Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1899-07-04
Am Interesting Letter.

All interesting LGGIGEs
The Clay County Star publishes a very
interesting letter written by attorney H.
B. Davenport, Jr., on the occasion of his
recent visit here, in which he writes en-
tertainingly of his journey to his old home
and the historic scenes surrounding it
After speaking of his trip via Charleston
valleyward. he says:
AT noon we crossed the summit of the
Alleghanies, and an hour later were speed
ing along the beautiful Valley of the Shen-
andoah.
'Sweet romantic vale,
How mem'ry ever holds thee dear"
AT Basic City changed cars and board
ed daycoach of the Norfolk & Western
Railroad, and for one hundred and
twenty miles passed through the fairest
domain of this earth-the land where
''the wheat locks the sunshine in its board
ed sheaf, the clover steals the sweet fra
GRANGE of the winds, and the tobacco
catches the gentle aroma of the rains"
At Charles Town, in the old county of
Jefferson, which sent the first company
south of the Potomac to the aid of the
patriots at the siege of Boston in 177s,
disembarked, and was soon received
within the hospitable halls of Altoona,
where the halcyon days of my life were
spent, and where for more than a hundred
years my ancestors have resided; which
place they purchased from Charles Wash
ington, a younger brother of the General,
many many years ago. N. B.-Since
writing the above have ascertained that
the deed is dated Oct. I2th, 1898, and
was executed by "Charles Washington
and Mildred, his wife, " to Abram Daven-
port.
On this old place, about half a mile
from the mansion house, is the heivy-mantled
ruins of old ST. Georges church of Nor
borne Parish, one of the oldest colonial
churches in the Valley of Virginia The
gray stone walls are still standing, fes-
TONED with Virginia ivy The cedar
lintels over the windows and doors seem
as sound as when they were first placed
there. On one of the stones of the wall
found an inscription blurred by over
growing moss and the attrition of the
elements, and though I could not make
out the name, yet the date, I747, was
very plain. 1t was a magnificent struc-
ture for its day and is a living monument
to the progressive spirit of those old patri-
OTIS. who knelt at its altar. and whose
bones lie mouldering beneath the old
forest trees which surround this interest
ing, but crumbling, remains of old Nor
borne Parish Church.
Here it was where many of the old
colonial fomilies of Virginia worshipped,
and in sight from the lofty hill on which
it stood are the old colonial mansions of
the first families of Virginia. Almost
within stones throw is Piedmont, the
home of the Briscoes; the great brick
house, builtin 1884, still standing. To the
west lies Hardwood, the home of Sam'l
Washington, another brother of the
General. The fine old stone mansion,
built in 1904, is still in perfect state of
preservation, and in one corner of the
large lawn lies the mortal remains of
Samuel and his five wives.
If those old gray walls could but talk
they could tell many an interesting story
of the chivalric men and lovely1adies who
in times past have shared the hospitality
of its lordly owners. Here it was where
President Madison was married, and here
where Louis Philippe, of France and his
ducal brothers, Montpensier and Beau
jelaix, spent many day when exiled from
France by Napoleon I.
To the south lies Blakeley and Clay
mont, two old Washington homesteads,
the one owned by John Augustin Wash
ington, the other by Bushrod Washington.
To the east lies Vinton, the home of the
Mannings, race of soldiers; Capt. Man
ming, the builder of the present magnifi-
cent house, was distinguished officer of
the United States Navy; his three sons,
Charles, Frank and Upshur, cast their
fortunes with the Confederacy, and ere
the first bloom of manhood had mounted
the checks of the last named he was
borne bloody corpse to his mothers
arms. The last to take up arms in de-
fense of his country was Frank, Jr., the
son of the present owner of Vinton. A
year ago saw him at Charleston in the
camp of the 2nd w. Va. regiment.
Young, buoyant and ambitious, he told
me he was going to win soldiers name
for himself in the great fight for Cuban
independence. To-day laid wreath
of flowers on the little mound which
marks his last resting place He was
sergeant of Company NJ aud was well
known by many Clay county boys in his
regiment. He has gone to that undis-
covered country from whose bourne no
traveller returns, but his chivalric spirit
still lives, and will remain green in the
hearts of those who knew and loved him.
In sight of Vinton hes Cassilis, the home
of the Kennedys. a family n o less famous
in old Virginia than they were in the
days of Sir Walter Scott. Not far away
is Riou Hall, the home of the Lucas's.
three generations of whom have been
distinguished as orators and statesmen,
the present owner being the erudite law
yer and accomplished statesman, Judge
Daniel 3. Lucas.
1t would take more time than have
and more space than you would give me
to speak ofall the elegant old homes which
have made this Valley of Virginia famed
tT1rO,1oTor1t rho 1.-rId I1r,+ can uot close