Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-08-30
MISCELL AN Y.
An Interesting Scrap of History.

An Interesting Scrap of History.
"Garibaldi is said, in the Petersburg (Va.) Ex-
press. to be defendant of Mr.. John Johnston
Jones. who died at his residence in Blandford,
about the year 1897. 1t is fact that beauti-
full daughter of this Mr.. Jones eloped from Pc
tersbure about the wear 1853, with an Italian
tiobt. rome dancer, named Garibaldi, who, having
amassed an immense fortune in this country, re-
turned to his own dear native Italy, where a
large family and unalloyed felicity blessed the
union between himself and his beautiful young
Blsndford bride. Mrs. Garibaldi corresponded
with her father until the day of the latter's
death: and letters subsequently sent over by the
children of Mrs. G. leave but little doubt OF the
fact that the warrior Garibaldi now in Italy is
direct descendant of the Jones family, SO we'll
and favorably known in Blsndford during tue
first half of the past century"
We can tell a stranger story than the forego-
ing, and Just as true! In fact, if truth Is stran
ger than fiction, no one can doubt the little ro-
nance we are about to record:
In the year OF grace, 1882, there came over
with Gen. Oglethorpe, when he founded the col
ony of Georgia, little Corsican dancing master,
named Carlo Bounaparte. AS the Weseys and
George Whitfield possessed considerable intu-
ence over the settlers, (they had just laid the
foundations of the Methodist Church,) and as
most of said settlers were discharged debtors
from English prisons, and consequently not IN q
dancing condition, Carlo received no "proies-.
sioDal" encouragement. In extreme danger OF
starving, (for he had no money! be was forced
to labor with axe and spade for living for sew
eral months, when Scotch trader, named Nc
Givsry. came to Savannah with gsug of Mus
IL go +ra1a init fba caftlara Me-
Gilvary then lived by the banks of the Chatta-
hoochee, in the midst of the Muscogee nation,
and had been trader among them since l7l4,
in which year he took part in the rebellion
beaded by the Esrls of Mar and Derwentwater
for the restoration of the royal house OF Stuart
to the British throne, and was compelled, like q
great many of his valiant countrynen, to save
his neck by emigration. He found home-
three wives, and thriving trade among the
Musccgee Indians-and having acquired snug
co,npetency, unbounded influence, and taste
for Indian life, he had no desire to leave the ge-
NAL climate and generous soil of the Muscogee
country for the bleak and barren hills OF his ma
tive land, or to exchange his position as one OF
the head men of the nation for that OF tacksmsn
to some thieving Highland laird, whose chiet
employment was to steal cattle, levy black mail,
or to engage in any civil broil that might be
brewing So he remained
| McGilvary was the ancestor of Bill Weather.
ford, Judge Meek's "Red Eagle" He has three
cabins full of children, and becoming acquainted
with Carlo Bounsparte and his accomplishments,
he succeeded in engaging him to teach his hall
breeds to dauce and fiddle. AS for reading and
writing, he didn't care tor such accomplishments,
being but an Indifferent scholar himself.
| McGilvary was not, of course, q Presbyterian,
g a., Ton, Dal-
ziel school, so fiddling, dancing and drinking
were the delights Of his soul, when he could
SPARE time from his trade of money making,
which he loved equally as well, if not little
more.
On cold and gusty day in March, 1888, Nc
Gilvary and Carlo Bounaparte turned their backs
on Oglethorpes town, and their faces to the
west. Each one was mounted on an Indian po
ny, and they were accompanied by about thirty
Indians-s few ponies, but most OF them on foot
armed with the fowling pieces and muskets
they had bought from the skipper of Bristol
brig that was lying in the river. A train of 4C
or 80 pack ponies carried McGilvsry's stock ol
merchandise, which he had purchased from the
aforesaid skipper, by bartering the peltries he
had collected during the past season. In the
course OF fifteen or twenty days, they reached
| McGvary's cabins, and Carlo at once entered
upon the discharge of his duties as dancing ane
music master He was undoubtedly the frs
"maitre de daaSe" who taught the exhilaratiDg
and graceful art between the waters Of the Tom
bigbee and the Savannah.
| Although Carlo made little or no progress
with bis pupils, Qor the boys preferred hunting
and fishing, and the, girls the manufacture o
wampum belts and mocoasins to dancing or mu
sic,) yet he soon became immensely popular witt
the rude sons of the forest, not as fiddler, no
as a dancing master, but as q drummer and per
former on the bugle, for on these two instru
ments he was as perfect as he was on the fiddle
and he had one of each in his luggage.
With the bugle he could call the tribe to tht
council house, assemble them for the hunt or tht
war path, or animate and encourage them at tht
ball play. With the drum he made music fol
1.-The green corn dance, and other fashionable In
Fdian dances, for that is the kind OF music Indi
ans prefer when they strip the light fantastic
toe" He was the drummer and trumpeter o.
the tribe. His fiddle had no charms for theil
ears, and he only played on it to please himsel
and his patron, McGilvary. There was scarcely
an Indian within one hundred miles but bad
heard him perform on the drum and trumpet
and his fame extended to the distant wigwams
of the Cherokees Chickasaws and Choctaws
From nearly every Muscoges who heard him
blow or beat he received skin of some descrip.
tiou-mostly beaver and other skiHs, which were
very valuable. At the end of one year, he had
quite large stock of peltries as McGilvary had
purchased during the same period. By this time
he had won the heart of McGilvary's Oldest
daughter, strapping half breed lass OF eighteen
summers, who had jet black hair and eyes, and
the prominent cheek bones of her aboriginal and
Celtic progenitors. They were married, not &C.
cording to Indian fashion, but by Romish priest
from the Spanish trading settlement at the
| mouth of the Cahaba river. He lived happily
with his wife for three years continuing to blow
| aud beat to the admiration of the Indians. and
claiming, as right, the contributions that were
at first voluntarily made to him--when she died,
leaving him disconsolate widower and two
children-a boy and girl-the latter the ances.
tor of "Red Eagle" which accounts for his fight
ing propensities."
At the time of his wife's death, in the spring
of 1877, Carlo Bounaparte was as rich as McGil-
vary, and his heart yearned for the little island
in the Mediterranean, where he first saw the
light. With large stock Of petries, worth at
least $l5, 900, and as much more in Spanish coin,