New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-04-29
AN OBSERVER IN VIRGINIA.
Correspondence o. The N. Y. Tribune.

/
Having now accomplished the journey from Wash
inson to this city, by way of the old wagon road 90
s TO get perfect knowledge of the country and the
people, propose to take the reader back in the way
OF panoramic view Of the country and then relate
my experiences, and sum mp my convictions. aIorg
Tie route.
! EASTERN yIRGINIA-TIlE FACE OP TIE CouSrpy
The old wagon road from Washington to Rjehmond
} which, / am told, exhibits fair specimen of ii ;,
geography of Eastern Virginia. winds about ll5 nils
in SoutLerly direction, gently sloPing hiDs Of
: yellow and in places of red clay. The faee ol
the country is much level than expected 10 find
! il, AS did not with single abrupt high bill
in the whole route. The original state Of the land
along the road would seem to have been moderate
growth Of mixed pine, oak, and other common forest
Trees. | noticed good many fine pines Oh the route,
hut 10 large Of any other kind Fields that have
been exhausted and thrown ont invariably grow
up in line crop of pines. The farms, very few 81
which can lie said to be arg, scattered iireenary
along the road, Oh IN average every mile OK 70. la
some places two or three ioin while ii other
places two or three miles of the original timber land
intervene. The clearngs off from the main road, ex-
ccrt in particular localities do not appear 20 be TO
so 1eat an extent. In the construction OF roads and
fences 10 particular attention seems 10 10 paid 10
ton lincs.
met with very few streams on the route that re-
quired bridging or, ut least, were bridged. The i'm.
rroycmonts on the farms are generally old and q nod
crate yent some being rather diapdatc1, bat mos Of
them looking quite comfortable. noticed Bu; few
new improvements aud only one two really COM
plete and elegant residences the whole route, and
these within few miles Of this city. found very lew
ample orchards along the road good many volunteer
peach trees in bloom scattered along the fences
and over the fields bu, very few regular orchards.
Cherry trees appear be under the ban on 90 omit OF
their prouting propensiries, the pines and other Dds
enOus trees aodiug quite enough gTubbing 20 90. On
account Of the backwaldDess OF the season. suppose
very few featbered songsters serenaded my jour
ney southwark. A single red-bird fitted acrO8 the
road before got glimpse Of one o. TWO mock
ing birds, little company of robins, and, one
sunny morning, think heard blue-bird or two N
an apple tree near my window
On tie route passed ore or two water-m.lls. with
their romantic scenery and associations, and wind
mill. There very few country towns Oh the road
from Washington TO Richmond-only about one TO
every comfy and that the C. H., or Courthouse as
they call it down this way. For instance, the county
seat of Orange County is generally written ~ printed
Orange G. H. and called, in speaking OF IL,
Orange Court House." This arises from the fac, q
the CourtIIouses having generally been built before
| the towns which have grown up around them. The
| few towns along the route what would be calico
pretty well finished" and wear decidedly Southern
ISL air On the most eligible SITE the Capitol Hill OF the
pace-the County Commissioners having had the iirst
choice of lots stand the old weaterbeaten COo House,
looking cases if il had sheltered the arch
ives and judicial wisdom OF the county from the storms
/ of a hundred or two Winters Underneath or stand
ing solitary and alone in the back ground is the dmgy
and cherries jail, bearing the marks OF contempt.
rneous construction, with the venerable Temple Of
| Justice. Near by, on the main street. is the Post,
ONCE Me principal hotel, and few stores GROCERIES,
and sheps-the remainder of the town being made up
q large proportion Of ancient-looking buildings in
terspersed with few modern-built residences, with
tasty appurtenar ces, sc. At the PostOf prince
pal tavern at Of the stores groceries is in
yarilby and perpetually 10 be a group Of tall,
ong-baired young Southern gentlemen, gTayely d.,
cussing the affairs Of the nation
The hiching racks along the street arc generally
more or less occupied by their horses, and you
nearly always see some elderly planter, in long
ovelcoat with saddle-bags on his arm goiug into
coming out of q store. Not many ladies 10 be seen
on the street. but in some direction or other you can
always see a colored girl in check frock, going
some Grand and il is not Virginia town unless you
can see, somewhere, a long covered wagon with
i0ur-mule team, anda coOPed driver the wheel
mule. Except in or very near one Of these towns, or
on plantation, hardly ever met with any person on
the road The travel through the country, wbateyert
may be, to be confined exclusively TO the rail
roads, and the farmers at this season Of the year.
being engaged with their hands and teams at their
farm work. the road is left in extremely deserted
condition. have travelled whole day without meet
ing with single individual off his own plantation
not even solitary pedlar-whch class OF itinerants
by the way, well all other classes, have, since
the John Brown raid, been pretty eectually excluded
from the country by withdrawal of all patronage on
the part of the people.
VIRGINIA HOSPITALITY.
At hardly any farm house along the road VIE sble
10 discover the signs Of active life either of man. beast
or bird. Occasionally the barking of an unmanDerly
dog would bring inquisitive faces door or window,
and now and then could zee negro man or woman,
and sometimes white man blowing in the field. did
not meet with enough persons upon the road, either
white 81 black TO ask my necessary questions Of and
when l intruded at a dwelling for that purpose, /
almost invariably found the people-men and women
cold coarse ignorant, and suspicious. SO unpromsne
WAS Vrnia hospitality" up to noon, tba resorted
to my home provisoned saddle-bags for dinner and
when il became time for me to begin TO make apPh-
cation to stay all night invariably, with an AR
OF dis1st, referred to the next house 10 tavern
some distance below. With this, however, found
no particular fault, travellers in any other country
than the land of boosted Virginia hospitality cannot
generally expect to be accommodated at . pnVate
house when there is public house within reaen.