Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1866-01-23

and he replied, with an oath, that it was true,
and if she did not give them something to eat,
they would burn down the house over her head.
They took every thing they could find to eat,
stole all the jewelry from the young ladies,
broke and destroyed several pieces of furniture,
and for day and half annoyed the family in
various ways, always accompanied with disgust
ing profanity. They left almost nothing for the
family to live on. It is impossible to give an
adequate description of their cruelties.
The man that was killed did not belong to
their army; they neither knew his name his
company or his regiment he was never on their
muster roll, and they never missed him.
| am proud that my brother died in vindica-
ting the eternal principles Of TRUTH and right,
and faith and trust In God.
have not told you half.
Yours in haste,
THOMAS CREIGH.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF D. S. CREIGH, ESQ,
The following is a brief biographical sketch
of D. S. Creigh, Esq, prepared by Dr. VIM.
II. Syme, of Lewisburg, who knew the subject
of it long and intimately, and, ike all others
who knew him, esteemed and loved him.
David S. Creigh, Esq, was born in Lew
isburg, Greenbrier county, Virginia, in the year
1907. He was the fourth child Of Thomas
Creigh, native of Antrim county, Ireland
His father, Thomas Creigh, became q resident
of Lewisburg in the year 1892 and intermarried
with Miss Margaret Lynn Williams, in the year
1901 Miss Williams was the daughter Cap
tain Samuel Williams, who was also native of
Ireland, and having married previously, inrAu-
gusta county, Virginia. Mrs. Agatha Wilson,
a widowed sister Of Col Jno Stuart, Of Green
brier, removed to the county of Greenbrier in
Crelgh was related to many families Of high so
cial position, prominence and influence, from
the Blue Ridge to the Ohio River.
Thomas Creigh, the father Of David, resided
in Lewisburg about fifty years, the greater por-
ton of which long period was devoted to lner-
camille pursuits. In his avocation he acquired
large fortune and maintained through life
and left to his numerous family, an unsullied
name. During early life he had been seheoled
in the pure doctrine of the Presbyterian Church
in Ireland and having exemplifed, by his lfa
the principles of his early education, he died at
a very advanced age, beloved, esteemed end
revered.
David S. Creigh was reared in the same faith
with his father; and, although he did not make
an open profession Of religion until the summer
OF 1857, yet such was the uniform rectitude and
proprlety Of his life, that the great revolution
then wrought was far more in the interior gov
erning motive than it's external manifestation
His llie, up to that period, so, exemplary, had
been but the out-birth of the impulses of a no
bic nature, guided by the wholesome influence
OF early moral instruction--now it became an
emanation OF these pure and holy influences
known and felt by the christian heart alone
Mr., Creigh's youth and early manhood were de-
voted to merchandising but having, IN the year
1888, married Emily, daughterof Capt Charles
Arbuckle, of Greenbrier, one Of the oldest and
most respectable families in the county, he
abandoned the mercantile business, and for the
remainder OF his life gave his attention to agri-
| culture. E
In the life of man, whose habits were so
domestic and whose disposition was so modest
and unobtruslve as were those Of the subject
OF this sketch, few events occur which can be
regarded as particularly worthy of record The
indispostion to engage in public life, ever man
Iested by such men, withdraws them from the
stage OF notorlety, and throws the veil of pri9a-
cy around the even tenor of their virtuous lives
Nevertheless, the responsibilities of citizenship,
OF christianity, and of private life, were so I'M
perative as to bring Mr.. Creigh forth from his
beloved retirement, in a degree sufficient to IA
mlllarlze his countymen with his many virtues,
and to win alike their fond regard and univer-
sal esteem, The writer of this humble tribute
/ to his memory, knew him from about the time
of his marriage, and intimately for many years
before his death, and he knew no man, within
the limits of our county, whose character he es-
teemed as more irreproachable, and whose pop
ularity he regarded as so exclusively ayolunt;ly
tribute OF regard on the part of the people fer
exalted and modest merit. n y
/ Though again and again solicited to accept
posts of profit, honor and distinction, he could
never be induced to do so; and with the excep-
ton OF the Magistracy, never held a public Of
| IL
| County Court of Greenbrier, he was appointed
by the Executive of the State, in 1888, and up
on the adoption of the Constitution of 1850, was
elected to it again by. the people, and continued
to be reelected up to the time Of his Death
lie also filed the responsible and delicate trust
OF Bank Director for a number of years With
reference to the manner in which he discharged
the duties of these wo-posts, the writer is able
to testify, having served with him in both ca
paclties, that, both as a Magistrate and as a
Director, fidelity to the trust reposed in him,
firmness, impartality, integrity and courtesy,
ever characterized him. But, as to the esti-
mate in which he was held as a Magistrate,
much higher testimony than that of any indi-
Vldual may be found in his repeated reelection
to the office, and in the resolutions adopted on
the occasion of his death, by the County Court,
OF which he was SO long a member. -
Upon making profession of religion, in 1857,
MI Creigh united himself with the Presbyte-
rion Church, and the estimate in which he was
held, as a christian and man, induced his
brethren to place him among the Eldership of
their Church, position which he continued to
hold up to the time Of his death. In the reso-
lutions adopted by the Session of the Church,
will be found an expression of the sentiments Of
this body, Of their high opinions of his worth
as christian and a man, and Of their profound
grief tor the loss sustained by the Church and
society, in his lamentabe death -els
As a business man, Mr.. Creigh's relations to
numerous family and society, called upon him
to act as tduciary in various trusts, alike deli