Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-06-13
Relics of Washington
Correspondence New York Tribune. j


| The House committee on Appropril
tiOns has under consideration the ex
pediency of purchasing great numbe
of relics OF General Washington whic
are now, and have been ever since tn
death OF that eminent man, in tn
possession of the Lewis family, of Vii
ginia. This family is one of the oldes
in the State, and its members are tn
immediate relatives of General Wash
ingtOn. In common with nearly al
the prominent families of what
known as the "Northern Neck o
Virginia, !" where it resides, the Lewis
family was;nuch reduced ia wealth ant
prosperity by the devastations of tn,
war and the abolition of slavery, 81
that the preservation of these relics il
the family can no longer be the easy
matter ii once was.
The examination OF these relics anC
the question of their purchase havt
been intrusted 10 the Commissioner O
Patents, and that gentleman made hi
report on the 9Th OF May, to the Secre
| tary OF the Interior. Inthe reca apituala
tion OF the relics occur the following:
Mirror chairs, one on which the
OCnSAni cns q &c" hihutSS OoAOAO AA'
death. .'.. E.. '....[......... ......... g.. ..
One double brass candlestick, By
which the farewell address was written
Silver candlesticks. f. -.
One tieid-glass; spy glass used In ths
Revolution.
One ledger, kept monthly by General
Washington.
Knives, forks, one plated cake
basket.
Portrait of Washington.
The robe in which he was christened.
Silver plated lamps; thirtysix pieces
OF chinaware. ...-.... ,......
One bedstead, presented to Mr.. Law.
renee Washington by his friend Ad-
miral Vernon, and by Lawrence left to
his brother the General.
Several surveys made by the Gen.
eral himself.
One guitar, presented by Gen. Wash
ingtOn to Miss. Nellie Custis.
Miniature portraits of the General
and Mrs. Washington, on wood, paint
ed by Trumbnll.
One shaving-glass in frame, with
drawer.
An engraving of the Countess OF
Huntington, presented by her to Gen.
Washington.
The Commissioner says that these
articles have been In the possession of
the Lewis family since the death Of
General Washington; that they are
all In All excellent state OF preservation,
and that there Can be no doubt what.
ever of the genuinenss OF every article.
The half-length tn portrait OF General
Washington is Of life size, clear and
wei! preserved. 1t Is matter OF tradi-
tion that it was the best likeness of the
General ever painted. OF mole interest
even than that Is the ledger, which
contains the record Of all of Washing
TOMS private business transactions for
more than twenty years. Most OF the
record Is in his own hand. Every item
OF receipts and expenditures, including
even his losses and gains at cards, Is
set down. with scrupnlnus care. The arti-
cles OF household use ore in their Origi-
nal condition and illustrate the style of
living of the first President of the Unit
ed States. The whole collection is far
superior to that now In The possession
of the Government. The total number
of articles IL more than Ninety. Added
to those in possession OF tile Govern
ment, they would form the largest and
best collection of the relics of Wash
ington that could now be made.
The family Is reluctant to part with
these relics, but is impelled by the con-
sideration that inevitably in few
years, with the separation Of the fami
Iy, the articles will be scattered, and
perhaps a great number in course of
lime lost or destroyed. The family
feels that every citizen will be glad to
have these relics made public property
and accessible to ell The sum suggest
ed for then. ($12, ,O00)the Commissioners
says does not appear to be excessive.
In his judgment, the relics could be
sold for that amount, and perhaps
more, to private persons. This state>
ment and Recommendation OF the Com.
missioner of Patents, aided by the
natural feelings Ofveneration cherish
ed by all Americans for the name and
services Uf Washington, will probably
lead Congress to make the necessary
to put these relics beyond
the risk of possible loss, or of transfer
to a foreign museum.
The tribute to the soldier dead on
Thursday last was in the nature OF q
revival OF interest in a custom which
was inaugurated Immediately after the
close of the war, and il has directed at
tentiOn to interesting statistics. The
number of the Union dead il probably
known now about as well as it ever
will be, although Information on the
subject is still sought from every avail.
able source. BY the last official reports
the total number of deceased Union
soldiers during and in consequence of
the war is put at SIG. .233. OF these
only IT'S, ,764, or about tive-ninths of the
whole, have been, or probably ever
Can be, Identified. These figures, it is
evident, cannot cover by thousands.
the true number OF the Union dead, for
In the vast area OF the contest, many
bodies we're constantly being left on
the field OF battle, in skirmishes and
woods and In isolated encounters of
pickets and reconnOitering and scout
ing parties, that could not be recover
ed. OF the grand total &c, 1868 are
known to have been prisoners of war,
who died in captivity. or rebel pris-
oners of war the remains Of q 1856 have
been Inferred. The statistics of losses
on that side are far less complete than
on the Union side. There are seventy
two National cemeteries for the Union
dead, besides $50 local and post ceme-
ries. The largest OF these are at Ar
lingtou, Vs., the former homestead OF
Gen. Robert f. Lee, with 1851
graves; Fredericksburg. Va, with 15,-
300 graves; Salisbury, N. c., with IL.
l12 graves; Beaufort, 8. c., with 10, 900
graves; Andersonville, Ca, l3,7O5
graves; Marietta, Ga., 10000 graves;
New Orleans, La, II, 230 graves; Chat.
tanooga, Tenn, 1884 graves; Nash
vile, Tenn. 1889 graves; Memphis,
Tenn, 1855 graves; Jefferson Bar
racks, Mo-, S601 graves, The National
near Richmond, Va, has
6276 graves, of which no lees than 540S
are of unknown dead, mostly OF prison.
90, n TD.rnol Tuno