USA > Virginia > Washington County > Washington County > History of southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870 > Part 43
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So far as I can ascertain, no effort of any consequence was made to build or complete the railroad as contemplated by the foregoing Act.
In the year 1837 the construction of a turnpike road from Pond Gap of the Cumberland mountain on the Kentucky line to the Fincastle and Cumberland Gap road was begun, and John Preston,
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Washington County, 1777-1870.
William Byars, Charles S. Bekem and Charles J. Cummings, were appointed commissioners to solicit subscriptions to this enterprise by the county court of this county.
Some time previous to the year 1832, the county court of this county decided to ereet a new building to be used as a jail for this county, and appointed John M. Preston, Samuel Chastain and Elias Ogden a committee to superintend the erection of said building, and on the 28th day of May, 1838, the county court of this county authorized the erection of a stone kitchen twenty feet square from out to out. on the public lot on which the new jail was situated, and appointed John M. Preston, Elias Ogden and Jacob Lynch commis- sioners for the purpose of contracting for and superintending the building thereof.
The court directed this stone kitchen to be erected out of stone from the old jail of the county, which old jail was built at a very early date in the history of our county. The new county jail was completed on the 23d day of October, 1838, and received by the county.
This jail was destroyed by the Federal troops in December, 1864. It stood upon the lot at the intersection of Valley and Court streets.
In the year 1837, Colonel John Keller, the representative from this county in the Senate of Virginia, and a member of the county court of this county, departed this life. Whereupon the county court of this county adopted the following resolutions :
"Authentic information of the recent death of our highly-es- teemed fellow-citizen, Col. John Keller, late our Representative in the Senate of Virginia and a member of this Court, having reached the court of Washington county, whilst in session, and the court and bar being desirous of testifying their sense of the worth and excellence of Col. Keller, as well as their sorrow for his loss by this afflicting dispensation of Divine Providence, in removing from us in the prime of manhood, a citizen so distinguished for his worth and usefulness and so generally esteemed and beloved for his amiable deportment and sterling integrity; it is therefore resolved that in token of respect for the memory of the late Col. John Keller and regret for his loss, the members of this court and bar will wear crape for the next month on the left arm. And it is fur- ther resolved that these proceedings be entered amongst the minutes of the court and published in the Virginia Statesman."
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Southwest Virginia, 1746 -- 1786.
Colonel Keller was succeeded in the Senate of Virginia by the Honorable Fayette McMullen, who represented this senatorial dis- trict for the term of ten years without a break.
At the same time and for the same term the Hon. George W. Hopkins represented this district in the Congress of the United States, and the Hon. Samuel E. Goodson represented this county in the House of Delegates of Virginia, three Democrats of the Jack- sonian type and three of the most successful politicians in the his- tory of our country.
On the 22d day of October, 1838, Colonel James White, one of the distinguished citizens of this country, departed this life.
Upon receipt of the news of the death of Colonel White, the county court of Washington county adopted the following resolu- tions :
"The death of Colonel James White, a most enterprising, use- ful and worthy citizen of this county, who has long been an able, enlightened, just and firm member of this court, being announced, and this court and its officers and the members of the bar being de- sirous of expressing their deep grief for his loss and the high re- spect which they entertain for his memory, unanimously adopt the following resolutions, which are ordered to be spread upon the records of the court.
"1st. Resolved, That the court, its officers and the members of the bar have heard with unfeigned regret of the death of Colonel James White.
"2d. Resolved, That in the death of Colonel James White society has lost a worthy, intelligent and excellent member, and the county an upright, just and efficient public officer.
"3d. Resolved, That as a mark of respect for the memory of the deceased, the court, its officers and the members of the bar will wear the usual badge of mourning for 30 days.
"4th. Resolved, That they tender their sincere condolence to the widow and children of the deceased, and that they sincerely join with them in deploring the loss of the husband, father and friend.
"5th. Resolved, That the clerk of this court do furnish a copy of these resolutions to the widow of the deceased and that he also cause a copy of them to be furnished the Virginia Statesman, with a re- quest that the same be inserted.
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Washington County, 1777-1870.
"6th. Resolved, That this court do now adjourn and that they, its officers and the members of the bar will attend the funeral of the deceased to-morrow at ten o'clock."
Colonel White was the architect of his own fortune, and at the date of his death the wealthiest man that has lived in Washington county.
Alexander Findlay, E. S. Watson and Peter J. Branch were se- lected to appraise and divide his property between his heirs-at- law, and their report shows that his personal property and landed estate was worth $669,085.05 .*
As an evidence of the superstition even now occasionally exist- ing among the lower class of the country, there resided in 1838. m the hills, a few miles from Abingdon, a man by the name of Marsh. who was deemed by his neighbors not only honest and industrious. but possessed of as much intelligence as most people in the lower walks of life. This man was severely afflicted with scrofula, and imagined his disease to be the effects of a spell or pow-wow prac- ticed upon him by a conjurer or wizard in the neighborhood by the name of Yates. This impression taking firm hold of Marsh's mind, he was thoroughly convinced that Yates could, if he chose, remove the malady. The latter, termed an Indian doctor, was sent for and administered his nostrums. The patient, growing worse, determined to try another remedy, which was to take the life of Yates. To accomplish this he sketched a rude likeness of Yates upon a tree, and shot at it repeatedly with bullets containing a portion of silver. Yates, contrary to his expectations, still sur- vived. Marsh then determined to draw a bead upon the original, and accordingly charged an old musket with two balls, an admix- ture of silver and lead, watched an opportunity and shot his vic- tim as he was quietly passing along the road, both balls entering the back of the neck. Yates, however, survived, and Marsh was sent to the penitentiary. +
*Deed Book 21, page 8, Washington county.
+Campbell MSS.
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
CHAPTER X.
WASHINGTON COUNTY, 1840-1870.
About this time political lines were closely drawn in Washing- ton county, and the zealous work of the advocates of the Whig and Democratic parties has not been surpassed in the history of our county.
Freeholders were the only qualified voters, and the great ef- fort of the advocates of the two parties was to enfranchise every male citizen sympathizing with their respective parties.
*Two brothers, prominent citizens of this county, were opposed in their political views, one being a Whig and the other a Demo- crat. They were the owners of a large tract of land situated in this county. The Whig brother conveyed his interest in the said land to a large number of persons of Whig sympathies, qualify- ing them to vote, and thereupon the Democratic brother con- veyed his lands to an equal number of male citizens of Demo- cratic proclivities, and Governor David Campbell, who was the owner of the south side of Clinch mountain from Little Moccasin Gap to Mendota, executed numerous deeds to his political friends for the purpose of enfranchising them. In many instances the grantee never knew the location of his land nor did he care.
In the presidential campaign in 1840 William Henry Harrison was elected President of the United States, and there was great rejoicing among the Whigs of this section. The Whig ticket in that campaign was as follows :
REPUBLICAN WHIG TICKET.
For President, WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, of OHIO.
For Vice-President. JOHN TYLER, of Virginia.
*B. K. and M. H. Buchanan.
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Washington County, 1797-1870.
Districts. Electors.
1. JOHN W. MURDAUGH, of Norfolk county ;
2. JOHN URQUHART, of Southampton ;
3. WILLIAM S. ARCHER, of Amelia ;
4. RICHARD KIDDER MEADE, of Dinwiddie ;
5. HENRY E. WATKINS, of Prince Edward;
6. JAMES C. BRUCE, of Halifax;
7. WHITMELL P. TUNSTALL, of Pittsylvania :
8. THOMAS R. JOYNES, of Accomack ;
9. NORBORNE E. SUTTON, of Caroline;
10. WILLOUGHBY NEWTON, of Westmoreland ;
11. JAMES LYONS, of Richmond City ;
12. VALENTINE W. SOUTHALL, of Albemarle ;
13. JOHN S. PENDLETON, of Culpeper ;
14. JOHN JANNEY, of Loudoun ;
15. ANDREW HUNTER, of Jefferson ;
16. PHILIP WILLIAMS, JR., of Frederick ;
17. WILLIAM SEYMOUR, of Hardy ;
18. BRISCOE G. BALDWIN, of Augusta ;
19. BALLARD SMITH, of Greenbrier ;
20. EDWARD JOHNSTON, of Botetourt ;
21. JOHN N. HUMES, of Washington ;
22. GEORGE W. SUMMERS, of Kanawha ;
23. WAITMAN T. WILEY, of Monangalia.
There were but three precincts in Washington county at this time, to-wit, Joseph Meek's, the courthouse and Three Springs.
The election at the three precincts named was conducted by the following persons :
Joseph Meek's.
Parker Smith,
Courthouse. Ed. Latham, Jonathan King,
Joseph Miller,
John Clark,
Daniel Lynch,
David Beattie,
Lewis Smith.
J. A. Davis, Samuel Logan.
Three Springs.
Thos. Fulkerson, John Horn, Isaac Stoffle,
Peter S. Hanby,
Zachariah Jourdan.
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Southwest Virginia, 1746 -- 1786.
Upon the death of President Harrison, in 1841, the 14th of May, 1841, was, pursuant to the proclamation of John Tyler, President of the United States, observed as a day of fasting and prayer by the citizens of Washington county; and on the 13th day of May, 1841, the Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chan- cery of this county entered the following order-Judge Estill pre- siding :
"To-morrow being the day of fasting, humiliation and prayer appointed by proclamation, to be observed by the people of the U. S. in testimony of a nation's sorrow for the death of William Henry Harrison, late President of the United States, and this court and bar intending so to observe the said day, it is therefore ordered that this court be adjourned till Saturday next, at nine o'clock in the morning."
A similar order was entered by the circuit court of Washington county, Virginia, upon the death of President Mckinley in the year 1901.
The cost of supporting the poor of the county had, by the year 1841, increased to such an extent that the county court of this county decided to sell the poorhouse and maintain the poor by having them supported in their homes, and a committee was ap- pointed for the purpose of selling the lands occupied by the poor- house of the county, but soon thereafter and before the lands were sold, the order directing the sale of the property was, for some reason, revoked, and between this time and the year 1860 considerable improvements were made upon the poorhouse farm, which consisted of the lands now occupied by J. A. P. Ryan.
By order of the county court during this year the commissioners of the revenue were directed to omit from their lists the stu- dents of the Abingdon Academy and of Emory and Henry College.
The country at the time in question was greatly agitated over the Texas revolution and the attitude of Mexico toward the United States. The Democratic party, advocating war and the annexation of Texas, nominated James K. Polk for President, and the Whigs nominated Henry Clay. The contest between the parties in this election was bitter from the start, but resulted in the election of James K. Polk.
As a result of this election war was inevitable, and from the spring of 1845 to the summer of 1846 the youth of Washington
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Washington County, 1777-1870.
county were monthly drilled and trained in the art of war. The Government at Richmond furnished the militia officers of Wash- ington county with a cannon and a number of guns, and Abram Mongle, colonel of the One Hundred and Forty-sixth regiment, was given permission by the county court, on the 28th day of April, 1845, to erect a shed on the public lot for the protection and preservation of the artillery allowed the county, and on the 25th day of March, 1846, A. C. Cummings was permitted to erect a house on the public square for the preservation of a cannon al- lowed the militia of the county by the State authorities, and twenty dollars was appropriated by the county court to pay for the house.
Upon the breaking out of the Mexican War, three large com- panies of volunteers were organized in Washington county, one in the lower end of the county, officered by Captain Frank Campbell and Lieutenant Samuel V. Fulkerson; another at Abingdon, offi- cered by Captain Arthur Campbell Cummings and Lieutenant James T. Preston; another in the upper end of the county, the names of the officers of which I cannot ascertain.
General Peter C. Johnston took an active interest in enlisting the young men of the county in these companies, and during the time, accompanied by a number of young men from Washington county, visited Lebanon on a court day, and took with him the can- non that was at that time in the possession of the militia officers of Washington county.
When the three companies above mentioned were completed, their services were tendered to the Governor of the State, but were de- clined, as the State had furnished its full quota of men.
The only opportunity for the citizens of this county to serve their country in this war was to secure their commissions from the President and enlist in the regular army.
In the spring of the year 1847, President Polk commissioned Arthur Campbell Cummings, a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and an attorney at the Abingdon bar, a captain in the regular army. Upon the receipt of his commission Captain Cum- mings proceeded to enlist all volunteers possible for the regular army, and on the 27th day of April, 1847, with fifteen recruits. left Abingdon for Mexico. The night of the first day was spent at Hansonville, the night of the second day at Virginia City, with
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
James Dickenson; the night of the third day at Wise Courthouse with Captain Samuel Salyers; the night of the fourth day one mile over the Cumberland mountains with a Mr. Mullin; the night of the fifth day fifteen miles east of Pikeville, Kentucky, and from Pikeville, Kentucky, Captain Cummings and the troops proceeded by water to Newport, Kentucky; thence by the Ohio and Missis- sippi rivers to the Gulf of Mexico, and thence to Vera Cruz, Mexico, where he joined his command.
Captain Cummings and his men were assigned to Company K of the Eleventh regiment of the United States Infantry, which regiment was officered as follows :
Colonel, Albert C. Ramsey, of Pennsylvania. Lieutenant-Colonel, Graham, killed in the battle of Moline del Rey.
Lieutenant-Colonel, John H. Savage, Tennessee, succeeded to command upon the death of Graham.
Captain, Arthur Campbell Cummings.
Privates.
James Dickenson, killed, Abingdon, 1865.
William Haley, served in C. S. A. ; died at Winchester, 1862.
Wesley Hubbard, Tazewell county.
Moses Hubbard, died Pueblo, Mexico, 1847.
John S. Lynch, Washington county, killed Passo Ovejas, Mexico; buried there.
Pawpaw, wagoner, died Pueblo, Mexico, 1847.
John Slaughter, Washington county ; served in C. S. A. ; died near Banhams in 1898.
James J. Shelton, Washington county; served in C. S. A .; married a daughter of George Garrett; killed at Chancellorsville.
Hezekiah Smallwood, Scott county; killed accidentally in Scott county.
Snead, Scott county.
Robert Wilson, died near Lynchburg.
James Wynn, Tazewell county ; emigrated to Missouri.
Marvel White, Scott county.
W. S. Wood, Scott county, brother-in-law of Fayette McMullen.
In addition to the volunteers accompanying Captain Cum-
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Washington County, 1777-1870.
mings, the following Mexican veterans lived in this county, so far as I can ascertain :
John Dinsmore, William E. Jones,
John M. Cunningham,
John P. Johnston,
William Rhea, John C. Deadmore, Tex., Rev.
Samuel Davis, Tex., Rev. Madison Leedy, Tex., Rev.
The successful conclusion of the Mexican War gave great im- petus to the emigration from this section of Virginia to Texas, large numbers of the young men of the county emigrating thither.
The building of a new courthouse for the county was considered by the county court of this county in the fall of 1847, and the Leg- islature of Virginia, on the 15th of January, 1848, authorized the County Court of Washington county, Virginia, to borrow ten thou- sand dollars for the purpose of erecting a new courthouse. The county court at the June term, 1848, decided to borrow ten thou- sand dollars and ercet a new courthouse, and appointed John M. Preston, William Y. C. White and John D. Mitchell. commission- ers, to borrow the money and superintend the erection thereof.
The building of the new courthouse was let to Herbert M. Led- better and William Fields, contractors, and, by the spring of 1850. the courthouse was completed and Jacob Lynch and Connally F. Trigg were appointed a committee to purchase the necessary tables, chairs, carpets, etc., for the new courthouse.
The courthouse thus completed served the county until the 15th of December. 1864, at which time it was destroyed by the fire that burnt the town of Abingdon.
In the year 1848. General Zachary Taylor and General Lewis Cass were the Whig and the Democratic candidates for the presidency. while the Honorable Fayette MeMullen and Samuel E. Goodson were the Democratic candidates and Andrew S. Fulton the Whig candidate for Congress from this district. The Whig ticket was as follows :
For President, MAJ .- GEN. ZACHARY TAYLOR, OF LOUISIANA.
For Vice-President, MILLARD FILLMORE, OF NEW YORK.
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
Electoral Ticket.
1. John J. Jones, Isle of Wight.
2. George W. Bolling, of Petersburg.
3. Henry P. Irving, of Cumberland.
4. Joseph K. Irving, of Lynchburg.
5. W. Martin, of Franklin.
6. B. Johnson Barbour, of Culpeper.
7. Robert E. Scott, of Fauquier.
8. H. T. Garnett, of Westmoreland.
9. John A. Meredith, of Richmond City.
10. Robert Saunders, of Williamsburg.
11. Andrew Hunter, of Jefferson.
12. A. H. H. Stuart, of Augusta.
13. S. McD. Moore, of Rockbridge.
14. Connally F. Trigg, of Washington.
15. G. W. Summers, of Kanawha.
16. G. D. Camden, of Harrison.
17. F. H. Pierpont, of Marion.
Assistant Elector.
14th District, James W. Sheffey, Esq., of Smyth.
County and Town Electors.
Grayson, Dr. Robertson.
Lee, John M. Crockett.
Russell, Dale Carter.
Scott, William Spear.
Smyth, Thomas L. Preston.
Tazewell, John A. Kelly,
Wythe, P. S. Buckingham.
Washington, Charles S. Bekem.
In the contest for the seat in Congress, the Honorable A. S. Fulton defeated his Democratic opponents and represented this dis- trict until the year 1849.
The Honorable Fayette McMullen represented this district for a number of years in the Congress of the United States, and while he had but little ability as a statesman, he was one of the most pop- ular men and effective canvassers that ever lived in this district. He kissed the babies, joked with the men and flattered the women
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Washington County, 1717-1870.
upon all occasions. He knew, personally, nearly every voter in the district. Numerous anecdotes are told of Colonel MeMullen, the best now recollected being told by Senator Vest, of Missouri. This anecdote was told by the Senator to illustrate the propensity on the part of some people for speech-making.
"It occurred in Virginia," said Vest. "Old Fayette MeMullen was canvassing his district for a nomination for Congress. years ago, and during the canvass a man was hung in that locality for murder. About ten thousand men collected to witness the scene, and among them old Mac, who, by the favor of the sheriff, occupied a place on the platform in the rear of the gallows, his oratorical mouth watering at the sight of the magnificent audience in front. When everything was ready, as is usual in such cases, the sheriff asked the culprit if he had anything to say before the sen- tence of the law was passed upon him; to which the condemned responded that he would say nothing. Whereupon old Mac stepped forward, rubbing his hands, and remarked: 'Mr. Sheriff, if the gentleman will yield his time to me, I will embrace this occasion to make a few remarks on the political situation, and announce myself a candidate for Congress.' "
Major Robert E. Bradley, a distinguished and popular citizen of this county, died in the month of November, 1849, and the county court of this county out of respect to his memory adopted appropriate resolutions.
The Constitution of 1829-1830 had never been satisfactory to a large majority of the people of Virginia in this, that the right of suffrage was restricted to a greater extent than the times demanded, and the representation, as between the sections, was so unequally apportioned as to give dissatisfaction to all the people of Western Virginia. By the year 1850, Western and Northwestern Virginia had increased in population and wealth so rapidly that in this year this section of Virginia succeeded in having adopted a resolution by the General Assembly submitting to the people the question of the calling of a Constitutional Convention. This ques- tion was submitted to the people on the fourth Thursday in April. 1850, and resulted in the calling of a Constitutional Convention.
The election for members to this convention was held in the sum- mer of 1850. This district was composed of Wythe, Smyth and Washington, and the candidates before the people in said election
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
were: George W. Hopkins, B. R. Floyd, Thomas M. Tate, Demo- crats. Connally F. Trigg, Andrew S. Fulton, James W. Sheffey, Whigs. The two first named were elected by an average majority of three hundred and forty-one, while the majority of Thomas M. Tate, Democrat, over James W. Sheffey, Whig, was fifty-five.
At the time in question, George W. Hopkins was a member of the General Assembly of Virginia, and, upon the convening of the General Assembly in the fall of the year, he was elected Speaker of the House of Delgates, and resigned his position as a member of the Constitutional Convention, and the Honorable Connally F. Trigg was elected without opposition to fill the vacancy.
This Convention assembled in the hall of the House of Dele- gates at Richmond, on October 14, 1850. It was controlled in nearly all of its proceedings by what was known at the time as "Reformers." This convention extended the right of suffrage to every white male citizen of the Commonwealth of the age of twenty- one years, who had been a resident of the State for two years, and of the county, city or town where he offered to vote, for twelve months, excluding persons of unsound mind, criminals, etc.
It was provided therein that the vote should be given openly, or viva voce, and not by ballot.
It will be observed that this was a radical change from the pro- visions of the former constitution of the State, property qualifica- tions of all kinds were dispensed with, and manhood suffrage, for the first time in the history of the Commonwealth, was made a part of the organic law of the State.
The question of the apportionment of representation was deferred by this Constitution until the year 1865, and was never put into operation, as in the year 1865 the Commonwealth was in great turmoil.
Had the provisions of this Constitution become effective as to representation, this question would have been settled in a manner satisfactory to the citizens of Western Virginia.
By this Constitution, the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor and Attorney-General were made elective by the people, the Governor and Attorney-General of the State having been theretofore selected by the Council of State and the General Assembly. This was a great change from the former conditions existing in Virginia and
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Washington County, 1777-1870.
was antagonistie to the old system and former institutions of the State.
All the judges and justices were made elective by the people. Each county was to be laid off into districts, and four justices were to be elected from each district.
This Constitution was submitted to the people for ratification or rejection, and all persons qualified to vote under the proposed Constitution were permitted to exercise the right of suffrage in said election. The vote resulted in the ratification of the Consti- tution by the people in the month of October, 1851, the vote being 15,748 for, and 11,060 against the new Constitution. The vote in Washington county was 1,083 for and 12 against the ratification of the Constitution, the twelve votes against the Constitution being polled at Abingdon precinct.
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