The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-09-02
CITY OF ALEXANDRIA.
The Church in Which Washington ane Lee
WOrshipsd--The Old Jackson House.
Alexandria Contains One of the Most Inter
esting Masonic Lodges on the Ameri-
can Continent Unique Relics
Eminent Opinion
Dancing.
special to the sentinel

cletlSi 10 tllt -N14lalfci
WASHINGTON, August 30.-l enjoyed a
pleasant trip to Alexandria, Va. the other
day Leaving the wharf at the foot of Sew
enth street, fifteen cents paid the fare both
ways. The boats leave Washington and
Alexandria simultaneously every hour, leay-
ing the respective wharyes at 30, S:30, and
20 on during the day The ride over and
back IS very pleasant, and occupies hall an
hour each way, the boats always passing mid
way on the river. Leaving the Seventh street
wharf at 1880, ] arrived at the Alexandria
wharf at u.
Alexandria Is city OF about $1,000 inhab-
i,auts, and, like many people in the world,
has seen better. days 1t IS not noted so
much for what it is as what il was. 1t does
not show many evidences of present thrift,
but bears abundant marks OF past prosperity.
It's Wharfage now going to decay, indicates
that it was at one time a place of consider
able commerce, and the many warehouses
near by attest the fact. But most of this has
been diverted 10 other points, and the
wharves and warehouses are now almost idle
and empty. And the streets present the
same appearance and tell the same story.
In many of them the grass IS growing, and
the noise and rattle Of trade is scarcely heard
along their whole length.
Passing up King street from the wharf, the
first point of interest is the old Jackson
House. where Ellsworth was shot. II is
moderate sized brick building, entirely
changed in appearance from what 1t was
during the war, and now used as a private
dwelling
| next visited Christ Church. on Washing
ton street, where General Washington, with
| his family, attended seryice-Episcopal SER
vice, of course The family pew is there
| still, Just as they occupied il, two seats fac
/ ing well represented by TWO seats in rail-
way car, one reyersed) with a seat across the
/ end farthest from the aisle. Into this door
| opens from the aisle. Here the Washington
! family sat Sabbath after Sabbath, either by
| themselves or with such persons as they saw
| fit to invite in with them. If the pew was
| full nearly half OF those occupying it would
| be sitting with their backs to the preacher.
| But perhaps the custom was to put the chill
! dren in the front seat The pews were ar
ranged thus for the accommodation of fam
| lilies. This one alone remains originally
! built All the Others have been changed so
! that all the seats face the pulpit. General
| WashinSton's pew was ON the left of
the building as you enter, about three
/
! General Lees pew was almost directly across
/ the aisle from the Washington pew, and diff
! fered in no sense from the others around it.
/ On the top of the pew door was plate bear
I ing the name, II. +. Lee, in plain letters.
/ Originally there was on General Washing
/ tons pew door a silver plate bearing his
/ name; but some patriotic Hank thought il
wasn't safe there and carried il home with
/ him. 1t has been replaced by plain plate,
with the name. Two arm chairs and table
/ that were in the chancel in Washington's
time now stand in the Vestry room. The
| church is a very comfortable one, with gal
| lery around three sides. The seats are cush-
| Toned and there Is pipe organ evidently put
in long since General Washington's death.
The prettiest place | saw and must say
the one that presents the most thrifty ap-
pearance was the National Cemetery liz
/ lies Just on the outskirts of the town, and is
/ kept in the best possible condition. Here
rests the remains of 3, 800 Mon soldiers who
/ died in hospitals in and around Alexandria.
| None who were killed in battle are buried
| here. These National Cemeteries about
I Seventy-five in number, are models of neat
ness and care. They are kept as clean and
carefully as any gentlemans lawn. The Su-
/ perintendent of the Alexandria Cemetery is
/ Captain Davis, from Blair County, Penn
/ syNania.
Returning from the cemetery we passed
| two handsome brick churches almost di-
!
! longing to the NJ. f. Church and the other
/ TO the VI. T. Church South. BY a marble
slab in the front of the VI. i. Church no
| ticed that it was built in 1900 and remod-
eled in 1888. Alexandria and a considerable
/ portion of Eastern Virginia is in the Balti-
more Conference.
! / took time to visit the hall of Alexandria
| Washington Masonic Lodge. This is very
/ interesting place to every American citizen,
but especially TO every Freemason. 1t was
I General Washington's Lodge, and he was its
| first Master 1t was organized under char
ter granted by the Grand Lodge of Pe-nsyl
vania, and afterwards secured a charter from
the Grand Lodge of Virginia. II; the East
| still stands the chair IN which General Wash
| ingtOn sat when he was Master. The Jewels
worn by the first officers are preserved in a
case, and many other relics OF the earlier
history of the lodge. On the north wall of
| the lodge room, in a glass case, are General
Washington's wedding gloves, a glove he
wore when he was President, his compass
the collar and apron he wore when
he laid the corner stone of the Ma
tional Capitol. September Is, 1898, and
many other mementOes of his life. On
a shelf in the corner of the room to the right
of the Worshipful Masters station. is the
clock that stood in his private chamber at
Mount Vernon, the hands pointing to the
hour of his death-l0:20 o'clock. Directly
underneath the case containing the apron,
gloves, compass etc, spoken of, is a small
frame containing a letter written by General
Washington just month and two days be-
for his death. 1t is well preserved, and reads
as follows:
MOUNT VERNON, 10Th Nov, l799.-Gentlc-
men, Mrs Washington and myself have
been honored with your polite invitations TO
the assemblies in Alexandria this winter, and
thank you for this mark of your attention.
But alas, our dancing days are no more.
We wish, however, all those who relish so
agreeable and innocent an amusement, all
the pleasure the occasion will afford them.
And ] am your most obedient and obliged
humble servant, G. WASHINGTON.
MEssRs. JONATHAN SWIFT,
GEORGE DENEALE,
WILLIAM NEWTON,
ALBERT YOUNG,
CHARLES ALEXANDER,
JAMES III. HooE.
This letter was almost the last he wrote,
he died on the evening of December Ia,
1799 at just 1920 o'clock, after an illness of