The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-28
Tie Dodge City Of the Virginia Colony
By DAVID D. LEAlIY

: Parson Weems. the man who wove from
! his imagination the story of the little
! Ratchet and the cherry tree, used TO
preach. This was one of the ''warmest''
/ congre cations of colonial days, and it is
of record that the preacher could not
make himself heard sometimes on &C
/ count of the vociferauon Of the gentry
giving orders to their characterization
oftentimes mingled with strange oaths. "
Right opposite, or nearly opposite Mt.
I Vernon, on the Maryland side. is a very
old church. still in COMPARE lively good
repair and in which services are held 70
this day. 1t is one of the most interesting
churches along the Potomac river and
Washington often attended it. The best
fishing in the river was here and Wash
ington often threw his line with the
famous Diggs of Warburton Manor, a
colonist who put on lordly airs and main
tanned Venetian gondolas, manned with
liveried slaves, on the liver. for the use
Of his family and friends. The church
is now 2i0 years old. Among its first
vestrymen were John Addison, an uncle
of the famous London writer and editor.
ard John Emmett, a member of that fam
lily that gave Ireland it's most romantic
patriot The graveyard is very interest
ing On one slab you read:
Go, our dear son, obey the call Of
Heaven;
Thy sins are few-we trust they are for
given.
Yet, oh. what pen can paint the parents
woe?
God only can punish the hand that gave
the blow.
The grave is that of Enoch Lyells who.
ninety-nine years ago, was forced into
duel by his father and mother-the writ
ers of the above lines-and killed by the
young man who invented the Bowie knife
for whom Bowie county. Texas. is named.
At this very spot. sixty years before
this church was built. Leonard Calvert
landed with his Catholic colony and here
the first printing press in America was
set up by the Jesuit missionaries that
came with him. The InCians did not re-
ce.ve them well and they went farther
down the river where they anchored the
Dove" unfurled the flag Of England,
proclaimed the Catholic faith and his
torian Of the time said this: Here is the
only spot in all the wide world where
religious liberty has a home Sixty years
later when the house of Stuart collapsed.
under the telling blows of William, Prince
of Orange. n great many of its Irish and
Scotch supporters and adherents joined
tho Lord Baltimore colony and settled the
Maryland side Of the Potomac as far up
:, COLI nv
and powerful and played a considerable
part in the revolution. They established
the first Catholic seat of learning in this
country about one hundred and twenty
years aGo--the present Georgetown col
lese-and four Of them owned the present
site of Washington. Duddington Manor
the seat of a branch of the Carroll fam
lily of CarrolltOn. was on the hill very
close to where the Capitol now stands.
1t was famous along the Potomac Valley
for it's hospitality and its owner died in
Washington nearly sixty years ago in
pathetic poverty.
Without recounting the incidents of the
march to Washington Of the British in
1914. under Admiral Cockburn and Lord
Ross, rich in historic value, l will again
southwark to Mt Vernon The best way
to do it is to find some good fellow out
Of the many who so through the country
buying butter and eggs and ride in his
wa Gon with him.
When you cross the long bridge, built in
1905. YOU are in the Potomac marsh land
that the government is retaining with
view to converting into park connected
by a graded highway with Mt. Vernon
and divided into as many sections a. there
are states in the Union, each section to
contain monuments or statues of the de-
serving men of said states. 1t was through
this marsh that the beautiful wife of
President Madison escaped to meet her
husband in Virginia at the time the Brit
ish burned the White House. She would
not leave the White House without car
rying the great picture Of Washington,
that hung on the walls. with her. and the
delay in taking the canvas out Of the
frame nearly resulted in her being taken
prisoner.
The historic seats along the Potomac,
ard which can he easily visited IN a day,
are Arlington. Arlington. Woodiawn, Vt
Vernon, and Cunston Hall and Belvoir.
The history of Arlington is familiar 10
everyone who has read Of General Lee
The magnificent emine1ce on which the /
buildjng stands is occupied by the Nation :
al Cemetery. in which are buried nearly I
u 90 soldiers. twenty-three Of them sol F.
diers of the Revolution. The land being /.
ertailed could not he confscated by the /
government when Lee followed the seces- /
sion Of his state into the Confederate /
army, bat it was sold for taxes and the 4
government purchased it.. To make the 4
title clear. and out of sentiment Of /
generosity. the government afterwards (
paid Lees heirs Sl25.9o9 for the property. /
Arlington is Interesting mostly because F.
Nellie GUSTS was born there. it being the .
scat Of Major Gusts, The son Of Martha .
Wcoilawu is where Nellie Custis shone, /