The Washington herald., 1911-11-19
VALUABLE LETTERS
GIVEN TO LIBRARY
New Washington MSS. Is
Acquired. =,

New letters written by Gen. George
Washington at a period of the highest
historical value, as rejecting his phil
| osophy of the republic which he brought
| into existence-letters written in 1793
1874, and 1799-have lately come into the
possession of the Library of Congress.
These manuscripts have been presented
| by George Washington Ball, of Spring
| wood, Va, who is at present residing
in this city. They We're written by
Gen. Washington to Col. Burgess Ball,
| his nephew. and among them is also
| one from Washington's private secretary,
Tobias Lear, announcing his death. On
account of the information which it
| bears, this relic is said to be one of
the most valuable additions to WASH
ingtonians that has come to light in
a long time, and is so regarded by
| Herbert Putnam, librarian of the Ii
brary of Congress, and GilIiard Hunt,
| chief of the manuscript division.
George Washington Ball, who is now
| in his eighty-fourth year, is now the
| acknowledged closest living relative of
Gen. Washington. being his threefold
cousin and the grandson of the Generals
niece, Frances Washington, who mar
ried his cousin, Col. Burgess Ball, also
a cousin of Washington. and a member
| of his personal staff during the Revo-
| lutonary war.
| The letters are chiefly of a private
nature, dealing with the business affairs
| of Mount Vernon and Springwood. They
are ten in number, and all in Washing
! tons handwriting. There are about
| 10000 letters written by Washington in
the Library of Congress, and about
s.. 800 written to him.
The Ball letters will be held in trust
and will be placed on public exhibition,
under. arrangements made by Pay Dr.
| rector r. T. NJ. Ball, L. S. N, son of
Lear's letters telling of the death OF
Gen. Washington follows:
Mount Vernon. Dec. Is. 7-ss.
| "My Dear Sir: Little did I think
when last 1 saw you that l should have
| the painful task at this time imposed
upon me of Informing you of the death
of our beloved friend. Gen. Washington.
Alas! he is no more. These hands
/ performed the last act of friendship to
/ that great, good man between 10 and II
o'clock last night. He expired after
! short illness of about twenty-four hours.
! On Friday he complained of a cold, but
gave himself little trouble about 1t.
On Saturday morning he became Ill.
| DR.. Craik was sent for. The symptoms
appeared alarming, an Inflammation nav
| ing taken place in his throat, which
terminated in the disorder called quinsy.
DR.. Dick. of Alexandria, and DR.. Brown,
of Port Tobacco were called in, and every
medical aid used. but in vain. He bore
his distress with astonishing fortitude,
and conscious, as he declared, several
hours before his death of his approach
ing dissolution, he resigned his breath
with the greatest composure, having the
full possession of his reason until the
last moment. While I am writing l
conceive it all to be a dream, but when
I consider for a moment I find. alas.
there is but too much. reality in 1t.
| The body will be deposited in the vault
on Wednesday or Thursday. His ex-
ecutors are Col. William Washington.
of Westmoreland; George Sand, Samuel
Washington, LaTrenc" Lewis, and G. W.
| Pluttis.
Mrs. Washington bore the affecting
stroke with a pious resignation and for
titude which show that her hopes were
placed beyond this life. Present my best
and affecionate regards to your good
lady. Miss MiIly and the boys, and be-
lieve me to be very truly.
Your afflicted and sincere friend.
TOBIAS LEAR
ITO Col. Burgess Ball, Big Spring,
Loudoun County"