The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-02-02

W. 7. CustisS, in his " RecOIleCtions, y re-
lates that Augustine Washington. becom
ing engaged in the agency of the Princips0
iron works, after the contlagration of his
seat in Westmoreland, removed with his
family to a situation near Fredericksburg,
on the Rappahannock. His agency was of
the nature of contract, and consisted in
mining the orc and cartng it two miles
from the mites to the furnace for twenty
shillings per ton Of pig iron. The furnace
was built on run which discharged its
waters into the Potomac, and the pig iron
had to be carted six miles to a landing on
the river. Three hundred weight made a
load for cart drawn 10y eight oxen The
inference is that either the roads We're very
bad, or The oxen very weak.
The following extract from letter from
John England, at Principle, to the Com
pany in Loadon may be of interest in con
nection with the early history of Accokeek
''5 January, 1875"
--:'' As to We dividing We
shares OF We newfnuuded works in Virginia,
have advised with q counselor about it. who
tells me vt if We deeds come over for you
20 sirne in England, and either OF you
should dy before, or alter y" minds vt you
don't signe, then it Setts Washington AT
liberty, < all We worke is 1T an endc. | The
lease was not formally signed till 1927 ]
But think a Twelfth too small for myselie
III this concerne, which is likely to answer
so we'll as doubt not but it WILL if rightly
IL: l. :. ln-
selfa. for | will assure You that WAS it not
for something further than my SaleIey was
| to do nothiug( would not stay in ye
country for it. Bnt shall have very great
feteaoue by We works lying SO FAIR remote
from each other. IL you see fit 10 make
Capt'n Washington small present of
wine. along with ye Virginia Cargo. and to
signjtie to him vt what | have done with
him on VI behalfe you like x approve on,
or to that effect, that leave t" your con
slderatior. either to do it or not.
We do not know whether the wine was
ever forwarded or not, but Engiaud's ac
ton was undoubtedly approved, and Acco-
keek became. as lie had predicted, a valua-
BILE property. In 1850 it sent to the Com
pany in England four hundred and ten tons
of pig iron. about one. fifth of the entire
quantity exported from Maryland and Nlr'
.inia in that year. Augustine Washing
ton. at his death ia 1913, left the estate
afterwards known as Mount Vernon, and
his share. one-twelfth, III the Principle
Company, 30 his son Lawrence. an elder
half brother of George Washington. Be
tween the two brothers existed the tender
est affection, but Lawrence was consump'
tive. and after d voyage to the Bermudas
IN 1J1 in vain pursuit of health, in which
Journey he was accompanied by George, he
died the following year, leaving his estate
first to his daughter, who did not long sur
vive him. aud after her death 10 his favor
tie Younger brother George. In what man
ner or for what reason George Washing
ton disposed of this interest in the Prin-
cipio Company is uncertain, but 1t soon
passed into the possession OF another
brother, Augustine, who retained 1t until
the Revolution, and it is probable that at
the dissolution of the Company he received
the Accokeek lands as his portion. 1t was
1t the solicitation Of Augustine ashIngton
in behalf of himself and other adventnr-
rrs in iron works that in 1911 the Nir-
sinia Cornell remitted the port duties and
fees on pig aud bar iron imported into that
province from Mary land. His interest in
the Company was not confined to the Nlr-
ginia works alone, but was share in the
whole property, for iron making at Acco-
keek was abandoned about the time of
Lawrence Washington's death. The sup
ply of ore within reasonable distance
failed. ami the furnace was necessarily
stopped. In 11,5:3 the movable effects were
distributed among the other works; slaves,
horses, cattle and wagons were sold, and
affairs gradually closed up until nothing
but the real estate was left.
After Accokeck. kingsbury' furnace
Was the Company's next venture. Major
Thomas Sholidine had taken up land III
Baltimore county III 1921, and from him in
1874 they purchased nearly 400 acres, OF
what were afterwards the kineshIry lands
As well as all the ore and iron stone TO he
found on his remaining property, for the
sum OF $500. The usual writ oi I'd prod
ftqnuHs was not issued til! 1915, nor was
the patent granted till 1850, but tho fur
mace vas built iii 174t ana went into blast
in April, 1745, producing at the first blast,
which lasted till December 18TH of the
same year, $50 tons Of pig mon. The pat
cnt for the land was issued to Sir Nicholas
Carew. OSgood Gee and others Tor one nun
bred acres of land at the head of Back
river aud on Herring run, III Baltimore
county. Ga this site, after the furnace
had been abandoned. Gen. Smith, "A cele
hrated Revolutionary commander of the
old Maryland Line, built mill
Whatever may have been the induce-
ments which led to the location OF a fur
mace on this spot, one of which perhaps
was closer proximity to the ore beds OF
MILESTONE point, it seems to have met
their expectations. Below is given the
WELD Of the tirs5 four blasts:
Begun.
FIRST blast, April l,
second Aug. 16,
Third :. Sept. 8, |