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these are martha's grandchildren, the children of her son, jackie custis, who died very early at age 26 of what might have been cabin fever, maybe typhoid. these children came to live with martha and george when he was president in philadelphia and in new york, and then they came to mount vernon. they were very close, part of the family. george washington had high hopes for young wash, but they did not quite work out. he was not ready to take on the kind of activities that george washington had hoped with government and all, but he has his arm resting on him and you can see young wash with his hand on the globe. witches may be an indication of those hopes for him. martha and nelly are holding a map, and martha is pointing to something on the map which might be pennsylvania avenue or the grand avenue. something where the white house would be. something on that plan. is mount vernon, washington's home 30 miles up the potomac. the unidentified black servant in the corner of the painting -- it's not known, it might be meant to portray washington's very devoted personal slave who was with