National Republican., 1880-07-20
A REMARKABLE VOYAGE.
Hon. VIM. M. Evarts' Invasion of the
Old Dominion.
The War steamer Tallapoosa Called Into
servicc-Her Voyage Toward the Sea-
Westmoreland AhOyi-On tho
ShoaIs-Resort to thesBoats--
Aground Again-Biped
Transportation, Etc.
A Perilous Trip and Its Truitiess Results.

Take myarm for a short walk, gentle reader,
and | will tell you pleasant story Of the
way in which my brany friend, the Hon.
William NJ. Evarts, on recent occasion made
an unsuccessful attempt TO invade tho sover-
eign state Of Virginia by way of Wcstmore-
land county. You will first permit mo to say
| for myself that | had enjoyed considerable
| experience in the work of invading the sover
eign state Of Virginia, being one of n very
| large number of persons, with young and
| inexperienced but very ambitious gentleman
| of the name of George B. Mcclellan at their
head, who undertook tho invasion of the
| sovereign state Of Virginia and tho capture
| of hor capital in the spring of 1862. Our
line Of march was by way OF the peninsula.
We very soon found two monstrous difficult
ties to contend against-oue was mud aud
the other was General Joe Johnston and his
mud.piles around Yorktown. How we
marched aud countermarched during that
perilous time, aud how we all got away
from the sovereign state Of Virginia without
capturing her capital are matters / prefer
the future historian should deal with.
| The mission Of my brave friend and
tho five young and pretty ladies' who
| accompanied him aud the mission of the
party Of gentlemen aud animals l
was associated with were widely different.
Indeed, his was mission of peace and good
| will toward Virginians, great and small, rich
| and poor, while ours was one of war. But he
| failed in his attempt TO invade the dear old
state in 1879 as sgually MS wo did in 1862.
| Indeed, he failed, Notwithstanding all the
| resources of the government were placed at his
disposal, and gentle reader, what do you
| think was the cause oft2 Want of water
Our tribulations as 1 said before, were caused
by the soft nature of Virginia's sacred soil and
the military ingenuity displayed by one Joe
Johnston in making mud'piles. To be sure
there Is an affinity between mud and water
| ,Inro Ia, lint ftpE
not be overlooked that too little of the one
and too much of tho other may produce
equally serious results. Having said this
much 1 will now proceed to my pleasant little
story.
The ilustrous but long since departed
father OF his country, ono George Washing
ton, was born in WestmOreland county, near
the banks of tho breezy Potomac. This
county used to be called Beautiful Wostmore-
land" and Virgnians of the better class were
Justly proud of her, for she was settled by
English gentlemen of wealth, taste aud learn
ing, and of tho aristocratic classes. 1t was in
Westmoreland Thackary laid some of the
most graphic scenes of Virginia life us IL was q
century ago; and their fine old mansions, now
crumbling to decay, and their broad acres
now untitled, bear the strange but sad
proof Of what she once was and what she is
to-day. i, for one, am not in o mood to trace
the cause, nor Is II necessary here. Few per.
sons in Westmoreland to-day can tell you the
precise birthplace of George Washington.
, Nor can they give you n correct account of
how Westmurcland, once SO rich and fertile,
has reached her present state of dcsolation.
Congress, in the greatness of its good heart,
and while in one of its generous moods, came
to the conclusion that IL would be the right
| thing TO erect a suitable monument at the
birthplace of tho illustrious father OF hi:
country, and to that end appropriated the
| great sum of $1,000. Yes, my gentle reader
$4,000 in hard cash. And TO make suro that
mono of this great sum should stick to the
fingers of somo avaricious contractor, my hon.
orabo friend, William NJ. Evarts, was made
the custodian of it, and instructed to first in
wade Virginia and discover the exact spot
where Washington was born second, to en-
ploy some competent architect TO make an ap-
proprato and acceptable design, all of which
he would, of course, do free of charge II mean
the architect not Mr.. Evarts); third, go tc
the quarries in Maine aud suporintend the
quarrying cutting and chipping of suitable
block of stone; fourth, TO charter vessel and
see it properly shipped to its point of destina
tion on the Potomac river. or course, thu
owner of the quarry wouldn't charge con
for tho stone; the quarrymen and cutter
= would give their time and labor for nothing
: and the shipowner would not accept n cen
& for freight. Maine shipownors are known th
world over for their generosity, and wher
{ patriotism Is to go in gratis they cal
even beat the shpowncrs of Rhode Island
Fourth - My illustrious friend would o
q necessity be required to draw up the plan o
v and superintend the construction of wharf
to say nothing of furnishing the material an,
J, hosting apparatus sufficiently long and stron
= 10 land and transport the monument to shore
d However, as the good people of Virginia ar
o as proverbial for their generosity rs they ar
profuse in their admiration of Washington
and never were known to sell anything bc
longing 10 him except some of his old clothes
= they would out of sheer patriotism furnis
the material aud build the wharf TO get tn
monument from tho shore, up the hill, to til
exact birthplace of the father of his country
would require team of at least ten yoke {
oxen. In order not to tax Virgnia's gcnero;
ity too severely, would suggest that thes
animals might be borrowed of my friend an
fellow.mariner, Richard w. Thompson, him
self fine old Virginia gentleman. The
there would be something TO pay for setting
up and making the surroundings presentabl
The president, | am permitted to say, wOul
nay these little bills out OF his own poke
wag at my elbow suggests that they migf
charge it to account of wine used at the Whit
House" If l knew, / would toll yo
tho name of the great Virginia state
man courageous enough to propose SO great a
amount of the peoples money for erecting
suitable monument at the birthplace Of GeOrp
Washington. Suitable, mind you! IL
name should be cut in large lotto
on tho same stone. / told, my gent
reader, that in his attempt to PEN
trate Virginia and hud out the precise birth
place of Washington, my friend, the secretal
of state, was backed by all the resources
tho government. These consisted of the f
nous war.ship Tallapoosa, the terror of Il
Potomac during the palmy days of Robeso
and tho gallant Captain McRitchio. bot
a kindly loaned for this great and special oc0
X. sion by the friend and brother mariner | b
st fore alluded to, Richard w. Thompson. An
lust here am reminded by II nautical fren
that the gallant Captain McRitchio, beir
slightly indisposod on that day, another au
TX equally gallant captain of tho name Of Jon
took command. 1t would not do TO ontru
! such precious freight as our secretary of sta
and five pretty young girls, bound on so p'
triotic n mission, to unsafe hands Indeed
have heard 1t intimated that Jones was S
lected for his moro familiar knowledge Of Il
D sand .hars and mud. banks on the Virginia sic
of the Potomac. This, too was said withol
10. preiudico to his great skill as u sailor al
rn 'm worth as q brave and courteous genllema
~ An extra doctor was also taken on board to
we used in case Of emergency.
,pT Well, 1t was nearly high noon and qui
eO high tide. The day was bright and brce2
and everything about tho famous war-sh
nh Tallapoosa was snug and neat, Tho officer
by both line and staa, had put aside their qua
nc, rels for the day and put on their best uniform
| al