The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-12
F1UOJS TfRGINIINS,
Col. l.. l.. washington'- RecoIiections Of
some of Them.

thy, Nlrgluid l'N hunter OF coioF' 4
times, instead OF great statesma and
warrior, The speaker was Colonel l..
l.. Washington. Of Washington. d. c.
Few men are richer in interesting remi-
niscences than Colonel Washington when
he chooses to talk for publication, which
Is rare. Colonel Washington is at pres
ent registered at the Continental and is
in town for the purpose Of visiting old
friends.
my father, who was named Lund
Washington. and was distantly related to
the General, made a personal visit to
him when the latter was IN this city in
| 1872. lie had reason 10 know Of what he
spoke, and / have frequently heard him
say that the best picture Of the General
was that painted by Savage, Of Prince
ton. Mass. Savage came on 10 Philadel
/ phia about the same year and Washing
/ ton gave him three sittings. From that
| painting he made the painting mentioned.
Later, Savage went TO London and learn
cd the art Of engraving, and his engrav-
| ings Of Washington are TO this day the
| best and trucst known.
The only NlNtf time my ItLltf saw
Washington was at the funeral Of my
fathers uncle, for shortly after that time
Washington also died. The Washingtons
are pretty widely scattered over the
several States of the Union. There are
few still living I'M Wcstm0rcland county,
and on the original Washington estate.
Robert Washington. "A collateral descen-
dant. his grandfather having been
a brother of General Washington, lives
near pope's creek, on which the first
Washington settled, and Is "a distinguished
lawyer Dr. Wilson. who married his
sister. has his residence within few rods
of tho spot on which Washington was
horn. The house in which Washington
first saw the light was burned during
the Revolutionary war. The home Of the
first Washington who came 10 America
is about n mile distant from this spot.
Near by Is the family graveyard. Some
Of the svOncs siill remain, and the IN
scriufious thereon can Doe quite easily
dccipherd. There was vault on the
place about half a century ago, but some
pilgrims were caught in the act OF car
rving Off some Of the bones Of the dead.
as the vault was badly dilapldated, ana
# was filled in
con one of my trips abroad a nv years
since I CHANGED 10 D. in London. ] con-
/
Washinetons in the interior of England,
but ON reaching my euidebook / did not
find any way described that would enable
mo 10 carry ont my wish. Finally j got
what 7 wanted, and after travelling lw
or SO miles by rail and I'D miles 10y stage
/ reached the spot. 8 Washington stun
occupied the family residence. plain but
highly respectable farmer of the landed
gentry class.
"'The house 10 which Washington tatn-
or subsequently moved after his marrige
with Mary Bah and tine birth OF George
stood in Stafford county, just below
Fredericksburg. on The Rappahannock.
THAT too. was destroyed by fire nearly
a century ago. The house in which Mrs.
Washington lived when she was widow,
and in which She. ] think. died. is located
ou one OF the principal streets or FRED
ericksburg. ID is in good repair and re-
mains as IL was boz Mrs. Washington's
time with the single exception or an
added frame story THE original mousse
was AN brick and was PLAIN lWo-aloiy
cottage.
You we're connected with the Coniede-
tate Government were You n0t:'
Yves. during it's entire existence. first
as a Confederate ana subsequently, as
Acting Assistant Secretary of state. !
diton To- my other duties.
..you know Nr. Benjamin. them
81 knew Mr. Benjamin. the Secretary
If State. both before and during lne MdI.
He was take him in AN. one OF The most
remarkable men have ever known.
Judah J.. benjamin cNctiled I'D tf'll 'i'ii-'
Al the Dir he bad no superior either il
this country or boo England lhe nom. vi
yrraf fur,sfs. He had read everything.
ID lion tIn ID
that his mind was fortified hy every thins
that came in contact with Do ln CONVEX
station he was one of the most charming
of mon. and ass statesman and orator
he had few equals. Benjamin was ono
Of those men who did not care TO make
enemies In this hc was unlike some
other public men whom j recall 20 mind
connected with the Conicderaey. kne"
Jefferson Davis Intimately. ] saw much
off him during The war; and after the
war visited him I'm his retirement. hdd
81 long and interesting talk with him. 10
lasted three DAYS. b. covered an of the
principal events of his stormy and event
ful career. have regretted more than
once that di not. each day. before /
retired az night. make notes OF his cone
versatiou. Davis is very much misunder-
stood Some day / trust The world viii
see him as he really was
"What man connected with the Con
Tolerate Government Impressed you
most?r
"That question presents some difficult
ties. All in an. / think Robert NJ. IT.
Hunter. Of Virginia. was the safest states
mani 10 follow. The truth of the matter
is the sessions Of the Confederate ton-
rress were conducted in secret. the debate
cerecially so. Men 90 mot get world
wide reputation under such auspices.
The debates of the Continental Congress
were also generally conducted in secret
and If great speeches We're made the peo-
ula only felt the effect Of them, as some or
the messages We're repeated and handed
about from mouth 20 mouth. one of
the greatest speeches Patrick Henry
made. which was in the famous ST.
Johns church. in Richmond. was never
repoftcd. but its effect on the colonies was
nevertheless electrical.
senator Vest. of Missouri, then a
voung man. was member Of the Con-
tolerate Senate. He cut no figure them
v.ss never heard Of. To-day be is the
most powerful dehater and the most
aloouont sneaker I'm the United States
senate on The Democratic side
.Vhat families within the past fifty
or seycutv-fye years have exercised the
rreotest influence on the affairs OF Nir-
ginia2"
"The Masons and the Marshalls. George
Mason wrote the immortal BIN OF
RIGHTS" Marshall interpreted the CON
stitlition and founded our system OF iu-
risprudence. Their defendants have been
men OF sound Judgment and usually men
alb