Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-08-07

dust, come To- bid mo ny, but | wait for
nun oar Kind friend. MIR. Carroll,
mas come 10 hasten my departure, aud Is IN
q very had humor with me because 4 insist
on waiting until the large picture of ,isueral
Washington Is secured, aud Il requires 10 bo
uuscrcwcd from the wall"
Whilst anStonsly awaiting the coming OF
her husband, Mrs Madison, unnindnT of
her personal safety, resolved To secure from
the grasp ut the invaders the original copy,
ON parchment uf tho Declaration Of Indo-
pendencc, which bore tho autographs ot the
signors, aud tho ulll-leugth portrait of Wash.
ington, painted hy Stuart, which hung upon
the wall near each uthoG Finding tho pro,
cess of uuscrowiug tho frame from the wall
too tedious tor tho emergency, she had IT
broken Aud Tue pieces aud the picture re-
moved, with the " stretrhor," or light frame
ON which tho canvas was nailed. THIS she
did with her own hands Just as she had
accomplished So much, two gentlemen from
New Nutk-Javph barker Ga namo familiar
10 old New Nurkcrsh, aud H. a. l.. de rey-
stor--entored the ruom, aud offered their as
sstauco to Mrs Madison. The precious
picture, aud moro precious Declaration oi
lndopauhunvc, were lyiug Ou the door. Tho
drum beat ut approaching troops was heard.
They might hC tho British invaders seeking
So notable captive Rs the beautiful wife OF
| the presidoul ot tho United States She pre-
pared to lly. "StVe that picture II possible" 4"
she said 20 tho New York gentlemen. "lt
you cannot destroy It uudcr no cirCum-
| stances allow 1t 10 fall into the hands ut tho
| British Then, suatChiug up the peCllm-
| ton UI Independence, she hasteued to her
| carriage with her sister and her family, aud
| WAS hurno away tn place ut safety beyond
| tho Potomac
| Tho nlght OF the president trom tho battle
| hoHl aud ut Mrs. Madison from the White
| Nuuso wA- made the subject OF a witty
| ptroiy ON "Iuhn Gilpin's Ride" only one
stau.tu which | am ablo to recall. This Is
at nearly tho beginning of tho poem, where
Mis-. MAlr~.u, giving directions Tor tho tlight
OF the family, se,ys to the president
"st-l,r Govt. ana Cutt, aud T.
| And trIi-' children three
shall tn the y'agh-Nud you shat ride
| Ou horseback after We
| 80 1t WAS that Mrs. Madison LETT the city
| at one end fully tour hours before General
| kuss entered It at the other end.
| Ihe approaching troops, which ha-tourd
| tue hight, proved tO be friends. They We're
a part ot tho American army dying from the
| battle Held. They halted before the pru-
dental mausion, received some reireshmcut
and pressed on toward Montgomery cour
house, the appointed place OF rendezvous
| Mr.. Barker and Mr.. de Peysior, who had Jus
taken tho portrait from the "strotCher" aut
rolled it up, followed the troops In ligh
wagon, with their precious charge. The
lett the picture with a farmer who WAS CON
meuded tor trustworthiness at whose hOus
they lodged that night \ few weeks after
ward Mr.. Barker conveyed the portrait to tn
| lodgings OF the president and his wife at tn
national capital Ii now occupies Con-pit
upus place ON the walls Of the Blue room Il
| the White House.
| The narrative here given OF tho night ,
Mrs. Madison from the presidential mansion
and tho saving OF StUarts portrait ui w aSl
, | Iugtun and It's restoration to the custody {
the government, | received from the slips I
| the venerable Mr.. Barker, at New Orlosu
IN the spring oi l>',l. lie was then an acliN
| banker tU that city. When Fort sumter WI
, attacked and evacuated iApril ls6l,) | W.
, IN New Orleans IN quest OF the materials Il
my Pictorial Field Book OF the War
| l>l-, and had A long conversation with NJ
Barker ON tho topic ui this pApCr. | ",
, | favored with the Poru~Il OF many at COmm
- | dore hHuey'- papers, and | enFoSed Il
y, privilege oi using tho papers of GnNern'
| NIuler which were placed In my tempo
AIRY possession toy his daughter, the late Mr.
" Aureia W Townsend, OF oyster Bay, l..
- / also derived Information on this subje
= | from CDTrv~ppudeuce with SIR Duncan NJ
!" Dougall, OF London, the aide Of Gener
| kus-, whu wa- An eyewitness OF the scene
4 | and with the E"v. g. K. GIeig, who at Il
a time OF our correspondence, was the cha
lain general of the British Army.
The capture Of Washington ut that tin
u was An accident and surprise Tho NOV
J.. meut OF tho British naval and miiital
y forces up Chesapeake Bay WAS only fell
a TO divert the attention Of ths America
y, from tho moro Important movement then {
- | foot for the invasion and conquest Of l.Oul
= lana and the whole GUlf region. Ross kue
T. that hU could not occupy tho territory
= conquered. Naturally supIOsIng there wou
: bo an immediate and Indignant uprising
le the people, and impressed with sense
d. imminent peril from powerful reacti
\ blow, he and Cock burn stole away with &
~ troops on the night of the 18th, and hasten
10 10 the fleet lying OF the mouth OF the +,
n uNeut river Writing about this stealth
81 flight Mr.. GIcig said: "No man spol
IL above hys breath. Our steps were plant,
= lightly and we cleared the town wiihC
r. exciting observation
D. Justice to the memory of the gallant re
i, eral Ross and tidelty 10 the truth Of o
"a history, seem to require these lines fro
u me.