The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1905-02-24
SWORD or GREAT FREDERICK.
Evidence That Washington Received
Such a Present.

the characteristic and epigrammatic
message, From the oldest general to
the greatest general in the world,
has been familiar from our earliest
childhood. 1t Is plain narrative. as
given by members of the Washington
family, who alone have any knowl-
edge, real or traditional, of the fact
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 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
isfied as to it's 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 few years since by his son,
Lawrence Washington, of Alexandria,
to John H. Havemeyer, of New York,
who presented it to Mount Vernon, be-
ing thus happily returned to it's orig
inal abode.
When Col. John A. Washington dis
posed of the home of our first Presi-
dent to the Ladies' Mount Vernon AS
ISOLATION of 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 be safer than at any other
place. Col. Washington's sad death
occurred in 1861, and these papers re-
manned at Mount Vernon until Mr..
Herbert left his office. In 1856 ne 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 rs cents each. In
these some fine autographs were
found, showing how great the loss;
also some few letters, one OF which
brought large price. 1t was from
Mary Washington, and was in good
condition.
The surviving children of Col.
Washington say documents referring
to this sword were in these barrels.
A daughter, Mrs. Chew, Of West Vir-
ginia, writes: my father always
spoke of the sword he gave up as
having been presented by Frederick
the Great, and there was In his pos
session letter from Frederick to
Gen. Washington, which was placed
in 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 suf-
ficient of family confederation, though
I have more at hand.
o. documentary proof | have not
found any, though the search Is not
vet complete. The archives of Ger
many may yield all we need.
One interesting item OF circum'
stantial evidence came to me few
months ago. A German artist, vigor-
Gus and full of Renaissance, at the
ripe age of lightweight, resented re-
Fiction on Washington as a general,
and Wanted Frederick the Great.
When told that old story was a myth,
he replied with fine contempt: "Oh,
res, you say SO in America, but l
heard it at my mothers knee, and she
at her mothers. II false, who gave
It to the mothers of Germany.