Evening star., 1946-05-05


IL mood days, when, during tn,
excursion season all tired ou
and drowsy, we gladly found our boa1
tying up at its wharf late at night
to let homebound excursionists off
and we had but 7 miles more to go!
Our little sister city was once a part
of the District of Columbia, from the
time the District was formed, but early
discomfort in 1886. caused it's retroces-
sion to Virginia, the vote being 763 for
and 222 against, although a vote taken
In 1924 showed 286 for retrocession and
404 against.
The wharf at Alexandria was not
merely stopping place for excursion
lists, but during the War of 1872, when
the British invaded Washington by way
of Bladensburg. Capt. Gordon of the
enemy Navy, came up the Potomac and
held up Alexandria for a ransom of
provisions. An old Washingtonian has
recorded:
With no means of opposing them
efectually, the citizens were left COM
eIl6UlN,
Under these circumstances, the greater
portion of the citizens, with their fam
lilies, left their homes, and sought
refuge in the surrounding country
some in Montgomery County, Md. some
in Virginia and others elsewhere, many
5of whom camped out, with their families,
in the open air.
After the British Army had with
drawn, the feet remained for some
days at Alexandria. where they loaded
all the small vessels they could find
with -four and such other articles as
they wanted. They then sailed down
the Potomac toward Chesapeake Bay
with all their plunder. They took the
precaution, before they arrived at the
White House, to send the small craft
as near along the Maryland shore of
the river as they could, SO as to avoid
being fired on from the White House.
The channel ran close to the Virginia
shore, and the Ships-of war had neces-
Sarily to sail within a short distance
of the White House, where the Vir-
glnlans were prepared to give them
warm reception, and this they did,
Port of Alexandria
Not Active Trade Center
just how much of place Alexandria
was at this time may be judged by
what appears to be an unpublished
account penned by B. c. Wright. who
says:
alexandria, as I first remember it,
was a city of much commerce, both
foreign and domestic; her Wharves and
warehouses were teeming with the prod
ucts OF the West Indies and South
American sugar, molasses, oranges,
lemons, lines, coconuts, citron, spices,
bananas, cinnamon, logwood shells,
pomegranates, and many other produc-
tlonS incident to Southern ATTITUDES.
Her warehouses were stored with to-
bacco, corn, wheat and cotton for ex-
portation. Her facilities for shipbuild-
Ing were complete. Every year there
were two ships launched from the yards
OF Messrs. Marll g. Hunter, and their
sliding from the ways was a great JOY
and pride to the citizens. When the
frames of the ships were completed,
they were thoroughly equipped for sea
by the enterprise of her citizens. Smiths
iron foundry forged the anchors and
chains, and whatever other iron work
necessary; Nash & Cartwright fash
<ioned the sails, and Josiah Davis manu-
sactured, at his ropewalk, all the cordage
Fequired to complete the outfit of the
vessels; and whatever else was neces-
sary to get them ready for sea could be
found at hand.
Among the prominent citizens of that
time were the Dangerflelds, Fowls, RAM
says, McVeighs, Shinns, Vowells, Houghs,
Prestons, Cazenovas, Swans, Marlls,
Brocketts, Courses, Thomases, Halo
wells, McKenzie's, Lowe, Ladd, etc, of
Ehom but few remain at the present
me. know of but one living now, the
.enerable Lewis Mckenzie
Many historical incidents have oc-
cured in Alexandria. Washington's
association with the city, for instance,
ss well as Gen. Braddock and his head
quarters there, and numerous other
worthwhile stories.
One of these historical incidents has
to do with the pulling of President
Jacksons nose by Robert Beverly Ran
dolph, while at the Alexandria wharf
on May 6, 1882.
1t. Randolph was the son of a SOL
dier of the American Revolution, and
through the influence of Decatur had
obtained, in 1919, a midshipman's posi-
ton in the Navy. He was an officer on
the Constitution when she captured
the Guerrero, and served under De-
catur in the United States when she
captured the Macedonian. In 1874,
when with Decatur on the President,
he was captured and carried into Ber-
muda. While prisoner of war on parole
there, an invective against Decatur and
the American Navy, in the Royal Ga
zette. attracted his attention. He met
the editor on one of the principal re-
sorts of the place and beat him with a
cane He escaped arrest, being con-
cealed by American sympathizers, and
got away from Bermuda in a small YES
sci which landed him in Rhode Island.
After hiV return he was promoted