American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-09-30
How General Washington Got
His Clothes.

How General Washington Got
His Clothes.
At the time of which 1 write, George
Washington was 81 years of age. He
was a tall, well-proportioned young
man, of fine appearance, great physical
strength, and fond of athletic exercises.
He had every thing which money could
buy, but, better still, he possessed those
! qualities which make true-hear.ed,
noble and loyal man, and which can not
be purchased at any price. Every one
on his plantation loved and honored
him. His household was very large
one, and comprised among its inmates
a chief steward, an overseer, and a great
number of colored servants. In addi-
ton to these, the number of slaves en-
ployed on his plantation, with their
families, constituted quite colony by
themselves. -.
At this time the rebellion of the Colo
MES had not taken place. The inhab-
itants of the different settlements were
loyal adherents of King George Ill.
The mother country supplied the Ameri-
can colonists with all the luxuries and
many of the necessaries of life. In re-
turn, the colonists sent back, in the
British ships, the products of their soil
tobacco and grain. Cotton at that
time had not heen cultivated, and the
first export of that article to Great
Britain did not occur until the year
/ I
cloth in the Colonies, save as it could
be done by small hand-looms.. Every
thing of that nature came from London.
e The London merchants found Wash
ington a good customer, and no doubt
did their best to supply all his wants.
If he was particular in ordering his sup
plies, he was equally particular to ship
the best productions of his plantation
to foreign ports. So favorably was the
Mount Vernon -four known, that when
ever cargo of that brand arrived in
foreign ports, it was passed without in
spection-a high compliment to the in
tegrity of Washington. Twice a year
Washington sent his orders for clothing,
and other necessary articles for his
family, to his agent in London, Messrs.
Robert Cary g. Co. To show how very
particular he was in all his dealings, it
is an historical fact that he required his
agents to forward the bills specifying
each article purchased of different
tradesmen on his account, and these he
carefully copied into q book, and also
transcribed ver6atsm the receipts in full
of every person to whom his money was
paid.
The following letter is still preserved
by a gentleman in London. 1t was
written in 1868, from Mount Vernon,
and enclosed were strips of brown paper
fastened together, and marked with let
tiers and figures in Washington's own
handwriting.
.,..r VIRGINIA, 26th of April, 1763.
MIR. LAWRENCE: Be pleased to send me
a genteel suite of cloaths, made of super
fine broadcloth, handsomely chosen.
should have enclosed you my measure, but
in a general way they are SO badly taken
here that am convinced 1t would be Of
very little service. I would, therefore,
have you take measure of a gentleman who
size, to.wit: Six feet high and proportion
ally made, if any thing rather slender than
thick for person OF that hight, with pretty
long arms and thighs. You will take care
to make the breaches longer than those you
sent me last; and would have you keep
the measure of the clOaths you now make by
you, and il any alteration is required in my
next, it shall be pointed out. Mr.. Cary will
pay the bill, and tt
/ am sir, your obedient servant,
s ftss4 Go. WASHINGTON.
Note.-For your further government and
knowledge of my size, have sent the en-
closed; and you must observe vt from vt
coat end No. 1 and No. 8 is ye size over ye
breast and hips; No. 2, over We belly; No.
1, round ye arms; and from ye breaches end
to No. is for waistband; b., thick of We
thigh; C, upper button hole; d, knee-band;
e, for length of breeches. Therefore, il
you take measure of a person of about six
feet high. of this bigness, think you can't
go amiss. You must take notice that en-
closed is We exact size, without any allow |
ance for seams, etc.
Go. WASHINGTON.
Doubtless if we could find Washing
toms household accounts for the year
1853, we should see recorded therein
the receipt of this ''sute of cloaths,"
with full description of them, and the
price paid therefor. Possibly they may
be the very ones spoken of in Irving's
History of Washington, where is re-
corded, among the orders sent his Lon
don agent: ga riding-frock of hand
some drab-colored broadcloth, with
plain double-gilt buttons, a riding-waist-
coat of super6ne scarlet cloth, with gold
lace, with buttons like those of the coat,
and a blue sartOut coat"
Whether we can '-put this and that
together" and believe them to be the
same, is of little consequence. We know
that Washington was always scrupu-
lousy well attired, and that all his
sssuperfine" clothes came from Eng
land, and therefore we conclude that
Mr.. Lawrence was able to find man
''six feet high, of correct bigness," and
one sswho wore well-made cloaths. ~
N. Perkins, in st. Nicholas for October.
THE present Mikado of Japan seems
to be the right sort of a Mikado to
have. Within the last eight years there
have been organized on the educational
system of the United States over 10000