New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-11
BRET HARTE'S DISCOVERY.
REVOLUTIONARY "REMINISCENCES.

| To ne Edftor OIThe Tribune.
SIR: have seen her at last She is lO7 years old,
and remembers George Washington quite distinctly.
Il is somewhat confusing however that she also re-
members cotemporaneous Josiah W. Perkins OF
Baskiug Ridge n. j., and, l think, has the impress
sion that Perkins was the better man. Perkins at
the close Of the last century paid her some little
attention. There a few things thai q really
noble woman of lO7 never forgets.
! II was Perkins who said 70 her in 17o5, in the
streets Of Philadelphia Shall show thee Gen.
! Washington ?" Then she said careless-lilIe, for
you know, child. at that time it was MT what is IL
now to see Gen. Washington, she sand, " SO do,
Josiah, so do Then be pointed to a tall man who
4 got out of carriage and went into large house.
/ He larger than you be. He wore his hair
not powdered, had lowered chintz vest with yellow
breaches and blue stockings, and broad-brinmed
hat. In Summer he wore a white straw hat, and at
his farm at Basking Ridge he always it.
At this point it became too evident that
she was describing the clothes of the all
fascinating Perkins. so gently but firmly led her
back To Washington. Then it appeared that she did
not remember exactly what he To assist her
sketched the general historic dress of that period.
She said she thought he dressed like that En-
bOdened by my success, / added a hat of Charles
H., and pointed shoes of the XTth century. She
indorsed these with such cheerful alacrity that |
dropped the subject
The house upon which had stumbled. or rather to
which my horse-a Jersey hack accustomed to his
toric research-had brought me, was low and quaint
Like most old houses it had the appearance of being
encroached upon Ivy the surrounding gebe-as if it
were already half IN the grave with sod or two in
the shape of moss thrown it, like ashes on ashes
/ and dust on dust A wooden house instead of
ACQUIRING dignity with age Is apt to lose It's youth
/ and responsibility together A porch with scant
| sloping seats, from which even the Winters snow
/ must have slid uncomfortably, projected from
doorway that opened most unjustitiably into small
sitting-room There was no vestbule or locus PAM
| teuhG for the embarrassed or bashful visitor he
passed at once from the security OF the puDhc ROAD
! into shameful privacy. And here IN the mellow
/ autumnal sunlight that streaming through the
! naples and sumach on the opposite hckered ana
| danced upon the floor. she sat and discoursed of
! George Washington and thought of Perkins. She
was quite in keeping with the house and the season.
albeit little in advance of both-her skin being of
a faded russell and her hands so like dead November
| leaves that faucied they even rustled when she
moved them.
| For all that she was quite bright and CHEEKY. Her
faculties still quite vigorous, although perform
| ing irregularly and spasmodically. 1t was some
| what discompOsing. l confess, to observe that at
times her lower jaw would drop, leaving her speech
less. until one of the family would notice it and
raise it smartly into place with a slight snap, an
! opefation always performed in such an habitual
/ perfunctory manner-generally in passing TO and
fro in their household dutes-that it was very try
ing 10 the spectator 1t was still embarrassing
To observe that the dear old lady had evidently no
knowledge of this, but believed she was still talk
| ing and that on resuming her actual vocal utter
ance she was often abrupt and incoherent beginning
always in the middle of sentence, and often in the
4 middle of a word Sometimes said her daughter,
| giddy thoughtless young thing Of s.. sometimes
/ juss moving her head sort of unhtches her
| Jaw. and if we don't happen to see it
/ she'll 20 on talking for hours without ever max
I ING soundr Although was convinced after this
that during my interview had lost several impOr
tant revelations regarding George Washington
through these peculiar lapses could not help re-
hectng how beuefcent were these provisions of the
Creator-how if properly studied and applied, they
might be fraught with happiness TO mankind How
a slight jostle or jar at dinner party might make
the post-prandal eloquence of garrulous senlllty
satisfactory TO itself, yet harmless TO others How
a more intimate knowledge Of anatomy introduced
into the domestic circle might make home tolera-
Bile. al least. if not happy. How a loug-suferng
husband. under the pretense of conlugal caress,
might so unlock his wifes condyloid process as to
[
citation to 20 on with qualification to her and perfect
| immunity TO himself
/ But this was not getting back TO George Washing
Ton and the early struggles of the Republic So re-
turned TO the COMMANDMENT Chief, but found after
one OF two leading questions that she rather in
elned to resent his reappeaTance the stage. Her
"reminiscences here were chiefly social and local and
more OF less favored with Perkins. We got back as
far as the revolutionary epOch-Or rather her I'M
pressons of that epoch when it still fresh in the
| public mind. And here l came upon an incident,
purelv personal and local. but withal novel, weird,
and uReanny hat for while fear tquite displaced
/ g. W. in nv mind and tinged the autumnal fields
| bevond with red that was not of the sumach. do
not remember to have read of it in the books. do
not know that it is entirely authentic 1t was at
tested 20 me by mother and daughter as an uncOn-
tradicted tradition.
In the little field beyond, where the plow still
turns up musket-balls and cartridge boxes, took
MACE one of those irregular skiTmishes between the
miitiamen and Knyphausen's stragglers that made
tho retreat historical Hessian soldier, wounded
in both legs and utterly helpless, dragged himself to
the cover of a hazel copse and lay there hidden for
two davs On the third day, maddened by thirst. he
managed 10 creep TO the rail fence of an adjoining
farm-honse but found himself unable to mount 1t OF
mass through There was no one in the house but a
little girl Of six or gsven years. Hs called t. Der
and in faint voice asked for water. She returned
10 the house as if to comply with his request but
mounting a chair took from the chimney heavily
loaded Queen Anne" musket, and going to the
door. took deliberate aim at the helpless intruder
aud fred. The man fell back dead without q
groan. She replaced the musket, and returning
TO the fence, covered the body with boughs and
leaves until il was hidden. Two three days after
sbe related the occurrence in a careless casual way