The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1874-06-06
HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
A Pleasant Chat with IL Grand Nephew
OF General George WashingtOn-ln-
tercsting Autograph Letters of WASH
tngtOn Never in Print-fi,c Very
Clothes Esc wore Sill. Preserved.


Last Sunday, 3lst ultimo, we had the
pleasure of forming the acquaintance
of Dr. lawrence A. Washington and
family.
DIR. Washington is the nearest living
kin to General George Washington.
His grand father, Samuel Washington,
was George Wasliington's brother,
which of course makes the doctor the
generals grand nephew.
George Washington was the guardi-
an Of DR.. Lawrence A. Westinghouse
father, when he was boy, and raised
him in his own family.
DR.. Lawrence a. Washington was
born in Winchester, Virginia, but re-
moved to Texas some tWenty-eight
years ago. Before the war he owned a
valuable plantation in Colorado cOun-
ty, and good many negroes, but lost
large portion of his property during
the struggle for southern independ-
ence, of which he was II warm supper
ter. After the declaration of peace, he
decided to leave the state and make Il
home in California, and started north,
but got no further on his journey than
Kansas, where he remained until u
few months since, when he returned
Texas and located in Denison.
DR.. Washington's family consists of
three sons and three daughters, two of
the latter are married. All the child
rem are in Texas, and the daughters are
residents of Denson.
We should Judge DIR. Washington to
be about sixty years of age, strong and
vigorous, scarcely above his prime, APP
parently.
During our short visit the doctor
showed us various interesting relics of
the past, but to us, the most valuable
of them all, are several original letters,
written by George Washington to his
brother Samuel, bearing dates extend
ing over the eventful period embraced
between the years 1870 and 1850. These
confidential letters contain much val
liable information regarding the cOun-
try during the most exciting period of
the revolution, and have never been
published. Appearing, as they do,
over General Washington's own sigma
ture, they derive an Importance that
no other authority could give them.
We also had an opportunity of in
speeding suit of clothes worn by Cen
eral Washinton not long before his in
auguration as president of the United
States. The suit consists of a coat,
waistcoat and pants, made of repp silk
of dark brown color, and shows long
service. The style is very peculiar;
such as is shown in prints representing
the costumes of hundred years ago.
The long-tailed coat, the vest reaching
halfway to the knees, with huge pock-
cts, and pants cut Off at the knees, and
ending with massive buckles, would
look extremely odd these days.
1t will be long time before we shall
forget our very pleasant visit to DIR.
Washington, and those letters that the
signature of George Washington has
made sacred, and those clothes, in
which, perchance, he was habilitated
at the very time he indited them to an
brother, made vivid i'm
preston upon our mind that time can
never efface.
The letters and clothes above alluded
to are the same which we mentioned
in these columns a month or two ago,
as having been shown us by Messrs.
Adams d Leonard. They were then,
as we stated, OH the way to Denison,
to be delivered to DIR. Washington.