Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-01-30
RELICS OF WASHINGTON.
Memenfees Just Brought 10 Light
Aneodafa~ NJ fua Patriot.

i Memenrees Just Brought TO light
Anecdotes OF the Patriot.
In view of the recent completion OF
the Washington instrument and the
approaching celebration of that event,
whites q Washington correspondent
to the Philadelphia Times, there has
been wonderful revival OF reminl
scenses concerning the first patriot.
Many of these arc new and curious,
and others valuable as they afferd an
additional insight into tie personal
| character and peculiarities of Wash
i lngton. Mr.. W. W. Corcoran, presi-
dent OF the monument ASSOCIATION,
has received a number of letters
which show the extraordinary interest
| which the coming dedication is ex-
citing, and reveal the impetus which
has been given to the research for
| Washington relics. For instance, as
to the latter, John Copperinger, 80
Years Of age, writes from Columbus,
5. @, that ne is the son of Henri
Coppinger, who was Washington
bugler at the siege of Yorktown
| that he is in POSSESSION of the bugle
used by his father during the closing
period OF the'reyolution, and he wants
| to come to Washington TO blow it on
| dedication day. up to thirty years
ago, " writes Mr. Coppinger, II was a
band master, as was my father aftet
the revolution. I must have seen
/ Washington, as | was born IN Alexan-
dria and was 6 years old when he
died. | am somewhat infirm now,
but # | could stand on the monu-
ment and blow my fathers bugle
belIeve 1t would make NE twenty
years younger"
Very few people have ever lad the
temerity to charge George Washing
ton with having written poetry, but
a Mr.. James Fl. Sa1derson, Of San
Jose, Cal, writes that he is in posses
sion of an old scrap book inherited
from his father, George SanderSon,
who lived and died in Wytheville,
Va, which contains a manuscript
| poem OF hexemeter verse in the VERT
able handwriting of Washington, and
entitled AN Ode to Fame" Mr..
Sanderson does not furnish copy of
the ode, but he says there are foot
notes attached which prove beyond 3
doubt that it was original" with
! Washington. He wants to read the
poem at the dedication or have it read
by some eminent elocutionist of IA
tional fame" with the proyiso that
the manuscript be returned to HIM
| intact.
On the subject of Washington man
uscripts the most valuable lind of re-
cent date has been made dy Zimmer
man, of this city. They have been IN
the possession of a poor family, near
Alexandria, for the last seventy five
years. They consist of several man
uscript letters OF George Washington
and a memorandum IN his own hand
writing, which latter doubtless pcs
sesses considerable value, as it sup
plies missing link in the records OF
the first auditors Office in the treasury
department. 1t comprises list OF
furniture and fittings bought for the
executive mansion between 1879 alad
and 1896, the period of the presiden-
tial residence in New York. The
memorandum shows the first pur-
chases ever made for the mansion, Of
which none of the departments con
tain record The chirography is
unquestionahly Washiugton's. The
last page seems to have been used by
Washington to REGARD several private
matters. ItcontAins records of mon
ey lent to various individuals, Of
money borrowed. and Of partial pay
ments thereon.
Among the other manuscripts re
covered by Zimmerman is one which
| he SAYS would show that Gen. Wash
ington had taste for French pictures
of class that has SO long excited the
ire of Mr.. Anthony Comstock and the
Society for the Suppression of Vice
A paper marked Lands Owned by
! G. W" sets forth that the father Of
his country had six farms, ranging in
extent from 70 to go acres. Some o.
these tracts are marked sandy" anG
others BOTTOM" or sandy and ham
mock" There IS also a letter from
Washington to Samuel Lawson
Esq.,, Offering TO purchase certain
regro man. Washington explains
that he wants the negro not SO much
to work himself, but to look after
the other hands" In other words, he
was in need of ''nigger driver"
Washington has generally beer
credited with the introduction o
mules as valuable adjunct to planta
ton appurtenances, but very few PEG
pie know that one of his favorlte rid
ing animals was white mule, which
was kept carefully sta bled and groom
ed along with his blooded horses a
Mount Verhon In the year 179I
there was published at Alexandria fol-
brief period weekly paper called
Hopkins Gazette. A few numbers O
this sheet are still extant. In one o.
them there is an account of an exclt
ing adventure, in which Washington
the white mule, and one Jared Dixor
figured. From the account it appear!
that Jared Dixon was Welshman
| who lived on q one hundred acre tracr
of land adjoining the Mount Vernon
plantation. Washington always sale
that the tract belonged to him and ke
made several efforts to dispossess
Dixon, but without success. Accord
ing to the Gazette, Washington over
seer had on one occasion torn down
the Dixon fence and let cattle into the
field, and various similar annoyanc8S
were reSorted to in order to force Dix
on to move away. But Dixon woulc
neither surrender nor compromise, anC
kept on cultivating his little farm il
defiance Of the man who had beer
first in war and was now first IN
peace.
It was last Thursday. about the houl
of noon" says the Gazette, "wher
Gen. Washington rode up to Mr.
Dixon's gate. He waS mounted on hi:
white mule, who had come down the
broad road on his famous fox-trot Of
eight miles an hour. There was fire
in the generals eye and his under liz
protruded far. betokening war. Hi.
riding boots shone ia the sun. as die
his gold spurs His hair was tied with
a gorgeous black ribbon and his face
was pale with resolution. Mr.. Dixon
and his family were adjusting them
selves for dinner when they heard the
call at the gate. There was mos
animated conversation between the
tao peighbors, in which tho general
informed the humble settler that he
! must receive certain SUN for his dis
puted title or submit to be dispossess
ed. Mr.. Dixon, VINO was also a revo
lutionary soldier and feels that he ha: