Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1843-02-20
\ II CON q Il Il = =
not SIC OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
I,rsos, Feb. I. lsi3.
PRESENTATION OF WASulNGTON'S
NN Old AND ikANklINtS SEAEE
Il II lRD Sc SION.

Ell 10 MN, and the whole HOUSE, was at once husbe.
,''v S''"'' The gallefe. ".fv Jsl.,y filled with al
N""' "u" attentive auditory which had collected Ii
"'' "'''on "l the hhleesin. proceedings winch We're
"nou' I" bo Witnessed Many Senator. occupied stats
amongst the members IN tho House, and vi tho
I'P'csha''as oloreao powers, accredited 10 .hls Go
'o''Mcht IN diplomatic relations. ranged below
INC BAR and all listened with proiourd Stiffness while
lows;
Mr Speaker. rise for tho purpose OF dscharqnp an
once, not connected with the ordinary business ot a
legislative assembly. Yet. in asking PERMISSION y
'''"P'' 'ol homeni, the regular orisr al paranena
~ proceedings, | cannot DOUBT that tho proposition
winch have 10 submit viii prove gratifying II
may be unusual.
MI Samuel 1. Washington. a eilizou of kanawha
county III The Commonwealth VI Virginia, and ono oi
my constituents, has honored mo with tho commission
ol presenting, IN his name. and ON his behalf The
NonSItNs u the United States, aud through thai body 4,
W o people OF The United States Two most interesting
an" N'lunl' relics, connected with tho past history OF
our country and with men whose arhevcm,nts both
NE old ana III Tie cabnel best illustrate aud udVrn
annals.
One is the sword wofn by George Washington, dr.l
/ As colonel ia the colonial service OF Virginia In
fofbr campaign against the French aud ndians aud
Afterwards. during the whole period Of tho war OF In
dependence, as commander III .hloi Of tho American ar
my.
II is plain couteau or hanger with prccn hill and
silver guard On the upper ward OF the scobard is on
/
buckshln belt, which Is secured by SILVER buckle aud
CLASP; wherein are engra,en the letters &c "" and
the hStres "l'51' These all Of the PLANES. work
nanshIp but substantial and IN keeping ni,h the man
and with the times to which hey belonged
The history OF thu, s>sard Is perfectly authentic and
leaves no shadow Of doubt 10 lis identity
The last viii and testament ot Gencml Washington
bearing date on The 9th day Of February. l79Y. con
'ains, among great variety o requests the following
clause ITO each Oh my nephe~s. William Augustine
W ashngton, George Lows. George Slcploc Washing
ol buS'IIod W asl1l9ton, and Samuel Washington,
give one OF the swords eonlenu Of which may die
posScsscd aud they Ia eoose IN tho order they arc
named llrse swords are accompanied with Inunc
lio'' not To nIshcah them Tor The purpose Of .hedlug
blood. except be Tor sell deencr N defence Ut then
country and It's nights, and in hr latter caso to keep
them unsleahol and prefer falling with them in then
hands, 10 the REIMBURSEMENT thereof
III The distribution al the swords, hereby devised.
mong the five ncphews therein enumerated, tho one nov
presented tell to The share o Samuel " nSlng tom the
dcvlsce last named III the clause Of the viii winch have
! Iust read.
This gentleman, who died few years smrr, in the
county "i hauaN la aud who the father Vi Sam'l
|, w aslnGton, The donar, knew well. Iav, often
seen Tins sword IN his possesson and received from hnl-
sell the following account OF the manner IN which II
became hrs property IN the division made among the de
tlsccs
lie SAID that he Knew II 10 havo been the sidoarm Of
hencrHI W ashlnelon during the revolutionary war-
not that used on occasions oil parade and REVIEW hui the
constant srrrce srotd ol the great chief that he had
himself seen General Washington wear This ldcniIral
sword. (Iu presumed for the last iimc) whcn IN 19i
he reviewed the Virginia and Maryland forces tlon
concentrated at Cumberland under command OF General
Lee. and destined 10 cooperate with the Pcnnsyvan
and New Jersey troops, then assembled al Bedford IN
snpprcsslng what has been called 1.-THE whskcy ln,u
rectOu"
i General W ashington at That Time Preslcn, of
the Cnl'ed States. aud such. commander IN.
chlef o the army. II IN known that 1t was his inten
on to lead The army IN person that OCCASION had he
found 1t necessary, and he went 10 Bedford and Cum
bcand prepared lo that event The condition Of things
did not require H. aud he returned his civil duties al
| phadclpha
! Mr.. Samuel Washington held the commission of
captain at that ne himself, aud served IN that
pagn, many OF the incidents Vi which he has related
mo
lie was anxious to obtain this particular sword and
preferred it to all the others. among which was the
oTnamenicd and costly present from the great Frede
rick.
Al the time oi the division among the ncphcws, with
out ntlmang what his preference was he JucoscIy re
marked hli, inasmnch as he was the only OF them
who had participated III military anrYce they ought 10
permit llin to take choice. his Suggestion met
IN the sprli IN which ii mado; nd the choice
being awarded hlm, he cIose this, the pIancst and IN
| rInscay the least valuable Of any, simply because IT
was "thc battle 6word.o
! am also possession II the satisfactory ey
dcncc, furnished by Colonel George Washington, Of
Gcutgeton, the male relative OF General Wash
ngion, living, To the Identity of this sword
HIS Information derived from his father, William
Augustine W ashngton. the deylsce first named in the
clause of the will which have read, from his uncle
The late Judge Busrod " Arlington, of the Supreme
Court, and MAJOR Lawrence Lewis the acting executor
of General W ashingon's will all of whom concurred in
the statement, that the scrrtcc spord thai Sc
by Capt. Samuel Washington. 1t remained in
this gcnemah's POSSESSION until his death, esteemed
by him the most precious memero Of his illustrous
hlnsman. 1t then became the property Of his son, who.
animated by that patriotism which characterized the
father Of his country" has consented that such relic
ought not to be appropriated by individual citizen
and has instructed me, his representative offer it
the nation; To be preserved In It's public repositories
the common property of ALL since its office has been To
achieve aud defend the common liberty Of all.
He has III like manner requested ME to present this
cane 10 the Congress Of the United States, dcemng it
not unworthy the public acceptance.
This was once the property Of the philosopher and
patriot, Benlamin Franklin.
BY codicll to his last will and testament we find it
thus disposed Of:
'My fine crab walking stick. with a gold head
curunsly wrought in the form Of the cap of liberty,
rive 10 my friend and the friend Of mankind General
Washington. lit were sccptre. he has merted it,
and would becoLe it,
Gen. Washington, in his WILL devises this cane as
follows:
''Iiem. TO my brother Charles Washington. Il give
and bequeath the gold headed left me by Dr.
Franklin in his will
Captain Samuel Washington the only son OF
Charles Washington the deyisee, from whom he dcrv-
ed, by inheritance this interesting memora and having
transmitted his son SAMUEL Il. Washington the lat
Al.