The Washington herald., 1912-10-27

Henky Clay Cameron. for fifty years a
teacher OF Greek at Princeton. was also
the historian of the American Whig So
ciety Of that university and an admirer
of Madison, one of the founders OF the
society. and he used to boast that he
was one the the few men outside Of King
George County. Va. who had ever seen
Madison's birthplace. Prof. Cameron died
in 1906. and since then I have known OF
no student of Madison who could speak
with personal knowledge Of Port Conway,
on the Rappahannock River. in King
George County, where the fourth Presi-
dent of the United States was born. says
Gaillard Hunt, of the Library OF Con-
gress. in the New York Post.
Even II there were great interest In
the place. few people would find 1t feas-
ible to crafty a desire to visit 1t. for
II les a full days journey distant from
the ordinary line Of travel. 1t Is about
twenty-five miles from Fredericksburg
by the highway. and at least thirty-hve
miles by the Rappahannock River. which
is the usual and most expeditions route
for reaching II. The nearest railway sta
ton Is Milford. on the opposite side OF
the river, about eighteen miles away. The
boats run three times a week. and one
may go down on Tuesday. leaving Fred
ericksburg at o'clock in the afternoon,
and return on Wednesday night, leaving
Port Conway or Port Royal at about
half-past 10 o'clock. and arriving at
Fredericksburg early the following morn
Ing.
In ordinary weather the schedule of the
boat Is reasonably regular. but when
the weather is bad one may walt for
the return boat even for twenty-four
ha VII Port
Royal. a village directly opposite Port
Conway. for at Port Conway there Is
nothing but the wharf. a store. and
house Port Royal itself is an interest
ing place. as old as Philadelphia. laid
out with. streets as broad as those OF
Williamsburg. the colonial Virginia cap
ital with several handsomer old ones.
redolent Of the good taste Of solid men
who dif more than hundred years ago.
Set Upon the Bluffs.
Between Port Royal and Port Conway
flows the Rappah.nnock River. half a
mile wide. Walking back from the Port
Conway landing and up the low bluffs
yous come to the place. some 200 yards
from the river, where the house Of Fran
els Conway stood, where his daughter,
Eleanor Rose Conway. married James
Madison the elder. of Orange. in 1919;
where. at midnight. on April q. 1851. their
first child, James Madison. jr.. was born.
Not a stick. nor stone. nor tree. nor even
the depression In the earth which usual
ly indicates where cellar was. now
remains to show the site OF Francis Con-
ways house. On the right-hand side
of the public road going up from the
landing there used to be few bricks OF
the chimney OF a house which had been
burned down many years ago. ana these
commonly did service as evidence OF
Madison's birthplace. A few years ago
the ground was plowed and leveled, and
these relics were removed. Some an
tiquaries Of the neighborhood. however.
deny that they ever belonged to the
Conway house. which they place on the
opposite side Of the road. about twenty
yards distant. hat is the precise spot
Is not really Of great Importance, how
ever The lay of the land Is the same
for both sites; the prospect and the sur
roundings are the same; there Is the
same view Of the noble river as II
rapidly widens below the landing in Its
progress to the sea
James Madison was the eldest child of
a young mother. for she was only nine
teen years old when he was born At
that time the Rappahannock was seat
of Virginia civilization, and Orange,
where the Madisons lived. was the from
tier Moreover, Nelly Conway came OF
family of aristocrats. with relations
who belonged to the gentry of England.
and the Medisons were of purely colo
NAL stock. But James Madison had
lands of vast extent and a good frame
house. while most OF his neighbors'
houses were Of logs, and he planned to
build for his bride the first brick house
In the county. He did build 1t soon after
his son was born. 1t was added to from
time to time, and sixty years later the
son. with the aid of William Thornton.
expanded II into one of the most pleasing
examples of good architecture In the
Piedmont region Of Virginia When Nell
" Conway married James Madison, the
society Of the Rappahannock was prefer
able ia. that Of Orange-in fact. they
hardly bed any society n Orange then-