USA > Virginia > Some prominent Virginia families, Volume II > Part 63
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Notwithstanding the menaces of this worthy mortal, that I should repent my not letting have my Lease, we went on extremely well, and as I had foreseen, I let out into Tenements as much as amounted to Forty- Six pounds a year, receiving also much the better and larger part for my own use. I had too as much business as we really wished for and my stock, the very considerable my own; and besides a number of debts due to me in Trade I could and did frequently assist others on an emergency
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with Twenty or Thirty Pistoles at a time; but this flourishing situation unhappily attracted the envy and rancour of many people besides my Landlord. But the enemy of greatest consequence which yet appeared openly was one Mr. John Holt a merchant and the then Mayor of this City. This man was a friend and a known dependent of the honourable William Nelson Esq., but it was utterly unaccountable what could induce him to become my enemy. I never did nor aimed to do him the least injury in my Life, tho' he maintained an intimacy with my Son, a Boy of 17 years of age, very disadvantageous to me. He was obliged to me for laying out large sums of money with him frequently for Goods, for which he was always duly paid in Cash, a thing here not extremely common, he never dealing with me, except once for two dozens of Maderia Wine when for goodness, there was none such elsewhere to be had.
This smooth fellow, one day to my great surprise lodged a complaint against me in the Court where he was Mayor for selling Rum to Negroes contrary to Law. In my defence, I told the Court I craved 110 other favour than strict and impartial Justice, desiring Mr. Holt might produce his evidence in support of his information. Upon which he took notice of the great difficulty he was under in that case, as the Law did not admit a Negro to be an evidence against a white person. But to blow off his . , I acquainted the Court, that I made not the least objection to the Negro evidence, and if Mr. Holt would produce but one such of a reputable character, as a Negro, who would only say, I had ever let a Negro have any spirituous liquors without the leave or order of the Master or Mistress, or any person whatever in less quantity than a Pint, I should esteem it a, just reason for a restraining my selling; that no Negro had ever been served with Rum by my family, I would not presume to say, but I would undertake to affirm that not one merchant in the Town who sold Rum at all was so cautious of letting any Negro be supplied with rum, without a written or Verbal Icave as myself. That it was very well known my family had been frequently ridiculed for being scrupulous in this matter, and I was ready to prove, if they would give me leave, by indisputable evidence, that my family had turned away two Negroes in one day, for the want of such authority, who went directly from my house to Mr. Holt's, and was then served without the least scruple whatever. This put the Court in a flame, and I was openly ordered to be silent. But one of the Magistrates, Mr. John Blair, a gentleman whom I had not the least acquaintance with, stood up, and said he thought I had as just a right to accuse Mr. Holt-tho' one of that Bench-of an offence, as he had accused me, Justice being no respecter of Persons. However, Mr. Holt saying he had no other ground for his information, save Common Fame, and I telling, tho' not of the Court they were as well acquainted with common fame as Mr. Holt could be, they inclined to drop the affair.
But one Mr. John Greenhow another merchant in Town (infamously re- markable for trafficking with Negroes in wine, or any other commodity, Sunday not excepted) requesting to have his Lease extended another year. Mr. Holt stood up again, and in a sanctified speech, informed the Court
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that he never heard of Mr. Greenhow being guilty of the practice of selling liquor to Negroes-whereupon addressing myself to the byestanders, as well as the Court, I desired all present to take notice what an arrant strumpet this same Common Fame was, who had informed this worthy Gentleman Mr. Holt of my being guilty of this vile practice; and of Mr. Greenhow's innocence of the Fact; this put the Court again in a hubbub, and I was again called to order; one of the Justices, Mr. Prentis, telling me they desired some of my compassions. Yet all this was done so publicly in the face of the whole town, it was thought proper to allow me the liberty of selling as usual and to refuse Mr. Greenhow. Nevertheless, I was since informed by Mr. Holt's or some greater influence Mr. Greenhow had the liberty granted the next Court Day. This affair happened I think in March 1754.
Tho' Mr. Holt failed here in executing his own (or I know not whose) malice, Providence was very soon pleased to put in his power to glut the most rancorous disposition; and he did not neglect the opportunity; for on Saturday the 24th of April 1754, about 8 in the Evening, I being just got to bed my Daughter alarmed me with the cry of Fire at a neighbor's house, one Mr. Palmer, an Atty; there was our good friend Mr. Walthoe's house only between which and us; the apartment where the fire began was a back room or counting house joining to a store next Mr. Walthoe's, which was let to a merchant (Mr. Asborn) who was gone to England to fetch over his Family, and by the neglect of his Brother-in Law who kept the Store in his absence, in leaving a fire too carelessly in the said room, while he staid longer than he intended at a Public House, the floor first catched and then the window curtains. With any tolerable management, the fire might easily been extinguished, but nothing was sure for a great while but uproar, confusion and disorder. Some person, whether with a good or bad intention, was never known, gave the word that there was a large quantity of Gun Powder in the store, which struck a general terror for a considerable time, and the rope to my well, the nearest and only water within a good way, was broke or cut after drawing the first or second bucket. Mr. Palmer's well indeed was close by the room where the fire kindled, but the Cry of the Gun Powder hindered that from being used till it grew too hot to stand at all in that place. The running off with the goods was the chief thing minded, tho' the great bugbear the Gun Powder was neglected, till at the last a Negro of Mr. Walthoe it is said, got up (it being kept just over the store or shop) and tumbled one of the barrels into the street, but the flames having then burst into that room also, the man was obliged to jump down himself to save his life. This was a little less than an hour after the fire was discovered. When the Powder Catched, the whole roof, (covered with shingles, indeed we have no other ) was in a blaze. Between the East end of Mr. Walthoe's house and this in flames, was a void space of about Thirty foot, and the wind directly at west, a strong Gale, so that but from the effects of the Gun Powder, there was no great danger, or had his house been covered with Tile slate or any other material not combustible, it had nevertheless remained safe. But
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the explosion of the Gun Powder, (the roof then all in a blaze) seattered the firebrands upon Mr. Walthoe's house, already heated or dyed like tinder by the adjacent flames, set his house also instantly in a blaze. Had his house been covered with wet bags or blankets, that would have preserved it, but for more than an hour not a ladder (or other useful implement) could hardly be met with. My Pails, Buekets, Tubs, Axes, Spades ete. etc. were indeed delivered immediately, but ,except the well bucket which was secured at the bottom of the well, I never received one thing any more. The Capitol tho' more than 200 feet distant was by its eastern situation in great danger of being burnt a second time, the shingles eatching several times. But that being better attended and supplyed with water etc, etc, it was preserved, tho' at a considerable expense, the assistants there being well paid: whereas, save what Mr. Walthoe gave out of his own Pocket to Persons who pretended to have aided at Mr. Palmer's and his own house, the recompence of the helpers in general, consisted in what they ran away with, of the substance of the sufferers. Between the West end of Mr. Walthoe's and the East end of my house, was a void space of no more than about four foot, Yet as the explosion was over, without affect- ing me, and the wind continued to blow still strong at West, I would not suffer any of my goods to be removed out of my house, which was then beset by great numbers of lazy negroes, calmly viewing the Bon Fire. 1 spoke to a knot of those, exhorting them very eivily to assist in drawing or fetehing water, etc, but received a surly reply with an Oath of who will pay us? But my good friend, Mr. John Holt, the Chief Magistrate, countenaneed and supported by many others no better affeeted to me than himself, at this instant authorized and commanded these Black Spectators to level or pull down my house to the ground, under the pretence of its being for the Publie good by preventing the flames spreading farther into the Town. Several of thesc worthy Patriots too insisting that it was the property of Fire to run against the wind. This Righteous order was no sooner issued, than these Lazy fellows became the most active industrious people in the world. For in a moment my doors which I had loeked or barred, were all broke open, and every part of my house filled with Negroes innumerable, and under the pretence of assisting in my distress, ran away with whatever of my substanee they thought fit. My Cellar in particular being so crowded, that they could hardly stand one by another. Every room of my house was also very full, breaking open all my chests of Drawers, Trunks, Boxes, Desks, etc., throwing my goods loose out of the windows into the street. Nor in the Scene of Confusion and destruction. was a single person, (white or black) directed to superintend or take the least eare of my being robbed or plundered but on the contrary sueli things as Plate, Glass, China, ete, ete, was without exception, thus tossed out of the windows, into the streets, even in the view of those whose proper business it was to have protected me from such violences. And altho' this night was remarkably cold and piereing, not a single soul had the humanity in these afflieting circumstances to point out a barn or Stable to Shelter (I dont say my wife and Daughter) but my two young Children.
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It is not possible for me to compute the damages I sustained in this unparalled depredation on my goods and every commodity I dealt in as well as Liquors. Of Plate only, I lost seven table and Five or Six tea Spoons and a silver hilted sword; a Silver Mug. These thrown out of a Chamber Window were luckily secured by one Mr. Taspley of this place, the moment it was picked up by another person; and another large hand- some Sword brass mounted with a Silver gripor was carried off, tho' recovered Six months afterwards by the peculiarity of its make as described in the publick Paper. This had been a time in the possession of the before mentioned Mr. Greenhow, who it seems received it of his Mayor. An exploit like this, one would think, must have fully satisfied the vengeance of not only Col. Lee, Mr. Holt, and Mr. Wetherburn, but of every other envious or malicious mortal, but it was far otherwise. Before I quit this extraordmary piece of business, it is necessary that I should observe that just as all the injury that could well be done to me was completed, and that part of our substance, carried into the garden, (the fences of which being all thrown down) and My Wife and Children as a guard shivering around it. At this time a Gentleman (Mr. Benjm. Grymes) arrived and seeing the mob so busy in pulling down the house, desired to know the meaning of the shocking violence which had been committed; he put an immediate stop to their outrage, intimating that they might easily make themselves sensible of the absurdity of the inhuman order, by turning their faces to the wind, and stepping up himself upon the East end of my house next the flames with the aid of three or four such hands, stopped entirely the spreding of the Fire without any further devastation.
"My circumstances being now so reduced, I turned my mind toward my former plan of going to Philadelphia in search of employment. In a kind letter from Mr. Nelson Dated -- he said to me, if you think of any thing in which I can really serve you, you may freely apply to me."
The young Man whose name was Armstrong, brother-in-law to Mr. Osborne with whom the case of the store was intrusted, and to whose neglect the breaking of the fire is attributed, soon after his Brother's arrival, took a large dose of sublimate, which with great torture put an end to his days. This extraordinary act of power was I think the last that ever Mr. Holt was concerned in, in this country, for in less than a month he quitted the place, leaving many of his creditors in the lurch, such especially who were not in the premeditated scheme of breaking. He is gone it seems to New York and some of his cronies dont seruple to say, he will still become a greater man than ever. This honest man's goods and effects, being to be sold off June 11th at Public out cry, the honourable Win. Nelson and John Robinson Esqrs., being the Trustees, and Mr. John Palmer an Attorney at Law, being the Chief Actor or Clerk to this Trust, I among many others attended this sale; and it unhappily falling out, that one Col. Bolling, a descendant from the famous Emperor Powhatan, tho' a person quite unknown to me, had a mind for the two things which I had bid for, instead of Civilly desiring me to desist, both times insulted me very coarsely. Mr. Wetherburn also happening to be there, took the
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opportunity of doing the same, telling Col. Bolling he should have the pleasure of joining with him in turning me out of the house I lived in, swearing moreover, it should never be repaired or enclosed any more, so long as I continued in it. Is not this strange treatment of a Person who had never given the least cause of offence to one single creature in the Colony ?
One of the articles, I had bought and about which I had been insulted was a Tea-Table, and the next day I sent for it; but my servant returned without it, saying Mrs. Holt the wife of the Bankrupt bid her tell me, that I should not have it, for that it was, bought by her. I then sent my Daughter, who was acquainted a little in the family with my compli- ments to Mrs. Holt, that if there was any thing I had purchased which she had an inclination to, I should be very ready to oblige her with; but begged I might not be treated with rudeness or contempt. To this, she as rudely replied, she would be under no obligation in the matter, for the Table she had bought and would Keep. Whereupon, I waited upon Mrs. Holt myself, setting the whole affair in a clear light before her, as that it was upon my purchasing his very utensil that Col. Bolling the most insulted me; that Mr. Palmer the Clerk in particular was by. and a witness to my purchase; which however, as I had offered before, I was willing to relinquish to oblige her; but that I should not willingly submit to the scandals of claiming a thing as my property, which was anothers. She still maintained her ridiculous haughty obstinacy in saying she would keep the Table without being obliged to me; for that Mr. Norton had bought it for her, and Mr. Palmer was a witness to it. Upon this I asked her whether she was willing that Mr. Palmer should determine the dispute? She said she was. This if I mistake not was on a Saturday, and the Monday after, meeting Mr. Palmer at the Court of Hustings, I called him aside acquainting him with the whole affair, informed him too, Mrs. Holt and I had agreed to make him our Lord Chancellor, requesting he would upon honor declare which of us bought the Mahogany Tea Table in dispute? He without the least hesitation replyed, "Mrs. Holt." I asked him again, if he was sure, being he would recollect himself: but with the utmost steadfastness, he persisted in affirming he was sure it was Mrs. Holt. Whercupon I said no more than,-By my own agreement, it was now Mrs. Holt's right. Some day after, Mr. Palmer called upon me to give bond for the payment of what I had bought (on six months credit.) I informed him, I should give him the money but as I was not thoroughly satisfied about the Tea Table, I first expected a sight of his original paper. wherein he entered the Persons names, who bought the goods as they were cryed out. This a little and but a little confounded him, for soon recollect- ing himself, he confessed that my name had been first originally entered upon the paper to the article in dispute, but had been afterwards cancelled, and Mr. Norton's inserted thereof. On my asking by whom, this change or alteration was made, he said he did not know, it was not done by him; and on my saying it was what he ought to have known, he replyed Mr. Price kept the paper sometimes as well as him. Having however thus
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acquired a thorough insight into this dexterous piece of Legerdemain I paid my money without any more words.
Had Mr. Palmer, who (tho' a neighbor) was a very stranger to me, or any other person, but said to me upon this occasion. "Mr. Fisher upon the presumption of your being a good natured man, I have taken the liberty of obliging Mrs. Holt with a piece of furniture which you bought and she has a mind to: I should have thanked him and esteemed his open manner of doing it, as an instance of his favour and good opinion of me. But to do it in the above forging, clandestine way like a Thief or a Pick Pocket (setting aside the scandal which he aimed to throw upon me) is a piece of low, dirty drudgery, which Jonathan Wild would have scrupled giving his assent to, unless he had been very well paid for it. Mr. Palmer became now a very busy agent for Mr. Wetherburn against me, and beginning now to perceive or experimentally feel the Truth of what Mr. Randolph had affirmed in our Passage, tho' neither I or any of my family had given any mortal any just cause of offence, unless our being overcautious of offending may be counted criminal. I determined on representing my case to Mr. Nelson in order to acquit my mind of some jealousy concerning his favoring the injurious assaults I had met with, and at the worst hoping to obtain from him that recommendation to Phila- delphia he once proferred me. Accordingly reciting few only, of the in- juries and oppressions . I laboured under the Lees and Wetherburns and my treatment at the fire, I was particular in, I concluded, (without a view of redress) that I was inclined to accept of the generous offer he once made me; of a recommendation to Philadelphia. In answer to my very humble representation, I received a letter from him dated June 18, 1754, full of hauty sneers and illnatured unkind taunts (too much the wit of this Country). He affects to receive the particular instances of cruelty and injustice I had exhibited, as a general charge against the whole Coun- try; who (he affectedly says) I think have not been remarkable for their inhumanity. The particular reasons you may have for such a charge, I am a stranger to; nor do I care to enter into their defence, nor to say that a part may be owing to the uneasiness of our own disposition: But since you have represented yourself as a Just and Innocent man, injuri- ously used, give me leave to say, that if you have followed the practice of retailing Liquors to Servants and Slaves as is generally reported, and believed (the very words of Mr. Holt) you have not been that inoffensive harmless member of society you would seem to be; however I shall not dispute with you about it. He however closed this benevolent epistle by telling me if I have a mind to try a more hospitable Climate, he will give me such a letter as he thinks can answer. I had (foolishly enough) enclosed one of yours and one of Mr. W. D. Doswell's letters with the vain view of persuading him, that I was once in the esteem of worthy men of no mean figure but this only procured me a disdainful taunt in a Post- script in these words: "I return the enclosed, as they may afford some pleasure to you, tho' none to me." Convinced as I was by this letter that his Honor bore me no good will and however persuaded. by the
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similitude of expressions, that what Mr. Holt had attempted against me at the Court of Hustings at least was Comfortable to the sentiments of Mr. Nelson, besides no person, (thicy two excepted) having made the least mention, or even a jealousy of any such matter; and having moreover received a number of other injuries and insults from the friends or de- pendents of Mr. Nelson. I determined on showing my resentment in a letter to him, tho' I shall first observe, my poor wife, struck with the Idea of his greatness, and the dread of consequence, in my contending with so potent an adversary, came to such a difference with me upon what 1 expressed on my reception of the above mentioned letter of June 18th that she separated bed and board from me. It is likewise to be noted that by Mr. Wetherburn's rancorons proceedings in not allowing the ruined part of my house to be repaired or the Pailing made good, whereby I lay open and exposed to many injuries. My habitation was broke open the ensuing winter no less than five times and I robbed of things of consider- able value. Two of these times the Thieves were taken and my goods found upon them. First, a woman taken up at Norfolk, about 60 miles from this place who had robbed us of all my wife and Daughters best linen etc, which had escaped the plunderers at the fire such as Headeloaths, Fine Aprons, Handkerchiefs, cte, etc, great part of wihch she was pos- sessed of when taken. This woman being conveyed from One Parish Officer to another till she arrived at Williamsburg, in order to be secured in the Publick Gaol; happening at last to fall into the hands of Mr. John Palmer, the officer of this Parish, the dexterous and ingenious Gentleman concerned in transferring the Tea Table before mentioned, from me to Mrs. Holt. He no sooner viewed the Warrant and perceived the Woman was in Cus- tody for robbing of me only, than he threw the warrant upon the ground with the utmost contempt, bidding the woman go about her business, for he would have no concern in stopping of her. This honest Gentleman as well as Parish Officer is an Attorney too, and cannot pretend to say, he is ignorant of the importance of these matters to the Publick. The Thief, however escaped, and I lost all my Goods. The first time after this that I saw Mr. Palmer, I asked him very civily, whether I or any of my Family had at any time ever offended him or his family, or attempted to prejudice or injure any of them. He with a down, lowering look, habitual to him, doggedly replyed, No- They never had offended him or his. My reason for asking him the question, I told him, was, his favouring the woman's escape that Robbed me. Without offering at any sort of reason for liis Conduct, he only in the same manner repeated his same words, No- we had never any of us offended him or his. The next Burglary detected, was about a Fortnight after: a man on whom was found The Silver Mug which had so miraculously escaped at the Fire, and a Silver Sause Pan; the man confessed the Fact, was committed to Jail. One of the Magis- trates, who was present at the examination and commitment of this man (Benjn. Waller Esqr, by name, an intimate friend of both the Mr. Nel- sons) and had not then heard of what manner the woman was let go, but expecting to have fastened the crime upon me, observed to my Daughter
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who then attended, I not being very well; that he hoped her Father was not concerned in letting the Thief escape. But when she set forth the real State of the case, letting his worship know that Mr. Palmer had the sole merit of that transaction, The offence vanished, nor was it then necessary to say one syllable more of the matter; and what was as extraordinary as the rest, in about a fortnight more, this very fellow was released out of Prison, without Judge or Jury or any kind of Tryal whatever. Exas- perated by such varieties of base injuries, I drew up a long remonstrance of Eight Folios of paper Containing an account of most of the suffering3 by unworthy treatment, we had endured from the time of our landing at York to that Day, Vizt: Feby 4th, 1755, observing likewise, that I had received more foul actions, or behaviour from People who were known to be his Honours Friends or Dependants, and sometimes under his immediate Eye; than from any other. As you will probably have an opportunity of seeing both it and the answer, I shall not particularly transcribe either, here. I gave vent to some of the bitterness of Spirit, which I had felt, and I did not sometimes refrain imitating his honours taunting way of writing, not but I could have been better pleased with myself, could I still have subdued my spirit. His honor's answer to mine of Feby 14th, is dated, York, Feby 15th and contains 12 Folios. The two first of which (sneers excepted) is taken up in vainly labouring to reconcile his be- havionr in regard to the Tea, to generosity, Friendship and good nature. He cavils at my saying the Tea deposited as Security became forfeited if the Principal and Interest of the money borrowed thereon was not dis- charged in Four months. This he affirms being no part of our agreement, and to this I can only appeal to the Instrument in his possession. The money was lent me he says in September, which I believe is very true- "and no good price (continues he) for the Tea," offering in some time, it was (I think) "in Feby, following that which we came to a bargain for a Chest of it, the rest of the Tea was sent to you at Williamsburg to make the most of, and no security left with me for the ballance of £70. 6. 1. which was paid me by Mrs. Fisher in April following." He triumphantly goes on-"Does not this prove etc ?" To all which, I could have replyed; No-it proves nothing but that his honor is utterly mis- taken. For the agreement, he says we made for a Chest of Tea in Feby was in the October Court before, and I should presume his own books and book-keeper will attest that the Chest of Tea was opened and a good deal of it sold long before February. It was indeed in Feby: and not before, that in honour in answer to mine informing him that his money was ready to his order; tells me I need not give myself the trouble, for the General Court would be time enough. So the money was not paid till March, nor was the Tea removed from his Honse till after the money was paid. And as to my embarking my whole family in the same bottom with my goods, being a reason for my not Claiming the Insurance in my account, appears to me too weak for an answer. But if this money was lent me at my first motion, as his honour positively affirms, I have then doubtless most egregiously wronged him. What is said about Gooding setting aside the
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