The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-03-31
HISTORIC RICHMOND
WHEN TIE SISTER CITIES WERE AT
WAR.
SMALLPOX BROUGHT on THE
CONFLICT.
RICHMOND AND MANCHESTER UP iS
ARMS.
SIR james Hayes Experience on the South
siie-Famiiiar Names Of Long Ago
Brutn In Butchertown-Mr.T Thomas
Green's Menageris.

Richmond, In some respects, T. the
most historic place in the Union. From
the time Of the battle of Bloody Run in
1876. down to the evacuation Of the city
by The Confederate authorities in 1865,
we thought we knew of every military
crisis, or cause Of war-like preparation,
or demand for local defense. that had
ever disturbed the quiet of her people
during that extended period The story
of Arnolds, and Phillips, and Cornwall
lis expeditions during the Revolution
are familiar to Us all. 1t Is also known
how the insurgent negro Chief Gabriel
had once planned, and come near exc
cutting his purpose of capturing the
town. aud how her inhabitants AZ
later date were startled by the reports OF
the bloody deeds Of Nat Turner and his
iiendish followers in South Hampton
county, nj the taking OF another Jerusa-
I'm And then came the Pawnee panic,
and the late war. with its thousand
alarms iis hostile guns at her very gates
aud its last awful catastrophe. These
and many other like things, all Of Us
have known, and thought the measure
of the old towns troubles had really
been full But these have not made NJ
the entire list OF exciting incidents IN
the career of Richmond Unfortunate
Is, the troubles which afflicted her al
the time OF which we now speak in
golyed her in a quarrel, not with an enc
my, but with her sister city just across
James river. Ii became a serious mat
ter, because It arose from a serious cause
Not only were the inhabitants of the two
towns wrought mp to the highest degree,
but friend was against friend and neigh
Dor against neighbour.
At this distance of time from the oc-
currences to which we refer, the excite
ment which had been kindled on both
sides Of the unconscious river may ap-
pear TO US tempest in teapot" unless
in imagination we transfer ourselves
back 10 the date of the events In the
wear 1894 Richmond was small place
and Manchester was much smaller. But
The people, few as they may have been
were of like passions with ourselves, and
we're as watchiul OF their interest then
as we are Of ours now The intercourse
between the two villages was very close.
People living in one place transacted
business in the other, and Mayo's bridge,
which had not long been built, was TO
/ both communities As the ligament thai
bound together the dual personally OF
the Siamese twins.
By this time the reader may begin 10
| INQUIRE what the trouble could have been
between the two towns. The event 10
which we refer has been long known
only to few people now living a. the
smallpox war" In the years 1913 and
1894 this terrible scourge prevailed In
many parts of the State The appear
auce OF no other enemy to human life in
a community gave as much alarm as die
/ this. The disgusting form in which 1t
me, its cruel consequences upon the
human face divine" clothed 1t with
unspeakable terrors. This IS the
case even in our own day. But
when it is recoleoted that at the
time 10 which we now refer. Jenners
great discovery had Just begun to engage
the medical and scientific minds Of Eng
land and had not therefore been reduced
to practice, we may imagine how
much greater was the alarm than at the
present time. At that time In order to be-
come proof against the effects OF small
/ pox, people had 10 be subjected 10 the risks
/ and inconvenience Of incubation. The
patient was regularly prepared for the
operation by what IS popularity called "a
course Of medicine" The smallpox
virus was then inserted under the skin
OF the arm or any other part Of the body,
and the person sent at once 10 some
/ Isolated or remote locality, under the
care Of proper nurse, to remain until
the disease had developed and gone
through its consecutive stages. Ii the
patient survived. he was then considered
safe from the effects OF any epidemic OF
the same malady. 1t was the custom TO
establish in different parts Of the State
hospitals for the reception of patients
of this sort. The number OF persons
who resorted TO this expedient was small
In proportion 10 the population; so that
the panic produced by the spread OF the
genuine disease was almost as great as
If no one had ever had II.
It's appearance was particularly
dreaded n large slave communities be.
cause OF its fatality 10 negroes. This
fact did not tend TO diminish the excite
ment on the occasion to which We refer
From what we can learn the disease was
extremely prevalent in Richmond during
the winter OF 1874. AT that time MI.
John Barrett Was Mayor OF the city and
Henry Lee Governor of the State There
must have been some stringent public
measures adopted In order 10 prevent
the spread Of Tie disease. We find that
public officer in high standing notified
the Governor that TO "d00id ta0calatiCn'
he should leave the town, but should
communicate with the clerks, SO that his
| business should not suffer. Ia the mean
time he wishes all those already sick
happily through the disorder Of which
/ he il 50 much afraid, except
the doctors and magistrates" 1t j.
more than probable the town authorities
had issued some order requiring all resi-
dents TO be inOculated, and Mr. Pendle
ton. the Auditor Of the State preferred
retreat in the country 10 n place in
/ hospital The news of the disease being
in the capital had spread over the State.
Mr.. Hugh Capertor, OF Greenbrier
county, excused himself to the Governor
for not appearing before the Council on
| important business on this account. The
Mayor Of Petersburg, Mr. William Prem
tiss, and The town authorities had found
! IL necessary 10 quarantine the city
against TIE spread Of the disease But
to our narrative. Mr.. James Hayes was
wealthy citizen of Richmond, and
had also a vast property on the
Manchester side Of the river He
was the owner of the whole of the Falls
Plantation, just east OF that place. 1t
was his habit 10 ride horseback over 10
his farm every day and return to his home
! in Richmond at night. Sometimes he cross
ell over by Coutt-' ferry, opposite Rock
etis, to his private landing. During the
excitement consequent upon the
epidemic in Richmond the people
OF Manchester protested against allow
lug any visitors from the former
place, and of course included Mr.
Hayes and other respectable persons.
Mr. Hayes Is represented to have been
very determined man. He paid no at
tention to these protests and encouraged
others 10 do the same He continued to
visit his plantation, which required his
constant attention His slaves and his