The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-03-01
atfl R:om The New York Evening Post
The Washington Family Relics.

| When Mrs. Lee left the Arlington House,
some time alter her traitorous husband had
Joined the confederate army. she undertook
to carry With her all the Washington relics
which had been so jsalously preserved by
her patriotic father. George Washington
Parke Curtis. Repeatedly she wrote to
4 Gen Mcdowell. with whJm she had been
acquainted as her husbands associate on the
staff of Gen. Wool. during the Mexican
| war, that she had lett nothing at Arlington
in any way connected with the public or
domestic life of the Father Of his County.
What Mrs. Lee, or any one favoring Seces-
sion and rebellion could want with relics
which must be a constant reminder OF him
who said .-"Whatever measures have a
tendency to dissolve the Uuion, or contrib-
ute to violate or lessen the sovereign au-
ihority. ought 10 be considered as hostile to
the liberty and inde pendence Of America.
.aud the authors OF them treated according
| w. cannot easily be imagined. Nor is it
surp ising that. after all their protestaiions 5
/, to the contrary. the wife of the Confederate e
| General should have left behind some Of
the choicest and mos. valuable mementoes
of the home lie of him whose wise teach.
ings both she and her husband have 50
thoroughly ignored.
For long time after. the flight OF the
Lees, General Mcdowell, though quartered
on the gsounds, refused to enter the Airing
ton House. scrupulous respecter OF pri-
vate rights. be would n-i,her occupy, nor
allow to be occupied by his Off :ers or men.
any portion Of the mansion, which. in his
opinion, belonged TO Gen. Lee quite AS
much as though he still mai ie his home with
10 its massive walls. When the confsca.
ton act was passed by Congress, and a
telegraph operator had taken possession Of
one o. the best rooms. he vas still reluctant
to enter the old building. on account of
the Washington memories clustering around
it, ard it was at last by force of circum-
stances, rather than his own free will, that
he made 1t his headquarters. For a long
time access to the upper rooms was forbid
den, and even the cellar was not open to
curious visitors. The dsubs of Mr.. Curtis
ncknamed his orical paintings. which 50
clearly demonstrate that. however true
patriot that worthy descendant of the
Washington family may have been. he was
by no means an artist, and which Mrs. Lee
had shown good taste in leaving behind.
were most carefully guarded. Never did
tenant use house more gingerly. Relics
of inestimable value might have slumbered
in its upper chambers. or had quiet preser-
walton in its basement rooms, forever and
aye. had none but Gen. Mcdowell entered
the venerable premises.
But there lately came to Washington a
curiosity hunter-an antiquarian, vigorous
aud insatiabe-sn enthusiast in Washing.
ton relics-Caleb Lyon by name--he Of
Lyonsdale. who. disdaining the letters OF
Nra no.
1.....4 ,ocassns f.i------Osss,.rnouI. ne
searched the house irom foundation to roof.
tree. Fortunate search! for in An inner eel.
lar he found priceless prize. in q variety
of household ricles Unidentified as belong.
ing to Washington; but which one less ia.
miliar with the history Of Mount Vernon
and Arlin ston would have passed by as Of
no special interest or value.
Among these arti les are a number of
pieces of the Martha Washington china. -
The center Of each piece has the monogram
IN. w." from which four golden rays die
verge, each point reaching to blue oval. in
which. in distinct rings. connected BY gol
den links, are written the names of the orig
inal States and Kentucky. while around the
rim the Egyptian symbol of eternal un:on
"a green serpent with its tail in its mouth
and crimson ribbon bearing the legend.
"Decni ct tatamea abiito," exquisi.ely pain
ted. completes the decoration. which. for
richness and appropriateness has never been
excelled at Sevres.
This set of porcelain was presented by
General Lafay cite and his brother officers.
including Rochambesu and Count deGrasse.
as fitting testimonial to the lady whose
house had been their home while fighting
the battles of the Revolution. and also with
has . NJ
Of the municipality of Paris. The set orig
inally contained four hundred pieces. A
plate, saucer. or a cup. were occ cssionally
presented by Mrs. Washington or Mr.. Cur
It's as the choicest soucear they could give
of the household relics OF Mount Vern n
Specimens are in possession Of the widow of
Maj. Gen. Brown. the family OF the Alder
man Peters. Major Popham. Caleb Lyon and
others; and it was from familiarity with
the one given TO the latter gentleman some
years since by Mr.. Curtis, thai hs was able
to promptly identify the remainder Of the
set remaining at Arlington.
Two OF the rich porcelain vases presented
TO Washington by Mrs. Waugh. aud sketch
ed by Losing in his "Moun, Vernon and its
Assoc'ations"-,hose ornamenied with lions
and tigers-were also brought to light by
Mr.. Lyon. The one dec oratei with leop-
ards has not been discovered, and is proba-
bly, lost. TIE ground work Of these vases
is Of the finest and rarest blue, but they
are somewhat broken.
1t will be remembered that the officers of
the Revolutionary Army. belonging to the
Society of Cincinnati. sent to Ch "a an or.
der for thousand pieces. including break
fast, dinner. and tes sets, of the finest India
ware, for pre- esentation to Washington. The
ornamentalion is blue and gilt. with the
coat Of arms of the society. held BY Fame.
with blue ribbon from which is suspended
the eagle of The order. with a green wreath
about its neck. and on its breast a shield re-
presenting the Inauguration Of the order
Altogether 6fty pieces of this set yet remain
at Arlington. more or less perfect. The
tea table used by Washington and one book
case also remain. General Mcdowell has
rendered Mr.. Lyon every facility for brush
ing up these interesting relics, and expects
an order from the War Department TO place
them 10 the patent office or Smithsonian In