Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1911-06-16
D, A. r. Meeting.

OF its members, Mrs. James Louehborousb
In the lower part of Bethesda District.
There was full attendance of members
and several guests were present. The old
estate and ancient Manor House, called
Milton, served as a fit setting for an
assemblage of chapter interested as is
the Janet Montgomery in the preservation
OF the historical associations of our county.
The old Loughborough family is identi-
fed with the earliest history of this region.
They owned "Grasslands," purchased by
the late William C. Whitney, while Secre-
tary OF the Navy, and the old "Lough-
borough Road gives evidence of the in
huence in naming that highway and other
points of interest in this part of the State
and District of Columbia. One portion of
the old mansion was built long before the
Revolution, and the massive stonework of
the more recent edifice was erected in lS46.
making pile ancient for these times,
when the chief aim of man seems to be a
desire to pull down modern structures. to
say nothing of the demolition of old land
marks.
/ To Squire and Mrs. Loughborough have
been born within the walls of the old home
an old-fashioned family of twelve children.
Mrs. Loughborough was bride of the Con-
federacy, and for over year or more pre-
ceding the fall of Richmond acted as
secretary to Colonel Taylor, Auditor of the
Confederacy. Recently Mrs. Loughborough
was asked what memory of the great con-
fiict remained most wildly in her mind d?
She replied that her distinct recollection
was that she was hungry most of the time.
The business of the meeting concerned
exclusively the historical work upon which
the chapter is engaged. Mrs. H. T. New
comb, of the Committee on Revolutionary
Graves, presented a report General Ale
shire has informed the chapter that the
marker for the grave of DR.. Waters. surgeon
in SmallwoOd's division of the Maryland
Line. cannot be delivered in time for the
ceremonies by the chapter intended on Flag
Day. Mrs. Newcomb read a letter from
Beverly COdwise, ESQ.,, of this county. that
at a meeting of the Farmers Club of
Goshen, on May 18TH the members had
voted to attend in body when the grave
of Dr. Waters is marked
The REGENT. Mrs. Croxall, appointed a
committee on the BraddOck Trail to locate
the route taken by the British General
through the county in 1755. This COM
mittee is composed of the following mem
bers: Miss Margaret Fields, of Rockville;
Mrs. James Loughborough and Mrs. Frank
P. Stone. of Bethesda; Mrs Harry New
comb. of Bethesda Park, and the Regent
of the chapter, ex officio.
The Hungerford Tavern Committee re-
ports progress. Mrs. David H. Warfield,
of that committee has prepared letter to
be sent to all the white voters of the
county. many of whom are descendants of
the soldiers furnished by Montgomery
county to the Continental troops. This
circular asks for contribution of one
dollar each, to be used in the preservation
of Hungerford Tavern at Rockville, where
was passed one of the most important acts
that brought on the Revolution. It's hoped
there Will be manyrespOnses to this appeal
for it is the desire of the Janet Montgomery
to preserve this historic spot as memorial
to the Revolutionary heroes who served in
the Revolutionary Army, contributed by
old Montgomery, of whom there is a record
of nine hundred. All residents of the
county are asked to contribute to this
cause, and any sum. however small, will
be appreciated by the chapter. Contribu-
tons may be sent to Mrs. David H. War
field, Treasurer of the Janet Montgomery,
Rockville. Box 81, or any chapter member.
Subscriptions will also be received in care
Sentinel and Advocate" at Rockville. and
Montgomery Press" at Kensington.
The feature of the meeting at Mrs
Loughborough's was an address by the
Hon. Hugh T. Taggart, former District At
torney of the District of Columbia, on the
subject Of the Braddock Road Mr.. Tag
CART is probably the best authority we
have on this famous historical trail He has
personally given much of his time to the
investigation of the line of march taken
by Gen. Braddock through the District and
Maryland. His researches long ante-date
those of Prof LacOck, of Harvard College,
who has conducted expeditions of engineers
and students the past three or four sum
mers from Fort Cumberland to Pittsburg,
formerly the site of Fort Duquesne. Mr..
Taggarts remarks were most instructive
and entertaining It seems there is a dis
pute about the road from Mt. St. Adams
in the District to Owens Ordinary. now
Rockville. The River Road" is one claim
ant and the old Georgetown and Rockville
Road the other. Mr.. Taggart is inclined to
think the River Road was the one to be
logically taken by General BraddOck, as it
was then in existence and the other was
not. II seems more reasonable to suppose
. that a road already traversed would have
been chosen rather than to deliberately
elect to cut way through the wilderness.
of which undertaking BraddOcks men had
sufficient experience later on. As Brad
dock marched from Georgetown to Lau-
renee Owens Ordinary, distance of fifteen
miles in one day. he could not have spent
much time in carving out an independent
route through an unbroken country. II
was only over a travelled road at hand
that he could have made such progress.
Mr. Taggart said that all are agreed that
BraddOck's men camped at Owens Ordi-
nary the first night and that the chapter
would be safe in placing a boulder or
/ monument there to mark the trail. Mr..
Taggart gave an interesting description Of
the Rolling Roads" for tobacco used by
the planters to get their huge drums OF
THE Weed" rolled to the main road, and
thence to the shipping point at Georgetown.