Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-05-18

children. Lee Onntt of Rockville is a direct de.
scendant.
There is a break ir the letter at
this point which the Rambler cannot
piece out. but it continues:
His father was Nicholas Dorsey and his
mother. Rachel Offutt; grandfather, Andrew;
wife. Eliza Warfeld, daughter Of Joseph War
field, who was given the commission of en-
sign in the Severn Battalion March 2, 177S.
Joseph Warfeld was the son Of DR.. Joshua
warfeld and his wife. Rachael Howard.
daughter Of Sarah Dorsey and Henry Howard,
Sarah Dorsey being a granddaughter Of Judge
Edward Dorsey, the field marshal. Mr.. Lee
Ofutt, on another line, descends from Hon.
John Dorsey of Lord Baltimore's council. The
Lanes came to Virginia. but before leaving
Maryland Elvira, the daughter Of Hardage
Lane and his wife, Rachel Beall, married her
first cousin, Ninian Edwards, who went to
Kentucky, was judge and later governor Of
Illinois territory, United States senator and
minister to Mexico.
descend from Ruth Beall and Capt. Charles
Gassaway through their daughter Mary, who
married Caleb Dorsey. Their daughter, De-
oorah Ridgely Dorsey, married DR.. Charles Guy
Edwards; their daughter. Virginia Grey Ed
wards was my mother, the wife of William
Worsley, son of John of Nottinghamshire, Eng
land, who came to America, settled in Loudoun
county and married Elizabeth Daniel.
William Writ was in the law flee Of Thomas
Swami, father Of the governor Of Maryland.
The law Office was in Leesburg and the street
on which 1t stood is Writ street. Ninian Ed
wards and Elvira Lane were the parents Of
Ninian Writ Edwards of Springfield, Ill. He
was attorney general Of the state when only
twenty-three years old. He married Elizabeth
Todd. daughter Of John Todd, lieutenant COM
mander Of the territory. She was the Oldest
sister Of Mary Todd. who was the wife Of
Abraham Lincoln. Mrs. Lincoln died at the
house Of her sister, Mrs. Edwards. My sister
was on a visit to her cousin, Ninian Edwards,
at the time Mrs. Lincoln died at his house and
her casket rested in the same room in which
she was married to Mr. Lincoln. sister Of
Mrs. Edwards and Mrs. Lincoln married Gen.
Helm Of Kentucky. He WAS a general in the
Confederate Army and was killed.
X X X X
The Rambler hoped to present in
this narrative a letter which he re-
SSA'SN ooAhS siAhS o6O lAOHA w hlAdm
Muncaster, but space is too short for
it today and it can go over until next
Sunday. The Rambler has been anxi-
Gus to reach point in this series
which would bring him to the little
church on the Rockville pike which
Is the direct descendant and success.
sor of the early Presbyterian Church
of Cabin John. When the Cabin John
church was lost by fire in 1890 the
site was sold to the Methodist church,
and the present little church about
which the Rambler has been rambling
have set up among the sacred oaks
by the side of the Falls road and
near the hamlet of Potomac, which 10
new name, the old place-name hav-
ing been Ofrutts Cross Roads. When
the Presbyterians sold the site Of
their old church to the Methodists
they erected new church building on
the Rockville Georgetown road. and
that was probably about the time Of
the opening of that part of the
Georgetown Rockville pike over which
most motorists travel now instead of
following the older part of the orig
inal road. which runs by Alta Vista,
Beane, Edward Stellwagen's splen-
did farm. Rabbits post Office and
Mount Zion Baptist Church or Spider
Hill Church. The new church was
called Bethesda Church, and that is
it's name today. As you pass along
the pike toward Rockville you will
notice on the left hand. about two
miles beyond Bethesda, small frame
church in picturesque situation ON
a hilltop among oaks and cedars. BY
the roadside is a small sign whose
gilt letters on black background
tell this: Bethesda Church--Pres-
byterian-Rev. p. p. Flournoy, pastor
founded in 1920. Services every
Sunday IL am" On the church
itself is this: Bethesda
1850" This is an
interesting place, and the Rambler
hopes to develop some facts out Of
it which may be useful in clearing up
the mystery of the date and location
of the first Presbyterian church in
Maryland west of Rock Creek.