The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1898-02-23
WASHINGTON'S HOME
AT MOUNT VERNON.


During the Civil War there was
only one spot in all our now United
States where soldiers of both armies
could meet on common ground as
friends, not foemen, as brothers and
sons of one father, the "Father of His
Country" That spot was Mount
Vernon. A "truce of God" prevailed
throughout the broad acres that con-
tanned the home and tomb of Wash
ington.
Whether hunted by their enemy or
drawn hither by the same reverent in
spiration that attracts visitors to
Mount Vernon from every part of the
habitable globe, wearers of the blue
and the gray were equally welcome.
The only restriction placed upon their
coming was the servants request that
they leave their arms at whatever
point they entered the grounds, some
times at the old porter's lodge, three
quarters of mile away.
At Washington's tomb unarmed
pickets of the South and North fire.
quently met during the years of the
"great conflict" Sacred, however, as
this home of peace is, it is to the
women of the United States, and to
them alone, that we owe the purchase
and preservation Of Washington 8
home, and only their loving care has
made possible the past and present
restoration of this fine old type of the
colonial mansion of century and a
half ago The high privilege and real
happiness Of visiting this house and
grounds, with all their varied and
tangible memorials so intimately as
sociated with the life and character
of the immortal Washington, the
American people owe to the Mount
Vernon Ladies' Association of the
Union. OF the early struggles and
patienN Nlabors of successive members
of this association much might be said.
Organized in 1858, under the regency
of Miss Ann Pamela Cunningham, it
obtained by purchase some 200 of the
thousands of acres owned by the late
Colonel John Augustine Washington,
last private owner of Mount Vernon,
who found himself unable to maintain
the estate. To his credit be it said,
Colonel Washington did not sell the
land on which rests the tomb of Gen
eral Washington and his family. The
tomb, or the two acres containing it,
were decided as gift to the associa-
ton. Later donations from Jay
Gould and others have increased the
real estate of the association. to 1874
acres.
The restoration, equipment and
keeping of the respective rooms of
the mansion have been intrusted to
the noble women of the different
States represented in the Board of
Vice Regents. These vice-regents
are representative women of most of
the leading States, appointed by the
regent, their names being submitted
by her to the Board of Vice-Regents
for confirmation or rejection, after the
manner of Presidential appointments.
There are thirty-three vice-regents
now in Office. These ladies have
wrested what they affectionately style
"this, our beloved home," from decay
and almost from annihilation. Not
only the mansion and tomb-with its
family vault and two sarcophagi in
closing the remains of "the General
and his "consort' - receive their
anxious care, but the work of the as
sociation extends to all the outbuild-
ings and every distinctive feature of
the grounds that has any connection
with the period of Washington's occu-
pancy.
The annual reports presented and
read at the yearly meetings of the