Historic Fredericksburg: The Story of an Old TownGoolrick, John T. (John Tackett)
History
Historic Fredericksburg: The Story of an Old Town
Goolrick, John T. (John Tackett)
Fredericksburg (Va.) -- History
Among those who came to Fredericksburg and were at some time guests at the
famous old inn, besides those named were Brigadier General Stephen Moylan,
another Irishman who served as Washington's aide, as commissary general
and as commander of troops at Yorktown; Brigadier-General Irvine, Irish
too, and here at Weedon's insistence; Count Beaumarchais, author of the
"Barber of Seville" and general in the American army; the Marquis de
Lafayette, the Viscounts d'Nouvalles, Count d'Estang, Baron Viominel, and
many others.
[Sidenote: _Beautiful Colonial Belles_]
But who were the ladies then? History does not say, but the dancing
master, Mr. Christian, who taught the "gentle young ladies" through the
"neighborhood," and has left sketches of their personal manner and dress,
has described for us a host of them, many of them misses of 15 and 16, who
now would be called girls but were quite young ladies then.
Miss Lucy Lightfoot Lee was "tall and stately" (at 16), Mr. Christian
says, "wearing a bright chintz gown with a blue stamp, elegantly made, a
blue silk quilt, and stays, now said to be the fashion in London but to my
mind a great nuisance." While Miss Hale danced in "a white Holland gown,
quilt very fine, a lawn apron, her hair crimped up in two rolls at each
side and a tuft of ribbon for a cap."
It is easy to surmise that the charming Gregory girls, now married, were
there, and that little Maria Mortimer, who on the night following the
Peace Ball, at 15 years of age, was hostess for all the great gentlemen,
was also a guest, as well as Miss Betsy Lee, Martha Custis, and Posey
Custis, Molly Posey, Anne Mason, Alice Lee, and Mary Ambler (later to
become the wife of Chief Justice Marshall), Sally Patton, "lately come
from England to teach," the two Turberville girls, Priscilla Carter, Jenny
Washington and the Lewis girls, the Taylor girls, and the Fitzhughs, of
Boscobel and Chatham.
[Sidenote: _Names of Great Virginians_]
The old tavern is well-preserved and is taken care of by the Association
for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. Not much change has been
made in it since the days of its glory, when at its hospitable hearth
young James Monroe argued for the emancipation of slaves, George Mason
spoke his views on the rights of man, Weedon talked forever "sedition"
with Mercer, who hated England since he had felt defeat at the disaster
of Colloden and crept from Scotland a hunted man, Jefferson discussed his
broad principles, and the Randolphs, Blands, Byrds, Harrisons, Moncures,
Taliaferros, Fitzhughs, Lewises of Marmion, Carters of Cleve, Raleigh
Travers (of Sir Walter's family) of Stafford, Peter Daniel of "Crows
Nest," Thomas Fitzhugh, Selden of Salvington, Brent of Bellevue, Ludwell
Lee of "Berry Hill," Richard Henry Lee of "Wakefield," and other famous
men gathered, in those crowded days before the Revolution.
_Lafayette Comes Back_
_After Forty Years of Failure, He Hears the Echo of His Youthful
Triumph._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account