Middletown transcript., 1874-10-03
How the Early Virginians got
Wives.

wives,
The history Of the Commonwealth OF
Virginia, says the Richmond Wing,
commences with an auction sale-not,
however, in store, but beneath the
green trees Of jamestown, where, pro-
bably, the most interesting crowd OF
auction hab;tues ever known in the his
tory Of the world were gathered. In a
letter, still to be seen. dated London,
August 21, 1921, and directed to a
worthy colonist Of that settlement, the
writer begins by saying: We send you
shipment-one widow and eleven
maids-for wives Of the people Of Vir-
ginia. There has been especial care in
the choice Of them, for there hath not
one of them been received but upon
good recommendations In case they
cannot be presently married we desire
that. they may be put with several
householders that have wives until they
can be provided with husbands.
But the writer Of this epistle had lit
tie reason to fear that any Of the maid
ems faire' would be left over. The ar
chives contain evidence to prove that
these first cargoes Of young ladies were
put up at auction and sold for one hun
dred and twenty pounds Of tobacco each,
and it was ordered that this debt should
have precedence of all others The
solitary 'one widow went along vii
the others, for they could not be psiz
ticular in those days. Z ed min
lister of the colony q do1 "a busy
time that day. ~ Idnot d1SBtion any
fees, nor did the bridegrooms think Of
tendering any. All was JOY and glad1
ness: no storms ahead. no inquisitive
ERIK to ssand and ssy Here's IL
shse, for over - ~ Moth 81
the sort. Fron e Of these cod les
the first famiii5y b vifeii6ia are des-
cended. n 80
3an. .Tacksnr yf1 ISe ..,rt
Gen. jackson was tb kfernsyr( len
eral for all 1fiddle Tenn
Kirkendalls we're the great
that creek. Ihey were spiritsa ana
powerful men. kay held that the sit
ting Of the court Pg such jurisdic-
ton invaded their dominions, and they
went in bullying manner and dis
persed the court, and ordered it never
to meet again. Gen. jackson heard it,
and attended the next term, carrying
upon his arm his saddle-bags, contain
ing bis long, black bulldogs. He
placed his saddle-bags in . corner Of
the house. The Justices took the
bench, and the Sheriff proclaimed the
court open. The Kirkendalls appeared
and ordered the court to disperse. In
the confusion and; terror Of the hour,
the Sheriff failed to arrest the parties
and restore order At this juncture
Gen. jackson appeared before the
Court and denounced the bullies and
their conduct, and told the Court If
they would appoint him their officer he
would arrest them and have order
His proposition was readily accepted
jackson seized one of the Kirkendalls,
who was a terror to the county; they
clinched. and got outside, and being on
the edge of the bluff, the bully threw
jackson, and they rolled over and over
down the bluff into the creek. When
the bully thought he had conquered
jackson he left him. But the old
game cock came rushing up the bill, as
wet as an otter. in search of his bull
dogs. He grasped them, and pointing
one at each. of the bullies, arrested
them and brought them before the
Court. They were heavily fined and
order was restored, and the thanks Of
the Court were extended to Gen. Jack
SON. a ara