USA > Virginia > Westmoreland County > Westmoreland County > Westmoreland County, Virginia : parts I and II : a short chapter and bright day in its history > Part 12
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15
122
WESTMORELAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA
One boy in Dinwiddie county, sixteen years old, on land under usual methods not producing over twenty-five or thirty bushels of corn to the acre, made 167 7/9 bushels of shelled corn on one acre, netting him over fifty-nine dollars, after paying rent for the land and not crediting its improved value, from which three crops can be made with very little expense.
On land which, ten or fifteen years ago was thought to be unfit for grass, as much as six tons of hay to the acre has been made, and one of our farmers on one hundred and fifty acres made thirty- five thousand dollars worth of alfalfa.
To sum up, in 1900 the total value of our agricultural products was $129,000,000; in 1910 they amounted to $236,000,000.
In the eastern part of the State where the climate is tempered by the water, trucks and small fruits of all kinds and in great variety are bountifully and profitably produced.
We have constructed under State control since 1907, five hun- dred and eighty miles of permanent highways, and since 1906 have built three hundred and eight high schools, elevated our standard and increased the value of school property $3,513,000.
We are using the stored energy of generations to push old Vir- ginia forward. We revere the memories and traditions of the past, and remembering what has been done by her sons, we are deter- mined that our State, of history and tradition, shall be in the front rank of moral, educational and material progress.
WM. HODGES MANN,. Governor.
XIII. What Poets Sing and Pilgrims and Shriners Say of Westmoreland.
We give below the tributes of those who have recently made pil- grimages to her historic and holy shrines-some from strangers- others from natives of her consecrated soil. When we read them we always feel that there is a charm and halo around Westmore- land, and when we tread its soil we feel that we are treading upon holy ground :
VISIT TO WAKEFIELD
And Other Historic Places by a Party from Tappahannock-A Glimpse at the Various Places of Interest.
Dear Mr. Editor,-Not numbering you in our party as we had hoped on the excursion to Wakefield and Stratford last Thursday, I think perhaps you will be glad to hear something of this very pleasant and interesting trip.
Our party, which consisted of Misses Dora Mason, Lewisburg, W. Va .; Beulah Gresham, Galveston, Texas; Genevieve Gresham, Jeannette and Charlotte Wright, and Mrs. T. R. B. Wright, boarded the steamer Caroline at Tappahannock. At Layton's our numbers were augmented by Mr. Ritchie Sale. At Leedstown we left the steamer and took vehicles to Wakefield monument-a drive of fourteen miles, but with fine horses we made the distance in less than two hours.
One feels impressed as the shaft erected by the United States Government to mark the birthplace of George Washington comes in sight, rising tall and white in the green fields surrounding it; and I fancy even the gay young people felt the thrill of association of ideas.
We were soon alighting, and looking-not at the monument- but for water. The drive had been horribly dusty, and our throats were parched and dry. Pope's Creek flowing at our feet and the bright waters of the Potomac flashing in the near distance- veritable Tantalus cups-"Water, water, everywhere and not a drop for me," quoted dolorously by more than one of our thirsty party. However, tea from our lunch basket washed some of the dust from our throats.
The monument is a four-sided, severely plain marble shaft, I suppose between sixty and seventy feet high, with no carving, no inscription, simply: "The Birthplace of George Washington.
124
WESTMORELAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA
Erected by the U. S. Government." It is enclosed by a ten-foot, black, iron railing. The turf is beautifully kept.
After lunch under a tree (cherry) ? and stroll along Pope's Creek, and little time spent in gathering leaves and grasses for pressing, we drove to Mr. John Wilson's, who owns the Wakefield property, where we were most graciously received and delightfully entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Wilson and their daughter, Miss Etta, Miss Egerton, Miss Boyden, Miss Janet Latane and her two broth- ers, grandchildren of the house.
Here were shown us portraits of William Augustine Washing- ton and Sarah Tayloe, his wife, grandparents of Mrs. Wilson. Wil- liam Augustine was son of Augustine Washington, George Wash- ington's half brother. A table from the old Wakefield house, which was burned during the Revolution; an old English Bible, and other interesting Washington relics.
I can think of no more ideal home for grandchildren to assem- ble and be happy : a wide, shady lawn; rustic seats, swings, ham- mocks and chairs, under the fine old trees and flowers-flowers everywhere. And the charm of the master and mistress of the house to give the last needed touch to a picture it is pleasant to recall. Delicious refreshments were served us-and water ice cold-the whole party wondered if water was ever so good before. From Wakefield we drove eleven miles to Stratford, where we were most cordially received by Dr. Stuart and his handsome wife; his brother and niece; Mr. and Mrs. Stuart of Alexandria and their friend, Mr. Bayne, and Mr. Stuart, a son of the house. Soon the young people were scattered through halls and rooms of the quaint, delightful old house-into the room where Lighthorse Harry and Robert Edward Lee were born-into the parlor with a quaint little piano which came from Leipsic, and which, of course, the merry young people woke into life to the tune of merry two-steps; into the handsome wainscoted hall, where lips were drawn into puckers to whistle a waltz that each might say in years to come, "I have danced in Stratford Hall." Then out to the brick stables, with stalls for hundred horses; then, as the evening shadows fell, across the fine garden, down a narrow path through the twilight of the woods to the Lee vaults. These unfortunately have sunken, only one remaining, into which one adventurous spirit stepped.
Of the kindly hospitality and courtesy of Dr. Stuart, his wife and friends, we will long retain most delightful recollections.
Another drive of fourteen miles brought us back to Leedstown, where the good steamer Lancaster lay. We were soon aboard, se- cured staterooms, and slept sweetly after a day of unalloyed pleasure.
When we go again, go with us, Mr. Editor .- Correspondent Tidewater Democrat.
STAFFORD, WESTMORELAND COUNTY, VA., Birthplace of Gen. R. E. Lee.
·
125
WESTMORELAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA
SOME VERSES FROM OUR HOME POETS.
LEE IN BRONZE. Unveiling of the Lee Monument in Richmond May 29, 1892.
There he stood in bronze, our hero, 'Neath the blue Virginian sky, Gazing o'er the many thousands, With a calm and tranquil eye. On his war horse, proud and stately, God-like, in his kingly pose, Sat he, calmly and unshaken, As a mighty sound uprose.
Hark ! that sound was like the roarings Of some fast approaching storm : Cheer on cheer came fast outpouring, Ninety thousand hearts were warm. Ah! it seemed the very heaven Had been rent in that wild roar ; That the grave, our Lee had given, To review his troops once more.
War-scarred veterans, old and hoary, Wept like babes, that form to see ; While they told anew the story Of the deathless fame of Lee: How he turned him in the hour, When by putting forth his hand, He could grasp all wealth or power, Or ambition could command.
When he heard his people call him, How he turned to share their woes, And through weary years of sorrow, Kept at bay their mighty foes. And he bore defeat so nobly, That some day, the world will see, That the grandest name in story, Is the name of Robert Lee.
There he'll stand, in bronze, our leader, 'Neath the blue Virginian sky ; And his fame will still grow greater, As the years glide swiftly by.
126
WESTMORELAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA
On his war horse, proud and stately, He will watch through coming time, O'er the hopes that sadly perished- In his majesty sublime. -C. Conway Baker, of Westmoreland Co., Va., in Baltimore Sun.
HAIL! WESTMORELAND.
Oh, a fertile land and fair Is Old Westmoreland, Hallowed ground and balmy air Has Old Westmoreland. And the pleasant times I've had Are but memories sweetly glad With an under-tone half sad In Old Westmoreland.
There are fields of waving grain In Old Westmoreland, And many a fern-lined lane In Old Westmoreland. And the Pearly-pink wild rose In tangled beauty blows, Where the fragrant wood-bine grows In Old Westmoreland.
There are tinkling springs and rills In Old Westmoreland, And balmy pine-clad hills In Old Westmoreland. There are noble water-ways And golden dreamy days That fade in silvery haze, In Old Westmoreland.
'Tis a land where great men trod In Old Westmoreland, 'Tis a memory-hallowed sod In Old Westmoreland. And the gentle shade of Lee, It always seems to me, The Patron Saint to be, Of Old Westmoreland.
.
127
WESTMORELAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA
There's a canny fireside cheer, In Old Westmoreland, Which nowhere doth appear But in Westmoreland. The shrine there is the home, And, I fancy, though they roam, Her sons must long to come Back to Westmoreland.
Heaven's canopy of blue Shines on Westmoreland, And the guardian stars peep through At Old Westmoreland. Oh, keep the loved ones there, Their loyal hearts from care, Is mine, an alien's prayer For Old Westmoreland. -Alys B. Baines, in Times-Dispatch.
A MESSAGE FROM WESTMORELAND.
By Alys B. Baines, Charleston, W. Va.
There's a tart and winey flavor In the morning breeze these days, And the gold and reddening forests Mark the parting of the ways. 'Twixt the summer-time and winter, And the Harvest-time, the Fall, I seem to catch the "wander-lust" And hear the Home-land's call.
There are tangled wild-rose hedges there, Where honey-suckles twine, And shake their crystal chalices With fragrance near divine. Their incense wafts a message To the lonely, hungry heart Which says, "Come back among us, And in our life take part."
128 WESTMORELAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA
The zephyrs from the South Land Caress the pine-crowned knolls, And wake sweet ferny odors From deep-hid woodland holes. And freighted with the fragrance Of herb, and balm, and flowers, They breathe, "Come back among us, Cast in your lot with ours."
There's a tinkling invitation In the message of the bell, Saying, "Come to Old Westmoreland, Your journey shall be well. Come hear our rustic ministers ; And loiter 'mongst the stones, That mark the sacred resting place Of many a great man's bones."
In the silence of blue distances That stretch away to sea There's a restful, peaceful message In their vast immensity. I think of our forefathers Who trod that hallowed sod, Who've long since settled up in full Their final bill with God.
Where the radiant day is dying And the sun sets like a flame, There's an aftermath of stillness, Solemn stillness, none can name. Night drops her splendid curtain, Diamond-sprinkled, royal blue, But still I hear that "Far Cry," That says, "I'm calling you."
Oh, is it any wonder !, That I long to go each year, To that fair land that lies so far, Yet to my heart, so near. That there may I, near Nature's heart, In solitude sublime, Catch the whispers of eternity, Across the sea of Time. .
-Greenbrier Independent.
:
.
129
WESTMORELAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA
DAVIS.
Secretary Proctor being asked what course the Department would pursue in regard to Mr. Davis' death, said: "I see no occasion for any action whatever It is better to let the matter rest in oblivious sleep, if it will, and relegate it to the past."
Can'st hold in thine hand the great restless ocean ! When winds shriek loudest, can'st still its commotion ?
Can'st grasp the fork'd lightning or bind it with chain,
Can'st thou the hoarse roar of the thunder restrain ? As well migh'st thou try, as to render the name
Of Davis, our hero, oblivious to fame.
One heart sways a nation-this fair Southern land-
To honor, to reverence, the heroic band :
Jeff Davis, brave Jackson, and Robert E. Lee,
Our glorious chieftains, famed eternally.
-Eleanor Griffith Fairfax, Hague, Va.
LEE TO THE REAR.
Dawn of a pleasant morning in May Broke thro' the Wilderness, cool and gray,
While, perched in the tallest tree-tops, the birds
Were carolling Mendelssohn's "songs without words."
Far from the haunts of men remote The brook brawled on with a liquid note, And nature, all tranquil and lovely, wore The smile of spring, as in Eden of yore.
Little by little, as daylight increased, And deepened the roseate flush in the East-
Little by little did morning reveal Two long, glittering lines of steel !
Where two hundred thousand bayonets gleam, Tipped with the light of the earliest beam ; And faces are sullen and grim to see In the hostile armies of Grant and Lee.
All of a sudden, ere rose the sun, Pealed on the silence the opening gun- A little white puff of smoke there came, And anon the valley was wreathed in flame.
130
WESTMORELAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA
Down on the left of the rebel lines, Where a breastwork stands in a copse of pines, Before the rebels their ranks can form, The Yankees have carried the place by storm.
Stars and stripes o'er the salient wave, Where many a hero has found a grave,
And the gallant Confederates strive in vain
The ground they have drenched with their blood to regain.
Yet louder the thunder of battle roared- Yet a deadlier fire on their columns poured-
Slaughter, infernal, rode with Despair, Furies twain, through the smoky air.
Not far off in the saddle there sat A grey-bearded man with black slouch hat;
Not much moved by the fire was he- Calm and resolute Robert Lee.
Quick and watchful, he kept his eye On two bold rebel brigades close by-
Reserves that were standing (and dying) at ease Where the tempest of wrath toppled over the trees.
For still with their loud, bull dog bay The Yankee batteries blazed away, And with every murderous second that sped
A dozen brave fellows, alas ! fell dead.
The grand old beard rode to the space Where Death and his victims stood face to face, And silently waves his old slouch hat- A world of meaning there was in that !
"Follow me! Steady! We'll save the day ! This was what he seemed to say; And to the light of his glorious eye The bold brigades thus made the reply :
"We'll go forward, but you must go back," And they moved not an inch in the perilous track. "Go to the rear, and we'll give them a rout," Then the sound of the battle was lost in their shout.
Turning his bridle, Robert Lee Rode to the rear. Like the waves of the sea Bursting the dykes in their overflow, Madly his veterans dashed on the foe;
LEE TO THE REAR
ʻ
.
131
WESTMORELAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA
And backward in terror that foe was driven, Their banners rent and their columns riven Wherever the tide of battle rolled, Over the Wilderness, wood, and wold.
Sunset out of a crimson sky, Streamed o'er a field of a ruddier dye, And the brook ran on with a purple stain From the blood of ten thousand foemen slain.
Seasons have passed since that day and year, Again o'er the pebbles the brook runs clear, And the field in a richer green is drest Where the dead of the terrible conflict rest. .
Hushed is the roll of the rebel drum; The sabres are sheathed, and the cannon are dumb; And Fate, with pitiless hand, has furled The flag that once challenged the gaze of the world.
But the fame of the Wilderness fight abides, And down into the history grandly rides, Calm and unmoved, as in battle he sat, The grey-bearded man in the black slouch hat. .- John R. Thompson.
XIV.
Westmoreland Is a Classic Spot, and Nature Has Lavished Her Gifts.
Her People Must Feel That After All "Honest Blood is Loyal Blood, and Manhood is the Only Patent of Nobility." Westmoreland and Virginia Cannot be the Greatest Unless Their Men and Women are Good and Honest and the Men Manly.
This short, imperfect story, has been told and is now ended of Westmoreland as the most classic spot on the face of the earth; yes, a "good land," too-"a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive trees and honey ; a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness." Virginia in her civilization-the old and the new-stands for the best traditions in the Union of the States of this great Republic because her past and present are glorious-a blessed heritage. She, too, is "a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills-a land where stones are iron and out of whose hills thou mayest dig copper-where 'the oceans send their mists into the mountains, and the streams descend into the valleys'-a land that reacheth ajar, a place of broad rivers and streams-the Paradise through which these rivers flow, and the harvest field is ready." But all this does not after all, dear friends, make the people of Westmoreland and Virginia the greatest, unless their men and women are good and honest, and the men manly.
"Beware lest when thou hast eaten and art full, thou forget the Lord thy God."
At the Conference of Governors and their advisors in the White House, Washington, D. C., May 13-15, 1908, the President, Vice- President, Cabinet, Supreme Court, Congress, organizations and their representatives, Inland Waterways Commission and general guests, perhaps the most notable and distinguished body ever as- sembled on the continent, Governor Folk of Missouri, said :
"The people of the United States, whether from North, East, South, or West, are alike. The good men and women are the same everywhere, and the bad people are alike wherever they may be found. In all of the American States honest blood is loyal blood, and manhood is the only patent of nobility. (Applause.)
"It does not matter so much where a man is from and what that man is. In the language of Kipling:
133
WESTMORELAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA
""There is neither East nor West- Border, nor breed, nor birth- When two strong men stand face to face, Though they come from the ends of the earth."
May all of us be able to say forever, "So they helped every one his neighbor and every one said to his brother, "Be of good cour- age." So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smoteth with the hammer him that smote the anvil. "Bear ye one another's burdens."
At the opening of the session of the Conference Dr. Edward Everett Hale, chaplain of the United States Senate, being called on, invoked the benediction in these words:
"The Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive trees and honey; a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness. Thou shalt not lack any- thing in it-a land where stones are iron and out of whose hills thou mayest dig copper.
"Beware lest when thou hast eaten and art full, thou forget the Lord thy God.
"Thine eyes shall behold a land that reacheth ajar, a place of broad rivers and streams. Yea, thy children shall possess the nations and make the desolate spots to be inhabited.
"So they helped every one his neighbor and every one said to his brother, 'Be of good courage.' So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smoteth with the hammer him that smote the anvil. 'Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."
"Let us pray.
"Father, for this we have come together. Thou hast made for us the Paradise through which these rivers flow. Now give us the strength of Thy Holy Spirit that we may go into this garden of Thine and bring forth fruit in Thy service. Thou hast revealed these to us to use under Thy guidance. We are children of the living God, alive with Thy life, inspired with Thy Holy Spirit. The harvest field is ready, and Thou art pleased to send us into the harvest. Be with us now in our assemblage. Thy servants have come from the North and from the South, from the East and from the West. It is our God's land. Thy oceans send their mists into our mountains. Thy streams descend into our valleys, and Thou hast chosen us that we may be now the ministers of Thy will and enter into that harvest field.
134'
WESTMORELAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA
"Bless us now in to-day's service and those that are to follow, and may Thy servants return to their homes alive in that light, clad in the Holy Spirit, willing to enter into Thy work, and go about our Father's business.
"Join me audibly in the Lord's Prayer.
"Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into tempta- tion but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen."
APPENDIX.
COPLE .- This should correctly be written Copple. The word is common in Cornwall and in the mining counties of England, and means a vessel used in refining metals. It was common three hun- dred years ago to name taverns after instruments, as, the "Mortar and Pestle," the "Bell," etc. But I know of no place in England so called. If there were any mines in Westmoreland, the title would be appropriate enough.
WESTMORELAND .- This county was created between the years 1648 and 1653, near a century before any of its Revolutionary men were born; so the Northern writer cannot say properly that it was so called from its having produced so many great men in Virginia. The true meaning of Moreland is "greater land," from the com- parative "more," which is used in the sense of great by Gower, Chaucer, and even as late as Shakespeare, who says in "King John," Act II, 5th scene, "a more requital." But, if moreland is derived from the Celtic word "more," then moreland signifies great land, or high land; as, Maccullum More is the Great Maccullum. "Gil- more" means the henchman of the more or great man. The name of Westmoreland was given originally without doubt to a scene of high land or a great stretch of land of some kind, and never had allusion to the men who were born or died in any place so called.
HUGH BLAIR GRIGSBY.
Cople Parish derived its name from Cople in Bedfordshire, England, the residence of the Spencer family, a distinguished member of which, Colonel Nicholas Spencer, resided in Westmore land at the era of its settlement. He became Secretary of Vir- ginia, and acting Governor in 1683.
GEORGE WM. BEALE.
There is a Virginia of the past resplendent with the heroic achievements of a great and glorious people; there is a Virginia of the present crowned with possibilities that can surpass the splen- dors of the proud past and make all that has gone before in her history, but the prelude to a greater destiny. No State in this
136
WESTMORELAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA
Union has richer or more varied resources than Virginia .- Inau- gural Address of Governor Claude A. Swanson before the Legisla- ture, Februay 1, 1906.
"Sirs, in conclusion, while we survey with pride Virginia's superb past, let us face the future with hope and confidence. Never were the skies of Virginia illumined with brighter prospects. Every section of the State is thrilling with a marvellous industrial development blessed with an amazing increase of wealth. In every direction, Virginia is making a rapid and permanent advance. The future beckons her to a higher, nobler destiny. Chastened by mis- fortune, made patient by long suffering, brave by burdens borne and overcome, stirred by the possibilities of an industrial develop- ment and wealth almost unspeakable, cheering to a passion the teachings of her illustrious dead from Washington to Lee, Vir- ginia presents a combination of strength and sentiment destined to make her again the wise leader in this nation of political thought and national achievement. Young men of Virginia, the clock of opportunity strikes our hour of work and responsibility. Let us, animated by a patriotism that is national, stirred by the possibili- ties of our State, which point to a greater future, resolve to an- swer all demands made upon us by our beloved State and common country, and to aid this glorious Commonwealth and this mighty Republic to advance along the pathway of justice, liberty and pro- gress."-Address of Governor Swanson, "Virginia Day" at James- town Exposition, June 12, 1907.
LEEDSTOWN. By Miss M. E. Hungerford (nom de plume, "Shirley".)
Although Leedstown of to-day occupies the smallest area, and perhaps has the least population of all the villages of Westmore- land county, it can boast of an interesting and historic past. Westmoreland has been called the "Athens of Virginia." Some of the most renowned men of the country have been born within her borders. It is one of the oldest settled counties in the State, and in colonial days it was the home of wealth and influence, the immi- grants to the county from England comprising many of the rich and aristocratic families of the Old Country.
In 1667, or thereabouts, John Washington (the grandfather
.
.
137
WESTMORELAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.