Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-02-26
Uncle Paul's Story Of How Washington
Was Burned.

Uncle Paul is most interesting acquaint-
ance. He was born slave in the Madison
family, and raised as pet He stood al
ways, after he grew large enough to wait
at table, at Mrs Madison's left hand, and
poured out the tea and coffee for the guests.
He was Mr.. Madison's confidential mes
senger, and carried the notes folded length
wise to an inch or two in width, and then
by a twist and turn in the centre made to
form half a rectangle-for envelopes were
not then-to the Cabinet officers when spe-
cial meetings were called. ~ could read
writing" says Uncle Paul, "before / could
write word" When the Cabinet assem-
bled the boy had the daring to remain in
the room often during the meeting, and
unnoticed, or if noticed supposed to be too
young for his presence to be Objectionable,
he listened to the councils of war. of a
special meeting which took place just be-
fore the battle of Bladensburg he particu-
larly speaks, and gives the name, from
memory, of every Cabinet minister present.
81 heard" he says, "Mr. Madison say to
General Armstrong, the Secretary of War,
you must give arms to those men living
down by the arsenal and Gen. Armstrong
said, 1T shall be done, sir; , but il never
was done, for that Armstrong was traitor.
Yes, don't care who says not, / know he
was a traitor.o
"And tell you what l saw continues
Uncle Paul, ION the 23d of August, the
day before the battle. l saw an old woman
come through the hall of the White House,
and she were black dress and a black
silk handkerchief over her head and spec
tacles, and / ran after her. boy-like, you
know, and pulled at her skirts, and she
shook me off, and said, "Git away, you
little samp;' and that old woman was
Cockburn, the Admiral of the British fleet.
L know it was; and he went through all
the departments and saw all he wanted to
see. The next morning was standing by
Mrs. Madison at breakfast, and all the Sec
retaries were there, and some more, and
Mrs. Madison said to General Armstrong,
{ General, do you think the British will
come to-day?' And he said, By no means,
Madam, but he knew it all the time"
The whole party, who rode away after
breakfast, were expected back the same
day to dinner at 8 O'clock, and Paul, who
prided himself on his ability to act as but
Ter, had the preparing of the dinner table.
At IL o'clock, he says, he put his wines in
the coolers and at the table, and the cook
put the "stew-pans on the stove, and
then Paul amused himself with game of
marbles out of doors. Pretty soon he saw
a black cloud in the direction of Bladens-
burg, and heard the cannon firing, and
presently people began to run past, then
messenger came to Mrs. Madison, warning
her to hurry from the city, for General
Armstrong had ordered retreat. Paul
beteok himself within, and saw Mrs. Madi-
son come down stairs with a reticule in
her hands and fill it with silver, g but
she never looked at nothing else," says
Uncle Paul, alluding to the story of her
cutting General Washington's picture
from the frame and carrying it with
her, " she just went off in hurry" Left
behind the boy enjoyed the sport of seeing
the people run through the streets. New
er was there anything like it. Deere was
old bonnets, old hats, old dresses, old coats
and feather beds dashed ON behind" By
and by Paul, who had once in the mean
time refused to leave, now concluded to go
with another boy, and went, saying moth
ing, forgetting even my two violins down
in the cellar" he says dolefully. He
reached the ferry at Georgetown just as Mr..
Madison was about to cress it, going to
Virginia, but was unseen by him, so went
his own way. After some adventures he
reached, about dusk, a farmhouse where
Methodist minister lived, and found many
there before him. For there was a crowd
" lighthouses and chicken
coops were full of people," The minister
gathered all assembled on his premises
about him in prayer, and while they were
praying, an awful noise was heard and ev-
erybody rushed out of the house, land we
saw" says Paul, 1.-THE public buildings all
on fire in the city, and when 1 saw the
White House burning just cried out, Deere
goes my poor fiddles.' was only boy
you see."
A few days afterwards, when the panic
was over and all were returning to the
capital, Paul met Mrs. Madison in her car
rage on the road, and when she saw me-"
he says 'she just leaned half her body out
the carriage window and caught me in her
arms, she was SO glad to see me and know
was safe. Well, went back with her,
then and when went to the WhiteHouse,
what do you suppose saw? It's the truth,
and nc one, living or dead, can deny it 1
saw written everywhere on the walls, in
big letters, General Armstrong sold the
capital for one million of dollars Yes, I
saw it, and plenty more saw it, too."-
Washington Correspondent of the NeW
York Post.