Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1909-07-02
Saved the
Declaration
From British

generation know how near to being
lost was once the most precious of our
national documents. the Declaration of
Independence. IL was during the war
OF 1872. The Decla, alton of Independ-
ence hung. for many years, in frame
in the state department in the room
then occupied by Stephen Pleasonton.
who moved to Washington in 1900
with the government Mr.. Monroe,
when he was elected president, Gre
ated new Office, which was conferred
upon Mr.. Pleasonton, that OF chief of
the lighthouse establishment, to which
was added the auditing of the minis
terial and consular accounts.
Mr.. Beaseley, commissary of prison.
ers of war in London, forwarded 70
the state department some London
newspapers stating that the English
fleets and transports were receiving
troops at Bordeaux. France. with the
intention of operating against Wash
ington and Baltimore.
Upon receipt OF this information,
which was few days before the enc
my entered Washington, Mr.. Monroe,
then secretary OF state. James Madison
being president, mounted his horse,
rode to Benedict, a small village on
the Patuxent, where the British forces
were being landed, and climbed an
eminence within a quarter of mile
Of the village. in order to ascertain the
strength of the enemy. Being con-
vinced after his inspection that we
had no force available that could sue
cessfully resist them; he sent note to
Mr.. Pleasonton by a vidette, advising
him to Sc that the best care was taken
of the books and papers OF the state
department.
Acting at once upon this authority
Mr.. Pleasonton purchased some coarse
linen and had 1t made into bags of
suitable size, in which he. assisted by
the others of the Office, placed the
books and other papers
Mr.. Pleasonton had the bags carted
to grist mill which he selected as a
suitable depository The mill, which
was unoccupied, belonged TO Edgar
Paterson, and was situated on the Vir-
ginia side of the Potomac, beyond the
Chain bridge. two miles above George
town.
The last load had left and Mr.. Pleas
onton was just quitting the vacant
rooms, when, turning back suddenly
to see whether anything had been left
behind. 10 his CONSERVATION he saw
the Declaration OF Independence
which had been overlooked. still hang
ing upon the wall. He hastily cut II
out of the frame and carried It away
with the other papers.
He then began to be uneasy about
the place he had chosen, for II the
British took Washington. which he
firmly believed they would do. and
very soon at that, they would in al
probability detach force for the pur'
pose of destroying a foundry for the
making of cannon and shot in the
neighborhood, and OF course would
consider a grist mill too valuable {
thing to be left standing in a country
they meant TO subdue. Mr. Pleasontor
therefore visited some of the Virginia
farm houses, whose owners were only
too willing to loan him wagons II
which to convey the documents 4
Leesburg, a distance OF rs miles Their
they were deposited in an empty
house, the keys OF which were giver
10 Rev. Mr.. Littlejohn. who was ont
of the collectors of internal revenue.
Worn out with his labors, Mr.. Pleas
onton states In a letter, he retired
early to bed that night and slep
soundly. Next morning he was In
formed by the people of the little tav
ern where he had stayed that evening
that they had seen during the night
the same being the oath of August,
large FIRE in the direction of Washing
ton, which proved to be the light from
the public buildings, which the enem,
had set on fire and burned to tn
ground.
When he returned TO Washington OF
the Goth he found the public build
ings still burning, and learned that tn
British army had evacuated the cit
the preceding evening, in the belle
that the Americans were again assem-
bling in the rear for the purpose @
cutting on their retreat
But as the British feet still hovere
In the neighborhood and threatene
Washington with a second invasion
II was not considered safe TO bring III
papers of the state department bac
for some weeks In the meantime Nj
Pleasonton made occasional trips
Leesburg for particular papers
which the secretary OF state had occs
sion to refer Ia the transaction of bus
ness.