The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-03-31
Was WASHINGTON a Father /?

The Cincinnati Comm erciGI publishes q
letter from indianapolis which contains
some curious information bearing upon this
inquiry. The writer describes what is
called in that part of the world, as well as
in the North, the estate House." Intro
ducing the reader to the Executive cham
Der, he calls attention to the portraits hung
on the walls of all the Governors of In
diana, from the first Territorial Governor,
Colonel PosEY, who is said to have been
the son of GEORGE WASHINGTON, down to
the present day. The writer proceeds:
"The visitor will hardly fail to notice a
portrait hanging just over the door that he
first enters. 1t is the face of a beardleSs
youth. certainly not over eighteen or nine
teen years of age, and it is an exceedingly
handsome face to look upon. The hair,
| which is dark, almost black, is cut square
across the forehead in straight line drawn
| from the upper edge of one temple to the
other, the side and back hair flowing
down behind the ears almost to the
shoulders. There is the full, ruffled
shirt-bosom, and the vest and coat cut
with short, stiff collar, a la mslitaire,
of the fashion of previous generation.
The round, peachy cheek, small chin,
full, ripe lips and large eyes, and the tout
ensemble, suggesting to your mind the idea
of gravity, almost melancholy, in the face,
will cause you to look again with deeper
| Your inquiry will be answered by the in
formation that it is the portrait Of Colonel
| Posey. the first Territorial Governor Of In
diana, and that the portrait was painted
| from q miniature likeness done on ivory
| when he was quite young, and which was
| the only likeness of him extant. There
YOUR information would probably cease,
and you would leave the building without
conceiying the idea that you had gazed
| upon the counterfeit resemblance Of a
yeritable son of the Father of his Coun-
try - yet the story Of his birth and pater.
nifty is often canvassed among the older and
perhaps outside oft, and none who are ac-
quainted with the evidence upon which it
rests doubts the assertion that Colonel Po-
sey was a son of George Washington.
The history of the matter succinctly
stated runs about in this wise: The Posey
family, consisting of husband and wife,
were tenants on the Mount Vernon estate.
The then Colonel George Washington was
married to Mrs. Gusts in 1853. About 1854
| Mrs. Posey was left widow by the death
| of her husband. Washington, then young
L I'LL,
estate, and sometimes, when belated, &C
copied or sought the hospitaliJies of Mrs.
POSey's house, who is represented as lady
of very considerable personal attractions.
| At what time or how it came about that
| the relations between these two assumed a
more intimate character than those Of
hostess and guest is, of course, unknown,
but it is certain that some two years after
| the death of her husband-she in the inte-
rim having remained feae sole-a son was
born to her who grew up TO be that same
Governors room at Indianapolis.
1t is also certain that Washington (greatly
to his credit as just and equitable man, if
| our theory be correct, always to the day Of
! his death manifested warm and friendly
| interest in the fortunes Of this young man.
He charged himself with his maintenance
and education, and when he arrived at o
proper age he was for time o member Of
the military family of the General in the
field and subsequently, by his influence,
| was made the. Governor of the Territory
/ of Indiana. These circumstances OF them,
selves would make O strong case in support
| of the truth Of our assertion, but there are
other items of evidence of even greater
weight of authority than these. The fam
ily of Colonel Posey were In possession of
| four or five iikenesses of Washington, taken
at different periods Of bis life, given to him
as souvenirs of an intimate regard. Wash
ington kept up q correspondence with him
of the most confidential character, some
times addressing him as MY Dear Son.
These letters are or were very recently In
existence, and in the possession Of q gentle
man Of this State.
The, Posey family are now EXTINCT. Coy
ernor PoseY married, and LETT surviving
him, as his only issue, one son, The son
lived and died q bachelor, without any
known issue. He inherited as heirlooms
the miniatures OF Washington, and also the
papers of his father, including these letters.
When he died, the gentleman 1 refer to
above became his, literary executor, and
came Into possession of the Washington let.
tiers. / cannot conceive OF more valuable
and interesting contribution; TO American,
history than q portions. Of these letters
would bel They would exhibit our be,
loved chief I'M an aspect entirely new
one that has escaped the observations