Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-09-20
Old Eansilics.
Written for the Alexandra Gs2.its. |

Yes and where sre tho Museha.is? aud tho
Bruudiges? the Tebbs', the Spsnces', lrd the
| BIakcs? tho Ero1aughs, The Forbes aud tie
l1arrisots? the DAIrymp!es, lie ksnps and
tho Grahams? and May others WEom this
writer, low IL the seventy third year OF his
agc, hes heard Of. may 10 childhood have seen,
| but cannot at this moment remember; men
end women CT high culture and brilliant &C
compIishmcnss. ct period when those quail
ties were Of difficult attainment. who 10 the
richness OF their attire, and the cGurtiiuess OF
their manners gave tone, aud character. and
fame TO tho forum and the ball room Of DUN
| fries scarcely less than those ct the vice regal
court ut Williamsburg. This Wli;cf has seen
brocado silk dresses. relics of lady Of the old
town. wrought 10 vines and tloEers, and birds,
50 stiff that they would almost stand alone and
| the high hecied shoe or corresponding coors,
and embroidery with their points turGed over
10 rounded chord to tho icssop like the old
fashioned thigh Dutch sixties, bo,h CT them
Illustrative OF tho beauty aud richness Of tho
dressing OF that period. L. may not be irrel9
7a1t IN this connection to mention that sister
o!that lady, Cathariuc Br1n!, Of "W oodstock."
near Guia married brother Of the Duke OF
Douglass, Of that Ga7, with whom she returned
to Scotland whcrc they occupied the beautiful
resldedoe OF Rose Hall, which, after h:r owu
death, ttat OF her sou A1chy, so officer 10 tho
British army. who either died Or Waa killed 10
the East lodies (aud whose heavy silver spurs
were slns 10 this Wrltcr). and Of her TWO daugh-
ters. one OF whom vas toe vita Of GEE. pyc,
OF the British Army. lsps:d to the Npcai estate.
that branch CT tho douglass family becoming
thus extinct.
| p,,k st,,hn Ill I !
may stsrd il the wreck { t "thc HeGdois 30
house." or 90 tho ,liScoreruJic sites ct any Of
the old mansions for so long period The hc1nas
Of boundlcss hospitality and hia.ity, and
ioamlng silver tsnkards, and repeat the ques-
ton, sId hollow, but not meaningless, echo
CT 1t may be ali the response you my rscaivc;
but 20 TO the greveYards Of The vicioagc, aud
yCu will tlbd such rtCNd OF lhsm es tbs hsf-
baric deViIlr7 OF tho Go:hs and vcEdsls that
ave Tut OIL late SWEPT over them, may hava
Ielt land tEis wElto: has seea dlspo!mcnta in
tho shape OF copper shields with cpilsphs en-,
grsVcd thereon, dug, With their fssteniugs Oft
OF t0nEs OF the Brepts ut Guia, returned by
jnsclencc slrickea men ia New J,rsey, that
true State 10 The days CT the revolution, to
their descendant tha late John Carroll Brent,
|, OF WashiGc,On.) EUt ltoE abroad over the
country and you will see them in their descend
ants in every honorable aud respectable svoca
tiou 10 HE! Heltiog, pressing on tho bus.
ness OF tho world wl.h Inherent Sio.ch teua.
city add vim. for almost al! Of the men who
settled Dumtflas and built II up uGti squire
llgg5d vessels came 10 its RherVss (now scarce
~ oreclolol With tho tabiicss aEd tho lusuries
of all the outer void, aud bore a9ay its abun.
daus tobacco cops. wero SJotchnco, and hat
crep was 80 abundant thst uno merchant there,
tho agent for the fra OF Morris tho ereas
: Tina; cer OF tho revolution Nicholson 10 Phi'a
deph;a built three largo warehouses 10 contain
his purchases.
But where are .be Hspdes:oGs?" Let such
Inquirer look o2cr the broad Siamcsc twin
| counties CT Farquier aud LouGouu, will be fud
none or them. with many another descendant
Of Dumries amidst their busy. moving thropc ?
This writer has a pleasant recollection of ca as
sociato 10 tho University of Virginia, a grand
SOP OF Dumirles. whose fsthcr be understood
to b, ct tha. time ~ nilucotiai cit,xeo, aud
prominent lawyer of Lsesburs. Bu5 let Eirl
lock 10 the records OF the army and the nu7y,
and the Marine Corps. In tic first re will
hoo Df. 1homas Henderson q surg2o0; i | the
| navy he will lad tho surgeon two sous, Trax
ton AID james, whilst Two CT his daughters arc
The wives OF Gen. Smith, OF the Vrgluia Mill
tary Institute, Gnd Of Col. Seth Esstulap, u.
S. A., and in tho Marits Cons he will God
Ger. Arohy Henderson, who raised that CORPS
from lis slough OF dcspond, AID his toa Charles
Alexander Henderson,.
where tr,' the Mu5cha;ts? This wriicr
would like TO know, Tor Us in utter years the
cultalo OF memcr3 gradually rolled up, dill az.
lag 20 hun Thugs long concealed behiuu il,
thero came 10 him vivid recollection thu,
When a very snail boy 10 1872 or rs, at
w codbridgc," 90 the Ococqusn then the
rasiieho3 CT Ills maternal aunt, Mrs. Thomas
Mason, widow Ct ouc Of tho sons Of Gel Mason,
OF Gunst0n Hall, th,ro caur On foot 10 erJss
the ferry there, which Was II the great, and ut
that time | haIievo only, high road Of travel
between the Ncrth pnd South, two yorug m 81
OF that family from Dumf1ice, On their wsy to
Baltimore TO huot for ttrspDo. There cane
blok 10 bis memory thll' lDe personal appear
aDoe, their well dressed couiiticn, AID parisu
lurIy their shluicg black waking canes with
J black Blk chords aGd tassels through silver
eyelets. DID they fad the "slidery Be-" of
"h'ch tbey Wtro 10 such resou'c pursuit or
} were they swept away IN the epidemic of 1919.
think, which desoated that thon voupr civ
. | fthe BICkc,, don John B. Blake, rraaa.
son ri Dummies, still SURVIVE 10 gladden. the
: hearts Of his friends with his boDhommie and
geniaiy whenever they visit him 10 his Office
as stc:etsry of the National Washington Mopu
ment Society, to which he worthily succeeded
after the lamented death of his life long frieod
tho laic, The good. John Carroll Brept. Ills
brother, Thomas Holdsaorth Blake, settled 10
ndana. became representative in the Con.
eress OF the United States, and Com missioner
Of the General Land Office. a younger brother,
joseph, was in tho U. s. navy Their sister
married tia. most excellent gentlenau. friend
ard contemporary 10 the u. s. Military Academy
tf this writer, tho late Vim. A. Gordon Of "a
QulrteTnsstsr Generals OEioc, and is mother
If the young Gordons CT Georgetown
| OF the Macraes More members Of tbst
family have probsby remained 10 Yirsiuis
than Of ary other Of the old families ct Dam
fries. This writer knows CT but ono absent
one.. Col. Ngtbauiel Chapman Mao.ae, q most
Kind and much loved friend aud contemporary
Of this writer in the u. S. Military Academy,
and now on the retired list of The u. S. A.,
aud residing 10 Cincinnati wbere be acquired
property when commanding the post at Nlg
Port, Kentucky. many years ago.
| ()f tha