Part 13 (2/2)

Hahters of Peter Philip Jairls,” and made frequent visits to Brentwood, where she shared in their social reign Christine Kean inia, who survived their e for only a few years I was accustoladness to every threshold she crossed She was superintendent of nurses in the sanitary corps during the Civil War, and as such rendered conspicuous service in the State of Virginia She still resides in New York, ade circle of friends, and those char traits of character which have alwaysthe declining years of her life

I often met Joseph C G Kennedy at General Scott's, usually called ”Census” Kennedy One day ere shocked to learn that Solon Borland, US Senator froh in political circles but called by General Scott ”a western ruffian,” had assaulted Mr Kennedy and broken his nose I knew both Mr and Mrs Kennedy in after life He was a gentleman of the old school, beloved and respected by everyone

His death in 1887 was a shocking tragedy A lunatic with a fancied grievance met him on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Fifteenth Street, and stabbed hirandson of Andrew Ellicott, who, his descendants claiton instead of Pierre Charles l'Enfant, to who in Washi+ngton I had the pleasure of renewing my acquaintance with Isaac Hull Adams of the Coast Survey He was a bachelor, and his sister, Miss Elizabeth Coe Thomas Boylston Adams, a son of President John Adams, and resided in the old Adainally known both of them in earlier life in New York, and it was a sincere pleasure to enerous and broad-minded woman who inherited the intellectuality of her ancestors Her re the Monroe administration, when her uncle, John Quincy Adams, was Secretary of State, were of the deepest interest She also loved to dwell upon the days of the administration which follohen she was a constant visitor at the White House as the guest of her uncle, the President I called upon her a few years ago in Quincy, while I was visiting in Boston, and found her living quietly in the old home, surrounded by her many household Gods She died soon after I saw her, but theher whether she was equal to seeingbeen born on the 9th of February, 1808 In a few days I received the following letter from her own pen:

21 ELM STREET, QUINCY, Mass, November 16, 1899

My dear Mrs Gouverneur:

I was very glad to receive your note saying that you would come to see us in a few days I a the old pen of the ”ready writer,” and et about, so laers are so stiff I do not hold the pen, but wish to tell you that we shall be glad to see you We are both tired of being invalids We do not forget good old times far back in the century The steam cars leave Boston at the South Station I think I sent you a letter yesterday, but if you fail to get it, I shall be very sorry

I have soIt is a lovely day, but I never go out now and Isaac Hull is suffering all sorts of pains Comes dohen he can

Sorry to send such a poor sample I have not been at Jamaica Plain for two years

We live in the oldest house and are the oldest couple in ”all Connecticut,” as Hull used to sing

Very truly yours,

E C ADAMS

As I say, the very oldest and the head of five generations I aenerally called, had a fine tenor voice and I have frequently heard hi bass Ada friends and were fellow students at West Point The latter was graduated froned froineer and was a Commissioner to establish the boundaries between the United States and Canada His as Miss Mary Williae Thomas B Adams Her father, Charles Harod, as president of the Atchafalaya Bank of New Orleans, was an aide-de-camp to General Jackson at the battle of New Orleans and, with Commodore Daniel T Patterson in coed with the pirate Jean Lafitte to bring in his ht on the A residents of the District, where she is especially re traits Their son, Charles H Cahter of the late Admiral David D Porter, USN For many years, the Archibald Campbells lived on H Street in a house which is now a portion of The Milton

I reuished author of ”The Geography of the Sea,” was stationed in the old Naval Observatory and preparing those charts of the ocean which so gladdened the hearts of mariners, quite unconscious meanwhile of the sensational career which awaited hiton and, aided by their daughters, dispensed a lavish hospitality A few years later, however, when Virginia seceded froned from the Navy and linked his destiny with his native State I learned ruder, a distant relative of ned from the service and espoused the Southern cause At the tiland and the following May sailed for St Thomas, where he heard of Lincoln's assassination He then went to Havana, whence he sent his son to Virginia, and took passage for Mexico He had approved of the efforts of the Archduke Maximilian to establish his empire in America and had already written hi, however, for a reply he followed his letter, and upon his arrival in Mexico in June armly welcomed by Maximilian, by whom he was asked to accept a place in his Ministry; but the flattering offer was declined and in its place he received an appointment as Director of the Imperial Observatory It seeht to know, that Maury was a Christian gentleman of rare accomplishments and one of the ruder ith Maury when they learned of Lincoln's assassination, and accompanied him to Mexico, where he served as Major General in Maxi E to his experiences in Mexico he dithpersonality He described her as especially kind and syuished consideration at her court This pleasing experience, however, was not of long duration A cloud hung over the Mexican throne and it beca to a close Realizing this state of affairs, Magruder and Maury left Mexico, the for to the United States while the latter sailed for Europe The Eht alone a hopeless cause Louis Napoleon's vision of an European Eic death and Carlota's subsequent derangehout the civilized world

During the Mexican War, General Magruder, though a good officer and one of the bravest and ht of his position in the _beau ency, without first brushi+ng his hair well, sery after the latest and e of the battle, while the shot were raining around hiuns were exposed to a destructive and ure in full view of the Mexicans and, assu the most impressive and fashi+onable attitudes, would eye the enerace suited to a glance through an opera glass at a beautiful woman in an opposite box I have always heard that he could not be provoked by any circuenteel act But he ca his reputation in this respect at the battle of Contreras Upon being ordered to take a certain position with his battery, he found hiuns In the enerals, froruder had not received his order to occupy this position, rode up to the gallant officer and told him that he had orders for him from General ---- ”But, my dear fellow,”

interrupted the polite Captain, ”you lass of ith me; do--I have some excellent old Madeira” The aide dis Lieutenant, who did not enjoy it very rape and canister rattling about theruder desired very reeable chat over his wine, as, he re aith his diuns of the enemy ”But I am ordered by General ---- to direct you to fall back, abandon your position, and shelter your pieces,” was the impatient response ”My dear fellow,” replied the Captain, ”do take another sip of that wine--it is delicious!” ”But you are ordered by General ---- to retire, Captain; and you are being cut up” ”Much obliged to you, my dear friend, but if you will only et soo,” i his horse; ”what shall I report to the General?” ”Well, o, please presentto a previous engage hihborhood of a certain gentleman whose name is not to be oes the story, and I presume we may believe as ruder, while our guest in our country ho incidents connected with Maury's career The General sees of life and told usto about the numerous delicacies hich Mexico abounded His descriptions served to recall to ular ar sumptuously every day” When in co which he employed the services of some of the soldiers under his command for domestic purposes, and for this act was reprimanded by the War Department After the Civil War he went to Texas and died in Houston in the winter of 1871 He was a brave soldier and ice brevetted for gallantry and meritorious conduct on the battlefields of the Mexican War

General John B Magruder and his brother, Captain George A Magruder of the Navy, who early in life becaht up by their maternal uncle, General Jaruder, as he was usually called, developed rather lively traits of character, while his younger brother George was so deeply religious that, during his naval career, his nickna men had reachedspecial reference, however, to his nephew ”Jack” ”I have reared you both with the utmost care and circumspection,” he said, ”but you, John, have not my approval in many ways” Jack's response was characteristic ”Uncle,” he said, ”I can account for it in the following e has followed your precepts, but I have followed your exaruder resigned frohter Helen or Scarlett, whose title of nobility was Lord Abinger, his father having been raised to the peerage as a ”lower Lord”

Another Virginia faledthe Winfield Scotts, was that of the Masons of ”Colross,” the nainia Mrs Thomson F Mason was usually called Mrs ”Colross” Mason to distinguish her from another family by the same nainia The faton, and no entertainirls,” ere especially bright and attractive young wohtful country seat and hters, Matilda, married Charles H Rhett, a representative South Carolinian, and my friend, Cornelia Scott, was one of her bridesenerally called ”Folly,” married Captain Thomas G Rhett of the Arned at the beginning of the Civil War, as a South Carolinian would indeed have been a _rara avis_ in the Federal Army in 1861, and became an officer in the Confederate Army; while from 1870 to 1873 he was a Colonel of Ordnance in the Army of the Khedive Miss Betty Mason, the oldest of these sisters, was a celebrated beauty and becae Tucker Campbell of Philadelphia

It was about this tiinia Mason, who recently died in Georgetown after a long and active life We were accusto bygone days, and I sadly ht presence Her ton and Paris were highly entertaining and as one of her auditors I never greeary while listening to her graphic descriptions of persons and things She was a daughter of John T Mason and a sister of Stevens Thoan, often called the ”Boy Governor” She was very active during the Civil War as a Confederate nurse and continued her kindly acts thereafter in other fields of benevolence She wrote a life of General Robert E Lee and several other books, and made a compilation of ”Southern Poems of the War,” which was subsequently published under that title

Onefriend, the daughter of Senator Willia her father's official life in Washi+ngton that Miss Katharine Maria Wright e d'affaires_ froe she seldom visited her native country but o Her son also entered the diplo in Washi+ngton

After my father's death we continued as a family to live in our Houston Street hohborhood, which had been so pleasant in years gone by, changing so rapidly that we sold our house and ton We secured a pleasant old-fashi+oned residence on G Street, between Seventeenth and Eighteenth Streets, which in subsequent years became the Weather Bureau