Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1885-04-09
OVER IN WILKES.
A BR EEZY LETTER FROM
WILKESI3ORO.

- ne ISa1lfOau FeVer-Dr. YOrK
and his Little Nule--The Grave of
Gen. JAS. ID. Gordon, etc., etc.
STAFF Correspondence OF the Sentinel.
WILKEsBoRo,- n. c., April 3.-In
company with such vivarious COM
panions as Judge A. A. McKoy and
our jolly and talanted solicitor Mr.. j.
III. Debson, The SESTINEL's minister
plenepotentiary left Statesville on the
morning of the 20, ult. bound for the
Estate Of Wilkes" distance of 40
miles across the Brushy Mountains.
Wilkesboro was our objective point,
whether we were going to attend the
Spring term of the Superior Court.
During the journey the road at
times was very rocky and overlooking
such steep hills that frequently We
could almost look down the mountain
sides into chimneys and see what the
folks were cooking for dinner. With
out any special occurance to disturb
the serenity of our journey, we haul
ed up in Wilkesbsro and registered
our names in "a big round hand" in
the register of mine host, Rosseau, of
the Central Hotel, who dispenses ex-
cellent fare and genuine old fashioned
Southern hospitality, SO that we felt
cat home" in no-time
Wilkesboro is the county seat of
Wilkes county and all i'll all is fam
Gus old place, dating its first exlstance
back to more than one hundred years
ago. The firms Of Patten q Erwin
r. tn
commence the nlerchantile business
here. The business has been closely
followed up to this date, there being,
however, only six stores here at pre-
sent. Ex-Sheriff Fergeson and Mr..
Welborn being the leading ones.
The county was named in honor of
the illustrious John Wilkes, the act of
the legislature to establish the county
being ratified during the year LIT.
The first court was held during the
same year. The circuit court at that
time being held at Salisbury. The
first magistrates of the county were
Benz. Cleveland, Chas. Gordon, Benz.
Henderson, Jos. Herndon, William
Lenoi4, John Brown, William Greir,
Thos. Elley and Elijah Isaacs, who
received their commissions under
Richard Caswell, at that time Gov
ernor of North Carolina, and quite a
| number eff these gentlemen with Benz.
Cleveland in command were very con-
spicuous in the battle of Kings
Mountain, and to-day there stands in
Wilkezboro an old oak tree where this
colonial namesake of our President
always hung "tories."
Wilkesboro was the home of the
chivalrous and brave Gen. JAS. B.
Gordon, and in company with DIR.
Hackett and others, visited the
grave of this gallant hero and found a
very nice shaft erected to mark his
last resting place with the following
ins ription engraved thereon
BR1GApER GENERAL, JAS. B. GORDON,
| BORN Nov. ?, 1882, DIED MAY 18TH,
1864, OF MOUNDS RECEIVED 18TH OF
| MAY, 1864.
Beneath this stone hero martyr sleeps
| OF all the offerings laid upon the altar of
State sovereignty and constitutional
liberty.
There was none purcr or nobler than that
offered by Jas. B. Gordon"
"And thus perished with the last of freemen,
Last of all, that dauntless race,
Who had rather die unsullied,
Than out-lived the lands disgrace.
+! o, thou noble hearted souldier, reck not oi
| the after time,
Honor may be deemed dishonor, loyalty be
called . crime.
| Sleep in peace with kindred ashes of the
/ noble and the true,
| Han ls that never failed their country,
hearts that never baseness knew"
This section of the county was set
tied by yVirginians and Pennsylvainains
about the beginning and during the
Revolutionary War, but was first
| patented by Aoravians. l also met Mr.
| John Steelman, an old veteran of the
war of 1912, who is now entering up
on his 98th year and has never had
but one fever and when asked il he
had ever taken any doctors medicine,
replied, al never taken any only to
make me puke," he was also familiar
with Gen. Forsyth, for whom oul
county was named.
| Wilkesboro is the home of the ag.
gressive, brilliant fearless Cowles, and
has about 400 inhabitants, six- stores
| fcnr churches and two hotels, the Cen
trail being kept first class in every re
spect and I can heartily recommend i
to the travelling public.
| Among the citizens whom had the
pleasure of meeting and dealing with
were H. G. Sebastian, T.. s. Blair, w
B. Transeau, e. o. Masten, Sherif
McNail, A. w. Finley, /. S. Call, ex
Sheriff, j. Z. Fergeson, ex-Sheri4f Som
ers, S. j. eGinnings and Capt. Johr
Peden, and many others. The residen
lawyers as we'll as the visiting ones
| are all very clever gentlemen, name
lIy, Hon. W. III. III. Cowles, w. w
8 Barber, John Crainor, /. c. Wellborn
NJ. Wellborn, and Col. T. j. Dula
The members of the legal fraternit,
from the adjacent counties in attend
anee are, W. III. Bower, Col. N
Folk and Thas. Isbel, from Caldwell
Capt. j. w. Todd. Maj. @. f. Nea
from Ashe, E. q. Linney and Z. B
Jones. of Alexander; Maj. Vaughl
and Capt. Daughton from Allegheny
Il. L. Witherspoon from Catawba.
1 Another Railroad fever has strucl
the Wilkes people ali over Las
! Wednesday in the Court House, dun
/ ing the recess for dinner, RailToa
meeting VAS held by the citizens. K
4 A c,,aS,Io,,r xrae <.olled tf, the chail