00:00:03.600 - 00:05:51.900

I'm a Storyteller. I look for stories that want to be told, sometimes I find them in Old, trunks Dusty and for Lord and thrift shops are antique stores. Sometimes I find them in Old clippings like the one from the Washington Times dated July 8th, 1900 Levin, the title caught me it read Old Fort Massachusetts, seen a narrow Escape, Lincoln Rebel bullet came perilously near ending the president's life and then Capital Menace Byerly's forces during days of year recall, when the nation's executive really figured in battle. When I read that, I knew I was onto a good story. I became a detective and hounded the library, I found another piece of the story and the Boston Sunday. Herald dated August 14th. 1904 entitled Lincoln and his boys, it contained the following account, Boston Sunday, Herald August, 14th, 1904 as early's boys, Much Woodland was cut down in many houses, burned the occupants given only a few hours to get out. One of these was old Aunt Betty Thomas who owned the ground, where the fort was erected? And in the very Centre of which her modest cabin was constructed. She lives on one edge of the fort today and the quite comfortable Cottage. But as yet to be paid, by the government, for her whole being destroyed, she has had Bill pending for more than a quarter of a century, but the debt is only one of the many obligations. That the federal government has never met. She is 90 years old now, but her cheery old heart still holds out hope that she'll be paid before she dies. The bill is in better shape now than ever before. Having last session, passed the lower house of Congress and been favorably acted upon by the senate committee. Final action upon it. Should be had at the coming session of Congress and tardy. Justice Done. The old woman, who said only the other day. I had a moved out, will enough. Anyhow, if I never got nothing though, I was always free colored. Anyhow. I had discovered Taylor Civil War and acted right here in this place Fort Stevens formerly called Fort Massachusetts in the early 1850s this place was a battlefield and won a battle. It was Abraham Lincoln personally commanded, the union troops who fought here. I smoothed the description of those Union Army Defenders of Fort Stevens, submitted by mail. General Alexander MacDonald McCook and he said Heather the statement that there has never before been so had a generous yet, so orderly and army that Hale and Hearty Soldier, the invalid, the convalescent the wounded, and the quartermaster's employees side by side. Each working with a singleness of purpose and willing to discharge any Duty imposed upon him. Major General, Alexander McDowell McCook 1850. So I learned that Confederate, June Lieutenant General Jubal Anderson, early dispatch, by General, Robert E Lee came too late to take the capital city of the United States by way of the seventh street road as was proved by the defense offered there by the fort. So, well planned and built by the offices are men of the 2nd, Pennsylvania, Heavy Artillery. I also learned that these 42 not built without sacrifice. Of the men, women and children who were not armed. This fort had two magazines one, where Emory Chapel stood and the other to the westward, depression is still visible in the Hopkins. Real estate atlas of the District of Columbia 1894. I found out that this Brightwood area of the district and eighty eight acre. Parcel north of Rock Creek, Ford Road and West Piney Branch Road had Jointly owned by Elizabeth Thomas G, Proctor and Sarah digs this. Parcel includes that portion of Fort Stevens, that's not own. The property of a memory Chapel. I had discovered Elizabeth Thomas known as Aunt. Betty, I also discovered that it was on one of President Lincoln's visits to Port Stephens that he was altered by the sight of a colored woman with a baby. Baby in her arms sitting under the Sheltering branches of a sycamore tree that grew within the Ford, the woman and the child wolf, we've been called all around. There was a collection of household Furnishings that had been their home, but was now dismantled. And in ruins for the seller was needed for Powder Magazine. And the house has stood exactly in the right place for it. The president looked at it looked at the ruins. Turned into a woman said it is very hard but your reward shall be great. Only the reward had not yet come.

00:05:53.100 - 00:12:52.300

I'm an actress who looks for stories and I like to tell the stories. In their own words and I found on Betty I want to tell you her story in her own words. Words I found and piece together like a quilt give me a second to put this down. Daddy would talk to you. You're not the first one to come here. I always come to ask questions and I tell the truth. They want to know who I am. Well, I say I'm a colored woman. Ain't that playing? Yes. Indeed. They want to know who my folks were and I tell him my grandmother was Irish, they called a nail. My grandfather was Charles he was a West Indian because slave then my father was George Proctor. Born in Piscataway. He was an Indian Yeah, we had all kinds of mixes up in here. They called this place then again he'll why? I don't know why. Maybe because they thought all these kinds of mixed blood mixed together with cause vinegar? Oh no people ought to be glad to have blood Lost a lot of blood when those big guns started grooming. I was Raising livestock and farming with my husband. And some of these soldiers was coming up. Talking to us, but we did not understand what they were saying. Somebody told us that they were speaking German. Presently of General by the name of cooked. He came up shouting, raising a ruckus all you wearing and children, get out of here, we're gonna burn all these cabins I said, what for he said I'm going to build a lot of Defense has said, you can't build a line of defense with these troops came. None of them shoot a gun, he says, never mind. All of these cabins will be burned. Well, it's all we have this house, this land, me and my husband. I shouted not scream, but it did no good. David soldiers came in and they toe up and told down my house. And I was sitting under the sycamore tree with my baby and my arms. Yeah. And I was upset and trembling inside, not knowing what we was going to do. Presently. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I didn't even look up. That's how distraught I was but when I did, look how come I looked at a tall man with a top hat on and his face was white as a ghost. He had furrows in his brow and around his eyes. Deep dark circles in the whites of the eyes of streak Whitbread, like, for watching all night or Crying. Maybe the smoke through nose guns. He looked at me and the furrows around his mouth move when he said, I'm sorry. And notice it's hard and I'm sorry I had to give the order that your house be destroyed. And I promise you that you will be rewarded greatly. I didn't know that. But I know now that that was President Abraham, Lincoln speaking to me so soft and so kind. After a while. Me and my husband we was working around the fort. I was doing laundry and cooking for the soldiers and I looked up on that wall and I saw a man tall, Top Hat going back and forth, taking charge and I said somebody get that fool off of that wall. That was President Lincoln to Behind by after the big war was over. I had. Thought that we be. All right? But so stinking rips snuck up behind the president and shot him in the head. Now. I believe him some people say no but I believe had President Lincoln lived. He would have paid me for my house. I believe that. But when y'all come and ask me questions, I got a question for you. Did you come to bring me my money? Did you? Nobody. When I tell this Taylor on Betty, I get a surge of loving my country. Right now, we all need to have a surge of loving our country and this is not scripted, but I'll ask if you can stand and stay with me the Pledge of Allegiance, if you feel it in your heart because I feel it in my heart, And I want to do it. The flag is over there, but we are here. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God. Thank you for your rapid and chilly.