USA > Virginia > Culpeper County > Culpeper County > Genealogical and historical notes on Culpeper County, Virginia > Part 23
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
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Wharton, Stanton, enlisted April, 1861; Co. E, 13th Virginia Infantry, Pe- gram's Brigade, Early's Division; wounded at second Manassas; captured at Petersburg in 1865; held at Point Lookout four months.
Wheatley, James G., enlisted April, 1861; 4th Virginia Cavalry, Fitz Lee's Di- vision.
Whitlock, Martin, enlisted 1864; Co. I, 6th Virginia Infantry, Wickham's Bri- gade, Fitz Lee's Division; wounded 1864, at Manassas.
Winston, Arthur W., enlisted May, 1861; 7th Virginia Infantry, Kemper's Bri- gade, Pickett's Division.
Winston, L. D., enlisted April 18, 1861; Culpeper Minute Men, Purcell's Battery Hill's Division.
Wise, John B., enlisted 1862; wounded 1833, at Leesburg; died 1873, at Shreve- port, Louisana, of yellow fever.
Wise, Louis A., enlisted 1861; Richmond Howitzer Company Artillery.
Wood, P., enlisted 1863; Co. D), 13th Virginia Infantry.
Wood, Robert W., enlisted June 6, 1861; Co. D. 23rd Virginia Infantry, Talia - ferro's Brigade, Jackson's Division; lost all toes by frost; discharged Feb- ruary 9, 1862.
Yancey, Edwin D., enlisted 1861; artillery; promoted lieutenant.
Yowell, John, enlisted September 1, 1863; Pegram's Battalion Artillery.
Yowell. William L., enlisted September, 1863; Co. C, 4th Virginia Cavalry, Wickham's Brigade, Fitz Lee's Division.
ENGAGEMENTS IN CULPEPER COUNTY.
On June 26, 1862, General John Pope was appointed to the command of the Federal "Army of Virginia." One of his first official acts was to issue a mani- festo to the soldiers and officers of this army, directing a series of depredations . upon the peaceful, noncombatant residents of the country they had invaded. authorizing arbitrary arrests, ordering such as should refuse to take the oath of allegiance to be "driven from their homes, considered spies, and subjected
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to the extreme rigor of military law." This placing of the helpless people of an invaded country at the mercy of an unbridled and unscrupulous soldiery was keenly felt in Culpeper county where Banks, commanding Pope's second corps, had at this time a strong advance guard stationed South of Culpeper C. H., and near Gordonsville, Orange county.
Pope's object was to obtain possession of Gordonsville, where the Virginia Central and Orange & Albemarle railroads intersect. and destroy communica- tion between the Confederate capital and the Shenandoah Valley. To effect this, Banks ordered a brigade of Infantry to Culpeper C. H., July 14th, while this cavalry, under General Hatch, advanced to seize Gordonsville. But Gen- eral Lee's superior strategy had enabled him to comprehend the purpose of the advance through Culpeper, and although the whole army of the Potomac menaced him before Richmond, he had not hesitated to dispatch to Gordons- ville, ou the 13th, his most trusted lieutenant. "Stonewall" Jackson, at the head of his own and Ewell's divisions.
Hatch fell back only too quickly from Gordonsville on finding an army of 15,000 inen where he had looked to overawe non-fighting citizens. Until re-in- forced, the Federals in Culpeper largely outnumbering his force, Jackson held Gordonsville, warily watching the gathering of the enemy before him. July 26th A. P. Hill's division joined him, and he determined to offer battle. "Hav- ing recieved information," says Jackson's official report "that only a part of Pope's army was at Culpeper C. H.," [Its numerical force outnumbering his force even then] "and hoping, through the blessing of Providence, to be able to defeat it before reinforcements should arrive there, Ewell's, Hill's and Jack- son's divisions were moved on the 6th in the direction of the enemy from their respective encampments near Gordonsville. * * * On the 9th, as we arrived within about eight miles of Culpeper C. H., we found the enemy on our front, near Cedar Run, a short distance west and north of Slaughter [Cedar] moun- tain."
BATTLE OF CEDAR RUN.
Jackson was not the general to hesitate in the face of overwhelming odds, and he promptly offered battle. Ewell's division was ordered forward on his right, Timble's and Hay's brigade ou the northern slope of Cedar mountain, Early's brigade on the Culpeper road; Jackson's division commanded by Gen- eral Winder, was on the left; Campbell's brigade commanded by Lieutenant- Colonel Garnet, the brigade of General W. B. Taliaferro, and the famous "Stonewall" brigade in reserve. Hill's division was in reserve. The Federals were drawn up in strong position on a plateau just beyond Cedar Run, the ar- tillery in front of the infantry. the cavalry on the flanks. Crawford's brigade of Williams' division (Federal) was the extreme right of Banks' line of battle, Geary's, Prince's and Greene's Brigade of Augur's and Bayard's divisions con- fronting Ewell's division, and Gordon's brigade formed the Federal reserve.
The artillery opened the battle about noon, and until 3 p. m. kept up a con- stant fire. General Winder was killed about 3:30 p. m., while directing the fire of some batteries. At 3 p in. Banks ordered forward his whole line. The First Virginia Battalion was struck at great disadvantage, and the Forty-Sec- ond, ordered to change front and meet a flank attack, lost its commanding of- ficer, Major Layne. The Confederate forces mnet the attack with heroic obsti- nacy; Colonel Garnet was wounded, Lieutenant-Colonel Cunningham, of the Twenty-First Virginia was killed; the 12th Georgia held their ground, thoughi attacked in front and rear. Jackson then ordered up the brigades of Branch, Archer and Pender-Hill's division. The Federals fell back across a wheat field and endeavored to form another line of battle, and Banks ordered Gordon's
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reserve into action. The fresh Confederate brigades flung themselves into ac- tion with an order against which the demoralized Federals could make no stand, and in another honr they were driven from the field, leaving the narrow valley where the infantry fought covered with their dead. . One Massachusetts regiment (Second Infantry) had thirty-five per cent. of the men engaged killed.
The battle had been short, sharp and sanguinary. Jackson's official re- port shows: 223 killed, 1,060 wounded, 31 missing. He captured 400 prisoners, three stand of colors, and 5,302 small arms. The Federal loss was 1,661 killed and wounded, 723 missing; total 2,393. After a day spent in burying the dead, Jackson fell back toward Gordonsville, satisfied there would be no further ef- fort to mass troops in that direction. He had won what the northern news- papers were pleased to term "a tactical victory," and it was not the first "tac. tical" defeat Banks had met at his hands. This battle of Cedar Run is also variously called: Cedar Mountain, Slaughter Mountain, Southwest Mountain, and Mitchell's Station
August 12th Longstreet, with his division and two brigades under General Hood, Stuart's cavalry, and the brigade from the James under R. H Anderson, were ordered to Gordonsville, which force, combined with Jackson's, Lee in- tended should give battle to Pope's "Army of Virginia," now in force beyond the Rapidan For once, comprehending the Confederate purpose, Pope hasti- ly retreated across the Rappahannock, and Culpeper county was relieved of the presence of his hated troops
In the early months of 1863, General Lee initiated the movements prepara- tory to the invasion of Pennsylvania, and the troops for the campaign were marshalled on the Culpeper plain. Stuart, his war horse literally covered with floral offerings from the ladies who gathered to witness the display, re- viewed the cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia at Brandy Station.
THE BATTLE OF BRANDY STATION
Was an attack, June 9, 1863, on his cavalry by a portion of Pleasant's cavalry. General Hooker, the "figliting Joe Hooker" of the Northern press, was now in the command of the "Army of the Potomac," and Pleasanton was his recently appointed cavalry leader. The Federals crossed the Rappahannock at Bev- erlys and Kellys fords, nine thousand men and six batteries, at daybreak June 9th. Major Mcclellan, Stuart's adjutant-general, puts Stewart's force at nine thousand three hundred and thirty five men and twenty guns, but states that three thousand men were absent at the time of the battle, miking Stuart's ac- tual fighting force one third less than Pleasant's. The latter formed his plan of attack on the mistaken supposition that Stuart was at Culpeper C. H., and ordered his troops to rendezvous at Brandy Station. Unfortunately for his plans, Stuart's troops were concentrated at his place of rendezvous.
General Buford, commanding Pleasanton's first division, came up from Bev- erly Ford, met Stuart's whole force at St. James church, fought some hours, was attacked in the rear, and finally compelled to fight his way out and back to the ford. Colonel Gregg, with Pleasanton's third division, came up from Kellys Ford, and in turn received the attention of Stuart's men, now well warmed up for the work. Pleasanton's second division, commanded by Col- onel Duffie, did not reach the battle field until late in the day, just as Pleasan- ton, informed that Confederate infantry was approaching, ordered a retreat. The Federal official report of the battle places the loss at five hundred, and Stuart's loss at seven hundred. As Stuart captured four hundred prisoners, it is safe to presume that this official statement is far from accurate-by no means an uncommon occurence.
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Other engagements on the soil of Culpeper county were of minor note, chief- ly as follows: A repulse of three Federal regiments of infantry and one of cav- alry, raiding near Culpeper C. H., July 12, 1862; August 20, 1862, a similar expe- rience for a body of Federal cavalry at Brandy Station; and the same next day at Kellys Ford; a skirmish at Kellys Ford, March 17, 1863; a raid of Federal cav- alry through Rappahannock Station, Kellys Ford and Brandy Station, August 1-3, 1863; a cavalry raid for the "Army of the Potomac" to Brandy Station, September 6, 1863; a fight at Kellys Ford November 7, 1863.
THE BRANDY RIFLES.
A Roll of the Brandy Rifleinen of Culpeper county at the time of organiza- tion in 1859.
C. H. Wager, Captain; Stockton Heth, 1st Lieutenant; John P. Wellford, 2nd Lieutenant; Thomas Faulconer 3rd Lieutenant; Thomas W. Parr, Sergeant; Thomas O. Curtis, Sergeant; George M. Wood, H. B. Milser, G. G. Thompson, F. M. Gilkeson, J. P. Wager, John D. Brown, R. O. Grayson, Albert Gordon, James W. Field, William McConkie, William Spicer, John Mallony, James Luckett, Win. Shaw. J. T. Norman, William Green, Thomas W. Jones, J. O. Harris, P. M. Wrenn, Benjamin Yates, Jolin Cash, Matthew Johnson, Stanton Wharton, J. C. Childs, Geo. Wheatley, R. C. Brown, J. F. Terrell, J. T. Bank- head, Lewis Yancey Sanford Berlin and William Luckett.
COMPANY B, 6TH VIRGINIA CAVALRY.
The publishers are indebted to Judge Daniel A. Grimsley for the following roll of Company B, 6th. Virginia Cavalry which was composed of men, most all of whom were from Rappahannock county. Many were from Culpeper; others from adjoining counties. The Company served from the beginning of the war to the close. The following roll gives the casualties, as far as is known.
Green, Jolin Shackelford; Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, 6th. Va. Cavalry; twice wounded; died since the war.
Green,* James W., 1st. Lieut., resigned in 1861.
Wigginton, Benj., 1st. Lieut , 2nd. Lieut., taken prisoner in 1833. Living in Missouri.
Grimsley, Daniel A., Sergeant, 1st. Lieut., Capt., Major, 6th Va. Cavalry.
Duncan, R. R., 1st. Lieut., Capt., wounded at 2nd. Manssas, Trevillian's and Tom's Brook.
Browning, W. S., 2nd. Lieut., 1st. Lieut., killed at Cedar Creek.
Fristoe,* W. S., 2nd. Lieut., resigned in 1862.
O'Bannon .* Walter, jr., 2nd. Lieut., not re-elected at reorganization, after- wards ordnance officer 6th. Virginia Cavaly.
NON COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.
Corbin, Henry M., 1st. Sergeant , promoted in order to 2nd. Lieut. in place of Browning; wounded, killed in Maryland.
Willis, A. M., 1st. Sergeant, Capt. Co. G. 12th. Va. Cav.
Daniel, A. R., 1st. Sergt., discharged in 1861 on account of disability.
Roberts, G. B., 1st. Sergt., killed in action.
Slaughter, F. L., Sergeant.
Burke, Cornelius, Sergeant, wounded in action.
Smith, W. M., Sergeant.
Jones, E. T., regimental quartermaster Sergeant.
Justis, James F., regimental forage master.
Botts, A. T., wounded at Yellow Tavern.
Bruce,* W. S., wounded.
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Carpenter, M. C., died in prison.
Duncan, B. F., killed in action.
Lillard,* W. J., promoted in order to jr. 2nd. Lieut.
Brownell,* W. H., elected Lieut. 12th. Va. Cavalry. PRIVATES: Atkins,* Silas H., enlisted 1861, disabled in action. Arm- strong, J. W., enlisted 1861, wounded twice. Atkins,* Thos. C. enlisted in 1861. Anderson, Peyton, 1861, killed in action. Wounded badly May 27, 1861. First soldier to shed his blood for the Confederacy. Discharged. Atkins. George, enlisted in 1862. Amiss, Edmond T., 1861.
Brown, Wm., 1861. Bowen, Wm., 1861. Bowen, Henry, 1861. Bragg, P. E., 1861. discharged on account of ill health. Re-enlisted Burke,* Jos., 1862. Burke, Edmund, 1862. Burke, Festus, 1862,
wounded, died in prison. Burke, Mike, 1862, killed in action. Burke,
Burke, (Tony) Robert, 1862. Killed in action., Burke, M. N., 1862.
Robert, 1862. Brown Dallas, 1862, killed in action. Brown,* Rob-
ert C., 1863. Brown Harvey, 1863. Browning, Henry R., 1863, accidently
wounded. Bywaters, Jas. E., 1862, died of disease. Bywaters,* Rob-
ert, 1863. Brooke,* Wm., 1861, prisoner. Brooke, Davis, 1861, died in
1862. Brown, Henry C., 1862, wounded. Browning, Joseph, 1862,
wounded.
Brown, J. Thompson, 1862, wounded; detailed to light duty in
commissary department. Bruce,* Win., 1861, wounded. Bradford.
Hill C., 1862, prisoner. Brady, Albert, 1861, severely wounded. Brady,*
Josephus, 1861, wounded. Butler, John, 1861.
Cannon,* Geo. W .. 1861, discharged honorably. Cannon,* Elijah, 1861, twice wounded. Corbin,* Robert, 1862, detailed as teamster. Chan- cellor, Jas., 1861, promoted Lieut. of infantry. Crawford, Jas. M., 1862,
prisoner and escaped from Elmira. Cannon, John R., 1863. Carpen- ter, Wın., 1862. Carpenter, Jas., 1862, died in prison, Chelf, Jas. N., 1862. Cooksey,* Jas., 1963, wounded. Clarke, Win., 1861. Carr,
Jno. O. 1863, killed in action. Curtis,* Jno., 1863, teamster. Corbin, Jas., 1862, wounded. Chewning, Robert, 1863, prisoner.
Daniel,* Win., 1861, discharged. Deal,* Geo. W., 1802. Dwyers,*
Alfred, 1863. Deatherage,* Robert R., 1863. Deatherage, t Robert, 1862. Dennis,t Newton, 1861. Dennis,t Wmn., 1862.
Eastham, Robt. W., 1861, Eastham, F. Dabney, 1861, wounded and discharged. Eastham, Geo., 1863, killed in action.
Fant,t W. D., 1861, discharged. Fletcher, Geo. W., 1861, died of dis-
ease. Field, R. Y., disabled in action, detailed in quarter-master depart- ment. Fogg, Chas. E., 1862, badly wounded. Field, P. B., 1862, killed
in action. Field, Win., 1862, killed in action. Fisher, Thos., 1863, wounded.
Grimsley, Thos. F., 1861. Green,t George, 1861. Green, Robert R.
1861, wounded at Cold Harbor. Green, Jas. W., 1862, wounded at Winches-
ter. George, Williamson C., 1864. Green,t Arthur, 1862, prisoner. Garnet,t Win. A., 1864, wounded at Spottsylvania. Hill,t Jas., 1861, wounded. Houghton, Jackson, 1961. Houghton,
Marshall, 1861, killed in action. Houghton, Thos., 1862, twice wounded. Houghton, Win. J., 1863, wounded. Houghton, Chas., 1864. Huff, Ed- ward H., 1861, prisoner, Huff, Jno. 1861, teamster. Huff, Thos., 1864.
Haddox, Jno., 1861, killed in action. Heaton, A. B., 1861, wounded.
Hawkins, Muscoe, 1862, wounded. Hawkins, Win., 1862, wounded at Yel- low Tavern. Hawkins,t Mortimer, 1863. Hawkins,t Jno., 1863. Hisle, Lloyd, 1862, wounded at Ream's Station. Histe, Daniel, wounded at
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Brandy Station. Hartley, Thos., 1862, wounded at Five Forks. Hitt, Jas., 1862. Hitt, Albert H., 1863. Hitt, Albert, 1853, killed in action. Hitt, Jno., 1852. Hill, Jas., 1861, wounded. Hood, C. B., 1864.
Hawes, Wm. F., 1833. Hand, t Eastham, 1862. Hand, Win., 1863.
Hambrick, Win , 1863. Hudson, Richard O., 1862, wounded. Herrell, Thomas, 1861. Huff, Jas., 1861, wounded. Hawkins, Arthur, 1863, wounded at Newtown.
Jett, W. A. L., 1861, wounded. Johnson, M. M., 1862. Johnson, Henry, 1863. Johnson, Dallas,, 1864. , Jordon, Robert, 1964. Judd, Jacob, 1864, died! !
Kendall, Snwarrow, 1862, killed in action, Kendall, Braxton, 1863.
Kerfoot, Jas. F., 1863. Kerfoot, Judson, 1863. Kerfoot, Willie, 1833.
Miller, Eastham J., 1861, died. ... Miller, Robert E., 1862. Miller, Jno, R., 1862, wounded, prisoner, . Mason, Win. B., 1861. Murphy, Samuel, dis- charged. . Menefee, Henry St. Cyr, 1863. McQueen, Henry .. C., 1862. Millant J) W., 1861. Moffett, Frank, 1864, killed at Yellow Tavern. . Moore," Jno., 1862. ..... Newby,t.J. W. P., 1861,. discharged. . .. Nicholson, Geo .. W., 1862, killed in action .....
1. , O'Bannont. Henry C. 1862.
. Pullent Jos. Sr. 1832; was over sixty years of age when enlisted and served to close of war. . : Pullen, Jos. Jr., 1862, killed in action .. . Pullen, Jno., 1861, wounded. Patnam. Jno. B., 1863, wounded .. .. Peyton, t. Hamilton, 1863. 1. Rudasilla, Wm. G., 1861, wounded. . Rudasilla,. Kenley, 1881. Ruda- silla, Thaddeus.A., 1861, wounded. - . Rudasilla, Jack; 1862. . . Rudasilla, Miff- tin, 1862. . - Rowles, Jno. F., 1861, wounded and died. ... Rowles, t Jos. F., 1861, twister. . . Ritenour, T. C., 1862, wounded. ... Roberts, t Robt. P., 1864. Reagan, t Lewis, 1868 ...
... . Slaughter, P. P. 1861, discharged. Slaughter, T. T. 1831, wounded. Slaughter, M. L., 1863, killed in action. Sterke, Wm., 1861, killed in action. Seott.t Wm., 1861, discharged. Scott, David, 1861, died. .. Sheads, t Geo. M., 1863. Scroggins, Jas. M. 1863. Simms* Win., 1862, wounded.
Settle, Broaddus, 1862, prisoner. Smith, Chas. E., 1884. Sutphin, Robt. 1863, wounded. Spicer, Thos., 1863, wounded. Smith, Jas., 1833, wounded.
... Turner, Absolam, 1861. Tapp,* Elijah, 1862, discharged. Thorn- ton, Jno., 1862. Thornton, Frank, 1862.
Updike, B. F., 1861, wounded and taken prisoner. Utz, Jno., 1833, ta- ken prisoner.
Vanhorne, Robert, 1861, taken prisoner. . Vaughan, Johnson, 1863. Walden, Turner, 1861, died. Wood, Jas. M., 1861, severely wounded and discharged. Willis, Albert G., 1862. -. Willis, Win., 1863.
Wright, Wm., 1863. Wilson, Win., 1862, taken prisoner. Weaver, Gusta- vus, 1863.
Yates, Samuel S. 1861, killed in action, Yates, Robert, 1863.
There are six or eight names appearing on the original roll, marked as hav- ing deserted to the enemy, which are omitted from the above roster.
Those marked with a * or t have died since the war. This marking was done in September, 1899. It is interesting to note the large number that were living at that date.
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THE BAPTISTS OF CULPEPER.
CHAPTER IV.
[The publisher is indebted to Rev. E. W. Winfrey, pastor, and to Mr. H. C. Burrows, of the Culpeper Baptist Church, for all the information contain. ed in this chapter.]
Within the territory which originally formed the County of Cuipeper, now embracing the counties of Cuipeper, Madison and Rappahannock, there are at the date of this writing, (October, 1899) thirty churches or congregations, of white Baptists, with an aggregate membership of more than three thousand and seven hundred (3,700,) and we may say that nearly all of the colored peo- ple of this territory, who are members of any church, are Baptists. When the originai Cuipeper county was formed (1748) there was probably not a Baptist within its borders. In the year 1763 Allen Wyley, "a man of respectabie stand- ing in the county," living near Flint Hill, now Rappahannock county, having been "turned to God," but not knowing of any preacher whose teaching fully accorded with views which he had formed, "had sometimes gathered h s neigh- bors, read the scriptures, and exhorted them to repentance; but, being inform- ed of the iabors of Rev. David Thomas in Fauquier county, he with some of his friends traveied thither to hear him." The immediate result of this visit was that Mr. Wyley was baptised, and prevailed upon Mr. Thomas to go home with him and preach at his house. This man, David Thomas, "the first Bap- tist preacher tl at ever proclaimed the gospel" in the county, was born at Lon- don Tract, Pennsylvania, Aug. 16th. 1782, and educated at Hopewell, N. J. The degree of A. M. was conferred upon him by Rhode Island College, (Brown University.) He was in Virginia, a nobie champion of religious liberty, and suffered severe persecutions. Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry heid him in high esteem, and he highly valued them as friends of liberty. He will be iong remembered as the author of a stirring poein on 'Freedom.'" (Beale's Semple, p. 21.) Eleven years after this first visit to the county, that is, in 1774, Mr. Thomas organized the Mt. Pony church, " the members coming from a church in Orange County, called Mountain Run, constituted in 1768, and dis- solved in 1772." The first pastor of Mt. Poney church was Nathaniel Saund- ers, who professed religion under the preaching of Mr. Thomas. The name of this church was taken from the small, well-known mountain at the base of which stood the first house of worship, some two iniles from the town of Cuipeper, on the road to Stevensburg, but was changed to " Culpeper " April 29th, 1873. In 1838 this church removed with sixty white members to the town of Cuipeper." At that time Walier R. Asher and his wife were the only white Baptists living in the town." In 1834 a house of worship was built at a cost of $1,200 on a lot purchased of Dr. Buck near Bell's Ford on Mountain Run, a part of which building still remains and constitutes the rear portion of the present residence of Mr. C. F. Chelf.
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For valuable information concerning each of the churches of this denon- ination in the territory in question the reader is referred to the "Historical Sketch of the Shiloh Association,," published with " the Minutes of the One Hundredth Session," 1894. (See Speciinen " Sketches " below). And for much profitabie reading as to the lives and characters of the leading men who a century and more ago proclaimed the doctrines, planted the churches, and suffered in the service of this sect, we refer to Semple's History of the Rise and Progress of the Baptists in Virginia, ( Revised and Extended by Dr. G. W. Beale in 1894), and to Dr. James B. Taylor's " Virginia Baptist Ministers."
No one thinks to-day with other feelings than those of shame and sorrow and severest disapprobation of the misguided zeal of those who blindly and vainly sought to suppress this people when they began to arise and assert . themselves upon our soil. Nor can any fair minded person for a moment think to hold any individual, church, party, or sect of the present responsible for the crimes or mistakes of a generation long since departed. At the same time, the true historian cannot faii to note and ail generations need to know such heroism, such devotion, such self-sacrifice as was exhibited by the pion- eers of the Baptist faith in this part of Virginia. John Picket, one of these pioneers, was for about 3 months, (possibly in 1760), confined in the Fauquier prison for the " crime " (?) of preaching the gospel. Elijah Craig, who was spoken of as " a man of considerable talent," was upon one occasion arrested " at his plow," and " taken before three magistrates of Culpeper who, with- out hearing arguments, ordered him to jail. At court, he, with others, was arraigned." In spite of sound arguments on the part of their lawyer they were imprisoned for one month and " fed on rye bread and water, to the in- jury of their health." James Ireland, of whom Henry Howe in his " Virginia, Its History and Antiquities " speaks as " a worthy clergyman of the Baptist persuasion," was born in the city of Edinburgh, in 1748. While still a young inan he came to America and took charge of a school in the northern part of Virginia. His was an active and versatiie mind, though, his education an ac- count of the roving disposition of his youth. was defective. He is described as being " a man of common stature, a handsome face, piercing 'eye, and pleas- ant countenance: In his youth he was spare, but he became by degrees quite corpulent, so that not long after his second marriage he wanted but nine- teen pounds of weighing three hundred."
In 1769 or 1770, at a meeting in Pittsylvania County, Mr. Ireland was bap- tised by the Rev'd Samuel Harris, immediately returned to his home with cre- dentials signed by eieven ministers, "and in the spirit and power of his Mas- ter devoted himself to the great work of preaching the gospel." But, his growing popularity and success excited the indignation of those who were in authority and brought down upon his head fierce persecution." Being rough - ly seized by order of magistrates, he was thrust into the Culpeper jail because he had dared to preach without the authority or sanction of the bishop." He was accompanied to prison amid the abuses of his persecutors, and while in- carcerated in his cell not only suffered by the inclemency of the weather, but by the personal maitreatment of his foes. They attempted to blow him up with gunpowder, to suffocate him by burning brimstone, etc., at the door and window of his prison, and even to poison him. He states that he might speak of a hundred instances of cruelty which were practiced." When, subsequent- ly, Mr. Ireiand went down to Wiliamsburg with a petition to the governor, Lord Botetourt, for a permit to have a meeting house built in Culpeper coun- ty, he found the governor altogether kindly and affable in manner, but the clergy of the city, to whom by direction of the governor he applied for exami-
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