Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-08-28
OLD PORTRAIT OF
WASHINGTON FOUND
It Shows Him in His Youth and
Was Painted for Governor
Dinwiddie.

Washington--Mystery surrounds an
oil portrait which has arrived at
Mount Vernon. Presumably IL Is a por-
trait OF George Washington. painted
when he was a young man. But 1t has
been in obscurity so long that 1T Is diff
ficult to trace Ii with absolute ac-
curaey. The evidence Is SO strongly
In favor OF believing 1t a find that
Il place has been provided for the
painting On the walls OF Mount YER
non, and an inquiry Is being made TO
learn more regarding Its history.
Tho portrait comes to Mount Vernon
from Glasgow. Ii was seen there by
the American consul In a public exhibit
ton. In Glasgow no name was given
for the young man whose portrait 1t is.
IT was called the Unknown The
consul was struck by the similarity OF
the face to that of George Washington.
and made such inquiry as he was able
to trace Ms history. He satisfied him
self that it really WAS a portrait of
Washington. painted when he was 81
years of age.
Story Of the Portrait.
It's story learned by him and trans
mitted to the officials at Mount Vernon,
Is this:
Dinwiddie, the royal governor OF yir-
ginia during the French and Indian
war, had appointed young Washington
a major upon his own staff. The APP
pointment was made shortly before the
arrival OF Braddock. and the start OF
his Inflated expedition against Fort
Duquesne. When Washington returned,
ne had with him but the remnants OF
~Braddock's army and the story of a
disastrous defeat. Nevertheless, Wash
ngton's part In Ii all had been so full
IF bravery and sound judgment that
4 at~x..sIls, $50. ...t.wlftk.v .~l~nan1 x.stt1
MS II major. Thereupon he re-
solved that he would have painted for
himself a portrait of Washington. This
oil painting he took with him when he
returned to England TO the close OF his
official duties In Virginia, and he
showed it as a part of his private gal
lery to his friends.
But I'm a few years the word came
that Washington had turned rebel. and
was preparing to turn his military
genius against King George. That was
too much for the loyal D~inwiddie. He
tore the portrait from his walls, and
exiled 1T to the attic. There 1t long
remained. When Ii reappeared 1t was
a portrait of the Unknown"
The Young Washington.
From the picture itself 1t will not
be easy to make sure OF its ~genuineness.
but it is pretty well agreed that the
lace VI tue uthIlOWH OOhS very
much as IL would have been expected OF
Washington. judging from his later
portraits. Ii Is rather long and thin,
and is without that r~oundness which IL
The striking characteristic OF the well
known Stuart's Washington. In that
particular 1t closely resembles the
Washington known to have been paint
ed by Charles Wilson Peale from life.
The portrait was begun at Valley Forge
and Washin gton gave the final sitting
a day or two after the battle OF Mon
mouth-which indicates that Washing
tor did not acquire his supposed
roundness OF face until well into the
revolution. There are those who think
that his face was never so round as
is indicated by the Stuart portrait.
The Unknown" portrait OF Wash
ington has been placed In the banquet
hall at Mount Vernon. 1t is hung on
the west wall. and fits the space be-
tween the window and door as though
1t had been painted purposely for that
particular spot.
The portrait is about two-thirds life
size.