Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1844-04-04
WOODSTOCK, VIRGINIA: APRIL 4 1914

house. ice house, and other buildings. in
good order, are near the house. The
! plantation contains about one thousand
or fifteen hundred acres: the land is
! drained by bitches running back fio,n
the river to the swamp. Alltte distance
from the mansion. aud in the rear Of it,
cnnU,cnces Il street, laid out at right an
giles with the river. in which are about
fifty neat. white cottages, regularly bulk
on each side. with a little ward in rear oil
! each and ali i'll perfect repair. anil all
furnished with plain furniture, bed.
chairs, table and other necessary articles
These are the residences of the slaves of
the owner of the plantation: each man
with his wife and children occupying one
of t:ese dwellings,. they are furnished
with food and cln,hing by their master,
and spend their time in his service, ex.
cept that each cullivates im himself the
garden near his house. and raises num-
Der of hens ant. chickens. They are as
we'll clothed as Iaburers need to be, and
their f,0d is coarse. but Wholesome in
quality and sufficient in quantity.
NatcheZ is all old French town. set.
tied at an early period as a trading post.
and taking its name from IL tribe of In.
dians of that name. When The Alissis
sippi Territory was formed in 1905 or
1896, embracing in its limits the entire
states OF Mississippi and Alabama. thr
Americans. amounting, think. 10 not
more than three or four thousand, accu-
pied only small strips Of land along the
river, the main portion of the territory
being owned by the indians; and Match
ez WAS the seat of government. though
at npe period the government officers re.
sided at Washington, a small village six
miles back from. Na.cheZ. From the
river here the ground rises several hun
died ieet above the water. and the pres
ent city is on the hill back from the riv.
er. occupying an elevated pos tinn. Be-
tween the river bank and tie base of the
hills there is settlement of few hun
dred people. an'l the business imme,i ate
" connected with tie shipping is done
there. though il is dirty place. frequent
ly inundated by tie over Row ing of the
river. The ascent to the town is up the
side OF the hill. over road cut there AT
considerable expense. The city is rev
ularlv laid out upon the hill, which con-
tinurs to rise as II recedes from the river,
and contains srea: nuubef OF very fine
residences. with a population of five or
SIX thousand. The courthouse stands
in the centre Of large park, laid out
and hlled with shade trees, ON an eleva-
ted position in the centre of the city;
upon the opposite side Of IA street running
in the rear OF which is the City Market,
and the City Hall above it. The coun-
try round is uneven; but the land is of
superior quality, and within the DIS
tanre OLA few miles round ale a number
of private dwellings. % great elegance
and beauty. indicating not only regard
to the comforts. but to the refinements Of
life, In "a word, Nat,heZ is a well-built
city. finely located. of considerable bu
siness. with an intelligent. and generally
moral population. Courteous. hospitahle.
ap,l many Of them refined, and would
lose nothing in comparison with the cen.
crafty oil It's size in New England.