USA > Virginia > Prince Edward County > Prince Edward County > A history of Prince Edward County, Virginia: from its formation in 1753, to the present > Part 1
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HISTORY OF
PRINCE EDWARD
COUNTY, VIRGINIA
BURRELL
BERKELEY LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
,
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2008 with funding from Microsoft Corporation
http://www.archive.org/details/historyofprincee00burrrich
CHARLES EDWARD BURRELL, LL. B., D. D., Minister, First Baptist Church, Farmville, Va.
1
A HISTORY OF
PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY VIRGINIA
FROM ITS FORMATION IN 1753, TO THE PRESENT
Compiled mainly from ORIGINAL RECORDS AND PERSONALLY CONTRIBUTED ARTICLES.
With a Brief Sketch of the Beginnings of Virginia, A Summary of the History of the County Seat, And a Special Chapter on the Churches of the County
BY CHARLES EDWARD BURRELL, LL. B., D. D. M
THE WILLIAMS PRINTING CO .. RICHMOND, VA. 1922
Copyright, 192% BY CHARLES EDWARD BURRELL, LL. B., D. D.
LOAN STACK
Printed and Bound in the United States of America, 1922.
F232 P83B8
To The Good people of Prince Edward County, Virginia; the noble offspring of a splendid ancestry; this work is most humbly dedicated.
376
Historians ought to be precise, faithful, and unprej- udiced; and neither interest nor fear, hatred nor affection, should make them swerve from the way of truth, whose mother is history, the rival of time, the depositary of great actions, witness of the past, example to the present, and monitor to the future .- Cervantes.
- praecipuum munus annalium reor, ne virtutes sileantur, utque pravis dictis factisque ex posteritate et in- famia metus sit .- Tactitus, Annales III. 65.
5
History of Prince Edward County
FOREWORD
Prince Edward county is not a large county. The pos- sible constituency for such a work as this is, therefore, de- cidedly limited. Hence, in order that it shall have an ade- quate circulation; a circulation worthy of the county; it will be necessary that its natural appeal shall be supple- mented by county pride. The urge of possible profit will not be sufficient to secure for it any large reading under the circumstances. The author entertains no expectation of monetary remuneration. The task has, with him, been a real work of love. Prince Edward county has never had a "History" published. It will be too bad if there is not discovered sufficient pride of county to secure for this be- lated effort a fitting response.
The author believes that such county pride does exist in such measure as will make welcome this effort to make permanent some of the splendid history of the county. Few counties of Virginia are richer in historical material than is Prince Edward. It ought to have been published long ere this. This is at least an honest effort to supply the deficiency. It will provide a real starting point to some future more serious attempt to do justice to a great subject. This is the sincere desire of the present writer.
6
History of Prince Edward County
PREFACE
This unpretentious volume is put forth in the sincere hope that it may prove of some value to the student of his- tory, as well as to the present life of the Old Dominion, as it is contributed to by Prince Edward county.
Of necessity, the record must be fragmentary and faulty in many respects, but in the more vital things, the author ventures the hope that reasonable accuracy has been attained. He is a pioneer in-so-far as this county is concerned.
An effort has been made to link up the present with the past in a real way, hence the work is something more than a mere recital of past events. Much of present events and conditions, together with the life story of many now living, contributors to the sturdy progress of affairs in this part of the State, is included. The encyclopaedic method has been deliberately and purposely adopted. The orthodox historian will doubtless be shocked at this. The net result will doubt- less be, however, that the lay reader will find it all the more readable and interesting. That is one objective aimed at. A serious attempt has been made to bring the study down to even date, and this could be the more easily accomplished by the adoption of this method. "Ancient" history usually finds but the "faithful few" really interested.
No history of the county having been previously pub- lished, the present worker found himself beset by a bewilder- ing mass of material. Out of this he was forced to make se- lection in a most arbitrary fashion. A previously mapped out course has been more or less rigidly adhered to, in spite of the many resulting inequalities. Doubtless much that is worthy of inclusion will be found to have been sacrificed, and much about which a question might very legitimately
7
History of Prince Edward County
be raised will be found included. This is, perhaps, inevit- able. All could not be used.
Particular attention is directed to the chapter on "The Churches of Prince Edward." A fine history of the county might very easily be erected out of the story of her Churches. This is, perhaps, the first time in Virginia that a serious at- tempt has been made, in a county history, to give due credit to the Churches as history-making mediums.
And the attention of the reader is also directed to the chapter on "Prince Edward county in the World War," where the most complete roster and record of all Prince Edward county soldiers and sailors who served in that ter- rible conflict, ever compiled by any county, after any war, is to be found. It is extremely desirable that such a record shall be preserved and we have ventured to include it here.
That so much space has been given to the affairs of war requires, perhaps, some word of explanation. The late World War cost, in terms of human life, 10,000,000 soldiers and sailors; and 30,000,000 civilians, who but for that sangui- nary event might be living today, were sacrificed. In terms of money, as related directly to the objects of the war, it cost one hundred and eighty-six billions of dollars !
What "War" means to the United States will, perhaps, best be understood, if we can apprehend what it is claim- ing as its proportion of our national revenues It is per- haps but little realized by the average layman, that ninety per cent. of our revenues go to pay our bills to "War." Of this alarming proportion, sixty-eight per cent. goes for past wars, and twenty-two per cent. for the maintenance of our present Army and Navy. Of the small balance remaining, education receives one per cent. and labor, commerce, and the general public are expected to divide the balance amongst them !
And all this, in this good day of Our Lord, the Prince
8
History of Prince Edward County
of Peace! From these considerations it will readily be seen that "War" has not been given undue notice in this volume, for Prince Edward county has shared in due proportion in all that pertains to that phase of national life. Humanity is mortgaged to the hilt that "War" may be fed.
America simply must lead the war-weary nations of the earth to a better day. The author breathes a fervent prayer that a future historian may have the happy privilege to record the death of "War." The responsibility of leader- ship in that direction is upon us. We must not falter in leading the way to universal disarmament, and to ultimate peace.
I submit the book to the public in the satisfying con- viction that I have not been remiss in the effort to ascertain and to record the truth as it pertains to the history of this part of the Old Dominion: the bare and simple truth, with- out fear or favor. That there has been much of diligent research will be made manifest by a reading of the chapter on "Bibliography." And I have done my best to make the record easily readable. It is enough for the servant that he be found faithful and, in this my humble effort, I have striven to merit that commendation.
1922.
C. EDWARD BURRELL.
9
History of Prince Edward County
EXPLANATORY
Perhaps a brief note respecting some archaic terms, unavoidably employed, is here in order, so that the reader may readily possess the definitions necessary to a proper understanding of some passages in this work.
"TITHES." "TITHABLE." For many years, from the begin- ning of the Colony, taxes were levied, not on property, but on persons as such, so that a "Tithable," generally speaking, was such a person thus subject to taxation; usually all males above sixteen years of age and servants of both sexes above that age. The "Tithe," therefore, was the tax thus imposed upon such taxable persons.
"POUNDS, SHILLINGS, ETC." It must be borne in mind that the pound was not the pound sterling. The pound here spoken of, amounted to but twenty shillings, i. e., the equivalent to $3.331/2. The shilling, too, was not the modern shilling; it was the equivalent to 16 2-3 cents.
"THE TEST." In Colonial times an Oath was adminis- tered in which the affiant declared it to be his belief that there is not the "real presence" in the elements of the Com- munion of the Lord's Supper; an echo of Old World con- flicts. This was the "Test" so-called.
"PRISON BOUNDS." This was an area, which was not in any case to exceed ten acres, about the jail, or place of confinement, where prisoners, not committed for treason or felony, had liberty, on giving proper security that they would not break "bounds" but would continue therein until dis- charged. This provision was, for the most part, for the bene- fit of persons imprisoned for debt. This privilege was to last for only one year.
BUCKINGHAM CO
WILBOURNES SMIDGE
CO
CUMBERLAND CO
APPOMAT
NYON BRIDGE
FARMVILLE
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15
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PAMPLIN CITY
Magseille
MADISONVILLE
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LUNENBURG CO
AMELIA CO
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SKETCH MAP Prince Edward County, Virginia
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
A Short Account of the State
13
CHAPTER Two
The Genesis of Prince Edward County
21
CHAPTER THREE
The Organization of Prince Edward County
27
CHAPTER FOUR
The Court House
37
CHAPTER FIVE
Farmville: The County Seat 45
CHAPTER SIX
Prince Edward County in the Revolutionary Period.
53
CHAPTER SEVEN
Prince Edward County in the War of 1812-14.
61
CHAPTER EIGHT
Prince Edward County in the War Between the States.
87
CHAPTER NINE
Prince Edward County in the Re-construction Period
189
CHAPTER TEN
Prince Edward County in the World War
195
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Churches of Prince Edward
211
CHAPTER TWELVE
The Schools of Prince Edward 291
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Prince Edward County Biography 311
CHAPTER FOURTEEN "Who's Who" in Prince Edward 345
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The Judiciary of Prince Edward
363
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Agriculture in Prince Edward
371
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Prince Edward County Statistics
375
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Miscellaneous
383
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Bibliography 403
1
Chapter One A Short Arrount of the State
15
History of Prince Edward County
A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE STATE
A proper history of Prince Edward County requires that there shall precede it, a brief sketch of the beginnings of the State of which it forms an honorable part. For it ought al- ways to be remembered that Prince Edward County is a part of what was once a mighty Principality of vast dimensions.
All of North America between Nova Scotia, or New Scotland, on the north; and Florida, Land of Flowers, on the south; was once known as "Virginia." Queen Elizabeth of England, to which crown the country then belonged, was so charmed by the accounts given by the sea captains under Sir Walter Raleigh, of the wonders of the coasts of the Caro- linas in 1585, that she named the whole country "Virginia," in honor of herself, the "Virgin Queen," of which designa- tion she was particularly proud.
All of Raleigh's efforts to found a colony on those shores were doomed to failure. The fate of one attempted colony on Roanoke Island, North Carolina, remains a pathetic mys- tery to this day.
However, in the reign of James I, a successful settle- ment was made in what is now Virginia proper. A Royal Charter, granted to the "Virginia Company of London," in 1606, gave to that body the right to found a colony one hun- dred miles square, anywhere between the thirty-fourth and the forty-first degrees of north latitude; that would be be- tween the mouth of Cape Fear river in North Carolina, and the mouth of the Hudson river in New York; and to the "Virginia Company of Plymouth," a similar right between the thirty-eighth and forty-fifth degrees, which would be between the Potomac river and Nova Scotia; both of course, in "Virginia" as then constituted. Either Company might occupy in the overlapping territory, but were proscribed from
16
History of Prince Edward County
making a settlement within one hundred miles of each other.
Operating under this charter, the "Virginia Company of London" founded the settlement of Jamestown, named for James I, under which monarch the Charter was granted, on May 13, 1607. This Settlement thus ante-dated the Ply- mouth Colony, founded under the Mayflower Compact by 13 years, though what glory may attach to being the first Ameri- can Colony, is most frequently ascribed to the "Pilgrim Fathers," who made their landing at Plymouth Rock, from the Mayflower, in 1620. This mistake has arisen from a confused interpretation of the records, and that in turn, from a failure to appreciate the fact that the Virginia of that period extended far north of the New England states of the · present day and, of course, embraced Massachusetts and Ply-
mouth Rock. Both the Jamestown Settlement. and the Plymouth Settlement were therefore, in 'Virginia'; the James- town Settlement being prior to that at Plymouth Rock, as we have seen, and in what is today, Virginia proper. The Jamestown Colony was conveyed from England in three small vessels, the combined tonnage of which, was less than that of the "Mayflower." Indeed the Mayflower herself was partly owned by men then living at Jamestown! These three were the Sarah Constant, 100 tons; the Goodspeed, 40 tons; the Discovery, 20 tons.
The "Virginia Company of London" was granted a second Charter in 1609, under the terms of which the boundaries of the Jamestown colony were extended along the coast for some two hundred miles, north and south, from Point Com- fort, and further, "up into the land throughout from sea to sea, west and north-west, and also, all the land lying within one hundred miles along the coasts of both seas." Naturally, these bounds were never attained. The term "from sea to sea" could have had but one construction and meant from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean, and, with the line projected "west and north-west," embraced practically all the states
17
History of Prince Edward County
of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, with a part of Minnesota, as well as nearly all the Great Lakes. This territory, with that already granted under the former Charter, meant that this Company was given control of an immense Principality. As things then were, with the primi- tive methods of travel, etc., it was a practical impossibility for them to cover such vast territories or to come into actual possession of them. As a simple matter of fact, they did not succeed in doing so.
To the latter part of this territory, subsequently known as the "Northwest Territory," Virginia did actually claim title under the Charter granted the "Virginia Company of London." Moreover, she later got actual title by conquest of her own soldiers under George Rogers Clark, who oper- ated under orders from the famous Patrick Henry, the then Governor of the State, during the Revolutionary War. However, in order to quiet dissension, she, in 1784 ceded it to the Federal Government, reserving only so much land therein as was necessary to enable her to fulfill her promise of land grants, made to her own soldiers who served in the Revolutionary and Indian Wars.
The Settlement at Jamestown languished, and made little or no progress, till about 1620, but soon after that time it began to grow and had some prosperity. In 1622 the population is said to have numbered about 4,000 persons. Previous to this time there had been a period known as the "Starving Time," when there was much suffering through the failure of agriculture, so that many of the people were forced to eke out a precarious existence on roots, acorns, berries, nuts, herbs, and even on skins and snakes. In 1620 however, and from then on, a change took place. There was a great abundance of fruits, vegetables, and grains. Wine and silk were made in considerable quantities. Some 60,000 pounds of tobacco were produced each year. Cattle increased
18
History of Prince Edward County
.
greatly in numbers. The Settlement was now, at last, in a prosperous condition.
At about this time, women were imported, white women of course, and were sold to the colonists! By reason of com- petition, the price of a wife rose from one hundred and twenty pounds of tobacco, to one hundred and fifty pounds !
Thus far the settlers had succeeded in living in some measure of amity with the Indians, some religious work being done amongst them. Pocahontas, daughter of King Powhatan, whose real name was Matoax, rescuer of Captain John Smith, was the first convert gained from amongst these savage peoples. In 1613 she was married to John Rolph, an Englishman. Her baptismal name was Rebecca. In 1616 she went with her husband to England, where her eldest son was born, and where, at Gravesend, she died.
But on Friday, March 22, 1622, occurred the great and terrible massacre incited by Opeckankanough, in which three hundred and fifty men, women, and children were ruthlessly slain, and the cattle driven off, so that the remnant of the Settlement were left sorely distressed. The wily and savage Opeckankanough, pretending a desire to become a Christian, so beguiled the pious head of the College, Mr. Thorpe, that he took much pains in instructing him and was led to place considerable confidence in his sincerity, but on that fatal Fri- day, that good man, with the rest, was cruelly massacred ac- cording to the secret plans of the treacherous savage, who, under the mask of religion, had plotted the sudden and entire overthrow of the English. He was the implacable enemy of the white man, harboring no illusions as to the ultimate fate of the Indian if the white man were suffered to gain a firm foothold on what he considered to be his soil. He died as he lived, a brave, implacable savage.
The progress of the Settlement was seriously retarded by this awful event, so that the extension of the frontiers
19
History of Prince Edward County
was very greatly delayed. The general and continued hostility of the Indians, which succeeded the massacre, and which seri- ously threatened the very life of the Settlement, also hin- dered development and growth. However, with true Anglo- Saxon courage, the colonists ultimately recovered themselves and development began in real earnest, never again to be seriously threatened.
Shortly before the massacre of 1622 (1619), a Dutch ves- sel, probably a camouflage for the "Treasurer," brought into Jamestown, the first cargo of negro slaves that were ever introduced into America, and here was sown the seed that resulted in the horrors of the War Between the States, of 1861-1865.
·
Chapter Jump The Genesis of Prince Edward County
23
History of Prince Edward County
THE GENESIS OF PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY
The original division of the Old Dominion into "Shires," after the English fashion; as performed by the Assembly of 1624, at which time the State was divided into eight such "Shires," as follows: James City; Henrico; Charles City; Elizabeth City; . Warrick River; Warrosquyoake; Charles River; and Accawmack, and the later, and more intensive divisions of the same territory, give much aid in tracing the development of the various counties of the State as at pres- ent constituted.
Prince Edward county, named for Edward Augustus, a . son of Frederick, Prince of Wales, followed the division of the old "Shire" called Charles City.
In 1703 Prince George was erected out of Charles City, and from Prince George was later carved, Brunswick in 1732; Amelia in 1735; and Dinwiddie in 1754.
In 1753 an Act was introduced to separate the present Prince Edward county from Amelia and the separation took place accordingly in 1754. Nottoway was a further division of Amelia county by an Act of 1789.
A further division of the ancient "Shire" of Charles City, produced Lunenburg county from Brunswick, in 1746; Halifax, in 1752; Bedford, in 1754; Charlotte, in 1765: Meck- lenburg, in 1765; Greenville, 1781. Pittsylvania was separ- ated from Halifax in 1767; and Henry in 1777. In 1791 Patrick was taken from Henry. In 1782 Campbell county was separated from Bedford and, in 1786, a part of the present Franklin county was erected out of Campbell county.
A general pedigree sheet of Charles City Shire would look something like the chart on the following page:
24
History of Prince Edward County
CHARLES CITY
PRINCE GEORGE, 1703
BRUNSWICK 1732
AMELIA 1735
DINWIDDIE 1754
PRINCE EDWARD 1754
LUNENBURG 1746
GREENVILLE 1781
NOTTOWAY 1789
HALIFAX 1752
BEDFORD 1754
CHARLOTTE 1765
MECHLENBURG 1765
PITTSYLVANIA 1767
CAMPBELL 1782
HENRY 1777
FRANKLIN (In Part) 1786
PATRICK 1791
This COUNTY is situated in the south-central part of Vir- ginia, its nearest border-line being some sixty miles south- east from the City of Richmond.
It is about twenty-five miles long and about twelve miles wide. It contains an area of 345 square miles, over one-third of which is in a state of cultivation. The population of the county is (1921), 14,767.
The Appomattox River runs on the northern border of the county, and, with its many branches, waters the surround- ing lands. Farmville is the head of the old Batteau naviga- tion, now discontinued, although the stream is navigable much higher up. Small fish are found in some abundance in the stream.
25
History of Prince Edward County
The Appomattox River is capable of furnishing con- siderable water power at this point, which is, as yet, practi- cally unutilized.
Transportation within the county, and with the outside world, is furnished by the Norfolk & Western; the Southern; and Virginian railways, in addition to the fine system of pub- lic roads ..
Road building within the county is in a state of great activity, several stretches of State and National highways being either already completed, or under construction. For the most part, the roads of the county compare very favor- · ably with those in other parts of the State. Farmville is the "hub" of the system of roads being built under the direction of the State Highway Commission in this part of the State.
With her splendid schools, fine churches, clear water, rich soil, equable climate, good roads, and central location, Prince Edward county is one of the 'very best countiesj in the Commonwealth in which to make happy and prosperous homes.
Chapter Three The Organization of Prince Edward County
29
History of Prince Edward County
THE ORGANIZATION OF PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY
As stated elsewhere, Prince Edward county was formed in 1753, from a part of Amelia county. The first minutes of the new county, recorded in the "County Court Orders, 1754- 1758," says: "The Commission of Peace being first read, and the Commission of Dedimus Potestatom, David Flournoy and John Nash, Jr., administered the Oath of Chancery to John Nash the elder, George Walker, Joseph Morton and James Wimbish, Gentlemen, who also read and subscribed the Test; whereupon John Nash the elder administered in like manner, the aforesaid Oaths, to David Flournoy and John Nash, Jr., Gentlemen, who also read and subscribed the Test.
The Court being thus Constituted."
And thus Prince Edward county came into active being. . These, and many succeeding minutes, were laboriously tran- scribed in quaint old English characters, by John Nash, the elder, Clerk of the Court.
At a succeeding Court, held February 12, of the same year, John Nash, Jr., duly appointed Sheriff of the County, and John Nash, Sr., were appointed a Commission to solicit the Court of Amelia to appoint a Commission to act with them in running the county lines.
At the same Court, George Walker, James Wimbish, and David Flournoy were "appointed to review the proposals of the people for building a Court House, and to report the several proposals to the next Court." One Charles Cuppler, was at this time recognized as an Attorney at Law; the first in the new county. At the June Court of the same year, Arthur Neal was appointed Constable and took the Oath.
The findings of the Committee appointed to ascertain the
30
History of Prince Edward County
proposals for the building of the Court House and report, and the results following therefrom, will be found set out in Chapter Four of this work.
The county was divided into Six Magisterial Districts, as follows: Buffalo District; Farmville District: Hampden District; Leigh District; Lockett District; and Prospect Dis- trict.
The county is in the Fourth Congressional District, and in the Fifth Judicial District. For further matter respecting the Judiciary of the county, see Chapter Fifteen of this work.
The Honorable E. T. Bondurant is the present represen- tative of the county in the House of Delegates.
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