Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1899-05-25
Saint Hafg's Beacon.
LEES SPURS OF GOLD.


B0utnef1 bymp&14zxefk Co0E1D0b@a kn@ &an01
for Manufacturing the sraEs.
How General Robert K. Lee. the
late commander-in-chief Of the Con-
federate Army, came into possession
Of his handsome gold spurs, which
are now held az among the most in
teresting and valued relics Of the
Confederacy, has always been
matter Of more or less conjecture.
More or less mystery has always
surrounded the matter, and an in
teresting bit Of history concerning
them has just come to light. Here
tofore, lest the loyalty Of some
might have been questioned, the
secret has been guarded, but the
lapse Of third Of q century has 80
healed all differences that the story
10 now correctly told, it is said, for
the first time, by one who 10 in o
better position 10 know the truth
Of the matter than anyone else, for
the reason that, though but q lad
Of IA then, he was a party to the
transaction with his father, who
conceived the idea Of presenting to
General Lee these now much-prized
relics, says q writer in the Wash
ington Post.
Itisa well-known fact that South
ern Maryland, especially those
counties bordering upon the Lower
Potomac, sympathized warmly with
the Southern cause and remained,
50 far as the people were able, loyal
to the Confederacy, although the
State refused to withdraw from the
Union. These Southern Maryland
counties contributed many young
men to the Confederate Army. and
their friends and relatives who re-
NAMED at home rarely lost an OPP
portunity to render them material
aid, and gave support to the cause
which lay nearest to their hearts.
Not only did they hsrbor and pro-
tect Southern soldiers and agents,
but furnished information of the
movements Of the Northern troops.
It was w. A. Jarboe, of Upper
Marlboro who, in the summer OF
1868, frat conceived the idea OF
making Q suitable present to Gen.
eral Lee, and after discussing the
matter with q limited number OF
his friends. whose sympathies were
the same as his own, it was decided
to send to General Lee q pair OF
gold spurs as a token of the love
and esteem in which he was held
BY the people of Prince Georges
county, Maryland. 1t was neces.
sary, however, to conduct the affair
with the utmost secrecy, for many
Maryland suspects were at the old
Capitol prison at Washington. On
~ q small number of those who
could be absolutely trusted were
permitted to subscribe to a fund
for the purchase of the gold spurs.
George NJ. Graham, then q pros
porous farmer in the county, and
secretly an ardent Seccessionist,
gave $50 towards the project, but
the greater portion of the purchase
price was betrayed by Mr.. Jarboe,
who was then Register Of Wills Of
the county.
A firm of manufacturing jewelers.
in Baltimore were intrusted with
the work Of making the spurs, into
which there was placed $3.50 worth
Of gold, with only enough alloy to
to make them hard enough to bt
durable. They were made by skill
full workmen and engraved with ar
inscription in Latin. The manu-.
facturers then sent them By trust
ed agent to Jarboe, in Upper MARI,
boro. Jarboe was then living in
what was known as the Surratt dis,
trict. bordering on the Birch
Swamp, and every morning rode
from his home into Marlboro, re.
turning at night. The whole coun.
try was alive with Federal soldiers,
chiefly cavalry, but he was never
suspected of being in sympathy
with the Confederate cause. His
home had never been searched, al.
though he anticipated such action
at any time. If the spurs were
hidden in the house, he knew that
upon search they would be discov.
cred /; and for this reason he gave
them to his wife, admonishing hel
to carry them about her clothing
until an opportunity offered to for.
ward them to the Commander. in