The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-05
UNREcoRDED HISTORY.
some New Information About the
Ways of the Father of His Country.
From the New York Sun.


Smith D. Fry, a Washington newspaper
correspondent, on a recent trip to Old
Broad Creek Church in Maryland, ten
miles from the capital, gives this bit of
Washington personality from a very hum
bic point OF view:
There is little of interest in the appear
ance of the buildings, except the curious
littse half-ruined portieo on the end far
thest away from the road; but after we
had inspected the place, we encountered
historian on the road a little beyond,
in the shape OF an old darkey, feeble, halt,
ana bent with years. II required little to
start the springs of his conversation, and
he said;
Vas, sab. OATS a pow full ole chu'ch,
pow'ful ole Mus be mon TO hund ed
yeahs ole | reckon. Dey tells me Giniral
Gawge Washin'ton wushiped in dat
ehu'ch, sab, an he used to come myah
in his bawge, rowed by eight niggahs-
him an his family Sometimes he come
hyah, sometimes he went to Aiexandry,
an sometimes he went 10 leetle chu'ch
down TO Pohick on de F'erginny side o.
de rivah-jis how de idee struck him.
was tole dat sab, by ole niggah when
! was jes' a leetle boy. Dis yah ole Mig
gah, dey say, he was nay gret-gran-pap,
but | dunno. Hit was mighty hahd to
keep track o. dem things in slevery days,
sab, when dey was a-buyin' an sellin'
a-buyin' an a-se,iin' nisgahs DE whole
time but. leastways dis yah ole man,
he say he seen de Gin'rai come to chuch
hyah many an many time, In big
seine boat De Gn'ral used to have a
feeshin sho' on his place. an dis yah ole
nggah ne say he seen 'em haulin' seine
hundreds o. times, an de Ginral a-wadin
noun up to his waist in de watah, a.
swearln' an a-cussin when de sein hit
hung on a log
swearing and oursingg We exclairn.
Surely not! They say that Washington
never swore in his lfe.'
Well. / dunno said the old darkey.
shaking his head obviously 4 reckon de
Gin raj was mos like any yeter man what
ain sicky. an when he seine got hung
up, why, | spect he jes' nachally took on
an sworn like anybody else. I've seed
right smaht o. seine haulin' la my day,
but | nevvsh yit see a seine took off a
hang without a pow'ful sight O. enssln'.
Anyways, when he shad an herrnP sea-
son was done up de 9in'nal Jes' have his
seineboat fixed up for a bawge, an In dat
he come to ehu'eh. My ole gret-gran' pap
say he often seen him teckin' snuff, wild
de preacher 'jes by de do. an taIkin'
bout de crops wild de folks. Yes. sab,
OATS a p0w'ful ole chu'ch, shoi 'nuff.
Here was history, indeed, and little
later we were able to verify II, so far,
at least, as concerned Washington's at
tending service in the little church and
hauling a seine on his own fishing shore.
This old church is surrounded by old
colored people and very poor white peo-
rie. who carry the traditions which were
handed dowl to them through two gen
erations, and they all agree that Gen.
Washington frequently attended this
church across the river from his home.
because IA some seasons the roads were
well-nigh impossible, so that he could not
go to old Pohick Church, nor to old
Christ Church In Alexandria. They say
that whether the General was himself
anxious to go every Sunday or not, his
wife insisted upon It. and that Is one of
the reasons he would be rowed over the
river 20 church In extremely bad weather
when the roads were too heavy"