Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-22

lklR ~ m Hi CAV VIII DOIlOI lllG ,
ln 81 81 M of George washington, the
lm u u H people at large little dream
ia NG that through the fault of
lEzAzAAxA22I the government itself his
estate still remains unset
tied, and that much of the property
which the general thought he owned
when he died has been diverted to 9TH
er people. Yet such is the case. In
order that his will may be carried out
an administrator de bonis non has been
appointed, and steps are being taken
to have the government right the
wrong which was done him. Robert e..
Lee, ir., grandson of the Copfederate
commander, is the administrator, and
/ Greenlee Letcher, a son of the famous
war governor of Virginia, is one of the
lawyers for the estate. Lawrence and
Samuel washington are the agents for
the heirs.
1t will be remembered that General
Washington accepted no pay for his
services as commander of the revolu-
tionary forces. When offered $4,000
acres Of land as a gratuity for his ser
vices he refused it, saying that he had
enough to provide those who were OF
his family with a competence A part
of the estate at the time he made this
declaration was 5000 acres of land IN
Clermont county, Ohio. He mad come
into the possession of this land through
the purchase of q land warrant calling
for 5000 acres to be located west of the
Ohio river. 1t had been issued regu-
larly by Governor Dunmore in favor of
John Rootes. In 1855 the Virginia legis-
lature passed an act making valid such
warrants as that held by Washington,
and providing that they should be To-
Gated on the western side of the OHIO
river in the vacant land reserved for
the officers and soldiers of the ReVolu-
ton.
Later washington bought warrant
for 100 acres of land issued to Thomas
Cope for service in the Continental line
from Virginia. He then had his two
warrants entered, with S39 acres of land
in Franklin township, Clermont county.
Ohio, 1898 acres in MAMA township, on
the Little Miami river, S4S acres in
Union township and 129 acres in An
derson township, Hamilton county. The
Virginia legislature afterward perfect
ed Washingtons titles.
When Virginia ceded to the general
government the territory of which the
state of Ohio now forms part, 1t was
expressly stipulated that all necessary
land between the Scioto and Little MI
ami rivers should be reserved for the
satisfaction of such military land war
rants as Virginia issued or might
issue to those who fought in defense
of their country. Under the general
laws of the state every major general
in her line of the Revolutionary army
was entitled to approximately 25,0OO
acres of land. Washington was the
only one OF them who did not take ad-
vantage of this provision, and in keep
ing with his fixed principle TO accept
no compensation for his services eN-
cept that which arises from sense OF
patriotic duty earnestly Performed, he
never accepted foot of land or other
financial reward from the nation ne
had done so much to found.
A rumor at one time reached the
ears of General Washington that 9TH
ers were locating upon his lands IN
Ohio. He wrote to the officials IN
charge and was assured that such was
not the case, but that II any steps
were taken placing them in jeopardy
he would be notified. He paid taxes
on these lands until the time of his
death and his heirs continued to do 50
for some time thereafter. In MS VIII
he Dequeathed the property TO certain
of his heirs and advised them against
selling at an early date, as he believed
the rapid enhancement in it's value
would provide them better invest
ment than any other securities IN
witch the money derived from its sale
could be invested. 1t was on TINS ad-
vice If Washington that the helrs helu
the land.
Meanwhile other people came IN ana
made a second entry upon the lanu.
That they were squatters is shown by
the fact that the surveyor used the
field notes of the Washington survey
i'm locating the entries. There We're
various proceedings in congress from
time to time intended to protect the
title of the Washington estate to the
ohio land. but the matter was never
adjusted and was finally lost slght OF
after the last action of the orlglnal
executors of the estate.
There were other second locations Oh
lands on the western reserve, but IN
every case it is said that the losses
were made good either by relocations
or scrip. Washington's estate alone
lost it's lands for good. In 1852 there
was a law enacted providing for the
issuance of scrip in such cases, put
the affairs of the Washington estate
had been settled and there was no one
to make the application for the scrip;
In 1899 there was another law enacted
which cut off the right to nave THESE
old warrants satisfied by scrip.
1t is held by the Washington heirs
that this law was unconstltuuonai
that one of the conditions upon whlch
Virginia gave her western territory