Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-05-07
washington's Personal Appearance

WashingtOn's Personal Appearance.
Washington, according TO Houdou's mea
surements, was feet 2 inches in height. He
was giant In size aud physical strength
Looking over the extensive collection OF old
letters and memoranda relating to Washing
ton, in the possepeion of DR.. Joseph K Toner
of Washington. W 20 isnow engaged in exiting
Washipgton's diaries, says the Washi ngton
correspondent of the New York Tribune, l
found O copy of sn interesting account of
Washington's personal appearance. written
by one who had seen him. 1t was a letter
penned by David Ackerson, of Alexandra,
Va, in 1911, 10 answer to an inquiry by bis
son. Mr. Ackerson commanded company
in the revolutionary war.
"Washington was not" he wrote, what
ladies would call pretty man, but in mill
tary costume, heroic figure such as would
impress the memory eyer afterward."
The writer bad good view of Washing
ton three days before the crossing of the Del.
aware.
Washington" he says, "had large thick
nose. and it wa4 very red that day, giving
me the impression that he was rot 30 mod
crate in the use of liquors Es he was sup
posed to be. l founl afterward that this
was popularity. His nose was apt to turn
scarlet In cold wind. He was standing
near a small camp fire, evidently lost in
thought and making noseifort to keep warm. He
seemed six feet and half in height, was ss erect
az an Indian and did not for moment relax from
military attitude. Washington,s exact height
was feet inches in his boots. He was then q
little lame from striking his knee, against tree.
His eye was 60 gray that it looked almost white,
and he had a troubled look on his coiorless face.
He had piece of wooden tied around his throat
and was quite hoarse. Perhaps the throat trouble
from which he finally died had its origin about
then. WashiDgton's boots we're enormous. They
were No. 13. His ordinary walking shoes were
No. IL. His hands were largo in proportion, and
he could no. buy glove to fit him and had to
have his gloves made to order. His mouth Was
his strong feature, the lips being always tightly
compressed That day they were compressed so
tightly as to be painful to look at At that time
he weighed 200 pounds and there WAS no surplus
flesh about him. He WAS tremendously muscled,
and the fame Of his strength was everywhere
His large tent when wrapped up with the poles
was so heavy that it required two men to place 1T
in the camp wagon. Washington would lift it
with one hand and throw it in the wagon as east
y rs if it were pair OF saddle-bags He could
hold musket with one hand and shoot with pre-
cision as easily as other men did with horse.pis
toll His lungs were his weak point and hia voice
was never strong. BE was at that time in the
prime OF life. His hair was chestnut brown, his
checks were prominent, and his head was not
largo in contrast to every other part Of his body
which seemed large and bony at all points. His
finger joints and wrists were SO large as to be
genuine curiosties. As to his habits at that Pc
Tiod found out much that might be interesting.
He was an enormous eater, but was content WITH
bread and meat if he had plenty Of it. But hum
ger seemed to put him in a rage. 1t was his Gus
tom to take drink of rum or whisky on awaken
ing in the morning. OF course all this was changed
when he grew old. 1 saw him at Alexandria q
year before he died. His hair was very gray and
his form was slightly bent. His chest was very
thin. He had false teeth which did not fit and
pushed his under lip outward"