The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-01-17
(Oommunioated.) }
lUUmmuuIUhItV'J
Judge B. R. Wexford, JI,
AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM HIM
Old Days and Past History Recalled.

Richmond, Va. Jan. If, 1901
To The Free Lance:
| enclose my check In renewal Of
subscription TO The Free Lance. whose
tri-weekly visits always welcome az
keeping me In touch with the good
people of my dear old native town and
It's vioinaRe.
noted the statement in The Free
Lsnoe week or two since that the
house now occupied by Mr. Geo w.
Shepherd was built by Mr.. Knox, and
was glad TO see Mr.. HowIson's oorrec'
tlon of the statement Hs Is undoubi e
edly accurate in saying that 1t wes
built by Mr.. MscKay, whether bis
name was Robert OF william / am poi
certain. MaoKiy came to Fredericks.
burg as a raw Scotch boy. His uncle
Robin Walker. was successful mel
chant in Fredericksburg. who had accu-
mulsted large property, and being q
bachelor sent to Scotland for HE nephew
proposing 30 make him his heir. The
uncle and nephew quarreled and Mae
Kay was cast of to seek his own for
tune. While this arrangement oo0tlu-
ned and MaoKay was employed as 8
store boy by some other Fredericksburg
merchant old Mr.. Walker was taken
very Ill. An old Frenchman named
Oampion, who was quite character in
those days. forced his way against the
order Of the physician into Walker s
SICK chamber and very roughly told
him he was about TO die and upbraided
him for failing to provide for his
nephew He had such an effect upon
Walker that he at once sent for law
yer, changed his will and left MacKay
the sole heir OF his large estate | sup
p Jse that Walker then owned the whole
lot. covering more than three fourths
of the square. He lived over his store.
a brick building upon the eastern lire
OF the lot, about midway between Main
and Princess Anne Streets. MaoKay
built the house, which was then per-
hsps, the most expensive and largest
residence In town, excepting possibly,
she house on Main street opposite his
garden, which was built and occupied
by James Ross, another Scotch mer-
chant, and in which Lafayette was
entertained on his visit TO America In
1924, and the Hazel Hill house at the
eastern end Of the town occupied by
Gen. John Minor, and the White Plains
house at the western end, which wss
built by Robert Patton, she father Of
Hon. Jno. III Patton, and afterwards
owned and occupied by Gen, then Ool
James Bankhead. MacKay was extrav-
agant and imprudent aud LOST his whole
fortune, dying penniless and leaving
widow, one daughter and two sons,
William and Robert. These boys went
to the southwest and one Of them
drifted into Texas during her reyolu-
tIon, enlisted In her army and was
captured with his whole command by the
Mexioans. They surrendered and were
accepted as prisoners Of war, and sent st
such TO Tampioo. Santa Anna gave or.
ders to disregard the terms Of oapitu.
lation and to have them all shot The
Mexican commander at Tampioo with
more humanity than his brutal master.
gave his prisoners notice Of the order,
and In anticipation Of its execution at
sunrise the next day. suggested to the
prisoners that they might address any
letter they wished 10 their friends, which
he undertook to have safely transmitted
MacKay avsiled himself Of the privi-
lege aud wrote 30 his widowed mother.
l well remember when l was boy to
have heard of the receipt Of his letter
and its contents and Of the slaughter Of
MacKay and his comrades, and the
fiery wrath and indignation with which
every man. woman and child in Fred =
ericksburg ever after associated the
name of Santa Anna.
When MacKsy failed his house was
purchased by my uncle. Mr. Thomas
Seddon, who removed from Falmouth
to OCCUPY IL. He abandoned it to re-
move to the Farmers Bank, having
been elected It's cashier. and died there iu
the year 1882. While he was living al
the bank one house was occupied by the
late Mrs. Little as boarding school,
until Mrs Seddon. as 4 widow, resumed
she occupancy. where she and her
family remained until her death. in
1845. The Seldom heirs sold it to
Thomas T. Knox, who some years Aftere
sold is TO Joseph Alsop, and fsom she
Alsop heirs, believe. it passed to Mr.
Shepherd.
Very truly yours,