Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-09
THE NORTHERN NECK.
The Wakefield Burying-Cround-
Painful Accfdcut-I3riefs.

| CONFORM. KING GEORGE COUNTY,
VA. April ESPECIAL THE impression
prevailing In many parts OF the country
that nothing remains to mark the loca-
ton Of the old Washington battle-ground
| at Wakefield tire birthplace OF the first
! President, In Westmoreland county, Is err
roneous. II Is true that the spot, which
| should be held as n sacred treasure, has
! not received the tender care and atten-
ton It deserved. and Il may be true that
| 70 strangers the ground has desc
Grated" appearance, &C.. but for such I'M
| pardonable neglect the National Govern
ment, which owes much OF its boosted
| greatness and an everlasting debt OF
, gratitude to the man who made Wake
field and Mount Vernon famous, is 10
| blame, and not private individuals. into
whose hands the old plantation has fallen
| in recent years.
| AS far as is known, the old burial
ground at Wakefield contains graves or
but two members OF the Washington
\ family, and these are marked by head
| stones, now gray with age, moss-covered,
and somewhat defaced and crumbllng
from long neglect. Close by them stand
two tall, venerable trees. which have sur
vived the gales of many winters and de-
| fed the fiercest storms OF summers, as II
| spared 20 keep silent watch and warn
| visitors TO the historic birthplace that
| he who approaches them treads upon hall
| lowed ground. Carroding time, moss, and
| dirt have done their cruel work so wen
that the inscriptions on the two tomb
stones are well-nigh ob,iterated, so that
| the letters must be traced with pen-knife
or other pointed instrument in order to
.Tsla 90
! testimony that John Washington. eldest
son of Lawrence Washington was buried
| there In January, 1922 and that he died
| when I'm the 10th year of age. Some sup
| pose that this John Washington was
! the namesake mamed after his fathers
| brother. who came 10 this country some
| time, probably the middle, in the seven
] tenth century. On the other stone can
be traced these words: Here lies the
body OF James Augustine Washington, or
! Pope's Creek va who died in 1929" A
| number of other names are on this stone.
supposedly a partial list OF persons re-
| lated to the deceased, but they are not
J easily decipherable. The belief that no
! thing remains to indicate the location of
. these Washington graves has probably
| grown out OF the fact that Mount YER
| non Wakeields famous rival, Is so IN
| separably associated with the name of
| our country's first President that the hon
| ored old birthplace has had TO take a
| back seat I'm the public mind, and, TO
great extent. be almost consigned TO obll-
| WON by an ineycusable national govern
ment unth recent years-the closing de-
| cade Of this century-when wharf ana
monument were erected there. Since the
J tomb has been made famous the world
over but little is thought and known OF
| the birthplace. especially by the rising
| generation An able writer said several
| years ago that when visitors TO the tomb
at Mount Vernon ask where George
| Washington was born, they usually re-
| ceive this answer: "Oh! down the river,
somewhere"
| Frank Henderson. son of Mr.. ]. NJ. Hem
derson at Cash Corner. this county, was
! very painfully hurt few days ago by an
| accidental blow with n heavy baseball
| bat which slipped out of the hand OF a
! companion with great force. Not long
! ago Frank broke one of his legs, and had
| iust recovered from that severe accident
( when his face was mashed the otner Day
| CAPTAIN Bob Adams the most extensive
| Potomac seine fisherman in this county,
| IL very in. and his condition IS regarded
as critical. He IS very popular, and MS
illness is a matter of general regret IN
the county.
| Mr.. Lewis J. Billlngsley IS having a
barn and other buildings erected on his
recently purchased farm, near King
| George Courthouse.
| The School Board Of this county noti-
fed the teachers some days ago TO con-
| tinue the schools in Rappahannock DIS
| trict six weeks longer than they contract
| ell to matchmaking the session SIX
months and a half, instead Of five months.
| Mrs. X. l.. Clare, of this neighborhood'
| is visiting relatives I'm Caroline county.
| Spring behring's have made their ap-
| poarance in the Potomac ana kappahah-
mock. and are being caught in large num-
! bers at some PORTS.