Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-12-25
December 25 1875
Letter From Ne,c York.
123 WEST 39rH STREET New YORK
Daren1her 13lh

December 18Th,
Dcar Dr. Goiiaher: Your kind letter with
photographs of my husband enclosed should
have been acknowledged with thanks, but
was seriously sick from an attack OF La
Gnppe-,hat hydra headed malady that
crops out At any ami all times r. it wills
got better, and went ou, too soon, had =
relapse that made me i'll and from which !
am lust now recovering, though still, by the
doctors direction, kept in the hou-e-the
weather being cold aud unproptious for a
convalescent. BY this mail send YOU the
Mt. Vernon report for 1895, and will be
pleased f you have space to copy some.
thing of NV State report. and also notice
that the Vice Regent for West Virginia in
ausurated the floating OF the L. :. flag over
the mansion at Mt Vernon during the ses
sion of the annual council, aud the fitting
observance of the anniversary OF General
Washing,on's DEATH on the lIth of Dtcem.
brr, 1893 at Mt Vernon by the flag being
placed at half staff and the tomb having
. E
upon it in memory OF this solemn day. The
resolution was offered and adopted lnst year
and j. alluded to in report of the tomb COM
mitlee, AMI will be observed Tomorrow At
Mt. Vernon aud always on this day annual
", a. we observe the 22nd of February, the
birthday, and the 4th of July, our national
festival. In delerence to public sentiment
We also decorate on the 30th Of May
The Ni Vernon Association was charter
ed in 1886 by the State OF Virginia -inau
gurated by noble Southern lady, Miss
Cunningham, ol South Carolina, whose ap
peals to the women Of our country in every
State aided by the Hon. Edward Everett
brought forth the fund for The purchase and
preservation Of Mt Vernon. No private
fortune could restore and maintain such an
estate with its ancient historic nome. This
was recognized by lis las, owner, Col. John
A. Wa,hngtou--a noble gentleman and
gallant Confederate soldier who fell in the
war regretted and lamented. 1t may be said
that the Mt Vernon Association was the
pioneer of vomans patriotic work in the
United States. IL constitution aud laws
are strongly conservative, and the Associa
ton has prospertd The perfect restoration
r Of the Home and Tomb of Washington un-
der womans care has been firmly IN rintaned
aud iudiciously managed for nearly forty
years-a labor of love 10 those engaged in
. il; without compensation, change. conten
ton or dismembermeut in It's executive. Il
presents the perfect picture OF purely pa
triotic work. The present regent is the
popular, honored aud esteemed Mrs. Van
, Rensselaer, Townsend, of New York.
WEST VIRGINIA VICE Regent.
From the annual report Of the West Vir-
ginia Regent We take the following:
The Vice Regent has only 10 report that
d large painting, p esentsd mauy years ago
10 the MI Vernon Association by the late
Mrs. Louisa Washington, all honored MEM
Der OF the family OF "Harewoud," Jefferson
Co., Wet Virginia, has been beautifully re-
s'ored and framed by Mr.. Willard, OF New
York, "a /; at cost price, and Is again placed
Al Mt. Vernon mansion. where II wa origi-
nally, having been presented by General
Washington to his brother, Col. Samuel
/ Washington, of HarewooG. where it remain
b ed fpr nearly century until generously
y pre- sented by Mrs Washington to Mt N.r.
: non through h-r relative, the Vice Regent
OF West Virginia.
The Vice Regent contributed large bou-
quet Of hyaciuths for decorating the tomb on
the 22nd OF February The flowers were
= red, white and blue the national cnlors -
. To the rectors library Of Pohick Church the
Vice Regent Ir'-euted about fifty volumes
of Appropriate ..ak- some we're of the early
first English e.i,ion.
sThis gift 10 Pnhick Church was personal
donation from Vicr-R Regent for West Virginia
. as Pohck Church Is in no wise within the ju-
risdicton the Mt. Vernon Association. hut
. has always been an interesting object for pri-
vate gifts.