Evening star., 1939-04-17
By sta1 Correspondent OF The Star.

BY Stan Correspondent OF The Star.
FORT WASHINGTON, Md, April
15.-Historic Fort Washington, de-
fense site since the days of the
Indians, where stood Warburton
Manor where George and Martha
Washington visited their friends. the
Digges. soon is to be abandoned by
the Army.
To the regret Of civilians and
soldiers stationed there, the i'm
menSe pile of brick, mortar, stone
and earthen works. sitting solidly
on knoll overlooking the only wa
terway entrance to the Nations
Capital, will soon be bereft of IA
miliar sounds of marching feet and
blowing bugles as its garrison, the
Sd Battalion, 18th Infantry, is being
moved into new quarters
Recognized as An excellent loca-
ton for defense since Gov. Leonard
Calvert and his English colonists
found the bluff manned by In
dians when they anchored in nearby
Piscataway Creek in 1884, a fort
has been maintained at the site
almost continuously since.
For the battalion of men and
their families, who soon must quit
its spacious and well-kept premises,
the old forts history and romance
holds much sentiment.
Old-Timers to Go.
One of the old-timers at the fort
is Austin l.. Adams, the post plum
ber, who has been there since 1896
On June 30, Mr.. Adams plans to
leave the service. but not, he says,
because of the move
Mr.. and Mrs. Adams live in the
building which was the post hospital
until just before the Spanish Amer
lean War.
For Mrs. Adams, who was Miss
Kirby before her marriage, there
probably is more sentimental attach
ment for Fort Washington than for
any other person here. 1t was from
her family that the Government
bought the greatest portion of the
fort. including the site Of the old
Digges estate, known as Warburton
Manor. Here, too, she met and mar
ried Mr.. Adams nearly 40 years ago.
The post tailor, Pvt. First Class
Anthony Gramsky, has not been at
the post as long as the Adams FAM
lily has. but he. too. will feel like
he is leaving the old home place"
when the battalion moves. He came
to Fort Washington in 1921 and all
but one of his six children were
born in the house he occupies.
Colonel Has Historic House.
1t. Col H. D. Southard. post chap
lain, has been at the fort only a
few years, but he is dreading the
day when he must leave. In the
short time he has been here he has
made the spacious grounds around
his home veritable garden spot.
In cold frames and small hothouses
he has thousands of flower and vege-
table plants.
1t. Col. Southard lives in the most
historic house left of the original
construction. According to legend
it was built of brick stolen from
materials furnished for the con-
struction of the original fort in 1902.
The legend says the officer respon-
sible was tried and convicted.
There will be some place to 60 for
the men and their wives and chill
dren, but for Frank J. Kouba, 83-
year-old veteran, there "just isn't
any place"
Mr.. Kouba, who served 10 years in
the Army after enlisting in 1876,
came to the fort 3S years ago, and
since his wife died has been doing
his own cooking and housekeeping
in a small house on the reservation.
Once the post tailor. he just
stayed on" when he got too old for
the work. Today he said he hasn't
"the slightest idea what to do or
where to CO."
Surgeon Writing History Of Place.
Col. S. w. French. post surgeon,
who lives in a pretentious house
next to the Warburton Manor site,
is writing a history Of the territory
from the time 1t was a Piscataway
Indian village. He reveals that it
was in this section that Capt. John
Smith made his treaty Of peace with
the Piscataways after extensive ex-
plorations along the Potomac River.
The British established the first
garrison on the site in 1645, and
later Col. John Washington COM
manded Maryland and Virginia
troops there, and defeated force
of $500 Indians, forcing them to
withdraw from the region.
In 1700 the British withdrew their
garrison, and the Digges family,
descendants of Edward Digges, Gov
ernor of Virginia from 1852 to 1868,
built their home, Warburton Manor.
A lockwood hedge, growing In the