USA > Virginia > Augusta County > Augusta County > Annals of Augusta County, Virginia, with reminiscences illustrative of the vicissitudes of its pioneer settlers (A Supplement) > Part 25
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The volunteer companies mustered on one Saturday in every month. They also paraded on the 4th of July, the 22d of Feb- ruary, and on other occasions when their services were required. At one time, by invitation of a military company in Lexington, the Staunton Light Infantry marched to that town and the Natu- ral Bridge on a visit. A year or two afterwards the Lexington company returned the visit, and went, accompanied by the Staun- ton troops, to Weyer's Cave. On their return to Staunton, all the way-worn veterans were feasted by the ladies at a supper in the courthouse yard.
Henry Snyder, a painter by trade, was the chief drummer in the county for many years. When a boy he was one of Captain Sowers's musicians in the war of 1812. His assistant was Wil- liam Suthards, a gunsmith, and the principal fifer was George Orebaugh, a farmer of the Long Glade neighborhood.
In the course of time there was a great improvement in the costume of the militia officers of the county. J. Marshall McCue, a very young man and full of military ardor, was appointed ad- jutant of the Thirty-second regiment, before the One-Hundred- and-Sixtieth was formed, and came out in a complete uniform of
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the modern style, including a cocked hat and plume and red sash. The example was contagious, and in a short time all the officers of high rank were similarly costumed. Still, most of the captains and lieutenants wore their every-day clothing on parade, which caused them to appear less warlike and decidedly less at- tractive to the little boys.
The town of Staunton was, of course, a good deal enlivened by the celebrations, stage coaches, courts, musters, etc., which we have mentioned During the dreary winter months of 1831-'3, it was kept awake by General Baldwin's law classes. This school was attended by some sprightly youths, who sometimes gave employment to the solitary police officer of the town. Dr. Wad- dell instructed the classes in medical jurisprudence. In his ad- vertisement of the second session, beginning December 1, 1832, General Baldwin said: "The department of Medical Jurispru- dence will again be conducted by Dr. A. Waddell, a gentleman of eminence in his profession, whose instructive and entertaining lectures were received with entire approbation by his class at the last session."
Although Staunton was apparently so unprosperous about the year 1833, many branches of industry were prosecuted here then, which have greatly declined, or are entirely unknown at the present day. The labor and cost of transportation, required the manufacture at home of many articles now obtained from the great factories abroad. It was so, no doubt, in most inland towns. But in 1833 Samson Eagon and Henry Stofer, in Staun- ton, and James B. Trimble, at his place, called "Bustleburg," supplied the countryside with wagons; David Gilkeson manu- factured cabinet furniture and sold it widely ; Jacob and Peter Kurtz were the great manufacturers of chairs, spinning-wheels, etc .; Staunton supported three hatters' shops; Pitman made earthen crocks and other articles of that kind; and Williams had a rope-walk in Newtown, where he spun all sorts of cordage. Armistead Mosby, John Kennedy and Absalom Brooks supplied, not only the home demand, but a portion of eastern Virginia, with saddlery, leather and tinware, making frequent trips to the south of James river, in wagons, to sell or barter the products of their shops. Tailoring was also an important industry in Staun- ton before the introduction of ready-made clothing, and several establishments employed many journeymen and apprentices.
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Some branches of household manufactures flourished in the county. Big and little spinning-wheels-the former for wool and the latter for flax-were found in almost every country dwelling. Nearly every farm had its loom-house or loom-room. All the clothing for servants, and the common every-day wear of most of the white people, was manufactured at home. The wool was generally prepared at carding machines, but spun and dyed and woven at home, and the cloth was sent to a fulling mill to re- ceive the last finishing stroke. The cutting out and sewing were done at the family hearth. Stout, heavy jeans was made for the men, and a lighter article of linsey for the women. Both had cotton warps. The knitting of socks and stockings of yarn and cotton was universal. Every female practiced the art. For sum- mer wear by females, striped cotton cloth was woven. All-wool blankets and flannels were made in large quantities, and of supe- rior quality. Much flax was raised in the county, and the little spinning-wheel produced the thread for sewing and weaving linen. Stout "tow-linen " was woven for negro men's shirts, and quantities of toweling and sheeting were also manufactured. Many a thrifty housewife still takes pride in exhibiting the blankets, sheets and towels which her mother or grandmother made and transmitted to her.
Some account of the fashionable costumes of the people, and also of the current money, in 1830-'33 and thereabouts, may interest a portion of our readers, although neither costume nor currency was peculiar to Augusta county.
In regard to costume, the cocked hats, short breeches, and knee and shoe buckles, formerly worn by gentlemen, had disap- peared. A few aged men continued to wear long hair gathered in a queue at the back of their heads, and tied with black rib- bons. But most men and youths wore their hair cropped. Their heads were covered with tall black hats, at first of genuine fur, and quite costly, and afterwards of cheaper silk. Coarse wool hats were extensively worn by laboring people. The faces of the men were clean shaven, except those of members of the Dunk- ard church. Now and then a young man, who aspired " to look like a bandit," braved public sentiment by turning out his mus- tache, but he was viewed askant by staid people, and hardly tolerated in society. The necks of middle-aged and old men were enveloped in white cravats. Others wore black silk cravats,
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or tall and stiff "stocks." Shirt bosoms were often adorned with ruffles. Dress coats were always of dark blue broadcloth, with high collars, swallow tails, and brass buttons. Frock coats were never worn except as surtouts. Vests, or " waistcoats," as they were generally called, were made of black velvet or satin. Pantaloons were of any kind of cloth the wearer had a fancy for, but always of a lighter shade than the coat, and in summer time generally of nankeen. Men who rode horseback, as nearly all did, more or less, wore leggings in winter time, or when the roads were muddy; and as they often walked about the streets thus equipped, city people visiting here sometimes enquired why. so many men had their legs in bandages !
The bonnets of the ladies were large and towering, of what- ever material made, and the lace collars were ample in size. The dresses, or "frocks," probably contained less materials than those now worn, and less work and trimming were expended upon them. The dresses were low-necked, and capes or collars were always worn, at least on the street and at church. No lady appeared in public except in prunella or morocco slippers and silk stockings. Upon one feature of female costume much thought and attention were bestowed, and that was the sleeves. These were what was called "mutton-legged," small at the wrist, but swelling largely to the shoulder, the larger the better. To make them stand out fully and exhibit all their proportions- a foot and a half to two feet in diameter-they were, in cold weather, stuffed with feathers. In summer time stiff milinet took the place of feathers. Bustles and hooped-skirts, which came in afterwards, never attracted as much attention as the mutton- legged sleeves. This fashion went out in Paris and New York long before the fact was known in Staunton. Finally, however, a lady from abroad, wearing closely fitting sleeves, appeared in our streets. She was stared at as a curiosity, and really looked very odd; but, nevertheless, the big sleeves speedily disappeared.
Until the decimal silver currency of the United States was issued, the small change current here, as elsewhere in the country, consisted of Spanish or Mexican dollars and other smaller pieces. By the year 1833, the pound, Virginia currency, had fallen into disuse, but lesser sums of money continued to be stated in shillings and pence. We had no five and ten cent pieces, nor quarters, so called, but a Spanish coin called " four-
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pence ha' penny," another called "nine pence," and a third called "eighteen pence," or "one-and-six," that is, one shilling and six pence. Merchants marked their goods, and people counted money in dollars, shillings and pence. The nomencla- tures and values were as follows: four pence, &c., 614 cents ; nine pence, 121/2 cents; a shilling, 162/3 cents; eighteen pence, 25 cents; two-and-three-pence, 3712 cents; three shillings, 50 cents; three-and-nine pence, 6272 cents; four-and-six-pence, 75 cents; five-and-three-pence, 871/2 cents; six shillings, $1; seven- and-six-pence, $1.25; nine shillings, $1.50; fifteen shillings, $2.50.62 Cord wood was then unknown in Staunton, and the universal price of a four-horse wagon load of long wood was nine shillings. Nobody said a dollar and a half, as now-a-days, but nine shill - ings; and a quarter, or twenty-five cents piece, was always called eighteen pence. "Fifteen shilling lawyers," were those whose fees rarely exceeded $2.50.
Many things now deemed essential to comfortable living were unknown in 1830-cooking stoves, lucifer matches, gum over- shoes, and a hundred others. Reapers and mowers, movable threshing machines, grain drills, buggy rakes, gleaners, sewing machines, breech-loading guns, revolvers, and percussion caps had not been invented. Every gun had a flint lock, and mer- chants kept flints for sale along with powder and shot. The
52 In note 9, on page 29, we have alluded to the currency of Virginia as differing from that of Great Britain. Mr. Jefferson, in his Notes on Virginia, Query XXI, says : " How it has happened that in this as well as other American States the nominal value of coin was made to differ from what it was in the country we had left, and to differ among our- selves, too, I am not able to say with certainty." He says, however, the first symptom of the depreciation of Virginia paper-money" was that of silver dollars selling at six shillings, which had before been worth but five shillings and ninepence." The trouble about the currency arose as early as 1631. In 1645 the House of Burgesses established " the Spanish piece of eight" ($1) at six shillings, as the standard of their currency. In 1680 they sent an address to the King, in consequence of which, by proclamation, in 1683, he fixed the value of "pieces of eight" at six shillings. Other regulations were made in 1710, 1714, 1727 and 1762.
Thus the Spanish dollar, the standard of Virginia currency, being made to consist of six shillings; each shilling, the one-sixth of a dollar, being 162/3 cents; and twenty shillings, here as in England, making one pound, the Virginia pound got to be $3.331/3.
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barns on some large farms, prior to 1840, had stationary ma- chines for threshing, but most of the grain was beaten out with flails, or trodden out by horses. The only fertilizer imported was plaster of paris, which was used extensively by farmers.
About 1835, a silversmith named Paine, living at Waynes- borough, manufactured small brass rifled-pistols, which were thought to be very superior to any other weapon of the kind. " Paine's pistols" were highly valued and much sought after.
Among the prominent citizens of Staunton, during the period of which we are speaking, was Dr. Alexis Martin. Dr. Martin was a native of France, and spoke very broken English. He claimed to have been a surgeon in the French army during the reign of Napoleon. In person, he was somewhat under the me- dium stature, rather stout, and of a florid complexion. He lived in a queer old frame house, which stood on the lot opposite the Augusta street African Methodist church premises. There he built an extensive bath house and cottages for the patients who for some years flocked to him. Miss Myra Clark, afterwards Mrs. General Gaines, was one of his patients. His chief reme- dies were "vapor sulphur baths " and a liquid called " Le Roy." He seldom appeared in public on foot, but often hurried through the streets on his black horse, "Cuffee," a natural pacer, so that the children of the town regarded him as a sort of centaur. Opinions differed materially as to Dr. Martin's merits. Many intelligent people considered him an eminent physician, while others thought him a mere pretender. The native physicians unanimously entertained the latter opinion. Dr. Martin's judg- ment of his three town rivals is said to have been, that the first was a physician, the second a gentleman, the third neither phy- sician nor gentleman. He spent the latter days of his life at the Blue Sulphur Springs.
In 1835 the old courthouse of Augusta, and other buildings in the yard, were taken down, and the present courthouse and clerk's offices were erected. The present jail was not built till some years afterward.
In the same year occurred a famous contest for a seat in Con- gress, between Samuel McD. Moore, of Rockbridge, and Rob- ert Craig, of Roanoke. The polls were kept open in Augusta for three days, and the county gave Moore a large majority, but Craig was elected.
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Early in 1836 the commissioners appointed by act of assem- bly to receive subscriptions to the capital stock of the "Staun- ton and Potomac Railroad Company," met in Staunton and appointed agents throughout the county. Much interest was kept up in regard to the scheme until late in the year, when it was superseded by the excitement of the presidential election. At August court, Mr. Alexander H. H. Stuart addressed the people on the subject, and at that time fifty-eight persons had subscribed $65,000.
James Brownlee, about one hundred and six years of age, died in the neighborhood of Tinkling Spring, March 18, 1836. He was a native of Scotland, born in 1730, and came to this county early in the Revolutionary war.
In 1836 war was raging between the United States and the Creek Indians ; and by act of Congress the President was au- thorized to accept the services of ten thousand volunteers. An attempt was made to raise a company in Augusta. A meeting was held at Greenville, June II, to promote the object, which was called to order by James Bumgardner. Captain Robert Lynch presided, and Captain Harper and Doctor Austin made speeches. But a sufficient number of volunteers could not be obtained.
A State Convention of the opponents of Martin Van Buren was held in Staunton on the 4th of July. Colonel James Craw- ford, of Augusta, was president of the body, which nominated General Harrison for president of the United States and John Tyler for vice-president.
The Fourth of July this year was celebrated, as the Staunton Spectator expressed it, "with more than usual pomp, festivity, and glee." The citizens assembled at the Presbyterian church, where " the Declaration of Independence was read by Chesley Kinney, Esq., prefaced by some beautiful and appropriate re- marks, and an oration pronounced by William Frazier, Esq., which has elicited universal commendation for its classic style and elegance." In the afternoon, a procession formed on Main street and proceeded to a spring near town where a dinner was provided. The dinner was spread on tables under a long arbor constructed. for the purpose, in what was then known as "Bushy Field," northeast of town, near, if not on, the road now leading from the old Winchester road to the macadamized turnpike. Mr. Peyton presided at the dinner, assisted by General Baldwin,
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David W. Patteson, William Kinney, and Colonel George C. Robertson. The members of the Harrison Convention, the Staunton Light Infantry, and "the orators of the day" were invited guests. Many toasts were offered and drank. At night there was a ball at the Wayne tavern.
One incident of the celebration was not mentioned by the Spectator in its voluminous and glowing account of the proceed- ings. At that time Fannin's massacre in Texas had recently occurred, and it was feared that John S. Brooks, a native of Staunton, was one of the victims. He had gone to Texas a year or two before, and was in the Texan army. Being well known and highly esteemed here, much solicitude was felt in the com- munity in regard to his fate.
Another native of Staunton had also been absent for many months, but where he was few if any persons knew. This was Elijah Calvert, a tailor by trade, commonly called "Lige." We mention his name with no unkindly feeling. On the contrary, we cherish for him a sort of gratitude for the amusement he afforded for many years to everybody in town. He was an in- corrigible wag, full of practical jokes, good-natured, and willing to be laughed at if other people found enjoyment thereby. He had been a member of the Staunton Light Infantry, and was therefore a soldier. His appearance and bearing were eminently military. Anticipating the celebration of the Fourth in Staun- ton, he arranged it so as to return from his tramp and make his advent here on that day. Accordingly, just at the close of the din- ner in Bushy Field, he presented himself to the admiring throng. He wore a slouched hat, not common in this region at that time, but associated with our ideas of wild frontier life, and that had evidently gone through the wars. He had on also a military coat, which might have been the uniform of a major-general. This latter, as well as the hat, was worn with the most delightful negligence, as if the wearer were accustomed to it, but rather tired of the costume. His countenance was extremely solemn, and his manner in the highest degree dignified. His face plainly said : "I have recently passed through too many scenes of car- nage to indulge in the least hilarity.", He said little, but left much to be inferred. Immediately the information spread through the crowd that Lige Calvert had just returned from Texas, where, of course, he was the hero of a hundred desperate
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battles. He was plied with questions about John Brooks, but evaded them as far as he could. The captain and men of the Light Infantry gathered around him, eager to do honor to their former comrade, and planning how he should be introduced to the crowd. Lige, however, could not stand much ceremony-at any rate, he knew better than any one else how to do the thing ; so, breaking away from the self-constituted committee of ar- rangements, he went forward on his own responsibility. Starting at one end of the arbor, he proceeded to the other, waving his hat over his head and saluting the crowd with inimitable grace and dignity. The finest gentleman present, however trained in courts and camps, could not have exhibited himself half so well. During his progress from the head to the foot of the arbor, the war-worn veteran was greeted with shouts of applause. In a few days-before the next Spectator was issued-it leaked out that the hero had been quietly working at his trade in various towns, and had not been near Texas.
The Spectator of August 11, published a full and authentic account of Fannin's massacre. John Brooks, who was aid to Colonel Fannin, with the rank of Captain, being unable to walk, was taken out by the Mexicans in a blanket and shot in cold blood.
Three or four years afterwards, the Fourth of July was cele- brated in a different manner. There was a grand procession of Sunday-school children and others, and addresses were delivered in the Methodist church by Messrs. Lyttelton Waddell, Thomas J. Michie and Chesley Kinney.
In September, 1836, General Harrison was in Staunton, on his way to visit his early home below Richmond. He was invited to partake of a public dinner here, but declined. Many of his political friends dined with him, however, at the Washington tavern. At the election, the vote of Augusta stood, for Harrison, 801; Van Buren, 302; Hugh L. White, 20. There were only six voting places in the county-Staunton, Waynesborough, Middlebrook, Mount Solon, Mount Sidney and the Pastures.
Robert Craig was re elected to Congress in 1837, and at the same time Alexander H. H. Stuart and William Kinney were elected to represent Augusta in the House of Delegates. David W. Patteson represented the county in the State Senate.
In March, 1838, the Valley Turnpike Company was chartered,
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to construct a macadamized road from Staunton to Winchester. The capital stock was three hundred thousand dollars, of which the State subscribed three-fifths. The remainder was promptly subscribed by the people immediately interested, and the work was vigorously prosecuted. Early in the same year the Staun- ton and Parkersburg turnpike was located, and the road was made, in course of time, at State expense. These great im- provements gave a considerable impetus to Staunton.
During the night of October 4, 1838, an extensive conflagra- tion occurred in Staunton. The Wayne tavern, then unoccu- pied, five other houses, three shops and six stables were consumed. The tavern stable had been rented and supplied with forage for the horses belonging to the members of the Pres- byterian Synod of Virginia, then meeting in Staunton, and seven- teen of these horses perished in the flames.
On November 1, 1838, the hundredth anniversary of the or- ganization of the county, was celebrated. The Staunton Light Infantry, Captain Harper, and Captain S. D. Coiner's troop of cavalry, paraded in town, and salutes were fired morning and evening from the old field pieces. There was also a dinner at the Washington tavern, Mr. Peyton presiding.
The subject of supplying the town of Staunton with water, by means of iron pipes leading from a spring in the country, was introduced in the town council as early as 1833, but nothing was accomplished till 1839. The Legislature in that year passed an act for supplying the Western Lunatic Asylum with water, and the town united with the asylum in bringing water from Kinney's Spring. The county contributed one thousand dollars to the cost. The quantity of water furnished, however, proving inade- quate to supply both town and asylum, the former, in 1848, piped the "Buttermilk Spring." Dwellings soon sprang up on the hills surrounding the town. The contract for the present extensive city water works was awarded July 27, 1875.
In July, 1839, Cyrus H. McCormick gave the first exhibition of his reaper in the county on the farm of Joseph Smith. The machine was advertised to cut one and a-half to two acres an hour and required two men and two horses to work it. The price was fifty dollars.
The Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind was opened in Staunton the latter part of 1839 in rented quarters.
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The corner-stone of the building, erected by the State, was laid with much ceremony, July 9, 1840. James McDowell, of Lex- ington, a member of the board of visitors, delivered an oration, and there was a dinner at the Eagle tavern.
During the summer and fall of 1840, politics were the absorb- ing topic throughout the country. The supporters of General Harrison, the Whig candidate, organized "Tippecanoe Clubs," built log cabins, and drank hard cider, to help on the cause. The people of Augusta were thoroughly aroused, a large ma- jority of them supporting Harrison, but a "Spartan band " of the " unterrified Democracy " in the county was equally zealous. A two days' meeting was held in Staunton, August 24 and 25, Ex-Governor Barbour, John S. Pendleton, and S. McD. Moore were the speakers on the Whig side; and William Smith, after- wards Governor, Thomas J. Randolph, and John Letcher repre- sented the Democracy.
Early in October a great mass-meeting was held in Richmond, on which occasion Daniel Webster delivered several speeches. The Whigs of Augusta attended the meeting in large numbers. On September court-day the "Augusta Banner " was displayed at the courthouse in Staunton. General Baldwin made a speech and delivered the " Banner " to John Wise, who was with Harri- son under Wayne at the Maumee, to bear it in the procession at Richmond. General Porterfield was in town and at the court- house, and the people escorted him to his lodgings.
The Staunton Spectator of October I, announced that one hundred and fifty Augusta farmers had recently crossed Rock- fish Gap, in their wagons, on their way to the Richmond meet ing. John Wise was, however, stolen from them at Richmond, and made to carry the " Maumee battle-flag."
At the election, Augusta county cast 1,206 votes for Harrison, and 461 for Van Buren.
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