ase the structure as a gesture to the 1949
anniversary. As this book goes to press an active campaign is under way
by Alexandria historical societies to raise funds for restoration.]

Some two hundred years ago a sturdy-bottomed little sailing ship riding
at anchor in the port of Dumfries in Scotland, and bound for the port of
Dumfries in Virginia, was boarded by a young Scotsman. No _parvenu_
voyager he, but a young man of settled background and promising future,
educated for his calling and going out to take his place in one of the
Scottish firms trading in Virginia.

Our adventurer belonged to the Ramsay family of the noble house of
Dalhousie, which goes back into Scottish history of the thirteenth
century. King Edward I, in July 1298, spent the night at Dalhousie on
his way to battle with William Wallace; and in 1400 Sir Alexander Ramsay
defended the walls of Dalhousie against Henry IV. In 1633 William,
Second Lord Ramsay, was created First Earl of Dalhousie. This young
adventurer bore the name of the Second Lord, William. He was born in
1716 in Kirkendbrightshire in the Galloway district of Scotland, and he
was destined to play no small part in his own particular sphere. He
brought the integrity and industry of his native land to the new world
shores, and was one of that band of Scotsmen of whom President Madison
said, "Their commercial edicts served the colony as substantial
legislation for many years."[57] These traits, added to vision, wisdom,
sound morality and a tender nature, formed the character of the future
first citizen of Alexandria.

The year 1744 found William Ramsay settled in business with John
Carlyle, trading under the name of Carlyle & Ramsay in the village of
Belle Haven. This little settlement lay on the banks of the upper
Potomac behind the Great Hunting Creek warehouse.

Ramsay early sensed that the large harbor of Belle Haven with its deep
water and fine approach was a better situation for a town than many then
being agitated before the Burgesses. Forming friendships with Colonel
Fairfax, Lawrence Washington, George Mason, George Johnston, and other
large planters, he impressed them with the importance of this situation
as a site of great promise for a city and a port.[58]

When this dream became an accomplished fact it was a natural conclusion
that William Ramsay was one of the seven men chosen by the Virginia
Assembly for the purpose of laying out the town at Hunting Creek
warehouse.