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SKETCHES AND RECOLLECTIONS
OF
LYNCHBURG.
BY THE OLDEST INHABITANT.
RICHMOND : C. H. WYNNE, PUBLISHER. 1858.
EMMET
ON
COLLEC
TO THE Oldest Inhabitants of Lynchburg, AND TO THE DESCENDANTS OF THOSE WHOSE NAMES ARE IN THESE SKETCHES RECORDED, NOW RESIDENT IN THAT PLACE, AS WELL AS THOSE SCATTERED OVER THE UNITED STATES, THIS LITTLE VOLUME IS MOST AFFECTIONATELY Inscribed.
INTRODUCTION.
"The following sketches are cherished memories of the past, penned during the winter of 1857, to interest and amuse a young household," and thereby bring them acquainted with the just and good of former times. Whilst to render morality and religion attrac- tive, we must introduce them in a fiction, how prone are we to pass by the holy, exemplary lives of those in our midst, many of whom have passed away, leaving no monuments, save those tenderly engraven on warm, loving hearts; and now, like old Mortality, we would, with the few survivors mentioned, wander awhile amidst the grave yards of Memory, drawing aside the long grass, obscuring these records, and brightening those hidden inscriptions of the heart, over which the moul- dering hand of Time has partially spread the moss of forgetfulness.
In the course of the succeeding pages, should in- accuracies in dates, or any mis-statements, occur, the
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INTRODUCTION.
writer desires to be exonerated from any intention to state what is not strictly true, as, excepting in a few instances, her own memory has been solely re- lied on for dates; and many of the impressions having been imbibed in the earliest stages of childhood, even if literally true, may naturally be somewhat vague and shadowy. Nor is it expected that those whose names are here recorded were the only good persons living in Lynchburg : we doubt not but that there were more than enough to fill another volume; but with nearly all mentioned in the sketches, a personal acquaintance, and in many instances a warm friendship, existed. In the year 1819, the matrons of Lynchburg, were, many of them, peculiarly lovely in their walk and conversa- tion. Those who had attained middle age, having passed their childhood immediately succeeding the years of our Revolutionary war, of course had early acquired habits of self-denial and simplicity, now worthy of imi- tation. The slow modes of travel did not, as now, facilitate the ever-changing novelties of costume and furniture ; so that, in those fruitful sources of disquiet, there existed, at this time, no rivalry.
Considering that Lynchburg is as justly entitled to a memorial as "Belford Regis, and Our Village," of Miss MITFORD, yet, as we pass by the old familiar places, now inhabited by strangers, we would fain, like
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INTRODUCTION.
Trevillian, in the "Pilgrims of the Rhine" weave a romantic story of requited love, long life, and happi- ness; but, alas! the history of the past is too painfully written in broken households, and lonely burying- grounds, and it is hither we must come to learn that the death, as well as the life of the good, is fraught with Heavenly teachings.
"For who to dumb Forgetfulness a prey, This pleasing anxious being e'er resigned, Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day, Nor cast one longing, lingering look behind.
On some fond breast the parting soul relies, Some pious drops, the closing eye requires; Even from the tomb the voice of Nature cries, Even in our ashes, live our wonted fires."
Sketches and Recollections of Lynchburg.
-
THE LYNCH FAMILY.
"The family of John Lynch, Col. Charles Lynch, and all the other Lynches of that family, took up a tract of land on James River, within view of the cele- brated Peaks of Otter, and the mountainous scenery. After his decease the tract of land, now the site of Lynchburg, became the property of his son John Lynch, who established the ferry over James river. It was his brother, Charles Lynch, who originated and enacted, practically, the celebrated code called 'Lynch Law.' Col. Charles Lynch was an officer in the army of the American Revolution. His residence was on Staunton River, a branch of the old Roanoke, that ran through ' my plantation,' as John Randolph was in the habit of speechifying. It is now owned by his grandson. During the Revolutionary war, the country on James river and on the Roanoke, about the Blue Ridge and mountain passes, was harassed by a lawless band of Tories and desperadoes, and their depredations at one time extended into the regions round about Lynchburg. The case
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SKETCHES AND RECOLLECTIONS
required a species of operation adapted to cure the evil. Col. Lynch was a resolute, determined man, of elevated patriotic principles and a staunch Whig, as was all the Lynch family. He organized and took the lead of a strong body of determined patriots-men of moral cha- racter and commanding influence, and scoured the country night and day. They took many of the des- peradoes, gave them a summary trial, at which Col. Lynch sat as judge ; empanneled a jury, and, on con- viction, executed the punishment in a prompt manner. The villains were permitted to defend themselves, and to show mitigating circumstances, and when punished to clear out. Many well-meaning persons are frightened at the name of Lynch law, without knowing its history, code or appliance. It is a better term, and has a more orderly and civilized aspect, than Squatter Sovereignty. It requires proof positive and circumstantial, such as would produce conviction of guilt in a candid and honest mind. Col. Lynch raised a regiment of riflemen, after he had officiated as judge, in relieving the country from Tories, thieves and murderers. He was present at the battle of Guilford Courthouse, where he behaved with great gallantry. He died soon after the war. Charles Lynch, Esq., afterwards Governor of Mississippi, was his son."-St. Louis Republican.
CHARLES LYNCH, the ancestor of the Lynch family of America, left the north of Ireland*
* Honorable mention is made by Shiel, in his " Sketches of the Irish Bar," of one of the Lynch family, who was a member of that bar.
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OF LYNCHBURG.
when a boy, and came to the Colony of Virginia in the early part of the last century. The immediate cause which actuated him, is said to have been a punishment which he received at school. Meeting soon thereafter with the captain of a ship, which was on the eve of sailing for North America, young Lynch was easily persuaded to avail himself of an opportunity of embarking on the broad wave of the Atlantic, in quest of a far distant home in the western world. The ship in which he took passage was but a short distance from port, when young Lynch, relenting, actually plunged into the sea, and made for the land ; he was, however, taken up, and the vessel resumed her course. It has been stated in the extract from the St. Louis Republican, that Mr. Lynch took up a large body of land on James river, in sight of the Peaks of Otter. He made his home and residence at Chesnut Hill, just below Lynchburg; which place was afterwards owned by Judge Edmond Winston. Mr. Lynch was said to possess, naturally, pleasing and graceful manners. He married, when young, a Miss Clark, * a young
* It may not be altogether uninteresting to some to relate a little incident in connection with this lady, and three other sisters, married about the same time. Each of these sisters received, on their marriage, half dozen silver spoons. As may be imagined, silver spoons were rare articles in the British Colonies. One of these spoons has descended, and is now in the possession of one of the family, who keeps it as a precious relic of the past.
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SKETCHES AND RECOLLECTIONS
lady belonging to a wealthy and influential family. Mr. Lynch represented the counties of Campbell and Bedford in the House of Burgesses, which then sat at Williamsburg, and he was elected to this honorable office without his knowledge. Soon after his death, on the division of his property, his son John became heir to the spot on which stands Lynchburg, and by him it was vested in the hands of trustees, to be laid off in lots for the erection of a town.
JOHN LYNCH, founder of the city of Lynchburg, was a member of the Society of Friends, whose peculiar doctrines and tenets were beautifully ex- emplified in his life. Naturally ardent and impetu- ous in his temperament, by constant spiritual com- munion with God, and by placing always before him as a model the high and holy character of Christ, he had succeeded in conquering every dis- position save what was in perfect harmony with the character of a Christian.
By those who knew him, John Lynch was loved and reverenced for his exemplary life, but he rigid- ly scanned and judged himself-depreciating those very actions for which he was commended by others. So conscientious was he, that in matters of contro- versy he was prone to look upon himself as the aggressor. It is related by one who knew him well, that once upon an occasion, drawn unexpectedly into a controversy, and encountering from his
13
OF LYNCHBURG.
adversary exceedingly irritating and provoking remarks, Mr. Lynch was led on to say more than he intended, expressing himself with a considerable degree of warmth. After his return home, he felt unhappy and dissatisfied with himself, so that even secret communion with the High and Holy One could not restore his peace and tranquility. The following morning, continuing dejected, he retired to read and meditate, but he was interrupted by a member of his family, who came to tell him that Mr. - was in the parlor desiring to see him. This gentleman had on the day previous been the antago- nist of Mr. Lynch, and he now came to ask pardon for the language he had used towards him. Mr. Lynch cordially tendered him his hand, ingenuously telling him he considered himself the aggressor. This venerable man lived to see the town which he had founded flourish and increase in size and popu- lation. He died at an advanced age, on the 31st October, 1821. His widow survived him, and con- tinued to reside for many years in the old family mansion, now occupied by Alexander Liggatt, Esq. The following obituary appeared in "The Press," then edited by John Hampden Pleasants, and was written by his friend and relative, the late Christo- pher Anthony, Esq., and is so appropriate that we insert it entire :
" Departed this life, after a lingering illness, which he bore with unexampled fortitude, JOHN LYNCH, Sen'r, the 2
14
SKETCHES AND RECOLLECTIONS
patentee and former proprietor of the lands upon which the city of Lynchburg was built. It is very much the custom of the living to bestow praises upon the dead. This error, if it be one, has its origin in christian charity, and is therefore entitled to much indulgence. The writer of this does not design it as a panegyric on the character of Mr. Lynch; it is a feeble effort to do justice to his memory. He was a zealous and pious member of the Society of Friends, and, although laboring for the last fifty years of his life under a pulmonary complaint, which rendered him extremely weak and feeble in body, he was nevertheless active and prompt in the discharge of the various duties of husband, father and friend. He possessed a mind of the first order-a mind unimpaired by disease or old age, until a very short time before his death ; and a fortitude and firmness of character seldom equalled. He lived to see those lands which he acquired for little more than the fees and expenses of location, advance in value, so as to constitute immense fortunes for all his descendants. He witnessed the rise and pro- gress of the town of Lynchburg, from laying the first corner-stone-in fact, from the period when the site was a howling wilderness-to its present size and grandeur ; and such was the veneration which the inhabitants of the town entertained for him, that he might be regarded as standing amongst them very much in the light of one of the patriarchs of old. Few measures of a general nature were set on foot without consulting him, and he was always found a zealous promoter of whatever tended to advance the general good. Amongst other traits of character in this excellent man, those of charity and
15
OF LYNCHBURG.
benevolence were very conspicuous. To the poor, his doors were ever open. 'Large was his bounty and his soul sincere.' But, alas ! ' the places that have known him shall know him no more.' He has 'fought the good fight, he has kept the faith,' and hath, no doubt, ascend- ed into another and a better world, where is laid up for him a crown of immortal glory. 'Oft he fought and oft obtained fresh triumphs over himself; and never- withering wreaths, compared with which the laurels that a Cæsar reaps are weeds.' "
With the name of Lynch are associated recollec- tions of the most grateful and pleasing interest, and to give complete memoirs of many of this most excellent family would be a task in every way grati- fying. What a host of recollections move before us ! filling the heart with vivid scenes of the past; and, as if touched by some mighty unseen power, the burial places of memory give up the dead, and loved and venerated forms surround us, in the back-ground appearing the aristocratic form and contemplative face of Anselm Lynch, of Staunton river, and by him the stalwart form of Staunton John Lynch, his brother, with mighty stature and brave heart, united to a nature as tender and gentle as that of a loving woman. These two last were sons of Charles Lynch, of Staunton, who was the originator of Lynch law. Anselm Lynch married Miss Miller, of Lynchburg, a daughter of one of the oldest and most worthy of the first settlers. Of the members
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SKETCHES AND RECOLLECTIONS
of his family who survive him, are Mrs. M. A. Dearing, of Campbell county, and Charles Henry Lynch, Esq., an esteemed citizen of Lynchburg. Susan Lynch, the second daughter, died many years since, at the country seat of her brother, on Staun- ton river. She was a young lady of great worth and excellence, and a few lines extracted from a notice which appeared at the time of her decease, will show the estimation in which she was held :
"To a close and vigorous intellect the deceased added an imagination sprightly and chaste. ] Her heart was benevolent, kind, generous and pure. Her frank and engaging manners, and great goodness of heart, warmed acquaintances into friends and made her an acknowledged favorite with all who knew her. She was a bright and happy illustration of most that is attractive, interesting or useful in the female character. Her family have sus- tained in her death, a loss most deeply irreparable. It was in her intercourse with them, that her cheerfulness, good temper, tenderness, thoughtful kindness and affec- tion, gave touching sweetness to her character, and created for her a love which few can inspire, and none who has felt it can forget."
JOHN LYNCH, of Staunton River, was married in early life to Miss Terrel, and when past middle life they emigrated to West Tennessee, where they both died some years since. Their descendants surviving them continue to reside in the vicinity of Jackson, Tennessee.
17
OF LYNCHBURG.
Capt. John Lynch died in 1840, in the seventy- third year of his age. The following notice of this most excellent man, appeared at the time of his decease in a Tennessee paper, and it does him no more than justice :
"Died, at his residence in this county, Capt. JOHN LYNCH, in the 73rd year of his age. Capt. Lynch was a native of Virginia ; for many years a citizen of Lynch- burg, and his old friends in that place would scarcely recognise this as a notice of a man they once knew, were we to omit a passing tribute to his sterling integrity, his warm philanthropy, and the primitive simplicity of his manners and deportment. His early associations were with the Society of Friends, which doubtless served to mould the character so much admired and respected wherever he has lived. Capt. Lynch's father was a worthy Quaker, and soldier of the Revolution,- having commanded the cavalry at the battle of Guilford ; was dismissed from his peace-abiding congregation be- cause a strong sense of duty to his suffering and strug- gling country impelled him to bear arms in her defence. Such a sentiment, transmitted to his son, may have re- strained him from connection with that worthy sect of Christians to whom he was strongly assimilated by the purity of his life, the sobriety of his manners, modera- tion of his desires, and the marked kindness of his deportment to every human being who came within the range of his benevolence. To the members of his family, who have so long profited by his excellent precepts and enjoyed the benignant smiles of this venerable patriarch,
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SKETCHES AND RECOLLECTIONS
we would offer our sincere condolence ; and to his whole circle of acquaintances, we would offer the life and cha- racter of Capt. John Lynch, as the best model for their imitation."
EDWARD LYNCH, eldest son of the founder of Lynchburg, was also a member of the Society of Friends. Possessing a strong and vigorous mind, fine personal appearance, combined with manners most winning, he acquired in society an influence not easily lost. In person he bore a striking re- semblance to the late judge William H. Cabell, of the Court of Appeals, displaying, too, like this eminent jurist, all those genuine, kindly feelings of the heart, which so aid in forming those high-toned manners of the Virginia gentleman. Edward Lynch was blessed with a hopeful, cheerful disposition ; passing through various alternations of fortune, he has manifested through life these traits, preserving, in the midst of adverse storms, a tranquil heart and serene countenance. In early youth he was united in marriage to Mary Terrel, an elegant and queenly personage, and, without exception, the most beautiful woman ever seen in Lynchburg. In her youth, she was surpassingly lovely ; in her middle age, she was beautiful; and it is told, that, even after death, the exquisite loveliness of her youth remained. She was the mother of eight children,*
* Mrs. Charles Withers and Mrs. Dr. Pretlow, of Covington, Kentucky; Mrs. Winston, Charles E. Lynch, and the Misses
:
19
OF LYNCHBURG.
seven of whom still survive her, and several of her daughters, inheriting the beauty of their mother.
About thirty-eight years since, ZALINDA, the oldest, was married, by Friends' ceremony, to Na- thaniel Winston. The family had just the day before moved into their new residence, the house now occupied by Col. Maurice Langhorne; and the writer, though not five years old, distinctly remem- bers the appearance of the beautiful young bride, and the large procession formed from her father's house to the Quaker meeting-house. This day is memorable in Lynchburg, on account of the most terrific storm ever witnessed. The tempest prevailed for some hours with unabated fury, and so suddenly was the atmosphere darkened, that, at two o'clock, candles were lighted throughout those spacious apartments, in which were assembled the bridal party ; and, if memory does not deceive me, it was on the afternoon of this day, that the young son of Mrs. Mary Brown met with a tragic death. He was crossing the street to his mother's residence, when a violent whirlwind of dust prevented him secing a loaded wagon which drove over him, causing his instant death.
The family of Edward Lynch emigrated about twenty-three years since to Ohio, where Mrs. Mary
Lynch, of Waynesville, Ohio; and Dr. Micajah T. Lynch, of Richmond, Virginia, are the members of the family of Edward B. Lynch.
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SKETCHES AND RECOLLECTIONS
Lynch died in 1855. Her venerable husband sur- vives her, happily surrounded by the greater part of his family, who reside near him, in Ohio and Kentucky.
Of all this large family,* Mrs. Alexander Liggat is, with the exception of Edward Lynch, the only surviving member. What a mournful retrospection, to look back on the bright, hopeful faces which en- circled the family hearth, and to find their places vacant !- the lovely Hannah, fading in early womanhood; the frank, cheerful Micajah, just embarked on life's voyage ; the amiable Anselm, the young son John, t the inheritor of his father's venerated name; but on none of this family does more tender, romantic and mournful interest linger, than on William and Jane Lynch.
WILLIAM LYNCH was one of the younger sonst of the founder of the city. In early life, he had sought and married the lovely Jane Humphreys,
* Of John Lynch, the founder of Lynchburg.
+ His tragic death is mournfully remembered by the oldest inhabitants.
į Micajah Lynch served his country in the late war, being stationed at Norfolk. He married Ann, the daughter of Jas. C. Moorman, and they survived their marriage only a few years. William Lynch was a colonel in the late war, and was stationed at Camp Holly. His regiment was remarkable for its perfect drill. The life-like portraits of these two brothers are to be seen at the country residence of Miss S. L. Davis, near Lynchburg.
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OF LYNCHBURG.
second daughter of Dr. Humphreys of that place. To gratify the taste of her husband, she adopted the Quaker garb in all its beautiful simplicity, and a more captivating personage than Jane Lynch could not be found in our town. The young hus- band and wife together trod smoothly the path of life, blest with a lovely boy, their only child; gifted with wealth and happy in mutual affection, where could be a brighter prospect or more unclouded fu- ture ? Preferring retirement and the quiet of do- mestic life, they built a modest dwelling just over- hanging our ivy cliff, where they passed their lives in innocent and rational pursuits ; Jane busied with her maidens in domestic manufactures, while Wil- liam was occupied with his farming pursuits. But, alas ! a dark cloud appearing, dissipated in a short time their tranquil happiness. William Lynch was seized with the incipient symptoms of consumption, and although the disease did not then, as now, carry off its victim in the course of a few months, yet from year to year his life was prolonged as by a miracle; and to add to the gloom already sur- rounding them, the health of Jane began to decline, the bright spot on her cheek too surely evincing that she, too, was marked out for an early grave. The skill of medicine, the tenderness of friends and relatives availed nought; and finding death for them both inevitable and near at hand, their only remaining desire was that they might depart at the
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SKETCHES AND RECOLLECTIONS
same time, and together pass through the dark val- ley of the shadow of Death; but this being denied them, the grief of the survivor was stilled by the hope of a speedy re-union in Heaven.
In a brief time their habitation was left desolate, and their orphan boy was removed to the home of his father's kindred. He was a bright, happy child; rejoicing in life, unconscious of the loss sus- tained by himself, caring nought, as yet, for the abundant wealth lavished on him, and ignorant that, along with it, he inherited a fearful legacy. As he grew up, he became aware that his parents had died of consumption, and this knowledge caused him much unhappiness. Convinced that he, too, would become a victim of that disease, he deter- mined to grapple with the destroyer, and if possible avert the fate overhanging him. Being placed as a student at the University of Virginia, he left that place, his friends remaining ignorant of his plans and intentions. For a long time, his fate was in- volved in doubt; his friends fearing that with all of the ship's crew he had gone down to a watery grave. But an American vessel touching at one of the South Sea Islands, young Lynch was seen and recognized by one of the officers, who brought tid- ings of him to his friends in America. He was a captive in the Islands, condemned by his master to strike in a blacksmith's shop. But this very cir- cumstance wrought for him the blessing for which
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OF LYNCHBURG.
he would have exchanged all his wealth. The con- stant exercise of the muscles of the chest, brought about a healthy action of the lungs, and he believed himself entirely free from any predisposition to consumption. In a few years he returned to his native land .* Buoyant with health and cheerful- ness, he mingled in society, admired for the graces of his mind and person and invested with romance from the circumstances attending his voyage. Be- coming deeply attached to one of the loveliest girls in Lynchburg, he met with a severe disappointment in failing to secure in return her affections. In a very short time afterwards, this sweet girl was sud- denly removed, and during the great depression of spirits after this sorrow, the symptoms of consump- tion revealed themselves. He hastened to a warmer climate ; but the disease advanced with great ra- pidity, and he only returned to Lynchburg to breathe his last, and to be laid quietly to rest in the old Quaker burying ground.
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