davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1915-05-30

terested in the customs and habits Of
the savages and heather" seems not
to have occurred very strongly to the
early immigrantA
-
The Pssoatawnys did not enyfve un-
dor the influence Of imported European
civilization and tho raos had dw1n6ed
when the importation of African s1avss
began. The surviving Pfscataways and
the negroes intermarrted and there are
many stories in southern Maryland OF
colored people in Prince Georges and
Charles counties who have indian
blood in them. few years ago the
Rambler wrote Of a very largo family
or clan of people called ''the Proctors,
who hold themselves to be descended
from the Piscataways The stories arc
credited by white persons who have
made such investigation OF the mat
ter as was possible and there arc many
of these Proctors who are certainly In
dianesque in physiognomy and color. In
the flret United States census in Mary
land and in earlier Maryland censuses
they are marked as persons OF color.
the time OF the civil war they were
very commonly referred to as the Tree
Proctora"
Zachaia swamp is tho main feeder OF
tho Wicomico river. Gilbert swamp be-
ing another feeder. The Wloomfco
river enters the Potomac between Cobb
point and st. Margaret Island about
four miles above Coltons and about ff-
teen miles above Piney Point The
navigable part of tho river Is about
twelve or fourteen miles long and its
average width is considerably over
mile. Chaptioo bay enters the WI
comico. and along the middle OF this
river from Budds Creek landing to
the Potomac. ten or twelve miles. runs
the line dividing Charles and st. Marys
counties. Tho Potomac from White
Evening star., 1915-05-30

near it's head at Potomac Mills. The
usual way travellers have of visiting
Stratford is to leave the boat in Nomini
creek either at Mount Holly or Nomini
ferry and follow the road by way of
Templeman. Montross and Clinton. The
Rambler has reached Stratford over
many roads.
From the upper windows of the great
old house you can see the river and a
line directly north from Stratford
would run up the Wicomico river. in
Maryland. When the weather Is par
ficular1y clear and fine you may. by
looking north across the Potomac. see
St. Catherine Island and the hazy hills
in Charles and ST. Marys counties. Md.
At night you see the light on Blak-
istone Island. seven miles northeast.
Travelling the main road from Chill
ton to Baynesville you come to wire
gate overgrown with honeysuckle, and
passing through this gate you enter an
extensive field, sandy and apparently
Evening star., 1915-05-30

around the house is a crepe myrtle as
large as a fair-sized tree. on to one
side of the garden is a brick stable of
the same period of construction as the
house and at the opposite side of the
garden is a small brick cottage which
has been occupied by many of the serv-
ants of the Lees. The garden clearing
around the big house and its outbuild-
ings is perhaps three acres in extent.
Woods stretch all the way to the river
and flank the house on all sides except
that of the big field, which you entered
after turning off from the main road.
The owner of Stratford and who has
been in possession of the property as
far back as the memory of the Rambler
reaches, is DIR. r. H. Stuart, who is now
sixty-fve years young. He has four
sons, DR.. r. H. Stuart, jr.; Frank Stu
art, Ebert Stuart and Charles Stuart.
1t is an interesting place and an in
teresting family. The dwellers there
have their trials with tourists and pill
Evening star., 1915-05-30

Potomac, and Indians making arrow
heads on Piney branch near the line OF
18th and 18th streets, they were en-
barrassed for lack of details as to how
these Indians should be dressed. There
are any number of references in the
old chronicles of naked savages" and
Of "savages dressed in the skins OF
wild animals" but not many details OF
dress are to be found. There were Eu-
ropeans who learned to speak the Ian
guage of the Piscataways. lived with
them and were married to Indian wom-
en-, but these men were not given to
writing accounts of the habits OF me
and thought of Indians. They were
generally men who could not produce
this or any other class of literature
and there was no demand for such ut
erature. Accounts of adventures with
Indians were in demand around the
trading stores and tho plantation fire.
sides, but the thought that people two
or three centuries later would be In
Evening star., 1915-05-30

not particularly fertile. The last time
the Rambler entered that field it was
covered with somewhat thin wheat
stubble, but was plentifully grown
with ragweed.
A sandy road leads along one side of
the field and about half a mile away
YOU see above the treetoops the CHM
neys of Stratford Hall They are in
teresting chimneys. ~ the north and
south wings of the house a group of
four brick chimneys reach high above
the shingle roof and the four chimneys
in each of these groups are connected
at their tops by brick arches. giving
the effect at a distance of one mon
ster chimney at each end of the house.
Between each four chimneys and under
the arches connecting them is a plat
form which rests on the ridge of the
roof. Around each platform is
wooden railing. somewhat decayed.
From these roof-top 1ookouts YOU OBJ
tain view over miles of country.
which is mostly wooded, and over the
river.
The house is of red brick. A narrow
center building is f1anked by two square
wings. but the picture of the house tells
this part of the story. In front of the
house Is a wide grass plot with an old
sundial The gnome and plate of the
sundial are, of course, of copper and
the base on which the dial is mounted
is a large cedar log, planted upright in
the ground. One of the ornaments of
the lawn is an empty iron shell, ten
inches in diameter which during the
civil war was fired by the Federal ship
in the river and which landed in the
fields of Stratford and did not explode.
On the river front of. the house and at
the sides are many old rose bushes, old
spruce trees and old beeches.
Among the features of the garden
Evening star., 1915-05-30

Paynes and members of other notable
Virginia families attended. passed from
the face of the earth considerably more
than half century ago, for in the time
of Bishop Meade, the author of "Old
Families and Churches of Virginia"
not vestige of that church remains.
and no doubt. while it was falling into
decay, one of the descendants of Thorn
as Lee, living at Stratford. removed the
gravestone from Pope's Creek Church
to the family vault at Stratford. The
fact on which there is no light Is why
Thomas was buried at Popes creek in
stead of the family vault at Stratford,
in which Lees of Stratford before him
had been laid.
There is no doubt tbout there having
been at least two halls at Stratford,
because in the old chroniclers there Is
reference to Thomas Lee, father OF
Richard Henry Lee, owner of Stratford,
for whom 1t was rebuilt by the queen
after being consumed by fire."
Evening star., 1915-05-30

shs swamp quickly e1oends 70 . wsda
Of . mlle- Hundreds Of 6pooks 4
branches pour Into IL and e oont1nu3
to widen until It reashas O. head Z
about twenty mileA
80
Hakhsr An6ssW Whaeo n ~@su1
Relation 4 sns voyA.ss UnsD llAsyfAd
-deSP ssys1 at oua nrst sumtns Z
found las ~ ware ooid) an fn armed
the King Of PAsca&oway had drawn
tngother 500 bowmen. great fres wss
made by night all ovor the country an
tho biggenesse OF our ship made the u
tves reporte we cans in canow as b; q,
as an land, with SO many men as tree
were in a wood. with great terrour unit
them all. Thus We sailed some twenc
leagues UP the river to Herne Hand. d
called from infinite swarmes of herne
(herons) thereon. This we called 81
here By the overturnins of shallQ
We had almost Iost our mades whi@
wee brought along. The hnnen the
went to wash was much Of II lost whid
The ground u heare as in very mani
places. covered with pokiberries, a lie
tie wilde walnut hard Of she'll, but wild
. sweet keEnell. with ackhornes, blaol
walnut. cedar. saxAfras. vines. salad
herbeS and such like"
In another part bf his relation" q
account" Father White writes:
From hence CHeron Islandp the gov
ernor went to paschatoway. abou
twenty leagues higher. where he foum
many Indians assembled. and heere HI
met with one Cartaine Henry Fleets
an Englishman. Who had lived NAM
yeeres among the indians. and by ths
meanes spake the countrey languaF
very well. and was much esteemed bj
the nativea Him our governor sen
ashore to invite the Werowence 10 4
Evening star., 1915-05-30

army. Gaylord NJ. Saltzgaber of Ohio.
veteran of that famous fighting regi-
ment the Sd Ohio Cavalry. is now the
missioner-perhaps the last civil
war veteran ever to hold the position.
To be frank. the change was imminent
with the incoming of the present ad-
ministration. Fears were expressed
that real veteran of the Union army
could not he found. The argument was
put forward that a younger man was
needed to head this large bureau, with
its many problems of administration.
II know one old soldier who can quail
ify," said Representative Timothy D.
Ansberry of Ohio. firmly. NO young
man has anything on him for vigor and
ability Lee me bring him down here
and show him to you"
Permission was granted, and in the
course of a few days the congressman
towed in big. muscular. active man,
whose quizzical gray eyes seemed to be
laughing at the whole performance,
and who fairly radiated masterfulness
and executive ability There was a
spring in his step. chuckle in his
voice. a directness in his speech that
told their own story.
He'll do" said Secretary Lane, with
emphasis, for Secretary Lane is judge
of men. And Gaylord NJ. Saltzgaber
has been doing ever since. The office of
commissioner of pensions was saved to
the old soldiers.
1t is this same Gaylord NJ. saltzga-
Der who is a mine of statistical infor-
nation regarding the passing of the
old soldier. 1t is he who is charged
with paying out the $169.000,000 which
Uncle Sam annually disburses to the
veterans of the nations wars and their
dependents, and who knows all the
ramifcations of the pension roll.
oddly enough. with all his fine record
of four years hard service as a private
of cavalry. Commissioner Saltzgaber
until after the act of 1912 was passed
II felt that didn't need II. and. more
over. ] could not honestly show any
disability as a result of my war serv-
ice. said he the other day when he
was questioned about it. and a broad
grin illuminated his face when he
said It,
but" and here he grew serious
again. when Congress provided pen
sions for ali who had served. whether
or not they had suffered injury, I
wanted to get on the roll, for / regard
II as roll of honor. ] wanted placed
In the records of this Office the full
statement of my service that my chill
dren's children and their children's
children, in years to come may exam
inc II.
For, do you know, the archives of
this office have become the repository
OF the human side of the nations his
tory. Here the historian and the
genealogist may find the facts not to
be found elsewhere. In our archies are
autograph letters from Washington,
Hancock and practically all Of the
fathers. and the proofs and detailed
facts concerning the military services
of hundreds of thousands of those who
have fought for the flag. Patriotic So
cfet1es. such as the Sons of the Ameri-
can Revolution and the Daughters of
the American Revolution. fnd Il Q
treasure house of information.
we have found the files Of Do much
use to students that we are endeavor-
ing TO ampiify them; hence we have
Evening star., 1915-05-30

sent out a blank to each pensioner.
asking that II be filed out with the
essential data in regard to family his
tory. OF course, this is not obligatory,
mass of most interesting material on
population movements, sources of popu-
lation and the like.
When you stop to consider that we
have at least a portion of the family
histories of more than 100000 per-
sons who have been pensioned as
result Of all of our wars, you will read
lily see that the historic and ethnologi-
cal value of theseafiles is tremendous
THE present pehsion. although grant
ed for patriotic service to the nation.
may also be regarded as an old age
pension SO far as the civil war veter-
ans are concerned, because the average
age of the beneficiary is over seventy
two years.
Mother pensions are granted now in
many of the states, and that feature
is reflected in the United States pen
sion system. There are 311,15S women
on the roll. and during the year there
was paid to them over $47, 100000. The
fact is not generally recognized that
the government, through its pension
system, is so helpful to the war
widows of the nation. Like the SOL
diers, however. these war widows are
growing older and the angel of death
finds among them a plentiful harvest.
In April, 1880 of them died. Multiply
that by twelve, and you may realize
that an army of them Is passing away
every year.
"Curiosities in pension cases? OF
course, there are many such One re-
Gently came to my attention. 1t is a
true human interest story. The act
of 1912. granting pensions to every one
who served at least ninety days In the
civil war. brought, as we believed.
practically every survivor of the Union
army on to the roll. Still there have
been exceptions. and this is one.
"A certain man. we will call him
Smith, served with distinction in the
volunteer army during the civil war.
rising to the grade of colonel. Follow
ing the muster out he was appointed to
a civilian clerkship In the adjutant
generals Office in the War Department.
But he became very dissfpated. would
go of on prolonged drunks, and finally
lost his place.
Prom here he drifted to Boston.
After a time he wrote back to his wife
and relatives hero that he was pom
niless and asked them to send him
money with which to come homo. They
Evening star., 1915-05-30

66WWh rsns~'S sss coming: Yes. '1i"sF shsy ar" are
V\Y coming. the veterans of
the Union Army, respond
ing to the call from the Great Beyond. /.
coming faster than ever before.
When Memorial day was new in the
United States there were dozens and
scores. yes. even hundreds of the veter-
ans for each soldier grave to be deco
rated. Today. half d century after the
peace. the graves are legion, and those
who would decorate them but a handful
How fast the boys in blue" are pass
Ing, In this year 1915 they are going
at a rate never before reached since
the war closed. The death roll of Feb
was the average for March. and in
April II grew to lis.
Ohicial records show that z,272.4os
men fought under the Stars and Stripes
IN the civil war, and that 34s,s44 lost
their lives before Lee surrendered How
many remain alive today?
The records Of the census office, while
perhaps not absolutely accurate, may
c.
It is believed that since the act of May
II, 1912, granting a service pension to
every man who served at least ninety
days in the armed forces of the United
States during the civil war. no old SOL
der remains off the pension roll
II. however. there are any not pen
stoned, they certainly are few in num-
Der. The pension ofice rolls show that
May !, 1915. there were fOI,796 veterans
of the civil war pension. 1t is safe to
say that no more than this number is
now alive.
Rapidly. too, is the veteran OF the
Union army passing out of public life.
Last year there were six of them in the
United States Senate-Bradleyo Of Ken
lucky, du Pont of Delaware. Con OF
West Virginia. Nelson of Minnesota
Warren of Wyoming and Works of
California Senator Bradley died dur
ing the year. leaving five. Last year
three veterans of the blue were the
sole representative Of the Union army
in the House-Sherwood of Ohio, Kirk
patrick OF Iowa and Goulden of New
York. The last named died May OF
this year. and Kirkpatrick has retired
leaving Gen. Sherwood. so far as
known, the sole Union veteran in the
new Congress which will assemble in
December.
On September - those survivors OF
the Union army who are physically
able TO be present will march in grand
review on Pennsylvania avenue, in
Washington. reproducing the grand
parade of half century agone. 1,
will show the thinning ranks, as will
the Grand Encampment of the Grand
Army Of the Republic. which will theT
be in progress in the Capital city. This
1s to be the last large encampment the
order will hold.
Truly, We are coming. Father Abra.
ham,
BY custom. ever since the civil war
the United States commissioner of Pen
stons has been a veteran of the Uniof
Evening star., 1915-05-30

parley, who thereupon CINE with him
aboard privately, where he was cour.
teously entertained, and after sonN
parley being demanded by the COVER,
nour, whether he would be content thai
he and his people should set downe y
his countrey. in case he should f1nd
place convenient for him, his ensweJ
was that he would not bid him go4
neither would hee bid him stay, bs4
that he might use his owns disc0O
ton"
Father White tells that, "whf1s o.
Werowance was aboard, many OF N
people came to the waterside, feer1oS
that he might be surprised, whereupoe
the werowance commanded two m
dians that came with him. to goo Of
shore, to quit them Of this feare. btl
they answered, they feared they would
kill them; the Werowance therefors
showed himselEe upon the decks and
told them he was in safety. wherewfth
they were satisfied"
Evening star., 1915-05-30

grims. Most tenants of historic houses
have these trials. Strangers come at
all hours. They have travelled far, they
are deeply interested in the place. they
must be taken over it and through it
and must be told all the history asso-
ciated with it. They ask questions by
the thousand. Well meaning pilgrims
to historic places far out in the coun-
try often put tax on the patience and
hospitality of the people living there.
but nobody has ever been treated rude
ly at Stratford.
The Stratford Hall now standing was
built in the lifetime of Thomas Lee,
father of Richard Henry Lee, and who
died in 1856. The house was built after
this Thomas Lee had earned distinc-
tion in the colony and by his services
had won favor in the eye of his SOW
ereign. George II. The Rambler ven
lures the conjecture that the present
Stratford was built about 1745. but it
was built in succession to an older
Stratford Hall, or Stratford House,
which was destroyed by fire. and which
proba bly, dated back to the time of the
founder of the Lee family in Virginia.
The Thomas Lee in whose lifetime
Stratford was rebuilt held various Off
ces in the colony under several govern
ors He was commissioned Governor of
Virginia. but his commission reached
Virginia soon after his death at STRAIT
ford in 1856. For a long time there
leaned against the wall of the family
vault at Stratford tombstone in
scribed, "In Memory of Hon. Thomas
Lee. Whose Body Was Buried at Popes
Creek Church, Five Miles Above His
Country Seat, Stratford Hall. 1856" The
Popes Creek Church. in whose grave
yard this Thomas Lee was buried, and
which church the Washingtons, Lees.
Evening star., 1915-05-30

neighbors. the senecas and the susque-
hannas. would take refuge behind
stockades In Kakiah swamp name
that is variously spelled Zachia and
Zachaia- Why the swamp Is called
Zachata- or whence that name orig
A few days ago distinguished Wash
ington scientist called the Rambler on
the telephone for certain Information
concerning this swamp and also to tell
him that a noted American archeologist
was about to undertake a survey or ex-
animation of that dismal territory with
the hope Of finding evidence and YES
tiSes of those Piscataway fortifications
and refuge settlements
The knowledge which has been pre-
served of the Indians of southern Mary
land is pitifully meager. The early ad
veturers to Maryland were not lit
erary fellows. and the Indians were
not to them interesting subject of
study. The chief concern Of those early
settlers was in building up homes in
the wilderness and in bettering the
condition Of themselves and their fam
lilies. Their interest in Indians gener-
ally was limited to keeping on amicable
terms with them and trading with
them.
The Jesuits were very much interest
ed in Christianizing them, and most of
the useful information which present.
day students have of these natives has
been CLEANED from the writings of the
Jesuit fathers. There is not very much,
however, to throw light on the Gus
toms. habits, religious beliefs. Ian
guage, dress and personal character
istics of these people.
When the ethnologists of the Smith
sonian Institution were preparing those
groups which represent Capt. Smith and
soldiers trading with Indians on the
Evening star., 1915-05-30
Zachaia Swamp and Indians.


THE Piscataway Indians. who inhab-
tied the country south Of Wash
ington along the left bank Of the Po-
tomac, and the numerous creeks flow
ing into that historic and majestic
river. suffered at times from forays
made on them by the Senecas, who
lived and roamed west of Rock creek,
their country extending into the Blue
Ridge and the Alleghenies and from
the Susquehanna to the eastward Tho
Piscataways were essentially fishing
Indians, and dwelt in permanent vii
lagos on or near the streams, while the
Senecas were hunting Indians. shifted
their villages from time to time and
from place to place and extended their
operations over a wide area.
The Ramblers information concern
ing the Indians of the Potomac coun-
try is not profound. but he has fire.
quently dealt with those periods when,
In the valleys of the Potomac, Patux-
ent, Rappahannock and Monocacy. the
Europeans were few and the Indians
numerous. and has sometimes written
of the sites and remains of Indian set
Elements and of their "arsenals," or
places where they made their arrow
heads, and such other stone weapons
as they used, and the few domestic
utensils which they found necessary or
convenient.
In old Maryland annals It is some
where written that the relatively
peaceful Piscataway Indians, to escape
from their wilder and more combatavo
Evening star., 1915-05-30
STABLE Al srnArrunu HALL.


Point or Colonial Beach to Piney Point
runs closely east and west and the
Wicomico runs nearly north and south
Steamboats, from Washington run into
this river.
The widest part Of the swamp is at
the head of the river The swamp,
though of irregular form, is about two
miles wide and four miles long. The
village of Aliens Fresh is on wester.
ly arm of the swamp and the town OF
Newport on an easterly arm. where Gil
bert swamp enters. It is not easy to
clearly define where Zachaia swamp be-
gins A network of branches unites
near the line dividing Prince Georges
and Charles counties three or four miles
east of the Popes Creek line Of the
Pennsylvania railroad. About three
miles south of the Prince Georges
county line Zachaia swamp is very oo.
vious, though only about quarter or
q mile wide. South of the road which
runs over from Waldorf to BryantoWn