Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-06-20
THE RAMBLER WRITES OF SETTLEMENTS
CENTURIES AGO ON THE POTOMAC RIVER

away by the river. All that is left is sand
bank Of about ten acres. Still later authols'
among then, Scharf Bryant and even the care
full and painstaking Brown, have insisted IN
the confoundinx Of Heron Island with 81
Clements, and thus recording it as lament
able but nevertheless an historical iact I'M.
the spot on which the colonists OF MaIynnu
first set foot upon her soil and procialineo .he
right of sovereignty over her doman-thah
which none should be moSe sacred TO the mem-
DRY of her people-no longer exists eitner IN
fact or in name.
1t should be noted that Heron Island, now
scarcely discernible. which lies more 1nlano
and somewhat out of the direct course IN SAIL
ing up the river. was most likely very u'm,nu
tive and practically vaiueless even az Una.
date, as no patent appears ever to nave oeen
issued for it. 1t was also apparently deemed
too insignificant for a new name when besto"
ing upon those lying farther out In the rlVef
and today 1t retains its first name-hefon-
the one by which the entire group was orig
inally known. The records also OF devlses ana
alterations Of the larger island, covering =.
period of more than century, refer 70 II
alternately as Blackstone or st. Clements Is
land, which with a direct chain OF title from
the lord proprietary to the present time IN
contestaby establishes the fact that the beau
slumbering upon the bosom of the lower poto-
mac, is the historic St. Clements lsiano OF Inc
past.
Just by way of passing the time, the
Rambler wants to say that while the
eminent historian writes that black
stone Island, or Blackiston's Island. is
bosom of the lower Potomac, II Is
not really a floating island. but rests
on the bottom of the river.
In the matter of the Spanish ex-
ploration of and settlement on the
Potomac river in 1866 the Rambler
hof THIS
belief, was brought into public notice
about thirty years ago by Jonn
Dawson Culinary Shea, man VINO
was eminent in historical research
and who is frequently referred TO as
shea, the Catholic historian" He
and died at Elizabeth. N. j., February
20, 1892. He was admitted to the bar
in 1916, turned from the law to ntera-
ture, was connected in an editorial
capacity with Frank Leslie's publish
ing house and later edited the CathonG
News. The following biographical
sketch of Mr.. Shea Is taken from
"Americana:"
For many years his attention was given TO
historical research in preparation Of his HIS.
tory of the Catholic Church in the Un1teo
States the fourth volume OF which Vas ~. "a
connected with many historical societies IN
America and Europe and was the nrst presi-
dent of the Catholic Historical Society OF the
United States. His published works ineiude
'.The Discovery and Exploration Of the Mis-
sissippi Valley" (1s53); History Of the French
and Spanish Missions Among the Indian Tribes
of the United States" (1saD: The Cathone
archy of the Catholic Church in the United
states u8s6); besides many translations and
other works.
The Rambler remembers that Mr.
Shea first brought to public notlce
the matter of the Spanish exploration
of a river which the explorers mapped
and named Espiritu Santo. or River OF
the Holy Spirit, and that the Jesui!s
founded a mission on that river call,
ed Axacan, in a paper which he read
eded Axacan, in a paper Whlch ne READ
before the New York Historical 30
ciety The map seemed TO snow tnat
the River of the Holy spin. was HeLy
like the Potomac river. Fhe hamole1
clearly remembers that the late Hugh
r Taggart Endorsed the discovery OF
Mr.. Shea and, in a paper which ne
read before the Columbia HIstor1cai
Society in this city o On May shea he. and and
gave his opinion at considerable length
mat "Axaean" and "Occoquan" were
the same. Mr.. Taggart, in the begin
ming Of his paper. said:
The honor is popularity ascribed to Capt;
John Smith of having been the mn INST pnf am
river and to contemplate, in the region wnicn
includes the site Of the District OF Coiumoia;
the wealth Of FOREST flowers, animal iffe ano
had felt the whitening touch OF cfv1izstlon
vet there is nothing iq the writings OF smith
to Indicate that his Exploration Of the rive, i've,
had been extended to the vicinity OF the MIS-
or Little Falls. He makes no mention OF this
absolute barrier to further navigation; 1t Is
! I'M fact. apparent from his map that TINS pof'
ton of the river was laid down upon IL ironn
ma IRA tion and not from actual exploration.
1t seems also to be historically demonstfaoie
that he had been preceded many years BY the
Spa niards, who had sailed mp the river at least
as far as the place we now know as Occoquan,
and that to the river they had given the name
Of Espiritu Santo.
The Rambler finds that he has come
so near the end Of the space assigned
to him that he cannot tell all he has
found out about the settlement at
Axacan and the treachery Of a Poto-
mac Indian who had been taken to
Mexico, baptized in the cathedral at
Mexico City, named Luis de Velasco,
after the Spanish viceroy in Mexico
educated there and in Spain, and who
came back to the Potomac with a
mission at Axacan. The story in
wolves the massacre of Father Juan
Baptiste Segura, vice provincial of the
Society of Jesus, and Brothers Gabriel
Gomez, Pedro Linares. Sancho Loral-
los and Christopho Redondo and a
number of their Indian attendants
Revenge on the wild Indians Of the
Melendez, famous in history as the
founder of st. Augustine, Fla. the
'.butcher of Riboult" and the com
mander of the '1nvincible armada.
The Rambler will leave these things
until next time.