The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-01-24


stone for protection against the
French and Indians and also to com
mand the river, which at this point is
about one mile wide. The eastern
wall formed the bank of the river
from which was the main entrance
Here British boat containing "a
soldiers upset and all were drowned.
| On the left of the river entrance we
find inside the wall two dungeons
still intact. They are perhaps eight
feet high in the centre and in shape
they remind one of stone arch over
a small ravine. They have damp
walls, dirt floors, and each has an
opening at the top large enough to
admit rain and light, but not large
enough to permit prisoner to escape.
No doubt they are on a par with the
dungeons of the Bastile which were
battered down July IA, 1889, during
the French revolution. Leading from
the fortress to the water on the north
side is a deep underground passage
to enable the defendants to escape
unseen if necessary.
This fortress became the private
property of a wealthy retired mer-
chant named John Carlysle, who in
1882 built upon the western end what
is called the Carlysle Mansion or
Braddock Headquarters, surprising
in richness and convenience nearly
all other mansions then in Alexan-
dria. During the summer of 1855
General Braddock occupied this
house for his army headquarters
while he drilled his 1000 Virginia
Provincials previous to his memora-
bic defeat at Fort Du Quesne pitts
burg Pa, where he was killed and
| buried.
After the American Revolution AL
exandria discovered that her runious
commercial rival was Baltimore. Her
commerce began to wane and she saw
her doom in the Egyptian City from
which she derived her name.
To aid in reviving the prosperity of
Alexandria men of wealth purchased
the Carlysle Mansion and built
around it on three sides an extensive
hotel, known as the Braddock House.
AT the door of this hotel we were met
by an African descendant of ginger
bread complexion. He bowed grac-
iously and informed us that 1.-THE
Braddock headquarters is in the cote
Court of the hotel When we en-
tered the court we gazed upon the
Carlysle Mansion with amazement
Where can be found another such
structure built when it was? 1t is a
strange relict. The material was pre-
pared in England. All the pieces
were numbered SO that they could be
put together with scarcely the sound
of hammer.
The odor one finds and the import
ed material one sees makes the visitor
feel that he is in foreign country.
Upon the first entrance we find our
selves in spacious hall. The guide
opened the door on the left and we
entered the Blue Room. This was
Gen. Braddock's office. In this room
he met five governors and planned
his campaign against the French and
Indians. In this room Washington
at the age of fifteen received his first
commission. There were no stoves
in those days and the fireplace in
which the cooking was done was large
enough to contain an upright piano.
Adjoining the Blue Room is a bed
chamber containing a bureau-the
only piece of Braddock furniture.
Across the hall we were shown large
double parlor connected by folding
doors. In these parlors we were in
formed that Washington in his youth
first met and danced the graceful
minuet with the charming daughter
of Lord Fairfax
The mahogany stairway leading to
the second floor is very wide. Up
stairs we found five rooms provided
with call bells for servants. In the
basement we found that at one time
some of the subdivisions of the aban-
doned fortress had been used for
smoke-house, kitchen. wine-rooms,
etc.
| When we returned to the street we
paused to look at that weather beat
en- hotel which for fifty years had
been the most popular hotel in North
ern Virginia.
One of the events, somewhat con-
nected with this hotel, is so shrouded
in mystery that it would perhaps
be regarded as a myth if it were not
for certain grave in st. Paul's ceme-
terry, one-half mile distant, called
''The Female Stranger" A remark
able story regarding this grave has
been handed down to the present gen
GRAFTON. According to this legend
vessel from Halifax landed at Alexan-
| dria in the summer of 1916. Among
the passengers were man and wom-
an who took lodging at the Braddock
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