Evening star., 1937-12-05
Archeologists Learn From
Virginia Excavations

ana . makers mark showing that the
stlversmtth was the little-knoWn John
BDdnax Of Virginia, who worked In
the early years Of the 18th century.
In one single cache were found q
squat, neck-ringed brownish- black
glass bottles Of the late 18th or early
18th century. Some contained part
of the original wine bottled therein
wine which was . bit too old for en-
joyment in 1887. Upon the body of
one Of these bottles was 4 glass seal
which carried the crest OF the dis
tinguished Colonial family, 'Digges."
THE assistance of French troops was
important In the yorktown strug-
gle, as every school child u aware.
Government archaeologists, with the
aid Of the c. c. G. boys, have now
uncovered the exact spots where the
French trenches ran and the loca-
tions Of the powder magazines. Not
only this, but remembering the British
vessels which were sunk in the har-
Dor at Yorktown, c. c. c. divers have
gone down to recover items from these
old, rotting ships at the bottom Of the
bay, such objects Of historical interest
as can be used In hitting up an exact
duplicate of q British frigate OF those
days.
The divers have been able to get
additional details Is to construction
Of the ships by their work. They have
recovered four 12-pound cannon.
blocks from ships gear, numerous
bottles and earthenware jugs, a grind
stone, salt pork barrels, pewter table,
ware. They have been able to dupli-
cate in the shops such objects as
boarding pixies, cannon mounts, hand
spikes.
Near Fredericksburg on Route II,
and close by the Mannsheld Hall
Country Club, which incidentally Is
built on the site Of Smithfleld not
Mannsfeld. are the ruins Of Manns-
f1eld-the huge house built by Mann
Page in ITO. Mann Page was an
ancestor of the late Thomas Nelson
Page. Virginia novelist. He married
Mary Tayloe. daughter Of John Tay-
loe Of Mount Airy on the Rappahan-
mock River, and this couple passed
their entire life at Mannsfield. Many
years later-during the War Between
the States-Gen. Ambrose Burnside
Of the Union forces brought his men
across the Rappahannock River and
through this territory. Mr.. Arthur
Bernard, then living at Mannsfield,
rode out to see Gen Burnside and pre-
emptorily ordered him OF the prop
erty. This action resulted in prison
for Mr.. Bernard and some little time
thereafter the house was destroyed
The Government conducted a rather
thorough exploration here and many
objects OF semi-antiquity were recov-
ered-old hand-wrought iron hinges
and latches, firebacks, andirons and
many other objects. Some Of these
are now on display at certain antique
stores in Fredericksburg and others
have been made available to crafts
men in the vicinity for copying.
ONLY recently Government sources
announced that considerable sue
cess had attended the excavations in
Morristown National Park, New Jer-
sey, where Gen. George Washing
ton was quartered with his men dur
ing the winter of 1779-e0. The Ford
where Gen. Washington
lived, has been preserved, but most
of the other buildings were gone. The
foundations of five buildings in the
vicinity Of the Ford mansion have
been found and identified, some more
or less tentatively until further study
is made. Many artifacts have been
brought to light by careful screening
of the earth-hand-wrought hard
ware, buttons, clay pipes, hand
wrought nails and flints-and such
things as men leave behind them.
The present elevation OF the land
around the Ford house appears to be
at least feet higher than it was in
Washington's day. Inasmuch as, in
the landscaping Of the grounds and
in the refurnishing Of the house, it
is planned to present picture his
torically accurate, this finding is con-
sidered Of great importance.
This new excavation in the region
of the Ford house is not the only re-
search which has gone forward in
Morristown National Park. Earlier
digs have included the sites Of the
Wick and Guerin houses and the
Continental Army barrack huts in
Jockey Hollow.