Evening star., 1936-03-01
John Randolph of Roanoke, and Mrs.
Woodrow Wilson, Descendants of Prin-
cess of Tribe of Powhatan-Two Presi-
'dents Harrison Believed to Have Been
Included in List, Which Extends
to Several Virginia Families.

with q wonderful intellect. Perhaps,
after all, it was the blood Of Chief
Powhatan that gave him his arrogant
and domineering disposition.
When he first attended Congress in
Washington and for some years there
after he boarded at the Union Hotel
in Georgetown, and, according to
early accounts, he would ride on horse
back from his lodgings, on High street.
to the Capitol, and enter the House
wearing q fur cap with large visor.
a heavy great-coat over . suit of Vir-
ginia homespun, and white-topped
boots with jingling silver spurs.
"stridtng down the main aisle, fol-
lowed by his brace Of pointer dogs"
the story goes, "he would stop before
his desk, upon which he would de-
liberately place hts cap, his gloves and
his riding whip, listening meanwhile
to the debate. If he took any interest
in it, he would begin to speak at the
first opportunity. without any regard
to what had previously been said.
After he had uttered few sentences
(and had drunk q glass Of porter,
which an assistant doorkeeper had Or
ders to bring whenever he rose to
speak,, his tall, meager form would
writhe with passion; his long, bony
index finger would be pointed at those
on whom he poured his wrath, and the
expression of his beardless, high
checked and sallow countenance
would give additional force to the
brilliant and beautiful sentences which
he would rapidly utter, full of stinging
witticisms and angry sarcasm. So dis
tinct was his enunciation that his
shrill voice could be heard in every
part of the hall: his words were select
and strictly grammatical, and the ar
ragement of his remarks was always
h..rmonious and effective"
THE duel near the Chain Bridge be-
tween John Randolph Of Virginia
and Henry Clay of Kentucky has often
been referred to, though nearly ITO
years have elapsed since 1t occurred
on April 8. 1926.
As has been said, Senator Randolph
was hot-headed and vitriolic in his
language, and his many indiscretions
usually kept him in hot water.
Upon this particular occasion he de-
nounced, in his usual scathing terms,
President John Quincy Adams and Mr..
Clay, the then Secretary Of State. who
at the time was residing in the Deca-
tur house, at the southwest corner of
z street and Jackson place. into whose
portals its late owner, Commodore
Decatur, had only few years before
been carried, following his fatal duel
at Bladensburg with Commodore Bar
ron.
The result of Randolph's utterances
was a duel-fortunately q bloodless
one. Near the Chain Bridge an ap-
propriate spot was selected. Mr.. Clay
fired twice, the second shot passing
through the coat of Mr.. Randolph,
who, having come to the conclusion
that he was in the wrong. discharged
his pistol In the air and advanced to-
ward Clay, at the same time offering
his hand and saying, II did not fire at
you, Mr.. Clay" The latter met the
Senator in the same spirit, whereupon
Randolph loosely remarked, "You owe
me cloak, Mr.. Clay" to which Clay
replied, "I am glad the debt Is nc
greater"
TWO Of our Presidents, William
Henry Harrison and his grandson
Benjamin Harrison, are said to have
been direct descendants of Pocahon-
tas and, as would naturally follow, Of
her father, the Indian Chief Pow
hatan. But the writer confesses he
has been unable to prove this to his
satisfaction in his brief study Of the
subject. William Henry Harrison, the
ninth President of the United States
was the son of Benjamin Harrison,
signer Of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence, and his wife, Elizabeth
(Bassett) Harrison, and back Of this
his relationship with Pocahontas l,
said to begin through Richard Ran
dolph.
This Richard Randolph, according
to Robertson, in his "Pocahontas and