Noble Deeds of American Women: With Biographical Sketches of Some of the More Prominent — John Shaqi
Noble Deeds of American Women: With Biographical Sketches of Some of the More Prominent
History
Noble Deeds of American Women: With Biographical Sketches of Some of the More Prominent
Women -- United States -- Biography
In like manner, when, on the return of the combined armies from
Yorktown, Washington visited her at Fredericksburg, she inquired after
his health and talked long and with much warmth of feeling of the scenes
of former years, of early and mutual friends, of all, in short, that the
past hallows; but to the theme of the ransomed millions of the land, the
theme that for three quarters of a century has, in all lands, prompted
the highest flights of eloquence, and awakened the noblest strains of
song, to the deathless fame of her son, she made not the slightest
allusion.
In the fall of 1784, just before returning to his native land, General
Lafayette went to Fredericksburg, "to pay his parting respects" to Mrs.
Washington. "Conducted by one of her grandsons, he approached the house,
when the young gentleman observed: 'There, sir, is my grandmother!'
Lafayette beheld--working in the garden, clad in domestic-made clothes,
and her gray head covered with a plain straw hat--the mother of 'his
hero, his friend and a country's preserver!' The lady saluted him
kindly, observing: 'Ah, Marquis! you see an old woman; but come, I can
make you welcome to my poor dwelling without the parade of changing my
dress.'" During the interview, Lafayette, referring to her son, could
not withhold his encomiums, which drew from the mother this beautifully
simple remark: "I am not surprised at what George has done, for he was
always a good boy."
The remains of Mrs. Washington were interred at Fredericksburg. On the
seventh of May, 1833, the corner-stone of a monument to her memory was
laid under the direction of a Committee who represented the citizens of
Virginia. General Jackson, then President of the United States, very
appropriately took the leading and most honorable part in the ceremony.
With the following extracts from the closing part of his chaste and
elegant Address, our humble sketch may fittingly close:
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account