Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-02-23
SWORD or GREAT FREDERICK.
Evidence That Washington Received
Such = Present.

Such Present.
The story that Frederick the Great
sent George Washington n sword with
he Characteristic ard epigrammatic
message. From the Oldest general To
he greatest general in the world,
nas been familiar from our earliest
childhood. II Is plain narrative, as
! given by members of the Washington
family, who alone have any knowi-
edge, real or traditional, CT the tact.
The appraisers list OF the personal
effects OF Washington. made at Mount
Vernon. May, 1900, contains this item:
Swords and blades, $4,000" Among
these, which were chiefly presents,
was the one sent by the King OF
! Prussia. The personal effects OF
| Washington were divided among the
heirs but a large proportion were left
| at Mount Vernon for Mrs. Washing
/ ton, who was still living. Upon her
death Justice Bushrod Washington
took possession OF the mansion, for
he was his uncle's chief heir and the
one to whom he intrusted his papers.
Bushrod Washington lived thirty
| years at Mount Vernon, and be-
queathed the estate and personal
| property. save an occasional gift, to
his nephew, Col. John Augustine
| Washington, who also lived there
thirty years There was an immense
accumulation Of papers and relics. and
among other souvenirs of interest was
the sword of Frederick.
Major Lewis Washington, OF Belle
Air. jefferson county. Va, visited his
cousin at Mount Vernon in 1858. At
this time he was the owner OF two OF
the five swords willed by Gen. Wash
ington to his nephews-One direct
from his grandfather, William Angus
tine Washington the other. that one
which Justice Bushrod Washington
! received and had willed to his father,
George Corbin Washington. Major
Washington admired the elegant dress
sword sent by the King, and offered
| in exchange for it, being perfectly sat.
isied as TO its authenticity, the Bush
rod Washington sword. During his
| life this beautiful rapier was seen by
! many neighbors and friends at his
home. Some years after his death his
widow. Mrs. Ella Bassett Washington,
sold it, with other valuable Washing
ton relics, to the State Of New York.
These are now deposited in the IL
brary at Albany. In the catalogue
will be seen mo. 4, dress sword OF
Washington" The sword acquired by
Col. Washington in this exchange was
sold a few years since by his son,
Lawrence Washington. of Alexandria
to John Il. Hayemeyer, of New York,
who presented it TO Mount Vernon, be
ing thus happily returned TO its orig
inal abode.
When Col John A. Washington dis
posed OF the home OF our first Presi
dent to the Ladies Mount Vernon AS
sociation OK the Union. he gave POS
session early in the year 1860. He
carefully packed his valuable papers
in barrels. OF which there were
twelve. He left them in the care Of
his friend, Upton Herbert, first super
intendent OF Mount Vernon. thinking
in the disturbed state OF the country.
they would lie safer than at any other
place Col. Washington sad death
occurred in 1861, and these papers re
NAMED at Mount Vernon until Mr.
Herbert left his Office. In 1866 he re
moved them TO Alexandria, and stored
them in an old bank building; this
building. in 1868, was burned and
nearly all the papers and documents
were destroyed. A few baskets full
Of the half charred debris were
hawked about the old town by boys
for which they got % cents each. In
these some fine autographs were
found. showing how great the loss;
also some few letters, one Of which
brought a large price. 1t was from
Mary Washington, and was in gcod
condition.
The surviving children of Col
Washington say documents referring
to this sword were in these barrels
a daughter Mrs Chew OF West Fir
g.nia. writes: My father always
spoke OF the sword he gave up as
having beea presented BY Frederick
the Great. ana there was in his pos
Gen Wa hington, which was placed
n a bank in Alexandria and burned
With the building My Impression has
always been that the letter was sent
with the sword" This is perhaps SUI.
3cient OF family Confederation, though
| have more 40 hand.
OF documentary proof hevc hot
found any. though thc#eca1
yet complete The archi7 &C.,.
many may yield all Tc r.e,
One interesting item Of circum-
tantial evidence came to me a few
months ago A German artist. vigor
Gus and full of Renaissance, at the.
ripe age Of eghty,eisht, resented re-
Election On Washington as general,
and Wanted Frederick the Great.
When told that old story was a myth,
he replied with fine contempt: "Oh,
yes, you say so in America but
heard it at my mothers knee, and she
l,ur fa1ca NH