USA > Alabama > Dallas County > Cahaba > Memories of old Cahaba > Part 3
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On the southeast corner of Capitol Avenue and Walnut Street was the old Union church, claimed to be the first church built in Cahaba after the capital was removed. When the other denominations built their own churches, the Baptists continued to worship in the building, and it became known as the Baptist Church.
The most prominent ministers connected with Ca- haba history and those most closely identified with the place and people were: Rev. Dr. Smyth, of the Pres- byterian Church; Rev. Dr. Cotton, of the Methodist Church; and Rev. Dr. Cushman, of the Episcopal Church. A minister by the name of Bailey was the Baptist minister stationed in Cahaba for a short while, but he did not remain long, and it can't be recalled that he had a successor.
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After Dr. Smyth resigned the pastorate of the Pres- byterian Church, a Mr. Kegwin was in charge for a short while in 1861 or 1862. The pulpit then became vacant until occupied by the Rev. Dr. Sparrow, in 1863, 1864, and 1865, an aged minister, a man of God, so zealous in his work that when too feeble to stand he delivered his sermons in a chair seated in front of the pulpit.
On the southwest corner of Capitol Avenue and Oak Street was the residence of Judge William Hunt- er, afterwards known as the home of Miss Mary Troy, a roomy house with broad galleries and beautiful shrubbery, occupying the entire square. It was at this house that Fanny Troy, a young girl from North Carolina who was visiting relatives in Cahaba, fell suddenly into one of those somnolent conditions that defied the skill of the most prominent physicians. The case was a peculiar one, and gave rise to consid- erable interest at the time. Apparently in the best of health, and one of those happy, genial dispositions who seem to enjoy everything in life, she returned one evening in May from a jaunt in the woods with a party of girls hunting dewberries and fell fast asleep while sitting on the front gallery conversing with her aunt. When awakened she complained of being "too sleepy to hold her eyes open," and retired to her room without awaiting supper. The next morning when called for breakfast she answered only to fall asleep again, and continued to sleep all that day and until the next evening, when her aunt became alarmed and called in a physician. For three weeks she continued in this condition, rousing only for a few moments at a time, scarcely long enough to take necessary nour-
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ishment, which had to be administered to her from a spoon, yet when roused she was perfectly conscious and seemed to know every one. She became so thin and emaciated as to be scarcely recognizable, and no hope was entertained of her recovery. Finally her father and mother came from North Carolina and car- ried her back home. She continued to sleep all during the journey, and for three weeks, I am told, after her arrival at home she still slept, when, to the surprise of every one, she waked up, recovered her, normal con- dition, and became a stout, robust woman. No ex- planation could ever be arrived at as to the cause of her condition. It was suggested that she might have eaten some poisonous berry or was stung or bitten by a poisonous insect while in the woods, but I am cer- tain this could not have been, for we were together the entire evening gathering berries in the same basket, and nothing of the kind could have occurred to her without my knowledge.
On the southeast corner of Oak and First North Streets was the John Williams home, built in early years by Judge Fambro, and once owned by the late Col. Daniel Troy, of Montgomery, when, as a young man, he settled in Cahaba and married Miss Lucy Mathews, a daughter of Mr. Joel E. Mathews. After her death, Colonel Troy sold the place to Mr. John Williams, a prominent lawyer of Cahaba. It was a lovely home with its overflowing well and wealth of ever-blooming roses. This place was occupied by Mr. Shepard Diggs and family during the war, and when the surrender came and Wilson's Raiders were ex- pected in Cahaba, it was here that gallons upon gallons of fine brandy, wines, cordials, and cherry bounce
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were consigned to the waters of the artesian well to prevent its falling into the hands of the Yankee sol- diers.
Occupying a square on Oak Street, between First and Second North Streets, was the large two-story frame residence of Mr. James D. Craig, one of Ca- haba's wealthiest and most influential citizens. Friends and relatives met cordial welcome at this home, and would here gather around the hospitable board and unite in morning and evening worship at the family altar, a good old-time custom most rigidly observed in this household.
In the same neighborhood, just across the street, were the Lake place, the Duke place, and Chancellor Clarke's old home, then known as the Warren An- drews place. All of these houses fronted on Second North Street.
Farther north on Oak Street was the residence of H. I. F. Coleman, with a long, broad avenue of cedars leading to the front gallery, overhung with climbing roses and surrounded by other rare and beautiful flowers.
Still farther north on Oak Street were other at- tractive homes, and the commons, shaded on one side by mighty oaks, whose interlocking boughs formed a rich canopy of green in springtime, when the earth beneath was carpeted in Bermuda grass, dotted with blue forget-me-nots and yellow dandelions.
In this same direction, on the outskirts of the town, was the Barker place, an impressive brick residence, two stories in height, with big "Corinthian columns" in front. It was built by a prominent resident of Cahaba, familiarly known as "Shoestring Barker." It
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is said to have cost him between $25,000 and $30,000, and it has been claimed that he never lived a day in the house, but this is an erroneous assertion. Mr. Barker and his family occupied the residence for a year or fourteen months, perhaps longer, and then removed to their plantation. This still beautiful place is now owned and occupied by Mr. Clifton Kirkpatrick, a prominent merchant and farmer, whose father bought it for a few hundred dollars. It is the only place in Cahaba that retains any of its old-time beauty.
The Cahaba River on the road to Selma in the fifties was spanned by a covered bridge and had a tollgate, which in early years was kept by Mr. Allen, the father of Mr. Walter Allen, of Selma, whose residence was near the bridge, and who owned all the land lying in the bend of the Cahaba River, near that part of the town. Mr. Allen was one of the finest stone-cutters in Alabama, "an artist in the art," and was celebrated for his exquisite work. His marble yard was near his residence, across the road in front of his house.
Fronting the commons, a little to the northeast, was the Tom Walker place, a white cottage with climbing roses and beautiful shrubbery on Fifth North Street.
In the same neighborhood was the Warford place, a lovely spot in the midst of wide-spreading shade trees, overlooking the Cahaba River, opposite the lo- cality on which that part of the town was built in early days known as "Over the Point," to which I have previously referred.
There were many other good citizens living in this part of the town, but only the families of Jere Lister and John and William Bassett can now be recalled.
On the eastern part of Second North Street, just
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out of the business portion of the town, on the north side of the street, was the old Ocheltree house, an- other one of the early landmarks, with two immense trees of pink crape myrtle shading the long front gal- lery. Going farther west, on the opposite side of the street were the homes of Dr. Smith, Menzo Watson, and Tom Fellows, who lived across the street a block or two distant. Father west, on Second North Street, were also the homes of Reuben Tipton, Tom Watson, William Damon, and in the same neighborhood John and William Lovett, all good citizens who, in their chosen avocations, contributed to the prosperity of the town.
Fronting on Pine Street and occupying the block between Pine and Chestnut was the home of Col. C. C. Pegues, with its spacious grounds and maze or labyrinth of cedars, where one emerged from the soft twilight of forest shades into a yard ornamented with magnolia trees, Lombardy pines, fragrant flowers, and overflowing fountains. This had been the jail in cap- itolean days, but the brick building had been re- modeled into one of the loveliest places in town, and was now a home which at all times was the center of social life and attraction.
From the mystical shadows of long ago comes the memory of one of those strange, mysterious, uncanny phenomena connected with this place that sometimes happen to astonish the most materialistic, and which at the time of its occurrence caused much interest and speculation even among the most intelligent and best- informed citizens of Cahaba.
In the spring of 1862, on one of those brilliant moon- light nights, a night "in which nature seems in silent
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contemplation to adore its Maker," a young lady and gentleman, promenading near the maze of cedars, turned to enter one of the circular walks leading to the center of the labyrinth, when they were startled to see a large white, luminous ball moving a few feet above the ground in front of them, apparently floating in air. This ball would dart first on one side of the walk and then on the other, approach close enough to almost touch them, recede and disappear in the shrub- bery, to suddenly be seen again floating beside them. Thinking the apparition was a trick of fancy or was caused by some peculiar phase of the moon's shadows, they turned to retrace their steps, when again it ap- peared in front of them, going through the same gyra- tions. The gentleman now determined to test the materiality of the object; but just as he attempted to grasp it, it darted beyond his reach and disappeared, to be seen no more that night. On several occasions this apparition appeared to other parties, and became known as the "Pegues Ghost." No one could ever definitely explain what it was, but general opinion finally concluded it to be one of those strange phos- phorescent phenomena so often read of but rarely seen, known as "will-o'-the-wisp" or "Jack-o'-lantern."
Opposite the Pegues place on the block extending from First North Street to Capitol Avenue was the Hoot place. A quaint, old-fashioned well, "with its moss-covered bucket," stood in the front yard of the long, narrow, one-story brick house surrounded with blue and white flag lilies, jonquils, wallflowers, lilacs, and other old-fashioned flowers.
Farther west, on Capitol Avenue and Ash Street, was the Aicardie place, afterwards the residence of
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Col. R. D. Hunter, another home that was one of the social centers of the town and noted for its charming hospitality. In front of the Hunter place were the vacant lots belonging to the Robert Lake property, a handsome new house fronting on First North Street, which was built just before the war. On the north- west corner of Capitol Avenue and Ash Street, diag- onally across from the Hunter place, was the residence of Mr. Thomas L. Craig.
Immediately in front of the Craig place, on the southwest corner of Capitol Avenue and Ash Street, was a spacious cottage built by J. S. Hays, a young lawyer, who settled in Cahaba and married Miss Liz- zie Diggs, a granddaughter of Mrs. Mary Arther, one of Cahaba's oldest and best-known residents. At one time this house was occupied by Mr. James B. Martin, a prominent lawyer from Jacksonville, Ala., who came to Cahaba in 1856 or 1857, and who was afterwards Lieutenant-General Martin of Confederate fame. It later became the home of Gen. John T. Morgan. Each of the places occupied a square in one of the most attractive resident portions of the town, and were all well-improved homes, surrounded with beau- tiful flower yards, fine orchards, and every conven- ience to add to the comfort of life.
On the Morgan place was another of those numer- ous overflowing wells for which Cahaba was famed. Two magnificent magnolia trees stood on each side of the steps, and with branches extending far over into the front gallery added greatly to the charm of the place.
Going farther west, at the corner of Capitol Avenue and Beech Street, was the large two-story frame resi- dence of Abner Brazile, Clerk of the Circuit Court.
MEMORIES OF OLD CAHABA. 49
Back of the Brazile place, lying on Clear Creek, at the foot of First North Street, were the grounds sur -. rounding the county poorhouse kept by Frank Mosely. Near by, on the banks of Clear Creek, was the spot where for many years might have been seen the re- mains of an old gallows, on which was executed the first person condemned to capital punishment in Dallas County. The crime was a particularly horrible one, and so uncommon in the South at that time that it caused the greatest excitement and most intense feel- ing. The victim was a Mrs. Chaptman, the daughter of a wealthy and prominent citizen of Dallas County in early times. On her marriage to Chaptman, who, it is said, was a Northern man, he gave his daughter a number of old family servants. Chaptman proved a hard master, so the negroes hated him and wanted to return to their old home. By some strange machination of reasoning, these ig- norant creatures conceived the idea that if Mrs. Chapt- man could be quietly gotten out of the way Chapt- man would have no further claim to them, and they could return to their old master. One day in the early spring one of the oldest and most trusted of the negroes came to the house where Mrs. Chaptman was alone, sitting quietly in her room sewing, utterly un- mindful of danger, and sent the cook to tell her he had found "a turkey nest" in a pile of brush in the clearing, just below the house "where they were at work," "and wanted to show it to her." She arose, put on her bonnet, and went with the negro, followed by the cook, another trusted servant. Just as she leaned over to remove the eggs from the nest the man struck her on the head with an ax and killed her in-
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stantly. A little negro girl witnessed the outrage and ran screaming to the house and told Chaptman, who at that moment had just returned home from another part of the plantation. Besides this man and woman, there were several other negroes implicated in the plot, and tradition says that three or four were hanged in Cahaba for the crime.
All the evidence at the trial showed that Chaptman's harshness and a desire to return home was the only incentive that actuated the negroes in the brutal mur- der of their mistress. Compared to the modern un- mentionable crime of the race, this might be consid- ered an extenuating circumstance.
On the southeast corner of Beech and First South Streets was a cottage, around which centered quite a romantic story, illustrative of a man's unselfish devotion to a woman. The place belonged to Smith Lucy, a young gentleman of some wealth and social promi- nence, who died a few weeks before the time ap- pointed for his marriage and left all his property to his intended wife. After a short period of mourning, the young lady married, came to Cahaba, and lived in the home of her former lover, apparently as happy as though she had married him. Back of the Smith Lucy place, fronting on Beech Street, was the Ebenezer Bower place, the property of a young man of fine intellect, but too modest and bashful to allow himself to be appreciated. Farther out were the large brick- yards of John and William Lovett, the home of Isaac Saddler, and the tannery in charge of M. Benish. Farther on First South Street, between Pine and Chestnut Streets, was the cottage home of B. H. Craig, with its magnolia trees, mounds of beautiful flowers.
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and circular walks in front of the house. Beginning at Vine Street, in front of the Perine residence and extending out to Sixth South Street, was the plank road built from Calaba to Woodville, now Union- town. This road, with its tollgate, was the fashion- able drive in the fifties and sixties. In the summer afternoons it was crowded with elegant carriages, containing exquisitely dressed women and beautiful children, with their black nurses; stately aristocratic Southern gentlemen out for a canter, followed by their mounted body servants; large parties of gay young people ; the ladies in their picturesque riding habit, with long, flowing skirt and curling plume falling gracefully from the tall silk hat; the handsome, spir- ited horses, whose feet seemed to disdain the ground as they daintily capered along, altogether made a picture so brilliant that Time's darkest shadows can never efface it from the tablet of memory.
Happy and prosperous were the Cahabaians in those old days, with their slaves, their gardens, their orchards, their fertile fields of waving corn and cotton, brilliant with bloom in summer and in autumn heavy with boll and long, snowy staple that covered the val- leys and gentle slopes around the town; while forest trees of primeval growth crowned the summit of the hills, lending an additional beauty to the landscape.
West of the busy streets and homes of the living out on Sixth South Street was the old graveyard, the burial place of Alabama's first capital, and where some of her most distinguished citizens were laid to rest. This "silent city of the dead" was protected by a solid wall of brick masonry five or six feet high with a heavy iron gate. Each separate lot was also
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surrounded by a high wall of brick. Within these dilapidated inclosures thirty-five or forty years ago were a number of handsome monuments covered with the moss of ages and fast crumbling to decay. Only two inscriptions on these fallen and broken stones had escaped "the touch of Time's defacing finger." One of these was sacred to the memory of Hon. Thomas B. Rutherford, the father of Mrs. Thomas L. Craig. of Cahaba, and Mrs. William Norris, of Selma, and a member of the Lower House of Representatives from Dallas County in 1822. The other showed the remains of having been a beautiful monument, orna- mented with the figure of an angel holding a wreath of flowers in each hand. It bore the name of Mar- garet Earl, but was so broken that nothing could be learned from the inscription except that it was erect- ed in memory of a beautiful young girl, "who passed away in the dawn of a young and brilliant woman- hood." But these memorials have all perished, and the names of those who sleep beneath them are "but as a tale that is told." All that we now know of them is, they lived, they loved, and they have passed away.
In the old days when a person died the black-bor- dered funeral notice was carried around to each house by a negro boy ringing a bell and wearing long black streamers attached to each shoulder, called "weepers." These weepers became obsolete many years ago, and I do not remember to have ever seen them used but once, and that I think was on the occasion of the funeral of a very old gentleman who hung himself in Cahaba from senile insanity.
On a little rise at the south end of Oak Street was
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the new cemetery, a beautiful spot shaded by large trees of pine, oak, and magnolia, and also containing a number of handsome monuments. Here, in later years, were buried many prominent citizens in full regalia of the Masonic Order, with the solemn and impressive ceremony of the Masonic funeral service.
Here, too, was witnessed the burial of Bettie Watts, the only daughter of Mrs. Simeon Watts, a lovely young girl in the first flush of early maidenhood. No hearse or other trappings of woe was seen at her funeral, but she was carried to the grave on a bier surrounded by a procession of her young friends and companions-all bearing wreaths and garlands of flowers. Masses of roses, spirea, cape jasmine, and long trailing branches of fleecy bridal wreath cov- ered the casket, and falling in rich profusion formed a pall over the entire bier, which presented the ap- pearance of a mound of beautiful white flowers as it was borne along in the midst of the young boys and girls to the cemetery. It was a sad but beautiful pic- ture, and one that seemed to rob death of half its terror.
Two miles south of Cahaba, immediately on the banks of the Alabama River, was the home of Mr. Joel E. Mathews, one of the most beautifully im- proved places in the South. The house was of brick built in the old English style with open court in front and a broad gallery entirely across the southern por- tion. It was in a grove of large forest trees, extend- ing to the banks of the river. On the east and west in front of the house were extensive grounds, with broad walks and circular carriage drives, bordered on each side with smoothly trimmed hedges of Yopon
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and Pyracanthia, surrounding large beds and mounds, rioting in myraids of beautiful flowers. Roses, japonicas, cape jasmine, spirea, snowballs, hyacinths, tulips, sweet shrubs, jonquils, and violets gave fortlı their rich perfume, and the mocking birds sang per- petually from the bowers of honeysuckle and wisteria, heavy and purple with blossom in springtime. Lead- ing from the circular drives to the gate was a long. broad avenue, with branches of rippling water on each side, shaded by trees of magnolia and water oaks. Beyond to the right and left were rich mead- ows of bermuda grass, and orchards containing varie- ties of delicious fruits. Pears, peaches, plums, apri- cots, nectarines, and figs of many varieties grew lux- uriantly and bore abundantly. On the north side of the house was the garden through which was the en- trance to the family burial ground, with its handsome monuments, beautiful shrubbery, and even rarer flow- ers than the yard contained. A short distance from the house on the south side was the luxurious bath house, with an immense cemented pool through which flowed a constant and continuous stream of gushing water from the artesian well. South of the residence was the plantation with its broad acres, its church, its ballroom, and comfortable log houses, occupied by hundreds of slaves, devoted to their master and his family. This was an ideal Southern home, the em- bodiment of cordial and princely hospitality, with its well-trained servants, magnificent library, and every surrounding for comfort, ease, and luxury, and a home that was noted far and wide for the kindness and cultivation, the refinement and liberality of its owners. Here guests would come and go at pleasure,
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and on all occasions were made to feel thoroughly wel- come. The old-fashioned, roomy carriage, drawn by large gray horses, with its tall, high seat, occupied by Jeff, the polite negro driver, was always ready to con- vey parties of visitors to and from Cahaba, or bring them from Selma, while at the landing some one was waiting to welcome those who came by boat. No one who did not live in the old days can conceive the pleasure, the exquisite delight of a visit to one of these old palatial country homes of ante-bellum times, and none can have a full appreciation of hospitality or understand its full meaning who did not enjoy it at the hands of the old Southern planter.
A mile northwest of the Mathews place, on the Cahaba road just above the Mathews Creek, was the home of Col. N. H. R. Dawson in his early married life to Miss Ann Mathews, the oldest daughter of Mr. Joel E. Mathews. This place was built by Col. Josiah Walker, a prominent citizen of Dallas County, and was his home for many years. The location was picturesque and beautiful, with a grove of stately trees of natural growth, festooned with gray Spanish moss. The house was a comfortable log building with open hall in the center. In those days the æsthetic was not considered so necessary a part of life as at the present time, and the wealthiest and most cultivated girls would marry and leave luxurious homes to begin life in a plain but comfortable log house.
In a southwesterly direction from Cahaba, beyond the old cemetery, was the road to White Bluff and Orrville. Orrville was at this time only a small set- tlement of three or four wealthy, influential families, composed of the Smiths, the Craigs, the Orrs, and
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one or two others whose names I can't recall-near Foulton, which was a place of some importance in the early forties, with a number of inhabitants and a large, flourishing school, but in a decade ceased to exist and became an abandoned village.
Four or five miles from Orrvile, in a southwester- ly direction, was another settlement of refined, wealthy people, living in beautiful homes, surrounded by large plantations. This was known as the Providence Church community-a Baptist community composed of the Cochrans, the Vaughns, the Cobbs, the Youngs, the Hardaways, the Ellises, the Hatchers, the Kenne- dys, and many other substantial citizens too numerous to mention, but all of whom mingled freely in the busi- ness and social life of Cahaba, and whose young la- dies were among the most admired of that period. Particularly do I recall Miss Puss Mosely, Miss Ellen Cochran, and Miss Alice Smith, a stepdaughter of Mr. Atlas J. Martin, among the county belles of the late sixties.
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