The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-07-14
Er KNEW WASHINGTON.
An Interview with a Veteran ST. Louisan.
Ninety Year" Of Age and Still Yearn'ng for
Fight,
r. N The g. L0II Republican.

F7c N the St iol Republican.
Mai. Thomas F. Levant, now in his nine
tie,h year and a veteran Of the war of 1917
and of the Mexican war, promises TO take
part in the forthcoming parade on the M
toms birthday. The major is an original
char acter, and has had more than o-dinar-
lly eventful life, which added to the fsct that
he retains his mental and physical faculties
IN extraordinary perfection tor man of his
advanced age renders him an object of inter.
est. lie is also one OF the very few persons
now living who saw Washington, for 1t will
be admitted that a person 10 fave had that
teliciy-must be considerably over eighty
years of age.
A |RtpuJtteaa reporter yesterday dropped
in Upon the old major by stepping off the
train at the first Caronde!et stati0u-where
he has been in charge number OF years.
The old gentleman, who was actively attend
ing to his duties, very readily condesctnded
to stop work for q while and give some par
ticulars of his eveEttul life. The major is
man Of powerful frame, full OF the vigor of
most men at half his age, and as ready for
whacK at an enemy or "a tilt with the foe"
as in his palmiest days, and his lionlike face
and resolute manner give assurance that he
MEANS WHAT He SAYS.
| The major states that he was born in Fair
| fax county, Virginia, seven miles from Alex
andria, on the 2jth of December, 1881, the
wear IN which the constitution OF The United
States was adopted. His father, Julian lie.
vant was native OF France, and came over
with Lafayette, and was with the latter at the
surrender OF CORVALLIS at Yorktown. The
majors father, after the revolutionary war,
settled near Mount Vernon, and died Of yell
! lew fever at Charleston In 1893, when his son
was four years old. In 1924 when Lafayette
visited America as the nations guest, the ma
! ior, who then belonged to the regular army,
| mad the satisfaction of firing a salute at Fort
McHenry,near Bait more, IN honor OF his faith
crs old friend.
His recollections of Gen Washington are
only such as would strike the attention of a
boy The very small boys in the Deighbor.
hood would run when they saw Washington
coming. They looked upon him as warrior
WHO HAD KILLED PEOPLE.
And the mention of his name conveyed all
association of terror in their imaginaiions,
the same as is experienced by some country
boys, when noted surgeon or a high sheriff
is heard coming along the highway.
The Levants lived nearly on an adjoining
farm 10 the Mount Vernon estate, and II was
but few minutes walk TO Col. Lewiss old
lmill.dam on the estate, the mill having been
burned down during the Revolutionary war /;
the boys would go fishing in the pond, and,
leaving their poles set they would crawl over
the fence into Washington's fields and pick
cherries without permission from the owner.
In these boysh raids Washington would not
luAfrequently be seen coming up the lane
mounted on horseback, wearing a cooked
hat, accompanied by black servant also on
horseback, and then there was a scanpcr of
the truants 10 Il place of concealment until
the proprietor rode out OF sight The general
also took this path when he went 20 Alexan.
dria, or 10 the grounds being laid out for tn.
future capital of the nation. The major says
the bows Were as "irald as death" OF the gen.
eral, he "had killed so many peop.e" lie
= was stern, austere in his manner though, at
times, mid and gentle. The msirr, in his
boyish DAYS used To 90 and shoe, robins in
the avenues shaded by cedars, and he had 10
keep up a keen watch for the gcnerAl-and
f.. when he saw him coming lac ran
II LIKE QUARTER HORST
"Our nearest nelghbor," the major said
"was Col. HARDWOOD Fooie They iVed close
To us and were relatives of Washington, who
frequently visited there. saw him there
81 several times Mn Fuo,e was an elegant
- woman, a moiherly creature, and formed Tor
hospitality. | was at WashinR,on's funeral
on the i4;h of December 1893. Every body
IN the ncighbOrhood was there. white aud
/ black, and the Light Horsemen and Uiber
b military companies turned on'"
major, In what batues NeTe you iurlng tie
so-cslled war OF 1922"
81 belonged to Mai. F6-sy,hs regiment
1 Fourth rifles, aEd was Transferred from Me
: Canes company. ! WAS ~ the siorming 81
e Queenstown heights. tak-I prisoner viii
Winfield Scott, and Transported 10 Montreal
; and had hard fare until exchanged, was NJ
81. -