field, are at Arlington House. The former has been spread occasionally for peaceful purposes. For several years Mr. Custis, who was much interested in the improvement of the breeds of sheep, had annual gatherings of the friends of agriculture and manufactures at a fine spring on his estate, near the banks of the Potomac, in the early days of May. On

these occasions the old marquée would be erected, and sometimes nearly two hundred guests would assemble under it to partake of refreshments. These "sheep-shearings at Arlington: Spring" are remembered with pleasure by the surviving participants.

When Lafayette was in this country, in 1824 and '25, as the guest of the nation, that marquée was used at Baltimore by the Society of the Cincinnati, for the purpose of receiving the Illustrious Friend as the guest of that fraternity—a fraternity of which he had been a member ever since its formation on the banks of the Hudson, more than forty years before. On that occasion Colonel John Eager Howard, one of the heroes of the Cowpens, presided; and Charles Carroll, who soon after

ward had the proud distinction of being the last survivor of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, was a guest. And twice since that memorable reception, that war-tent, so often spread upon the line of march and on the battle-field, has been used in the service of the Prince of Peace. On these occasions it was pitched in green fields in the midst of beauty and repose, and thousands came and willingly paid liberal tribute for the privilege of sitting under the TENT OF WASHINGTON. Two churches were erected with the proceeds.

It

We have just alluded to the Society of the Cincinnati. is a fraternity originally composed of officers of the Revolution, and was formed a little while before the disbanding and dispersion of the Continental Army. Its chief object was the perpetuation and occasional renewal of the long-cherished friendship and social intercourse which had existed between the officers of the army. The idea originated with General Knox. He communicated it to Washington, who not only approved of it, but gave the efforts to form a society upon such a basis of feeling, his cordial co-operation.

It was in the spring of 1783 that the Society of the Cincinnati was formed. The head-quarters of the army were then at Newburgh. A committee, composed of Generals Knox, Hand, and Huntington, and the accomplished Captain Shaw, was appointed to arrange a plan; and, on the 13th of May, at the quarters of the Baron Steuben, in Fishkill, nearly opposite Newburgh, they reported a form which was adopted as the constitutional organization of the society. After referring to the war for independence, and the separation of the colonies from Great Britain, the objects of the society were stated in the following words:

"To perpetuate, therefore, as well the remembrance of this vast event, as the mutual friendships which have been formed under the pressure of common danger, and in many instances cemented by the blood of the parties, the officers of the American army do hereby, in the most solemn manner, associate, constitute, and combine themselves into one society of friends, to endure so long as they shall endure, or any of their eldest male posterity, and in failure thereof, the collateral branches, who may be judged worthy of becoming its supporters and members."

As the officers of the army were chiefly Americans, and were about to return to their citizenship, they appropriately named the society, in honor of the illustrious Roman, Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus, whose example they were about to imitate. They resolved that the following principles should form the basis of the society:

1. "An incessant attention to preserve inviolate those exalted rights and liberties of human nature for which they have fought and bled, and without which the high rank of a rational being is a curse instead of a blessing.

2. "An unalterable determination to promote and cherish, between the respective states, that unison and national honor so essentially necessary to their happiness and the future dignity of the American empire.

3. "To render permanent the cordial affection subsisting among the officers, this spirit will dictate brotherly kindness in all things, and particularly extend to the most substantial acts of beneficence, according to the ability of the society, toward those officers and their families who unfortunately may be under the necessity of receiving it."

For the sake of frequent communication, the association was divided into state societies, to meet annually on the 4th of July, or oftener if they should find it expedient.

also adopted an Order by which

its members should be known and distinguished. It is composed of a medal of gold with proper emblems, "suspended by a deep-blue ribbon two inches wide, edged with white, descriptive of the union of America with France."

A representation of the Order, full size, is seen in the engraving. The leaves of the olive branches are of gold and green enamel; the head and tail of the eagle gold and white enamel; and the sky in the centre device (which is a facsimile of one of the medallions on the certificate of membership), is blue enamel.

The French officers who served in the continental army presented to Washington an elegant Order, studded with precious stones, about two hundred in number. leaves of the olive branches and

The

The society

ORDER OF THE CINCINNATI.

wreaths are composed of emeralds, the berries of ruby, and the beak of the eagle amethyst. Above the eagle is a group of military emblems-flags, drums, and cannon-surrounding a

ribbon, upon which are inscribed the words: "PRESENTED, IN THE NAME OF THE FRENCH SOLDIERS, TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE GENERAL WASHINGTON." This also is studded with precious stones. Above it is a bow of moire antique ribbon, of light-blue color, with white edges. This jewel is at present [1859] in the possession of the Honorable Hamilton Fish, of New York,

president of the Society of the Cincinnati,

The Society had a certificate of membership engraved in France, by J. J. Le Veau, from a drawing by Aug. Le Belle. It occupies a space thirteen and a half inches in width and twenty inches in length, and was printed on fine vellum. The engraving upon the next page is a facsimile on a reduced scale. The design represents American liberty as a strong man armed, bearing in one hand the Union flag, and in the other a naked sword. Beneath his feet are British flags, and Hovering by his side is the whose talons the lightning

a broken spear, shield, and chain. eagle, our national emblem, from of destruction is flashing upon the British lion. Britannia, with the crown falling from her head, is hastening toward a boat to escape to a fleet, which denotes the departure of British