The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-08-24
GEN ERAL LEES BADGE OF
KNIGHTHOOD.
MARYLANDERS-IDEA ORIGINATED
WITH WILLIAM A. JARBOE OF
UPPER MARLBORO.

How Gen. Robert E. Lee, the late
commander-in-c chief of the Confederate
army, came into possession of his hand
some gold spurs, which are now held
as among the most interesting and
valued relics Of the Confederacy, has
always beer matter of more or less
conjecture. More or less mystery has
always surrounded the matter, and an
interesting bit Of history concerning
them has come to light. Heretofore,
lest the loyalty Of some might have
been questioned, the secret has been
guarded, but the lapse of third Of a
century has so healed all differences
that the story is now correctly told, it
is said, for the first time by one who is
in better position to know the truth
of the matter than anyone else, for the
reason that, though but lad Of four
teen then, he was party to the trans
action with his father, who conceived
the idea Of presenting to General Lee
these now much-prized relics.
1t is a wellknown fact that South
ern Maryland, especially those coun-
ties bordering upon the Lower Poto-
mac, sympathized warmly with the
Southern cause, and remained so far
as the people were able, loyal to the
Confederacy, although the state re-
fused to withdraw from the Union.
These Southern Maryland counties
contributed many young men to the
Confederate army, and their friends
and relatives who remained at home
rarely lost the opportunity to render
them material aid, and gave support
to the cause which lay nearest their
hearts. Not only did they harbor and
protect Southern soldiers and agents,
but furnished information of the move
mcnts of the Northern troops.
IDEA ORIGINATED WITH JARBoE.
1t was w. A. Jarboe, of Upper
Marlboro, who in the summer of 1868
first conceived the idea of making a
suitable present to General Lee, and
after discussing the matter with a linn
tied number of his friends, whose sym
pathies were the same as his own, it
was decided to send to General Lee a
pair Of gold spurs as token of the
love and esteem in which he was held
by the people of Prince Georges coun-
ty, Md. 1t was necessary, however,
to conduct the affair with the utmost
secrecy, for the old Capitol prison at
Washington held many Maryland sus-
poets. Only small number Of those
who could be absolutely trusted were
permitted to subscribe to fund for
the purchase of the gold spurs. George
NJ. Graham, then a prosperous farmer
in the county, and secretly an ardent
secessionist, gave $50 toward the pro-
ject, but the greater portion of the
purchase price was betrayed by Mr..
Jarboe, who was then register wills of
the county.
A firm of manufacturing jewelers. in
Baltimore was entrusted with the
work of making the spurs, into which
there was placed $3.50 worth of gold,
and nothing was charged by the firm
for doing the work. The spurs were
of pure gold, with only enough alloy
to make them hard enough to be dura-
BILE. They were made by skillful work
men and engraved with an inscription
in Latin. The manufacturers then
sent them by trusted agent to Jar
Doe, in Upper Marlboro. Jarboe was
then living in what was known rs the
Surratts district, bordering on the
Birch Swamp, and every morning rode
from his home into Marlboro, return
ing at night. The whole country was
alive with Federal soldiers, chiefly
cavalry, but he was never suspected Of
being in sympathy with the Confeder-
ate cause. His home had never been
searched, although he anticipated such
action at any time. If the spurs were
hidden in the house he knew that upon
search they would be discovered, and
for this reason he gave them to his
wife, admonishing her to carry them
about her clothing until an opportunity
offered to forward them to the COM
mandcr-in- chief of tue Confederate
army Jarboe knew in just what man.
ner such an opportunity would present
itself.
Prior to the outbreak of the war one
OF the noted characters on the Poto-
mae was Capt. Charles Caywood. of
Charles county, Md. He had early
joined tue Confederate Army, but after
several months service his company
was for some reason disbanded, and he
took to guerrilla warfare, blockade
running. and seeking information for
the Confederates. One Of his stations
and hiding places when north Of the
river was at Jarboe's house, and, un-
less in some manner prevented, he
usually made his appearance there
once every two or three weeks. The