The Washington herald., 1911-07-04


when Mrs. Madison escaped from the
White House she cut from the frame the
large portrait of Washington (now in one
Of the parlors there) and carried 1t OF.
This is totally false. She had no time for
doing 1t. It would have required ladder
to get 1t down. All she carried of was
the silver in her reticule, as the British
were thought to be but a few squares
OF and were expected every moment"
Story of the Rescue.
But whether the story of the portrait is
a fable or not, the fact that the Declara-
ton Of Independence was rescued is a
fact It was taken to a grist mill on
the Virginia side of the Potomac River,
above the Chain bridge, and later was
kept at Leesburg. The story is told in
letter written by Gen. Stephen Pleason-
ton, assistant to the chief clerk Of the
State Department under Madison, to
William H. Winder. of Philadelphia, in
1S4S This was thirty-four years after
the occurrence, but the writer said that
his memory was perfectly clear as to the
main details.
According to his narrative, when the
British were in the Chesapeake and 1t
was rumored that they were ascending
the Patuxent for the purpose OF attack
ing Washington, Secretary Monroe went
on horseback to the Patuxent to learn
the news. He sent back a note warning
the State Department officials to take
care OF the valuable state papers.
The Declaration in n Grist Mill.
"Whereupon," says. Gen. Pleasonton.
az a.
and caused 1t to be made into bags of
convenient size, in which the gentlemen
of the Office, assisted by me, placed the
books and other papers, after which
obtained carts and had them conveyed
to a grist mill, then unoccupied, belong
ing to Mr.. Edgar Patterson, situated a
short distance on the Virginia side OF the
Potomac, beyond the Chain Bridge, SO
called, two miles above Georgetown.
whilst engaged in the passageway
of the building with the papers," he con-
tInued, the State Department being on
one side and the War Department on the
other side of the passage, Gen. Arm
strong. then Secretary of War. on his
way to his own room. stopped a short
time and observed to me that he thought
he did not think the British were Sc
rious in their intentions of coming to
Washington. I replied that We were
under q different belief, and let their
intentions be what they might, 1t was
the part OF prudence to preserve the
valuable papers of the Revolutionary gov
ernment, comprising the Declaration Of
Independence, the laws. the secret Jour-
nails of Congress then not published.
the correspondence of Gen. Washington,
&c.
Afterward Taken to Leesburg.
considering the papers unsafe at the
mill, as IL the British forces got to
Washington they would probably detach
a force for the purpose of destroying a
foundry for cannon and shot in its
neighborhood, and would be led by some
evil-disposed persons to destroy the mill
and papers also, 1 proceeded to some
farmhouses in Virginia and procured
wagons. in which the books and papers
were deposited, and I proceeded with
them to the town Of Leesburg. a distance
of thirty-five miles, at which place an
empty house was procured in which the
papers were safely placed, ths doors
locked, and the keys given to Rev. Mr..
Littlejohn, who was then, or had been,
cne of the collectors of internal revenue.
Being fatigUed with the ride and Sc
curing the papers, / retired early to bed,
and was informed next morning by the
people OF the hotel where I staid, that
they had seen the preceding night,
being August a. a large fire in the direc-
Of fp he
a light from the public buildings. The
enemy had set them on fire and burned
them to the ground.
Brought Back When British Left.
ION the 18th of August I returned to
and found the Presidents
house and public offices still burning and
learned that the British army had evac-
uated the city the preceding evening.
''As a part of the British fleet soon
afterward assembled the Potomac and
plundered Alexandra Of large quantity
OF flour and tobacco. threatening Wash
ington at the same time with a second in
vasion, 1t was not considered safe to
bring the papers Of the State Department
back for some weeks, not, indeed, until
the British fleet generally had left the
time, 1t was found necessary for me to
proceed to Leesburg occasionally for par
ticular papers to which the Secretary of
State had occasion to refer in the course
Of his correspondence"
Now Kept in n Steel Safe.
In 1Sl the Declaration OF Independence
was transferred to the Patent Office for
during the construction of
the present State, War. and Navy Build
Ing The document remained In the Pat
ent Office until 1877, when Secretary Of
State Hamilton Fish requested its re-
turn to the State Department. along with
the other state papers that had been sent
TO the Patent Office.
Since April, 1894, the document has been
kept in a steel safe in the library OF the
State Department, as 1t was found to be
fading rapidly from its long exposure to
the strong light that fell on the cabinet
IN which It had been kept for so many
years. At the present time the heavy
of John Hancock is scarcely
visible. and only 3 few Of the names can