USA > Virginia > Westmoreland County > Westmoreland County > Westmoreland County, Virginia : parts I and II : a short chapter and bright day in its history > Part 13
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of the illustrious George) and others made locations on the lands assigned to the Rappahannocks and to their allies and brothers, the Nanzaticoes, along the Rappahannock River.
We can imagine the effect the appearance of the white settlers had upon them, for they had roamed and hunted the forest at will, paddled their birch-bark canoes on the "Rapid" river, catching fish of all kinds, or winding in and out of the openings of the acres of "Marsh," extending from within a stone's throw of where Leedstown now stands, to the shore on the Essex side, trapping amphibious animals, with which it teemed, using their flesh and fur for food and clothing. How picturesque their wigwams must have appeared, grouped together against the background of the primeval forest, decorated with the trophies of the chase; while the squaws sat around in Indian fashion, after securing their papooses to the wigwams above the "danger line," and amused themselves with bead and basket work! Beads, arrow heads, stone axes, etc., are all still thrown up by the plough within a few yards of Leedstown. I have a handful of various kinds of beads before me, picked up near the village in 1909. One of the axes, a fine specimen, is now serving as a door-guard in one of the homes near by.
Not many years after the English settlers came to this part of Virginia, vessels and packets sailed down the Rappahannock. through a portion of the Chesapeake Bay and crossed the broad Atlantic, direct to Liverpool, laden with tobacco; and after many weeks, sometimes month's, returned with necessaries, and even luxuries, for the English in their new homes.
This traffic was kept up for years, and resumed after the War of 1812-14, as following extract from an old letter shows: "Re- ceived advices from Fredericksburg saying, 'At this time, there is not a corn purchaser in town-packets are expected from Europe shortly which would decide the probable price of grain, when ship- ment would be made and of course, purchasers would then be in the market.'"
Leedstown was laid out on the same day as Philadelphia, in the year 1683, and on a large and definite "plan". The dwellings were commodious and comfortable-built of the best timber from the primeval forest. English brick, bought as ballast, were used for chimneys and foundations. The yards and gardens contained acres and, as time wore on, rare and beautiful exotics were the pride of the owners. A tavern, or ordinary, was built of brick, a portion of the walls were standing as late as 1861. A short dis- tance to the west an Episcopal church was erected. As Pope's
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Creek was called the "Central Parish Church," we may suppose that it was so called because it was equi-distant between Leedstown and Church Point, on the Potomac. The outline of a brick foun- dation at the latter place may still be traced, though now under water. Those who drove to the church at Leedstown in carriages or gigs, or who rode on horseback, were followed by their servants. carrying their Prayer Book (of which I have a copy) measuring 18x10 inches, at least two inches thick, and containing the service of the Episcopal Church for all occasions, and the Book of Psalms. We have no record of the rector or rectors, though it is not im- probable "Parson Campbell" officiated here also. The following names are given as members of the vestry after 1780:
Francis Thornton, John Washington,
Lawrence Washington, Robert Washington,
Thomas Pratt, John T. Washington,
Samuel Washington, Henry T. Washington.
There is no trace of the church above ground, but by digging a foot or two below the surface, portions of the brick foundation may be found. When the structure became a mass of ruins, twenty-five flag-stones, 16x16 inches were removed from the floor of the vestibule, and are now guarding the entrance to one of the hospitable homes on the "Ridge". It is rumored arrangements . are being made to have them incorporated in the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul at Mt. St. Albans, Washington, D. C.
"As Boston was the Northern, so Leedstown was the Southern Cradle of American Independence," "for ten years previous to the Declaration of Independence Thomas L. Lee, of Stafford, re- quested his brother, R. H. Lee, of Chantilly," to meet him, and a number of others, at Leedstown, to a conference to protest against the Stamp Act. One hundred and fifteen fearless men subscribed to a paper which said: "We bind ourselves to each other, to God, and to our country by the firmest ties that religion and virtue can frame, most sacredly and punctually to stand by and, with our lives, and our fortunes, to support, maintain and defend each other in the observance and execution of several articles," among which in part is this: "At every hazard, and paying no regard to danger or to death, we will exert every faculty to prevent the execution of said Stamp Act in any instance whatsoever in this Colony." This meeting took place on the 27th of February, 1766, and was one of the first public meetings, in behalf of American rights, as en- dangered by the famous Stamp Act, within the thirteen ancient Colonies, and the agreement and protest which were then adopted,
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clearly set forth the great issue involved in the dispute with the "Mother Country."
"This issue was never afterwards more plainly or boldly de- clared than in this instrument."
"This action, taken ten years before the Revolution began, seems to have been a signal gun of warning and preparation whose clear, reverberating echoes heralded the Declaration of Independ- ence and was a prelude to all the patriotic guns from Lexington to Yorktown."
The colonists living at Leedstown and vicinity rallied to a man to fight the invading foe; many of those who were children when the war began were from sixteen to twenty before it closed. I know of two instances where youths entered at sixteen-one be- came a lieutenant and the other a captain at twenty. One was wounded at Morris' Heights, ten miles above New York City, but returned safely and lived at Leedstown until May, 1803; the other marched from Leedstown to the "Siege of York"; was present at the surrender, after which he and his command were formally discharged and returned to their respective homes at Leedstown. He immediately raised a company of grenadiers, which was at- tached to the Westmoreland militia. This brave man took an active part in the War of 1812-14; represented his county several sessions in the Virginia Legislature, after which he was a member of Congress until 1817.
After the War of the Revolution and the War of 1812-14 with " Great Britain were over, many of those who went from Leedstown and were fortunate enough to return to their homes, enlarged their borders by extending their estates up to, and in many cases, over the "Ridge" towards the Potomac River, as extract from a letter written January 15, 1837, will show: "Having been unusu- ally late in securing my crop of corn this winter, my whole time, when able to ride, has been devoted to that business; one day on the Rappahannock 'flats,' and the next on the Potomac." Others came in and bought houses (many of which were becoming dilapi- dated) and lands along the banks of the Rappahannock, about Leedstown, razing the houses and extending their fields towards the river, until there is little more than a roadway and a few small dwellings above high water mark.
It is hard to believe the quiet little village was ever the ren- dezvous for huntsmen, with their packs of hounds, and others who engaged in games, bets, etc., etc. I copy the following found in an old book, dated 1749:
"At Leedstown in Virginia on Wednesday 17th day of Sep-
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tember, a race to be run for a purse of £35. and on the 18th, a plate for one of a £100 value."
"Leedstown, April 3rd 1820, Icicles 18 in. long, south side of the house at 12 o'clock and snow three inches deep on the even- ing of the 2nd." Signed by four prominent men.
Extract from a letter written from Leedstown in March, 1813: "Drove to your farm yesterday found the servants well-the crops well housed-but am sorry to inform you that the wolves are playing havoc with your sheep."
Also the following on a more exciting subject :
"'Pine Farm,' near Leedstown, February 21st, 1814. We are hourly expecting to hear that our friends (?) the British, are in the river. We calculate on warm work when warm weather sets in. I hope, meet them when we may, that our arms may be reno- vated and our hearts steeled-to give them 'Old Virginia Play.'"
In addition to the social gatherings in their own homes, din- ners, card parties, etc., they enjoyed political meetings, barbacues (the old sycamores are still standing under which they were held) and military drills. In a letter dated July 13, 1844, the writer says :
"We had on the fourth quite a gala day at old Leeds. The Declaration of Independence was read by J. Tayloe Washington and a very appropriate oration was delivered by Major Henry T. Garnett. The feast was given by the 'Rifle Blues,' Thos. Garnett captain, Jno. W. Hungerford, Lieutenant, a Volunteer Company of the neighborhood, handsomely uniformed and well-drilled; Har- vey's Co. the 'Washington Guards,' from the Court House was in- vited to participate. The two made one very respectable Com- pany and present quite an interesting spectacle. After going through many Military evolutions in fine style, a National Salute of 13 guns was fired from a six-pounder-then the dinner and after that, the wine and the toasts, the songs and the anecdotes, closed the ceremonies of the day."
Steamboats have been plying between Baltimore and Fred- ericksburg for more than seventy-five years. The first to make the trip was the Mary Washington, a very comfortable boat in her time, but nothing to compare in size and appointments to those of the Weems Line of to-day. The Cambridge, later on the line, was burned to the water's edge below Tappahannock. With the steam- ers to Baltimore and to Fredericksburg and a direct line to Rich- mond, by carriage, over the corduroy road across the "Marsh," the citizens of Leedstown felt themselves in close touch with at least three cities of the outside world.
Let us go back to the "Ridge," overlooking Leedstown at a dis-
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tance of two miles, and name the former owners of the hospitable homes that crown the highest point between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers. There were the Garnetts, the Jetts, the Hungerfords, the Mastins, the Taylors, and the Turners. Of all of these, there is now but one occupied by descendants. Many have died and their representatives are scattered to the four quar- ters of the globe.
Within a mile of Leedstown we shall pause a moment by a graveyard with a substantial enclosure, on the lock of which is engraved the name of the family whose members are interred within. From having been the possessors of broad acres for miles around this historic spot, "God's Acre" alone is theirs. The in- scriptions on two of the slabs are dated 1691. Besides these we find lying here two officers of the Continental line, Army of the Revolution, designated by D. A. R. markers placed by a grand- daughter; four officers of the War of 1812-14, and one gallant cavalry officer, who was killed leading a charge in the War of 1861-'5. In addition there is an alumnus of the University of Vir- ginia, who, had he lived, would have added lustre to the family name, for the inscription says of him : "He was a devoted son and brother, a firm friend, loyal to Virginia and a Champion of States' Rights." "Prolege et grege." These are some of the men de- scended from the patriotic citizens of Leedstown, and with an extract from a letter from one brother to another, now lying with- in the enclosure, you will agree with me that Leedstown not only produced public-spirited men, but prophets : ,
" "TWIFORD,' March 5th, 1838.
"I perceive the Sub. Treasury Bill still lingers in the Senate and I sincerely hope that there it may linger until it falls to rise no more. I wish its annihilation to be perfect and complete from the bottom of my soul. I wish it first, for the good of my country, and next, as a means of sustaining that party in power to which I belong. Paradoxical as it may seem, it is never-the-less true, that on its defeat, depends the issue of the continuance or non-continuance of the Republican party in power. I hesitate not a moment to say, that in my very humble opinion, if the administration is indulged in its visionary and Utopian scheme 80 far as to obtain the enactment of that law, that its fato is sealed; it will in the next Congress be without support in either House and impotent to do good in every respect. As a warm friend of Mr. Van Buren, I hope for his own good, as well as that of our common country, he may fail-yes, signally fail in this his weak- yea, detestable policy.
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"If by the rash experiment sought to be made on the settled policy of the country, a change in rulers shall take place, Mr. Clay no doubt will be at the head. Then look for high tariffs, in- ternal improvements without limit, the resurrection of the odious U. S. Bank and last, though not least, the triumph of the abolition- ists; and lastly, in the back ground, I behold a dark-a growing shadow stalking abroad-anon, assuming the form and shape of substance and advocating a policy in regard to abolition which can only be dispelled by opposing battlements and bristling bayo- nets-"The shrill trumpet and the cannons roar" and "all the cir- cumstance of glorious war"-State against State, brother against brother. All this and more me thinks I see in the far distance. May heaven deign to avert such a calamity from our beloved Coun- try ! I know you differ with me, and I regret it much, but time, the discloser of the wisdom or folly of human actions, will test the correctness of our judgments."
Your affectionate brother,
J. W. H.
THE FIRST MENTION OF WESTMORELAND IN ITS HISTORY.
It is ordered by this present Grand Assembly that the bounds of the County of Westmoreland be as followeth (vizt) ffrom Ma- choactoke river where Mr. Cole lives; And so vpwards to the ffalls of the great river of Pawtomake above the Necostins towne .- (Rand. MS.) Henning's Statutes at Large, Vol. I., p. 381. July, 1653, 4th of the Commonwealth.
Note by same: This is the first time the County of Westmore- land has been mentioned.
WHO WAS GOVERNOR AT THAT TIME.
Sir William Berkley, after that, continued Governor till the spring of 1652, and then Richard Bennett, Esq., was Governor. Richard Bennett continued till 1655, and then Edward Digges, Esq., was made Governor .- Idem, p. 5.
WHAT THACKERAY SAID OF WASHINGTON.
In The Virginians, by Thackeray, the narrative and plot of the preparations for blood and the duel between the Warrington twin brothers and George Washington, a supposed lover of Lady Rachel Warrington of Castlewood, their mother and a step father
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- in prospect, which duel was averted, is thrilling. And the tribute and apostrophe to Washington is one of the most brilliant pas- sages ever paid him by any author :
"It was strange that in a savage forest of Pennsylvania, a young Virginian officer should fire a shot, and waken up a war which was to last for sixty years; which was to cover his own country, and pass into Europe, to cost France her American colo-
· · nies, to sever ours from us, and create the great Western republic ; to wage over the old world when extinguished in the new; and, of all the myriads engaged in the vast contest to leave the prize of the greatest fame with him who struck the first blow."
From New York Sun, August 31, 1911:
THE PROSPEROUS SOUTH.
Its Remarkable Industrial and Agricultural Development. To the Editor of The Sun:
Sir,-Though much has been published about the material de- velopment of the Southern States, there are yet many who do not fully understand how great has been the industrial and agricul- tural progress of that section in the last ten years.
At the present time the sixteen Southern States, Missouri and Oklahoma included, have $3,000,000,000 capital invested in manu- facturing, compared with a total of $2,790,000,000 for the entire country in 1880.
The value of the agricultural output of these States was last year $2,975,000,000, against a total value of the farm crops of the United States of $2,460,000,000 in 1890.
In 1900 the total value of the farm property in these States was $3,233,000,000, whereas the census figures recently issued show that in 1909 the value of farm property in these States was $7,293,000.000, a gain of over $4,000,000,000 in that decade. This is four times as great as the aggregate national banking capi- tal of the United States.
These figures indicate something of the marvelous change which has come about in the agricultural interests of the South. This gain of $4,000,000,000 or 125 per cent., showed an increase in the rate of agricultural wealth seven times as great as the rate of increase in population.
To a considerable extent this wonderful change is due to the higher prices of cotton in the last ten years, but this is not by any means the only reason. Notwithstanding the better prices of cot-
L
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ton of late years, Southern farmers are giving more and more at- tention to diversified agriculture, and in this respect are return- ing to the system that prevailed before 1860, when the production of grain and live stock was relatively far greater in proportion to population than it is to-day even after all the advance of the last ten years.
The cotton crop of 1898-99 of 11,274,000 bales was worth, seed included, about $330,000,000. The crop of 1909-10 of about 11,500,000 bales was worth to Southern farmers $963,000,000. The difference strikingly illustrates the importance to the South of good prices for cotton as compared with the starvation figures of the low price period from 1892 to 1901.
The Southern farmer is no longer compelled to concentrate on cotton growing; he finds in diversified agriculture, due to the development in part of the home market through the growth of manufacturing interests and cities and to the enormous increase in the demand from the North and West for early fruits and vege- tables, such profitable opportunities that it may safely be said this section will not for many years, if ever, except perhaps in an occa- sional year of unusually favorable crop conditions, increase its pro- duction of cotton to such an extent as to injure its agricultural prosperity by bringing an era of low prices.
Indicative of the increasing prosperity of the farmers of the South during this ten year period was the advance in the value of farm buildings from $885,000,000 to $1,672,000,000, a gain of nearly $800,000,000.
Notwithstanding the great increase in the value of the South's agricultural output, the development of its industrial and mining interests has been so great that the value of the output of its mines and its factories now largely exceeds the value of the output of its farms.
In the last fiscal year 47 per cent. of the total exports of the United States originated in the South, and 36.4 per cent. passed through Southern ports. In that year the value of the foreign exports from Galveston was twice as great as the total value of the combined exports from all the ports of the Pacific coast of the United States. The value of the foreign exports from Galveston exceeded by $38,389,552 the combined foreign exports trade of San Francisco, Boston, and Philadelphia.
Facts such as these could be given without end as illustrations of the substantial development in manufactures, in agriculture and in foreign commerce which is seen throughout the whole South. And yet these facts do not tell the whole story. This increasing
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wealth of the South is finding an expression in every line of human activity. It is seen in the building of towns and cities, in the con- struction of good roads, in municipal improvements, in the build- ing of schools, churches and more costly dwellings.
Last year the South expended upon the maintenance of public schools considerably over $50,000,000, or more than twice as much as the United States expended upon public education in 1860.
These facts, however, are more interesting as suggestive of what is yet to be accomplished in the upbuilding of the South than of what has already been achieved. This section, now begin- ning to accumulate capital and to be recognized by the investors of other sections as the coming center of American development, should make far greater progress in the next ten years than it has made in the last twenty. Its railroads will unquestionably be taxed to their utmost capacity to keep up with the increasing trade of the South. Its shipping facilities must be greatly expanded in order to take care of the rapid growth of its commerce, foreign and domestic.
The development of its iron and steel interests will be on a far larger scale in the future than in the past. The recent Congres- sional investigation, which is bringing conspicuously to the front the fact that the Steel Corporation owns only about 20 per cent. of the available ores of the South instead of a monopoly as some had supposed, will result in turning capital into the utilization of the vast ore resources of this section. With the proximity of coking coal and iron ores which cannot be duplicated anywhere else in America, it is absolutely certain that the iron and steel in- terests of this section will grow with great rapidity as the increas- ing requirements of the South and of foreign countries, which can be reached from the South furnish an ever widening market for the steel products of this section.
With manufacturing capital exceeding that of the United States in 1880, with an agricultural output exceeding in value by half a billion dollars the value of the crops of the United States in 1890, with an increase in ten years in agricultural wealth four times as great as the present national banking capital of the United States, surely the South is now in a position to begin its real up- building. What it has accomplished is merely the getting of its tools together to make ready for the activities upon which it is now preparing to enter.
RICHARD H. EDMONDS, Editor' Manufacturers' Record. .
Baltimore, Md., August 30th.
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A WREATH ON LEE'S MONUMENT.
A splendid and graceful tribute was paid yesterday to genius and virtue as embodied in the greatest of all Virginians, when the famed Fifth Regiment, of Maryland, formed about the statue of Lee and presented arms, while its colonel, with head uncovered, laid a wreath at the base of the monument.
Virginia has many titles to glory ; but one of the most endur- ing will be the fact that she gave birth to this illustrious soldier whose genius and courage combined with his lofty character as a man to make him the very fruit and flower of his race.
His fame grows greater as the years pass by, and will not be dimmed by the centuries to come.
Throughout future ages brave men and strong men and great men will continue to pay tributes of respect to this man who was brave, strong and great .- Edmund Pendleton, Editor, in News- Leader, October 13, 1911.
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WOMAN-THEN AND NOW.
Then .- Not so much on the field of battle were the victories of the Revolution, but rather at the fireside where the mother trained her sons for deeds of valor and patriotism.
It has been said of the work of the women aiding the Conti- nental Army: "The women of Massachusetts have made us a nation of coffee drinkers because they would not serve English tea to American soldiers." This was the origin of that distinctive class of "Tea party" in our vernacular dialect.
Now .- In the great work of reconciliation and peace between the sections; in the union of the Blue and Gray in perpetuation of the era of good feeling and fellowship in the great work of general amnesty to rehabilitate a common country under a common flag and a common destiny, recently it has been the custom of the Camps and Army Posts of Northern veterans to invite the South- ern Camps and Confederate Associations North to the banquet table of a common hospitality and God-given patriotism.
Recently one of these reunions took place at the North, and a sour, censorious, bitter old New England spinster became offended and inflamed, and sent in a vicious protest to the chairman of the Committee of Invitation-who was Commander of the Camp- against this mixing up and meeting of Southern veterans. The Commander read it, and was stung and stirred by the tone and
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you offsind
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language used. He turned to his wife and said: "Wife, how shall I answer this?" The wife replied: "Husband, I reckon you know how to reply to it." So the next morning the Commander sent this reply: "Dear Miss, there are Confederate soldiers in Heaven. If you do not wish to meet them and to avoid them go to hell." These last words are not profane, and if the most fastidious think so, it can be truly said it is the least profane way in which they were ever used, and oh ! the genuine satisfaction in uttering them. The true New England woman-gentlewoman-does not feel like this old bitter spinster.
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