Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-01-06

and DISMAL nights. These lights, II
seen as averred, may not have been a.
together due to the distorted imagina-
tions Of the ignorant negroes but as
well to the phosphoric exhalations from
the decaying matter Of the surrounding
marshes.
In after years the locality of John
sons spring was q favorite resort for
Fourth of July and other pic mic parties
from the neighboring cities. In 1745 q
public ferry was established at this
point over the river by an act of the
General Assembly of Virginia to accom-
modate the increasing travel between
Annapolis and Williamsburg and i'm
mediate points.
The road from the ferry down con.
Dected at Gum Spring with the Old
Kings highway running between Will
liamsburg and the Shenandoah valley.
Just before the war much of this
lhoroughfare was still travelled, but
since then other divisions and subdi-
visions of the lands have been made
and roads more convenient for the pub
lie travel have been opened. The plow
share has obliterated almost every rod
of it. AT only one point can it be traced
| at all, this is at Arcturus station on
the electric railway. Here through q
| piece of timber its well worn way may
be seen for q few hundred PAGES. Burn.
aby in his book Of travels through the
middle settlements of America" in 1760
took this road on his way from Col
chester to Annapolis. Washington
frequently travelled it not only in his
rounds to view the tarming opera.
tions under his overseers of this part Of
his great estate, and to look after his
fisheries at Red House Cove, but when
ever he journeyed to Annapolis and
poiuts farther north. Lafayette's troops
also marched down it on their way to
Yorktown in 1881. They crossed the
Potomac by Clfton's ferry in barees
and scows pressed into service from the
near adjoining ports of Broad creek
and Piscataway.
Not the least interesting among the
many historic points of ClifLon's Neck
is the site Of the Iudian town OF Assao-
meek at Andalusia, just opposite to
Broad Creek. 1t is laid down on the
map OF Captain John Smith, the first
ever made Of the Potomac river. Here
in the spling of 1908 that doughty ad
venturer on his way to the head Of
tide water landed and held par 'ey with
Che ruling Sachem. The plow share
from year to year has turred up thou
sands of memorials en- this site
IF tie fierce Algonquin hunters ard
warriors who roamed the surrounding
region. The writer has made large
collection of them, consisting of axes,
hatchets, javelin and arrow points,
hayipg knives and fragments Of pot
terry.
The settlement of Accomack was 10
all probability the place to which the
cavalry rangers ol Stafford county un-
der Col. George Mason and Major
George Brent in 1873 ct the begin
ming of the Bacon rebellion pursued
with great slaughter band Of Indians
who had murdered a herdsman in his
cabin near the Occoquan river, the
particulars of which will be given 10
another paper of this series.
Two miles below the old Clifton fer.
ry is Sherridine's point, so named from
John Sherridine, who occupied the
land there in 1855. Here the United
States government is now constructing
extensive engineering works for the
defence of the patioual capital, in con-
neclion with those of Fort Washington
on the Maryland shore just opposite.
They will command long reach Of the
river below, ard with their modern
appliances of gunnery, would in the
event of war make an approach by
hostile fleet dangerous undertaking.
In all probability these batteries will
at no distant day be connected with
the capital and Fort Myer by grand
military read, the realization of the
Mount Vernon avenue "project' of
few years ago.
Opposite 10 Sherridipe's point the
waters OF Piscatawey river pour close
by the frowning batylements of Fort
Washington into the Potomac. 1t was
here that Cecil Calvert and his follow
ers in 1894 dropped anchor from their
binrace, held parley with the chief of
the powerful tribe of the Piscataways,
planted the cid flag of England and
the emblem of their religious faith, and
would have begun the first settlement
of Maryland under their charter from
Charles 1st of England, but the point
being long distance from their ships.
the "hrk" and the "Dove," and the
Indians being numerous they returned
to their first landing place and laid the
foundation of the town at st. Mary.
By bequest in the last will snd
testament OF General George Washing
ton, made July, 1899, George Fayette
Washington and Lawrence Augustine
Washington, soIa Of l4gnd Washington,
q distant relative who, as the bequest
recites, 'had from mis- youth attached
himself to the generals person and fo.-
lowed mis- fortunes through the yicissi.
tudes of the revolution, afterwards had
devoted his time to the superintendent
of his private concerns for many years,
thereby atfording him essential services
and always performing them in man
ner the most 6llial and respectful" i" be-
came the heirs of "River Farm" and
at the expiration OF the life time lease
of Tobias Lear became its occupants.
The two thousand acres Of this origi-
nal neck of Piscataway and later OF
Clifton has been divided and sub
divided within the last fifty
wears until now they embrace more
than twenty homesteads. The last of
the titles of the Washingtons to every
portion of the large area was eXtin-