Evening star., 1909-05-17
GRAND SIRE OF MANY
John Witherspoon Founder of
a Numerous Family.
NAMES FOUND IN HISTORY
Many Of His Descendants Have Left
Their Marks on Time.
STATUE UNVEILED THIS WEEK
Long List Of Great-Grandchildren
and Other Descendants to At
tend Thursdays Ceremony.
STATUE UNVEILED THIS WEEK
ny WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
II all the descendants of John Wither-
spoon come to see his monument un-
yelled May 20, at the conjunction OF
Connecticut avenue, 18th and N streets,
in this city, the accommodations for
spectators will have to be larger than
usual. The list is long, and contains
the names of many men and women VINO
have been prominent in peace and war.
in politics. diplomacy, education, In the
pulpit, at the bar, and in the Congress
Of the United States. John Ca'bell Breck-
inridge of Kentucky, Vice President Oh
the United States from 1856 to leoV'
Clifton r. Breckenridge OF Arkansas
who served with distinction in the House
of Representatives, and was ambassador
to Russia during the Cleveland admin
istration, and many others OF the great
tribe of Breckenridge call John Wither-
spoon grandfather; Mrs. John Sharp Will
liams, wife Of the late leader of the demo-
cratic minority Of the House OF Repre-
sentatives, and senator-elect from the
state Of Mississippi; Mrs. Charles Francis
Adams of Boston, Nine. Godoy. wife OF
former minister from Chile to the
United States; Gen. Wotherspoon OF the
United States Army. who spells MS
name differently; Rev. DR.. Jere Wither-
spoon of Richmond, one Of the most
prominent and eloquent divines In the
south; several officers OF the army ana
navy, and the wives OF others. appear In
a list Of 129 descendants. which has been
lips Of Tampa, Fla, who says that
several other descendants are now liv-
ing in Europe and Chile. All of them
have been invited to attend the un-
yelling OF the statue of their ancestor.
T.lere Is another statue OF John With
erspoon, in Fairmount Park, Philadel-
phia; Witherspoon Hall is one OF the
principal buildings at Princeton UNI
versity, OF which he was president, ana
Witherspoon building in Philadelphia was
named in his honor.
Died 115 Years Ago.
John Witherspoon died at his country
residence, Tusculum, Somerset county,
N. J., November Is, 1894, at the age Of
years. His will. probated
November q, 1874, made his wife Anne,
whom he married in 1871, sole executrix.
and he beuueathed to each of his three
children by his first wife, John W1ther-
spoon. David Witherspoon and Ann With
erspoon, ESQ; to his grandsons, John w.
Smith, John w. Ramsay and John Nash
Witherspoon when they reached the age
of eighteen years, ESQ each: to his
daughter, Frances E. Wftherspoon ne
left half Of the residue, and the remainder
to his wife. Anne Dill Witherspoon BY
a codicil dated November II. 1874. he
left my daughter Mary Witnerspoon;
one-half of the estate instead of Frances.
1t is probable that Frances died In the
meantime
John Witherspoon was married twice.
His first wife was Elizabeth. daughter OF
Robert Montgomery Of Carighouse. Ayr
death, in 1885, he married Anne, a young
woman of twenty years, widow of DR..
Dill Of New York.
BY his first wife he had three sons and
two daughters; by his second wife. in his
old age after his SEVENTEEN birthday, he
had two daughters.
James Witherspoon. the oldest son, was
a major in the revolutionary army, and
did good service. He graduated from
Princeton College In ITO, and from the
little we know Of him 1t may be judged
that he was a man of courage and ability.
While he was with the northern army, aft
er the battle of Ticonderoga, he was sent
with one companion upon scouting ex-
pedition into Canada, and narrowly es-
capped capture by the British. Finding
hiding places in the forest, they succeeded
in eluding their pursuers, but were with
out food, except one biscuit each, for
three days. and when they reached head
quarters were very nearly exhausted.
battle Of Germantown October 4, 1777,
by the same cannon ball that killed Gen.
Francis Nash of North Carolina, a bri
gade commander.
Captured by the British.
John Witherspoon, the second, gradu-
ated from Princeton in 1878. studied medi-
1sr S, hA
mental army, serving from 1776 until the
close of the war. He was sent to Eu-
rope to purchase surgical instruments and
medicinal supplies, and was on his way
on the privateer Degraff when it was
captured by the British at St. Eustatius
and taken to London as a prisoner. Be
was treated with unusual harshness in
prison. and John Witherspoon wrote to
Benjamin Franklin, then in Paris, to do
the best that could be done in his behalf.
Franklin finally obtained his release after
much difficulty, brought him to Paris
and gave him a home until his father
sent him money for his expenses back to
was able to start the young physician on
Ibis homeward way. and wrote John
Witherspoon as follows:
II hope you will have the pleasure of
receiving with this yonr long-absent son,
who appears to me a valuable young
man."
President Witherspoon does not seem to
have had so high an opinion Of his son
and namesake, or at least they did not
get along very well together. The reason
for their differences are not known.
Witherspoon left very few family letters
and nearly all of those that are preserved
were written to his third son. David, who
was a school teacher in Virginia. and a
member of the faculty of Hampden-
Sydney College in that state. He also
served as secretary to the president of
Congress-" but whether that was Jonn
Hancock. Peyton Randolph. Henry Mid
dletOn, Henry Laurens John Jay or some
other president is uncertain.
In his letters to David President With
shows a deep paternal affection
and solicitude for his son, and his ad-
lhonitions were admirable With the stu
dents at Princeton he was congenial and
but for some reason or an
other he quarreled with his namesake
during the later years Of Johns life,
which were spent at st. Stephens. s. c.,
where his cousin, Capt. James Wither-
spoon, was settled as early as 1874 John
practiced medicine there until 1895 when
he was lost at sea.
Career Of His Favorite Son.
David, the third son, who seems to have
been the favorite Of his father. graduated
at Princeton in 1774. taught school, be-
came a professor at Hampden-Sydney
College. Virginia, and was lieutenant OF a.
company made up of students of that col
lege. organized to participate in the battle
Of Yorktown. He married the widow of
Gov. Abner Nash Of North Carolina,
through whom he inherited a large estate.
He located at Newburn, N. c., studied