davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

-. A reading of the proceedings will
repay any one interested in revolu-
tionary history and characters. Gen.
Lee was found guilty of the charges
and sentenced to suspension from his
office for twelve months 1t was neces-
sary that the finding of the court
should be ratified by Congress and
there was considerable delay and dis
cussion of the matter in the national
legislature. The conversation of the
street and the Hobbies was against Gen.
Lee and he published a new defense
of his course. which still further pref
udiced his case. Col. Laurens, an aid
to Washington, challenged Lee to
duel and they fought with pistols, Lee
being wounded in the side. At length
Congress approved the findings of the
court martial. Altogether it was
celebrated case. Up to the battle of
efficient soldier and had given no in
dication of faint heartedness.
X X
Charles Lee was born in north Wales.
His father was John Lee of Dernhall,
Chester county. north Wales, and who
was an officer of dragons of some
distinction. His mother was Isabella
Bunbury, second daughter of Sir Henry
Bunbury, also of Chester county. north
Wales. There were three children
Thomas. Harry and Charles. Charles
travelled extensively and commanded a
company of grenadiers in the French
and Indian war. In the disputes be-
tween the colonies and the mother
country over taxation and representa-
ton Charles Lee espoused the cause
Of the colonies. though in the early
days of the dispute he was living
abroad. He returned to this country
in 1878. bought the land from Hite in
Berkeley county. Va, in 1774. and in
May, 1875. was commissioned a major
general in the Continental army.
Extant are many Of his letters writ
ten from Virginia to notable ac-
quaintances in the United States and
England and the letters to his sister
are especially interesting. He discusses
in these letters without reserve the
men of his times and the letters show
him to have been a man of very strong
affections and also very strong an
tipathies, a common combination.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

is stupendous-shall ] say?-and yet
the separate orders. numbering many
thousands, were made up and shipped
without a single mistake in any of the
accounts. Take any mail order house
or dry goods store in the country,
which conducts stall business in COM
parison to Uncle Sam, and should,
therefore. have relatively less oppor-
tunity for error, and see if ii can APP
proach our record.
You'll not find such Il record any
where. 1t is one of which we are justi-
fably very proud. Miss Kerfoot is the
handspring of division which works
without error. and l say this because
know she is too modest to say it her
self"
Then down to Miss Kerfoots office
went the interviewer. She was found
in large shipping room, full of work.
ers and with warehouse atmosphere,
and she was asked to tell about the
great shipment of stamps, numbering
1Ol, 900, 900, which she is now sending
out mainly to accommodate the crowds
at San Francisco who are swelling the
mails by sending postcards and letters
to the home folk. giving news OF the
exposition.
This. our latest order" said Miss
Kerfoot. which goes out in the morn
ing. is worth s1.93S,465. 1t will be dis
country. but the largest part of the
order goes to San Francisco. where
there is special demand for the
Panama stamps
Orders come to us every day and we
pack a daily average of 2S,000,000
stamps, though we have been known to
pack as many as 205, 100000 in single
day. These numbers include coil
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22
The Lee Estate.

A GOOD while ago the Rambler re-
~ ceived a letter the burden of
which was that according to certain
traditions in Fairfax county Maj. Gen.
Charles Lee long maintained great es-
tate in that county close upon the site
of Washington city and that he was
noted in this vicinity for many eccen-
tricities. There is much truth mingled
with this tradition. Gen. Lee always
had marked traits of character and in
his late years he showed many eccen-
tricities. though toward those persons
he liked and whom he believed to be
his friends he was always kindly,
courteous and charitable man. The
break in the relations between him and
Gen. Washington was until the end
cause of bitterness to Gen. Lee. 1t is also
true that Gen. Lee maintained great
estate in Virginia, but 1t was not In
Fairfax county. 1t was In berkeley
county, now part of West Virginia
1t was about 1874 that Charles Lee, on
the advice of Gen. Gates and because of
his friendship for Gates, who owned
plantation in Berkeley county, bought
a valuable tract of land of about 200
acres situated in that county. 1t is
recorded that there were several good
improvements on the property Lee
bought the land from one of the Hite
family, the Hites, Richard Morgan and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

stamps for the slot machines. books OF
stamps, as we'll as the regular sheets
of different denominations
IF you want to follow the machin-
cry of my department and understand
fully what part it plays in the work
of the bureau of engraving and print
ing, you must know that we attend
simply to that end of the system which
has charge of filing orders for post
age stamps and sending them to the
post office to be delivered over the
country
1.-The orders, themselves, come to the
Office of the third assistant postmaster
general, where they are assembled.
made out and sent down to me. Then
I go over this entire order and draw
from the deposit vault as many stamps
of each denomination as find may be
required.
81 take the ORDER" explained Miss
Kerfoot, land subdivide it into states
and Individual post offices. One of my
expert counters then counts out enough
stamps from those 1 have drawn to NIL
each separate order. An expert veri-
fer verifles the count. In this way,
after all of the individual orders are
filled. 1 have one way of knowing that
my accounts are correct, for If the sup
ply is accurately drawn each order will
be exactly filled and no extra stamps
will be left over.
'1n order to guard against theft while
the stamps are en- route to their desti-
nations, we take precautions in pack
ing them which make it impossible to
modest a single stamp without detec-
ton We stitch the sheets together and
staple them on the edges, so that no
sheet may be torn away without leav-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22
Portrait of Gen. Roger Jones.

A correspondent whose name the
~ Rambler does not know sends him
the information that "A portrait
(painting) of Gen. Jones hangs on the
wall Of courthouse at Fairfax. Va"
The Rambler understands that this
portrait is of Gen. Roger Jones, brother
of Commodore Catesby Jones, whose
old home Sharon. on the Georgetown
and Leesburg pike, about a mile west
of Langley. was visited and written OF
by the Rambler a few weeks ago. The
lands opposite Sharon, or on the north
side of the pike between that old road
and the Potomac river, were owned by
Gen. Jones, though the general did
as place OF residence.
Gen. Jones died in Washington July
Is, 1852. His birthplace was a fine old
homestead called Hickory Hill in West
his coming into the world was 1888.
He served as an officer in the Marine
Corps from 1909 to 1872. when he was
transferred to the artillery branch Of
the army and he distinguished himself
in the fighting at Chippewa, Lundys
Lane and Fort Erie, and at the time
of his death was adjutant general of
the army. He was the father of Gen.
ington in 1881 and died at Fort Monroe
in 1889.
Maj. Gen. Roger Jones the elder lived
and died in a house which the old
corner of 10th and F streets, but which
of the corners the Rambler does not
know. The funeral took place late in
the afternoon of Saturday, July IL. 1852.
The pallbearers were Mr.. Maury, mayor
of Washington; Gen. R. C. weightman
of the District Militia: Gen. Henderson.
Commander Ballard, Col Albert, Gen.
Totten. Commodore Shubrick and Gen.
of regular troops, the militia of the
District was ordered out by Maj. Gen.
Walter Jones commanding it, and there
was a large attendance of officers of
Corps and of men of distinction in civil
life. By order of Maj. Gen. Scott. COM
handing the army. minute guns to the
number Of thirteen were fred at each
military post in the United States, the
national flag was flown at half mast
and onicers of the army wore the pre-
scribed badge of mourning for thirty
days.
The National Intelligencer said:
"On Thursday evening last death very
suddenly removed from this community
and from very large family circle a
most respectable and esteemed gentle
veteran of the army Gen. Roger Jones,
for SO many years adjutant general of
the army, died at his residence in this
city after a very short illness the
evening De1Ofe last. zen Jones was
in the 'siXty-fourth year of his age. He
was a native of Virginia and the elder
brother of the gallant and respected
Commodore Catesby Jones of the navy.
We never anew a more honorable gen.
tleman or one more estimable, in all
the domestic and social relations. His
professional services and merits are
familiar to the whole country"
The Rambler has no informal ion as to
how the portrait of Gen. Jones came
into possession of the county of Fair
fax, or who was the painter of that
portrait, but hopes some time while
rambling in the neighborhood of that
historic town to visit the courthouse
and make the necessary inquiries.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

place and the present Csr5ett house
stands a few yards southwest OF the
site of the fort. DIR. II. &. Corbett,
another son of the wartime owner
of the fort land. also lives on part of
the original tract.
On hill south and west Of Fort
Berry. and also on the Corbett farm,
was built Fort Barnard. named for
the chief engineer OF the defenses of
Washington. This earthwork. well pre-
served. may be seen by going into the
thick woods which cover the land
there. Remains of batteries south OF
Fort Barnard and the rifle trenches
that connected Forts Barnard and
Berry may be traced.
Company NJ of the LIST Connecticut
Heavy Artillery was recruited at the
Wesleyan University. Middletown.
Conn. and the knowledge of mathe-
MATES which n number OF the men
in that company had coming TO the
attention of the regimental and other
high officers, they were taken out OF
the bitches and set to the work Of
computing ranges by triangulation to
all prominent or possibly important
parts within range of the guns OF
Fort Richa rdson. After there had
that could be reached by the guns of
that fort the work was continued for
the benefit OF Fort Berry. Fort Bar
nard, Fort Reynolds Battery Garesche,
Fort Ward and Fort Worth.
In the fields under cover of the guns
of Fort Richardson was spread the
great convalescent camp. and at one
time there were $4,000 men in that
camp just getting strong again after
being in hospitals with wounds and
sickness. To the southwestward of
Fort Richardson was the distribution
camp. Thousands of men were there.
Having graduated from the hospitals
in and around Washington and hav-
ing passed through the convalescent
camp. they afaited reassignment to
their former commands or to other
organizations.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

of a field battery in action. The old
way of quickly Identifying a battery in
action was by the smoke of the dis
charges. This means of Identification
passed with the adoption of smokeless
powder, for where the charcoal pow
ders let clouds of white smoke belch
from the gun muzzle the nitro pow
ders are so consumed that only thin
blue haze blows from the muzzle.
But the blast from the new gun may
blow up a dust cloud from the ground
in front of the gun and this may re-
veal the artillery position, though in
posting the gun this danger is pro-
vided against where possible.
The sound of the firing may also re-
veal the direction of the enemy battery.
A recent news account from France
says: The silencing of big gun is a
difficult problem. and though in the
case of rifles and small guns the re-
port can be made almost negligible.
the gigantic rush of gases when a
big shell is fired prevents a complete
silencing, but it is SO effective that no
sound of firing can be heard over a
greater distance than a hundred yards
or so. The silencer is attached to the
muzzle of the gun. AS the she'll leaves
the gun small. shutter springs up
and prevents the explosive gases es-
Gaping in the usual way. 1t is the
sudden fierce rush Of gas which causes
the 'bang!' when gun is fired. The
gas passes out through the two cham
nels With nothing like the rush that is
caused In the ordinary way. 1t Is inn
possible to stop the gases escaping al
for the pressure is SO terrific
that the gun would be blown to pieces.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

F6WELVE billion stamps, This is
the size of last years stamp
business handled by the bureau
& of engraving and printing. Quite
q large order. You say? Well, rather.
the largest ever.
Yet the size of the order is not the
most important thing about it. Not at
all. The amazing feature is this: the
entire work of drawing the stamps,
balancing the separate orders and ship
ping them was carried on under the
supervision of woman, and, thanks to
Ibis womans efficiency. without a sin
gle discrepancy.
Miss Margaret kerfoot, chief of the
division which fills and ships orders to
the $4,000 post offices throughout this
country, is the efficient woman in the
case.
She has been working in the bureau
of engraving and printing for thirty
two years. and though the figures of
last years stamp output and her rec
ord-breaking infallibility are startling
enough to deserve especial mention.
she may. nevertheless. be found any
day in her huge basement Office of the
bureaus new building on the Speed
way. hlling stamp orders with a re-
1narkable aversion to error. This
years record, as well as lasts. it may
be said, has not been married by a mis-
take.
Her record for perfection is a mat
ter Of pride, not only to herself, but also
TO Director Ralph of the bureau, who
praises her in this wise:
Twelve billion stamps form a ship
ment OF size impossible to conceive. 1t
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22
Fort Richardson.
FEATURE of the coming en-

& FEATURE of the coming encampment
d-A of the Grand Army of the Republic
at Washington will be a reunion of the
LIST Connecticut Heavy Artillery on the
site of Fort Richardson The site of
this important and commanding link in
the chain of Washingtons civil war de-
lenses is now owned and occupied by
the knights of Columbus Country Club.
The clubhouse commands one of the
widest views in the environs of Wash
ington and looks down directly upon
Green valley, along which leads an old
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

she seems to be lone of the fellers."
Her merry eye may be depended upon
for cheer and her countenance is ever
lighted with enthusiasm.
During the time 1 have been in the
bureau" she stated, when at last pre-
vailed upon to talk about herself, Il
have seen the stamp output more than
double itself. This means that l have
been here a long time. In fact, 1 say
that 1 have grown up with the depart
ment. My first work here was that of
an apprentices assistant and 1 have
held nearly all of the positions over
which I now have supervision.
II love the work. / feel an actual
affection for every postage stamp that
draw from the vault. Nothing in
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

ing a perforated border of damaging
evidence behind it. This is a safeguard
for the bureau. because the evidence
would show that the theft had been
made after the order left our depart
ment.
These stitched sheets are bound 20
gether and tied into packages. which
are wrapped and stamped on the out
side with the address they are being
sent to. Packages vary in size. The
largest that may be sent separately
contains 100000 stamps All above
this number in any individual order
are sent in additional packages.
Then the largest part of the work
Is out of the way Miss Kerfoot went
on to say. The packages are put in
electric trucks and sent to the city
post office. where they are registered
for all these stamps are delivered as
registered mail-and pouched for ship
ment directly to the Individual post
masters.
my own responsibility, besides be-
ing chief of the department with
packers under me. consists of drawing
the stamps from the vaults and bal
ancing the orders. OF course, I am also
responsible for the accuracy of every
order"
Miss Kerfoot exhibited with pride
the splendidly equipped room where
she and her staff carry on their work
AT long tables, running parallel on OPP
poSlte sides OF the room, alongside
large. open windows. the work is done;
with counters and verifers sitting on
one side and packers, standing on the
other. with multitudes of packages for
the new order piled high before them.
She then led the way into the deposit
vault where the reserve stamps are
stored, awaiting distribution. She re-
minded the interviewer that they were
standing in the presence of postage
stamps worth an immense fortune.
1t seems to her most fitting, says
Miss Kerfoot, that the packing depart
ment should be located in the base
ment. for the bureau is SO arranged
that the work of printing begins on
the top floor and the intermediate steps
of cumming and finishing bring the
stamps finally down to her basement
retreat where the distribution takes
place.
To turn the attention from the
stamps to Miss Kerfoot, herself. is an
exercise that brings it's own reward,
for she is that type of American wom-
an who represents the new element in
twentieth century civilization-ehcient
femininity.
She may be best described by the col
loquial expression as being 'all BUSH
ness" But, withal, she has the ener-
getic manner OF one who works hard
yet manages to have a good time out
of it. To see her in her department
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22
printed by T. Allen, No. IL Queen street
New York. in 1892. Lees letter follows

printed by T. Allen, No. ~ Queen street.
New York. in 1892. Lees letter follows:
..s,- "cAMr ENGLISH Town; July /; ITS
ing hut the mlsinforniaton Of some yerg stupid
SON ea hsVe
such very singular expression, as YOU did on
aken on u" thev TO ped Io ,hs Vas y
either Of disobedience of orders. want of con
therefore infinitely o6ige me- h. lctiin, me
know which of these three articles yol
justification. which / have the happiness to be
confident | can do to the army. 10 the Con
gress. to America and to the world in general;
serve that neither yourself nor those about your
person could from your situation in the least
and to speak with becoming pride can assert
that to these maneuvers the success of the day
remained on the first ground or had We ad-
vanced or had the retreat been conducted in
manner different from what it was the whole
army and the interest of America would have
risked being sacrificed
At this point in the letter Gen. Lee
charges Washington with an act of
cruel injustice toward a man who had
certainly some pretensions to the re-
gard Of every servant of this country"
Then he proceeds:
.o And think, sir have right to demand
unless / can obtain it, must in justice to
myself, when the camIn ign is closed, which l
service at the head OF which is placed a man
capable of offering such injuries, but at the
same time in justice to you l must repeat that
I from my soul believe that 1t was not a motion
Of your own breast. but instgated by some of
those dirty earwigs 1.-THE last two words under
scored) who will forever insinuate themselves
near persons in high office; for am really con
himself. In his army will have reason
to complain Of injustice and indecorum."
To this letter Gen. Washington sent
the following in reply:
HEADQUARTERS, English Town, June %, 1878.
mistake. the first of July. expressed, as con-
ceive, in terms highly improper. 1 am not
conscious of having made of any very
singular expression at the time of my meet
ing you you intimate. What 1 recollected to
have said was dictated by duty and warranted
by the occasion As soon as circumstances will
admit you shall have an opportunity either Of Of
America and to the world In general or of con-
vncing them that YOU guilty of breach Of
orders. of misbehavior before the enemy on the
been directed and in making an unnecessary,
disorderly and shameful retreat.
II am. sir.
Your Most Obedient Servant,
GEORGE WASHINGTON
The court martial for the trial of Gen.
Lee met at Brunswick July 4. The
charges were: first, for disobedience Of
the 28th of June agreeable to repeated
instructions; second, for misbehavior
before the enemy in making an un-
necessary, disorderly and shameful re-
treat; third, for diSreSpect to the COM
mander-in-chie in two letters dated
June 20 and July l..
The courtmartial sat until August
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

my private life ever comes between me
and my work and when / am getting
out one of these very large orders 1
think about it all of the time"
1t was suggested that this affection
ate interest was undoubtedly the rea-
lection which Miss Kerfoot maintains.
She agreed that this may be one cause
but she confesses that she thinks the
real reason to be simply this-she
would be ashamed to go to Mr.. Ralph
and admit that she had made mis-
take.
Thereupon the interviewer reminded
her that the most estimable sense OF
responsibility is begotten by a strong
esprit du corps-and then departed
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22
wIsTARIA HOUSE on DUPONT CIRCLE.
n Col. Thomas Cresap being among the
pioneers in that part of the Potomac

Col. Thomas Cresap being among the
pioneers in that part of the Potomac
country.
Gen. Lees last will and testament was
dated Berkeley county in the common
wealth of Virginia in September, 1882,
and it was probated In the court or
Berkeley county April Is, 1888. The
general left requests to a large num-
Der of friends whom he names in his
will and there is one portion of the IN
strument which gives a strong light on
the peculiar or perverse strain in the
gentleman's character. That portion
OF the will is as follows:
Il desire most earnestly that I may
not be buried in any church or church
yard, or within mile of Presbyterian
or Anabaptist meeting house. for. since
I have resided in this country l have
kept so much bad company when living.
that I do not chuse to continue it when
dead" Following that strange para
graph which no doubt was penned in
of mind. Gen. Lee Recommends his
soul to the Creator of all worlds and
all creatures.
To Charles MINI Thurston he be-
queathed fifty guineas; to Buckner
Mercer of Marlborough. Va. he left q
brood mare, his swords and pistols, and
ten guineas for the purchase OF ring
of affection; to Otway Bird. former
aid-de-camp, he left brood mare; to
William Grayson of Dumfries he gave
the second choice of two colts; to will
liam Steptoe of Virginia he left Ave
guineas for the purchase of ring Of
affection; to his faithful servant and
humble friend. Guifippi Minghini" he
left three hundred guineas, number OF
horses and colts. cows, his wearing ap-
parel and all his agricultural imple-
ments; to his housekeeper. Elizabeth
Dunn, he left a hundred gutneas and
flock of cattle. To. Mrs. Shipper. her
son Thomas Shipper, and to Thomas
Lee of Belle View he left each ten
suineas for the purchase of rings OF
affection.
He bequeathed his landed estate in
Berkeley county to Jacob Morris or
Philadelphia and Evan Edwards. both
former aid-de-camps, and to Eleanor
Oswald of Philadelphia and William
Goddard of Baltimore. He also left a
number Of his slaves to Elizabeth Dunn
and Minghini. All the rest of his prop
erty and invested funds in various parts
of the world he bequeathed to his SIS
ter. Sidney Lee, her heirs and assigns.
The difficulty between Washington
and Lee at the battle of Monmouth,
June 28, 1878, might have been patched
up but for Lees high and too ardent
tiers to Washington which. addressed
to a superior officer. constituted ex-
tremely bad military form. The Ram
bier is going to reproduce the frst let
ter which Lee wrote to Washington.
The correspondence and the proceed
nes of the court martial may be read
in a book in the Library of Congress,