Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-08-17
LAST LOOK
It Preserved the Declaration Of
independence In 1914.
SAVED IT FROM The BRITISH.

SAVED II FROM The BRITISH.
Tho Precious Document Would Have
Been In the State Department When
It Was Burned but For Pleasonton's
Final Glance Around tho Room.
Comparatively few OF the present
generation know how near to being
lost was once the most precious Of our
national documents, the Declaration
Of Independence. It was during the
war Of 1912. The Declaration of indie
pendence hung for many years in a
frame In the state department in the
room then occupied by Stephen Pleas
onton. MI. Beaseley, commissary of
prisoners Of war in London, forwarded
to the state department some London
newspapers, stating that the English
fleets and transports were receiving
troops at Bordeaux, France, with the
intention Of operating against Wash
ington and Baltimore. Soon after it
was learned that the British feet was
tn Chesapeake bay and that it was
ascending the Patuxent The officials
and citizens Of the little capital city
were hourly expecting an attack.
Upon receipt Of this information,
which was few days before the
enemy entered Washington, Mr.. Mon
roe, then secretary of state. James
Madison being president, mounted his
horse, rode to Benedict, a small village
on the Patuxent, where the British
forces were being landed, and climbed
an eminence within quarter Of mile
OF the village, in order to ascertain
the strength Of the enemy. Being con-
vinced, after bis inspection, that we
had no force available that could sue
cessfully resist them, he sent a note to
Mr.. Pleasonton by a vidette, advising
him to see that the best care was TAX
en- Of the books and papers Of the state
department.
Acting at once upon this authority,
Mr.. Pleasonton purchased some coarse
linen and had it made into bags Of
suitable size. in which he, assisted by
others in 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 to his own Office, remarked that
he thought they we're unnecessarily
alarming themselves, as he did not
think the British were serious in their
intentions Of coming to Washington.
Fortunately Mr.. Pleasonton was Of
different opinion. and observed that it
was the part Of prudence to take meas
ures to preserve these valuable papers
of the revolutionary government. Had
Mr.. Pleasonton delayed but few
days, had he followed the advice of
the secretary Of war, an irreparable
loss would have been sustained. For
the papers which Mr.. Pleasonton had
placed in the coarse linen bags COM
prised the secret journals Of congress,
then not published; the correspondence
Of General Washington, his commits
sion. resigned ut the close of the war;
the correspondence Of General Greene
and other officers of the Revolution. as
we'll as laws. treaties and correspond
ence Of the department of state from
the adoption Of the constitution down
to that time.
Mr.. Pleasonton had the bags carted
to grist mill, which he selected as a
suitable depository. The mill, which
was unoccupied, belonged to Edgar
Patterson and was situated on the
Virginia side Of the Potomac, beyond
the Chain bridge. two miles above
Georgetown.
The last load had left, and Mr..
Pleasonton was just quitting the va
cant rooms when. glancing back sud-
denly to see whether anything had
been left behind, to his CONSERVATION
be saw the Declaration Of 1ndepend-
ence, which had been overlooked,
hanging upon the wall. He hastily
cut it out of the frame and carried 1t
away with the other papers.
He then began to be uneasy about
the place he had chosen. for II the
British took Washington. which he |
firmly believed they would do, and
very soon at that, they would in all
probability detach force for the pur-
pose of destroying foundry for the
making of cannon and shot in the
and, Of course, would
grist mill too valuable q
thing to be left standing in a country
they meant to subdue. Mr.. Pleason-
ton therefore visited some Of the Vir-
yinia farmhouses, whose owners were
only too willing to loan him wagons
IN which to convey the documents to
Leesburg, a distance Of thirty-five
niles. There they were deposited In
IN empty house. the keys Of which
we're given to Rev. Mr.. Littlejohn. who !!
vas one of the collectors of internal
revenue.
Worn out with his labors. Mr.. Pleas
,nton states in letter, he retired ear
=, IN hod th,t nipht and silent SOundly, i