Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1895-10-08
Letter from Virginia.

1fs. Haines
Leaving Charles Town by The 1880 train,
on the b & o. railroad, / reached Thorough
fare Station. on the Manassas Gap railroad BY
6 o'clock past meridian. tsrried in Wash
ington one hour, the interval between trains.
That was fast travelling. the one hundred
from. Washington was by the great Southern
road to Manassas, tho county seat of Prince
William, and then by the Manassas Gap ]
am N the Immediate neighborhood OF the To-
eality where the family lived from which ]
sprang, on my mothers side, whose dust lies
in the family burying ground on the farm
they owned and cultivated. The sacred spot
is in a very exposed condition, without any
defence from the ruthless tread of the beasts
of the field, and my purpose in coming TO
this section is to provide protection from
further desecratiou-
The topography of this portion of Virginia
soil, aud only moderately fertile. but by care
fnl itillagc produces well. Old HaYmarket.
burned during the y9r. by Federal torch. but
rebtiiIt Is two miles of, q i1amlet Of one hum
ssf I pd u PFiass William fHRES s6 While @ Soaa Sos1iy
rone hundred years ago The old court
house and Jail were purchased by the Epis-
copaliaus aud transformed into church.
which with subsequent improvements is now
q handsome brick edilce. The rector, Rev.
Mr. Sommcryille, l am told, is an earnest
worker, who by his preaching ability aud
assiduo1s discharge of his PASTORAL duties
mas more tnan QOuD3eQ MS ueulOefrulp our
ing the two years of his service. The Bap-
tisis. who are numerous in these parts. have
lately built q new church In the village DIR.
Hatcher, of Richmond, has been preaching
q number have been baptized. I don't want
you to think there are no Methodists around
here, they are having with their churches,
preachers, Sunday schools, singing, shout
ing, working for the Master.
2 This entire scope of country Is rendered
famous as the immediate theater of some of
the great battles fought in the late war and
over its places mighty armies marched aud
Joined in deadly combat The first great
battIe. that of Bull Run, was fought few
miles distant, and the second, of the same
name, occurred close by. The Bnll Run range
of mountains trayerses this section from south
TO north, in which the famous stream of Bull
Run takes its rise, and through one of ite
gaps, that of Thoroughfarc. Lougstreet with
his corps rushed to the support of jackson in
the esecond Bull Run, when the Gonfederates
gained signal victory.
am writing this letter from the homo of a
relative, who lives in Hopsorell Gap, another
of patures openings through this range. The
road, good mountain one before the days Of
railroad hercabOuts, was much Travelled and
was highway to convey produce. by wagon
to the Alexandria market. My kinsman lives
literally in the mountain, their towering
heights seen on every hand, and such sweet,
pure air, and natures beverage in numerous
springs about the premises, the lueid waters
most reffeehinglyS without a suspicion of the
dreaded bacteria of any kind.
The mansion is O large building constructed
of sandstone, it is said q hundred years ago,
and might have been used as a wayside inn
when this gap was great thoroughfare of
travel.
r A fine rain visited this section yesterday
afternoon, which this scribe with much nerv-
ousness enjoyed, for he wns caught by It In
an open carriage on the highway
/ take IL that. the Manassas Gap road 10
Strasbnrg, there connecting with the B. q o.,
and owned by the great Southern trunk line,
docs not get large passenger travel, but its
|ifTeightage is quite heavy noticed its long
freight trains passing to the Washington and
Alcxhndria markets heavily laden with live
stock from the valley and this fine grazing
section of upper Fauquier.
[ / am told a pretty stretch of country,
called Hopewell Valley, not very long, lice
just west of this Bull Run range, that Is very
productive and. rich in pasturage- II Is
wonderful how these mountafn hillUoks and
ways arc so thickly peopled, small stores on
every highway in close proximity, and on
any public occasion. circuses In particular
how thsy swarm forth, as we see in connec-
tion with our neighborfng Blue Ridge.
may go to Warrenton, my native town,
only fifteen miles distant, before return to
j. w. TONGUE.