When General Lafayette left Fredericksburg he went by stage to Potomac Creek, by boat to Washington, by stage to Baltimore, and thence he sailed back to France. With him went Messrs. Mercer and Lewis, both sons of men who had been Generals in the war for Liberty. _Old Court Records_ _Staid Documents, Writ by Hands That Are Still, Are History For Us._ For simple beauty of line there is probably no Court House in Virginia that equals that at Fredericksburg. While to the casual eye its grace is obvious, to artists' and architects' it makes the stronger appeal, and it is from those familiar with the lines of new and old world buildings that the Court House receive highest praise. Inside, in a modern vault, are many interesting records of the past. The Court House was completed in 1852, at a cost of about $14,000, William M. Boggeth of Baltimore being the contractor, and J. B. Benwick, Jr., of Baltimore, the architect, and its completion marked the end of a thirty years factional fight in the City, which was divided over the issue of building or not building a court house. The decision to build was made by the Council in spite of a petition against such action, signed by one hundred and seventy-two voters. [Sidenote: _Building a New Courthouse_] The second Court House, a small brick building, stood back from the street, on a part of the ground the present structure occupies, and had taken the place of the first plank Court House. But, as early as 1820, the second structure was complained of by the Court, which went so far as to "order" the Council to provide funds for a new structure, to which the Council paid no attention. On June 14, 1849, the Court, composed of Mayor Semple and Justices William H. White and Peter Goolrick, issued an order and appointed a committee, as follows: "Thomas B. Barton, John L. Marye, Robert B. Semple, Wm. C. Beale and John J. Chew, to examine and report to this Court some plan for the enlargement and repairs or rebuilding of the Court House of this Corporation." But in spite of some excitement following this unusual step of the Court, the Council continued its way undisturbed. The Court, however, called before it "the Justices for this Corporation" and at the next session eight Justices--R. B. Semple, Robert Dickey, Beverly R. Welford, William C. Beale, William H. White, Peter Goolrick, William Warren and William Slaughter answered the summons. The report of the committee appointed at the previous session of the Court was made and the Court finally took this action: "That, in obedience to the act of the General Assembly, which requires that Courts for the Corporations' within this Commonwealth should cause to be erected one good, convenient court house, and it being necessary to build a court house for this corporation," etc., the Court "appoints a commission, consisting of Mayor Semple, Beverly R. Welford, William H. White, Thomas B. Barton and John L. Marye to contract for a court house."