The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-14
THE HISTORY OF WASHINGTON 'SSWO8D Famous Weapon Purcha8e1 by
 J, P. Morgan WITH PATRIOTIC MOTIVE Donates Memento to Mt Vernon Asso- citation and Sword Will Be Placed
 In Old Washington Home
 On the Potomac.
WITH PATRIOTIC MOTIVE
From the Baltimore Sun.

From the Baltimore Sun.
 Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan, the New York banker, has purchased from Miss Virginia Tayloe Lewis of this city, the sword worn by General George Washington when he resigned his commission as com mander in chief of the Continental army in Annapolis in 17S3.
 MT. Morgan will make contribution of this historic relic to the Mt. Vernon association, to be permanently kept at General washingtons old home on the banks of the Potomac eight miles below Alexandria.
 He did not make the purchase to keep this valuable memento in his collection of rare bric-a-brac. He did it from patriotic motives, and will in due time present 1t to those in charge of the Mt. Vernon estate.
 The price paid for the sword will not be divulged by either the buyer rthe seller. One thing can be stated, and that is that MT. Morgan made the full pay ment agreed upon by his personal check. No one joined with him in the transac- ton, and no one was asked to do so.
 The value of the sword may be gleaned from tue further fact that some years ago the United States senate passed a bill appropriating $25, 900 for its purchase from the owner. This bill, however, failed of passage by the house of representatives. It never became a law and was never afterward brought up. The descendants of General Washington who held it had too much personal pride for a further ap- peal to public patriotism, and the matter was allowed to rest so far as congress sional action was concerned.
 Miss Lewis, who has had ownership of the swordfor more than a quarter of a century, was only induced to part with it from a force of personal neces- sity arising from financial reverses. This, however, made it essential for her to obtain money, and she consented to let MT. Morgan have the relic at the price he offered, which is said to have been liberal.
 Even under these conditions her con sent to part with it was obtained only after she had been insured that the purchaser intended it as a gift where it would become public exhibit of the other mementoes of her worthy ances tors.
 For the last 20 years this sword has been deposited In the vaults of the Mer- canti1e Trust and Deposit company of this city. Negotiations for its sale to MT. Morgan were conducted by Gen. John Gill, president of the company, who has long been a personal friend of the New York capitalist.
 When MT Morgan signited his will ingness to make the purchase General Gill.went over to New York to arrange the details. He carried the sword with him. This was placed in the vaults of the Hanover National bank of that city. James T. Woodward a personal friend of General Gill and of MT. Morgan, is president of this institution. He will hold the sword subject to MT. Morgan's order.
 It is not thought there will be any ceremony attending it's transfer to the Mt. Vernon association. This, however, is a matter wholly in the hands of MT. Morgan or his representative, who will probably confer with the members of the association, asking their wishes in the matter. The fact that the sword has been practically hidden for a quarter of a century might make some public exhibition of 1t desirable, either in New York or Washington, before it finds it's final resting place at Mt. Yer non.
 This sword has a double historic inter est from the fact that General Washing ton also wore it on the occasion of his in- auguration as President ip New York, April 30, 17S9.
 A brief sketch of how 1t came into the Lewis family is interesting. In General Washingtons will he said:
 ''To each of my nephews, William Au- gustine Washington, George Lewis George Steptoe Washington, Bushrod Washington and Samuel Washington, l give one of the swords or couteaux of which l may die possessed, and they are to choose in the order they are named These swords are accompanied with an injunction not to unsheath them for the purpose of shedding blood except it be for self-defense or in defense of their country and it's rights, and in the latter case to keep them unsheathed and prefer falling with them in their hands to the relinquishment thereof"
 Maj. George Lewis who was entitled to the second choice under this provision, was the son of Col Fielding Lewis and Betty Washington, the only sister of the general.
 The sword is a napier, having a silver filagree handle and guard, with a sword knot to correspond attached, There is sheepskn or white parchment scabbard, silver mounted, supported by a green webbing belt
 Mai George Lewis, the first owner, pre- scented this sword to his son Samuel It was In turn bequeathed by him to his son George w. Lewis. and by him to his brother, Henry Howell Lewis, the father of Miss Virginia Tayloe Lewis who re- ceived it from her father as a personal gift.