Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-01-16
MOrrester 9ailg SPY.
RELICS OF TIE WASHINGTON FAM1LY.

HELICS OF THE WASHINGTON FAMILY,
When Mrs. Lee left the Arlington House,
some time after her traitorous husband had
Joined the confederate army, she undertook to
carry with her all the Washington relics
which had been SO jealousy preserved by her
patriotic father, George Washington Parke
Gusts. Repeatedly she wrote to General Nc
Dowell, with whom she had been AGO TAINTED
as her husbands associate on the staff of Gen.
Wool during the Mexican war, thar she had
left nothing at Arlington in any way connect
ed with the public or domestic life of the faith
er OF his country. What Mrs. Lee or any one
favorlng secession and the rebellion could want
with relics which must be a constant remind
er of HIM who said, "Whatever measures have
a tendency to dissolve the Union, or contrib
ute to violate or lessen the sovereign authori-
ty, ought to he considered as hostile to the lib.
erty and independence of America, and the
au hors of them treated accordingly" cannot
easily be imagined. Nor is it surprising that
after all their pr0testations to the contrary,
the wife of the confederate general should
have left behind some of the choicest and most
valuable memenlOes OF the home life of him
whose wise teachings both she and hel hus
band have SO thoroughly ignored.
For a long time after the flight of the Lees,
General Mcdowell, though quatered on the
grounds refused to enter the Arlington House.
scrupulous respecter of private rights, he
would neither occupy, nor allow to be occu-
pied by his officers or men, any portion OF the
mansion, which, in his opinion, belonged to
Gen. Lee quite as much as though he still
made his nome within its massive walls.
When the contiscation act was passed by CON
gress, and a Geographic operator had taken
possession OF one of the best rooms, he was
still reluctant to enter the old building, on ac.
count OF the Washington memories clustering
around it, and it was at last by force of cir
cumstances, rather than by his own free will
that he made it his headquarters. For long
time access to the upper rooms was forbidden.
and even the cellar was not open to curious
visitors. The daubs of Mr.. Curtis, nick nam
ed historical paintings, which SO clearly de-
mOnstTate 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 Stun.
bered in its upper chambers, or had quiet
preservation in its basement rooms forever
and aye, had none but General Dowell entered
the venerable premises.
But there lately came to Washington Gu
riosi;y LUTHERAN antiquarian, vigorous and
insatiabe-an enthusiast in Washington rel
ics-Caeb Lyon by name-he of Lyonsdale,
who, disdaining the letters of Mrs Lee, sought
permission to unveil the deepest reCesses of
the establishment. He searched the house
from foundation to rooi-lree. Fortunate search!
form an inner cellar he found priceless prize,
in variety OF household articles identified as
belonging to Washington; but which one less
familiar with the history of Mount Vernon
and Arlington would have passed by as of no
especial interest or value.
Among these articles are a number of pieces
of the Martha Washington china. The center
of each piece has the monogram "NI. w"
from which four golden rays diverge, each
point reaching to a blue oval, in which, in
distinct rings, connected by golden links are
written the names of the original states and
Kentucky, while around the rim the Egyptian
symbol of eternal uniOh-a green serpent with
tail in its mouth-and crimson ribbon bear
ing the legend "DecuS et tutamen dbillo, ex-
quistely painted, completes the decoration,
which Tor richness and appropriateness has
never been excelled at Sevres.
This set of porcelain was presented by
General Lafayette and his brother officers, in
Guiding Rochambeau and Count DE Grasse,
as a fitting testimonial to the lady whose
house had been their home while fighting the
battles of the revolution, and also with the
sanction and subscription Of the mayor of the
municipality If Paris. The set originally con-
tanned four hundred pieces. A plate, a saucer,
or a cup, were occasionally presented by
Mrs Washington or Mr.. Gusts as the choicest
SOUVENIR they could give oil the household rel
les of Mount Vernon. Specimens are i'll pos
0 ssion of the widow of Maj. Gen. Brown, the
family Of the Alderman Peters, Major Pop
ham, Caleb Lyon and others and twas IRON
a familiarity with the one given TO the latter
gentleman some years since by Mr. Gusts,
that he was able to promptly identity the re
maInder of the set remaining at Arlington.
Two of the rich porcelain vases presented
to Washington by Mr. Waugh, and sketched
by LOSING in his mount Vernon and its AS
sociations ornamented with lions and
tigers-were also brought TO light by Mr.. Ly-
on. The one decorated with eopards has not
been discovered, and is probably lost. The
ground work of these vases is of the finest
and rarest blue, but they are somewhat bro
ken.
1t will be remembered that the officers of
the revolutionary army belonging to the Soci-
ETY. of the Cincinnati sent TO China an order
for thousand pieces, including breakfast,
dinner, and tea sets, of the finest India ware,
for presentation TO Washington. The orna-
mentaton 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 green wreath about its neck,
and on its breast shield representing the ln-
auguration ofthe order. Altogether fifty pieces
of this set vet remain at Arlington, more or
less perfect. The tea table used by Washing
ton and one bookcase also remain. General
Mcdowell has rendered Mr.. Lyon every facil-
ity for brushing up these interesting relics, and
expects an order from the war department to
place them in the patent office or Smithsonian
Institute They would be perfectly safe at
Arlington while the general remains there, but
TO guard against the carelessness of those who
may come after him, when the Compromised
advance begins, and to crafty the public, it is
doubtless wise to so dispose of the precious
articles.-C Cor. ". Y Erening Post Jan. 6.
Correspondence of the New York Times.
Gen. Stones Loyalty.
Your correspondent has, on several occa
Sims within the past three weeks. declined to