Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1869-12-08
Letter from ,]Ln7yJaRd.
No. NV.

CUMBERLAND, MD, Nov 18th 80
In my last letter written this morn
ing I spoke of Fair book, issued ante
ccdcut to the late Agricultural and Nee
hanicaI Fair at Cumberland. This book
contained a very readable sketch of the
early history of Cumberland, from which
I extract the paragraphs given below.
These will undoubtedly prove interest
ing to your readers:
'The Great National road, sometimes
called the Cumberland road, begins here
and extends through Pennsylvania and
West Virginia to Wheeling, and thence
through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and
Missouri to to Jefferson City. This
road, now almost untravelled, was at
one time the great ''pOTtugC' between
the Eastern and Western waters, and
also furnished transit to the great States
of the West byits extension westwarlly
to Wheeling and eastwardly from Cum
beFland When the BraddOck road was
used as a portage General Washington
promoted and aided in the construction
of the Potomac Canal, Of which he was
President, and which extended from
tide water on the Potomac at Washing
ton to Cumberland, and fiat-bOats keel
bOatsandbrOadhOTns furnished the only
means Of transit ON the Potomac and
Ohio.
'StOne walls the remains of the POto-
mac Canal erected at that time under
WashingtOn's direction, may be seen
in the bed of the Potomac river one
mile eastward frCm Cumberland.
t.Tha sgatig11 of rDmnfFyv -rr1srg,uudfntr
Cumberland was inhabited by Indian
nations, and it is tradition that Col.
Cresap, one of the earliest settlers killed
Logan, a MingO chief; but a work pub
lished in this city by Rev. AIr. Jacobs,
proves that the charge is false. The
MingO, Shawnee and Delaware nations
lived in this vicinity and in several sec
tiOns pottery, stone hatChets, spear
heads and other relics are found.
This section was early a trading post.
In April, 1754sGeOrgesW Washington in
command Of a force of Virginia colonial
/ troops first occupied this point as Fort
and called il Wills Greek. Expeditions
/ fitted out by the English against the
( French and accompanied by Washing
[ ton afterwards used this as q Military
Base, and in the year 1855 General Brad
dock named the post Fort Cumber-
land" in honor Of the Duke Of Cumber-
I land, brother to the King Of England.
under whom he had served.
"The father of his country, Gen
Washington, then President of the L.
S., hOnOred Cum Berland with his pres
! encc in the year 1874. Capt. David
/ Lynn, who served as a captain during
| the Revolutionary war under Washing
I ton, entertained this greatest and best
/ Of men at his home on Washington
I street. At that time Gen. Washington
| was OH his way to review the troops near
Bedford Springs, raised to queu the
whisky iusUrgctiOn. Capt. David Lynn
died in this city i'm the year 1885, and
his estimable wife Mary Galloway
] Lynn, who did the hOnOrs of her nus
! bands household during this visit, died
/ in this city in the year 1851. Judge
/ Thomas Perry, now resides in a mansion
which is bUiltupOn the lot on which the
dwelling Of Capt. Lynn stood"
"On the opposite side of the Court
House square lived George Dent land
Frederick Dent father Of Mrs. President
Grant was here born The site of Mr.
Dents residence is now occupied by the
house of Mrs. Mary Hove. On this lot
IS q we'll: which was dug under direction
Of Gen. BTaddOCk, for the use Of the
! troops in Fort Cumberland and was cut
. through solid rock, and is i feet
/ in diameter and 50 feet deep. Re
Gently Col H0peweII Hebb, whose
/ residence occupies the adjoining lot, in
grading his grounds discovered old bay
Onets, muskets barrels, grape shot and
cannon balls, supposed to have been
[ buried there during the CONSERVATION
excited by BraddOck's sanguinaTy de-
! feat. On the next lot is located EN-
{ II IL ]. Il
eastern boundary of old Fort Cunber-
land. Lord Napeer, recently Minister
PlenOpO, from Great Britain, proposed
that the English Government should in
! ter the remains of Gen. BaddOCk, if now
lying buried at the foot Ofa solitary tree
in the vicinity Of the National road and
near the site of Fort Necessity, 20 miles
east Of UniOntOwn, which location was
recently pointed out to the writer by the
Hon. Andrew Stewart Of UniOntOWn.
It is hoped the English Government
will do appropriate honor to the memory
of this brave and gallent officer, who
rendered important service during the
early Indian wars, by adopting this
suggestion, and erecting also q suitable
monument to mark the spot thus rem
dered historic.
"Gen. Washington during this visit
TO Cumberland, was one of the guests at
a cOtiliiOn party at the house of VIM.
Mcmahon Il large white frame house
now standing at the corner Of Greene
and SmallwOOd streets. Being invited
by His EXCellency, President Washing
ton, Mrs. Col. Daniel Cresap jr., was
h0nored by being the Presidents part
ner in u cOtilliOn, danced on this Oe-
casiOn. At this time Capt David Lynn,
Col. Daniel CreSap, ir. and Mr.. Benja-
min BrOOkes, were State Commissioners
to award to Revolutionary soldiers.
soldier lots lying westward of Fort Cum
berland.
'sAIrs. Mary Houx, whose maiden
name was Mary Entler, married to Benz.
Carleton in lS0j and after his death to
William HOUN in 1915, born in this city
on 5th of May, 1TSS, and aged - years,
is living at the present time, in feeble
health, with her grandson, John W.
HOUX, in this city; says she reCOlleCtS
vividly the visit OF Gen. Washington
referred to above, and that the President
came i'm town by the Baltimore road.
and was accompanied by a number Of
mounted and uniformed Aides de Camp.
Mrs. HOUN also relates that she ia small
child at the timel Was sent by her moth
Cr to Gen. Washington with Il present
Of fruit, and the President gave her fora
pocket piece q silver French crown.
VALUE about IIOl Mrs. HOUN Is next to
Mr.. Frederick Dent who was born in 1856
the oldest livin" person born in CUmber-
land"
TuU iIuN IN HIS OLD ACE.-Wheu a