History of southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870, Part 45

Author: Summers, Lewis Preston, 1868-1943
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Richmond, Va. : J.L. Hill Printing Company
Number of Pages: 936


USA > Virginia > Washington County > Washington County > History of southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870 > Part 45


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The president in a few brief remarks signified his appreciation of the honor conferred upon him, and invoked the united efforts of all in favor of the railroad.


On motion the convention then adjourned sine die.


SETH J. LUCKY, President.


CHAS. B. COALE,


WILLIAM K. HEISKELL,


LEONIDAS BAUGH,


Secretaries.


On the 24th of November, 1851, the county court, upon motion of the president and directors of the Virginia and Tennessee Rail- road Company, appointed James Edmondson, John Eakin, James Orr, Michael W. Withers and James K. Lowry commissioners to ascertain a just compensation to the owners of lands upon the line of the proposed railroad through this county.


The election at which the question of voting the subscription to the railroad was considered was held on June 1, 1852, a consider- able majority of the citizens of the county voting for said sub- scription.


The advocates of the subscription held public meetings at the


-


505


Washington County, 1777-1870.


six precinets in Washington county on the day of the election, at which meetings the following gentlemen addressed the people : follows :


Abingdon, Colonel S. E. Goodson.


Three Springs, C. F. Trigg.


Jones's Mill, J. H. Earnest.


Meek's. Dr. N. Snead.


Ward's Store, A. C. Cummings.


Fleenor's, J. A. Campbell.


The county court of this county on the 28th of June. 1852, sub- scribed, on behalf of the county of Washington, $33,400 for three hundred and thirty-four shares of the stock of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company, and appointed William Y. C. White the agent for said county to subscribe said sum in three annual instalments of $11.13313 each, and authorized the said agent to issue the bonds of the county payable twenty years after date bear- ing six per cent. interest from date, and to sell the same for the purpose of paying the subscription to the railroad, the said bonds to bear interest from June 28, 1854.


The railroad was completed to the town of Abingdon in the fall of the year 1856.


At the February term, 1852, of the County Court of Washington county, Virginia, Green, a slave, the property of Thomas Wilson, was tried, convicted and sentenced to be hung for the murder of Tom, a slave, the property of William Y. C. White, but, by a sub- sequent order of the court. his sentence was commuted and he was transported from the Commonwealth. In the spring of the same year, Campbell and Benjamin Smith were arrested, and. at the April court, were tried for rape. Campbell Smith was sentenced to be hung, and on the 23d of October, 1852, was executed pursuant to his sentence. An account of the execution is here given :


"Campbell Smith, a free negro, was hung yesterday (Friday) near this place, in pursuance of the sentence pronounced upon him by his Honor. Judge Hopkins, at the late term of the Circuit Court for this county.


The crime of which Campbell Smith was found guilty was one of so heinous and diabolical a character, committed as it was by two stout negroes, and upon a young respectable white girl, that but little sympathy was manifested for the prisoner by any one


506


Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.


present. The culprit himself seemed indifferent to his fate, almost as much as many of those present to witness his execution.


He was taken from the jail about twelve o'clock and followed to the place of execution by between 3,000 and 4,000 people. After arriving at the gallows, the Rev. George R. Barr, at the request of the prisoner, engaged in a short and appropriate religious service with him, having previously addressed a few remarks to the large crowd assembled around the gallows. The prisoner stated, through Mr. Barr, that he became religious six years ago, and continued faithful for four years, when in an evil hour, through the influence of intoxicating liquor, he lost the image of his Maker, and now found himself condemned to die for an offense which he told Mr. Barr, had it been committed by another, he would call as loudly as any in the crowd for his execution.


He said he died at peace with all the world and trusted in the mercy and forgiveness of the Saviour of the world. He struggled for some time after the wagon was driven from under him.


On the 25th of July, 1853, the County Court of Washington county, on behalf of the county, subscribed $4,000 to the old court- house and Abingdon turnpike, and appointed Jacob Lynch the agent of the county to make said subscription, and on the 23d day of October, 1854, the court subscribed $2,250 to the Abingdon and Pattonville turnpike, and appointed C. S. Bekem the agent of the county to make the subscription.


At this time in our history the attention of our public men was, to a great extent, directed to the internal improvement of the country, to the building of turnpikes, MacAdam roads and rail- roads.


At the August term, 1853, of the County Court of this county, Peter C. Johnson, A. C. Cummings, I. A. McQuown, Andrew Edmondson and Washington Bishop were appointed commissioners to run and mark the boundary line between the counties of Wash- ington and Grayson, and in the month of October these commission- ers made their report, which was received and recorded on the 29th day of November, 1853.


Among the public improvements that attracted the attention of the people of Southwest Virginia, and the one that was of greater importance to this section of Virginia than all others combined, was the Southwestern Turnpike road.


507


Washington County, 1777-1810.


On the 28th of January, 1846, the General Assembly of Vir- ginia incorporated the Southwestern Turnpike road, which road was to be a MacAdamized road from Salem, Virginia, by the way of Christiansburg. Newbern, Wytheville, Marion and Abingdon to the Tennessee line, and appropriated seventy-five thousand dollars to carry into effect the object of the act.


The said road was to be graded to a width not less than twenty- four feet, and to be MacAdamized to a width not less than twenty- two feet.


This act provided for the condemnation of the lands over which the road was to pass, said road to be, at no point, on a grade exceeding three degrees.


An engineer, who was also to be superintendent of the road, was to be selected by the president and directors of said company, and it was made the duty of the engineer to make all contracts for the opening and constructing of said road, erecting bridges and what- ever else was necessary for finishing the same, but all such con- tracts were to be approved by the president and directors of said company.


The construction of this road was begun during the same year and the work upon the road was carried on with commendable speed until the year 1848.


In January of this year. the road had been completed as far as Wytheville, and there was an urgent demand for its immediato completion to the Tennessee line, by the citizens living in the coun- ties of Smyth. Wythe. Washington and Scott, and the General Assembly on the 17th of January, 1818, appropriated the sum of three hundred thousand dollars to complete said road. not exceed- ing seventy-five thousand dollars of said sum to be expended in any one year.


The superintendent and engineer of the Southwestern Turnpike let the contract from Wytheville west to the Tennessee line to William T .. Lewis, and this contract was approved by the president and directors of said company in the fall of the year 1848. At the fall session of the General Assembly in the year 1818, and, on the day of the approval of said contract as above stated. E. R. Watson. a member of the General Assembly from Albemarle county, intro- duced a resolution in the Legislature to suspend the work upon the Southwestern road west of Wytheville. A large majority of the


508


Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.


Legislature were in favor of the resolution, but in view of the fact that the Board of Public Works had signed a contract for the con- struction of this road, the resolution was defeated and work was continued upon the road.


Fifty thousand dollars of the public money appropriated for the construction of this road was paid to William L. Lewis, the con- tractor, but for some reason, which cannot now be explained, the work of constructing said road was delayed, and but little progress was made until the year 1851.


The road was surveyed and located to the Tennessee line by the spring of 1850.


By an Act of the Assembly adopted on the 29th of March, 1851, it was provided that unless William L. Lewis, the contractor, should complete a section of the road twenty miles west of Wythe- ville by the first day of April, 1851, it should be the duty of the Board of Public Works within ninety days thereafter to take legal steps upon the bond of the said Lewis and his sureties to recover damages for his default, with the proviso that the sureties of the said Lewis might become undertakers to complete the twenty miles of road according to the tenor of the said contract, and in that case action on the bond of the said Lewis should be suspended for one year.


This same Act provided that, should the said William L. Lewis, abandon or forfeit any other portion of his contract for constructing the said road to the Tennessee line, the Board of Public Works were directed and instructed to relet said road to the sureties of the said William L. Lewis. And in the event the said sureties did not become the undertakers of said road under this act, the Board of Public Works should not give the said Lewis any further time to complete his contract, but should, so soon as any part of his con- tract for constructing said road is abandoned or forfeited, proceed forthwith to relet the same in sections of not more than five miles.


As a result of this act, Lewis, or his sureties, completed said MacAdamized road as far west as Seven-Mile Ford in Smyth county, Virginia.


Such was the condition of affairs on the 5th day of April, 1851, at which time a resolution was offered by Colonel Hopkins, direct- ing the Board of Public Works to relet said road, to which resolu-


509


Washington County, 1777-1870.


tion Mr. Stovall, a member of the Legislature, offered the following substitute :


"Resolved, by the General Assembly, That the Board of Public Works be and they are hereby authorized and required to suspend the further construction of the Southwestern Turnpike road, except so much as may be necessary to finish any intermediate sections between the eastern part of said road which has been finished, and the extreme western part of said road upon which the contractors may have commenced work."


This substitute was eloquently and energetically opposed by Col onels Hopkins and Imboden, but was adopted by a vote of fifty-two to forty-four, and the friends of the road were unable to obtain a reconsideration of the vote.


A number of unsuccessful efforts were made by the friends of this road to have work on the same resumed, but without success.


The newspapers of Abingdon charged that Governor Johnson and the Board of Public Works were responsible for the suspension of work upon this road, and Governor Floyd was severely censured for his course in the matter. The road was never completed west of Seven-Mile Ford, and while Southwest Virginia and Wash- ington county have had to bear their portion of the great public debt created for public improvements previous to 1860, they have received no benefit therefrom.


The failure to complete this road has been attributed to different causes, among the number being :


First. The anticipated construction of the Virginia and Tennes- see Railroad.


Second. The principles actuating Governor Johnson and his advisers, which principles were opposed to internal improvements by the Commonwealth and favored a strict construction of the Constitution of the Commonwealth.


Third. The indisposition of the representatives from Eastern Virginia to interest themselves in the welfare of Western Virginia.


It will be nothing more than an act of justice to this section of Virginia, if the General Assembly of Virginia should yet complete this road.


In the year 1855 the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company decided to build a branch railway from Glade Spring to Saltville. to be known as the Saltworks Branch, and on the 2ith day of


510


Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.


February, on motion of the railroad company, the county court appointed William A. Preston, Lewis F. Cosby, Isaac Horne, James Orr and Pleasant Smith commissioners for the purpose of ascer- taining a just compensation to the owners of the lands through which the Saltworks Branch would pass. This road was built shortly thereafter and the town of Glade Spring had its beginning.


About this time, at the instance of John M. Preston, a number of citizens contributed a sum of money sufficient to MacAdamize the main road leading east from Abingdon to near the railroad crossing at McConnell's Switch. Some evidence of this work is still to be seen.


On the 23d of July, 1855, the county court of this county, upon receipt of information of the death of Samuel Logan, who had for many years been the very efficient attorney for the Commonwealth in this county, adopted the following resolutions :


Samuel Logan.


"Resolved, That in the removal from amongst us of Samuel Logan by an all-wise Providence, this court has been deprived of an able and effi- cient officer, the members of the bar of a courte- ous and gentlemanly practitioner, the commu- nity of a laborious, able and well-informed law- yer, and his family of a kind and indulgent hus- band and father.


"Resolved, That the court, its officers and the members of the bar extend their warmest sympathies to the bereaved widow and children of the deceased in this most afflicting dispensation of Di- vine Providence.


"Resolved, That these resolutions be entered upon the minutes of the court, and that the clerk furnish a copy thereof to Mrs. Logan, and also to each of the newspapers of Abingdon for pub- lication."


Nothing of any importance occurred until November, 1858, at which time John S. Mosby, who had settled in the town of Good- son, qualified to practice law in the courts of this county.


The abolition sentiment in the meantime was fast obtaining prominence throughout the Union, and by the fall of the year 1860 excitement was at fever heat, and the feeling between the sec- tions had grown to such an extent that war was inevitable.


511


Washington County. 1717-1870.


The Democratic Convention held in this year for the purpose of nominating a candidate for President was not harmonious, and as a result three candidates for President were nominated by three different conventions held by the Democratic party, viz. John 0. Breckenridge, John Bell, and Stephen A. Douglas, while Abra- ham Lincoln was nominated by the Republican party.


The campaign preceding the election was exceedingly bitter, and the election resulted in favor of Lincoln and the Republican party. The effect of the election of Lincoln was to create great excite- ment throughout the South and advocates of secession, peaceable, if possible. by force, if necessary, were heard and applauded throughout the Southern States: but such were not the senti- ments of the people of Washington county.


Four hundred patriots from the county of Washington had as- sisted in the erection of the Union. Their descendants long hesi- tated before lending their assistance to any movement that had for its object the dissolution of that Union and they did not give their consent nor lend their assistance to the movement until Presi- dent Lincoln called upon the States for seventy-five thousand men to invade and overcome the Southern country.


It must not be understood from what is here stated that the peo- ple of this county were unanimous in their opposition to secession, for it is a fact that numbers of our citizens were strong advocates of secession from the beginning.


War Between the States-1861-1865.


In the month of December. 1860, or January, 1861, a volunteer company was organized in Abingdon and was known as the Wash- ington Mounted Riflemen, and the county court of this county. on the 29th of January. 1861, entered an order permitting this company to use and occupy the rooms on the third floor of the courthouse as an armory, and from this time on. during the spring and summer of the year 1861. the sole theme of conversation was the organization of companies of volunteers and preparations for war.


At the election for members of the General Assembly in the year 1859 George W. Hopkins and Jacob Lynch were elected to the Assembly from Washington county, and Ben Rush Floyd, of the county of Wythe, was elected to the Senate from this district, but Jacob Lynch soon thereafter became president of the Exchange


512


Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.


Bank of Abingdon, Va., resigned his seat in the Assembly, and Dr. A. R. Preston was elected to fill the vacancy.


The one subject that engrossed the Assembly at its meeting in the year 1860-1861 was the secession of the Southern States from the Union, and on the 14th of January, 1861, the General As- sembly called a convention and directed that an election be held on the 4th day of February, 1861, to select delegates to the con- vention thus called.


This Act directed that the sense of the qualified voters be taken , as to whether any action of said convention dissolving the connec- tion of the State with the Federal Union or changing the organic laws of the State should be submitted to the people for ratification or rejection. In other words, the Legislature, by submitting to the voters at this time the last question stated, did so for the pur- pose of securing their ratification of the action of this convention in advance of any action by the convention.


The candidates for the position of delegates to this convention from Washington county were: John A. Campbell and Robert E. Grant opposed to secession, and William Y. C. White for seces- sion. The result of the election held on the 4th of February, 1861, was an overwhelming triumph for Campbell and Grant, the vote in this county being as follows :


WASHINGTON COUNTY-OFFICIAL.


WAIT-A-BIT.


SECESSION.


Precincts.


Campbell.


Grant. White.


Floyd. Ref. No Ref.


Courthouse


307


236


154


79


209


92


Clark's Mills


11


9


13


13


10


13


Davis'


36


34


18


16


35


17


Waterman's


121


113


33


30


120


27


Three Springs


173


169


61


60


169


60


Gobble's


83


83


10


9


92


1


Craig's Mill


125


125


4


21


127


1


Worley's


103


92


13


00


105


00


Williams'


48


26


28


4


47


6


Morell's


48


39


39


37


62


14


Fullen's


58


54


32


38


59


34


Matt Clark's


56


19


69


90


50


68


Kelley's


51


50


33


33


52


32


DeBusk's


75


74


17


18


69


19


Arch. Orr's


64


64


41


39


61


43


Miller's


122


119


34


37


119


31


Good Hope


9


7


2


1


9


1


Green Spring


65


62


21


23


66


17


1555


1375


622


529


1551


476


513


Washington County, 1777-1870.


While Governor Floyd was not a candidate, he was voted for in this election, being a strong advocate of secession, and Secretary of War in the cabinet of President Buchanan.


It will be observed from an inspection of the returns from this election that the people of the county were overwhelmingly op- posed to secession and to permitting the convention to proclaim its action without referring the same to the people.


At this time South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama and Georgia had adopted ordinances of secession, and excitement was at fever heat.


At the February court following this election a tremendous crowd of people were in Abingdon, and an incident occurred that might, under other circumstances, have definitely fixed the senti- ment of the people of this county against secession and have placed this section within the State of West Virginia.


A few over-zealous advocates of secession on the morning of the day in question obtained a Confederate flag and placed it upon a rope stretched across Main street from the residence of John D. Mitchell to what is known as the White House, on the south side of the street.


When the presence of this flag was observed it greatly enraged the citizens of the county who were opposed to secession, and Wil- liam B. Clark,* one of the best and bravest men this county has ever produced, proposed to the anti-secession men present that they immediately tear down what he termed "that d-d rag," say- ing, "Boys, it is not the flag of our fathers," and immediately pro- ceeded to execute his threat.


At the same time the advocates of secession appeared, and war seemed imminent, but by the advice and counsel of Joseph T. Campbell, Judge Campbell, Charles S. Bekem, and others the dis- turbance was quelled.


It is proper to be stated at this point that as soon as Virginia had seceded from the Union and the homes of our people were threatened with invasion, the men who that day proposed to tear down the Confederate flag were the first to enlist in the service of their State, were the bravest in battle and the last to surrender, William B. Clark himself dying in the service of his country.


*Grandson of James Hillan. who fought at King's mountain.


514


Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.


The convention assembled in the city of Richmond on the 13th day of February, 1861, and on the 17th of April, 1861, by a vote of 81 to 51, adopted an ordinance to repeal the ratification of the Constitution of the United States by the State of Virginia, and to resume all the rights and powers granted under said Constitu- tion. This act of the convention was submitted to the people for ratification at an election held on the fourth Thursday of May, 1861, at which election the ordinance of secession was ratified. Washington county voted for the ratification by an overwhelming majority. On the 15th of June, 1861, the convention agreed to a permanent Constitution for the State, but this Constitution, when submitted to the people, was rejected by a small majority, and the Constitution of 1850 remained the fundamental lay of the State.


The convention that adopted the ordinance of secession elected five gentlemen to represent Virginia in the Confederate Congress, then in session at Montgomery, Alabama, Judge Waller R. Staples being the representative from this section of Virginia.


While the delegates from Washington county sent to Richmond were opposed to secession, they afterwards voted in favor of the ordinance of secession in view of the course pursued by President Lincoln and his cabinet.


In the month of March President Jefferson Davis formed his cabinet, which was confirmed by the Senate of the Confederate States, and was composed of the following gentlemen: Robert Toombs, C. C. Memminger, L. P. Walker, S. R. Mallory, J. H. Reagan and J. P. Benjamin.


On the 24th of December, 1860, the county court of Washington county, upon motion of the president and directors of the Virginia and Kentucky Railroad Company, appointed James L. Davis, L. L. Waterman, John Gobble, Roland T. Legard and William Fields commissioners to ascertain a just compensation to a number of land owners through whose land said road was proposed to be constructed, and these commissioners made their report to the county court on the 24th of February, 1861. This was the incep- tion of the efforts that resulted in the building of the Virginia and Southwestern railroad from Bristol to Big Stone Gap.


At the January term of the county court in 1861 the court gave permission to Thaddeus Harris, Samuel Merchant, Barbary Bev- erly and Senah Richmond, free persons of color, to remain in the


.


513


Washington County, 1777-1870.


county for the space of ninety days for the purpose of settling their business, the authorities having theretofore required all free persons of color to leave the county, but, notwithstanding this pro- vision, many free persons of color remained in the county through- out the entire war by having some responsible white man stand security for their good behavior.


At the April term of the court of this county the sum of fifteen thousand dollars was voted by the county court for the purpose of securing necessary supplies for the support, equipment and arming of the volunteer companies of the county, which companies were at that time being formed. and James K. Gibson, William Y. C. White, John W. Johnson, T. G. McConnell, James C. Greenway and Thomas S. Stuart were appointed a committee and autho- rized to borrow said money and to issue the bonds of the county for the same, said bonds to be paid in one, two and three years, or upon longer time if said committee should think proper.


At the May term of the county court the court adopted a plan to police the county for the protection of the citizens, the order of the court being as follows :


1st. The magistracy of this county shall constitute a vigilance committee, who shall be always on the alert and at all times more prompt and active than ever in the performance of their duties under the law in the protection of the rights and interests of the citizens.


2d. The county court shall have control over all measures of home protection and defence.


3d. There shall be a central vigilance committee in each dis- trict, composed of four magistrates and two other discreet gen- tlemen, to be appointed by the court within the bounds of every district. This committee shall have power to direct and dispense all measures of protection and defence within the sphere of their actions, and make a report in writing at least once a month to the county court of all matters worthy of note.




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