Savannah morning news., 1885-01-18

Gen. Washington Retreats on q White
Mule froEs One Man.

The WdshiRgtonidn, published at Lees
burg, Va, reproduces the following letter
from the Times, giving an account of a
heated controversy Gen. Washington had
with one Of his neighhors about the title
OF piece OF land adjoining Mount YER
non, and how this great hero OF so maRy
battles had TO retreat on a white mule in
order to save bis bacon. The letter reads:
Ii view Of the recent completion of the
Washington monument and the approach
ing celebTai ion Of that event. there has
been g wonderful revival Of "reminiscences
concerning the first patriot. Many Of
these are new and curious, and others
valuable as they afford an additional in
sight into the personal character and Pc
/ cuIsrities Of Washington.
Washington has generally been credit
ed with the Introduction in America Of
mules as valuable adjunct to plantation
appurtenances, but very few people know
that one Of his favOrite riding ANIMALS
Was white mule, which was kept care
fully stabbed and sroomed along with his
bloOdcd horses al Mount Vernon. In the
year 1877 there was published at AleXan-
dria for a brief period a weekly paper
calieds Hopkins Gazette. A few numbers
Of this sheet are still extant. In
ere OF tAem there is an account of an ex-
citing adventure, in which Washington,
the white mule, and one Jared Dixon
figured. From this account it appears
that Jared Dixon was 2 WelshmGn, who
| lived On l00-acre tract Of land adjoining
/ the Mount Vernon plantation. Washing
1 ton always claimed that the tract be-
| lOnged TO him, and he made several
1 efforts TO disp0ssess Dixon. but without
/ success. According TO the Gazette Wash
I iugtOn'S 0Yerseer had on one occasion
I torn down the Dixon fence ami let cattle
/ into the field, and various similar annoy
/ 9nces were res0Tted to in order to force
4 D XOn to move away. But Dixon would
/ neither surrender nor compromise, and
! kept on cultivating his little farm in de-
4 fianCe Of th- man who had been first in
/ war and was now first in peace.
lit was last Thursday, about the hour
/ Of nOon,' says the Gazette, "when Gen
\ Washington rode up TO Mr. DiXOn's gate
I He was mounted on his 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 ant
his under lip protruded far, betokening
war. His riding boots shOne in the
sun, as did his gold spurs. HIS hair was
tied with a gorgeous black ritbOn, anC
his face was pale with resolution. Mr.
1 Dixon and family were adjusting them
| selves for dinner when they heard the cal
at the gate. There was'a most animated
! conversation between the two neigh oors
/ in which the General informed the humble
/ settler that he must receive certain sums
for his disputed title or submit to be dis
( possessed.
MIR. Dixon, who was also revolution
+ airy soldier and feels that he has some
/ rights IN THIS country, informed his lOrdly
/ neighbor that the land was his own; thal
hc had pasd for it and built houses there
on, and that children were born to him o.
it, and that he would defend it with bis
/ life. C0ntit uing, ue CHARGED the Genera
4 win melting his employees to depredatt
/ on the fences and field. 1t was natura
that an this sh0u d arouse the met
tie of the modern Mars. lie few
Z into a towering rage and applied
many cpthots to Mr.. Dixon that are mo-
warranted by tha ten commandments
! He even went SO far as 70 raise his riding
/ whip and - threaten personal violence
! Ar. Dixon is n man OF few words, bu
high temper, and not caring to have his
/ home and family thus offended he gave
the General one minute to move away
/ while he rushed INTO his house for MS
I deer rifle. There are zone who doubt tht
/ ValOr OF the General, hut there may be
few who do not credit him wttn that dis
! creton which is so valuable a par
of val0r. suffice it for the ends
I OF IBIS cnrunlcle 10 say lnaL II
required only few moments tor him t
turn the White mules head towards Noun
! Vernon. and in less time than il takes I,
mere relate the noble a imal was dis
taucing the Dixon homestead with gal
liant speed. Ii was no fox trOt nor yet s.
fast as the DERBY record, but most excel
-ent for mule. Al any rate it was
noble race, which saved - settlers saO
and a parrots bacon, and ayerted a pos
sibie catastrophe that might have cast
! gigG3 on American story"