National Republican., 1873-09-29
THE OLDEST INHABITANTS
A R,MDLs AMONG THEIR ARCHIVES.
oriuinnI Essays, Papers and skctches-in-
..,tu u..,,.,.....e.-.Tbe Old and

~
oriuinnI Essays, Papers and skctches-in'
tcrc.tins Rcuainiscences-The Old and
the New wasLisnion Guy Cortr"'
In the RrrunricAS Of the 18th Instant we
gave a sketch of tho formation and history
of the honorable Organization known rs the
oldest Inhabitants Association OF the Dis
trIct r, Columbia, and briefly noted the many
a. a that enrich Its archives. In fulfill
promise then made We now pro-
nco through the original essays,
nd sketches read before and pre-
ID to tho society from June, 1868, to the
present time.
RrNrStscrScEs ny CHARLES NISsoS.
Tho first papers Of record consist OF two
very interesting essays, entitled "Reminis-
cences Of Charles Ninson, In reference TO the
early state Of things In Georgetown, ID. e.,
and Washington, d. G." These essays cover
a pcriod from l7p6 to 1904, contain many
interesting facts relating to the history OF the
sis,cr cities. and are written In clear and
elegant style. The venerable author died al
Arlington Heights, October %, 1870, In the
nlneticth year of his age
GENERAL ROSS, or BLApESsBrRa Soro-
RIETr.
The ncyt rapcr IL communication from
thc secretary, John Carroll Brent, esq, ac-
Commanding a fac sinils Of the coat Of arms
Of thc Ross family, Of Ross Trevor, county
Down. ireland, with nugmentations granted
hy rnyal favor IN honor Of Major General
Moss, Of Bladcnsburg and North Point noto-
riety, who, a. Mr.. Brent remarks, met his
fate at the battle OF North Point on the 18th
Of September, 1914, In the attempt upon Bal
timorc, which, like that Of Packenham on
New Orleans, for beauty and booty" fortu-
nately and deseryedly came to grief.
1.-THE WASHINGTON TRIBE OF THE xIcEA-
zoos
The second paper which Mr.. Brent presents
Is parchment certificate, much frayed and
soilcd. bearing date October 20, 1904, where
hy Washington Boyd esq, afterwards mar
shal OF the District in 1908, was initiated and
dubbed a member Of the "Washington Tribe
OF the Kickapoos," under the symbolical title
OF "Nersca, or the Beaver, as % witnessed %I,ty oy
J. Iaub, esq, secretary Washington Tribe;
This document being inditcd In style and
lingo queer and aboriginal, was deciphered
into our vcrnacular by Tribe OF louns
Washingtonians, yclept the NIX, so thas It's
mysterious contents could bo made known to
the Oldest Inhabitants.
THE BATTLE OF BLADESsBURo.
Mr.. Brent, under date Of January |, 1867,
aleo contributes very Interesting essay on
the "Battle of Bladensburg, which occurred
on the cath Of August, 1914. Mr.. b. quotes
an interesting communication from an old
native.born Washington boy, whose state
ments may be relied on, and who writes thai
at Wishaw, In Scotland, at the table OF Lord
Bolhaven, he (the writer) accidentally drew
from Lord h. the fact that he had partici-
pated as ensign in the engagement referred
to. "Then asked him II II was true, what
had read In the British Subaltern, by the
Rev. Mr.. Gregg that the word TO retreat had
passed down the first lines OF the British ad-
vance, and he said II was true. They were
whipped By heat, 0t was when the dog-star
RACES, fatigue and Barney's hotilla battery
men, but revived, much to their surprise and
subsequent wonder, when they saw the
American forces In retreat. Lord Belhayen
further told Inc that the reason why the pub
lie buildings were burned was shot from q
house at General Ross, whose horse was
killed by the fire.
The troops became enraged and unman-
ageablc, and the consequence was what Well
lington called disgrace to the British ma.
tion. gave Lord BGlhaven the informa-
tiOn that the shot was fired by an Englishman
named D, a club-footed Rardener-barber,
who lived near the house whence the shot
was fired, and consequently no blame could
be laid upon the American character for the
attempt To Kill the e-gcneral of the British
army"
Mr.. Brent suggests another authority-one
OF the members of the Oldest Inhabitants
Association-who atiirms that the sharp
shooter In question was not an Englishman,
but native of the Emearld Isle, and there.
fore, as an hereditary and justihable enemy
OF the Saxon, II may appear to some very
natural that he should take pop ut repre-
sentative Of his chronic oppressors.
Ex-PREsIpENr BUCHANAN.
There are filed two autograph letters from
cN-President Buchanan, dated respectively at
Wheatland. near Lancaster, in April, 1867
aud March, 1903, and addressed to Nicholas
'allan, esq, In which the cS-Presidcnt pays
many high compliments to the old resident
citizens OF Washington, remarking that lie
had formed O warm attachment to them, and
had never associated with better society
than the resident population of the national
metropolis.
A PATRIOTIC ODE
for the 4th of July, dedicated to the Oldest
Inhabitants Association, Is contributed by
Mr.. Joseph Thornton Adams. The following
Is the concluding stanza:
Great God, OF boundless sway,
Revesl to ms Thy way.
Our mission TO fulnlli
II war must come, give mIgul
For peace and home to light
And Thus benign display
To US Thy sovereign will
McoRMICK's SCHOOL.
John Underwood writes from Dublin,
Wayne county, Indiana, October %. 1887,
forwarding Latin grammar, mentioned In
the former article. lie states that he was
prompted to send the book by having seen
notice Of the fact that at tho then recent sale
OF the effects Of the late Edwin G. Morgan,
IN this city, spelling book. published In
lieO, sold for s25, the intention being to pre-
sent 1t TO the society. Mr.. Underwood says
that the grammar was used by him In the
school Of Rev. Andrew 7. Mccormick In
Washington, in 1905, and that his name and
The name of James Gallatin are written upon
II. The latter was one OF the students, and
son OF Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the
Treasury.
TIRIRvs. GoosR CREEK.
Mr.. ]. Carroll Brent contributes an essay
on the ''Tiber VS.. Goose Creek-A Case His
torical,' filed with entertaining facts re-
lating TO the early history Of the metropolis, /
showing that the Tiber was a tributary Of
Potomac, proud river OF the swans,
The birthplace OF the Lees and Washingtons."
orr INDIAN PREpEcEssoRs-aREB
AND BuZZARD's POINTS.
There is another interesting letter from
i"Vohf IN no tolls us all
about the valley at the foot of Capitol Hill,
watered by Tiber creek, where the Indians
used to come to fish; Of a mound little
north and east of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad depot, where the red men formerly
buried their dead, as he was told by Mr.. Geo.
Watterston, who was one of the oldest citi-
zens of Washington; Of 'Greenleaf's Point"
Tin fact no point at all y where Mr.. James
Grcenleaf, with Morris and Nicholson, specu- |
lated largely In city lots on the Potomac, and |
erected many buildings, and of Turkey |
Buzzard's Point" originally called BuI.
yards Point, in honor Of some gentle |
man whose name was Buzzard, perhaps the |
owner of the land, but afterwards the turkey |
was added by some ignoramus.
Mr.. l Underwood relates an anecdote OF Mr.. |
BuzZard, OF Georgetown, who had contract
with General John Mason, then at the head
OF the Indian Office, to furnish blankets for |
the Indians during the embargo and non-in- |
tercOurse days that followed the war OF 1912 |
These blankets had on them the figure of q |
" spread eagle, or what was Intended b rep |
resent that noble bird. The blankets were in |