In
1606, the acorn of a red oak sprouted on a hillside in what
is now Alexandria, Virginia. By 1863, over 150 years
had passed since the acorn sprouted and the Civil War
raged throughout Virginia. From the high limbs of the now
massive red oak tree, General Winfield Scott's Union lookouts
spied on the Confederates below. A platform was suspended
from cables affixed to the tree's stout trunk to make spying
on the Confederate "Army of Northern Virginia" more comfortable.
On
several occasions, President Abraham Lincoln visited General
Scott at the Union camp to discuss strategy and protection
of the Capitol.
The tree became known as the "Spyglass Oak."
After
a long life of nearly 400 years, the Spyglass Oak gave in
to old age and was taken down in 1995.
Each
Spyglass Oak Pen is Hand-Turned From the Wood
of the Ancient Red Oak Tree
Pens from this tree are
no longer available
