National Republican., 1883-05-31
A STURDY OLD v1Re1NrAN.

The Founder OF One OF tho Oldest aud
wen1thiest Families In the stato-Too
Old 60 Begin n Fight, But Not Too Old
TO Fight it Out When Onco Begun.
Virginia has always been noted for her great
men, especially those who are dead, but she
has produced some very remarkable men in
her time, whose histories have neve been
written, and yet If written they would be
full of interest. One of these was Co.
George Hairston, of Henry county. whose
family is several generations old, and
whose children and great great grand
children are still living iu Virginia,
Mississippi, and Arkansas and, perhaps, other
portions of the world. don't know whether
his father came over in the Mayflower or
sometime thereafter in some other boat, nor
do know the precise country from which he
came, but he came over, anyhow, to stay,
poor and friendless, to seek his fortune in this
new and wild country. His son George was
horn in one of the lower counties of this
state. He was small in stature, but very
strong in muscle, brain, and manhood. He
was only Of age when lie ventured up into
the mountains, on the very borders of the
Indian country at that time, and soon ac-
quired fine fresh landed estate on the banks
of the Dan and Staunton rivers, that watered
that beautiful section Of the tractless forest.
At early age he became member of tho old
house of Burgesses, travelling 250 miles on
horseback to take his seat He was a captain
in the revolutionary army, and fought gal
lantly through that struggle. He commanded
his regiment as colonel at the battle of Gill
ford and won distinction for his services on
that bloody and eventful field. He was a
member of the colonial convention of 1902,
which adopted the federal constitution and
put Virginia into the union, and was fre-
quently thereafter elected a member Of the
legislature, and served with usefulness and
distinction. He was also frequently presi-
dental elector.
Col. Hairston was very peculiariand &C.
centric man, with no particular eloquence -
polish of speech, but had good horse sense, fine
command of language, aud unyielding cour-
age and vim. In glancing over some of his
old, musty papers the other day was struck
and amused at some curious and laconic letters
and expressions, both in his business and social
correspondence with his family and friends
For instance, on one occasion, while in at
tendance on the legislature in Richmond, he
heard of the death of his son Nicholas, when
he penEed the following laconic letter to his
son Warden. His servant CBsar," to whom
he alludes, was his head manager on his
largest upper plantation:
NOVEMBER, 10, 1T0s.-SoN WARDEN: / have Just
heard OF the death OF your brother Nicholas. Oh
death
you send me $50. Your lather, GEORGE II.
This was certainly conglomeration of
parental sorrow, affection, aud business as
brief as it was ludicrous, but illustrative of
tho strong, rugged nature of the old noun
taineer and hero
When tho war Of 1912 came on Col. H. was
very old, but being still full of pluck and
vigorous in mind and body he raised a COM
pany OF mountain cavalry, and at once en-
tered the field aud fought to the close Of the
war in 1915. His friends insisted that he was
too old for the service, and that he had al
ready done enough to remand him to
private life with the gratitude and good will
of his countrymen. But the old gentleman
thought differently, and in one of his curious
letters to friend who had thus insisted upon
his retirement, he wrote:
] was never young enough to provoke or desire a
fghtwit individual or nation, but can never grow
too old 10 fight out when once begun.
Among the many anecdotes related of the
old colonel is that when he first entered SER
vice in the revolutionary war he was not
much versed in the rules or tactics of war,
and when he appeared at Yorktown and of
fered himself for duty, with his rifle on his
shoulder he was ordered by the commanding
officer, after examination, to " file left" He
misunderstood this as offensive and a rejec-
ton, and at once replied:
"File hell didn't cone here to file, but
come to fight" - a.. T.
Col. Hairston lived to be very old, and
was the largest land and slave owner ever in
the state. At one time his landed estate
amounted to $4,000 acres of the best soil in
the state and his negroes numbered 1880 at
his death. He had twelve children-two
daughters and ten sons-and to each of them
as they married he gave an estate in land and
negroes worth about 100000, and nearly all
of them used their fortunes to good advan-
tage, and many of their immediate descend
ants enjoy them to this day. His youngest
and last son, Marshall Hairston, died some
years ago worth 100000 and leaving sons of
distinction.