New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-03-03

"a,
tract the following: s@
indebted to William G. Miller, OF Dnquesne borough.
will attract general attention. a. it goes far towards
clearing Up question q locality connected with
eventfu! incident in the Life OF Washington:
This beautiful little island the Identity Of which in
nearly lost to the present generation il situate 10 the
Allegheny river nearly parallel to Herrs Island and
is about three miles from the Point, q the confluence
Forts Du Quesne and Pitt formerly stood. The in.
teresting historical "reminiscences connected With this
island has been familiar to me from my earIv schooI
boy days strengthened, also by reaidence Of many
years on the northern bank OF the river, in full OF Il
Tradition has marked this island az the favored spo
where our beloved Washington saved his life. vben
on his return from the mission entrusted TO him IN
Gov. Dnwiddie, Of Virginia, to Mona lie Gardeur Do
| St. Pierre, the French commandant on The Ohio.
In commemoraton Of this event. was very properly
| named Wasingtons Island.n
Among the papers Of the late William Wusthof.
ESQ., one Of the early pioneers Of this section Of the
| country found, some years ago, an ancient map Of
Pennsylvania on which this island was correctly laid
down, and marked in plain, bold characters Wash-
ingtons Island" also noticed in an old Philadel-
ventures and preservation on this Island, and his
| reception by the Indians, who then occupied eome
wigwams on it, At the date of this publication.
December. l7sl, General Washington was President
recent writer in q city paper, with commendabie
ZEAL has endeavored to draw public attention to the
above incident in Washingtons lfe but has unfortu.
!nately erred in its locality. Washington, in his
landed on an island, and not !" on the main shore.
one mile above the iskandv Washingtonis journal al
bis mission being SO little known, and 50 very inter.
estlng, herewith annex portion Of It commencing
after that part where, being retarded BY the intense
cold weather, bad roads and deep SNOW, be left his
horses, baggage and retinue in charge Of Nj, Van.
braam, and says:
1T ~ took my necessary papers, pulled on all my
watch.coat. Then with gun in hand and pacf on
my back, IN which were my papers and provisions,
set out with Mr.. Gist, fitted in same msnner. on
Wednesday, the 26th lDecember, 1889. The day
ingtown, we fell in with party Of French and In
dams, who had laid in wait for Is.
One Of them fired at Mr.. Gist or me, not fifteen
steps of, but fortunately missed. We took this fel.
low in custody and kept him until O'Clock at
night, then let him Co. and walked all the remaining
part Of the night without making any stop, that We
might get the start 80 far as to be out Of reach Of
pursuit the next day, since we were well assured
that they would follow our track as soon as it was
light. The next day we continued travelling until
/ dark, and got to the river about two miles from
Shanopins. We expected to have found the river
frozen but Ts was not only about any yards from
was driving in vast quantities. There was no get
ting over but on rait, which No set about making
with one poor Ratchet, and finished just after sun.
it launched then went on board Il Il and set on sut
before we were half way over, we were janmed in
the ice in such manner that We expected every mo-
ment our raft to sink and ourselves to perish. put
my setting pole to try to stop the rat that the ice
might pass by, when the rapidity of the stream
threw il with much violence against the pole that
it jerked me out in ten feet Of water, but fortu.
nately saved myself BY catching hold Of one Of the
raft logs Notwithstanding all our effort we could
not get to either Shore but were Obliged a. We were
near an island, to quit our raft and make to it. The
cold was so extremely severe that Mr.. Gst had some
of his fingers and all his toes frozen and the water
was shut up so hard that we found no difficulty in
getting off the island the next morning. and went to
| Frazier's.' Isl
The above island was patented to the late Judge
Wallace, and was sold by him to Mr.. Wainwright, and
finally passed from him to its present entsfprising
proprietor, Michael NJ Cullough, Jr Esq., Who has
greatly improved it, and thereby. efsctually r.
claimed it from the wasting effects Of the river. This
interesting island ought to be added to the Allegheny
Arsenal grounds which it adjons, and marble col.
umn erected on it, which could be seen far and near,
as to perpetuate the sacred place where the mmor
tai Washington saved his life, when only in the
twentieth year of his age.