USA > Virginia > Augusta County > Augusta County > Annals of Augusta county, Virginia, from 1726 to 1871 > Part 41
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Bailey gained what was no doubt highly valued by him-in- creased notoriety. He entered now fully upon his career as a "sportsman "-a gambler he says he never was. A gambler cheats and he always played fair. He was a frequenter of various Virginia summer resorts, especially the Sweet Springs, and extended his operations to Richmond, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Charleston, and New Orleans. He claimed to have visited London and Paris on the same business, but his contemporaries believed he had never been in Europe. At times he rolled in wealth, and moved about with such splendid equipage as to attract general attention. He was then munificent in his benefactions. At other times he was penniless, and depended upon his boon companions for another start in the world. He offered himself as a candidate for Congress in the Botetourt district, and, if he tells the truth, came within three votes of being elected. Although a most amiable man in his own estima-
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tion, he was often involved in broils. While living in Staunton he had a fight with Adam Bickle, Sr., and another with Jacob Peck. At the Sweet Springs he fought a duel and wounded his antagonist, but confesses that he was very much frightened. In Washington city he had a street fight with Colonel Isaac Coles, of Albemarle, President Jefferson's private secretary, Coles having ordered him out of the President's mansion at a levee. His fortunes waned when he was still in the prime of life. He had abandoned his family many years before, and at the age of forty-eight he wrote his Life and Adventures in a cabin, the best abode he could then command. From a mutilated copy of this book we have taken most of his history as here related. It is as candid as the Confessions of Rousseau, giving many details too unchaste for these pages. He warns young men, with apparent sincerity, against ever playing cards. His life, as related by himself, is another proof of the Bible declaration that "the way of the trans- gressor is hard."
About the year 1818, Bailey was traveling about the country soliciting subscribers for his proposed publication, and came to Staunton, the first time for fifteen years. He ventured into the courthonse, and Judge Stuart, who was on the bench, recognized him and ordered his arrest on account of the affair of 1803. He hurried away, going to the tavern of the widow Mitchell, on the old Winches- ter road, and she aided him to escape by way of Rockfish Gap, while the sheriff was in search of him down the Valley. He remarks in his book that he did not obtain many subscribers in Augusta.
In 1807, the Common Council of Staunton passed an ordinance prohibiting smoking in the streets, and in 1808 ordered that no fire be kept in the chimney of Philip Clonigee !
Between the years 1800 and 1812, the county received important accessions of professional and business men from abroad. Most of these located in Staunton, and became part and parcel of the county. John C. Sowers, the merchant, Briscoe G. Baldwin, Erasmus Stribling, and the Eskridge brothers came from Frederick county, or there- abouts. Chapman Johnson, came from Louisa county, and the Waddells from the same section. John H. Peyton, the lawyer, and John Randolph, the Middlebrook merchant, came from Stafford county. James A. Frazier, a native of Ireland, was employed as a store boy at Jennings' Gap by Robert McDowell, who afterwards failed in business. Young Frazier hield the position, and in the course of time built up an extensive business and one of the largest fortunes ever accumulated in the county. During the earlier part of his
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career, Angusta merchants dealt almost exclusively in Philadelphia. They generally made the trip to market, or " below," as the phrase went, twice a year, on horseback, two or more traveling together, carrying Mexican dollars in their saddle-bags.
For several years during the first decade of the present century, Jacob D. Dietrick published a newspaper in Staunton called the Staunton Eagle. We know of no complete file of this paper in existence, but several isolated numbers have fallen into our hands. It is almost provoking to find in them so little of local interest. There is hardly ever a line of editorial, and no attempt whatever to report the county and town news. We, however, extract an item here and there from advertisements, communications, or marriage and death announcements. The wars of Napoleon were then in full blast, and the troubles between the United States and Great Britain, which led to the war of 1812, were brewing ; and these matters of course oc- cnpied much space in the columns ; but the editor had no idea of con- densing a long article, and two or three dreary documents often occupied all the space devoted to news. The editor was classic and mythological in his taste, and the " make up" of the paper was fanci- ful and unique. He announced marriages under the head of " Hall of Hymen," and deaths under that of "Repository of Death." The poetry column was styled "Temple of the Muses," and the joke column "Temple of Hilarity." A wide circulation was songht for the paper, and a long list of agents was published, in nearly all the Valley counties in Virginia, and in the States of Pennsylvania, Mary- land, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina. Oh, for a file of the Eagle or the Republican Farmer, got up in the style of our present Staunton newspapers ! But we will not be ungrateful, and thanking Mr. Dietrick for the few small favors he has granted us, we regret that more of his issues, such as they were, have not come to our hands.
We learn from an advertisement in the Eagle that in October, 1807, James Miller had a paper mill near Staunton. Lots in the town of New York, ( Albemarle county), were advertised for sale. Adver- tisements in the German language appeared in the paper. Miss Smith advertised her "Yonug Ladies' Academy," at Lexington,-board for five month, $50 ; tuition, $10. In one issue, under the head "Hall of Hymen," appeared the marriage, by the Rev. Mr. Calhoon, of Mr. Abraham Smith to Miss Juliet Lyle, and of Lieutenant G. W. Sevier, of Tennessee, to Miss Catharine Chambers. In October, 1807, a friend of the editor, " traveling through this place," favored liim "with a
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copy of the official return of members of the General Assembly for Washington county, Maryland." But not a word of Augusta county news in the issue.
In January, 1808, Mr. Dietrick began to issue a paper in German. In March, the same year, the town authorities were elected, viz : Chapman Johnson, Mayor ; John McDowell, Recorder ; and Jacob Lease, John C. Sowers, John D. Greiner, and Michael Garber, Alder- men. John Coalter,* then a Staunton lawyer, afterwards Judge of the Court of Appeals, published a communication advocating the election of Mr. Johnson to the House of Delegates, and answering the objec- tion that he was an attorney. Madison and Monroe were then rival candidates for the Presidency of the United States. The Republican politicians of the county were divided, and each faction had a com- mittee of correspondence. The Madison committee were John Coalter, Chapman Johnson, and General John Brown, the chancellor. The Monroe committee consisted of Chesley Kinney, James Cochran, David Parry, Micajah Coalter, and a fifth whose name has been torn out of the newspaper.
The Eagle was Republican in politics, and supported the admin- istration of Mr. Jefferson, as far as a newspaper so edited could sup- port any side. It, however, did not survive long in the soil and climate of " Old Federal Augusta."
William G. Lyford started another newspaper, the Republican Farmer, in 1808, but soon sold out to Isaac Collett. In his first issue, Collett announced that he was "decidedly a Federal character." His paper was edited on the same plan as the Eagle, but survived, in his hands, for twelve or thirteen years.
* Judge Coalter, the son of Michael Coalter, was born a little north of New Providence church, now Rockbridge county. While a young lawyer living at Staun- ton, Judge Coalter resided at the place then called Elin Grove, on Lewis' creek, half a mile east of town. His circumstances were so poor, that he had to return home every day in time to cut wood for family use ; and not being able to keep or hire a horse, he walked to his courts, carrying his clothes and papers in a bag on his shoulders. Afterwards, when a distinguished Judge of the Court of Ap- peals, he was in the habit of referring to this period as the happiest of his life. His last residence was a handsouie seat, called Chatham, on the Rappahannock river, opposite Fredericksburg. He was married four times. His first wife was a Miss Rind, and his second Miss Davenport, both of whom died soon without children. His third wife, the mother of his children, was a daughter of Judge St. George Tucker, and half-sister of John Randolph of Roanoke. His last wife was originally a Miss Jones of Spotsylvania, but a widow when she married Judge Coalter, whom she long survived.
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In 1809, General Blackburn was put on trial before the County Court, upon a charge which would now be considered very pre- posterous. On the 28th of August, the Grand Jury, on the information of George Bittle, presented the General "for exacting illegal fees, to wit : $3 for an opinion when no suit was brought, and $6 for fee in an Inferior Court." James Allen was foreman of the jury, and among the members were Jacob Bumgardner, James Tate, James A. McCue, James Bell and Peter Heiskell. The trial came off October 23, 1809, and " the merits of this presentment being fully argued and considered," the case was dismissed at the cost of Bittle.
Jacob Swoope, of Staunton, was the member of Congress from the Augusta district in the years 1809-1811. Party spirit ran high in those days. Mr. Swoope was leader of the Federalists, and Judge Stuart of the Republicans. Both parties had balls in Staunton, to which their adherents in the county were invited, with their wives and children. Each had also street processions, headed by its chief. Mr. Swoope's competitor, when he was elected, was Daniel Smith, then a young lawyer in Rockingham. Swoope could speak German, while Smith could not, and the German people of the district general- ly voted for the former.
Mr. Swoope declined a re-election, and General Samuel Blackburn, then of Bath, was anuonnced as the Federalist candidate. William McCoy, of Pendleton, came forward as the Republican candidate. The election was hield on April court day, 1811. At that time, and for long afterwards, elections were not hield as now, on the same day, throughout the State, or even district, but the people of each county voted at their April court. Augusta, Bath and Hardy, gave majorities for Blackburn, but Pendleton and Rockingham, the other two counties of the district, carried the day for McCoy, who was elected by a majority of one hundred and thirty-five votes. At the same time Chapman Johnson was elected to represent Augusta in the State Senate, and A. Fulton and A. Anderson were elected delegates. The whole vote cast in Augusta at the election was seven hundred and eighty five, the right of suffrage being restricted to freeholders.
William McCoy held the seat in Congress till 1833. Daniel Sheffey represented the Wythe district in the House of Representatives from 1809 to 1817, and afterwards removed to Staunton. In due time he presented himself as the Federalist candidate against McCoy, but in vain. On election day in Pendleton, he was there to confront his adversary at home, but on his return reported that "it was
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nothing but Hiner, Greiner and McCoy," the first two being candi- dates for the Legislature.
Although the trustees of the Staunton Academy were incorporated in 1792, their school-house seems not to have been completed till about 1810. Judge Stuart gave the lot. A part of the funds em- ployed was raised by general subscription in the county, and a part was donated by the State out of proceeds of sale of glebe lands. The Masonic fraternity also had an interest in the building, occupying an upper room as their hall. In the year last named, the principals of the academy were James G. Waddell and Bartholomew Fuller. The former taught the classics, and the latter mathematics.
For nearly seventy years-until the building was turned over to the trustees of public free schools-a succession of teachers had charge of the academy. In 1833, Lyttleton Waddell and William D. Cooke became joint principals. The latter continued for a short time only, but the former conducted the school for more than twenty years. During most of that time, the institution was highly prosperous, attracting many pupils from abroad.
Colonel Robert Porterfield was elected Brigadier-General of State troops in 1810, and appointed Mr. Johu H. Peyton his chief of staff.
There is some uncertainty in regard to the date of Colonel Porterfield's election to the office of Brigadier-General. He was called General in 1808, as we learn from a letter written by John Coalter, afterwards Judge, and published in the Calendar of Virginia State Papers, Vol. X, p. 24. The facts in connection with this letter are interesting.
It seems that, on the 17th of September, 1808, a meeting of citi- zens of Augusta county was held at Chambers' tavern, in Staunton, to consider the state of the country. From 130 to 150 persons attended. General Porterfield was called to the chair, and an address and series of resolutions, prepared by Carter Beverley, were adopted and ordered to be published. The purport of the address and resolutions appears to have been a severe denunciation of the Federal authorities on account of their relations with Great Britain. Mr. Jefferson was President, and Johu Tyler, Sr., was Governor of Virginia.
The State Executive in council wrote to Mr. Coalter, a practising lawyer, requesting him to enquire as to the connection of General Porterfield with the address, to ascertain the facts by regular affidavits, and transmit them to the Executive. The object must have been to arraign the General before some tribunal, probably a court-martial.
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Mr. Coalter declined to make the inquiry. He regretted that any portion of the people should entertain such opinions of our National Government as those contained in the address and resolutions" referred to. "Yet," he said, "if such are their honest opinions. onght they to conceal them, or ought their patriotism and love of country be drawn in question on that ground?" He had long known the chairman and a number of the men who voted for the address and resolutions, and believed they would be as far from knowingly op- posing the Government in any improper way as any people." He earnestly believed that no sin of disloyalty to the Government would be committed by any man in the county of Augusta.
We have no further information in regard to the matter. As will appear hereafter, General Porterfield was actively engaged during the war of 1812-15 in organizing troops and sending them to the field. He did not lose the confidence of the State authorities. In July, 1812, Governor Barbour appointed him one of the commissioners from the State for ascertaining and establishing the line between the lands reserved for Revolutionary soldiers of the Virginia line, west of the Ohio river, and he recommended Samuel Clarke, of Staunton, as surveyor to rtin the line. While attending to this business, he had the misfortune to break one of his legs by a fall from his horse. In 1814, he was appointed by the Governor to explore the grounds where the enemy might attempt to land on York and James Rivers, and the country over which they would probably march on their route to Richmond. He performed this service, and his report is published in Vol. X of the Calendar, p. 382.
The population of the county in 1810 was 14,338; Staunton, 1,225 ; Waynesborough, 250 ; Greenville, 162 ; and Middlebrook, 66. The number of slaves in the county was 2,880.
The Fourth of July* was celebrated with much enthusiasm dur- ing the earlier years of the century. In 1810 Willian Clarke delivered the annual oration. From the Republican Farmer we extract the following account of the celebration in 1811 : "The day was an- nounced by one discharge from the artillery of Captain McCue's company at daybreak, and seventeen at sunrise. About 12 o'clock the artillery company and Captain Poage's troop of cavalry paraded the streets of Staunton, and marched to Mr. Peter Heiskell's spring, about a mile from town, when, after hearing a short address suitable
* The celebration of the Fourth of July began before the close of the Revolutionary war. Capt. Davis of Wayne's Pennsylvania continentals, men- tions in his Diary, the celebration by the army, in lower Virginia, July 4th, 1781.
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to the occasion, delivered by Briscoe G. Baldwin, a soldier of the artillery company, they dined on an excellent barbecue." Then follow the toasts. In the evening the military returned to town, and performed " several interesting evolutions." "Seventeen discharges from the cannon," continues the Farmer, " closed the celebration of the day. The citizens who did not belong to the military companies, enjoyed a barbecue feast at Mr. John McDowell's spring. At night a large and respectable company formed a dancing party at Mrs. Chambers' tavern. It was observed by a polite and intelligent stranger that he had never seen such a collection of beautiful ladies."
The Farmer of August 16, 1811, announced that the mail stage would leave Winchester every Friday at 7 A. M., and arrive at Staunton on Sunday at 4 P. M .; and leave Staunton every Monday at 4 A. M., and arrive at Winchester on Tuesday by 10 P. M.
In the Farmer of September 6, 1811, we find an advertisement by General Porterfield in regard to the training of officers, and regimental musters of the various regiments of his brigade. James Brown was the brigade inspector.
Henry Miller, the founder of Miller's Iron Works, having died, his administrators, Samnel Miller and John M. Estell, advertised for sale, September 6, 1811, the furnace and forge, with eight thousand acres of land, "supposed to be the most valuable property of the kind in Virginia."
" A matter of common concern," was advertised in September, 1811. Robert Porterfield, William Boys, John Coalter, Erasmus Stribling and John Brown, managers, invited subscriptions to the stock of a company to construct a road from Rockfishi Gap to Scott's land- ing, on James river. The capital of the company was $60,000, shares $25 each, dividends anticipated fifteen per cent ! This scheme came to naught. Many years before, the justices of Augusta and Rock- bridge counties were authorized by act of assembly to appropriate money for repairing the road over the Blue Ridge at Rockfish Gap.
George Alfred advertised his "Universal Spelling-Book" in 1811 .*
* George Alfred was a famous "Old Field School-master " in his day. The writer knew him well ("and every truant knew") many years after 1811, when he kept his school in an ancient building on Lewis street, called "The Wash-house."
"Yet he was kind, or if severe in aught,
The love he bore to learning was his fault."
He was a large and venerable-looking man. One 4th of July is vividly remembered. Devoted to his calling, Mr. Alfred made no announcement before-
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The market prices at Richmond were as follows: October 10, 1811, wheat $1.09, superfine flour $7.50, bacon 1234 cents, whiskey 54 cents ; October 24th, wheat $1.50, flour $8.25, whiskey 44 cents.
The Republican Farmer of November 8, 1811, contained an editor- iall It advocated the "Augusta Society for the Promotion of Agri- culture."
The first number of the paper issued by Collett, published an ex- tract from a speech by Daniel Sheffey, then a member of Congress from the Wytheville district, in opposition to the threatened war with Great Britain. But the war came on, notwithstanding. The militia of Rockbridge were full of patriotism and military ardor. One whole regiment of twelve hundred men, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel James McDowell, convened at Lexington, November 14, 1811, and offered their services to the President of the United States.
The Common Council of Staunton passed an ordinance, July 14, 1813, for " establishing a market." It provided for holding a market twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and prescribed the "market limits," around the court-house and jail. The only house was an open shed below the jail, in which stalls were erected in 1818. The Rev. William King was elected "clerk of the market."
CHANCELLOR JOHN BROWN.
From a sketch of Judge Brown, published in "Historical Papers, No. 3, 1893," Washington & Lee University, we extract most of the following facts in regard to that prominent gentleman :
He was born, October 5, 1762, and spent his boyhood, not far from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
In the years 1782 and 1783, he was a student at Liberty Hall Academy, at Lexington, which afterwards became Washington College, and finally Washington & Lee University. He was doubt- less attracted to Liberty Hall by the rector, the Rev. William Graham, who was probably an early acquaintance in Pennsylvania. Long afterwards, while residing at Staunton, Judge Brown was a trustee of the college.
Among his associates at the Academy were Col. James Mc- Dowell, Judge Archibald Stuart, Rev. Archibald Alexander, and Judge
hand of the usual holiday, and the boys conspired to "bar him ont." Getting into the house before he arrived, and fastening all the doors and windows, they prevented his entrance. He took it in good part, however, and there was no school that day. When quite an old man lie issned au arithmetic.
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John Coalter. With one of his school-mates, Henry J. Peyton, he spent part of a vacation at the home of the latter, near Winchester, and there became acquainted with Miss Frances Peyton, of Westmore- land county, also a guest and niece of the host. Her attractions soon charmed him ; but she at first made light of the attentions of the somewhat unpolished Scotch-Irish youth. Afterwards, however, she was won by his sterling merit, and they were married February 21, 1784.
After his marriage, young Brown studied law and located in Moorefield, Hardy county, to practice his profession. Having acquired distinction as a lawyer, he was elected chancellor of "the upper district," in 1802, and removed to Staunton. His residence was called Spring Farm, now embraced in Gypsy Hill Park. He died on October 6, 1826. His widow survived till May 14, 1851, and was the first person interred in Thornrose Cemetery.
Judge Brown's children were, Margaret, wife of William S. Eskridge ; Martha, wife of Judge Briscoe G. Baldwin ; and James Ewell Brown, long a Judge of the Circuit Court, whose residence was at Wytheville.
CHAPTER XVI.
FROM THE YEAR 1812 TO THE YEAR 1825.
A majority of the voters of Augusta county no doubt sympathized with Daniel Sheffey and other statesmen of the same school in their op- position to the measures which brought on the war of 1812; but when the war arose, no unpatriotic spirit was exhibited in the county. General Porterfield, Colonel Doak, and other officers, although staunch Feder- alists, exerted themselves to the utmost to prepare the Augusta militia for the field. The war, however, did not approach our borders, and very few of our people actually participated in the conflict. Nicholas C. Kinney and George Eskridge, young lieutenants in the regular army, served for a time on the northern frontier.
We quote from the files of the Republican Farmer, as far as we have them :
William Patrick, one of the overseers of the poor of Augusta county, published a card, stating that the glebe land was sold in 1802 for {800 ; that the money had been loaned out, and in January, 1812, . amounted to {1,200, and asking the people of the county to decide what use should be made of the money, whether for the poor or the Staunton Academy.
As we learn from published military notices, in March, 1812, Christopher Morris was Captain of the Staunton Light Infantry Blues, Moses McCue of the Staunton Artillery, and Briscoe G. Baldwin of the Staunton Infantry Company. We shall hereafter have a brief notice of Captain Morris' company. John C. Sowers was First Lieu- tenant of the Staunton Artillery, and soon became the Captain. This company and Captain Baldwin's will appear again.
" A gentleman, direct from Washington city," informed the editor, in April, 1812, that an embargo had been laid for ninety days. This important news was received at that day, no doubt, "in advance of the mails."
Lieutenant Allison, of the Fifth United States infantry, recruiting in Staunton, advertised a reward of $10 for the apprehension of a deserter.
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