Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-09-03

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sons and four daughters. The names o
these children, or what became of them
we cannot, at this great distance, Civ,
any account of, except two SONS, Johl
and Frederick. About year ago, tn
writer was seated at table at the Girart
House in Philadelphia, one evening
when gentleman and lady came in
and seeking seat near where we wer
sitting, we were introduced by a frient
at our elbow. The gentleman was
Gen. McGibbOn, a brother of the genia
host of the Girard, and his wife, a lady
of fine person and engaging manners
was descendant of one of the remain
ing nine children of John Imboden O
Berne, but we are unable to trace he
history farther. The citizens of Cul
peper, Orange, and adjoining counties
will recall this officer, who, Immediately
after the war, was placed over them, ant
entered upon his duties with that pref
udice, suspicion, and aversion on theil
part, we found existing everywhere a
that date, but who demeaned himself
in such manner, that when he left, il
was amid the tears of people, to whom
he and his family had endeared them
selves, and universal regret lest his
place might be filled by one who, like 8
Hunter, or Fitzpatrick, or Milroy
would cause thrill of horror at the
mere mention of their names.
John, Jr., and Frederick at the time
married, and, with growing families,
emigrated to Augusta in 1895. They
were in comfortable circumstances, and
brought wagons and teams and money
enough to purchase good farms. John,
the eldest of the two brothers, and father
of the late George Imboden, bought be-
tween 300 and 400 acres of land, of fine
quality, on Christians creek, and the
same on which John. Churchman now
lives. His house, John Imboden, J
which was built of logs. stood on the
same hill, where the Robert Moffett
house still stands. but about 900 yards
northeast of the latter, and where the
hill terminates abruptly, and is washed
at its base by the creek. There was a
| spring just at the creek margin. The
home had two rooms to floor, two sto-
rles high, with stone basement. The
| date of its erection is not known with
accuracy, and just back of it, and what
formed the garden, stood one of the three
original stOcE0des or Indian forts, put
atp for defense IN 1738, when the first per-
manent settlements were made on Sir
William Berkeley s manor. This stock
ade being one, that on Lewis creek, now
David McGuffin's, the second, and the
Stone church the third.
Those constituted the first defenses,
Mr.. Editor, where the hardy pioneers of
those days protected themselves from
the frequent incursions of the Indian
Traces of the ditch and mound were yet
visible few years ago on the hill where
John Imboden lived. After residing
here for ten or twelve years, at the age
of 50, he had his foot crushed by a log
rolling on it, and died of lockjaw. He
left widow with the cares and anxieties
consequent on having eleven children
to raise. We have not the data to emu
merate these children, or say anything
OF their history, except the ones here
after mentioned.
George was the fifth, and born in Leb-
anon, Pa, in 1893, was two years old,
when his father came to Augusta. It is
remembered that George, when lad of
II years of age, set off with his mother,
in what was then called two-wheeled
stick gig, to Lebanon, Pa, in 1911, to
see his grandfather, the year before the
old gentleman IS death. The roads at that
day, which was about the date when
old man Bawckett began to carry the
mail from Winchester to Staunton, and
after that memorable trade so long car
ried on in the famous Newton built
wagons, from Baltimore to Knoxville,
Tennessee, that passed over the same
road, were terribly rough. The travel
ers spent the first night at the then ia
nous hostelrie, "the Plow and Harrow"
it will be remembered, at the lower end
of Mt. Sidney, and at the junction of
the McGaheysville or Keezletown road
with the road leading then to Rock
town. They crossed the Potomac at
membered by most of you readers as long
citizen of Christians creek, and then
of the county of Braxton, to which he
removed few years before the war, and,
as soon as he could after it began, re-
turned to Augusta, and thence removed
to Nelson county, where he died a few
years ago.
The widow of Mr.. George Imboden,
now far advanced in life, and in feeble
health, is tenderly cared for in the fam
lily of her only daughter, Mrs. Kate
Gibson, near Alton, Va. OF her six
sons, Benjamin, perhaps the second, after
acting as deputy sheriff of the county a
year or two, and popular as such, was
one of the first to offer his services to
his country, in the war with Mexico. as
a member of Capt. Harper's company,
of which he was one of the non-com-
missioned officers. His remains sleep
on Mexican soil. All of his brothers
were in the Confederate service, and
three were commissioned officers, to
wit, Capt, Col, and Brigadier General,
and survived the war.
| We will now recur to what is remem-
bered of his uncle Frederick Tmboden.
He settled near Waynesboro', and at
one time lived where Mr.. Booker is now
living. He became the owner of the
Waynesboro' mill. near the beginning
Of this century. One Abram Eversole
who owned the first mill, choppine
mill, that stood directly across the race
from the present one, built this one be-
tween 1895 and 1900, and took in one
Rhodes a native of Albemarle or Mel
son. as partner. They sold to Freder-
lex lmboden soon after he settled there
he was a man OF great energy of char
acter, and besides carrying on the mill,
laid off some of his lands near the rail
road and depot into lots. This was the
third portion of the town, and the
youngest in point of age. That portion
north of the hill, and of which Mai.
Wilson's tavern, the first public house
built. it is supposed, between Staunton
and Rockfish Gap, was the center. The
chimney of brick marks its site. This
is the first part, but who laid it off is
unknown. The second was the larger
and now most densely built part, laid
OF by Samuel Estill and Jean his wife
about 1877. He (F. I.) was largely en-
gagged as dealer in cattle, and by ener.
gy and industry acquired large property
'Tis said of him, that to save his credit
and meet the payment of note of S4 ,OO(
which fell due on a particular day. ht
rode from the city of Richmond te
Waynesboro' in one day. The great
pecuniary crash, incident to the war O.
1872, carried him under. He had, be
sides mortgage of $1,000 given to The
late James Bell, executed one for per
haps $l5,0 600 to Ellis & Allen of Rich
mond. It is remembered that at tht
date of the sale of the mill, about 1916
Ihe' competition between Bell and tn.
firm of Ellis & Allen was so spirited
that no bid under $500 was made, ant
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