Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-28
vIRG1N1A-AT-LARGE, December s.

vIRGIN1A-AT-LARGE December s.
The Nat Turner insurrection t1SSD. as
told by possibly the only survivor of It's
tragic events, was the subject for which
I claimed attention In last Sundays is
sue. The tall. hall clock, with the lead
OF the tnsurrectionists still embedded in
its case, Stands in a certain guest cham
Der, in company with an old iron chest
and other antique furniture. The house
Of which the room forms a. part is one
Of the most interesting and typical In
Virginia, but it preserves with its many
relics Of the past, a most old-fashioned
modesty, a sentiment I would feel that I
had outraged-a hospitality abused
should give it's name to the public. It
stands In what was known when it was
built-almost two hundred years ago-as
the back country" and while not nearly
SO pretentious as the mansions con the
river has preserved in it's severe sim
plicity Of architecture and furniture the
very spirit Of its time-or rather has en-
balrned the material life OF the late eigh-
teenth and early nineteenth centuries.
The spirit of the period still haunts the
house. It spoke to me in the voice OF
the clock; opened the old iron chest
and found it In visible form in the neatly
arranged bundles of yellow, family letters,
tied with faded, red tape
thought Of the hands that wrote and
tied them, grown from rose-leaf babies
palms to do their allotted work. resolved
again-long since--in natures storehouse
to original dust, and yet before me the
palpable record of the passions and TRACE
dies, the petty joys and cares OF their
period. Yes the spirit Of it's age haunts
the old house-a simple, home-spun spirit,
which one could fancy would find its voca-
ton at last IN haunting the writer's of
those historic novels purporting to rep
resent the ma gnif1cence OF early days in
old Virginia.
The writer of the subjoined letters lived
on this old estate; they were addressed
to his father, wealthy merchant OF
Portsmouth:
8 June, 1916.
Dear Frather,-Ive arrived here On Tues
day to dinner. after having disagree
able journey up: from the heat and dust.
Simon is in Norfolk and has been absent
from home nearly the whole time that
I was away; he only did two days work
during the period of my absence This is
not the only Objectionable part OF his
conduct, he raised several riots amongst
the negroes, and was very near killing
Randall The overseer. during all this
idleness and disorderly behaviour, had
nothing to do with him, so that with all
his arts and lies he cannot throw the
blame on him, or on any one else but
himself The example that has been set
by the unjust and extreme indulgence
granted to hinl-the faults that are not
noticed in him which are severely pun
ished when committed by the others-the
ungovernable fury Of his temper-and the
depravity Of his morals-all conspire to
1-;<1, hot 1,i c-I,f II
f,,rn-and nv wish is that he should be
sent to New Orleans, or some OF the
Western States, where he will not be
able to return and do any nischtef-and
at the same time his example be a Sc
we're warning to others, showing my de-
termination to punish severely when the
fault is Of magnitude.
Your affectionato son,