Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1851-05-10
VVaslaingaon,s HRlrtIa Tslaee.

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VyaslaingsOm,s RReth Place.
The National lntelligeneer copies
the following interesting correspon-
dence addressed to the editor Of the
Alexandria Gazette by the venera-
BILE George w. p. Custis.
Observing in your valuable jour
nal, Of a late date, the notice of
stone placed over the ruins of the
hense in which the beloved Wash
ngton first saw the lighi, permit me
to offer you a brief account Of that in
teresting event, as it occurred six
and thirty years ago.
In June, 1915, i sailed in my own
vessel, the Lady of the Lake, fine
topsail schooner of ninety tons, ac-
compaiiied by two gentlemen, Mr..
Lewis aud Mr.. Grymes, bound TO
Pope's Creek, in the county of West
moreland, carrying with us slab Of
freestone having the following in
inscription:
HERE, f..-1
The llth of February, 1892, (old s.)
WASHING GTON ag
ro WAS BORN. s,. .,lh m
Ourpilo approached the West
moreland shore cautiously, as our
vessel drew nearly eight feet water,
and the pilot was but indifferently ac-
quainted with so unfrequented a nav
igation. ~ Si "fa| 0 W!
We anchored at some distance
from the lRnd,. and taking to our
boats, we soon reached the mouth of
Pope's or Brydge's Greek, and pro-
ceeding upwards we fell in with Nc
Kenzie Beverly, Esq, and several
gentlemen on fishing party, and al
so with the overseer of the property
that formed the object of ourvisit.
Wewere kindly received by these in
dividuals, and escorted 10 the spot
where few shattered bricks alone
marked the birth place of the chief.
DESTROYS ofmaking the ceremonial
OF laying the stone AS imposing as
circumstances would permit, we en-
veloped it in the Star Spangled Ban.
ner of our country, and it was borne
TO its resting place in the arms of the
descendants of four revolutionary pa
triots and soldiers-Samuel Lewis,
son OF Geo. Lewis; captain in Bay
lor's regiment of horse, and nephew
of Washington; VIM. Grymes the
son of Benjamin Grymes, gallant
and distinguished officer in the Life
Guard; the captain Of the vessel, the
son of a brave soldier wounded in the
battle Of Guilford; and Geo. w. p.
Gusts, the son of John Parke Gusts,
ald-de-camp to the .commander-in.
chief before Cambridge and York
town. z.....a.
We gathered together the bricks
of the ancient chimney that once
formed the hearth around which
Washington in his infancy had play
ed. and constructed rude kind of
pedestal, on which we reverently
p!nced the. first stone, commencing It
to the respect and protection of the
American people in general, and the
citizens of Westmoreiand iii particu-
lar. 1''' ~
Bidding adieu to those who had re
ceived us SO kindly, we re-embarked
and holsted our colors, and being
provided with piece of cannon suita-
BILE ammunition, we fred salute,
awakening the echoes that had slept
for ages around the. halIowed spot;
and while the smoke of our tribute
to the birthplace of the Pater pasriiOe'
still fingered on the bosom of the Po-
tomac, we spread our sails TO fa-
voring breeze and speeded joyously
toour homes. 10 .tf ytS
Such was an act of filial love and
gratitude performed more than
third ofa century ago; such is the his
tory OF the first stone to the memory
of Washington. HI