Show GEORGE WEDDING anniversary 4 in the life story ot at any great man the incident most certain to interest every human being of every age Is the ot of his courtship antl and his bia marriage marr lasa greatness may remove him from average humanity in every other respect butin but in this element of romance he touches tho the lives ot at nil all where an all understand him this day january 6 probably old style st marks the anniversary ot at the wedding ot at george and martha in so tar far as historians have been able to fix the date says the united states george georga washington bicentennial commission while the records do not state the fact it Is probable that george and martha had heard much 0 of each other before they met washington had bad already established i his fame as a daring soldier by ills his movements against the french on tho the ohio and by his courage at the battle ot at Brad docka field rind and the young colonel so often in williamsburg tho the social as well as political capital of at virginia must have known of the handsome socially prominent arid and young widow their meeting occurred when washington then r commanding Om manding the military de fences ot of the virginia front frontier ler against the Ind indians lans had hurried down to williamsburg to urge in person certain needed improvements in his command at williams ferry over the river luver tradition has it washington paused at it the house of major chamberlayne which may have been on may alay 27 1758 and was pressed by this friend to stop and partake of hospitality washington on his way to seo see the govenor on important business athirst at first declined but at major agreed to stay to dinner the argument that turned the decision seems to have been major chamber laynea laynes remark that the charming mrs custis was also a guest at his house there Is almost a humorous note in this snare which fate seemed to cast about heart with him was his faithful servant bishop shop whom general braddock had turned over to dimand him and whom washington instructed to stay by their horses until dinner was over the old order orderly well knew his masters punctuality and took it for granted that the pause at the chamberlayne homo home would be a brief one but dinner passed the sun son sank lower in the west and still washington had bad nh na emerged at last so the story goes bishop was ordered to stab stable lethe the horses tor for the night it was only too evident that george washington had bad found business that to him was more important at the moment than his errand with the governor on the next nest lay day the journey to will lams burg was resumed but no sooner was the business with the governor transacted than washington hur hurried aled away to the white house on the whore where the widow custis lived ivien he left on june 5 the deeply smitten young virginis virginia colonel must have been in high spirits tor for he took with him the ladys promise to wed him as soon as his military service on the ohio was finished to this day there la is a dispute as to whether the tho wedding of george washington and martha occurred at the brides homo home or at st peters church in williamsburg burg but the rector ot at st peters the mr air mossom ig known to have officiated at the car and the date of the marrage is fixed by jared sparks as of january jannary wherever tho the event eveni occurred it was a notable and brilliant affair with the governor the military and aad civil authorities and the thea elite in attendance I 1 george Wash Was neton lington was arrayed as 01 the most brilliant figure in the asseran assemblage Natum naturally lly so important a matter as the tha brides attire was not to be lost in oblivion and we know that marthas wedding sown gown was vas a quilt over which a heavy white silk interwoven inter woven with threads of silverias silver was looped back with white satin ribbons richly brocaded in a leat leaf pattern there were close elbow sleeves revealing a puff and frill ot of lace strings 0 of pearls were woven in and out ot at her powdered hair ler iler I high heeled slippers were nvere of white satin with brilliant ba bacales buc ldes ckles martha washington had lieen been born martha dandridge at the age ot of seventeen she marrieul marr mar ledl riedl col daniel parke custis a wealthy man who died eight years otter atter their marriage leaving her two children and mistress ot lot a large fortune after her wedding to george washington months had bad still to elapse before the happily espair could settle down at estate ot of mount vernon having been elected to the rouse house of burgess washington was obliged to attend its sessions and tho the couple remained at williamsburg until may 1759 then they went to the beautiful estate estat e at a t the potomac to mateo make it their home tar lor th tha erest rest ot of their lives and to leave I 1 it a shrine forever to millions of americans who hold la in reverent mem 1 ory every incident in their life together nothing in all ali history outdoes in beauty atta attachment C hm a nt to ills his wife as she in turn was his best rella reliance ned a source of encouragement in all his trials a dignified figure in herself as her great husband in the of at memory of succeeding gen orations of 0 americans so january 6 will linger in our history as the begir begin inn in ot of ono one ot of the tha stately and lovela romans of all time |