The Republican., 1932-01-14
Committee Chairman
Describes Hunt For
Footprints ofFirst Pres
ident
By J. ALEXIS SHRIVER,
In the Baltimore Sunday Sun

Virginia was George Washington's
native State and his lifelong home, but
Maryland was his nearest neighbor.
Consequently, in the current nation
wide search for forgotten or neglected
bits of Washington history-one
phase of the preparation for the
Forthcoming Bicentennial celebration
Maryland is souce only less fruit
full than the Old Dominion itself. The
important events which associate the
first President with this State have
been noted adequately in history, but
his numerous casual contacts with
people and places in Maryland have
been recorded only in haphazard fash
ion. In particular, information con-
cerning Washington's many trips into
and through the State, his business
and political missions and his social
calls, never has been assembled into a
single historical record.
**#
The latter was the first task to be
undertaken by the Maryland Commits
sion for the celebration of the two
hundredth anniversary of the birth of
George Washington. In collaboration
with the National Bicentennial Com
mission, which is sponsoring map
showing all Of Washington's journeys
from Crown Point, on Lake Cham
plain, in the North, to Savannah in the
South, and from Maine, in the East,
to Gallipolis, Ohio, in the West-the
State organization determined to pre-
pare map showing his numerous
trips through Maryland, identifying,
wherever possible, his actual stopping
places along the way. This work, and
the preparation of plans for celebra-
tions in the several counties of the
State, was turned over to the writer,
as chairman; DR.. Arthur B. Bibbins,
Mrs. Edward Shoemaker, j. Spence
Howard and Ernest J. Clark.
***
The assignment to discover and
then to follow trails, most Of which
were more than century and a half
old and many of which were obscured
or disturbed by conflicting legends,
was not an easy one. The cooperation
of the Society for the Preservation OF
Maryland Antiquities will be used to
preserve these historic spots. State
and county archives were explored
minutely and private collections Of
Washingtoniana were placed at the
disposal of the committee, but, oddly
enough, the most valuable assistance
came directly from Washington HIM
self-through his diaries.
It seemed almost incredible that
such a mass of material relating to
trifing daily incidents should have
been preserved for US, but Washing
ton not only kept diaries from early
youth to the time of his death, but
also he recorded meticulously every
item of expense, not disregarding
winnings and losses at cards and the
races, and even to the tips given to
servants when he left the house in
which he had been guest. These
items he kept in little pocket memo
randum books which later were trans
ferred to three large ledgers, A, B and
c..
They have been more useful to the
committee than George Washington
ever could have dreamed. For exam
ple, how could the committee deter
mine at which house he stopped in
Upper Marlboro? His diary simply
stated: "Supped & Lodged in Marl-
boro." The tavern site was pointed
out by some of the residents as the
probable place at which he stopped;
others said he had stayed at house
in Marlboro which is still standing.
It reads: "By servants at Marlboro
and exp. at widow Ramsey's 1 lb.13s."
Widow Ramsey's tavern was located
half way between Marlboro and Balti-
more (probably the old Rising Sun
Tavern in Anne Arundel county, so
lovingly rescued by the Daughters of
the American Revolution), and Wash
ington plainly differentiated between
Servants" at the home of a friend in
Marlboro and "exp." at the Widow
Ramsey's tavern.
These Washington diaries, his pock-
ct memorandum books and ledgers
were left, at the time of his death, to
his nephew, Judge Bushrod Washing
ton, who inherited Mount Vernon. Un-
fortunately for US, Bushrod Washing
ton felt that it would be nice to pre-
sent to various friends and relatives
of Washington one or more volumes
of his diaries, his pocket memorandum
books or even his account books. This
unfortunate dispersion continued and
single leaves of diaries were torn out
and given to various individuals as
souvenirs. Thus, apparently, they
-,,o,.o soa++arad to tho four winds of