River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-02-17
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owned and by Society for Preservation or
Virginia Antiquities The superintendent is r. c. Beale.
who with his wife, occupies the house.
The big living the ground floor and 10 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 part of the floor where stood Mrs WASH
ington's bed.
The walls are lined with steel engravings which be-
Ionged to Washington and some of these were her
property she Mary Ball before her marriage
to Augustine Washington, and came from her glrnood
home "Eppng Forest" in Lancaster county, about 81
miles from Fredericksburg. The room In the rear ol
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
hare Of carpets rugs and in Mrs. Washingtons
time The furnishings plain and simple.
1t was four months before the death OF Mary WASH
ingon that George Washington took his final leave OF
mother This directly before his departure 1or
New York Inauguration the first president News
of his mothers death came to him In letter from Col
Burgess Ball The president at dinner with Baron
Won Steuben Gov ST. Clair The letter was handed
the president by nephew and private secretary Rob-
ert After slowly reading it, Washington retired
private and remained there for some time
He this letter to his sister, Betty Washing
ton Lewis, at Fredericksburg:
'My Dear Sister: Col. Balls letter me the first
account Of my mothers death. Since that l have re-
ceived Mrs letter. written at your request and
previous prepared for the event by advces
of her illness coming from your son Robert
lawful and affecting the death or parent IS
there is consolation in knowing that heaven has spared
ours to an age few attain and favored her with
enjoyment
bodily strength usually falls to fourscore Under
these circumstances the hope that she is trans
lated to happier place. it is the duty of her relatives
tn WELD submission to the decree of the Creator.
.When was last in Fredericksburg took final leave
of my mother, expecting to see her more
"Your afectionate brother,
GEORGE WASHINGTON"
rbrea DAVIS after her death Mrs Washington
buried The grave in the grounds OF her daugh
ter Betty. The site of the grave was near group OF
rocks iuttng out of hillside overlooking tranqu
little valley between Fredericksburg and Maryes
Heights one the bloodest battle ridges of the civil
war This little group of gray rocks was favorte spot
with Mrs Washington
She retired there In fair weather to knit pray ana
read her Bible Because of this association with Mrs
Washington these now called the "Oratory rocks
They are shaded by heavy oak trees 1t was snaoy
pace in the days Washington and the trees that
shielded her the survived till 1862 when they
were torn to death by of shot that rolled over
the grave of mother of George Washington In the
battle between Army of Northern Virginia and the
Army of the Potomac
Susan REVERE Hetzel in history of the Mary Wash
ington association writes of Mrs Washngons funeral
as follows:
business was suspended IN the city of Fredericks-
burg: Grape hung the houses. The church was
+bronged with her neighbors Her body
followed by her loving daughter and grandchildren to
place by herself to be her resting place near the
granite powders called the Oratory rocks, where
she loved pray for her beloved during
the troublesome days of the American revolution The
coffin carried from the church on mems shoulders;
the knoll where the grave dug was covered by the
and spectators for they had lost
not only the the president but old and be-
loved friend.
THE mourning general all over the country. Press
and pulpit made note of the event. Members of con-
gress wore Grape for 80 days for distinguished off,
cial Congress passed resolution to erect monument
the mother of Washington and to that resolution
President Washington responded in note of thanks
adding:
Il attribute all my in life to the moral, In
ellectua and physical education which received from
my mother"
The government erected the monument called
Cor in the resolution Washngton's administrations
hampered by the Indian the whisky nsurrecton
and Shay's rebellion; Adams term taken up with
the French troubles and the threatened with the
directory Jeersons administration filled with the