Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1868-04-11
An Old Time Wedding.


ton of Virginia wedding from Kerche-
walls History Of the Valley
For long time after the first settle
menl Of this country the inhabitants in
general married young. There was no
distinction of rank, and very little of for
tune. On these accounts the first i'm
preston OF love resulted in marriage, and
family establishment cost but little la
Dor and nothing else.
A description Of welding, from the
beginning 10 the end, will serve TO show
the manners of our forefathers, and mark
the grade Of civilization which has sue
ceeded 10 their rude state Of society in
The course Of few years.
At an early period the practice Of cele-
braring The marriage at the house Of the
bride began, and i, should seem with
great proprely. She also has the choice
of the priest 10 perform the ceremony.
In the first years Of the settlement Of
this country, wedding engaged the al
tenrion of a whole neIghborhooG, and the
frolck was anticipated by the old aud
young with eager Anticipation. This Is
not to be wondered at, when il is told that
wedding was almost the only gather
ing which was no, accompanied with the
labor of reaplng, log.rolling, building a
cabin, or planning some scout or cam
psign.
In the morning OF the wedding day, The
groom and his attendants assembled at
the house Of his father, for The purpose
Of reaching The mansion Of his bride by
noon, which was the usual lime for cele
braling The nuptials, which for certain
must take place before dinner.
Let the reader imagine an assembIage
Of people, without, store, tailor or man
tusmsker, within hundred miles, and an
assembage of horses, wilhou, black
smith or saddler within an equal distance.
The gentlemen dressed in shoepscks,
moccasons, leather breeches, leggins, and
lInsey hunting shirts. all homemade. The
ladies dressed in linsey petlicosts and lin
sey or linen bed gowns, coarse shoes,
stockings, handkerehiefs, and buckskn
gloves, if any if there were any buck
les, rings, buttons or rUffles, there were
the relics Of old times, family pieces from
parents or grandparents. The horses
were csparisoned with old saddles, old
brides or hsl,ers, and psck.ssddIes, with
bag or blanket thrown over them a
rope or string as often constituted the
olrth az a Mere leather
The march. in double file, was often
interrupted by the nsrrowness and OBJ
slruclions OF our horse paths, as they
were called, for We had no roads; and
these difficulties were often increased,
sometimes by the good, and sometimes
by The Ill will Of neighbors, by falling
trees and tying grape vines across the
way. Sometimes an smbuscsde was
formed by The way side, and an uuex-
pecled discharge Of several guns took
place. so as 10 cover the wedding CON.
psny with smoke. Let The reader mag.
inc the scene tisifolloWed this discharge.
the sudden spring Of the horses, The
shrleks Of the girls, and the chivalric bus.
lie OF their partners TO save them from
falling. Sometimes, in spite OF all that
could be done to prevent it, some were
thrown to the ground il a wrist. elbow
or ankle happened TO be sprained, it was
tied with handkerchief, and little more
was thought or said shout it.
Another ceremony commonly took
place before the party reached the house
OF the bride, after the practice of making
whiskey began. which was al an early
period. When The party were about
mile from the place of their de.tinslion,
two young men would single on, 70 run
Tor the bottle the worse The path, the
more logs. brush and deep holows, the
better, as these obstacles afforded an
opportunity for The greater display OF in
irepidity and horsenansbip. The Eng.
lish fox chase, in point Of danger TO the
riders and their horses, was nothing TO
this race for the bottle. The start was
announced by an Indian yell, when logs,