his earliest childhood, was associated with Mount Yernon. Had the collection of the contents of this Yolume been delayed a little longer, it could never have been made, for almost every relic of Washington that remained at his Home when it passed into the possession of The Ladies Mount Yer- non Association, was borne away by the retiring proprietor. These and many others at Arlington House were, during the the terrible storms of Civil War which frequently swept over Virginia, widely scattered, and it is believed that many per- 12 P K E F A C S . ished. And so this work has become a most rare and precious depository of the likenesses of things once associated with the person of the Beloved Patriot, and of facts having the same relation. But for it, all semblance of such objects would have passed from the memory of men and been lost forever. The reader will bear in mind that when persons or thmgs are spoken of in the body of the work, in the present tense, the time is the year 1859, when the collection and arrange- ment of the materials were first made. The writer revisited Mount Yernon and Arlington House early in 1870, and has added many pages of interesting matter to the original collec- tion, making,it is believed, a complete reliquary of Washington and his Home. He found the aspect of Mount Yernon very little changed. But the beautiful grounds around Arlington House had been converted into a burial place for many thou- sands of the young men of the Country who perished while striving to save the imperilled life of the Republic. B. J. L. The EroGE, Dover, N. Y., April, 1870. CONTENTS. PAGE. Description of the Arms of the Washington Family 27 The Washington Family in England 28 A Baronial Residence of the Family 30 Wasliington's Seals, and Books in his Library 31 Reference to his Birth-Place 32 The Family of Washington's Mother. His Birth 33 His Birth-day and Change in the Calendar 34 Home of the Washington Family on the Rappahannock 34 Place of Washington's Birth described 36 Letters of Washington and Richard Henry Lee, in childhood 37 Death of Washington's Father 38 Lawrence Washington. Admiral Vernon 39 Lawrence with Admiral Vernon on a Naval Expedition 40 Siege of Carthagena ; Lawrence Washington at Home 41 Lawrence Washington's Mansion. Mount Vernon Estate 42 The first Mansion at Mount Vernon 43 The Surroundings of George Washington's Boyhood 43 Account of Lord Fairfax's Life and Death 44 Society at Mount Vernon. Young Washington prepares for Sea 45 His Mother interferes, and he returns to School 46 Washington's first Love. Temptation and Constancy 47 His Early Sports and regular Occupation 48 Experience as a Surveyor and in Wood-craft 48 Appointed a public Surveyor. Disposition of his implements 49 Washington's Military Genius awakened 50 Lawrence and George Washington in Barbadoes. Lawrence dies 51 George inherits Mount Vernon and Paternal Estate 51 Conflicting interests of the English and French in America 52 Washington, a Virginia Major, performs a Perilous Errand . . 53 Major Washington leads an Expedition against the French 54 Washington continued in the Public Service. Commissioned a Colonel. 55 First meeting of Washington and Braddock 56 Washington with Braddock. Battle of the Monongahela 57 His Personal Losses. His Errand to Boston 58 14 CONTENTS, Enamored of Ilary Phillips on tlie Banks of the Huilson 59 His rival, and their different destinies CO Washington leads Troops toward Fort Dii Qucsne 60 End of Campaign. Return of Wasliington to Mt. Vernon 61 Delegate in the Virginia Assembly. His Courtship 61 S.ory of his Courtship continued 63 Marriage engagement with Martha Custis 63 The Young Widow's First Husband. Her Fortune 64 The Marriage ; its Place and Circumstances 65 The Washington Family at Mount Vernon 66 Character of Mrs. Washington. Mt. Vernon Estate 67 Articles used in the House during Washington's Bachelorhood 68 Orders preparatory to the reception of a Wife 69 Ailicles ordf-red by Washington as a Husband 70 Articles used by a Virginia Lady, in 1760 7] Works of Art ordered for the Mt .Vernon Mansion 72 Articles used by a Virginia Boy a Century ago 73 Articles used by a Virginia Girl a Century ago 74. Glimpses of Domestic Arrangements at Mt .Vernon 75 Washington's daily Life revealed by his Diaries 75 Social Enjoyments, Sports and Amusements 76 Mrs. Washington's Equipage for the Road • 75 Washington's fine Horses. His appearance on Horseback 77 The Equestrian Outfit of a Virginia Gentleman 77 Aquatic Sports. Social enjoyments abroad 78 Washington in the Civil Service. Life at the Capital 78 Washington's Home Habits. Industry, Economy and Method 79 He writes with a Gold Pen. Keeps a Diary through Life 80 His Accounts, Correspondence and attention to his Farm gl Washington as a Farmer. His Table Habits 83 The Product of his Farm. Character of his Flour 83 The Mount Vernrn Wharf 83 Shadows of coming Events 84 Washington's long training for the approaching Struggle 85 George Mason, his neighbor and Friend 86 Washington's Connection with the Church of England 86 The establishment of Pohick Church 87 Washington as an Architect and Draughtsman 33 Ministers at Pohick Church. Mason L. Weems 89 Character and occupation of Weems 90 Washington a Vestryman in Alexandria 9I Pohick Church in decay 91 The Author's experience iu Poliick Church 92 CONTENTS. 15 The interior of tlio Church 93 Charles Wilson Pealo, the Painter; 94 Peale paints the first Portrait of Washington 95 Bembrandt Peale's account of Field, the Painter 9G History of the Study of Washington's Portrait 97 Peale paints a miniature Likeness of Mrs. Washington 98 Death of Mrs. Washington's Daughter 99 Tokens of the Storm of the Revolution 100 Washington chosen a Delegate to the First Continental Congress 101 Assembling of the Delegates. Conference at Mt. Vernon 102 Washington and Friends on their journey to Philadelphia 103 Opening of the First Congress. Its Character 104 Local changes at Mt. Vernon 105 Social gathering of a Patriot Army 103 Distinguished Visitors at Mount Vernon 107 Charles Lee and Horatio Gates 108 Character and Conduct of Charles Lee 109 Character and Career of Horatio Gates 110 Washington in the Virginia Assembly. Patrick Henry Ill News at Mount Vernon of the Battle of Lexington 112 Washington departs for Philadelphia 113 Congress and a Continental Army 113 Washington Commander-in chief of the Continental Army 114 Mrs. Washington in Camp. Washington's Letters to her 114 Siege of Boston. Honors conferred on Washington 115 His Achievements in New Jersey. Hessian Flag IIG Washington's last Victory and last Trophy 11~ Domestic and Social Life at Mount Vernon 110 Mount Vernon during the War. Temporizing rebuked 119 Arrival of Washington at Mount Vernon in 1 781 120 Greeting of the Family and Servants. Distinguished Guests 130 Public Duty regarded as parmount to Private Interest 121 Washington hastens to join Lafayette 121 The Count de Rochambeau and Marquis de Chastellux 122 Washington's playful Letter to do Chastellux 123 De Chastellux's Widow. The Family at Mt. Vernon in 1781 124 A cotemporary's description of tha Pjrsoa an I Ciar-ict-^r of Washington. 135 Washington Visits his Mother on his way to Yorktown 126 John Parke Custis and his Family 126 Surrender of Cornwallis. Illness of J. P. Custis 127 Death of Mr. Custis. Washington adopts his Children as his own 127 Eleanor Parke and George Washington Parke Custis, Foster Children. . 128 16 CONTENTS. Washington again visits his Mother and his Home. Ball at Fredericks- burg 129 News of a Treaty of Peace. How Washington received it .... 130 Washington's Announcement of Peace. Army disbanded 131 British Evacuate New York. Washington parts with his OflBcers 131 He publicly resigns his Commission at Annapolis 132 His satisfaction in returning to Private Life 133 His Military Garments then laid aside 133 History of Washington's Battle Sword. Franklin wills him his Cane. . 134 Morris's Poem on the Sword and Cane 133 Washington's Camp Chest and Contents described 136 His Accommodations for a Dinner Party at West Point 137 Washington's Camp Goblet. History of his Marquee 138 His Writing-Desk and its Associations 139 The Marquee and its Revolutionary Associations 139 Its occasional Uses and Usefulness after the War 140 History of the Cincinnati Society 141 The Objects of the Society stated 142 State Societies. The Order of the Cincinnati 143 Description of the jewelled Order presented to Washington 144 Description of the Member's Certificate of the Cincinnati 144 Washington chosen first President of the Society 146 A Merry and Happy Christmas day at Mount Vernon 147 Washington's experience of the Happiness of Retirement 147 He resumes the old Social Habits of Mount Vernon 148 Lafayette expected there. Letter to Madam Lafayette 148 Simplicity of Life at Mount Vernon. Open Hospitality 149 Enlargement of the House at Mount Vernon 149 Description of the Mansion as Washington left it 150 Surroundings of the Mansion. Washington his own Architect 151 He provides for importing Pavement Stone from England 153 He makes arrangements for the employment of English Mechanics. . . . 153 He imports tlie Tools for their use 154 Preparations for Ornamental Planting at Mount Vernon 154 Description of the Lawn at the West front of the Mansion 155 Description of the arrangement of the Tree-planting 156 Account of the Seed and Tool Houses, and Conservatory 157 Account of the Tropical and other Plants that survived Washington. 158 An ancient Sago Palm described and delineated 159 Destruction of Washington's Conservatory by fire. Its Riuns 1(>0 Account of the Ice-house and Dry- well at Mt. Vernon IG] Description of the Summer House and its Surromiding* , . 1G3 CONTENTS. 17 Washington's Minute Memorandum of Direction and Distances 1(53 Lafayette visits Mount Vernon 1G3 History of Lafayette's connection with the Continental Army -[q^ Portrait of Lafayette, by Charles Wilson Peale 104 Lafayette's arrival at New York. His Letter to Washington 155 His arrival at Mount Vernon. Crowd of Visitors there 135 Washington and Lafayette Free and Accepted Masons iqq Madam Lafayette presents Washington with a Masonic Apron 167 Subsequeni History of that Apron 1C8 Other Masonic Kegalia presented to Washington 169 Washington's Correspondence on the Subject 170 How the Regalia was made. Its history 170 Public honors given to Washington. Bronze statue proposed 171 Washington's Portrait Painted by Dunlap 173 Plaster-cast taken of his Face by Wright 173 Wright's Work accidentally destroyed 173 Legislature of Virginia order a Statue of Washington 173 Account of the Statue, The Inscription 174 Public Proceedings concerning the Statue. Washington's Letter 174 Methods used for procuring a good likeness 175 Houdon employed to make it. Jefferson's Letter 176 Arrival of Houdon at Mt. Vernon. His work 176 IIoudon'3 Method of obtaining a likeness 177 Description and Delineation of the Statue 177 Gouverneur Morris the Model for the Figure 179 Pine, the Painter. His professional Visit at Mount Vernon 180 Washington dislikes sitting to Painters. Other Portraits by Pine 181 Elizabeth Parke and G. W. Parke Custis. History of Pine's Portrait. . . 183 French Hounds sent to Mount Vernon 183 Washington's Pack before the Revolution. The French Hounds. . 184 A magnificent Chimney-piece presented to Washington 185 Description of the Chimney-piece 186 Description of the Fire-place. Ornaments on the Shelf 188 Exchange of Presents. Asses from the Royal Stud at Madrid 189 Description of the Jack Asses. Completion of the Mansion 190 Washington employs Tobias Lear as Secretary 191 Condition of the Country. Necessity for political changes 193 Washington Apprehensive concerning the Future. A Movement 193 Convention for remodelling the Government. National Constitution... 194 Col. Humphreys a Resident at Mount Vernon. His character 195 He brings a Present to Washington from the King of France 196 His Literary Labors at Mount Vernon 197 18 CONTENTS Distinguished Guests at Mount Vernon 198 Marchioness do Brienne paints a Miniature of Washington 199 Allegorical Picture by Madam Van Berckel 200 History of the Picture. Other distinguished Visitors 201 Brisot de Warville and his Visit at Mt Vernon 202 Washington chosen to be the First President of the Republic 203 A Glass Manufacturer welcomed at Mt. Vernon 204 'Meeting of the First Congress under the Constitution 205 Washington reluctantly returns to Public Life 206 Messengers, at Mount Vernon, announce his Election 207 He visits his Mother for the last time. The interview 208 Wasljington's journey to New York. A continual ovation 209 Changes in the Aspect of Mount Vernon 210 Public Receptions on the way to New York 211 Pleasant Incidents at Philadelphia 212 Reception of the President Elect, at Trenton 213 His Aquatic Escort, and his Reception at New York 214 Washington Caricatured. His Inauguration 215 The ceremony of administering the Oath of Office 216 Bible used at the Inauguration. Mrs. Washington at Home 217 Her Domestic Haljits 218 Etiquette at the Republican Court 219 Watches purchased by Washington and his Wife 220 Account of Washington's Watch and Seals. Mrs. W's Frugality 221 Mrs. Washington's Journey to New York 222 Her reception. Family Dinner. Names of Guests 223 Description of the Dinner. Mrs. Washington's Receptions 224 The President's Receptions. His appearance on such occasions 225 Disposition of his Dress Swords used on those Occasions 226 How Visitors were received. The President's Residence in New York. . . 227 The Pesidential Mansion and Furniture 228 Seat of Government changed. Washington's Voyage to Rhode Island. . 229 He and his Family set out for Mount Vernon 230 His State Barge. His Letter. Again at Mount Vernon 231 Labors of Congress. Key of the Bastile. France disturbed 232 Opening of the French Revolution 233 Perfidy in the Bastile. The People exasperated 234 Destruction of the Bastile. Lafayette at the head of the troops 235 Key of the Bastile and Drawing of the Prison sent to Washington 236 Thomas Paine's Letter on the subject. Correspondence 236 Washington's Spy-glass. Anecdote connected with it 238 Washington' Pocket Spy-glass presented to Andrew Jackson 239 Pistols presented to Washington 240 CONTENTS. 19 Bast of M. Necker presented by Count D'Estaing. Notice of Necker. . 241 Inscription on the Bust of Necker. Account of D'Estaing 242 Houdon's Bust of Lafayette at Mount Vernon 243 Virginia presents a Copy to the City of Paris 244 Ceremony of Presentation. Lafayette highly honored 245 President Washington's English Coach 246 External Decorations of the Coach. Family journey in it 247 Incompetency of the Coachman. Accidents 248 History of the Coach. Its earnings when in ruins 249 Selection of a Residence for the President considered 250 Question as to the permanent Seat of the National Government 251 Washington negotiates for a Residence. His Prudence and Caution. . . 252 He makes suggestions about Interior Arrangements 253 Description of Sevres China presented to Washington 254 Description of Sevres China presented to Mrs. Washington 255 How Sevres China is made. Seat of the National Government 256 Strife for the possession of the National Capital. Decisiori 257 New Yorkers dissatisfied. Caricatures and Satires 258 Philadelphians no better satisfied. Washington's Caution 259 A house hired. Washington's Journey to Philadelphia 260 A Patriotic Tavern-Keeper. President and family at Philadelphia 261 A gay Season in Philadelphia. Luxuries 262 Washington suggests Wine Castors called " Coasters " 363 They are made. Wine Coolers from France. Their History' 264 Washington's Family Plate re-made 265 Description of the Plate. Washington again at Mt. Vernon 266 Use of some of the Plate at Arlington Spring. 267 Washington makes a tour through the Southern States 2C8 His calculations as to Time. Incidents of the Tour 269 His return Journey. Site of the National Capital 270 District of Columbia. City laid out and named 271 Opening of the Second Congress 272 Earl of Buchaa presents a Relic of Sir William Wallace 272 A Scoch Painter dines with Washington. The Dinner , 273 Miniature made by the Painter. Correspondence with Earl of Buchan 274 By Will, Washington recommits the Wallace Relic to Buchan 275 Washington again at Mt. Vernon. Paine's Rights of Man 276 Effects of Rights of Man, in England, Washington's Industry 277 Sickness and Death in the Mount Vernon Family 278 Washington's generosity to his Nephew's Widow 279 His love for Children and Young Company. His Foster Children 280 Training of the Foster Children 281 20 CONTENTS. A Harpsichord at Mount Vernon iQ2 Washington's Second Inaugurat on as President of the Republic 283 Simplicity of the Ceremonies on the rccasion 284 An Account of the Ceremonies, and Washington's^ Appean.n";- 285 Washington Sacrifices Private Interest for the Public Good 28G Tellow Fever in Philadelphia. Washington at Home 287 Unskillful Farm Management at Mount Vernon 288 The President's Family avoid the Fever, at Germantown 289 Marriage ot Philadelphia Belles to Foreign Ministers 290 ^Vasllington's Farewell Address composed 290 Effect of the publication of the Farewell Address 291 Violence of Party Spirit felt by Washington 292 A specimen of the Newspaper utterances 293 Washington retires to Private Life, at Mount Vernon 294 Inauguration of John Adams as Second President 29.") Farewell entertainment for Washington by Pliiladelphiiins 39G An eye witnesses account of the President's Table Customs 297 Account of Washington's Table Traits continued 298 Washington and liis Family return to Mount Vernon. Lafayette's Son . 290 Lafayette's Misfortunes COO Washington's Sensibility when speaking of them 301 Bradford's Lament of WasJdngton, a Poem • • • • 302 Lafayette's Suffering. His devoted Wife and Children 303 His son seeks an Asylum in America. Cautious proceedings 304 Congress takes Action concerning Young Lafayette 305 Washington takes him to Mt. Vernon under his Protection 30G Release of La'ayette. The Son returns to France. 306 Washington's Letter to Lafayette. Young Lafayette's Profile 307 Sharpless the Artist 308 His Portrait of the Washington Family. Lafayette and Custis 309 Sharploss's Profiles at Arlington House 310 Washington's exquisite Enjoyment of Private Life 311 His own description of his Daily Employments 312 Washington's Inkstand. Repairs at Mount Vernon 313 Mount Vernon refurnished and beautified 314 Description of Illuminators at Mount Vernon 315 Account of Furniture once at Mount Vernon 31G Washington Relics at Arlington IIouS(r 317 Elkanah Watson's account of a Night at Mt. Vernon 318 Pictures by Winstauley, at Mount Vernon 319 Presages of War with France. The French Directory 320 Relations of the United States with France. Preparations for War. . . . 321 Washington appointed Commander-in-chief of the Army 322 CONTENTS. 21 Hamilton to be Acting General-in-chief. Guests at Mount Vernon. . . 333 The French Directory bumbled. Bonaparte in Power. War averted . , 324 Washing-ton's nephew, Lawrence Lewis, a resident at Mt. Vernon 334. Nelly Custis and her Suitors 305 Correspondence on the Subject. Nelly's Confessions 32(} Mairiage of Lawrence Lewis and Nelly Custis 307 Incidents of the Marriage. Mrs. Macauly Graham 33g Washington's allusion to his own Death. Makes hisWill 309 His exposure to Wet and Cold . . , 33Q Sudden and se^'cre inihuuation of the Tlu'oat and Chest 33I Home Remedies applied without effect 333 Physicians sent for. Critical Situation. His Wills 333 Washington's Directions about his Papers. Death near 3;;4 His Consideration for every one. His last Words 335 His death. Mrs. Washington at his Bedside 330 The Room in which Washington died, and its Furniture 337 The Spectators of Washington's Death 333 Notice of Dr. Craik his Friend and Physician 339 Preparations! for Washington's Burial. The Coffin „ . . . 349 The Funeral at M junt Vernon 341 The Funeral Procession ^ 343 The Bier and Vault 343 The old Family Vault at Mt. Vernon. A villainous act 344 Washington's Death announced to Congress. Proceedings 345 Funeral Oration by General Henry Lee, at the request of Congress • 34G Lee at Mt. Vernon. His Oration. Guard of Honor 347 Mrs. Washington's Letter about the removal of the Remains 348 Mrs. Washington in Affliction. Public Honors to Washington abroad. . 349 Death of Mrs. Washington. Bushrod Washington heirs Mt. Vernon. . . . 350 A survivor of Washington's Slaves. Bushrod Washington 35I Account and Portrait of that Survivor 353 Billy. Lafayette at the Tomb of Washington 353 A Ring containing Washington's Hair presented to Lafayette 3.54 Re-entombment of Wshington and his Wife 334 Account of that re-entombment by an Eye-witness 2i5 The Bodies put in Marble Coffins 35G The new Tomb and Vault 357" Disposition of Washington's Personal Property 358 Account of a Relic of Washington in a Boston Family 359 A few Mementoes of Washington, at Mount Vernon 3(50, 361 Washington's Address and Dinner Cards 262 Works of Art that long remained at Mount Vernon 363 22 CONTENTS. The Pitcher Portrait and Enlogy of Washington LGi History of the Pitcher Portrait 365 Copy of the Eulogy on the back of the Pitcher Portrait iJOO, 867, 368 A Retrospect. Late Condition of Mount Vernon 369 Mount Vernon purchased by American Women 370 Mount Vernon Ladies Association control it 371 Reflectioua 373 POSTSCRIPT. The English Home of the Washington Family , . . . 373 Washington's Library , 375 The Grounds about Mount Vernon 394 Washington as a Free Mason 396 Houdon's Likeness of Washington 397 Shadow Portrait of Washington. , 399 How the Mansion at Mount Vernon was furnished 400 Washington's Great Barn 410 Posthumous Honors 411 Washington's Will 420 Present Condition of Mount Veruon . , . 435 ILLUSTRATIONS. vjkoa 1. Portrait ot Washington (steel). 2. Rear View of Mount Vernon in 1786 (steel). 3. Frontispiece — View of Mount Vernon. 4. "Washington's Book-plate 27 5. Cave Castle 29 6. Washington Mortar 30 7. Washington's Seal 31 8. Washington's Seal-ring 31 9. Washington's Watch-seals 31 10. Fac-simile of signatures of Jane and Mary Washington 32 11. Dutch Tile — half the size of the original 34 12. Residenco of the Washington Family 35 13. Washington's Birth-place 30 14. Lawrence Washington 39 15. Admiral Vernon 4q 16. The Vernon Medal 42 17. Washington's Telescope 5O 18. Pack-saddle 53 19. Leathern Camp-chest 53 20. Washington's first Head-quarters 55 21. The Carey House in 1859 56 22. Mary Phillips 59 23. Morris's House gO 24. Daniel Parke Custis 64 25. Mrs. Custis's Iron Chest 64 26. Mrs. Washington's Children 66 27. Mrs. Washington at the time of her Marriage 07 28. Chairs once at Mount Vernon 69 24 ILLUSTRATIONS. FAUK 29. Custis Arms 71 30. "Washington's Gold Pen with Silver Case 80 31. Fac-simile of Page-headings in Washington's Diary 80 32 . Fac-simile of Entry in "Washington's Diary 81 33. Mount Vernon Landing 83 34. Ground-plan and Elevation of Pohick Church 88 35. Mason L. "Weems. . • • . 90 36. Christ Church, Alexandria CI 37. Pohick Ciiurch in 1859 C2 38. Pulpit in Pohick Church 93 39. Charles "Willson Peale 95 40. Washington's Military Button 95 41. Washington as a Virginia Colonel, at the age of forty 96 42. Fac-simile of Peale's Receipt 97 43. John Parke Custis 98 44. Patrick Henry 103 45. General Charles Lee 108 46. General Horatio Gates 110 47. Gold Medal awarded to Washington for the Deliverance of Boston IIG 48. Hessian Flag taken at Trenton 117 49. British Flag taken at Yorktown 118 50. Count de Rochambeau 121 51. Marquis de Chastellux 123 52. Eleanor Parke Custis 128 53. Washington's Military Clothes 133 54. The Sword and Staff 135 55. Washington's Camp-chesf 130 56. Silver Camp-goblet 138 67. Washington's travelling Writing-case 139 58. Washington's Tents in their Portmanteaux 140 59. Order of the Cincinnati 143 60. Order presented by French OfBcers 144 61. Cincinnati Society — Member's Certificate 143 62. Western Front of Mount Vernon in 1858 151 63. Section of shaded Carriage-way 154 64. General plan of the Mansion and Grounds at Mount Vernon 155 65. Garden-house 157 66. Century-plant and Lemon-tree 158 67. View in the Flower-garden at Mount Vernon — the Sago Palm 159 68. Ruins of the Cons< rvatory at Mount Vernon IGO 69. Ice-house at Mount Vernon IGl ILLUSTRATIONS. 25 PAOB 70. Summer-house at Mount Vernon j(j2 71. Lafayette.— Painted by C. "VV. Peale, in 1778 jgQ 72. Masonic Apron wrouglit by the Marchioness Lafayette jgij- 73. Houdou's Bust of "Washington ^j^i^ij- 74. Houdou's Statue of "Washington j^rj-g 75. Elizabeth Parke Custis ]^g3 76. G. "W. P. Custis when a child 183 77. Italian Chimucy-piece IgQ 78. Tablet on the left of Chimney-piece 187 79. Centre Tablet I37 80. Tablet on the right of Chimney-piece 187 81. Porcelain Vases 188 82. Colonel David Humphreys 195 83. Engraving of Louis XVI igg 84. "Washington and Lafayette I99 85. "Washington's Destinj'- 200 86. Charles Thomson 207 87. Travelling Boot-jack . , 209 88. Ancient entrance to Mount Vernon in 1858 010 89. Bible used at the Inauguration of "Washington 91g 90. "Washington's Lepiue "Watch, Seal and Key 221 91. "Washington's last "Watch-seal 221 92. "Washington's Dress Sword 225 93. Secretary and Circular Chair 229 94. Destruction of the Bastile 235 95. Key of the Bastile 237 96. "Washington's Spy-glass 238 97. "Washington's Pistol 240 98. Bust of M. Necker 243 99. Bust of Lafayette 244 100. "Washington's English Coach 246 101. Emblazoning on "Washington's Coach 247 102. Picture of a Panel on "Washington's Coach 248 103. Cincinnati China 254 104. Mrs. "Washington's China 255 105. China Butter-bowl and Dish 256 106. "Wine-coolers and Coaster 265 107. Specimens of "Washington's Plate 266 108. The Presidential Mansion 267 109. Martha "Washington 275 110. Nelly Custis's Harpsichord 283 2G ILLUSTRATIONS. PAOI 111. George Washington Lafayette • . SOO 112. Gr. "W. P. Custis at the age of seventeen years 308 113. Crayon Profile of "Washington 310 114. Crayon Profile of Mrs. "Washington 311 115. "Washington's Inkstand 314 116. Mural Candelabra 315 llT. Ancient Lantern 315 118. Sideboard, Tea-table and Punch-bowl 317 119. "Washington's Silver Candlestick 317 120. Morning — a Landscape by "Winstanley 319 121. Evening— a Landscape by "Winstanley 319 122. Dr. James Craik 333 123. Bed and Bedstead on which "Washington died 337 124. Room ill which "Washington died 338 125. Silver Shield on "Washington's CofSn 341 126. "Washington's Bier 343 127. The Old Vault in 1858 344 128. General Henry Lee 346 129. McPherson's Blue 348 130. Bushrod "Washington 351 131. "Westford 352 132. Washington's Marble CofiSn 356 133. Lid of Washington's Coffin 356 134. Washington's Tomb 357 135. Wareparations for conflict, Avas swift to ol)ey the summons. From Mount Yernon he had looked upon the ships-of-war and transports upon the bosom of the Potomac that bore Braddock and his troops, and the thought that only a few miles from his d\velling, preparations were in progress for a brilliant campaign, under the command of one of the most ex- perienced generals of the British army, stirred the very depths of his soul, and made him yearn to go again to the field. At the residence of Jonathan Carey, where Braddock made his head-quarters, the young provin- cial colonel and the veteran gen- eral first met, at the close of March. Carey's M-as then the finest house in Alexandria, sur- rounded by a noble lawn that was shaded by lofty forest trees, and its gardens extending down a gentle slope to the shore of the Potomac. Now it THE CAKEY HOUSE IN 1859 AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 5Y stands ^vithin the city, hemmed in by buildings and paved streets, and forms a part of Newton's Hotel. The convention of governors met in it in April, and there the ensuing cam- paign was planned. Braddock invited Washington to join his military family, as aid, with the rank he had lately borne. The mother of the young colonel hastened to Mount Yernon to persuade him not to accept it. She urged the claims of his and her own affairs upon his attention, as strong reasons for him not to enter the army again, and for two days she held his decision in abey- ance, for filial obedience was one of the strongest sentiments of Washington's nature. But it was not strong enough to restrain him on this occasion — or, rather, God's will must be obeyed — and he left Mount Yernon for Alexandria, after her departure for the Eappahannock, and was welcomed into Braddock's family with joy by Captains Orme and Morris. On the 9th of Jvily following we behold him upon the bloody field of the Monongahela, shielded by God's provi- dence, untouched by ball or bayonet, arrow or javelin, while carnage was laying its scores of victims around him, and his commander was borne mortally wounded from the field — we behold him riding from point to point, bringing order out of confusion, and leading away from that aceldama the shattered battalions of the proud army of the morning to a place of safety and repose. Then he returned to Mount Yernon, weak from recent sickness and exposure in the field. In his little library there he wrote to his brother, then a member of the House of Burgesses at Williamsburg, and thus summed up his military career : " I was employed to go a journey in the winter, when 1 58 MOUNT YERNON believe few or none would have undertaken it, and what did I get by it? My expenses borne! I was then appointed, with trifling pay, to conduct a handful of men to the Ohio. What did 1 get by that? Why, after putting myself to a considerable expense in equipping and providing necessaries for the campaign, I went out, was soundly beaten, and lost all ! Came in, and had my commission taken from me ; or, in other words, my command reduced, under pretence of an order from home. I then went out a volunteer with General Braddock, and lost all my horses, and many other things. But this being a voluntary act, I ought not to have mentioned it ; nor should I have done it, were it not to show that I have been on the losing order ever since I entered the service, which is now nearly two years." But what wonderful and necessary lessons for the future had Washington learned during that time ! Mount Vernon saw but little of its master during the next four years; for the flame of war lighted up the land from Acadia, and along the St. Lawrence, away down to the beau- tiful Cherokee country, in Western Georgia and Carolina, and Washington was most of the time in camp, except from December, 1757, until March, 1758, when he was an invalid at home. In February, 1756, we find him, accompanied by two aides, journeying to Boston, to confer with General Shirley con- cerning military rank in Virginia. Little did he then think that twenty years later he would again be there directing a siege against the New England capital, in command of rebels against the crown he was then serving ! We find him lingering in ISFew York, on his return. The AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 59 young soldier, apparently invincible to the mortal weapons of war, was sorely smitten there by the " sly archer" concealed in the bright eyes, blooming cheeks, and winning ways of Mary Phillipse, the heiress of a broad domain, stretching many a mile along the Hudson. Tlie young soldier lingered MARY PHILLIPSE. in her presence as long as duty would permit, and he would fain have carried her with him to Virginia as a bride, but his natural diffidence kept the momentous question unspoken in his heart, and his fellow aide-de-camp in Braddock's family, Roger Morris, bore away the prize. Mary Phillipse did not become the mistress of Mount Yernon, but reigned, as beau- teous queen, in a more stately mansion on the bank of the 60 MOUNT VERNON Harlem River, where, twenty years later, Washington, as leader of a host of Americans, in arms against the king, held his head-quarters, the master and mistress of the mansion being proscribed as " enemies to their comitry ! " MORRIS S HOUSE. But, three years later, there was a presiding angel over the mansion on Mount Yernon. Meanwhile the tramp of steeds, the clangor of arms, and every sound betokening warlike prep- arations, were heard there, and the decisive campaign of 1758 was opened, Washington went to the camp as soon as his health would permit ; and toward Fort du Quesne, at the confluence of the forks of the Ohio, quite a large army made its way. Wasting- delays and weary marches consumed the summer time ; and late in autumn, having traversed deep forests and rugged mountains, the invading army found rest, beyond the Alle- ghanies. Colonel Washington, with an advanced guard, took possession of all that was left of Fort du Quesne, where Pitts- burg now stands. It had been the prize for which Braddocic contended — the nest from which came the vultures that AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 61 preyed upon the frontier settlements. Over its smoking rains the red cross of St. George was unfurled, where for four years had waved the lilies of France. Then French dominion ceased southward of Lake Erie ; and the young hero, whose wisdom, skill, and valor had contributed so largely toward the accomplishment of that result, returned to Mount Yemon sick and wearied, fully resolved to leave the army forever, and seek repose and happiness, usefulness and fair fame, in do- mestip and civil life. For these Washington was now prepared. During the previous spring, while on his way to Williamsburg, from his camp at Winchester, he had been taught to love one of the best of Yirginia's daughters; and in the autumn, while he was making his toilsome march toward Fort du Quesne, he had been elected a delegate to the Virginia House of Burgesses. The story of Washington's love and courtship is simple, yet full of the elements of romance. No words can better tell that story than those used for the purpose, in after years, by a grandson of the lady.* "It was in 1758," he says, "that Washington, attired in military undress, and attended by a body servant, tall and militaire as his chief, was crossing William's Ferry over the Pamunkey Eiver, a branch of the York Eiver. On the boat touching the southern or New Kent side, the soldier's progress was arrested by one of those personages who give the beau ideal of the Yirginia gentleman of the old regime — the very soul of kindliness and hospitality. * The late George "Washington Parke Custis, tlie adopted son of "Washington. See Custis's Recollections of Washington. New York, 1859. 62 MOUNT VERNON It was in vain the soldier urged his business at Williamsburg, important communications to the governor, etc. Mr. Cham- berlayne, on whose domain the Tnilitaire had just landed, would hear of no excuse. Colonel Washington's was a name and character so dear to all the Virginians that his passing by one of the old castles of the Dominion without calling and partaking of the hospitalities of the host was entirely out of the question. " The colonel, however, did not surrender at discretion, but stoutly maintained his ground, till Chamberlayne bringing up his reserve, in the intimation that he would introduce his friend to a young and charming widow, then beneath his roof, the soldier capitulated, on condition that he should dine — only dine — and then, by pressing his charger and borrowing of the night, he would reach Williamsburg before his Excel- lency could shake off his morning slumbers. Orders were accordingly issued to Bishop, the Colonel's body-servant and faithful follower, who, together with the line English charger, had been bequeathed by the dying Braddock to Major Wash- ington, on the famed and fatal field of the Monongahela. Bishop, bred in the school of European discipline, raised his hand to his cap, as much as to say, ' Your honor's orders shall be obeyed.' " Tlie colonel now proceeded to the mansion, and was intro- duced to various guests (for when was a Yirginian domicile of the olden time without guests?) and, above all, t^ the charming widow. Tradition relates that they were mutually pleased on this their first interview. Nor is it remarkable. They were of an age when impressions are strongest. The lady was fair to behold, of fascinating manners, and splen- AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. G3 didly endo^ved with worldly benefits. The hero, fresh from his early fields, redolent of fame, and with a form on which " ' Every god did seem to set his seal, To give tlie world assurance of a man.' " The morning passed pleasantly away ; evening came, witli Bishop, true to his orders and firm at his post, holding the favorite charger with one hand, while the other was waiting to offer the ready stirrup. " The sun sank in the horizon, and yet the colonel appeared not. And then the old soldier marvelled at his chief's delay. "Twas strange, 'twas passing strange — surely he was not wont to be a single moment behind his a]3pointments, for he was the most punctual of all punctual men.' Meantime, the host enjoyed the scene of the veteran on duty at the gate, while the colonel was so agreeably employed in the parlor, and proclaiming that no guest ever left his house after sunset, his military visitor was, without much difficulty, persuaded to order Bishop to put up the horses for the night. " The sun rode high in the heavens the ensuing day, when the ena,mored soldier pressed with his spur his charger's side, and speeded on his way to the seat of government, where, having dispatched his public business, he retraced his steps, and, at the White House, a marriage engagement took place." That " charming widow" was Martha Custis, daughter ol John Dandridge, whose husband, Daniel Parke Custis, had been dead between two and three years. He had left her with two young children and a very large fortune in lands and money, the legal evidence of which, in the form of deeds, mortgages, bonds, and certificates of deposit iu the Bank of G4 MOUNT VERNON DANIEL PARKE CUSTIS. England, were contained in a strong iron box, which is care- fully preserved by her de- scendants, at their beau- tiful seat at Arlington, on the Potomac, opposite AYashington City. "And ninch," continues the writer we have qnoted, " hath the biographer heard of that marriage of "Washington, from the grayhaired domestics Avho waited at the board where love made the feast and the Virginia colonel was the guest. MRS. CtrsTIS S IKON CHEST. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 65 " ' And so you remember,' I said to old Cully, my grand- mother's servant, when in his hundredth year — ' and so you remember when Colonel "Washington came a-courting your young mistress ? ' "'Ay, master, that I do,' said Cully. 'Great times, sir, great times — shall never see the like again.' " ' And Washington looked something like a man — a proper man, hey, Cully?' " ' Never seed the like, sir — never the like of him, though I have seen many in my day — so tall, so straight, and then he sat on a horse and rode with such an air ! Ah, su*, he was like no one else! Many of the grandest gentlemen, in the gold lace, were at the wedding ; but none looked like the man himself.' " The marriage of Washington occurred on the 17th of January, (6th Old Style), 1759, at the " White House," the residence of his bride, in !N^ew Kent county, not far from Williamsburg. Tlie officiating clergyman was the Reverend David Mossom, who, for forty years was rector of the neigh- boring parish of St. Peter's. Washington was then an attend- ant member of the House of Burgesses, and for three months, while official duties detained him at Williamsburg, he resided at the " White House." When the session had ended, he returned to Mount Yernon, taking with him the future mis- tress of the mansion, and her two children, John Parke and Martha Parke Custis. Then commenced that sweet domestic life at Mount Yernon, which always possessed a powerful charm for its illustrious owner. He early wrote to his friend, Richard Washington, in London : 66 MOUNT VERNON MUS. WASHINGTON S CHILDREN. " I am now, 1 believe, fixed in this seat with an agreeable partner for life, and I hope to find more happiness in retire- ment than I ever experienced in the wide and bustling world." He was then seven-and-twenty years of age, and over six feet two inches in height, and admirably proportioned. His hair was a rich dark-broAvn ; his eyes grayish-bliie and expressive of deep thought ; his complexion florid, and his features regular and rather heavy. "Washington's wife was three months younger than himself. She was a small, plump, elegantly formed woman. Her eyes were dark and expressive of the most kindly good nature ; her complexion fair ; her features beautiful ; and her whole face AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 67 beamed with intelligence. Her temper, thougli quick, was sweet and placable, and her manners were extremely winning. She was full of life, loved the society of her friends, always MRS. WASHINGTON AT THE TIME OF HER MARRIAGE. dressed wich a scrupulous regard to the requirements of the best fashions of the day, and was, in every respect, a brilliant member of the social circles which, before the revolution, composed the vice-regal court at the old Virginia capital. "Washington, at this time, possessed an ample fortune, in- dependent of that of his wife. His estate of Mount Yemon he described as most pleasantly situated in " a high, healthy country ; in a latitude between the extremes of heat and cold, on one of the finest rivers in the world — a river well stocked with various kinds of fish at all seasons of the year, and in 68 MOUNT VERNON the spring with shad, herrings, bass, carp, sturgeon, etc., in abundance. The borders of the estate," he continued, " are washed by more than ten miles of tide-water ; several valuable fisheries appertain to it ; the whole shore, in fact, is one entire fishery." Such was the delightful home to which Washington took his bride in the spring of 1759. At that time, almost every manufactured article for domestic use, was imported from England. It is amusing and interest- ing to observe the difference in the items of orders sent out to London from Mount Yernon within the space of two years. First, as a bachelor, Washington orders : " Five pieces of Irish Linnen. 1 piece finest Cambric. 2 pr. fine worked ruffles, at 20^. a pr. 2 setts compleat shoe brushes. ^ doz. pr. thread hose, at 5^. 1 compleat Saddle and Bridle, and 1 sett Holster caps, and Housing of fine Blue Cloth with a small edging of Em- broidering round them. As much of the best superfine blue Cotton Yelvet as will make a Coat, Waistcoat, and Breeches for a Tall Man, with a fine silk button to suit it, and all other neces- sary trimmings and linings, together with garters for the Breeches. 6 prs. of the very neatest shoes, viz : 2 pr. double channelled pumps; two pr, turned ditto, and two pair stitched shoes, to be made by one Didsbury over Colonel Boiler's last, bnt to be a little wider over the instep. 6 prs. gloves, 3 pairs of which to be proper for riding, and AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 60 to have slit tops; the whole larger than the middle size." A little later, in apparent expectation of a wife at some future day, the careful bachelor prepares the mansion for her reception. In September, 1757, he wrote to Rieliard Wash- ington, saying: " Be pleased, over and above what I have wrote for in a letter of the 13th of April, to send me 1 doz. Strong Chairs, of CHAIRS ONCE AT MOUNT VEllNON. about 15 shillings a piece, the bottoms to be exactly made by the enclosed dimensions, and of three different colors to suit tlie paper of three of the bed-chambers, also wrote for in my last. I must acquaint you, sir, with the reason of this request. 1 have one dozen chairs that were made in the country ; neat, 70 MOUNT VERNON but too weak for common sitting. I therefore propose to take the bottoms out of those and put them into these now ordered, while the bottoms which you send will do for the former, and furnish the chambers. For this reason the workmen must be very exact, neither making the bottoms larger nor smaller than the dimensions, otherwise the change can't be made. Be kind enough to give directions that these chairs, equally with the others and the tables, be carefully packed and stowed. With- out this caution, they are liable to infinite damage." In 1759 (the year of Washington's marriage), we have the order of a husband instead of that of a bachelor. The items are quite different, and were evidently dictated by the sweet little wife, leaning lovingly, perhaps, upon the broad shoulder of her noble lord. He directs his friend in London to send him : " 1 Salmon-colored Tabby [velvet] of the enclosed pattern, with Sattin flowers ; to be made in a sack and coat. 1 Cap, Handkerchief, and Tucker [a piece of lace or linen pinned to the top of women's stays] and Kuffles, to be made of Brussells lace or Point, proper to be worn with the above negligee ; to cost £20. 1 piece Bag Holland, at 6s. a yard. 2 fine flowered Lawn Aprons. 2 double handkerchiefs. 2 prs. women's white silk hose. 6 pr. fine cotton do. 4 pr Tliread do. four threaded. 1 p. black and 1 pr. white Sattin Shoes of the smallest fives. 4: pr CalHmanco do. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 71 1 fashionable Hat or Bonnet. 6 p. Women's best Kid Gloves. 6 pr. ditto mitts. ■^ doz. Knots and Breast KJnots. 1 doz. round Silk stay laces. 1 black Mask. 1 doz most fashionable Cambrick Pocket Handkerchiefs. 2 pr. neat Small Scissors. 1 lb Sewing Silk, shaded. Eeal Miniken pins and hair pins, and 4 pieces Binding Tape. Six lbs perfumed powder. 3 lbs best Scotch Snuff. 3 lbs best Yiolette Strasbourg Snuff. 1 pr narrow white Sattin ribbon, pearl edge. A puckered petticoat of a fashionable color. A silver Tabby velvet petticoat. 2 handsome breast flowers. Hair pins — sugar candy. 2 pr. small silver Ear-rings for servants. 8 lbs Starch. 2 lbs Powdered Blue. 2 oz. Coventry Thread, one of which to be very fine. 1 case of Pickles to consist of Anchovies, Capers, Olives, Salad Oil, and one bottle Indian Mangoes. 1 Large Cheshire Cheese. 4 lbs Green Tea. 10 gross best Corks. 25 lbs best jar Raisins. 25 lbs Almonds, in the Shell. T2 MOUNT VERNON 1 Mid best Porter. 10 loaves double and 10 single refined Sugar. 12 lbs best mustard. 2 doz. Jack's best playing cards. 3 gallons of Rlienisb in bottles. 100 lbs white Biscuit. 1^ doz. Bell glasses for Garden. 1 more "Window Curtain and Cornice. 2 more Chair bottoms, such as were written for in a forraei invoice." Such were Washington's orders for his house at that time. These items were followed by others pertaining to his farming operations and the servants upon his estate ; and also medi cines for family use. And now, the mansion at Mount Yernon having an accom- plished mistress to preside over its hospitalities, and to receive and entertain some of the best society of Virginia, articles of taste were introduced to embellish it. In the handwriting of the master we find the duplicate of an order, as follows : " DntECTioNS FOR THE BusTS. — One of Alexander the Great ; another of Julius Caesar ; another of Charles XII. of Sweden ; and a fourth of the King of Prussia. " N. B. Tliese are not to exceed fifteen inches in height, nor ten in width. " 2 other Busts of Prince Eugene and the Duke of Marl- borough, somewhat smaller. " 2 Wild Beasts, not to exceed twelve inches in height, nor eighteen in length. " Sundry ornaments for Chimney-piece." AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS, 73 These items indicate the military taste of "Washington at that time, and show his reverence for the great military leaders of whom history had made her enduring records. Many years later, when "Washington had become as renowned as they, the Great Frederick sent him a portrait of himself, accompanied by the remarkable words — " From the Oldest General in Eu rope to the Greatest General in the "World 1" Two years after his marriage, "Washington sent the following order to Robert Carey, Esq., in London : " FoK Master Custis, 8 years old. " 1 handsome suit of Winter Cloathes. A suit of Summer ditto, very light, 2 pieces Kankeens with trimmings. 1 silver laced hat. 6 pair fine Cotton Stockings. 1 pr fine worsted ditto. 4 pr. Strong Shoes. 1 pr. neat Pumps. 1 p. gloves. 2 hair bags. 1 piece ribbon for ditto. 1 p. silver Shoe and Knee buckles. 1 p. Sleeve buttons. A Small Bible neatly bound in Turkey, and John Parke Custis wrote in gilt letters on the inside of the cover. A neat Small Prayer Book bound as above, with John Parke Custis, as above. 1 piece Irish linen, at Is. 3 pr shoes for a boy 14 y'rs old. r-t MOUNT VERNON CnSTIS S ARMS. 3 p. Coarse Stockings for do. 2 pr "Women's Strong Shoes, size 8. 2 p'r Stockings for do. 50 ells Osnabiirgs. A suit of liverj Cloatlies for tlie above boy of 14, A hat for do. " XoTE. — Let the livery be suited to the arms of the Custis family." " Fob Miss Custis, 6 tears old. " A coat made of fashionable Silk. A fashionable Cap or Fillet with bib apron. Ruffles and Tucker — to be laced. 4 fashionable dresses to be made of Long lawn. 2 fine Cambric frocks. A Sattin Capuchin hat and neckatees. A Persian quilted coat. 1 pr. pack thread Stays. 4 p. Calamanco Shoes, 6 pr leather ditto and 2 p'r Sattin do. with flat ties. 6 pr fine Cotton Stockings, 4 pr "White "Wors'd Do. 12 p'r Mitts. 6 p'r Gloves, white Kids. 1 p'r Silver Shoe buckles. 1 pr. neat sleeve buttons. 6 handsome Egrets* different sorts. 6 yds Ribbon Do. * An Egrette or Aigrette was an ornament for the head then much used by people of fiishion. Tliey were sometimes made of tufts of feathers, diamond.^, etc., but more frequentlj^ of ribbons. In the above invoice both kinds were ordered. A.ND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. T5 1 pr. little Scissors. 3 M (thousand) large pins. 3 M short whites. 3 M Minikens. 1 Fashionable dressed Doll to cost a guinea. 1 Do. at 5*. A box Gingerbread, Toys & Sugar Images and Comfits. A neat Small Bible, bound in Turkey, and Martha Parke Custis wrote on the inside in gilt letters. A Small Prayer Book, neat and in the same manner. 12 yards coarse green Callimanco. The above things to be put into a Strong Trunk — separate from J. P. Custis's, whose will likewise be put into a Trunk, each having their names. 1 very good Spinet [a small harpsichord], to be made by Mr. Plinius, Harpsichord Maker, in South Audley Street, Grosvenor Square. " It is begged as a favor that Mr. Carey would bespeak this instrument as for himself or a friend, and not let it be known y' is intended for exportation. "Send a good assortment of spare strings to it. "Books according to the enclosed List — to be charged equally to both John Parke Custis and Martha Parke Custis — likewise one Beam of Writing paper." These specimens of orders which were sent out annually to England, are given as glimpses of the domestic arrangements at Mount Yernon, and the style in which the wealthier Vir- ginia families, of cultivated tastes, lived before the Eevolution It is evident that Washington and his family indulged in all the fashionable luxuries (not extravagances) of the day, per- taining to the table and the wardrobe ; and in the absence of positive proof, these invoices would afford the strongest infer- 76 MOUNT YERNOX ential evidences that tliey spent much of then- earlier years in the enjoyment of social pleasures. Washington's Diaries bear still stronger, because positive testimony to the fact. During some months, two or three times a week he records the result of a day's sport thus: " Went a hunting with J.acky Custis, and catched a fox, after three hours chase. Found it in the creek :" or, " Mr. Bryan Fairfax, Mr. Grayson and Phil. Alexander came home by sun- rise. Hunted and catched a fox with these. Lord Fairfax, his brother, and Colonel Fairfax — all of whom with Mr. Fairfax and Mr. Wilson of England, dined here." Afterward, two days in succession : " Hunted again with the same com- pany." Still more frequently he noted the arrival and departure of guests. One day the Fairfaxes, or Masons, or Thurstons, or Lees would be there ; and the next day he and " Mrs. Wash- iiio:ton, Mr. and Miss Custis " would " dine at Belvoir." And so the round of visiting went on. Mount Yernon was seldom without a guest. The hunting day, which occurred so fre- quently, generally ended in a dinner there or at Belvoir, a little lower on the Potomac — more frequently at the former ; and the hospitalities of the house were kept up in a style which none but a wealthy planter could afford. " Would any one believe," Washington says in his diary of 1Y68, "that with a hundred and one cows, actually reported at a late enumera- tion of the cattle, I should still be obliged to buy butter for my family 2'" For Mrs. Washington and her lady visitors he kept a chariot and four horses, with black postillions in livery; and these were frequently seen and admired upon the road between AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. (7 Mount Yernon and Alexandria, or the neighboring estates. He took great delight in horses. Tliose of his own stable were of the best blood, and their names, as well as those of his dogs, were registered in his household books. When abroad, he always appeared on horseback ; and as he was one of the most superb men and skilful horsemen in Virginia, he must have made an imposing appearance, especially when fully equipped for the road, with the following articles, which were ordered by him from London, in one of his annual invoices : " 1 Man's Riding-Saddle, hogskin seat, large plated stirrups, and everything complete. Double-reined bridle and Pel ham Bit, plated. A very neat and fashionable Kewmarket Saddle-Cloth. A large and best Portmanteau, Saddle, Bridle and Pillion Cloak-Bag Surcingle ; checked Saddle-cloth, holsters, &c. A Biding Frock of handsome drab-colored Broadcloth, with plain double-gilt Buttons. A Biding Waistcoat of superfine scarlet cloth and gold Laco with Buttons like those of the Coat. A blue Surtout Coat. A neat Switch Whip, silver cap. Black Yelvet Cap for Servant." Tlius attired, and accompanied by Bishop, his favorite body servant, in scarlet livery, Washington was frequently seer, upon the road, except on Sunday morning, wlien he always rode in the chaise, with his family, to the church at Pohick or at Alexandria. Like other gentlemen living near the Potomac}. Washington was fond ol aquatic sports. He kept a handsome barge, which, 78 MOUNT VERNON Oil special occasions, was manned by black oarsmen in liveiy. Pleasant sailing-boats were frequently seen sweeping along the surface of the river, freighted with ladies and gentlemen going from mansion to mansion on its banks — ^Mount Yernon, Gun- ston Hall, Belvoir, and other places — on social visits. Washington and his wife frequently visited Annapolis and Williamsburg, the respective capitals of Maryland and Vir- ginia. For fifteen consecutive years he was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and Mrs. Washington spent much of her time with him at Williamsburg during the sessions. Both fond of amusements, they frequently attended the theat- rical representations there and at Aimapolis, that entertainment being then a recent importation from England, the first com- pany of actors, under the direction of Lewis Hallam, having first performed in the Maryland capital in 1752. They also attended balls and parties given by the fashionable people of Williamsburg and Annapolis, and fi-equently joined in the dance. But after the Revolution Washington was never known to dance, his last performance being in a minuet, of which he was very fond, on the occasion of a ball given at Fredericksburg in honor of the French and American officers then there, on their way north, after the capture of Cornwallis, toward the close of 1781. But it must not be supposed, that during these years of his earlier married life, Washington's time was wholly, or even chiefly, occupied in the pleasures of the chase and of social intercourse. Far from it. He was a man of great industry and method, and managed his large estates with signal indus- try and ability. He did not leave his farms to the entire care of his overseers. He was very active, and continually, even AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 79 when absent on public business, exercised a general supervision of bis affairs, requiring a carefully prepared report of all oper ations to be transmitted to bim weekly, for bis inspection and suggestions. He was very abstemious, and while bis table always fur- nished his guests with ample and varied supplies for their appetites, he never indulged in the least excess, either in eating or drmking. He was an early riser, and might be found in his library from one to two hours before daylight in winter, and at dawn in summer. His toilet, plain and simple, was soon made. A single servant prepared his clothes, and laid them in a proper place at night for use in the morning. He also combed and tied his master's hair. Washington always dressed and shaved himself. Tlie im- plements he then used have been preserved, as interestino- relics, in the family of Doctor Stuart, who, as we have ob- served, married the widow of John Parke Custis, the son of Mrs. Washington. Though neat in his dress and appearance, he never wasted precious moments upon his toilet, for he always regarded time, not as a gift but as a loan, for which he must account to the great Master. Washington kept his own accounts most carefully and me- thodically, in handwriting remarkable for its extreme neatness and uniformity of stroke. This was produced by the constant use of a gold jpen. One of these, with a silver case, used by Washington during a part of the old war for independence, he presented to his warm personal friend. General Anthony Wal- ton White, of ]^ew Jersey, one of the most distinguished and patriotic of the cavalry officers of that war in the southern campaigns. It is now in the possession of Mrs. Eliza M. 80 MOUNT VERNON Evans, near Brunswick, New Jersey, the only surviving child of General White. In one end of the silver pen-ease is a sliding tube for a common black-lead pencil, the convenient " ever-pointed " pencil being unknown in Washington's time. That was invented by Isaac Hawkins, and patented by hira, in London, in 1802. Washington's gold pen with silver case. From his youth Washington kept a diary. For many years these records of his daily experience were made on the blank leaves of the Virginia Almanac, " Printed and sold by Pin-die FAC-SIMILE OF PAGE-HEADINGS IN WASHINGTON'S DIARY. and Dixon, Williamsburg." They are headed respectively, as seen in the engraving, which is a fac-simile from one of his early diaries after his marriage. Under similar headings in these al- manacs, and in small blank pocket-books, this man of mighty labors kept such records, from day to day, for more than forty years ; and he frequently noted therein minute particulars con- cerning his agricultural operations, in the style of the sentence on the next page, which was copied from his diary for March, 1T71. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 81 Thus minutely journalizing his agricultural proceedings, keeping his own accounts, making all his own surveys, and, even before the Revolution, having an extensive correspond- A FAC-SIMILE OF ENTRY IN WASHINGTON'S DIARr. ence, "Washington found much daily employment for his pen. The labors in his library, and a visit to his stables, usually occupied the hours before breakfast. After making a frugal meal of Indian cakes, honey, and tea or coffee, he would mount his horse and visit every part of liis estate where the current operations seemed to require his presence, leaving his guests to enjoy themselves with books and papers, or otherwise, according to their, choice. lie rode upon his farms entirely un- attended, opening the gates, j)ulling down and putting up the fences, and inspecting, with a careful eye, every agricultural operation, and personally directing the manner in which many should be performed. Sometimes the tour of his farms, in the course of the morning might average, in distance, twelve or fifteen miles ; and on these occasions his appearance was exceedingly plain. The late Mr. Custis, his adopted son, has left on record a description of him on one of these occasions, in. 6 82 MOUNT YERNON • the latter years of his life, which he gave to a gentleman who was out in search of "Washington : "You will meet, sir," said yonng Custis to the inquirer, " with an old gentleman riding alone, in plain drab clothes, a broad-brimmed white hat, a hickory switch in his hand, and carrying an umbrella with a long staff which is attached to his saddle-bow — that, person, sir, is General "Washington,"* The umbrella was used to shelter him from the sun, for his skin was tender and easily affected by its rays. His breakfast hour was seven o'clock in summer and eight in winter, and he dined at three. He alwa^'S ate heartily, but was no epicure. His usual beverage was small beer or cider, and Madeira wine. Of the latter he often drank several small glasses at a sitting. He took tea and toast, or a little well- baked bread, early in the evening, conversed with or read to his family, when there were no guests, and usually, whether there was company or not, retired for the night at about nine o'clock. So carefully did "Washington manage his farms, that they became very productive. His chief crops were wheat and tobacco, and these were very large — so large that vessels that came up the Potomac, took the tobacco and flour directly from his own wharf, a little below his deer-park in front of his man- sion, and carried them to England or the "West Indies. So noted were these products for their quality, and so faithfully were they put up, that any barrel of flour bearing the brand of " George "Washington, Mocnt Yeknon," was exempted from the customary inspection in the British "\Yest India ports. * "Recollections and Private Memoirs of "Washington, by his Adopted Son," pago 168. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 83 Upon the spot where that old wharf once stood, at tlie foot of a shaded ra- \niie scooped from the high bank of the Potomac, through which flows a clear stream from a spring, is a rickety modem strnctnre, placed there for the accommodation of visitors to Mount Vernon, who are conveyed thither by a steamboat twice a week. Tliere may be seen the same ravine, the same broad river, the same pleasant shores of Maryland beyond ; but, instead of the barrels of flour, the quintals of fish, and the hogsheads of tobacco which appeared there in Washington's time, well-dressed men and women — true pil- 84 MOUNT VERNON grims to a hallowed shrine, or mere idle gazers upon the burial place of a great man — throng that wharf as they arrive and depart on their errands of patriotism or of curiosity. And now the dawn of great events, in w^hich Washington was to be a conspicuous actor, glowed in the eastern sky. From the Atlantic seaboard, where marts of commerce had begun to spread their meshes (then small and feeble) for the world's traffic, came a sound of tumult ; and the red presages of a tempest appeared in that glowing orient. At first, that sound was like a low whis]3er upon the morning air, and, finally, it boomed like a thunder-peal over the hills and valleys of th^interior, arousing the inhabitants to the defence of the immunities of freemen and the inalienable rights of man. Time after time, for the s-puce of a hundred years, the decree had gone forth from British councils, that the Anglo-American colonists should be the commercial as well as jpolitical vassals of the crown ; and chains of restrictions upon trade had been forged by an unwise and unrighteous policy, and fastened upon the lusty arms of the young giant of the West. And from time to time tlie giant, not all unconscious of his strength, yet docile because loyal, had spoken out mild remonstrances with deferential words. These had been heard with scorn, and answered by renewed ofi'ences. An extravagant administration had exhausted the national exchequer, and the desperate spendthrift, too proud to borrow of itself by curtailing its expenditures, seemed to think nothing more honorable than a plea of bankruptcy, and sought to replenish its coffers by taking the money of the Americans witliout their consent, in the form of indirect taxation. This was in violation of the great republican postulate, that AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 85 TAXATION AND KEPRESENTATION ARE INSEPARABLE. And when the well-known stamp act was signed by the king, and its requirements and its penalties were proclaimed in America, the tempest of which we have spoken was aroused. It swept from the sea to the mountains, and from the moun- tains to the sea, until those who had sown the wind, were alarmed at the harvest they were reaping. At Mount Yernon there was a spirit that looked calmly, but not unconcernedly, upon the storm, and, with prophetic vision, seemed to perceive upon the shadowy political sky the horo- scope of his own destiny. Washington was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and had listened from his seat to the burning words of Patrick Henry, when he enunciated those living truths, for the maintenance of which the husband- man of Mount Yernon drew his sword a few years later. His soul was fired with the sense of oppression and the thouglits of freedom, yet his sober judgment and calculating prudence repressed demonstrative enthusiasm, and made him a firm, yet conservative patriot. Among tliose who came to Mount Yernon at this time, and for years afterward, to consult with Washington respecting public afi'airs, was his neighbor and friend of Gmiston Hall, George Mason. He was six years older than Washington, of large, sinewy frame, an active step and gait, locks of raven blackness, a dark complexion, and a grave countenance, which was lighted up by a black eye, whose glance was felt with power by those upon whom it chanced to fall. He was one of the most methodical of men, and most extensive of the Yir- ginia planters at that time ; and like Washington from Mount Vernon, shipped his crops from his own wharf, near his elegant 86 MOUNT VERNON mansion of Gunston Hall. He was proud, yet extremely courteous ; and while no man could be a warmer and more faithful friend than he, his bearing was such as to excite admi- ration rather than love. His strong mind was thoroughly cul- tivated, and he was conversant with the minute particulars of English general history, and especially with the political his- tory of the English empire. His mind was quick to perceive ; his judgment equally quick to analyze and arrange; and these qualities made him a most skilful statesman. In council he was eminently wise ; in debate he was distinguished" for extra- ordinary ability ; and as a j^olitical writer, he was without a peer in his country, when the rising dispute with Great Britain was occupying the thoughts of men in both hemispheres. Such was the man with whom, at Mount Vernon and at Gunston Hall, Washington held close conference for many years, while the flame of the Revolution was slowly kindling. Tlie storm of the stamp act season passed by, but it was succeeded by many others. In the intervals "Washington was engaged in agricultural pursuits at Mount Vernon, and the pleasures of social life. In all the public affairs of his neigh- borhood, he was an active participant ; and as early as 1765, the year when the stamp act became a law, he was a vestry- man of both Truro and Fairfax parishes, in which Pohick in the country, and Christ Church in Alexandria, were the re- spective places of worship. In that year his name is appended to a declaration, with others, that he would "be conformable to the Doctrines and Discipline of the Church of England, as by law established." With his name appear those of George Mason, George William Fairfax, Edward Payne, Captain Charles Broadwater, and more than twenty others. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 87 During the earlier years of liis married life, "Washington attended Pohick church, seven miles from Mount Vernon, more frequently than any other. The first cliurch of that name was a frame building, and stood on the south side of Pohick creek, about two miles from the present edifice. About the year 1764, it became so dilapidated as to be no longer fit for use. Tlie parishioners were called together to con- sult npon the erection of a new one. Among those assembled was "Washington, and the father of George Mason, then ad- vanced in years and greatly respected. Wlien the question of the location of the new church came up for consideration, there was a difi'erence of opinion. Mr. Mason was in favor of the old site, and Washington was opposed to it. Mr. Mason made a pathetic appeal in favor of the old site, pleading that there was the spot where their fathers had worship|)ed, and it was consecrated by their graves which surrounded it. "Wash- ington and others took the ground that the spot was far less convenient for the parish than a more central one. The sub- ject took a shajDe that required more reflection, and a second meeting was called. Meanwhile, "Washington made a careful survey of the whole neighborhood, marking the place of every house, and the relative distances, on a distinct map. "When the second meeting was held. Mason again appealed to the sympathies of the people, when Washington appealed to their common sense, by pimply presenting his map and explaining it in a few words. His almost mute argument prevailed, and the site of the present church was selected. Preparations were now made for the erection of the new church, but it was not completed until the year 1773, "Wash- ington drew the ground-plan and elevation of the building for MOUNT VERNON the use of the architect, and these (the originals) are before me while I write. Tliey are very neatly sketched with China ink, upon good drawing paper, and occupy a space thirteen by fifteen inches, scpiare. The engraving is from a carefully GROUND PLAN AND ELKVATION OF POHICK CHURCH. drawn copy on a small scale, but shows every line as seen in Washington's drawing. Of the ministers who officiated at Pohick, there were none AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 89 more beloved than the Eeverend Lee Massey. He was the companion of Washington from his youth, and at his solicita- tion, and that of Mason, Fairfax, M'Carty, Chichester, and others of that parish, he was induced to relinquish the profes- sion of the law, study divinity, and become their pastor. His speech becoming impaired by the loss of his front teeth, he left the pulpit, and studied medicine as a means of affording relief to the poor. Another clergyman, who officiated occasionally at Poliick church, after tl>e regular stated services of the Chuicli of Eng- land had ceased there, was the eccentric Mason L. "Weems, the earliest biographer of Washington. Tlie style of that biogra- phy was so attractive to the uncultivated readers of his day, that it passed through some forty editions, and even now it finds a sale. His character appears to have been a curious compound of seriousness and levity, truthfulness and exaggera- tion, reverence and profanity. He was an itinerant in every sense of the word. He was a man of considerable attainments as a scholar, physician, and divine ; and his benevolence was unbounded. When a boy of fourteen years, he was found at night teaching half-clad, half-fed children, who gathered eagerly around him ; and all through life he was ready to share a crust with the unfortunate. He used wit and humor freely on all occasions. " Whether in private or public, in prayers or preaching," says Bishop Meade, "it was impossible that either the young or old, the grave or the gay, could keep their risible faculties from violent agitation." Pie would pray with the negro servants at night, and fiddle for them by the road-side by day. For many years he was a travelling book- seller, preaching when invited, haranguing the people at 90 MOUNT VERNON courts, fairs, and. other public gatherings, and selling the Bible out of one hand and Paine's Age of Reason out of the other, alleging as an excuse for the latter performance, that he always carried the antidote with the poison. His fund of MASON L. WEEMS. anecdote was inexhaustible; and after giving a promiscuous audience the highest entertainment of fun, he found them in good mood to purchase his books. At Mount Vernon he was always a Avelcome guest, for "Washington loved his goodness of heart and overlooked his foibles. Mr. "VVeems died at Beaufort, South Carolina, in May, 1825, at an advanced age. After the Revolution, for reasons not clearly seen, Washing- ton attended Christ Church, at Alexandria (of which he was a vestryman), instead of Pohick. Others of the latter parish fol- lowed, and after a while regular services ceased in that part of AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS, 91 the country. Washington owned a pew in Christ Church from the establishment of the parish, in 1764, and occupied it con- stantly after 1783, until his death. Some of his name have held possession of it ever since. Judge Bushrod Washington CHRIST CilUIiCU, ALEXANDRIA. succeeded the General in its occupancy, then his nephew, John A. Washington, the father of the late proprietor of Mount Yernon, and lastly, that proprietor himself. Christ Church, at Alexandria, w^as finished in 1773, and Washington paid the highest price for a pew in it. I visited Pohick Church a few years ago, and found it falling rapidly into decay. It stands upon an eminence north of Pohick Creek, on the border of a forest that extends almost uninterruptedly to Mount Vernon. Around it are the ancient oaks of the primeval wood, interspersed with chestnuts and pines. It was just at twilight when I reached the old fane, and after making a sketch of it, I passed on to seek lodgings for the 92 MOUNT VERNON night. The next day was tlie Sabbath, and being informed that a Methodist meeting was to be held in the church, I repaired thither at the usual hour, and took a seat in AYashing- ton's pew, near the pulpit. Tliere 1 awaited the slow gathering of the little auditory. "When all had assembled, men and ^, PonicK cnrucii i.v IbSi- women and children, white and black, the whole congre- gation numbered only twenty-one persons. I could not refrain from drawing a parallel with the scenes of other days under that venerated roof, when some of the noblest of Vir- ginia's aristocracy worshipped there, while clergymen, in sur- plice and gown, performed the solemn and impressive ritual of the Church of England. Now, a young man, with nothing to distinguish him from other men but a white cravat, stood as AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 93 teaclier within the okl chancel by the side of the ancient coni- niunion-table. He talked sweetly of Christian charity : " Oh, the rarity Of Christian charity !" and asked the little company to join with him in singing the hymn — "Come, Holy Spirit! Heavenly Dove!" "When the service was over, I made note, with pen and pencil, of all within. It was a melancholy task, for decay with its busy fingers was at work all around me, making sure proj)he- cies of the speeedy desolation of a building hallowed by associ- ations with the beloved "Washington. Upon the wall, back of the chancel, were still inscribed, the Law^ the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer, upon which the eyes of "Washington and his friends had rested a thousand times. A large j^roportion of the panes of glass were broken from the windows, admitting freely the wind and the rain, the bats and the birds. The elaborately wrought pulpit, placed by itself on one side of the church, was sadly marred by desecrating hands. Under its sounding-board, a swallow had built her nest ; and upon the book ledge the fowls of the air had evidently perched. These things brought to memory the words of the "sweet singer of Israel" — " Yea, the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altar, O JjOrCl 01 iiOStS 1 PFLPrr IN poHicK cnrrECH. 94 MOUNT YERNON In the spring of 1772 there was a stranger at Mount Yeraon, in errand and person. He was one-and-thirtj years of age, slender in form, with a sweet and thoughtful face. He was a native of Maryland, and had been a saddler's apprentice at Annapolis, the capital of the province. In boyhood he had been as beautiful as a girl, and at twenty he was a handsome young man. At that age he felt spiritual aspirations for tlie life of an artist ; and when, two or three years later, he said to a retired painter who resided a few miles from Annapolis, " Show me, Mr. Hesselius, how you mix such beautiful tints for your canvas, and I will give j^ou the best saddle that I can make," a new world was opening to his enraptured vision. At that moment his true artist life began, for the o-enerous painter revealed to him the coveted secret. Then the occuj)a- tions of watchmaker, silversmith, carver, and saddler, in which he had severally engaged, were abandoned for the pursuit of art, except when stern necessity compelled him to employ them in earning his daily food. Thus he worked on until a way was opened for him to go to England and place himself under the instruction of Benjamin West, the great American painter, then the loved comjDanion of the king. Two years lie remained with West, and in 1769, Charles Willson Peale, the young artist referred to, returned to his native country and set up his easel as a portrait painter at Annapolis and Baltimore with wonderful success. The fame of the young painter soon reached Mount Yernon, and he was invited there to delineate, for the first time, the form and features of the noble "lord of the manor." He executed the commission admirably, and produced a fine portrait of Washington at the age of forty years, life size, a AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 95 little more than half-length, and in the costume of a colonel of the twenty-second regiment of the Yirginia Militia. The coat is blue, with red facings, and bright metal buttons, having the CHARLES WIl.LSON PEALE. number of the regiment (" 22 ") cast upon them. The waist- coat and breeches are also red, and the sash, a faded purple. When, in 1797 or '98, Field, an English miniature painter and engraver of some eminence, visited Mount Yernon, he slept in a room in which hung "Washington's old military coat. The painter cut oif one of the buttons, and brought it away with him, regarding the transaction as a pious theft, no doubt, be- cause prompted by veneration for the owner. That button was in the possession of John F. "Watson, Esq., WASHINGTON S MILITARY BCTTOX. 96 MOUNT YERXOX the venerable annalist of Philadelphia and New York, and at his house in Germantown the annexed sketch of it was made. WASHINGTON AS A VIRGINIA COLONEL AT THE AGE OF FORTT. Field had a pleasant countenance and fine portly figure. He was, on the whole, rather fat, and loved his case. " "When at Ccntrcville, on the eastern shore of Maryland, in 1798," says Eembrandt Peale, in a recent letter to a friend, " Field and I took a walk into the country, after a rain. A wide puddle of water covered the road beyond the fence on both sides. I climbed the fence and walked round, but Field, fat and lazy, in good humor paid an old negro to carry him on his shouldere over the water. In the middle of it. Field became so convids- ed with laughter, that he nearly shook himself off the old man's back." AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 97 Field went to Canada, studied theology a little, was ordain- ed a priest of the Estab- lished Church, and be- came a bishop. The portrait painted by- young Peale, at that time, was the first that was ever made of Washing- ton. From the study he then made, he painted the fine picture wdiicli hung at Mount Vernon until the owner's death, and since that time has graced the walls of Arlington House, the home of the late George Washington Parke Castis. The study — the really first portrait, was afterward dressed in the continental costume. This remained in posses- sion of the artist and his family until the Peale gallery, in Philadelphia, was sold a few years ago, when it Avas purchased by Charles S. Ogden, Esq., in whose possession it now rests. PAC-SIMILK OP PEALE S KECEIPT. 98 MOUNT VERNON While at Mount Yernon at that time, Peale painted a min- iature of Mrs. Washington, for her son, John Parke Custis, then a youth of eighteen, for which Washington, as his guardian, paid ten guineas, according to a receipt in the liand-writing of Washington, and signed by the artist, a fac-simile of which is on the preceding page. JOHN PARKK CUSTIS. Peale's miniatures were exquisitely painted, and very much sought after. A few years later he painted a portrait, in iiiiniuture, of young Custis, who was then General Washing- ton's aide ; also of his wife, the second daughter of Benedict Calvert, of Maryland, a descendant of Lord Baltimore. He also painted a portrait of that lady, life size, before her mar- riage, in which she is represented as a beautiful young girl in equestrian costume, the riding-jacket being open in front, and AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 99 on her head a riding-hat with a feather. The miniature of John Parke Ciistis, from which our engraving was copied, was in the possession of Mrs. Washington until her death, and is now the property of his granddaughter, the wife of Colonel Eobert E. Lee, of Arlington House, Yirginia.* A shadow fell upon Mount Yernon in the spring of 1773. No child had blessed the union of Washington and his wife, and her two children received the most tender parental care and solicitude from their step-father. He appeared to love them as his own, Martha was a sweet girl, of gentle temper, graceful form, winning ways, and so much a brunette, that she was called " the dark lady." Just as she was blooming into womanhood, pulmonary consumption laid its withering hand upon her. For several months her strength had been failing, and letters filled with expressions of anxiety went frequently from her mother to Washington, who was engaged in his duties in the House of Burgesses at Williamsburg. At length a most alarming letter reached him. He had just made arrangements to accompany Lord Dunmore, the governor, on a long tour of observation west of the mountains, but he hastened to Mount Yernon. He found the dear child in the last moments of earthly life. His manly spirit was bowed with grief, and with deep feeling he knelt at the side of her bed and prayed most earnestly for her recovery. Upon the wings of that holy prayer her spirit ascended, and when he arose and looked upon her pale and placid face. Death had set its seal there. She expired on the nineteenth of June, * Mr. Peale painted many other portraits of Washington, life sLze and in minia- ture. For an account of these, see note to the chapter on Washington's Portraits, in Custis's Becolledions and Private Memoirs of Washington. 100 MOUNT VERNON when iu the seventeenth year of her age. Her departure left a great void in the heart of the mother, and Washington remained for some time at Mount Yemon, in seclusion, to con- sole his afflicted wife, instead of taking the contemplated jom'ney with the governor. And now the flames of the Revolution were rapidly kind- ling all over the land. The representatives of royal authority had been buffeted in Boston, and acts of parliament had been set at naught, in such manner, that an indignant decree went forth from the throne, that the port of the 'New England capital should be shut, and the entire machinery of the colonial gov- ernment be clogged, imtil the people there should show prac- tical signs of penitence for their political sins. The peojjle defied the ministerial power, and laughed at ministerial anathemas. Then a new governor, with armed soldiers, took possession of Boston, and, with iron heel, crushed its commerce and its j)rosperity. Hot was the iudio-nation of the colonists over the leno;th and breadth of the land, and to every stroke of resistance given by the people of Massachusetts, those of Virginia abetted and ga'j'e loud acclamations of applause. For ten long years the people, in separate communities, had petitioned and remon- strated in vain. Now there was a universal desire for unity of action, and a General Congkess was proposed, in accordance with a suggestion made by Doctor Franklin. It received a hearty response in every colony, and the 5th of September, 1774, was the time agreed upon for such congress to assemble, and Philadelphia the place. For a long time "Washington had been much engaged in the discussion of the momentous political questions of the day. He AND ITS Dissociations. 101 was firm in his opinion, but no enthusiast; and with cautious but unwavering step, he had walked in the path of opposition to ministerial measures. He heartily approved of a General Congress ; and when, after the Virginia Assembly, of wliich he was a member, had been dissolved by the governor, and met in informal convention, to consult upon the expedient of holding another council to elect representatives to a general congress, he was warmly in favor of the measure. And when that congress met, he was among the delegates chosen for the important business of conferring, in solemn earnestness, upon the destinies of a nation. Washington was now fairly embarked upon the stormy ocean of political life in troublous times — " times," as Paine afterward said, " that tried men's souls." Yast were the stakes that he pledged. Life, fortune, honor, and every social enjoy- ment were all imperilled ; and while his friend and neighbor of Gunston Hall as warmly espoused the same cause, those of Belvoir adhered to the crown. The sports of the chase, social visiting, and almost every amusement of life now ceased at Mount Yemon. Grave men assembled there, and questions of mighty import were con- sidered thoughtfully and prayerfully, for Washington was a man of prayer from earliest manhood. At length the time arrived for the assembling of the national congress, and from all the colonies, except Georgia, the dele- gates began to make their way toward Philadelphia, some on horseback, others in coaches or chaises, but none by public conveyances, for there were few of these even in the most pop- ulous provinces. Some travelled alone, others in pairs ; and as they approached the Delaware or the Schuylkill, they fourd 102 MOUNT VERNON themselves in companies. What a glorious spectacle ! From twelve strong viceroyalties, containing an aggregate population of almost three millions of people, the best and the wisest among them, obedient to the public will, were on their way, through vast forests, and over rugged mountains, across broad rivers, and broader morasses, and through richly cultivated districts, cheerful villages, and expanding cities, to a common goal, there to meet, deliberate, and confederate, for the welfare, not only of a continent, but of the world ! It was a moral spectacle such as had been hitherto unrecorded by the pen of history. On "Wednesday morning, the 31st of August, 1771:, two men approached Mount Yernon on horseback. One of them was a slender man, very plainly dressed in a suit of ministers' gray, and about forty years of age. Tlio other was his senior in years, likewise of slender form, and a face remarkable for its expression of unclouded intelligence. He was more carefully dressed, more polished in manners, and much more fluent in conversation tjhan his companion. Tliey reached Mount Ver- non at seven o'clock, and after an exchange of salutations with "Washington and his family, and partaking of breakfast, the three retired to the library and were soon deeply absorbed in the discussion of the great questions then agitating the people of the colonies. The two travellers were Patrick Henry and Edmund Pendleton. A third, the silver-tongued Cicero of Virginia, Richard Henry Lee, Avas expected Avith them, but he had been detained at Chantilly, his seat in "Westmoreland. All day long these three eminent Virginians were in council ; and early the next morning they set out on horseback for Phila- delphia, to meet the patriots from other colonies there. "Will Lee, "Washington's huntsman, and favorite body servant, now that AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 103 PATRICK UENRT. Bisliop had become too old and infirm to be active, was the only attendant upon his master. They crossed the Potomac at the Falls (now Georgetown), and rode far on toward Balti- more, before the twilight. On the 4:th of September, the day before the opening of the Congress, they breakfasted at Chris- tina Ferry (now "Wilmington), and dined at Chester ; and that night Washington, according to his diary, " lodged at Doctor Shippen's, in Philadelj)hia, after supping at the New Tavern." At that house of pubHc entertainment he had lodged nearly two years before, while on his way to New York to place young Custis in King's (now Columbia) College. At ten o'clock on Monday morning, the 5th of September, lT'r4, the First Continental Congress commenced its sessions 10-i MOUNT VERNON in Carpenter's Hall, in Philadelphia. The members first assembled at the City Tavern, and marched in procession to the Hall. Thej organized the congress by choosing Peyton Ran- dolph — a large, fleshy, good-looking Yirginian, five-and-forty years of age — as president ; and for secretary they appointed Charles Tliomson, a lean man, with hollow, sparkling eyes, hair quite thin and gray, and a year younger than the president, though bearing marks of premature old age. Thomson was an accomplished Pennsylvanian ; and, notwithstanding he ap- peared so old at the age of forty-four, he lived fifty years longer, while the fiorid, healthful-looking Randolph died the very next year, within an hour after eating a hearty dinner at Richard Hill's country seat, near Philadelphia. The business of the congress was opened by Patrick Henry, and the session continued until the 26tli of October, when they had laid the foundations of a new Republic, deep in the principles of Truth and Justice. They debated great questions with the dignity and wisdom of sages, and, by a large majority adopted the following resolution — a resolution which reaffirmed all pre- vious resolves of the Americans to fight for freedom rather than submit to inglorious political servitude : " Resolved^ — That this Congkess approve the opposition of THE INHABITANTS OF MaSSACHITSETTS BaY TO THE EXECUTION OF THE LATE AcTS OF PARLIAMENT ; AND IF THE SAME SHALL BE AT- TEMPTED TO BE CAKEIED INTO EXECUTION BY FOECE, IN SUCH CASE, Ajx America ought to support them in their opposmoN. The Congress closed their important labors by putting forth Bome of the most remarkable state papers that ever appeared AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 105 in the annals of the nations. The perusal of them drew from the Earl of Chatham the most enthusiastic encomiums, in a speech in the House of Lords. " When your lordships," he said, "look at the papers transmitted to us from America ; when you consider their decency, firmness, and wisdom, you cannot but respect their cause, and wish to make it your own. For my- self, I must declare and avow, that in all my reading and study of history (and it has been my favorite study — I have read Thucydides, and have studied and admired the master states of the world), that for solidity of reasoning, force of sagacity, and wisdom of conclusions, under such a complication of cir- cumstances, no nation or body of men can stand in preference to the Congress at Philadelphia." It was in a congress composed of such men that" Washington distinguished himself. Although he did not engage in the public debates (for he had no talent for extempore speaking), and his name does not appear in the published proceedings of the Congress as a member of any committee during the session, his diary shows that he was assiduous in his attendance at Carpenter's Hall ; and there is ample evidence that his mind had much to do in the general conduct of the business, and especially in the preparation of the state papers alluded to. When Patrick Henry was asked, on his return from Phila- delphia, whom he considered the greatest man in the congress, he replied : " If you speak of eloquence, Mr. Eutledge of South Carolina is by far the greatest orator ; but if you speak of solid information and sound judgment, Colonel Washington is unquestionably the greatest man on that floor." When the Congress adjourned, Washington returned to Mount Yemon, full of desires for a reconciliation with the 106 MOUNT YERNOIT parent government, and for peacefulness in the bosom of his family ; yet without any well-gronnded hope. The hand of inexorable circumstances was then making many and great changes in and around his beautiful home. The sunshine upon the fields, the forests and the river were as bright as ever; and the flowers bloomed as beautifully, and the birds sang as sweetly as ever, when another spring came, like the angel of the resurrection, to call forth the sleepers in the bosom of mother earth. But in the mansion death had left the memorial footsteps of its recent visit ; and the discord of clashing opin- ions had almost hushed into silence the sweet voices of the social circle in which he had been accustomed to move. His friend of Belvoir was a loyalist and beyond the ocean ; and that fine mansion, wherein the Washingtons and Fairfaxes had held generous intercommunication for a quarter of a century, was soon afterM'ard consumed by fire. Its owner never re- turned to America, and the social intercourse of two long-tried friends was closed forever. George Washington and George William Fairfax never met again on the earth. The Congress of 1T74, doubtful concerning reconciliation with Great Britain upon terms to which the colonists could accede, adjourned, to meet again at the same place on the tenth of May following, unless the desired redress of grievances should speedily take place, and render another national coun- cil unnecessary. Bat the people, taught by long and bitter experience, expected no justice from a blinded ministry, and prepared for inevitable war. They aroused themselves, and organized into military companies for the purpose of discipline. Suddenly, as if by magic, a vast army was formed. It was, as we have elsewhere observed, "strong, determined, generous, AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 107 and panting for action, yet invisible to the superficial observer. It was not seen in the camp, the field, nor the garrison. No drum was heard calling it to action ; no trumpet was sounded for battle. It was like electricity, harmless when latent, but terrible when aroused. It was all over the land. It was at the plough, in the workshop, and in the counting-room. Almost every household was its head-quarters, and every roof its tent. It bivouacked in every chamber ; and mothers, wives, sisters, and sweethearts made cartridges for its muskets, and supplied its commissariat. It was the old story of Cadmus repeated in modern history. British oppression had sown dragon's teeth all over the land, and a crop of armed men were ready to spring up, but not to destroy each other." * Washington, always covetous of rural pursuits and the quiet of domestic life, returned from Philadelphia with the intention of resuming them. But urgent calls to public duty drew him from them. The volunteer companies of his state sought his counsel, and ofi'ered him the general leadership ; and he went from place to place, reviewing the assembled troops, and imparting wisdom which he had learned from his military experience. Meanwhile, his old companions in arms came frequently to Mount Yernon, for they snuffed the smoke of war from afar. Among these. Doctors Hugh Mercer, of Fred- ricksburgh, and James Craik, of Alexandria, were the most welcome, for these Washington loved much. Other men more distinguished also made frequent visits to Mount Yernon. Among the most famous of these were Gen- eral Charles Lee and Major Horatio Gates, both of whom had * Lossing's Lije of Washington, i. 470. 108 MOUNT V E R X N been officers of distinction in the British army, and vrere tnen residents in Virginia. These freqnently accompanied Wash- ington in his military excnrsions ; and during the spring of 1775, they spent mnch time under his roof. GENERAL CHARLES LEE. Lee was a Welshman, and a year younger than Washington. He i^ossessed fine manly physical proportions, and a fiery spirit which nothing, at times, could control. He had been engaged in the war with the French and Indians in America, in 1750 and a few succeeding years ; and the Mohawks, who created him a chief among themselves, gave him the signifi- cant name of Soiling Water. Restless and ambitious, he engaged in the continental wars of Europe, wherever he could find employment. At one time we find him an aide to the A.ND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 109 king of Poland, and then a companion of that king's ambas- sador to Constantinople. Then we see him in England assail- ing the British ministry with his sarcastic pen, and by his ill nature and perverse judgment, shutting every door to his own advancement. Disappointed and still restless, he came to America in 1773, and travelled through most of the English provinces. In Virginia he met Major Gates, and was induced by that gentleman to purchase an estate near him, in Berkeley county. There he was residing when the war for independence was fairly kindling, and he esj)oused the cause of the patriots with a zeal that commanded their greatest admiration. He entered the army as the first major-general under "Washington, became very popular with the great body of the people, and for awhile dis]3uted a place in their attachment with "Washing- ton himself. His ambition soon conquered his prudence, and he became insolent and insubordinate toward his superiors. "With apparent collusion with the enemy, he became a prisoner; endeavored, while a captive, to betray his adopted country ; was restored to the army by exchange, but soon afterward was suspended from command because of bad conduct on the field of Monmouth ; and died in Philadelphia in comparative poverty, in the autumn of 1782, at the age of fifty-one years. He was a brilliant man in many things, but his life exhibited few commendable traits of character. He was bad in morals and manners ; profane and extravagant in language, and feared and loved neither God nor man. In his will he bequeathed his soul to the Almighty and his body to the earth, saying : "I desire most earnestly that I may not be buried in any church or churchyard, or within a mile of any Presbyterian or Anabaptist meeting-house; for, since I have resided in this 110 MOUNT VERNON country, I have kept so mucli bad company when living, that I do not choose to continue it when dead." Major Gates was three years the senior of Washington, and is supposed to have been a natural son of Horace "Walpole. He was an officer in the British army during the French and Indian war, and was with Braddock in the battle of the Monongahela, where he was severely wounded. He accom- GENERAL HORATIO GATES. panied General Mockton to the West Indies as his aide-de- camp, and expected great preferment after tlie campaign was over, as lie was the bearer to the king of the tidings of the English victory at Martinico. He was disappointed, and, in 1772, he sold his commission of major, came to America, and purchased an estate in Berkeley county, Virginia, beyond the Blue Kidge. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. Ill Gates was the opposite of Lee in his social qualities, being a perfect gentleman in his deportment. He, also, espoused the republican cause at the kindling of the war, was appointed the first adjutant-general of the continental army, and arose to the rank of major-general. He was ambitious and vain; and, during the first half of the war, was seeking to take the place of Washington as supreme commander of the American armies. His last active military command was in South Carolina, in the summer of 1T80, where he lost his whole army. He returned to his estate in Yirginia, where he lived until 1790, and then removed to a farm on Manhattan Island, near the city of New York. He was a member of the ]^ew York legislature one term, and died in the spring of 1806, at the age of seventy-eight years. "Washington was at Mount Yernon only a few weeks at a time, from the summer of 1774 until his retirement from the army in 1783. He was in the first continental Congress, as we have observed, during the autumn of 1774; was absent upon military services much of the time during the winter of 1775, and was a member of the Yirginia Assembly in the spring, when Patrick Henry made his famous war speech, which was closed with the burning words : " What is it that gentlemen wish ? What would they have ? Is life so dear or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery ? Forbid it. Almighty God ! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me libekty or give me DEATH !" With these words of Henry ringing in his ears, Washington returned to Mount Yernon, and prepared for a journey to I'hiladelphia, there to take his seat as a member of the Second 112 MOUNT VERNON Continental Congress. Just at tlie close of a mild April daj, while he and his neighbor, Bryan Fairfax, with Major Gates, were discussing the stirring events at Williamsburg, connected with the seizure of powder belonging to the colony, by the royal governor, and the bold stand taken by Patrick Henry — events which were then arousing every republican heart in Virginia to action — a messenger came in haste from Alex- andria, bearing intelligence of bloodshed at Lexington and Concord. Tliat intelligence made a deep but widely different impression upon the minds of the three friends. The gentle Faii'fax, even then inclined to enter the gospel ministry, which he afterward adorned, was drawn, by the ties of consanguinity and ancestral reverence, to the side of the parent country. He was much distressed by the tidings from the east, for he per- ceived the gathering of a cloud of miseries for his country, and the peril of all pleasant social relations. Gates, ambitious of military glory, and eagerly looking for the honors and emoluments of office, for which he had long played the sycophant in London, was delighted by this opening of an avenue to a field of action wherein they might be won ; while "Washington, communing with the intuitions of his loftier spirit, became thoughtful and reserved, and talked little, but wisely, on the subject. But he resolved nobly and firmly to go zealously into whatever conflicts might arise for tlie defence of the liberties of his country. All regarded the event as the casting away of the scabbard, as the severing blow to colonial allegiance. These friends parted company on the following day, and to- ward the evening of the 4th of May, Benjamin Harrison, one of the immortal fifty-six who afterward signed the Declaratioc AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 113 of Independence, came to Mount Yernon, supped, lodged, and breakfasted, and departed with Washington, early in the morn- ing of the 5th, for Philadelphia. They arrived at Chester on the 9th, and, while riding toward Philadelphia, with other southern delegates, were met, five or six miles from the city, by a cavalcade of five hundred gentlemen. Nearer the city, they were met by military companies, and by these, with bands of music, were escorted into and through the city " with great parade." On the following, day, the new England delegates were received in a similar manner ; and thus, in the midst of the homage and acclamations of the people, the representatives of thirteen viceroyalties assembled to confederate in the great work of constructing a new republic. "With the sword of defence in one hand, and the olive-branch of reconciliation in the other, the Congress went on in their solemn labors. The military genius and experience of "Wash- ington were continually acknowledged by his being placed as chairman of all the committees appointed for the conduct of military affairs ; and to him was entrusted the important task of preparing rules and regulations for an army, and devising measures for the general defence. Meanwhile, a large, but crude and ill-regulated army, had gathered around Boston, and was keeping the British regulars in cloee confinement upon that little peninsula. It possessed no other cohesion than that derived from a sense of mutual danger. The Congress perceived this, and resolved to con- solidate and organize it by adopting it as a Continental army, with a commander-in-chief and assistant general officers. That adoption was formally made ; and on Thursday, the 15th of June, two days before the battle of Bunker's Hill, George 114 MOUNT VERNON \Vaslnnefore her death. It is not our design to follow Washington in his career as a Boldier, or even as a statesman, for in these his field of action was far away from Mount Vernon — the object of our illustra- tions. His career in each was noble; and even in his defeats in battle, he never lost a particle of the dignity of liis char- acter, nor the esteem of his countrymen. His caution and prudence were sometimes misunderstood, but they were always found to be the guaranties of success. For nearly nine months he cautiously watched the British army in Boston, and waited for strength sufficient to attack it with success, while the people, and even the Congress, became impatient and clamored for battle. At length the proper time came, and with skill and energy he prepared to strike an annihilating blow. Tlie enemy saw their peril, fled to their ships, and escaped to Halifax, while the whole continent rang with the praises of Washington. Tlie Congress decreed a gold medal to the victor. Duvivier, of Paris, cut the die ; and to Mount Vernon the glittering testimonial of a nation's gratitude was afterward borne, upon which was inscribed : " The American Congress TO George Washington, commander-in-ciiief of its armies, THE assertors OF Freedom : The enoit for the first time PUT TO FLIGHT BoSTON RECOVERED, 17tH MaRCH, 1776." Although excessively prudent, Washington was ever ready to strike a blow in the presence of greatest peril, when his judgment and inclination coalesced in recommending the per 116 MOUNT VEENON GOLD MEDAL AWARDED TO WASHINGTON FOR THE DELIVERANCE OF BOSTON. formance of the act. We see liim with a handful of ill-dis- ciplined, ill-fed, ill-clad soldiers, after a prudent flight of three weeks before a strong pursuing enemy, crossing a rapid river in the midst of floating ice, and darkness, and driving storm, and smiting a band of mercenary Germans at Trenton, who had been hired out by their avaricious jjrinces to aid the British soldiery in butchering their fellow subjects. Victory followed the blow, and a few days afterward that victory was repeated at Princeton. Again the praises of Washington were upon every lip. The great Frederick of Prussia declared that the achievements of the American leader and his compatriots, between the twenty-fifth of December 17T6, and the fourth of January, 1777 — a space of ten days — were the most brilliant of any recorded in the annals of military action. A splendid flag, taken from the Hessians at Trenton, composed of two pieces of heavy white damask silk, bearing devices embroid- ered with gold thread, and the words for our prince and COUNTRY, in Latin, exquisitely wrought in needlework, was AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 117 presented to Washington. It was afterward hung up in the great hall at Mount Yernon, but only on one occasion, for "Washington was careful never to make even the most trivial display of me- mentos of his own valor. This flag was his first trophy of the kind in the war for independence. And all through the war, prudence, sagacity, skill, energy, and great wisdom, marked the acts of Wash- ington. His last battle was at Yorktown, where another trophy, similar to that at Trenton, was se- cured. It was the flag of the seventh British regiment, made of heavy twilled silk, six feet in length and five feet four inches in width. Tlie ground was blue; the cen- tral stripe of the cross red; the marginal ones white. In the centre was a crown, and beneath it a garter, with the usual inscription in ISTorman French — Evil he to him who evil thinketh — enclosing a full-blown rose, the fioral emblem of England. This flag, with another, was presented to "Washing- ton by a resolution of the Congress, passed ten days after the victory, and was hung in the hall at Mount Yernon on the single occasion referred to. It had been sadly tattered during HESSIAN FLAG TAKEN AT TRENTON. 118 MOUNT VERNON the conflict. Until lately it occupied a place near the Hessian flag, in the Museum at Alexandria, where they were de- posited by the late George Wasliington Parke Custis, and BRITISU FLAG TAKEN AT YORKTOWX. appropriately labeled Alpha and Om^ga — the first and the last of the trophies won by Washington. Lonely was the mansion at Mount Yernon without the master during the seven years and more tliat the war lasted. Yet it was by no means deserted. The only child of Mrs. Washino^ton. John Parke Custis, with his wife and growing family, were there much of the time, for Washington had written to him a few days after liis appoint- ment to the command of the army : "At any time, I hope it is unnecessary for me to say, that I am always pleased with your and Nelly's abidance at Mount Yernon, much less upon this occasion, when I think it absolutely necessary for the peace and satisfaction of your mother ; a consideration which 1 have no doubt will have due weight with you both, and require no arguments to enforce." Neighbors and friends also came frequently to cheer tlie temporary widowhood of the mistress. Lund Washington, the master's relative and friend, was the faithful manager of the estate, and he scrupulously obeyed the injunction of the owner, wlio said : " Let the hospitality of the AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 119 house, w^tli resj)ect to the poor, be kept up. Let no one go away hungry. If any of tliis kind of people should be in want of corn, supply their necessities, provided it does not encourage them in idleness." I^othing of importance, aside from the routine of plantation life, occurred at Mount Yernon after the summer of 1775, . until 1781. At the former period. Lord Dunmore and his marauding followers, ascended the Potomac as far as Occo- quan Falls, w^tli the intention of making Mrs. Washington a prisoner, and desolating the estates of Gunston Hall and Mount Yernon. The Prince William militia gathered in large numbers to oppose him, and these, aided by a heavy storm, frustrated his lordship's designs, and he sailed down the river, after destroying some mills and other property. Early in September, 1781, there was great commotion at Mount Yernon, greater than when, a few months before, small British armed vessels had come up the Potomac, plundering and destroying on every hand. One of these, on that occasion, had approached Mount Yernon with fire and sword, and Lund Washington had purchased the safety of the estate by giving the commander refreshments and supplies. For this the mas- ter of Mount Yernon rebuked him, saying, " It would have been a less painful circumstance to me to have heard that, in consequence of your non-compliance with their request, they had burned my house and laid my plantation in ruins." On the 9th of September, 1781, there was an arrival more' startling to the dwellers upon the Mount Yernon estate than that of an armed enemy upon the neighboring waters. It was the unexpected arrival of the master himself. Tlie allied French and American armies were then on their march toward 120 MOUNT VERNON Yirginia, to assist Lafayette and his compatriots in driving the invading Cornwallis from that state. "Washington came from Baltimore late at night, attended only by Colonel Humphreys (one of his aides) and faithful Billy. They had left the Coimt de Rochambeau and the Marquis de Chastellux — one at Alex- andria, and the other at Georgetown — to follow them in the morning. Very soon the whole household was astir, and the news flew quickly over the estate that the master had arrived. At early dawn the servants came from every cabin to greet him, and many looked sorrowfully upon a face so changed by the storms of successive campaigns, during more than six years that he had been absent. None came earlier than Bishop, the venerable body-servant of the master in the old French war, who was now too old to go to the camp. He lived near the mansion, the Nestor of the plantations, and was overseer of one of the farms. No doubt he came, as was his custom on great occasions, fully equipped in his regimentals, made after the fashion of George the Second's time, to greet the man he so much loved. Bishop was then almost eighty years of age, with deep furrows upon his cheeks, a few gray locks upon his temples, and his once manly form bent gently by the weight of years, and shrunken by the suns of nearly fourscore summers. On the morrow, the French noblemen, with their suites, ar- rived — Rochambeau first, and De Chastellux afterward — and all but the chief made it a day of rest. For him there was no repose. He was not permitted to pass even an hour alone with his wife. Public and private cares were pressing heavily upon him. Pie was on his way to measure strength with a powerful enemy, and his words of affection were few and hurried. All AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 121 COUNT DE ROCHAMBEAU. the morning of the 10th he was closeted with his manager, and before dinner he wrote to Lafayette the first letter that he had dated at Mount Vernon since early in May, 1775, saying, '* "We are thus far on our way to you. The Count de Rochambeau has just arrived. General Chastellux will be here, and we pro- pose, after resting to-morrow, to be at Fredericksburg on the night of the 12th. The 13th we shall reach New Castle ; and, the next day, we expect to have the pleasure of seeing you at your encampment." These calculations were correct ; they arrived at the camp of Lafayette, at Williamsburg, on the evening of the 14th. Rochambeau and Chastellux were guests worthy of such a host. The former was of a noble Yendome family. He was 122 MOUNT VERNON of medium heiglit, slender in form, and then fiftj-six years of age. lie had been aide-de-camp to the Duke of Orleans, five- and-thirtj years before, and had gained many laurels on the fields of battle, especially on that of Minden, which occurred a few months after Washington had taken his bride to Mount Vernon. A fine picture of that battle hung upon the walls at Mount Yernou for many years, and is now at Arlington House. Whether it was there to delight the eyes of Rochambeau on this occasion is a question that may not now be solved. ErOchambeau had come to America at the head of a large army, to assist the struggling colonists to cast off the British yoke. He came with the title of lieutenant-general, but, according to previous arrangement by the French court, he was to be second to Washington in command. He assisted nobly at the siege of Yorktown, where, little more than a month after this visit at Mount Yernon, Cornwallis and a large army surrendered to the allied forces. He returned to France, was made a field-marshal by the king, but was called to much suffering during the French Revolution. Bonaparte granted him a pension and the cross of grand officer of the legion of honor, in 1803. Four years afterward he died at the age of eighty-two. De Chastellux was a much younger man than Rochambeau, heavier in person, very vivacious, fond of company, and exhib- ited all the elegances of manner of the older French nobility, to which class he belonged. He came to America with Roch- ambeau, but seems not to have been confined to the army, though bearing the title of major-general ; for during the two years he was here, he travelled very extensively, and made notes and observations. These he printed on board the French AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 123 fleet — only twenty-four copies — for distribution amono- his friends ; but a few years afterward they were translated and published in two volumes, by an English traveller. MARQUIS DE CHASTELLUX. De Chastellux was the life of every company into which he was introduced, while in this country, and he left a very pleasant impression at Mount Vernon. In the library there, where he was entertained in the autumn of 1Y81, Washington wrote to him a playful letter in the spring of 1T87, after receiving from the marquis an account of his marriage to an accomplished lady, a relative of the Duke of Orleans. "I saw," wrote Washington, " by the eulogium you often made 124 MOUNT VERNON on the happiness of domestic life in America, that jou had swallowed the bait, and that jou would as surely be taken, one day or another, as that you were a philosopher and soldier. So your day has at length come. I am glad of it, with all my heart and soul. It is quite good enough for you. Now you are well served for coming to fight in favor of the American rebels, all the way across the Atlantic ocean, by catching that terrible contagion — domestic felicity — whicli, like the smallpox or plague, a man can have only once in his life." De Chastellux died in 1T93, in the midst of the terrible storm of the French Revolution, and by it the fortunes of himself and wife seem to have been swept away, for his widow applied to "Washington, two years afterward, for an allowance from our government, on account of the services of her husband, Avho was in active military duty near New York, and was in the siege at Yorktown. Her application was unsuccessful. On the second day after "Washington's arrival at Mount Vernon — the eleventh of September — the fourth anniversary of the battle of Brandywine — the mansion, then not nearly so large as now, was croM'ded with guests ; and at dinner were met gentlemen and ladies from the country for miles around, who had not been at the festive board with the master of the feast since the war broke out. And there were children, too — tiny children, whom the master loved as his own, for they were the gj andchildren of his wife. There were four of these. The eldest was a beautiful girl, five years old, who afterward married a nephew of Lord Ellenborough ; and the youngest was a boy-baby, only six months old, who was afterward adopted as the child of "Washington, became one of tbo AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 125 executors of bis will, and lived until 1857. Tliese were the children of John Parke Custis and his fair young wife, Eleanor Calvert, and had all been born during the absence of the master from his home at Mount Yernon. Here let us pause a moment and look with the eye of faith in the words of a fellow man, upon the person of the great patriot who sat at the head of the feast on that day. The year before, a writer in the London Chronicle (an anti-ministerial paper), who had seen Washington, thus vividly described him : " General Washington is now in the forty-seventh year of his age. He is a tall, well-made man, rather large-boned, and has a genteel address. His features are manly and bold ; his eyes of a bluish cast and very lively ; his hair a deep brown ; his face rather long, and marked with the smallpox ; his com- plexion sunburnt, and without much color. His countenance sensible, composed, and thoughtful. There is a remarkable air of dignity about him, with a striking degree of gracefulness. He has. an excellent understanding, without much quickness; is strictly just, vigilant, and generous; an affectionate husband, a faithful friend, a father to the deserving soldier; gentle in his manners, in temper reserved; a total stranger to relig- ious prejudices; in morals irreproachable; and never known to exceed the bounds of the most rigid temperance. In a word, all his friends and acquaintances allow that no man ever united in his own person a more perfect alliance of the virtues of a philosopher with the talents of a general. Candor, sin- cerity, affability, and simplicity seem to be the striking features of his character; and, when occasion offers, the power of display- ing the most determined bravery and independence of spirit." Domestic felicity and social enjoyment were, at that time. 126 MOUNT YERNON secondary considerations witli Washington, and, on the morn- ing of the 12th of September, he departed, witli all his mili- tary guests, from his delightful dwelling-place, journeyed to Fredericksburg to embrace his aged mother and receive her blessing, and then hastened on toward Yorktown, where Corn- wallis had intrenched himself with a view of oveiTunning Virginia. Tliere was great sorrow at Mount Yernon on the morning of the departure of the master. It was a grief to the devoted wife to part so soon from her husband, who was on his way to battle, perhaps to death ; but more poignant washer grief as a mother, for John Parke Custis, her only surviving child, in whom her fondest earthly affections were centred, followed Washington to the field as his aide-de-camp. He was then in the flush of manhood, eight-and-twenty years of age, and full of promise. He was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and very poj)ular wherever known. He now went out to battle, for the first time, leaving his wife and children and his fond mother in the pleasant home at Mount Vernon, with every material comfort around them, but with hearts filled with sadness, and spirits agitated with anxiety and apprehension. Oh, how eagerly did those wives and mothers at Mount Ver- non watch for the courier who daily brought intelligence from the camp! At length there came a messenger with tidings which produced mingled joy and alarm. He came to tell of a triumph at Yorktown, and of mortal sickness at Eltham, thirty miles from the field where victory had been won. At Yorktown, the allied armies, after a siege of twelve days, had compelled Cornwallis to surrender, with all his army, seven thousand strong. AXD ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 127 Joy was awakened all over the land as intelligence of this glorious event was spread, by swift couriers, from hamlet to hamlet, from village to village, from city to city. The name of "Washington was upon every lip, as the Benefactor, the Lib- erator, the Saviour of his country. And there was peculiar joy and pride at Mount Yernon, when, at early dawn on a frosty morning, a messenger brought the intelligence that prophesied of peace and the speedy return of the loved ones to the safety and repose of domestic life. But, as we have said, the same messenger brought intelligence that produced serious alarm, and preparations were immediately made at Mount Yernon, for a journey. Young Custis was very sick with camp fever at the house of Colonel Bassett, the husband of his mother's sister, at Eltham. His mother and wife were soon upon the road ; and, in an agony of suspense, they urged the postillion to increase the speed of his horses. When they arrived at Eltham, all hope for the loved one's recovery had vanished. Washington had sent his old and faithful friend. Doctor Craik, to attend the sufferer, and as soon as his arrangements at Yorktown could be completed, the chief followed. He arrived at Eltham " time enough" he wrote to Lafayette, " to see poor Mr. Custis breathe his last." In that hour the young wife was made a widow, and the mistress of Mount Yernon a childless woman. Tlie great man bowed his head in deep sor- row^, while his tears flowed freely. Tlien he spoke soothing words to the widowed mother, and said, " Your two younger children I adopt as my own." These were Eleanor Parke Custis and George Washington Pai*ke Custis, the former two years and six months of age, and the latter only six months. 128 MOUNT VERNON Tliey both lived beyond the age of threescore and ten, and Eleanor was considered one of the most beautiful and brilliant women of her day. She married Lawrence Lewis, tlie favorite nephew of Washington. Tlie nuptials were celebrated on the ELEANOR I'AKKE CUSTIS. chiefs birthday, 1799. Tliree days before, Washington, as her foster-father, wrote from Mount Yernon to the clerk of Fairfax county court, saying : " SiK : You will please to grant a license for the marriage of Eleanor Parke Custis with Lawrence Lewis, and this shall be your authority for so doing." The portrait of this beautiful lady, from which our engraving AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 129 is copied, was painted at Pliiladelpliia by Gilbert Stuart. It adorned tlie mansion at Mount Yernon for several years, and is preserved with care among the Washington treasures of Arlington House. Late in the autumn of 1Y81, Washington again visited Mount Yernon for a brief season. It was when he was on his journey to Philadelphia, in November, bearing the laurels of a victor. He was accompanied as far as Fredericksburg by a large retinue of American and French officers ; and there, after an interview with his mother, he attended a ball given in honor of the occasion. The aged matron went with him to the assembly, and astonished the French officers by the plainness of her apparel and the quiet simplicity of her manners, for they expected to see the mother of the great chief distinguished by a personal display such as they had been accustomed to be- hold among the families of the great in their own country. They thought of the Dowager Queen of France, of the brilliant Marie Antoinette, and the high-born dames of the court of Louis the Sixteenth, and could not comprehend the vision. Washington retired with his mother from the gay scene at an early hour, for there was grief in his heart because of the death of his beloved Custis ; and, the next morning, attended by two aides and Billy, he rode to Mount Yernon. His stay there was brief. Public duties beckoned him forward. "I shall remain but a few days here," he wrote to General Greene, " and shall proceed to Philadelphia, when I shall attempt to stimulate Congress to the best improvement of our late success, by taking the most vigorous and eifectual measures to be ready for an early and decisive campaign the next year." Happily for the country, no other campaign of active miliW 130 MOUNT VERNON taiy operations was needed ; and, in the course of a few months, tlie war was virtually at an end. The desire for peace, which had long burned in the bosom of the British people, now found such potential expression, as to be heeded bj the British ministry. The intelligence of the fate of Cornwallis and his army had fallen with all the destructive energy of a bomb- shell in the midst of the war party in parliament. When Lord North, the premier, heard of it, he paced the room violently, and, throwing his arms wildly about, exclaimed, " O God ! it is all over ! it is all over !" The stoutest declaimer in favor of bayonets and gunpowder, Indian and German mercenaries, as fit instruments for enslaving a free people, began to talk of the expediency of peace ; and at length, by mutual consent, com- missioners were appointed by the contending parties to treat for peace on the basis of the independence of the United States. Tliey were successful; and, early in the spring of 1783, the joyful news, that a treaty had been signed at Paris, reached America, by the French ship Triomphe, sent for the purpose, by Count d'Estaing, at the request of Lafayette. Washington was then, with his wife, at Newburgh, the head- quarters of the continental army, happy in having just frus- trated a scheme of some officers to produce a general mutiny among the discontented soldiers. The intelligence came to him in dispatches from Robert E.. Livingston, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and also in a letter from Alexander Hamilton, and other New York delegates in Congress. It was hailed by the fcliief with joy, and he immediately wrote the fol- lowing letter to Governor Clinton, which is copied from the original mauuscript, now in the archives of the state of New York: AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 131 "Head-Quarters, March 27, 1783. "Dear Sik : — I take the first moment of forwarding to your Excellency the dispatches from the Secretary of Foreign Afi'airs, which accompany this. They contain, I presume, all the intelligence respecting Peace, on which great and glorious event permit me to congratulate you with the greatest sincerity." Upon the envelope bearing the superscription, "Washing- ton wrote in large letters, with a broad dash under it — Peace. What a glorious word ! What joy must have filled the heart of the commander-in-chief when he wrote that word! What dreams of repose upon the Potomac, in the quiet shades of his beautiful home must have been presented to his vision at that time ! But many weary months were yet to intervene before he could see his beloved Mount Yernon. It was not until the 1st of l^ovember following that all ar- rangements for the departure of the British army from our shores were completed. The American army, by a general order of Congress, on the 3d of November, was disbanded, except a small force retained under a definite enlistment, until a peace establish- ment should be organized ; and, on the 25tli of that month, the British evacuated the city of New York — their last resting-place upon the soil of the United States — Avent on board their ships, and sailed for Nova Scotia and Europe, with a large number of loyalists. On the 4th of December Washington parted with hia officers at Fraunces' tavern in New York, and then proceeded 132 MOUNT VERNON toward Annapolis, where Congress was sitting, to resign into tlieir hands his commission as commander-in-chief of the armies of the United States, which had been given him eight years and six months before. He stopped at PhiUidelphia, and presented his accounts to the proper fiscal officers, and arrived at Annapolis on Friday, the 19th, where he was joined by Mrs. "Washington and many warm personal friends. On Monday he was present at a dinner ordered by the Con- gress, at which more than two hundred persons were seated ; and that evening he opened a grand ball given in his honor, with Mrs. James Macubbin, one of the most beautiful women of her time. At twelve o'clock on the 23d Washington entered the hall of Congress in the old State House at Annapolis, ac- cording to previous arrangement, and, in the presence of a great concourse of people, presented his resignation to General Thomas Mifflin, the president of that body, accompanying the act by a brief sijeech. This was responded to by Mifflin. The great Leader of the Continental Armies, now a private citizen, retired, followed by the audience ; and the curtain fell upon the last solemn act in the great drama of the war for independ- ence. "Washington now hastened to Mount Yemon, accompanied by many friends, as an escort of honor, among whom was Colonel Walker, one of the aides of the Baron Steuben, by whose hand he sent a letter to Governor Clinton, the first which he wrote at his home after his retirement. In it he said : " The scene is at last closed. I am now a private citizen on the banks of the Potomac. I feel myself eased of a load of public care. I hope to spend the remainder of my days in AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 133 cultivating the affections of good men, and in the practice of the domestic virtues." It was on Christmas eve, 1783, that Washington, a private citizen, arrived at Mount Vernon, and laid aside forevei the Washington's military clothes. military clothes which he had worn perhaps through more than half the campaigns of the war just ended. Around them clus- tered many interesting associations, and they were preserved with care during the remaining sixteen years of his life. And they are still preserved, in a condition almost as perfect as when the illustrious owner hung them in his wardrobe for the 134 MOUNT VERNON last time. They are in a glass case, witli other mementos of the Father of his Country, in the great model hall of the Patent Office at "Washington city. The coat is made of deep blue cloth, faced with a yellow called buff, with large plain gilt buttons. The waistcoat and breeches are made of the same kind of buff cloth as the facings of the coat. On the same occasion, Washington laid aside his battle- sword which he had worn throughout all the later years of the war. It, too, hung at Mount Yemon for almost twenty years, and is carefully preserved in the same glass case in the Patent Office. It is a kind of hanger, incased in a black leather scabbai'd, with silver mountings. Tlie handle is ivory, colored a pale green, and wound in spiral grooves with thin silver wire. It was manufactured by J. Bailey, in Fishkill, Duchess county, New York, and has the maker's name engraved upon the blade. The belt is of white leather, mounted with silver, and was doubtless used by "Washington in the old French war, for upon a silver plate attached to it is engraved " 1Y57." "With this sword is a long, knotty, black cane, with a golden head, which was bequeathed to "Washington by Doctor Frank- lin, in the following clause in the codicil to his will : " My fine crab-tree walking-stick, with a gold head curiously wrought in the form of a cap of liberty, I give to my friend, and the friend of mankind. General Washington. If it were a sceptre, he has merited it, and would become it. It was a present to me fi-om that excellent woman, Madame de For- bach, the dowager Duchess of Deuxponts, connected with some verses which should go with it." These "verses" have been lost, and for them we will substi- AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 135 tute the beautiful ode, by Morris, alluding to these preeiout relics, entitled "THH SWORD AND THE STAFF. TUE SWORD AND THE STAFF. "The sword of the Hero! The staff of the Sage I "Whose valor and wisdom Are stamp'd on the age 1 Time-hallowed mementos Of those who have riven The sceptre from tyrants, ' The lightning from heaven.' n. "This weapon, Freedom! "Was drawn by thy son, And it never was sheath'd Till the battle was won! No stain of dishonor Upon it we see ! 'Twas never surrender'd — Except to the free 1 III. " "While Fame claims the hero And patriot sage. Their names to emblazon On History's page, No holier relics "Will Liberty hoard, Than Franklin's staff, guarded By "Washington's sword." In the same glass case are other interesting relics of Wash- ington, the most conspicuous of which is his camp-chest, an old-fashioned hair trunk, twenty-one inches in length, fifteen in width, and ten in depth, filled with the table furniture used by the commander-in-chief during the war. The compart- 136 MOUNT VERNON inents are so ingeniously arranged, tliat they contain a great number of articles in a small space. Tliese consist of a gridiron ; a tea and coffee pot ; three tin saucepans (one WAbHIiNGTON S CAMP-CHEST. movable liandle being used for all) ; five small glass flasks, used for lioney, salt, coffee, port-wine, and vinegar; three large tin meat dishes ; sixteen plates ; two knives and five forks ; a candlestick and tinder-box ; tin boxes for tea and sugar, and five small bottles for pepper and other materials for making soup. Washington alluded to the tin plates in this camp-chest, in the following letter to Doctor John Cochran, surgeon-general of the northern department of the continental army, written at West Point on the 16th of August, 1779 : AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 13Y "Dear Doctok: — I have asked Mrs. Cochran and Mrs. Livingston to dine with me to-morrow ; but am I not in honor bound to apprise them of their fare? As I hate deception, even wliere the imagination only is concerned, I wilL It is needless to premise that my table is large enough to hold the ladies. Of this they had ocular proof yesterday. To say how it is usually covered is rather more essential ; and this shall be the purport of my letter. "Since our arrival at this happy spot, we have had a ham, sometimes a shoulder of bacon, to grace the head of the table ; a piece of roast beef adorns the foot; and a dish of beans, or greens, almost imperceptible, decorates the centre. When the cook has a mind to cut a figure, which I presume will be the case to-morrow, we have two beef-steak pies, or dishes of crabs, in addition, one on each side of the centre dish, dividing the space and reducing the distance between dish and dish to about six feet, which, without them, would be nearly twelve feet apart. Of late he has had the surprising sagacity to dis- cover that apples will make pies ; and it is a question if, in the violence of his efforts, we do not get one of apples, instead of having both of beef-steaks. If the ladies can put up with such entertainment, and will submit to partake of it on plates once tin hut now iron (not become so by the labor of scouring), I shall be happy to see them ; and am, dear doctor, yours, &c., " Geo. Washington." Later in the war, Washington had a pair of plain silver goblets, with his crest engraven upon them, which he used in his tent. These were the only examples of a departure from that rigid economy which he exhibited in all his personal 138 MOUNT VERNON SILVER CAMP-GOBLET. arrangements while in the army, not because lie was parsimo- nious, but because he wished to set an example of plainness and self-denial to all around him. These goblets are now used in the family of Colonel Lee at Arlington House. "What a contrast do these simple table arrangements, and, indeed, all the movements and appointments of the great Re- publican Leader, present to those of the generals of the old world, and of those of antiquity in particular, whose achieve- ments for the benefit of mankind, placed in the scale of just appreciation, are small compared with his. After the victory at Yorktown, the marquee and tent used by "Washington were folded up and placed in the leathern portmanteau in which they were carried, and were never again spread upon the field in camp, siege, or battle. They were made by Captain Moulder, of Philadelphia, who commanded a corps of artillery in the battle at Princeton. The marquee was used for general purposes — for the reception of visitors, consultations of ofiicers, dining, et cetera — and the smaller tent was for more private uses. In the latter "Washington retired for meditation, and wrote his letters and dispatches for his secretaries to copy ; and in one part of it was a dormitory, wherein he slept. It composed the private apartment of his canvas dwelling upon the field, and few Avere allowed to enter it. "What a history is involved in the experience of that tent ! AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 139 How many important dispatches were written within it, upon the little writing-case, or portfolio, that was preseiited to President Taylor by Washington's adopted son, and by him deposited, with other mementos of the great Leader, in the WASaiNGTOK S TRAVELLING WEITIN6-CASR Patent Office, where it is well preserved ! How many anxious hours did that great Leader pass beneath the narrow canopy of that tent? How often, during that long war, did the forms of Reed, and Harrison, and Hamilton, and Tilghman, and Meade, and Humphreys darken the door of that tent as they passed in and out with messages and dispatches to and from the illustrious chief ! And in the large marquee, what a noble band of mighty men — mighty in moral force — among the noblest the world ever saw — were gathered in council from time to time, and determined those movements which achieved the independence of these states ! Li it, too, many distinguished men sat at the table of the chief — members of the old congresses ; foreigners of note in diplomacy and war ; and last, Cornwallis as captive and guest, after his humiliation at Yorktown. It was quite spacious, and, when fully spread, one hundred guests might conveniently dine beneath its ample roof. That marquee and tent, wrapped in the old portmanteau^ with the poles and cords as they were taken from the battle- 140 MOUNT TERNON field, are at Arlington House. The former has been spread occasionally for peaceful purposes. For several years Mr. Custis, "who was much interested in the improvement of the breeds of sheep, had annual gatherings of the friends of agriculture and manufactures at a fine sj)ring on his estate, near the banks of the Potomac, in the early days of May. On •Washington's tents in their portmanteaux. these occasions the old marquee would be erected, and some- times nearly two hundred guests would assemble under it to partake of refreshments. These " sheep-shearings at Arlington Spring " are remembered with pleasure by the surviving parti- cipants. "When Lafayette was in this country, in 1824 and '25, as the guest of the nation, that marquee was used at Baltimore by the Society of the Cincmnati, for the pui-pose of receiving tlie Illustrious Friend as the guest of that fraternity — a fraternity of which he had been a member ever since its formation on the banks of the Hudson, more than forty years before. On that occasion Colonel John Eager Howard, one of the heroes of the Cowpens, presided ; and Charles Carroll, who soon after- AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 1-il wai'd had the proud distinction of being the last survivor of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, was a guest. And twice since that memorable reception, that war-tent, so often spread upon the line of march and on the battle-field, has been used in the service of the Prince of Peace. On these occasions it was pitched in green fields in the midst of beauty and repose, and thousands came and willingly paid liberal tribute for the privilege of sitting under the Tent of Washing- ton. Two churches were erected with the proceeds. "We have just alluded to the Society of the Cincinnati. It is a fraternity originally composed of officers of the Eevolution, and was formed a little while before the disbanding and dis- persion of the Continental Army. Its chief object was the perpetuation and occasional renewal of the long-cherished friendship and social intercourse which had existed between the officers of the army. Tlie idea originated with General Knox. He communicated it to Washington, who not only approved of it, but gave the effi)rts to form a society upon such a basis of feeling, his cordial co-operation. It was in the spring of 1783 that the Society of the Cincin- nati was formed. The head-quarters of the army were then at JSTewburgh. A committee, composed of Generals Knox, Hand, and Huntington, and the accomplished Captain Shaw, was appointed to arrange a plan; and, on the 13th of May, at the quarters of the Baron Steuben, in Fishkill, nearly opposite Newburgh, they reported a form which was adopted as the constitutional organization of the society. After referring to the war for independence, and the separation of the colonies from Great Britain, the objects of the society were stated in the following words : 142 MOUNT VERNON " To perpetuate, therefore, as well the remembrance of this vast event, as the mutual friendships which have been formed under the pressure of common danger, and in many instances cemented by the blood of the parties, the officers of the Amer- ican army do hereby, in the most solemn manner, associate, constitute, and combine themselves into one society of friends, to endure so long as thej'^ shall endure, or any of their eldest male posterity, and in failure thereof, the collateral branches, who may be judged worthy of becoming its supporters and members." As the officers of the army were chiefly Americans, and were about to return to their citizenship, they appropriately named the society, in honor of the illustrious Roman, Lucius Quintins Cincinnatus, whose example they were about to imitate. They resolved that the following principles should form the basis of the society : 1. "An incessant attention to preserve inviolate those ex- alted rights and liberties of human nature for which they have fought and bled, and without which the high rank of a rational being is a curse instead of a blessing. 2. " An unalterable determination to promote and cherish, between the respective states, that unison and national honor so essentially necessary to their happiness and the future dig- nity of the American empire. 3. "To render permanent the cordial affection subsisting among the officers, this spirit will dictate brotherly kindness in all things, and particularly extend to the most substantial acts of beneficence, according to the ability of the society, toward those officers and their families who unfortunately may be under the necessity of receiving it." AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 143 For the sake of frequent communication, tlie association was divided into state societies, to meet annually on the ■ith of July, or oftener if they should find it expedient. The society also adopted an Order by which its members should be known and distinguished. It is composed of a medal of gold with proper em- blems, " suspended by a deep-blue ribbon two inches wide, edged with white, descriptive of the union of America with France." A representation of the Order^ full size, is seen in the engraving. The leaves of the olive branches are of gold and green enamel ; the head and tail of the eagle gold and white enamel ; and the sky in the centre device (which is a fac- simile of one of the medallions on the certificate of membership), is blue enamel. Tlie French officers who served in the continental army presented to Washington an elegant Order, studded with precious stones, about two hundred in number. The leaves of the olive branches and OEDEH OF THE CINCINNATI. wreaths are composed of emeralds, the berries of ruby, and the beak of the eagle amethyst. Above the eagle is a group of military emblems — flags, drums, and cannon — surrounding a 144 MOUNT VERNON ribbon, upon which are inscribed the words : " Presented, in THE NAilE OF THE FeENCII SOLDIEKS, TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE General "Washington." Tliis also is studded with precious stones. Above it is a bow of moire antique ribbon, of light-blue color, with white edges. This jewel is at present [1859] in the possession of the Honorable Hamilton Fish, of iN^ew York, president of the Society of the Cincinnati. The Society had a certifi- cate of membership engraved in France, by J. J. Le Yeau, from a drawing by Aug. Le Belle. It occupies a space thirteen and a half inches in width and twenty inches in length, and was printed on fine vellum. The engraving upon the next page is a fac- simile on a reduced scale. The design represents Amer- ican liberty as a strong man armed, bearing in one hand the Union flag, and in the other a naked sword. Beneath his feet are British flags, and a broken spear, shield, and chain. Hovering by his side is the eagle, our national emblem, from whose talons the lightning of destruction is flashing upon the British lion. Britannia, with the crown falling from her head, is hastening toward a boat to escape to a fleet, which denotes the departure of British ORDER PRESENTED BY FRENCH OFFICERS. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 145 10 146 MOUNT VERNON power from our sliores. Upon a cloud, on the right, is an angel blowing a trumpet, from which flutters a loose scroll. Upon the scroll are the sentences : Palam nuntiata I'ihertas^ A. D. 1Y76. Foedus sociale cum Gallia, A. I). 1778. Pax: libertas jparta, A. D. 1783 — " Independence declared, A. D. 17Y6. Treaty of alliance with France declared, A. D. 1778. Peace ! independence obtained, A. D. 1783." Uj)on the medallion on the right is a device representing Cincinnatus at his plow, a ship on the sea, and a walled town in the distance. Over his head is a flying angel, holding a ribbon inscribed: Yirtutis jproeTnium ; "Reward of virtue." Below is a heart, with the words: Esto jper^etua', "Be thou perpetual." Upon the rim is the legend : Societas Cincinna- tonim Instituta A. D. MDCCLXXXIIL; "Society of the Cincinnati, instituted 1783." The device upon the medallion on the left is Cincinnatus, with his family, near his house. He is receiving a sword and shield from three senators : an army is seen in the distance. Upon the rim are the words : Omnia relinqui tservare remjpublicam / " He abandons every thing to serve his country " (referring to Cincinnatus). Washington was chosen the first president-general of the Society of the Cincinnati, and General Henry EJiox the secre- tary. The former remained in ofiice until his death, a period of sixteen years, and was succeeded by General Alexander Hamilton. All of the certificates given to the original mem- bers, like the one delineated in the engraving, were filled up and signed by Washington, at Mount Yernon. We have observed that it was Christmas eve when Wash- ington arrived at Mount Yernon from Annapolis, once more a private citizen. What a glad Christmas was that for all in AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 147 tliat pleasant home on tlie banks of the Potomac ! It was a Christmas to be specially remembered by the retired soldier. It was a day long hoped for by him when engaged in the mighty labors of his official station. Rest, rest he often sighed for, and now the elements seemed to sympathize in his great desire. An intensely severe winter closed almost every avenue to Mount Yernon, and even neighborly intercourse was sus- pended. Washington had rest in abundance. To Lafayette he wrote on the first of February following his retirement: " On the eve of Christmas I entered these doors an older man by near nine years, than when I left them. Since that period, we have been fast locked up in frost and snow, and excluded in a manner from all kinds of intercourse." " I have not only retired from all public employments," he added, " but I am retiring within myself, and shall be able to view the solitary walks, and tread the paths of private life with heartfelt satisfaction. Envious of none, I am determined to be pleased with all; and this, my dear friend, being the order of my march, I will move gently down the stream of life, until I sleep with my fathers." And yet, even in that perfect retirement, it was several weeks before "Washington could entirely divest his mind of the burden of solicitude for public affairs. To General Knox he wrote on the 20th of February : " I am just beginning to experience that ease and freedom from public cares, which, however desirable, takes some time to realize ; for strange as it may seem, it is nevertheless true, that it was not till lately I could get the better of my usual custom of ruminating, as soon as I waked in the morning, on the business of the ensuing day ; and of my surprise at finding, after revolving many things in 148 MOUNT VERNON my mind, that I was no longer a public man, nor had any- thing to do with public transactions. "I feel now, however, as I conceive a wearied traveller must do, who, after treading many a painful step with a heavy burden on his shoulders, is eased of the latter, having reached the haven to which all the former were directed ; and from his house-top is looking back, and tracing with an eager eye the meanders by which he escaped the quicksands and mires which lay in his way ; and into which none but the all-power- ful Guide and Dispenser of human events could have prevent- ed his falling." Never had a traveller more cause for serenity of mind and perfect gratitude, in the hour of calm retrospection, than George Washington at that time ; and also twelve years later, when he resigned the helm of the vessel of state into other hands, and sought repose for the last time in the shades of Mount Yernon. And when he fully realized his relief, his social desires, so long repressed, came into full play, and renewals of old acquaintance and friendly correspondence took place. "Freed from the clangor of arms and the bustle of a camp," he wrote to the wife of Lafayette, in April, after receiving information that the marquis intended to visit America soon — "Freed from the cares of public employment and the responsibility of office, I am now enjoying domestic ease under the shadow of my own vine and my own fig-tree ; and in a small villa, with the implements of husbandry and lambkins around me, I expect to glide gently down the stream of life, till I am entombed in the mansion of my fathers. * * * Come, then, let me entreat you, and call my cottage youi home ; for your own doors do not open to you with more AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 149 readiness than mine would. You will see the plain manner in which we live, and meet with rustic civility ; and you shall taste the simplicity of rural life. It will diversify the scene, and may give you a higher relish for the gaieties of the court, when you return to Yersailles." "My manner of living is plain," he wrote to a friend, " and I do not mean to be put out by it. A glass of wine and a bit of mutton are always ready, and such as will be content to partake of them are always welcome. Those who expect more will be disappointed." But this modest dream of quietude and simplicity of life was not realized. "Washington was the central figure of the group of great men who had laid the foundations of the republic. To him the eyes of the nation were speedily turned for counsel and action, for that republic and all its dependent interests were soon in peril. He was too great to remain an isolated citizen, and men of every degree, his own countrymen and strangers, were soon seen upon pilgrimages to Mount Vernon ; and the little "villa" was too small to shelter in comfort the many guests that often assembled under its roof. Washington now took a general survey of all his affairs, and turned his thoughts to the improvement of his farms, the en- largement of his mansion, and the adornment of the grounds around it. These improvements were commenced in the spring of 1784, and then the construction of the house, in its present form was resolved upon. Tlie mansion built by Lawrence Washington, and called a " villa" by the general, was of the old gable-roofed style, with only four rooms upon each floor, as we have observed. It was about one-third the size of the pres- ent building, and in the alteration, it was made to occupj tli 150 MOUNT VERNON central portion, the two ends having been built at the same time. The mansion, when completed by General Washington, (and as it now appears) was of the most substantial frame- work, two stories in height, ninety-six feet in length, thirty feet in depth, with a piazza fifteen feet in width, extending along the entire eastern or river front, supported by sixteen square columns, twenty-five feet in height. Over this piazza is a balustrade of a light and j^leasing design; and in the centre of the roof is an observatory with a small spire. There are seven dormer windows in the roof, three on the eastern side, one on each end, and two on the western or lawn side. The ground floor of the house contains six rooms, with a spacious passage in tlie centre of the building, extending through it from east to west. From it a massive staircase ascends to the chambers. Tlie rooms and the jDassage are all wainscoted, and have large worked cornices; and they present to the eye the appearance of great solidit}'. On the south side of the passage is a parlor, and the library and break- fast-room of Washington, from which a narrow staircase ascends to his private study on the second floor. On the north side of the passage are a reception-room and parlor, and a large drawing-room, in which, when there was much company, the guests were sometimes entertained at table. These apartments and their present appearance and uses we will consider else- where. Near the mansion, a substantial kitchen on one side, and store-room and laundry on the other, were built, and these were connected with the dwelling by very neat open colon- nades, each with roof and pavement ; and, at a little distance from them, two other strong buildings were erected for house- AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 151 WESTERN FRONT OF MOUNT VERNON, AS IT APPEARED IN 1858. servants' quarters. The mansion, the kitchen and store-house, with the connecting colonnades, and the servants' quarters, all remam, and exhibit the same external appearance which they bore when Washington left them. These may be best seen from the lawn that spreads out before the western front of the mansion, which is first approached by visitors in carriages, there being no road for horses upon the grounds before the river-front. In the prosecution of these improvements Wasliington was his own architect, and drew every plan and specification for the workmen with his own hand. Every measurement 152 MOUNT VERNON was calculated and indicated witli exactness : and in every arrangement for his home, he appears to have made co7ivenience and durability the prime objects of his care. The following letter to Mr. William Kumney, of Alexandria (who had been an aide to General Charles Lee at one time during the Revolu- tion), will give an idea of the carefulness and forethought of Washington in the management of his affairs. Mr. Kumney was then about to leave for England : "General Washington presents his compliments to Mr. Rum- ney — would esteem it as a particular favor if Mr. Rumney would make the following enquiries as soon as convenient after his arrival in England, and communicate the result of them by the Packet, or any other safe and expeditious conveyance to this country. " 1st. The terms upon which the best kind of Whitehaven flag-stone— black and white in equal quantities — could be delivered at the Port of Alexandria, by the superficial foot, — workmanship), freight, and every other incidental charge included. The stone to be 2|- Inches, or there- abouts, thick ; and exactly a foot square — each kind. To have a rich polished face, and good joints so as that a neat floor may be made therewith. '' 2nd. Upon what terms the common Irish Marble (black and white if to be had) — same dimensions, could be delivered as above. '' 3rd. As the General has been infonned of a very cheap kind of Marble, good in quality, at or in the neighborhood of Ostend, he would thank Mr. Rumney, if it should fall in his way, to institute an enquiry into this also. " On the Report of Mr. Rumney, the General will take his AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 153 ultimate determination ; for which reason he prays him to be precise and exact. The Piazza or Colonnade, for which this is wanted as a floor, is ninety-two feet eight inches, by twelve feet eight inches within the margin, or border that surrounds it. Over and above the quantity here mentioned, if the above Flags are cheap — or a cheaper kind of hard Stone could be had, he would get as much as would lay floors in the Circular Colonnades, or covered ways at the wings of the House — each of which at the outer curve, is 38 feet in length by 7 feet 2 Inches in breadth, within the margin or border as aforesaid. " Tlie General being in want of a House Joiner & Bricklayer who nnderstand their respective trades perfectly, would thank Mr. Rumney for enquiring into the terms upon which such workmen might be engaged for two or three years (the time of service to commence upon the ship's arrival at Alexandria) ; a shorter term than two years would not answer, because foreigners generally have a seasoning, which with other inter- ruptions too frequently waste the greater part of the first year — more to the disadvantage of the employer than the Em- ployed. — Bed, board & Tools to be found by the former, cloth- ing by the latter. " If two men of the above Trades and of orderly and quiet deportment could be obtained for twenty-flve or even thirty pounds sterling per annum each (estimating the dollar at 4s. 6d.), the General, rather than sustain the loss of Time neces- sary for communication would be obliged to Mr. Rumney for entering into proper obligatory articles of agreement on his behalf with them and sending them by the first vessel bound to this Port. " Geo. Washington. "Mount Yernon, July 5, 1784." 154 MOUNT YERNON The pavement-stone procured MULBERRY. H.CHES HOLLYl SECTIOX OF SHADED CARRIAGE-WAT. tliroiigh Mr. Eumney, in ac- cordance with the foregoing order, still exists beneath the grand piazza and the colon- nades, but in a dilapidated state. Many of the blocks are gone, others are broken, and all show abrasion by footsteps and the elements. Many of the carpenter's tools, imported from Eng- land at that time by "Wash- ington, for the nse of his workmen, are preserved. Washington was very fond of planting trees and shrub- bery ; and his diaries show that he was much engaged in that business in 1784 and 1785. He went to the Avoods almost every day to select and mark young trees for transplanting to the grounds around the mansion, and he generally superintended their removal. In the rear of the man- sion, Washington laid out a fine lawn, upon a level sur- face, which comprises about AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 155 GENERAL PLAN OP THE MANSION AND GROUNDS AT MOUNT VERNON. A The Mansion. B Oval Grass-plot. C The Lawn D D Flower-garden. E E Vegetable Garden. F F Kitchen and Laundry G G House-servants' Quarters. ► H II Circular Colonnades. I I Water-closets. J J Seed-houses. K Carriagp-way as finally laid out. L Outside Koad. 156 MOUNT VERNON twenty acres. Around it he made a sei'pentine carriage-way ; and he planted a great variety of shade trees upon each side of it. Upon one side of the lawn he formed a spacious flower- garden, and upon the other an equally spacious vegetable gar- den, and these were planted with the greatest care, according to the minute directions of the master. I have before me the original plan of these grounds, made by Washington's own hands. It is very carefully drawn. The exact position and the name of every tree to be planted, are laid down. With it is a section-drawing, on a larger scale, showing the proposed car- riage-way around the lawn, the names of a large number of trees that were to adorn it, and the places of others indicated by letters and numerals, which are explained by a memorandum. Directly before the western front an oval grass-plot was designed, with a dial-post in the centre, and a carriage-way around it. Tlie lawn, the oval grass-plot, and the gardens were laid out according to the plan drawn by Washington, and remain unchanged in form. Quite a large number of trees, planted along the margins of the carriage-way, at that time, are yet there, and are noble specimens of their kind. Many others have decayed and passed away ; and, in some instances, quite large trees now stand where others were planted by the hand of Washington three-quarters of a century ago. Li each garden Washington erected small houses, of octag- onal form, for the storage of seeds and implements of hor- ticulture. These are yet standing. Tlie lower portion of each is of brick, and the remainder of plank, wrought so as to resemble blocks of stone. These garden-houses, and water- closets of similar form and dimensions, standing on the borders of the garden near the mansion, are now [1859] fallen into AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 157 GAKDISI^-HOUSE. almost hopeless decay. The massive brick walls around both gardens remain in perfect preservation. On the north side of the flower-garden "Washington erected quite an extensive conservatory for plants, into whicli he col- lected many rare exotics. Some of them were presented to him as testimonials of esteem, and others were purchased at the garden of John Bartram, near Philadelphia. Bartram was a member of the Society of Friends, and an eminent botanist. He had died during the Revolution, leaving his business in the able hands of his son William, who, in 1791, published a most interesting account of his botanical explora- tions through the Southern states of our Union. 158 MOUNT YERNON A few tropical plants found tlieir way to the Potomac oc- casionally, upon vessels from the "West Indies. Among the latter, on one occasion, were some fine lemon-trees of large CENTURY PLANT AND LEMON-TREE. growth, and from them Washington selected two or three. Others were propagated from these by cuttings, until, at the time of his death, they had become quite a grove in one end of the conservatory. Only one of these now remains. It was standing in the flower-garden when I was there in 1858, by the side of a fine century-plant, which was sent to Washington by a gentleman at Porto Rico, in 1T98. The tree is about fifteen feet in height ; and, though bearing fruit in abundance, shows signs of decay. At the junction of two of the principal avenues in the AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 159 VIKW IK THE FLOWER-GAEDEN AT MOUNT VEKNON — TU " State op New York, August 10th, 1782. " Gentlemen : — ^The Masonic ornaments which accompanied your brotherly address of the 23d of January last, though 170 MOUNT VERNON elegant in themselves, were rendered more valuable by the flattering sentiments and affectionate manner in which they were presented. " If my endeavors to avert the evil with which the country was threatened, by a deliberate plan of tyranny, should be crowned with the success that is wished, the praise is due to the Grand Architect of the universe, who did not see fit to suffer His superstructure of justice to be subjected to the ambition of the princes of this world, or to the rod of oppres- sion in the hands of any power upon earth. " For your affectionate vows permit me to be grateful, and offer mine for true brothers in all parts of the world, and to assure you of the sincerity with which I am, " Yours, " Geo. "Washington. "Messrs. Watson & Cossoul, East of Nantes." Watson says, in relation to this gift : " Wishing to pay some mark of respect to our beloved "Washington, I employed, in conjunction with my friend M. Cossoul, nuns in one of the convents at Nantes, to prepare some elegant Masonic orna- ments, and gave them a plan for combining the American and French flags on the apron designed for his use." They were executed in a superior and expensive style, being wrought in gold and silver tissue. This regalia was sent by "Washington to Mount Yernon, and was afterward worn by him when he met his brethren in the lodge at Alexandria. The apron and collar are now in possession of "Washington Lodge, Alexandria, to which they were presented by the late George "Washington Parke Custis. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 171 The reverence whicli was felt for the person of Washington by individuals was expressed by public bodies, even, as in the example just given, before the close of the struggle which he conducted so nobly. The Federal Congress took the initiative in voting him honors, such as the senate of old R.ome was wont to decree for their heroes and sages. That body was in session at Princeton, in the summer of 1783, when arrange- ments for the consummation of the declared peace with Great Britain was in progress, and "Washington, having been requested to make his head-qnarters near, took post at Rocky Hill, a few miles off. Before his arrival, the Congress, on the 7th of August, '■^Resolved (unanimously, ten states being present), That an equestrian statue of General Washington be erected at the place where the residence of Congress shall be established ;" and appointed Arthur Lee, Oliver Ellsworth, and Thomas Mifflin, a committee to propose a plan for the same. The committee recommended a statue of bronze, the general to be represented in a Roman dress, holding a truncheon in his right hand, and his head encircled with a laurel wreath. The statue was to be supported by a marble pedestal, on which were to be represented — the evacuation of Boston, the cap- ture of the Hessians at Trenton, the battle of Princeton, the action of Monmouth, and the surrender of York. On the upper part of the pedestal was to be the following inscrip- tion: "The United States, in Congress assembled, ordered this statue to be erected in the year of our Lord, 1783, in honor of George Washington, the illustrious commander-in-chief of the armies of the United States of America, during the war which 172 MOUNT VERNON vindicated and secured their liberty, sovereignty, and inde- pendence." It was resolved that this statue should be executed by the best artist in Europe, under the superintendence of the min- ister of the United States at Yersailles (Doctor Franklin), at the expense of the government, and that Congress should transmit to the minister the best likeness of Washington that could be procured. A few months after the passage of these resolutions, two young artists arrived at Kocky Hill. These were Joseph Wright and William Dunlap. The former bore a letter from Dr. Franklin to Washington, and he was permitted to paint the portraits of the general and his wife. Dunlap, then a mere lad, also painted a portrait of the chief. Young Wright was a son of Mrs. Patience Wright, who had then acquired much eminence in Europe and America for her models in wax of living men, and he inherited some of his mother's peciiliar faculty. Some members of the Congress, aware of this, conceived the idea of having him make a plaster cast from the face of Washington, to be sent to Europe for the use of the sculptor who should execute tlie bronze statue. It was proposed, and Washington consented to submit to the unpleasant operation of lying upon his back and having the wet plaster laid upon his face. What a spectacle did the great Rej)ublican leader present at that moment ! Tlic operation was a most disagreeable one, for the manipu- lator was inexperienced and unskilful. He was very anxious too, to relieve Washington from his position, and, in his haste and trepidation, an accident occurred which made his labor fruitless. After the plaster had sufficiently hardened, the AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 173 artist proceeded, as quickly as possible, to remove it, when lie let it fall upon the floor, and it was dashed in pieces. The desires of Congress, strongly expressed, to have another trial, were of no avail. Washington would not consent, and the statue voted by that body was never made. Young Wright appears to have been unfortunate in his efforts to acquire fame and fortune in connection Avith the likeness of Washington. He afterward cut a die for a medal- lion profile of the chief, which was declared by all to be an exceedingly faithful picture. After striking a few impressions the die was broken, and the artist's labor was lost. An engraving on copper, of larger size, was afterward made from one of these impressions, A broadside edition of Washing- ton's Farewell Address, printed in 1796, in possession of the writer, is embellished with an impression from that engraving. When Washington had become a private citizen — a plain farmer on the banks of the Potomac — neither desiring nor expecting further public employment, the hearts of his coun- trymen, beating warmly with gratitude for his services, yearn- ed to honor him with some testimonial of their profound regard. Yirginia, his native state, proud to own him as her Bon, took the lead in the manifestation of this sentiment. On the 22d of June, 1784, the legislature of Yirginia — ^'■Resolved, That the Executive be requested to take meas- ures for procuring a statue of General Washington, to be of the finest marble and best workmanship, with the following inscription on its pedestal : " ' The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Yirginia have caused this Statue to be erected as a Monument of Affec- tion and Gratitude to Geoege Washington, who, uniting to 174 MOUNT VERNON the Endowments of the Hero the Virtues of the Patriot, and exerting both in establishing the Liberties of his Country, has rendered his Name dear to his Fellow Citizens, and given the World an immortal Example of true Glory.' " This inscription was written by James Madison. On the day when this resolution was adopted, the General Assembly also voted an address to General Washington, and a joint com- mittee of the two houses was appointed to prepare one and present it. The committee, with Mr. Madison at the head, waited upon Washington, at Mount Yernon, a few days after- ward, presented the address, and received the following reply : " Gentlemen : — With feelings which are more easy to be conceived than expressed, I meet and. reciprocate the congrat- ulations of the representatives of this commonwealth on the final establishment of peace. " Nothing can add more to the pleasure which arises from a conscious discharge of public trust, than the approbation of one 's country. To have been so happy, under a vicissitude of fortune, amidst the difficult and trying scenes of an arduous conflict, as to meet this, is, in my mind, to have attained the highest honor; and the consideration of it, in my present peaceful retirement, will heighten all my domestic joys, and constitute my greatest felicitj''. " I should have been truly wanting in duty, and must have frustrated the great and important object for which we re- sorted to arms, if, seduced by a temporary regard for fame, I had suffered the paltry love of it to interfere with my country's welfare ; the interest of which was the only inducement which carried me into the field, or permitted the sacred rights of civil AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 175 authority, though but for a moment, to be violated and in- fringed by a power meant originally to rescue and confirm them, " For those rewards and blessings which you have invoked for me in this world, and for the fruition of that happiness which you pray for in that which is to come, you have, gen- tlemen, all my thanks and all my gratitude. I wish I could insure them to you, and the state you represent, a hundred- fold." Benjamin Harrison was governor of Yirginia when the General Assembly requested the executive to take measures for procuring a statue of Washington ; and a little more than a month after the date of that resolution, he wrote to Doctor Franklin and Mr. Jefferson, then in Paris, on the subject, requesting them to attend to the matter, and acquainting them that he had ordered Mr. Peale to send them a full-length portrait of the general, to be used as a model for the sculptor. The only method by which a perfect likeness of the great patriot might be secured, was to have the artist make a model from the living face ; and Messrs. Franklin and Jefferson ac- cordingly engaged Houdon, a portrait sculptor, then without a rival in the world, to go to America for the purpose. Houdon was a small, active, and exceedingly industrious Frenchman; careful and prudent, and disposed to make an excellent bar- gain for himself. " The terms," Mr. Jefferson wrote, " are twenty-five thousand livres [about $4,620], one thousand Eng- lish guineas (the English guinea being worth twenty-five livres), for the statue and pedestal. Besides this, we pay his expenses going and returning, which we expect will be 176 MOUNT YERNON between four and five thousand livres ; and if lie dies on tlie voyage, we pay his family ten thousand livres. This latter proposition was disagreeable to us ; but he has a father, mother, and sisters, who have no resource but in his labor ; and he is himself one of the best men in the world." To insure the state against loss in case of his death, Mr. Jefi'erson, through Mr. Adams, procured an insurance upon Houdon's life, in London, at an additional expense of five hundred livres, or about ninety-two dollars. It was more than a year after the order for the statue was given before Houdon arrived. He came over in the same vessel that brought Doctor Franklin home. On the 20tli of September, 1785, the Doctor gave Houdon a letter of intro- duction to "Washington, and, at the same time, he wrote to the general to apprise him of the sculptor's arrival. Washington immediately wrote to Houdon, saying, " It will give me pleas- ure, sir, to welcome you to this seat of my retirement ; and whatever I have or can procure that is necessary to your pur- poses, or convenient and agreeable to your wishes, you must freely command, as inclination to oblige you Avill be among the last things in which I shall be deficient, either on your arrival or during your stay." Houdon arrived at Mount Yernon on the 3d of October, furnished with all necessary materials for making a bust of Washington. He remained there a fortnight, and made, on the living face of our illustrious Friend, a plaster mould, pre- paratory for the clay impression, which was then modelled into the form of a bust, and immediately, before it could shrink from drying, moulded and cast in plaster, to be afterward copied in marble, in Paris. That clay model was left at AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 177 HOUDON's BDST of WASHINGTON. Mount Vernon, where it may be seen upon a bracket in the library, white-washed, so as to resemble marble or plaster of Paris. In the presence of Mr. Madison, Houdon made exact meas- m-ements of the person of Washington, and with ample mem- oranda concerning costume, et cetera, he returned to France. The statue was not completed until 1789, when to the inscrip- tion upon the pedestal were added the words : " Done in the year of Christ one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight, and in the year of the commonwealth, twelve." Houdon's statue stands in the rotunda of the capitol at Kichmond. It is of fine Italian marble, size of life. The costume is the military dress of the Revolution. The right 13 178 MOUNT VERNON HOUDON S STATUE OF WASHINGTON. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 179 hand of the general rests upon a staff; the left is upon the folds of a military cloak thrown over the end of a bundle of fasces, with which are connected a sword and plough. Gouver- neur Morris, who was in Paris when the statue was executed, stood as a model for the person of Washington. " Of what use," says Dunlap, " his person could be to the artist I cannot conceive, as there was no likeness, in form or manner, between him and the hero, except that they were both tall men." Yet such was the fact. Morris, in his diary, under date of " June 5, 1789," says : " Go to M. Houdon's. He's been waiting for me a long time. I stand for his statue of General Washington, being the humble employment of a manikin. This is literally taking the advice of St. Paul, to be all things to all men." Tlie foregoing facts are presented in contrast with the creations of fancy which an orator recently put forth as the forms of real history, in the following words : " Houdon, after taking a mould of Wasliington's face, persisted to make a cast of his entire person. * * * * The hero and the sage — the man of supreme dignity, of spotless purity and the most veiled modesty, laid his sacred person bare and prone before the eyes of art and affection f * * * * 'j'l^^g ^jg^gi; ^f ^j^g body was left to the care of his workmen, but that of the head was reserved in his own hands." All this is utterly untrue. The workmen of Houdon, it is known, never joined him, and no such scene as above described ever occurred at Mount Yernon. Six months before Houdon's arrival at Mount Yernon, another artist was domiciled there. It was Pobert Edge Pine, a very small, morbidly irritable Englishman, who came to America in 1784, with the rare reputation of "king's painter," and with the lofty design of procuring portraits of 180 MOUNT VERNON the most distinguished men of the Revolution, as materials for a series of historical paintings of the war then just ended. His wife and daughters, who came with him, were as diminu- tive as himself, and the family appeared almost like pigmies. Pine had been a student of art under Sir Joshua Reynolds. He was highly esteemed by that artist, and was popular with a large number of influential men in England. He brought letters of introduction to Francis Hopkinson, of Philadelphia : and the first portrait that he painted after his arrival in this country, was of that gentleman. It was finished early in 1785, and was first well engraved by Longacre, and published in the American Portrait Gallery. Robert Morris also pat- ronized him, and built a studio for him in Eighth street, in Philadelphia. Pine's republican proclivities made him unpopular with the ministerial party at home, and gave him corresponding sym- pathy in America. He found constant employment for his pencil in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Annapolis, and in several places in Virginia. He went to Mount Vernon in May, 1785, with a letter of introduction to Washington from Francis Hop- kinson, in which the chief was requested to give the painter eittings, in furtherance of his grand design of composing scenes of the War for Independence. He was cordially re- ceived, and remained there three weeks. During that time Washington wrote as follows to Mr. Hopkinson, dated at Mount Vernon, May 16, 1785 : "Dear Sir: 'In for a penny in for a pound,"' is an old adage. 1 am so hackneyed to the touches of the painter's pencil, that I am now altogether at their beck, and sit, like AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 181 Patience on a monument, whilst they are delineating the lines of my face. " It is a proof among many others of wliat habit and custom can effect. At first I was as impatient at the request, and as restive under the operation, as a colt is of the saddle. The next time I submitted very reluctantly, but with less flouncing. ISTow no dray moves more readily to the thill than I do to the painter's chair. It may easily be conceived, therefore, that I yielded a ready obedience to your request, and to the views of Mr. Pine. " Letters from England, recommendatory of this gentleman, came to my hand previous to his arrival in America, not only as an artist of acknowledged eminence, but as one who had discovered a friendly disposition toward this country, for which it seems he had been marked." While at Mount Yernon Pine painted the portraits of two of Mrs. Washington's grandchildren. Tliese were Elizabeth Parke Custis, then about nine years of age, who afterward married Mr. Law, a wealthy English gentleman ; and George Washington Parke Custis, the last survivor of his family, who died at Arlington House, on the Potomac, in the autumn of 1857. The j)ictures are exquisitely painted, and, like all of Pine's productions, the colors retain their original vividness. Elizabeth is represented as a beautiful girl, with rich brown hair lying in careless curls, and in great profusion, upon her head and neck, her bosom covered with very light drapery, and having lying upon it the miniature of her father, John Parke Custis (printed on page 84 of this volume), suspended by a ribbon around her neck. 182 MOUNT VERNON ELIZABETH PARKE CUSTIS. Tlie brother was then between four and five years of age. He is represented as a fair-haired child, with loose summer garments, and carrying in his hand a branch with two or three leaves upon it. Tliese pictures now occupy a con- spicuous place upon the walls of the drawing-room at Arling- ton House. Pine's grand design was never carried out. He died four or five years after his visit to Mount Vernon, and his family returned to England. The portraits which he had painted were sold and scattered. Tliat of Washington was afterward found in Montreal, and purchased by the late Henry Brevoort, of Bedford, Long Island, and is now in possession of his son, J. Carson Brevoort. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 183 G. W. P. CUSTIS WIIEX A CHILn. A few weeks after Pino left Mount Vernon, and while the plasterers were at work ornamenting the ceiling of the great drawing-room of the mansion, then just con-Zieted, there was an arrival at the home of Washington of an extraordinary character. It was a pack of French hounds, sent to him by Lafayette. On the 1st of September Washington wrote to the marquis, saying: "Tlie hounds which you were so obliging as to send, arrived safe, and are of promising appearance. To Monsieur le Comte Doilliamson (if I miscall him, your hand- writing is to blame, and in honor you are bound to rectify the error), and in an especial manner to his fair Comtesse, my thanks are due for this favor. Tlie enclosed letter, which I 184 MOUNT VERNON give you the trouble of forwarding, contains my acknowledg- ment of their obliging attention to me on this occasion," While Washington thanked Lafayette and his friends for their kindly offices, he certainly did not feel specially thankful for the hounds. During the war, his hunting establishment, which had been perfect, had been almost broken up, and he felt no disposition to renew it. His kennel, which was situated very near the site of the present tomb of Washington, was quite dilapidated ; and the paling which enclosed it and a fine spring of water, had almost disappeared. Yulcan and True- love, Ringwood and Sweetlips, Singer and Forester, Music and Kockwood — hounds of note on the master's register when he left Mount Yernon for the senate — were missing or were too old for service when he returned, and for only about three years afterward did he keep any hounds at all. Those sent by Lafayette were of great size and strength. Because of their fierce disposition they were kept closely confined ; and, a few months after their arrival, Washington broke up his kennel, gave away his hounds, bade adieu to the chase forever, and, for his amusement, formed a fine deer-park below the mansion, upon a beautiful slope extending to the river. The late Mr. Custis has left on record the following anec- dote : " Of the French hounds, there was one named Vulcan, and we bear him the better in reminiscence, from having often bestrid his ample back in the days of our juvenility. It hap- pened that upon a large company sitting down to dinner at Moimt Yernon one day, the lady of the mansion (my grand- mother) discovered that the ham, the pride of every Yirginia housewife's table, was missing from its accustomed post of honor. Upon questioning Frank, the butler, this portly, and AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 185 at tlie same time the most polite and accomplished of all butlers, observed that a ham, yes, a very fine ham, had been prepared, agreeably to the Madam's orders, but lo and behold ! who should come into the kitchen, while the savory ham was smoking in its dish, but old Vulcan the hound, and without more ado fastened his fangs into it ; and although they of the kitchen had stood to such arms as they could get, and had fought the old spoiler desperately, yet Vulcan had finally triumphed, and bore off the prize, aye, ' cleanly, under the keeper's nose.' Tlie lady by no means relished the loss of a dish which formed the pride of her table, and uttered some remarks by no means favorable to old Vulcan, or indeed to dogs in general ; while the Chief, having heard the story, com- municated it to his guests, and, with them, laughed heartily at the exploit of the stag-hound.^'' Almost simultaneously with the arrival of the French hounds, came a magnificent present from Samuel Yaughan, a wealthy resident of London, who had conceived a passionate admiration for the character of "Washington. The object pre- sented was a very beautiful chimney-piece, wrought in Italy, from the finest white and Sienite marbles, for Mr. Yaughan's own use. At the time of its arrival in England that gentleman was informed of the improvements in the mansion then in progress at Mount Yernon, and, without unpacking it, he sent it directly to Washington. It is exquisitely wrought in every part. Upon three tablets of the frieze, under the highly orna- mented mantel, are sculptured, in very high relief, in white marble, pleasant domestic scenes in agricultural life. Upon the centre tablet, which is the largest, is an evening scene. A husbandman, with his wife and little child, is returning from the 186 MOUNT YERNON ITALIAN CHIMNEY-PIECE. fields, driving a cow and a flock of sheep. Many of the latter are seen going into a fold for the night, and beyond tlie en- closure is seen the setting sun. On the left of the central tablet is represented a boy, harnessing a span of horses, to be attached to a plough. On the right is a cottage. The house- wife, having just drawn a bucket of water from the well, is pouring it into a tub for the cleansing of vegetables, which are seen lying by the side of it. Her little girl has her apron full. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 187 TABLET ON THE LEFT. CENTRE TABLET. TABLET ON THE RIGHT. 188 MOUNT YERNON and is eating a turnip, while a pig is coming out of a rickety sty near by. The tireplace is an enormous iron grate, capable of contain- ing several bushels of coal ; and the hearth is of white marble, inlaid with ornaments of polished maroon-colored marble, or encaustic tile. Upon the shelf are two small dark-blue vases, covered with flowers, delicately painted ; and between these are two bronze candelabra. Tlie whole present a most pleas- ing picture to the eye; and the interest is increased by the associations which cluster around these objects, for they were there sixty years ago, when Washington received his guests in the spacious drawing-room, of which that chimney-piece is the greatest ornament. POKCELAIN VASES. With the elegant chimney-piece Mr. Y aughan sent three larger and more beautiful porcelain vases, than those which now stand AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 189 upon the shelf. They were made in India, and ornamented in London. The ground is a dark blue, with delicate gilt scroll and leaf ornaments, with landscapes painted upon one side and animals upon the other. These are now at Arlington House. "Washington appears to have received other presents from Mr. Yaughan. On the 30th of J^ovember, 1Y85, he wrote to his London friend, saying : " I have lately received a letter from Mr. Yaughan (your son), of Jamaica, accompanied by a puncheon of rum, which he informs me was sent by your order as a present for me. Lideed, my dear sir, you overwhelm me with your favors, and lay me under too many obligations to leave a hope remaining of discharging them." He had attempted to do so in a degree, for in the same letter, he says : " Hearing of the distress in which that island, with others in the West Lidies, is involved by the late hurricane, I have taken the liberty of requesting Mr. Yaughan's acceptance, for his own use, of a few barrels of superfine flour of my own mannfacturing." Two or three months later than the date of this letter, an- other present for "Washington reached Mount Yernon, of more intrinsic value than all that he had receivet since his retire- ment from the army. It consisted of three asses, a jack and two jennies, selected from the royal stud at Madrid, and sent to him as a compliment from the king of Spain. His " Catholic Majesty" having been informed that Washington was endeav- oring to procure these animals of the best breed in Europe, for the purpose of rearing mules on his estates, made him this piBsent, and sent over with them a person acquainted with the mode of treating them, who arrived at Portsmouth, in New Hampshire, and journeyed to Mount Yernon by land. 190 MOUNT VERNON According to a statement of the late Mr. Custis, the jack, called the Royal Gift, was sixteen hands high, of a gray color, heavily made, and of a sluggish disposition. " At the same time," says Mr. Custis, " the Marquis de Lafayette sent out a jack and jennies from the island of Malta. This jack, called the Knight of Malta, was a suberb animal, black color, with the form of a stag and the ferocity of a tiger. Washington availed himself of the best qualities of the two jacks by cross- ing the breeds, and hence obtained a favorite jack, called Compound, which animal united the size and strength of the G-ift with the high courage and activity of the Knight. The General bred some very superior mules from his coach mares. In a few years the estate of Mount Yernon became stocked wdtli mules of a superior order, some of them rising to the height of sixteen hands, and of great power and usefulness. One wagon team of four mules sold at the sale of the Gen- eral's efiFects for eight hundred dollars." "Washington, through Florida Bianca, the prime minister of Spain, most sincerely thanked his majesty for a present so truly valuable, in connection with his country's industrial operations ; and .in answer, that functionary replied, " It will give pleasure to his majesty, that opportunities of a higher nature may offer, to prove the great esteem he entertains for your Excellency's personal merit, singular virtues, and char- acter." At the close of 1785, Washington had completed the enlarge- ment of his house, and was prepared for the accommodation of the increasing number of his visitors. He found his time so much occupied with these, and his equally increasing corre- spondence, that he resolved to employ a secretary, who should, AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 191 at the same time, perform the duties of instructor of his adopted childreu. He addressed General Lincoln on the subject, who warmly recommended Tobias Lear, a young gentleman of Portsmouth, in ISTew Hampshire, who had recently graduated at Harvard University. In reply, Washington said : " Mr. Lear, or any other who may come into my family in the blended character of preceptor to the children and clerk or private secretary to me, will sit at my table, will live as I live, will mix with the company who resort to the house, and will be treated in every respect with civility and proper attention." A satisfactory arrangement was made, which proved a hap- P3' one. Mr. Lear went to Mount Yernon, and resided there much of the time afterward, until death removed the master. Washington became very fond of him. He married, and lost his wife there ; and in his will, Washington wrote : " To Tobias Lear I give the use of the farm which he now holds, in virtue of a lease from me to him and his deceased wife (for and during their natural lives), free from rent during his life." We shall meet Mr. Lear again under solemn circumstances beneath the roof of Mount Yernon mansion. Li his letter to General Lincoln resj^ecting Mr. Lear, Wash- ington expressed his expectation that his correspondence would decline, for he had resolved to remain strictly a private citizen. On the contrary, circumstances which speedily arose, caused his correspondence to greatly increase, and the retired soldier soon foimd himself borne out upon the turbulent waves of political life. He was too patriotic to shrink from duty when his country demanded his services, and therefore events soon drew him from the coveted pleasures of his quiet home. Washington, with other sagacious men, had watched the 192 MOUNT VERNON course of public affairs since the close of the war with the deepest solicitude, for he perceived imminent dangers on every side. The country had become impoverished b}' the struggle, and was burdened with an enormous debt, domestic and foreign ; and the Congress possessed no executive powers adequate to a provision of means for the liquidation of those debts by direct taxation. For a long time it had been clearly perceived that, while the Articles of Confederation entered into by the respective states, foiTned a sufficient constitution of government during the progress of the war, they were not adapted to the public wants in the new condition of an independent sovereignty in which the people found themselves. Tliere appeared abund- ant necessity for a greater centralization of power, by which the general government could act more efficiently for the pub- lic good. As early as the summer of 1Y82, the legislature of ISTew York, on the suggestion of Alexander Hamilton, had recom- mended to each state " to adopt the measure of assembling a GENERAL CONVENTION OF THE STATES, Specially authorized to revise and amend the Confederation f' and in the spring of 1786 a strong desire was felt in many j>arts of the country to have such convention. To a great extent the people had lost all regard for the authority of Congress, and the commercial affairs of the country had become wretchedly deranged. Every thing seemed to be tending toward utter chaos; and many were the anxious councils held by Washington and others under the roof of Mount Yernon, when the buds and the birds first appeared in Virginia in the spring of 1786. His correspond- AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 193 ence with his compatriots in other states on the subject became quite extended ; and his letters at this time, full of the impor- tant topic, are remarkable for their words of wisdom and tone of caution. " I often think of our situation, and view it with concern," he wrote to John Jay in May. " From the high ground we stood upon, from the plain path which invited our footsteps, to be so fallen, so lost, is really mortifying." He saw the ten- dency toward ruin of the fair fabric which his wisdom and prowess had helped to raise, and his faith in public men had become weakened. " My fear is," he said, " that the people are not sufficiently misled to retract from error. To be plainer, I think there is more wickedness than ignorance mixed in our councils. Under this impression I scarcely know what opinion to entertain of a general convention." Time and circumstances work out many changes in human opinions. "Washington's were modified by the logic of events, and he soon favored a convention of the states. He received letters from all parts of the country upon the subject of public affairs, and his answers, widely circulated, had a commanding influence. In his quiet home at Mount Yernon he was silently wielding the powers of a statesman, and his opinions were eagerly sought. In 1785, commissioners appointed by Yirginia and Mary- land, to form a compact relative to the navigation of the waters belonging to them in common, had visited Mount Yernon to consult with the retired soldier; and suggestions were then made and discussed concerning a stronger federal government, which led to important results. It led, primarily, to a general discussion by the people of the subject of the inef- 13 194 MOUNT VERNON ficiency of the federal government ; then to a convention of delegates from a few states at Annapolis, in Maryland, in September, 1T86 ; and, finally, to a more important conven- tion the following year, on the recommendation of the Con- gress, The latter convention, composed of delegates from every state in the union except New Hampshire and Rhode Island, commenced its session in Philadelphia toward the close of May, 1787. Washington was put at the head of the Yirginia delegation, but for some time he refused to accept the position, having solemnly declared that he would never appear in public life again. But on all occasions that great man yielded private considerations to the public good. After consultations with friends he consented to serve, and on the 9th of May he set out in his carriage from Mount Vernon on a journey tc Phila- delphia. He was chosen president of the convention by unanimous vote, and for nearly four months he presided over the deliberations of that august assembly with great dignity. The convention adjourned on the 12th of September. On that day the present Constitution of the United States was adopted, as a substitute for the Akticles of Confederation. Tliat constitution was submitted to the people for ratification. Toward the close of 1788 the majority of the states having signified their approval of it, the people proceeded to choose a chief magistrate of the republic. For more than two years "Washington kept a vigilant and anxious eye upon the movements of the public mind In rela- tion to the national constitution. Day by day his correspond- ence increased, and he found himself again upon the sea of political life. Meanwhile the hospitable mansion at Mount AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 195 Yemon was frequently filled with visitors ; and one whom Washington loved, as a soldier and as a friend, was invited there as a guest, with a request that he should remain as long COLONEL DAVID HUMPHRETS. as the house should be agreeable to him. That guest was David Humphreys, a native of Derby, Connecticut, and then about thirty-five years of age. He had received the diploma of Bachelor of Arts at Yale College in ITTl, when the eminent Doctor Daggett was president. His cotemporaries there were Dwight, Trumbull, and Barlow, a triad of poets, with whom he was associated in paying court to the muse of song. Hum- phreys was a tutor in the family of the lord of Phillipse's manor, on the Hudson, for awhile, and then entered the con- tinental army as a captain. He rose to the rank of lieutenant- colonel during the war, and toward the close became one of Washington's favorite aides. He went abroad in 1784, as 196 MOUNT VERNON secretary to tlie commission for negotiating treaties of com- merce with foreign powers. He was abroad two years, and on his retm-n made quite a protracted visit at Mount Yernon. That was in 1786 ; and one evening in August, while reclining on the bank of the river, in the shadows of its wooded slopes, he began the composition of an ode entitled ^^Mount Vernon,^'' commencing with the following stanza : "By broad Potowinack's azure tide, Where Vernon's Mount, in sylvan pride, Displays its beauties far. Great Washington, to peaceful shades, Where no unhallow'd wish invades, Retir'd from fields of war." Humphreys brought with him from France, at the special request of the king, a token of his "most Christian majesty's" regard for Washington. It was an engraving of a full-length portrait of the king, Lotns XYI., in his state robes, enclosed in a superb gilt frame, made expressly for the occasion. At the top, surrounded by appropriate emblems, are the royal arms of France, and, at the bottom, the arms of the "Washington family. In the corners are the monograms of the king and Washington—" L. L. XYI." and " G. W." These— the arms and the emblematic ornaments — are in relief. The picture, in its original frame, is at Mount Yemon, dimmed and darkened by age and neglect. In 1788, Humphreys, as we have just observed, became a resident at Mount Yernon ; and there he wrote a Life of General Israel Putnam. Humphreys had been a member of that officer's military family in the war for independence ; and AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 197 ENGRAVING OF LOUIS XVI. just before his departure for Mount Yemon, lie visited the veteran at his home in Connecticut, and received from his own Jips many of the stirring narratives recorded in that biography. At Mount Vernon Humphreys translated, from the French of M. Le Mierre, the tragedy of The Widow of Malabar, which was first brought out at the theatre in Philadelphia, by Hallam and Wignel (heads of the old American company of players), in May, 1790. The prologue, written by John Trum- 198 MOUNT VERNON bull, author of M^Fingall, was spoken on that occasion by Mr. Hallam, and the epilogue, written by Humphreys, was spoken by Mrs. Henry. While Colonel Humphreys was at Mount Vernon in the autumn of 1788, distinguished visitors were entertained there for a few days. These were the Count de Moustier, the French minister, a handsome and polite man ; his sister, the Mar- chioness de Brienne — who was illnaturedly described by Gen- eral Armstrong as a " little, singular, whimsical, hysterical old woman, whose delight is in playing with a negro child and caressing a monkey" — and her son, M. Dupont. They had made a long journey from New Hamj^shire, by way of Fort Schuyler (now Utica) on the Mohawk Eiver, where they en- joyed the spectacle of an Indian treaty. The Marchioness de Brienne was quite an accomplished writer and skilful amateur artist; and in the evening of the day when Washington was inaugurated the first President of the United States, the following year, the front of her brother's house was beautifully decorated with paintings by her own hand, suggestive of the past, the present, and the future in American history. Tliese were illuminated by borderings of lamps upon tlrc doors and windows. In the autumn of that year the marchioness persuaded President Washington to sit to her for his portrait in minia- ture. In his diary, on Saturday, the 3d of October, he re- corded : " Walked in the afternoon, and sat about two o'clock for Madam de Brehan [Brienne] to complete a miniature profile of me, which she had begun from memory, and wlr'.'h 5he had made exceedingly like the original." AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 199 Tlie marchioness made several copies of this picture, one of which Washington presented to Mrs. Bingham, of Philadel- phia. From another, an engraving was afterward made in Paris, and several impressions were sent to Washington. She WASHINGTON AND LAFAYETTE. also painted on copper, in medallion form, the profiles of Wash- ington and Lafayette, in miniature, within the same circumfer- ence, and presented the picture to Washington. It is now at Arlington House. Another foreign lady, the wife of Peter J. Yon Berckel, of Rotterdam, the first embassador from Holland to the United States, was a great admirer of the character of Washington, and painted an allegorical picture in testimony of her reverence for the Liberator of his country. It was executed upon copper, eighteen by twenty inches in size. Tlie design, intending to be complimentary to Washington, was well conceived. Upon the top of a short, fluted column, was a bust of Washington, crowned 200 MOUNT YERXON WASHINGTON S DESTINY. with a militaiy and civic wreath. This stood near the entrance to a cave where the Parcae or Fates — Clotho the Spinster^ Lach- esis the Allotter, and Atropos the UncJiangeahle — were seen, husj with the destinies of the patriot. Clotho was sitting with her distaff, spinning the thread of his life, and Lachesis was receiving it. Atropos was jnst stepping forward with open shears to cut it, when Immortality, represented as a beautiful youth, seized the precious thread, and gave it to Fame, a winged female, with a trumpet, in the skies, who bore it on to future ages. The latter thought was beautifully expressed AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 201 by Thomas Moore, many years later, wlien he thus sang of a poet's immortality : " Even so, though thy memory should now die away, 'Twill be caught up again in some happier day, And the hearts and the voices of Erin prolong, Through the answering Future, thy name and thy song." This pictm-e was presented to Washington by Mr. Von Berck- el, with tlie following lines, composed by the fair artist : "In vain the sisters ply their busy care. To reel off years from Glory's deathless heir: Frail things shall pass, his fame shall never die, Rescued from Fate by Immortality." After the death of Mrs. Washington, the painting became the property of the late G. W. P. Custis, who presented it to the venerable General C. C. Pinckney, of South Carolina, to whose military family he had belonged. While on a visit at Arling- ton House, a few years ago, Mr. Custis described the picture to the writer, at the same time illustrating his description by a rude pencil sketch, of which the accompanying engravino- is a fac-simile on a smaller scale. Such was the impression of the picture upon the memory of that venerable man, after a lapse of fifty years. Soon after the departure of the French minister and his party from Moimt Yernon, two other French gentlemen, with letters of introduction, visited Washington. These were M. de War- ville, and M. St. Frie, who, Washington said, were " intelligent, discreet, and disposed to receive favorable impressions of Amer- ica." Brissot de Warville was young, handsome, and full of enthusiasm. In his letter of introduction, Lafayette said, "He 202 MOUNT VERNON is very clever, and wishes much to be presented to you. He intends to write a history of America, and is, of course, desir- ous to have a peep into your papers, which appears to me a deserved condescension, as he is fond of America, writes pretty well, and will set matters in a proper light." Brissot de "Warville did not write a history of America, but during the French revolution that soon followed this visit, he became quite a conspicuous object in the history of his own country. He was intensely democratic, and when he returned to France, he aj)peared in the streets of Paris in the garb of a Philadelphia Quaker, with which he was enamored. Li the French revolution he became a Girondist leader. He finally made himself obnoxious to Pobespierre and his party by refus ing to vote for the execution of the king, and was doomed to suffer death on the guillotine. He fell on tlie 30th of October, 1793, and the surviving Girondists were called Brissotins. In his letters, Brissot de "Warville sj^oke with enthusiasm of America, and after his visit at Mount Vernon, he wrote of Mrs. Washington, saying, " Every thing about the house has an air of simplicity ; the table is good, but not ostentatious, and no deviation is seen from regularity and domestic economy. She superintends the whole, and joins to the qualities of an excel- lent housewife, the simple dignity which ought to characterize a woman whose husband has acted the greatest part on the theatre of human affairs, while possessing that amiability and manifesting that attention to strangers which makes hospitality so charming." As the year 1788 drew to a close, Washington felt well as- sured that he would be called by the voice of the nation to the important position of Chief Magistrate of the Republic. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 203 Early in September it had been ascertained that a sufficient number of states had ratified the National Constitution, to make it the organic law of the land, and on the 13th, Congress passed an act, appointing the first "Wednesday in January, 1789, for the people to choose electors of a President, according to the provisions of that constitution; the first Wednesday in Feb- ruary following for the electors to meet and make a choice ; and the first Wednesday in March for the new government to be organized in the city of New York. The hearts of all were now turned toward Washington as the man to whom the helm of state should be given, and his friends, well knowing his reluctance to re-enter public life, commenced writing persuasive letters to him. To all of them he expressed sentiments such as he wrote to Lafayette, when he said of the proff'ered office — " It has no fascinating allure- ment for me. At my time of life and under my circumstances, the increasing infirmities of nature and the growing love of retirement do not permit me to entertain a wish beyond that of living and dying an honest man on my own farm. Let those follow the pursuits of ambition and fame who have a keener relish for them, or who may have more years in store for the enjoyment of them." The election was held at the appointed time, and Washington was chosen President of the United States for four years from the 4th of March ensuing. He now again yielded his own wishes to the claims of his country, and prepared to leave his beloved home. Meanwhile, office-seekers were sending him letters by scores, and sometimes they came in person to solicit favor for themselves or friends. He had already expressed his fixed determination to enter upon the duties of his office " not 204 MOUXT VERNON only unfettered by promises, but even uncbargeable with cre- ating or feeding the expectation of any man living" for his "assistance to office." By this declaration applicants soon learned the wisdom of silence. But there were men who sought the influence of his position, upon whom he not only looked with favor but with delight. These were they who had schemes whieli, though cherished by themselves for selfish purposes, would be of great advantage to the industrial interests of the country. One of these visited Mount Yernon at the close of March, 1789, to lay before the President elect some facts concerning the introduction of the manufacture of glass into America. A gentleman of Alex- andria, in a letter to a friend, thus describes the event : "I am just returned from Mount Vernon, where I was present at a scene which made every patriotic pulse vibrate with the most pleasurable sensations. "This, sir, was a tribute of a new citizen of the United States to their illustrious President. Mr. John F. Amelung, a native of Germany, and an artist of considerable eminence, emigrated to this country with a large family and extensive fortune, and having contemplated the said commerce, etc., he selected, with great prudence, a central situation for the establishment of a manufactory of the first magnitude and importance, in which he has succeeded beyond all hope and expectation. Through his vast exertions he is now enabled to supply the United States with every species of glass, the quality of which is equal, if not superior, to that imported, while he actually undersells all foreign traders in that article in our own markets. To the testimony of the ablest connois- seurs and characters of taste and respectability, it only remain- AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 205 ed for Mr. Amelung to court the patronage of the great patriot; and I had the good fortune to be present at an offering to his excellency of two capacious goblets of flint glass, exhibiting the general's coat-of-arms, etc. "The conversation naturally embraced and discussed our manufacturing interests, and was managed with such delicate address, as to pay a compliment to the ingenuity and labors of this celebrated artist, who has supported, without intermis- sion, three hundred hands these three years past, with the utmost order and character, ISTew Bremen, which gives ap- pellation to this manufactory, is situated on Monococy, con- tiguous to the waters of the Potomac, by which he may in time supply the seaport towns of the eastern and southern states, and thus give domestic circulation to an immense quan- tity of specie remitted annually for this article alone to the foreign merchants." "Washington had already been apprised of the existence of this establishment, for in a letter to Jefferson, in February preceding, he said : "A factory of glass is established upon a large scale on Monococy river, near Fredericktown, in Mary- land. I am informed it will this year produce glass of various kinds, nearly to the amount of ten thousand pounds value." So tardily did the members of the National Congress assem- ble, that a quorum was not present at the capital in New York until the beginning of April, when the votes of the electoral college were counted, and Washington was declared to be elected President of the United States by the unanimous voice of the people. That delay was a source of pleasure to him. In a letter to General Knox, he compared it to a reprieve ; " for," he said, " in confidence I tell you (with the 206 MOUNT VERNON world it would obtain little credit), that my movements te the chair of government will be accompanied by feelings not unlike those of a culprit who is going to the place of his execution." "I am sensible," he continued, "that I am em- barking the voice of the people, and a good name of my own on this voyage, but what returns will be made for them heaven alone can foretell. Integrity and firmness are all I can promise. These, be the voyage long or short, shall never forsake me, although I may be deserted by all men ; for of the consolations which are to be derived from these, under any circumstances, the world cannot deprive me." The Senate of the United States was organized on the 6th of April, and John Langdon, a representative therein from New Hampshire, was chosen its president jpTO teimjpore. As soon as the votes of the electoral college were opened and counted, he wrote a letter to the illustrious farmer at Mount Vernon, notifying him of the fact of his election. This letter, with an ofiicial certificate, was conveyed to the chief magistrate elect by the venerable Secretary Thomson, who arrived at Mount Vernon on Tuesday, the 14th, between ten and eleven o'clock in the morning. Washington was making the usual tour of his farms, and the secretary was cordially received by Mrs. "Washington, who had enjoyed his friendship and the hospitali- ties of his house at Philadelphia. On his return from the fields at a quarter before one. Wash ington greeted Mr. Thomson with much warmth, for their friendsliip was most sincere. They had gone through a long struggle for their country's liberation hand in hand, one in the field, the other in the senate; and the bond of sympathy, strengthened by retrospection, was powerful. Thomson was AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 207 soon invited to the library, where he revealed the object of his visit, and delivered the letter of President Langdon. Public affairs at once became the topic of conversation, and long did CHARLES THOMSON. the two patriots linger at the table that day, after Mrs. Wash- ington, Colonel Humphreys, Mr, Lear, and two or three guests had withdrawn. Only for a few minutes were they separated, when Washington, in his private study in an upper room, wrote the following letter to Mr, Langdon, and placed it in the hands of a servant to be conveyed to the post-office at Alexandria : "Mount Vernon, lAth April, 1789. " Sm : I had the honor to receive your official communica- tion, by the hand of Mr. Secretary Tliomson, about one o'clock this day. Having concluded to obey the important and flat- 208 MOUNT VERNON lering call of mj country, and having been impressed with the idea of the expediency of my being with Congress at as early a period as possible, I projDOse to commence my journey on Tliursday morning, which will be the day after to-morrow." Toward evening "Washington left Mount Yernon on horse- back, accompanied by Billy, and rode rapidly toward Fred- ericksburg, where his aged and invalid mother resided. He went to embrace her and bid her farewell before leaving for the distant seat of government. She was suffering from an acute disease, and the weight of more than fourscore years was upon her. The interview between the matron and her illustrious son was full of the most touching subhmity. " The people, madam," said Washington, " have been pleased, with the most flattering unanimity, to elect me to the chief magis- tracy of the United States ; but before I can assume the func- tions of that office, I have come to bid you an affectionate farewell. So soon as the public business which must neces- sarily be encountered in arranging a new government can be disposed of, I shall hasten to Yirginia, and — " Here she interrupted him, saying, " You will see me no more. My great age, and the disease that is rapidly approaching mj* vitals, warn me that I shall not be long in this world. I trust in God I am somewhat prepared for a better. But go, George, fulfil the high destinies which Heaven appears to assign you ; go, my son, and may that Heaven's and your mother's blessing be with you always." The mother and son embraced for the last time, for before he could return to Yirginia, she was laid in the grave. Washington returned to Mount Yernon on the evening of the 15th, and found every thing in preparation for the journey TRAVELLING BOOT-JACK. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 209 toward New York the following morning. Notliing essential to the master's comfort and convenience was omitted by the faithful Billy. There was a great stir at Mount Vernon on the morning of the 16th. Before sunrise a messenger had come from Alexandria, and departed ; and that evening "Washington wrote in his diary : " About ten o'clock I bade adieu to Mount Yernon, to private life, and to domestic felicity, and with a mind oppressed with more anxious and painful sensations than I have words to express, set out for New York, in company with Mr. Thomson and Colonel Humphreys, with the best disposition to render service to my country in obedience to its call, but with less hope of answering its expectations." Washington's neighbors and friends at Alexandria, had in- vited him to halt and partake of a public dinner on the Avay. Tliis manifestation of friendship touched his heart ; but still deeper were his tenderest emotions awakened, when, as he and his travelling companions ascended a little hill about a mile from his home, and came in view of the lodges at his gate, he saw a cavalcade of those friends, waiting to escort him to the town. The scene was one of marvellous interest. It was the first of a series of ovations that awaited him on his journey. The sun was shining with all the warmth and brightness of mid- April in Virginia, the smiles of cultivation were on every hand, and the song of birds and the perfume of early flowers fell gratefully upon the senses. Alas ! how changed is now the aspect of that ancient entrance U 210 MOUNT VERNON ANCIENT ENTRANCE TO MOUNT VERNON, IN 1858. to Mount Yernon ! Stately trees are near as in tlie days of old, but the voices of labor are no more heard. All is silence and desolation, except when the bird sings, the squirrel chirps, or the echo of the huntsman's gun startles the solitary pedestrian, for the road, tilled or gullied by the winds and rains, is scarcely [)assable for beast or vehicle. The old lodges, wherein once rang the merry laugh of cliildren, are utterly deserted, and fast falling into hopeless decay ; and all around them a thick forest stands, where the wheat, the corn, and the tobacco once bloomed. Washington was anxious to proceed to New York with as AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 211 little parade as possible, but the enthusiasm of the people could not be repressed. His journey was like a triumphal march. At Alexandria he partook of a public dinner, when the mayor said, " The first and best of our citizens must leave us ; our aged must lose their ornament, our youth their model, our agri- culture its improver, our commerce its friend, our infant acad- emy its protector,* our poor their benefactor." ***** " Farewell !" he said, turning to Washington, " Go, and make a grateful people haj^py ; a people who will be doubly grate- ful when they contemplate this new sacrifice for their in- terests." "Washington's feelings were deeply touched. He could sav but little. " Words fail me," he said, " unutterable sensations must, then, be left to more expressive silence, while from an aching heart I bid all my affectionate friends and kind neigh- bors — farewell." The president was greeted by the Marylanders at George- town ; and at Baltimore he was entertained by a large number of citizens at a public supper. When leaving the city the next morning, at half-past five, he was saluted by discharges of cannon, and attended by a cavalcade of gentlemen who rode seven miles with him. At the frontier of Pennsylvania, he was met early on the morning of the 19th, by two troops of cavalry, and a cavalcade of citizens, at the head of whom were Governor Mifilin and Judge Peters; and by them he was escorted to Philadelphia. Upon that frontier, Washington left his carriage, and mounting a superb white charger, he took * "Washington had given funds for the establishment of an academy at Alexan- dria, and was its patron. 212 MOUNT VERNON position in the line of procession, with Secretary Thomson on one side, and Colonel Humphreys on the other. At Gray's Ferry, on the Schuylkill, they were joined by an immense number of citizens, led in order by General St. Clair. A triumphal arch was erected on both sides of the river covered with laurel branches, and approached through avenues of evergreens. As Washington passed under the last arch, Angelica Peale, daughter of the eminent artist, and a child of rare beauty, who was concealed in the foliage, let down a handsomely ornamented civic crown of laurel, which rested upon the head of the j)atriot. The incident caused a tumultuous shout. The procession moved on into the city, its volume increasing every moment. At least twenty thousand people lined its passage-way from the Schuylkill to the city ; and at every step the President was greeted with shouts of " Long live George "Washington !" " Long live the Father of his country !" The President was entertained at a sumptuous banquet, given by the authorities, at the City Tavern, and the next morning the military were paraded, to form an escort for him to Trenton. But heavy rain frustrated their designs. Washington was com- pelled to ride in his carriage, and he would not allow an escort of friends to travel in the rain. When the President and suite approached Trenton in the afternoon, the clouds had disappeared, and in the warm sun- light, he crossed the Delaware amid the greetings of shouts, and cannon-peals, and the feu dejoie of musketry. His route lay across the same bridge over the little stream which flows through the town, where, twelve years before, he had been driven across by Cornwallis, on the evening previous to the AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 213 battle at Princeton. Upon that bridge, where he was thus humiliated, was now a triumphal arch, twenty feet in height, supported by thirteen pillars twined with evergreens. It was the conception and work of the women of New Jersey, under the general direction of Annis Stockton ; and upon the side of his approach, over the arch, were emblazoned the words : "the defendek of the mothers will be the pkoteotoe of the daughters." The arch was otherwise beautifully decorated, and as Wash- ington approached, many mothers with their daughters appeared on each side of it, all dressed in white. As he passed, thirteen young girls, their heads wreathed with flowers, and holding baskets of flowers in their hands, while they scattered some in his way, sang the following ode, written for the occasion by Governor Howell : " Welcome, mighty chief, once more Welcome to this grateful shore; Now no mercenary foe, Aims again the fatal blow, Aims at thee the fatal blow. " Virgins fair, and mothers grave, Those thy conquering arm did save. Build for thee triumphal bowers. Strew, ye fair, his way with flowers ! Strew your hero's way with flowers." "With joyous greetings at every step, Washington proceeded through Xew Jersey, over which he had once fled with a half- 214 MOUNT VERNON starved, half-naked army, before a closely pursuing foe ; and at Elizabethtown Point, he was met, on the morning of the 23d, by a committee of both houses of Congress, and several civil and military officers. Tliey had prepared a magnificent barge for his reception, which was manned by thirteen pilots, in white uniforms, commanded by Commodore Nicholson. In New Tork harbor, the vessels were all decked with flags, in honor of the President, and gayly dressed small boats swarmed upon the waters, filled with gentlemen and ladies. The Spanish ship-of-war Galveston, lying in the harbor, was the only vessel of all nations, that did not show signs of respect. The neglect was so marked, that many words of censure were heard, when, at a given signal, just as the barge containing Washington was abreast of her, she displayed, on every part of her rigging, every flag and signal known among the nations. At the same moment she discharged thirteen heavy guns, and these were answered by the grand battery on shore. In the midst of this cannonade, and the shouts of the multitude on land and water, the President debarked, and was conducted by a military and civic procession to the residence prepared for his use, at No. 10 Cherry-street, near Franklin Square. Such was the reception of the first President at the capital of the Union. The demonstrations of joy and loyalty were most sincere and universal, and yet the pen of wit and the pencil of caricature had been busy. As early as the 7th of April, John Armstrong wrote to General Gates, from New York, saying: " All the world here are busy in collecting flowers and sweets of every kind to amuse and delight the President in his ap- proach and on his arrival. Even Roger Sherman has set his AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 215 head at work to devise some style of address more novel and dignified than ' Excellency.' Yet in the midst of this admira- tion, there are skeptics who doubt its propriety, and wits who amuse themselves at its extravagance. The first will grumble and the last will laugh, and the President should be prepared to meet the attacks of both with firmness and good nature. A caricature has already appeared called ' The Entky,' full of very disloyal and profane allusions. It represents the general mounted on an ass, and in the arms of his man Billy— Hum- phreys leading the Jack, and chanting hosannahs and birth-day odes. The following coujDlet proceeds from the mouth of the devil : ' The glorious time lias come to pass, Wlien David shall conduct an ass.' " On Thm-sday, the 30th of April, 1789, Washington was in- augurated the First President of the United States. The cere- monies were preceded by a national salute at Bowling Green, the assembling of the people in the churches to implore the blessings of Heaven on the nation and the President, and a grand procession. The august spectacle was exhibited upon the open gallery at the front of the old Federal Hall at the head of Broad-street, in the presence of a vast assemblage of people. Washington was dressed in a suit of dark-brown cloth, and white silk stockings, all of American manufacture, with silver buckles upon his shoes, and his hair powdered and dressed in the fashion of the time. Before him, when he arose to take the oath of office, stood Chancellor Livingston, in a suit of black broadcloth; and near them were Yice-President Adams, Mr. Otis, the Secretary of the Senate, who held an open Bible upon 216 MOUNT VERNON a ricli crimson cusliion, Generals Knox, St. Clair, Steuben, and other officers of the army, and George Clinton, the Governor of the state of New York. BIBLE USED AT THE INAUGURATION OP WASHINGTON. Washington laid his hand upon tlie page containing the fif- tieth chapter of Genesis, opposite to which were two engrav- ings, one representing The Blessing of Zehulon, the other The Prophecy of Issachar. Chancellor Livingston then waved his hand for the multitude to be silent, and in a clear voice, read the prescribed oath. The President said "I swear," then bowed his head and kissed the sacred volume, and with closed eyes as he resumed his erect position, he continued with solemn voice and devotional attitude, " So help me God !" " It is done ! " exclaimed the Chancellor, and, with a loud voice, shouted, " Long live George Washington, President of the United States ! " The people echoed the shout again and again ; and as the President moved toward the door, the first congratulatory hand that grasped his was that of his early and life-long friend, Eichard Henry Lee, to whom in childhood, almost fifty years before, he had written : " I am going to get a whip-top soon, and you may see it and whip it." AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 217 How many human wliip-tops had these stanch patriots managed since they wrote those childish epistles ! Tluit Bible is now in the possession of St. John's Lodge, in l!^ew York, Upon each cover is a record, in gilt letters, con- cerning the Lodge ; and on the inside, beautifully written upon parchment, in ornamental style, by G. Thresher, surmounted by a portrait of Washington, engraved by Leney, of New York, is the following statement : " On this Sacred Volume, on the 30th day of April, 5789, in the city of New York, was administered to George Wash- ington, the first President of the United States of America, the oath to support the Constitution of the United States. This important ceremony was performed by the Most Wor- shipful Grand Master of Free and Accepted Masons of the state of New York, the Honorable Kobert R. Livingston, Chancellor of the state. " Fame stretched her wings and with her trumpet blew, ' Great Washington is near, what praise is due ? What title shall he have ?' She paused, and said, ' Not one — his name alone strikes every title dead.' " Mrs. Washington did not journey to New York with her husband. Her reluctance to leave Mount Yemon and the quiet of domestic pursuits was quite equal to his. She loved her home, her family, and friends, and had no taste for the excite- ments of fashionable society and public life. She was, in every respect, a model Virginia housekeeper. She was a very early riser, leaving her pillow at dawn at every season of the year, and engaging at once in the active duties of her house- hold. Yet these duties never kept her from daily communion 2 I H M TI N T V K II N O N witli (j(i(l, ill lilt; solitude of licr clusut, Al'tcr brciikiust sliu iiiv!iri!il)ly ri'tircd t<» Ik r cliiiiiiher, wlierc slio ruinained an lidur I'ciidiiii:,- tin- Scrijil iircs iiiid (•iit:;ii.i;'ed in tliii,Mks_i;;ivin<:; and prayci-. I'^or niorc tliini lialt' a (•ciitiii-y hIk'- ])ra(!tisc'd siutli dL'V(»li<>ns ill sccix't; and viHitoi'K ol'teii remarked that wlicn she appcariMl alter tlie lioiir of s})iritual cxurcibcs, lier eountenaiu^e beamed with iiieflalth! swi'elnesrt. All day loiiii,' that earefiil, l)UHlliiii;-, in(histi-i()ii,s litthi house- M-il'e kept her hands in niolion. "Let us rejtair to the old hidy's room,"''' wrote the wile ol'C'oIoiiel I'^dward ( Jarriiii^toii to her sister, a short time bd'orc Wasliington's death, while on a visit to INIoiint Vernon — "Let us re})air to the old lady's room, w liieh is precisely in tlio style of our _ii;ood old aiiiit\s — that is to say, nicely fixed for all sorts of w-ham and her beautiful sisters [Misses "Willing], the Misses Aliens, the Misses Chew, arid in short, a constellation of beauties," were present. The season opened very gayly, and balls, routs and dinners of the most sumptuous kind, succeeded each other in rapid succession. " I sliould spend a very dissipated winter," wrote Mrs. Adams, "if I were to accept one-half the invitations I receive, particularly to the routs, or tea-and-cards." Phila- delphia had never seen or felt any thing like it, and the whole town was in a state of virtual intoxication for several weeks. But Washington and his wife could not be seduced from their temperate habits, by the scenes of immoderate pleasure around them. They held their respective levees on Tuesdays and Fridays, as they did in Kew York, without the least ostenta- tion ; and Congressional and official dinners were also given in a plain way, without any extravagant displays of plate, ov nament, or variety of dishes. Having furnished his house as a permanent residence while he should remain President, Washington had indulged in some things which would insure congruity, that were not seen in New York. He had ordered through Gouvernenr Morris, then in Paris, some articles for his sideboard and table. Among them were some silver-plated wine-coolers, the cost of which, rather startled him. He had received an invoice of them, before he left Mount Yernon, and in a letter to Mr. Lear, he wrote : " Enclosed I send you a letter from Mr. Gouvernenr Morris, with a bill of the cost of the articles he was to send me. The AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 263 prices of the plated ware exceed — far exceed — the utmost bounds of my calculation ; but as I am persuaded he has done Avhat he conceives right, I am satisfied, and request you to make immediate payment to Mr. Constable, if you can raise the means." He then spoke of wine-coolers^ that had been sent, an article that he had never used, and says: "As these coolers are designed for warm weather, and will be, I presume, useless in cold, or in that in which the liquors do not require cooling, quere, would not a stand like that for casters, with four aper- tures for so many different kinds of liquors, each aperture just sufficient to hold one of the cut decanters sent by Mr. Morris, be more convenient for passing the bottles from one to another, than the handing eacli bottle separately, by which it often happens that one bottle moves, another stops, and all are in confusion? Two of them — one for each end of the table, with a flat bottom, wdtli or without feet, open at the sides, but with a raised rim, as caster-stands have, and an upright, by way of handle, in the middle — could not cost a great deal, even if made wholly of silver. Talk to a silversmith, and ascertain the cost, and whether they could be immediately made, if re- quired, in a handsome fashion. " Perhaps the coolers sent by Mr. Morris may afford ideas of taste; perhaps, too (if they prove not too heavy, wdien examined), they may supersede the necessity of such as I have described, by answering the purpose themselves. Four double flint bottles (such as I suspect Mr. Morris has sent), will weigh, I conjecture, four pounds ; the wine in them when they are filled will be eight pounds more, which, added to the weight of the coolers, will, I fear, make these latter too unwieldy to 264 MOUNT VERNON pass, especially by ladies, which induces me to think of the frame in the form of casters." Mr. Lear M^as pleased with Washington's suggestions, and ordered a silversmith to make two of the caster-like frames, of solid silver, and these were used ujDon the President's table on the occasion of the first dinner which he gave to the offi- cers of government and their families, foreign ministers and their families, and other distinguished guests. Their lightness and convenience commended them, and from that time they became fashionable, under the appropriate title of coasters. Thenceforth the wAne-cooler was left upon the sideboard, and the coaster alone was used for sending the wine around the table. For more than a quarter of a century afterward, the coaster might be seen upon the table of every fashionable- family in Pliiladelpliia. Few persons, however, are aware that Washington was the inventor of it. The coolers sent over by Mr. Morris, were eight in number, four large and four smaller ones, the former holding four bottles, and the latter two. Two of the larger ones were presented by Washington to General Hamilton, and are now in possession of Mrs. Holley, of Washington city, a daughter of the latter. Tlie others were taken from Philadelphia to Mount Vernon, and after the death of Mrs. Washington, passed into the possession of her grandson, George Washington Parke Custis. They now belong to Mr. Custis's daughter, at Arling- ton House. Tliey are both elliptical in form at top, the larger one nine inches in height, and the smaller one eight inches. The silver coasters are also at Arlington House. They are four- teen inches in height, and each is composed of four baskets united to a handle in the centre, made of strong wire. There AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 265 WINE-COOLERS AND COASTER. IS a roller under the centre of each basket, by which the coast- er is more easily sent around the table. A specimen of each of these articles is seen in the engraving upon the next page. Washington took his family plate with him Avhen he went to ISTew York in 1789, and there had it made over into more elegant and massive forms. Several pieces were also added to it, and this service graced his table and sideboard in Phil- adelphia. Several pieces of this plate are now in use at Arlington House. The engraving shows five of them, namely, a round salver, an elliptical tray, a coffee-pot, teapot, and sugar-bowl. All of these have Washington's crest neatly en- graven upon them. The tray with handles, all of massive silver, is plain, except a beaded rim. It is twenty-two inches in length, and seventeen and a half inches in breadth. This, 266 MOUNT VERNON with the waiter, was used at all the levees and drawing-rooms of the President and Mrs. Washington, during tlie eight years of their public life in ISTew York and Philadelphia, and served SPECIMENS OF WASHINOTOX S PLAl li. the purposes of hospitality afterward, at Mount Vernon. How many eyes, beaming with the light of noble souls, have looked u[)on the glittering planes of that tray and salver! IIuw many hands that once wielded mighty swords, and mightier pens, in the holy cause of universal freedom, long since moulderetl into native eartli, have taken from them the sparkling glass, while health and long life were invoked for "Washington ! Mr. Custis once related t(j me a pleasing circumstance con- nected with tlie use of tliat tray. Gashing from a rocky bank beneath the trunk of a huge oak-tree — a genuine Anak of the primeval forest — near the bank of the Potomac, on his estate, is a copious spring, and around it stands a beautiful grove, AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 267 wherein parties from Alexandria, Washington citj and George- town, have picnics in the summer months. For the accommo- dation of these, Mr. Custis generously erected, near the spring, a kitchen and dancing-hall; and he frequently attended the joyous gatherings, and lent servants to wait upon the ladies. On one occasion, a party of military, accompanied by ladies, went over to Arlington spring, from "Washington city, for a day's recreation. Mr. Custis sent his favorite servant, Charles, to wait upon the company at table. He also sent down the precious silver tray for tlieir use. Placing a dozen glasses of ice cream upon it, Charles carried it to the visitors, and said, " Ladies, this waiter once belonged to General Washington, and from it all the great ladies of the Revolution took wine." The young ladies, as if actuated by one impulse, immediately arose, crowded around Charles, and each in turn, kissed the cold rim of the salver, before toucliing the cream. The session of 1T90-91, was the third of the first Congress, ^ _ ^ and ended by limitation on the 3d of March ; but Wash- ington did not depart from Philadelphia for Mount Ver- non, until Monday the 21st. On that day, at twelve o'clock, he and his family left his residence on Market- street, in his English coach, drawn by six horses, accompanied by Mr. Jefferson and Gen- eral Knox (two of the heads of departments), Avho escorted them as far as Delaware. Major Jackson was also of the party. He accompanied Washington to Mount Yernon, and THE PRESIDENTIAL MAXSION. 268 MOUNT VERNON tlirougliout an extensive tour throngli the Southern states, which the President commenced a few days afterward. That tour had occupied Washington's thoughts from time to time, for several months. Many leading men of the South invited him to visit their respective states. He had made a tour eastward, and it was deemed expedient that the Southern states should be lionored by his presence. Their invitations generally expressed a desire, that the President, in the event of his making such tour, should honor the writei*s by a resi- dence with them, while he remained in their respective neigh- borhoods. Among others who proffered the hospitalities of his house was Colonel William Washington, the heroic cavalry officer in the southern campaigns under Greene, who was then residing in Charleston. But his invitation, like all others of the same kind, was declined for reasons which Washington frankly stated : " I cannot," he said, " comply with your invitation, without involving myself in inconsistency ; as I have determined to pursue the same plan in my Southern as I did in my Eastern visit, which was, not to incommode any private family by taking up my quarters with them during my journey. It leaves me unincumbered by engagements, and by a uniform adherence to it, I shall avoid giving umbrage to any, by de- clining all such invitations." Washington remained at Mount Yernon only a week, mak- ing preparations for his Southern tour. On the 4th of April he wrote to the several heads of departments — Jefferson, Ham- ilton and Knox — giving them information concerning the time when he expected to be at certain places on his route. This information wais given because the public service might re- quire communication to be made to him. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 269 "My journey to Savannah," he said, "unless retarded by unforeseen interruptions, will be regulated, including days of halt, in the following manner : I shall be, on the 8th of April at Fredericksburg, the 11th at Richmond, the 14th at Peters- burg, the 16th at Halifax, the 18th at Tarborough, the 20th at Newbern, the 25th at Wilmington, the 29th at Georgetown, South Carolina ; on the 2d of May at Charleston, halting there five days ; on the 11th at Savannah, halting there two days. Thence leaving the line of mail, 1 shall proceed to Augusta ; and according to the information which I may receive there, my return by an upper road will be regulated." It is a singular fact that Washington was at these various places on the very days contemplated. He wrote to Jefler- son from Richmond on the 13th of April, to Hamilton from Charleston on the Ytli of May, and to Mr. Seagrove, collector of the port of St. Mary, Georgia, from Savannah on the 20tli. He was everywhere received with demonstrations of the highest respect and veneration. At Wilmington he was met by a mili- tary and civic escort, entertained at a public dinner, and in the evening attended a ball given in his honor. At ]N"ewbern he received like homage ; and when, on Monday, the 2d day of May, he arrived at Haddrell's Point, a short distance from Charleston, beyond the mouth of the Cooper River, a twelve- oared barge, manned by thirteen captains of American ships, was in readiness to receive him, and convey him to the city. The barge contained a band of vocal and instrumental peiibrm- ers, and was followed by a flotilla of richly decked boats, of every kind, filled with gentlemen and ladies. At the wharf he was received by Governor Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, and conducted to his lodgings by a military and civic escort. 270 MOUNT VERNON On Monday, tlie 9tli of May, he left Charleston for Savan- nah ; and on his way from that city a week afterward, he stopped and dined with the widow of General Greene. He reached Augnsta on the 18th, and on Saturday, the 21st, he started for home, travelling by way of Colnmbia, Camden, Charlotte, Salisbnry, Salem, Guilford, Hillsborough, Harris- burg, Williamsburg, and Fredericksburg, to Mount Yernon, He arrived home on the 12tli of June, having made a most satisfactory journey of more than seventeen hundred miles, in sixty-six days, with the same team of horses. " My return to this place is sooner than I expected," he wrote to Hamilton, " owing to the uninterruptedness of my journey by sickness, from bad weather, or accidents of any kind whatsoever," for which he had allowed eight days. "Washington remained at Mount Vernon between three and four weeks. Meanwhile, he met commissioners at Georgetown, who had been appointed to lay out the national city, Washing- ton having selected as the site the point of land on the eastern side of the Potomac, between that river and the Anacostia, or eastern branch, which flows eastward of the capitol. It is related as an historical fact, that in the year 16C3, almost two hundred years ago, the proprietor of that land, named Pope, marked out a city upon it, called it Pome, named the eleva- tion on which the capitol now stands (and where the Indian tribes held their councils) the Capitoline Hill, and the east branch of the Potomac the Tiber ! Major L'Enfant, a Frenchman, who had served as engineer in the continental army, was employed to furnish a plan and make a survey of the national city, and he spent a week at Mount YeiTion, after Washington's return from his southern AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 271 tour, in consultation with the President. His plans were laid before Congress at the next session, and were approved. The national city was laid out on a magnificent scale, on a plot con- taining eight square miles. The states of Virginia and Mary- land had already ceded to the United States a territory ten miles square, for the purpose of erecting the national city within it, and this was named the District of Columbia. L'Enfant and the commissioners disagreed, and he was suc- ceeded by Andrew Ellicott, in 1792. On the 2d of April that year, President Washington approved of a j^lan for the capitol, submitted by Dr. Thornton, and in September, 1793, he laid the corner-stone of the north wing, with Masonic honoi'S. The commissioners, without the President's knowledge or consent, named the national metropolis the City of 'SY asliington^ which honored name it bears. Washington was again at the presidential mansion, in Phila- delphia, on the 6th of July, where he remained until Septem- ber, when he returned to Mount Yernon, to spend a few weeks previous to the assembling of the new Congress. Daring that recess from official labors he was part of the time employed in the instruction of a new agent, Pobert Lewis, in the manage- ment of his estate, his nephew, George A. Washington, having been compelled to leave for the mountains on account of ill health. At the same time he carried on quite an extensive correspondence with oflicers of the government and private citizens. Every post brought liim numerous letters. An Indian war, in the North-western territory, was in progress; the French Revolution was assuming an alarming shape, for the obligations of an ally still appeared to rest upon the United States, especially so long as Louis remained king ; and 272 MOUNT VERNON domestic affairs, pertaining to finance and commerce, were largely occupying the public mind. These topics engaged Washington's pen very frequently during his weeks of rest at Mount Vernon. The first session of the second Congress opened on the 24th of October, and on the 25th Washington delivered his annual message in person, in the Congress Hall, corner of Sixth and Chestnut streets. About two months later he was waited upon by Archibald Robertson, a Scotch artist of considerable merit, who had been induced to come to the United States to practice his profession, by Doctor Kemp, of Columbia College, New York. Robertson came charged with an interesting commission from the Earl of Buchan. He arrived in Kew York in Octo- ber, and in December went to Philadelphia to fulfil his special engagement. He had been charged by the Earl to deliver to Washington a box made of the celebrated oak-tree that shel- tered Sir William Wallace after the battle at Falkirk. Ac- companying the box was a letter from the Earl, dated at Dry- burgh Abbey, Jan. 28, 1791, in which, after speaking of the box, and his having entrusted it to the " care of Mr. Robert- son, of A"berdecn, a painter," he said : " This box was presented to me by the goldsmiths' company at Edinburgh, of whom — feeling my own unworthiness to re- ceive this magnificent and significant present — I requested, and obtained leave to make it over to the man in the world to whom I thought it most justly due ; into your hands 1 commit it, requesting you to pass it, in the event of your decease, to the man in your own country, who shall appear to your judg- ment to merit it best, upon the same considerations that have kiduced me ♦^^o send it to your Excellency." AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 273 He added — " I beg your Excellency will have the goodness to send me your portrait, that I may place it among those I most honor, and I would wish it from the pencil of Mr. Eobertson." Eobertson presented the box to the President on Friday, the 13th of December. He was much embarrassed, he said, on being introduced to "the American hero," but was soon relieved by Washington, who entered into familiar conversa- tion with him, and introduced him to Mrs. Washington. The President also made the painter happy, by consenting to sit for his portrait, in compliance with the wishes of the Earl of Buclian. He also invited Robertson to dine with him ; and the painter felt quite at ease before he left the august presence. Of that dinner (a family one) Robertson thus writes : "It was ready at three o'clock — plain, but suitable for a family in genteel circumstances. There was nothing specially remarkable at the table, but that the general and Mrs. Wash- ington sat side by side, he on the right of his lady ; the gentle- men on his right hand, and the ladies on his left. It being on Saturday, the first course was mostly of eastern cod and fresh fish. A few glasses of wine were drank during the dinner, with other beverages. The whole closed with a few glasses of sparkling champagne, in about three-quarters of an hour, when the general and Colonel Lear retired, leaving the ladies in high glee about Lord Buchan and the Wallace box." After dinner, the President sat to Mr. Robertson, for a min- iature portrait, and from it, when finished, the artist painted a larger picture, in oil, for Lord Buchan, " of a size," he said, " corresponding to the collection of portraits of the most cele- brated worthies of liberal principles and of useful literature, 18 274 MOUNT 7ERN0N in tlie possession of his lordship." This picture was painted at tlie close of May, 1792, when Washington wrote to Lord Buchan, thanking him for the present of the box, and saying of the portrait : " The manner of the execution of it, does no discredit, I am told, to the artist." The picture was sent to Europe by Colonel Lear, and Kobertson received the thanks of the Earl of Buchan. Mrs. Washington also sat to Robertson for her miniature. She was then sixty years of age, and still beautiful. Her complexion was fair, and her dark eye was as brilliant as ever. In person she was heavier than in her younger days, and was, in a very slight degree, inclined to corpulency. That miniature is now at Arlington House. It was first engraved for the American Portrait Gallery^ about the year 1S33. In a letter to his wife, in July of that year, Mr. Custis wrote : " I have been requested to write a short biography of my grandmother, to be accompanied by a splendid engraving from one of my originals, for Longman's work, called the National Gallei'y of Portraits^ and have consented to do it." Tlie biog- raphy was written, and the " original" chosen was Robertson's miniature, from which our engraving was copied. In his letter of thanks to Buchan, Washington said : " I will, however, ask, that you will exempt me from com- pliance with the request relating to its eventual destination. In an attempt to execute your wish in this particular, I should feel embarrassment from a just comparison of relative preten- sions, and fear to risk injustice by so marked a preference." The box was taken to Mount Yernon at the close of the Bession, where it remained until Washington's death, when AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 27i MARTHA WASniNGTON. lie recommitted it to the Earl by the following clause in his will : "To the Earl of Buclian I recommit the box made of the oak that sheltered the great Sir William Wallace, after the battle of Falkirk, presented to me by his lordship, in terms too flattering for me to repeat, with a request 'to pass it, on the event of my decease, to the man in my country who should appear to merit it best, upon the same conditions that have induced him to send it to me.' Whether easy or not to select the man who might comport with his lordship's opinion, in this respect, is not for me to say ; but, conceiving that no dis- position of this valuable curiosity can be more eligible than the recommitment of it to his own cabinet, agreeably to the original design of the Goldsmith's Company of Edinburgh, who presented it to him, and, at his re(piest, consented that it 276 MOUNT YERNON bIiouIcI be transferred to me, I do give and bequeath the same to his lordship ; and, in ease of his decease, to his heir, with my grateful thanks for the distinguished honor of presenting it to me, and more especially for the favorable sentiments with which he accompanied it." The first session of the second Congress terminated on Tues- day, the 8th of May, and on the lOtli "Washington set out for Mount Yernon, leaving his family in Philadelphia. He re- mained there about four weeks, directing the affairs of his estate, inspecting the progress of the surveys and plans for the national city, and in correspondence with friends at home and abroad. He carried home with him on that occasion several copies of the Bights of Man, a work from the pen of Tliomas Paine, published the year before, fifty copies of which, sent by the author to the President, reached him a day or two before he left Philadelphia. One of these he gave to Richard Henry Lee, who, after thanking him for it, remarked : " It is a performance of which any man might be proud ; and I most sincerely regret that our country could not have offered sufficient inducements to have retained as a permanent citizen, a man so thoroughly republican in sentiment, and fearless in the expression of his opinions." In his letter accompanying the books, Paine remarked : " The work has had a run beyond any thing that has been published in this country on the subject of government, and the demand continues. In Ireland it has had a much greater. A letter I received from Dublin, 10th of May, mentioned that the fourth edition was then on sale. I know not what number of copies were printed at each edition, except the second, vrhich was ten thousand. Tlie same fate follows me here as I AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 277 at first experienced iu America — strong friends and violent enemies ; but as I have got the ear of the country, I shall go on, and at least show them, what is a novelty here, that there can be a person beyond the reach of corruption." This work was written in answer to Edmund Burke's famous letter to a French gentleman, in 1790, entitled Reflections on the Resolution in France. Tlie government, incensed at Paine's language in the Rights of Man^ instituted a prosecu- tion against him for libel. He went to France, became a member of the National Assembly, fell into prison during the reign of the Terrorists, and becoming offended at "Washington because he properly refused his official aid in procuring Paine's liberation, on the ground of his being an American citizen, he abused him most shamefully in a published letter, more remarkable for its scurrility than talent. "Washington returned to Philadelphia early in June, and toward the close of July journeyed with his family to Mount Yernon. He remained there until early in October, when he returned to Philadelphia, with his family, to prepare for the assembling of the Congress, which took place on the 5th of November. During that time he was in frequent correspond- ence with the heads of departments, for matters of great public interest required frequent communications between them and the chief magistrate. An Indian war in the west was then in progress, and symptoms of insurrectionary movements in West- ern Pennsylvania, on account of an excise law which the people deemed oppressive, began to appear. Washington was also much engaged, during that time, with his agricultural operations ; and he and Mrs. Washington were much distressed on account of the mortal sickness of his 278 MOUNT VERXON nepliew George, who had resided at Mount Vernon much of the time since his marriage several years before. Washing- ton's anxiety concerning him is evinced by the frequent men- tion of his illness to his correspondents. In a letter to Lafay- ette, in June, he said : " I am afraid my nephew George, your old aide, will never have his health perfectly re-established. He has lately been attacked with the alarming symptoms of spitting large quan- tities of blood ; and the physicians give no hopes of resto- ration, unless it can be effected by a change of air, and a total dereliction from business, to which he is too anxiously attentive. He will, if he should be taken from his family and friends, leave three fine children, two sons and a daughter. To the eldest of the hoys he has given the name of Fayette, and a fine looking child he is." To General Knox, he wrote : " I thank you most sincere- ly for the medicine you were so obliging as to send for my nephew, and for the sympathetic feeling you express for his situation. Poor fellow ! neither, I believe, will be of any avail. Present appearances indicate a speedy dissolution. He has not been able to leave his bed, except for a few moments to sit in an arm-chair, since the 14th or 15th of last month. The par- oxysm of the disorder seems to be upon him, and death, or a favorable turn to it, must speedily follow." The sufferer was then residing upon a small estate in Han- over. He lingered for several weeks, and expired ; and on the 24:th of February, Washington wrote to his widow : "My Dear F^vishstt: To yon, who so well know the affec- tionate regard I had for our departed friend, it is unnecessary AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 279 to describe the sorrow with which I was afflicted, at the news of his death, although it was an event I had expected many weeks before it happened. To express this sorrow with the force I feel it, would answer no other purpose than to revive in your breast that poignancy of anguish, which by this time, I hope, is abated. The object of this letter is to convey to your mind the warmest assurance of my love, friendship, and disposition to serve you. Tliese I also profess to bear, in an eminent degree, for your children." He then invites her to make Mount "Vernon the home of herself and children. "You can go to no place," he said, " where you will be more welcome, nor to any where you can live at less expense or trouble." He then invites her to bring his niece, Harriet "Washington, with her, to Mount Yernon, of whose conduct he had heard pleasant words. Miss Harriet remained at Mount Yernon a long time, the grateful recij)ient of her uncle's bounty. Tlie young widow appears to have declined the oifer of a home at Mount Yernon, preferring to keep house in Alexan- dria, but offering to resign the charge of her eldest son, Fay- ette, into Washington's keeping. In March, the President wrote to her, saying : "The carriage which I sent to Mount Yernon, for your use, I never intended to reclaim, and now, making you a formal present of it, it may be sent for whenever it suits your conve- nience, and be considered as your own. I shall, when I see you, request that Fayette may be given up to me, either at that time, or as soon after as he is old enough to go to school. This will relieve you of that portion of attention, which his educa- tion would otherwise call for." 280 MOUNT VERNON "Wasliingtoii's affection for children was very great, and he was ever anxious to have young people in the mansion at Mount Yernon. He enjoyed their amusements with a keen relish, and yet the mysterious awe felt in his presence, by all who had the good fortune to know him personally, was expe- rienced by children. His adopted daughter (Mrs. Lewis) used to say that she had seen him laugh heartily at her merry pranks, or when, a gay, joyous girl, she would give him a description of some scene in which she had taken a part; and yet she had as often seen him retire from the room in which her young companions were amusing themselves, be- cause he perceived that his presence created a reserve which they could not overcome. His love for his two adopted children was very strong, and he watched over their mental and moral development with great solicitude. In several of his letters to Mr. Lear, from Mount Yernon, in the autumn of 1790, when preparing for his residence in Philadelphia, he mentioned the subject of schools, expressing a great desire to have young Custis placed in one of the best character. Mrs. Washington was always over-indulgent to her two grandchildren. The boy (George "Washington Parke Custis) was always familiarly called "Washington, and by that name he was always distinguished in the general's private corre- spondence. His beautiful sister, Nelly, used to speak of the affection which Mrs. "Washington lavished upon him, and the many excuses which she offered in his defence, when the father, true to his nature and education, exacted submission to the most thorough discipline on all occasions, much as he loved the boy. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 281 " Grandmamma always spoiled Washington," his sister would say ; and his daughter, in a late memoir of him, has said — " He was the pride of her heart, while the public duties of the veteran prevented the exercise of his influence in form- ing the character of the boy, too softly nurtured under his roof, and gifted with talents, which, under a sterner discipline, might have been more available for his own and his coun- try's good." Notwithstanding her indulgent disposition, Mrs. "Washing- ton was a thorough disciplinarian in her household, and Nelly Custis experienced many a tearful hour when compelled by her grandmother to attend assiduously to her studies in letters and music. Washington made her a present of a fine harpsi- chord, at the cost of one thousand dollars — Schroeder's beau- tiful invention, the piano-forte, not being then much used in America. In England, even, where Zumpe had introduced it, with many improvements, between twenty and thirty years before, the piano had by no means supplanted its parent the harpsichord, and the latter instrument, or the spinet, might be found in almost every family of wealth in the kingdom. The best teachers were employed to instruct Nelly in the use of the harpsichord, and her grandmother made her practise upon it four or five hours every day. " Tlie poor girl," says her brother, the late Mr. Custis, " would play and cry, and cry and play, for long hours, under the immediate eye of her grandmother, a rigid disciplinarian in all things." That harpsichord, according to the inscription upon a plate above the keys, was manufactured by " Longman and Brode- rip, musical instrument makers. No. 26 Cheapside, and No. 13 Haymarket, London." It was carefully packed and taken 282 MOUNT VERNON to Mount Yernon when AVasliington retired from office the last time. It was used there until his death, for Nelly and her husband resided at Mount Vernon for more than NELLY CURTIS S HARPSICHORD. a year after their marriage in February, 1779. It is now (1859) in the possession of Mrs. Lee, of Arlington House^ who intends to present it to the Mount Yernon Ladies^ Associa- tion, when the home of Washington shall have passed into their absolute j^ossession, that it may take its ancient place in the parlor of the hallowed mansion. The instrument was one of the most elegant of its kind. It is about eight feet long, three and a half feet wide, and three AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 283 feet in length, with two banks, containing one hundred and twenty keys in all. The case is mahogany. On the 4th of March, 1793, Judge Gushing, of Massachu- setts, administered to "Washington, in the senate chamber, in Philadelphia, the oath of office as President of the United States, he having been, by unanimous vote of the electoral college, speaking the will of the people, re-elected to the exalted station of chief magistrate. It was with great reluc- tance that he consented to serve another prescribed term of four years. He had looked forward to retirement from office with real pleasure, and when he agreed to serve his country still longer, he endured a sacrifice which none but a disinterested patriot could have made. Por himself he preferred the quiet of domestic life at his pleasant home on the Potomac, to all the honors and emoluments that the world could offer. But in this instance, as in all others, he yielded his own wishes to the more important demands of his country. He knew, as well as any man living, the dangers to which the coun- try was then exposed from the influence of French politics and of domestic factions ; and the representations of the true friends of government convinced him that his further service in public life was demanded by every consideration of patriotism. Hamilton, in whose judgment and purity of motives "Wash- ington had the most entire confidence, had urged him, in a touching letter, to accept the high office a second term ; and while his cabinet w^as agitated by discordant opinions upon other subjects, they all agreed that "Washington's retirement from office at that time would be a serious calamity to the country. Every one felt that the affairs of the national gov- ernment were not yet firmly established: that its enemies 284 MOUNT VERNON were many and inveterate, and that "Washington could not retire without damaging his reputation as a patriot. " I trust, sir, and I pray God, that you will determine to make a further sacrifice of your tranquillity and happiness to the public good," said Hamilton, at the close of his letter just alluded to. Such sacrifice was made, and for four years longer Mount Vernon was without its master, except at long intervals. Although "Washington's second inauguration was in public, there was far less parade than at the first. It had been deter- mined by those with whom he had consulted respecting the matter, as the democratic feeling was very strong, that the President should go to the senate-chamber "without form, attended by such gentlemen as he may choose, and return without form, except that he be preceded by the marshal." Thus he went and thus he returned, conveyed in his own beautiful cream-colored coach, drawn by six splendid bay horses. And thus he went to that senate-chamber a few months later, when he presented his annual message to the Congress, for in those days the President read the address before the assembled wisdom of the nation, and did not, as now, send it in manuscript by his private secretary. An eye-witness on one of these occasions has left a pleasant picture of it on record. "As the President alighted," he says, " and, ascending the steps, paused upon the platform, looking over his shoulder, in an attitude that would have furnished an admirable subject for the pencil, he was preceded by two gen- tlemen bearing long white wands, who kept back the eager crowd that pressed on every side to get a nearer view. At that moment I stood so near that I might have touched his clothes; but I should as soon have thought of touching an AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 285 electric battery. I was penetrated with a veneration amount- ing to the deepest awe. Nor was this the feeling of a school- boy only ; it pervaded, I believe, every human being that approached Washington ; and I have been told that, even in his social and convivial hours, this feeling in those who were honored to share them never suffered intermission. I saw him a hundred times afterward, but never with any other than that same feeling. The Almighty, who raised up for our hour of need a man so peculiarly prepared for its whole dread respon- sibility, seems to have put an impress of sacredness upon His own instrument. The first sight of the man struck the heart with involuntary homage, and prepared every thing around him to obey. When he 'addressed himself to speak,' there was an unconscious suspension of the breath, while every eye was raised in expectation. " The President, having seated himself, remained in silence, serenely contemplating the legislature before him, whose mem- bers now resumed their seats, waiting for the speech. No house of worshij), in the most solemn pauses of devotion, was ever more profoundly still than that large and crowded chamber. "Washington was dressed precisely as Stuart has painted him in Lord Lansdowne's full-length portrait — in a full suit of the richest black velvet, with diamond knee-buckles, and square silver buckles set upon shoes japanned with the most scrupulous neatness, black silk stockings, his shirt ruffled at the breast and wrists, a light dress-sword, his hair profusely powdered, fully dressed, so as to project at the sides, and {gathered behind in a silk bag, ornamented with a large rose of black riband. He held his cocked hat, which had a large 286 MOUNT VERNON black cockade on one side of it, in liis Land, as he advanced toward the chair, and, when seated, laid it on the table. "At length, thrusting his hand within the side of his coat, he drew forth a roll of manuscript, which he opened, and rising, held it in his hand, while in a rich, deep, full, sonorous voice, he read his opening address to Congress. His enun- ciation was deliberate, justly emphasized, very distinct, and accompanied with an air of deep solemnity, as being the utterance of a mind profoundly impressed with the dignity of the act in which it was occupied, conscious of the whole re- sponsibility of its position and action, but not oppressed by it." Washington made a hurried visit to Mount Yernon in April, on account of the death of his nephew, already mentioned, some matter connected with that young man's affairs requiring his personal attention. He was again called to Mount Vernon at the close of June, on account of the sudden death of Mr. Whiting, his manager, who had taken the place of Eobert Lewis. "It was a critical season," says Washington, in a letter to General Henry Lee, " for the business with which he was interested. How to supply his place I know not; of course my concerns at Mount Yernon are left as a body without a head." Kotwithstanding Congress was not in session, the pressure of public business was such that Washington remained at the seat of government all through the summer, and it was not until the yellow fever, which broke out in Philadelphia in August, had raged for two or three weeks, and the officers of government had fled, that he left his post and retired to Mount Vernon. He left Philadelphia on the 10th of September. He would have remained longer, but Mrs. Washington, alarmed AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 287 for the safety of the whole familj, the house in which they lived being in a manner blockaded by the disorder, prevailed on him to leave. The fever raged with great violence until late in October, when frosts checked its progress, and in IS^ovember the inhab- itants who had fled from the pestilence generally returned to the city. On the 2d day of December Congress was convened there. The progress of the disease at Philadelphia was watched by "Washington, at Mount Vernon, with great solicitude, espec- ially when September had passed away, and much of October had gone by, before it abated. It was near the time set for the assembling of a new Congress, and the public welfare demanded legislative action, upon important points, as early as possible. He therefore proposed to call the Congress together at Germantown, or some other place near Philadel- phia, but at a safe distance from the pestilence ; and yet he doubted his power to do so. This topic employed his pen as well as his thoughts, and of many lettei*s from Mount Yernon it was the burden. His agricultural aff'airs occupied much of his time while at home. He appears to have found a manager not much to his liking, for he needed instruction. At the middle of October we find him writing to his friend, General Henry Lee, concerning a threshing-machine that that gentleman had recommended. He seemed anxious to use all really useful improvements, but the diflieulty in making his overseers understand them was a bar. " The model [of a threshing machine] brought over by the English farmers," he said, " may also be a good one, but the 288 MOUNT VERNON utility of it among careless negroes and ignorant overseers will depend absolutely upon the simplicity of the construction ; for if there is any thing complex in the machinery, it will be no longer in use than a mushroom is in existence. I have seen so much of the beginning and ending of new inventions, that I have almost resolved to go on in the old way of treading until I get settled again at home, and can attend, myself, to the management of one. As a proof in point of the almost impos- sibility of putting the overseers of this country out of the track they have been accustomed to walk in, I have one of the most convenient barns in this or perhaps any other country, where thirty hands may with great ease be employed in threshing. Half of the wheat of the farm was actually stowed in this barn in the straw by my order, for threshing; notwithstanding, when I came home about the middle of September, I found a treading-yard not thirty feet from the barn-door, the wheat again brought out of the barn, and horses treading it out in an open exposure, liable to the vicissitudes of weather." "Washington and his family set out for the seat of govern- ment toward the close of October. Mr. Dandridge, a relation of his wife, who had been appointed the President's private secretary, accompanied them. Philadelphia presented a most gloomy aspect. Between three and four thousand of the in- habitants had fallen before the scythe of the pestilence, and there was mourning in almost every family. There was very little gayety in the capital during the session of Congress that followed. Tliere was also a general expectation that the scourge would reappear the ensuing summer of 1794 ; and when, at the middle of June, "Washington made a flying visit to Mount Yernon, he removed his family to a pleasant resi- AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 289 dence at Germantowii, about six miles from the city. To that place he returned at the close of July, and he seems not to have visited Mount Yernon again until April the following year, when he was there for only a short time, to give his per- sonal attention to home duties that required them. He again visited his home early in July, 1795, but, as his correspond- ence on the way and at Mount Yernon shows, he carried a vast weight of public business upon his mind ; for, besides the routine of official duties, he was greatly burdened w^ith anxiety respecting a treaty lately made with England, by John Jay, which he approved, and which for a time was so unpopular as to cause great excitement throughout the country. Washington left Mount Yernon again toward the middle of August for the seat of government, and returned early in Sep- tember. He remained until the 12th of October, when he set out for Philadelphia, stopping at Georgetown for a day to attend to business with the commissioners of the federal city. It was not until June, 1Y96, that the master of Mount Yer- non was again under his own roof. His family accompanied him ; and there, at the beginning of July, they received as a guest, Don Carlos Martinez, Marquis d'Yrujo, the newly- arrived Spanish ambassador. On the 4th of July Washington wrote to Timothy Pickering, the secretary of state, saying : "The Spanish Minister, M. d'Yrujo, spent two days with me, and is just gone. I caused it to be intimated to him that, as I should be absent from the seat of the government until the middle or latter end of August, I was ready to receive his letter of credence at this place. He answered, as I understood it, that his credentials were with his baggage on its passage to 19 290 MOUNT VERNON Philadelphia, and that his reception at that place, at the time mentioned, would be perfectly convenient and agreeable to himself. He is a young man, very free and easy in his man- ners, professes to be well disposed toward the United States, and, as far as a judgment can be formed on so short an ac- quaintance, appears to be well informed." Tlie Spanish minister had not been long in Philadelphia when he became enamored of Sally, the beautiful daughter of Thomas M'Kean, the chief-justice of Pennsylvania, and they were married. Tlieir son, the Duke of Sotomayer, who was born in Philadelphia, became prime minister of Spain. "Philadelphia," says Griswold, "furnished wives for the envoys of France, England, and Spain during Washington's administration, and a large number of foreign ministers have since been married to American women." Genet, the French minister during "Washington's first term, married a daughter of Governor Clinton, of New York. Washington remained at Mount Vernon until the middle of August. During the time of this visit to his dearly-loved home, he completed the final draft of his Farewell Address to the people of the United States, prepared in contemplation of his retiring from public life forever, at the close of his term of oftice the ensuing spring. That address had been the subject of deep and anxious thought for many months, and at the special request of the President, Hamilton, Jay, and Madison, and perhaps others, had given him suggestions in writing, topical and verbal. Tliese he took with him to Mount Yer- non, and in the quiet of his library he arranged his address in the fonn and expression in which it was published in Sej^tem- ber following. It was the noblest production of AVashington's AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 291 mind and heart, and has been pronounced by Alison, the eminent British historian, unequalled by any composition of uninspired wisdom. It is a political legacy which not only the countrymen of Washington, but the world ought to value, as one of the most precious gifts ever bestowed by man upon his race. It is permeated with the immortal spirit of a true MAN", a true patriot, and a true Christian. Tlie Farewell Address was published in the Philadelphia Advertiser^ in September, 1796, and produced a most profound sensation. The ribald voice of party spirit, which had been for a long time uttering the most scandalous abuse concerning the President, was at once subdued in tone, if not silenced, for it was deprived of the theme of Washington's renomination, which had been a convenient excuse for partisan attacks. The address was entered at length upon the journals of several of the state legislatures ; was published in every newspaper in the land, and in many of those in foreign countries ; and in legislative bodies and social and diplomatic circles abroad, it was a fruitful topic of remark for some time. Of all the asso- ciations which cluster around Mount Yernon, none should be dearer to the heart of every American — to every friend of freedom and good order — than that connected with Washing- ton's Farewell Address. And now Washington calmly looked forward to his retire- ment from public life with a heart full of joy and gratitude. The eight years of his administration of public affairs had been years of immense toil, anxiety, and vexation. They had been stormy years, for blasts of disturbing and dangerous sentiments came frequently from the borders of the hurricane that swept BO terribly over France, the old ally of the United States ; and 292 MOUNT YERNON tlie electric forces of party spirit, subtle and implacable, had cast down, from the black clouds of selfish hate, a copious hail of abuse. But amid all that storm — in the face of those fierce blasts and that pelting hail, Washington stood calm, dignified, and unharmed ; and he approached the hour when he should be no longer a public servant, to be applauded or reviled, with that serenity of mind which nothing but a con- science void of off'ence toward God and man can impart. And yet he was not always unmoved by the ungenerous attacks of his enemies. To his long-tried and dearly-loved friend. Gen- eral Kjiox, then in the far east, he w^rote, two days before his retirement : " To the wearied traveller who sees a resting-place, and is bending his body to lean thereon, I now compare myself ; but to be suffered to do this in peace is too much to be endured by some. To misrepresent my motives, to reprobate my politics, and to weaken the confidence w^hich has been reposed in my administration, are objects which cannot be relinquished by those who w'ill be satisfied with nothing short of a change in our political system. The consolation, however, which results from conscious rectitude, and the approving voice of my coun- try, unequivocally expressed by its representatives, deprive their sting of its poison, and place in the same point of view the weakness and malignity of their efi'orts." Never since has the unscrupulous virulence of party spirit been so manifest as at the time in question, No one dared openly to charge "Washington with a dishonest or dishonorable act, during his long public life ; and yet, by inuendos and false- hoods of the darkest aspect, disguised as insinuations, his po- litical enemies attempted to destroy his popularity, and to AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 293 send him into private life without the sweet consolations of the a]3proval of his countrymen. One specimen of the venom of party hate will be sufficient to illustrate the remarks just made. I quote from a corre- spondent of the A2irom, a Philadelphia paper in opposition to Washington's administration. The number containing the fol- lowing article was printed three days after the President's retirement from office : " ' Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation,' was the pious ejaculation of a man who beheld a flood of happiness rushing upon man- kind. If ever there was a time that would license the reitera- tion of the exclamation, that time is now arrived ; for the man who is the source of all the misfortunes of our country, is this day reduced to a level with his fellow-citizens, and is no lono-er possessed of power to multiply evils upon the United States. If ever there was a period for rejoicing, this is the moment ; every heart in unison with the freedom and happiness of the people, ought to beat high with exultation that the name of Washington, from this day, ceases to give a currency to polit- ical iniquity, and to legalize corruption. A new era is now opening upon us, an era which promises much to the people ; for public measures must now stand upon their own merits and nefarious projects can no longer be supported by a name. When a retrospect is taken of the Washingtonian administra- tion for eight years, it is a subject of the greatest astonishment that a single individual should have cankered the principles of republicanism in an enlightened people, just emerged from the gulf of despotism, and should have carried his designs against the public liberty so far, as to have put in jeopardy its 294 MOUNT VERNON very existence. Sucli however are the facts, and vi'ith these staring lis in the face, this day ought to be a jubilee in the United States." How utterly impotent were such attempts to injure the character of Washington, let history testify. On the 3d of March, 1Y97, Washington gave a farewell dinner, to which many of the leading persons at the seat of government were invited. These were chiefly the officers of government and members of the diplomatic corps, with their wives. Bishop White, whose sister was the wife of Eobert Morris, was present, and described some of the events of the banquet. " During the dinner," wrote the bishop, " much hilarity pre- vailed ; but on the removal of the cloth, it was put an end to by the President — certainly without design. Having filled his glass, he addressed the company, with a smile on his coun- tenance, saying, ' Ladies and gentlemen, this is the last time I shall drink your health as a public man. I do it with sin- cerity, and wishing you all possible happiness.' There was an end to all hilarity ; and the cheeks of Mrs. Listen, wife of the British minister, were wet with tears." On the following day John Adams, who had been elected Washington's successor, was inaugurated the second President of the United Stales. The event took place in the Hall of the Representatives, which was densely crowded with spectators. At the appointed hour Washington rode to Congress Hall in his coach, drawn by six horses, and, amidst the most enthusi- astic cheers, entered the room prepared for the ceremonies which were to release him from public life. He was followed by Mr. Adams, and when they were seated, perfect silence prevailed. Washington then arose, and with the most commanding dig- AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 295 nity and self-control, introduced Mr. Adams to the assembly, and proceeded to read, in a firm, clear voice, a brief valedictory, " The most profound silence greeted him," says a still living eye and ear witness of the august event, " as if the great assembly desired to hear him breathe, and catch his breath in homage of their hearts. Mr. Adams covered his face with both his hands ; the sleeves of his coat and his hands were covered with tears." As he pronounced his parting words, a Rob was heard here and there in the assembly ; and when he sat down, the whole audience were in tears. " Then," says the eye-witness just quoted, "when strong nervous sobs broke loose, when tears covered the faces, then the great man was shaken. I never took my eyes from his face. Large drops fell from his cheeks." The late President Duer, of Columbia College, who was present on that occasion, says that when Washington left the hall, there was " a rush from the gallery that threatened the lives of those who were most eager to catch a last look of him who, among mortals, was the first object of their veneration." " Some of US," he said, " effected an escape by slipping down the pillars." AVhen Washington had entered his carriage, the multitude in the streets uttered long and loud huzzas, and he waved his hand in return. " I followed him," says Duer, " in the crowd to his own door, where, as he turned to address the multitude, his coun- tenance assumed a serious and almost melancholy expression, his voice failed him, his eyes were suflfused with tears, and only by his gestures could he indicate his thanks, and convey a farewell blessing to the people." 296 MOUNT VERNON In the evening a splendid entertainment was given to the retiring President, by the inhabitants of Philadelphia, in the Amphitheatre, which was beautifully decorated with appro- priate paintings. One of the newspapers of the day thus describes a compliment that was paid to Washington on that occasion : " Upon entering the area the General was conducted to his seat. On a signal given, the band played Washington''s Jfarch, and a scene, which represented simple objects in the rear of the principal seat, was drawn up and discovered emble- matical paintings. The principal was a female figure as large as life, representing America, seated on an elevation composed of sixteen marble steps. At her left side stood the federal shield and eagle, and at her feet lay the cornucojoia ^ in her right hand she held the Indian calumet of peace suj)porting the cap of liberty ; in the pers2:)ective appeared the temple of ftime ; and, on her left hand, an altar dedicated to public grat. itude, upon which incense was burning. In her left hand she held a scroll inscribed Valedictory ; and at the foot of the altar lay a plumed helmet and SM'ord, from which a figure of General Washington, as large as life, appeared retiring down the steps, pointing with his right hand to the emblems of power which he had resigned, and with his left to a beautiful land- scape representing Mount Yernon, in front of which oxen were seen harnessed to the plough. Over the General appeared a genius, placing a wreath of laurels on his head." These pictures were from the pencil of Charles Willson Peale, who, twenty-five years before, as we have observed, had painted the portrait of Washington at Mount Yernon, in the costume of a Yirginia colonel. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 297 The heads of departments, foreign ministers, and distin- guished strangers in Philadelphia, were present on this gala occasion ; and with that elegant display of taste, fashion, and gayety, ended the public life of Washington. To General Knox he had written two days before : " The remainder of my life, which in the course of nature cannot be long, will be occupied in rural amusements; and, though I shall seclude myself as much as possible from the noisy and bustling crowd, none would more than myself be regaled by the company of those I esteem, at Mount Yernon ; more than twenty miles from which, after I arrive there, it is not likely that I shall ever be." Before following "Washington to his home, from which he went "twenty miles" only once afterwards, let us listen to the voice of another eye-witness of events during Washing- ton's administration (the late Rev, Ashbel Greene), as he dis- courses of the table of the President. He says : "The President ate Indian cakes for breakfast, after the Virginia fashion, although buckwheat cakes were generally on the table. Washington's dining parties were entertained in a very handsome style. His weekly dining day, for company, was Thursdav, and his dining hour was always four o'clock in the afternoon. His rule was to allow five minutes for the variation of clocks and watches, and then go to the table, be present or absent whoever might. He kept his own clock in the hall, just within the outward door, and always exactly regulated. When lagging members of Congress came in, as they often did, after the guests had sat down to dinner, the President's only apology was, ' Gentlemen (or sir), we are too punctual for you. I have a cook who never asks whether the 298 MOUNT VERNON company, but whether the hour has come.' Tlie company usually assembled in the drawing-room, about fifteen or twenty minutes before dinner, and the President spoke to every guest personally on entering the room. Mrs. Washing- ton often, but not always, dined witli the company, sat at the head of the table, and if, as was occasionally the case, tliere were other ladies present, they sat each side of her. The private secretary sat at the foot of the table, and was expected to be quietly attentive to all the guests. The President him- self sat half-way from the head to the foot of the table, and on that side he would place Mrs. "Washington, though distant from him, on his right hand. He always, unless a clergyman was present, at his own table asked a blessing, in a standing posture. If a clergyman were present, he was requested both to ask a blessing and to return thanks after dinner. The centre of the table contained five or six large silver or plated waiters, those of the ends, circular, or rather oval on one side, so as to make the arrangement correspond with the oval shape of the table. The waiters between the end pieces were in the form of parallelograms, the ends about one-third part of the length of the sides ; and the whole of these waiters were filled with alabaster figures, taken from the ancient mythology, but none of them such as to ofi'end in the smallest degree against delicacy. On the outside of the oval, formed by the waiters, were placed the various dishes, always without covers; and outside the dishes were the plates. A small roll of bread, enclosed in a napkin, was laid by the side of each plate. The President, it is believed, generally dined on one dish, and that of a very simple kind. If ofi'ered something, either in the first or second course, which was very rich, his usual reply was : AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 299 * That is too good for me.' lie had a silver pint cup or mug of beer placed by his plate, which he drank while dining. He took one glass of wine during dinner, and commonly one after. He then retired (the ladies having gone a little before him), and left his secretary to superintend the table, till the wine- bibbers of Congress had satisfied themselves with drinking. His wines were always the best that could be obtained. Nothing could exceed the order with which his table was served. Every servant knew what he was to do, and did it in the most quiet and yet rapid manner. The dishes and plates were removed and changed, with a silence and speed that seemed like enchantment." On the 9th of March "Washington set out for Mount Yernon, a private citizen, accompanied by Mrs. "Washington, her grand-daughter, Eleanor Parke Custis, and George "Washing- ton Lafayette, son of the marquis, who was then an exile from France, and in prison. Young Lafayette was then between seventeen and eighteen years of age, and was accompanied by his preceptor, M. Frestel, who composed a part of the family then on its way to Mount Yernon. The misfortunes of Lafayette, whom Washington loved so devotedly, and the condition of his interesting family, had given him more painful anxiety, during the latter part of his administration, than any other circumstance. Lafayette, as we have seen, was one of the prime leaders in the revolution in France during its first stages. He was an active advocate of civil liberty, but conservative in a country where and when representatives and constituents were alike radical. When the revolution was at its height, he was at the head of the Constitutionalists, who advised moderation. 300 MOUNT VERNON GKOUGE WASHINGTON LAFAYETTE. Because of this, lie, of all the leaders, was left almost alone. He was forsaken by timid friends, who trembled at the frowns of the Terrorists, and was menaced by his violent political enemies. He dared to oppose the factions, of whatever creed, and for this he drew npon his head the anathemas of the Jacobins, the emigrants, and the royalists. Even his army, hitherto faithful, had become disaffected toward him, through the machinations of his enemies, and nothing remained for him but to flee, lie left his army encamped at Sedan, and, in company with a few faithful friends, set off for Holland, to seek an asylum there or in the United States. At the first Austrian post he and his friends were at first detained, and then made prisoners. Soon afterward they AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 301 were sent to the dimgeons of Wesel and Magdeburg, and ultimately to those of Olmutz, by order of the allied raonarchs of Austria and Prussia. When information of this condition of his dear friend reached Washington at Philadelphia, he was deeply moved. The late venerable Kichard Rush — intelligence of whose death is spreading upon electric pinions over the land while I write (August 1, 1859) — relates an interesting incident illustrative of the feelings of Washington on that occasion. Mr. Bradford, the attorney-general-, was living directly opposite the Presi- dent's house, and was spending an evening with Washington's family, when the conversation reverted to Lafayette. Wash- ington spoke with great seriousness, contrasted the marquises hitherto splendid career with his present forlorn and suffering condition, and at lengtli became so deeply affected, that his eyes filled with tears, and his whole great soul was stirred to its very depths. "Magnanimous tears they were," says Mr. Rush, " fit for the first of heroes to shed — virtuous, honorable, sanctified !" Mr. Bradford, who deeply sympathized with the feelings of Washington, was much affected at the spectacle, and returning to his own house, he " sat down," says Griswold, from whose Iiejp%il)lican Court I quote, " and wrote the following simple, but touching verses, an impromptu effusion from the heart of a man of sensibility and genius : "THE LAMENT OF WASHINGTON "As beside his cheerful fire, 'Midst his happy family, Sat a venerable sire, Tears were starting in his eye, 502 MOUNT VERNON Selfish blessings were forgot, Whilst he thought on Fayette's lot, Once so happy on our plains — Now in poverty and chains. "'Fayette,' cried he — 'honored name! Dear to these far distant shores — Fayette, fired by freedom's flame, Bled to make that freedom ours. "What, alas ! for this remains — What, but poverty and chains I " ' Soldiers in our fields of death — Was not Fayette foremost there ? Cold and shivering on the heath, Did you not his bounty share ? What reward for this remains, What, but poverty and chains 1 ' ' Hapless Fayette 1 'midst thine error, How my soul thy worth reveres 1 Son of freedom, tyrant's terror, Hero of both hemispheres I Wiiat reward for all remains, What, but poverty and chains ! " ' Born to honors, ease, and wealth, See him sacrifice them all; Sacrificing also health. At his country's glorious call. What for thee, my friend, remains, What, but poverty and chains ! " ' Thus with laurels on his brow Belisarius begged for bread ; Thus, from Carthage forced to go, Hannibal an exile fled. Alas I Fayette at once sustains Exile, poverty, and chains!' AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 303 "Courage, child of Washington 1 Though thy fate disastrous seems, We have seen the setting sun Rise and bum with brighter beams. Thy country soon shall break thy chain, And take thee to her arms again. Thy country soon shall break thy chain, And take thee to her arms again 1" In the horrid dungeon at 01m utz, in a cell three paces broad and five and a half long, containing no other ornament than two French verses which rhyme with the words to suffer and to die, the generous Lafayette was confined almost three years, and yet his great soul was not bound by suffering, nor his zeal for liberty one whit abated. Deprived of pen, ink, and paper, except a sheet that "by a miracle" he possessed, he wrote a letter with a toothpick to a princess who sympa- thized with him, and said, in a postscript : " I know not what disposition has been made of my planta- tion at Cayenne, but I hope Madame Lafayette will take care that the negroes who cultivate it shall preserve thei?' Uhertt/" Lafayette's noble wife, as soon as she could get permission to leave France, hastened to Olmutz, with her daughters, to share the prison with the husband and father, while their son, George Washington, came to the United States, with his tutor, consigned to the fatherly care and protection of the great patriot whose name he bore. They arrived at Boston at the close of the summer of 1795, and immediately informed "Wash- ington of the fact. The President's first impulse was to take the young man to his bosom and cherish him as a son, but grave reasons of state denied him that pleasure, " To express all the sensibility," he said, in a letter to Senator Cabot, of 30-i MOUNT VERNON Boston, " whicli lias been excited in my breast by the receipt of young Lafayette's letter, from the recollections of liis father's merits, services, and sufferings, from my friendship for him, and from my wishes to become a friend and father to his son, is unnecessary." He then declared himself the young man's friend, but intimated that great caution in the manifestation of that friendship would be necessary, considering the light in which his father was then viewed by the French government, and Washington's own situation as the executive of the United States, He desired Mr. Cabot to make young Lafayette and M. Frestel, his tutor, understand why he could not receive them as he desired, but that his support and protection, until a more auspicious moment, might be relied on. He ordered them to be provided with every thing necessary, at his expense, and advised their entrance at Harvard University. Young Lafayette assumed the name of Motier (a family name of his father) ; and in November "Washington wrote to him with caution, telling him that the causes which rendered it necessary for them both to be circumspect were not yet removed, and desiring him to repair to Colonel Hamilton, in New York, who would see that he was well provided for. " How long the causes whicli have withheld you from me may continue," "Washington said, "I am not able at this moment to decide ; but be assured of my wishes to embrace you so soon as they shall have ceased, and that, whenever the period arrives, I shall do it with fervency." He then, with fatherly solicitude, advised him to attend well to his studies, that he might "be found to be a deserving son of a meritorious father." After leaving Boston, young Lafayette lived with his tutor AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 305 for awliile in the vicinity of New York, in comparative seclu- sion. At length the Congress took cognizance of the presence of the young man, and on the 18th of March the House of Representatives passed the following resolution and order : " Information having been given to this House that a son of General Lafayette is now within the United States ; '•'•Resolved^ That a committee be appointed to inquire into the truth of the said information, and report thereon; and what measures it would be proper to take if the same be true, to evince the grateful sense entertained by the country for the services of his father. "Ordered that Mr. Livingston, Mr. Sherburne, and Mr. Murray be appointed a committee pursuant to the said resolu- tion." As chairman of the committee, Mr. Livingston wrote to young Lafayette as follows : " Sir : Actuated by motives of gratitude to your father, and eager to seize every opportunity of showing their sense of his important services, the House of Representatives have passed the resolution which I have the pleasure to communicate. The committee being directed to inquire into the fact of your arrival within the United States, permit me to advise your immediate appearance at this place, that the legislature of America may no longer be in doubt, whether the son of Lafay- ette is under their protection, and within the reach of their gratitude. "I presume to give this advice as an individual personally attached to your father, and very solicitous to be useful to any person in whose happiness he is interested. If I should have 20 306 MOUNT VERNON that good fortune on this occasion, it will afford me the great- est satisfaction. " I am, etc., "Edwabd LrriNGSTON." This letter and the resolutions of the House of Representatives young Lafayette forwarded to President Washington, and asked his advice as to the course he should pursue. Washington advised him to come to Philadelphia at the opening of tlie next session of Congress, but to avoid society as much as pos- sible. He complied, and remained in Philadelphia until the following spring, when Washington, on becoming a private citizen, embraced the son of his friend as if he had been his own chtld, and bore him to his home on the Potomac. There he remained until early in October, when the joyful news having reached him of the release of his father from confine- ment, and his restoration to his country and friends, caused him to leave for the seaboard to depart for France. He and M. Frestel sailed from New York on the 26th of October, 1797. As young Lafayette was about to leave Mount Yemen, Washington placed a letter in his hands for his father, in which he said : "From the delicate and responsible situation in which I stood as a public ofiicer, but more esj)ecially from a miscon- ception of the manner in which your son had left France, till explained to me in a personal interview with himself, he did not come immediately into my family on his arrival in Amer- ica, though he was assured in the first moments of it of my protection and support. His conduct, since he first set his feet on AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 307 American ground, has been exemplary in every point of view such as has gained him the esteem, affection, and confidence of all who have had the pleasure of his acquaintance. His filial affection and duty, and his ardent desire to embrace his parents and sisters in the first moments of their release, would not allow him to wait the authentic account of this much- desired event ; but, at the same time that I suggested the pro- priety of this, I could not withhold my assent to the gratifica- tion of his wishes to fly to the arms of those whom he holds most dear, persuaded as he is from the information he has received, that he shall find you all in Paris. " M, Frestel has been a true Mentor to George. 'No parent could have been more attentive to a favorite son; and he richly merits all that can be said of his virtues, of l^is good sense, and of his prudence. Both your son and he carry with them the vows and regrets of this family, and all who know them. And you may be assured that yourself never stood higher in the affections of the people of this country than at the present moment." Tlie profile of George Washington Lafayette, given on a preceding page, was painted in crayon, by James Sharpless, an English artist, who came to this country in 1796, and visited all the principal cities and towns in the United States, carrying letters of introduction to various distinguished per- sons, and requesting them to sit for their portraits. These were generally painted in crayon, upon a small scale, and finished in less than three hours from the commencement of the sitting. Sharpless usually drew them in profile, and the likenesses were generally so much admired for their faithful- ness, that orders would sometimes be given for whole families. 308 MOUNT VERNON In tliis way lie painted immense numbers of portraits, and received fifteen dollars for each commission. Sharpless brought with him his wife and three children. He made New York his head-quarters, and generally travelled in a four-wheeled carriage, so contrived by himself as to con- i;. W. p. CISTIS AT TUB AGli OP sevlxtle:,' ylai vcy his whole family and all of his painting apparatus, and drawn by one stout horse. He was a ])lain and frugal man, and amassed a competence by his profession. He was a man of science and a mechanician, and nuinufactured the crayons which he used in his profession. He died suddenly in New York, at the age of about sixty years, and was buried in the cemetery attached to the Ilonian Catholic chapel in Barclay AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 309 street. His widow and family returned to England, where they sold the portraits of the distinguished Americans whom Sharpless had painted, and settled in Bath. AVhile in Philadelphia Sharpless painted the profile portraits of President and Mrs. Washington ; and also those of George "Washington Lafayette (just mentioned) and George "Washing- ton Parke Custis. The latter was then a lad between sixteen and seventeen years of age, and he and young Lafayette became warmly attached friends. When, in 1824 and 1825, General Lafayette visited this country, as the guest of the nation, his son George accompanied him, and he and Mr. Custis were much together when opportunity allowed the privilege. The following note from George W. Lafayette to the friend of his youth, is an exhibition of the warmth of his attachment : "Washington City, January the third, 1825. " My dear Cutstis : My father being able to dispose of him- self on Wednesday, will do himself the pleasure of going that day to dine at Arlington. It is so long since I wished for that satisfaction myself, that I most sincerely rejoice at the antici- pation of it. You know, my friend, how happy I was when we met at Baltimore. Since that day I felt every day more and more how much our two hearts were calculated to under- stand each other. Be pleased, my dear Custis, to present my respectful homage to the ladies, and receive for yourself the expression of my most affectionate and brotherly sentiments." The profiles of General and Mrs. Washington, by Sharpless, liave been pronounced by members of the Washington family who remembered the originals, as the best likenesses extant. 310 MOUNT VERNON both in form and color. Sharpless made many copies from it. So also did Mrs. Sharpless, who painted miniatnres in water colors most exquisitely. One of these is in the possession of 1 CRAYON PROFILE OF WASHIXGTOX. Mrs. Eliza M. Evans, a daughter of General Anthony "Walton White, of New Jersey. It is somewhat smaller tlian the nsual size of miniatures, and on the back is written, by the hand of the fair artist : " General Washington, Philadelphia, 1796. E. Sharpless." Tliese four originals, by Sharpless, are preserved at Arling- ton Honse. Those of Mrs. Washington, and Lafayette and Custis, when lads, have never been engraved before. They liung upon the walls at Mount Vernon from the time when Washington retired from the presidency nntil the death of Mrs. Washington, in 1802, when they passed into the posses- sion of her grandson, G. W. P. Custis. When fairly seated again in private life at Mount Yernon, AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 311 Washington appeared to revel in the luxury of quiet. He was never idle, never indifferent to the progress of current events, but he loved the peacefulness of nature away from the haunts CRAYON PROFILE OF MRS. WASHINGTON. of men, and was delighted when working like the bee amonc the fruits and flowers. He was not unsocial, and yet he loved to be away from the great gathering-places of men and the tumults of public life. He was not unambitious, but he was not only indifferent but averse to the plaudits of the multitude when given in the accents of flattery. He wished to be loved as a righteous man, and he relied upon his conscience more than upon the voices of men for a knowledge of the accept- ableness of his endeavors. It was his guide in all things, for he regarded it in one sense as Emanuel— God with us— the righteous judge of the thoughts and actions of men. Washington now felt that his country had received all that 312 MOUNT VERNON could reasonably be asked of him as a public servant, and he returned to his old pursuits with a sincere desire to mingle no more in the stirring arena of busy life. " To make and sell a little flour annually," he wrote to Oliver Wolcott, " to repair houses (going fast to ruin), to build one for the security of my papers of a public nature, and to amuse myself in agricultural and rural pursuits, will constitute employment for the few years I have to remain on this terrestrial globe. If, also, I could now and then meet the friends I esteem, it would fill the measure and add zest to my enjoyments ; but, if ever this hap- pens, it must be under my own vine and fig-tree, as I do not think it probable that I shall go twenty miles fi'om them." "Washington enjoyed the visits of friends, but those of mere ceremony he disliked, and was sometimes annoyed by those prompted by idle curiosity. " 1 might tell my friend," he said, in a letter at the close of May to Mr. McHenry, the secretary of war, " that I begin my diurnal course with the sun ; that if my hirelings are not in their places at that time, I send them messages of sorrow for their indisposition ; that, having put these wheels in motion, I examine the state of things further ; that the more they are probed, the deeper I find the wounds which my buildings have sustained by an absence and neglect of eight years ; that by the time I have accomplished these matters, breakfast (a little after seven o'clock, about the time I presume you are taking leave of Mrs. McHenry) is ready ; that this being over, I mount my horse and ride round ray farms, which employs me until it is time to dress for dinner, at which I rarely miss seeing strange faces, come, as they say, out of respect for me. Pray, would not the word curiosity answer as well ? And how dif- AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 313 ferent this from having a few social friends at a cheerful board! The nsual time of sitting at table, a walk, and tea, bring me within the dawn of candlelight ; previons to which, if not prevented by company, I resolve that, as soon as the glimmering taper supplies tlie place of the great luminary, I will retire to my writing-table and acknowledge the letters I ha\ e received ; but when the lights are brought, I feel tired and disinclined to engage in this work, conceiving that the next night will do as well. The next night comes, and with it the same causes for postponement, and so on. "This will account for your letter remaining so long unac- knowledged ; and, having given you the history of a day, it will serve for a year, and I am persuaded you will not require a second edition of it. But it may strike you that, in this detail, no mention is made of any portion of time allotted for reading. The remark would be just, for I have not looked into a book since I came home ; nor shall I be able to do it until I have discharged my workmen, probably not before the nights grow longer, when possibly I may be looking in Dooms- day Book." "Washington's allusion in the foregoing letter to his writing- table, reminds me of his inkstand, which is preserved at Arling- ton House. It is composed wholly of silver, except three cut- glass bottles, two of them used for ink, and one (in the centre) for sand. The tray is seven and a half inches in length. It was used by Washington during the last two years of his administration, and ever afterward at Mount Yemon. Washington found his mansion and all of the surrounding buildings much in want of repair when he returned home. "I find myself," he said, "in the situation nearly of a new zn MOUNT VERNON WASUINGTON S INKSTAND. beginner ; for ultliougli I liavc not liouses to build (except one, wliicli I nmst erect for tlie accommodation and security of my military, civil, and private j)apers, -whicli are voluminous and may be interesting), yet I have scarcely any thing else about me that does not require considerable repairs. In a word, I am already surrounded by joiners, masons, and painters ; and such is my anxiety to get out of their hands, that I have scarcely a room to put a friend into or to sit in myself, without the music of hammers or the odoriferous scent of paint." Tlie mansion at Mount Vernon was soon thoroughly repair- ed, and many ornaments and pieces of furniture, not known to it before, M'cre placed in it. Whatever had been used in the presidential mansion at Philadelphia, and could be appro- priately transferred to Mount Yernon, were reserved, when Washington broke up his establishment in the federal capital, and disposed of all superfluities. Among other things brought on from Philadelphia, was a pair of mural candelabra, of elegant form and workmanship. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 315 These were upon the walls of the dining-room at Philadelphia, which was also used for public receptions by the President and his wife. They were now placed in the large drawing- mi ral CANDELABRA. ANCIEN'T LANTERN. room at Mount Yernon. Tliey are each constructed of a mir- ror enclosed in a neat metal frame, resting upon an elaborately wrought bracket, and surmounted by flowers and festoons of leaves, all of the same material, and heavily gilt. In front of the mirror is a crystal candlestick and branches, so placed as to have a brilliant reflection produced. 31G MOUNT YERNON Tliese "lustres," as they were sometimes called, were im- ported from France, and formed a strong contrast to the ancient dingy iron lantern which hnng in the great passage. That lantern, first hnng np in the original cottage npon Mount Yernon by Lawrence Washington, continued its services there until the death of the general. It had then cast its dim liglit upon the entrance door full eighty years. It is still in service, having for more than fifty years lighted the great passage at Arlington House, illuminating pictures by Yandyke and Sir Godfrey Knell er. In the dining-room at Mount Yernon was another relic of the household of Lawrence "Washington. It was a sideboard, handsomely wrought of black walnut, and is an excellent specimen of the quality of furniture in Yirginia a hundred years ago. Its edges and legs are ornamented with delicate leaf-carving, and the wood is as perfect as when it was first used. It is about five feet in length, two and a half feet in width, and three feet in height, and quite heavy. It is used by the family at Arlington House, and is prized as one of the most precious mementos of Mount Yernon, because of its antiquity There are also a tea-table and punch-bowl at Arlington House that belonged to Washington. The former is quite small, elliptical in shape, about three feet in length, and made of mahogany. It was manufactured in New York for use in the executive mansion there, as a tea-tnlAe only, for the little private family of Washington, which consisted of only four persons. Food was not often set upon it. Washington seldom ate any thing after dinner until eight o'clock in the evening, when, with his family, he partook of a cup of tea served from this table, and a small slice of buttered bread. AXD ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 317 sinr.BovRn, tea-table, and punch-bo'.vu Tlie great porcelain puncli-Lowl delineated in the engraving, lias a deep blue border at the rim, spangled with gilt stars and dots. It was made expressly for Washington, but when, w'here, and by whom is not known. In the bottom is a picture of a frigate, and on the side are the initials G. W., in goM, upon a shield with oniamental sur- roundings. It is supposed to have been j^resented to Washington by the French naval officers. If so, it was doubtless manufactured and sent over at the time when the Cin- cinnati china was forwarded. Tliere are two massive silver can- dlesticks, with extinguishers and simffers of the same metal, at Ar- lington House, that once belonged to Washington. These formed a part of his furniture after his retirement from the army, in WASHINGTON'S Sll.Vhll CA.'.DLthiTICK. 318 MOUNT VERNON 1783, and are a portion of his plate not remodelled afterward in New York. How manj interesting associations are made to cluster around these simple ntensils of domestic use, at the sugges- tions of fancy and conjecture! Perhaps almost every distin- guished European — Lafayette, Eochambeau, Chastellux, Hou- don, Pine, Mouslier, Brissot, D'Yrujo, Graham — as well as equally distinguished Americans who have spent a night at Mount Yernon — bore one of them to the bedchamber. Perhaps they were used by "Washington himself at his writing-table or by the fireside, or to light the conjugal chamber. And it is quite possible that the master bore one of them on the occasion mentioned in the following paragraph from the pen of Elkanah "VVatson, when describing his visit at Mount Yernon : " Tlie first evening I spent under the wing of Washington's hospitality, we sat a full hour at table by ourselves, without the least interruption. After the family had retired, I was extremely oppressed by a severe cold and excessive coughing, contracted by the exposure of a harsh Avinter journey. He pressed me to use some remedies, but I declined doing so. As usual after retiring, my coughing increased. Wlien some time had elapsed, the door of my room was gently opened, and on drawing my bed-curtains, to my utter astonishment I beheld Washington himself standing at my bedside, with a bowl of hot tea in his hand. I was mortified and distressed beyond expression. This little incident occurring in common life with an ordinary man, would not have been noticed ; but as a trait of the benevolence and private virtue of Washington, deserves to be recorded." AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 319 HORNING — A LANDSCAPE BY MlNhlANLEl'. Wliile residing in Philadelphia, Washington became ac- quainted with the merits of William Winstanley, an English- EVEXING — A LANDSCAPE BY WINSTANLEY. man, and landscape painter, who came to America in 1796. 320 MOUNT VERNON He was spoken of as " an artist of genius and reputation, whose landscapes in oil are greatly admired by the connois- seurs." Washington, pleased with some specimens of his skill which were brought to his notice, gave him a commission to paint six medium-sized pictures, representing scenery on the Hudson Kiver. These were afterward taken to Mount Yernon, and adorned the walls of the drawing-room there. Two of these, called respectively Morning and Evening, are now at Arlington House. Two others are in the family of the late Mrs. Lewis (Nelly Custis) ; of the remaining two we have no intelligence. Washington was again awakened from his sweet dream of peace and quietness in his home on the Potomac, by the call of his country to lend to it once more his voice and his arm. There were signs of war in the political firmament. France, once the ally of the United States, assumed the attitude of an enem3\ The king and queen of that unhappy country had been murdered at the command of a popular tribunal. Out of the anarchy tliat ensued, had been evolved a government, in which supreme power was vested in five men called a Directory, who ruled in connection with two chambers the Council of Ancients and the Council of Five Hundred. It was installed at the Little Luxemboui-g, at Paris, on the 1st of November, 1795, and held the executive power four years. That Directory was a most despotic tyrant, and ruled with an iron hand. Its pride disgusted the nations, and every true friend of man rejoiced when it quailed before the genius and the bayonets of Napoleon. Before Washington had left the chair of state, the friendly AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 321 feeling between the United States and France had become greatly weakened. The French Directory assumed a tone of incomparable insolence, and the American representatives in Paris were insulted. Three judicious men had been sent to adjust all difficulties with the French government. They were refused an audience with the Directory unless they would agree to pay a large sum into the French treasury. " Millions for defence, but not one cent for tribute !" said Charles Cotes- worth Pinckney, one of the American envoys ; and he and John Marshall, another of the envoys, were ordered out of the country. This insult the United States did not choose to allow to pass unheeded, and all diplomatic intercourse between the two governments was suspended. Preparations were made for war ; and in May, 1798, Congress authorized the formation of a large military force, to be called a Provisional Army. Tlie movement was popular with the people, and with anxious hearts their thoughts turned instinctively to "Washington as the man for the commander-in-chief. Tliere appeared to be a universal opinion that the weight of Washington's name and character would be necessary in order to produce unanimity among the military leaders that would be brought upon the stage, and to secure the confidence and support of the people. "Washington, though in absolute retirement, had watched the progress of affairs in France with sorrow and indignation, and had expressed his mind freely to his friends upon the subject. President Adams, in the perplexities which the prog- ress of events produced, turned to him for advice, and looked to him for aid. " I must tax you," he said, " sometimes for advice. "We must have your name, if you will in any case 21 322 MOUNT YERNOIT permit us to use it. Tliere will be more efficacy in it than in many an arm3^" And before Washington could reply, Adams nominated to the Senate: "George "Washington, of Mount Vernon, to be lieutenant-general and commander-in-chief of all the armies raised and to be raised in the United States," Already Mr. McIIenry, the secretary of war, had written : " You see how the storm thickens, and that our vessel will soon require our ancient pilot. Will you — may we flatter ourselves that, in a crisis so awful and important, you will accept the command of all our armies? I hope you will, because you alone can unite all hearts and all hands, if it is possible that they can be united." Tlie Senate confirmed the nomination of the president, and Washington was appointed commander-in-chief of the Provi- sional Army. True to the prophecies and jjromises of his antecedents, he accepted the trust, for his country demanded his services, but with the provision that he should not be re- quired to take the field until circumstances should make it absolutely necessary. " I see, as you do," he said to McHenry, " that clouds are gathering and that a storm may ensue ; and I find, too, from a variety of hints, that my quiet, under these circumstances, does not promise to be of long continuance. * * * * As my whole life has been dedicated to my country in one shape or another, for the poor remains of it it is not an object to con- tend for ease and quiet, when all that is valuable is at stake, further than to be satisfied that the sacrifice I should make of these is acceptable and desired by my country." And now there were stirring times again at Mount Yernon. Washington's post-bag came filled with a score of letters some- AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 323 times, for to him had been entrusted the selection of officers for the army, and there were thousands of aspirants for places of almost every grade. He nominated Colonel Alexander Hamilton as first major-general, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, then on his way from France, the second, and General Knox the third. The subordinate offices were frequently filled by the sons of his old companions in arms, and several of his own family received commissions. Young Custis, his adopted son, was appointed aide-de-camp to General Pinckney, and his favorite nephew, Lawrence Lewis, also received a com- mission. Many were the visitors who flocked to Mount Yernon dur- ing the autumn of 1798. A large number of these were army officers, who went to head-quarters to consult with the chief about military affairs ; and General Pinckney having returned, was there at Christmas time. At the same time Judge Cushing, of the Supreme Court of the United States, who administered the oath of office to Washington at his second inauguration, was also there. "We reached Mount Yernon," wrote the wife of Judge Cushing, in February, 1799, "the evening before Christmas, and if any thing could have added to our enjoyment, it was the arrival of General and Mrs. Pinckney the next day [Tues- day], while we were dining. You may be sure it was a joyful meeting, and at the very place my wishes had pointed out. To be in the company of so many esteemed friends, to hear our good General Washington converse upon political subjects without reserve, and to hear General and Mrs. Pinckney re- late what they saw and heard in France, was truly a feast to me. Thus the moments glided away for two days, when our 3^^ MOUNT VERNON reason pointed out the propriety of our departing and improv ing the good roads, as the snow and frost had made them better than they are in summer." The attitude assumed by the United States, and the appear- ance of Washington at the head of the army, humbled the French Directory, and President Adams was encouraged to send representatives to France again. When they arrived, toward the close of 1799, the weak Directory were no more. iN^apoleon Bonaparte was at the head of the government as first consul, and soon the cloud of war that hung between France and the United States was dissipated. We now come to consider the associations of Mount Yernon during the last year of Washington's life. It opened with joy, it closed with sorrow. Lawrence Lewis, son of Washington's sister Elizabeth, had been a resident at Mount Yernon for some time. We have abeady observed, by an expression in a letter of Washington to Mr. McHenry, that the visits of strangers to Mount Yernon had become somewhat burdensome to the master. With this feeling he wrote to Lawrence, giving him a formal invitation to reside at Mount Yernon, and saying : " As both your aunt and I are in the decline of life, and regular in our habits, especially in our hours of rising and going to bed, I require some person (fit and proper) to ease me of the trouble of entertaining company, particularly of nights, as it is my inclination to retire (and unless prevented by very particular company, I always do retire) either to bed or to my study soon after candlelight. Li takmg those duties (which hospitality obliges one to bestow on company) off my hands, it would render me a very acceptable service." Lawrence com- AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 325 plied with the request of his uncle, and became an inmate of the family at Mount Vernon at the beginning of 1Y98. Nelly Custis was at this time blooming into womanhood, and was exceedingly attractive in person and manners. She was a great favorite with her foster-father, and as she ap- proached marriageable age, he had indulged many anxious tlioughts respecting her. The occasional visits of Lawrence Lewis to Mount Vernon had been productive of the most intimate friendly relations between them, and when he became a resident there, his respect for I^elly grew into warm and tender attachment. Washington was pleased ; but there came a rival, whose suit Mrs. Washington decidedly encouraged. That rival was a son of Charles Carroll, of Carrollton, who had just returned from Europe, and displayed all the accomplish- ments of a good education, adorned with the social graces derived from foreio;n travel. " 1 find that young Mr. C has been at Mount Vernon, and, report says, to address my sister," wrote her brother to Washington, in April, 1798, from Annapolis, where he was at school. "It may be well to subjoin an opinion," he said, " which I believe is general in this place, viz., that he is a young man of the strictest probity and morals, discreet with- out closeness, temperate without excess, and modest without vanity; possessed of those amiable qualities and friendship which are so commendable, and with few of the vices of the age. In short, I think it a most desirable match, and wish that it may take place with all my heart." Washington, who favored the suit of his nephew, closed abruptly the correspondence with young Custis on that sub ject, by saying, in a letter to him a fortnight afterward : ^^^ MOUNT VERNON "Young Mr. C came here about a fortnight ago, to dinner, and left us next morning after breakfast. If bis object was such as you say has been reported, it was not declai'ed here ; and therefore the less is said upon the subject, particu- larly by your sister's friends, the more prudent it will be until the subject develops itself more." In his next letter, in reply to this, young Custis ventured only to say : " With respect to what I mentioned of Mr, C in my last, I had no other foundation but report, which has since been contradicted."* Lawrence Lewis triumphed, yet the foster-father had some time doubted respecting the result, for other suitors came to Mount Yernon, and made their homage at the shrine of 'N'elly's wit and beauty. " I was young and romantic then," she said to a ladj", from whose lips Mr. Irving has quoted — " I was young and roman- tic then, and fond of wandering alone by moonlight in the woods of Mount Yernon. Grandmamma tliouo;ht it wrono' and unsafe, and scolded and coaxed me into a promise that I would not wander in the woods again unaccompanied. But I was missing one evening, and was brought home from the interdicted woods to the drawing-room, where the General was walking up and down with his hands behind him, as was his wont. Grandmamma, seated in her great arm-chair, opened a severe reproof." * For very interesting correspondence between General Washington and his adopted son, G. W, P. Custis, while the latter was in college at Princeton and Annapolis, from November, 1796, to January, 1799, see Recollections and Private Memoirs of Washington, by his adopted son, George Washington Parke Custis, edited by the author of this work. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 327 " Poor Miss ITelly," says Mr. Irving, " was reminded of lier promise, and taxed witli her delinquency. She knew that she had done wrong — admitted her fault, and essayed no excuse ; but, when there was a slight pause, moved to retire from the room. She was just shutting the door when she overheard the General attempting, in a low voice, to intercede in her behalf. ' My dear,' observed he, ' I would say no more — perhaps she was not alone.' " His intercession stopped Miss Nelly in her retreat. She reopened the door and advanced up to the General with a firm step. ' Sir,' said she, ' you brought me up to speak the truth, and when I told Grandmamma I was alone, I hope you believed I was alone.'' "Tlie General made one of his most magnanimous bows. 'My child,' replied he, 'I beg your pardon.' " Lawrence and ISTelly were married at Mount Yernon on Washington's birthday, 1799. It was Friday, and a bright and beautiful day. The early spring flowers were budding in the hedges, and the bluebird, making its way cautiously north- ward, gave a few joyous notes in the garden that morning. The occasion was one of great hilarity at Mount Yernon, for the bride was beloved by all, and Major Lewis, the bride- groom, had ever been near to the heart of his uncle, since the death of his mother, who so much resembled her illustrious brother, that when, in sport, she would place a chajpeau on her head and throw a military cloak over her shoulders, she might easily have been mistaken for the Chief. It was the wish of the young bride, said her brother, that the general of the armies of the United States should wear, on that occasion, the splendidly-embroidered uniform which the 328 MOUNT VERNON board of general officers had adopted, but Washington could not be persuaded to appear in a costume bedizened with tinsel. He preferred the plain old continental blue and buif, and the modest black ribbon cockade. Magnificent white plumes, wdiicli General Pincknej had presented to him, he gave to the bride ; and to the Keverend Thomas Davis, rector of Christ Church, Alexandria, who performed the marriage ceremony, he presented an elegant copy of Mrs. Macaulay's History of England^ in eight octavo volumes, saying, when he handed them to him : " Tliese, sir, were written by a remarkable lady, who visited America many years ago ; and here is also her treatise on the Infiinutahility of Moral Truth, which she sent me just before her death — read it and return it to me." With characteristic modesty, Washington m.ade no allusion to the fact that Mrs. Macaulay (Catharine Macaulay Graham) crossed the Atlantic in the spring of 1785, for no other pur- pose, as she avowed, than to see the great leader of the Amer- ican armies, whom she revered as a second Moses. Washing- ton tlius alluded to her, in a letter to General Knox, written on the 18th of June, 1785 : "Mrs. Macaulay Graham, Mr. Graham, and others, have just left us, after a stay of about ten daj^s. A visit from a lady so celebrated in the literary world could not but be very flattering to me." The year 1799 — next to the last year of the century, and the last of Washington's life — was now drawing to a close, and he appears to have made preparations for his departure, as if the fact that the summons from earth would soon be presented had been revealed to him. In March he said, in a letter to AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 329 Mr. McHeniy, after alluding to business affairs : " My greatest anxiety is to have all these concerns in such a clear and dis- tinct form, that no reproach may attach itself to me when I have taken my departure for the land of spirits." In July he executed his last will and testament. It was written entirely by himself, and at the bottom of each page of manuscript he signed his name. During the autumn he digested a complete system of management for his estate for several succeeding years, in which were tables designating the rotation of crops. This document occupied thirty folio pages, all written in his peculiar and clear style. It was completed only four days before his death, and was accompanied by a letter, dated December 10th, 1799, to his manager or steward, giving him special directions, as if the master was about to depart on a journey. At this time Washington was in full health and vigor, and the beautiful days of a serene old age were promised him. He had once said : " I am of a short-lived family, and cannot expect to remain very long upon the earth ;" yet now, at the age of almost sixty-eight, he appeared to have full expectations of octogenarian honors. Only a few days before his death, he had walked out, on a cold, frosty morning, with his nephew. Major Lewis, and pointed out his anticipated improvements, especially showing him the spot where he intended to build a new family vault. "This change," he said, "I shall make the first of all, for I may require it before the rest." "Wlien I parted from him," said Major Lewis, to James K. Paulding, " he stood on the steps of the front door, where he took leave of myself and another. He had taken his usual 330 MOUNT YERNON ride, and the clear healthy flush on his cheek and his sprightly manner, brought the remark from both of us that we had never seen the general look so well. I have sometimes thought him decidedly the handsomest man I ever saw; and when in a lively mood, so full of pleasantry, so agreeable to all with whom he associated, I could hardly realize that he was the same Washington whose dignity awed all who approached him." On the 11th of December "Washington noted in his diary that there was wind and rain, and "at night a large circle round the moon." This portent of snow was truthful, for at one o'clock the next day it began to fall. It soon changed to hail, and then to rain. Washington had been out on horseback, as usual, since ten o'clock in the morning, and returned only in time for late dinner. Mr. Lear, who was again residing at Mount Yernon, as Washington's secretary and business manager, carried some letters to him to frank, when he observed snow hanging to the general's hair about his neck, and expressed a fear that he was wet. " No," Washington replied, " my great coat has kept me dry ;" and after franking the letters, and observing that the storm was too heavy to send a servant to the post-office that evening, he sat down to dinner without changing his damp clothes. On the following day (Friday, the 13th) the snow was three inches deep upon the ground, and still falling. Washington complained of a sore throat, and the storm continuing, he omitted his usual ride. At noon the clouds broke, the sun came out clear and warm, and he occupied himself before dinner in marking some trees, between the mansion and the AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 331 river, that were to be cut down, and with compass and chain defining lines for improvements. After dinner his hoarseness grew worse, yet he regarded it as nothing serious. He was very cheerful during the evening, and sat in the parlor with Mrs. "Washington and Mr. Lear, amusing himself with the newspapers, which were brought in at seven o'clock, occasionally reading aloud something that pleased him, or asking Mr. Lear to do so, his hoarseness some- times depriving him of his voice. Among other things, Mr. Lear read to him the report of debates in the Yirginia Assem- bly, and Washington made comments, as well as his hoarseness would permit. About nine o'clock Mrs. Washington left the parlor, and went to the chamber of Mrs. Lewis, who was confined, and the general and Mr. Lear continued the perusal of the papers some time afterward. When he retired, Mr. Lear suggested that he had better take something for his cold, his hoarseness appear- ing to increase. " !No," he answered, " you know I never take any thing for a cold. Let it go as it came." Between two and three o'clock the next morning he awoke Mrs. Washington, told her that he was very ill, and had had an ague. He was so hoarse that he could scarcely speak. He breathed with great difficulty, and Mrs. Washington proposed to get up and call a servant, but the tender husband would not permit her to do so, lest she should take cold. At day- light their chambermaid, Caroline, went into the room to make a fire, as usual, when Mrs. Washington sent her for Mr. Lear. That gentleman dressed himself quickly, and, on going to the general's room, found him breathing with great diffi- culty, and hardly able to utter a word intelligibly. 332 MOUNT VERNON Washington desired Mr. Lear to send immediately for Mr. Rawlins, one of the overseers, to come and bleed him, while another servant M'as dispatched to Alexandria for Dr. Craik, the sufferer's life-long friend and his family physician. Some mix- tures were prepared to give im- mediate relief, but he could not swalloAv a drop. Hawlins came soon after sun- rise. He was much agitated. "Washington perceived it, and said, "Don't be afraid." A slight incision was made in the arm, for Mrs. Washington, doubtful whether bleeding was proper in the case, begged that not much blood might be taken. Tlie blood ran ju-etty freely, but the general whispered, "Tlie orifice is not large enough ;" and when Mr. Lear was about to loosen the bandage to stop the bleeding, at the request of Mrs. Washing- ton, he put his hand up to prevent it, and said, " More, more." About half a i:>int of blood was taken from him, and external applications were made, but nothing seemed to relics'e the sufferer. At eight o'clock Washington expressed a desire to get up. His clothes were put on, and he was led to a chair by tlie fire. But he found no relief in that position, and at ten o'clock he lay down again. Mrs. Washington had become much alarmed, and before Dr. DR. JAMES CRAIK. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 333 Craik arrived, she desired Mr. Lear to send for Dr. Brown, of Port Tobacco, whom Craik had recommended to be called if any alarming sickness should occur during his absence. At about nine o'clock Dr. Craik arrived. He at once took more blood from the general, put a blister on his throat, prepared a gargle of vinegar and sage tea, and ordered some vinegar and hot water for him to inhale the steam of. The gargle almost suffocated him. A little phlegm was brought up with it, and he attempted to cough, but was unable to do so. At eleven o'clock Dr. Craik requested Dr. Dick, with whom he often consulted, to be sent for, as Dr. Brown might not come in time. He then bled the general again, but no effect was produced by it. His inability to swallow any thing con- tinued. At three o'clock Dr. Dick arrived, and after consulta- tion with him. Dr. Craik again bled the sufferer. The blood was thick, and flowed very sluggishly. Dr. Brown arrived soon afterward, and after the three physicians had held a brief consultation. Dr. Craik administered calomel and tartar emetic, which the general managed to swallow. But this too was without effect. "About half-past four o'clock," says Mr. Lear, in a narra- tive which he wrote at the time, "he desired me to call Mrs. "Washington to his bedside, when he requested her to go down into his room, and take from his desk two wills which she would find there, and bring them to him, which she did- Upon looking at them he gave her one, which he observed was useless, as being superseded by the other, and desired her to burn it, which she did, and took the other and put it into her closet. "After this was done, I returned to his bedside and took his 334 MOUNT VERNON hand. He said to me : ' I find I am going. My breath can- not last long. I believed from the first that the disorder would prove fatal. Do you arrange and record all my late military letters and papers. Arrange my accounts and settle my books, as you know more about them than any one else, and let Mr. Kawlins finish recording my other letters which he has begun.' I told him this should be done. He then asked if I recollected any thing which it was essential for him to do, as he had but a very short time to continue with us. I told him that I could recollect nothing, but that I hoped he was not so near his end. He observed, smiling, that he certainly was, and that, as it was a debt we must all pay, he looked to the event with perfect resignation. " In the course of the afternoon he appeared to be in great pain and distress from the difiiculty of breathing, and fre- quently changed his posture in the bed. On these occasions 1 lay upon the bed and endeavored to raise him, and turn him with as much ease as possible. He appeared penetrated with gratitude for my attentions, and often said, 'I am afraid I shall fatigue you too much ;' and upon my assuring him that I could feel nothing but a wish to give him ease, he replied, ' "Well, it is a debt we must pay to each other, and I hope when you want aid of this kind you will find it.' " Washington then inquired when Mr. Lewis and "Washington Custis, who were in New Kent, would return ; and being told, he remained silent awhile, and then desired his servant, Chris- topher, who had been in the room all day, to sit down, for he had been standing most of the time. He did so. A few minutes afterward Dr. Craik came into the room, and as he approached the bedside, Washington said to him : " Doctor, 1 AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 335 die hard, but I am not tit'raid to go. I believed, from my first attack, that I should not survive it. My breath cannot last long." The doctor, overcome with emotion, pressed his hand, but could not utter a word. He left the bedside, and, in deep grief, sat by the fire for some time, while all was silent in the room, except the heavy breathing of the sufferer. Doctors Dick and Brown came into the room between five and six o'clock, when they and Dr. Craik went to the bedside and asked Washington if he could sit up in bed. He held out his hand and Mr. Lear raised him up. " I feel myself going," he said ; " I thank you for your attentions ; but I pray you take no more trouble about me. Let me go ofi" quickly. I cannot last long." Then casting a look of gratitude toward Mr. Lear, he lay down, and all left the bedside except Dr. Craik. Mr. Lear now wrote to Mr. Law and Mr. Peter, gentlemen who had married two granddaughters of Mrs. Washington (sisters of Nelly Custis), requesting them to come immediately, with their wives, to Mount Yernon. At about eight o'clock the physicians tried other outward applications to relieve the sufferer, but in vain, and they left the room without any hope. At about ten o'clock Washington attempted to speak to Mr. Lear, but failed several times. At length he murmured: "1 am just going. Have me decently buried ; and do not let my body be put into the vault in less than three days after I am dead." Mr. Lear could not speak, but bowed his assent. Washington whispered, " Do you understand ?" Lear replied, "Yes." '"Tis well," he said; and these were the last w^ords he ever spoke — " ^Tis well !" "About ten minutes before he expired," says Mr. Lear ("which was between ten and eleven o'clock), his breathing 336 MOUNT VERNON became easier. He lay quietly ; he withdrew his hand from mine and felt his own pulse. I saw his countenance change. I spoke to Dr. Craik, who sat by the fire. He came to the bedside. The general's hand fell from his wrist. I took it in mine and pressed it to my bosom. Dr. Craik put his hands over his eyes, and he expired without a struggle or a sigh. " While we were fixed in silent grief, Mrs. Washington, who was sitting at the foot of the bed, asked, with a firm and col- lected voice, ' Is he gone?' I could not speak, but held up my hand as a signal that he was no more. ' 'Tis well,' said she, in the same voice, ' all is now over ; I shall soon follow him ; I have no more trials to pass through.' " " It may be asked," says Mr. Custis, " why was the ministry of religion wanting to shed its peaceful and benign lustre upon the last hours of Washington? Why was he, to whom the observances of sacred things were ever primary duties through life, without their consolations in his last moments ? We an- swer, circumstances did not permit. It was but for a little while that the disease assumed so threatening a character as to forbid the encouragement of hope ; yet, to stay that summons which none may refuse, to give still farther length of days to him whose time-honored life was so dear to mankind, prayers were not wanting to the throne of grace. Close to the couch of the sufferer, resting her head upon that ancient book, with which she had been wont to hold pious communion a portion of every day for more than half a century, was the venerable consort, absorbed in silent prayer, and from which she only arose when the mourning group prepared to lead her from the chamber of the dead." That chamber, ever held sacred by the Washington family, AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 337 and concealed from the ejes of the curious visitor, appears now, in form and feature, precisely as when the spirit of the Father of his Country took its departure from it. Not a vestige of the furniture that was there at the time of Washing- ton's death, remains. The bed and bedstead on whicli he dicnl are at Arlington House, where they, too, are kept as not only precious but sacred mementos of the great and good Wasli- inffton. BED AND BEDSTEAD ON WHICH WASHINGTON DIED. Tlie bedstead is made of mahogany, and was manufactured in New York in 1789. It is remarkable for its size, being six feet square. It was in constant use in the bed-chamber of General and Mrs. Washington, from the time of its manufac- ture until his death. The bed and bedding remain in precisely 338 MOUNT VERNON the same condition as wlien "Washington was borne from his chamber to his tomb. The room in wliich "Washington died has seldom been seen l)y visitors at Monnt Yernon. "While enjoying the liospitali- tics of the late proprietor for two or three days, I was permit- ted to enter and sketch it. It was nsed as a private chamber by the heads of the family. Empty, it presents the same appearance it did at "\Yashington's death, and so I delineated it. Two doors open from it into other chambers, and one to stairs that lead to the garret. ... IN" WHICH WASIlINCITdX WK0. As I stood alone in that death-chamber of the illnstrious "Washington, fancy seemed to fill it M'ith those who occnpied it on Saturday night, the 14th of December, 1T99, mentioned in a memorandum by Mr. Lear. On the bed lay the great man at the sublime moment of his death. Near the bed stood Mr Lear and Dr. Craik. " Mrs. "Washington was sitting near the foot of the bed. Christopher was standing near the bedside^ Caroline, Molly, and Charlotte (house-servants) were in the room, standing near the door. Mrs. Forbes, the housekeeper, AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 339 was in the room likewise." And as I stood there, delineating the simple outlines of that chamber, the words of Wallace came vividly to my memory : " There is an awful stillness in the sky When, after wondrous deeds and light supreme, A star goes out in golden prophecy. There is an awful stillness in the world, When, after wondrous deeds and light supreme, A hero dies with all the future clear Before him, and his voice made jubilant By coming glories, and his nation hush'd As though they heard the farewell of a god — A great man is to earth as God to heaven." No one, except Mrs. Washington, mourned more sincerely at the deathbed of the great patriot than Dr. Craik, a gen- erous, warm-hearted Scotchman, and excellent physician, who settled in Yirginia in early life, was with Washington in tlie campaigns of the French and Indian war, and of the Revolu- tion, and was his friend and medical adviser for more than forty years. Twice he accompanied Washington to the Ohio country, the first time in 1770, and the second time in 1785. He continued to reside in Alexandria until old age caused him to relinquish his profession, when he retired with a competent fortune to Yaucluse, a part of the Ravensworths' estate, where he died in 1814, at the age of eighty-four years. He was exceedingly vigorous, in mind and body, until the last. His grandson, the Reverend James Craik, of Louisville, Kentucky, to whom I am indebted for the silhouette likeness of Dr. Craik, printed on page 318, says, in a recent letter to me : " He was a stout, thickset man, perfectlj- erect, no stooj:) of the shoulders, and no appearance of debility in his carriage. 340 MOUNT VERNON Not long before his death he ran a race with me (then about eight years old) in the front yard of the house at Yaucluse, before the assembled family." At midnight the body of General Washington was brought down from the chamber of death, and laid out in the large drawing-room, in front of the superb Italian chimney-piece, delineated on page 172 — a work of art which the master had feared, " by the number of cases " which contained it, would be "too elegant and costly" for his "room, and republican style of living ;" and on the following day (Sunday) a plain mahogany coffin was procured from Alexandria, and mourning ordered for the family, the overseers, and the domestics. On the same day several of the relatives who had been sent for arrived, among wliom was Mrs. Stuart, the mother of Mrs. Washington's grandchildren. At the head of the coffin was placed an ornament inscribed SuKGE AD JUDiGUM. At about the middle were the words Gloria Deo ; and upon a silver plate was the record : GENEKAIi GEORGE WASHINGTON DEPARTED THIS LIFE ON THE 14tH DECEMBER, 1799, MT. G8. The coffin was lined with lead, and upon a cover of the same material, to be put on after the coffin was laid in the vault, was a silver shield, nearly three inches in length, in scribed : GEORGE WASHINGTON, BORN FEB. 22, 1732, DIED DECEMBER 14, 1799. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 341 The time for the funeral was fixed at twelve o'clock on "Wednesday, the 18th, and the Reverend Mr. Davis, of Alex^ andria, was invited to perform the burial service, according to the beautiful ritual of the Protestant Episcopal Church. Having received information from Alex- andria that the military and Freemasons were desirous of showing their respect for their chief and brother, by following his body to the grave, Mr. Lear ordered pro- ^,^^^^ ^^,^^^ ^^ washing- TON S COFFIN. visions to be prepared for a large number of people, as some refreshment would be expected by them. And Mr. Robert Hamilton, of Alexandria, wrote to Mr. Lear, that a schooner of his would anchor off Mount Yernon to fire minute guns, while the body was passing from the mansion to the tomb. The arrangements for the procession at the funeral were made by Colonels Little, Simms, and Deneale, and Dr. Dick. The old family vault was opened and cleaned, and Mr. Lear ordered an entrance door to be made for it, that it might not be again closed with brick. Mr. Stewart, adjutant of the Alexandria regiment, of which Washington had once been colonel, went down to Mount Yernon to view the ground for the procession. The people began to collect at Mount Yernon on Wednes- day, at eleven o'clock, but owing to a delay of the military, the time for the procession was postponed until three o'clock. Tlie cofiined body of the illustrious patriot lay, meanwhile, beneath the grand piazza of the mansion, where he had so often walked and mused. 342 MOUNT VERNON Between three and four o'clock the procession moved, and, at the same time, minute guns were fired from the schooner anchored in the Potomac. The pall-bearers were Colonels Little, Simms, Payne, Gilpin, Ramsay, and Marsteler. Colonel Blackburn preceded the corpse. Colonel Deneale marched with the military. The procession moved out through the gate at the left wing of the house, and proceeded round in front of the lawn, and down to the vault on the right wing of the house. The following was the composition and order of the procession : The troops, horse and foot, with arms reversed. Music. The clergy, namely, the Pev. Messrs. Davis, Muir, Moifat, and Addison. The general's horse, with his saddle, holsters, and pistols, led by two grooms (Cyrus, and Wilson), in black. The body, borne by the Masons and officers. Principal mourners, namely, Mrs. Stuart and Mrs. Law, Misses Nancy and Sally Stuart, Miss Fairfax and Miss Dennison, Mr. Law and Mr. Peter, Mr. Lear and Dr. Craik, Lord Fairfax and Ferdinando Fairfax. Lodge No. 23. Corporation of Alexandria. All other persons, preceded by Mr. Anderson and the overseers. AND ITS ASSOCIATIOXS. 343 When tlie body arrived near the vault, at the bottom of the lawn, on the high bank of the Potomac, the cavahy halted ; the infantry moved forward and formed the in-lining; the Masonic brethren and citizens descended to the vault, and the funeral services of the church were read by the Ileverend Mr. Davis. He also pronounced a short discourse. The Masons then performed their peculiar ceremonies, and the body was deposited in the vault. Three general discharges of arms Avere then given by the infantry and the cavalry ; and eleven pieces of artillery, which were ranged back, of the vault and simulta- neously discharged, "paid the last tribute to the entombed commander-in-chief of the armies of the United States." The sun was now setting, and mournfully that funeral assembly departed for their respective homes. The bier upon which "Wash- ington was conveyed from the mansion to the tomb, is pre- Washington's bier. served in the museum at Alexandria. It is oak, six feet in length, and painted a lead color. The handles, which are hinged to the bier, have leather pads on the under side, fast- ened with brass nails. The vault in M'hich the remains of Washington were laid, had already become dilapidated by the action of the growing roots of the trees around it, and, as we have seen, Washington, in contemplation of the immediate construction of a new one, had chosen a place for it. In his will he left the following: directions : "The family vault at Mount Vernon requiring repairs, and being improperly situated besides, I desire that a new one, of '\ ■644 MOUNT YERXOX brick, and upon a larger scale, may be built at the foot of what is called the Vineyard Enclosure, on the ground whicli i^ marked out, in Avhich my remains, and those of my deceased relatives (now in the old vault), and sucli others of my family as may choose to be entombed there, may be deposited."' ^ -« ^ "^li' THE OLD VACLT IX IbOS. For thirty years the remains of Washington lay undisturbed in the old vault, when the tomb was entered and an attempt was made to carry aM'ay tlie bones of the illustrious dead. Others were taken by mistake, and the robber being detected, thev were recovered. A new vault was soon afterward erected AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 345 upon the spot desit^nated by Wasliington, and the old one is now a gaping rnin. Congress was in session at Philadelphia, when information of the death of Washington reached them on the day of his funeral. On the following day the announcement of it was formally made on the floor of the House of Representatives, by the Honorable John Marshall, of Yirginia (afterward chief- justice of the United States), and after some appropriate action, the House adjourned. On Monday, the 23d of December, the Congress adopted joint resolutions — -firsts that a marble monument should be erected at the capitol ; second^ that there should be " a funeral procession from Congress Hall to the German Lutheran Church, in memory of General George Washington, on Thursday, the 26tli instant," and that an oration be prepared at the request of Congress, to be delivered before both Houses that day ; and that the president of the Senate, and the speaker of the House of Representatives, be desired to request one of the members of Congress to prepare and deliver the same ; thirds that the people of the United States should be recommended to wear crape on their left arm as mourning for thirty days ; fourth^ that the president of the United States should direct a copy of the resolutions to be transmitted to Mrs. Washington, with words of condolence, and a request that her husband's remains might be interred at the capitol of the republic. On the 30th of December Congress further resolved, that it should be recommended to the people of the Union to assem- ble on the succeeding 22d of February, " to testify their grief by suitable eulogies, orations, and discourses, or by public prayers." 346 MOUNT TERXON GENERAL HGNUY LEE. In accordance witli one of the foregoing resolutions, General Henry Lee, of Virginia, then a member of Congress, was in- vited to pronounce an oration on the 26th. He consented, and the Lutheran Church in Fourth street, above Arch, in Phila- delphia, the largest in the city, "was crowded on that occasion. 1^0 man in the Congress could have been chosen better fitted for the service than General Lee. He had served his country nobly as an officer of cavalry during the war for independence, and from boyhood had been a special favorite of AVashington. He was a son of that " Lowland Beauty" who won the lieart of young Washington, and drew sentimental verses from his pen. Tlirougliout the war he was beloved by his chief for liis manly and soldierly (qualities, and he was an ever welcome guest at AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 347 Mount Yernoii, where he was on terms of the greatest intimacy with "Washington and his family. Mr. Irving gives the follow- ing example of Lee's perfect familiarity with his chief, when on a visit at Mount Yernon after the war : " Washington one clay at table mentioned his being in want of carriage-horses, and asked Lee if he knew where he could get a pair. " ' I have a fine pair. General,' replied Lee, ' but you cannot get them." '"Why not?' " ' Because you will never pay more than half price for any thing ; and I must have full price for my horses.' "The bantering reply set Mrs. Washington laughing, and her parrot, perched beside her, joined in the laugh. The general took this familiar assault upon his dignity, in good part. 'Ah, Lee, you are a funny fellow,' he said — 'see, that bird is laughing at you.' " Lee's oration on the death of Washington, though hastily prepared, was an admirable production : and in it he pro- nounced those remarkable words of eulogy, so often quoted : " FIEST m WAE, riEST IN PEACE, FIEST IN THE HEAETS OF HIS COUNTEYMEN." On that occasion, the McPhersorCs Blues, a military corps of Philadelphia, composed of three hundred young men, the elite of the city, performed the duties of a guard of honor. Only seven of them, who were present on that occasion, now (August, 1859) survive, namely : Samuel Breck, aged eighty- eight ; S. Palmer, aged seventy-nine ; S. F, Smith, aged seventy- 348 MOUNT VERXON nine ; Charles N. Bancker, aged eighty-three ; Quintin Camp- bell, aged eighty-three, Eobert Carr, aged eighty-two, and the annalist of Philadel- phia and New York, aged eighty. President Adams transmitted the reso- lutions of Congress to Mrs. Washington, and in reply to their request concerning the remains of her liusband, she said : " Taught by the great example which I have so long had before me, never to oppose my private wishes to the public will, I must consent to the request made by Congress, which you have the good- ness to transmit to me ; and in doing this, I need not, I cannot say, what a sacrifice of individual feeling I make to a sense of public duty." The remains of Washington have never been removed from his beloved Mount Vernon. It is well. They never should m'piierson's bluk. 'be. The Home and the Tomb of our illustrious Friend, should be inseparable ; and the glowing words of LuNT should express the sentiment of every American : — " Ay, leave him alone to sleep forever, Till tlie strong arcliangel calls for the dead, By the verdant bank of that rushing river, TThere first they pillowed his mighty head. " Lowly may be the turf that covers The sacred grave of his last repose; But, oh 1 there's a glory round it hovers, Broad as the daybreak, and bright as its close. AXD ITS ASSOCIATIOXS. 34:9 "Though marble pillars were reared above him, Temples and obelisks, rich and rare — Better he dwells in the hearts that love him, Cold and lone as he slumbers there. ""Why should ye gather with choral numbers? Why should your thronging thousands come ? "Who will dare to inrade his slumbers, Or take him away from his narrow home? " Well he sleeps in the majesty, Silent and stern, of awful death I And he who visits him there, should be Alone with God, and his own hushed breath. " Revel and pomp would profane his ashes : And may never a sound be murmured there But the glorious river that by him dashes, And the pilgrim's voice in his heartfelt prayer." The death of her husband, so sudden and unexpected, weighed heavily upon the mind and heart of Mrs. Washing- ton for a time, but her natural cheerfulness of disposition and habitual obedience to the will of God manifested in his dispen- sations, healed the wound and supported her burdened spirit. She received many letters and visits of condolence. The pres- ident of the United States and his wife (Mr. and Mrs. Adams) visited Mount Yernon for the purpose, and so also did many distinguished citizens. From every part of the land came testimonials of respect and veneration for the dead ; and from beyond the Atlantic she received gratifying evidences of the profound esteem in which her beloved husband was held. On hearing of his death. Lord Bridport, who was in command of a British fleet of almost sixty sail, at Torbay, ordered every ship to lower her flag to half-mast ; and Bonaparte, then First 350 MOUXT YERXON Consul of France, announced his death to his army, and or- dered black crape to be suspended from all the flags and standards in the French service for ten days. The domestic establishment at Mount Yernon was kept up after the death of the General, upon the same liberal scale of hospitality that marked it during his lifetime ; and scores of pilgrims to the tomb of the Hero, Patriot and Sage, were entertained by the widow. But her prediction at the death-bed of her husband — "1 shall soon follow him" — did not remain long unfulfilled. Two years and a half afterward, her body was laid in a leaden coffin by his side, in the vault. She died of a bilious fever, on the 22d of May, 1802 ; and the estate of Mount Yernon passed into the possession of the General's nephew, pursuant to the following clause in his will : " To my nephew, Bushrod Washington, and his heirs (partly in consideration of an intimation made to his deceased father, while we were bachelors, and he had kindly undertaken to super- intend my estate during my military service in the former war between Great Britain and France, that if I should fall therein. Mount Yernon, then less extensive in domain than at present, should become his property), I give and bequeath all that part thereof which is comprehended within the following limits: [liere the boundaries are specified] containing uj)ward of four thousand acres, be the same more or less, together with the mansion house, and all other buildings and improvements thereon." He also bequeathed to Bushrod his "library of books and pamphlets," and all of his papers. This principal heir of Washington (who had no children) was a son of the General's brother, George Augustine, and was at that time about forty years of age. Two years before AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 351 BUSHROD WASniKGTON. "Washington's death, President Adams had appointed Bushrod to the office of Judge of the Supreme Court of the United States, and lie performed the duties of his exalted station with eminent ability until his death, thirty-two years afterward. Judge Washington took possession of the Mount Yernon es- tate, immediately after the death of Mrs. Washington. Among the slaves that belonged to him, and who were taken to Mount Yernon at that time, only one is living. Although set free by the will of his master in 1829, he has never left the estate, but remains a resident there, where he is regarded as a patri- arch. I saw him wlien I last visited Mount Vernon, in the autumn of 1858, and received from his lips many interesting reminiscences of the place and its surroundings. 352 MOUNT VERNON ^^/"^^^ Just at evening, when returning from a stroll to ^he ancient entrance to Mount Yernon, I found WestFord (the name of the patriarch) engaged at the shop, near the conservatory, making a plough. lie is a mulatto, very intelligent and comnmnica- tive ; and I enjoyed a pleasant and profitable half-hour's con- versation with him. He came to Mount Vernon in August, 1802, and when I saw him he was in the seventy-second year of his age. "WestFord well knew Billy, "Washington's favorite servant during the war for independonce. Billy, with all of his fellow AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 353 slaves, was made free by liis master's will ; and lie received a liberal pension and a residence for life at Mount Vernon. His means for luxurious living had a bad effect upon him, and Billy became a honrvivant. Delirium, tremens finally seized Lim, with its terrors. Occasionally WestFord sometimes relieved him of the paroxysms by bleeding. One morning, a little more than thirty years ago, he was sent for to bleed Billy. The blood would not flow. Billy was dead, and the last but one of Washington's favorite servants passed from earth forever. The other (a woman) died at Arlington House a few years ago, where I saw her one evening at family worship. I left WestFord at his plough-making, with an engage- ment to meet him the next morning before breakfast, for the purpose of delineating a pencil sketch of his features. I found him prepared, having on a black satin vest, a silk cravat, and his curly gray hair arranged in the best manner, " For," he said, " the artists make colored folks look bad enough any- how." When my sketch was finished, he wrote his name under it with my pencil. While Judge Washington was living, Lafayette came to America as the guest of the nation, and after a lapse of fifty years, he again visited Mount Yernon, the home of his dear friend. For more than twenty-five years the mortal remains of that friend had been lying in the tomb, yet the memory of his love was as fresh in the heart of the marquis, as when, in Kovember, 1Y84, they parted, to see each other on earth no more. On that occasion Lafayette was presented with a most touching memorial of the man whom he delighted to call " father." The adopted son of that father, the late Mr. Custis, 23 354 MOUNT VERNON with many others, accompanied the marquis to the tomb of Washington, whore the tears of the venerable Frenchman flowed freely. While standing there, Mr. Custis, after a few appropriate remarks, presented to Lafayette a massive gold ring, containing a lock of Washington's hair. It was a most grateful gift ; and those who were present have spoken of the occurrence as one of the most interesting and touching they had ever experienced. Again there was a gathering before the tomb of Washington on an interesting occasion. Judge Washington was then no more. He died at Philadelphia in the autumn of 1829, at the age of seventy years, bequeathing his estate of Mount Yemon to his nephew, John Augustine Washington, a son of his brother Corbin. The latter was also lying in the family vault, having died in 1832 at the age of forty-three years, and his widow, Mrs. Jane Washington, was then mistress of the man- sion and estate. The occasion referred to, was the re-entombing of General Washington and his wife. This event occurred in October 1837. Mr. John Struthers, of Philadelphia, generously offered to present two marble coffins in which the remains of the patriot and his consort might be placed for preservation forever, for already the wooden coffins, which covered the leaden ones containing their ashes, had been three times renewed. Major Lewis, the last surviving executor of Washington's will, accepted the proposed donation, and the sarcophagi were wrought from solid blocks of Pennsylvania marble. The vestibule of the new vault was enlarged so as to permit the coffins to stand in dry air, instead of being placed in the damp vault; and on Satm-day the 7th of October 1837, Mr. William Strickland, of AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 355 Philadelphia, acccompanied by a number of the Washington family, assisted in placing the remains of the illustrious dead in the receptacles where they have ever since lain undisturbed. The vault was first entered by Mr. Strickland, accompanied by Major Lewis, of whom he said : "Imagine a figure stately and erect, upward of six feet in height, with a keen, penetrat ing eye, a high forehead partially covered with the silvery locks of seventy winters, intelligent and bland in expression, in movement graceful and dignified, and you will have the portraiture of the companion and friend of the immortal Washington." This was the favorite nephew who married Nelly Custis on the 22d of February, 1T99. When the decayed wooden case was removed from the lead- en coffin of Washington, the lid was perceived to be sunken and fractured. In the bottom of this case was found the silver shield which was placed upon that leaden lid when Washing- ton was first entombed. " At the request of Major Lewis," says Mr. Strickland, in his published account, " the fractured part of the lid was turned over on the lower part, exposing to view a head and breast of large dimensions, which appeared, by the dim light of the candles, to have sufi'ered but little from the effects of time. The eye-sockets were large and deep, and the breadth across the temples, together with the forehead, appeared, of unusual size. There was no appearance of grave-clothes ; the chest was broad, the color was dark, and had the appearance of dried flesh and skin adhering closely to the bones. We saw no hair, nor was there any offensive odor from the body ; but we observed, when the coffin had been removed to the outside of the vault, the dripping down of a yellow liquid, which. 356 MOUNT VERNON stained the marble of the sarcophagus. A hand was laid upon the head and instantly removed ; the leaden lid was restored to its j)lace ; the body, raised by six men, was carried and laid in the marble coffin, and the ponderous cover being put on and set in cement, it was sealed from our sight. The relatives who were present, consisting of Major Lewis, Lorenzo Lewis, John Augustine Washington, George "Washington, the Rev. Mr. Johnson and lady, and Mrs. Jane Washington, then retired to the mansion." Tlie remains of Mrs. Washington being placed in the other marble sarcophagus, they were both boxed, so as to prevent their being injured during the finishing of the vestibule in its present form. Washington's marble coffin. Mrs. Washington's coffin is perfectly plain. That of her husband has a sculptured lid, on which is represented the American shield suspended over the flag of the Union. The latter is hung in festoons, and the whole group is surmount- ed with a spread-eagle as a crest. Tlie new tomb, in design and structure, is offensive to good taste, and its appearance justifies the description of it by an English nobleman who said, " It is a glaring red building somewhat between a coach-house and "" °*"^ „,x. ^ cage." It stands at the bottom of a steep WASHINGTON S COFFIN. O r AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 35' WASHINGTON S TUMB. hill, on the edge of a deep wooded glen that extends to the river, and through Mdiieh flows a choked hrook. The spacious vault is built of brick, with an arched roof. It is entirely overgrown with shrubbery, brambles and vines, which gives it an antiquated appearance. Its iron door is entered from the spacious vestibule ; and over it, upon a stone panel, are the words : I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE ; HE THAT BELIEVETH IN ME, THOUGH HE WERE DEAD, YET SHALL HE LIVE The vestibule is also built of brick, and is twelve feet in height. The iron picketed gateway, through which the mar- ble sarcophagi may be seen, is flanked by two brick pilas- 358 MOUNT VERNON ters, sunnoimted by a stone coping, which covers a gothic arch. Over this arch is a white marble tablet inscribed — " WITHIN THIS ENCLOSURE KEST THE REMAINS OF GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON." On the east side of the tomb, beneath marble monuments, lie the remains of Eleanor Farke Lewis and her daughter, Mrs. M. E. Conrad. In front of the tomb are two stately obelisks of marble. One of them was erected in memory of Judge Bush- rod Washington, and the other of John Augustine Washing- ton, father of the last proprietor of Mount Yernon of the Wash- ington name. Yery few articles of the pereonal property of General Wash- ington, except the library of books, remain at Mount Yernon. After Mrs. Washington's death, the devised personal property was distributed according to the directions of his will, and the remainder was sold. The purchasers consisted chiefly of mem- bers of the family, the grandchildren of Mrs. Washington taking nearly all of the family plate, and furniture. Many of these things have been described and delineated in these pages ; and many others have been scattered over the country, and since lost. While this very page was in preparation, I received from Mr. George Livermore, of Cambridge, an account of a most precious relic jf Washington's earlier life, which is now in possession of the venerable Josiah Quincy, of Boston. It is the silver gorget of General Washington, which composed a part of his uniform while in the colonial service, and is seen suspended from his neck in Peale's portrait of him, painted in 1772, and printed on page 82 of this book. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 359 " This precious relic," says Mr. Quincy in a letter to Mr. Livermore, " came to my possession under the following cir- cumstances : from 1805 to 1813, I was one of the representa- tives of the state of Massachusetts, in the Congress of the United States, from Suffolk District. During these years I had the happiness, with my wife, to form an acquaintance with Mrs. Martha Peter (formerly Custis), the wife of Thomas Peter, Esq., of Tudor Place, in the District of Columbia. Tliere sprang up between both families — ^particularly between Mrs. Peter and my wife — a great intimacy, the result of mu- tual respect and also coincidence in political feeling and opin- ion, which, at that period, constituted a bond of great strength. She was a woman of great personal beauty, highly accom- plished, intellectual, elevated in spirit and sentiment, and worthy of the relation which she held of granddaughter to George Washington. " When, in 1813, on resigning my seat in Congress, I called at Tudor Place to take leave, Mrs. Peter, after stating the inter- est she felt in me and Mrs. Quincy, asked my acceptance of the ' gorget of Washington, with the ribbon attached to it, which' she said ' she had received at the division of her grandfather's estate.' About that time, there had been form- ed in Boston a political association bearing the name of the Washington Benevolent Society, having for its object the sup- port of the views and principles of Washington, of which I was one of the vice-presidents ; and I immediately suggested the propriety, and asked her leave, to present in her name that precious relic to that society. She expressed her gratifi- cation at the suggestion, saying ' that she knew of no place where the principles of Washington had been more uniformly 360 MOUNT VERNON cberislied, or were likely to be more tiglily prized or pre- served longer, than in the town of Boston.' " Accordingly, on my return in April, 1813, I made a for- mal statement of the above circumstances to the Washington Benevolent Society, and presented the gorget, in her name, to that society. The gift was gratefully and cordially received and acknowledged by a vote of the society, signed by Arnold Welles, president ; and William Sullivan, Josiah Quincy, Samuel Messinger, John C. Warren, and Benjamin Russell, vice-presidents. A record of the gift, of the vote of thanks, and of all the proceedings, was written upon parchment, and deposited in a box especially adapted for its preservation ; and an account of the doings of the society was officially trans- mitted to Mrs. Peter. " The gorget remained in that situation, under the care of the society, for five or six years, until its final dissolution, when, by a vote of the society, it was formally placed in my custody ; and I immediately wrote to Mrs. Peter a statement of the circumstances, ofi'ering to return the gorget to her. She was pleased to reply, that it was her wish that I should retain it in. my possession, and make such disposition of it as I saw fit." When I last visited Mount Yernon, in the autumn of 1858, I saw there a few articles, not already mentioned, that belonged to Washington. These were a liquor-chest, two mirrors, some tissue paper, one of his ordinary address cards, several dia- grams and memoranda from his pen, and a number of en- gravings. The liquor-chest was in a closet adjoining the dining-room, and was used by the family when I was there. It is made of AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 361 Washington's liquor-chest. mahogany; and tradition avers tliat it composed a part of Washington's mirror. Washington's baggage during the Revolution. It contains twelve large white glass flasks, thirteen inches in height. 362 MOUNT VERNON One of the mirrors, liiglily ornamented with elaborate carvings, and bearing the arms of the Washington family, was in a email parlor adjoining the great drawing-room ; and the other, a plain one, also bearing the family arms, in gilt upon a deep blue ground, at the top, was in another parlor, adjoining the library. The tissue paper was made expressly for Washington's use. Each sheet bears his name and crest, and a rude figure of Liberty with the pileus and cap, forming the water-mark. The paper is quite coarse in texture com- pared with that manufactured at the present time. The engraving of the water-mark is half the size of the original. WATER-MARK. Washington's address card. Tlie address card was coarsely engraved on copper, and was used by Washington during the war. While he was Presi- AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 363 dent, he had a neat invitation-to-dinner card engraved in writ- ing. The original plate of the latter is in the possession of a gentleman in Philadelphia. Some of the diagrams from Washington's pen, alluded to, have been delineated upon other pages of this work. The en- gravings that belonged to him hang in the great passage and two adjoining parlors. These are, Andromache bewailing the Death of Hector ; The Death of Montgomery ; The Death of "Warren ; two Hunting Scenes ; four Landscapes ; The De- fence of Gibraltar, four Yiews ; Descent from the Cross ; and a St. Agnes. These are all more or less injured by some tiny de- stroyers, that are daily making the high lights still stronger, so that all the pictures now appear snowy. If their destructive progress shall not be speedily arrested, those relics of the great Patriot's household ornaments will be lost forever. With characteristic modesty, Washington allowed no picture of scenes in which he was a participant to adorn the walls of Mount Yernon. Some fine oil paintings and family portraits that were there have been distributed among relatives ; that of Lawrence Washington alone remains. Only one more object of interest at Mount Yernon remains to be noticed. It is a portrait of Washington taken from a common English earthenware pitcher, and is known as The Pitcher Portrait. It is in a deep gilt frame, and upon the back is an admirable eulogy of the great Patriot, in monumen- tal form. The history of this portrait and the eulogy was com- municated to me recently by the venerable artist, Rembrandt Peale, of Philadelphia, and is both curious and interesting. About the year 1804, the late John R. Smith, of Phila- delphia, son of the eminent Jonathan Bayard Smith, showed 304 MOUNT VERNON Mr. Peale a copy by Sbarpless liimself, of that artist's crayon profile of Washington, made in 1796. On the back of it was a eulogy of Washington, written in monumental form in two columns, by an English gentleman, Mr. Smith said, whose name he had forgotten, or never knew. He told Mr, Peald that the gentleman pasted it on the back of the portrait. PlTCnER POUTRAIT. It was at about that time that a crockery dealer in Phila- delphia imported a number of earthenware pitchers from Liverpool, each bearing a portrait of Washington from an engraving of Stuart's picture painted for the Marquis of Lans- downe, which Heath had badly engraved, and Nutter had betljer executed for Hunter's quarto edition of Lavater, Nut- ter's engraving was coarsely imitated in the one upon the pitclier. The pitchers attracted the attention of Mr. Dorsey, a sugar AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 365 refiner of Philade]pliia, who had a taste for art, and he pur- chased several of them, as he considered the likeness of Washington a good one. Mr. Dorsey, after several unsuc- cessful attempts to separate the part bearing the portrait, from the rest of the pitcher, succeeded, bj using the broad-faced hammer of a shoemaker, in breaking them cleanly out by a single blow, given directly upon the picture. One of these pictures broken out by Mr. Dorsej^, was hand- somely framed by Mr. Smith, and sent to Judge Washington at Mount Yernon, with the eulogy on the back of the Sharp- less profile belonging to his father, copied by his own hand. That copy varies materially from the original, in some of its phraseology and in large omissions. This difi'erence may be accounted for by the supposition that Mr. Smith had not room in the space on the back of the picture to transcribe the whole of the original, and some parts were omitted and others changed. The Sharpless picture was much larger than the pitcher portrait, and there was more room on the back for the eulogy. In the year 1819 or 1820, Mr. Smith gave Mr. Harrison Hall, the publisher of the Port Folio, a perfect transcript of what was, probably, the original eulogy, and to the courtesy of that gentleman I am indebted for the subjoined coj^y, which contains all the omissions in the one upon the back of the picture at Mount Yernon. Mr. Hall, and others of Mr. Smith's friends, have been under the impression that tliat ac- complished gentleman was the author of the eulogy, but the explicit statement of Mr. Peale and concurring circumstances appear to remove all doubt of the truth of the common tradi- tion in the Washington family, that it was written by an 366 MOUNT YERNON unknown English gentleman. The mutilated inscription, as it appears upon the back of the portrait at Mount Yernon, was published in Alden's Collection of American Epitaphs and Inscriptions, as early as the year 1814. The following is a copy of the original on the back of the Sharpless profile given by Mr. Smith to Mr. Hall : "WASHINGTON, The Defender of his Country, The Founder of Liberty, The Friend of Man. History and Tradition are explored in vain For a Parallel to his Character. In the Annals of Modern Greatness, He stands alone. And the noblest Names of Antiquity Lose their Lustre in hia Presence. Born the Benefactor of Mankind, He was signally endowed with all the Qualities Appropriate to his Illustrious Career. Nature made him Great, And, Heaven directed, He made himself Virtuoua. Called by his Country to the Defence of her Soil And the vindication of her Liberties, He led to the Field Her Patriot Armies ; And displaying in rapid and brilliant succeasioo^ AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 367 The united Powers Of Consummate Prudenct And Heroic Valour, He triumphed in Arms Over the most powerful Nation Of Modern Europe ; His Sword giving Freedom to America, His Counsels breathing Peace to the world. After a short repose Prom the tumultuous Vicissitudes Of a Sanguinary War, The astounding Energies ot Washington Were agam destined to a New Course Of Glory and Usefulness. The Civic Wreath Was spontaneously placed By the Gratitude of the Nation, On the Brow of the Deutebeb of his Countbt. He was twice solemnly invested With the Powers of Supreme Magistracy, By the Unanimous Voice of A Free People; And in his Exalted and Arduous station, His Wisdom in the Cabinet Transcended the Glories of the Field. The Destinies of Washington Were now complete. Having passed the Meridian of a Devoted Life, Having founded on the Pillars SCS MOUNT VERNON Of National Independekcb The Splendid Fabric Of a Great Eejmblic, And having firmly established The Empire of the "West, He solemnly deposited on the Altar of his Country, His Laurels and his Sword, And retired to the Shades Of Private Life. A Spectacle so New and so Sublime, Was contemplated by Mankind With the Profuundest admiration ; And the name of Washington, Adding new Lustre to Humanity, Resounded To the remotest regions of the Earth. • Magnanimous in Youth, Glorious through Life, Great in Death, His highest Ambition The Happiness of Mankind, His noblest victory The Conquest of Himself. Bequeathing to America The Inheritance of his Fame, And building his Monumeni In the Hearts of his Countrymen, He Lived, The Ornament of the 1 8th Century ; He Died, I iMBNTED BY A MOUENING WOBU>. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 369 One hundred and sixteen years ago, Mount Yernon received its name, and from tliat time until the present year (1859) it has been owned and occupied by a Washington. Lawrence "Washington, as we have seen, named it in honor of his gallant friend, and from him it descended to his half- brother, George, who occupied it more than forty years. By him it was bequeathed to his nephew, Bushrod, who lived there twenty-seven years. It then passed into the possession, of John Augustine Washington, a son of Bushrod's brother Corbin. He died three years afterward, leaving it to his widow. At her death, in 1855, it became the property of her son, John Augustine Washington, who resides there. For many years the Mount Yernon estate had been decay- ing. The ravages of time and the rust of neglect were rapidly destroying all that had received the care and culture of Gen- eral Washington's mind and hand ; and thoughtful and pa- triotic visitors often felt saddened when they saw the man- sion and its dependent buildings, and other visible memorials of the great and good Father of his Country, evidently per- ishing. The sad thoughts of these visitors led to patriotic action, and for a long time there was a growing desire felt throughout the Union, to have Mount Yernon become the property of the nation. The young owner, unable to keep the estate in proper order, and greatly annoyed by thousands of visitors every year, many of whom took liberties about the house and gf-ounds, in apparently utter forgetfulness that they were private property, expressed a willingness to sell it for such a purpose. Congress was asked to buy it. The application was unsuccessful. At length an American matron conceived the idea of ap- 24 370 MOUNT VERNON pealing to her countrywomen in behalf of Mount Vernon She asked them to put forth their hands to the work of obtain- ing sufficient money to purchase it, that the Home and Tomb OF WASHmGTON might be a national possession forever. The idea was electric, and it was felt and responded to all over the land. Her invalid daughter, strengthened by the thought of being instrumental in accomplishing the great work, took the direction of the enterprise. She printed a strong appeal to her countrywomen ; organized an association, and procured a char- ter of incorporation for it ; bargained for the purchase of the mansion and appendages, and two hundred surrounding acres of the Mount Yernon estate, for two hundred thousand dollars, and began in great earnestness the work of obtaining that amount of money, and as much more for the restoration and support of the estate. By common consent she was constitu- ted regent or chief manager, and she appointed vice-regenth in every state in the Union as assistants. The efforts of American women have been successful. They have been cheered and aided by the best and wisest men of their country. Edward Everett, one of our most saga- cious statesmen and accomplished scholars, devoted his tongue and pen to the work. He went from city to city, like Peter the Hermit pleading for the rescue of the Holy Sepulchre, de- livering an oration upon the character of Washington for the benefit of the fund; and delighted crowds who listened to his eloquent words, contributed so freely, that in less than two years he paid into the treasury of the Ladies^ Mount Yernon Association^ one quarter of the purchase money. The whole amount has been obtained, and now Mount Vernon is no long- er a private possession, but the property of the multitudes of AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 371 men, women and cliildren of the land, who have contributed in ever so slight a degree to its purchase. It is to be theirs and their posterity's forever. Nothing now remains for the Association to do, but to obtain a sum fully equal to that of the purchase money, for the complete restoration and future support of the estate, and a general supervision of its manage- ment. This, American women will speedily accomplish, for the heart of the nation beats in unison with their own. We have now considered some of the most interesting of the past associations of Mount Yernon, connected with the illus- trious man whose character has in a degree sanctified them all. But there are other associations that cluster around Washing- ton and his home, in the presence of which these material things sink into utter insignificance. They are of a moral nature, and belong not only to the Past but to all the Future. It is delightful to contemplate the character of Washington in its relation to the events in which he was immediately engaged, for it presents a most noble example ; but far more delightful and profitable is it, to contemplate him with that broader vision which discerns his relation to all people and to all time — to regard him as the fulfilment of the heart-prophe- cies of earnest lovers of freedom in the past ; born, nurtured, developed, disciplined, and inspired, to lead a great people out of bondage, and to be forever a sublime model of a Patriot for the contemplation of generations yet to appear. We^ should become habituated thus to think of him, and learn to love the spirit which led him to the performance of great deeds, rather than the deeds themselves. Such contemplations of Washington are not incompatible with a sober reverence for material things with which he was 372 MOUNT VERNON intimately associated; and especially should we clierisli as precious memorial treasures, the Home that he loved, and the Tomb wherein his remains repose. These may excite th« mind to loftier views of the Pater Patriae, and inspire senti- ments such as filled the soul of the Rev. William Jay, of Eng- land, who, on seeing a picture of Mount Yernon, wrote im- promptu — " There dwelt the MAN the flower of human kind, Whose visage mild bespoke his noble mind. There dwelt the SOLDIER who his sword ne'er drew But in a righteous cause to freedom true. There dwelt the Hero, who ne'er fought for fame, Yet gained more glory than a CiEsar's name. There dwelt the STATESMAN, who, devoid of art, Gave soundest counsels from an upriglit heart. And oh 1 Columbia, by thy sons caressed, There dwelt THE FATHER of the realms he blessed. Who no wish felt to make his mighty praise. Like other chiefs, the means himself to raise. But there, retiring, breatlied in pure renown. And felt a grandeur that disdained a crown." AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS, 37; m^T^^m^ THE ENGLISH HOME OF AVASHINGTON S FAMILY. Since the foregoing pages were written, many facts and things having a rehition to the Home of "Washington have been presented to the consideration of the writer. To make this rehquary of the Fatlier of his Country more complete, these are here added. On the earher pages of this work, alhision is made to the Korthamptonshire brancli of tlie "Wasliington family, from whom our illustrious countryman was descended. Recent investigations by the Eev. J. M. Simpkinton of Brington, England, and others, have brought to light some new and THE WASHINGTON HOUSE, EKINGTON. 374 MOUNT VEENON interesting facts concerning that family. Mr. Simpkinton believes that he has satisfactory evidence to show that a cer- tain house in Brington, is the one in which lived Lawrence Washington, father of Lawrence and John who emigrated to Virginia in 1657. The family appears to have been in reduced circumstances, and went from Sulgrave to Brington because of their relationship to Lord Spencer of that County. They were also allied to the second George Yilliers, Duke of Buck- ingham, whose half-sister and William, a brother of the emi- grants to America, had been united in wedlock. Another brother, Thomas, was the " Mr. AVashington " mentioned on page 28. "■■"•■raMiiilill^^ INSCRIPTION OVER THE DOOR OF THE WASHINGTON HOUSE. Over the door of the ancient house in Brington, identified as that of Lawrence Washington, is a square stone bearing this inscription — " The Lokd giveth, the Lord taketk away, BLESSED BE THE NA:ME OF THE LoKD. CoNSTKUCTA, 1606." This pious inscription, quite common in such relation in those AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 3^5 days, is accounted for by tlie fact which the Parish Reo-ister reveals, that Lawrence and Margaret Washington, (who had seventeen children,) had a child given to them and taken away the year when the house was built. In the Parish Church of Brington may be seen the monumental slab of Lawrence Washington, on which are the family arms,as seen in the picture of a seal on page 31. Washington's lihr^iey. The Library at Mount Yernon mentioned on page 16, is no longer there. It was the private property of John A. Wash- ington, from whom the " Ladies Mount Vernon Association " purchased the estate, and was taken by him to his new home. Every other movable relic of Washington, pictured and described in this volume, and which then remained at Mount Yernon, was taken away at the same time, excepting the key of the Bastile (page 237), pack-saddle (page 53), bust of Lafayette (page 2U), a large globe, and the original plaster- cast from Washington's face, made by Houdon, with the attached model mentioned on page 176. In the year 1S60, the harpsichord presented by Washington to ]^elly Custis (page 282), was sent back to Mount Yernon by her daughter- in-law, as a gift to the proprietors. The tripod that bore Washington's Compass when he was a Surveyor in his youth and mature age, has also been deposited there. Mr. Washington was on the Staff of General EobertE. Lee, and perished at an early period of the late Civil War. His wife is also dead ; and the books of the Mount Yernon Library have been separated and scattered. To give the reader a knowledge of the contents of that Library, I subjoin a cata- 376 MOUNT VERNON logue of the books, with the money value of each work attached, made at Mount Vernon by the sworn appraisers, after the death of Washington. These appraisers were Thompson Mason, Tobias Lear, Thomas Peter and William II. Foote. It is pro]3er to state that many of the titles in the catalogue are imperfectly, and some inaccurately given ; but it is here reproduced as copied from the orginal document among the public records at Alexandria. CATALOGUE. American Encyclopedia, 18 vols. 4to. . . ^150.00 Skombraud's Dictionary, 1 vol. . . . 7.50 Memoir of a Map of Hindostan, 1 do., 4:to. . . 8.00 Young's Travels, 1 do. . . . . . 4.00 Johnson's Dictionary, 2 vols. . . . 10.00 Guthrie's Geography, 2 do. . . . . 20.00 Elements of Rigging, 2 do. . . : 20.00 Principles of Taxation, 1 vol. .... 2.00 Luzac's Oration's, 1 do., .... 1.00 Mawe's Gardener, 1 do. . . . . 4.00 Jeffries Aerial Voyage, 1 do. . . . 1.00 Beacon Hill, 1 do. 1.00 Memoirs of the American Academy, (one of which is a Pamphlet.) 2 vols. . . . . 3.00 Duhamers Ilusbaudry, 1 vol. . . . . 2.00 Langley on Gardening, 1 do. . . . . 2.00 Price's Carpenter, 1 do. • . . .1.00 Count De Grasse, 1 do. . . . . 1.00 Miller's Gardener's Dictionary, 1 do. . . . 5.00 Gibson's Diseases of Horses, 1 do. . . . 3.00 Eumford's Essays, ..... 3.00 Miller's Tracts, 1 vol. 8vo. .... 2.00 Rowley's Works, 4 vols. ..... 12.00 Robertson's Charles v., 4 do. .... 16.00 Gordon's History of America, 4 do. . . 12.00 AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS 377 Gibbon's Eoman Empire, 6 vols. . . . $18.00 Stanyan's Grecian History, 3 do. . , . 2.00 Adams' Eome, 2 do. , . . . , 4.0O Anderson's Institute, 1 vol. .... 3.00 Eobertson's America, 2 vol. .... 4.00 Osian's Poem's, 1 vol. ..... 2.00 Humphrey's Works, 1 do. . . . . 3.00 King of Prussia's Works, 13 vols. . . . 2G.00 Gillies' Frederick, 1 vol. .... 1.50 Goldsmith's Natural History, 8 vol. . . . 12.00 Locke on the Understanding, 2 do. . . . 3.00 Shipley's Works, 2 do. .... 4.00 Buffon's Natural History, abridged, 2 do. . . 4.00 Eamsay's History, 2 do. . . . . .2.00 The Bee, (thirteenth volume missing,) 18 do. . 34.00 Sully's Memoirs, 6 do. . . . . . 9.00 Fletcher's Appeal, 1 vol. .... 1.00 History of Spain, 2 vols. 8vo. .... 3.00 Jortin's Sermons, 2 do. . . . . 2.00 Chapman on Education, 1 vol. .... .75 Smith's Wealth of Nations, 3 vols. . . . 4.50 History of Louisiana, 2 vols. .... 2.00 Warren's Poems, ..... .50 Junius' Letters, 1 do. ..... 1.00 City Addresses, 1 do. . . . . 1.00 Conquest of Canaan, 1 do. . . . . 1.00 Shakesjieare's Works, 1 do. . . . . 2.00 Antidote to Deism, 2 vols. .... 1.00 jMemoirs of 2500, 1 vol. .... .75 Forest's Voyage, 1 do., 4to . . . . 3.00 Don Quixote, 4 vols. .... 12.00 Ferguson's Eoman History, 3 do. .... 12.00 Watson's History of Philip IL, 1 vol. . . - 4.00 Barclay's Apology, 1 do. . . . . 3.00 IJniform of the Forces of Great Britain in 1742, 1 do. 20.00 Otway's Art of War, 1 do. . . . . 3.00 Political States of Europe, 8 vols. 8vo. . . 20.00 Winchester's Lecture's, 4 do. . . . . 6.00 378 MOUNT VERNON Principles of Hydraulics, 2 vols. Leigh on Opium, 1 vol. 8vo. Heath's Memoirs, 1 do. American Museum, 10 vols. Vertot's Eome, 2 do. Hart's Gustavus, 2 do. Moore's Navigation, 1 vol. Graham on Education, 1 do. History of the Mission among the Indians in North Amer ica, 1 do. French Constitution, 1 do. Winthrop's Journal, 1 do. American Magazine, 1 do. 8vo. * , Watts' Views, 1 do. 4to. . . , History of Marshall Turenne, 2 vols. 8vo. Eamsay's Eevolution of South Carolina, 2 do. History of Quadrupeds, 1 vol. . Carver's Travels, 1 do. Moore's Italy, 2 vols. Moore's France, 2 do. Chastellux's Travels, 1 vol. Chasstellux's Voyages, 1 do. Volney's Travels, 2 vols. Volney's Euins, 1 vol. Warville's Voyage, in French, 3 vols. . Warville on the Eelation of France to the U. States, Miscellanies, 1 vol. 4to. Fulton on Small Canals and Iron Bridges, 1 do. Liberty, a poem, 1 do. . Hazard's Collection of State Papers, 2 vols, Young's Travels, 2 do. . West's Discourse, 1 vol. A Statement of the Eepresentation of England, and Wales, Miscellanies, 2 vols. Political Pieces, 1 vol. . Treaties, 1 do. Annual Eegister for 1781, 1 do. 8vo. $2.00 .75 2.00 15.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 1.50 1.50 4.00 20.00 2.00 2.00 1.50 1.50 3.00 3.00 1.00 1.00 3.00 1.50 3.00 1.00 1.00 3.00 .50 5.00 4.00 2.00 do. .50 2.00 1,00 .50 .75 AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS, 379 Masonic Constitution, 1 vol. 4to. Smith's Constitutions, 1 do. Preston's Poems, 2 vols. History of the United States, 1796, 1 vol. 8vo. Parliamentary Debates, 12 vols Mair's Book Keeping, 1 vol. Miscellanies, 1 do. Proceedings of the East India Company, 1 do. fol, Ladies Magazine, 2 vols. 8vo. . Parliamentary Register, 7 do. Pryor's Documents, 2 do. Remembrancer, 6 do. European Magazine, 2 do. Columbian " 5 do. American " 1 vol. New York « 1 do. Christian's " 1 do. "Walker on Magnetism, 1 do. Monroe's View of the Executive, 1 do. Massachusetts Magazine, 2 vols. . A Five Minutes Answer to Paine's Letter to General ington, 1 vol. . Political Tracts, 1 do. . Proceedings on Parliamentary Reform, 1 do. Poems on Various Subjects, 1 do Plays, &c., 1 do. Annual Register, 3 vols. Botanico-Medical Dissertation, 1 vol. Oracle of Liberty, 1 do. Cadmus, 1 do. Doctrine of Projectiles, 1 do. Patricius the Utilist, 1 do. 8vo. Ahiman Rezon, 1 do. Sharp on the Prophecies, 1 do. Minto on Planets, 1 do. Sharp on the English Tongue, 1 do. Sharp on Limitation of Slavery, 1 do Sharp on the Peoples Rights, 1 do. Wash- $1.00 .50 1.00 .50 6.00 1.50 1.00 4.00 3.00 3.50 2.00 3.00 3.00 10.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 .50 .75 4.00 1.00 3.00 2.00 .50 .75 4.50 .25 .25 1.00 .50 .50 1.50 .75 .50 .50 1.50 LOO 380 MOUNT VEKNON STiarp's Eemarks, 1 vol. National Defence, 1 do. Sharp's Free Militia,! do. Shai-j) on Congressional Courts,! do. Aliiman Rezin, 1 do. Vision of Columbus, 1 do. Wilson's Lectures, 1 do. Miscellanies, 1 do. . The Contrast, A Comedy, 1 do. Sharp, an Appendix on Slavery, 1 do. Muir's Trial, 1 do. End of Time, 1 do. Erskine's View of the "War, 1 do. Political Magazine, 3 vols. The Law of Nature, 1 vol. 12mo. Wasliingtou's Legacy, 1 do. Political Tracts, 1 do. 8vo. America, 1 do. Proofs of a Conspiracy, 1 do. Mackintosh's defence, 1 do. Miscellanies, 1 do. Mirabean, 1 do. Virginia Journal, 1 do. 4to. Miscellanies, 1 do. 8vo. Poems, &c., 1 do.. 4 to. Morse's Geography, 1 do. 8vo. Messages &c., 1 do. History of Ireland, 2 vols. Ilarte's Works, 1 vol. Political Pamphlets, 1 do. Burn's Poems, 1 do. Political Tracts, 1 do. Miscellanies, 1 do. Hisfjjius on Cements, 1 do. Eepository, 2 vols. Eeign of George III., 1 vol. Political Tracts, 1 do. Tax Water, 1 do. % .50 .50 .50 .75 1.00 .50 .75 1.00 .75 .50 .75 .75 1.00 4.50 .75 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.50 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.25 1.00 2.00 1.00 2.00 1.25 1.00 2.00 .75 1.00 1.00 3.00 1.00 1.25 .75 AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 381 Minot's History, 1 do. Mease on the Bite of a Mad Dog, 1 do. Political Tracts, 1 do. Eeports, 1 do. Eevolution of France, 1 do. Essay on Property, 1 do. Sir Henry Clinton's Narrative, 1 do. Lord North's Administration, 1 do. Lloyd's Ehapsody, 1 do. . Tracts, 1 do. .... Inland Navigation, 1 do. . Chesterfield's Letters, 1 do. Smith's Constitntions, 1 do. 4to. Morse's Geography, 2 vols. 8vo. Belknap's American Biography, 2 vols. Belknap's History of New Hampshire, 1 vol. 3 vols. Minot's History of Massachusett's, 1 vol •Jenkinson's Collection of Treaties, 3 vols. District of Maine, 1 vol. 8vo. Grulhver's Travels, 2 vols. Tracts on Slavery, 1 vol. Priestley's Evidences, 1 do. Life of Bnncle, 2 vols. Webster's Essays, 1 vol. Bartram's Travels, 1 vol. Bossu 's Travels, 2 vols. Situation of America, 1 vol. Jefferson's Notes, 1 do. Coxe's View, 1 do. Ossian's Poem's, 1 do. Adams on Globes, 1 do. . Pike's Arithmetic, 1 do. . Bunaby's Sermons and Travels, 1 do. Champion on Commerce, 1 do. Brown's Bible, 1 vol. fol. Bishop "Wilson's Bible, 3 vols. $ .75 1.75 1.00 1.50 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.50 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.50 1.00 4.00 3.00 2.00 5.00 2.00 6.00 1.50 1.50 1.00 1.00 3.00 1.50 2.00 3.00 1.00 1.50 1.50 1.50 2.00 2.00 1.00 1.00 15.00 GO. 00 382 MOUNT VERNON. Bishop Wilson's Works, 1 vol. . . j . $15.00 Laws of New York, 2 vols. . . . 12.00 Laws of Virginia, 2 vols. .... 3.00 Middleton's Architecture, 1 vol. . . . 3.00 Miller's Naval Architecture, 1 do. . . . 4.00 The Senator's Kemembrancer, 1 do. . . . 3.00 The Origin of the Tribes or Nations in America, 1 do. 8vo. 75 A Treatise on the Principles of Commerce between Na- tions, 1 do. . . . . . .50 Annual Eegister, 1 do. . . . . . .50 General Wusliington's Letters, 2 vols. . . 4.00 Insurrection, 1 vol. ..... .50 American Eemembrancer, 3 vols. . . , 1.50 Epistles for the Ladies, 1 vol. . . . » .50 Discourses upon Common Prayer, 1 do. . , .25 The Trial of the Seven Bishops, 1 do. 8vo. . . .50 Lebroune's Surveyor, 1 do. fol. . . . 1.00 Sharp's Sermons, 1 do 8vo. . . . , .50 Muir's Discourses, 1 do. . . . . .75 Emblems, Divine and Moral, 1 do. . . . 1.00 Yorick's Sermons, 2 vols. .... 1.00 D'lvernois on Agriculture, Colonies and Commerce, 1 vol. .75 Pocket Dictionary, 1 do. . . . . . .25 Prayer Book, 1 do. .... 1.50 Eoyal English Grammar, 1 do. . . . . .25 Principles of Trade compared, 1 do. . . . .50 Dr. Morse's Sermon, 1 do. . . . • .50 Duche's Sermon, 1775, 1 do. ... .50 Sermons, 1 do. . . . . . . .50 Embassy to China, 1 do. . . . . 1.00 Warren's Poems, 1 do. . . . . . 1.00 Sermons, 1 do. ..... .25 Humphrey Clinker, 1 do. . . . . . .25 Poems, 1 do. . . • • • . .50 Swift's Works, 1 do. 50 History of a Foundling, (3d vol. wanting,) 3 vols. 1.50 Adventures of Telemach us, 2 do. • • * "'^^ AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS, 383 Nature Displayed, 1 vol. Solyman and Almenia, 1 do. . . # Plays, 1 do. The High German Doctor, 1 do. Benezet's Discourse, 1 do. Life and Death of the Earl of Rochester, 1 do. Journal of the Senate and House of Representatives, 9 vols. fol. ..... Laws of the United States, 7 do. Revised Laws of Virginia, 1 vol. Act of Virginia Assembly, 5 vols. Cruttwell's Concordance, 1 vol. Dallas's Reports, 1 do. 8vo. Swift's- System, 2 vols. . Journals of the Senate and House of Representatives, 3 do State Papers, 1 vol. Burn's Justice, 4 vols. Marten's Law of Nations, 1 vol. Views of the British Customs, 1 do. Debates of Congress^ 3 vols. Journal of Congress, 13 do. Laws of the United States, 3 do. Kirby's Reports, 1 vol. Virginia Justice, do. Virginia Laws, 1 do. Dogge on Criminal Law, 3 vols. Laws of the United States, 2 do. . Debates of the State of Massachusetts on the ConstitU' tion, 1 vol. ..... Sharp on the Law of Nature, 1 do. Sharp on the Law of Retribution, 1 do. Shai-p on Libels and Juries, 1 do. . Acts of Congress, 1 do. Debates of the Convention of Virginia, 1 do. The Landlord's Law, 1 vol. 12mo. Attorney's Pocket Book, 2 vols. 8vo. President's Messages, 1 vol. .... $1.00 .50 .50 .25 .25 25 27.00 28.00 10.00 1.00 5.00 3.00 3.00 6.00 2.00 12.00 1.50 1.00 4.50 40.00 6.00 2.00 1.00 1.00 4.50 4.00 .50 .25 .25 .25 .75 .50 .25 1.00 2.00 384 MOUNT VERNON Jay's Treaty, 1 vol. .... Debates of the Convention of Massachusetts, 1 do. Law against Bankrupts, 1 do. . Debates in the Convention of Pennsylvania, 1 do. Debates in the Convention of Virginia, 1 do. Debates in the House of Representatives of the United States with respect to their power on Treaties, 1 do. Sundry Pamphlets, containing Messages from the Presi- dent to Congress, &c., Orations, 1 vol. 4to. Gospel News, 1 vol. Svo. Mosaical Creation, 1 vol. Svo. Original and Present State of Man, 1 vol. Sermons, 2 vols. . . . . Political Sermons, 3 do. Miscellanies, 1 vol. Eay on the Wisdom of God in Creation, 1 do. Orations, 1 do. . Medical Tracts, 3 vols. Masonic Sermons, 1 vol. Miscellanies, 1 do. . Backus's History, 1 do. . Sick Man Visited, 1 do. State of Man, 1 do. Churchill's Sermon, 1 do. . Account of the Protestant Church, 1 do. Exposition of the Thirty-nine Articles, 1 do. Dodington's Diary, 1 do. Davies' Cavalry, 1 do. Simm's Military Course, 1 do. Gentlemen's Magazine, 3 vols. Library Catalogue, 1 vol. Transactions of the Royal Humane Society, 1 do. Zimmermans' Survey, 1 do. History of Barbary, 1 do. Anson's Voyage around the World, 1 do. Horseman and Farrier, 1 do. . ^ .50 .50 .50 .50 .50 .50 1.00 .50 1.00 .75 .50 1.50 2.25 .75 1.00 .75 1.50 .50 .75 1.00 .75 .75 .75 .75 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 4.50 1.50 3.00 .75 .75 1.00 1.00 AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 385 Gordon's Geography, 1 vol. Kentucky, 1 do History of Viginia, 1 do. American Revolution, 1 do. Cincinnati, 1 do. Political Tracts, 1 do. Remarks on the Encroachments of the River Thames, Sharp on Crown Law, 1 vol. 8vo. Common Sense, &c., 1 vol. . Hardy's Tables, 1 do. Beauties of Sterne, 1 do. . Peregrine Pickle, 3 vols. McFingal, 1 vol. Memoirs of the Noted Buckhouse, 2 vol; Odyssey, (Pope's Translation of Homer,) 5 vols. Miscellanies, 3 do. Fitz Osborne's Letters, 1 do. Voltaire's Letters, 1 do Guardian, 2 vols. Beauties of Swift, 1 vol . The Gleaner, 3 vols. Miscellanies, 2 do. Lee's Memoirs, 1 vol. The Universalist, 1 do. Chesterfield's Letters, 4 vols. Louis XV., Bentham's Panopticon, 3 do Reason, &c., 1 vol. Tour through Great Britain, 4 vols. Female Fortune-Hunter, 3 do. The Supposed Daughter, 3 do. Gil Bias, 4 do. Columbian Grammar, 1 vol. Frazier's Assistant, 1 do. . Review of Cromwell's Life, 1 do. Seneca's Morals, 1 do. Travels of Cyrus, 1 do. 25 do. ILOO .75 1.00 1.00 1.00 .75 .50 .50 .75 .75 .75 1.50 .50 1.50 3.00 1.50 .50 .50 1.00 .50 3.00 1.50 100 1.00 2.00 3.00 2.00 .50 3.00 1.00 1.50 3.00 .50 .50 .75 .75 .75 386 MOUNT VERNON Miscellanies, 1 vol. , ... Charles XII, 1 do. . Emma Corbctt (the 2d volume wanting), 2 vols. Pope's Works, G vols. 12mo. Foresters, 1 vol. ..... Adam's Defeiice, 1 vol. t\o. Butler's Hudi])ras,l ^. 1. . . . Spectator, 6 vols. ..... New Crusoe, 1 vol. .... Philadelphia Gazette, 1 vol. fol. Pennsylvania Packet, 2 vols. Gazette of the United States, 10 do. Atlas to Guthrie's Geography, 1 vol. Moll's Atlas, 1 do. . West India Atlas, 1 do. . General Geographer, 1 do. Atlas of North America,! do . . . Manceuvres, 1 vol. 8vo. Military Instruction, 1 vol. Count Saxe's Plan for New Modelling the French A Military Disipline, 1 vol. 4to. Prussian Evolutions, 1 vol. Code of Military Standing Resolutions, 2 vols. Field Engineer, 1 vol. 8vo. Army List, 1 vol. .... Prussian Evolutions, 1 vol. 4to. LeBlond's Engineer, 2 vols. 8 vo. Muller on Fortification, 1 vol. Essay on Field Artillery, by Anderson, Ido. A System of Camp Disipline, 1 do . Essay on the Art of War, 1 do. Treatise of Military Disipline, 1 do. . List of Military Officers, British and Irish, in 1777, Vallancey on Fortifications, 1 do. Muller on Artillery, 1 do. Muller on Fortifications, 1 do . . . rmv, 1 do. .75 .50 1.00 2.00 .50 , .75 1.00 . .3.00 .75 . 10.00 . 12.00 . 40.00 40.00 10 00 . 20.00 30.00 10.00 1.00 .50 Ido. .50 2.00 1.50 4.00 1.50 .75 . .50 3.00 . 2.00 .75 . 2.00 1.00 . 1.50 .50 1.50 . L50 2.00 AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 387 Militia, 1 vol. 8vo. ..... $.100 4.00 .75 6.00 1.50 2.00 1.00 1.00 .75 .50 .50 .25 American Atlas, 1 vol. fol. . Steuben's Eegulations, 1 vol. 8 vo. Traite de Cavalerie, 1 vol. fol. Truxton on Latitude and Longitude, 1 vol. Ordinances of the King, 1 do. Magnetic Atlas, 1 do. . . Eoads through England, 1 vol. Svo. Carey's War Atlas, 1 vol. fol. Colles's Survey of Roads, 1 vol. Svo. . Military Institutions for Officers, 1 vol. Norfolk Exercise, 1 do. Advice of the Officers of the British Army, 1 do. . .25 Webb's Treatise on the Appointment of the Army, 1 do. .25 Acts of the Parliament respecting Militia, 1 do. . .25 The Partisan, 1 do. . . . . . .50 Anderson on Artillery, (in French,) 1 do. . . .25 List of Officers under Sir William Howe in America, 1 do. ..... . .25 The Military Guide, 1 do. . . . . .50 The Duties of Soldiers in General, 3 vols. . . I.Sq Young's Tour, 2 do. . . . . . 3.00 Young on Agriculture, (17 vols, full bound, 8 half bound, and 1 pamphlet.) 26 do. . . . 50.00 Anderson on Agriculture, (1 vol. full bound, the others in boards,) 4 do. . . . . . 8.00 Lisle's Observations on Husbandry, 2 do. . . 3.00 Museum Eusticum, 6 do. . . ... 10.00 Marshall's Rural Ornament, 2 do. . . . 4.00 Barlow's Husbandry, 2 do. . . . . 3.00 Kennedy on Gardening, 2 do. . . . 2.00 Hale on Husbandry, 4 do. . . . . 6.00 Santimental Magazine, 5 do. . . . . 1600 Price on the Picturesque, 2 do. . . . . 4.00 Agriculture, 2 do. . . . . . 2 .00 Miller's Gardener's Calendar, 1 vol. . . . 2.00 Eural Economy, 1 vol. .... 1.00 388 MOUNT VERNON Agricultural Inquiries, 1 vol. .... $1.00 Maxwell's Practical Husbandry, 1 do. . . 2.00 Boswell on Meadows, 1 do. . . . 1.00 Gentleman Farmer, 1 do. . . . . 1.50 Practical Farmer, 1 do. .... 1.50 Milhvright and Miller's Guide, 1 do. . . 2.00 Bordley on Husbandry, 1 do. . . . . 2.25 Sketches and Inquiries, 1 do. . . . 2.00 Farmer's Complete Guide, 1 do. . . 1.00 The Solitary or Carthusian Gardener, 1 do. . 1.00 Homer's Illiad, by Pope, (first two vols. Avanting,) 4 vols. 2.00 Don Quixote, 4 do. . . . . . 3.00 Federalist, 2 do. . . . . . 3.00 The World Displayed, (13th vol. wanting,) 19 do. 12mo. 9.50 Search's Essays, 2 do. 8vo. .... 2.00 Freneau's Poems, 1 vol. .... 1.00 Cattle Doctor, 1 do. . . . . . .75 Stephens's Directory, 1 do. ... .50 New System of Agriculture, 1 do. . . . .50 Columbus's Discovery, 1 do. . . .25 Moore's Travels, 5 vols. .... 4.00 Agricultural Society of New York, 1 vol. 4to. . 2.00 Transactions of the Agricultural Society of New York, Ido. ...... 1.00 Annals of Agriculture, 1 do, . . . 2.00 Dundonald's Connection between Agriculture and Chem- istry, 1 do. . . . . . 1.00 Labors in Husbandry, 1 do. . . . .1.00 Account of different Kind of Sheep, 1 do.. 8vo. . .50 The Hot-house Gardener, 1 do. . . . 1.50 Historical Memoirs of Frederick II., 3 vols. . 1.00 Treatise on Peat Moss, 1 vol. . . . . .60 Treatise on Bogs and Swampy grounds, 1 do. . .75 Complete Farmer, 1 do. fol. .... 6.00 Pamphlets. Keports of the National Agricultural Society of Great Britain, 100 Nos., 4to. . . 25.00 AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 389 Pamphlets. Massachusetts Magazine, 41 Nos. 8vo. New York Magazine, 38 do. London Magazine, 18 do. Political Magazine, 8 do. „ Universal Asylum, 9 do. Universal Magazine, 11 do. Country Magazine, 15 do. Monthly and Critical Keviews, 11 do. Gentleman's Magazine, 8 do, . Congressional Register, 9 do. Miscellaneous Magazine, 27 do. Tom Paine's Rights of Man, 43 do. Miscellaneous Magazine, 27 do. . Books $6.00 6.00 3.00 1.00 1.50 1.50 2.00 2.00 1.00 1.00 3.00 15.00 4.00 Hazard's Collection of State Papers, 3 vols. 4to. 5.00 Morse's American Gazetteer, 1 vol. 8vo. . . 2.00 Annals of Agriculture, (20 and 21) 2 vols. . . 3.00 On the American Revolution, 1 vol. . . 1.50 15 Pamphlets, Annals of Agriculture, . . . 2.50 Judge Peters on Plaster of Paris, 1 vol. . . 1.50 Belknap's Biography, 1 do. . . . . 1.50 American Remembrancer, 1 do. . . . .50 Federalist, 2 vols. ..... 1.50 A Pamphlet, The Debate of Parliament on the Articles of Peace, 1 vol. ..... .25 History of the American War in 17 Pamphlets, 1.50 Miscellaneous Pamphlets, 26 Nos. . . . 2.00 "Washington, A Poem, = . . . 2.00 Alfieri, Bruto Primo, Italian Tragedy, . . 1.00 Fragment of Politics and Literature, by Mandrillon, (in French,) 1 vol. 8 vo. . . . . .75 Revolution of France and Geneva, (in French,) 2 vols. 2.00 History of the Administration of the finances of the French Republic, 1 do. . . . . 0.50 History of the French Administration, 1 do. . .75 The Social Compact, (in French, 1 do.) -25 390 MOUNT VERNON Boohs. Chastellnx's Travels in North America, (in French.) 3 vols. 8vo. ..... $1.50 1 Pamphlet of the French Eevolntion at Geneva, . .25 America Delivered, a Poem, (in French,) 3 vols. . 1.50 Sinclair's Statistics (in French,) 1 vol. . . 1.50 The Works of Monsieur Chamousset, (in French,) 2vols. 4.00 Letters of American Farmer, (in French,) 3 do. . 4.50 Gennauicus, (in French,) 1 vol. ... .25 Triumph of the New World, (in French,) 2 vols. . 1.50 United States of America, (in German,) 1 vol. . 1.50 Chastellux, Discourse on the Advantage of the Discovery of America, 1 do. .... 1.00 A German Book, 1 do. . . . . .25 The French Mercury, (in French,) 4 vols, . . 3.00 Essay on Weights, Measures &c., 2 do. . . .75 History of England, 2 do. . . . . .25 Political Journal, (in German.) 1 vol. . . .50 Letters in French and English, 1 do. . . . .25 History of the Holy Scriptures, 1 do. . .25 History of Gil Bias, 2 vols. .... 1.00 Telemachus, 2 do. . . . . . 1.00 Poems of M. Grecourt, 2 do. . . . . .25 Court Eegister, 6 do. 12mo. .... 1.50 6 Pamphlets, Political Journal, (in German,) . . .50 Description of a Monument, 1 vol. ... .50 Beacon Hill, 1 do. . . . . . .25 Letters in the English and German Language, 1 do. . 25 A Family House-Keeper, 1 do. . . . .25 Pamphlets of different descriptions, . . 15.00 Maps, Charts, d-c. Chart of Navigation from the Gulf of Honda ^ to Philadelphia, by Hamilton Moore to Bay of Fundy, do. . . . .J Griffiths Map of Pennsylvania, and Sketch of Delaware, 8.00 Howell's Large Map of Pennsylvania, . . 10.00 40.00 AND ITS ASSOCIATION'S. 39J Maps and CJiarts. Henry's Map of Virginia, .... $8.00 Bradley's Map of the United States, . . 5.00 Holland's Map of New Hampshire, . . . 3,00 Ellicott's Map of the West End of Lake Ontario, . 4.00 Hutchins's Map of the Western Part of Virginia, Mary- land, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, . 3.00 Adlnni and Williams's Map of Pennsylvania, . . 2.00 Miip of Kennebec River, &e.. . . 1,00 Andri'ws Military Map of the Seat of War in the Neth- •^'I'^Ji'i^^^S . . . . . 1.00 Howell's Small Map of Pennsylvania, . . . 2.00 Great Canal between Forth and Clyde, . , 2.00 Plan of the Line betAveen North Carolina and Vii'ginia, 2.00 ]\r'Mnrray's Map of the United States, . . . 3.00 Military Plans of Ihe American Eevolution, . 8.00 Evan's Mapof Pennsylvania, Ncav Jersey, New York, and Delaware, ..... 1.00 Plan of tlie Mississippi from the Piver Iberville to the River Yazoo, ..... 2.OO Map of India, ...... 5.00 Chart of France, ..... i.qO Map of the World, .50 Map of tiio State of Connecticut, . . . 2.OO Spanish Maps, . • . . . .50 Table of Commerce and Population of France, . .50 Battle of the Nile, &c., ..... l.OO Routes and Order of Battle of Generals St. Clair and Harmar, ..... 1.00 Truxton on the Rigging of a Frigate, . . 1.00 View of the Encampment at West Poinr, .50 Emblematic Prints, .... 4.00 Plan of the Government and House of New York. .50 Chase and Action between the Constellation and Insur- gent, (two priiUs.) .... 4.00 General Wilkinson's Mapof Partof the Western Territory, 1.00 Plan of Mount Vernon, by John Vaughan, . . 1.00 Specimen of Penmanship, .... .50 392 MOUNT VERNON Maps and Charts. 5 Plans of the Federal City and District, . . $5.00 1 Large Draft, ...... 3.00 Plan of the City of New York, Panopticon, . . ,80 Hoop's Map of the State of New York, . . 1.00 Howell's Pocket Map of the State of Pennsylvania, 2.00 A French Map of the Carolinas, . . . 2.00 Fry and Jefferson's Map of Virginia, . . . 2.00 Howell's Small Map of Pennsylvania, . . 2.00 A Map of New England, .... 2.00 9 Maps of different Parts of Virginia and Carolina, and also a number of loose Maps, . . . 52.00 Carlton's Map^ (2 sets,) of the coasts of North America, 8.00 Treatise on Cavalry, with large cuts, . . 50.00 Walker's View in Scotland, .... 3.00 A large Portfolio with sundry Engravings, . 40.00 Alexander's Victories, 26 prints, . . . 100.00 8 Reams of large folio Paper, . . . 40.00 2 Reams of small Paper, .... 8.00 13 Reams of Letter Paper, .... 39.00 5 Whole Packages of Sealing-wax, . . . 5.00 5 Leaden Paper Presses, .... 5.00 6 Blank Books, 18.00 13 Small books, 2.00 1 Large Globe, 50.00 1 Trunk, 6.00 Books Omitted. Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, 4 vols. 8vo., . . 20.00 Smollet'sHistory of England, 1vol. . . ll.CO Handmaid to the Arts, 2 vols. .... 2.00 Bancroft on Permanent Colors, 1 vol. . . 1.00 1 Theodolite, 50 AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 393 Washington's Library contained above twelve hundred books and pamphlets, about one hundred Maps Charts and Plans, and a considerable number of Engravings. The whole had an appraised total money value of about two thousand six hund- red dollars. Nearly every work in the collection was of practical value to a man like "Washington, and seemed to have been purchased for use as a mechanic would purchase his tools. Works of an imaginative character were comparatively few ; yet there was a sufficiency of light reading for the healthful amusement and culture of the younger and less thoughtful part of the house- hold. It will be observed that the Library was singularly barren in the more ephemeral political literature, both English and American, of the period immediately preceding the Revolu- tion, when pamphleteers in both hemispheres were very active. The dearth of such literature in the Library at Mount Yernon may be partly accounted for by the fact that previous to the Revolution, Washington avoided politics and public employ- ment as much as possible, as he had a natural dislike for them. He took only a general passing interest in the political agita- tions of the day, and lived the easy life of a country gentle- man of wealth, more interested in social enjoyments and the management of his large landed estate, than anything else. There is one book in existence which was at Mount Yer- non in the early years of Washington's married life, that does not appear in the catalogue. In a list of articles ordered by Washington, from London, for "Miss Custis, 6 years old," (see page 74,) is named a " spinet," and " books, according to the inclosed list" — books for musical instruction. One of 394 MOUNT VERNON these, an octavo, entitled " The Complete Tutor for the Harp- sichord or Spinet," has upon a fly-leaf in the hand-writing of the eminent Elias Boudinot, the words, "Miss Boudinot's Book, presented by her friend, Mrs. Washington, 1780." Its frontispiece is a picture of a musician in the costume of about 1760, playing upon a Harpsichord in form precisely like the one delineated on page 282. The book is in the possession of John William Wallace, Esq., of Philadelphia, a descendant of Miss Boudinot. THE GEOTTNDS ABOUT THE MANSIOy. On page 156, mention is made of the lawn on the West front of the Mount Yernon Mansion, and the method observed in planting the trees. I have before me the original memo- randum made by Washington, concerning distances on that Western side, or main front of the house; and also on the Eastern side or river front, where the great piazza is. The following is a copy of the memorandum : " MEMORANDUM. "From the middle of the front door to the centre of the line between the Garden Houses, is N. "56, 12 W* ; 111 feet to the west line of the store and Ho. opposite-)- — 148 feet to the outer part of the circle — 174 to the line between the two necessaries — 178 to the line of the trees — 267 to the line between the centre of the Garden Gates— 360 to the centre of the line be tween the Garden Houses. The line between the Store and Ho. opposite is N. "32, 15 E— 132 feet. The line between the centre of the Garden (iates. is N. ""^SS . . . E. and The line between the Garden Houses is N. ^33. 45 E. From the necessary in the Lower Garden to the Mulberry Tree— reckoning from the wall of the Garden, in . - . . 25. 9 to the Spanish Chesnut is . . . • . 63. 3 and to the Cherry Tree is ..... 95. 9 From the necessaries in the Upper Garden, the distance from the Garden Wall to the English Walnut, is 25, 9. to the Spanish Chestnut 63. 3. and to the Cherry Tree, 95. 9. the same as on the other side. * S'i feet to circle— 29 to tfie grass— 79 to Dia' no«t. 1 128 to the edge of the inner circle. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS, '?uz.-^ 0<>Z. C-^jC . \^ V V \ 395 ^ IB> ^^ 396 MOUNT VE.RNON From the GarVn House in the Lower Garden, (say from the Garden Wall) opposite the first Cherry Tree is . . , . . 18. 6 to the new planted Walnut, . . . . . . 28. 9 to the other Cherry Tree, i . . . . 71. From the other Garden House to y* first Walnut, . . . 27. 3 to the 2d Walnut is ..... 55. to the 3d Walnut is ..... 78. From the Lower Garden Ho. (centre thereof to the centre of the Gate is 95. 6 from thence to the centre of necessary, . . . . 93. 6 From the centre of the other Garden Ho. to the centre of the gate is 90. 3 from thence to the centre of N'y, , . . . .93. From the centre of the front door to the English Walnut, is N. "37. 45 W. From Ditto to the Mulberry Tree, N. "80 . . W. From the Line between the Garden Houses to the outer circle is 253 ft. From one necessary to the other, the course is N. *'32. 20 E. From the Piazza to the descent of the Hill in a line with the spire of the dry well and the point of the Hill at the N. circle, is 130 ft., and the course between the two is N. ^"40, 15 E. The course of the Wall between the lower necessary and the Garden Ho. is S. ^54. 15 E. Ditto between the N. Garden House and Nes'y, is S. "56,— E. The distance between the 2 Garden Houses, is . . . 263 ft. The semi-circles at the sides, is . . . . . 150 ft. The distance between the Store and House opposite, is . . 132 ft." WASHINGTON AS A FKEE MASON. The simple fact that "Washington was a member of the fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons, is mentioned on page 166, and in succeeding pages are some notices of Masonic regalia presented to him. All that is known of Washington's Masonic Life, is given in a volume by Sidney Hayden, publish- ed in 1866, entitled " Washington and his Masonic Compeers." The frontispiece to that work, is a copy of a portrait of Wash- ington in full Masonic Regalia, as presiding officer of Alex- andria Lodge, No. 22, for which it was painted in Sep- tember, 1796, by a speculating and indifferent portrait-painter named Williams. He went to Philadelphia for the purpose, and obtained the privilege of making the portrait, through an address from the officers of tlie Alexandria Lodge asking AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 39T Washington for it. The picture was presented to the lodge, and Mr, Williams received from that bodj the sum of fifty dol- lars " in consequence of the trouble he was at in going to and coming from Philadelphia." The artist expected to profit largely by the operation, in filling orders for copies. But the picture was so poor that copies were not called for, whereupon he asked the lodge for further compensation. It was refused. A copy of Williams's pic- ture is here given, from a photograph from the origi- nal, not as a likeness of the First President, for it is a caricature, but because it shows him in the full Ma- sonic Kegalia which lie kept at Mount Vernon and used nt Alex;indria, the sash and apron of which was the one presented to him by Wat- son and Coussol, twelve' years before, as mentioned on pages 168 and 169. The collar and ornaments are those of a Past Master. On the back of the portrait (which is yet in possession of the Lodge at Alexandria,) is the following inscription: "His Excellently,, Geokge Washington, Esq., President of the United States, aged Q4:. Williams, Pmccii ad vivum in Philadelphia, September 18, 1794." HOUDOn's likeness of WASHINGTON. The rri-iiiai plaster mold of Washington's face, by Houaon, and attached to the original clay model of the rest of the head MASONIC PORTRAIT. 398 MOUNT VEKNON CABT FHOU WASUINGTON'B FACB, neck, shoulders and breast by the same artist, mentioned on page 176, is yet (1870,) at Mount Vernon, but being kept in a private room, few persons ever see it. A careful copy of the mask was made for the United States mint at Philadel- phia, several years ago, where it is preserved with great care. To James Koss Snowdon, Esq., late Superintendent of that Mint, I am indebted for a Photograph of the mask from which our engraving is made. It is undoubtedly the most accurate profile likeness of Washington, ever produced, as Houdon's statue at Richmond gives us the only correct portraiture of his person and costume. As such it is invaluable. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 399 SHADOW PORTRAIT OF WASHINGTON. In connection with this prohle I give another remarkable one which, according to well authenticated tradition, was made at Mount Yernon, from life. The story is that not long before the death of Washington, the shadow of his head in profile, and also that of his wife, was cast the natural size by a strong light upon a wall, from which careful outlines were traced, transferred to paper and filled with color so as to produce perfect silhouette likenesses. This was doubtless done by that woman of genius, Mrs. Lawrence Lewis (Eleanor Parke Custis,) Washington's adopted daughter, in whose pos- session they were for more than thirty years, when she gave them to a friend. On the back of each is the following certifi- cate: " The within are profiles of General and Mrs. Washington, taken from their shadows on a wall. They are as perfect like- nesses as profiles can give. Presented to me by my friend, Mrs. Eleanor Parke Lewis. Woodland, July, 1832. Elizabeth Bokdley Gibson." 400 MOU^T VER^y'ON I am indebted to John A. McAllister, Esq., of Philadelphia, for photographs from the originals. It will be observed tha,t the outline of Washington's face in this shadow profile, is almost identical with that of the plaster mask by Houdon. HOW THE MANSION AT MOUNT VEKNON WAS FUENISHED. To gratify the natural and laudable desire of every one who reveres the character of Washington, to know all that is proper about his domestic life, I give below a list of articles with which the mansion at Mount Yernon was furnished and adorned. It is copied from the inventory made by the sworn appraisers, after the death of Washington, with their estimated value of each article. INVENTORY. In the Neio Room. 2 Large Looking-glasses,, .... $200.00 4 Silver-plated Lamps, &c. . . . . GO.OO G Mahogany Knife Cases. .... 100.00 2 Sideboards, on each of which is an Image and China Flow- er-pot, ...... 160.00 27 Mahogany Chairs at $10, . . . 270.00 2 Candle Stands, ..... 40.00 2 Fire Screens, ..... 40.00 2 Elegant Lustres, ..... 120.00 2 Large Gilt-Framed Pictures, represesting the Fall of Rivers, 160.00 4 do. representing Water Courses, &c. . . . 240.00 1 do. Small likeness of General Washington, . 100 00 1 do. Louis XVI. ..... 50.00 'i do. Prints, Death of Montgomery, . . 150.00 2 do. Battle of Bunker Hill, .... 100.00 2 Large Gilt-framed Pictures, Dead Soldier, . 45.00 AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 4OI 1 Likeness of St. John, . . . • $;45.00 1 do. Virgin Mary, .... 15.00 4 Small prints, (one under each Lamp,) 8.00 1 Painting, Moonlight, . . . • 00.00 5 China Jars, ..... 100.00 All the Images . .... 100.00 1 Mat, . .... 10.00 Window Curtains, ..... 100.00 2 Round Stools, ..... 6.00 Shovel, Tongs, Poker and Fender, . . . 20.00 In the Little Parlor. 1 Looking-glass, .... 30.00 1 Tea Table, . ... . 8.00 1 Settee, ....*. 15.00 10 Windsor Chairs, ..... 20.00 2 Prints representing Storms at Sea, . 30.00 1 do. A Sea-fight between Paul Jones of the Bon- Homme Richard and Captain Pearson of the Serapis, 10.00 2 do. one the Whale Fishery of Davis's Straits, and the other ol the Green Lands, . . . 20.00 1 Likeness of General Washington in ' an oval Frame, 4.00 1 do. Dr. Franklin, .... 4.00 1 do. Lafayette, . . . . 4.00 1 Gilt Frame of wrought work, containg Chickens in a Basket, ..... 20.00 1 do. Likeness of a Deer, . . , 50.00 1 Painted Likeness of an Aloe, . . . 2.00 6 Others of different Paintings, . . . 12,00 1 Carpet, .... . 10.00 2 WindoAV Curtains, .... 5.00 Andirons, Tongs and Fender, . . . 6.00 Li the Front Parlor. 1 Elegant Looking Glass, .... 60.00 1 Tea Table, ...... 15.00 26 402 MOUNT VERNON I Sofa, ....... 870.00 II Mahogany Chairs, ..... 99.00 3 Lamps, two with Mirrors, .... 40.00 5 China Flower-Pots, ..... 5U.00 1 Gilt Frame, Marquis Lafayette and Family, . . 100.00 1 do. General Washington, . . . 50.00 1 do. Mrs. Washington, . . . 50.00 1 do. Mrs. Lear, .... 80.00 1 do. Mrs. Law, .... 70.00 1 do. Mrs. Washington's two Children, 50.00 1 do. Mrs. Washington's Daughter when grown, 10.00 1 Small Oval Frame, (gilt) containing the likeness of Wash- ington Custis, ..... 10.00 1 do. George W. Lafayette, . . . . 10.00 1 do. General Washington, . . . 10.00 1 do. Mrs. Washington, .... 10.00 1 Gilt Square Frame, the Likeness of Miss Custis, . 10.00 1 do. Emblematic of General Washington, . . 10.00 2 Window Curtains, ..... IG.OO 1 Carpet, . . .... . 80.00 Andirons, Shovel, Tongs &c., .... 8.00 In the Dining Boom. 1 Oval Looking-Glass, ..... 15.00 1 ]Mahogany Sideboard, ..... 23.00 1 Tea Table, • . . . . . . 2.00 2 Dining Tables, . ..... 30.00 1 Large Case, ...... 10.00 2 Knife Cases, . . . . . . G.OO 10 Mahogany Chairs, . . . . . . . 50.00 1 Large Gilt Frame, Print, The Death of the Late Earl of Chatham, ...... 50.00 1 do. General Wolfe, .... 15.00 1 do. Penn's Treaty with Indians, . . . 15.00 1 do. Eittenhouse, ..... 5.00 1 do. Dr. Franklin, ..... 10.00 AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 4(13 1 do 1 do 1 do 1 do 1 do 1 do 1 do 1 Large Gilt Frame, Print, General Washington, General Greene, .... America, .... General Lafayette, or Conclusion of the Late War, .... General Wayne,. Washington's Family of Mount Vernon, Alfred visiting his Noblemen, Alfred dividing his Loaf with the Pilgrims, 1 Carpet, . . . . Window Curtains, .... Water Pitcher, . . : Andirons, Shovel Tongs and Fender, . In the Bed Room. 1 Looking Glass, . 1 Small Table, 1 Bed, Bedstead and Mattress, 4 Mahogany or Walnut Chairs, 1 Large Gilt Frame containing a Battle fought by Cavalry, ..... Window Curtains and Blinds, 1 Carpet, . ..... Andirons, Shovel, Tongs and I'endei', In the Passage. 14 Mahogany Chairs, .... 1 Print Diana, dec'd by Yenus, 1 do. Adoni's carried off by Yenus, 1 do. The Dancing Shepherds, 1 do. Morning, .... 1 do. Evening, .... \ do. Yiew of the River Po in Italy, 1 do. Constantine's Arch, 1 do. General Washington, 1 do. Key of Bastile with its Eepresentation, 1 Thermometer, ..... $7.00 7.00 6.00 7.00 7.00 20.00 G.OO 9.00 2.00 2.00 .50 8.00 10.00 5.00 50.00 8.00 30.00 1.50 5.00 4.00 70.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 25.00 10.00 5.00 404 MOUNT VERNON 4 Images over the Door, .... 1 Spy-Glass. . . . . . . Li the Closet under the Stair-case. 1 Fire Screen, ..... 1 Machine to Scrape Shoes on, . In the Piazza. 30 Windsor Chairs, . ■ . From the foot of the Stair-case to the second Stairs. 1 Gilt Frame, Print. Musical Shepherds, 1 do. Moonliglit, . .... 1 do. Thunderstorm, . . . . . 1 do. Battle of Bunker's Hill, 1 do. Death of Montgomery, . . . . In the Passage on the second Floor. 1 Looking Glass, ..... In the Front Room on the second Floor. 1 Dressing Table, 6 Mahogany Chairs, Bed, Bed-Stead and Curtains, Window Curtains, 1 Large Looking Glass, 1 Print, Gainesboro Forest, 1 do. Xymph's Bathing, 1 do. Village, 1 do. Storm, 1 Carpet, Wash-Basin and Pitcher, Andirons, Shovels, Tongs and Fender, In the Second Room. X Arm Chair, ?!20.00 5.00 2.00 2.00 30.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 5.00 15.00 4.00 8.00 15.00 75.00 1.00 15.00 8.00 8.00 6.00 7.00 5.00 1.00 5.00 6.00 1 AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS ,n^ Bed-Stead, Bed, Curtains and Window Curtains, ^70 nn 1 Looking Glass, . ' *^^-"^ 1 Dressing Table, . . ' . * * * ^^"^^ Likeness of General Lafayette, . * * ' .^'^^ 1 Carpet, * * ' ^^'^^ 4 Chairs, .'.'.* * * ' ^^'^^ Wash-Basin and Pitcher, . ' , ' ' " f^^ Andirons, Shovel, Tongs and Fender, 1.00 4.00 Itithe TJiird Room. 6 Mahogany Chairs, 1 Bed, Bedstead and Curtains, * . ' ' ' t^ll Window Curtains, . ' ' ' ^f^^ Chest of Drawers. . , ' ' ' J"^^ 1 Looking Glass, . . * . * * * "^^'^^ 1 Wash-Basin and Pitcher, " ' ' * ^^^ 1 Carpet, . . . * * • ' ' ^'^^ IPrint, The Young Herdsman,* . " ' " !"^^ 1 do. The Flight, . . . ■ . • • ^i^ 1 do. Morning, 1 do. Evening, Andirons, Shovel, Tongs and Fender, * . ' ; ■ * 5.50 5.50 5.50 4.50 In the Fourth Room. ' 5 Mahogany Chairs, . . , ^^ 1 Bed, Bed-Stead and Curtains, ' ' * 77 .n Window Curtains, . . ' " [^Z. 1 Close Chair, . 1 Pine Dressing Table, 1 Carpet, 1 Large Looking-Glass, 1 Print, Sun Rising, 1 do. Sun Setting, 1 do. Cupid's Pastime, 1 do. Cottage, 1 do. Herdsman, Wash-Basin and Pitcher, 2.00 6.00 1.00 10.00 15.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 1.50 406 MOUXT VERNON Aucliroiis, Shovel, Tongs andFender, $4.50 In ihc Small Room. 1 Dressing Table, ...... 3.00 1 Wash Stand 4.00 3 Windsor Chairs, ...... 1.50 1 Bed and Bed-Stead, ..... 40.00 1 Dressing Glass, ...... 3.00 Glass and China in the China Closet, and Ihat np Stairs, and also that in the Cellar, 850.00 In the Boom wMcli Mrs. Wasliinf/fon now Ircps. 1 Bed-Stead and Mattress, 1 Oval Looking Glass, .... 1 Fender, ...... Andirons, Shovel and Tongs, .... 3 Chairs, ...... 1 Table, ...... 1 Carpet, ...... In Mrs. Wasliingtoii's Old Room. 1 Bed, Bedstead, and Curtains, 1 Glass, . . . . 1 Dressing Table, 1 AVriting Table, 1 Writing Cliair, .... 1 Eas}^ Chair, ..... 2 Mahogany Chairs, A Timeijieoc, ..... 1 Chest of Drawers, C Paintings of Mrs. Washington's Family, 5 Small Drawings, 1 Pictnre, Countess of Huntington, 1 do. General Knox, 1 do. A Parson, .... 5 Small Pictures, , . . . SO.OQ^ 10.00 2.00 2.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 70.00 2.00 G.OO 25.00 2.00 10.00 4.00 100.00 30.00 GO.OO 2.50 .75 1.00 1.00 2.00 AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 407 In the Study. 7 Sw( r Is and Blades, . . . 1120.00 4 Caiu s, ...... 40.00 7 Guns, ...... 35.00 11 Spy-Glasses, ...... 110.00 1 Tin Canister of Drawing Paper, ... .50 Trumbull's Prints, ..... 30.00 1 Case Surveying Instruments, . . 10.00 1 Traveling Ink .Case, .... 3.00 1 Globe, ...... 5.00 1 Chest of Tools, . . . . . 15.00 1 Box Containing two Paper Moulds, . . 25.00 1 Picture, ...... 3.00 1 Bureau, 7.00 1 Dressing Table, .... 40.00 1 Tambour Secretary, . . . 80.00 1 Walnut Table, 5.00 1 Copying Press, ..... 30.00 1 Compass, Staff, and two Chains, . . . 30.00 1 Case of Dentist's Instruments, . . . 10.00 1 Old Copying Press, . . •. . . 11.00 2 Setts Money Weights, .... 20.00 1 Telescope, ...... 50.00 1 Box of Paints, &c, .... 16.00 1 Bust of General Washington in Plaster, from the Life, 100 00 1 do. Marble, 50.00 1 Profile in Plaster, 25.00 2 Seals with Ivory Handles, . . . 8.00 1 Pocket Compass, ..... .50 1 Brass Level 10.00 1 Japan Box containing a Mason's Apron, . . 40.00 1 Small Case containing three Straw Rings, one Farmer's Lui> chi!on box ..... . 1.71 1 Silk Sash (Military,) .... 20.00 1 Velvet Housing for a Saddle and Holsters, trimmed with Silver Lace, ...... 5.00 408 MOUNT VERNON 1 Piece of oil cloth, containing Orders of Masonry, $50.00 Some Indian Presents, . ... 5,00 1 Bust in Plaster, of Paul Jones, . . . 20.00 2 Pine Writing Tables, ..... 4.00 1 Circular Chair, ..... 20.00 1 Box Military Figures . . . . .2.00 1 Brass Model Cannon, .... 15.00 2 Brass Candlesticks, ..... 2.00 2 Horse Whips, . . . . . 4.00 1 Pair of Steel Pistols, ..... 50.00 1 Copper Wash Basin, .... .75 1 Chest and its Contents, &c. . . . . 100.00 1 Arm Chair, . . . . . 2.00 1 Writing Desk and Apparatus, . . . 5.00 1 (Green) Field Book, ..... .25 Balloon Flag, ...... 1.00 Tongs, Shovel and Fender, .... 1.00 A Painted Likeness, Lawrence Washington, . . lO.OO 1 Oval Looking Glass, . . . . 2.00 3 Pair of Pistols, ...... 50.00 In the Iron Chest. ( G per cent., 374C 374G ) Stock of the U. S. \ Lr. Deferred, 1873 ) ^^.^^ V 6,24G.00 ( 3 per cent, 2946 [ ''^^ ) 25 Shares Stock of the Bank of Alexandria, . 5,000.00 24 do. do. Potomac Company, (at £100 st'g.) 10.666.00 Cash, ... ... 254.70 1 Sett of Shoe and Knee Buckles, Paste, in Gold, ' 250.00 1 Pair of Shoe and Knee Buckles, Silver, . . 5.00 2 Gold Cincinnati Eagles, .... 30.00 1 Diamond do. ..... 387.00 1 Gold Watch, Chain, two Seals, and a Key, . . 175.00 I Compass in Brass Case, .... .50 I Gold Box, Presented hj the Corporation of New New York, 100.00 5 Shares of James River Stock at $100, . . 500.00 AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 409 170 Shares of Columbia Stock at $40, 1 Large Gold Medal of General "Washington, 1 Gold Medal of St. Patrick's Society, I Ancient Medal (another Metal,) II Medals in a Case, .... 1 Large Medal of Paul Jones, 3 Other Metal Medals, .... 1 Brass Engraving of the Arms of the United States, 1 Pocket Compass, .... 1 Case of Instruments, Parallel Eule, &c. 1 Pocket Book, . . . . 5,800.00 150.00 8.00 2.00 50.00 4 00 1.00 10.00 5.00 17.50 5.00 Plate belonging to Mount Vernon. 44 Lbs. 15 oz., 900.00 Plated Ware. . 3 Bottle Stands, .... 2.00 1 Large Waiter, 8.00 2 Waiters, 2d Size, . 6.00 4 Waiters, . 8.00 1 Bread Basket, . 8.00 1 Fish Knife, . 2.00 6 Salt Stands, • 12.00 4 Bottle Sliders, » 4.00 1 Coffee Urn, .... 8.00 1 Tea Urn, . 20.00 4 Pair of High Candlesticks, 40.00 3 Pair of Chamber Candlesticks, 9.00 1 Sett of Castors, . 20.00 2 Cream Dishes, . 6.00 2 Sugar Dishes, .... 8.00 2 Mustard Pots, « • 4.00 7 Salts, • . 17.00 l^Wine Strainer, ... 1.50 1 Cream Pot, «... 3.00 410 MOUNT VERNON 1 Snuffer Stand, ..... $1.00 1 Muffin Dish, ...... 3.00 1 Tea Urn, ...... 50.00 2 Pair of High Candlesticks, ... . 30.00 1 Pair of Small Candlesticks, . . . 3.00 1 Lamp, ....... 10.00 1 Bread Basket, ..... 10.00 1 Ladle, ....... .50 1 Pair of Large Coolers, .... 60.00 2 Pair of Small Coolers, .... 60.00 1 Waiter, . . ... 10.00 Washington's gkeat bakn. On page 2S8 is printed part of a letter from "Wasliingtori to Ilenrj Lee, written in Philadelphia in October, lTt>3, con- cerning a new threshing machine, in which he complained of the clitlicnlties he had experienced in trying to teach overseers and servants new ways of farm management and labor. " As a proof in point," he said, '* of the almost impossibility of put- ting the overseers of this country out of the track they have been accustomed to walk in, I have one of the most conve- nient barns in this, or perliaps any other countiy, where thirty hands may with great ease be employed in thrashing. Half of the Avlieat of the farm was actually stowed in this barn, in the straw, by my order, for thrashing ; notwithstanding, when I came home about the middle of September, I found atread- ing-yard not thirty feet from the barn door, tlie wheat again brought out of the barn, and horses treading it out in a open exposure, liable to the vicissitudes of weather." The great barn here mentioned was circular in form, and the lower half of the wall was built of bricks. It was three <^r four miles from the Mount A'ernon Mansion. It Avas yet AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 411 stai'ding in the sadly dilapidated state seen in the engrav- ing when the writer visited Mount Yernon just before the late Civil War. ■ It was taken down and rebuilt a few years ago by the present owner of the land. rOSTIIUMOUS IIOXOES, On page 3-46, we have noticed the funeral services in honor of Washington, held in Philadelphia by direction of Con- gress which was in session at the time of his death. It is mentioned that General Lee's oration, prepared at the request of Congress, was ])ronounced in the JiUtheran Church in that city. It is yet used as a place of worship by the same denomi- nation of Christians. I here give a correct picture of the edifice, copied from one in Lossings' Pictorial Field Booh of the War of 1812, in Avhich also appears the accompanying delineation of a silver medal in my possession, struck in com- memoration of Washington, immediately after his death. It 412 MOUNT VERNON LUTItlCIlAN CIHIIUll IN l'llILADr:i.l'llIA. wfiH (losi^iu'd l)y Dudley A. Tyu^, tlicii collector of cnstoins at New1)iiryi><)rt, IMassuclinsetts, nnd tlio die ■\vfvs cut and flic medal published by Jacob Perkins, the eminent Meclianicau and En_ii;raver. I'lic nuMlal is a little lar<;er and lliickcr tli:m a Spanish (juajMci* of a (l(»il tr. ( )u one bide is a jirolilo ot" Wubhington, inclosed in a wreath of --'^TU-^'- laurel, aiul surrounded ^. by the words, " IIk is in Gloky, 'i'UK Would in Tea us." On the reverse \^' is u IMemorial Urn, and wA«n.v<,TON mkdau arouiul it, forniiii;^ two circles, arc ftbbreviations seen in the cngravini:;, signifying, " J3orn, February 11, 1732; (reneral AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 413 of the American Army 1775; resigned, 1783; President of the United States of America, 1789 ; retired in 179G ; Gene- ral of the Armies of the United States, 1798 ; died December, U, 1799." It is mentioned on page 350 that Bonaparte ordered crape to be suspended from all the flags and standards in the French service, for ten days. He did more. He directed a funeral oration to be pronounced before him and the civil and military authorities. This was done by Louis Fontaine in the Temple of Mars, at Paris, on the 8th of February, in the year 18U0. Washington's will. Washington wrote his "Will at Mount Yernon, and signed it on the ninth of July, 1799, a few months before his death. The document, without the schedule of property mentioned in it^ and attached to it, occupied several pages of manuscript, at the bottom of each of which he wrote his name. I will give here only such portions of his Will as may have an iiitcjrest for the general reader. After the usual form, and bequeathing to his wife the use, for the term of her natural life, almost his whole estate, he wrote, as the first object of his solicitude- " Item. — Upon the decease of my wife, it is my will and desire that all the slaves whom I hold i7i my own Tujht shall receive their freedom. To emancipate them during her life would, though eminently wished by me, be attended with such insuperable difficulties, on account of their intermixture by marriage with the dower negroes, as to excite the most painful sensations, if not disagreeable consequences to the 414 MOUNT VERNON latter, while botli descriptions are in the occupancy of the same proi^rietor, it not being in my power, under the tenure by which the dower negroes are held, to manumit them. And whereas, among those who will receive freedom according to this devise, there may be some, who, from old age or bodily in- firmities, and others, who, on account of their infancy, will be unable to support themselves, it is my will and desire, that all, who come under the first and second description, shall be comfortably clothed and fed by my heirs while they live ; and that such of the latter description as have no parents living, or, if living, are unable or unwilling to provide for them, shall be bound by the court until they shall arrive at the age of twenty-five years ; and in cases where no record can be pro- duced, whereby their ages can be ascertained, the judgment of the court, upon its own view of the subject, shall be ade- quate and final. The negroes thus bound, are (by their masters or mistresses,) to be taught to read and write, and to be brought up to some useful occupation, agreeably to the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia providing for the support of orphan and other poor children. And I do hereby expressly forbid the sale or transportation out of the Com- monwealth, of any slave I. may die possessed of, under any pretense whatsoever. And I do moreover, most pointedly and most solemnly enjoin it upon my executors hereafter named, or the survivors of them, to sec that this clause respecting slaves, and every part thereof, be religiously fulfilled at the epoch at which it is directed to take place, without evasion, neglect or delay, after the crops, which may then be on the ground, are harvested, particularly as it respects the aged and infirm ; seeing that a regular and permanent fund be estab- AND ITS ASSOCIATIOXS. 4I5 lisliedfor their support, as long as there are subjects requiring it ; not trusting to the uncertain provisions to be made by individuals. And as to my mulatto man, William^ calling himself ^VilUam Lee, I gi\'e immediate freedom, t)r, if he should prefer it, (on account of the accidents which have befallen him, and which have rendered him incapable of walking, or of any active employment,) to remain in the situ- ation he now is, it shall be optional in him to do so ; in either case, however, I allow him an annuity of thirty dollars during his natural life, which shall be independent of the victuals and clothes he has been accustomed to receive, if he chooses the last alternative ; but in full, with his freedom, if he prefers the first ; and this I give him, as a testimony of his attach- ment to me, and for his faithful services during the Revolu- tionary "VYar," The whole number of negroes left by Washington, in his own right was as follows : Men, 40 ; Women, 37 ; working boys, 4 ; working girls, 3 ; children, 40. total, 124. For the public good, he proceeded to write : ''''Item. — To the Trustees, (Governors, or by whatsoever other name they may be designated,) of the Academy in the town of Alexandria, I give and bequeath, in trust, four thousand dollars, or in other words, twenty of the shares which I hold in the Bank of Alexandria, towards the support of a free School, established at or annexed to, the said Academy, for the purpose of educating such orphan children, or the child- ren of such other poor and indigent persons, as are unable to accomplish it with their own means, and who, in the judg- ment of the trustees of the said seminary, are best entitled to the benefits of this donation. The aforesaid twenty shares I 416 MOUNT VERNON give and bequeath in perpetuity; the dividends only of whicli are to be drawn for, and applied, by the said trustees for the time being, for the uses above mentioned ; the stock to remain entire and untouched, unless indications of the failure of the said bank should be so apparent, or a discontinuance thereof should render a removal of this fund necessary. In either of these cases, the amount of the stock here devised is to be vested in some other bank or public institution, whereby the interest may with regularity and certainty be drawn and applied as above. And to prevent misconception, my meaning is, and is hereby declared to be, that these twenty shares are in lien of, and not in addition to, the thousand pounds given by a mis- sive letter some years ago, in consequence whereof an annuity of fifty pounds has since been paid toward the support of this institution. '"'■Item. — ^Whereas by a law of the Commonwealth of Yirginia enacted in the year 1785, the legislature thereof was pleased as an evidence of the approbation of the services I had ren- dered the public during the Revolution, and partly, I believe, in consideration of my having suggested the vast advantages which the community would derive by an extension of its inland navigation under legislative patronage, to present me with one hundred shares, of one hundred dollars each, in the incorporated Company, established for the purpose of extend- ing the navigation of the James River from the tide water to the mountains ; and also with fifty shares of £100 sterling each, in the corporation of another Company, likewise estab- lished for the similar purpose of opening the navigation of the river Potomac from the tide water to Fort Cumberland ; the acceptance of which, although the offer was highly honorable. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 417 and grateful to my feelings was refused, as inconsistent witli a principle which I had adopted, and I had never departed from, viz., not to receive pecuniary compensation for any ser- vices I could render my country in its arduous struggle with Great Britain for its rights, and because I had evaded similar propositions from other States in the Union ; adding to the refusal, however, an intimation, that, if it should be the pleas- ure of the legislature to permit me to appropriate the said shares to puhlio uses, I would receive them on those terms, with due sensibility ; and this it having consented to, in flat- tering terms, as will appear by a subsequent law, and sundry resolutions, in the most ample and honorable manner ; — I pro- ceed after this recital, for the more correct understanding of the case, to declare that, as it has always been a source of serious regret with me, to see the youth of these United States sent to foreign countries for the purpose of education, often before their minds were formed, or they had imbibed any adequate ideas of tlie happiness of their own ; contracting too frequently, not only habits of dissipation and extravagance^ but principles unfriendly to Republican Government, and to the true and genuine liberties of mankind, which thereafter are rarely overcome ; for these reasons it has been my ardent wish to see a plan devised on a liberal scale, which would have a tendency to spread systematic ideas through all parts of this rising empire, thereby to do away local attaclmaents and State prejudices, as far as the nature of tilings would, or indeed ouo-ht to admit, from our national councils. Looking anxiously forward to the accomplishment of so desirable an object as thisr is (in my estimation,) my mind has not been able to contem. plate any plan more likely to effect the measures, than tlie 27 418 MOUNT VERNON establishment of a University in a central part of the United States, to which the youths of fortune and talents from all parts thereof may be sent for the completion of their education, in all the branches of polite literature, and in arts and sciences, in acquiring knowledge in the principles of politics and good government, and, as a matter of infinite importance, in my judgment, by associating with each other, and forming friend- ships in juvenile years, be enabled to free themselves in a proper degree from those local prejudices and habitual jeal- ousies which have just been mentioned and which, when carried to excess, are never-failing sources of disquietude to the public mind, and pregnant of mischievous consequences, to this country. Under these impressions, so fully dilated. " Item. — I give and bequeath, in perpetuity, the fifty shares which I hold in the Potomac Company, (under the aforesaid acts of the Legislature of Virginia,) towards the endowment of a University, to be established within the limits of the Dis- trict of Columbia, under the auspices of the general govern- ment, if that government should incline to extend a fostering hand towards it ; and, until such Seminary is established, and funds arising for these shares shall be required for its sup- port, my further will and desire is, that the profit accruing therefrom shall, whenever the dividends are made, be laid out in purchasing stock in the Bank of Columbia, or some other bank, at the discretion of my executors, or by the Ti'easurer of the United States for the time being, under the direction of Congress, provided that honorable body should patronize the measure ; and the dividends proceeding from the purchase of such stock, are to be vested in more stock, and so on, until a sum adequate to the accomplishment of the object is attained ; AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 419 of which I have not the smallest doubt before many years pass away, even if no aid or encom-agement is given by the legisla- tive authority, or from any other source. " Item. — The hundred shares which I hold in the James Eiver Company, I have given and now confirm in perpetuity, to and for the use and benefit of Liberty Hall Academy, in the county of Eockbridge, in the Commonwealth of Virginia." The Liberty Hall Academy thus so liberally endowed by Washington, is now a floiu-ishing Seminary of learning in Lexington, Virginia, with the corporate title of Washington College. Martha Washington, the wife of the testator, was appointed by this will, executrix, and his nephews, William Augustine Washington, Kichard Washington, George Stephen Washing- ton, and Lawrence Lewis, and his ward, George Washington Park Custis, ("when he shall have arrived at the age of twenty years,") were appointed executors of the Will, " in the construction of which," he said, " it will be perceived, that no professional character has been consulted, or has had any agency in the draft ;" and he expressed a hope that no disputes would arise concerning it. If there should, he continued, " my will and direction expressly is, that all disputes shall be deci- ded by three impartial and intelligent men, known for their probity and good understanding ; two to be chosen by the dis- putants, each having the choice of one, and the third by those two ; which three men, thus chosen, shall, unfettered by law or legal construction, declare their sense of the testator's in- tention ; and such decision is, to all intents and purposes, to be as binding on the parties as if it had been given in the Supreme Court of the United States." 420 MOUNT VERNON MES. Washington's will. * ^is well," said Mrs. Washington when told that her hus- band was dead. " All is now over ; I shall soon follow him ; I have no more trials to pass through." She survived her husband only two years and a half. So impressed was she that her death Avould soon follow his, that nine months after- wards^ she had her last Will and Testament draAVTi up, as fol- lows ; In the name of God, Amen. " I Maktha Washington, of Mount Vernon, in the county of Fairfax, being of sound mind and capable of disposing of my worldly estate, do make, ordain, and declare this to be my last Will and Testament, hereby revoking all other Wills and Testa- ments by me heretofore made. Imprimis. — It is my desire that all my just debts may be punctually paid, and that as speedily as the same can be done. Item. — I give and devise to my nephew, Bartholomew Dandridge, and his heirs, my lot in the town of Alexandria, situate on Pitt and Cameron streets devised to me by my late husband, George Washington, deceased. Item. — I give and bequeath to my four nieces, Martha W. Dandridge, Mary Dandridge, Frances Lucy Dandridge, and Frances Henley, the debt of two thousand pounds due from Lawrence Lewis and secured by his bond, to be equally divided between them or such of them as shall be alive at my death, and to be paid to them respectively on the days of their respec- tive marriage or arrival at the age of twenty-one years, which- soever shall first happen, together with all the interest on said debt remaining unpaid at the time of my death ; and in case AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 42I the whole, or anj part of said principal sum of two thousaiid pounds shall be paid to me during my life, then it is my will that so much money be raised out of my estate as shall be equal to what I shall have received of the said principal debt and distributed among my four nieces aforesaid as herem has been bequeathed ; and it is my meaning that the interest accru- ing after my death, on the said sum of two thousand pounds shall belong to my said nieces, and be equally divided between them, or such of them as shall be alive at the time of my death, and be paid annually for their respective uses, until they receive their shares of the principal. ^^ Item. — I give and bequeath to my grandson, George Wash- ington Parke Custis, all the silver plate of every kind of which I shall die possessed, together with the two large plated coolers, the four small plated coolers, with bottle castors, and a pipe of wine, if there be one in the house at the time of my death also the sett of Cincinnati tea and table China, the bowl that has a in it, the fine old China jars which usually stand on the chimney-piece in the new room ; also, all the family pictures of every sort and the pictures painted by his sister, and two small screens, worked one by his sister, and the other a present from Kitty Brown ; also his choice of prints ; also, the two girandoles and lustres that stand on them ; also, the new bedstead which I caused to be made in Philadelphia, together with the bed, mat- tresses, bolsters, and pillows, and the w^hite dimity curtains belonging thereto ; also, two other beds with bolsters and pil- lows, and the white dimity window curtains in the new room ; also, the iron chest and the desk in my closet which belonged to my first husband ; also, all my books of every kind except the large Bible and Prayer-book*, also, the set of tea china 422 MOUNT VERNON that was given me by Mr. Yan Braam, every piece having M. ^Y. on it. Ite7n. — I give and bequeath to my grand-daughter, Martha Peter, my writing table and the seat to it standing in my chamber ; also, the print of General Washington hanging in the passage. - "/fern. — I give and bequeath to my grand-daughter, Eliza- beth Parke Law, the dressing table and glass that stands in the chamber called the yellow room, and General Washington's picture painted by Trumbull. Item. — I give and bequeath to my grand-daughter, Eleanor Parke Lewis, the large looking-glass in the front parlor, and any other looking glass which she may choose ; also, one of the new side-board tables in the new room ; also twelve chairs with green bottoms, to be selected by herself; also, the marble table in the garret ; also, the two prints of the Dead Soldier, a print of the Washington Family in a box in. the garret, and the great chair standing in my chamber ; also, all the jilated ware not heretofore otherwise bequeathed ; also, all the sheets, table linen, napkins, towels, pillow-cases remaining in the house at my death ; also, three beds and bedsteads, curtains, bolsters, and pillows for each bed, such as she shall choose, and not herein particularly otherwise bequeathed, together with counterpanes and a pair of blankets for each bed ; also, all the wine-glasses and decanters of every kind ; and all the blue and white china in common use. ^^Item. — It is my will and desire that all the wine in bottles in the vaults be equally divided between my grand daughters and grand-son, to each of whom I bequeath ten guineas to buy a rincr for each. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 423 Ii.eii%. — It is my will and desire that Anna Maria Washing- ton, the daughter of my niece, be put into handsome mourn- ing at my death, at the expense of my estate : and I bequeath to her ten guineas to buy a ring. " Itein. — I give and bequeath to my neighbor, Mrs. Elizabeth Washington, five guineas to get something in remembrance of me. Item. — I give and bequeath to Mrs. David Stuart, five guineas to buy her a ring. Item. — I give and bsqueath to Benjamin Lincoln Lear, one hundred pound specie, to be vested in funded stock of the United States, immediately after my decease, and to stand in his name as his property, which investment my executors are to cause to be made. Item. — When the vestry of Truro Parish shall buy a glebe, I devise, will and bequeath tliat my executors shall pay one hundred pounds to them in aid of the purchase, provided the said purchase be made in my life-time, or within three years after my decease. Item. — It is my will and desire that all the rest and residue of my estate, of whatever kind and description, not herein spe- cifically devised or bequeathed, shall be sold by the executors of this, my last will, for ready money, as soon after my decease as the same can be done, and that the proceeds thereof to- gether with all the money in the house and the debts due to me (the debts due from me and the legacies herein bequeathed being first satisfied,) shall be invested by my executors in eight per cent stock of the funds of the LTnited States, and shall stand on the Book in the name of my executors in their char- 424 MOUNT VERNON fcc'er of executoi-s of my will ; and it is my desire that the inter- est thereof shall be applied to the education of Ijartholomew Henley and Samuel Henley, the two youngest sons of my sister Henley, and also to the education of John Dandridge son of my deceased nephew, John Dandridge, so that they may be seve- rally fitted and accomplished in some useful trade ; and to each of them, who shall have lived to finish his education, or to reach the age of twenty-one years, I give and bequeath one hundred pounds, to set him up in his trade. Item. — My debts and legacies being paid, and the educa- tion of Bartholomew Henley, Samuel Henley and John Dan- dridge, aforesaid, being completed, or they being all dead before the completion thereof, it is my will and desire that all my estates and interest in w^hatever form existing, whether in money, funded stock, or any other species of property, shall be equally divided among all the persons hereinafter named, who shall be living; at the time that the interest of the funded stock shall cease to be applicable, in pursuance of my will herein- before expressed, to the education of my nephews, Bartholo- mew Henley, Samuel Henley and John Dandridge, namely : among Anna Maria Washington, daughter of my niece, and John Dandridge, son of my nephew, and all my great grand- children living at the time that the interest of the said funded stock shall cease to be applicable to the education of the said B. Henley, S. Henley, and John Dandridge, and tlie interest shall cease to be so applied when all of them shall die before arriving at the age of twenty -one years, or those living shall have finished their education or have arrived at the age of twenty-one years, and so long as any one of the three lives who has not finished his education or arrived to the AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 495 age of twenty-one years, the division of the said residue is to be deferred, and no longer. Lastly. — I nominate and appoint my grandson, George Washington Parke Custis, my nephews, Julins B. Dandridge and Bartholomew Dandridge, and my son-in-law, Thomas Peter, executors of this, my last will and testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty-second day of September, in the year eighteen hundred. MARTHA WASHINGTON, [seal.] Sealed, signed, acknowledged and "] delivered as her last will and testament, m the presence of the subscribing wit- nesses, who have been requested to subscribe the same, as such, in her pres- ence. Maech 4, 1802. I give to my grand-son, George Washington Parke Custis, my mulatto man Elish, that I bought of Mr. Butler Washing- ton, to him and his heirs forever. Roger Fakrell, William Spencer, Lawrence Lewis, Martha Peter. r> i^ present condition of the home of w^ashington. We have an account on page 369 and 370, of the purchase of the Mount Yernon estate — the Home of Washington — which was accomplished just before the beginning of the late Civil War. The possessors — the women of the land who con- tributed the purchase money, and who constitute The Mount 426 MOUNT VERNON Vernon Ladies Association — are vested with the legal rights of owners of the property, by an act of incorporation passed by the Legislature of Virginia, (in which State the property lies,) on the ITth of March, 1856. This Act was afterwaid amended and re-enacted by the unanimous vote of both Houses of the Assembly of Virginia, in the follovri ng words : " The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union, as heretofore organized, shall be, and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate, under the name and style of ' The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union,' and by this name and style shall be subject to all the provisions, and entitled to all the rights, powers, privileges and immuni- ties, prescribed by existing laws, in so far as the same are applicable to like corporations, and not inconsistent with this Act. " 2. It shall be lawful for the said Mount Vernon Ladies' As- sociation of the Union to purchase, hold and improve two hundred acres of Mount Vernon, including the late mansion, as well as the tomb of George Washington, together with the garden-grounds and wharf, and landing now constructed on the Potomac river ; and to this end they may receive from the owner and proprietor of the said land, a deed in fee sim- ple, and shall have and exercise full power over the use and management of the same, as they may by bj^-laws and rules declare ; provided, however, that the said Mount Vernon La- dies' Association of the Union shall not have power to alienate the said land, or any part thereof, or to create a charge thereon, or to lease the same without the consent of the General As- sembly of Virginia first had and obtained. " 3. The capital stock of the said Mount Vernon Ladies' As- AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 43-^ sociation of the Union shall not, including the two hundred acres of land aforesaid, exceed the sum of five hundred thous- and dollars. The said Association, in contracting with the proprietor of Mount Yernon for the purchase of the same, may covenant with him, so as to reserve to him the right to inter the remains of such persons whose remains are in the vault at Mount Vernon, as are not now interred, and to place the said vault in such a secure and permanent condition as he shall see fit, atid to inclose the same so as not to include more than a half acre of land ; and the said vault, the remains in and around it, and the enclosure, shall never be removed nor dis- turbed ; nor shall any other person hereafter ever be interred or entombed within the said vault or enclosure. " 4. The said property herein authorized to be purchased bj the said Mount Yernon Ladies' Association of the Union shall be forever held by it, sacred to the Father of his Country and if from any cause the said Association shall cease to exist the property owned by the said Association shall revert to the Commonwealth of Yirginia, sacred to the purposes for which it was originally purchased. " 5. This act shall be in force from its passage. Under this act of incorporation The 3fount Vernon La- dies' Association was organized by the appointment of Miss Ann Pamela Cunningham, (the daughter of the " Southern Matron, mentioned on page 370,) to be " Eegent" or Presi- dent, for life, having for her associates in the management, a number of Yice-regents, composed of one person in each state, nominated by the Kegent. These constitute an Executive Com- mittee to whom is intrusted the entire control and manage- ment of the affairs of the Associaticm. The Committee and 428 MOUNT VERNON. Regent hold the relation towards each other like that cf tlie National Senate and the President of the Republic. Her nominations may be confirmed or rejected by the Yice-regents. When the late civil war broke out, the Managers were pre- paring to make a final appeal to their country-women for a sum of money, the interest on which should be ample to keep the Mount Vernon Mansion and Estate in the best order. The purchase money was all paid, and nothing was wanted to crown the eiforts of the Association with complete success, bu< such liberal endowment. Already much had been done to ward the renovation of the property. So early as July, 1859, a year before all the purchase money was paid and a deed given, the late proprietor allowed the work of repairing to commence. A Superintendent and fourteen men of various trades were at once occupied in the labor. Attention was first given to the renovation and restoration of the exterior of buildings, garden walls, et cetera, A new wharf was built, and a good road and paths were constructed between it and the Tomb and Mansion. But little had been done to the inte- rior, when the war broke out in 1861, and the income derived from visitors, ceased. During the wai, the Home of Washington was in charge of an accomplished woman whom The Mount Yertion Ladies'' Association had placed there, assisted by a Superintendant of the buildings and farm. And it is a pleasure to record, in honor of the American character, that while the war raged, at times, with intense and destructive energy in the vicinity of Mount Yernon, and the soldiery of both parties engaged in the contest were there, the most profound and reverential respect for the Home of Washington was obs'erved by all. AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. 499 The sentiment of love for the Great Patriot was too deeply- rooted in the American heart to be eradicated by the intense hatred which such a war engenders. It was shown at Mount Yernon in the most delicate manner. No notable injury was inflicted upon building, tree or shrub during all the time of the internecine strife. Since the close of the war the Regent of The Mount Yernon Ladies' Association, has resided at the Mansion and, with the assistance of a Secretary, has had a general supervision of affairs there. The Avork of interior renovation has gone on slowly, until now, (18Y0,) a greater portion of the wood-work has been painted, and the roof of the Mansion has been newly shingled. The whole building is now in a state of fair pre- servation. An appropriation by Congress, has been spent in the work of renovation, mostly in the rebuilding of the Con- servatory for plants, on a larger scale, which was destroyed by fire in 1863, and with it, the ancient Lemon Tree, Centuiy Plant and Sago Palm — all there in Washington's time — delin- eated on pages 158 and 159 of this work. From the sale of plants and flowers reared in the Conservatory, a considerable income may be expected, among which will be found descend- ants of the Sago Palm. Much of the old Vegetable garden, yet surrounded by the brick wall built by Washington, is devoted to the raising of strawberries, the sale of which, to early summer visitors is a source of considerable profit. These fountains of revenue, the sale of hickory canes cut from the forest of the estate, the price of admission to the grounds and Mansion, and per centage of the receipts of the steam-boat from passengers to and from Mount Vernon, constitute the entire income of the Association. These are insnfiicient to put and 430 MOUNT VERNON keep the grounds and buildings in good order and to make the restoration complete. There should be an endowment, either by Congress or by the free gift of the American people large enough for the interest on the sum to be ample for mak- ing Mount Vernon, aside from its associations, one of the most attractive spots in our country. J^ow it is C]uite otherwise. Nature has done much, but art and labor has done so little, that from the Wharf to the Tomb and up to the Mansion, the visitor sees, at every step, evidences of poverty. The Tomb and its neighborhood have a most forbidding appearance ; while the Mansion itself, bereft of nearly every thing men- tioned in this work, is less attractive than it might be, if its surroundings could be beautified by Art and skilled Labor, and its rooms 2)resent an exhibition of objects of every kind, yet in existence, that were associated with "Washington's life. Already, some contributions of that kind have been made by patriotic citizens. These may and should be increased until the Mansion of Mount Yernon shall become a rich Museum of relics of that classic period in our history, the old War for independence and the establishment of our National Government. Considered in its relations, historic and patriotic, Mount Vernon should be one of the most precious objects of the care of the American people. The means to make it creditable to our patriotism, gratitude and generosity, should be given with a quick and lavish hand ; and it is to be hoped that the Asso- ciation may soon be able to proclaim, as a part of its own experience, that the great Eepublic of the West is not ungrate- ful toward its Founders. INDEX. A. PAQB Adams, John, description of the inanpiration of . . . .• gg< Adams, Mr. and Mrs., visit Mrs. Washington after the death of her husband « .n Adams, President, nominates Washington to the Senate, as commander-in-chief ona Adams, Robert, watch that belonged to Washington willed to 220 Adams, Vice-President, at Washington's table 090 Address card of Washington ggo Alexandria, Washington invited to partake of a public dinner at 2qq Alison, remarks of, respecting Washington's Farewell Address go. Amelung, J. F., glass manufacturer, visits Mount Vernon in 1789 oqa " presents some specimens of his art to Washington 204 Ancient entrance to Mount Vernon, picture of gin " present condition of 210 Appearance, personal, of Washington, when on horseback „rj Arch, triumphal, at Trenton, in honor of Washington ^lo Arlington Spring, kitchen and dancing hall erected at,by Mr. Custis ng™ Washington's tent at. 140 Arms of the Washington family, picture of grj. Armstrong, John, letter of, to General Gates respecting Washington's reception In New York in 1789 214 Army, American, disbanded jgj " officers of part with Washington jgj Army, British, evacuates New York , J31 Army, Continental, adopted by Congress II3 " Washington made commander-in-chief of 114 Army, popular one formed 106 •' its character 106 Asses presented to Washington by the King of Spain 189 " Mr. Custis's account of IflO Atkins, Rev. A. B., wife of, has Washington's telescope 49 " Washington's butter-bowl in possession of 255 Aurora, letter hostile to Washington published in, soon after his retirement from office .... 293 Autographs of Jane and Mary Washington 33 B. Bachelor, London orders of Washington when a gr> Baldwin, John Y., owner of Washington's pistols 24(j Ball at Annapolis, attended by Washington I33 " Fredericksburg, attended by Washington 129 432 INDEX. PAflB Bail, Colonel William, ancestor of Washington's mother og " arms of his family ga " Joseijh, letter of to Washington's mother 45 Baptism of Washington og Barge, Washington's, returned to the giver ggg Bartram, John, garden of, near Philadelphia J57 " William, explorations of I57 Bassett, Colonel, J. P. Custis dies at the bouse of I27 Bastile, key of, presented to Washington 231 Bastile, sketch of 231 " destruction of 234 " site of 234 " picture of destruction of 235 " picture of key of 237 Battle-sword of Washington preserved I34 " where manufactured I34 " with Franklin's staff I34 Bed and bedstead on which Washington died kept as sacred mementos at Arlington House, 337 " description of 337 ** picture of 337 Belvoir, the scat of the Fairfaxes 43 " mansion of the Fairfaxes consumed by fire 106 " owner of never returned from England 100 Bianca, Florida, the Spanish premier, letter of, to Washington 190 Bible on which Washington took the oath of office in 1789 21G " inscription on 21(5 " picture of 21G " in possession of St. John's Lodge, in New Tork 217 Bier upon which the body of Washington was conveyed to the tomb 343 Billy, one of Washington's favorite servants, known to Westford 353 " death of, hastened by intemperate habits 353 Birth of Washington 33 Birth-place of Washington 34 " present desolation of 35 " picture of the inscribed stone that marks it 36 Bishop, Washington's body -servant 77, 120 Bishop AVhite, at the farewell dinner given by Washington in Philadelphia 'D 1797 294 Blues, McPherson's, picture of uniform of 348 " six survivors of, in 1859 347 Bonaparte, respect paid to the memory of Washington by 350 Book-plate, Washington's, picture of 27 Boot-jack, Washington's travelling, picture of 109 Boundary disputes between the French and English 52 Box made of the wood of the oak tree that sheltered Wallace after the battle at Falkirk, sent to Washington by the Earl of Buchan 272 Box sent to Washington by the Earl of Buchan recommitted to his care by the Will of the General 275 Braddock, General 55 " calls a council at Alexandria 6B " invites Colonel Washington to his quarters 56 " invites Washington to become his aide 57 Bradford, Mr., impromptu effusion of, on learning the misfortunes of Lafayette 301 Brevooit, J. Carson, owner of Pine's portrait of Washington 182 Bridport, Lord, respect paid to the memory of Washington by 349 Brienne, Marchioness de, sister of Count de Moustier, at Mount Vernon 198 " painted a miniature of Washington 19S " her picture of Washington and Lafayette 190 Brown, Dr., called to attend Washington in his Inst illness 333 Burgesses. Virginia, Washington a member of, the House of 85 • INDEX. 433 PAax Bushrod Washington, nephew of the General, comes into possession of Mount Vernon, on the death of Mrs. Washington 350 " appointed by President Adams to be Judge of the Supreme Court of the United States 357 " portrait of 351 Butter-bowl, china, that belonged to Washington 366 Button, military, belonging to Washington's coat 95 Buttons stolen from military coat of Washington 95 C. Calvert, Benedict, miniature of daughter of, painted by Pealo 98 " daughter of, wife of John Parke Custis 98 Camp-chest, leaihern, used by Washington in 1753, picture oi 53 Candelabra, mural, used in Washington's dining-room at Philadelphia, described 315 " picture of 315 Candlesticks, Washington's, massive silver 317 " picture of 317 Capitol, singular historical fact respecting the site of the 260 " corner-stone of the north wing of, laid in September, 1793 261 " plan for the, submitted by Dr. Thornton, approved by Washington 261 Carey's House, at Alexandria, place where Braddock had his quarters 56 " picture of 56 Carpenter's Hali, place of meeting of the flr^t Congress 104 Carrington, Mrs., her description of Mrs. Washington at home 218 Carroll, Charles, of Carrollton 140 " son of, a suitor for the hand of Nelly Custis 325 " letter of G. W. P. Custis to Washington, respecting son of, as a suitor for the hand of Nelly Custis 335 Carthagena, Briti.sh soldiers perish at 4j Casseday, Alexander, drawing by, of Washington's secretary 228 Cave Castle, the seat of Washington's ancestors in England 29 " picture of .- 29 Century plant at Mount Vernon 158 Chairs at Mount Vernon, pictures of gg " described by Washington 69 Chamberlayne, Jtlr., the host of Washington when he first s»w Mrs. Cnstls 62 '• Colonel Washington lingers at the house of 62 '^hastellu.x. Marquis de, at Mount Vernon in 1781 120 " sketch of 122 ** portrait of 123 " Washington's letter to 123 Chatham, Earl of, his opinion of the Continental Congress IO5 Children, great fondness of Washington for 280 Chimney-piece presented to Washington by Samuel Vaughan, of London 185 " picture of 186 China, S6vres, belonging to Washington 253 China, Cincinnati, presented to Washington , 253 " picture of 2.54 " Mrs. Washington's 2.54 " picture of Mrs. W.ashington's 855 Christ Church, Alexandria, Washington a vestryman of 90 " Washington's pew in 90. " picture of 91 • Christmas at Mount Vernon in 1788 146 Cincinnati china, picture of ., 254 Cincinnati. Society of the, account of the formation of 141 " objectof 142 cou-