Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-06

IN
W nv exhibited to public
w view. They are the
property Of Mr.. Law
@NN renee Washington, .
1Xru young man now thirty
.-A\ six years Of age, who is
~ the great-great-grand-
nephew Of the father of his country. The way
IN which he came into possession Of them was
this: When George Washington died, as is well
known, he left all his papers TO his nephew,
Bushrod Washington, who was then an associate
justice OF the United States Supreme Court.
Bushrod left no descendants, and bequeathed
the papers to his brother, Corbin Washington,
who was the great-grandfather Of lawrence.
For generation after generation they have been
stored away In trunks and now, for the first
time, are to be shown 70 the public under the
care OF the Smithsonian Institution. 1t will be
some time, however, before they are got into
shape to be placed on view.
SOME OF THE TREASURES.
To begin with there IL the original will Of
George Washington's great-grandfather. John
Washington, who came from England to this
country with his brother Lawrence. He was
man well-to-do, as Is shown by the fact that he
and Nicholas Spencer received from Lord Gull
pepper 1000 acres Of Virginia land in compen-
5000 acres included Mt. Vernon. Among the
papers 10 the original deed Of this tract, signed
by Lord Culpeper, and with q memorandum al
to the nature Of the document Endorsed on the
back in George Washington's handwriting.
The indorsement reads: 'Thos. Culpepers
Washington for 1000 acres Of land" March
1, 1874, 10 the date Of the deed.
There is also an order from Lord Culpeper to
his agent in Virginia concerning the surveying
Of this land. Dating from that time on are
numerous deeds relating to transfers and sur
veys Of the tract after it came into the posses
sion Of the Washington family. Dated 170S is
a deed from VIM. Harrison, an ancestor of the
President, transferring 200 acres Of woodland.
From 1880 to 1880 are other deeds recording
lam Harrison, Mildred Gregor, George Mason,
William Sparks and other prominent Virgin
ians.
MAPS OF Mt VERNON.
Not least interesting Of the papers are num-
Der Of maps Of Mt. Vernon and adjacent lands,
drawn by George Washington himself, with let
tering In his own hand. There is a document
signed by Richard Henry Lee, November 20,
Its ds to which hi he adds
ment in question concerns negroes Of Mai. Law
renee Washington. An interesting deed is dated
1917, and by 1t the Fright Honorable Catherine,
Lady Fairfax, sole proprietor of the northern
neck OF Virginia," conveys 1852 acres in Stafford
county to Sampson Darrell. These acres sub
sequently became the property of George
Washington.
A beautiful specimen of pen work is a deed
from William Whiting to George Washington
OF 200 acres on Dogue Run, Stafford county.
even to the signatures Of whiting and his wife,
who were only able to make their marks.
INTERESTING LETTERS.
OF all the papers not the least curious is one
written by Martha Washington, and dated
October %. 1776. It is in her own handwriting
and is addressed to Gen. WashingtOn's secre-
tary. The document is as follows:
''Sir-Please to give to bIilly Posey the sum
Of Ave pounds, Virginia money. I am your
most humble serv't MARTHA WAsHINaToN.'
At the bottom of this are the words: "Rec'd
the above sum. Amelia Posey." The secretary,
Lund Warrington, was manager of the gen.
erals estate and conducted his financial affairs.
His name appears also in another document of
the collection, which is Of sort quite the
rarest Of the Washingtoniana. 1t is a letter
written by Washington mother, with her own
hand, December %, ITS. Like most of the
women of her day she did not spell very well.
She says: -.a r'.t1f r.0
"Desr Sir; Gest Is had wrote so you not to
send the cash by the overseer Col. Bassett came
in and delivered the forty pound cash to me
from You. am, Dear sir, your most affection
ate humble servant, Mary Washington"
The above is addressed to mr.. Lund Wash
ington."
cate issued in 1908 comforting the degree of
LID: upon Bushrod Washington and signed
by Elisha Boudinot, Aaron Ogden, Andrew
Hunter and Frederick Frelinghuysen.
Also there is Endorsed by Gen. Washington q
printed order addressed to his brother. Col
John Augustine Washington, lieutenant of
Stafford county, signed BY John Page, presi-
dent Of Virginia, directing Col. Washington to
call out the militia Of the county, the date be-
ing August 20, 1776. 'You must be particu-
larry careful" the order reads, "to procure
good powder horns and shot bags, with as
much powder, lead and fints as you can"
There are also very many other papers which
have to do With the calling out of the militia in
Virginia at the beginning of the revolution.
A very interesting document Ia the will Of
almost the only perfect seal of the Washington
family extant. Naturally great interest at
taches to this seal, inasmuch as the design for
the United States flag was derived from its
stars and stripes Lawrence Washington was
the elder brother who took George to Mou mt
Vernon and looked after him. At Els death the
property went to his widow and child, and,
both Of these dying. it fell to George.
aEoRar wAsHrNaToN's ACCOUNTS
George Washington's minute methods Of
keeping accounts are we'll known. Among the
papers are good-sized blank books entirely in
the generals handwriting and with each page
20 carefully ruled that the operation must have
taken many hours TO perform. In these VOL
tunes are recorded the receipts and expendi-
lures Of provisions, &C., for every day in each
month, down to the smallest household sup
plies. One might imagine that Mrs. WASH
ington would have been rather ANNOYED
than otherwise by his ways in this regard,
but every one knows that she had him
rather under her thumb on the whole.
Also there are large bound account books con-
tanning the record Of every expenditure on the
Mount Vernon estate, and reports from the
various overseers who respectively had charge
of the portions into which the tract was
divided, known - Mount Vernon proper, the
River Plantation, Muddy Hole, Dogue Run and
the Ferry. From these accounts 1t appears
ty-four Of them men and sixty-two women. The
list Of charges against them for food, clothing,
&C., begins with the name Of ''Will." the mu-
latto valet de chamber Of whom Warrington
was 30 fond and whom he remembered in his win.
Here and there through the account book ap-
pear remarks by Washington himself, usually
expressing classification with one thing or an
other. In one place he writes; Examined to
this place. But there is no satisfaction In re-
ceiving weekly reports in the irregular manner
they are now presented. I do, therefore, direct
In express terms that they be given in without
fail In the eafly part Of the week after they are
due" This comment ia dated September, 1898,
and the account runs along until the next year,
when Warrington died.
fxpENDrTUREs A PnfsIDENr.
One Of the account books contains the ex-
penditurss Of Gen. Washington during part