The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1910-02-18

owned and cared by the Society for
Virginia Antiquities The superintendent is R. c. Beae
who, with his wife, occupies the house.
The big living the ground floor and to the
left of the is that in which Mrs. Washington
died AS nearly possible it is preserved as Mrs.
Washington kept it. rare old mahogany tester bed
stands that part Of the floor where stood Mrs Wash
tngton's bed
The walls are lined with steel engravings which be-
ionged to Mrs Washington and Of these were her
property when she Mary Ball before her marriage
to Augustine Washington. and from her girlhood
home "Epping Forest" in Lancaster county, about 80
miles from Fredericksburg The room in the rear OF
this living and sleeping the dining room and
the same table around which the Washingtons ate
stands in the middle of the floor. The dining room is
bare of carpets rugs and in Mrs. Washington's
time The furnishings plain and simple.
1t four months before the death of Mary Wash
ngton that George Washington took his final leave of
his mother This directly before his departure for
New York for Inauguration the first president News
his mothers death to him in letter from Col
Burgess Ball The president was at dinner with Baron
Won Steuben Gov. ST. Clair The letter handed
the president by his nephew and private secretary Rob-
ert Lewis After slowly reading it. Washington retired
to his private and remained there for time
He then wrote this letter to his sister, Betty Washing
ton Lewis, at fredericksburg
"My Dear Sister: Col Balls letter gave the first
account of my mothers death Since that have re
ceyed Mrs Carriers letter. written at request and
previous both prepared for the event by adV1ces
of her illness coming from your Robert
awful and affecting as the death OF parent is.
there is consolation knowing that heaven has spared
ours to age which few attain and favored her with
the full enjoyment of her mental faculties and much
bodily strength usually falls to fourscore Under
these circumstances and in the hope that she Is trans
lated to happier place. it the duty Of her relatives
to yield submission to the decree of the Creator
when was last in Fredericksburg took final leave
of my mother, expecting to see her more.
your afectonate brother
GEORGE WASHINGTON"
Three days after her death Mrs. Washington was
buried grave in the grounds Of her daugh
ter Betty The site of the grave near group OF
rocks juttng of hillside overlooking tranquil
little valley between Fredericksburg and Marye's
Heights one the boodies battle ridges Of the civil
war; little group of rocks favorite spot
with Mrs Washington.
She retired there in fair weather to knit pray and
read her Bible of this association with Mrs
Washington these now called the "Oratory rocks
They are shaded by heavy oak trees. 1t shady
place the days of Mrs Washington and the trees that
shielded from the survived till 1852 when they
death by the storm Of shot that rolled over
the grave of the mother of George Washington in the
between the Army of Northern Virginia and the
Army of the Potomac.
Susan REVERE Hetzel, history of the Mary Wash
ngton association writes of Mrs Washngtons funeral
as follows:
Business suspended in the city of Fredericks-
burg: Grape hung from the houses. The church
thronged with friends and neighbors Her body
followed by her loving daughter and grandchildren to
place herself to be her resting place the
granite powders called the Oratory rocks where
she loved retire and for her beloved during
the troublesome days of the American revolution The
coffin carried from the church mems shoulders;
the knoll where the grave was dug covered by the
of and spectators for they had lost
only the mother of the president but old and be-
loved friend.
1.-THE mourning general all the country. Press
and pulpit made note of the event. Members of con-
gress Grape for 80 days for distinguished off,
Congress passed resolution to erect monument
to the mother of Washington and to that resolution
President Washington responded in note of thanks
adding:
"T attribute all my success in life to the moral,
telectua and physical education which received from
my mother"
Cor in the resolution Washngton's administrations
hampersd by the Indian wars, the whisky instruction
and Shay's rebellion; Adams term taken up with
the French troubles and the threatened with the
directory Jeersons administration filled with the