Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-11-25

anu yQutS Womdpn00Q 01 Mary Ball
daughter of Joseph Ball, son of Col
William Ball, who Came to Virgins
before 1869. From her mother wht
died III 1928 rf.er widowhood o
many yesrs she had doubtless inherit
ed the nobIest qualities of mind ant
heart, end had been taught all those
domestic VIRTUES Of Which contemporary
testimony and traGi,ion tell us, she
wes bright exemplar-industry, frr
gality, strer g;h oi will and purpose
obedlent to lne behest of duty, faith
fulness and modesty, and with deeI
religious convictio, Here is letter
from one of her friends which gives us
a glimpse o! her lovely girlbood:
"W'MsBURG, ye 7th of Oct. 1922.
Dear Sukey :-Mscame Ball, OF Ian
c,ster, and Her Sweet Molly have gone
HON. Mamma thinks Molly the
Comliest Maiden She know. She il
about 16 yrs old, is taller than Ne, is
very sensabie, Modest and Loving.
Her Hair is like unto fax. Her eyes
are tie color of Yours and her
Cheekes are like May blossoms. l
wish you could Sec Her"
Here is a l9tter OR rather note
which has been handed down as al
heir loom through many generations
Tue date is Wakefield, Va, 1873, one
year after the birth of George Wash
ington, and il is in the hand writing OF
mis- father, Captain Augustine Wash
ington, who wi b Mary Bail, his wife, are
going TO make visit very sooD to some
of their friends in the neighborhood ol
the Old Homestead. They announce
the time of their coming, and their in-
tention Of bringing with them their
"bahy G.; orge." Through this briel
note we get but glimpse of far away
events. Only the mere annunciatio;,
of an afternoon or overnight friendly
reunion. And this is all that will ever
be known of the little social event thus
briefly alluded to; but it is glimp.s
which my be readily widened into
charming news of al it's unnoted detail.
l and circumstances, according as rein If
given to ones faucies. Doubtless the in
| fant in swaddling clothes on this neigh
borly expedition was every where
/ hailed by kindred ana friends with the
usual eXclama;ioDs of loadness and de-
light, hui they did not perceive the
! brightness OF his particular star hang.
1 ing serenely in tho heavens above and
pointing to the future miesion ard the
career of great renown.
Another letter is dated 1859, twenty
six years later. 1t is from Mary, the
mother of George, to n relative i'll Lon
don. Her son is yet but little more
than boy, but he has been away from
her for five years, exposed 10 priva
tions and hardships untold in the war
| fare with the French and Indians or
the wilderness borders, snd she pathet
ically relates to her correspondents
now grievous and sffiictipg TO her has
been his absence. But now she is glad
he is coming home.
And here is one of the messages she
mas received from her son George just
after that disastrous bsttle OF Brad
dock with the French and Indians on
the Monongaheia
CAMP OF GREAT MEADOWS,
July IA, 1855.
Honored Madams:-As l doubt uot
you have heard of our defeat, and per
haps have had it represented in a
worse light, if possible, that it deserves.
| have taken the earliest opportunily y
TO give an account Of tie engagement as
it happened within seven M les Of the
French fort on Wednesday, the 9;o
inst. We marched On to that place
without any considerable loss, losing
ow and then a straggler by the French
aud scouting indians. When we came
there we were attacked by q body OF
French and Indians whose number l
am certain did not exceed 800 men.
Ours consisted of about 300 we'll
armed troops, cbis fly of the English
soldiers who were STRUCK with such u
panic tha; they behaved with more
cowardice than it is possible to cou-
ceive. The officers behaved gallantly
in order to encourage the men, for
which they suffered greatly, there be-
ing nearly 60 killed and wounded. q
large proportion out of the number We
had. The Virginia troops showed q
great deal of bravery and were nearly
all killed, for I believe out of three
companies that there is scarce 30 men
left alive. Capt. Poulson shared
hard fate for only one of his men was
left. In short, the dastardly behaviour
OF those they called regulars exposed
all others that were inclined to their
duty to almost certain death, and at
last n spite OF all the efforts of the OF.
icers to the contrary they broke aud
rau as sheep pursued by dogs, and it
was impossible to rally them. The
general, Braddock, was wounded and
died three days after. Sir Peter
Helket was killed on the field where
died mapy other brave officers. I
luckily escaped without wound,
thoug b had four bullets through my
coat, and two horses shot under me.
Captains Orme and Morris, two of the
generals, aids de camp, were wounded
early in the engagement, which made
the duty hard on me, as was the only
person left to distribute the generals
order, which I was scarcely able to
do. as was not half recovered from
violent spell of sickness, that confined
me to my bed and wagon for above ten
dsys. am still in a weak and feeble
condition, which induces me to halt
here two or three days, in the hopes of
recovering a little strength to enable
me to proceed homeward, fro m whence