New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-01
A VIRGINIA SUMMER.
SOME MEMORIES OF A COUNTRY TURNPIKE

there may be traced the remains OF ancient way OK
cavated hastily. perhaps, yet with Infinite LABOR II
might not be noticed by the Indifferent traveller drlV
ing from Boyce to Winchester, but when once polhteu
out the Of this old road is easily followed d.
though Il was cut 1874 years ago.
The work was done thoroughly, for 1t was uono
under the direction OF certain Colonel George
ngton Braddocks volunteer aide. This Is bfauuoOh
road, made for the passage of the nEiaeu ren'l
troops and artillery in tho disastrous eNpeu'' y,
1855 For two or three miles the way may De ud'ou
beside and above little stream, cut In the lo"oi
slopes Of the hills and from the labor expended upon
this little portion Of the journey it IS easy to imago
the ollsome character Of that long march floh -i'N
! andrla TO the butchery near Pittsburg buI u wa
here that the sappers and miners WORKED ieilns ~
cutting into the hillside evelling the ground anu nan
| ing entertainments while behind them came the haush'
Braddock and his relocated sodiery with their ui,
and banners marching into the forest against iuiA
! ing savage foe with all the pomp and ceremony O
! European tactics II would be yenturesome 10 u"o'
upon historical "reminiscences, but the fact 'ha' mo
old road exists to-day will DO new THINK u namS
| OF The Trbune's readers. 1t is easier 10 u'""l'
Braddock's road than to realize that the niue 'io"
! lar spac; between stone walls further uo"H 'o
pies WAS srewn with the bodies OF Union dead less
than thirty years ago.
In fact this quiet country pike with its s"arns
Of yellow butterflies and hedgevays haunted by ppine
quail prov es. # unrolls Itself TO be closely VIII
scroll o history.
famous Fairfax grant, and there are farmers VINO sun
| have old deeds given by Lord Fairfax leasing IAN"
practically in perpeulty for annual rental OF one
peppercon but reserving the right TO hunt deer uear
and wild turkeys. The original Fairfax grant Msuc pS
Charles ii included all lands between the heahWaerS
| Of the Rappahannock and Potomac and down 10 ,hos"
! ,eake Bay 1t was indeed royal grant including as
! II did over twenty counties. But the O1giha III
tenton afterwari modified. 10 give only the ialu
east of the Blue Ridge and there presently began mo
onccfamous Hiie suit dragging from 1876 10 l'oo
and afterw ard reappcarng, and this was followed OS
! other suits which made the Fairfax li1gshoh po'
! verbal IN the country. Fairfax traditions are cho'
ished on this soil. 1t was at Winchester thai nc s'
| opened his land office and endowed church ana Dc
! meath the present church Is his grave. ooVch'c'"
miles from Winchester his residence GeehVaS
Court where the sturdy Old royalst, lying SICK unto
DEATH asked that his face be turned to the wall "Nch
! the news Of Corvallis surrender came, ana tic
! spoke never again.
II was along our country "piko" or rather the ioau
| which preceded IL that Morgans Hessan prisoners
wheeled their barrows Of stone indeed tradition has II
that they made the Dad at least ia part. THY were
placed I'm General M0rpans charge by the ConihehaI
! Congress and that praciicalminded patriot had no
idea Of allowing these captive merccnallcS 10 ca ~
! bread OF dlenesS. There was quarry Oh eAcoHo"'
stone few miles from MlllwOOd, and the worthy zen
| eraI coveted substantial house. 20 tlc hc'>Idhs
!
| Stone and lab0iOusly wheeling them to MOIgahs sie
an rude barrows sometimes indeed. If tradition Is to
! he trusted carrying blocks upon their heads.
| 4 little beyond the station at Boyce STANDS
the great gray house which these enforced stone
| cutters built for Morgan, a massive structure ifh
a. wien first built three stories in height with eX-
ouiste dormer windows pcering above the adjacent
cornfelds Further on, at wildwood, Is an old hour
mill the first story built of rough stones broken
and buiIt I'D in Cycopcar walls by these same pcrspr-
ing Icssans Perhaps they liked the task better
than encounters with Continental rhemen' ana pcr-
hans they found It ultimately more profitable than
their sale 10 King George. At all events many OF thcm
seem 10 have taken kindly 20 the new country that
! when peace came they preferred the chances OF the
free New World to a continued existence as articles
Of merchandise in the Old so they settled here and
there and took up land and occasionally the traveller
encounters names as suggestive certain names to be
met with in Halifax belonging 20 the descendants OI
| Tory families who lived IN and about 0rk'
Down by a little creek which crosses the pike
! lives Aunt Nancy smoking her pipe and tending
| 10 the tolls7 as she has done for no man may say
| how many years Doubtless she was less gaun'
and wrnklcd and her poor hands less painfully knoed
with rheumatism I'm the days when her functions were
! arbitrarily suspended and she could only vaguely
reckon up the money lost for the soldiers took no heed
| Of .olgates There was a time when Union rcgi-
| ment trampcd past Aunt Nancys door twice daily
| on the way to a ford across the Shenandoah, where
/ Mosly was likely 10 An account Of war from
| the point OF view OF a togatc keeper would be a
fresh contribution to literature But Aunt Nancy
IS more Interested I'm her rheumatism than in the war
/ Doubtless one Of the important events Of the war
I'm The estimation Of a worthy ssddler up the pike
/ wa, hi, discovery Of box OF fine addcI's tool, in
his LITTLE shop just after the retreat OF Union rcgi
mcnt lie had left the door unlocked on his hasty
! departure Nothing taken and the tools awaited
I .rsl..r, f.I no.
erous brother eadder he never knew. and nothing
! 4, known to this day. The tools used, and some
! are ia use sin.
Much Of the glory Of the pike belongs TO the pas
The DAYS Of gorgeous coaches drawn by four horses.
with footmcn and ouiriders, have long since gone,
/ and they arp recalled only By few old family man
/ sions and few coats of arms in the older
gravcy ards. one Of these delightful old Virginia
homes. a bcwildcring house only story I'm height
but rambling over an infinite deal of land, stands
unoccupicd to-day, the spacious. hosp:abc hall ana
generous rooms tenanted only by memories OF
the guests whose coaches blooded saddle horses
once turned from the heavy country road 10 cnt'r
the driveway beside hedge starred with the glowing
blossoms of the trumpet flower. a little further OH
another side road stands severely plain gray stone
building among the trees the first Episcopal church
erected IN this vicinity, which will have It's centen-
Mai birthday next year. At end outside star
way leads TO the gallery for the servants. whose
masters and misircsses made long pigrmages t. the
church IN the olden time. once year men orlal
service is held In the old church, and for the rest OF
tie time it is as silent a The shaded graNeS ara
Nearby Is spot beside spring. where, as ira
ditlOp has il, Washington now and then lei III,
/ Instruments when surveying this pOrton Oh lOIu
FariaN's estate. Further on H. splendid natural
park, sixty OF noble oak trees which sufIOuhu
Virginia mansion, one Of the old houses wnelo tn9
Kitchen, usual. in separate building am
relays Of little darkeys with smoking dishes ran az
top speed from kitchen 20 dningrO0m door or
window The old aunty" with the bandanna tirDan
who formerly ruled the kitchen has nearly dlsaP-
peared. Once, after the war, a gentleman OF
this neghborhood met old colored woman whom
he had formerly owned. and drawing rein, he sara
chcerly, Well, aunty, how arc your
=" amt your aunty Use your eka was inc
indignant reply. IL,
But this is DEPRESSION from country turnpike
which tells its own story OF change III the h0isos