Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22

quite general belief in the Maryland coun-
ties named that the Procters are descend
ed, with large admixture of other blood,
from the Piscataway Indians. and Aunt
Betty, like every Proctor that ever was.
had the Indian tradition at the tip Of her
tongue.
One of the facts lending interest to this
old woman is that in 1861 she and her
husband owned and lived on the site on
which Fort Stevens was built. Their
house stood where the flagstaff stands
now.
She told the Star man that her mother,
Betty Butler and her father, Walter
Proctor, bought lightweight and one-hal
acres of land west Of the 7th street road
and north of Milkhouse Ford road, about
seventy years ago. The land was bought
from Parson Riley. She did not know
more about Parson Riley than that he
was an Episcopal clergyman. The place
at the time of it's purchase by the Proc
ters had good house on 1T, and peach,
apple and pear orchards, with numerous
cherry, plum and ounce trees scattered
about. These orchards We're destroyed by
troops and the house was pulled down This
was loss that many persons sustained
in the environs of Washington as one OF
the necessary hardshps of war When
their house was torn down the Procters
bought a suffers shack and lived In II
till, with some cast-off lumber, they built
a small house at the rear of the fort
Aunt Betty remained as the owner of the
fort land till several years ago. when she
sold it to William V. Cox, and, with part
she lives in today.
The old woman talks much about Pres
ident Lincoln. and has told and retold her
story so often that it would be unkind to
question the accuracy of her memory. 1t
would appear from her narrative that her
house was allowed to stand within the
fort till the news came OF early s ap-
down that house me an NAH husban
was totin' out our things an settin' EN-
under dat there big sycamo' tree over
yondah,'' said Aunt Betty, AN Presden
Lincoln he come long an says he wan
mighty sorry to do it, but it had to be
did, an dat l shorely would reap nah
reward, but 1 amt done repped nothin
yet" Aunt Betty told The Star man that
her claim for destruction of property has
been pending for fifty years. but OATS
all de good it done done TO me.
Aunt Betty has grievance against the
tax officers DE SCISSORS done come hyah
an make b'lieve dey wants ter buy de
place. an den dey goes back to town an
sesses me till Use starvin' to def, an
can't sell de place nohOw Dat P1ney
Branch road down yondah don't git fixed
'ceptin' when Mr.. Cox an me fixes it.
Aunt Betty, as soon as she is able to get
down town. is going to see the Commits
sioners about her grievances.
Aunt Betty insisted that the Star man
come into the parlor to see picture OF
Lincoln. She could not be prouder of II
If it were a master-portrait with an auto
graph presentation by Lincoln. But there
it was. hanging over the mantelpiece-a
familiar print in an elaborate gilt frame
Aunt Betty seems to feel that Mr. Lin
coin walked out from the White House
to Brightwood and gave her that picture
She also produced an old photograph OF
Gen. Couch. She said she did his washing
and that every time his son comes tC
Washington he comes out to see her. She
also used to do the family washing fol-
the Lay family. who succeeded to the
ownership of the Carberry house. One
of the Lay s-Theodore-she says. is
farming over in Virginia, and sometimes