Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-03-25

A writer from Red Hill, va, saws:

A writer from Red Hill, Va, SAYS: l
recently paid a visit to the home and
grave of Patrick Henry. at Red Hill. in
Charlotte County. I started from RAN
dolph, station on the line of the Rich
mond aud Danville Railroad, near the
confluence Of the Stanton and Little
Roanoke Rivers, which takes its name
from John Randolph of Roanoke, whose
residence stood in grove few miles
off, and who owned the greater part of
the land in this vicinity. Many local
traditions of this celebrated man, /
was told, were still rife in the neighbor-
hood, although few who had ever seen
him now survive. His house, which
was subsequently occupied, after beng
very much enlarged, by the late Judge
Bouldin. of the Court of Appeals of
Virginia, was recently burnt to the
ground. thus meeting with the same
fate that had overtaken Mattoax and
Bizarre, where Randolph had lived be-
fore finally settling at Roanoke.
L turned aside from the public road
to visit the spot where the body of Ran
dolph was one buried. the house was
built upon a plateau in forest that
overlooked the wide valley of the Staun-
ton. The situation is naturally fine,
but to this day very secluded. There is
plainly discernible the indentation of
the grave where Randolph's body for
merly rested unmarked by head-stone
or slab. A few years age, the bones
were exhumed and removed to the
beautiful Hollywood Cemetery in Rich
mond. Only one person was present at
the second burial who had attended the
first-Judge Hunter II. Marshall, Rich
mond bar, who, as boy, stood by when
Randolph was laid in earth at Roanoke.
By a guide was taken into the en-
closure, half garden, half graveyard,
where Henry.s body lies, surrounded by
the tombs of other members of his fam
lily. A plain slab which covers his re-
mains bears, in addition to the dates of
his birth and death, the brief inscrip-
tion "His fame, his only epitaph."
The soil is overgrOwn with periwinkle,
even the path is hidden by it, and it en-
tangles the feet as one walks, like so
many taut whip cords. Trees go around
the wall Of the enclosure, and near the
center are cedars and bushes. I plucked
late flower to take away with me rs a
mementO. together with several leaves
of the periwinkle.
Returning to the house, l sat for
some time with my host, young man
of intelligence, who told me that he
thought Of giving up his holding, as the
situation of the plantation was rather
too much cut off from the world at
large. If so now, what must it have
been in the times of Henry, hundred
years ago? At present it is about
twenty miles from station, all the
crops being transported to the railroad
by batteaux, or carted in wagons 10
Lynchburg. To reach Richmond,
Henry had TO travel by carriage for
nearly hundred miles over the rough
roads of the country. Here at Red
Hill, where he spent the latter Iart Of
his life, he died. There was only one
STAN on his character, according to
local tradition. He was said to have
been very parsimonious, but no doubt
his severe struggle with poverty in his
early years Lad gwen him an eXaggor-
ated impression of the value of money.
One of the largest and most fertile
plantations in Campbell county was ac-
quired by Henry as a fee for legal ser
vices, and is still in the possession of
his descendants.