PREFACE. THE title of this volume is so fully indicative of its character that scarcely a word of "foretalk," as the Saxon expresses it, seems necessary, except a remark that the work, without pretension to the character of a biography, presents, by the consecutive arrangement of facts and illustrations, quite a complete picture of the Private and Domestic Life of Washington; for that life, from his early childhood, was associated with Mount Vernon. The following words, explanatory of the origin of the book, appear proper. Early in October, 1858, I visited Mount Vernon, and enjoyed the hospitalities of the mansion for two or three days. While there I sketched many things with which Washington was associated in life, and, on my return, wrote a narrative of the visit for Harper's New Monthly Magazine, entitled Mount Vernon as it Is, illustrating it by engravings from those sketches. On the appearance of that narrative, last March, the publishers of this volume conceived the plan of a more extended account of Mount Vernon and its Associations, and desired me to prepare it. As the possession of that estate was to pass, this year, from the Washington family forever, it ap peared to be an appropriate time for the preparation of such a memorial, and I undertook it. The following pages are the result. To make the work more complete, I visited Arlington House and other places, where I knew there were objects that were once at Mount Vernon, and made sketches of them. Those, and the drawings made for Harper's Magazine, and a few that are in my Field-Book of the Revolution, are given in this work. To those friends who kindly afforded me facilities for forming drawings, and especially to the family of Colonel Lee, at Arlington House, and Mr. John A. Washington, at Mount Vernon, I here acknowledge my obligations, and tender my thanks. POUGHKEEPSIE, August, 1859. B. J. L. ILLUSTRATIONS. 1. Portrait of Washington (steel). 2. Rear View of Mount Vernon in 1786 (steel). 3. Frontispiece-View of Mount Vernon. 4. Washington's Book-plate... 5. Cave Castle.. 6. Washington Mortar... 7. Washington's Seal. 8. Washington's Seal-ring.. 9. Washington's Watch-seals.. 10. Fac-simile of signatures of Jane and Mary Washington... 11. Dutch Tile-half the size of the original. 12. Residence of the Washington Family.. 13. Washington's Birth-place... 14. Lawrence Washington. 15. Admiral Vernon.. 16. The Vernon Medal. 17. Washington's Telescope.. 18. Pack-saddle..... 19. Leathern Camp-chest. 20. Washington's first Head-quarters.. 21. The Carey House in 1859. 22. Mary Phillipse. 23. Morris's House.. 24. Daniel Parke Custis..... 25. Mrs. Custis's Iron Chest... 26. Mrs. Washington's Children.. 27. Mrs. Washington at the time of her Marriage 28. Chairs once at Mount Vernon... PAGE 13 15 16 17 17 17 18 20 21 22 25 26 28 36 39 39 41 42 45 46 50 50 52 53 55 29. Custis Arms... 30. Washington's Gold Pen with Silver Case.... 31. Fac-simile of Page-headings in Washington's Diary. 32. Fac-simile of Entry in Washington's Diary.... 33. Mount Vernon Landing... 34. Ground-plan and Elevation of Pohick Church.. 35. Mason L. Weems. 36. Christ Church, Alexandria. 37. Pohick Church in 1859... 38. Pulpit in Pohick Church.. 39. Charles Willson Peale.... 40. Washington's Military Button... 41. Washington as a Virginia Colonel, at the age of forty.. 42. Fac-simile of Peale's Receipt.... 43. John Parke Custis.. 44. Patrick Henry... 45. General Charles Lee.. PAGE 60 66 66 67 69 74 76 77 78 79 81 81 82 83 84 89 94 96 46. General Horatio Gates. 47. Gold Medal awarded to Washington for the Deliverance of Boston....... 102 48. Hessian Flag taken at Trenton.... 64. General plan of the Mansion and Grounds at Mount Vernon 65. Garden-house.. 141 143 66. Century-plant and Lemon-tree.... 144 67. View in the Flower-garden at Mount Vernon-the Sago Palm.. 145 68. Ruins of the Conservatory at Mount Vernon... 146 69. Ice-house at Mount Vernon.. 147 |