The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1892-06-21
Judge Peters "reminiscences.
Continued from last week. }

iSOoOiO JVut VI Nt"y y
we arrived at my fathers place on the
9th day of December, 1909, all in good
health and without an accident or an
event occurring on the way worthy of
note. We found on the place a
hewed log dwelling consisting of two
rooms below and two above stairs,
and passage between the rooms
were, think, 1Sx15 feet, plank floors,
not dressed, glass in the windows
four lights in a window, Sx10-stone
chimneys, covering of boards, held on
by what were called weight poles
laid across the boards, and held apart
by means of pieces of timber sawed
at about two feet long and of suffi-
ciently strong timber to keep thepoles
separated and the roof reasonably Sc
cure. The kitchen was small
cabin, built adjoining the dwelling, of
round logs, covered with boards,
wooden chimney with large rocks set
up for jambs, with dirt floor, l think,
and a small negro cabin.
My grandmother took her slaves to
one of my uncles, who was much bet
ter prepared to make her comfortable
and keep her slaves. There were ten
or twelve acres of nay fathers land
cultivated in corn, and the ground be-
ing fresh and very rich, he procured
supply of corn from the tenant who
cultivated the cropNand some vegeta-
bles. So soon as the slaves were made
as comfortable as the means would
allow, the clearing of more land for
cultivation was begun in earnest. The
forests were very thick and the trees
large, and the sound of the woodman's
ak everywhere was heard from early
morn till dark. But now the lands in
that part of the State are denuded of
timber, and forest tree enc foot in
diameter can rarely be found.
1t might not be uninteresting to
know how my father became entitled
to the Woodford county land. His
mother was daughter of Capt. John
Ashby (familiarly known as Capt.
Jack Ashby), his parents emigrated to
the colony of Virginia at an early pc
riod from England. He was born in
Virginia, new and sparsely settled
country, and early in life became dis
tinguished as hunter and Indian
fighter. When a young man he set
tied in fort on the headwaters of the
Shenandoah river. About the year
1850, dispute arose between Eng
land and France as to that portion of
the country afterwards known as the
northwestern territory Of the United
States extending from the great lakes
to the Louisiana territory. England
claimed it as included in the charter
of Virginia, and also by treaty with
the Iroquois Indians. France claimed
it on the ground that Padre Mar
guette, a Frenchman, had, in 1873,
sailed down the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers, and had taken possession of
the whole of this territory in
the name of and for his coun-
try. France had planted lead plate
on the banks of the Ohio river with
an assertion of the right to the whole
of it, and proceeded to occupy the
the country with troops and settlers,
and to erect chain of forts from the
lakes southwest so as TO unite Cana
dian France with Louisiana, then a
territory of France also, and thus to
confine England's possessions within
very narrow limits. These proceed
ings on the part of France caused
great excitement in England and Vir-
ginia. AT once England began to
prepare for war, and sent over arms
and supplies to that end and Robert
Dinwiddie, then Governor of Virginia,
was directed formally to notify the
French authorities of her claims, and
if not yielded to, to fight for them. In
obedience to orders, the Governor OF
Virginia drew up a strong protest
against the French occupation of the
territory, and selected George Wash
ington as his envoy to deliver his
protest to the French commander. He
was then just twenty-one years of age,
and beyond the limits of his military
district, and this was his first appear
ance in public affairs. He had been
selected by Lord Fairfax, an English
nobleman, who had passed his younger
days in the most fashionable society
of London, mingling with Dukes and
| Duchesses. but disappointment in love