Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-12

A- HERE are many intimate ties be-
tween the national capital and
the quaint city of Fredericks-
xz burg; between the majestic city
of the Potomac and the ancient
and distinguished city Of the Rappahannock
In the haste of the period and the careless
ness of most persons toward things historic
the ties between Washington and Freder-
icksburg are often overlooked. 1t was the
master spirit Of the revolution who gave his
name to the capital Of the republic he helped
20 create The debt of the city of Washing
ION TO George Washington IS manifold.
Close by Washington are a score of places
also Identified with the father of his country.
There is Mount Vernon. the home and tomb
of Washington, and place rich in memories
OF many other members of the Washington
family There is Wakefield, the lower Po-
tomac, where Washington was born, where
many of his ancestors are buried, and not
far from it is Epping Forest, the gtrhood
home of Mary Bail, his mother. There is
Winchester where he spent much time dur
ing the French and Indian war, from where
he was elected to the house of burgesses
and near where lived his great and lntiuen-
tial friend Lord Fairfax. There is AleXan-
dria. where he long voted and worshped
Then. there Is Fredericksburg, which was
the real home of his boyhood, where he at
tended school, where he performed some of
those apOcryphal fedtS attributed to him,
such throwing a silver dollar across the
RappahannoCk, etc, where he was initiated
into Masonry. where he took final leave of
his mother before assuming the office of
President at New York and where Mrs.
Washington, successfully known in that
city and the country round about as the
Rose Of Epping Forest Belle of Lancas-
ter the Roman Matron' and odd Mad
anne, died August %, 1859.
H*
+Ha ind Of ha aNF,ll r &c nd "a
preceding generations the civil war memo
ries of Fredericksburg overshadow the colo
NAL revolutionary and early republican
sociations of the old town. 1t was at Fred
ercksburg that Gen. Burnside, in command
of the Army of the Potomac, crossed the
Rappahannock river in the face of a de-
structive fire and sought to take the heights
behind the CITY, which had been skillfully
fortified and defended by the Army of
Northern Virginia.
The world knows the price paid in blood
by the Union arms for this disastrous at
tempt. A few miles in the rear of Freder-
icksburg are Charlottesville, where Stone
wall Jackson fell. the Wilderness and Spott-
sylvania Court House, fields exceeded in
glory ard gore only by Gettysburg.
1t was four months before the death of
Mary Washington that George Washington
babe her farewell. The little frame house
in which this parting took place still stands
at the corner of Charles and Lewis streets.
The house is now owned by the Society for
the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities
and 1t is furnished much as 1t was when
Mrs. Washington lived there. The room in
which she died and her bed are preserved
intact. Washington. after his final meet
ing with his mother, proceeded to New
York for his inauguration
News of his mothers death came 70 hin,
In letter from Col. Burgess Ball. The
President was at dinner with Baron Won
Steuben and Gov. St. Clair. The letter was
handed the President by his nephew and
private secretary, Robert Lewis. and, after
Slowly reading ii, he retired to his chamber