USA > Virginia > A history of the valley of Virginia, 3rd ed > Part 17
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The greater part of the Germans, also, were a long time de- pendent upon their domestic manufactures for their clothing ; but they, too, have imbibed a taste for foreign finery. They, however, have managed to effect their purchases by bartering, in a remarkable degree, their own household manufactures in ex- change.
Some three or four years ago the author called at the house of a farmer in the southwest part of Shenandoah county, where he saw five spinning wheels at work. The old lady, three of her daughters, and a hired girl, were busily engaged in spinning finely prepared hemp. The author enquired of the old lady, whether she sold any part of her domestic goods. To which she replied, " Yes ; when de gals wants to puy some fine dings in de sthore, dey bay for it in linen und linsey ; und I puy sugar and goffee, und salt, and any dings we wants, und I bay for it all in our own coods."
The author stopped at a neighboring house, and inquired of the inmates how their neighbor I- - got along. "O," replied the man, "Mr. I. buys a plantation every four or five years, and always pays the money down."
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THE PRIMITIVE SETTLERS.
CHAPTER XII.
MODE OF LIVING OF THE PRIMITIVE SETTLERS.
The first houses erected by the primitive settlers were log cabins, with covers of split clapboards, and weight poles to keep them in place. They were frequently seen with earthen floors; or if wood floors were used, they were made of split puncheons, a little smoothed with the broad-axe. These houses were pretty generally in use since the author's recollection. There were, however, a few framed and stone buildings erected previous to the war of the revolution. As the country improved in population and wealth, there was a corresponding improvement in the erection of buildings.
When this improvement commenced, the most general mode of buildings was with hewen logs, a shingle roof and plank floor, the plank cut out with a whip saw. As it is probable some of my young readers have never seen a whip saw, a short description of it may not be uninteresting. It was about the length of the common mill saw, with a handle at each end transversely fixed to it. The timber intended to be sawed was first squared with a broad-axe, and then raised on a scaffold six or seven feet high. Two able bodied men took hold of the saw, one standing on the top of the log and the other under it, and commenced sawing. The labor was excessively fatiguing, and about one hundred feet of plank or scantling was considered a good day's work for the two hands. The introduction of saw mills, however, soon superseded the use of the whip-saw, but they were not entirely laid aside until several years after the War of the Revolution.
The dress of the early settlers were of the plainest material- generally of their own manufacture ; and if a modern "belle" or "beau" were now to witness the extreme plainess and simplicity of their fashions, the one would almost be thrown into a fit of histerics, and the other frightened at the odd and grotesques appearance of their progenitors.
Previous to the war of the revolution the married men generally shaved their heads, and either wore wigs or white linen caps. When the war commenced, this fashion was laid aside, partly from patriotic considerations and partly from necessity. Owing to the entire in- terruption of the intercourse with England, wigs could not easily be obtained, nor white linen for caps.
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THE PRIMITIVE SETTLERS.
The men's coats were generally made with broad backs, and straight short skirts, with pockets on the outside having large flaps. The waistcoats had skirts nearly half way down to the knees, and very broad pocket flaps. The breeches were so short as barely to reach the knee, with a band surrounding the knee, fastened with either brass or silver buckles. The stocking was drawn up under the knee-band, and tied with a garter, (generally red or blue) below the knee, so as to be seen. The shoes were of coarse leather, with straps to the quarters, and fastened with either brass or silver buck- les. The hat was either wool or fur, with a round crown not ex- ceeding three or four inches high, with a broad brim. * The dress for the neck was usually a narrow collar to the shirt, with a white linen stock drawn together at the ends, on the back of the neck, with a broad metal buckle. The more wealthy and fashionable were sometimes seen with their stock, knee and shoe-buckles, set either in gold or silver with brilliant stones. The author can recollect, when a child, if he happened to see any of those finely dressed "great folk," as they were then termed, he felt awed with their presence, and viewed them as something more than man.
The female dress was generally the short gown and petticoat made of the plainest inaterials. The German women mostly wore tight calico caps on their heads, and in the summer season they were generally seen with no other clothing than a linen shift and petticoat -- the feet, hands, and arms were bare. In hay and harvest time, they joined the men in the labor of the meadow and grain fields. This custom, of the females laboring in the time of harvest, was not exclusively a German practice, but was common to all the northern people. Many females were most expert mowers and reapers. Within the author's recollection, he has seen several female reapers who were equal to the stoutest males in the harvest field. It was 110 uncommon thing to see the female part of the family at the hoe or plow ; and some of our now wealthiest citizens frequently boast of their grandmothers, aye mothers too, performing this kind of heavy labor.
The natural result of this kind of rural life was to produce a hardy and vigorous race of people. It was this race of people who had to meet and breast the various Indian wars and the stormis of the Revolution.
The Dutchman's barn was usually the best building on his farm. He was sure to erect a fine large barn, before he built any other dwelling-houses than his rude log cabin. There were none of our primitive immigrants more uniform in the form of their buildings than the Germans. Their dwelling-houses were seldom raised more than a single story in height, with a large cellar beneath ; the chim- ney in the iniddle, with a very wide fire-place in one end for the
* The Quakers were remarkable for their broad-brim hats. They were sometimes called "Broadbrims," by way of distinguishing them from other people.
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MODE OF LIVING OF
kitchen, in the other end a stove room. Their furniture was of the simplest and plainest kind; and there was always a long pine table fixed in one corner of the stove room, with permanent benches on one side. On the upper floor, garners for holding grain were very common. Their heds were generally filled with straw or chaff, with a fine feather bed for covering in the winter. The author has several times slept in this kind of a bed ; and to a person accus- tomed to it, it is attended not unfrequently with danger to the health. The thick covering of the feathers is pretty certain to produce a pro- fuse perspiration, which an exposure to cold, on rising in the morn- ing, is apt to check suddenly, causing chillness and obstinate cough. The author, a few years ago, caught in this way the most severe cold, which was followed by a long and distressing cough, he was ever afflicted with.
Many of the Germans have what they call a drum, through which the stove pipe passes in their upper rooms. It is made of sheet iron, something in the shape of a military drum. It soon fills with heat from the pipe, by which the rooms become agreebly warm in the coldest weather. A piazza is a very common appendage to a Dutchman's dwelling-house, in which his saddles, bridles, and very frequently his wagon or plow harness are hung up.
The Germans erect stables for their domestic animals of every species ; even their swine are housed in the winter season. Their barns and stables are well stored with provender, particularly fine hay ; hence their quadrupeds of all kinds are kept throughout the year in the finest possible order. This practice of housing stock in the winter season is unquestionably great economy in husbandry. Much less food is required to sustain them, and the animals come out in the spring in fine health and condition. It is a rare occur- rence to hear of a Dutchman's losing any part of his stock with pov- erty. The practice of housing stock in the winter is not exclusively a German custom, but it is common to most of the northern people, and those descended from immigrants from the north. The author recollects once seeing the cow stalls adjoining a farmer's dwelling.
The German women, many of them, are remarkably neat house- keepers. There are some of them, however, extremely slovenly, and their dwellings are kept in the worst possible condition. The effluvia arising from the want of cleanliness is in the highest degree disgusting and offensive to persons unaccustomed to such fare. The same remarks are applicable to the Irish ; nay to some native Vir- ginians. The Germans are remarkable for their fine bread, milk and butter. They consume in their diet less animal flesh, and of course more vegetables, than most other people. Their "sour krout."* in the winter constitutes a considerable part of their
* "Sour krout" is made of the best of cabbage. A box about three feet in length, and six or seven inches wide, with a sharp blade fixed across
20
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THE PRIMITIVE SETTLERS.
living. They generally consume less, and sell more of the product of their labor, than any other class of our citizens. A Dutchman is proverbial for his patient perseverance in his domestic labors. Their farms are generally small and nicely cultivated. In his agricultural pursuits, his meadows demand his gravest care and attention. His little farm is laid off in fields not exceeding ten or twelve acres each. It is rarely seen that a Dutchman will cultivate more than about ten or twelve acres in Indian corn in one year. They are of opinion that the corn crop is a great exhauster of the soil, and that they make but little use of corn for any other purpose than feeding and fatten- ing their swine.
Previous to the War of the Revolution, and for several years after, considerable quantities of tobacco were raised in the lower counties of the valley. The cultivation of this crop was first intro- duced and pursued by emmigrants from the eastern counties of Vir- ginia. From the newly cleared lands, two crops of tobacco in suc- cession were generally taken, and it was then appropriated to the culture of other crops. The crop of tobacco left the soil in the fin- est possible state for the production of other crops. Corn, wheat, rye, flax, oats, potatoes, and everything else, were almost certain to produce abundant crops, after the crop of tobacco.
In the year 1794 the French revolution broke out, when bread stuffs of every kind suddenly became enormously high; in conse- quence of which the farmers in the Valley abandoned the cultiva- tion of tobacco, and turned their attention to wheat, which they raised in vast quantities for several years after the commencement of the French revolution, to sell his crops of wheat from one to two, and sometimes at two and-a-half dollars per bushel, and his flour from ten to fourteen dollars per barrel in our seaport towns.
In the year 1796, the Hessian fly first made its appearance in Virginia. Its ravages that year was limited, and but little damage was sustained in the crops of wheat. The crops of 1797, in the counties contiguous to the Potomac, was generally destroyed, and the same year partial injury was discovered in Frederick county. The crop of 1798, throughout the County of Frederick, was nearly destroyed. Ever since which time the farmers have annually suffer- ed more or less from the ravages of this destructive destroyer. This insect had prevailed in some of the Northern States for several years before it reached Virginia. It is said it first appeared on Long Is-
the bottom, some thing on the principle of the jack plane, is used for cutting the cabbage. The head being separated from the stalk, and stripped of its outer leaves, is placed in this box, and run back and forth. The cabbage thus cut up is placed in a barrel, a little salt sprinkled on from time to time, then pressed down verv closely, and covered over at the open head. In the course of three or four weeks it acquires a sourish taste, and to persons ac- customed to the use of it, it is a very agreeable and wholesome food. It is said that the use of it, within the last few years, on board of ships, has proved it to be the best preventive known for the scurvy. The use of it is becoming pretty general among all classes of people in the valley.
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MODE OF LIVING, &c.
land, and was believed to have been imported by the Hessian troops in their straw bedding in the time of the War of the Revolution. If this be true, it was a woful curse upon our country, of which it probably will never be relieved. The present generation have abundant cause to execrate the inhuman policy of our parent State in bringing upon us this heavy calamity, and all future generations will probably join in condemning the British ministry who forced upon our ancestors that unrighteous war.
156
NORTHERN NECK OP VIRGINIA.
CHAPTER XIII.
NORTHERN NECK OF VIRGINIA.
Charles II., King of England, granted to the ancestors of the late Lord Fairfax all the lands lying between the head waters of the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers in the Chesapeake Bay. This immense grant included the territory now comprising the counties. of Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, Westmoreland, Stafford, King George, Prince William, Fairfax, Loudoun, Farquier, Culpeper, Madison, Page, Slienandoalı, Hardy, Hampshire, Morgan, Berkeley, Jefferson and Frederick. It is said that the first grant to the an- cestors of Fairfax was only intended to include the territory in the Northern Neck, east of the Blue Ridge; and after Fairfax dis- covered that the Potomac River headed in the Alleghany Mountains, he returned to England, and instituted his petition in the court of king's bench for extending his grant into the Alleghany Mountains, so to include the territory composing the present Counties of Page, Shenandoah, Hardy, Hampshire, Morgan, Berkeley, Jefferson and Frederick. A compromise took place between Fairfax and the crown ; but previous to the institution of Fairfax's suit, several in- dividuals had obtained grants for large bodies of land west of the Blue Ridge, from the Colonial government of Virginia. In the com- promise it was expressly stipulated that the holders of lands, under what were then called the king's grants, were to be quited in their right of possession.
Joist Hite and his partners had obtained grants for a large body. Fairfax, under the pretext that Hite, &c., had not complied with the terms of their grants, took it upon himself to grant away large quantities of these lands to other individuals. This arbitrary and high-handed proceeding on the part of his Lordship, produced a lawsuit, which Hite and his partners instituted in the year 1736, and in the year 1786 it was decided. Hite and partners recovered a large amount of money for the rents and profits, and a considerable quantity of land. *
* In the year 1736, Fairfax entered a caveat against Hite, &c., alleging that the lands claimed by them were within the bounds of the Northern Neck, and consequently his property. This was the beginning of the con- troversy, and led to the suit instituted by Hite and partners against him. All the parties died before the suit was decided. Hite in 1731 purchased from John and Isaac Vanmeter their right or warrant for locating 40,000 acres ; Hite and Mckay obtained a warrant for locating 100,000 acres more
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NORTHERN NECK OF VIRGINIA.
The immense Fairfax estate had passed out of the hands of Fairfax's heirs. The lands (as observed in a preceding chapter) were granted by Fairfax in fee simple to his tenants, subject to an annual rent of two shillings sterling per hundred acres. This small sum amounted in the aggregate to a very large sum ; added to which Fairfax required the payment of ten shillings ster- ling on each fifty acres, (which he termed composition money), which was paid on issuing the grant.
About the year 1742, his Lordship opened his office in the coun- ty of Fairfax for granting out the land. A few years after, he removed to the County of Frederick, and settled at what he called "Greenway Court," about twelve or fourteen miles southeast of Winchester, where he kept his land office during his life. He died in the autumn of 1781, very soon after the surrender of Cornwallis. It is said that as soon as he heard of the surrender of Cornwallis and his army, he called to his servants to assist him to bed, observ- ing, "It is time for me to die ; " and truly the old man never again left his bed until he was consigned to the tomb. His body was de- posited under the communion table in the then Episcopal church in Winchester. *
In the year 1785 the Legislature of Virginia passed an act which among other provisions (in relation to the Northern Neck) is the following :
"And be it further enacted. that the landholders within the said district of the Northern Neck shall be forever liereafter exonerated and discharged from composition and quitrent, any law, custom or usage, to the contrary notwithstanding." ¡ This act of the State freed the people from a vexatious and troublesome kind of taxation. Fairfax's representatives soon sold out their interest in their private estate in this country, and it is believed there is no part of this vast landed estate remaining in the hands of any branch of the Fairfax
in their own names; and in order to obtain settlers, took in Robert Green and William Duff as partners. Hence the firm of Joist Hite, Robert Mckay, Robert Green and William Duff. Green and Duff settled in Culpeper coun- ty, and are the ancestors of the families of those names in that county, and of Gen. Duff Green of Washington City.
* Lord Fairfax made a donation to the Episcopal society, of a lot of land, upon which a large stone building was erected as a place of worship. The lot is in the center of the town, and, attached to the church, was a large burial ground, in which a great number of bodies are deposited. The Epis- copal society lately sold at auction this ancient building and lot for twelve thousand dollars. The purchasers caused the skeletons to be removed, and there are now three elegant brick houses erected on the lot. With the money arising from the sale, the Episcopal society purchased a lot on Bos- cowen and Washington streets, and have built a splendid new church. It is to be regretted that no account was taken of the number of skeletons re- moved. The author inquired of several persons, who were concerned in the removal, no one of whom could give any account of the number. It is probable there were not less than 1,000 ; the skeleton of Lord Fairfax among them.
{ See Revised Code of the Laws of Virginia, vol. 1, P. 351.
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NORTHERN NECK OF VIRGINIA.
family. Chief Justice Marshall, the late Raleigh Colston, Esq., and the late Gen. Henry Lee, purchased the right of Fairfax's legatees (in England) to what is called the Manor of Leeds, * South Branch Manor, Patterson's Creek Manor, and various other tracts of land of immense value-the most of which had been leased out for long terms of lives. This estate has been the cause of more litigation probably than any other cstate of Virginia. Suits growing out of the case of Hite, &c., against Fairfax, are yet depending in our courts-and some of the tenants in the Manor of Leeds have lately taken it in their heads that the Fairfax title is defective, and refuse to pay rents to the present claimants. This refusal has produced a lawsuit, which will doubtless be a long time pending.
The profligate manner of granting away lands in immense bodies was unquestionably founded in the most unwise and unjust policy. Instead of promoting the speedy settlement and improvement of the- county, instead of holding out to the bulk of society every possible encouragement to make the most speedy settlement and improve- ment in the new country, monopolies in several instances were given, or pretended to be sold to a few favorities of the governing powers, whereby these favorities were enabled to amass vast estates, and to lord it over the great majority of their fellow men. Such are the blessings of kingly government. But the people of this free and happy republic have abundant cause to rejoice and bless their God that this wretched kind of policy and high-handed injustice is done away, in the freedom and wisdom of our institutions, and that we have no longer our ears assailed, nor our understandings outraged, with the disgusting, high-sounding title of "My Lord !" applied to poor frail human beings.
Lord Fairfax was the county lieutenant for Frederick for several years. On looking into the record of the proceedings of the court- martial, the author found the following entry :
" At a council of war, held for regulating the militia of Fred- erick county, in order to take such steps as shall be thought most expedient in the present critical conjuncture, the 14th day of April, 1756; present, the Rt. Hon. the Lord Fairfax, county lieutenant ; John Hite, major ; John Lindsey, Isaac Parkins, Richard Morgan, Samuel Odell, Edward Rogers, Jeremiah Smith, * Thomas Caton, Paul Long, captains.
" Proposals having been sent to the several captains of the mili- tia, signed by the commanding officer of the said militia, and dated
* The Manor of Leeds is located in the counties of Culpeper, Fauquier and Frederick, and contains about 150,000 acres ; the South Branch Manor in Hardy, 55,000 ; Patterson's Creek in Hampshire, 9,000 acres ; Goony Run Manor, which adjoins the Manor of Leeds, contains about 13,000 acres, and lies chiefly in Shenandoah county.
+ Capt. Jeremiah Smith, the same who defeated the party of fifty In- dians, and killed the French captain, noticed in a preceding chapter.
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NORTHERN NECK OF VIRGINIA.
the 7th day of April, 1756, to get what volunteers they could en- courage to go in search of the Indian enemy who are daily ravaging our frontiers and committing their accustomed cruelties on the inhabitants ; and the aforesaid officers being met together, and find- ing the number of men insufficient to go against the enemy, it is considered that the men be discharged, being only fifteen.
FAIRFAX."
From this it appears that Lord Fairfax, among others, was an attentive officer in the time of the Indian wars. In truth it be- hooved his lordship to be active. He had more at stake, and the command of greater funds, than any other individual member of society. The Indian hostilities retarded the settlement of his large domain, and of course lessened his revenue. It is said that his lord- ship was remarkable for his eccentricities and singularity of disposi- tion and character, and that he had an insatiable passion for hoard- ing up English gold. * He never married ; of course left no child to inherit his vast estate ; but devised his property, or a large por- tion of it, to the Rev. Denny Martin, his nephew in England, on condition that he would apply to the parliament of Great Britain for an act to authorize him to take the name of Lord Fairfax. This was done ; and Denny Lord Fairfax, like his uncle, never marrying, he devised the estate to Gen. Philip Martin, who, never marrying, and dying without issue, devised the estates to his two old maiden sisters, who sold it to Messrs. Marshall, Colston and Lee.
He devised that part of liis estate on which he resided, and which he called "Greenway Court Manor," (containing ten tl1011- sand acres, with a large part of his slaves, &c.), to another nephew, the late Col. Thomas Bryan Martin, who had resided with him for many years previous to his death. Col. Martin, like others, never married. But he contrived to make a daughter by a Mrs. Craw- ford, who Lord Fairfax had employed as a housekeeper. After Fairfax's death, Martin kept this woman as a mistress for several years ; she died, and the daughter grew up and married the late Francis Geldart, who was a captain in the British service in the War of the Revolution. She died soon after her marriage without issue, Martin gave Geldart about one thousand acres of land, part of "Greenway Court Manor," with a number of slaves, &c. Col. Martin, after the death of his daughter, employed a white house- keeper, a Miss Powers, to whom he devised Greenway Court, with one thousand acres of land, a number of slaves, and all the residue of his personal estate of every description, (with the exception of part of his stock, slaves, and money). Miss Powers after the death of Martin, married the late Mr. W. Carnagy, by whom she had an
* Some four or five years ago the slaves of the Rev. Mr. Kennerly, the present proprietor of " Greenway Court," in quarrying stone, not far from Fairfax's ancient dwelling-house, found about $250 worth of gold coin, sup- posed to have been hidden there by his lordship.
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