Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-06-29
SAVING The
DECLARATION.

" near TO being lost was once
the most precious of our na.
tional documents. the Declaration of
Independence 1t was during the war
of 1St2. The Declaration OF Independ
ence hung for many years i'm II frame
in the state department In the room
then occupied by stephen i'leasouion.
who moved TO Washington in iSOo
with the government. MIR Monroe.
when he was elected president. created
new office. which was conferred
upon Mr.. Pleasonton, that of chief
of the lighthouse establishment. to
which was added the auditing OF the
ministerial and consular accounts. This
office was retained by Mr.. Pleasonton
under all the succeeding administra.
lions until his death. which occurred
in 1855.
Mr.. Beaseley. commissary of prison
ers of war In London. forwarded TO the
state department some London news
papers stating that the English fleets
and transports were receiving troops
at Bordeaux. France, with the inten-
ton of operating against Washington
and Baltimore. Soon after IL was
/ learned that the British fleet was In
the Chesapeake bay and that 1t was
/ ascending tue PatuXent- The officials
and citizens of the little Capital City
were hourly expecting an attack.
Mr.. PleasOnton purchased some
coarse linen and had it made into bags
Of suitable size, in which he, assisted
by the others of the Office, placed the
books and other papers.
While engaged In this work General
Armstrong, then secretary of war,
passing the state department on his
way 10 his own Office. remarked that
he thought they were unnecessarily
alarming themselves. as he did not
think the British were serious In their
intentions Of coming to Washington.
Fortunately Mr.. Pleasonton was Of a
different opinion.
For the papers which Mr.. Pleasonton
had placed In the coarse linen bags
comprised the secret journals OF con
gress, then not published; the CORE
spOndence Of General Washington. his
commission. resigned ut the close OF
the war; the correspondence of Gen
eral Greene and other officers OF the
Revolution, as we'll as laws, treaties
and correspondence of the department
Of state from the adoption of the con
stitution down to that time.
Mr.. Pleasonton had the bags carried
to a gristmill. which he selected as q
suitable depository. two miles above
Georgetown.
The last load had left and Mr.. Pleas
onton was just quitting the vacan
rooms when, turning back suddenly t'
see whether anything had been lief
behind, TO his CONSERVATION he saw
the Declaration OF Independence, whici
had been overlooked. still hanging
upon the wall. He hastily cut II on
of the frame and carried ii away witt
the other papers.
He then began to be uneasy abou
the place he had chosen. for If tn
British took Washington. which h
, | firmly believed they would do. an
. very soon at that, they would I'm a
p probability detach force to destro
a foundry for the making Of canno
and shot in the neighbOrhOod and, G
course. would consider a gristmill 10
valuable n thing TO be left Standin
in a country they meant TO subdu'
n Mr.. Pleasonton therefore visited SON
Q of the Virginia farmhouses. who's
owners were only too willing TO len
him wagons in which to convey IL
e documents to Leesburg. "A distance {
thirty-five miles. There they were d
2 posted In an empty house.
N Worn out with his labors, Mr.. Plea
onton states In a letter, he retired ear
to bed that night and slept soundl
l. Next morning he was informed by Il
people Of the little tavern where
had stayed that evening that they h;
seen during the night, the same bell
y, the oath Of August, large fire In {
|? direction Of Washington, which prov
to be the light from the public bull
SIS ings, which the enemy had set on f
e and burned to the ground.
r. When he returned to Washington
the 26th he found the public buildin
In still burning and learned that the BT
Mt ish army had evacuated the city {
r. preceding evening.