The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-02-28
ADDRESS DELIVERED AT
WASHINGTON CELEBRATION

The following IS the a0QFeS> uei4'-
cred by Mrs Agatha \. Woodson at
the George Washington celebration
given by the Daughters American
Revolution last Wednesday:
If you should ask child IN Eng
land or in any Of the old world coun-
tries to give you the names OF the
three greatest Americans, he would,
without hesitation, say. George Wash
ington, Abraham Lincoln and Wood
row Wilson. We, as Southerners,
claim our George Washington ana
our Woodrow Wilson-as Daughters
of the American Revolution, whose
ancestors Struggled for the building
of this great Union, we should also
be willing to claim as among our
greatest ones. Abraham Lincoln, who
is hailed al over the world as the
"preserver" of that Union. We can
not let our prejudice, born OF early
Southern teaching, lead US to an un-
lust estimate Of this great American,
nor blind US to the fact that he did
hold together that which our foroears
had united; but today we come. not
to discuss the merits or dement's OF
our Southern cause, but to celebrate
the birthday of the first Of these
greatest Americans, George Washing
ton. the father of his country and
ours. who was born in Westmoreland
county, Va, February p, 1882, and
died at Mount Vernon, 1899. lie was
the son of Augustine Washington
and his wife, Mary Ball, wise, good
woman. who looked well to the ways
of her household.
When Washington was only eleven
wears old his father died, and his
rearing was thus left in the hands OF
his mother. It is my candid opinion,
an opinion founded on the study of
men of various degrees, that all great
men are the sons Of their mothers
and | mean this in the broader sense
of their having been trained and rear
ed by their mothers, without fathers
care. This was none the less true
of this great and good man, some
portion of whose life we come to
speak of today. His mother lived to
see him attain to greatness, to achieve
the highest gift of grateful people,
for planting them safely upon their
pinnacle of freedom by his proves Of
arms and patriotic, fearless states
manship.
1t is interesting to US to catch even
a glimpse of the life Of this noble
mother of a noble son. Very little is
available to me at this time, of her
life, and I can do no better than to
speak here Of her last will and testa-
ment made in 1888, and to give the
contents of this instrument, IN which
she makes her illustrious son her ex-
ecutor. This old document was saved
for South Carolina by Mrs. ". (.
Cannon of the Hartsville chapter, D.
A. R., who clipped it from an old
magazine and sent it TO the Columbia
State for publication. 1t follows:
''In the name of God, Amen. /,
Mary Washington of Fredericksburg,
in the county of Spottsylvania, being
in good health, but calling to mind
the uncertainty of this life, and (be-
ing) willing to dispose of what re-
mains Of my worldly estate, do make
and publish this my last will recon-
mending my soul into the hands Of
my Creator, hoping for remission
of ali my sins, through the merits
and mediation of Jesus Christ the
Savior of mankind. l dispose of my
worldly estate as follows:
Imprimis, I give to my son Gen.
Geo. Washington, all my land in
Accokeck Run, in the county Of Stat
ford, and also my negro boy George,
to him and his heirs forever; also my
best bed, bedstead and Virginia cloth
Item. l give and devise to my
best bed room), my quilted blue and
white quilt and my best dressing
glass. I
Item. will give and devise to my
son, Charles Washington, my negro
man Tom, to him and his heirs for
ever.
Item. I give and devise to my
daughter, Betty Lewis, my phaeton
and my bay horse.
Item. I give and devise to my
daughter-in-law, Hannah Washing
ton, my purple cloth cloak lined with
shag.
yo,y