Evening Star Newspaper, June 9, 1929, Page 105

of this building was $1,133.16, and its location wss somewhere in the Fourth Ward, which was then between Pirst street west and Eighth stFeet east, and north of E street south. One authority makes the temporary location of the school more definite when he tells us it first occupied the north building of Carroll Row, on the east side of First street, between East Capi- tol street and Pennsylvania avenue southeast, where now stands the Library of Congress. 1t was in one of the buildings of Carroll Row that Abraham Lincoln resided when attending Con- gress from 1847 to 1849. About 1807 the Acad- emy was opened in quarters on properiy said to have belonged to the Federal Government and believed to have been somewhere on East Capitol street between First and Second sireets. This was not a pretentious building at all, as the cost of comstruction indicates and as the prescribed dimensions clearly show, it being only 20 by 50 feet. This building was erected by popular subscription, and after this school and the Western Academy had been buill there was found to be a slight deficit 0 be taken care of. IN 1808 the school had grown to such an extent as to justify an assistant teacher, and Edward Tippett was selected. As a boy Mr. Tippett had his trials and tribulations aplenty, having been driven from home by his father, who evidently was not in sympathy with his son's way of doing things. Of himself the junior Mr. Tippett has this to say: I made by way to the city of Wash- ington, where I very soon found friends; and as I was considered tolerably qual- ified, I was favored by Mr. Elliot to the situation of assistant teacher. After serving in this capacity for some years, Mr. Tippett was made principal teacher and continued as such for 10 years. In the recep- tion given Gen Lafayette in 1824 his school children were singled out for introduction to that great patriot. Mr. Tippett was typical of the old-time school teacher. He was in turn an inventor, a farmer, a shoemaker, 8 huck- ster, a hirer of hacks and a preacher, and he usually found time to look after one more of these occupations while teaching the Eastern Free School. It was during these early days in Washington that the sand desk was used. As the latter in- volved substantially no expense, it was naturally the most generally used. These desks were made in rows long enough to accommodate a number of children, with the top slanted slight- ly downward and being separated lengthwise by . a thin strip running about one-third the way up and along the incline. The base or bottom of the upper or sand portion was painted black, and upon this was spread a thin layer of drk white sand, in which the scholars formed wit their fingers individual characters and short words. In doing this they rested their left arm on the bottom portion of the desk, while the right was thus engaged. The background be- ing dark, the lines drawn in the sand naturally showed up more prominently. When a class was through, the monitor would smooth over with an ordinary flatiron the used sand, and so on, new characters were formed untli the end of the lesson. In some schools a general sand desk was placed up toward the front of the room, where demonstrations were made by the scholars in the same way they are called upon today to write on the blackboard. THERE are a number of buildings on Capitol Hill and in East Washington considerably older than the Peabody School. Of all, no doubt the most interesting is the Old Brick Capito]l, on First street northeast, which is to give way for a building to house the United States Supreme Court. Another picturesque and interesting one is known as the Barbour house, now occupied by Senator Porter H. Dale of Vermont, and which is located at the north- west corner of Second and B streets northeast. The associations of this hcuse make it pecu- THE SUNDAY - STAR,- WASHINGTON , B €, JUNE 9 B2-PART 7 The Peabody Public School, erected 1879-80. liarly historic, since it adjoins the site at the west where stood the residence of Robert Sewall, from which was made the only armed defense in the city against the invasion of the British on August 24, 1814, and it is believed the corner house was erected at a subsequent date to that event. Albert Gallatin, who was Secretary of the Treasury in the cabinet of Thomas Jefferson, at one time occupied this residence. Later it became the home of Sena- tor James S. Barbour of Virginia, who married Susan Sewall aingerfield of Alexandria and daughter of Henry Daingerfield, whose wife is said to have been one of the daughters of Robert Scwall, who owned the original house to the west and who quite probably also owned the corner lot. ‘The causez which led to the burning of the Sewall house in 1814 was the firing upon the British when passing this point on their march into the city. In a paper left by Dr. James Ewell this inciden® is spoken of as follows: About twilight the enemy made his appearance in the city, which was an- nounced by the firing of muskets from the house of Mr. Sewall, followed by sev= eral volleys from the British. The fire of our men from Mr. Sewall's house killed two British soldiers, wounded sev- eral and killed the horse of Maj. Gen. - Ross. The consequence was this housc. was immediately set en fire, and much valuable furniture consumed with it. And I was informed by some of the British officers that it was a most fortunate thing that Maj. Gen. Ross was not killed, for in that event it would have been ime possible to have restrained the soldiery, who idolized him, from committing the most horrid outrages, hoth on our city and its inhabitants. It was not many minutes after the exhibition of this scene before we were presented with the spectacle so 'much dreaded—a full view of the advance of the British Army in the Capitol square. GRAF ZEPPELIN AS AN OBSERVER IN THE CIVIL WAR BY ZETA ROTHSCHILD. Graf T the time of the Civil War, Zeppelin was a young man of 23 with eight years of military training. But, alas for ambitions, a monotonous peace hovered over all Europe and the young lieuten- ant had nothing to do. Automatically his eyes turned to this side of the Atlantic, whence came the sound of guns. The young Graf decided this was the place for him. Not that he had any abstract views for or against slavery. “I thought it part of my education to take advantage of every opportunity to learn by experience all that I could for the future benefit of my country,” he wrote afterward. He had no trouble in getting the consent of the King of Wurtemburg, his sovereign and the head of the army. But his father was reluctant to let him go, arguing that the young man was not-likely to find anything of military value in this country. But eventually parental consent was given and on the 30th of April, Graf Zeppelin sailed on the Cunard steamer Asia. The Asia landed the young man at New York. The trains were given over transporting the troops and military equipment, so Zeppelin had to find some other way of getting to Washington. He learned that the French korvette Tisiphone was in the port of New York and that it shortly would be leav- ing for Baltimore. On the afternoon it was to sail a young man appeared on board and asked to be taken to the captain. To the latter he presented his credentials, explained his predicament and asked to be permitted to stay on board the warship%o far as Baltimore. Also, he added, he had so anticipated consent that he had brought along his trunk. It was on the dock below AMAZED by the young man's self-assurance, the captain of the Tisiphone invited him to be his guest. Together they dined, after which the captain joined the young officers of the ship. An account of this evening comes from one of the other members of the party. Graf Zeppelin turned out to be a jolly com- panion, eager to contribute to the evening’s entertainment. He asked his hosts if he might bring some refreshment to the supplies. This formality settled, 12 bottles of Rhine wine were produced from his trunk and the officers toasted their guest hilariously. Washington did not impress Graf Zeppelin favorably. The streets, he wrote, were dirty and unpaved, the footpaths made of plank boards and the majority of the houses low - wooden structures. The Capitol, however, came up to his expectations, though it stood, he complained, in surroundings more like a desert than a growing city. The first day in Washington he presented his credentials to the Hanseatic envoy, Herr von Schleiden. The latter took him in hand and several days later told him he was to have an interview with the President. In most formal attire, frock coat, high hat and the nicest decorations of all Europe (so he wrote), Cume to America for a Taste of Military Life—His Opinion of the National Capital—The Army Life. Graf Zeppelin (third {rom left) with the Union Army during the Civil War. he appeared at the White House at the appoint- ed time and was led to the President's study. Graf wrote: “Back of the desk sat a very tall figure, with a large head, with long unbrushed hair and beard, and with striking cheek bones and wise and kindly eyes. On the desk during our con- versation sat his private secretary, Reed, who iet his feet, shod in moccasin-like ¢hoes that protruded far beyond his trousers, dangle to and fro. The President spoke of his happy gratification at my visit and ambition and wished me success in my studies.” Graf Zeppelin was very proud of this oppor- tunity to meet Lincoln, and he appreciated sincerely the privileges granted him. “Before I was granted an audience, the President had had inquiries made about me. Through the good will of Herr von Schleiden, I got possession of a precious autograph, that of Lincoln, signed to the short notes he wrote to the Secretary of State and Secretary of War Stanton asking whether their inquiries about me would permit them to give me a pass to move freely within the Northern Army. This pass I later.received. Similar passes throughout the war were given only to the Duke de Join- ville, the Duke de Chartres and the Comte de Paris,” RAF ZEPPELIN was somewhat of a dandy. He was rather disturbed by the uniform worn by the soldiers he saw strolling on the streets of Washington. Their very short trousers, bright colored boots and soft straw hats, so he wrote, didn't seem to him to have the proper military air. Since no one gave him any advice as to what he should wear at the front, he decided to plan a costume appropriate for the occasion and in harmony. with the weather. He wrote: “I ordered a uniform made fit for the climatic conditions. It was not quite like my old uniform. The Russian epaulettes which we wore then I had taken off and instead of the gold embroid- ered black velvet coillar, I chose a soft, low- down collar on which I placed my star denoting my rank of first lieutenant.” His horse the Graf bought from an ex- Prussian cavalry guard, then the head contractor for horses in the Northern Army. He picked out an American wooden saddle, stirrups of wide wood and a leather band, a tos-piece over the fore foot. Later he gave this saddle to the Prussian minister of war, who found it very satisfactory. His uniform finished, his horse bought and equipped, Graf Zeppelin engaged & sturdy Negro boy for body scrvant, got him & pass, and took passage on a small steamboat headed for Army headquarters. “On board,” he writes, “I found a very cheerful company going to visit over Sunday their relas tives and friends in the Army, to my mind & rather extraordinary kind of excursion. I had found much jollity in Washington and little of the depression usually brought about by wary which may be explained by the fact that the Army was not a drafted Army, but was composed of mercenaries. “The dancing and happiness on board the steamer was interrupted only for a short time when we met a ship covered with crepe bringing’ home the fallen from the battlefield. The boat ride ended at Aqui Creek, from where a narrow« gauge railway took us to headquarters. The carriages were open lorries on which we sat with our legs dangling over.” Headquarters was a gigantic camp cf tents placed in long rows in the woods. Zeppeli¥ could not present his letters that day as Gens Hooker, the commander, was spending the day in Washington, ; “The next day,” writes the Graf, “when Genyg Hooker returned from his excursion to Washe ington, I presented myself with my pass for the' Army. He received me graciously and aliotted me a lent all to myself. His friendly regard for’ me showed itself from then on, for at every opportunity he offered me a drink of whisky, He was upon the whole more of a happy reveler than the head of an army who takes his’ responsibility seriously, though be belonged among the most prominent of the offlicers’ educated at West Point.” His own popularity was established, thought Zeppelin, by the number of times he was ine vited by various officers to share their drinks, He explained to his German readers that only those who personally added to the jollity of the’ gathering were hailed as they passed the tents’ of their friends. “L"” noted the Graf, “seldom p out being invited.” The canteen tent was another popular rene dezvous. Here, leaning against a beer barrel,: the Graf met an old home town boy now & member of the New York Artillery Company. < But, though he met several old friends in the army, his interest was more with the American officers. Among others he met Gen, Pleasanton, Gen. Schurz and Lieut. Gen. Bute terfield. He strays from the subject of military maneuvers occasionally to gossip a little abeut each of them: Later Graf Zeppelin offcred his scrvices as & scout, deciding evidently that his necutrality did not exclude scouting. § There is but little more in the Ametican odyssey of Graf Zeppelin. He noted his ape preciation of all he learned in the Union Army and was certain that his military data would satisfy even his skeptical parent.