eneral Duncan L. Clinch, U.S.A., resided in
Washington until her death a few years ago. She was a woman of rare
intelligence and, although a great invalid for many years, gathered
around her an appreciative circle of friends, who were always charmed by
her attractive personality.

In my earliest recollection of Washington the old Van Ness house was
still sheltered by many trees. The foliage was so dense that it may have
been the desire of the occupants to shield themselves in this manner
from public view. When I first knew the landmark it was occupied by
Thomas Green, an old-time resident of the District. He married, as his
second wife, Ann Corbin Lomax, a daughter of Major Mann Page Lomax of
the Ordnance Department of the Army. During the Civil War, Mr. Green's
sympathies were with the South, but he took no active part in the
conflict. One of his idiosyncrasies was to pick up, on and around his
spacious grounds, scraps of old iron, such as horse shoes, hay rakes and
the like, which were placed in a corner of his capacious cellar.
Suspicion was centered upon his house by information given to the
government by an old family servant who thought he was doing the country
a service, and directions were accordingly given that it should be
searched. While this order was in process of execution, the discovery of
the scrap-iron is said to have played an important part and in some
unaccountable manner to have aroused further suspicion. Whatever the
logic of the situation may have been is not intelligible, but the fact
remains I that Mr. and Mrs. Green and the latter's sister, Miss Virginia
Lomax, were arrested in a summary manner and taken to the Old Capital
Prison, where for a time they were kept in close confinement, during
which Miss Lomax suffered severe indisposition and, as is said, never
entirely recovered from the effects of her incarceration. About
twenty-five years after the War, while staying at the same house with
her in Warrenton, Virginia, I quite longed to hear her reminiscences of
prison life; but when I expressed my desire to a member of her family, I
was requested not to broach the subject as, even at this late day, it
was painful to her as a topic of conversation.

During the War of 1812, Major Lomax was sent upon a mission to Canada by
the U.S. Government and, one day during his brief sojourn, dined in
company with some British officers. During the dinner a toast was
offered by one of the sons of John Bull: "