Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1870-04-04
ESg-THE OF ID FAMILY JOURNAL.

From here we visited " Blakely," the country
seat of Major Richard B. Washington, about four
miles from Charlestown. Here we were again well
coined most generously, and partook of hospitali-
Nv without stint or limit-no forgetting to mention
the nest article OF cider made from crab apples il
wa. ever our good fortune TO taste. The original
Washington estate Numbered several thousand
acres Of the most valuable land to be found in this
section. The property has been divided among the
heirs In small lots Of from three to fifteen hundred
acres EACH and on each othese estates the descen-
dants Of immortal name are carrying on the BUSH
ness Of farming to large and profitable extent
Major RichardB. Washington can be called pros
porous and successful business man. lie is one oil
the large hearted, enterprising, untiring members
of society, always ready TO lend helping hano 10
those in need and in all respects deserving the con-
fdence and esteem Of his fellow-eitizens. We en-
loved very pleasant afternoon with our host and
accomplished family, meeting several OF the lead
ing citizens of the vicinity. and learning from them
many particulars for future reference concerning
the wants. resources, sentiments and peculiarities
Of the people. Az o. Eu
There is something home-like in these substan-
tial old Virginia mansions Great rooms, fitted
and furnished with an idea 10 comfort and elegance
quaint, old-fashioned, solid furniture, made a
half century ago-relics OF a former period, hand
ed down through successive generations, each gen
Grafton guarding these legaces with religious care
These old homes were evidently built to remain
mere. Inc mdteTldl CHusuultu iu NuC VI
would make an halfdozen shell as put up
in fashionable localities now. Half regiment
could be enter taned in Of them, with still room
for more. From cellar to garnet, from porch TO
kitchen, from parlor TO stable, from dining room
10 granary, everything is planned on large and
magnificent scale, as if the occupants intended TO
remain here for all time to come and all the time
dispense generous and bountful hospitality.
We found on this estate an evidence Of insanity,
foolishness dsloyality, or something OF that sort.
We found that which would shock our Republican
readers beyond measure: A little way from the
mansion, just down the slope within the nome
grounds stands one of the old Yirginia-built ne
gro cabins of the days of yore. And here we
found Aunt Charlotte" moderate sized colorcd
woman, who would weigh between two and three
hundred pounds-and as good-natured, jolly, and
ioyia as she is fat Her face is the very personh-
cation of good feeling and happiness. When she
laughs she laughs all over, reminding one OF the
happy servants of the olden time, before modern
religion had so strewn the thorns OF freedom in
the path of the coOred race in the South. In the
cabin, residing with " Aunt Charlotte" we found
her father and understandable old Uncle
Ned" with his whitening locks, dignifed air, and
his good old wife, at the time busily engaged in
caring for grandchild, fat, black, and as Massa-
chusetts abolitionists would. say, "dethidedly
thweet" Now there is nothing strange in finding
colored people in cabins, in fact, we have found
hundreds of cabins filed with them on this trip.
But THIS case is n peculiar Oue. OHClt Nou,
his wife, and their daughter, "Aunt Charlotte"
consider themselves the slaves of Richard b.
Washington-they refuse to accept their freedom
look upon Fifteenth Amendments generally as
humbugs, and folks who don't know when they
are well of. " Uncle Ned ]" knows when he is well
of, and says:
1If ANYBODY specs dat rs gwine to leah my old
massa and de cabin which am always bin my home,
and good friends who always took good care OBJ
me when rs sick or well, and dose who lub me and
dose lubs better than life, dey are most nightly
mistaken.
"De trouble wild desc darIies am just dis-dey' g
don't know when dey's well off. Dey leah good
homes and go about de country, freezed to death,
starved to death, and kicked to death, and call
dat freedom. Now rs more freedom heah dan any
OBJ des yeah fellahs, and Pm just gwine TO lib heah
and stay heah, and I'm gwine TO help my old mas
sa all can, and il any OBJ desc odder niggahs
wants to go off and starve TO death and lib in rags
and poverty, dey can go. And de old omen thinks
lest as do and Charlotte thinks so too. We
don't want nuffn to do wild dem free trash, cause
dey don't know when dey's well off, and dey amt
been brought up right"
During the war when party Of Federals were
making an attack upon the house here, with a
view 10 capturing relics and mementOes, one OF
the soldiers, taking offence at something Major
Washington said to him, drew musket, cooked it,
and proposed to put hole through him. Where
upon Aunt Charlotte" who was a spectator,
grabbed orlck ana, lat as she was, Sprang IN
front of the NOrthener and said, You les shoot
dat air gun, you great Yankee coward, and III
mash yer head with dis yeare brick -
The soldier gazed in astonishment at the huge
proportions OF this new recruit, who was one of
the colored troops that fought nobly He lowered
his gun, swore few swears about the ingratitude
of the black population, turned upon his hCel and
walked away.
On seeing the darkeys about here, one very
much doubts whether freedom has benefited them
or not. Rags and poverty, and half-starved
look generally do not seem TO indicate that happi-
ness which the makers of flannel shirts for niger
babies in Abyssinia might expect considering the
vast expense the country has been put TO for the
liberation of these people, who enjoy a snooze in
the sun much better than they do n sight at the
picture of Lincoln or the Emancipation proclama-
ton.
From here we 60 to Winchester, from which
point our correspondence will be resumed.
NJ. NJ. p.
m.