USA > Virginia > Augusta County > Augusta County > Annals of Augusta county, Virginia, from 1726 to 1871 > Part 45
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Everybody in town and county knew Mrs. Kurtz, the keeper of the county jail. Her linsband, Jacob Kurtz, was nominally the jailor, but she had the credit of carrying the keys and ruling the establish- ment. In stature she was like Meg Merrilies, while in official charac- ter she strongly resembled in some respects Mrs. Mac Guffog, the keeper of the prison at Portanferry, as described in Guy Mannering.
Another character, known by everybody, was Pea Johnny, or Johnny Pea, so called, because he first came to Staunton to sell black- eye peas. He was a half-witted white man, who had a home in the county, twenty miles off, but spent most of his time in Staunton. Now and then he did a little field-work for small pay, but generally sub- sisted on charity. When sober he was inoffensive, and had free access to every kitchen in the town. Many cold winter nights he presented himself at the doors of citizens and begged to be taken in. Often lie entered without permission, and ladies were sometimes aroused from sleep at night by his efforts to rekindle the fire in their chambers. But Johnny was too fond of a dram, and sometimes became intoxicated. Then the boys teased him, and he became dangerous, throwing stones, and defending himself with the utmost vigor.
The chief tormentor of Johnny Pea was a poor waif, a strapping young negro woman called Crazy Nance, who, however, was probably
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a born idiot. She was claimed by nobody, could not be induced to do any work, nor to remain at the poor-house, and roamed at large ac- cording to her own fancy, except when confined in jail. Where she was born, or properly belonged, we have never ascertained. She was generally harmless, but sometimes became mischievous, and being very stout, the person she picked a quarrel with was liable to suffer serious injury. Johnny Pea and she occasionally came in conflict, and engaged in pitched battles in the public streets. These two un- fortunates long ago passed away. Both of them died at the county poor-house.
The body servant of Major Willis. of Orange county, during the latter part of the Revolutionary war and at Yorktown, was a negro man named Tom Evans, who lived in Staunton for many years, and died here sometime before 1840. "Uncle Tom," as he was called, was a small, very black, and very pompous negro. He never forgot that he was " a hero of the Revolution," and therefore never laughed and rarely smiled. His fondness for using big words, which he poured forth with the utmost gravity, made his conversation racy and enter- taining. He was chiefly noted, however, for his suit of Revolutionary uniform, including cocked-hat, coat, and red short breeches, in which he often dressed on the 4th of July, and promenaded the streets to the public amusement and his own profit in the way of small coin levied by him on patriotic citizens.
CHAPTER XVIII.
FROM 1833 TO 1844.
Let us now endeavor to take a view of Staunton, and to some ex- tent of the county, in 1833, or we may say from 1823 to 1843, for as far as we can ascertain, the condition of things during that period remained substantially unchanged.
Whatever the people of Staunton may think of it at this time, in 1833 the town was very shabby and unattractive, in respect to its streets and buildings, public and private. Very few of the side-walks were paved, and pedestrians floundered in the mire at almost every step. The side-walks of some of the streets had been railed off, to pro- tect people on foot from vehicles and cattle, but most of the rails had fallen off, so that only a remnant remained, with here and there a post. The town authorities discouraged the planting of trees, and therefore the aspect of the town was bare and bleak. The court-house stood in the yard still used for that purpose. It was an unsightly stone struc- ture, nearly square, aud two stories high. The entrances were on the north and south sides.
The County Court clerk's office was a long one-story brick build- ing near the southwest corner of the lot, and south of the court-house. On the north side of the lot adjoining the alley and Augusta street, was a brick house of two stories, where the clerk's offices of the Chan- cery and Circuit Courts were accommodated. This house was entered through a two-storied porch on its south side, fronting the court- house.
The county jail occupied the site of the present prison, aud was as plain and unsightly as the courthouse. The town market- house was a large shed with roof supported by posts, and no side walls, on the corner of the jail lot next Augusta street. In the rear of the market-house stood the whipping-post and pillory.
Augusta street terminated a short distance south of the creek. The top of "Gospel Hill" was the eastern terminus of Beverley street, and the main Winchester road entered the town over that hill, Coalter street being an extension of the road.
The people of Staunton obtained water for drinking and cooking from a half dozen public wells, and the labor of carrying water to dis-
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tant points no doubt retarded the growth of the town. There were few houses on the hills.
The waters of the various wells were not equally good. The water of " Hopkins' pump," at the northeast corner of Beverley and Market streets, seemed to be impregnated with magnesia, and was generally avoided by thirsty people. But that of "Hill's pump," at the northwest corner of Beverley and Augusta, two squares from the former, was pure and sweet, and was sent for by people living far away. We have seen that most of the young men of Staunton, who went to the Southwest in search of fortune, drifted back in the course of time ; and old Mr. Heiskell used to say that every boy who had drank the water of " Hill's pump" was sure to return to it. Accord- ing to Mr. Heiskell, he longed for it as David did for "the water of the well that is by the gate of Bethlehem."
The other pumps were known as Chambers', Gregory's, Peebles', and Fuller's. Most of them were very deep. Before water was brought to town in pipes from country springs, typhoid fever prevailed to some extent in Staunton, from which it was inferred that the well water was not wholesome.
There were, and are, several springs in private premises along Lewis creek,-one in the cellar of the Bell tavern, and another in a lot on Spring lane, where the old parsonage probably once stood.
There were three churches in Staunton. The old parish church had disappeared and a small new Episcopal church had taken its place. The other churches were the Methodist and Presbyterian, and all three were without ornamentation.
A new house was seldom built, and an old one quite as seldom repaired. The furniture of the dwellings was very plain, and generally home-made.
The streets often presented a deserted and desolate appearance. On many days in summer time, a person stepping into the main street would not see another living thing, man or beast, from "the head of Newtown to the top of Gospel Hill."
There was a singular disregard of neatness and comfort in the public streets, with exception of Beverley, lower New street, and Augusta to some extent. No pavement or sidewalk existed on Frederick street from end to end. People walking shared the way with horses and cows, all alike tramping through the mud and mire. Moreover, there were several stables immediately on that and other streets, and piles of litter thrown out on the highway adorned every stable door, and sent their fetid drainage meandering through the gutters of the town. Many dwelling houses were on Frederick, and
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the inmates, whenever they went out, had to pass over or around the obstructions mentioned as best they could. In rainy weather, the ground around the courthouse yard was like a swamp.
The taverns were the Bell, the Eagle, the Wayne and the Wash- ington. The widow Mitchell kept a country inn half a mile from town, on the Winchester road.
It will be observed that there were no "hotels" in those days, at least in this part of the country ; but all houses of public entertain- ment were called taverns, as at an earlier day they were styled ordinaries. One prominent piece of tavern furniture has entirely dis- appeared. Whatever else was wanting in the equipment of the honse, every tavern in town had a large bell suspended in some con- venient place, which was used to summon guests to their meals. The bells were rung twice before each meal-first, to notify guests to get ready ; and, secondly, after au interval of twenty or thirty minutes, to come to the table. Thus, morning, noon and evening there was a great clatter in the town. These bells, as well as the courthouse bell, were also rung to give the alarm when a fire occurred. As early as 1797 Staunton could boast of possessing a Chinese gong. In that year, Judge Stuart, not yet having been promoted to the bench, re- ceived a gong as a present from Mr. Jefferson, at that time vice- president of the United States ; and for many years afterwards it often reverberated through the town at dinner time, to summon Judge Stuart's "hands" from the fields. A town clock was procured and placed in the tower of the newly-built Lutheran church, in the year 1851 or '2. Previously, the tavern bells served a generally useful purpose by indicating to the people the hours three times a day.
The Wayne tavern is always associated in the writer's mind with Indians. Before the removal of the southern Indians west of the Mississippi, Staunton was on the direct route from their country to Washington, and Cherokees, Chickasaws and Choctaws frequently passed through town on their way to visit the "Great Father."
Another familiar sight in Staunton, in 1833, was the " Knoxville teams." At that time the merchants of East Tennessee transported their goods from Baltimore in wagons, and every spring and fall many lumbering wains passed through town, traversing the county, going and coming. The horses were generally decorated with bells. After the extension of the James River canal to Lynchburg, Knoxville teams were seen in Staunton no more. The United States mails for south- western Virginia and east Tennessee were brought through Staunton in stage coaches. The mail bags were changed here from one set of coaches to another, and many of the bags daily thrown off at our post-
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office were labelled "Abingdon," where there was a distributing office. The Staunton boys of that era had an idea that Abingdon was a place of immense importance.
About the year 1833, there was a great tide of emigration from eastern Virginia and North Carolina to Ohio. Forlorn looking people with horses and carts to correspond, and a train of flax-headed chil- dren, frequently came along, and when asked where they were going, never failed to reply : "To the Ohio." But while the east was thus peopling the west, Ohio, and especially Kentucky, sent annually to the eastern markets immense droves of hogs. Every fall, drove after drove came through Staunton, till it seemed there must be a surfeit of swine's flesh east of the Blue Ridge. At the same time, little carts drawn by little horses brought over sweet potatoes from Nelson county and oysters from Fredericksburg.
Staunton was also a great thoroughfare for travelers going to and returning from the Virginia springs. During the "springs season," the town was alive with stage coaches, besides the private carriages in which many wealthy people traveled. Some of the latter and all of the former were drawn by four horses, and occasionally there was quite a display of liveried servants.
The arrival of the Baltimore Bonapartes on their return from the springs, always caused a ripple of excitement. The first boy who caught the sight would raise the cry, "Bonaparte is coming !" and all his comrades ran to see the procession. First came a buggy drawn by two horses, in which sat a gentleman or two. Next came the family carriage drawn by four horses, and conveying the ladies and children. In the rear came a two-horse spring wagon bringing the baggage. Thus, with three vehicles, ten horses, and sundry servants, the nephew of Napoleon made his entry and passed through the streets.
The western line of public stage coaches extended from Staunton to Guyandotte, on the Ohio river, and afforded the only mode of pub- lic conveyance for travelers from nearly all parts of Virginia and portions of other States, to the Mississippi valley. Bawcett (pro- nounced Bocket) long the proprietor of the Winchester line, had retired from business in 1833. He was succeeded in turn by Belden, Porter, Boyd, Farish, Ficklin, Harman, Trotter and others. But at last the railroads drove the stage coaches from the field.
The Fourth of July was often celebrated with great zest, especial- ly when General Porterfield could be induced to come up to town and take part. At other times the people had to put up with Smith Thompson, the Scotch barber, one of the few surviving soldiers of the
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Revolution in Staunton, who was helped into a carriage and drawn about the streets. Tom Evans now and then paraded the streets in his continental uniform. Old Gabriel, too, who was at Yorktown, as well as Braddock's defeat, was generally on hand to tell of his exploits.
The district court of the United States sat in Staunton twice a year, and brought many strangers to town every May aud October. Some- times there were exciting trials of mail robbers and forgers of United States coin. The judges remembered by the writer were, Caldwell, of Wheeling ; Pennybacker, of Harrisonburg ;. and Brockenbrough, of Lexington. James Points, of Staunton, was the United States Marshal.
The court-house was generally thronged with people, not only on the first day of each monthly County Court, but during nearly the whole of every term of the Circuit Court. The county levy was laid annually by the County Court at June terin, the 4th Monday in the month, and it was the duty of all the justices to be present. Generally, from thirty to forty attended. They overflowed "the bench," and many had to sit in places usually occupied by jurors and others. On these occasions the court presented the appearance of a legislative body, and the proceedings were often enlivened by animated debates. James Bell, Esq., for many years the senior justice, nearly always presided at June conrt.
Every now and then a case of general interest arose iu the Circuit Court, such as the Patrick will case, or a criminal trial like that of Naaman Roberts for forgery ; and the whole population became eulist- ed on one side or the other. The speeches of Johnson, Sheffey, Peyton, Baldwin, and other lawyers, were talked about all over the county and at every fireside.
The meeting-house, the school-house, and the court-house, have always been the great educational institutions in Augusta.
A large proportion of the people of Augusta have always been noted church goers. Men, women and children have been in the habit of flocking to their various country churches iu large numbers. Many of them went with a devout spirit to worship ; others, we must confess, attended from force of habit ; some, to tell and hear the news; and some, to show off their fine clothes or fine horses. During the period of which we are now speaking, the roads generally were ungraded and rugged, and there were comparatively few family carriages in the county. Buggies, now so common, were almost unknown. People of botlı sexes and all ages came to town and went to church on horse-
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back. Young girls cantered along the highways on spirited steeds, and their beaux, on even more fiery chargers, escorted them home, and remained for dinner or supper. Sedate matrons went about in like manner, on well-broken horses, however, and it was not uncommon to see one thus mounted carrying an infant in her arms, and with an older child sitting behind her on the same horse.
A country wedding among well-to-do people was always a grand occasion. The marriage and principal feast were, of course, at the home of the bride, and all the kin far and near and all friends of both families were invited and attended. There was much fun and frolic; occasionally dancing, but no waltz or "German "; and seldom any intoxication from drink. The climax was reached at the cutting of the "bride's cake." Every young girl was eager to find the gold finger-ring which was always inserted in the cake, as the lucky finder was sure to be the next bride. Small pieces of the cake were carried away, and many a damsel slept with a bit of it under her pillow, that her future husband might be revealed to her in a dream. The festivities were kept up till a late hour. Then most of the guests dispersed to their respective homes, or to neighboring farm-homes, to spend the remainder of the night. The bridesmaids and groomsmen generally lodged at the bride's home, to be ready for next day's pro- ceedings, and the capacity of the dwelling to furnish quarters was taxed to the utmost. A half dozen young men would be put into one rooni to sleep, if they could, in one or two feather beds,-liair mat- tresses were unknown ; and in like manner the bridesmaids were ac- commodated in their chamber. The stable and barn, too, were crowded with guests, a dozen or more riding-horses having to be en- tertained. In most cases there was very little sleep. The female head of the family scarcely attempted to rest, as she must be up early in the morning to see about breakfast.
The "infare" was celebrated next day at the home of the groom's parents, if he had not provided a dwelling for himself. To this the bridal party repaired on horseback, and as the cavalcade proceeded through the country, the eyes of all the people along the route were fixed upon them. The feast to-day consisted of a dinner at which every good thing the country afforded was spread upon the table. If the season were Fall or Winter, as was most frequently the case, the prominent dish was filled by a portly goose well stuffed,- the turkey had not yet taken the place on dinner tables it now occupies. Of course there was choice old ham; and better still, a whole pig which had been roasted to a turn on a spit at the wide kitchen fireplace, with an apple in its mouth.
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It may be presumed that by evening all participants were fagged out and glad to retire somewhere to rest and sleep. But often a round of parties kept half the country astir for a fortnight. As a natural consequence of one wedding, several others came off soon thereafter.
For many years there were only two militia regiments in the county,-the Thirty-second and the Ninety-third. The former mus- tered annually at Hanger's, and the latter at the Cross Keys, a tavern not far from Greenville. A third regiment, the One-Hundred-and- Sixtieth, was afterward formed, and then the Thirty-second mustered at New Hope, the Ninety-third at Middlebrook, and the One-Hundred- and-Sixtieth at Springhill. The officers of the various regiments met in Staunton during the month of May, and were drilled for three days preceding the regimental musters by Major George Eskridge, the brigade inspector.
The militia officers did not pay much attention to their costume. The colonels and majors and some of the captains, wore, when on parade, coats of ancient pattern, not later certainly than the war of 1812,-dark blue cloth, long swallow tails, and brass buttons, with epanlets, When, therefore, the Staunton Light Infantry appeared in the field, every private in uniform and carrying a musket, an admiring crowd followed the company wherever it marched. After a time some variety was demanded by the popular taste, and Captain Hemphill's rifle company was thereupon organized. The privates of this company wore hunting shirts and carried the regular old-fashioned rifles. Captain Robert S. Brooke's rifle company arose and flourished for some years, long after Hemphill's was disbanded. Every militia company was required to muster twice a year, and also to attend the regimental musters.
The volunteer companies mustered on one Saturday in every month. They also paraded on the 4th of July, the 22nd of February, 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 Natural Bridge on a visit. A year or two afterwards the Lexington company returned the visit, and went, accompanied by the Staunton troops, to Weyer's Cave. On their return to Staunton, all the way-worn veterans were feasted by the ladies at a supper iu the court-house yard.
Henry Snyder, a painter by trade, was the chief drummer in the county for many years. When a boy he was orie of Captain Sowers' musicians in the war of 1812. His assistant was William Suthards, a gunsmith, and the principal fifer was George Orebaugh, a farmer of the Long Glade neighborhood.
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In the course of time there was a great improvement in the cos- tume of the militia officers of the county. J. Marshall McCue, a very young man and full of military ardor, was appointed adjutant of the Thirty-second regiment, before the One-Hundred-and Sixtieth was formed, and came out in a complete uniform of the modern style, in- cluding a cocked hat and plume and red sash. The example was con- tagious, 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 attractive 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. Waddell instructed the classes in medical jurisprudence. In his advertisement of the second session, beginning December 1, 1832, General Baldwin said: "The depart- ment of Medical Jurisprudence 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 Stauuton, and James B. Trimble, at his place, called " Bustleburg," supplied the countryside with wagons ; David Gilkeson manufactured cabinet furniture and sold it widely ; Jacob and Peter Kurtz were the great manufacturers of chairs, spin- ning 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. Armis- tead 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 Staunton 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 coun- ty. Big and little spinning-wheels, -the former for wool and the lat- ter 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 receive 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 women. Both liad cotton warps. The knitting of socks and stock- ings of yarn and cotton was universal. Every female practised the art. For summer wear by females, striped cotton cloth was woven. All-wool blankets and flannels were made in large quantities, and of superior 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 mannfactured. Many a thrifty housewife still takes pride in exhibiting the blankets, sheets and towels which her mother or grandmother made and transmitted to her.
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