USA > Washington > Standard history of the city of Washington from a study of the original sources > Part 13
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"3rdly. Of the proceed from the printing of the City Plan or an equivalent for being taken away the property thereof.
"4th. Of the great additional perquisite necessarily to have devolved to me from the agency."
By way of furnishing a basis for estimating what the additional perquisites would have come to, he cites the relin- quishment of other engagements which would have yielded him a clear gain of $50,000. His prospective profits in sales of maps he calculated upon a probable sale of from fifteen to twenty thousand maps at from two or three dollars each.
His claim being rejected by the Commissioners, was pre- sented to Congress in much the same form. As stated in a committee report of that body, returned in 1802, the items were estimated to be :
For labor for one year $8,000; anticipated profits from sales of maps, $37,500; perquisites, $50,000; total, $95,000.
In 1804, a law was passed authorizing the Superintendent of the City, who was the successor to the Commissioners, to make a settlement with L'Enfant, but the money was levied upon by a creditor. In 1810, Congress in response to a further memorial from L'Enfant, appropriated $666 with interest from
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March 1, 1792, the total coming to $1,394.20. This was the last financial reward the designer of the city ever received for his services .*
After leaving the service of the city Major L'Enfant accept- ed various employments, but the extravagant and visionary trend which had enabled him in his mind's eye to picture in the forests and swamps which lay before him the streets, avenues, parks and public buildings of the future City of Washington, proved in the more practical affairs with which he became connected, to be a handicap, which, coupled with the overbearing temper which remained with him, prevented him from attaining any considerable amount of private business or degree of professional success. Obtaining employment with a Jersey manufacturing concern, he was shortly dismissed "for mistakes and a Quixotic invention."" The faith of the public in his abilities accordingly fell. Not knowing of his discharge, Robert Morris had employed him to design and superintend the construction of a house which he contemplated building in Philadelphia-giving him carte blanche as to his expenses. L'Enfant's plan of this building was upon a most expensive scale and was changed so frequently and at such increase of cost as to drive the owner to desperation.
Oberholtzer, in his life of Morris, says "the Financier frequently denied, as his misfortunes accumulated and the folly of his undertaking became very manifest, that he had given L'Enfant authority to lay the plans on so extravagant a scale." At all events, after four years of building up and tearing down, on August 15, 1796, Mr. Morris wrote L'Enfant :
"It is with astonishment I see the work of last fall now pulling down in order to put more marble on my house, on which there is already vastly too much. The difficulty and cost of getting money is vastly greater than you can conceive, and if you persist in exposing yourself to censure and me to ridicule by alterations and additions, you will force me to abandon all expectations of getting into the house and to stop the work which I am unwilling to do,
*L'Enfant's Personal Affairs, by W. B. Bryan. Vol. 2, Records Col. Hist. Soc.
+Blodget to the Commissioners.
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if it can be avoided, and which can only be prevented by economy and dispatch."
Mr. Morris, continues the same authority, "rolled sheet iron at his works at Morrisville to take the place of slate upon the roof in order that the rain might not beat in, but in May, 1797, although upon his own estimate he had expended ten times as much as he was told the house would cost, the roof covered only a portion of the building and not a single floor was laid, nor a single wall plastered. In this house Morris never lived."
Major L'Enfant was later tendered a position as an instructor at West Point but declined it, apparently conceiv- ing that an acceptance would prejudice his claim for compen- sation as the designer of the city. His after life was embittered by what he considered the lack of public appreciation of his work. In his later years he was invited by Mr. William Dudley Digges to make his home with the latter at his estate "Green Hill," in Prince George's County, Maryland, and it was there his death occurred on June 14, 1825, at the age of seventy years.
In 1908, Congress appropriated one thousand dollars "to remove and render accessible to the public the grave of Major Pierre Charles L'Enfant." On April 22, 1909, the remains were taken from the grave and on April 28 were taken under military escort to the rotunda of the Capitol where for three hours they lay in state, being then borne upon a caisson at the head of a procession nearly a mile in length to the National Cemetery at Arlington. Before the firing of the three volleys over the new grave and sounding of "taps" by the bugler, Monsignor William T. Russell, Pastor of Saint Patrick's Church, performed the rites of the church, and concluded with an eloquent and fitting tribute to the service which Major L'Enfant had rendered the country of his adoption .*
Much has been said about the lack of public recognition of L'Enfant's work, and it is impossible to contemplate the tragedy of his after life without a sense of regret. Yet, upon a dispas- sionate view of the case, the conclusion can hardly be resisted
*The Reinterment of Major L'Enfant, by Dr. Charles Dudley Morgan, Vol. 13, Records Col. Hist. Soc.
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that he was himself chiefly responsible for the troubles which overtook him.
So far as the question of the adequacy or inadequacy of his compensation is concerned, those who lived at the time were in a position to estimate more accurately the propriety of the sum offered him than it is possible to do today. President Washing- ton thought the sum adequate; indeed he shows by his letter to Dr. Stuart that in fixing on that amount he had been influ- enced by a desire to avoid arousing a sentiment against the new city by any evidence of lack of appreciation of L'Enfant's work. The tone of his correspondence throughout, as well as that of the Commissioners, shows an entire absence of any personal feel- ing on the part of any of them against the Major; and President Washington, in all his dealings, was the last of all men to allow such consideration to influence him. A moment's reflection, too, must lead to the conviction that the items of anticipated profit which Major L'Enfant later enumerated in his claim were essen- tially visionary and in all probability would not have been, even
approximately, realized. As to the merits of his quarrel with the Commissioners, the record fails to show any fair reason why he could not have continued his work of supervising the work of laying out the city, in the most complete harmony with the Commissioners but for the fact of his inability to comprehend that both under the law and as a matter of practical necessity it was requisite that the President be represented by some such administrative body, and that in the nature of the case its author- ity in directing the work of establishing the city must be superior to his as its designer. The Commissioners throughout evinced toward the Major a highly conciliatory spirit and a desire, found- ed upon a genuine appreciation of his abilities, to reach a work- ing agreement with him which should be conducive to the best interests of the city. For his sake it is regrettable that the bring- ing about of such an agreement was impossible of accomplish- ment. So far as the interests of the public were concerned, it had little to lose. Major L'Enfant had for all practical pur- poses fulfilled his mission when he finished the design which will arouse the wonder and admiration of men for all time to come.
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It will be remembered that Major L'Enfant at the time of his dismissal, was in Philadelphia, whither he had gone for the purpose of preparing the map of the city. According to his account, he had, before leaving Georgetown, requested Benjamin Ellicott to delineate on paper all the work which had been done in the city, which, being accurately measured and laid down on the ground, he intended to make the basis of a drawing from his original plan upon a reduced scale for engraving. Not having this with him on his arrival in Philadelphia and experiencing some difficulty in finding a good draughtsman and engraver, he met with some delay in the preparation of the map and finally requested Benjamin Ellicott to assist him, giving the latter for the purpose a sketch which had already been prepared. L'Enfant superintended this work until told by Major Ellicott that the latter had been instructed by Mr. Jefferson to attend to that business and had engaged an engraver to do the work. L'Enfant paid no further attention to the matter at the time, thinking it impossible for Ellicott to complete the work without reference to L'Enfant's large plan which the latter had in his possession ; expecting, however, to be called upon to review and correct the plan when completed. After some days he went to Ellicott's home and found the draught nearly finished but, as he states, "most unmercifully spoiled and altered from the original plan to a degree indeed evidently intended to disgrace me and ridicule the very undertaking."
L'Enfant, desiring to correct the plan, sent to Major Ellicott for it, but the latter refused to deliver it up; upon which L'En- fant, on February 17, 1792, wrote to Mr. Lear, the President's private secretary, reciting the facts as above stated and protest- ing against the publication of the plan as Mr. Ellicott had drawn it.
Whether Major L'Enfant's version of the matter is cor- rect, or whether as would appear from President Washington's and Major Ellicott's statements to the Commissioners, the trou- ble was the result of another instance of Major L'Enfant's captiousness, it is not easy to decide. President Washington, in his letter of March 6, 1792, wrote :
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"It is impossible to say with any certainty when the plan of the City will be engraved. Upon Major L'Enfant's arrival here, in the latter part of December I pressed him in the most earnest manner to get the plan ready for engrav- ing as soon as possible. Finding there was no prospect of obtaining it through him (at least not in any definite time) the matter was put into Mr. Ellicott's hands to prepare about 3 weeks ago. He has prepared it, but the engravers who have undertaken to execute it, say it cannot certainly be done in less than two-perhaps not under 3 months. There shall, however, be every effort made to have the thing effected with all possible dispatch."
Major Ellicott, writing on February 23, 1792, said :
"On my arrival at this City, I found that no preparation was made for an engraving of the plan of the City of Wash- ington. Upon this representation being made to the Pres- ident and Secretary of State, I was directed to furnish one for an engraver; which with the aid of my Brother was completed last Monday, and handed to the President. In this business we met with difficulties of a very serious nature. Major L'Enfant refused us the use of the Original ! What his motives were, God knows. The plan which we have furnished, I believe will be found to answer the ground better than the large one in the Major's hands. I have engaged two good artists, (both Americans) to execute the engraving, and who will begin the work as soon as the President comes to a determination respecting some small alterations. "
The result of Major Ellicott's execution of the plan, what- ever the circumstances may have been, resulted in its being published to the world, apparently as his design. Major L'Enfant's plan contained in the upper left hand corner a title legend giving his name as the author. It also, as previously noted, contained the statement crediting Major Ellicott with the astronomical work incident to the execution of the plan on the ground. Major Ellicott, in his map, omitted Major L'Enfant's name as well as a large part of the explanatory matter, but left the reference to himself as it appeared on L'Enfant's plan, plac- ing it prominently at the lower right hand corner, embracing his name in enlarged letters, in such a manner as upon a casual glance to give the impression, without expressly setting forth
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such a claim, that Major Ellicott was the author of the plan.
Ellicott's draft, notwithstanding L'Enfant's charge that it unmercifully spoiled and altered the original, in fact adhered quite closely to the latter. The most easily noted alterations consist in the straightening of Massachusetts Avenue, which in L'Enfant's plan takes a sharp break to the southeast from the point where it crosses New Jersey Avenue, and in the elimina- tion of four or five short avenues which appear in L'Enfant's plan. It also omits the designation of any of L'Enfant's pub- lic reservations except those for the President's House and Capitol. These alterations, while they may have improved rather than injured the original, were not such as to justify Ellicott in seeking to obtain public recognition as the author of the design.
It is evident from the fact that the names of the avenues are given upon Ellicott's map that they were determined upon during the time of its preparation in Philadelphia; for they do not appear on L'Enfant's plan, and Pennsylvania Avenue is mentioned by Major Ellicott, in a letter to the Commissioners written in December, shortly before he went to the latter place, as the diagonal leading from the President's house to the Capitol.
The work of engraving Ellicott's map was entrusted to two firms, Thackara and Vallance, of Philadelphia, and S. Hill, of Boston. Though both products were referred to generally as the "Engraved Plan," the former was more particularly designated as "The Philadelphia Plate," and the latter as "The Boston Plate." The Philadelphia Plate was about twice the size of the Boston Plate and was much preferred because of the fact that it gave the soundings of the Potomac River and Eastern Branch which were forwarded too late to be incorporated in the other.
The Boston Plate was completed in time to be exhibited at the second public sale of lots on October 8, 1792, the Philadel- phia Plate not being received by the Commissioners until the 13th of the following November.
The difficulties of the Commissioners with Major L'Enfant were but the prelude to a series of annoying and long drawn controversies with his successor, of a nature even more acrimon-
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ious and personal than the quarrels with the eccentric French- man.
While the discussions between President Washington and Major L'Enfant were going on and Major Ellicott was engaged in preparing the draft of the plan of the City, the latter, by his own statement appears to have been anticipating the possibility of his appointment as Major L'Enfant's successor. In his letter to the Commissioners of February 23, above quoted from, he says :
"In several conferences which I have had with the Pres- ident, and Secretary of State, on the subject of the City of Washington, he wrote the Commissioners, I have con- stantly mentioned the necessity of system in the execution of the business : without which there can be neither economy, certainty, nor decision .- The Major has both a lively fancy and decision; but unfortunately no system; which renders the other qualifications much less valuable, and in some cases useless. I suspect the measures are now taking, which will either reduce the Major to the necessity of submitting to the legal arrangements, or deserting the City."
On receiving notice of Major L'Enfant's dismissal the Com- missioners on March 14, 1792, wrote to Major Ellicott placing him in charge of the surveying department and offering to employ his brothers as his assistants. They notified him that they had already employed a Mr. McDermott as an assistant. The latter, whose real name was James R. Dermott, was an Irish- man whose reputation in Alexandria as a mathematician had come to the attention of Doctor Stuart who had mentioned his name to the other Commissioners with the result indicated in their letter to Major Ellicott. On the 3rd of August follow- ing, Mr. George Fenwick was appointed an assistant surveyor, and shortly after was detailed to the work of placing stones at the corners of squares as laid off in the City.
During the summer and fall of 1792, Major Ellicott and his force, besides their work in laying out and dividing squares in the city, had been engaged in the survey of the boundary of the federal territory. This work being completed by the first of the new year, Major Ellicott submitted to the Commissioners the following report of his work, upon the receipt of which the
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Commissioners by their proclamation issued on the same day, authenticated the boundary as laid out by Major Ellicott to be the boundary of the federal territory. Major Ellicott's report, the wording of which in its essential points is closely followed in the Commissioner's proclamation, after reciting the survey- ing of the boundary according to the President's proclamations relating thereto, continued :
"A space has been opened and cleared forty feet wide, that is twenty feet on each side of the lines limiting the territory : and, in order to perpetuate the location of the Said Territory, I have set up squared mile-stones, marked with the number of miles progressively, from the beginning on Jones's point to the west corner, thence from the west corner to the north corner, thence from the north corner to the East corner; and from thence to the place of begin- ning on Jones's point : except in a few cases where the miles terminate on declivities or in waters, in such cases the stones are placed on the nearest firm ground, and their true distances in miles and poles marked on them. On the sides of the stones facing the Territory, are inscribed the words 'Jurisdiction of the United States.' On the opposite sides of those placed in the commonwealth of Virginia, is Inscribed 'Virginia' and on those in the State of Maryland, is Inscribed 'Maryland,' and on the third and fourth sides, or faces are Inscribed the year in which the stone was set up and the present variations of the magnetic needle at that place. In addition to the foregoing work, I have com- pleated a Map of the four lines (with an half mile on each side) including the said District of territory, with a survey of the different waters.
"Witness my hand this first day of January, 1793. Andw. Ellicott."*
It was about the time of the making of this report that the first definite signs of the trouble between Major Ellicott and the Commissioners began to display themselves.
*Boundary Monuments of the D. C., by Marcus Baker, Vol. 1, Rec. Col. Hist. Soc.
Ramble Along Boundary Stones, by Fred E. Woodward, Vol. 10, Rec. Col. Hist. Soc.
With Camera over the Old District Boundary Lines, by Fred E. Woodward, Vol. 11, Rec. Col. Hist. Soc.
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Apparently complaints had been made to the Commissioners, by some of the proprietors, of slowness in the prosecution of the survey of the city; a circumstance for which Major Ellicott, engaged as he was in the survey of the boundary lines of the territory, was perhaps not to blame. In two letters of January 4, 1793, replying to the Commissioners representations, he sets forth his explanation of the delay and at the same time evinces almost as much sensitiveness to criticism as his predecessor, saying :
"In the execution of the Plan of the City of Washington, I have met with innumerable difficulties on account of its extreme complexity ; and from its extent, the labour becomes augmented, to such a degree, that it can only be judged of, by those intimately acquainted with such business. Those causes, and not want of exertions, may possibly have pro- duced an apparent delay, in the execution of the Plan. *
* * *
"If it should be your pleasure, you may rest assured that it will be mine, to quit the further execution of the Plan of the City of Washington by the first day of May next. You may probably find some person, more capable both to execute the work, and give satisfaction."
The Commissioners having directed his attention to the com- plaints of some of the proprietors who were demanding surveys of their lands, he continued :
"I shall not pretend to say, but that every proprietor of lands in the City of Washington, has an equal right to have his property prepared for sale; but as the work cannot be executed in an instant; some must be accommodated before others: and this accommodation must depend upon the system, proper to pursue, in executing the work.
"From both experience, and reflection, I am now con- vinced, that in the very beginning of the business, it would have been better; to have proceeded regularly from some particular point, to the extremities of the City; than to have worked in detached pieces, which in executing the general plan, will all have to be gone over again: This is the case with part of Mr. Walker's property, and many others, and I know of no way that they can be particularly accommodated but at an extra public expense."
In the latter part of January of the same year, 1793, a publi- cation appeared in one of the Baltimore papers criticizing Major
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Ellicott for his alleged dilatoriness in pushing the survey of the city. Upon seeing this, Major Ellicott, on January 29, wrote to the Commissioners demanding an investigation of his conduct of the office and also requesting that Mr. Dermott be directed to deliver up to him all the papers in his possession relating to the Surveyor's office, in order that Major Ellicott might be enabled to complete a general return of the work executed, by the first of the following May.
This request was communicated to Mr. Dermott, whose reply has an important bearing upon the charges which Major Ellicott soon after made against him. Referring to the request which had been communicated to him he said :
"I have received a letter from the Commissioners yester- day desiring some papers which you wanted. They did not specify any therefore did not know what to send. If you had only hinted to me that you wanted any papers in my possession, either public or private; they should have been delivered, as soon to your order as theirs."
After explaining the state of his work and offering to put his notes in shape to be understood if desired, he concluded : "Any other direction you'll please to send here shall be com- plied with, as soon as I return, which will be in a few days."
Major Ellicott made no reply to this letter nor any further demand upon Dermott but soon after laid him off for the win- ter.
To Major Ellicott's demand for an investigation the Com- missioners replied that they did not consider that there was any occasion for it; remarking that they felt no animosity against him, and that they were much more concerned than gratified at the address to him in the Baltimore papers. They, however, requested of the Major either a personal communication or a report on the condition of affairs of his office; to which he replied that he would make a report on May first when it was his intention to resign. A few days later Major Ellicott com- pleted a map of the federal territory which had been requested of him by the President; and on February 11, the Commissioners sent him with this map to Philadelphia, writing at the same time to Mr. Jefferson that they had had some explanations with him
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which rendered them better satisfied than at the time of their last writing a short time previously.
On leaving for Philadelphia, Major Ellicott agreed to meet with the Commissioners at their next meeting in March. On his way to this meeting, Doctor Stuart met Dermott in Virginia, when the latter repeated a statement which he had previously made while in a state of intoxication, alleging that a number of discrepancies existed between the measurement of the squares on the ground and as returned in the Surveyor's office. At Doctor Stuart's request Dermott attended the meeting and presented his charges in writing. After waiting nearly a week for Major Ellicott's return, the Commissioners ordered Mr. Geo. Fenwick one of the surveying staff, to remeasure the squares where Dermott had alleged the errors to exist; and a number of errors were found. A day or two later, Major Ellicott returned and was requested to make a written statement explain- ing the errors. This he refused to do saying that Dermott had stolen a number of important papers necessary for a complete statement, among them the draft of L'Enfant's plan, but offer- ing to make a verbal statement. The Commissioners refused to accept a verbal statement saying :
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