A Rocking Chair on The Potomac

A ROCKING CHAIR ON THE POTOMAC

As I sat rocking slowly in my chair gazing out at the Potomac River, the air which had been so still and hot began to move as a breeze stirred and I could not believe I was there at this magical place. I was actually sitting on the porch looking at the Potomac River in the same location as George Washington and as I sat there I kept thinking how many times Mr. Washington probably did the same thing, watching the river go by. It is shady and pleasant. I was also thinking I could not believe how big the river was.

I remember hearing a story of a time during the Revolutionary War while the General was off directing the troops a British War ship came up the river and demanded supplies, instead of denying the British their wishes, the manager of Mount Vernon gave them the supplies they wanted and they left without ravaging the place or setting it on fire. It’s possible that the captain didn’t know it was George Washington’s home but either way the house and farm was spared. Later when the manager told George Washington what happened the General was angry and said “ I would rather see my beloved home burned to the ground than serve the enemy one crumb of bread” Quote unquote ( I cannot say I have that statement 100% percent accurate but one of the things that stuck in my mind was how did that big ship get up that river and now I know, it a huge river!

I am glad that the manager saved the General’s home and it still exists to this day for people to see it..To see this place, to know George Washington lived here, loved this place and every stone he touched, and the desk he wrote at, it all brought it to life, the barns where he kept his horses and the very bed he slept in and where he died.

We went to Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home on July 3^rd 2016. It was such an exceptional experience to walk up the hill and come around the corner and there the house sits surrounded by outbuildings and you cannot be sure what to think. It is both larger and smaller than you think it will be and one of the things I noticed it was not white! It is white when it is freshly painted but over time it becomes a more off white or creamy tan color. Even though it looks like its stone blocks the structure of the house it is actually post and beam with siding made to look like a masonry house. The house is painted with sand mixed in to give it the rough texture which resembles brick work.

The house sits on a slight hill above the Potomac river and the view from that side of the house is just spectacular. I can see why George Washington loved it so much there.

Surrounding the house is outbuildings such as the kitchen, various sheds and servants and slaves quarters and many many gardens. There is stables with some horse drawn vehicles inside, only a few actually belonged to George Washington. In truth much of the items in the home, etc. are reproductions of what the family might have had and as closely as can be reproduced based on what information is available such as records kept by George Washington himself.

The inside of the house was special but it is a guided tour and you are herded through much quicker than I thought, I so wanted to look at everything longer but it was unique to see where he had his desk and the bedroom where he slept and where he died. Unfortunately no one is allowed to take photos inside, of course, you can buy post cards and there is some photos on the internet to look at but I have chosen not to try to post those here.

If you take a trail from the house to a low lying area is a reproduction farm, to represent the actual workings of George Washington’s plantation and how it was worked. There is sheep and other animals and presentations of period crafts such as blacksmithing. There is also a round threshing barn, that was built as an exact replica of one that General Washington had on his place. The horses would walk on top of the wheat and go around and around and the wheat would fall through the slits in the floor and thereby separating the wheat from the chaf.

I enjoyed seeing the stables and walking around in the back  where the paddocks were, I could just imagine the horses running loose and Washington’s horse Nelson raising his head and nickering softly to his master.

I did not want to leave this special place but I had t continue on the amazing road trip we were taking.

THE MAN ON A TALL HORSE

THE MAN ON A TALL HORSE

I will not deny it George Washington has been an incredible hero in my mind since I was a little girl and as an adult it has not changed much.

I can always imagine him on top of his big horse sitting proud and tall and he was tall for the times he lived in. One of his favorite horses was a beautiful chestnut horse named Nelson who was 16 hands tall which given to him as a gift by Thomas Nelson in 1778 when the horse was fifteen. After the war, Nelson and the other gray horse named Blueskin Washington rode during the Revolutionary War were retired. Both served Washington well during the war and he was atop Nelson when the British surrendered at Yorktown and the surrender was signed. He had great affection for his horses, when he would go out to the pasture nelson would neigh and run up to the fence to be petted.

George Washington was considered one of the finest horseman in Virginia and he was said to be “able to ride without bearing on his bridle even over fences” which meant he could sit a horse well jumping a fence and not pulling the horses mouth unduly, thereby he was gentle on the bit with his hands. How you handle your horse and his mouth is as important as how you sit in the saddle. Too much pulling all the time, your horse will get stubborn and tough mouthed and thereby not very reliable.

But besides Washington’s horseman skills, the incredible job he took on in trying to take a ragtag bunch of men and turn them into soldiers especially without money and enough trained officers was a daunting task. He lost lots of the battles and yet kept trying and he was shot at and had numerous bullets come close, go through his cloak or hat and I believe even horses shot out from under him and yet he was unharmed, he was certainly not a small target as he was over 6’ tall and sat a tall horse. I truly believe that God had a plan for him and he was protected throughout the war.

Also, people forget one thing as well, to go against the King of England (and yes our country was under English rule) meant that people like George Washington were considered traitors or worse and if the war had gone the other way, as in if the English had won then people such as George Washington would not only have lost everything but would have been hung or shot as traitors to the crown. Many of the founders of the war who had money also invested not just time but a lot of their own resources into the war, some to the point where they went bankrupt later, they believed so strongly in the cause.

Of Course, Washington was a human too and he had his quirks. He expected straight honesty and certain rigid perfectionism from himself and others as well and when they could not deliver the same morals or honor he himself displayed he was a sight to behold if he felt wronged or cheated. Sometimes this was good and sometimes not so much. He was a complex but unique human who came to greatness, not so much because he sought it but because he was a leader and people saw that in him and

asked him to help and he stepped up to the challenges offered.

He is probably the only man alive who could have become a king but was actually reluctant to become the 1st president, he did no campaigning and he did not even put his name forward but people unanimously voted him into office, they were not even sure if he would accept. He had said “ He had no wish which aspires beyond the humble and happy lot of living and dying a private citizen” at his Mount Vernon home.But when asked to, he accepted and served two terms in office for a country which was a baby still and had many struggles and problems but he was also not shy about getting down to business and to work on the problems.

But besides his love of his country and his family, one of his big loves was his home in Virginia along the Potomac river called Mount Vernon. Even during the war, he would write to his steward and direct things and have some things remodeled or changed, always improving. He inherited this house and he loved it very much, and I was able to go to Mount Vernon this summer on the 3^rd of July, the day before our country’s Independence day and see just a little of why George Washington loved his home.

To be continued…