The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1866-03-15
The Sale OT Mount TernOm On Mr..
John Il. W0shia0tOn.
BERRYvILLE, VA, Feb. 26, l

BERRYvIILE, VA, Feb. 26, 1866.
lMessrs. Editors Baltimore Gazette:
In your issue of the Dist instant you
refer to pamphlet recently published in
the city of Boston by T. G. Trowbridge,
Gail Hamilton, and woman named
Lucy Larcom. The structures made by
you as public journalists upon state
ments contained in that publication,
designed to blast the reputation of de-
ceased relative and friend, the late John
A. Washington, demand from me and
those who revere his memory some no.
tice. The silly anecdote narrated by the
author above referred to in this PAM
phlet, in regard to the negro woman, is
too contemplate to be worthy of notice.
But the reference to the. sale of Mount
Vernon, made by Colonel John A.
Washington, does deserve passing no.
tice. The item referred to is in these
words: 81 have heard people scott at
j. A. Washington for selling the inher-
tied bones of the creator surely $780,
600 paid by the Ladies Association for
the Mount Vernon estate was not price
merely for the old mansion, &C." Now,
Messrs. Editors, will you believe me
when l state that Mount Vernon never
was offered for sale by Colonel Wash
ington? When asked if he would sell
the property his reply was, that if the
| United States or the State of Virginia
We're to offer him $500, 900 he would sell
it under certain restrictions. He even
went so far as to publish in the public
papers that the property was not in
market But SO great was the desire on
the part of the public that the place
which was held sacred by the American
people should be in the hands of the
people Of the United States that great
efforts were made to induce the Govern
ment of the United States to purchase
it. This, however, failed. Then the
same attempt was made to get the
also failed, and as a denier resort, the
enthusiasm of the American females in
duced them to form an association for
the purpose of making the purchase
This scheme finally prevailed, and the
property was sold, under severe legisla-
tive restrictions, dictated by Colonel
Washington, one of which left the entire
control and ownership of the cemetry in
the hands of Colonel Washington, there
by giving the lie to the charge that he
had sold the inherited bones of the
great. But, Messrs. Editors, to put the
browning cap-stOne upon the reputation
of my deceased friend, will mention a
fact unknown to the general public,
Whilst this subject of the purchase of
Mount Vernon was agitating the public
mind, it struck some shreWd and calcu-
lating Yankees, in the city of Boston,
that there was money in it, and they
sent an agent to purchase the property
at the large sum of $500, 900! and the Of
fer was actually made to Colonel Wash
ington. But he at once declined the Of
fer. Where, amongst his traducers, can
you find one man who would have val
ued his principles above 100000? If
the defamers of my deceased friend had
gone amongst the honorable and just of
our land to learn the true character of
Colonel Washington, they might have
been able to write his epitaph as amongst
the pure, the honorable, the just, the
gifted and the truly noble Of the land.
r. S. B.