Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-06-13
Alexandria and General WASHINGTON


capital to visit the grave Of Washington
arrives midway to Mount Vernon ut the
quiet town of Alexandria. There he NAV
find, if he will but blow aside the dust of a
century, footprints of the Father of his
country that tell of his ways us he moved
around about home. Elsewhere the great
chief is on horseback, or sits high in some
chair of State lofty and removed from com
mon men, hnt in Alexandria he is dis
mounted and atOot ii townsman and
nciyhhor
The town and Washington came together
INTO active life; for it was Just as he grew
from childhood into youth, at his brothers
home, Mount Vernon, that the nciuhborinr
hamlet of Bclhavcn grew into the town of
Alexandria. Belhayen was Il tobacco ware
house, and some log huts Oh the southern
part OF Il patent owned by the great-grand
children of ono John Alexander, who in 1869
paid SIX thousand pounds of tobacco for nine
miles OF river shore nearly y opposite what is
now the District Of Columbia. Just after
TINS purchase. Washington's grcat-gnnd-
father had led from the settled lands near
the mouth Of the Potomac, troop of militia
to punish the Dogue Indians for the murder
OF Robert Hen, II herdsman, near what is
now Mount Vernon. He became enraptured
with these magnificent hills, and soon in
Guided them i'll patent Of seven thousand
acres. Over sixty years atterward this
tract descended to Lawrence Washington.
George elder brother, who married
daughter of Colonel William Fairfax,
OF Relvoir, the county lieutenant, and be-
came ncighbor to his f;,thcr-in-law hv
scttlingat Mount Vernon.
Hltnef came Young George Washington,
fresh from school. Having failed to be a
mIdshlpman, he was becoming i land sur
Fcyor-a profession not so opposite as might
seem Tor IN mathematical methods the pur-
SUITS are identical, and the survey of wild
county is. in peril and adventure not unlike
voyage ut sea. Into Belhaven young
George Washington road every day. Ira
dition says that he came ten times during one
week, each time upon different horse. In
those days the fine rider of fine horse read
lily won his way to the popular heart. The
lad had borrowed in turn all the best horses
OF the countryside, and he managed each
with such skill and grace that thereafter his
future was made in the village.
The family circle at Bclvoir and Mt. Yer
non included, besides the visitor. Lord Fair
fax. Baron of Cameron. Col. William Fair
fax, his son George w. Fairfax. his sons-in-
law Lawrence Washington and John CARLYLE
and William Ramsey, a cousin of the Wash
lngtOnS These gentlemen united with the
AieXanders. who owned the Belhaven land,
ami some village traders, and established a
town ut Bclhavcn warehouse, designed as
practical matter to make money, and as
matter OF taste to honor at the same time
the royal family of England and the Fairfax
family Of America. The new town took
shape with its streets at right angles. One
centre street, Cameron, nankcd south by
King, Prince and Duke streets, and north
by Queen, Princess and Duchess streets. and
these streets crossed by another centre
street, Fairfax, tlankcd by Royal street on
one side and the river on the other. Anxious
rs the young surveyor George Washington
was TO perfect himself in his art, it is impos-
sihlc to believe that this plan was made by
his relatives and friends without his flmi-
liarity.
The lots of the new town were sold on
the 18th of July, 1749. Among the purchas-
crs were Lawrence Washington. John
Carlyle. Adam Stephen, afterward subal-
tern under Braddock, and one of Washing
tons generals in the Revolutionary army.
and John Campo. father of Sargcnt-maior
Campc, OF Lees legion, who teigned descr-
ton in the hope of capturing the traitor Ar
mold. The bids were made in Spanish pistol
cs. The lots, oue-quarter acre each. sold at
from Sl5 to $3.50 each. Young Washington
had no money to spare to buy town lots, but
he owned some land opposite Fredericks-
burg, and was already earning doubloon a
day by surveying the wild lands of Lord
Fairfax. Almost as soon as this survey was
completed. he was commissioned major in the
Colonial militia, and appointed adjutant of
the frontier district, with headquarters at
Alexandria. From this centre he organized
the militia of the frontier counties, selected
drill-masters for the officers, attended and
regulated muster, and on this limited field
first developed that mastery of detail and
talent for organization which, twenty five
years later. organized OH Boston heights Il
crude military into Il Continental army.
There fingers yet in the traditions of the
town the dim figure of tall, wiry, sunburn-
ed young man, always on horseback, of bit
ter will and yet of great popularity: not a
personal magnetism that attracted individ-
ual men, but a dominating power that won
men in mass by giving every one assurance
of safety under his lead.-Faiyiar Herald