the United States of
America, with Charles Thompson, Esq. Secretary, to Congress. His
Excellency arrived at about 2 O'Clock on the bank of the Patowmack,
escorted by a respectable corps of gentlemen from Alexandria where
the George Town ferry boats, properly equipped, received his
Excellency and suit, safely landed them, under the acclamation of a
large crowd of their grateful fellow citizens--who beheld his
Fabius, in the evening of his day, bid adieu to the peaceful retreat
of Mount Vernon, in order to save his country once more from
confusion and anarchy. From this place his Excellency was escorted
by corps of gentlemen commanded by Col. Wm. Deakins, Junr., to Mr.
Spurrier's Tavern, where the escort from Baltimore take charge of
him.

Colonel Deakins was Justice of the Peace, a very high office in those
days, (there was no mayor) besides being a large landowner and
shipowner.

Among the prominent men who probably formed this escort were many of
Washington's former officers of the Revolutionary Army, for when he
came to George Town he was amongst old friends: Colonel Forrest, Major
Stoddert, General James Maccubbin Lingan, General Otho Williams, William
Beatty (who had distinguished himself in the army and had attained the
rank of Colonel), Thomas Richardson who, although a Quaker, was Captain
of a company and won high repute; William Murdock, who had been a
Colonel of militia raised for the defense of the Province of Maryland in
1776, and Lloyd Beall, who had been adjutant of the Staff of Alexander
Hamilton, and General John Mason.

I quote freely from Dr. H. Paul Caemmerer's very interesting _Biography
of Pierre Charles L'Enfant_. "Among the numerous problems of the first
Congress in 1789, was the question of establishment of a seat of
government or a National Capital. During the period of the Continental
Congress and the subsequent period of the Congress of the Confederation,
from 1774 to 1789, Congress had met in eight different town and
cities--Philadelphia, Baltimore, Lancaster, York, Princeton, Annapolis,
Trenton, and New York City, part of the time pursued by the enemy and
part of the time attacked by disgruntled soldiers. It was found
difficult for Members of Congress to find adequate quarters, and it was
always a problem to move records and files. Thus it developed that
Congress wanted a home of its own. The Constitution of the United States
provided for a