The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-07-17
CORRESPONDENCE.

Extract Of letter from The Editor Of This paper,
Dated l3ih inst
ENTRANCE INTO IRGINIA-sYMPATH
-WHEAT-FiELDS-RE DLAND-CASTLE
HILL, RESIDENCE OF HON VIM. G. RIvEs
COTTON FACToRY--CRoPS--
VELLERS, &c.
The country between Fredericksburg and Peters
Mountain, which Mr.. Madison called the Chin
| borago Of our Andes, and which forms the van
guard Of the Blue Ridge, Is fat undressing and
| for the most part unprodnciye. We find in Louisa
county, IL Is true, in what is known the Green
Spring neigbbcrhood," very large fields which seem
to produce very fair crops, and are respectable
exception. We see nothing but sterile lands, poor
horses and diminilive sort Of oak and pine, until
we reach The exception alluded to.
| We pass from Washington 10 Fredericksburg
down The Potomac by steamboats,, entering Frede-
ricksburg by stage few miles Fare from Wash
ington to Fredericksburg SO, and The accommoda-
lions are tolerably good. We left Washington at
o'clock p. M. and arrived at Fredericksburg about
midnight.
A railroad connects Fredericksburg with Rich
mond Travellers to the Virginia Springs take
this railroad as far its junction with the rail
road from Louisa, C. H., which is within twenty
four miles Of Richmond. We arrived at the juno
| ture about o'clock in the morning, and as we
could not proceed until the cars returned from
| Richmond at o'clock, We had opportunity Of
taking nap. Persons DESTROYS 10 see Richmond
on their route to the springs from the north, can
do so without any loss OF time From the june
ture we ran up to Louisa court house in a few
hours. Fare from Fredericksburg TO Louisa court
house, by railroad, "a IS.
On arriving at Louisa, an incident occurred
worthy Of being mentioned, as "cau,ion"
gentleman, apparently in feeble health, who was
travelling with two interesting young ladies I'M
| der his protection, one OF whom seemed TO be ex-
ceedingly delicate, fell in fit while looking after
4 his baggage He carried into house and
| laid upon bed, where his commissions continued
| tor length Of time with great violence. The Two
young ladies of course in the most distress
| ing plight and one Of them indeed nearly pros
traied Both, however, vindicated the right of the
sex to the title of ministering angels" by their as
siduous devotion to their unfortunate relative,
which was manifested by the most bohntiful dis
pensations Of camphor, hartshorn, and mustard ar
ticles which certainly make very strong appeals to
patients senses. The scene excited the deepest
| sympathy Of the crowd, and we illustrated our
own by the disinteresled prefer Of every sort Of
| assistance. The patient shortly revived, much TO
| our relief. But il may be imagined that The refined
tenderness OF our sympathies not little shock
ed on learning that the antecedent cause of the ptia
bic scene had been fire ginslings before breakfast
The railroad is completed only as far as Louisa
court house. II is to be opened far as Gordons-
vile, town in the next county west, on or before
| the LIST OF August
| At Louisa we took the stage Tor Charlottesville.
| The country improves as we approach the noun
tains, which begins appear in the distance.
| The extensive and wheat fields of the Green
| Spring neghborhood are premonitory indications
Of their more lustrious prototypes which spread
before drove into Albemarle The soil
which is thus far Of grayish color, now becomes
reddish-the surface is undulating.
As if an ocean in its gen,lcst swels stood STILL
and at length it rises to the majesty of broad and
reverend mountain. Along the base Of this noun
tain, belt Of red hnd extends through several
counties. It is Of deep chocolate color, and has
barren and rather disagreeabe appearance 10 a
northern man western man. who has been
accustomed to look for fertility TO soil that is
black. Contrary to our expectations, it is produc
tive OF luxurant crops, il has been Of great
II has sustained Jefferson, a Madison, and Mon
roe, and II rejoces in a Rives. The first
three were Presidents, and the last has an increas
ing legion Of friends who hope to see him one
II is common idea that this kind of soil is
derived by the decomposition of hornblende rock,
whose lime would give it fertility, and whose iron
would give it color. Professor Rogers of the Vir-
ginia University, who has made geological recon-
noissance Of the State, asserts that this Is mistake,
and attributes the red soil 10 the decomposition Of
| kind Of greenish-blue sandstone. This assertion
is not accompanied by a satisfactory explanation.
The road to Charlottesville passes through the
| magnificent plantation Of Mr.. RlvEs, whose broad
| acres cover mountain upland and valley. On be-
holding the first quarter section under cultivation,
Il occurred TO us that whatever may he said of Mr..
Rives as politician, there are few certainly who
| can boast of finer wheat. On the lowland on our
| len, we beheld large herd OF the Herefordshire
| and Durham cae-a pasture of two hundred acres
| extending itself along the road on our right and
rising back third of mile TO the pretty lawn in
front Of Castle HILL was enlivened by clever stock
Of horses prancing over its green turf. "a northern
farmer would think 2OO acres sufficient for farm
here northern farm would be but single feid)
Castle Fill stands upon an eminence near the
base Of Peters mountain. The dwelling which IS
the neatest we have yet seen in virginia, Is pro-
tected by sufficient shade; beautiful lawn spreads
out in its front, and extensive view OF the plains
! southeast is commanded. Most of the out buildings
are at distance and the few that are Nigh are con-
cealed by the trees. The extensive fields under cn-
tivation which stretch away on every side, are IN
der the almost complete ocular survey Of the pro-
prietor at his dwelling. On one side, you perceive
three or four hundred acres Of wheat on another,
comprehensive field Of tall luxuriant CO n yondsr
acres OF oats, and on the mountain side, a large
field of tobacco, &c. &c. Mr. Rives is The proprie-
tor OF six or seven thousand acres and the distances
lengthwise, from one extremity Of his plantation to
the other is about miles. From the mountain
extremity, the view is very fine and extensive, be-