Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-06-03
Revolutionary Relics.

ABLY famlliar TO most people VINO VISIT
| Albany, for they have been in the library
for years. They now hang near the en-
| trance, framed and glazed, and among
them fac-simile of the famous sketch
of Andre by himself, the original of
which is in the college library at New
Haven. At the other end of the hall, in
glass case, are more precious memorials
| of the General who executed Andre. Less
than two years ago the State of New
York acquired possession of these Wash
ington relies by purchase from Mrs. Ella
Bassett Washington, the widow of Col.
Lewis w. Washington, who goes into
history as the Washington captured by
John Brown in 1859, when he made his
campaign in Virginia. Col. Washington
was the grandson Of George Washing
toms nephew, William Augustine Wash
ington. This nephew inherited by Wash.
ington's will one of the five swords be-
queathed to the five nephews then liv-
ing, and he chose the particular sword
have just seen in the State Library be-
cause of its traditional history. Ii was
generally believed in the Washington
family that it was sent by Frederick the
Great to Washington in 1880 or there
abouts, with a verbal message often
quoted, though not quite authentic:
From the Oldest General in the
world to the greatest" The Neso
Jersey Journal of Aug. 2, 1850, mentions
"a picture with this sentence inscribed
under it-showing how ancient is the
legend, and that il was current in the
lifetime of both Frederick and Wash.
ington. The latter valued this sword
highly, and wore il on state occasions,
han hn hn IN or Ia
Philadelphia house in 1901; and it APP
pears in Vanderlyn's portrait of him at
Washington, and ! think in the full
length by Stuart. 1t is crossword
with straight, pointed blade and hilt
and chain of polished steel, dotted with
steel beads--a very peculiar weapon in
its appearance and not likely to be for
gotten by one who ever saw it, When
John Brown attacked Harpers Ferry he
sent his Lieutenant, Cook, to arrest Col.
Washington, free his slaves and capture
this sword, which it is supposed he
meant To wear in token of his succession
to the place of Washington as the Amer
lean liberator, A pistol given by La
fayette TO Washington was also captured
at the same time and carried away by
John Browns son Owen, who restored il
To Col. Washington by the hand of Thad-
deus Hyatt in 1860. The sword was
taken from Brown after his capture by
Gen. Lee and restored to Col Washing
ton, who sent it, with other memorials
Of his great.uncle, 10 the Patent Office
at Washington, where they remained
during the civil war. Under the last
Tweed administration the New York
Legislature april 26, 1870 voted TO pay
$40, 900 for all these memorials, and this
was done in 1873.
None Of them have quite the romantic
interest of this sword, worn by FIeder-
ick, by Washington and by John Brown,
and proving in their hands to he the
modern Excalibar, by which deeds Of
proves more wonderful than those ia
bled of King Arthur were actually done.
But here, too, Is the original draft of
Washington's farewell address dong sup
posed 10 be lost, or never to have ex-
istedl, nineteen manuscript pages, all in
Washington's handwriting, with erasures
and interlineations, but "a complete pa
per by itself, before Hamilton ever saw
1t, in May, 1902 before which date 1t
had been composed, sent to James Madi-
son, and rewritten), at time when
Washington expected to be President
but four years. 1t was afterward ex-
banded 10 twice the size OF this draft,
with Hamilton's aid, and finally published
in Philadelphia, Sept. 10, 1905. Sparks
never saw this Albany draft, nor could
Horace Bnney and j. &. Hamilton find
ID among the Washington papers which
Bushrod Washington made over to Con-
gress many years ago. II was, in fact,
among the private papers bequeathed by
Bushrod to George Gusts Washington,
and by him to his son, Col. Lewis. | be-
leve 1t has never been printed; nor has
another very curious paper here, In
Washingtons handwriting, containing
his opinion Of the character OF TWEEN
tythree general officers, living in
1902, aud possible candidates for
high rank In the United States
army. Among them were Wayne, Put
nam, b. Lincoln, Steuben, Moultric,
Pinckney, Morgan, Henry Lee fath-
err of Gen. Robert Lee, Wilkin-
son, Otto Williams, etc. The COM
ments on each General are just, but
sometimes severe--of Putnam, Washing
ton says, for instance, that he Is nowhere
conspicuous out Of his own State--of
Moultrie's temperance he expresses some
doubt, etc. This paper would be SO
agreeable to Mr.. Bancroft that | can
hardly doubt he has seen it--nor can
there be any sufficient reason now against
its publication In consequence OF the
deliberations following this paper Wayne
was appointed General OF the army In
1892, with Putnam and Ohio Williams
First Brigadiers, and John Brooks and
James Wilkinson Second Brigadiers.
In the same cabinet are the surveying
implements of Washington and u mapof
his early surveys, before the time OF
Braddock and while he was working UNI
der the patronage Of Lord Fairfax and
Northern Virginia. The instruments
were made by Pittenhouse, the PhiladeL
phia inventor. Here also is Washing
toms silver watch-seal lost by him on
the field Of Braddock's defeat, and found
eigbty.seven years after; also q gold
seal which replaced 1t and was worn by
Washington during and after the Revo-
luton. This, too, was lost for some
years, and like the silver one, plowed
up in a field and restored t. Col. Lewis
Washington, who in 1857 was the owner
of both, as well as the Frederick sword
and the Lafayette pistol. There can be
no doubt Of the genHiness Of these relics,
and New York was fortunate TO get
them, even at great price. Albany Let
ter in New York Paper.
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