USA > Virginia > Virginia before and during the war > Part 4
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CHAPTER XI.
It was agreed that Miss Heath should continue her school until the next summer, she proposing . to make a short visit in December to her mother and sister, Mrs. Eaton, who since she left them had moved to Boston.
Life at Judge Buford's was very quiet, after Willie's de- parture, and the void left by his absence was felt by all, even the servants moving about more quietly than heretofore. He did not propose to visit home until the next summer vacation. His let- ters were frequent, and were wetcomed with interest by all. He had entered into a world new to him who had been reared in the country, and before this time had never visited a city. His de- scriptions of things seen were particularly interesting to his sis- ters, who, like him, had never travelled. They were delighted, when their father promised them a short visit to some of the cities the next summer before entering the Richmond Female College, where it was intended they should finish their education. James Campbell had become almost as one of the family, and Judge Buford frequent'y employed him in business not connected with the overseeing of his hands. He and Miss Heath were now frequently thrown into each other's company and soon formed a high opinion of each other. When she left to visit her family, he accompanied her as far as Richmond, being sent by the Judge to attend to the sale of his tobacco. Before taking leave of her he ventured, with much trepidation, to declare his attachment for her. Though not wholly unprepared for this avowal, she was rather taken by surprise, and would not give him an answer until her return. He returned home feeling a good deal of un- easiness which he might have spared himself, if he had been well acquainted with the female character, as women seldom reject a man, when they deliberate. He was also diffident of his ability, from his want of education, to please a highly educated woman. But as we find men of the highest attainments frequently choose
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as wives uneducated women, so well educated women frequently become deeply attached to men much inferior to them in mental culture.
In due time she returned and promised to marry him, if he would wait until the next autumn: Her relatives in Boston were delighted to see her, and remarked the great improvement in her appearance. Perfect health, acquired by her residence in one of the healthiest parts of Virginia, and new formed hopes enliven- ing her countenance, made her appear positively handsome. There are few women who would not prefer the love and protec- tion of an honorable man pleasing in appearance and strong in body and in character to fighting the battle of life alone, however pleasant the surroundings.
Mrs. Eaton was shocked when her sister told her that she had decided to accept an overseer. When she thought of such a person at all, she pictured him as a low, profane, cruel and igno- rant fellow. and could not realize it, when told by her sister that he was a perfect gentleman in manners, of fair intelligence, and so young and so much handsomer than herself that she felt ashamed to marry him, lest his superior appearance should excite remark. Indeed she was six months older than him, and she was astonished at gaining his affections. Her mother, who had vis- ited the South with her husband and had not so much of that prejudice which, at this time, so much prevailed among the young of the North, said she had no objection, as her daughter informed her that he was an honorable man and a consistent Christian.
After returning to Judge Buford's and consenting to marry James Campbell, she insisted that they should be married at her sister's, in the presence of her mother, to which he very readily agreed. He was quite a diffident man, and nothing was known of their engagement for several months. She devoted herself as- siduously to her school, which was to close the last of June. She had formed many acquaintances and enjoyed the society of the guests of the family, when not engaged with her pupils. Dr.
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Stoval was a frequent visitor professionally and socially, and, be- ing a shrewd observer, had some suspicion of her relations with James which he kept to himself, as it is the custom with discreet physicians not to speak of what they see in their visits to fami- lies. He only indulged himself occasionally in a little good nat- ured teasing, not going far enough to cause annoyance. When the time came for Miss Heath to leave, the girls were much dis- tressed and exacted a promise from her to visit them, which she very readily gave.
As Willie was coming home to spend the vacation, all the family determined to remain at home all the summer. James Campbell had told of his engagement, to Judge Buford, in strict privacy, so that he might look out for another overseer, as he had determined to do business for himself alone. The Judge, whilst regretting to lose him, approved of his course. During the sum- mer he had erected a neat addition to his mother's cottage. When this became known, his neighbors were pretty sure he in- tended taking a wife, but were divided in opinion as to who she might be. As he kept his own council, there came to be quite an excitement on the subject, especially among the ladies. Since his engagement he had spent most of his spare time in reading, and was not ashamed, when meeting difficulties, to seek the as- sistance of his affianced; so that he became a man of very fair general intelligence.
CHAPTER XII.
Willie returned in July, not much changed in appearance, and having the same kind and friendly address to all. His sisters were delighted with all the wonders he had to tell them of ; of all the fine and strange things he had seen, and they now anticipated with pleasure the two weeks' trip they were to take with him and their father, before his return to college and their going to Richmond to school. A few days after Willie's return, his cousin, John Preston, came to spend a short time with him. He lived in
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one of the extreme Southern counties of what is now West Vir- ginia, where his father was a large landholder and stock-raiser. He was a student of the University of Virginia, and was about two years older than Willie. Although of respectable talents and fair ability, he was inclined to dissipation in his habits, and was very aristocratic in his notions. He was of a very restless disposition, and went every day to make some call, or was out hunting or fishing. He frequently made remarks about Willie's friendly address to poor people. After making a call with Wil- lie at Mrs. Campbell's, he spoke of his condescension in visiting such plain people. Lizzie had not come into the sitting room during his visit, being considered too young to receive the atten- tions of gentlemen, but John had gotten a good look at her in passing, and remarked to Willie that the opportunity of seeing such a girl would excuse a good deal of condescension. He made some other remarks about Lizzie that angered Willie, who told him that if James Campbell should hear of such language about his sister he would resent it, and that in fact he resented it him- self, and would be obliged to him not to make such remarks again. John replied : "O, you are a straight-laced set about here, but I am pleased to know there are some exceptions. When I was the other day at your little store, I wished to have my tickler replenished,-when the proprietor said : 'Young man, are you twenty one years old ?' As I was too honorable, if not too religious, to tell a positive lie, he refused positively to sell me any whiskey. Just then, the father of your good friend, Tom Jones, came riding up on an old bony horse, and I took him aside and gave him my tickler and a dollar. He soon returned with the desired article, of which, at my request, he partook lib- erally, and although he tendered the change, was polite enough to keep it at my request. So you see all are not saints in your neighborhood."
Willie's reply was, "I have read in Webster's spelling-book that strong drink will debase a man. If it has debased Jones, are you not afraid it will debase you?"
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John was gentlemanly in address, when he desired to be sc. and quite intelligent and good looking ; so he made a more favor- able impression upon the Judge and Mrs. Buford than upon Wil- lie, who had a better opportunity to find out his real disposition. He exacted a promise from them that they would visit his father and mother, whom they had not seen for some years, the next summer.
After John's departure, Judge Buford, accompanied by his daughters and son, visited several of the Northern cities, and went as far as Boston, where Willie remained until the com- mencement of the lectures at the university. They visited Miss Heath, who was much pleased at seeing them, and contributed . greatly to their enjoyment by her knowledge of the beauties and curiosities of the city. On their arrival at the Richmond college, they were met by Lizzie Campbell, who had already arrived. Al- though it was a strain on the means of the Campbell family, Miss Heath had persuaded James to give Lizzie the best educational advantages the country afforded. She had come to love her very much and had already in mind destined her for Willie Buford, of whom she had a very high opinion, both as to talents and moral worth. She knew there was a leaven of family pride among the best and plainest of wealthy Virginians, and the Buford's were not exempt from it, but she believed they would not object to so lovely and intelligent a girl as Lizzie, if she was highly educated and accomplished.
During the autumn, James Campbell put up a very neat ad- dition to his house. In December, after witnessing the marriage of his sister Mary to Mr. Taylor, a young Baptist minister, he went to Boston for liis intended bride. They were quietly mar- ried, Willie Buford and Harlow Heath, the bride's brother, from Chicago, standing up with them. On their return, as James wished somewhat to enlarge his farming operations, they stopped in Richmond to purchase two negroes, a girl and a boy. They called at the large establishment of Davis & Crawford, where a large number were constantly kept on hand, and of a variety to
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suit all purchasers, who frequently came from even distant Texas and Missouri to purchase a supply of labor needed for these new and fast developing States. The proprietors sold on commission, either privately or at auction, to suit the seller, and boarded the negroes, until an opportunity for selling was offered. They were cleanly dressed and well fed, and had but to play on the banjo and dance, an amusement in which the more piously inclined would not indulge, but spent a good deal of time in singing and prayer. They were very kindly treated, and no severity was used. unless it was necessary to keep good order. On the premises, however, there was a jail in which were confined the unruly, and those whose owners were afraid they would try to make their escape.
Mr. and Mrs. Campbell were conducted into a large and clean apartment by an elderly colored woman who was elegantly dressed and very dignified and ladylike in manner. She belonged to the proprietors, and superintended the female department. Under her superintendence, the utmost decorum was observed. The negroes were always on the alert, when a prospective purchaser appeared, and eager to get a look at him. When James Camp- bell strolled into the yard, a dignified old man approached him and said, "Masser, I like your looks, and I wish you would buy us, me and my ole 'oman and our youngest darter ; dare ain't no likelier gal dan Susan, and dar is a heap of good work in me an' the old 'oman yit." He stated that he had been foreman for a wealthy gentleman who had died much in debt, and that he and others had to be sold for a division among heirs and to pay debts. The proprietors had been instructed to sell these three together if possible. James told him he only wanted two, and must have a younger man. Poor o'd Jim, weary of waiting for a purchaser, fell back with a sigh. A selection was finally made of a stout boy of eighteen, for eleven hundred dollars, and of a fine spright- ly looking girl of the same age, highly recommended by the pro- prietors and the colored matron, for one thousand .. The bill of sale for the girl was given to Mrs. Campbell. Thus the Yankee schoolmistress became a slaveholder, having modified her opinions
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of slavery considerably since her sojourn in Virginia. When she and her husband became settled in their home, a new era was in- augurated. A cooking stove was bought, much to the disgust of old Jane, on which the cooking for the white family was done by the lady and her new maid. A Sunday-school was started at the old meeting-house, and the young negroes were catechised during the long winter evenings. The young Mrs. Campbell never learned to weave or spin, thinking the time was past when there was any profit in these domestic manufactures, but the old lady would not give up her old employment, and furnished quite a quantity of jeans for the negroes' clothing and many nice coun- terpanes in which she took great pride.
As the spring advanced many flowers were planted in the yard and garden. When these had bloomed, and whitewash had been liberally applied to the fences and out-houses. the old place presented a neat and attractive appearance. Both Mr. and Mrs. Campbell were very hospitable, and their house a place of fre- quent resort for young people to engage in singing and other in- nocent amusements. James Campbell was a thorough theoretical and practical farmer, and endowed with great energy and indus- try, and under the wise and benignant legislation of the time, State and federal, prospered greatly. , His wife soon joined his church, the Baptist, there being at that time no essential differ- ence between that church and hers, the Congregational, except as to the mode of and subjects for baptism. When old Mrs. Heath and Mrs. Eaton paid them a visit, some eighteen mouths after their marriage, they were in many respects highly pleased, but could not be entirely reconciled to slavery, although their daughter and sister had become a thorough Southern woman in feeling.
CHAPTER XIII.
When Willie came home in the summer of 1858, the family determined to pay their promised visit to the Prestons, in the mountains. Mrs. Buford and the girls went in the family car-
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riage, and the Judge and Willie in an open buggy, that they might have a better view of the country.
In the afternoon of the first day they had a splendid view of the Blue Ridge, with the peaks of Otter towering high above the rest of the range. Here much of the land is quite fertile, and they passed many farms in a high state of cultivation, with good buildings on them. Not only was a fine article of tobacco pro- duced, but a large quantity of corn, wheat and grass. About sun- dowa, they came to the well known Buford house at the entrance of Buford's Gap in the Blue Ridge. This house had been kept for forty year: by Capt. Buford, a distant relation of the Judge Here the road forks, one prong leading through the gap to the great West and South, and the other winding up the mountain's side to Charleston on the Kanawha River and Guyandotte on the Ohio, by the way of Fincastle and the White Sulphur Springs. Buford's, before the era of railroads, had been a famous inn. Here stage coaches loaded with passengers on their way to Lynch- burg and Richmond and Washington, had stopped to get supper and a few hours' sleep before rising before day to hurry on to their destination ; and here large droves of hogs and cattle were stopped to be fed on their way to market, and immense wagons drawn by six mammoth horses were left, for the night, in the wagon yard. But these good old times, so profitable to tavern. keepers, had come to a close, and the iron horse went snorting by.
The house was a large, old-fashioned frame, and there were several other smaller buildings in the yard where drovers and wagoners were wont to spend the night; wrapped in blankets. before a roaring fire, in the winter time.
Oid Captain Buford was a thorough gentleman of the old. school, of unblemished character, and beloved and respected by all who knew him. He had much State pride, and was a fiery Southerner in sentiment. He had no son, and his daughters were all married, so he and his wife were left alone. He owned a large and valuable farm and had ample means, so he kept tavern from
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the force of habit and the love of company. Guests, since the completion of the railroad, which ran near him. had become in- frequent, so he met the arriving party with a hearty welcome, and was highly delighted at seeing his relative whom he had not met for several years. He was much pleased with the fine and manly appearance of Willie; and being. like many old men, very fond of young persons, drew him into conversation. When told of his progress at college, he said he expected him to make a great statesman, and do honor to the Buford name and the old State. The old man had been. the personal friend of Thomas Jefferson, who, in his long horseback rides, had frequently spent the night with him, and he told many anecdotes of him, being, like other old men, fond of recalling the distant past. The party had an excellent supper and breakfast and slept on comfortable beds with snow-white sheets. Indeed in those days and in the years gone by Virginia was not to be excelled in the excellency of her inns. All compensation. for their entertainment, was pos- itively refused, and Willie was cordially invited to come, if he ever had time, and bring a friend and enjoy some good hunting among the mountains.
In the morning, after passing the highest part of the gap, they entered Roanoke county. They seemed here to be enclosed on all sides by mountains, the Blue Ridge behind them, the Tinker Ridge north and northeast, and a range on the south and south- west running from the Alleghanies to the Blue Ridge. The land of this large valley is very level and fertile. At short intervals they crossed clear and ever running brooks, all verging into the Roanoke River. This river, after breaking through the Blue Ridge, is called the Staunton, and after uniting with the Dan flowing from North Carolina, is again called the Roanoke, and under this name empties into Albemarle Sound. The farm lands were generally good, and on every farm was a large barn for stor- ing hay and grain above, with stalls for cattle below, a kind of structure seldom seen in Eastern Virginia, where tobacco was the main staple.
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Everything they saw showed evidences of prosperity. The people here were divided into two distinct classes, who had but little social intercourse, the one being composed of descendants of Scotch-Irish emigrants and persons who had moved mostly from Eastern Virginia who readily affiliated with them, the other of persons of Dutch and German descent, who were generally Lutherans and Dunkards, who owned no slaves. The Dunkards indeed did not allow members of their communion to hold slaves at all, bear arms or go to law. The slave holding part of the peo- ple raised a considerable amount of tobacco, though with them it was not so exclusive a crop as in the East. The Dunkards raised none, but confined themselves to grain, grass, vegetables, honey and sorghum, and fruits. Both classes were good farmers. The Dutch built their houses, very unpretentious structures, on low places near a spring. However cheap a building the house might be, the barn was always a large and costly building. The other farmers frequently lived in large brick houses, always on an : le- vated place. Here the negro was in his glory, being well clothed, moderately worked, and fed without stint, his labor giving a rich remuneration to his owner, which was not always the case in the East, where it frequently occurred that one had to be sold to fur- nish means to support the others.
In one day's travel, they traversed this delightful valley, and the next day entered a country rough and diversified. They passed many cabins on steep and rocky hillsides, surrounded by patches of corn and potatoes, on land too steep to be plowed; and again they would come to fertile but narrow valleys, cultivated in corn or grazed by herds of cattle. The negro here was scarce- ly seen at all. The land was mostly owned by a few wealthy men, who lived in grand baronial style, surrounded by their de- pendants, who were mostly very poor and ignorant.
When Willie spoke to his father about the poverty of these people and the blank, unintelligent expression of their faces, the Judge replied, "this state of things ought not to be, and can be changed. This mountain country has immense resources, if de.
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veloped. There are large valuable mineral deposits, and the tim- ber is magnificent, besides the productive powers of these rich valleys have not been half developed. Legislation can do much, by establishing schools, and publishing to the world the resources of this country and inviting immigration, and convincing capital- ists that they can find here a profitable investment. It is my ambition for vou to serve in the Legislature of your State and promote its interests, hence I am spending a good deal on your education. Do not strive to enter Congress young. The reputa- tion of our greatest statesmen was first acquired in the councils of their own States. There is a great deal of hidden talent among such poor people as you have seen to-day. Barker, one of the finest preachers in our denomination, and George Pearcy, our missionary to China, were born in just such cabins as you see over there. And as an instance of success under difficulties, I may mention William Farmer, the eminent dentist, also reared in a mountain cabin. I mention these things to incite you to ex- cel, who have such great opportunities." Willie replied that he would do his best to accomplish all that his father hoped for him, and he was conscious that his education would do nothing for him if he trusted to it alone and made no farther exertion. "That is true, my son," replied the Judge ; "and above all things. what- ever your acquirements may be, cultivate good common sense."
On the afternoon of the third day after leaving Buford's, they came to Col. Preston's lands. They came first to a large enclos- ure, where the undergrowth had been cut out, grown up in blue grass equal to that of Kentucky, and passing this, they saw a large field with the crop of oats still in the field in the shock, as though just cut, although it was the middle of August, and a large number of hay stacks on an elevation near the bottom on which it was grown. Some of the mountain sides were inclosed and furnished considerable pasture. On the pastures were graz- ing large herds of cattle and mules in numbers astonishing tc Willie, who had never visited a grazing country. They ap-
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proached the dwelling by entering a wooded inclosure through a large wide gate.
The house stood more than a quarter of a mile from the road, and was approached by a Macadamized road through a for- est having the undergrowth cut out, and being well set in blue grass. The yard was mostly shaded by natural forest trees with a few varieties of foreign spruce and pine, The blue grass was everywhere luxuriant in growth. The front yard was handsome- ly ornamented with flowers and running vines. The house was an old-fashioned brick two stories high, containing eight large roomis, besides two low rooms in the rear. There were large porches in the front and rear. As in Eastern Virginia, the kitchen and servants' rooms were at some distance from the residence. In the distance could be seen a very large barn for grain and hay in the upper story, with stalls for horses and cattle in the lower. Col. Preston and lady were at home and expecting their visitors whom they welcomed with old-fashioned hospitality and affection.
Their family consisted of John and two daughters, younger than he, two older daughters being married and settled at their own homes. Col. Preston was at this time about sixty years old. . He was once a very handsome man, but indulgence in wine and at the table had left its marks upon him. In his case, gout, a rare American disease, was added to rheumatism so common in these mountains. He was of a kindly disposition and had a fair collegiate education and good natural abilities ; but in youth, pro- posing no high aims, and being possessed of wealth, he had mere- ly drifted. However, he was a fair manager of his estate and never gambled. Mrs. Preston, five years his junior, was still a fine looking, healthy woman. Like the Buford family generally, she possessed a strong character. In politics she was a Demo- crat and Southern rights woman, in religion a high church Epis- copalian. The minister who officiated in the little church near derived one half of his support from her. She was intensely aristocratic, yet very kind to the poor. She was devoted to her only son, very proud of him, and blind to his many faults. Her
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