Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-08-10


mtflbered by the old settlers along the
river. and some of these are of weird
and unique interest. especially that of
the naming of the Potomac and OF the
cluster of rocks near the aqueduct
bridge known as the Three Sisters.
There are other stories. the tale of the
Braddock Rock. the legend of the
British drummer boy. and no end OF
fables related by the negroes. some of
which are quite remarkable. They
have never yet been gathered into
substantial form. The average
Washingtonian is as ignorant of the
wealth of romance and dramatic
STORY that clings to these old land
marks as he is of the many other pic
turesque facts that are part of the
old-time days of the Federal City.
The story of the naming of the Po-
tOmac has been handed down in frag-
ments. says writer in the Washing
ton Post Some old Georgetown resi-
dents state the Indians called the
Potomac the River of swans. be-
cause of hundreds. even thou
sands of swans and other wild
game birds that made it their
it was known as the Gray Swan" be-
ing named after an Indian girl. a
daughter of the Manahoacs. who found
a tragic and mysterious death in its
waters At any rate. the latter story
Ia the more picturesque. When the
wind in November means along the
shores the old settlers of Virginia say
to the children THAT is the voice OF
the Indian girl singing her death
song"
When Captain John Smith first sailed
up the Potomac he found three tribes.
Potowmacks, Anacostians and
Manahoacs. settled in Maryland some
of whose villages and hunting grounds
were located in the forests along the
Potomac. Although bad blood existed
between these three. they We're leagued
together as one against the Pow
hatans, fierce Virginia tribe. which
had stolen on their grounds. There
was an unusually beautiful young
squaw belonging to the Manahoac
tribe who was known as Gray Swan.
because of the swan feathers she was
accustomed to wear and from the fact
that she had tanned number of the
WIN vi 10 tIt IlNcI ~ VI dN z VI
the Powhatans secretly became her
lover. This was discovered by the
young squaw's people. and plans made
accordingly. The Powhatan was
tracked and burned at a stake. The
Indian girl found his charred body.
Dieconsolate. she sought refuge in
suicide. and just at sunset her death
chant fell upon the ears of her people.
They reached the spot where the
sound came from. only in time to see
the river sweep over the body of the
Indian girl. while a large gray swan,
repeating the dying notes of her song.
rose up from the water and few over
the Virginia hills directly toward the
falling sun.
y The following morning not a swan
was left on the river all having flown
away with strange cries. The story
goes that they never again returned.
and that from that day the Manahoacs
called the river the Gray Swan. AL
most all of these Indian legends are
curiousy associated with the sounds of
the wind. the voices of the water
and the cOlOrs of the sky
There is a most pathetic story connected
with the river just off High Island. where
the rapids run. 1t relates to a little
drummer boy in the service of his
majesty, King George" He was a men,
Der of the Braddock expedition. which
camped out near that part of the city
knawn as Observatory Hill. He went out
on a fishing expedition with a number of
the soldiers, and just about the Little
Falls, while attempting TO step across the
rocks, was drowned. and his body swept
under by the current and never recovered
The colOred folks along the canal firmly
believe that the ghost of this little British
drummer boy haunts the rocks of the Lit
lie Falls every night just after sunset.
Some of those especially gifted with
seeing things at night, have actually
given most accurate descriptions of his
red coat. his mournful cry. and the hol-
low echoes of his drum.
The BraddOck Rock is now enclosed
with an iron railing. erected by the
Colonial Danes. II is not an impressive
sight now that the river has been filled
up all around il. and ash piles and trash
are DUMPED in its immediate neighbor-
hood. Here 1t was that tradition says
George Washington first landed and sur
veyed what became the future capital
The rock is located near the Easily
Point sewer, and just at the base of the
Naval Museum, of Hygiene. formerly the
old observatory. When the water was
around ii and the trees sheltered it there
were some artistic feat"r"s about it. Its
as actual fact Nearly every local
historian has stated:
The British troops sailed up the PotO-
mac in Darges until they came nearly OPP
posite TO what is now the foot Of Twenty
fifth street. Here big boulder. then
reaching out of the water l. II feet
deep. stood out like great square but
tress. The barees touched at this rock
and upon il all the troops were landed
Thus it became known as Braddoch
Rock.
BY far the most picturesque river legend
Is the story of the Three Sisters. Just be-
fore q drownin. occurs on the river they
are believe. to emit n sound like the
SLOW chimin" of Il bell. which is SUPPOSED
TO be "A warning call. Its origin is quit e
as prehistoric as that of the GRAY Swan
and rather similar. There were three
women OF the Anacostian tribe who CON
SYrrd Ito desert their people for the Pow
hatahS.
The three dusky maidenS. all of them
daughters Of Il chief. as in stories they
always are. met together one dark night
and stole out in their canoes The medi-
cine man of the tribe followed them along
shore. creeping Under brush and woods.
lheN padded slowly up current They
were deckcd- oHt-iin shells ana feathers
amu tneir mar streamcd long in the wind
Ihey Kept the center of the stream and
JUST as the We're about to veer and eros :
tue menicfne man called out in a hollow
voice mat their hour of death had come
furious lights played about them: they
were caught IN the whirlpool that
swtf,ed round their canoes in a dizzy
whirl. In fri~ht and despair they fnns
themselves INTO the water and We're
crowned. In the ,,,rpipu ,hroa