Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-01-03

sistance of my brothers, sufficient to last about
q week, and sent them down 70 the fort. The
most of them, however, were potatoes. After
this, having prepared everything necessary for
our trip, notified the men where and at what
time to meet together in the morning.
"All being now in readiness I went to Dr.
Blake by appointment who gave me an open
letter to Mr. LIE Enfant, the engineer, in which
the doctor spoke of me in high terms. DR..
Blake was at that time mayor of washing
ton On the next morning the men assembled
at the old house where still reside, near the
corner Of Twentieth and streets first ward,
with their picks and shovels on their shoulders.
After resting awhile we started down to Lears
wharf (Stone House,, went on board the
packet and sailed down to Fort Washington
1T was late in the evening when we arrived
at the fort and after landing and securing
my men under shelter I started off to Dlggs
(about half a mile from the forD, where L
found the house pretty well crowded with
gentlemen from the neighborhood. 1 presented
my letter to Mr.. LIE Enfant, the engineer. con-
versed with him while, took glass OF VINE
with him and then went back to my men. In
the morning Mr.. LIE Enfant came down to the
fort and gave US directions what to do, SO we
went to work and worked manfully. In the
meantime MT James Esling, carpenter, soon
nut up a tolerably good shanty for the &C
commodation of the workmen.
"\A/E found, on our arrival that the
w AlexandrianS had already a company
of colored men at work, ours being the first
from the city or Georgetown. We continued
to work for Is days at the expiration of which
time John P nigel, Esq, came down with a
company of men from the eastern part of the
city to relieve US. So 1 turned over to him
the United States property, viz: pots kettles.
ETC., took his receipt for them, and returned
with my men to Washington by way OF
Alexandria.
ON reaching home with my company
left them at my house and called on the other
members of the committee expecting to get
the money to pay off the men who were in
waiting at my house for their pay. To my
great modification I was informed by them
that they had not been successful in collecting
q sufficient amount of funds to pay the men
off Under these circumstances I knew not
what to do. However, as there was no alter
native I received what money they had COL
lected and went back to the house and stated
the case to the men, and promised to pay
them in few days Those who were &C
uuainted with me cheerfully agreed to wait
for their pay until we could make further
collection, and those who were most needy
we paid far as our money would reach
In a short time afterward we collected money
enough and paid them all off During our
stay at the fort I went twice to Alexandria
in boat to purchase provisions and once I
visited Mount Vernon. My brother, Abraham
was my assistant while at the fort
The following are the names of the work
men who accompanied me to work at Forc
Washington on that occasion:
John Comfy. Timothy Herrity, John Donoho,
Thomas Ladan. Morgan Donoho, George Esling,
Levi Shaw, Michael Greager, John Things,
Edward Crowly, LIST; Michael Herrity, Edward
Crowly, 3D. Samuel Duval, James Gray, James
Herman James Esling, Samuel Douglass,
Richard Bannister, william Linkins John
LinkinS, James Troth, Leonard Ellis, Michael
King. Lloyd Jones, Patrick Larner, William
Hayward"
HERE was much in common between Mount
] Vernon and Warburton Manor, just as
there must have been between Mount Vernon
and Marshall Hall for we are told by the
late Dr.. James Dudley Morgan that lit was
often Gen. Washingtons custom in going
either to Bladensburg, Upper Marlborough or
to Annapolis to ferry the Potomac from Mount
Vernon to Warburton and thus continue his
journey He has often, when tired or belated,
or for social intercourse, stopped and spent
some time with George or Thomas Digges at
Warburton-What is now Fort Washington"
Washington irving has told "how Gen.
Washington stood on that knoll a little to
the front of his home, and through that forest
vista signaled by flag to Warburton. Then