Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-05-19
How Gen. Washington got the
Mitten.

Mitten.
A correspondent of The Centuryin givins
some "reminiscences OF the country sea
called 1.-The Cottage" in Hanover county
Virginia, gives an account of Gen. Wash
ingtoL's suit to and rejection by Mary Cary
Her father was Wilson Cary, Esq, o
"Celeys, in the county oe Elizabeth City
descended from the noble family of Hunsdor
in Eng land His relative, Col. Archibalc
Cary, of "Ampthill." in Chesterfield, wal
at his death, the heir apparent to the earl
dom. The worthy old gentleman seems.
from all we know Of him. to have been a.
proud as the Coucys or the Somersets; ant
to have thought his family the noblest in
the land. He lived in great state, with
chariot and horses plate, and velvet and
embroidery-a worthy of the old school,
fully satisfied with the "srder of thiugs."
and enjoying serenely the good gifts oi
Providence. His beautiful daughter was
a great heiress, and had many suitors-the
accident which befelI one of them has made
her remembered in many books. He was a
young man of very high character, a re la
tive Of Geo. WIN. Fairfax, Esq, who lived
at Belvoir, on the Potomac; and here he
met with Miss Cary, who came to visit Mrs.
Fairfax, her eldes: sister. The young man
at once proceeded to fall in love, which he
did with an ardor characteristic of his ma
ture. When Miss Csry went back home to
"Ceieys," on James River, he followed her
like courageous gallant. and laid open
siege to the fair fortress. In the good old
times. however, something more was neces-
sary than the consent of the young lady
and so the youth duly asked private in
terview with the awful old lord of the man.
or, who listened to him silently throughout.
When the lover had finished, Mr.. Cary
rose, made him low bsw, and said that il
this were young Mr.. Washington's errand
at at eieys," his visit had better terminate;
his daughter chad been accustomed to ride
in her own chariot" And with this alu-
sion to the poor condition of the younger
son, the interview terminated. Young
Washington bowed and went away, and in
due time married Martha Dandridge Custis,
who "resembled Miss Cary" says authority
las much as one twin sister ever did anoth-
er."
But the old tradition does not end here
Many years fled away-Mary Cary was Mrs.
Ambler--and her discarded suitor was the
man who had just received the sword OF
Lord CORVALLIS at Yorktown; whom the
whole civilized world hailed as greatest
among the great--"the foremost man" not
only of America but of call this world.''--
He passed through the old metropolis, Will
Hamburg, At the head of his victorious
troops, and the eople were crazy with joy
and alteration almost The vast multitude
nearly prevented his horse from proc eeding
the calm statue on horseback passed on
serenely. All at once he perceived at a
window, or in the crowd, his old love Mary
Cary. He raised his sword and saluted her
profoundly. She tainted.
But it does not seem that the lovely wo-
man was to blame. She had not been able
to return the affection of the youth-that
was ALL She married him who won her
heart, Edward Amber. He was not un-
worthy oe this noble lady in rank or in
character. He was decended through his
mother from the great Huguenot house o.
La Roche Jaqueline, in Vendee. and in
herited the honest instincts Of his race. At
twelve he had beeh sent for his education
to England; he graduated at Cambridge.
and then made the grand tour of Europe,
returning to Virginia when he was twenty
one. He was married to Miss Cary soon
a!terward; became Collector at York, and
was SO much respected that when Lord Bot
teiourt came to Virginia as Governor, he
brought a letter of introduction to the COL
lector. He died at thirty five; and the
Revolutionary War breaking out soon after
ward. his beautiful widow moved away from
the scene of her grief, and took refuge in
the cottage" far no in Hanover.