The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1899-12-22
The Village of jamestown Wiped Out
BY Fire.

mouse staining IN jamestown was col
sumed by fire. II was occupied b
James Young and his wife. The
found shelter near 10y in cabin be
longing TO Captain SOuthall. Eight
years ago this house was owned an,
occupied by the late DR.. Philip 4
SOuthall, and in il his son DIR. p. +
Southall, was born IS years ago. /
was at this house that Judge Pete
Johnson, Of Abingdon, used to stop on
his way to and from Richmond where
he annually attended the sessions o
the court Of appeals, being a member
of that august body. He generally
took with him his wife They were
the parents Of Gen. Joseph h. Johnston.
Mrs. Johnson would remain with DR..
Southall, her nephew, until the return
of her husband from Richmond. All
the old Revolutionary soldiers of the
neighb0ring county were accustomed
W hiNNA tuCti Oib I'iiiiiahuti utlt bi
his return from Richmond. Among
these were old Major Crute, relative
Of our worthy county judge, j NJ.
Crute, Capt. William Walker, the
grandfather Of your townsman, Mr..
William Walker, and the celebrated
Peter Francisco. These three are all
whose names | can now recall. They
would spend the time in recounting
their warlke deeds and fighting their
old battles over
Peter Francisco, who was physical
giant, would tell the story Of his get
ting into the enemy's camp and taking
back with him large hogshead Of
bacon, which was much needed by our
men at the time. He kept the hogs
head of bacon. As breast-work, be.
tween himself and the enemy, a. he
retreated backward, drawing it after
him.
Gen. Johnson assayed to tell the
story Of some of his men taking a sheep,
but was duly admonished by Captain
Walker "to touch lightly on that sub
jDct a the old man had a hand in that
affair" Meaning by old man himself.
The following story was told on Maj.
Crute, that when he applied to the
government for pension, John Ran
dolph, who was his representative in
Congress, took him to the committee
room where he directed him to remain
until be (Mr Randolph could get the
committee on pensions together and
bring them to the room, when he
should request the major to strip and
displayltO the view of the committee
his many wounds. 1t took Randolph
sometime to get the committee to-
gether, and when he and the commit
tee entered the room they found
the old major already stripped and
ready for business. As soon as the
chairman could restrain the almost
irresistible inclination to laugh at the
nude state in which he found the APP
plcant, addressing him kindly he
asked the major how many wounds he
received i'm the war Fourteen, sir;
one for each state in the union, and
one for myself" replied the major. 1t
is needless to add that the major got
his pension, for the presentation Of his
naked facts were irresistible. 1t APP
pears that both Major Crute and Cap
tain Walker lived to great old age.
Among old papers letter written
i'm 1910 by DR.. Southall TO his son, ;.
o. Southall, was found short time
ago, in which the doctor wrote, "to-
morrow / shall attend the funeral Of
Captain William Walker, the best man
/ ever knew From this it appears
that this gallant old hero lived up
wards Of IS years after the commence
ment Of the war which he fought
through.
To return to the village of James
town, there is Dut one house now stand
ing i'm it, This is the old church. AT
first this was a free church. 1t is now
owned by the Presbyterians. Eighty
or ninety years ago old Abner Watkins
preached here. 1t has been handed
down to us by tradition, tradition you
know deals only with stern facts that
he would always take a stiff drink Of
whiskey just before entering the pull
pit to preach. This may be so, for
you know preachers in those days did
nothing on the sly. Poor old James
town has nothing left but its name and
the church Ia passing you will see
no one except old man James Young,
who unlike Caius Manus sitting amid
the ruins of Carthage, c0gitating upon
the mutations of fortune, Jim is only
scratching i'm the ashes which is ali
that remains to him of his once com.
Portable home, for a few nails, with
which to build shelter for himself
and his aged wife. ;. w. f.
Father and sons as Farmers.
Editor Herdid;-MOre than "A quar-
ter of a century ago, to he accurate
Just 20 years ago, NJ. David Henry
stuart purchased Spring Hill, with it,
200 acres, in Cumberland county
formerly the property Of the late Mr.
Inn Willis Wilson. After that hI