Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-31
GOLD IN VIRGINIA.
,ur MAP PREPARED ny CAPTAIN
JACKSON, or FREDERICKSBURG.
SOME PERSONAL "REMINISCENCES.
ols Times i'm the Pleasant Town on
,he BappnhnnnocI<-Th Green
wood Iine-surfacc wnsbing-Pan
XaShing-Etc.


ties OF Virginia, which. he said, was pre-
pared some years ago by Captain VIII
lam A. Jackson. of Fredericksburg. and
referred 10 ne by name. ~ probably
knOwlng something about the said map.
have told YOU that I have no know
ledge OF the map, but had recollections
% The Jacksons and their gold-minlng
aperations, and you asked me to write
them. When ] stated 20 sou that they
mieht smack 100 much of the ego, you
said that would do nc harm. l hope
that your readers will be as tole-
can't as / believe you viii be-
There were three William Jacksons
wing in fredericksburg at the same
line. The senior was an Englishmsn.
an expert storemason and faithful
sohder He made a valuable citiy n and
HAS highly respected by the whole com
munity during all his Ions life. lie mar
r.cd and had children. who married and
wed apart from him.
For many years he lived a widOwer, in
bis own house In the lower end Of the
.own. near its shipping point, and was q
good deal alone, except when his nom
gcsident kindred visited him. In his lat
Ter years his sons family were attcn-
i've to him, and a young man from his
sons store and myself used TO walk
over a mile 10 sleep in his house with
lin. He was a man Of strong, clear
mind and OF sincere piety, a Baptist, !
think. He pvospered and amassed more
than q competence
His son, William. Jr.. was for many
Level. about half way between Fred
ericksburg and spotsylvania Courthouse.
whore he had a family OF two sons and
four daughters. He had married ore Of
the daughters Of an old Revolutionary sol
Nier-Thomas Minor-who had come
homo from the surrender Of CORVALLIS
20 Yorktown as n captain and aide-de-
camp 10 General Stevens. He after
wards became colonel Of Virginia
militia, ana as Justice Of the Peace, was
twice high Sheriff of Spotsylvania coun-
~ He lived nearly eighty-three years
on the plantation--'Io Grove"--on
which ne was born. which was about
four miles from the place whore Stone
wall Jackson crossed over the river to
rest under the shade OF the trees" He
was never out OF this State after the
end Of the war Of the Revolution. but
once. and that was when he rode horse
back all the way 20 Washington city
70 sreet General Jackson and congratu-
.ate him upon his election at last TO the
presidency. lie asked nothing Of him for
himself or his friends. The two old sol
diers had a cordial time together. The
liberal compensation which he received
for his Revolutionary services enabled
him 10 leave his patrimonal estate to his
children. and 10 keep up that al
most too open-handed hospitality for
which he was widely noted. But
he was gouged by pension agents,
especially. one in Richmond.
He was the son OF another Thomas
Minor. who was also a Virginia cap
tain, but before the Revolution. His
son-in-law. William Jackson, Jr., re-
moved with his whole family 10 the city
OF New York. somewhere in the
eighteen hundred and twenties. and
there engaged In the mercantile bust
ness, In which his son. William A, was
his manager and assistant. IL not part
ner. The a. was probably placed in
his name as the first letter of the al
phabct. i'm order TO distinguish him from
his father and grandfather.
About 1893 the New York merchant
transferred his business 10 the dear and
finished old burg. and lie and his son
there conducted for years one OF the
leading dry-goods houses. William A.
had married his cousin In New York
and lived with his father In Fredericks-
burg. the grandfather being still alive.
1 spent three happy years with these
gerry dear kindred, whilst / was pre-
pairing for college in the classical
Academy OF "Old Tommy" Hanson and
the mathematical one of "Old Johnny"
GOODRICH and IL was during these three
years that my 'uncles. cousins, and
stunts" end many others were seized
With the gold-feyer, and yet II never
touched me or my father He had re-
turned from Essex to Spotsylvania, and
was practicing medicine and carrying
on improved farming right at the court
house. and where Lee and Grant locked
borns' so terribly. His Wing friends
cOaXed him for two sessions to the
Legislature I'm Richmond; but, obeying
his own preferences and the protests OF
HIS patients. he retired from that service.
lie lived nearly eighty-one years. He
was also justice Of the peace, and as
such. high Sheriff once.
THE GOLD.
VINO discovered the gold at Green
wood. or how William Jackson, Jr., got
wind OF that discovery. / 90 not remem-
Der; but he bought the whole tract. Two
very gentlemanly young Thorntons had !
fallen heirs TO Il. l saw them at his |
house at the time Of the purchase. l be-
lieye they took no stock in the gold.
Mr. Jackson obtained the Greenwood l
homestead and some surrounding acres |
Tor his own summer retreat, and inn
proved and embellished until II became |
a beautiful place. There was nothing |
surgy I'm him. and his family were glad |
70 receive and entertain their friends |
nr.H m, no to he
there, and favorite guest. became the |
mother OF Judge J. l.. Lewis, Of Rich /
mond Mr. Jackson sent his youngest |
daughter (who is still living back to |
New York 10 complete her education, /
ana she brought one OF her teachers TO
Spend her whole vacation at delectable
brentwood. and how delighted l was |
10 Join the coterie at that refined and |
eifeeabie place. The father wot not
e' The time what a good. practical in
Ntstment he was making in the educa-
'ioA Of that daughter. But the Whole
Were friends OF liberal education.
TO get from my fathers TO Greenwood /
she route was from the courthouse 10
famous Charlottesville then westward
nile or TWO along that now celebrated
~ Npike' and then of 70 the right for
.ooul I've miles. right through that now
historic wilderness. As l took my 10
uuho way through these scenes, how
htle ala / dream OF the fearful and
lniliing associations which have since
clustered around thcml George. San
Ioiu. ana Melz Chancellor were friends
Vi pr. Jackson. and / became acQuaint-
60 with them through him.
Inc goio- mining was carried on not
very Tar from the Greenwood home.
Noehers, that were kept in constant