Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-09-24
Wsshington's Conrtshlp.

We know little aDout inc couI tsuiPs
of the Presidents, but that little is full
of interest. George Washington was q
Colonel when he first met Mrs. Gusts.
He was on his way to Williamsburg to
see the Governor, when he was met by
q Mr.. Chamberlayne, who owned q
plantation along the way, and was
asked to stop and dine with him.
Washington replied that his business
was urgent; and he was only persuaded
when Chamberlayne told him that he
had Young widow visiting him, who
was rich and fair to look upon. He
finally accepted, saying that it could
only be for dinner, and that, the meal
over, he must hasten on to Williams
burg by moonlight. He then threw
the reins of his horse to Bishop, his
body-servant, and told him to wait for
his return. Dinner being over, the
Virginia Colonel was 80 pleased with
his company that he was in no hurry
to go. He forgot all about poor Bishop
and his horse, and accepted an invita-
ton to remain over night. 1t was, it
may be said, case of love at first
sight. Washington went on to Will
AAduoOuS oAo AOAV UoyS 1Au oA AAo AC
turn he called at the house of Mrs.
Gusts and asked her hand in marriage.
She accepted, and they we're married
in great style, at her home on the Pa
munkey River, on the 9Th of January,
1850. A honeymoon of several months
was spent here, and then the couple
took wedding-tour to Mount Vernon.
Mrs. Gusts was 26 years old at the
time, and Washington was three months
her senior. Her maiden name was
Martha cambridge. She had been mar
ried at II to Col. Daniel P. Gusts, the
son of John Custis, of Arlington, who
was one of the grandees of early Vir-
ginia. John Gusts had objected to this
marriage, and had told Daniel that he
would cut him off with shilling if he
persisted in carrying it out. He had
arranged, he said, q marriage for him
with the daughter of Col Byrd, of
Westover, and the contract had been
made when the two children were ba-
bies in their cradles. Col. Byrd was
one of the wealthiest and most infuen-
tial men in the State, and John Gusts
wanted to see the two fortunes united
in marriage. Col. Daniel Parke GUSTS
persisted in his preference for Martha
cambridge, and his father finally con-
sented to the match. It was happy
one while it lasted, and Martha Gusts
had four children, two of whom were
living at the time she married Washing
ton. BY the death of her first husband
she was left wealthy, and she brought
to her new husband about 100000 in
money and large amount of real es-
tate.
Martha Gusts was belle at seven
teen, and at twenty-six she was bloom
ing widow. She was under middle
size, and had dark brown eyes and
hair. Washington is said to have been
q homely young man and very fine
looking old one. Martha Washington
was very pretty girl, but not very
good-looking old woman. AS she ma
tured she grew stout; and, though her
pictures represent her as beauty, the
current history of the times says she
was plainly dressed, robust old
woman, who looked older than her
husband. She was not noted for her
social nor her intellectual qualities.
She could not spell, and probably did
not read book from one end of the
year to the other. She was sort of
goody-goody woman, who almost al
ways had knitting-needles in her hands,
and who thought she did great thing
when she saved the rawlings of lot
of old black silk stockings and worn
out chair-covers, and wove them into q
dress for herself. She was very proud
of her husband; and they show the
little room in the second story of the
home at Mount Vernon in which she
secluded herself after his death, seeing
no one for months, and allowing only
cat to enter the room through hole
which was cut under the door.-Lip-
Di7lcOtES Mn0nsi,2e