Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-12-09
A "Reminiscences.
[For the SPECTAToR.1

Mr.. EDIToR:-In 1s29 the late John Nc
Cue visited Kentucky, as Administrator of
James Moffetts estate. He returned uio
Hillsboro', Ohio, and visited his brother-in-
law, Andrew Barry His son Thomas, now
80 years old, accompanied him to Virginia.
In letter of the 9th ult. he gives US this
bit of history
'We took Circleville on our way. The
mound in the centre of the town is the
highest | ever saw. The streets circle
around it. Just East of and near town was
a large fort, the walls six feet high, and in
a good state of preservation. We walked
around on it. 1t was of earth, beautifully
sodded. John Porterfleld, then where Fish
ersville is now, had exchanged with one
Cline, just before owning those lands, a
beautiful body Of land near Cirolevilie, we
passed. That land is now owned by Mrs.
Bessie Brown, my niece. Through Pick
away county my uncle John was carried
away with tho magnificent corn-felds,
reaching the horizon. We spent q night in
Chillicothe with that prince of landlords,
Col. John Madeira; next day at Ridgeway's,
old Calaghan's, in Virginia. When Mrs.
R. found we were going to Augusta, and
Noisy Creek, she sprang up, her eyes glis-
tening and said: 4 lived there. My father,
Womeldorf, was for years foreman in Jas.
Miller's paper-mill.' Ferrying the Ohio at
Gallipolis, near which we spent the night,
rode 10 or 10 miles, expecting to get break
fast, found family all sick, same at several
other houses, when at Harvey's, 25 miles
from Pt. Pleasant, we ate two meals in one.
A few miles above, was one Dryden W ilson,
whose mother was a McCue. My uncle pro-
pored to spend the night, Saturday, and
next day, if pleased. We encountered Bry-
den with hands cutting logs to raft to Gin
cinnati. He invited us with him. Spent
the night, and very readily resumed our
ride next morning to Charleston. Dryden
then occupied property belonging to Law
renee Washington, a nephew Of the Gener-
al. He once lived on the farm, built the
house, and improved the farm, and had ev-
erything in high state of cultivation, yet
from some cause moved up near Wheeling,
where he died. Here Gen. Washington,
veyed and entered large tracts of land. We
stayed at Ruffner's, in the upper end Of
town; rode 80 miles next day, half way to
Lewisburg. That night the Western stage
had as passengers the wife, son, and daugh-
ter of Gov. Clarke, Of Lewis and
Clarke memory. This reminds me of
what 1 once heard my father say
of Capt. Lewis, who, in 1904, when on
his way to join Gov. Clarke in their expe-
dition to the Rocky Mountains and Pacific,
stopped in Staunton at the "Old Wayne"
Mrs. Chambers, proprietress. My father,
at the time a widower, boarded there. AT
ter supper Capt. Lewis walked over to his
store, price corner, built by my father,
think, before 1900, and chatted about the
proposed expedition. As near relative of
Mr. Jefferson, he had received this appoint
ment at his hands, and said that on his re-
turn Mr.. Jefferson had promised, if he re-
turned, to confer certain favors upon him.
My father, forgetting the relationship, said:
Mr.. Jefferson does not always live up to
his promises Capt. Lewis made no reply.
After their return, and the acquisition OF
Louisiana, Mr.. Jefferson made Capt. Lewis
Governor of the Territory, with headquar-
ters at New Orleans. Capt. Lewis asked
of Mr.. Jefferson certain favOrs and was re-
fused; became indignant, resigned, started
to Virginia, and at a point in Middle Ten
nesses committed suicide.''
Mr.. Editor, at this point, but for fear of
making this too long, | could interest you
in describing tho circumstances of the su-
icide, the monument, with its inscriptions,
&C., erected on the site, some miles West
of Nashville, as got them from a gentle
man, three years ago, in Memphis. who
lived near. Our travellers spent night 10
miles West of Lewisburg, rode there to
breakfast, that night at Shumate's, next at
Cloverdale, the next home.
OCCASIONAL.