Evening star., 1941-07-20

Entrance to Fort WaShingto
other suitable persons, and concluded to
make him foreman of the workmen.
Packet Chartered.
Then I went over to Georgetown and
chartered the packet of my old friend
and acquaintance, Harry Macpherson, to
take us down to the fort, and left direc-
tions to sail over to Learis wharf early
in the morning. In the meantime pro-
cured provisions by the assistance of my
brothers, sufficient to last about a week,
and sent them down to 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 to-
gether in the morning
"All being now in readiness, I went to
DR.. Blake, by appointment, who gave
me an open letter to Mr.. L'Enfant, the
engineer, in which the doctor spoke of
me in high terms. DR.. Blake was, at that
time, Mayor of Washington. On the
next morning the men assembled at the
old house where I 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 tStone
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,
started off to Digges' (about half mile
from the forD, where found the house
pretty well crowded with gentlemen from
the neighborhood. 1 presented my letter
to Mr.. L'Enfant, the engineer, conversed
with him while, took glass of wine
with him and then went back to my men.
In the morning Mr.. L'Enfant came down
to the fort and gave us directions what
to do, 70 We went to work and worked
manfully. In the meantime, Mr.. James
Esling, carpenter, soon put up toler-
ably good shanty for the accommodation
Of the workmen.
THE following are the names of the
workmen who accompanied me to work
at Fort Washington on that occasion:
John Comfy, Timothy Herrity, John DON
OHIO, Thomas Ladan, Morgan Donoho,
George Esling, Levi Shaw, Michael Grea-
ger, John Tidings, Edward Crowley, 1st,
Michael Herrity, Edward Crowley, I'd,
Samuel Duval, James Gray, James Tier
man, James Esling, Samuel Douglass,
Richard Bannister, William Linkins,
John Linkins, James Troth, Leonard
Ellis, Michael King, Lloyd Jones, Patrick
Larner, William Hayward"
Distance Covered.
BY water, Fort Washington is said to
be 11A statute miles and Marshall Hall,
also on the Maryland side of the river,
given as Is miles. The latter has been
a river resort for so many years that no
one seems to know when the grounds
were first used for picnic purposes. Per-
sons living in Washington today of ad-
vanced age recall visiting the place when
they were young and remember the old
mansion and the burial plot nearby,
with its limited number of headstones,
telling the story of its early owners.
AS the writer recalls it, the dancing
pavilion had a smooth floor and the
dance music was in keeping with the
good reputation of the place, the pro-
prietor Of which for many years was Col.
Joseph A. McKibbin who died July l,
1896. These were the days when every
steamboat that passed Mount Vernon
tolled its bell in honor of the Father
of His Country, who sleeps beside his
consort in a sacred tomb on the estate
which was in life 80 near and dear to
his heart On vessels carrying bands of
music it was also customary to play, In
passing the national shrine, Nearer, My
God, to Thee" or some other fitting
piece, but a few years ago when the
writer went down the Potomac, the YES
sell did not even salute. Perhaps this
was due to carelessness, for it would
hardly be conceivable that patriotism is
dying out.
This reminds me of the songs we used
to sing on the excursion boat on the way
back home. Fifty years ago the boats
were not lighted with electricity as they
are today, and consequently the decks
were not so bright. and as We gathered
In . group In one end Of the boat, where