Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-05-04


The following letter is a copy of
one from Gen. Washington to his
brother-in-law, Col. Burwell Bassett,
of Ethan, Va. Col. Bassett mar
ried Anna Maria cambridge, the sis
ter of Martha cambridge, who was
first Mrs. Custis, then Mrs. Wash
ington. This letter has been treas
ured by Col. Bassett's grandson,
who, until now, has refused to allow
it to be published. 1t is the only
letter we know of in which Wash
ington indulges in anything like hu
NOR:
MOUNT VERNON, 28th August, 1862.
DEAR SIR: | was favored with your
EpIstle wrote on a certain 25th of July,
when you ought to have been at Church,
praying as becomes every good Christian
Man who has as much 20 answer for as you
have-strange 1t is that you will be so
blind to truth that the enlightening sounds
of the Gospel cannot reach your Ear, nor
no Examples awaken you to a sense of
GOOdness-eould you but behold with what
religious zeal | hye me to Church on every
Lords day, it would do your heart good.
and fill it, | hope, with equal fervency-
but hark'ee i am told you have lately
introduced into your Family, aeertain pro-
duction which you are lost in admiration
of, and spend so much time in cOntempla-
ting the Just proportions of its parts, the
ease, and conveniences with which it
abOunds, that it is thought you will have
little time to animadvert upon the pros
pect of your Crops, &C., pray how will
this be reconciled to that anxious care and
vigilance, which is so esceneially neces-
sary at time when our growing Property
meaning the Tobacco-is assailed by
every Villainous worm that has had an
existence since the days of Noah (hoW un-
kind it was Of Noah, now have mention
ed his name, to suffer such a brood Of
Vermin to get birth in the Ark y but per-
haps you may be as well Of as we are-that
is, have no Tobacco for them to eat, and
there think we nicked the Dogs, as 1
think to do you if you expect any more
but not without a full assurance of being
with a very sincere regard,
D Sir, Yr Mo Affect. & 0bed.,
Go. WASHINGTON.
P. S. don't forget to make my compls to
Mrs. Bassett, Miss Dudy, and the little
ones, for Miss Dudy cannot be elassed with
small People without offering her great In
justice. | shall see you, | expect, about
the first of November.
To Coin Bassett, at Ethan.
The "new production" so much
admired by Col. Bassett, to which
Washington jestingly alludes, was
a baby son and helr. Two daugh-
ters had preceded this infant, and as
the estate, before the Revolution,
was entailed, son had been ardent
ly desired by Col. Bassett, who was
the sole representative of his fami
ly; his father, grandfather and great
grandfather having each been, like
himself, an only son. ''Miss Dudy"
was Miss Judy Diggs, the daughter
of a neighboring farmer and remark
able for her size and strength. She
had, on one occasion, been induced
to wrestle with a young man,
guest at Ethan, on condition he
would treat her with all due respect.
The trial of strength and skill went
on for awhile in perfect good ma
ture, but the young gentleman, on
finding that "Miss Dudy" was get
ting the better of him, lost his tenn
per, and roughly handled his anna
zonian adversary, whereupon her
spirit rose-she tossed him on the
floor, and, in spite of all his efforts,
tied him hand and foot to await the
sentence from Col. Bassett.
Wash. ReDajgs.- Scri5ner.