Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-06-24
For the SPECTATOR.
That Block for Washington Monument.

Mr.. ED1ToR:-This history of the
block" about which something has beer
said at different times in your columns, is
from one who is better informed on the
subject than any one living, and whose
memory is reliable. I find it in a letter to
me, dated November 10th, 1882, and elicit.
Ed by some query of mine. 1t was written
from another State:
I'm regard to the Washington Monument
stone from Augusta, cannot rely implic-
lily ON my memory, but can give you some
general facts.
My recollection is that the movement
originated in this wise to furnish stone
from Augusta. The county had opened a
fine quarry in building the Jail, Ned Tay.
lor, who was it's architects, having pro.
nounced it fit for any building p1irpose
In the Taylor and Cass campaign of iS4S,
Mr.. Stuart made magnificent speech fol
"Old Rough and Ready" and greatly en-.
Unused the Wings of Augusta. In his
speech he quoted, l think, from an address
made at Princeton, the year before, by
Gov. Mcdowell or one of the Prestons-W
c. perhaps-(whose mother was the daugh-
ter of Col. VIM. Campbell, of Washington
county, Va, one of the heroes of Kings
Mountain) -Washington's famous excia-
nation when he heard the glorious news Of
the triumphant victory of the mountaineers
over Ferguson and his vandal horde, sGive
me but banner to plant upon the noun
tains of West Augusta, and I will there
rally around it the men who will lift their
bleeding country from the dust and set her
free," DC. Il only quote substantially
''the historic exclamation. twas new to
the people of Augusta when Mr.. Stuart
used it, and had an electric effect. Gen.
Taylor was elected and soon died. Fill
more succeeded him, and invited MIR. Stuart
into his Cabinet. Shortly after going to
Washington, he returned on visit, per-
haps to remove his family, and on a public
day, think June Qevy) Court, was called on
for speech, which he delivered, and walked
up the enthusiasm of the late campaign
afresh. The Washington Monument was
then in progress and exciting good deal
Of interest. Zone dollar subscriptions
were being raised by lady associations all
over the country. We had one in Staun-
ton, and a considerable sum was raised and
sent to Washington City, But at the Court
referred to, after Mr.. Stuart's speech, some
one, l think Col. Baldwin, proposed that a
stone from Augusta should be gotten out
and sent there for place in it. The idea
took at once, and to make it contribution
from all the people, the Court was asked to
appropriate the necessary amount. My
recollection is there was an appropriation
to this, but small sum, $50 or 800 was
ordered to be levied for. A committee was
raised, either by the Court or the meeting,
to carry out the idea. I think it was COM
posed of Col. Baldwin, Col. Sam. Harms
barger, Squire Jacob Baylor, John N.
Hendren, and myself At all events, the
fund was raised that day, and Ned Taylor
furnished plan for the stone, its dimen-
sions, &c. There was good deal of
wrangling, in good humor, about the in
scription. Some wanted the whole of Gen.
Washington's tribute to the patriotism of
West Augusta to be put on it. To this it
was objected that there was an anachron-
ism and confusion in it for future genera
lions to reconcile. And as there was no
such legal entity as Vest Augusta, the real
county of augusta should be cut on it, with
a short, terse, Latin expression. This was
agreed On, and John N. Hendren, the most
classical man amongst us, fresh from his
University laurels of a few years before,
gave us the Latin YOU quote. Marquis &
Kelly got out the stone and put it in it's
present. shape. Neither the material nor
the workmanship was what we had hoped
and l think caustically treated in q few
newspaper squibs. The ardor about it died
out, and it soon passed out of the public
mind, and there being no funds to ship it.,
the thing lay where you found it,
[ may be in error in some immaterial
points, but the main facts are as | have
given them, as far as can recall them. A.
Ell. III. Stuart's eloquence was the germinal
point in the history of that stone"
Mr.. Editor, it is conceded that it is not
such a stone as Augusta should contribute
to that monument, which, apart from the
memory it is designed to commemorate, rap
idly approaches completion, and is destined
to be re-eminently the monument of the
world, as far eclipsing in height, character
&C., all other fabrics reared by mortal
man, as the character of Washington
stands out on the page of history as the
one immortal, glorious name, that was not
born to die.
AS Mr.. Stuart, in 184S, at the June Court,
thirty eight years ago, put this ball (block)
in motion, and as the. monument, as we
have said, rapidly nears completion, and he
has been bowed by the accumulation of
more than the ordinary span of human ex-
istence, yet fingers among us, the survivor
of the Taylor Fillmore administration, and
an accumulation of honors as favored son
of Augusta, 1 propose, through you and
your coadjutors Of the press, that Friday,
July 4th, be set apart as day, national in
it's character, on which the people of Au-
gusta and surrounding counties will assem-
Bile to hear an address on this subject of
being represented pfoporly Gas the Oldest
county west of the Blue Ridge, out of
whose territory States have been carved,
and honored pre-eminently, as indicated,
by Gen. Washington on the occasion re-
ferred to- in that monument, and embracing
in his address such other matter as he
deems fitting upon so important and, may
add, solemn occasion. OCCASIONAL
Flshersvil1e, Va., June 10Th, 1884.