Evening star., 1929-12-15

The little village of yorktown, or what was
left of 1t after the siege, and the more populous
Williamsburg, the capital and social center CT
the Colony Of Virginia. must have had their
"armistice day. Doubtless the youth and
beauty of the vicinity gathered at Williamsburg
to greet the victorious warriors, whom they
knew would be much in need of all the feminine
pulchritude it would be possible to assemble
in order to help celebrate the victory Per-
haps the war-weary Continental and French of
f1cers were only too glad new that their work
was well-nigh finished, to accept the gracious
hospitality of the nearby Virginia planters ana
to sit once more before mahogany tables COW
cred with fine linen and shining silver while
they slipped old madeira and fine port, with
many gallant tcast to lovely Virginia ladies in
full satin gowns and powdered hair, and who
blushed furiously no doubt.
It may be, therefore, that Mary Randolph,
either as shy Virginia maiden or a very
young matron, witnessed some considerable part
OF the closing drama Of the Revolutionary
War.
In all this intriguing supposition, who was
Mary Randolph's husband? Nobody knows
And yet, perhaps some one does know and will
come forward and dispel the cloud of doubt
with historic ray of enlightenment The
washington City Directory for 1928 is a mere
Vest-pocket edition. It almost makes one smile
TO think that, even 100 years ago. it could have
served any very utilitarian purpose. It con-
tains no name Of Mary Randolph, and onlv
three or four persons of that surname If anv
OF them were Of her family there is nothing
to indicate the fact. <-'r''
Where Is the Gusts family Bible todayp
Who has 1t? Some of the descendants of Mrs
robert e. Lee, no doubt. But who and where2
Inat old family Bible probably contains some
reference to Mrs. Randolphs burial in the
grounds OF Arlington House estate and what
relation she bore to Mr.. and Mrs Custis In
those od-time family Bibles there were espe-
clally prepared pages in which to record the
deaths oV1oiJxy
Importance Of Mrs. Randolph, that occasioned
her entombment near the front of the great
mansion house, would have caused Mr.. Custis
10 make an appropriate entry in the family
Bible Her obituary notice stated that she had
selected the spot where she was to be buried II
Is evident, therefore, that she was a freouent
visitor to Arlington House and was intimately
acquainted with its bread and beautiful acres
was the spot she selected perhaps a favorite
one. whittier she often sought retreat with a
book until she grew to love it dearly?
A PPARENTLY, at the time of Mrs. RAN
dolphS DEATH there was no family burial
ground at Arlington House estate It would
seem that one was not actually selected until
the death OF Mrs. CustiS in April 1883 a quar-.
ter OF century after Mrs. Randolph's inter.
ment, because both Mr.. and Mrs Custis are
buried in another part of the grounds southwest
OF the mansion. It is also fairly probable thar
the brick wall which surrounds her grave was
the gath Of January, 1928 The meager news
paper accounts of her death all agree that she
was III only six days and her funeral occurred
the day after she had died. It is evident.
therefore, that the brick-walled vault was built
some time later perhaps when the marble slab
carrying her epitaph was about ready to be set
in place.
Mrs. Lee was the last of her family to leave
Arlington. Some weeks after Col Lee had gone
to Richmond and had become Gen. Lee of the
Confederate States of America, she remained in
Arlington House, working with desperate haste
to get the furniture, family portraits, china
and plate away before the Union troops should
come as she knew they surely would come. On
the morning of May a. 1861, the Arlington es-
tate first saw the blue uniforms and cleaning
bayonets coming through the trees, the first
hostile footsteps it had ever known A few days
later, according to old Uncle Jim Parks Mrs.
Lee left never again to return to her home
Uncle Jim said he saw her drive away in the
family carriage with an escort of Union cavalry
and pass to take her through the Union lines
Presumably, she went to RavenSworth nea-
Fairfax Court House, to the later homestead Of
her Grandfather Fizhugh, which he had built
as wilderness" retreat when the demands of
universal and perpetual Virginia hospitality
had nearly eaten him into insolvency at Chat
ham, on the banks of the RappahannociS.
From that day forward Arlington has been
under martial dominion exclusively. The SOL
olers came then and they have remained ever
since. Throughout the four years of the Civil
War many thousands of rough-and-ready SOL
diers from many States of the North were en-.
camped upon and around Arlington estate: but
the grave of Mrs. Randolph was never desc
Grated, in so far as is known. Doubtless, MANY
times some soldier in blue looked down upon
Mrs. Randolphs white marble graveStone and
read those words of tribute from q devoted son
to the mother who had borne him. And then
for al fho