George Washington's Vision

Published in the NATIONAL TRIBUNE, Vol.4, No.12, December "1880." The "first" publication was in "1859," almost two years before the "Civil War" started.

By Wesley Bradshaw from the verbal account of ANTHONY SHERMAN, WHO at that time was the only living personage to whom George Washington had told the vision.

WESLEY BRADSHAW tells us:

"The last time I ever saw Anthony Sherman was on the 4th of July," 1849." in Independence Square. He was then ninety-one and becoming very feeble; but though so old, his dimming eyes rekindled as he looked at Independence Hall, which he said he had come to gaze upon once more before he was gathered home.

"What time is it?" he said, raising his trembling eyes to the clock in the steeple, and endeavoring to shade the former with a trembling hand.

"What time is it?" I can't see so well as I used to."

"Half past three." "Come then," he continued, "let us go into the Hall; I want to tell you an incident in Washington's life - one which no one alive knows of except myself, and if you live you will before long see it verified."

"From the opening of the revolution we experienced all phases of fortune – now good and now ill; at one time victorious, at another conquered.

"The darkest period we had, however, was, I think when Washington, after several reverses, retreated to Valley Forge, where he resolved to pass the winter of ‘76’

"One day - I remember well - the chilly wind whistled and howled through the leafless trees, though the sky was cloudless and the sun shining brightly, he remained in his quarters nearly the whole of the afternoon alone. When he came out I noticed that his face was a shade paler than usual and that there seemed to be something on his mind of more than ordinary importance. Returning just before dark he dispatched an orderly to the quarters of the officer I mentioned, who was presently in attendance.

"After a preliminary conversation which lasted some half an hour, Washington gazing upon his companion with a strange look of dignity, which alone he could command, said to the latter:

"I do not know whether it was owing to the anxiety of my mind or what, but this afternoon as I was sitting at this very table, engaged in preparing a dispatch, something in the apartment seemed to disturb me.

"Looking up, I beheld standing exactly opposite me a singularly beautiful figure. So astonished was I - that it was some moments before I found language to inquire the cause of her presence. A second, third and fourth time did I repeat the question, but received no answer from my mysterious visitor. I began feeling as one dying, or rather to experience the sensation which I have sometimes imagined accompanied dissolution; I did not think, reason, or move: all were alike impossible, I was only conscious of gazing fixedly, vacantly at my companion.

"Presently I heard a voice saying, 'Son of the Republic, look and learn!" While at the same time my visitor extended her arm and forefinger eastwardly I now beheld a heavy white vapor at some distance rising fold upon fold. This gradually disappeared, and I looked upon a strange scene. Before me lay stretched out in one vast plain all the countries of the world -Europe, Asia, Africa and America; I saw rolling between Europe and America the billows of the Atlantic, and between Asia and America lay the Pacific.

"Son of the Republic," said the same mysterious voice as before, 'Look and learn! A century cometh - look and learn.

"At that moment I beheld a dark, shadowy being like an angel, standing, or rather floating in mid-air between Europe and America. Dipping water out of the ocean in the hollow of his hand he sprinkled some water on America with his right hand, while he cast some upon England with his left. Immediately a dark cloud arose from each of these countries, and joined in mid-ocean. For a while it remained stationary, and then moved to the westward. Until it enveloped America in its murky folds. Sharp flashes of lightning now gleamed through it at intervals, AND I heard the smothered groan of the American people. (The REVOLUTIONARY WAR)

"A second time the angel dipped from the ocean, and sprinkled it out as before. The dark cloud was then drawn to the ocean into whose heaving waves it sunk from view. A third time the mysterious voice saying. 'Son of the Republic, look and learn.'

"I cast my eyes upon America and beheld villages, towns and cities springing up one after an other until the whole land from the Atlantic to the Pacific was dotted with them.

"At this the shadowy angel turned his face southward, AND FROM AFRICA I saw an ill-omened specter approaching our land. It flitted slowly and heavily over every village, town and city of the latter, the inhabitants of which set themselves in battle array, one against the other. (THE CIVIL WAR) As I continued looking I saw a bright angel on those brow rested a crown of light, on which was traced the word UNION, bearing the American Flag, which he placed between the divided nation and said, 'Remember, ye are brethren.'

"Instantly the inhabitants, casting forth their weapons became friends once more and united around the national standard. And again I heard the mysterious voice, 'Son of the Republic, THE SECOND PERIL IS PASSED - look and learn!"

"And I beheld the villages and cities of   America increase in size and number, until at last they covered all the land from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and their inhabitants became as countless as the stars in heaven, or the sand upon the sea shore. (225 million people, 1980 census) "And again I heard the mysterious voice saying, 'Son of the Republic,' THE END OF A CENTURY COMETH - LOOK AND LEARN."  (SOON - BOOM "H BOMBS")

"THEN MY EYES LOOKED UPON A FEARFUL SCENE! From each of these countries arose thick black clouds, which soon joined into one; AND THROUGH THIS MASS GLEAMED A DARK, RED LIGHT, ("RED" COMMUNISM) by which I saw hoards of armed men, who, moving with the cloud, marched by land and sailed by the sea to America, which country was presently enveloped in the volume of the cloud. AND I DIMLY SAW THESE VAST ARMIES DEVASTATE THE WHOLE COUNTRY, and pillage and burn the villages, cities and towns which I beheld springing up. As my ears listened to the thundering of cannon, clashing of swords, and shouts and cries of a million in mortal combat, I again heard the mysterious voice saying, 'Son of the Republic, look and learn.' When the voice had ceased, the dark shadowy angel placed his TRUMPET once more to his mouth, and blew a long fearful blast.

"Instantly light, as from a thousand suns, shone down from above me and pierced and broke into fragments the dark cloud which enveloped America. At the same time I saw the angel upon whose forehead still shone the word Union, and who bore our national flag in one hand and A SWORD IN THE OTHER, descended from heaven, attended by legions of bright spirits. These immediately joined the inhabitants of America, who seemed to take courage, again closed ranks and renewed the battle. Again, amid the fearful noise of the conflict, I heard a mysterious voice saying, 'Son of the Republic, look and learn.'

"As the voice ceased, the shadowy angel for the last time, dipped water from the ocean and sprinkled it upon America. Instantly the dark cloud rolled back, together with the armies IT HAD BROUGHT, leaving the inhabitants of the land victorious.

"Then once more I beheld the villages, towns and cities springing up WHERE THEY HAD BEEN BEFORE, while the bright angel, planting the azure standard he had brought in the midst of them cried in a loud voice to the inhabitants, 'WHILE THE STARS REMAIN and the heavens send down dew upon the earth, so long shall the Republic last.'

"And taking from his head the crown on which blazed the word Union, he placed it upon the standard, while all the people kneeling down, said 'Amen!'

"The scene instantly began to fade and dissolve; and I saw nothing but    the rising, curling white vapor I had first beheld. This also disappearing,      I found myself once more gazing upon my mysterious visitor, who, in the same voice I heard before, said:

"Son of the Republic, what you have seen is thus interpreted: THREE PERILS WILL COME upon the Republic. The most fearful for her IS THE THIRD passing which the whole world united shall NEVER BE ABLE TO PREVAIL AGAINST HER. LET EVERY CHILD OF THE REPUBLIC LEARN TO LIVE FOR HIS GOD, HIS LAND AND UNION." Published in 1859 almost two (2) years BEFORE the Civil was started.