Show i t- t tx x s ti x w wt 1 t s I w je jeBy I l J U t 7 By ELMO SCOTT WATSON V E FTER more than a n century ren cen- tury of neglect o of his Ills J unmarked d gra grave e tu tardy y yZ Z hana honors have hoye at 10 last been bOen ti paid to a for forgotten li hero of the lie American Hero Revo Herot Revoke t t R Ri ke i lution whose services were ere of Inestimable le al vale val value ue ne to the cause of ot liberty a n man who was one of George Washington's clos clos- closest closest closest est personal friends and to whose lot It fell to close the lie d dying eyes e es of the lie Father of or His Bis Us Country This man was Dr James duet chief physician and surgeon of the Continental army After ACter Doctor Craik's death In 1814 ISH he lie was 1 burled In the churchyard of the old meeting house bouse In lu Alexandria a With the passage of years the old burying ground was 33 neglected we weeds lIs covered It and finally all nil trace of Doctor Doc Doc- Doctor Doctor tor Cracks Crack's grave was lost Several Se years ears ago fJ a n movement was started to locate the grave of this patriot and erect a n suitable marker ThIs Tills was as done done- and n small mall brass tablet was pro pro- provided provided vided by the tile Alexandria Chamber of Commerce Through an nn error how v however however ever this tablet was placed In th the wrong spot But last year er the project was taken up by the Presbyterian Meeting House Restoration committee of nod and as ns a result an nn Imposing granite monument paid for b by his Ills descend descend- descendants descendants ants was recently unveiled over o Doc Doc- Doctor Doctor Doctor tor Cracks Crack's grave Doctor Crall Craik had hind had a distin distin- distinguished distinguished career even en before he became chief medical officer for tor the patriot army In the Revolution He What that lint career was Is shown shou sho u by the following n sketch of his life lICe provided by the restoration committee Upon the lie organization of the Vir Ir Virginia ginia Provisional Pro regiment In 1734 Craik Ya was appointed surgeon The fhe command was at ot the same time ten ten- tendered tendered ten tendered dered to George who modestly declined but accepted the lieutenant colonelcy the command go- go goIng gong go going ing ng to Col Col Joshua Fry The regiment was not brought together until the death of Fry at nt Wills Creek succeeded to the leader leader- leadership leadership ship and the headquarters Joined himat him at nt Fort Necessity Here was ns begun that lifelong Intimacy between Wash ush Washington ington and nod Craik so much treasured by both Craik as ns medical officer of his regi regiment ment meat was present Plesent at nt the lie battle ot of Great Grent Meadows In 1754 and rendered aid to the wounded In do that action ills His service lr er extended also oter OHr the period of the ill Ill fated fated expeditIon expedition of Braddock toward Fort Du- Du Duquesne Duquesne quesne Du-quesne quesne and he participated In the hat bat hattie bat battle tie the of the Monongahela where lie he dressed the wounds of the comander of the British forces forres and many miny oth others ers era of ot the lie Injured upon that bloody field here he witnessed the sin singular u lar lor Impunity which attended his youth youth- youthful youthful ful chief chiet as ns he performed his duties first as ns nille nide and later Inter as ag commander of the disheartened remnants of the troops troop When then on U l August U t 11 Ii 1753 some six weeks utter after the on the lie Monon Monongahela Washington was wag appointed to Ih the command of ot the lie Vir Ir Virginia ginia provincial army and ain assigned to thE duty of protecting the Virginia and nOlI frontier from the French and Indiana Doctor Donor still III rt ns us Ills his hi hid chief medical on The operations thus begun continued 0 0 for Cor more than three years durIng which all nil the lie hardships and priva a privations lions Ions of the hardy frontier troops here ere shared by the young surgeon whose service ceased only upon the disbandment of the lie little army after aCler the lie capture of Fort Pitt on Novem Novem- November November ber 2 25 1758 1743 Upon his retirement from the Vir Virginia ginia provincial pro service sef Craik pur pur- purchased pur- pur purchased purchased chased an nn extensive e plantation at Port Tobacco In Charles county Maryland land and erected upon It lt a spacious man slop slon which was described ell by his grandson Daniel Jenifer In IS ns as even u then one of the largest most comfortable and und agreeable residences lu In the country Here lere on the of November ember 1700 he brought his young oung 1 bride nee Marianne Mariamne Ewell of Belle Ilelle In Prince William county Va and here lie he passed In active medical practice the years ears which elapsed until he again followed his friend at nt hi his country's s call During this time line the Cracks and ond the never nc rev re- re relinquished their Intimacy and Int lac the In- In In Interchange of visits between Port fort To To- Tobacco Tobacco bacco barro nail and Mount Vernon Vernou were the lie source of the sincerest pI pleasure ensure to hi both WIlen the Hie he occurrences arose nrose which culminated In lu the Hie lie War for tor Independence ence enrE Doctor was an nn active patriot pt- pt pa patriot triot As early as ns 1774 liH Ie was cons con conspicuous In a n meeting of the lie citizens of his county nt at Port Tobacco nt at whIch were adopted a n series serlEs of reso reso- resolutions reso- reso resolutions lotions In which the people pledged themselves es tl-al tl If thc th lie nef act of par par- parliament parliament to blockade the port of hog hog- hogon Bos llos Boston ton on was not promptly repealed the inhabitants of ot the county would join with the several se counties of Maryland and the principal colonies of AmerIca to break off ofT all commercial communication communication cation with Great Britain and the West Indies Crall was a n member of oftie the tte committee of correspondence se- se selected se selected to carry out these resolutions So valuable to the cause was the presence of In Maryland and so deeply were planted the ore rootlets of his social and professional relations lint Washington ton hesitated a consider consider- considerable considerable able time line after assuming command of ofHie lie lit American merlean forces to ask his old friend to again place his mil medico experience at St the disposal of his country But Dut In la April 1777 In a most cordial ester he lie tendered to him him his choice between the positions of ot se physician pt and surgeon of the hospital with pay of 4 and six ra- ra ra rations lions per day and forage for tor one horse and assistant director general pay of 3 and six rations per day clay and two horses and traveling tm ex- ex expenses ex expenses found In the he middle depart depart- department department ment t the he latter position the doctor acv ne- ac accepted and nud soon entered upon his duo du- duties du duties ties On the lie arrival of Count Roch Roch-ambeau Roch n and his forces Craik was or or- or- or orden ordered ordered den dered to join them at nt Newport R n I Land and to or organize their hospital depart depart- department department men ment a n ta task k which te Ie accomplished with the most complete success On the reorganization of the medi mellI medical medical cal cui department October er C G I iSO Doc Doc- Di Doctor c- c tor tur Craik was wis appointed the senior ot of the four our chief hospital physicians nail surgeons ht being ln the third officer In rank In the lie corps and upon up- up up upon on the rESl of Director Gen Gen- General Gin enil eral and the promotion of Dr Cochran chief physician and surgeon of the lie army he was ad- ad nd rl to the thie second place plure under mailer the latter title This position he held un- un un UD til ill mustered out at nt the end of the th war In 1783 1753 after personally participating pitting In many of Us is most Important events Including the capitulation at Yorktown At the close of ot the war he returned returned to to his home at nt Port Tobacco but shortly after at the earnest earnest st solicitation lion Hon of his late chief he removed ell to Alexandria near Mount Vernon where Je Ie continued In agreeable association with the tile until his death In 1703 when war with France seemed Inevitable Ine and Washington was again summoned to lead lend the army he he made the appointment of ot Craik nt at the head ot of the medical department one of the the- conditions of ot his bibs own acceptance ot of olie the command remarking I have hn al- al already al already ready rendy been applied to by a n gentleman I Ito to recommend him for director of or tLe tt hospital which I have hn refused as well wellon wellon wellon on general grounds as ns because I 1 should prefer my old friend Doctor who from r om forty years year's expert expert- experIence experience ence Is better qualified than a n dozen tf of them together Craik was commis commis- commissIoned commissioned commissioned ph physician general of or the army July 19 JD liBS 17 8 with wilh the pay and emoluments emoluments ments of lieutenant nant colonel but bul with with- without without out rank With the proverbial pro negligence negligence negligence gence of military legislation the lie act or the provincial army pro pro- provIded provided provided vided only for regimental sUI surgeons surgeon and Fortunately and surgeons surgeon's mates t however on 0 ever er James the secre secre- secretary secretary secretary tary tary of war Imd himself served as a medical officer during the he Revolution ne and In him Craft Crall found a n strong sup sup- support support port In developing a properly organ organ- organized organized Ize medical establishment an acts for the materialization of ot which wn was passed by congress March 2 1 1799 iDU The determined attitude of ot the United States her prompt resort to arms and the reappearance of her II- II Il Illustrious soldier at the head of ot the army however was sull sufficient clent to rp- rp repress re repress press the warlike ardor of France and peace pearl speedily prevailing between I the two nations the army was dis disbanded banded Physician General services ser officially terminating on June 15 1800 i Long before the latter date how how- however how ever ever er he had hall returned to his VIrginia home where In December 1709 It fell to o his lot to close wilt his own hand band the dying eyes of his faithful and famous amous friend General Washington Of that lint solemn hour Craik hImself wrote I who was bred amid scenes of human calamity who had hall so often otten witnessed death deaU in Its direst nn and most awful forms believed belle that Its terrors were too ton familiar to my eye ye to shake my fortitude but when I saw V this great grent man die It seemed as ns If the the bonds bonds of my nature were rent asun asun- asunder asunder der and that the pillar of my coun coun- countr country's country's tr try's s happiness had fallen to the ground Washington's own testimony to the relations between them was ns witnessed by the clause of ot his will which sped sped- specified tied fied that Hot To my compatriot In arms wd and old and Inti mite friend nd Doctor Craik I give my bureau for or as ns the cabinet makers cal call It tambour secre secre- secretary secretary tary and the circular chaIr an nn ap- ap appendage ap appendage of ot my study Doctor survived ell this event 1 years the latter portion of the time In honored retirement being rem remembered remembered rn- rn be red by his grandson at thIs tills period a as a stout hi hale cheery old man per Iter- perfectly erect fond of ot company and ond of nt children and Utilising himself with light work In to the garden Ho lie rev rt re remained vigorous to the tact In t nail passed away awny Fl February J C G 1314 nl at tle age of sixty-four sixty |