Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1902-03-05
THOMAS. LORD FAIRFAX"
EDrroK OF TnE CLARKE CornIrR.

THOMAS. LORD FAIRFAX"
EDITOR OF The CLARKE COURIER.
Your correspondent. "Hessian." who
claims to be of Greenway township. is in
strange ignorance of the only two historical
spots in his township, viz. Greenwav Court
and White Post, unless it be Lucky Hit"
where lived and died Col K. X Meade one
of General Washing;on's staff officers during
the Revolutionary War.
"Hessian' endeavors To throw = srspi-
cion on the fact that the original post.
planted at the intersection of two roads.
where the present post now stands (and
more than one hundred aud fifty years agol.
was intended as an index 10 Greenwav
Court, the residence of Thomas. Lord
Fairfax Baron of Cameron" for. with
most wit, he tells us that no one had ever
been known 10 visit Grecnway Court except
Mrs Washington's son. George" The
poor old Lord must have led truly a lonely
life. Does your correspondent not know
that My Lord was not only the civil but
military servant of the Crown of England
that all of the civil acts connected with the
/ Crown were recorded az Grcenway COURT
I
Colony. These records were from time 90
time, forwarded to Williamsburg. by a
special messenger for permanent record
John WoOdcock. whose remains lie i'm a
/ lonely grave surrounded today by a stone
wall. at White Hall. adjoining the Vii
lage of White Post. the former home of
John White Page. esq, was the private sec
rotary of Ny Lord. and also the Record
Clerk for the Crown. Ny Lord presented "a
Mr.. WOOdcOck 600 acres of land. adjoining
Greenway Court, which he called White
Hall" and where he lived and died bach
elor.
For then does not your correspondent
know that Lord Fairfax was the proprietor
of all of the land lying between the Northern
Neck of Virginia and the Allegheny Noun
tains, and that it was a daily occurrence for
scores of people TO be visitors at Green way
Court for the purpose Of renting. paying
rents and receiving quit rents? Again.
does not your correspondent know that NV
Lord was the commander in chief of all of
the available Indian fighters within a
radious of hundred miles or more, and. in
the case of threatened Indian Outbreak. it
was his duty, TO summon, by runners, -"
all of the available men, To assemble at
Greenway Court, where they were mustered
and ammunition and arms furnished for
at Greenway Court was the arsenal and
powder magazne-the latter old building
still standing when l was boy and used by
my father AS blacksmith shop? One OF
the principal lieutenantsof Ny Lord at that
day was Captain John Ashby, the grand
sc -, 4 Ia
ST. He afterwards became famous i'm the
Revolutionary War as scout. il was for
him that "AShby's Gap" was named. Up
to 1862 Mr.. Buckner Ashby still had his
Grandfather's old Indian fighting and Rev
dictionary gun, with his name Capt John
Ashby, 1856 crudely engraved upon brass
plate on the stock. God knows what has
become of il. 1t would certainly now be
looked upon as a valuable relic. II was an
old smooth bore iint-lock concern
Now, would not your pleasant correSpon-
dent think it more than likely that there
would be an occasional visitor to Greenway
Court besides Mrs. Washington's son.
George? The truth is, the man did not
know what he was talking about The
original post was planted rs an index to
Greenway Court. the place, AT that day, OF
the greatest importance within all of this
section of the Colony of Virginia, and
"Hessian" can possess his mind in peace
upon that subject.
Whilst upon the subject of Lord Fairfax.
there is one other matter that you will par
don me for abiding TO briefly, and then
trust that l am done with the old blather-
skite for all time To come. For the past few
years every now and then some smart
Aleck" pops up and tells us that Lord Fair
fax died in the town of Winchester. and /
am told that there are some old dodgers in
that ancient, burg to this day who can even
point out the house in which he died
There is not one word of truth in it-he
died in the humble twO-room, StOry-and-a-
| half ''clap-board' house which he erected in
l74S when first locating at Greenway Court.
and which stood Immediately in front of
the present brick building erected by my
father in 1888, the old house being torn
down year OF so after the erection of the
new. The old house seen in the representa-
ton in Howe's History of Virginia with the
/ long porch and dormant windows and
I belfrey on top, was not properly the Fairfax
house. One room, OF - feet, was erected.
! by My Lord, as a "banqueting hail. then
20 feet more were added by Col. Thomas
Bryan Martin, nephew of Lord Fairfax,
when he came to reside ut The Court. "
and the additional - feet (the old house
was 60 feet long were added by my grand
father and it was the house in which l was
born, but now the house in which Lord
| Fairfax died, 1t having been the scene of the
first occurrence, there should, naturally, he
more importance attached To il than had il
witnessed the latter. There were lodging
offices for the guests of My Lord scattered
about in the yard
Now, Mr.. Editor. whilst il is not matter
| of the slightest cnnSennenca aS In urhnr.