Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-02-24
SETTLING THE WARRINGTON
ESTATE,

ESIAlE
While the American people were hon.
orinV the memory Of Washington on the
anniversary Of his birthday little idea had
they that his estate remains unsettled,
and through the action of government
officials themselves his heirs were de-
prlved of property he had acquired by
purchase and specifically btqueathed 10
his will.
Yet such Ia the case When the revo-
Iutisn was over Virginia gave each officer
and soldier pay 10 the shape OF warrants
for lands iu her WEI tern tsrr tory. Msj r
generals received some twenty -.hFee
Thousand acres each, colODels e'ga'
Thousand, and SO on down the llue, Of
ell the troops 10 the Virginia line Wash
ipetou was the only officer who reiu,ed
ty accept pay for bis services. he VI uld
not t ks the land, because be said tlst
he felt that be had f. u I'd ample cUmpen.
sstion 10 serving his ecu itrY, and bad
enough to provide competence for those
to whom he owed it.
When be made thtt statement he bad
among his possessions little over three
thousand acres OF land in Ohio, all Of
which had teen acquired by The pur-
chase of regularly issusd land warrants.
One of these warrants called for three
thousand acres of land, and had been
lssusd to John Roetes, by the English
governor, Dulmore. Aittwsrd, WheD
the colonies bad schived t1eir indepen.
deoce, Virginia rt fed these warrants
issued under le su :hority OF the British
Crown. Later Washington bought su-
other warraL from John Cope, a revo-
lu,ionary soldier. calling for a hundred
&C es Of land. Under these two warrants
Wa, hiUL TN locsed hia lauds iD
Oleremont county and Hamilton county,
0liO.
10 the years that followed he paid
taxes on these lands, aod, upon one oc-
casioD, having heard that others we're
about ID get possession OF them through
telocstIons, wrote the federal tutaorIt es
ioqulriDg about it. They replied that
b lands would be protected, and II sny
st empt we're made upon them bY
squat ers be would be advised.
When Virginid ceded the t.nitory
which Dow constiU es the state OF Ohio
to the federal government, one Of the
prime ct pulatiOns OF the set of CessiOn
wss thst all her land warrants should
be sst SIZED. Those OF Washington we're
among list of warrants lincluded 10
this stipulation.
l. ter, when Washington wrote bis
vii be bequ a!hed these lands to certain
OF bis heirs, and advised them to hold
be properly as an investment, predict
ing a rapid enhancement In their
value.
In the mesnlime others bad made
second locations upon the lands, aud
though the Wsshln yton esltt did what
was possible to prct.cl 1t elf from this
squslter sovereignty, to this day these
lands have been handed down under
these second locstioDs. Even the field
ootes Of the Washington tu,veys we're
used in making thtse second loca
tous.
Thus, through the carslessness o
government officers, the lands viii, b
Washington regarded IS a valusb Q
part of the esste, passed from 1t with
out 8 dollar Of compensation. For a
hundred years this Injustice has been
permitted to continue.
In order that 1t may be settled,
Robert E. Lee, jr., grandson OF the
Confederate commander, aud direct de-
scendsnt of Msrths Washington, hiss
been appointed administrator de bouis
non Of the Washington estate. The
heirs are simply asking that they be
paid as much as the land would be
worth we're 1t standing in timber toda' ,
one hundred dollars an acre. HjWever
iust their claim 1t does net look now
90 If Congress will consider 1t at this
session. Thus the heirs who migf
hsvs had twenty-five thousand acres OF
land by gift are denied tle benefits o
three thousand acres which was &C.
qu,red By Washington by Eurchsse.
Ia all the list OF claims that are pend
ing before the government there II
probably net one 60 foil Of interest sut
carrying go much regret to the people
that it Is uusstis6ed as the one OF th'
estate Of the father of his country
| Monuments without number have bee'
erected to his name bat the goyerDmer
has allowed nearly half OF bis estate t
be taken from those to whom he be
qusathed it, becsule Of its lack OF carr
10 Patentiug second locstions.