Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-08-25
LUCKY LAST LOOK.

lOCNr Lao LOON.
1t Preserved the Declaration of Inde-
pendence In 1914.
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. 1t was during the war
of 1912. The Declaration of Independ-
ence hung for many years in frame
in the state department in the room
then occupied by Stephen Pleasonton,
Mr.. Beaseley, commissary of prisoners
of war in London, forwarded to the
state department some London news
papers, stating that the English fleets
and transports were receiving troops at
Bordeaux, France, with the intention
Of operating against Washington and
Baltimore. Soon after 1t was learned
that the British fleet was in Chesa-
peake bay and that 1t was ascending
the Patuxent The officials and citi-
zens of the little capital city were
hourly expecting at attack.
Upon receipt of this information
which was a few days before the enc
my entered Washington, Mr.. Monroe,
then secretary of state, James Madison
being president, mounted his horse
rode to Benedict, 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 his inspection, that we
had no force available that could sue
cessfully resist them. he sent a note
to Mr.. Pleasonton by vidette, advis-
ing him to see that the best care was
taken 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 were unnecessarily
alarming themselves, as he did not
think the British were serious in their
intentions of coming to Washington.
Fortunately Mr. Pleasonton was Of a
different opinion, and observed that II
was the part of prodence to take meas
ures to preserve these valuable papers
of the revolutionary government. Had
Mr. Pleasonton delayed but a 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 at 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 a grist mill, which he selected as a
suitable depository. The MILL which
tn
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 let behind, to his CONSERVATION
he saw the Declaration Of Independ-
ence, which had been overlooked
hanging upon the wall. He hastily
cut it out of the frame and carried II
away with the other papers.
He then began to be uneasy about
the place he had chosen, for If the
British took Washington, which he
firmly believed they would do, and very
soon at that, they would in all proba-
bility detach a force for the purpose OF
destroying a foundry for the making OF
cannon and shot in the neighborhood
and of course, would consider a grist
mill too valuable a thing to be left
/ -, frt- ~ ff
subdue. Mr.. Pleasonton therefore Wis.,
| tied some of the Virginia farmhouses
whose owners were only too willing tC
loan him wagons in which to convey
the documents to Leesburg, distance
of thirty five miles. There they were
deposited in an empty house, the keys
of which were given to Rev. Mr. Little.
John, who was one of the collectors Of
internal revenue.
| Worn out with his labors, Mr. Pleas.
onton states in letter, he retired ear
ly to bed that night and slept soundly
Next morning he was informed by the
had stayed that evening that they had
sen during the night, the same being
the oath of August, a large fire in the
direction of Washington, which proved
to be the light from the public build
ings, which the enemy had set on fire
and burned to the ground.
| When he returned to Washington OF
the 26th he found the public buildings
still burning and learned that the Brit
ish army had evacuated the city the
preceding evening in the belief that the
Americans were again assembling ir
the rear for the purpose of cutting off
their retreat.-Kansas City Times.