Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-11-29

fortune originally possessed
In my eyes, you are rich man. But
tell me, first, one thing"
'Well?'
DO you love me?'
My little love, I cannot remember
when have not loved you!'
Very well; then it's all settled. We
are engaged
Mr.. Seaford never would have dared
to ask Diana Fulton for the treasure ol
her love; but now, that he knew it was
his, 1t represented to him an earthly
paradise. And Aunt Balestierre said
she couldn't understand it ct al.
But If SeafOrd and Diana are pleased,
I am!'
So the adopted daughter became the
dear and cherished wife!
For the SPECTATOR.
Inieresting r. minisc+mres-The Late
Col ThOs AitliugtOn.
l. Mr.. EDITOR The death Of this ven
ersbie gentleman, on the 5th day of
October last al his home Oh the banks
of the "WaDlaw " hatuOia," the beautiful
Indian name of the Cow. Pasture,
hrings up interesting "Reminiscences.
To your many readers in Bath and
Highland, us in your own county, and
other portions Of the two Virginias-
aye, and In the West-what we propose
to cay of him will be read with lnterest,
as he was
A CONNECTING LINK WITH THE PAST.
There are very few who will remem-
Der that he was q representative of the
county of Bath, (never Of Augusta, ~
you lately mentioned, in which he was
born on the 7th March, 1882 The
county of Bath was formed from Au-
gusts, Betetourt, and Greenbrier, in
1871 He represented Bath from
shout 1924 to 1880 His grandfather,
John Sitlington, came from the county
of Down, Ireland. at very early day,
and some time prior to 1749, as we
have reason to believe because that is
the date Of the organization Of Windy
Cove church. of which he doubtless
was one of the founders His father,
Robert-we do not know If the only son
of John-married Mary Feamster, and
there were born to them sous William.
John, Andrew, and Thomas, the subject
of our sketch. and an only sister Mar
garet, who died about 1920. His father
and mother died near tOgther. aged
about SO : 'Tis singular fact, amid the
many changes to which almost every
portion of Virginia has been subject,
that Col. Sitlibgton-
WAS BORN AND DIED ON THE SAME
FARM.
II, a. we.believe was at one tine the
case, that Bath was eutitled to two rep-
resentatives, Maj - Givens was one
of bis colleagues, and Gen Sam'l Black.
burn. who built the home in which
Robert Glendy lives. he called the
Wilderness" was also one. Gen. B.
died In 1885, and was the father of the
anti dueiling law.
Inasmuch de Col Sitlington was iden-
titled, through life of over 80 years,
with the Windy Cove church, NEARLY as
old as any other in this part of the Stale"
as the Rev Ham'l Brown mentioned in
his memorial sermon, preached before its
congregation on February 18th, 1875,
some extracts from 1t will be gefmane
and interesting:
Augusta church, North Mountain
(Hebron). New Providence. and Tim
Der Ridge are only four or five years
older. Immigrants began to como into
this region In 1873. Gov. GoOch and
the authorities were anxious that these
hardy Scotch Irish pioneers should
settle west of the Blue Ridge as wall
of protection
| FROM THE INDIANS.
The men who settled this region were
the descendants Of those who suffered
under Claverhouse,
THE BLOOD HOUND OF PERSECUTION,
In Scotland
| The Rev Alexander Craiehead, from
the north of Ireland, OrHaniz,d this
church IL 1749 He firs' came til Penn
sylvauia. aBd as ordained bv The old
Pfe~by terry of Donegal in 1876 The
country was then an unhrOken wilder
ness, traversed ny roaming savages.
| The first house of worship Nas mile
down he river from the present house.
On he snuth side OF Aili which l,iey
named
BETSY BELL.
The building is small one of unhewn
| timber, Fireplace in one end. and
seated with puncheons After Brad
dock 3 defeat, on the 9sh of July, 1855,
the entire Virginia frontier WAS thrown
open to savage invasion. Some were
xii ed aud others taken prisoners in this
vicinity A man was shot near the
Blowing cave, and his body fell into the
river. This was supposed to have been
done by the party returning from the
massacre of Kerr's creek. Another
party surprised small fort at Green
| Valley, killing some and capturing
others. The present turnpike passes over
the graves of the dead This was one
of the causes of Mr.. Craighead's removal
to the South. The Episcopal was then
the established church, and no dissenter
could sOlemnize marriage. All parties
desiring marriage
| HAD TO RIDE TO sTAUNTON
to be married by the Episcopal minis
ter. This continued to 1885, when the
bill of religious freedom was passed.
Mr.. Craighead, and many of the emf
grants from. here, sought homes 10 west
North Carolina He labOred for years
betwee the Yadkin and Catawba. and
two trees, one at the head and another
at the foot. mark his grave The little
congregation was supplied then. by u
Mr. Wilson. then Mr. Samuel Shannon,
/ Who died 10 Indiana in 1922 The con-
grega'inn built the second chiu. ch in
1865 100 yards northwest of the grave
gard at the east end Of
CAVE HILL.
For years the congregation that wor>
shipped in these two churches did 80
with arms IN their hands, and placed
sentineIs during service. In 1889 the
Rev John Montgomery became pastor,
and served the congregation 16 years,
and sleeps in Rocky Spring church yard.
In 1904 the Rev. VIM McPheeters was
stated supply for six months. He re-
moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, and
was the father of the late
REV. SAMUEL B. MCPHEETERs, OF ST.
LOUIS,
who was so sbamefully persecuted by
the military authorities of the North in
the late war. The Rev. Joseph Reid
was the next pastor. He was succeeded
by the Rev. John d. Ewing, then Rev.
Thomas Caldwell, Rev. James Kerr
then the Rev. Dion c. Phalr, which
brings the history down to 1882" The
Rev. Samuel Brown was the next pas
tor, and the present brick church was
erected III 1885, in the 9th year of hit
service of thirty years.
Col S'tliDgtOn was, as I have said, y
connecting link with the ,-ast. His
memory wal stored with much of the
unwritten history Of all this region