The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-03-15
P A TRICK HEN RY.
A CHARMING DESCRIPTION OF
THIS OLD-TIME WORTHY

1
A CHARMING DESCRIPTION OF
THIS OLD-TIME WORTHY
Whose Relatives are Known Through
out North Carolina. A Life History
that Teaches . Noble Lesson to the
Youth Of our Land.
| Special Correspondence Of the Sentinel.
Some time sinceIreceived polite re-
quest from the editor of the SENTINEL
to write tor his paper "reminiscences of
such of the prominent men of former
days in North Carolina as his readers
might care to have recalled and reviv-
ed.
was pleased with the request be-
cause | felt at once that it would be a
pleasure to do anything for the Editor
whom have seen grow up in Chapel
Hill from babyhood into promising
young manhood, observed by all his
elders with mods of appreciation and
also because it was plainly apparent
that he had been sitting at the feet of
one of North Carolina's old historians,
who declares that he had always found
| an old lady's report of former men and
manners more reliable and better
worth attending to than an old gentle
mans.
As to the old ladies, I will myself
say nothing, but 1 remember suffering
a serious discontinue some years ago,
On interviewing venerable old gen.
tlemen then living Gas he had always
lived) in a dark corner of Orange
county, who was popularity described
as being "nigh upon q hundred" He
was quite talkative, and on my ventur-
ing to suggest that he must have
known some of the men who had
fought in our Revolutionary War; he
replied with much alacrity that he
"kncw all about them times, and had
heerd the Bunker Hill guns plain, at
his house, plain"
also remember to have read OF
smother old gentleman, enthusiastic
on the subject of his "reminiscences,
who before dinner could remember
George Washington, and after dinner
remembered Christopher Columbus.
| Now shall not emulate the exam
| pie of either of these veterans, but
shall state frankly at once that I dc
not pretend to have had any personal
acquaintance with the distinguished
man who heads this communication
4 He is rot even a North Carolinian
and yet his name and fame so belong
TO the whole country that I am per
suaded that it will be of value and in
terest to the SENTINEL's readers tt
refresh the knowledge of the man.
That knowledge is, venture to say
slight. Patrick Henry, who was he
and what did he doi To these ques
tions most people at the present day
would reply that he was a Virginian
"a great orator-"give me liberty O.
give me death" was his-you know
A rough, uneducated backwoodsmar
"a lazy, lounging sort of fellow, wor'
buckskin leggins, and homespun-
kept tavern, played the fiddle-no
much count, but on occasion, bein,
rou ,ed, could blaze out with such fire
such genius as carried all before him
Never did much else beyond these tw,
or three great speeches.
Prof. Tyler, Of Cornell Universit,
has furnished to the american States
men series very bright and fresh bi
, ography of Henry that throws new
light upon his character and achieve
meDts and presents him for the frs
time as he really was.
/ For fifty years "Wirt's Life o
Henry" has been our only authority
1t was Wirt's best work and gave hin
great reputation, being elegantly writ
ten and gotten up with care. Beside
it was the only "Life," and Writ haC
had every advantage in writing it.
| But it was leavened all through
with Jefferson's prejudices and the re
suit has been that the popular opinion
of Patrick Henry has settled into on
much like the charcoal sketch above
an opinion par tizan and unjust in tn
highest degree as it now appears from
late researches.
| Prof. Tyler's little book opens will
q sprightly reminisence Of Col. Byrd
of Westover, that merry old Virgini,
gentleman in 1882 bowling low over tn
hand of blooming widow, Mistres
Sarah Syme, at her plantation in th
county Of Hanover.
"This widow" says the Colonel, 81
| of a lively and cheerful conversation
(which becomes her very we'll an,
sets off her other agreeable qualities t.
Advantage"
| This sprightly lady not long afte
this visit gave her hand in marriage t.
| q young Scotchman of good ramily
John Henry, and became in 1876 tn
mother Of Patrick Henry.
John Henry was q man Of fine in
tellect and had been literally educat
ed in Scotland and among the coun
try gentlemen Of his day was held il
high esteem for his superior intelli
gsnce and high character. Amoni
his near kinsmen were q number o
persons distinguished in public life
A cousin of his was the mother O
Lord Brougham, who acknowledge
| the relationship to the great American
orator, and declared in his own auto
biography that from his mothers sid
of his house he derived all his bes
| qualities.
| But, says Prof Tyler, those VIII
knew the mother OF Patrick Henry
and her family, the Winstons, believ
that from her he derived his disposi
tion and his genius.
"The Winstons are q family o
Welsh stocl-marked by vivacity q
spirit, conversational talent, a lyri
and dramatic turn, . gift for musi,