The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-02-20


Washington was a welcome guest with the Fair
faxes at Belvoir, with the Carys at Eagles Nest,
with the Fitzhughes at Stratford House, with the
Carriers at Sabine Hall, and with the Lees and
Fauntleroys at Richmond.
Through the death of his halfbrother whom
he accompanied to Barbados in the West Indies
in search of health, Washington became master
of Mount Vernon. On his return journey he called
at Bermuda, where he had an attack of smallpox
which, according to Parson Weems, marked his
face rather agreeably than otherwise" He was
seized with a military ambition. He had already
been a military inspector with the rank of ma
Jor Tor the protection of the frontiers of Virginia.
AT twenty-three he was an aide-de-camp to Gen
eral Braddock, commander in chief of the Virginia
forces. At twenty-four we find him journeying to
Boston on military business.
in going and returning he tarried in New
York for about a week., on each occasion as the
guest of Beverly Robinson. a Virginia friend who
had married Susannah Philipse, Mrs. Robinson's
sister, a very pretty girl, happened to be on a
visit with her relatives. Washington came un-
der the glamour of her glances." He did not spare
expense in seeking popularity. He spent sundry
pounds in treating the ladies'" with the object
OF getting one of them to treat him with favor,
but all his efforts were in vain. He g~allantly pro.
posed to Miss Philipse and donned his best suit
for the occasion, but that cultured and charming
lady courteously declined-the honor he would
thrust upon her. Two years afterwards she
married Lieut.. Col. Roger Morris.
lnere is no doubt that washington was deS-
perately in love with Mary Philipse, and her re-
fusal OF his suit was a keen disappointment to
him. A curious sequel to his attachment for her
occurred in the fact that her husbands house in
Morristown became Washington's Headquarters in
1776, both Morris and his wife being fugitive
tories. History in this case might also have
been materially changed had Mary Philipse be-
come the wife of George Washington.
In the spring Of 1850 Washington met his fate.
Ill health had taken him to Williamsburg to con-
suit physicians. On this trip he met Mrs. Martha
(Dandridge) GUSTS, widow of Daniel Parke Gus
tbs, one of the wealthiest planters of the colony.
At that time she was twenty-six years old, three
months younger than Washington, though she had
been a widow seven years. In spite of his i'll
health he pressed his suit with as much ardor
as he had done in the case of Mary Philipse, and
with better success. Though her first husband
had been faithful and affectionate, he had not
much appealed to her Imagination, but the big,
dashing Virginia colonel took her heart by storm.
She favored his suit, and they became en-
gagged.
He ordered a ring from Philadelphia at a cost
Of e2 les 1.-TWO pounds and sixteen shillings), big
price in those days, but they could not be i'm
mediately married, as military duty called him
away. After several months in the field, during
which time they saw each other only three or
four times, Washington came back to Williams
burg, and there in st. Peters church, on January
6, 1853, they were married. 1t was a grand we'd
ding. attended by all the aristocracy of Virginia