The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-18
ey G. a. TuRklNaToN, a. M.

BY g. A. TuRklNGToN, A. M.
Copyright 1906. by G.. A. Huntington.
George Washington, son of Angus
tine. and Mary. his wife. was born ye
18th day OF February. 1912. about ten
In the morning. and was baptized ye Cd
OF April following-Mr. Beverly Whiting
and Captain Christopher Brooke, god
fathers. and Mrs Mildred Gregory, god
mother
So. wrote George washington OF MIN
self In his mothers Bible The scene
OF George Washington's birth was an un-
pretentious home on the banks of the.
Potomac in Virginia at q place known
as Wakefield Farm. The site of this
house is marked to-day by monument
erected by the U. S. Government in 1894.
Some effort would doubtless have been
made to preserve this house II 1t had
been standing in the years OF Washing
toms greatness, but it burned to the
ground when George was small boy.
AS stated above. Washlngton's BIRTH
day was in 1882. on the 18th of F'ebru-
airy. But 1t must be remembered that in
1852 England officially made. the change
in calendar which put future dates ahead
eleven days, thus bringing Washington's
anniversary on the 22nd. This caused
some confusion, and it actually happened
in certain later years that some people
celebrated on the 18th and others on the
odd But the fact that washington him.
self long after 1862 kept to February 18th
shows how hard 1t is for a man really
to feel that when he was born on the
18th change in the calendar can make
1t the ED.
Washington appears neither to have
celebrated this day In any unusual man
ner nor to have been especially remem-
old One may patiently turn over his
diaries and volumes OF correspondence
looking in vain for direct references by
Washington himself to his boyhood and
young manhood birthdays. AS a boy he
certainly had his share Of birthday
sweets and feasts. for notwithstanding
certain stories to the contrary, Wash
ington's mother was Il fond, doting,
though fretful mother, and we may well
suppose she was only too prone to lavish
her affection upon him on these days.
His first three birthdays were spent
upon the Wakefield Farm where he was
born. From 1876 to 1889 he lived at
Mount Vernon, and from 1889 until he
E was sixteen years old his home was near
fredericksburg, and the week day Feb
rlary 11ths had found George at work
on his studies His sixteenth birthday
was again spent at Mount Vernon, where
his half brother, Lawrence, who had
married, was living. At this early age,
Georges school days We're over, and he
had become official surveyor for Cul-
pepper county, Virginia. and probably on
some of his succeeding birthdays he was
tramping over the mountains with gun
and Instruments
OF all the birthday anniversaries OF
his youth and early manhood, however.
that Of his goth birthday must have stood
out above the others, for In the pre-
ceding September the health of his favor
lite brother. Lawrence. had failed and he
went with him to the Barbados. There
George contracted the smallpox, and
when he returned to Virginia In Febhu-
airy, 1t was with face pitted and scared
by that dread disease. The day was
also saddened by the knowledge that his
brother had received no benefit from
tho voyage, but had returned home to
die.
The birthday OF 1854 occurred while
washington was trying, to organize a
Virginia company in preparation for the
expedition to build o fort on the Ohio.
a coupler Of years later, In 1855, the
anniversary found Washington en- route