Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-22
WASHINGTON SSW0RD
J. Pierpont Morgan Buys the
Famous Relic
FROM BALTIMORE WOMAN
Miss Virginia T. Lewis Forced to
Sell Historic Blade.
WILL GO TO MOUNT VERNON
Worn When Washington Resigned
Commission in Continental Army
and Also at His Inauguration.

| Special Dispatch to The Star
BALTIMORE January 22.-J. Pierpont
Morgan, the New York financier, has
purchased from Miss Virginia Tayloe
Lewis of this city the sword worn by
Gen. George Washington when he re-
signed his commission as commander-in-
chief Of the continental army in An
napolis in 1888.
Mr.. Morgan will make a contribution of
this historic relic to the Mount Vernon
Association. to be permanently kept at
Gen. Washingtons old home on the banks
of the Potomac, eight miles below Alex
andria.
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 it
| to those in charge of the Mount Vernon
estate.
The price paid for the sword will not be
divulged by either the buyer or the seller.
| One thing can be stated, and that is that
Mr.. Morgan made the full payment agreed
upon by his personal check No one
| joined with him in the transaction and
| no one was asked to do SO.
Senate Tried to Buy It.
| The value of the sword may be cleaned
frcm the further fact that some years ago
the United States Senate passed a bill
appropriating $4,000 for its purchase
from the owner This bill, however, failed
| of passage by the House of Representa-
| tiyes. 1t never became Il law and was
| never afterward brought up. The de-
| scendants of Gen. Washington who held
it had too much personal pride for fur
| Their appeal to public patriotism, and the
matter was allowed to rest far as con-
| CrpSSinna1 action concerned
| Miss Lewis, who has had ownership OF
the sword for more than a quarter of a
century, was only induced to part with
| it from force of personal necessity aris-
ing from financial reverses. This, how
ever, made it essential for her to obtain
money. and she consented to let Mr.. Nor
gan have the relic at the price he Offer
ed, 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 assured that the pur-
chaser intended it as gift where 1t
would become a public exhibit of the
other mementoes of her worthy ancestor.
In Safety Vault for Twenty Years.
For the last twenty years this sword
has been deposited in the vaults of the
Mercantile Trust and Deposit Company of
this city. Negotiations for its sale to
Mr. Morgan were conducted by Gen. John
Gill, president of the company, who has
| long been a personal friend of the New
| York capitalist.
| When Mr. Morgan signified his willing
ness to make the purchase. Gen Gill
went over to New York to arrange the
details. He carried the sword with him.
| This was placed in the vaults of the Han
over National Bank of that city. Mr.
James Il. Woodward, a personal friend of
Gen. Gill and of Mr.. Morgan, is president
of this institution. He will hold the sword
subject to Mr.. Morgans order.
1t is not thought there will be any cere-
mony attending it's transfer to the Mount
| Vernon Association. This, however, is a
| matter wholly in the hands of Mr.. Nor
gan or his representatives, who will prob
ably confer with the members of the asso-
! citation, asking their wishes in the matter.
| The fact that the sword has been prac-
| tically hidden for quarter of century
| might make some public exhibition of it
| desirable, either in New York or Wash
| ington, before it finds it's final resting
place at Mount Vernon.
Double Historic Interest.
This sword has double historic inter-
| est from the fact Gen. Washington also
wore it on the occasion of his Inaugural
ton as President in New York, April 80,
1859.
| a brief sketch of how 1t came into the
| Lewis family is interesting. In Gen.
| Washingtons will he said:
ITO each of my nephews, William Au-
gustine Washington George Lewis
George Steptoe Washington. Bushrod
| Washington and Samuel Washington,
| give one of the swords or couteauX OF
which 1 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 its rights, and in the latter
case to keep them unsheathed and prefer
falling with them in their hands to the
| REIMBURSEMENT thereof
| Sword Rapier.
| 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 rapier. having a silver
| flagree handle and guard. with a sword
knot to correspond attached There is a
sheepskin OF white parchment scabbard,
silver mounted, supported by green
webbing belt.
Mai. George Lewis, the first owner, pre-
scented this sword to his son Samuel. 1t
was in turn beeueathed 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.