New-York tribune., 1869-05-22
THROUGH THE SOUTH.
GEORGE wAsHNGToN's FARM.

rear of Mount Vernon that might see lhc l'ii" "''
adjacent country before coming 70 the mahSou' luo
distance from Alexandria IS pine miles Ilia' Nc!V
90 Christ Church where Washington worshiped,
and where the family pew remains unchanged. inns
church is large and in good repair For several miles
ON the road the fields are without fences these having
been DESTROYED during the war, and the sol IS not
remarkably rich The houses are about mile apart
and not remarkable for neatnesS of appearance ana
the general aspect is far from being cheerful Or
orchards few are to DO seen. After going about six
miles we camo to building used as q sch0Ol-houSc
and meeting house by the coored people and erected
since the war at great expense. The road we
travelled was the one which Washington with MS
wife for many years took in going to the Alexandra
church. and il was interesting TO consider that III DIS
carriage drawn by four horses he had oi'eh
passed along this route on Sunday moIl'ns'
Next we passed some poor d"c"'"s'
where the descendants Of he Generals slaves niauo
decent living ON land taken from the oiI l''in'
They were plowing for corn, the soli iUoN'u ""''V
and thin. and there were no orchards we sVoppeu
nnd talked with one of these farmers, who had
br,pobt to the side of the road wooden harrow OF
his o,v, construction. Next We came upon more
level land: two or three decent houses were IN sight,
md fine fields stretched to great distance. Here
.. ells of grass and clover, the first we had
sr,D vas told that a field of some 40 ac;es in good
cuI,iyaiau was for sale at so an acre. We were
uo.y o. the best part Of the original Mt Vernon
farm. As the team went no further, proceeded on
foot. ThcucXt flrn was occupied by Quaker nur-
s,Hmau from New-Jersey who has well-improved
place aG vino 20 years ago bought 20O0 acres of the
Nash!uaton family for the purpose of dividing it
among Northern settlers. Passing on came TO
field newly cleared, with the small stumps standing
thick while a negro was laying off the corn-rows,
and four women were planting. lie said he rented
the land and expected % bushels TO the acre. Ills
work VAS poorly done and his team was weak. Then
Iwent mp a high gravclly hill, and came to fruit
farm where young peach. apple and pear trees were
planted and where Mt least an acre OF stIaWber-
ries. Some three miles distant the Potomac and
several sail vessels were in sight. The farm was
mite new, but everything was in good order.
Several nice new buildings were in sight, and the
general appearance was promising. At a short dis
tapce stood the Lewis mansiOnhOuse amid trees
This belonged to farm Of 1900 acres presented by
Washington to the granddaughter of his wife, who
married Lewis As several hours Of the day remained
cot n conveyance and started to view Pohlck
Church. built by Washington and the Mason family,
something more than five miles distant Mount Yer
non was three miles in front upon the horizon while
our course was at a right angle to tho south.
We passed n few well cultivated fields where clover
md timothy had been made TO grow luxuriantly by
The help of fertilizers and where saw many large
peach orchards recently planted, then descended
Lill and came to the village of Accotnk, which con-
taips mill and a few houses and then issued into
comparative Wilderness. When we descended the
hill we left the line of the Mount Vernon farm, and
entered upon the old Mason estate. which in Wash
ingtons youth belonged to Lord Fairfax who lived
Mt Belyoir Castle, of which scarcely the ruins re-
main. 1t was for sale while Washington was Presi-
dent the price asked was $50 an Recently has
been bought by a gentleman from Chicago at about
$50 an acre. and he proposes to engage in Iit grow
ing There are now about 40 farms on I've original
Mount Vernon farm. mostly owned by Northern
men who are mainly interested in fruit culture but
some are engaged in general farming, and while
most of them OWN from 80 to POO acres few have
small tracts one man having seven, aud another II
acres 1t is intended to ship the frut by steamboats,
to Washington some 10 miles distant. Ihe original
farm contained about 1900 acres.
Our course to POhicl Church was over hills, and
occasionally level stretches We met nobody IN the
road. and good part of the way was as new and as
wild as in any part of Michigan. After a while we
passed large briok-yard, then the Potomac, where
a town called Pohck is TO be started. Thence we
passed through several fields and by the remnants OF
farmhouses and it was necessary TO open ana close
gates or bars Then we came into the wilderness |
again All this country is grown up TO what called
cold field pne7 the trees of which from four to
eight inches in diameter; and the negro who drove
said there was enough timber to fence the land |
which seemed to me doubtful. The ride was long |
and yearisome. In one place the road followed |
tbe bed of "a small creek nearly quarter of mile |
In one place saw where an old road
once ran down the side of hill; but the
washed soil had partly filed it, and there pine trees
grew Coming to old field in little bottom, the
driver pointed to the top of the hill and said that
the church was there. As the horse was exhausted
L ILL.,, NwaV lTnf M
foot We passed desolate-loOking cabin in
withholding field, where some colored men were
making crop; and, beyond this, large peach
orchard recently planted, and perhaps half an acre
of strawberries Gaining the top Of the hill we came
70 four cross roads and Pohick Church. The outer
walls made of brick brought from England, are In
good condition. but the inside Is desolate and bare,
and the stone pavement is torn mp During the war
it was occupied by soldiers of both armies and their
names are scribbled on the walls From the remains
of the interior cornce it was evident that the
church had been beautifully finished. The distance
from Mount Vernon is about SEVEN and from BelYolr
about FIVE miles. judge that not more than 1ye or
six rstclass families attended this church. still it Is
said to have been well filed. frstclass family in
those days meant something, while common families
were nobodies. By pacing the distance, made the
church 20 feet long, and 80 feet broad Nine miles
down the Potomac was the town of Colchester,
whence some came to church This town did large
shipping business but it is now in ruins. Further
down. is the town of Dumfnes, which, 10 so years
ago. had 60 stores and % ships at time have been
counted taking in tobacco. do not understand that
anybody lives there went out into the grave
ward surrounding the church. and found forest trees
growing over graves few fields were to the south
and west zone house looked as though some family
might possibly be living in it, and of several other
houses only the studdng of the lower stories re-