Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-03-13

q letter recently written TO the Hon. W. ID.
Kelley, a member Of the House OF Repre-
sentatives IRON Pennsylvania, by an officer
Of Gen. Hooker's Division Of the Army of
the Potomac, now stationed in Maryland -
Judge Kelley, who sends us the extract,
vonches IN the most en- pathic terms for the
high character and Intelligence Of his CORE
spondent. The date Of the latter 10 Feb.
&c, 1862;
hCol. NJ, as hs is called, isnssordsucc
| with the general custom here Of giving every
man some title, and not, l believe, from any
military rank he may have held Though Of
this | am not surel, lisa man about As years
years old. Of considerable intelligence and
wealth, and, as | am informed, has travelled
both in this add in other countries. He is
a rather good looking man, somewhat larger
than the average size Of our people. lie
lives on what is called Stump Neck, apen-
insula between the Mattawaman, Chica-
moxiu, and Potomac rivers, directly opposite
to Cockpit Point, on the Virginia side Of
the latter river. Stump Neck contains
something over 1000 acres OF good |and,
and is, as a farm, kept in far bett( Pndi-
ton than most Of the farms abot mere,
thought it will not compare with what you
would call q good farm in Pennsylvania. :
lie resides about the center Of the farm in
a small frame house, such as any Of our
Northern farmers who were at all in . thriv-
ing condition would be ashamed to live in.
By tho side of it are two log-housss, in
which live his slaves. rs | suppose l must
call them, according to the laws of Mary
laud. His barns are better than his houses.
This place is entirely away from any road,
and therefore seldom visited. The Colonel
il unmarried, but as the divine declaration,
that it is not good for man to be alone,
holds good in regard to him, as well as 9th
ers, he has four female slaves who fulfill the
duties of wives to him. Now, the Colonel,
in his patriarchal relation, likes variety, and
30 he has them of various hues and shades,
from q negro up to a light ~quadroon. BY
these women he has had from twenty-five
to thirty children, but as the mothers differ
in complexion, so do the children, only with
a most decided improvement in the light
ness of the shading, from mulattoes up to
pass-anywhere for white-the children Of
the quadroon woman, wife, or slave, which
ever you choose, having light, laxen hair,
and dark, hazel eyes. The Colonel is also
somewhat conscientious in bis attention tc
their dress, the dark-skinned having very
coarse clothing, without such l~uxuries a.
shoes or stockings, while there is a regular
graduation to the lightest color-they having
both shoes and stockings and very deem
clothing. On a visit to the place some time
since, the children were asked as to theil
paternity. They all said their mothers livet
here, pointing to the log house but wher
asked who was their father, one of the dark.
est boys said, SCOT no father, and one Of
the whitest children said, pointing to tn,
frame house, He lives there. The Col
onel is also a good farmer, and knows thai
it will not do to keep on hand too large a
stock of cattle, &C.. and so he regularly sell
off the increase of his farm as soon as it is
ready for the market-horses, mules, cattle,
pigs, and-children. These last, however
ar the most profitable, or rather haze bee,
so; God grant it nay be so no longer. DIR
Woodruff, formerly the Assistant Surgeon
of the 9Th New Jersey Volunteers, nov
Surgeon of the 9th New Jersey Volunteers
was called upon to attend the quadrool
wife in her last confinement, and learne,
many particulars in regard to them. III
was very favorably impressed with her ap
, pearance, and considers her a very intelli
gent woman. Now, l do not know that
4 have in the least exaggerated in this descriI
D ton, but, on the contrary, have softened
q very much. It's not an exceptional case
but a fair specimen of what can be see
everywhere throughout the Southern State.
a determined foe to Slavery. That a ma
would sell his own children they had though
Q was one OF the Abolition lies, until they ha
the fact 80 thrust into their faces that
i was imp ossible to doubt it."