On August 29, and into the morning of August 30, 1776, the American revolution was about to end badly, unless General George Washington could secretly retreat from Brooklyn to Manhattan with what was left of his army.
The largest navy and army in the world had arrived in New York harbor from England. On Staten Island the British were in full control. The small resistance group of Patriots were defeated, women were being raped, buildings were burning. Benjamin Franklin was serving as the appointed president of Pennsylvania's constitutional convention in Philadelphia. The British were demanding for Franklin to tear up the Declaration of Independence and surrender.
The largest navy and army in the world had arrived in New York harbor from England. On Staten Island the British were in full control. The small resistance group of Patriots were defeated, women were being raped, buildings were burning. Benjamin Franklin was serving as the appointed president of Pennsylvania's constitutional convention in Philadelphia. The British were demanding for Franklin to tear up the Declaration of Independence and surrender.
Brooklyn Heights to Fulton Landing
The British army had outmaneuvered George Washington and his army of "minute men" in Brooklyn. Our country was about to die just weeks after signing the Declaration of Independence. The Battle of Long Island was lost and Washington was defeated, unless he could do a stealth retreat with his remaining Continental Army across the East River from Brooklyn Heights to Fulton Landing in Manhattan. The evacuation began at sundown, however the night hours offering the cover of darkness would not be long enough to have a surreptitious retreat of approximately 9,000 men. General Washington needed a miracle. In fact, he needed more than one...
The first miracle came when the only regular army Washington had, known as the Maryland 400, held back more than 2,000 British troops at the Old Stone House on August 29, 1776. Located today at Third Street between 4th and 5th Avenues, this rebuilt Old Stone House is inside J. J. Byrne Playground, also known as Washington Park, in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn. The Maryland 400 soldiers were from Carol Maryland and were mostly Catholics, a religion that was tolerated in the Colony of Maryland at a time when Catholics were the smallest minority. More on this later.
The first miracle came when the only regular army Washington had, known as the Maryland 400, held back more than 2,000 British troops at the Old Stone House on August 29, 1776. Located today at Third Street between 4th and 5th Avenues, this rebuilt Old Stone House is inside J. J. Byrne Playground, also known as Washington Park, in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn. The Maryland 400 soldiers were from Carol Maryland and were mostly Catholics, a religion that was tolerated in the Colony of Maryland at a time when Catholics were the smallest minority. More on this later.
The Battle of Long Island': 225 Anniversary Recreation in Prospect Park, Brooklyn
"Old Line State" as they "held the line"
From a redoubt on Cobble Hill, the location is known today as Court Street and Atlantic Avenue, Washington watched less than 400 men "Hold the Line" against an overwhelming superior British force. This First Maryland Regiment led by Lord Stirling repeatedly charged the British force that were in fixed positions. Twice, the Marylanders took the Vechte-Cortelyou House, aka, the Old Stone House for the final actions of the already lost Battle of Long Island. This action created Maryland's nickname, the "Old Line State" as they "held the line" allowing General Washington to evacuate the remaining troops across the creek, known today as the Gowanus Canal, to Brooklyn Heights.
"Good God, what brave fellows I must this day lose!"
We know witnessing this battle caused General Washington to state, "Good God, what brave fellows I must this day lose!" The average age of the Maryland Regiment has been noted to be 16 years old and they did the impossible. Less than a dozen of them were able to get back to the American lines. Lord Stirling refused to surrender to the British, so they broke through the British lines and surrendered to von Heister's Hessians soldiers. Germans hired by the British to help fight the Colonists. All those captured were place on Prison Ships docked in the waters that would be around today's Throgs Neck Bridge. Yet, if any rebel under British interment pledged their loyalty to the King of England, they could walk off their Prison Ship a free man. Realizing they would have a short state of freedom before being placed into the service of the King as a soldier in the British army, they all died on those ships as they were held prisoners, under horrific conditions for the length of the war.
Maryland 400 saved the American revolution from a total collapse
Rebuilt Old Stone House in Brooklyn These young men of the Maryland 400 saved the American revolution from a total collapse less than two months after declaring their independence from England. Approximately 256 of them were dead around the Old Stone House. Information reported tells the story of their bodies being buried by the British in a mass grave on the property of Adrian Van Brunt’s farm just on the edge of the marsh. This location today is between 7th and 9th streets along 3rd avenue. Six military burial trenches were dug with an orientation of north to south so that the bodies of the Maryland 400 Regiment were "facing East". Their bodies are estimated to be buried under an Auto Repair shop. No serious recognition is displayed for these mostly young Catholic boys that saved the existence of our United States of America and fought for freedom, a God given right and to end slavery since Catholic Popes decreed all slavery was wrong over two millennials. Because of this fact, most of those held in slavery were prevented from following the Catholic Pope and the Catholic religion. Ironically, they had to follow the complicit religion of their captors.
The second miracle was that General Washington had a Maritime Force to ferry the remaining Continental Army across the East River! A force consisting of rowboats, flat-bottom barges, and Massachusetts fishermen known as the Marbleheaders. Under the command of Colonel John Glover, who knew the race against time was already lost, because the Marbleheaders would be exposed to the British when the sun came up hours before the evacuation of Brooklyn was completed. Yet in the darkness and a changing weather pattern, these fishermen who helped force the British out of Boston earlier that year and would eventually be there for Washington to cross the Delaware, continued to shuttle men, artillery, and horses across the river. This only became a successful nighttime evacuation because of the next miracle.
The second miracle was that General Washington had a Maritime Force to ferry the remaining Continental Army across the East River! A force consisting of rowboats, flat-bottom barges, and Massachusetts fishermen known as the Marbleheaders. Under the command of Colonel John Glover, who knew the race against time was already lost, because the Marbleheaders would be exposed to the British when the sun came up hours before the evacuation of Brooklyn was completed. Yet in the darkness and a changing weather pattern, these fishermen who helped force the British out of Boston earlier that year and would eventually be there for Washington to cross the Delaware, continued to shuttle men, artillery, and horses across the river. This only became a successful nighttime evacuation because of the next miracle.
A storm that came up the east coast
The third miracle, from all accounts was a storm that came up the east coast and the weather strangely turned from a hot August day to a storm-like night that created a stealth moving fog. Throughout the night and the early morning hours this thick, miraculous fog, covered the East River. Thus, concealing Washington's evacuation. Only because of this fog the crossing was not seen by British sentries or their warships in the river.
We know from letters and written reports the following:
Major Benjamin Tallmadge, an American officer, reported being in the second to last boat to leave Brooklyn Heights. As the early morning light filtered through the lifting fog, the Major reported that as he approached the Fulton Landing, he turned to see the last boat with General George Washington leaving and completing the “successful” retreat.
When General William Howe and the British forces awoke on August 30, 1776, they were astonished. General Washington and his entire Continental Army had silently, completely, and miraculously vanished. Over 9,000 men, horses, cannons, and supplies, gone. British Captain John Montresor, General Howe’s aide-de-camp discovered the retreat too late, despite the action of a women loyalist to the crown that sent a letter about the occurring retreat. Captain Montresor arrived at the riverbank only to see the last two boats leave.
In the August 31, 1776, letter from General Washington to John Hancock, Washington wrote to Hancock that he had not slept in 48 hours, but the successful retreat across the East River to Manhattan was complete.
We know from letters and written reports the following:
Major Benjamin Tallmadge, an American officer, reported being in the second to last boat to leave Brooklyn Heights. As the early morning light filtered through the lifting fog, the Major reported that as he approached the Fulton Landing, he turned to see the last boat with General George Washington leaving and completing the “successful” retreat.
When General William Howe and the British forces awoke on August 30, 1776, they were astonished. General Washington and his entire Continental Army had silently, completely, and miraculously vanished. Over 9,000 men, horses, cannons, and supplies, gone. British Captain John Montresor, General Howe’s aide-de-camp discovered the retreat too late, despite the action of a women loyalist to the crown that sent a letter about the occurring retreat. Captain Montresor arrived at the riverbank only to see the last two boats leave.
In the August 31, 1776, letter from General Washington to John Hancock, Washington wrote to Hancock that he had not slept in 48 hours, but the successful retreat across the East River to Manhattan was complete.
George Washington, God, and Country
LINK to Conference Presentation Recently, while doing further environmental research on the Shroud of Turin, I came upon several interesting facts about two churches that date back to the revolutionary war. My initial interest was to delve deeper into my geological, celestial, and weather research relating to the date Jesus Christ was crucified and the world’s most studied relic, the Shroud of Turin, also known as the burial cloth of Jesus Christ. I currently have the distinct privilege as America’s Northeast Regional leader, representing the non-profit Othonia organization that operates under Rome’s Pontifical University of Science and Faith. Othonia’s mission is to share the truth about the Shroud of Turin.
I was initially contacting one of these two churches, specifically Old Saint Mary’s church, to do a Shroud of Turin presentation. However, with celebrating our country’s 250th anniversary and my own studies on the American Revolution since I was a kid growing up in Brooklyn just blocks away from the Old Stone House, I redirected my attention toward these two churches and their connection to our American Revolution. For those followers who read my Going True Green blogs, there is no secret to knowing that I often say everything is connected. Well, all this has culminated into this article that highlights the little taught and scarcely known facts about our American Revolution. Additionally, the connections between our first president of the United States, George Washington, God, and Country.
Before the American Revolution, Catholics in the Colonies had no rights. They could not speak or pray in public. They could not publish, participate in town meetings, hold office, own land, or vote. The level of prejudice throughout the colonies forced Catholics into a separate Class system that stifled their existence. A level of resentment was also subconsciously thrust upon Catholics because the Catholic Church did not approve or tolerate slavery. This fact is often hidden and twisted by our mainstream media today, but at the time of our revolutionary war, the Catholic Church’s stance against slavery was well known. What the media focuses on is a fact that a “few Catholics” during the 1700 and 1800’s, owned slaves. However, it is historically clear that they were not following the church’s mandates.
Any statements about the Catholic Church not condemning slavery is a historical myth that does not withstand scrutiny of historical records. There were multiple papal condemnations of slavery going back to the Roman Empire. Here are just three examples:
On July 2, 1776, when Thomas Jefferson’s second paragraph from the original draft of the Declaration of Independence abolished slavery, Georgia and South Carolina demanded the removal of such a declaration. It then became clear that the abolition of slavery could have been accomplished at the very birth of our nation, were it not for these two profane colonies. Such opposing positions towards total emancipation fed the resentment held toward Catholics because back then, the protestant slave owners, were acutely aware that the Catholic Church was against slavery. This was probably one of several reasons why there was only one Catholic representative in the Continental Congress who signed the Declaration of Independence.
It is relevant to note that Catholics were only 1.5% of the population at the time of the American Revolutionary war. Yet, at Yorktown when the war was won, George Washington’s army was made up of over 70% Catholics. Most of Washington’s soldiers who belonged to the Church of England went back home to their farms in the colonies, leaving George Washington with mostly Catholics striving to win the war. George Washington’s “final” army consisted of Catholic men and women from France, Spain, the Netherlands, and the 1.5% who were already here in the colonies.
Additionally, prior to the battle of Yorktown, the second oldest Catholic Church in Pennsylvania, received several distinguished guests. Just a few blocks from Independence Hall stands Old Saint Mary’s Catholic Church, which held the first public religious commemoration of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1779. Then in 1781 on November 4th, members of the Continental Congress with French military officers attended a Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving at Saint Mary. Also believed to be in attendance, though still an Anglican, George Washington was there to give thanks to God for victory over the British and to all Catholics that fought by his side. Adams also attended Mass at Old Saint Mary’s, along with other members of Congress to give thanks to Catholics who were at the Old Stone House to save the nation and who were the majority of Washington’s remaining army that stayed to fight at Yorktown and secure victory. By the time the Constitution was drawn up in 1787, two Catholics now held office and signed the Constitution of these United States of America.
George Washington soon knew that he had to come to terms with his own Anglican religion led by a Christian King that allowed slavery. Washington knew firsthand all the atrocities his church allowed and committed during the war. However, since resentment still existed against Catholics, Washington always moved cautiously with his support of the Catholic Church. Two examples that are documented is that when Washington returned home to Virginia, he donated to the Catholic Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria and contributed to the construction of a Catholic Church in Baltimore. At this time if George Washington was contemplating leaving his religion, he would have been chastised and ridiculed. But despite that possible ridicule and having specific bigotry aimed at him, Washington held his highly admirable morals. The strongest example of this are these two facts:
In her book, Spiritual Journey of George Washington, Janice Connell, who is a well-known lawyer and author, writes about Washington’s relationship with America’s first Catholic Archbishop Carroll a relative to Representative Carroll who signed our Declaration of Independence.
A side note: All those who signed the Declaration gave up everything simply because they signed. They lost family, fortune, land, homes, freedom, and life. Not one was untouched by the vengeful hand of the British army.
By 1792, Archbishop Carroll knew about what happened twice to George Washington at Valley Forge. Review of the evidence and data presents substance to what personally occurred to Washington twice. Once in December of 1777 and around February of 1778. Archbishop Carroll also knew that when George was growing up, he was counseled by a Catholic Jesuit priest, Father Andrew White, S.J. who told him about a Catholic book written by a French Jesuit in the 1590s called Bienseance de la Conversation entre les Hommes. A few years later as a teenager, George hand-copied 110 rules into his school’s notebook from the English version entitled, Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation. George studied and lived by those rules.
Many times, Washington sought input from Archbishop Carroll, who knew the details to what Washington experienced at Valley Forge during the darkest days of the war. This is confirmed by John Marshall, the 4thChief Justice and Thomas Jefferson the first Secretary of State who both questioned and spoke about how religious George Washington was through his life.
What occurred twice at Valley Forge, at night on frozen ground covered in snow, while twice Washington was on one knee praying, is confirmed by Anthony Sherman who witnessed the second event. Sherman arrived at Valley Forge in late winter of 1777 / 78 and was not witness to the first event. Evidence shows he could have only witnessed the second time Washington experienced this divine encounter. Twice, the very humbled and disciplined Washington, while praying in the snow during his darkest hours had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The few who learned of these events and Wesley Brashaw who finally published Washington’s encounters in the National Tribune, Volume 4, Number twelve on December 1880, tell what Sherman witnessed:
Washington on bent knee did not move in the snow as he stared into the mist forming in front of him. Washington saw a beautiful woman before him and heard her say several times, “Son of the Republic, look and learn.” What Washington saw ranged from his moral behavior to the future of America from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Mary then asked of Washington one thing: To consecrate the United States of America in her name as mother to us all.
So, over the years, George Washington had to walk, speak, and act delicately with Catholics due to the many prejudices against Catholics. That cautious methodology ended for him on the day before he died.
Confirmed by historians, such as Martin Griffin, we know that a slave was sent from Washington’s home across the Potomac to bring back a Catholic priest who was a Maryland Jesuit. The priest was most probably Father Leonard Neale who returned with the slave and spent over three hours with Washington. What reason would have Washington asking for a Catholic priest? Upon leaving, Father Neale told Martha that her husband’s soul has been secured. George Washington passed over the next day.
The priest secured and sealed a letter about his visit with George Washington, with instructions that the contents would not be made public until all those concerned passed over. This included Father Neale and probably Martha Washington. This was done for protection, because retribution could cause all social and business connections at Mount Vernon to be terminated for Martha. This is also the reason why Washington’s secretary, Thomas Lear, intentionally omitted in his write up that a Catholic priest visited Mount Vernon and the last words Martha had with her husband. Any details of these events at that time would have caused Martha to be ostracized.
Years later, when Father’s letter was presented to be made public, the letter ceased to exist. Add up the details you just read and conclude why that letter disappeared. We can easily surmise that those in power who had prejudices against Catholics could not accept or make public that George Washington became a Catholic.
I was initially contacting one of these two churches, specifically Old Saint Mary’s church, to do a Shroud of Turin presentation. However, with celebrating our country’s 250th anniversary and my own studies on the American Revolution since I was a kid growing up in Brooklyn just blocks away from the Old Stone House, I redirected my attention toward these two churches and their connection to our American Revolution. For those followers who read my Going True Green blogs, there is no secret to knowing that I often say everything is connected. Well, all this has culminated into this article that highlights the little taught and scarcely known facts about our American Revolution. Additionally, the connections between our first president of the United States, George Washington, God, and Country.
Before the American Revolution, Catholics in the Colonies had no rights. They could not speak or pray in public. They could not publish, participate in town meetings, hold office, own land, or vote. The level of prejudice throughout the colonies forced Catholics into a separate Class system that stifled their existence. A level of resentment was also subconsciously thrust upon Catholics because the Catholic Church did not approve or tolerate slavery. This fact is often hidden and twisted by our mainstream media today, but at the time of our revolutionary war, the Catholic Church’s stance against slavery was well known. What the media focuses on is a fact that a “few Catholics” during the 1700 and 1800’s, owned slaves. However, it is historically clear that they were not following the church’s mandates.
Any statements about the Catholic Church not condemning slavery is a historical myth that does not withstand scrutiny of historical records. There were multiple papal condemnations of slavery going back to the Roman Empire. Here are just three examples:
- When Emperor Constantine legalized the Universal Church of Christians in A.D. 313, the Church’s funds were used by Christians to redeem slaves. By many accounts, one former slave became Pope Callistus I in the early third century. Additionally, by that time, the Catholic Church already had three Popes, known as the African Popes.
- Fifty-seven years prior to Christopher Columbus’ voyage, the slave trade and slavery were condemned by Pope Eugenius IV.
- Pope Paul III issued the Papal Bull, Sublimus Dei, stating no native Americans were to be enslaved.
On July 2, 1776, when Thomas Jefferson’s second paragraph from the original draft of the Declaration of Independence abolished slavery, Georgia and South Carolina demanded the removal of such a declaration. It then became clear that the abolition of slavery could have been accomplished at the very birth of our nation, were it not for these two profane colonies. Such opposing positions towards total emancipation fed the resentment held toward Catholics because back then, the protestant slave owners, were acutely aware that the Catholic Church was against slavery. This was probably one of several reasons why there was only one Catholic representative in the Continental Congress who signed the Declaration of Independence.
It is relevant to note that Catholics were only 1.5% of the population at the time of the American Revolutionary war. Yet, at Yorktown when the war was won, George Washington’s army was made up of over 70% Catholics. Most of Washington’s soldiers who belonged to the Church of England went back home to their farms in the colonies, leaving George Washington with mostly Catholics striving to win the war. George Washington’s “final” army consisted of Catholic men and women from France, Spain, the Netherlands, and the 1.5% who were already here in the colonies.
Additionally, prior to the battle of Yorktown, the second oldest Catholic Church in Pennsylvania, received several distinguished guests. Just a few blocks from Independence Hall stands Old Saint Mary’s Catholic Church, which held the first public religious commemoration of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1779. Then in 1781 on November 4th, members of the Continental Congress with French military officers attended a Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving at Saint Mary. Also believed to be in attendance, though still an Anglican, George Washington was there to give thanks to God for victory over the British and to all Catholics that fought by his side. Adams also attended Mass at Old Saint Mary’s, along with other members of Congress to give thanks to Catholics who were at the Old Stone House to save the nation and who were the majority of Washington’s remaining army that stayed to fight at Yorktown and secure victory. By the time the Constitution was drawn up in 1787, two Catholics now held office and signed the Constitution of these United States of America.
George Washington soon knew that he had to come to terms with his own Anglican religion led by a Christian King that allowed slavery. Washington knew firsthand all the atrocities his church allowed and committed during the war. However, since resentment still existed against Catholics, Washington always moved cautiously with his support of the Catholic Church. Two examples that are documented is that when Washington returned home to Virginia, he donated to the Catholic Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria and contributed to the construction of a Catholic Church in Baltimore. At this time if George Washington was contemplating leaving his religion, he would have been chastised and ridiculed. But despite that possible ridicule and having specific bigotry aimed at him, Washington held his highly admirable morals. The strongest example of this are these two facts:
- When Washington first joined the Virginia militia, he had to take an oath swearing there was no such existence of Transubstantiation. (Today we know of several theories in Physics that support Transubstantiation.) Additionally, please note that at the time of Washington, the Virgina colony had a law whereas any Catholic entering Virginia, had 5 days to leave. Yet, Washington would receive the Holy Eucharist from a Catholic priest before he died.
- Then in 1775, Washington prohibited his Continental army from celebrating the annual event of burning effigies of the pope on Guy Fawkes Day. All these various actions taken by Washington caused him to keep discreet connections with the Catholic Church. Some of which became unordinary…
In her book, Spiritual Journey of George Washington, Janice Connell, who is a well-known lawyer and author, writes about Washington’s relationship with America’s first Catholic Archbishop Carroll a relative to Representative Carroll who signed our Declaration of Independence.
A side note: All those who signed the Declaration gave up everything simply because they signed. They lost family, fortune, land, homes, freedom, and life. Not one was untouched by the vengeful hand of the British army.
By 1792, Archbishop Carroll knew about what happened twice to George Washington at Valley Forge. Review of the evidence and data presents substance to what personally occurred to Washington twice. Once in December of 1777 and around February of 1778. Archbishop Carroll also knew that when George was growing up, he was counseled by a Catholic Jesuit priest, Father Andrew White, S.J. who told him about a Catholic book written by a French Jesuit in the 1590s called Bienseance de la Conversation entre les Hommes. A few years later as a teenager, George hand-copied 110 rules into his school’s notebook from the English version entitled, Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation. George studied and lived by those rules.
Many times, Washington sought input from Archbishop Carroll, who knew the details to what Washington experienced at Valley Forge during the darkest days of the war. This is confirmed by John Marshall, the 4thChief Justice and Thomas Jefferson the first Secretary of State who both questioned and spoke about how religious George Washington was through his life.
What occurred twice at Valley Forge, at night on frozen ground covered in snow, while twice Washington was on one knee praying, is confirmed by Anthony Sherman who witnessed the second event. Sherman arrived at Valley Forge in late winter of 1777 / 78 and was not witness to the first event. Evidence shows he could have only witnessed the second time Washington experienced this divine encounter. Twice, the very humbled and disciplined Washington, while praying in the snow during his darkest hours had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The few who learned of these events and Wesley Brashaw who finally published Washington’s encounters in the National Tribune, Volume 4, Number twelve on December 1880, tell what Sherman witnessed:
Washington on bent knee did not move in the snow as he stared into the mist forming in front of him. Washington saw a beautiful woman before him and heard her say several times, “Son of the Republic, look and learn.” What Washington saw ranged from his moral behavior to the future of America from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Mary then asked of Washington one thing: To consecrate the United States of America in her name as mother to us all.
So, over the years, George Washington had to walk, speak, and act delicately with Catholics due to the many prejudices against Catholics. That cautious methodology ended for him on the day before he died.
Confirmed by historians, such as Martin Griffin, we know that a slave was sent from Washington’s home across the Potomac to bring back a Catholic priest who was a Maryland Jesuit. The priest was most probably Father Leonard Neale who returned with the slave and spent over three hours with Washington. What reason would have Washington asking for a Catholic priest? Upon leaving, Father Neale told Martha that her husband’s soul has been secured. George Washington passed over the next day.
The priest secured and sealed a letter about his visit with George Washington, with instructions that the contents would not be made public until all those concerned passed over. This included Father Neale and probably Martha Washington. This was done for protection, because retribution could cause all social and business connections at Mount Vernon to be terminated for Martha. This is also the reason why Washington’s secretary, Thomas Lear, intentionally omitted in his write up that a Catholic priest visited Mount Vernon and the last words Martha had with her husband. Any details of these events at that time would have caused Martha to be ostracized.
Years later, when Father’s letter was presented to be made public, the letter ceased to exist. Add up the details you just read and conclude why that letter disappeared. We can easily surmise that those in power who had prejudices against Catholics could not accept or make public that George Washington became a Catholic.
The Painting of Blessed Virgin Mary Upon Martha’s death, the slaves at Mount Vernon were given their God given right of freedom. George Washington’s slaves had gone on record and reported that George Washington had a painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary hanging in his dining room. (This painting, most likely done by the Catholic Venetian pastel artist Rosalba Carriera, can be seen on the Mount Vernon e-museum website.) Juba, one of Washington’s slaves, reported that before eating his meals, George made the sign of the cross, and that Washington was baptized by Father Neale on the day before he died. Being baptized would also symbolize rejection of his membership with the Freemasons despite a Freemason service being held for Washington’s burial, a preplanned service he no longer had any control over. Most importantly, George Washington received the Holy Eucharist from Father Neale after being baptized and would have needed to give his slaves their God given freedom. Additionally, according to Historians, the African American communities all around Mount Vernon and the Maryland Jesuits, recounted all this information about Washington into the twentieth century.
Old Saint Mary's Church Then on February 22, 1800, Congress met for a memorial service for President Washington at Old Saint Mary’s Catholic Church! Who would have requested this service at a Catholic Church? Our first president who, by all evidence, became Catholic.
Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
Contribute your comments!
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
Contribute your comments!
