USA > Virginia > Washington County > Washington County > History of southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870 > Part 49
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Elections were held throughout the county on the 24th of August. 1866, for field officers in the militia regiments of the county, pur- suant to an Act of the General Assembly passed on the 2d day of March, 1866.
At this election the following officers were chosen :
One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Regiment-Colonel, James L. F. Campbell; Lieutenant-Colonel, David O. Rush ; Major, Joel W. Hortenstine :
One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Regiment-Colonel, D. A. P. Campbell ; Lieutenant-Colonel, Robert J. Keller; Major, W. W. Hurt.
550
Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
The officers elected in the One Hundred and Fifth Regiment I cannot ascertain.
The militia organization of the county, an organization that had existed from the earliest times, was abolished by the Constitution of 1868.
The "loyal" citizens of Virginia were very much dissatisfied with the manner in which the State and county governments were reor- ganized and undertook to have the Congress of the United States set aside the government thus organized in Virginia and to es- tablish a territoral government in its place.
The thirteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States had been adopted in the year 1865 without opposition from the people of this State, but no sooner had the amendment been adopted than the fourteenth amendment to the Constitution was proposed. This amendment had been vetoed by President Johnson, but was passed over his veto by a two-thirds vote of both Houses of Congress.
The General Assembly of Virginia declined, with one dissenting vote, to ratify this amendment.
The Congress of the United States, on the 20th day of Febru- ary, 1867, passed the Shellabarger bill, which provided that when- ever the people of any of the States lately in rebellion should adopt a Constitution framed by a convention of delegates elected by the male citizens of said State twenty-one years of age and upwards, of whatever race, color or previous condition (excepting therefrom such persons as were disfranchised for participation in rebellion), and when the General Assembly of said State should ratify the fourteenth amendment to the Constitution, their representatives should be admitted to seats in the Congress of the United States.
On the 22d day of March, 1867, another Act was passed over the veto of the President providing for the registration of the voters and the calling of constitutional conventions in the States lately in rebellion.
By the provisions of the Acts in question a great majority of the white citizens were denied the right to participate in the elections contemplated, and great uneasiness prevailed, as there was strong probability that the persons lately freed would be able to control the State and county organizations.
The Southern States were divided into military districts, this
551
Washington County, 1777-1870.
portion of Virginia being District No. 1, commanded by General Schofield, and, pursuant to the authority vested in him by the Congress of the United States, on April 2, 1867. he issued an order suspending all elections by the people until the registration of the voters had been taken as required by the Act of Congress.
The Registration Board for this county was appointed by Gen- eral Schofield, and Captain John O'Neal was elected President of the board for this county.
The registration of the voters of this county began on the 22d day of June and ended on the 19th of July. 1867. The result of the registration in the nine districts of this county was as follows :
White.
Colored.
First District,
216
170
Second District,.
336
84
Third District,.
351
42
Fourth District,
218
15
Fifth District,.
309
59
Sixth District,.
280
106
Seventh District,
201
38
Eighth District,
279
34
Ninth District,.
112
19
Total, .2,422
561
Upon the conclusion of the registration of the voters in this county, by order of General Schofield an election was ordered to be held throughout Virginia on the 22d day of October, 1867, for the purpose of selecting delegates to a Constitutional Convention to be held in Richmond in December, 1867, and by the same order the counties of Washington and Smyth were made one district and were entitled to two representatives.
The two parties existing at this time were termed Conservatives and Radicals, and the candidates voted for in this election were Joseph T. Campbell and J. H. Thompson, Conservatives, and G. G. Goodell and Henry C. White. Radicals. The vote of this county for delegates in this election and upon the question of the holding of the convention was as follows :
White.
Colored.
Campbell (Con),
1,180
5
Thompson (Con), 1,175 5
552
Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
Goodell (Rad.),. 416 500
White (Rad.), .. 417
498
For Convention, .
422 500
Against Convention, 1,154 5
Campbell and Thompson were elected to represent this district in the Constitutional Convention. This convention assembled in the city of Richmond on the 3d day of December, 1867, and was com- posed of a hundred and five delegates, thirty-three of whom were Conservatives and seventy-two Radicals.
The Constitution proposed by this convention embodied many praiseworthy principles, and while some objectionable features were found in the instrument as originally proposed, it may be truthfully stated that the Constitution as ratified has given greater satisfaction to the majority of the people of Virginia than any simi- lar instrument adopted in the history of our State. The one serious objection to this Constitution, in the opinion of many, was the enfranchisement of a great body of illiterate voters, while on the other hand it provided for the free school system and gave all the guarantees necessary to the enjoyment of personal liberty to its fullest extent.
This Constitution was submitted to the people at an election held on the 6th day of July, 1869.
At the same time an election was held for Governor, Lieutenant- Governor, Attorney-General, Congressmen, Senator and Represen- tatives in the House of Delegates.
At this election the vote of the county was as follows :
For the Constitution, 2,539
Against the Constituton, 35
For Clause 4, 491
Against Clause 4, 2,109
For Section 7, 492
Against Section 7, 2,115
For Governor-G. C. Walker, 1,971
H. H. Wells, 569
For Lieutenant-Governor-J. F. Lewis,
1,969
J. D. Harris, 521
For Attorney-General-J. C. Taylor, 2,042
T. R. Bowden, 663
553
Washington County, 1777-1870.
For Congress-J. K. Gibson, 2,026
A. C. Dunn, 13
523 George S. Smith, 1,826
For Congress at Large-Joseph Segar. A. M. Crane, 564
For State Senate-R. B. Edmondson.
860
J. S. Greever, 1,163
Charles McDougall, 517
For House of Delegates-George Graham.
1,675
John F. Terry, 1,702
Harry Remine, 49.7
M. L. Ingram, 629
Jeriel D. Linder, 98
White voters, 2,212
Colored voters. 389
2.601
The Constitution was ratified by the people, and Gilbert C. Walker, John F. Lewis, J. C. Taylor. J. K. Gibson. Joseph Segar. James S. Greever. George Graham and John F. Terry were elected to the respective offices for which they were candidates.
James K. Gibson was permitted to take his seat in the Congress of the United States on the 24th of January, 1820.
Early in the year 1868, the Conservative party in Virginia nomi- nated a ticket for Governor. Lieutenant-Governor and Attorney- General, which ticket was as follows :
For Governor. Robert E. Withers, of Lynchburg.
For Lieutenant-Governor. James A. Walker, of Pulaski.
For Attorney-General, John L. Marye, of Fredericksburg.
The object of the Conservative party was not only to elect their ticket, but to defeat the Constitution proposed by the convention that adjourned on the 15th of April, 1868. Numerous canvassers were appointed throughout the State and every preparation was made to defeat the Constitution proposed, but in March of the year 1869 the Radical convention assembled in Petersburg and two tickets were nominated, headed by H. H. Wells and Gilbert C. Walker. respectively, the latter being termed the nominee of the Liberal Re- publican party.
554
Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
The State Executive Committee of the Conservative party, believ- ing this to be the opportunity to accomplish their object, withdrew their ticket and decided to support the ticket headed by Gilbert C. Walker, with the result that Walker was elected by an overwhelm- ing majority.
On the first day of January, 1868, the term of office of Gov- ernor Pierpont having expired, General Schofield appointed H. H. Wells Governor of the State, and on the 27th of March, 1869, an order was issued by the military authorities removing Wells and vesting all executive power of the State in General Stoneman.
The Congress of the United States, on the 23d day of January, 1869, adopted a resolution directing the removal of all persons holding civil offices under the provisional governments of Virginia and Texas, who could not take the oath prescribed by an act of Congress passed on the 22d of July, 1866, and conferring upon the military authorities the power to fill all vacancies from persons who could swear that they had not engaged in the rebellion against the United States. In the month of February, 1869, Judge John A. Campbell, of the Circuit Court, was removed and John W. John- son, whose disabilities had been removed, was appointed Judge of this Circuit, and the following persons were appointed to fill vacan- cies occasioned by the removal of the officers of the county.
Clerk of the Circuit Court, John O'Neal.
Clerk of the County Court, Charles McDougall.
County Surveyor, Leonidas Baugh.
Sheriff, W. A. Dunn.
Commonwealth-Attorney, Henry C. Auvil.
At the same time members of the County Court, constables and overseers of the poor were appointed by General Stoneman.
The Constitution, as originally proposed by the convention of 1868, contained many objectionable clauses, and, had the same been adopted as proposed, it would have been very disastrous and humiliating to Virginia, but through the intercession of a com- mittee of nine prominent citizens of this State, among the num- ber being Governor Wyndham Robertson, of Abingdon, General Grant, soon after his inauguration on the 4th of March, 1869, by the direction of the Congress of the United States, issued a procla- mation appointing July 6, 1869, as the day for the people of the
555
Washington County. 1777-1870.
State to vote upon the question of the ratification or rejection of the proposed Constitution.
By the terms of this Act of Congress General Grant was author- ized to submit to the voters of the State, separately, such clauses of the proposed Constitution as he might think proper, and, pursuant to this authority, clause four and seetion seven of the proposed Constitution were submitted to the people to be voted upon separ- ately and, as a result, the only objectionable clauses contained in this Constitution were eliminated.
The General Assembly elected on the 6th of July, 1869, assembled in Richmond on October 5th, of the same year, and, after organiz- ing, ratified the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to the Con- stitution of the United States, elected two United States senators and adjourned to meet again on the 8th of February, 18:0.
On the 28th of January, 1870, the Congress of the United States passed a bill admitting the representatives from the State of Vir- ginia to their seats in the Congress of the United States.
When the General Assembly re-assembled on the 8th of February. 1820, they proceeded to reorganize the government of the State under the Constitution.
John A. Kelly, of Smyth county, was elected judge of the Circuit Court and R. M. Page, judge of the County Court of this county. County officers were elected on the 8th of November. 1870, as fol- lows :
Clerk of the Circuit Court, L. T. Cosby.
Clerk of the County Court, W. G. G. Lowry.
Commonwealth-Attorney, James L. White.
Sheriff, James L. F. Campbell.
Treasurer, George R. Barr.
The last term of the old County Court was held on the 9th day of April, 1870, with the following members present : Henry Daven- port, John D. Rose and Jacob B. Kent.
This court, during its existence, was one of the most valued insti- tutions in the State, being well suited to the genius of our people and affording a reliable and speedy remedy for wrongs.
For a number of years immediately subsequent to the close of the war, an organization existed in this county and in many por- tions of the South, known as the Ku-Klux-Klan, having for its object the restriction of that large body of freedmen found in every
556
Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
section of the South, and, in many instances, very difficult to con- trol, the object being to restrain the vicious without the commission of any wrong against the well-meaning freedman. The terror created in the minds of the ordinary freedmen by the mention of the word Ku-Klux-Klan would be hard to describe.
The following notice was published in the Abingdon paper on the 3d of April, 1868 :
"NOTICE.
TO THE UNTERRIFIED KU-KLUX-KLAN.
1
I
No. 969
X 0
Meet at the Smoky Den of Destruction to hear what the royal avenging Giant has to say for the good of this Klan ; be prompt to be there at 2 o'clock on the 1st April (night) .*
By order of the 4th Demon now in the land."
In the month of January, 1869, a depot was erected by the Vir- ginia and Tennessee Railroad Company near Goforth's Mill, six miles east of Bristol, and since that time a considerable town has grown up at this point and is now known as Wallace's Switch.
A Law Library Association was organized in Abingdon in Octo- ber, 1869, by James W. Humes and other prominent citizens of the town, but for some reason this association was short lived.
On the 24th of November, 1870, the sense of the people of this county was taken upon a proposition for a county subscription of $200,000 to the Norfolk and Great Western railroad, and the propo- sition was negatived by a vote of nine hundred and ninety-five against, to two hundred and thirty-eight for.
The county of Washington, previous to the year 1872 divided into nine districts, was changed in that year, pursuant to an Act of the General Assembly, and was divided into six districts by M. H. Buchanan, I. A. McQuown, D. A. P. Campbell, John Rob- erts, John M. Hamilton and W. P. Wallace, commissioners appointed by the County Court of this county for that purpose.
The names of the districts as thus established were Glade Spring,
*This notice was published along with a representation of a skull and cross bones.
551
Washington County, 1777-1870.
Saltville, North Fork, Abingdon, Goodson and Kinderhook Dis- tricts. In 1876, by order of the County Court of this county, Hol- ston District was established and became the Seventh District of the county.
At this point I will close the history of the county, as it has often- times been truly said: "Nations only begin to look after the his- tory of their founders and search into their origin when they have outlived the memory thereof."
EDUCATION.
By far the most creditable chapter in the history of Abingdon and the people of Washington county, has been the effort of the people to afford excellent facilities for the education of the youthful inhabitants of Abingdon and the surrounding country.
William Webb was the first schoolmaster that taught an English school in the vicinity of Abingdon. He was an Englishman and came to America in the employment of Lord Fairfax, in whose land office in the Northern Neck of Virginia he wrote for many years at the same time that George Washington, with whom Mr. Webb was well acquainted, was surveying for Lord Fairfax. He came to Abingdon in 1782 or 1:83 with a wife and nine chil- dren and was employed by John Campbell, clerk of the county, in recording deeds and doing other work in the clerk's office. Soon after his arrival Mr. Campbell had a school made up for him, and a schoolhouse was built just across the creek from Mr. Findlay's old tan-yard, at the head of Black's mill pond, and near where a good spring came out from between rocks. The ground was the floor and the seats for the scholars were made of hewn slabs placed on forks driven into the ground around the walls, and their writing table was of the same material placed on forks in the middle of the room. Such was the furniture of the first school-house in Abingdon. Mr. Webb was a very small man, with a round face and sparkling black eyes. He was talkative, lively and intelligent, and though feeble, was very independent in his opinions, and when aroused was as bold as a lion. He had a ready use of his pen and wrote a most beautiful hand, as is evident from an inspection of his work now to be found in the clerk's office of Washington county. Mr. Webb removed to Russell county in 1786, and settled near the present location of Tazewell Courthouse, Virginia, and taught school until his death in the year 1818.
558
Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
The next teacher of any distinction that came to the vicinity of Abingdon was Turner Lane, an Irishman, who had previously thereto taught school at the Royal Oak, where Marion, in Smyth county now stands. He began to teach school in Abingdon in the year 1786, in a house on the land of John Bradley. In 1788 or 1789 a school-house was built for him near the meeting-house spring, at a location within the present enclosure of the Sinking Spring Cemetery. At this location he taught for several years, and subsequently removed to Tennessee and settled near Sparta. He was a man of good size and appearance, very orderly in his requirements in school, but not tyrannical .*
At this location a school was conducted until the organization of the Abingdon Male Academy in the year 1802.
ABINGDON MALE ACADEMY.
At the fall session of the General Assembly of Virginia in the year 1802, Robert Craig, Sr., a member of the Legislature from Washington county, at the request of a number of prominent citi- zens of Abingdon, introduced a bill in the Legislature of Virginia having for its object the incorporation of the Abingdon Academy. This bill became a law on the 13th of January, 1803, and provided that:
John Campbell,
Robert Craig, Sr.,
Richard White,
Robert Campbell,
James Bradley, .
Gerrard T. Conn,
Francis Preston,
William King, James White,
Claiborne Watkins,
Andrew Russell,
Henry Dixon,
William Tate, Frederick Hamilton and David Campbell,
should constitute a body politic and incorporate by the name of the Trustees of Abingdon Academy, and by that name should have perpetual succession, a common seal, and sue and be sued. They were given the power to make rules and regulations, to appoint officers and remove the same, in the establishment and conduct of the proposed Academy, and vacancies occurring on the Board of Trustees were to be filled by the surviving trustees."
By this same act the trustees of the town of Abingdon and their successors, or the majority of them, were authorized to raise, not
*Gov. David Campbell MS
559
Washington County, 1777-1870.
exceeding $2,000, by lottery or lotteries, to be applied by them in purchasing a library, philosophical and mathematical apparatus, and anything else necessary for the use of the said Academy.
The school as thus chartered was opened in the Masonic Hall .* in the town of Abingdon, in the fall of the year 1803, and the Acad- emy was conducted in the same hall until about the year 1820.
Every member of the Board of Trustees appointed by this act was personally interested in the success of the Academy, each contribut- ing everything possible to the institution and the success of the same.
Four members of the Board of Trustees of the town of Abing- don met at the courthouse in the town of Abingdon on the 18th of June. 1803, and, pursuant to the provisions of the Act of the Assembly of date January 13. 1803, had the following proceedings :
"At a meeting of the trustees of the town of Abingdon, at the courthouse of Washington county, on Saturday, the 18th day of June, '1803.
Present. Robert Campbell. Andrew Russell, Frederick Hamilton and James White.
By an act of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Vir- ginia, passed the 13th day of January, 1803, it is enacted that it shall and may be lawful for the trustees of the said town, and their successors or a majority of them, to raise by lottery or lotteries, a sum. not exceeding two thousand dollars, to be applied by them in purchasing a library, philosophical and mathematical apparatus, and anything else necessary for the use of the said Academy. In pursuance whereof we have adopted the following scheme of a lot- tery to be denominated "The Abingdon Academy Lottery,' to raise the sum of two thousand dollars for the purposes aforesaid, by account of twenty per cent. on prizes alone.
1 Prize of $1,000, $ 1,000
2 Prizes of $500, 1,000
15 Prizes of $100, 1,500
40 Prizes of $50, 2,000
50 Prizes of $20, 1,000
700 Prizes of $5, 3,500
808 Prizes, $10,000
1192 Blanks,
2,000 Tickets@$5, $10,000
*This hall stood on the lot, now occupied by the new county jail on Water street.
560
Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
The drawing will commence in the Abingdon Academy as soon as the tickets are sold, and continued from day to day until finally completed ; immediately after which the prizes will be paid to the fortunate adventurers. Such as shall not be demanded within six months after the close of the drawing will be considered as relin- quished. We have adopted the following form of the tickets :
Abingdon Academy !
This ticket, No. - entitles the drawer to the first prize annexed to its number subject to a discount of twenty per cent. thereon.
ROBERT CAMPBELL, ANDREW RUSSELL, FREDERICK HAMILTON, JAMES WHITE,
Trustees.
There can be no question that the drawing under this lot- tery took place, but with what success it is impossible to ascertain.
The first principal of the Abingdon Academy is unknown, and the success attending the Academy previous to 1820 is equally unknown; but it is probable that the institution received consid- erable patronage and to some extent at least met the object of its projectors.
William King, a young man who had been identified with the town of Abingdon since an early day in its history, became very much interested in the Abingdon Academy, and being a man of con- siderable means, at the time of the execution of his will he made the following provision for the Academy-to-wit: I also leave and bequeath to the Abingdon Academy the sum of ($10,000) ten thou- sand dollars payable to the trustees in the year 1816, or lands to that amount, to be vested in said Academy with the interest or rents thereon forever."
His will was probated on the 20th of December, 1808.
William King was an Irishman and a self-made man in every particular, but evidently had received a good English education himself. By this act he rendered a great service to many gen- erations of people, and his name will be intimately associated with the history of his adopted home as long as education is appreciated by our people.
561
Washington County, 1777-1870.
In the fall of the year 1812, the following advertisement appeared in the "Political Prospect," a newspaper published in Abingdon :
ABINGDON ACADEMY.
"The trustees of this institution have the happiness to announce to the friends of Erudition, that the muses are about to pour out their treasures from the Pierian Spring in this Seminary. To the American Youth who thirst for literary acquirements, they offer the draughts of :
LANGUAGE AND SCIENCE.
Under
The REV. THOMAS ERSKINE BIRCH, WHOSE TALENTS as a preceptor have been so universally authenticated that any encomium is unnecessary.
PRICES FOR TUITION.
For a novitiate, $10 00
Reading and writing, 12 00
English Gram., Arithmetic, &c., 15 00
Language & Mathematical Science, Elocution, Philosophy, Belles-Lettres and Astronomy, Book-keeping, geography
and Navigation, &c.,. 20 00
Nothing more is known of the Academy at this time.
The trustees of the Abingdon Academy in the year 1819 insti- tated a suit in the court of this county having for its object the enforcement of the provision made by William King in his will for Abingdon Academy.
Matthew Willoughby, Edward Latham and James Vance were appointed commissioners by the court to ascertain the lands owned by William King in Abingdon and vicinity. and to ascertain the value of said lands and report to the court.
These commissioners reported to the court at the October term thereof, and by a decree of said court entered on the 22d of Decem- ber, 1819, the following lands were directed to be conveyed by the adult heirs of William King, deceased, and by Jacob Lynch, com- missioner of the court, to the trustees of the Abingdon Academy, 99 acres and 31 poles ; 29 acres and 80 poles; 10 1-2 acres; 20 3-4 acres; 32 acres and 59 poles ; 32 acres; 4023 acres; 15 acres and 120 poles ; 17 acres and 88 poles ; 814 acres ; 100 acres ; 10 quarter-
562
Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
acre lots in the Robert Craig addition to the town of Abingdon, and being lots Nos. 31, 35, 33, 37, 38, 39, 40, and 43; 10 quarter-acre lots in the David Craig addition to said town, and being lots Nos. 15, 16, 17, 18, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30."
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