Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-08-28
Our Washington Letter.

Our Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, d. C., August "a, 1878.
Messrs. Editors The spot about which hangs
more Of interesting history than all others In
Washington is Lafayette square, just opposite the :
White House, and good-szed volume might
easily be filled with the histories connected there
with. This park enshrnes the equestrian statue
OF General jackson, 1t being one OF the peculiar
tiles Of this city to place monument to one hero
in a reservation known by the name OF another.
The square itself is noted for both
HISTORY AND TRAGEDY.
One house In particular, among those which
face the park on the east side has more tragic as
socations connected with It than any other build
ing in the city. It IL occupied by the offices
of the United States Commissary- General, and
stands near the middle of the block which old
residents often call Madison square," from the
fact that Mrs. Madison for many years after leav
ing the White House lived In the house on the
corner OF II street, dagonally opposite the Airing
ton Hotel The house of tragic memories has
been known at various times as the "Club house "
and the Seward house" It was used by a fash
ionabe club of swell gentlemen at the time Gen.
eral Sickles shot Key directly in front Of it, and
the latter was taken within its walls to die Mr.. |
Barton Key was a frequenter Of the club, and the |
trees In Lafayette square being very small then, |
it easy for him and the lady Of his affections
to signal to each other across the park as they |
did for she lived opposite in the house now oc- |
cupied by Secretary Thompson. The most curious
fact with regard to this tragic house is, that
whereas members OF the Cabinet have frequently
lived therein, each has had some dire misfortune
beia him either while living there or before the
conclusion Of his career in the Cabinet This was
the first house in which Bsknap lived when he
came TO Washington as Secretary of War. During
his public career he lost by death his first wife
and eldest son, in addition TO the loss of his repu
taton as an official through an appalling political
scandal OF the
CABINET OFFICIALS,
to whom misfortune came while living there,
John +. Spencer the first, in point of time
| lie was Secretary Of War from October, 1871, to
| March, 1913. In the autumn OF 1912 his son was
| hung from the yard-arm Of the brig Somers
accusation Of mutny. The commander of this
man-of-war was Alexander Slide Mackenzie,
who discovered the existence of mutnous plot
| on board, while coming from the coast of Africa
| An investigation was Immediately held and three
persons were condemned to execution, young
Spencer being among the number. One reason
assigned for a speedy execution was that Spen-
GERS father being Secretary Of War, "A fair trial
might be impossible on land, where the paternal
influence could be felt. There was great excite
ment over the matter in Washington, and, at his
request the commander was court-martialled on
his return, but was acquitted Public opinion ran
SO high against him, however, that he dropped
the name of Mackenzie and retained that of Sill
dell. He was brother of Sidell who was cap
tured with Mason during the war Upshur and
Gilmer, the two members of the Cabinet who
were killed by the explosion Of gun the
Princeton in 1874 were either living in this eel
ebrated house at the time they went with President
Tylers excursion, when the calamity occurred,
or had lived there while in the Cabinet. 1t took
the name of
, THE SEWARD HOUSE
from the fact that Mr.. Seward lived in the house
during the time he was Secretary of State under
Lincoln, and subsequently under johnson 1t
was in his bed-chamber there, where he lay i'll,
! that Payne, the woud-be assassin, made his at
tack upon the Secretary on that fatal night when
, Booth assassinated Lincoln. Mr. Frederick W
Seward, the present Assistant Secretary of State,
there received, in defense of his father the wound
2 understand, when they see this gentleman wear.
Z. ing the little skull cap in which he always ap
pears in public, that it is worn to conceal where
4 his skull was trepanned in consequence of that
, wound Commodore Rodgers Of the navy, the
father of the wife of General Meigs, built this
: house with prize money, and Commodore Decatur
; also built his, on the northwest corner Of the
, same square, with prize money. This fact ha,
- A. IL
i, connected with both houses, as seemingly t,
verify the Scrptural proverb, " For all they tina
, take the sword shall finish by the sword" Decatur
it will be remembered, was shot by Commodor,
Burron in duel, and was brought back to hi
P home mortally wounded, and died there in a few
II hours, He was so highly esteemed that his death
!. ON March I'D, 1920, plunged the entire city il
=, mourning, and was generally regarded as
: national calamity. This house is now owned b!
- General Beale, one of Grants ministers abroad
l. Two years ago a newly-wedded pair were wei
coined to the then residence of Representative
Elijah Ward, of New York, which also fronts til
square and djoins the residence of Mr., Corcoran
They were DR.. Robert Stuart, son of Mrs. Ward
J. and his bride. They spent portion of thei
IS honeymoon there with his mother and sister
n Last autumn the shocking news came that tn
n wife had died by her own hand in New York
These saddenng records are but proof of the fac
that tragedies cluster thickly about the neigh
N borhood of Lafayette Square as leaves upon 1t
,r spreading trees.
r. The rehearsal of all these tragedies natural
"a leads to recall the one great national tragedy
. briefly referred to above-the assassination {
- President Lincoln. The memory of that shocl
lc the minutest details of the and every fac
y appertoinng to it and all of its particpators, wi
in ever remain fresh in the minds Of the America
4 public and always be recalled with intense il
terest. We heard for the first time the other da
80 the story OF the first Northern man who wa
guilty of
"A EXCUsING THE ASSASSINATION
in public manner in Washington. 1t appear
90 that he came here from Connecticut after ii
81 deed, and took a great interest in visiting III
e. Of the and all other points Of IL
a. terest connected herewith At that time guild,
al were numerous about the city to supply just Il
want of this stranger and others similarly situated
lie was taken to the spot where the assassinatic
TX was perpetated, to the house opposite where Il
a President breathed his last, to the residence
of Mrs Surratt, to the arsenal grounds where Il
IN executions were performed, and finally, to a
=, pease his curiosity, back to Ford's theatre II
Bulue tnen tolu MN ne would now TAKE MIN
NC the place last visited by Booth before enterir
the theatre on his deadly mission, and thereupo
no took him to a saloon Immediately in the rear
40 the theatre building, where the guide assert,
that Booth took his last drink before commttir
al the fatal deed. On being questioned, the ba
Dr. keeper confirmed the story of the guide, "ar
as here" says he, sis the same decanter the san
he brandy and the same glass used by Booth on TIL
In. night" Our Connecticut friend quite natural
decided to try it, and generously asked the guiC
to Join him. The guide said he would take
ne " thimbefu " and proceeded TO pour out "fo
of fingers" which he drank with great deliberatio
ed The stranger emptied very mild quantity into Il
m historic glass from the historic decanter and raj
- ing 1t to his lips, swallowed a portion, whi'
NV caused severe strangulation OF the windpip
ny When he had got his breath sufficiently he erie
IN, Water water, and after quenchng the fire til
m seemed to be burning into his vtas, he turned
rv the bar-keeper and exclaimed, Great Scott
- That's enough to make man kill his ov
mother"
ng NOTES AND COMMENTS.
zee The Patent office is soon to be remodelled aft
DIS a plan lately accepted by the commission a