The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-09-01
x,,.-sss,ng lester ConcerninS Son""s
A''s>-. H0ok,
,u,nrn the LynchburR VIfRtNSaH'I

+.
,u,ouo the Lynchburg Virgsn'an'l
lls.,,nrs NAV remember that We puS.
:. "A an article not long since IN Whlcn re-
saso,,I,e scas made to the fsHnons John HOOK,
:. Nh f,ynres in Wirtss Life OF Patrick Henry.
!" cceniipg W,rps highly cosored account OF
snn st,,rdy old Scotchmap, we fell into an
orrnr 40 we are now entirely satiskcu LOT
Sz.o have since ;earned far more OF Ms. Hooh
than u, ever knew before. having derived
nnr incarnation from psrtles who baVe en-.
;nuaa enooreaaities TO searn the real facts OF
,h,s MANS history subsequent to the ke'o'u.
t;nn Ina recent conversation Win aver
;nte,ssert Sentlenan we were so i'npresseo
xgith his recital OF facts concerning to's nss-
ss,.,n rharseter-fsets that be derived it@.ia
Shosa who we're contemporary VIII Mr.
IIoot--1ha. we asked him to commit snem
- naner. which he has very kindly gone.
We feel unite sure that bis statement WIZ NC
,,esa,seA With Interest. He says:
al now comply with your request 10 give
come "reminiscences OF Jenn noo"' "n,Iu
derived from trustworthy sources Auls
a. ,,ora cheeriully as thereby the truth OF
S ~ n,sy be yindic.tcd. The'fate of John
W~nr has been sad one. If what Gibbons
-avs he true, that ridicule is the most potent
,,,ssns 10 destroy the reputation Of Eoliti-
rJon rnry it not be added of any man! And
- nnr Inc case of .John Hook On exemplih.
,..e;an or the latter? Hook took the unpop-
liar size in politics during the revolution,
1;Sa many good men, and suffered much op-
.,rohrs,m and received much harsh treat.
r,a,,, after the war. One of the splendid
,s,rs,mrica, DISPLAYS of Patrie. Henry Is con-
s,artnd with Iaw suit Of Hook, at New Lon.
Jon Al this late day i will give to the pub
IT, . fayy facts connected with this law sur.
.ha trial Of which is so humorously described
nr Mr.. witt, In his Life OF Henry. Law and
-;,ht wore with Hook, but both were
..acrif,ced 10 the prejudice against him, ano 10
tho eIoouence OF the great orator. ana tue
name Of John Hook has been covered Wild
ridicuie to this day. :u.:,,.ta
<eSome years ago, u iermeu very in.'in"o oc
relations with the late BoWker Preston, OF
FRANKLIN county, Va, who married oausn'
Ter or John Hook. AZ one OF my many III.
ssrestino interviews with him, the law stit
hacame :, topic of conversation. l asked Mr.
preston If il was true that Mr.. Steptoe (Jem.
mr. ctentoe) laid down Oh the grass ana
1.rss,ed immoderately as stated by Mr. writ!
IIs isnebjnelv replied: NO; Mr.. S.eptoe
+o,d me lPrestop) that be did not, that the
sneech was an amusing one, and that be
laughed heartily asked if it was true that
Mr. HOOK left the village that afternoon for
faar of being mobbed. He replied :: Mr..
Stentoe told me that, knowing Mr. Hook to
he man Of impe'uous temper, he (Steptoe)
TOOK him home with him to spend
she night for fear something ofen.
siye might be said to him, ana
that he would be Involved IN dlfhcui-
ty.' The impression is further left on my
mind that Mr.. Hook was man OF courage
then ssked Mr.. Preston who gave the ac-
N Mr.
snpposed Judge Stuart. In continuance oil
the conversation, Mir. Preston said Mr..
Hook was as loyal q subject as George Ill.
ever had, but that he rendered due ODE
d,ence TO apy Government under which be
liver. and that he bad Il substitute in the
American army during the revolutionary
war, Upon nay saying then, 1t Is yet to be
determined whether Mr.. Hook was not
riohtf the old gentleman replied Yes. but
it will be after my day.
"He died just ten years before the war OF
the States. How many men would nave
Joined hands with John Hook bad they been
pifted with a prophetic eye, and had they
cast that eye along the years and rested It
narticularly on the last two decades of the
century! Mr.. Preston also said that DIR.
Hook attended the meetings OF the E>tab-
]ished Church at Fincastle at distance OF
forty miles. This conversation occurred at
1he former home of MIR. Hook, with bis
storebouse on the side and his grave on the
corner, Hale's Ford, Franklin county, near
Stanton river. BY MIR. Preston or other
trustworthy person L was told that Mr.
Hook wss treated very harshly during
the war. Upon sone alarm about the move
ments of the enemy,a large number, himself
included on one occasion, were imprisoned
at New London. 1t might be supposed that
Mr.. Preston may have given partial &C
count Of these matters, but such thought
can never be entertained By one who knew
him. He was man truthful, honest, and as
free from harsh thoughts as any man per-
hans. and witbal person Of excellent NEIL
tai gifts and great knowledge of the world,
rs some still alive can testify.
81 will state other things concerning John
Hook. derived from the father of your cor
respondent and other persons, which may be
of interest. John Hook and David Ross
were partners. The co.partnership was dis
solved, and the former gave notice of the dis
solution in Franklin county. Ross failed,
and MIR. Hook was sued by the creditors Of
the former. The suit turned on the fact that
the latter bad not given due notice of the
dissolution, the information being confined to
circumscribed locality. Hook was in Rich
TO him on that issue. On his return home he,
then sick, passed a night at the village of
Bent Creek, then Buckingham, now Apo
mattox, county. He never reached home
alive, but died at New London. and was
buried at Hle's Ford, as have been in.
formed. A former old slave of Mr. Preston's
has lately confirmed my information rs to the
place Of bis death aud burial.
"The late Dr.. Thomas =. Mitchell at one
Time a member of the Legislature from Bed.
ford and prominent physician. was a
schooi.teacher In early life. He told me that
there went to his school three boys-one,
Caohill MINIS, of Bedford. man Of great
darts, who will be recalled as the person
who, when sick, was taken into the meeting
Of the State Convention of 1880 to vote on
the mixed basis. The second WIS John
Thompson Brown, native Of Bedford, who
greatly distinguished himself Us q delegate
in the Legislature from Petersburg. On his
death the Richmond Wing contained no.
lice of him. written, presume, by John
Hanpden Peasants, ia which the writer
said that he had known Chapman Jehnson
to walk across the bail and shake hands with
dim on the conclusion of one of his splendid
speeches. The third wasJohn Hook grand
son Of John Hook, who, DR.. Mitchell. said,
was tbc dnost gifted OF the three, but who
died very young and unknown to fame.
ain conclusion, will add that whilst
will yield 10 no one in Neueration for the
eminent men in the golden age of Virginia,
suck as Judge Stuart, William Writ, and
Patrick Henry, think it likely all of the
throe were highly gifted with the imagssa-
tive in their intellectual compoStiou, and
hence their Yagarics about John Hook. Aud