312. .S ,W34 Washington 7 Z^ \ 1^r3W ) fCt'Ciu'V^^m^u^ X/C-A^x^ii- tKf^ s u Ml c \^fn^ i^%^v^( r\ u lA itr -■-• u.-i<. THE SWORDS OF WASHINGTON. By Col. Thornton A. W^oTTiroTON, of Washington, D. C. In an appropriate receptacle, in the library of the Department of State, may be seen the veritable " Battle Sword " worn by General Washington, first as a colonel in the Continental service of Ver- ginia, and afterwards as Commander in Chief of the Army during the entire period of our Revolutionary struggle. A manuscript history of the sword lies upon it, from which the following extract was transcribed by the writer : To each of my nephews, William Augustine Washington, George Lewis, George Steptoe Washington, Bushrod VVashington and Samuel Washing- ton, I give one of the swords or cutteaux of which I may die possessed, and they are to chuse in the order they are named. These swords are accompanied with au injunction not to unsheath them for the purpose of shedding blood, except it be for self defence or in the defense of their Country and its rights, and iu the latter case, to keep them unsheathed and prefer falling with them in their hands to the relinquishment thereof. This sword was received under the foregoing provision of General Wash- ington's will, by Samuel Washington, and was presented to the United States by his son Samuel T. Washington, Feb. 7, 1843, through the Hon- orable George W. Summers, member of Congress from Virginia. The sword whose history is referred to in the above extract, is a handsome, well preserved blade, and is what is known in military parlance as a straight sabre, showing but a slight deviation from a right line. It has a fine hilt, unprotected by a guard, unless a slight " S " shaped piece of metal between the hilt and blade may be so regarded. The hilt is wrapped alternately with bright steel rib- bon, and some green material, probably a species of shagreen. The writer has taken the pains to make a careful examination of the proceedings of Congress in connection with this matter as re- ported in the Congressional Globe, Vol. 12, 1842-3, Library House of Representatives, and is happy in being able to assert that the record appears to bear indisputable evidence that in the matter of the presentation and gift, both parties were actuated by motives purely patriotic and disinterested. House of Representatives, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 1843. ******* Mr. G. W. Summers now rose and addressed the House, viz : " Mr. Speaker, Samuel T. Washington, a citizen of Kanawha County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and one of my constituents, has honored me with the commission of presenting, in his name, and on his behalf, to ETaia • .s a WASHINGTOfw'.'A^W the Congress of the United States, and through that body to the people of the United States * * * * the sword worn by George Washington, first as Colonel in the Colonial Service of Virginia, in Forbes' campaign a^rainst the French and Indians, and afterwards during the whole period of the war of Independence, as Commander in Chief of the American Army. It is a plain cutteaux, or hanger, with a green hilt and silver guard. On the upper ward of the scabbard is engraven 'J. Bailey, FishkiU. It is accompanied by the buckskin belt and clasp, whereon are engraven the letters ' G W.' and the figures ' 1757.' These are all of the plainest workmanship, but substantial and in keeping with the man and the times to which they belonged. _ i a „ ^( The history of this sword is perfectly authentic, and leaves no shaaow of doubt as to its identity." * * * * _ , w u- Here the speaker quoted the item already given, of General Washing- ton's will bequeathing the swords, and resumed: " In the disposition of the swords among the o nephews therein enumer- ated the one now presented fell to the lot of Samuel Washington, the de- visee last named in the clause of the will which I have read. This gentleman, who died a few years since, in the county of Kanawha, and who was the father of Samuel T. Washington, the donor I knew well. I have often seen this sword in his possession and received from hira the following account of the manner in which it became his property in the division made among the devisees. , w i,- f^r. He says he knew it to have been the side arms of General Washington during the Revolutionary War, not that used on occasions of parade and reviews; but the constant service sword of the great Chief ; that he had himself seen General Washington wear this identical sword (he presumed for the last time), when in 1794 he reviewed the Virginia and Mary and forces, then concentrated at Cumberland, under command of General Lee, and destined to cooperate with the Pennsylvania and New Jersey troops, then assembled at Bedford, in suppressing what has been called the Whiskey insurrection.' tt v ^ Cfot^o General Washington was at that time President of the United States, and as such. Commander in Chief of the U. S. Army. It was known that it was his intention to lead the army in person on that occasion had he found it necessary, and he went to Bedford and Cumberland prepared for '^Samuel' Washington held the position of Captain at that time himself and served in the campaign, many of the incidents of which he has related ^° He was anxious to obtain this particular sword and preferred it to all the others, among which was the ornamented and costly present of the ^' At thTtfme of the division among the nephews, without intimating what his preference was, he jocosely remarked, ' that inasmuch as he was the oulv one of them who had participated in military service, they ought to permit him to take choice.' This suggestion was met in the same spirit in which it was made, and the choice being awarded him, he chose this, the plainest and intrinsically the least valuable of any, simply because it was the ' battle sword.' . , » • v ^ K,r I am also in possession of the most satisfactory evidence, furnished by Colonel George C. Washington, of Georgetown the nearest ^^^^ ^^l^^ive of General Washington now living, as to the identity of this sword. His information was derived from his father, William Augustine Washington, the devisee first named in the clause of the will I have just read, from his uncle the late Judge Bushrod Washington, of the Supreme Court, and Major Lawrence Lewis, the acting executor of General Washington's will, all of whom concur in the sentiment that the true service sword was that selected by Captain Samuel Washington. It remained in this gentleman's possession, until his death, esteemed by him the most precious memento of his illustrious kinsman. It then be- came the property of his son, who, animated by that patriotism which so characterised ' the father of his country,' has consented that such a relic ought not to be appropriated by an individual citizen, and instructed me, his representative, to offer it to the Nation, to be preserved in its public depositories as the common property of all." ******** Mr. Adams then rose to submit a resolution and made an eloquent speech thereon, viz : "Mr. Speaker, I submit the following joint resolution: Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives in Congress assem- bled, that the thanks of Congress be presented to Samuel T. Washington of Kanawha County, Virginia, for the present of the sword, used by his illustrious relation, George Washington, in the military career of his early youth, in the seven years vvar, and throughout the war of our national in- dependence. * * * * That these precious relics are hereby accepted in the name of the Nation ; that they be deposited for safe keeping in the Department of State of the United States, and that a copy of this resolution, signed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, be trans- mitted to the said Samuel T. Washington. Received, unanimously adopted and returned to the House of Representa- tives where it was also unanimously adopted." An eloquent speech was also made in the Senate on the occasion by Senator Archer of Virginia. It was resolved also by the Plouse that 20,000 copies of the entire pro- ceedings on the occasion be printed for distribution. Mr. Briggs, House of Representatives, begged permission to amend the journal before that resolution was agreed to. He begged to move an amendment to the journal by the addition of the following letter of Mr. Samuel T. Washington to Mr. Summers, accompanying the sword and cane which was yesterday presented to Congress: Coals Mouth, Kenawha Co., Va., ^,r . c- Jan. 9, 1843. My dear Sir: ' With this you will receive the war sword of my grand-uncle, General George Washington, and the gold-headed cane bequeathed to him by Doctor Benjamin Franklin. These interesting relics I wish to be presented through you, my dear Sir, to the Congress of the United States on behalf of the Nation. Congress shall dispose of them as may seem appropriate, and best cal- culated to keep in memory the character and services of those two illustri- ous founders of our Republic. I am, Sir, with esteem, yours, To Hon. George W. Summers, Samuel T. Washington. House of Representatives. The motion to amend was agreed to, and the resolution of the gentleman from Virginia was agreed to. The relics referred to in this joint resohition were the sword of Washington and the gold-headed cane left to him by Doctor Frank- lin, which was also presented to Congress on the same occasion by- Samuel T. Washington, but that portion of Mr'. Summers's speech relating to the cane was not quoted, as this article was intended to be confined to the swords. Concerning the final disposition of the four remaining swords, the authentic records are as follows : The sword left by General Washington to his nephew, William Augustine Washington, son of his half brother Augustine, and who by the terms of the will had the first choice, was left by him to his son, the Honorable George Corbin Washington, of Georgetown, D. C, and by him to his son Col. Lewis William Washington of "Belleview," near Halltown, Jefferson County, W. Va., and the same who was captured by John Brown's men at the time of his notorious raid upon Harper's Ferry in 1859. The sword Avhich was left by General Washington to his nephew Judge Bushrod Corbin AYashington, and who had the fourth choice, also passed into the possession of the above-named Col. Lewis Wil- liam Washington. See extracts from the will of the Hon. George Corbin Washington, deceased, of which the original is of record in the office of Register of Wills, at Rockville, Montgomery County, Maryland. " 1 give and bequeatlie to my said son, Lewis William Wasliington, the sword of General George Washington, devised to me by my father (Col. William Augustine Washington), and also the sword and pistol (one of them being lost) of the said General George Washington, devised to me by my uncle Bushrod AYashington." Will proven July 24, 1854, at Rockville, Montgomery County, Maryland. Extract from Judge Bushrod Corbin Washington's will : " 14th Item. The sword left to me by General George Washington, I give to the aforesaid George C. Washington, under the same injunction that it was left to me." In order to make the history of the last two above-mentioned swords complete, the writer addressed Major James Barroll Wash- ington, son of the late Col. Lewis William Washington, now asso- ciated with the Baltimore & Ohio R. R. Co., at Pittsburg, and re- ceived a prompt reply. As his letter fully covers the question in point, it is here submitted entire, in so far as it relates to the history of the swords : \ Pittsburg, Jan. 3, 1893. My dear Cousin : I am in receipt of your letter of the 31st ultimo, * * * * * The swords of General Washington, of which you write, as having been inherited by my father, came into his possession in 1854, as bequests from his father. One was the sword sent by Frederick the Great of Prussia, to General Washington, with the complimentary address, " From the oldest General in Europe to the greatest in the world." My great-grand-father, William Augustine Washington, being given by the General's will the first choice of the swords, selected this one. This sword was taken by a raiding party of John Brown's men from my father's house near Harper's Ferry in 1859, and delivered to John Brown, who wore it until his capture by the U. S. Marines, when my father re- covered it. In 1871 it was sold with other Washington relics to the State of New York, and was placed in the State Library at Albany, where, I believe, it now is. The other sword, inherited through .Judge Bushrod Washington, was the one known as the General's mourning sword and was worn by him upon funeral occasions. All its mountings are black, while the hilt of the other one is of cut and polished steel, giving the appearance of having been stud- ded with diamonds. The mourning sword, after my father's death in 1871, was given by his widow to her Fon, my half-brother, and I think is still in his possession * * * and I have no doubt he will gladly give you any further informa- tion about it. *'* * * * * * * Far from having any ol)jection to your using my name in connection with these mattei-s, I think it would add to the authenticity of their history to give the source from which the information was obtained. ******** Very sincerely, your friend and relation, J. B. Washington. A letter of later date than the above, from Mrs. Ella B. Wash- ington, widow of the late Col. Lewis William Washington, fully corroborates, if such a thing were considered necessary, the above facts as related by Major James BarroU Washington. The " mourn- ing sword" is still in the possession of her son, Mr. AVilliam de Hurtbern Washington, now (1893) residing in New York City. General Washington's nephew, George Lewis, son of his only sister, Betty (Washington) Lewis, who married Col. Fielding Lewis, of Fredericksburg, Va., was the second name mentioned in that clause of General Washin«:ton's will devising' the swords. The writer is fortunate in having before him an article which appeared in the Baltimore American newspaper of April 23, 1889, giving an account of an interview had with the Honorable James T. Bristoe of Maryland, formerly Secretary of State, which has every appearance of truthfulness, and in which is related quite a number of historical facts in relation to this sword. From it the following extract is made : " The children of Colonel Fieldinsj Lewis and his wife, Betty, the only sister of General Washington, were Fielding, George, Elizabeth, Lawrence, Robert and Howell. To his nephew George Lewis, General Washington, in his will, heqneathed one of his swords. The bequest was in these words : [Here appears in full that item of the will relating to the swords.] Major Lewis died in 182L During his life time he gave the sword bequeathed to him to his eldest son, Samuel. This Samuel Lewis had 4 sons and 2 daughters and he bequeathed the sword to his eldest son George W. Lewis, a prominent lawyer of Westmoreland County, Virginia. In his early life, his youngest brother Henry Howell Lewis, now of Baltimore City, Mary- land, being then in the United States Navy, and the only military member of the family, having expressed an earnest desire to possess the sword of Washington, in a spirit of generosity he gave it to him, and afterwards by his last will and testament confirmed the gift." It would appear that Mr. Henry Howell Lewis, who died in Baltimore, Maryland, INIarch 17, 1893, must have given this sword to his daughter. Miss Virginia Tayloe Lewis, several years prior to his death, as the following copy of' a bill introduced into the Senate by Mr. Evarts of New York, March 31, 1888, would indicate : A Bill Authorizing and directing the Secretary of War to purchase from Miss Virginia Tayloe Lewis a sword of Washington. Whereas, General George Washington, by the provisions of his will, be- queathed to certain of his relatives the several swords of which he died possessed ; and Whereas, among these is the sword which is of exceeding historic value, as that worn by him upon the occasion of resigning his commission at An- napolis, and at his public receptions while President : Therefore, Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress Assembled, that the Secretary of War be and is hereby authorized and directed to purchase from Miss Virginia Tayloe Lewis, a direct descendant of George Lewis, the devisee under the said will, she being the present owner, the said sword, for the sum of twenty thousand dollars; and that such sum be paid out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and when so purchased, the same to be deposited in the State Department. As final action was not taken by Congress upon this bill intro- duced by Senator Evarts, it is presumed that the sword is still (1893) in Miss Lewis's possession. George Steptoe Washington of Harewood, Virginia, now in Jef- ferson County, AV. Va., second child of Col. Samuel Washington, oldest full brother of General AVashington l)y his fourth wife Ann (Steptoe) AVashington, by the terms of the will had the third choice of the five swords. After his decease the sword selected by him passed into the possession of his son AA^illiam Temple AVashington, who owned a handsome and valuable estate adjoining "Harewood," called " Meg AVillie." A few years prior to the late civil war, Mr. AVilliam T. AVash- ington removed with his fiimily from Jefferson County, Virginia, to the vicinity of Falmouth, nearly opposite to the town of Fredericks- burg, on the Rappahannock River. After the beginning of hostilities and the occupancy of the Federal armies of the country in that vicinity, Mr. Washington's residence and plantation fell within the Federal lines, and so remained during the greater portion of the four years struggle. In consequence, it is thought, of pecuniary embarrassments, due doubtless largely to the vicissitudes of war, Mr. Washington parted with this sword to Mr. George W. Riggs, at that time a member of the widely-known banking house of Riggs & Company, Washing- ton, D. C. This, the George Steptoe Washington sword, was deposited at Mt. Vernon in 1892, by the heirs of the late George W. Riggs, of Washington D. C, where it may now be seen. Reprinted from N. England Historical and Genealogical Register for Jan., 1894. i % *^ 1^ * i i^ r LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 011 838 145 2