Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-14

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. SPOTS MADE FAMOUS BY
CONTESTS DURING THE CIVIL WAR
LINCOLN, LoUDoUN COUNTY, Va, October. 1890.
The beauties and excellence Of this historical
Loudoun valley have impressed me so much
that before leaving for home must send you q
Few words relative to it in the belief that they
will be acceptable to many of your readers.
The famous Loudoun valley (of virginia)
reaches from the Potomac river at Harper's
Ferry and Point Of Rocks southwest to the line
of Fsuquier county, and is divided from the
Shenandoah valley by the magnificent Blue
Ridge mountains, which stand as a great wall
on the west, with the picturesque Catoctin
mountains bordering it on the cast Between
these, beginning at point some two miles
from the village Of Purcellville and reaching
north for a distance of somo IA miles to the
iotomac river. Is another mountain range
known as the Short Hills, in which is the Hills
borough Gap, made famous during the war for
the Union by the confederate cavalry forces Of
Mosby and White and the Union cavalry of
Capt Means, all composed of men raised in
this county.
BATTLE IN CHURCH.
At Waterford, quaint old village some six
miles from the Potomac and near to these
Short Hills" 1 saw the old church in which a
battle was actually fought BIZ these forces. 1t
happened In this way: Means Union cavalry
had occupied it during one cold winter night.
Before daylight they were attacked by the
rebels. and for some time the conflict was
Waged by the thus dismounted and unprepared
mon cavalry against the mounted and fully
equipped enemy, with fatal results to both,
Connected with this incident there is
SAD STORY.
Early in the war a soldier of the eighth vir-
ginia infantry, confederate army, had left his
command on brief furlough and came to his
home near this place. While there a raid was
made by Means cavalry, from being captured
by which he endeavored to escape. but was
oyertaken and wounded IN the leg. While on
his knees, helpless and begging that his life
might be spared, soldier of the raiding party
stabbed him to death with mis- saber. 1t was
the act OF brutal coward and was so looked
upon by his comrades who had always doubted
his honor and manhood. This renegade wretch
Che had deserted from the rebel army after
ward Joined the command of the man he had
Killed and was himself ere long hung as a spy.
The murdered mans family lived lust
over the mountain known az mount
Gllead," near the center of this county.
Ihey were notified by friends, and
at the foot OF the mountain his wife and four
children met the dead body of their guardian,
placed 1t upon common sled, and so followed
1t to the little church graveyard near his home
with only these five for a funeral cortege. No
pOmp was there, no roll of muff1ed drum; and
yet how royal was his funeral pageant CON-
pared with the thousands who had only the
bare earth for grave and the dews of night
for the tears OF those who were then ignorant of
their loss or too far away to lovingly place at
rest their honored dead.
A CASTLE IN THE MOUNTAINS.
Some two miles from Waterford, in basin
formed by the great hills Of the Catoctin
range and reached by a road seldom used, there
Is being erected by Philadelphia lady and
by the most skilled wOrkmen from that city a
palatial marble mansion of beautiful and mas
slve proportions and complete in every detail
OF modern architecture and interior appoint
ment at a cost of some S150,000. 1t is nearly
completed, and as viewed il from an adjacent
promlntory it resembled a magnificent castle
OF the olden time, with its many red-tiled ga
bles and turrets and dormers and its fortress
tower rising from among the great forest trees
which were everywhere about it. Its build
ers father was former wealthy slave owner
but with the reputation of being viciously
cruel to those he held in bondage. The war
liberated his slaves; he lost his wealth in va
riOus ways; his daughter married rich Phila-
delphian, and now she returns to her native
heath to build this splendid mansion upon the
lands her father owned and retained being
plantation of about 1000 acres. Mr. Cassidy
Is still living and will share this home with his
fortunate daughter.
Just below Waterford saw the large stone
Quaker meeting house which took the place OF
one destroyed by fire, and in half of which
troops were quartered while services were be-
ing held in the other half 1t is u very large
one-story building, and the only one in that
parton the country devoted to Quaker worship.
LINCOLN.
This remarkable village took its name from
our beloved martyr President, and was FORM
erly known as Goose Creek" 1t is 40 miles
from Washington, about IS from Harper's
ferry and less than an hours ride from the
nearest railroad station, which is at Hamilton
ON the Washington and Ohio branch of the
Richmond and Danville railroad system 1t
lies i'll the center of this lovely Loudoun valley
contains some twenty residences and is the
pivotal point OF wealthy, progressive, edu-
Gated and refined agricultural community. It
contains handsome two-story brick building
for the white school children, stone building
for the colored youth; has a Friends private
school; orthodox and Hicksite Quaker meeting
houses built OF brick, and a Methodist and
a Baptist Church, each built of stone. There is
also small library Of good books for public use,
Main tanned at cost OF only fifty cents year to
subscribers. In the center of the village is a
large grove of fine old trees, and here tame
squirrels play with perfect freedom, no one
being allowed to harm them. A village of this
size, having such splendid and unusual educa-
tional and church facilities, is a remarkable
thing even in thickly populated sections of the
me when say that the agricultural commu-
nifty. which cheerfully supports and encourages
them, must be pretty good one.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
This part Of Loudoun county was settled by
Quakers from Pennsylvania about the year
1745, the first being Jacob Janney, grandson
of Thomas Janney, who with others had mi
grated from Cheshire, England. in the year
1858, going to Bucks county, Pa, after having
churches for their advanced religious convic-
tions. Here they were visited by William
Penn. George Fox and many others who were
Here lived the eminent scholar and historian
Samuel Janney, whose Life OF Penn" His
tory of the Friends and Memoirs are well
known to all readers. His widow and numer-
Qua posterity bearing his name are still living
here and in the vicinity. Here also lived the
inventor OF the "Janney car coupler" which
device gave him q fortune and proved a boon
to all railroad men.
The farms average in size 200 acres, are very
fertile. well worked, well watered from abund-
ant springs and numerous mountain streams
and present pleasing and clearly appearance
Fine orchards are everywhere, but the Yield Of
fruit this year Is failure, although we have
plenty OF apples for daily consumption
The farm houses are models of neatness and
comfort, built mostly OF stone or brick usually
surrounded by fine groves of shade trees and
having beautiful lawns stretching from their
great porches to the roadways, with pretty
flowers to heighten the effect of the rich green
in field and meadow. Many Of the county roads
and lanes are lined with trees and shrubbery,