Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1876-06-24

rank testitying their reverence for the
departed by their presence At the Oh.
sequies. ..uI .a
That seques,ercd grove, thus selected
by It's owner rs the last resting place
for himself and his, has been in the
tempest of the times, invaded; the forest
has been transformed into field of the
dead; and the two marble columns mark
lug the remains of Mr. and Mrs. Cus,is
are now in the midst OF nearly sixteen.
thousand soldiers graves. From the
noble portico that adorns the front of
the Arlington mansion, so conspicuous
from every point of the Federal Capital
and lis vicinity, Mr.. Custis had seen
Washington iise from en- humble aud
uninterrsting village into something
like its present grand proportions. NJ
George Washington Park Custis, tho
proprietor of the Arlington estate, who
died on the 10th of October, 1855. ..,madc
and published his last will and testa-
ment, dated the 26ih of March, 1855,
and which was duly admitted to probate
ard record in the county court Of the
county of Alexandria, at its December
term, in 1857. In this instrument he
bcqueathed 10 his daughter and only
child, Mary Aan Randolph Lee G use
aud benefit of lis Arlington House a..
;atc. containing eleven hundred acres.
more or less, that of his mill on Four
mile run, and OF the lands of his, ada.
cent TO said mill. in Alexandria aml
Fairfax couEties. Virginia, together with
his horses aud carriages, furniture, pic
lures and plate, during the term of her
natural life. On the death OF Mrs. Lee,
all the property left TO her was 10 60 10
his eldest grandson, George Washington
Cuslis Lee, and 10 MS hiers forever, Mr..
Lee taking his grandtalhcr's name aud
arms To each OF his four grand daugh.
tcrS, Mary, Anna, Agnes aud Mildred
Lee, Mr.. CuStis bequeaihed ten thou.
and dvillrS. To his second grandson, O.
William Henry fitzhugh Lee, Nhcn he
should be of age, aud TO his hivIs for
ever, he bequeathed his estate called tho
White House, in New Kent county,
Va, containing four thousand acres. To
his third and Youngest grandson, Rob.
ert Edward Lee, when be should be of
age, and to his hcrs forever,he bcquea.
thcd his estate in King William county,
Va, called lsvmnncoek, containing four
thousand acres. His estate on Sniths
Island, at the Capes of Virginia, IN
Northampton county, he left TO be sold
to assist III paving his grand daughters
legacics, III such u manner as might bc
deemed most exrcdient by his .secu-
tors. Any and all lands that he posses.
! ed in Stafford, Richmond aud Wesimor.
land counties, he left TO be sold for tho
same purpose. lie bequcalbrd his lot in
square No. 81, in Washin,on city, TO
/ his soninlaw, Lieutenant Colonel Rob
ert l.. Lee, and 10 his heirs forever Ills
daughter, Mrs. Lee, had the privilege
by the will, of dividing his family plato
among his grandchildren but the Mt.
Vernon plate altogether, and every mr.
ticle he possessed relating 10 Washing
! ton, and that came from Mount Vernon,
was to remain with his daughter at Ar.
lington House, during her life, and nc
her death go TO his eldest grandson, q.
w. Curtis Lee, and 10 descend from
him, entire aud unchanged, TO his latest
posteri,y Ills White House and Ro-
hancock estates, respectively in New
/ Kent and K;Eg William counties, To-
| gether with Smiths Island and the lands
he possessed in Stafford, Richmond and
Westmorrland counties, were charged
with the paymcnt Of the legacies 10 bis
I grauddaughtcrs Only Smiths Island
aud the lands IN The counties just named
were TO be sold; the lands OF the White
House and Romancock estates were to
J be worked TO raise the legacies of his
four grand'langhlcrs. Upon the pa,-
meDl OF these lcgacies, and bis estates
that W>re required 10 pay them being
unencumbercd, he gave freedom 10 his
slaves, who were 10 be emaneipatsd by
his executors 10 such manner as 10 them
might seem most expedientand proper,
but the emancipation was 10 bc accom-
p'iShed within i've wears uf bis dcccasc.
As his executors, Mr.. Custis constituted
and appointed Lieutenant Colonel Rob.
ert Edward Lee, Robert Lee Rsudolph.
OF Eastern View; Right Rev. Bisliop
Meade and George Washington Peer.
The will, written by his own hand.
was signed, sealed and executed March
26, 1856, aud Witnessed 10y Martha
Gusts Williams aud w. Eugene Web
ster. On the 9TH Of December, 1857. il
was produced 10 court at Alexandria.
for probate. by Robert r. Lee, and Cas-.
sus r Lee was sworn as to.tbe peDu-
ineness Of the hand wiring. Robert
+. Lee, one OF The executors, qualified
as snch, and gave bond With ai.pro, ed
securty.-Wo,h ChtomeI.. 10 g.
A CEsrtxSI,L Bell. The bell used
by tie Lutheran aud It.iJrned cohgre
cations OF this place or the old log
church which wss situated on the cor.
ner of john and Church streets, will be 4,
OH exhibition at tbe base.aent Of the
Lutheran Church tonight during the
progress Of Tie sfraWi@rTy festival.
This bell which is Of iron wns east n
Hughes Fonndery. on Beaver Creek,
iu Washington county, Nd, was used
long time in Maryland and was
brought to this place in 1891, by Mr.
Geo. Scibert, Of this County, and pre-
serited 10 tie two congregations 10 be :
used to call the wopbiper- 10 the house ,
Of God. 1t was thus used until 1908