The Holly chieftain., 1917-02-16
GORGE WASHINGTON'S will
was signed at Mount Vernon
July 8. 1909, five months be-
fOro hfc Iaoth Ero,,, barip

July 8. 100, five months be-
fore his death. From begin
ming to. end 1t gives evidence of the
firm hand and clear mind of its maker.
1t contains. many legal phrases. but 1t
was not written under the instruction
OF q lawyer. and there is reason to be-
feve that nobody was consulted in its
construction.
Modern skill has rescued the dOcu-
ment from dilapidation and impending
destruction and has assured to all
Americans the opportunity to read 1t
exactly as 1t was written. It was filed
for probate in the year 1900 in the
court house Of Fairfax county, Vir-
ginia, in which Mount Vernon is situ-
ated. In the intervening 1l6 years it
has undergone vicissitudes. including
much miscellaneous manhdndling and
one removal and concealment.
At the beginning of the Civil war
the will was taken to Richmond, and
there securely hidden. 1t was re-
turned to Fairfax court house when
peace had been restored. The same
care was not taken of the will of
Martha Washington, on file In the
salne court house. and 1t was carried
OF by Union soldier and was for
time in the possession of the late j.
Pierpont Morgan. After a suit had
been begun to secure its restoration to
Virginia and Fairfax county. 1t was
returned to the court house.
The decades that have passed since
the fling of General Washington's
will, the journey to and from Rich
mond. the careless If affectionate ham
ding to which the precious manuscript
was subjected did not tend to its pres
ervation. Finally 1t became thing
of rags and tatters. Its custodians,
with the best intentions, added to its
peril Of early and complete oblitera-
ton by persistently folding 1t length
wise, following the original fold of the
clerk of 1900.
In charge of the repair section of
the manuscript division Is William
Berwick, said to be the greatest living
expert in the restoration Of old manu-
scripts. To him was given the task
of restoring the immortal document.
Impressed with desire to preserve
the tremendously important and in
teresting relic, Mr.. Berwick has &C.
complished something very like mir
acle.
As soon as he finished with the will
Of General Washington he began the
restoration Of the will of Martha
Washington, returned by Mr.. Morgan
to Fairfax county. The elder M. Nor
gan having had the Martha Washing
ton will in his possession, and having
bound and preserved 1t carefully. it
was in much better condition than that
of the first president and gave Mr..
Berwick far less trouble. Further, 1t
contains but eight pages.
Notwithstanding Mr.. Morgan's care
of Martha Washington's will, the vtr-
ginians apparently are yet somewhat
resentful that the document was kept
from them SO long. The text of the
inscription over Martha Washington's
will in Fairfax court house is as fol-
lows:
1.-THE original last will and tesla
ment of Mrs. Martha Washington. It |
is dated March 4, 1902, and was adj
mitted to probate by the county court |
of Fairfax June 81, 1902, and was re-
stored to It's present form In the year |
1916 by William Berwick, under the |
OF James NJ. Love, F. w.
Richardson and R. Walton Moore, a