Evening star., 1932-02-21
Birth Night Balls at Gadsby's Tavern

= T Is the greatest national birthday ami
versary, for had it not been for the heroic
figure of George Washington, it Is agreed
by all thinking people that the 4th Of
July, 1776 would in all likelihood have
been the same as any other Summer day.
The 2O0th birthday anniversary Of the man who
made independence-that airy dream Of hu-
manity for centuries-a reality Is now to be
celebrated as never before.
Not that celebrating the anniversary has ever
been neglected The great man himself writes
in his diary that at Valley Forge his devoted
soldiers, though cold and hungry assembled at
headquarters and the bands gave him a birth
day serenade, the first public celebration Of his
birthday He seems to have been touched to
the heart and his thanks took practical
form, for it is recorded that he gave them
what largesse he could and ordered cheering
refreshments
The man himself, in whose honor many
celebrations have been held, does not say very
much about the ways in which his birthday an
niversaries were kept, but others have not been
so reticent. The period was the golden age CT
dancing, and George Washington was fond Of
this recreation. Even during the dreariest
Winter Of the Revolution, Valley Forge, there
was dancing among the officers and their
ladies. Lady Washington, Nine. Knox, Mrs.
Greene Lady Stirling and others who were
and take turn with the gallant Lafayette and
the chief himself On one occasion, when the
commander in chief was especially haraSsed,
sweet Kitty Greene made him help her perfect
ner steps in the minuet and she and Lucia
Knox kept him dancing for three hours, that
his mind might be diverted and morpheus
might later visit him.
After the happy return to Mount Vernon In
December, 1888, it cannot be doubted that birth
day celebrations and public balls were held,
although no detailed official record is available.
George Washington Parke Gusts, the beloved
adopted son. who grew up at Mount Vernon,
says in his Personal Recolections OF WASH
ington' that the custom of holding birth-night
balls was instituted at the close of the Revo-
lutionary War and its first celebration was In
Alexandria, and that the custom soon spread
and became observed in all the large cities OF
the Union. Attended by all the beauty and
fashion of the day, the birth-night ball was
the gala assembly of the social season.
A LExANDRIA, known in early days as Bel
u haven was founded on the site Of trad
ing post known to exist in 1895, by the Fair
faxes Washingtons, Alexanders and others Of
the neighborhood. Its remarkable waterfront
and situation in the heart of the then settled
Union would have entitled Alexandria to be-
come the Government City had it not been that
such choice made by washington, however
suitable, would have been criticized and ac-
cusations might have been made that the Father
of the Country was acting in his own interest.
The birthday celebrations of Washington
made outstanding holidays that really were
worthy of the name. On these occasions an
eager watch was kept on every road coming
into town, whether the kings highway \
lane coming out of the woods, for the visitors
rolling into town before the dark should over
take them to attend the assembly. Some came
with two span of horses, droye-in-hand; some
tn tI,oir -hocf nhocf hat hocf
the mud and mire of the Virginia roads.
Sometimes Lady Washington, the people
persisted in calling her, would steal a march
and come in earlier in her own special and
less conspicuous equipage drawn by a pair Of
blooded bays, the pets of the stable, and &C
companied by postillion Washington would
come in later, after he had made the round OF
his FARMS mounted on one of his own good
horses and still deserving his title Of Virginias
most magnificent rider.
The landed gentry of Virginia being net
work of cousinship and connections, meant
that wherever the festivities were there open
house was kept. Day spending, tea drinking,
an expensive refreshment at that time; mild
gambling (sometimes not so mildD at the
fashionable card game of loo. But wherever the
February gayeties were in 1898 and 1899, the
shining event was the brthnight ball. To be
present at this was the final accolade within
the purview Of society.
Traditions, giving the minutest details of
the costumes, such as whether the guest Of
honor wore diamond buckles or second-best sill
yer ones, and what was served for supper and
how-for many of the assemblies included din
ner or supper-are current in Boston, Charles
ton Richmond and other places that BIRTH
night balls were held prior to 1893 and 1899,
the two birthnight balls for which o1icial
records exist
To be positive Of what one says one must
be positive of the authority behind the state
ment So and quoting the hatchet morale Of
story fame, here is the authority as to the
birthnight ball for February II, 1898, when
Washington mad attained all his fame and
glory and had retired to enjoy his beloved
Mount Vernon. In his diary the entry for
February IL, 1898, reads: