I WISH to acknowledge my indebtedness, in gathering the materials of this book, to Mr. A. R. Spofford, Librarian of Congress; to Col. F. Howe; to the Chiefs of the several Government Bureaus herein described; to Mr. Colbert Lanston of the Bureau of Pensions; to Mr. Phillips, of the Bureau of Patents; and to Miss Austine Snead.

M. C. A.

VIEW OF THE CAPITOL.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Engraved Expressly for this Work.

PAGE.

1. FINE STEEL-PLATE PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR. Engraved by George

3. HON. W. A. RICHARDSON, SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY,

MEN OF MARK IN WASHINGTON,

5. J. H. BAXTER, M. D., CHIEF MEDICAL PURVEYOR,

6. CHARLES LYMAN, CHIEF OF DEAD-LETTER OFFICE,

9.

THE GREEN ROOM,

10.

WASHINGTON,

WASHINGTON,

[FRONTISPIECE]

31

31

31

31

31

· 104

. 167

. 167

. 167

VIEW OF THE "CITY OF THE SLAIN ARLINGTON,

The remains of over 8,000 soldiers, killed during the war, lie buried in this Cemetery - the name regiment, and date of death of each is painted on a wooden head-board. 11. MAKING MONEY-THE ROOM IN THE TREASURY BUILDING Where the GreenbACKS ARE Printed,

12. AMONG THE GREENBACKS - THE CUTTING AND SEPARATING ROOM IN THE TREASURY BUILDING,

284

. 317

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

PAGE.

The Young Surveyor's Dream-Humboldt's View of Washington-A Vision of the Fu-

ture Capital - The United States Government on Wheels- Ambitious Offers-The Rival

Rivers-Potomac Wins-Battles in Congress-Patriotic Offers of Territory-Temporary

Lodgings for Eleven Years-Old-Fashioned Simplicity-He Could n't Afford Furniture

-A Great Man's Modesty-Conflicting Claims-Smith Backs Baltimore-A Convincing

Fact-The Dreadful Quakers-A Condescending Party-A Slight Amendment-An Old

Bill Brought to Light Again-The Indian Place with the Long Name-Secession

Threatened-The Future Strangely Foreshadowed-A Dinner of Some Consequence-

How it was Done-Really a Stranger-A Nice Proposal-Sweetening the Pill-A “Re-

vulsion of Stomach "-Fixed on the Banks of the Potomac,

CHAPTER II.

CROSS PURPOSES AND QUEER SPECULATIONS.

Born of Much Bother-Long Debates and Pamphlets-Undefined Apprehensions-De-

bates on the Coming City--Old World Examples-Sir James Expresses an Opinion—A

Dream of the Distant West-An Old-time Want-A Curious Statement of Fact-

"Going West"-Where is the Center of Population-An Important Proclamation-

Original Land Owners-Well-worn Patents-Getting on with Pugnacious Planters-

Obstinate David Burns-A "Widow's Mite" of Some Magnitude-How the Scotch-

man was Subjugated—“ If You Hadn't Married the Widow Custis"-A Rather "For

cible Argument"-His Excellency "Chooses "-The First Record in Washington-Old

Homes and Haunts-Purchase of Land-Extent of the City,

CHAPTER III.

THE WORK BEGUN IN EARNEST.

21

31

Washington's Faith in the Future-Mr. Sparks is "Inclined to Think "-A Slight Miscal-

culation-Theoretical Spartans-Clinging to Old World Glories-Jefferson Acts the

Critic-He Communicates Some Ideas-Models of Antiquity-Babylon Revived-Diffi-

culty in Satisfying a Frenchman's Soul-The Man Who Planned the Capital-Who

Was L'Enfant ?-His Troubles-His Dismissal-His Personal Appearance, Old Age,

Death, and Burial Place-His Successor-The French Genius Proceeded "-The

New City of Washington-A Magnificent Plan-All About the City-The Major not

Appreciated" Getting on Badly"-L'Enfant Worries Washington-A Record Which

Can Never Perish-An Overpaid Quaker-Jefferson Expresses His Sentiments-A

Sable Franklin-The Negro Engineer, Benjamin Bancker—A Chance for a Monument, 38

CHAPTER IV.

OLD WASHINGTON.

How the City Was Built-"A Matter of Moonshine "-Calls for Paper-Besieging Con-

gressmen-How They Raised the Money-The Government Requires Sponsors-Birth

of the Nation's Capital-Seventy Years Ago in Washington-Graphic Picture of Early

Times-A Much-Marrying City-Unwashed Virginian Belles-Stück in the Mud-Ex-

traordinary Religious Services,

CHAPTER V.

THE NOBLEST WARD OF CONGRESS.

A Ward of Congress-Expectations Disappointed-Funds Low and People Few-Slow

Progress of the City-First Idea of a National University-A Question of Importance

51

13. BURNT TO ASHES THE END OF UNCLE SAM'S GREENBACKS,

The above is a graphic sketch of the destruction of the worn and defaced currency constantly

being redeemed by the Government, which is here burned every day at 12 o'clock. On one

occasion considerably more than one hundred million dollars' worth of bonds and greenbacks

were destroyed in this furnace, and the burning of from fifty to seventy-five millions at a time

is a matter of ordinary occurrence.

14. THE NEW MARBLE CASH-ROOM, UNITED STATES TREASURY,

The most costly and magnificent room of its kind in the world.

COUNTING WORN AND Defaced GREENBACKS AND Detecting COUN-

15.

TERFEITS,

This room is in the Redemption Bureau, Treasury-Building. Over One Hundred Thousand

Dollars' worth of Fractional Currency alone is here daily received for redemption; out of

which about Three Hundred and Fifty Dollars' worth of counterfeit money is detected,

stamped, and returned.

16. DEAD-LETTER OFFICE, U. S. GENERAL POST-OFFICE

17. THE MODFL-ROOM PATENT-OFFICE, WASHINGTON,

PAGE.

326

339

369

WASHINGTON, 388

436

This room contains the fruits of the inventive genius of the whole nation. More than 160,000

models are here deposited.

18. BLOOD-STAINED

THE WAR,.

CONFEDERATE BATTLE-FLAGS, CAPTURED DURING

Sketched by permission of the Government from the large collection in possession of the War De-

partment, at Washington.

4. State and Regiment unknown. [Captured at the Battle of

Gettysburg, by the 60th Regiment of New York Volunteers.]

5. State Colors of North Carolina.

463

19. THE MAIN HALL OF THE ARMY MEDICAL MUSEUM. WASHINGTON, 475

This Museum occupies the scene of the assassination of President Lincoln, in Ford's Theatre,

which after that date became the property of the Government. It contains a collection of up-

wards of twenty thousand rare, curious and interesting objects, surpassing any similar collec-

tion in the world. It is visited annually by upwards of twenty-five thousand persons.

CURIOSITIES FROM THE ARMY MEDICAL MUSEUM,

Skin, flesh and bones complete. Amputated by a cannon-shot on the battle-field of Gettysburg.

The shot carried the severed limb up into the high branches of a tree, where it was subse-

quently found, completely air and sun-dried.

22. SKULL OF A MAN,

Who received an arrow-wound in the head, three gun-shot flesh-wounds, one in the arm, another

in the breast, and a third in the leg. Seven days afterwards he was admitted to the hospital

at Fort Concha, Texas, (where he subsequently died,) after having travelled above 160 miles on

the barren plains, mostly on foot.

23. APACHE INDIAN ARROW-HEAD,

Of soft hoop-iron. These arrows will perforate a bone without causing the slightest fracture,

where a rifle or musket-ball will flatten; and will make a cut as clean as the finest surgical

instrument.

24. SKULL OF LITTLE BEAR'S SQUAW,

ALL THAT REMAINS ABOVE GROUND OF JOHN WILKES BOOTH,

Being part of the Vertebræ penetrated [A] by the bullet of Boston Corbett. Strange freak of fate

that the remains of Booth should find a resting-place under the same roof, and but a few feet

from the spot where the fatal shot was fired.

26. SKULL OF A SOLDIER,

27.

Wounded at Spottsylvania; showing the splitting of a rifle-ball-one portion being buried deep

in the brain, and the other between the scalp and the skull. He lived twenty-three days.

A SIOUX PAPPOOSE,

Or Indian infant, found in a tree near Fort Laramie, where it had been buried (?) according to

the custom of this tribe.

29. "OLD PROBABILITIES'" INSTRUMENT ROOM,

Storm and Weather Signal Service Bureau-Washington.

30. THE TOMB OF "THE UNKNOWN

ARLINGTON,

Erected by the Government to the memory of Unknown Soldiers killed during the War. It

bears the following inscription:

"Beneath this stone repose the bones of Two Thousand One Hundred and Eleven unknown

soldiers, gathered after the war, from the fields of Bull Run and the route to the Rappa-

hannock. Their remains could not be identified; but their names and deaths are

recorded in the archives of their country, and its grateful citizens honor

them as of their noble army of Martyrs. May they rest

in peace! September, A. D. 1866."