Mothers of great men; sketches

Contents

PAGE I

Mary Ball Washington, Mother of George

Washington II

Foreword

N THE Capitoline Museum, at Rome, there may be seen the fragment of a statue, of which only the base remains, and thereon the inscription,

"CORNELIA, MOTHER OF THE GRACCHI."

In the dim but glorious past of Rome, this memorial of stone was reared by an admiring people to the memory of a Roman mother in whom were combined the noble virtues and lofty traits of character which, in that age, best represented the ideal of heroic motherhood.

This is, however, but a single instance, where, to the worth of motherhood, has been paid such signal honor. History has accorded the mother scant recognition; her biography has seldom been written; and the annals of time record scarce more than a passing word to bear testimony to that potent influence which, more than all else, has shaped the destinies of the world's distinguished men.

But the highest and most lasting tribute to motherhood is not to be found in memorials of stone and brass — rather let it be sought in the lives of sons and daughters whose true greatness and nobility of character is attributable to that maternal influence which guided their infant steps through the impressionable period of life, and prepared them to meet with wisdom and with confidence the stern duties of maturer years.

io MOTHERS OF GREAT MEN

Whether or not it be true that the gifts and characteristics of a mother are most often inherited by her son, while those of the father most frequently descend to the daughter, it is, nevertheless, an established fact that behind the life of many a great man — and the secret of his notable career — has been the influence of a great mother, which has molded his character and stimulated him to high endeavor.

Difficult has been the task to find material for the making of a book which records the lives of even a few of these noble women. It is in the biography of the son, or in his autobiographical writings, one may sometimes find the incomplete story of her life ; and therefore, it is ofttimes necessary to recount much concerning the family of which she was the center, and of the son through whose fame she lives.

Men are to be counted great, not alone by heritage of rank or wealth, but when by innate worth and merit they have risen to conspicuous places in the world's category of immortals. In this volume, the mothers who are accounted great are but types of women in every age, who, in the lives of their sons, have unconsciously built the foundation for that which is best and noblest in the life of the nation.

Their influence is not to be estimated, but, like the everwidening stream, is far-reaching, sweeping onward into the currents of Time.

MARY BALL WASHINGTON

MOTHER OF

GEORGE WASHINGTON

MARY BALL WASHINGTON, mother of Gen. George Washington, was of English ancestry, the direct line of the Ball family (which may be traced back to 1480) showing her to be seventh in descent from "William Ball, Lord of the Manor of Barkham, Com. Berks, died in the year, 1480." Barkham, known in olden times as "Boercham," is noted as the place at which William the Conqueror first came to a halt on his march from the bloody field of Hastings; and it is said that it was here he "stayed his ruthless hand."

The Ball family belonged to the landed gentry of England — to that great middle class which, although not endowed with vast material riches, has proven to be possessed in a large measure of wealth of intellect; for from the landed, untitled gentry has sprung England's great host of scholars, poets, and philosophers.

William Ball was the first of his family to emigrate to America, and in the year 1650 settled in Lancaster County, Virginia. At the time when he, in company with other cavaliers, left England, the royal house had been overthrown, and many of its adherents met with severe persecution, which forced them to seek the peace and freedom of colonial life.

As to public services rendered by the Ball family, no record has been given, but it boasted a coat-of-arms showing a shield upon which is a "lion rampant — the most honorable emblem of heraldry; and the lion's paws bear aloft a ball!" The motto of the family, "Coelum tueri," comes from Ovid — "He gave to man a noble countenance, and commanded him to gaze upon the heavens, and to carry his looks upward to the stars." Bishop Meade says of the Ball coat-of-arms: "There is much that is bold about it; as a lion rampant with a globe in his paw, with helmet, shield, and visor, and other things betokening strength and courage — but none of these suit my work. There is, however, one thing that does. On a scroll are these words, 'Coelum tueri !' May it be a memento to all his posterity to look upward and seek the things which are above."

Before the time that the Ball family had emigrated to America, an Englishman by the name of John Washington had settled in Westmoreland, Virginia, and had risen to great influence, holding various responsible positions in the county. It was a descendant of this house — Augustine Washington — who, in the year 1730, became the husband of Mary Ball.

Of Mary Ball's childhood little is known. Many traditions relating to her girlhood are based on letters found by a Union soldier, but which undoubtedly refer to some other young woman having the same name. Her mother's death occurring when Mary Ball was only thirteen years of age, she went to make her home with her sister Elizabeth (the wife of Samuel Bonum), the only other surviving member of the immediate family. Of her personal appearance and attractiveness, Washington Irving writes that she was "a beauty and a belle. " His authority, however, was George Washington Parke Custis, the only person of her acquaintance who has left a written description of Mary Ball; and he knew her only when she had reached middle life.

That she was typically English in appearance is to be granted; also, that she was "finely formed, her features pleasing, yet strongly marked."

i 4 MOTHERS OF GREAT MEN

Her young womanhood was similar to that of any other Virginia maiden of her social position, during that period, in that she received a good education, and was also taught dancing, horsemanship, and kindred accomplishments, to fit her for the round of social pleasures which constituted the gay life of Westmoreland and the neighboring sections of country.

In the year 1730, at the age of twenty-two — considered in that day by no means an early age for marriage — she became the second wife of Augustine Washington. Her new home was a roomy, old-fashioned house on the banks of the Potomac; the plantation, known as "Wakefield," comprising a thousand acres of fine farming land, well wooded and well watered.

The bride has been described* as ' 'covertly exploring her new home, and scanning the footprints of her predecessor ; keeping her own counsel, but instructing herself as to what manner of woman had first enthroned herself in the bosom of her lord. It appears she was arrested in this voyage of discovery by a small but rare treasure of books. Standing before the diamond-paned secretary, she examined one volume after another. Finally, turn-

* "The Mother of Washington, and Her Times," by Mrs. Roger A. Pryor.

ing over the leaves of one, she read, 'On Self- Denial/ 'On Ye Vanity and Vexation which Ariseth from Worldly Hope and Expectation.' These seemed to be words of wisdom by which one might be guided. The title page announced 'Sir Matthew Hale's Contemplations'; the flyleaf revealed the name of the owner, 'Jane Washington.' Finding the inkhorn, she wrote firmly beneath, 'And Mary Washington' — probably the first time she had written the new name.

"We all know the rest: how this book of England's learned Judge never left her side; how she read it to her stepsons and her own sons, how it was reverenced by George Washington, how it is treasured today at our National mecca — Mount Vernon."

At the Wakefield home was born, on February 22, 1732, a son, whom Mrs. Washington named for her valued friend, George Eskridge.

It was not long after this that the old house was destroyed by fire; the young wife, while diligently engaged in burning leaves and debris in her garden, found that the flames were beyond her control, and it was not long until the family mansion was in ashes. Her husband was away from home at the time, but through the exertions of Mrs. Washington and her servants, some pieces of furniture and a few treasured possessions were carried to a place of safety, the beloved "Sir Matthew Hale" being among the treasures rescued.

The family "dined that day in the kitchen, in apparent content," and the burning of the home was not permitted to disturb in great measure the well-ordered routine of plantation life.

After the loss of the Wakefield house, the Washington moved to "Pine Grove," a farm on the banks of the Rappahannock, opposite Fredericksburg. Here, in 1743, Augustine Washington died, leaving seven children — two by his first wife, and five by the second — to the care and guardianship of his young widow.

George, the eldest of the five children of Augustine and Mary Ball Washington, was at this time only ten years of age; his brothers and sisters were Elizabeth, Samuel, John, and Augustine; Mildred, another child of this union, having died in infancy.

The words of Goethe — "She is a most excellent woman, who, when the husband dies, becomes a father to the children" — are most applicable to Mrs. Washington. At the age of thirty-five, she was left alone with all the responsibilities of rearing a family, and administering upon a large estate; and in each capacity she proved herself most worthy and capable of the trust.

Mr. Custis, who in childhood was often a visitor at the Washington homes, writes as follows:

"Bred in those domestic and independent habits which graced the Virginia matrons in the old days of Virginia, this lady, by the death of her husband, became involved in the cares of a young family at a period when those cares seem more especially to claim the aid and control of the stronger sex. It was left for this eminent woman, by a method the most rare, by an education and discipline the most peculiar and imposing, to form in the youth-time of her son those great and essential qualities which gave luster to the glories of his after-life. If the school savored the more of the Spartan than the Persian character, it was a fitter school to form a hero, destined to be the ornament of the age in which he flourished, and a standard of excellence for ages yet to come.

"The home of Mrs. Washington, of which she was always mistress, was a pattern of order. There the levity and indulgence common to youth were tempered by a deference and well-regulated restraint, which, while it neither suppressed nor condemned rational enjoyment used in the springtime of life, prescribed those enjoyments within the bounds of moderation and propriety. Thus the chief was taught the duty of obedience, which prepared him to command. His mother held in reserve an authority which never departed from her, even when her son had become the most illustrious of men. It seemed to say, 'I am your mother, the being who gave you life, the guide who directed your steps when they needed a guardian: my maternal affection drew forth your love; my authority constrained your spirit; whatever may be your success or your renown, next to your God, your reverence is due to me.'

"Nor did the chief dissent from the truths; but to the last moments of his venerable parent, yielded to her will the most dutiful and implicit obedience, and felt for her person and character the highest respect, and the most enthusiastic attachment.

"Such were the domestic influences under which the mind of Washington was formed, and that he not only profited by, but fully appreciated, their excellence and the character of his mother, his behavior toward her at all times testified."

Mrs. Washington rose fully equal to the condition of affairs which confronted her. Strong self-reliance, combined with unusual executive ability, aided her in the performance of the multitudinous duties which thronged her footsteps. The plantation was to be superintended, her children educated, and various matters pertaining to the household given personal attention.

In the home circle, Mrs. Washington's rule was none the less than that of a queen over her little kingdom. From her children she exacted strictest obedience, and received their deepest reverence and love ; her friends were many, and were given warm welcome beneath the hospitable roof; her servants were loyal and devoted, and received in return kindly consideration and watchful care. From the windows of her home might be obtained a view of Fredericksburg, and of the wharf where ships from England came to unload their wares, receiving in exchange great cargoes of tobacco, which was fast becoming a popular luxury in the old world. That Mrs. Washington did not engage in bartering with the English traders is evident from a letter written to her brother Joseph in England, excusing herself for not sending letters, with the following explanation: "As I don't ship tobacco, the Captains never call on me, soe that I never know when tha come and when tha goe." Says Mr. Custis : "Her great industry, with the well regulated economy of all her concerns, enabled her to dispense considerable charities to the poor, although her own circumstances were always far from rich. All manner of domestic economies met her zealous attentions; while everything about her household bore marks of her care and management, and very many things

the impress of her own hands The mother

of George Washington, the hero of the American Revolutionary War, and the first President of the United States, claimed the noblest distinction that a woman should covet or gain, that of training a gifted son in the way he should go, and inspiring him, by her example, to make the way of goodness his path to glory."

Life in the colonies was filled with many social pleasures. Hospitality abounded everywhere, and there was a constant round of house-parties and other festivities, winter and summer. "Pine Grove" was the mecca for relatives of the Washington family, and a large circle of friends, both young and old. Always cordial and of cheerful spirit, Mrs. Washington, however, possessed a dignity of manner that at first rather repelled strangers, and caused children to stand somewhat in awe of her. Lawrence Washington, who was cousin and playmate of her son, George, thus speaks of her austerity of manner: "I was often there with George, his playmate, schoolmate, and young companion. Of the mother, I was ten times more afraid than I ever was of my own parents; she awed me in the midst of her kindness — for she was indeed truly kind. And even now, when time has whitened my locks, and I am the grandparent of the second generation, I could not behold that majestic woman without feelings it is impossible to describe. Whoever has seen that awe-inspiring air and manner so characteristic of the Father of His Country, will remember the matron as she appeared the presiding genius of her well-ordered household, commanding and being obeyed."

To this description is no doubt due the universal impression of the stern manner of Mrs. Washington.

With high sense of honor and sincerity of mind, she is accredited with the twofold virtue of never gossiping, nor allowing those about her to indulge in this habit. Sincerity was with her a pronounced characteristic, and she always expected to a like degree the same virtue in others. It has been said that visitors never failed to receive from Mrs. Washington a gracious, cordial welcome, but when they once had stated that they could no longer remain, she took them at their word, and afforded every facility to aid in their departure.

Always prompt in meeting appointments, she brought up her children to observe the same habit. Especially did her son George thus learn the value of time, which served him well in the high offices to which he was called later on. The chaplain of Congress has recorded the fact that when the hour of noon had been fixed for the hearing of the President's message, he usually "crossed the threshold as the clock struck the hour." When guests did not arrive at the appointed time for dinner, it is said that Washington allowed five minutes for variation of timepieces; and in reply to profuse apologies would calmly state, "I have a cook who never asks whether the company has come, but whether the hour has come."

Among the duties of Mrs. Washington, it was of supreme importance that the inheritance of her children should be carefully guarded until each child on reaching majority should receive his portion. An adage in Virginia was, "Keep your land, and your land will keep you"; but Mrs. Washington realized that, though the maintenance of the family would be well assured from the income derived from their land, there would not be a large surplus, and accordingly with wisdom prepared her sons to earn their own living. George was sent first to an "old-field" school, taught by Master Hobly, the sexton of the parish church. Later, under the direction of his half-brother Lawrence, he attended the school of Master Williams. One winter he rode horseback ten miles to school each day. When fourteen years of age, he became exceedingly anxious to go to sea, and his brother Lawrence obtained for him a midshipman's warrant. So bitterly did his mother oppose such a venture that to please her he relinquished the idea, saying, "I am not going to make my mother suffer so by leaving her!" This decision was the turning-point in George Washington's life, for, by deciding to remain at home, he soon afterwards was offered and accepted the position of surveyor to Lord Fairfax; and later became a soldier. When nineteen years of age, he was appointed one of the adjutantgenerals of Virginia. The stern frontier life had been fitting him unconsciously for his future career, and he was becoming more and more imbued with the love of a soldier's life.

It was the wish of Mrs. Washington that her eldest son follow the footsteps of his father, and reside on his own estate at Mount Vernon, "as became a country gentleman." She opposed equally as much his fighting for the English crown in the French and Indian Wars, as she did later his fighting against the crown. When he first set forth for the frontier beyond the Blue Ridge, she entreated him not to go, exclaiming "Oh, this fighting and killing!" But when he convinced her that it was a duty which he owed his country, she became calm, and placing her hand on his shoulder said, "God. is our sure trust. To Him I commend you." When offered by General Braddock a place on his staff, George was urged by his mother to decline, but he replied, "The God to whom you commended me, Madam, when I set out on a more perilous errand, defended me from all harm ; and I trust He will do so now." When news of Braddock's defeat, and the terrible slaughter of his soldiers, reached the little town of Fredericksburg, and was conveyed to the anxious mother, she was forced for twelve days to be in ignorance of her son's safety. In a letter which portrayed characteristic calmness, he told of how for more than ten days he had been confined to a wagon by illness, from which he had not half-recovered when the battle came on; how, physically unfitted, he had entered the fight, making marvelous escape with four bullets through his coat, and having had two horses shot under him. The letter concluded with saying that it would probably be September before he could hope to leave for Mount Vernon ; and that he was, "Honored Madam," her most dutiful son.

In 1759, Washington married the beautiful and wealthy Mrs. Custis; but the hope that the mother entertained of his relinquishing the soldier's life upon marriage was not to be attained, for he soon entered again into the fortunes of war with keenest enthusiasm. When Washington returned home after the narrow escape from death, his mother drove to Mount Vernon to meet him, and insisted that he leave the service, as health and fortune were both endangered. He gave no answer at the time, but wrote her shortly afterward as follows :

"Honored Madam : — If it is in my power to avoid going to Ohio again, I shall ; but if the command is pressed upon me by the general voice of the country, and offered upon such terms as can not be objected against, it would reflect dishonor upon me to refuse it, and that, I am sure, must or ought to give you greater uneasiness than my going in an honorable command. Upon no other terms will I accept it."

With this high sense of honor and devotion to duty which had been instilled in him by his mother, Washington knew well that any reflection of this kind upon his name would meet with her stern disapproval; and, great as was her dislike for war, she would make no further resistance.

Betty, the only daughter of Mrs. Washington, at the age of seventeen married her uncle-in-law, Fielding Lewis (a widower of two months), and lived at "Kenmore," not far from "Pine Grove," the home of the Washingtons. The sons also having scattered to their own homes, the mother was left entirely alone, refusing to make her home elsewhere; and, busied with her simple household duties, she lived in quiet content.

At length the storm of the American Revolution broke over the country, and Mrs. Washington was greatly perturbed, not only for the reason that "the righting and the killing" would again begin, but that she was closely bound to the mother country by ties of kinship, and was also a loyal member of the Church of England. And when news came that her son was to lead the rebellious army, she found it, indeed, difficult to be resigned. So bitter was her feeling that Washington, riding over to Fredericksburg to see her, stopped first at the little inn, "The Indian Queen/' before going to his mother's home, deeming it best "to pause and reconnoiter." That a member of the family should put up at a tavern was an unheard-of occurrence, and Mrs. Washington, learning of his action, said, "Tell George to come home instantly — instantly." After a long and affectionate conversation, she pressed him to her bosom, and commending him to God, again gave him, with her blessing, into his country's service.

During the trying times that followed, although often filled with alarm and anxiety, Mrs. Washington never tolerated expressions of discouragement and complaint. "The mothers and wives of brave men," said she, "must be brave women." She followed with keenest interest every detail of the war, at the same time continuing her usual quiet mode of living. At the urgent request of her children, she had, however, given up the country home, and moved to Fredericksburg, to an unpretentious dwelling, with grounds adjoining "Kenmore," the estate of her son-in-law, Col. Fielding Lewis. A favorite resort of Mrs. Washington was a secluded spot, shaded with vines and trees, on the land of Colonel Lewis, near-by her home. To this quiet spot, called Oratory Rock, she retired daily that she might spend some time in prayer, apart from the noise and distractions of the world. Every day, in an open chaise, she drove to her farm, and there gave personal supervision to the work; returning to town with a jug of water from the spring out of which her husband and children had drank, and bringing seeds and cuttings for her garden in town. On one occasion her overseer was called to account for having departed from her instructions. "Madam," said he, "in my judgment the work has been done to better advantage than if I had followed your instructions." "And pray, sir," was the swift reply, "who gave you the right to exercise any judgment in the matter? I command you, sir! There is nothing for you to do but obey." Every Sabbath found her in her accustomed place at church; and by the example of a devout and consistent life she exerted unconsciously a strong influence for good.

When news came of the victories of Trenton and Princeton, in the ten-days' campaign which Frederick the Great referred to as the most brilliant in the annals of war, congratulations poured in for the mother from every quarter. With calmness and utter freedom from undue pride, she gave reply, "But, my good sirs, here is too much flattery — still George will not forget the lessons I early taught him; he will not forget himself though he is the subject of so much praise/' And again she responded quietly, "George seems to have deserved well of his country, but we must not praise -him too much. George has not forgotten his duty."

Once, so the story goes, a courier, followed by a great throng of people eager for news from the battlefield, brought to Mrs. Washington a packet from headquarters. To the dismay of all, she calmly dropped it, unread, into her pocket, remarking, "It is all right — I am well assured of that." The courier gently suggested, "There may have been a battle — the neighbors would like to know."

Accordingly, she glanced over the contents of the packet, and remarked "There has been a victory" ; adding, "George generally carries through whatever he undertakes."

The Revolutionary War reached its crisis, and when the end had actually come, Washington sent to his mother a courier bearing news of the surrender. Raising her hands toward heaven, she gave fervent thanks to God "that the fighting and killing" were now over, and that peace would again reign. Of the meeting between Mrs. Washington and her now world-famed son, Mr. Custis writes :

"After an absence of nearly seven years, it was at length, on the return of the combined armies from Yorktown, permitted to the mother again to see and embrace her illustrious son. So soon as he had dismounted, in the midst of a numerous and brilliant suite, he sent to apprise her of his arrival, and to know when it would be her pleasure to receive him. No pageantry of war proclaimed his coming, no trumpets sounded, no banners

waved The lady was alone, her aged hands

employed in the works of domestic industry, when the good news was announced She welcomed him with warm embrace, and by wellremembered and endearing names of his childhood ; enquiring as to his health, she remarked the lines

3 o MOTHERS OF GREAT MEN

which mighty cares had made on his manly countenance, spoke much of old times and old friends — but of his glory, not one word."

When Lafayette visited America, he went to Fredericksburg to call on the mother of the nation's hero. He found her working among her flowers — clad in a simple home-made garb, a plain straw hat upon her head. She bade him a cordial welcome, saying, "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/' To the high praise which Lafayette bestowed upon her son, the characteristic reply was given: "I am not surprised at what George has done, for he was always a very good boy."

As we read of this meeting between the great French commander and the mother of the American hero, one can but contrast the two great generals of France and America — Napoleon Bonaparte and George Washington — the one, whose brilliant career was cut off so suddenly, and who sank into death on St. Helena; the other, crowned with the laurels bestowed by a loyal people, living to receive the highest honor his nation could bestow.

It is of interest to note that, through the Willis family, Mrs. Washington's descendants became allied to the Bonapartes. She was an ancestress of

Catherine Willis, who at the age of thirteen married, and was left a widow at fourteen. Accompanying her parents to Pensacola, Ela., the youthful widow met and married Achille Murat, exprince of Naples, and nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte. John Randolph and other friends once accompanied her on a trip to England, and while visiting one of the London art galleries, Randolph called attention to the portraits of Washington and Napoleon, hanging side by side. "Before us/' said he, with dramatic manner, "we have Napoleon and Washington — one the founder of a mighty empire, the other of a great Republic. " Turning to Catherine, he continued, "Behold in the Princess Murat the niece of both — a distinction she alone can claim !"*

On the fourteenth of April, 1789, Washington was officially notified that he had been chosen President of the United States. Before leaving for New York, he went to bid his mother farewell. She was cheerful, though failing health was evident, and remarked to him : "You will see me no more. Age and disease warn me that I shall not be long in this world. I trust in God I am somewhat prepared for a better. But go; fulfill the high destinies which