The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-05-07
WASHINGTON'S MOTHER.

| ohC Vi tlS ulOSl Interesting articles
in the April number of the Century
Magazine, and by many it will be re-
garded as the most interesting of all, is
the story told by Mrs. Ella Bassett
Washington, widow of the late Col.
Lewis w. Washington, of the birth,
parentage and life of Mary, the mother
of Washington, who, as Mary Ball,
daughter Of Col. Joseph Ball, of Epping
Forest, Lancaster CO., Va, was married
to Augustine Washington on the 9th of
March, I73o'3I. -Four sons and
! three daughters were born to them, as
the family record still extant, shows.
Two of the daughters died in infancy
the third, Betty Washington, born on
the Goth of June, 1888, died on the
3Ist of March, 1877. On her marriage
Mary Ball removed to her husbands
home, in Westmoreland county and
here, on the nth day of February
1872 was born the oldest of the
family, George Washington. At the
end of nine years of welded life
Augustine Washington died at the age
OF forty nine, leaving to the widow the
charge of his estate "until the four sons
respectively attain the age Of twenty
one years, in case my said wife contln-
ues SO long unmarried" She renamed
through all her life loyal to the memory
OF her husband and his trust, and de-
voted herself so long as she lived to
the management OF her own and the
estate held in trust and to the personal
care and training of her children. Her
life thenceforth bscame the life of a
Virginia planter, holding the reins in
her own hands, looking after every
thing, neglecting nothing, and admitting
no one to share in the responsibilities
she had assumed. In 1860 her only
only surviving daughter, Betty, was
married to Col. Fielding Lewis, of
Gloucester county, "who built for her
an elegant house at Fredericksburg,
that she might be near her mother
In her old age Mary Washington her
self removed to Fredericksburg, refus-
ing with characteristic independence
the invitation OF Colonel Lewis and
daughter to make her home with them.
All the facts stated in this charming
memoir are drawn from absolutely
authentic sources and from data in
possession of the writer's family, some
of which have never before been pub
lished. They show the same firm and
self seiant character and the same
care in the management of her pro-
perty that are marked traits in the llfe
of her distinguished son, and the res
pect in which she was held not only by
| the immediate members Of her family,
but by all to whom she was known.
Her patriotism was of the purest type.
She gave up her son at the call of duty,
and throughout the whole of the war
of independence watched and prayed
for him, and with a calm demeanor
received the reports alike of victories
or defeats. To her daughter, chiding
her for undue excitement, she SAID;
'The sister of the commanding gener-
al should be an example OF fortl;pde
and faith" When the war was over
she met the congratulations of the
French officers who called on her to
pay their respects in the same calm
spirit. To the praise of Lafayette she
simply said: 81 am not surprised at
what George has done, for he was al
ways a good boy" And they loved
each other well, this mother and son,
and she was privileged to live until he
was chosen by the almost unanimous
voice of the people President of the
new republic.