The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-04
WESTINGHOUSE RELIGION.
He Was Not COMMUNICATE, and He Did Not
Pray at Valley Forge.

He was NOT commitment, and He Did Not
Pray at Valley Forge.
Rev. e. D. Neill, in Episcopal Recorder.
AS read, few days ago, of the death of the
Rev. Richard M. Abercrombie, rector Of St
Matthew's Protestant Episcopal Church in Jersey
City, memories of my boyhood arose. He was
born not far from my fathers house. in Phila-
delphia, and was the son of the Rev. DR.. James
Abercrombie, fine scholar and preacher, who
had, in early life, correspondent with the great
photographer, Samuel johnson, and in later
years was the assistant minister of Chrsts and
st. Peters churches in Philadelphia, where my
maternal ancestors had worshiped for more
than one generation
One day, after the father had reached four
score years, the lately deceased son took me into
the study of the aged man and showed me let
ter which President George Washington had
written to his father, thanking him for the loan
OF one of his manuscript sermons. Washington
and his wife were regular attendants upon his
ministry while residing in Philadelphia.
The President was not communicate, not
withstanding all the pretty stories to the con-
trary and after the close OF the sermon on sac
ramental Sundays had fallen into the habit of
retiring from the church while his wife remained
and communed. Upon one occasion Dr. Aber-
crombie alluded to the unhappy tendency of the
example of those dignifed by age and position
turning their backs upon the celebration of the
Lords Supper. The discourse arrested the at
tention of Washington. and after that he never
came to church with his wife on communion
Sunday. DR.. Abercrombie, in a letter which ap
pears in the fifth volume of Sprague's "Annals
of the American pulpit" mentions that he did
not find fault with the sermon, but respected
the preacher for his moral courage.
There is a story about Washington being
found in the woods in winter time in prayer by
the owner of the house which he used as his
headquarters at Valley Forge which l would
like to believe if it were not so improbable, and
if it had not been first put in print by the &C.
centric and not very accurate Episcopal minis
ter, Morgan L. Weems John Potts, of Potts
grove, had several sons and daughters One,
James, studied law at the Temple, London and
was judge of the Court of Common Pleas in
Philadelphia at the beginning OF the war of the
Revolution, and, being Tory eventually went
to Halifax; Jonathan, another son, studied med
icine at Edinburg and espoused the cause of the
Colonies. and was the medical director general
of the Middle department; another son was a
Quaker and neutral, and owned the house at
Valley Forge which is still known as Washing
tons headquarters, and the three were brothers
of the grandmother of the writer of this article.
With a capacious and comfortable house at his
disposal, it is hardly possible that the shy silent
cautious Washington should leave such retire
ment and enter the leafess woods in the vicinity
of the winter encampment of an army and en-
gage in audible prayer. The alleged scene has
been often produced by the painter and en-
graver, but fear it is only myth.