USA > Virginia > Albemarle County > Albemarle County > Albemarle County in Virginia; giving some account of what it was by nature, of what it was made by man, and of some of the men who made it > Part 11
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was consequently fined ten dollars for contempt, and one hundred and eighty for failing to furnish a servant according to the allotment made, for sixty days at three dollars a day. Both fines were immediately paid in open court; and those who remember the Captain, can readily imagine the odd mixture of scorn and good humor with which the sentence must have been discharged.
Early in the war Charlottesville was designated as the seat of a large military Hospital. Two spacious frame buildings were erected just south of the present Junction, and furnished with cots and other appliances for ministering to the sick and wounded. Great numbers of these afflicted classes were con- veyed thither for treatment throughout the war. The medi - cal professors of the University devoted their time and skill to this benevolent work, and the ladies of the town and surrounding country exhibited a laudable interest in provid - ing supplies of necessaries and delicacies, and many of them in exercising the soothing and efficient care of the nurse.
As an illustration of the manner in which the South suf- fered loss from their deranged currency, some of the public payments may be mentioned. In early times the ordinary daily allowance made to the county jailor for maintaining a prisoner in his custody, was twenty cents. As the war pro- gressed, it rose to eighty cents, then to a dollar, in June 1863 to a dollar and a quarter, in December 1863 to two and a half, in May 1864 to three and a half, and in August 1864 to four dollars. The ordinary amount for which the Sheriff gave his bond for the faithful performance of his duty was sixty thousand dollars. During the war the amount required rose to two hundred and twelve thousand, and in September 1864, I. S. Macon was directed to increase his bond to five hundred thousand.
At the close of the war no courts were held from May till August 1865. The county was then under military govern- ment. The State of Virginia had been transformed into Mil- itary District No. One, and General John M. Schofield was the first military ruler. An officer of the United States army was stationed in Charlottesville, with the style of Military
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Commissioner of Albemarle County, and through him the orders of the commander at Richmond were carried out. For the most part these military rulers were fair and broad-minded men. Captain William Linn Tidball first occupied this office in Albemarle. He was ordered to Mississippi in July 1867, and was suceeded by Lieutenant A. F. Higgs, Sixteenth United States Infantry. Lieutenant Higgs was subsequently ordered to Georgia, and was followed by Lieutenant Town. The people generally acknowledged that they had reason to congratulate themselves, that posts justly esteemed odious and repulsive, were filled by men who evidently tried to dis - charge their duties in the least odious and repulsive way.
By the force and sharp practice of Federal authority, Francis Pierpoint, of Marion County, was at the time Gov - ernor of the State, though his tenure of the office was merely nominal. All real government proceeded from Head - quarters. An order from this source permitted an election to. be held for county officers under William W. Gilmer as Commissioner of Elections, and in August 1865 he swore in the magistrates chosen, mainly those who had occupied the office before. Egbert R. Watson was appointed Judge of the Circuit Court, but because of his connection as counsel with numerous cases on the docket, Judge Sheffey, of Staunton, frequently sat on the bench in the way of exchange.
Affairs moved on with tolerable smoothness until the early part of 1869. In the meantime the Underwood Convention was held in Richmond, in the Hall of the House of Delegates, sitting from December 1867 till April 1868. The representa- tive in this body for the District composed of Louisa, Albe - marle and Augusta, was James C. Southall, and those for the county of Albemarle, James T. S. Taylor, colored, and Clifton L. Thompson. This Convention was largely made up of members holding the most extreme radical views. More than twenty were ignorant negroes. The constitution they formed not only disfranchised all who had ever served in any civil or military capacity, even down to the most un- important county position, but it prescribed the iron clad test oath to be taken by every one before he could enter upon
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any office. This was virtually turning over the whole State government in all its ramifications to negroes, or to unscrup- ulous white men, who thronged into the State in great num - bers from every section of the country, to profit by this wholesale disqualification of the native population. By the direction of the Convention, a vote was to be taken on the adoption of the Constitution in the ensuing July, at which time State officers and members of the Legislature were also to be elected.
Both parties immediately bestirred themselves. A Radical Convention assembled in Richmond on May sixth, and nomi- nated Henry H. Wells, for Governor, James H. Clements, of Portsmouth, for Lieutenant Governor, and George W. Booker, of Henry County, for Attorney General. A Conservative Con - vention met at the same place the next day, and nominated Robert E. Withers for Governor, James A. Walker, for Lieuten- ant Governor, and John L. Marye, for Attorney General. Dur- ing the same month the Radicals made nominations for the county. C. L. Thompson was to be State Senator, and J. T. S. Taylor, Franklin Nelson-both negroes-and John B. Spiece were to be members of the House of Delegates. The Conservatives proceeded so far as to nominate Dr. Robert S. Beazley, of Greene, who had been a member of the Convention, for the State Senate. Their greatest efforts however were put forth to have the Constitution voted down. Fortunately the higher authorities intervened. General Schofield, who had paid a formal visit to the Convention, and strongly advised against their policy of disfranchisement, ordered the election for July both as to the Constitution and State officers, to be indefinitely postponed. This afforded opportunity for the initiation of other measures. General Grant was elected presi- dent in November 1868. On the last day of that year, at the suggestion chiefly of Alexander H. H. Stuart and John B. Baldwin, of Staunton, a Convention assembled in Richmond to devise some plan of obviating the difficulties of the situ- ation. As a result of their deliberations, a Committee of nine persons was selected to confer with the authorities in Washington. This Committee consisted of Mr. Stuart, Mr.
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Baldwin, John L. Marye, Wyndham Robertson, William T. Sutherlin, William L. Owen, James F. Johnson, James Nee - son and J. F. Slaughter. They were successful in gaining the ear and good will of General Grant. It was arranged that the provisions of the Constitution, especially that of negro suffrage, should stand, but that a few of its clauses, embracing particularly the sweeping disfranchising section and the iron clad test oath, should be submitted to a separate vote.
While matters were thus working for better days, present troubles seemed to be growing thicker and darker. In July 1868 General Schofield was appointed by President Johnson Secretary of War, and gave place to General George Stone- man as Commander of District No. One. Governor Pierpoint's term had expired, and by an order from Headquarters, H. H. Wells was appointed Governor of Virginia. January twenty- third 1869 the crushing blow fell. On that day Congress, maddened by the idea that any of the people of Virginia should presume to oppose the radical Constitution, passed an act that swept out of office all incumbents, who could not take the iron clad oath, and allowed none to be appointed but those who could. Accordingly on March twenty-sixth came an order from Richmond, ejecting the Clerk, Commonwealth's Attorney, Commissioners of the Revenue, and all the magis - trates. As the term of L. S. Macon as Sheriff had ended, a new Sheriff, J. C. Childress had already been appointed. By military authority, W. J. Points was made Clerk, George F. Jones and Angus A. McDonald Commissioners of the Reve - nue, the former for Fredericksville parish, the latter for St. Anne's, William F. Worthington, Commonwealth's Attorney, and the following persons magistrates, Henry N. Harrison, William G. Merrick, John Thornley, Thomas Garland, John W. Porter, William H. Hotopp, Edward S. Johnson, John W. Williams, Charles Goodyear and Charles A. Goodyear. About the same time Wells was removed as Governor, and the entire power of directing affairs, nominal as well as real, rested in General Stoneman.
How completely at this period the laws were silent, and the
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force of arms had absolute sway, may be seen in the records of the County Court. Indictments were forwarded to Head - quarters for the inspection of the General commanding, and orders were returned from the General commanding, directing them to be quashed. In other cases when grand juries found indictments for such crimes as robbery, and they were brought to the notice of the Court, one of the justices stated to his brethren that there was no ground for them, and his mere word was enough for the Commonwealth's Attorney to ignore, and the Court to dismiss them.
But the better days were coming. In May of this year, 1869, the third Commander, General Edward Canby, was sent to occupy Headquarters. By his order the election was held in July. The new Constitution was adopted, but all the clauses on which a separate vote was taken were rejected. Gilbert C. Walker, a New Yorker, was elected Governor, John F. Lewis, Lieutenant Governor, and James C. Taylor, Attorney General. The State and county were rescued from negro control. Things gradually returned into their proper channels. Henry Shackelford became Judge of the Circuit Court, and the year following Jobn L. Cochran, Judge of the the County Court, the new Constitution dispensing with the service of the magistrates in this respect, and requiring the office to be filled by a man learned in the law. Ira Garrett was appointed to his old office of Clerk, and James S. Barks- dale was made temporary Sheriff. At that time Virginia, and the County of Albemarle, were relieved from military rule, and all functions of government have since been dis - charged according to the usual provisions of law.
During the era of general confusion consequent upon the war, a foul murder was committed on the west side of the South West Mountain, not far from Stony Point. John H. Salmon, instigated by the desire of becoming sole owner of a small farm which had descended from his father, killed his mother and brother, the other joint tenants. The evidence was wholly circumstantial, but such as left no doubt of the guilt of the accused. He was brought to trial in the County Court in July 1870, and after a hearing protracted through a large
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portion of the month, was convicted and sentenced to be hanged in the ensuing November. Meanwhile his counsel appealed the case to the Circuit Court on some points excepted to in the trial, with the result that a new trial was awarded. The prosecution was accordingly continued in the County Court the following May. A venire was summoned from Lynchburg, a jury was empanelled, and the trial was about to begin, when the prisoner's counsel moved for his discharge on the ground that the number of the terms of Court pre- scribed by the statutes had been suffered to pass since his indictment without a trial. The jury was discharged, and argument on the motion heard. It turned out that in the pre- vailing derangement of affairs, and because of several inter- ferences of the General commanding at Richmond, the ground alleged was true. The Court took the matter under advise - ment, and finally discharged the prisoner. So intense was the feeling of indignation awakened throughout the com - munity by his crime, that the man at once fled, and according to report made his way to Texas.
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CHAPTER VI.
EPISCOPAL.
By the old law of Virginia, the Anglican, or Episcopal, was recognized as the Church of the State. The territory of the State was divided into parishes for ecclesiastical govern- ment, just as it was divided into counties for civil govern- ment. The officers of the parishes were styled vestrymen, twelve honest and discreet men for each, originally elected by the freeholders of the parish, and vacancies afterwards occurring to be filled by themselves. They had charge of the erection and preservation of the church buildings, the choosing of the rectors, and the care of the poor. The two parishes which Albemarle contained were Fredericksville in the north, and St. Anne's in the south. The dividing line between them was the Three Notched Road, entering the present limits of the county near Boyd's Tavern, and running to Woods's Gap. Before the formation of the county, the scattered inhabitants of the southern part, being still in Goochland and the parish of St. James Northam, were the objects of the spiritual care of Rev. Anthony Gavin. He was the rector of that parish from about 1736 until his death in 1749. From the description of him given by Bishop Meade, and a letter of his quoted by him, he was evidently a man of devoted industry and zeal. Though his residence was in the neighborhood of Dover Mills, and the present bounds of Goochland afford a large field of labor and travel, yet he made frequent visits to the people living "up in the mountains." In these remote parts he had seven places of service, and in his journeys within the space of two years had forded the North and South Rivers, that is, the Rivanna and the James, nineteen times.
In St. Anne's parish two churches were built in early times, the Church on Ballenger's Creek and the Forge Church. The former is still standing, and has been altered
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and occupied as a private residence. It is situated near the creek, between the road from Warren to Howardsville, and that passing through Porter's Precinct. The Forge Church stood on the north side of the Hardware River, about a mile or two below Carter's Bridge. From an act of the Legisla - ture passed in 1777, directing the Sheriff to summon the freeholders of the parish to meet "at the new church on Hardware," to elect a new vestry, it is inferred that it was built but a short time before. Bishop Meade describes a service held in it with Bishop Moore, not long after the lat- ter came to Virginia, which must have been about 1814; and the account he gives of its dismantled condition, and the open crevices through which wind and rain were wont to drive, touches the heart with its pathos. At a meeting of the Convention in Charlottesville in 1822, they adjourned to meet at the Forge Church on Friday, and at Walker's on Saturday. The Forge Church was still standing a few years ago, but reduced to ignoble uses. Converted into a barn, and filled with the fodder, in some way it caught fire, and burned to the ground. The glebe of St. Anne's was bought from William Harris in 1751 by Samuel Jordan and Patrick Napier, Church Wardens of the parish. It consisted of four hundred acres, and was located on the south fork of Totier Creek, where it is crossed by the road from Scottsville to Howardsville. After the glebes were declared public prop- erty, it was sold in 1779 by Thomas Napier, George Thomp- son and John Harris as Commissioners, to Joseph Cabell. He gave it to his daughter Mrs. Breckinridge, and it was the residence of her husband till his removal to Kentucky in 1793. The proceeds of the place, as well as of all the glebes of the county, were eventually applied to the erection of the University buildings.
The first rector of St. Anne's was Rev. Robert Rose. His residence was in what became Amherst County, not far from New Glasgow, but he occasionally preached in the churches in Albemarle. He was succeeded by Rev. William Camp, who in a short time went west, and was killed by the Indians near Vincennes. He was followed by Rev. John
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Ramsay, who in 1759 purchased from Jacob Eades three hundred acres of land on the south fork of Totier. It is judged from his will, which is on record, that he died in 1770. He left his whole estate to his wife Barbara, who the same year sold the land on Totier to Abraham Eades, Jr., and bought more than four hundred acres on Hardware, adjoin - ing the lands of the Carters and Hudsons. This land is described as being near Scratchface Mountain, which it is impossible now certainly to identify. Mrs. Ramsay subse - quently sold to John Wilkinson for the Iron Company, was married to Thomas Richards, and removed to Bedford County. Rev. Charles Clay, a cousin of Henry Clay, was the next incumbent. He was an earnest minister, preaching not only in the churches, but also in private houses and at the Prison Barracks. He unhappily became involved in lawsuits both with his vestry and with individuals, and this occasioned his removal about 1784. He finally settled in Bedford County, where he died, and by the directions of his will an immense heap of stones, twenty feet in diameter and twelve feet high, was piled up upon his grave. Rev. Isaac Darneille succeeded Mr. Clay. He seems to have lived in Nelson. Incurring heavy debts, he became a lawyer, and finally escaping his liabilities as well as forsaking his family, he went South.
Fredericksville parish at first occupied Louisa County ; but when in 1761 the western portion of Louisa was annexed to Albemarle, the parish was divided by the county lines, the part remaining in Louisa receiving the name of Trinity. Two churches were erected in this parish, one on either side of the South West Mountain. That on the east side was first called Belvoir Church, then in common speech Walker's, but is now known as Grace. When it was first built does not appear. It already existed in 1769, as in that year John Walker conveyed to Thomas Walker, Mosias Jones, Isaac Davis, William Barksdale, Thomas Carr, Nicholas Lewis, Nicholas Meriwether, John Rodes, Mordecai Hord, Thomas Jefferson and William Simms, Church Wardens and Vestry - men of Fredericksville parish, two acres "whereon the
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Belvoir Church is situated." The church on the west side of the mountain was the Buck Mountain Church. It originally stood on the Buck Mountain Road, west of Earlysville. The date of its construction is unknown. Bishop Meade mentions that in 1745 it was determined to build three churches in the parish, the third to be erected on the Buck Mountain Road between the mountains. Its first mention in the records occurs in 1797, when Lucy Mills, Executrix of David Mills, conveyed to David Michie thirty three acres, "whereon the Buck Mountain Church was built." The edifice, having fallen into disuse, was occupied by the Baptists in 1801. They held services in it till 1833, when the Episcopalians, being increased in numbers, asserted their right, and resumed possession. In subsequent years the church was rebuilt in Earlysville.
Rev. James Maury became the rector of Fredericksville parish in 1754, and continued until his death in 1768. He was succeeded by his son Rev. Matthew Maury, who served until his death in 1808. Neither of these ministers oc- cupied the glebe, choosing rather to reside on their own farms. This glebe on the side east of the mountain, consisting of four hundred acres, was sold in 1809 to Nathaniel Ragland by " Edward Garland, Stephen Moore and others, who at the time were acting as Overseers of the Poor. There was also a glebe on the west side of the mountain, which was situated between the Burnt Mills and Earlysville, and which was sold in 1780 by Thomas Johnson and William Simms, Church Wardens, to Epaphroditus Rhodes.
For many years after the death of Rev. Matthew Maury, there was no Episcopal preaching in the county except occa - sionally by ministers, who in passing held services in the courthouse in Charlottesville. In 1818 Rev. John P. Baus- man was settled in the neighborhood for a short time. He was followed by Rev. Frederick W. Hatch in 1820, who lived in Charlottesville till 1830. He was an active and ear- nest minister, and a zealous mason. During his incumbency the Episcopal Church in town was built. The memory of the older inhabitants differs in regard to the manner of its
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erection, some affirming that it was built solely as an Epis - copal Church, and others as a Union Church. The truth seems to be that the affair began as a union effort, but that the house was at last erected as an Episcopal place of worship. Bishop Meade states, that while the project of a union church was agitated, it was opposed by Mr. Hatch. An advertise - mient appeared in the Central Gazette ou January twenty - third, 1824, proposing to purchase a lot for the building of a church, and it was discontinued on April sixteenth. On March nineteenth another appeared, inquiring for a lot for an Episcopal Church. Doubtless the change of plan took place in the interval between January and March. The building was commenced that year. As already stated, a letter dated in March of the ensuing year mentions that the town contained "a half finished church." After the removal of Mr. Hatch, and a short period of service by Rev. Zach - ariah Mead, Rev. Richard K. Meade, son of the Bishop, became rector, and the termination of his long pastorate is a somewhat recent event.
Mr. Hatch, in addition to his busy ministerial labors, preaching frequently at Buck Mountain and Walker's as well as in town, was a school teacher. He erected as his residence the brick house on the northeast corner of Market and Sev- enth Streets, and taught in the one story brick near the east end of Main, now occupied by William Durrett. A ludicrous incident is told of him in connection with his celebrating the rites of matrimony. In performing this useful work, he often rode miles in the country in every direction. On one occasion he was called to unite a couple in the Ragged Mountains. When the ceremony was finished, the groom announced with some confusion that he was unable to remunerate him for his trouble. Mr. Hatch, observing a long string of gourds fes - tooned on the wall of the room, proposed accepting a number of them. The young man was overjoyed at discharging his obligation so easily. He cut off a goodly array, and to relieve the parsou from the inconvenience of carrying them, tied them around his horse's neck. Thus accoutred, he started on his return. As he approached the top of Vinegar Hill,
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the horse took fright at something by the wayside, and set off at full speed. The clash and rattle of the gourds increased his panic, and made him dart ahead at a still wilder rate. Down the hill he dashed, with his rider thrown forwards, and clinging around his neck with both hands, the gourds all the while keeping up their discordant clatter. The mad race continued through the whole length of the street, before the gaze of the astonished townsmen; nor was the rider released from his perilous position, until the panting steed drew up at the stable door. While Mr. Hatch was a resident of Charlottesville, a son was born to him, who received his own name, became a distinguished physician, and died a few years ago in Sacramento, California.
Besides the meeting of the Convention in 1822, it met again in Charlottesville in 1829, and during its sessions Rev. William Meade was elected Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia.
PRESBYTERIAN.
Presbyterians were settled in the county while it was yet a part of Goochland. The colony of Scotch Irish who came over the Blue Ridge in 1734 under the auspices of Michael Woods, brought with them the faith of their fathers. Among these were the families of Wallace, Kinkead, Stockton, McCord and Jameson. Further to the south along the base of the Ridge were the Morrisons, McCues, Montgomerys, Reids and Robertsons. These last were the founders of Rockfish Church, located in the forks of Rockfish River. About 1746 James McCann, who had patented the land in 1745, conveyed to John Reid, James Robertson and Samuel Bell one acre and thirty -five poles, for the Rockfish Church, and for a school for the inhabitants of that vicinity.
Among the families first mentioned two churches were established. The first was Mountain Plains, which was built near the confluence of Lickinghole Creek and Mechum's River, and called after Michael Woods's plantation, and which still exists as a Baptist Church. The second was the D. S. Church, which was situated on the southwest face of
-9
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the hill, on the summit of which S. W. Caulbeck recently resided. These communities, and others in Virginia and North Carolina, received the visits of several Presbyterian ministers in early times, beginning with that of Rev. James Anderson in 1738. In 1745 John Woods was sent to the Presbytery of Donegal in Pennsylvania, to prosecute a call for the services of Rev. John Hindman in the churches of Mountain Plains and Rockfish, but his errand seems to have been unsuccessful. Mr. Hindman was no doubt the same man who became an Episcopalian, and was the first rector of Augusta parish, dying there a year or two after entering upon the office. A call is still extant, dated March 1747, and signed by fifty-seven persons, which solicited the labors of Rev. Samuel Black in the church of Mountain Plains, and among the inhabitants of Ivy Creek. The place of worship for the people last mentioned was the D. S. Church, which was probably erected shortly after, as Mr. Black accepted the call. He was the first Presbyterian preacher who settled in the county. In 1751 he purchased from Richard Stockton four hundred acres on both sides of Stockton's Creek, and there he resided until his death in 1770. Descendants bear- ing his name still live on a part of the old place.
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