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
