The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-09
WHITE HOUSE BABIES.
WHAT BECAME OF THEM WHEN
THEY LEFT WAsBINGTCN.

The birth of ex-PTesident Cieveland's lit
tie daughter a few weeks ago lends particu-
lar interest TO this question; for, though she
was not ushered into the world in the execu-
tive mansion, she is certainly entitled to be
counted as q national baby. She enjoys
the unique distinction Of being the only
child ever born to an ex-President of the
United States.
The first Of Master McKee's line came in
with the Father Of his Country. Washing-
ton had no children OF his own, but his wife
had son by her first marriage to Col
Custis, & wealthy planter. After be mar
ried the Widow Gusts the first President Of
the country adopted the boy. who became a
colonel in the Continental army commanded
by his stsp-father. Before independence
was gained the young colonel died
In the field with bis regiment,
leaving a widow and four small children
| Two of these, Nellie and George W.
L. Gusts, were adopted by Gen. Washing
ton, and later, when he was made Presi-
dent, his two pretty grandchildren, then 10
and 8 years old respectively, engaged =
| large share both Of his own and the national
attention. The children were invariably
seen with their grandmother when that
worthy dame went out take the air In the
famous yellow carriage with its prodigious
wheels
When Washington, declining a third
term, retired to Mount Vernon, the two
| children, of course. went along and they
we're both married there. Nellie married
Maj Lewis, who was Gen. Wasbington's
secretary, and George became the husband
OF Mary Ftzhugh, described as one of the
prettiest girls of her time. Mr.. and Mrs.
Lewis after ward retired TO Arlington,
where Gen. Lee married their daughter,
Mary Gusts Lewis.
John Adams family was grown up when
he assumed the reigns of government, but
the children of his daughter, who was the
wife Of Col w. s. Smith, spent most Of
| their time with him in the company of their
| time with him in the company Of their
mother. Abigail Smith, q tot of 4 or 5,
named for her grandmother, was the Presi-
dents favorite, and he contrived to spend as
much time in her company as possible. IL
| is related that on one occasion little Abigail
| was dressed up to resemble Mrs. Madison
| aud the President was then informed that
that lady was waiting to see him in the re-
ceptioa room below. MIR. Adams FASTENED
to greet his caller, and faithful chronicler
| records that she was exceedingly pleased
and gratifed when he found the beautiful
little miniature of the stately Mrs. Madison,
who greeted him first with dignified bow
and then ran to his arms"
During Jeffersonis time there were no
l III ZIG wills uOuS6, 0XCeDU LOT u
short time, when bis daughter, Mrs. Thomas
Mavin Randolph, spent a season with her
| family in the executive mansion. Her
| stay was so short however. that the inter-
esting grandchildren of the great statesman
had no opportunity to become nationalzed.
Monroe's step-son, Payne Todd, became
quite celebrity before the fourth Presi-
dents term expired. Like Washington,
| Monroe married widow with an only son,
1 and a q ChfldraI3 NJ hiu WA 1anfad in,
he adopted young Todd and made so much
of him that the young man became known
to the entire country. Not long after his
return to the United States Todd married
young lady of good connection, but be-
yond this be never accomplished anything
which distinguished him in after life
John Quincy Adams brought with hin
to the white house a pretty good sizeC
''baby"sniaa the person of son!his, Charlie
, Francis, who was 1S at the time OF hi
fathers Inauguration. He attended schoo
in England when his father was miniSte
there. and had trounced many a good Brit
ish hide to uphold the fair fame OF his coun
try. at that time very unpopular in Grea
Britain. Naturally he became a SINAI
! national hero when he came TO the whit
house aud full-fedged child of the nation
His subsequent honorable career at HON
> | aud abroad as minister to England is his
a tory.
, Mrs. Andrew Jackson Donelson was mis-
: tresS Of the white house during Jackson
time, and her soss, Andrew and John, bt
came the especial pets of the sturdy oil
{ democratic President. Their father was th
, son Of Mrs. JacLSon's brother and acted 6
private secretary to the chief Of the nation
so that his family was part OF the natlons
household for eight years. During th
1 time Andrew and John Donelson were borI
Their birth at the white house attracte
unusual attention at the time, and for GOO
fathers they had two subsequent president
4 Van Buren, and Polk. Andrew became
7 officer in the corps Of engineers, and died {
q consumption at the beginning Of Inanhoo
in 1853. John fell in the confederate ranl
at Cnickanauga a few years after ward
1 The next two executive households dl
, not contribute sto the ranks OF nations
Y babies. Mrs. Van Buren,, who did the honol
= for her father-in-law during the latter pa
of his administration, was only married
the Presldentit son in January, 1889, an
all her children were born outside the Will
house. President William Henry Harrison
q family bad hardly become domlciled
= Washington when death compelled them
"A give up their residence to a new tenan
- The present chief executive would undoub
= eddy have become the national baby in til
administration but for the early death OF l
II gra dfsther. His mother was the reco
l. nized mistress Of the white house durir
q her short stay there, and Benjamin, thC
Just wears of age, ran over the san
y ground where Baby Mckee now wonders
g While Tyler was President two of b
e grandchildren were born in the white hou
q Robert Jones, son of Mrs Mary Tyl
a Jones, and Letitia Christian, daughter
Robert TYLER Robert Jones was afterwa
. in Lees army, and at last accounts he was Ii
L ing happily on the family estate in Charl
s. City county, Virginia. Letitia marie
q southerner and her career has been qui
and uneventful. But both Of these childr'
. were too young to attract much notice
lie the time their grandfather retired fro
IS Office. The real national baby" of this a
ls ministration was Lizzie" Tyler, who
~ grand wedding in the east room is still
brilliant memory in Washington. S
was just IS when her father succeeded
the presidency, and in the following yea
3 on Jan. 81. 1912, she married Willis
7. Waller Of Williamsburg, Va.
is During the remainder. Of her fathe
ia term Lizzie was seen great deal in Was
ington, despite her marriage, but afterwa
she dropped out of society at the capitI
'r spending nearly all her time at her beau
IS full Virginia home. Her eldest son, Wi
" lam, in after years married the young sst
"A of Mrs Jefferson Davis at Richmond duri
the late war.
y The Folks had no children, and almC
from the first time since there was Pre-
dent his house was without the sound
at children's voices To this fact as much
rk to anything else the gloom and stiifnt