Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-10-21

was dismissed for the night, bu
was told to report for duyty at sew
en- in the morning, which he did,
"Tlis day was a sample Of mos
+ Of the days in that office, and wa
performed standing, at high desks
There was but one chair in tn
room, and that was sacredly Sc
apart for the President, Nobody
ever sat in It but General Washing
ton He would come in the samC
hour to a minute, every day, for /
certain length Of time, and always
say, 'Good-morning, Colonel Pick
leringp I'M the same measured tone
Then he would lay his hat, gloves
and gold headed cane on the table
and sit down in the big arm chair
Then the Secretary would hand
him papers to be examined and
signed, or stand before him to re
ceive his orders, saying little him
self. After busiues was over,
| Washington never staid to chat
about lighter matters, not even to
talk horse;' but took up his hat,
(. gloves, and cane, and with another
stately 'Good morning, Colonel
Pickering, went out, and left the
Secretary and his man to their
work" -I.2 orf
pray tell me what salary your
friend, Mr.. White, receivee."
"Three or four hundred dollars a
year. The Secretary himself had
fifteen hundred" Ha.
What chief clerk of any depart
ment Of Government, however
well paid, feels called upon nova
days, to labor like this old.time Of
fetal? ., .
/ asked Mr. Gray what he tho't
of Robert Morris. aaspr#
81 think what Washington tho't
of him." he said-"that his talent
for fnanciering and his patriotic
devotion did very much toward
saving the nation.
: "My father was Washlngton's
confidential courier, and | have Of
feH keardAhim tell Of call made
bS the. CommNpder-in- Chief on Mr.
Morris 40 aar g,eNfigal time, AND
how nobly it Was respondedto. m
"The army was encamped near.
Trenton, and was nearly out of.
supplies, and quite out Of money.
'One morning, my father was
summoned to Washington's tent,
and the General ga d to him =
Gray, in how short q time could
Won ride down to Philadelphia 2 r l
wantyo TO take a letter to Mr..
Robert Norris, and there is the
utmost need for Dispatch
my father named the shortest
time possible for making the journ-
ey with a fleet horse ......
"'Then just take the best horse
in the army, and set off at once with
this letter. said Washington. , |
" well, General, said my father,
the best horse | know of in the
army is your chestnut sorrel.
"He lid not expect that Wash
ington would allow him to take
that horse, for it was his favoite,
but he said at once. Take him. =.
And my father rode him to Phila-
delphia, and made good time with
him, a
+. "When Robert Morris read the
letter, he asked: How soon can
you start for Trenton with my re-
ply to General Washington, Mr..
Gray?' N"N 4'"
"'As soon, sir, as l can get a
fresh horse said my father. 'ItI
won't do to ride back General Wash.
ington's chestnut sorrel.H
"Of course not said Mr, Nor
ris. GO to my stable, and take
the best horse YOU can find. am
in haste to assure General Wash
ington that | will do all can to
meet his Wishes
my father got safely back to
headquarters with the reply of Mr..
Morris. He said Washington's face
lighted up when he read it; but he
must have known pretty much |
what it would be, forhe had every
thing ready for marching, and in
five minutes the drums beat and the !
bugles sounded, and the whole
army was in motion. You see he
bad written to Morris to supply
money and provisions, and Morris
had consented, and set to work
with all his energy. The morning
after my fathers hurried visit to
Philadelphia, my mother returned
from market, about six o'clock,
saying IFS well | went SO early
II l had been a half hour later, l
should not have been able to get
pound of beef or bacon. Robert
is sending his men all about
% buy up provisions for the army
When, a few months later, she
vas one night reused from sleep
)y the old watchmau crying under
Ter window, Past twelve o'clock,
IND Lord Coruwallis is taken' she
Knew, and all our people knew,
hat Robert Morris had had great
leal to do in bringing about that
which virtually ended
be war. He had been the right
iand of Washington. Yet while /
Washington was President, Robert s
dorris was confined in the old debt !
RS prison in Philadelphia"
What a shame p one ofus hot |
y exclaimed "Why did not Con
.ress pay his debts, and liberate
ne to whom the nation owed so ,
reat a debt ?" q