Smyrna times., 1912-09-11
LUCKY LAST LOOK
It Preserved the Declaration Of
independence In 1914.
SAVED 1T FROM THE BRITISH.
The Precious Document Would Have
Been In the State Department When
It Was Burned but For PIeasonton's
Final Glance Around the Room.

IL was DuTuGo Out OF TiGdSONIonS |
Final Glance Around the 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. 1t was during the
war Of 1872 The DeclaratioSOf Inde
pendpnce hung for many years in a
frame in the state department in the |
room then occupied by Stephen Pleas
Onton. Mr.. Beaseley. commissary Of |
prisoners of war in London, forwarded |
to the state department soma 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 fleet was
in 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 a 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 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 were unnecessarily
alarming themselves. as be did not
think the British were serious In theft
Intentions Of coming to Washington.
Fortunately Mr.. Pleasonton was OF a
different opinion, and observed that 1t
was the part Of prudence to take meas
ures to preserve these valuable papers
of the revolutionary government. Had
Mr. PIeasonton delayed but a few
days, had he followed the advice of
the secretary Of war. an lrreparable
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 Revolu ton. as
well as laws, treaties and correspond
ence OF the department Of stare from
the adoption Of the constitution down
to that time.
Mr.. PleasontOn had the bags carted
to q 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
J been left behind, to his CONSERVATION
4, he saw the Declaration Of Independ-
ence. which had been overlooked
: hanging upon the wall. He hastily
cut 1t out of the frame and carried ii
away with the other papers.
He then began to be uneasy about
I the place he had chosen. for If the
British took Washington. which be
firmly believed they would do. and
very soon at that, they would in al
probability detach a force for the pur
pose Of destroying a foundry for the
making of cannon and shot In the
neighborhood and. of course, would
consider a grist mill too valuable 6
I thing to be left standing in a country
] they meant to subdue Mr.. Pleason
| ton therefore visited some of the Vir
] ginia farmhOuses, whose owners were
I only too willing to loan him wagons
! in which to convey the documents tt
I Leesburg, a distance of thirty-hvC
! miles There they were deposited II
I an empty house. the keys Of which
! were given to Rev. Mr.. Littlej0hn, who
I was one of the collectors Of interna
! revenue.
I Worn out with his labors. Mr.. Pleas
! onton states in a letter. he retired ear
] " to bed that night and slept solndly
! Next morning he was informed by th'
] people Of the little tavern where n
/ had stayed that evening that they ha(
] seen during the night, the same being
the oath of August, a large fire in thu
direction Of washington, which proveC
to be the light from the public build
! ings, which the enemy had set on FIR
and burned to the ground.
When he returned to Washington ol
I the 26th he found the public building
! cffIl burning and learned that the Brit