The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-18
WASHINGTON'Sl LOVE AFFAIR
GEN. THOMAS PosEY MAY HAVE
BEEN HIS son.

| Mysterious " LOwIand Beauty.
| Some of WashIngton's Letters.
| From the ST. Louis Globe Democrat.
Reasons for Believing that Gen. Thorn
as Posey Was the Son of George Washing
ton," is the title of an unpublished manu-
script left by the late DIR. Goode of the
| Smithsonian Institution at Washington.
J The paper was read to several of DR..
| Goodies associates and friends. Members
of revolutionary societies engaged in the
work of patriotic organization for the cul-
tivation of interest In the history Of that
period were taken into DR.. Goodies con-
fidence. The reasons were thoroughly
considered. The propriety of the publ
cation of what constituted the basis for
this fascinating tradition was much dis
cussed DR.. Goode prepared the material
under the belief that 1t ought to be pre-
served. He had been impressed with the
/ tradition from what his father, an early
resident of Indiana, had told him. Dur
ing connection with the Smithsonian at
| Washington he had many facilities for
further investigation. He followed these
as far as they led The results he en-
/
| l. Washington had a love affair short
ly preceding the birth of Thomas Posey.
2. Washington sustained through a
period of years following the birth of
| Thomas Posey uncomfortable financial re-
lations with a family of Poseys.
These two statements are sustained by
written evidence. They have an interest
| ing relation to the tradition of Thomas
| Posey's paternity. There is wanting the
conclusive evidence to show that either of
! them was more than concidental But
| both of these facts developed bring out
! interesting chapters in the life of Wash
ington.
! George Washington was born Feb. %,
| 1872. When he was is he went to live
with his elder half4brother Lawrence, at
Mount Vernon, on the Potomac, below
| what is now Washington. Mount Vernon
had been named for Admiral Vernon by
Lawrence Washington who had served
| at Cartagena. Lord Fairfax was a near
| neighbor and an intimate friend of Law
renee Washington. Through Admiral
! Vernon and Lord Fairfax an appointment
| for George Washington to be a midship-
| man in the British navy obtained.
| The mother of George objected. This plan
for the youths future was given up.
| George Washington became a surveyor,
and was employed by Lord Fairfax In
/ running the lines of lands in various parts
| of Virginia and in looking after his lord
| ships interests. For three years after
he came to Mount Vernon to make his
home with his half brother, George Wash
ington was thus employed Within this
| period Thomas Posey was born, as he
says in his autobiography, ''of respectable
| parentage, near the Potomac, In Virginia,
in the year 1850, 9th of July" That is all
! Thomas Posey left to show his origin.
| Historical records fail to do more.
| A physician of Washington DIR. John
/ NJ 10 70 nFr,yl- <NP ,11I tim
everything he could find in manuscript or
print which would throw light upon the
| life of George Washington. He began
many years ago. He gathered thousands
! of books and pamphlets But more in
I teresting than all he obtained numerous
| letters and original manuscripts of Wash
| ington. This collection, several years be-
fore his death, DR.. Toner, transferred 20
| the library OF Congress. In the new
| library building the Toner collection has
| room and a custodian. The more prec-
| ious of the manuscripts are kept under
| lock and key. DIR. Toner edited with ex-
| planatory notes the diaries of George
| Washington He left in his collection the
| manuscript copies of the diaries and his
! own explanatory notes. Perhaps no other
| collector or compiler ever made such a
| thorough study of the little details of
| Washingtons life. Whatever he really
believed on the subject, DR.. Toner never
encouraged the tradition of relationship
| between George Washington and Thomas
| Posey.
The earliest of Washington's diaries was
| kept during the period from 174S TO 1850. 1t
was written in a small leather-bound book
which, from the worn conditions, was evil
IDENTIFY carried by the young surveyor on
his journeying. This book contains
| great deal more than the first diary
Washington made trip through the west
ern frontier Of Virginia which ended ac-
cording to the entries of the book, in 174S
He wrote an account of his movements
| and experiences from day to day. There
is no diary of Washington in existence to
cover the years of 1749 and 1850 the period
most interesting from the point of embrace
ing the Posey tradition. Washngton's sec
ond diary of which there is any knowledge
is in another book. 1t began IN 1851, and
covered the trip to the Barbados, which
George Washington made with his broth
er Lawrence, who was seeking health
The leather-bound book containing the
first diary has many pages covered with
the descriptions of surveys made by Wash
| ington II also shows memoranda of per-
sonal matters. which the youth had occa-
sion to keep. But perhaps the most i'm
portant from the historical standpoint are
the drafts of letters preserved In the
handwriting of the owner of the book.
Washington had a way of jotting down
things with great freedom. He wrote out
uIdtlss oiAen IN lue TOHBh, OF letters ne
was going to send Several of these rough
drafts are included on what were evident
ly spare leaves after the space taken by
the diary and the survey notes
Four of the memoranda, as they appear
consecutively, fairly illustrate the free use
Washington made of his note book. They
are
IN: the regulator Of my watch now is
AM and over the 5th from the Slow end"
Twas Perfect Love before
g: Young NJ: A: his w"
But Now / do adore
Whats the Noblest Passion of the
Mind? 6: q"
IN: Delivered Mrs. HUMPHREYS this Both
day Of October 2 Shirts the one marked
g w the other not marked 1pr of Hoes and
one Band to be washed gaiast November
court in Frederick"
Some OF the entries are plain enough
but others evidently contain meanings sig
niticant only 20 the writer. Since Wash
ington at the age Of II and Whereabouts
committed hia thoughts and reminders to