Show CID M 0 4 J j I 1 ra av 1 7 r historic bistor c tree under which father ther of his hi country took Com command mancl of continental array army under the brave old tree our fathers gathered fathered in ID arms arm and v rm cru they would follow the sign blan their ban baa ners bore and fight till the land was waa tree free oliver wendell holmes by JOHN DICKIN DICKINSON ON SHERMAN HE washington elm la Is dying with no hope of keeping it all olive till spring thus passes the lost last of the three most historic trees in all america the charter oak in hartford the penn treaty elm in philadelphia the washington elm in boston only the most expert tree doctoring has kept the washington elm alive during the last twenty five years practically every year revealed additional decay in the interior of 0 the massive trunk from time to time it was necessary to lop off dead branches while those that still put forth green leaves were kept alive only by being propped up tip with iron braces how old la Is the washington elm nobody can say with exactness until it Is cut down and its annual rings are counted but it Is creditably stated to have been one of the original forest trees standing on boston common when first seen by the settlers in the massachusetts bay colony plymouth was settled by the pilgrims in 1620 boston the third settlement of the colony was settled by the puritans purl in 1030 1630 the indians called the place shawmut sweat waters it was called boston after boston in lin coln coin shire england historic boston common which contains 48 acres has been dedicated to public purposes since 1634 george washington wrote john adams la in his diary was as sitting the door when adams rose in the congress of the twelve united colonies to pr propose the adoption of the continental army and the appointment men of washington as commander ln in calef washing ton beat a hasty retreat to the library rooms as soon as he caught the trend of adams address when formal action gnp ane taken june 15 1775 washington arose in his place anil and said lu in a voice that was far from calm M mr r president though I 1 am truly sensible of the high honor done me in this appointment yet I 1 feel great distress from a consciousness that eliat my abilities and military experience may not be equal to the extensive and important trust however as the congress desire deabre it I 1 will enter upon the momentous duty and exert every power I 1 possess in their service and for the support of the glorious cause I 1 beg they will accept my most cordial thanks for this distinguished testimony of their approbation but lest some unlucky event should happen unfavorable to my reputation I 1 beg it may be remembered by every gentleman to in this room that I 1 this thin T R K A 30 day declare with the utmost sincerity I 1 do not think myself equal to the command I 1 am honored with As to pay sir air I 1 beg leave to assure the congress that as aa no pecuniary consideration could have tempted me to accept the arduous employment at the expense of my domestic ease and happiness I 1 do not wish to make any profit from it I 1 will keep an exact account ot of my expenses those I 1 doubt not they will discharge and that Is all I 1 desire washington it will be noted bad no illusions as to the job he was undertaking moreover it was a real and great sacrifice on his part he wrote his wife you tou may believe me my dear patsy when I 1 assure you in the most solemn manner that so far from seeking this appointment I 1 have used every endeavor in my power to avoid it not only from my to part with nith you and the family but from a consciousness of its being a trust too great for my capacity it was utterly out of my power to refuse this appointment without exposing my character to such ensures censures as would have reflected dishonor upon myself and give pain to my friends washington traveled from philadelphia to boston on horseback with an escort of light horse borse cavalry canair 7 ills HIS progress was marked by an outpouring of the people who jho vied in showing choming their admiration and esteem washington Washing fon reached new york june 25 1773 and left the next day As he neared boston his progress was a continued ovation according to contemporaneous accounts ne ile arrived at the headquarters of the army at cambridge july 2 and took up tip his permanent headquarters in the cragle house which is in also known to fame as long the home bome of the presidents of harvard college and the home of henry wadsworth longfellow Los Lossl sings washington says say the ln in eblem rode a large white horse of arabian blood ills his dress was a blua blu coat with buff colored faltings falt fait a rich epaulette evaulette ep aulette on each shoulder buff under dress and OD an elegant small sword a black cockade in ID his big hat but 11 lossing also says washington first assumed the duties of ids his office on the third of july about 0 in the morning mornings mor ninga a clear sultry morning the troops in cambridge were drawn up in order upon tile the common near harvard university ver sity to receive the commander tn in chief alef accompanied by the general of the army who were present he walked from hla his quarters to a venerable elm tree which yet flour ashes in the pride bf vigorous age and under its shadow standing between hla his state staff and tho the battalions he be drew hla his sword and made a few ew appropriate remarks and formally took command of the continental army A steel engraving in Lossl work however shows washington on a white horse and not under the elm most pictures of the event show washington mounted there was a notable celebration around the tree july 8 1875 when a tablet was set met up and an iron fence erected the wood of the tree will probably be distributed to museums and schools A nationwide nation wide campaign among school children Is proposed tor for a monument on the site nowadays we have a hall of fame tor for american trees established by the american tree association A popular vote would undoubtedly give first honors boners to the washington elm the charter oak and the penn treaty elm the penn tree was thi the oldest of the three in respect to the events which made them famous it was under that tree a magnificent elm considerably larger than the washington elm that william reon beun Is sold said to have met the indian chiefs in 1682 and ratified that famous treaty of amity and goodwill good will which voltaire said many years later was the only treaty between those people and the christians that wast not ratified by oath and that was never lever broken benjamin west made the he tree famous through his splendid painting in which william la depicted beneath its branches in the midst of the indian braves it stood near the river bank in the kensington section of philadelphia its age was estimated nt at years its circumference was 24 feet in 1810 it was blown down by a storm 1 the charter oak in hartford has haa a good claim on immortality the night of october 31 1687 the connecticut charter was hidden within the hollow of its decaying trunk thereby balking the efforts of sir edmund an dros the royal governor of new england sent over by james 11 to obtain pos possession of it it has been said that the charter oak was to 1000 years old the fact that there was a hole bole in its trunk large enough to conceal the charter in 1087 1687 proves that it was ancient tree at that time it lived on for 10 years more finally anally falling to the ground la in a 8 storm on an august 21 1850 1856 |