Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-12-03
Correspondence Of the Boston T,ureller
The Eastern shore of Virginia.
AccoMAo CoUNry Va Nov = 7a5


country entirely different from any other par
of the Union. All things coming together il
such way that could leave the Metropolis, a
the beginning of last week | set off on my tray
IL, X
We ran up Pungateague Creek, to villag
bearing the same melodious name which villag
consisted of two houses on one side of the creel
and one on the other showing where the villag
for Drummondsville, the county seat, and theme
coast, whence write.
But before proceed further let me descrb
the county of Accomac It's the Northernmos
of two counties forming the eastern Shore o
Virginia." which is cut off from the main lant
by Chesapeake Bay, together with Northamp
ton county, from which it was separated il
1872. Its name is Indian; it is about 4S miles
loug and 10 broad; soil level and fertile; and i,
1910 had a population of 9,51S whites, 4,63(
slaves, and 2,S4S free negroes. The county sea
contains some 40 or 30 houses and of course il
tho largest town in the county. The restof tn.
towns of the county rejoice in the names of Mod
esttown, Horntown, and Pungateague.
This peninsula, which separates the stormy
surf of the Atlantic from the placid waters o
the Chesapeake, has peculiar character of it.
own, both physical and social 1t is indentet
by little creeks running inland every, few miles
both on the ocean and on the sea side, and all o.
them more or less navigable. The distance a.
cross tile peninsula between the heads of oppo-
site creeks is 6more than four or five miles.
There was odee s6ine talk of cutting ship ca
nal from the sea to the head of Pocanoke Bay,
where the distance is only four miles; but, like
many other projects, it has gone no further than
talk The soil, though sandy, is totally different
from the dead, red sand hills of the upper coun-
ties of Virginia, which wash away with the
rains, and permit no productive soil to accumu-
late. The surface is water level without the
slightest approach to hill so very level that
no gullies can be washed in it, and the soil, san
dy as it is, is susceptible Of high and easy cult
walton.
Corn, wheat, and, above all, sweet potatoes,
are raised in abundance. Fruit is also album
dant, particularly peaches and figs; large deli
cous figs, that melt in ones mouth, grow here
in the greatest profusion so that in favorable
years the supply is greater than can be consumed.
The peninsula seems to have been formed by
sand brought down by the Delaware, the Sus-
quehanna, and the rivers of Virginia, arrested
and thrown up by the ocean surf. Hence, like
the coral islands of the Pacific the land is no
higher than the sea- The only elevations upon
it are shifting mounds of sand formed by the sea
breeze. There are no rocks here. | was told
BY an elderly gentleman that he was more than
forty wears old before he saw or even heard OF a
stone in the county of Acconiac, and when he
first heard of q few in the northern extremity
of the peninsula, he was rs incredulous as the
Samese monarch about the freezing OF water.
Along the ocean coast distant from one to
four miles is series of low flat sand islands,
averaging about half mile in breadth, and from
one to eight miles in length, bearing somewhat
the same relation to the peninsula that it does
to the main land. Assateague and Chncoteague
are the names ofthe principal islands. Some of
them are inhabited and quite fertile and some
of them are constantly changing their form, size
and position. These sand islands line the Amer
lean coast from New Jersey to Georgia, increas-
ing in breadth Southwark, until they form val
liable part of the latter State and of South Caro-
lima, producing the celebrated sea island cotton.
One of the nearest islands is Ivy immemorial ira
dition known as the Summer Residence Of Pow
hatan and his family, including Pocahontas-
The Indians were formerly numerous on the
peninsula, MS is shownby the vast banks of shells
marking the places of their encampments; but
they have now disappeared.
During the last two hundred years the Vast
ern Shore has been almost untouched by Che
spirit of emigration, and consequently the coun-
try has always NADIA remarkable fixity of char
acter, and contains probably the purest English
population in America. Ii is perhaps the only
part of lowland Virginia that has not declined,
and it now presents one of the best pictures OF
what the Ancient Dominion was
Before decays effacing fingers
Had swept the lines where beauty fingers.
As the inhabitants of that region are emphati-
cally people of enterprise, they are styled the
Yankees of Virginia. There is no moss on their
roofs, and no nabobs or paupers among them
The log cabins plastered with mud so common
in other parts of the South, are not to be found
here, and there are more painted houses here
than in any other part of the State, and there is
also corresponding difference in conducting a
gricultural operations as its products have been
almost auadrupled within the last ten years. In
uniform courtesy and hospitality the inhabitants
surpass those of any other part of the State
where letters of introduction are necessary tc
obtain for a stranger civil word Comparative
" few strangers having visited the peninsula
one meets with mono OF that eternal suspicion
prevalent in other parts of the South. The peo
Die living among q rustic abundance gathered
from the land and the sea, seem peaceful. happy
and contented and think their country the very
paradise of the earth.
The house from which now write, is tall
stately old mansion, beautifully situated about
one hundred yards from the bank of a creek run.
ming up from the ocean, surrounded by tall ole
trees, smooth green lawns, gardens, and the
family cemetery. Alta short distance from the
house, the view of the Atlantic is very fine, with
naught to arrest the eye but the blue horizon in
the distance, or the white-winged coursers o.
the deep. Over seventy sail OF vessels have beer
seen in the offing at once. This morning the
sunrise view of the ocean was sublime. ester
day gale from the Northeast caused the high
waves to break completely over the low sand
islands on the coast But last night the wind
chopped round to the West and this morning
the sun shot his level rays over the waste O.
restless pillows, browning their rolling crests with
radiance.
On the opposite side of the creek we have ;
view of the remains of an old fertilization. bull
for protection against the British cruisers during
the war. Near by the garden fence is planted
one of its old cannon to mark the height OF al
unusual tide.
This creek furnishes abundance Of sh,supplie
the deficiency of rivers and waterfalls, by turn
ing the tide ml-wheels, and affords access tt
the ocean by means of small shallops Former
ly large vessels could navigate its waters, but
the creeks and waters on the sea side are now
filling mp. What struck me as peculiarly char
acteristic of the people, was pond close TO tho
house, which was accessible to the house ano
kept supplied with oysters of an extraordinary
size and flavor. These oyster beds are planted
and tended with all the care bestowed on straw
berry beds in other parts OF the country. Inc
finest oysters, taken from their original seabeds
are selected and placed with due care IN ths
braekish waters Of the pond, where they multi
ply; but the stock must often be replenIshed Oh
the demand will be greater than the supply
Under this treatment the bvayes lose their sal
taste, and grow and fatten like cattle in stall