Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-28

Is the ancestral nome OF the CuBtl6 family
the original Arlington estate from
which the heights above Washington take
their name. Here the ancestors Of
Martha WASHINGTON lived in cOlouia
splendor when the country was loyal TO
the King. Parts OF the ancient burial
ground Of the GUSTS family still remain,
and one marble slab, ivy mantled and
Dlackened by time and the elements, has
this curious inscription.
Under this tomb lies We booty of
: NE HONORABLE JOHN GUSTS, ESQ,
Ofthe City of Williamsburg and Parish
of Benton,
Formerly OF HunEus Parish.
On the asteru shore of Virginia,
and County Of Northampton,
the place OF his nativity.
Aged n. ana yet htBd but years.
Which was the space OF time he kept
Bachelor House. at Arlington, on the
Eastern shore 1f lrgiuld.
The paradox which concludes this in
scription is vari0usly explained, but
tradition says that the poor fellow mar
ried vixen, who led him a sad dance
through life. He had spent Years with
none but his servants at Arlington, a
careless bachelor, happy to ride cross
country and keep late hours with the
young bucks OF the day over a bottle of
rum and the sOlacing influence Of
pipe and tobacco. When he finally
became a Benedict he lost his liberty.
ana counted himself dead from that
day.
A half score Of miles below Aceomac
court house, on the bend Of an ill.kept
country road as it energies from a forest
OF pines, is one OF the landmarks Of the
country-a battered, stOrm-beaten mill.
The summer tourist who goes out OF his
way TO visit this Anticipated structure is
ct once impressed by the tranquility Of
the scene. The twitter Of a bird, the al
most inaIdibie spiashing OF the little
stream falling over the dam, or the
melancholy murmer Of the breeze passing
through the high tops OF tae pines are the
only sounds 80 be heard. As Tor motion,
except the lazy turning Of the great moss
covered water-wheel, moving its green
and shiny fukes with solemn slowness,
as II protesting against such unseemlv
haste, there Is none. The old mill itself
is almost a ruin. but it Is still used by the
neighb0rs TO crush their grain. and there
is miller there at times. and flour of IA
primitive kind may be manufactured be-
meath Its tumbled shingles and falling
brick walls; but as The tourist generally
finds it. its only inhabitants are the
muckrats and the owls, and its most inn
portanJ use appears TO be to afford a prin-
cipal aud striking feature Of this bit OF
picturesque Eastern shore landscape.
The dweiling-hOuse connected with this
Old relic long aimee disappeared. More
than a hundred years ago its roof pro-
tected little black-eyed girl, the story of
whose romantic career makes one Of the
most interesting chapters OF American
history. This glrl, born within the
shadow Of this old mill, became In a most
curious manner the wife of one of the
most conspicuous and influential public
men OF this century. She died upon the
threshold OF the White House, the mis-
tress OF which had she lived a few months
longer she would have become. One of
the most famous duels that ever occurred
IN this country was fought 10 the death
for breath upon her honor. Altogether
she became very famous woman,
and the tact that she loved TO smoke a
clay pipe with the great man who be-
came her husband has not lessened
the regard IN which posterity will ever
hold her.
Rachel Donaldson was bornf eleven
years before the Declaration of lndepen-
dence, and in the very year when Andrew
Jackson first saw the light in North
Carolina wilderness. She passed her girl
hood days within sound OF the murmur-
ing pines abouJthe old Accomac mill and
there was living twenty years ago near the
Atlantic coast an old cOlOred woman who
was the daughter Of a nurse OF the little
Diack-eyed, swarthy complexion child
fects OF a transport OF Joy at hearing the
news Of the election OF her husband as
President or the United States Tradi-
ton only and some descriptions Of this
old nurses daughter are all that are left
OF the story-the wife OF "Old Hickory
the nero Of New Orleans and the destroy
er OF the United States bank.
There Is an Eastern shore story that the
reat-grandm0ther Of Rachel Donaldson
was an Indian girl who married a Don
nidson TWO centuries or more ago. This
would account for her very black hair
and exceedingly dark complexion, which
led visitor to "the Hermitage I'm 1928.
when she was Mrs. Andrew Jackson. and
about to become mistress OF the White
House, 10 hint IN letters, since become
historical, that the mingling OF blood
had been OF another and less distinguished
race. How long the Donaldson family
lived IN AccomaG is uncertain, but Ra-
ehel was A. least 10 before they crossed
The bay and went 20 seek home in the
Southwest. She WAS ~ that time fine
looking, dashtpg, and NivaciOus, although
in her old age Mrs. Andrew jackson was
Set down 10y the women az possessing a
bad figure and no beauty "a speak OF. She
met Capt. Lewis RObards, u Kentucky
planter few years after her mother
went West, aud married him. Richards
was jealous follow, who treated her
WIZ a hsA Nha3oo fNA1 uNAi uhAh 10 ulu-
tally.
Robards' bad temper aud jealousy bad
driven the young wife from his home, ana
she was living with her mother, who had
moved out 20 Tennessee, when Andrew
jackson, Esq, briefess backwO0ds
lawyer, came there q board. There he
met bis FIRST and only defeat. He fell be-
foru The IRE OF the dark eyes Of Rachel
Eobards. Whether jackson made love
then aud there % the vito OF another
man aiterward became the subject OF an
CRY political controversy; but, however
thls may have been, the two fell Ia love
with each other. and, what 10 more inter-
estiug remained ia love with each other
20 the end OF their lives. Jackson mar
RED Mrs. Richards while she was still the
vile Of the kentucky captain. and ''the
most chaste Oi women aud one Of the few
irreproachablo public men OF his day are
recorded adulterera, and, what IL more
remarkable, the record Is correct" Rachel
hoptrda ran away from her husband aud
hFed with Jackson as his wife for two
years beiore soc was divorced. This ii
me vefdictof history. but history has long
since indicated the reputation Of the