Stolen property restored
--Several months since, during an Abolition raid into
Jefferson county, Va., a party, headed by a
Michigan Major, entered the house of
Col. Washington, and after giving it a thorough ransacking.
carried off the plunder they did not destroy.
The leader of the party made himself conspicuous in his attachment to a highly valued family relict in the shape of an or final picture, by
Stuart.
of
Gen. Washington, which his descendent did not have time to secrete before the arrival of the vandals.
He boxed it up and sent it to his home in the
North as a prize captured by himself in honorable warfare.
Afterwards one of our
Generals, operating in
Tennessee, captured the thief, and he was sent to this city.
When his arrival was noticed the owner of the picture applied for his detention on the ground of his having committed grand larceny.
An arrangement was finally effected between the
Government and the accused by which the latter bound himself to restore the picture or return and meet the punishment due his offence.
He was permitted to leave, and nothing being heard of him for a long time it was thought he had forgotten his parole.
The last flag of truce boat brought the picture, which was delivered by the
Yankee captain to our flag officer in charge, who brought it to
Richmond and delivered it to
Gen. Winder, to be restored to its owner.
The
Yankees seem to have a penchant for old relies belonging to
Washington.
When in possession of
Fairfax, they broke into the office of the county Clerk and stole
Washington's will, and during the time they had
Fredericksburg they entered the
Masons' Lodge and purloined all the insignia used in making the "
Father of his Country" a member of the craft.
Besides, they made a target of his mother's tombstone.
Power's marble statue of
Washington, in the
Masonic Hall, was not molested, being too bulky for removal.
The
Yankees are truly an enterprising people.
