The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-19
Chronicles Of The Cdnebrake
Chapter
ny JOHN wITHERsPooN DUBosE

the menu or the variety of the wines.
Private life was hedged about and ex-
allied by the fact of privacy in the home.
Thus when in this day. 80 years after
the lives of those, for the most part part.
here mentioned. little can be written of
/ personal history. There is enough. how
ever. of circumstance and incident
enough of the drama of the broken vase
to show that the wonderful land of cot
/ ton plantations was inhabited by list
Iof gentlemen rarely, If ever, equalled in
/ their class, in the qualities of social re-
anement and Individual intelligence.
| Samuel Strudwick of Arcola was a gen.
tleman of exceptional dignity OF bearing
and culture of mind. He came thither at
an earl period of the settlement of the
canebrake and bought large body of
land. He and his wife came from Hills
boro, n. c., from distinguished families.
| Mr.. and Mrs. Strudwtck we're the par
ents of II daughters and two sons, one
son and one daughter dying in infancy.
The ten surviving daughters were mar
ried to some of the first gentlemen of the
land Isabelle to Frederick Pierre Rave
sizes. Elmira to John Tayloe Lomax. Re-
becca to Decatur C. Anderson, Susan to
DR.. Theodore Dawes of Philadelphia,
Malta to Levin Sledge, Rosalie to DIR.
J. 8. Rufffn, Caroline to Martin A Lyon.
Sophia to Dr. James Webb, Ann to DR..
James s. Ruffin second wife) and Mary
to Judge s. A. Holmes of California. The
numerous sons-in-law were gentlemen of
the highest standing in their respective
professions and in society. The surviv-
ing son. Shepherd, married a neighbor.
Miss Webb
| Alfred Hatch was the remaining resi-
dent of the original settlement of Arcola-
He was a native of Craven county. North
Carolina, son of Gen. Durant Hatch OF
that state. He was prepared for the uni
versity, as were his brothers, but his con-
stitution proved unequal to the tax OF
hard study and his scholastic education
was necessarily abandoned. i
| At an early period in his manhood Mr.
Hatch married Miss Elizabeth Vail
Blount of Newberne. N. c.. About the
year 1870 he moved to Greene county,
Ala bama, and made his home on a PLAN
tation some two miles west OF Green's
boro His investment in plantation prop
erty. however, was more extensive. Own
ing several hundred acres he bought
plantations near Newbern now in Hale
county and bought the beautiful estate
at Arcola, whittier he came to reside.
From time to time he enlarged and bead
titled his residence and the grounds Fin
ally the house became a typical southern
mansion. with marble floors, Dorfc col
umns and wide verandas.
Soon after Mr.. Hatch moved to Arcola
the agitation OF the abolitionists of New
England reflected itself aggressively on
the politics of Alabama. Sagacious states
men saw In the phenomenal effect of
Uncle Toms Cabin" in the northern
states and in Europe. whence great
flood of immigrants poured into those
states; saw in Rev. Henry Ward Beech
er's pulpit and rostrum addresses, urging
northern people to take possession of the
common national domain. with rifle and
Bible" to the exclusion of the south, and
In multiplied other evidences of sectional
conflict, peril to the union. Mr.. Hatch
was disciple of Webster. He was solic-
itous that the teaching of Yancey in Ala
bama should be neutralized. To this end,
as far as might be. he prepared annually
from his own pastures great barbecue
to celebrate the Fourth of July. Hun
dreds of visitors were called to his
grounds at Arcola to enjoy the feast
After dinner the appointed ceremonies
In honor of the union were called. A
reader appeared to recite the Declaration
of Independence. Following him, an ora
tor took the stand. under the shade. to
exalt the blessings of the union The last
event of this kind was celebrated with
unusual eclat. Waverly Duggar Esq.
young lawyer of Demopolis, read the
Declaration. James Taylor Jones' also
a young lawyer and an orator of estab-
lished reputation. made the speech.
About setting of the sun the great COM
pany began to dispense for the drive
home. some five miles. others ten miles
away over the beautifully smooth, wide
| and undulating roads.
Not SO, however, with all. Numbers
were invited to accept the Inequalities
of the mansion for the night or for sew
eral succeeding days, where the usual
canebrake festivities, with music, dane
| Ing games and horseback riding en-
ployed the hours of day and night
This broad-gauge master was self-con-
stituted guardian of his negroes. All the
operations of his several plantations were
on high plane. He maintained dis
tinct dairy farm for the exclusive bene-
| fit of his negroes. He supported fully
equipped hospital for the sick; there was
great kitchen with all useful arrange
ments, where the meals OF the laboring
people were carefully prepared and de-
livered hot to them at long shelters In the
field, where they would be protected from
the sun and rain at the meal taking hour.
| His slaves were proud of their master.
A number OF friends and neighbors at
tested their admiration Of his high per-
| sOnal CnaTaCtefs niS great oHoiey anu nv
bic philanthropies by giving their sons
| his name.
| The children of Mr. Hatch by two mar
riages numbered eight. four sons and four
daughters. All but one son married.
Their homes in most instances are near
by. Jane Hatch. a daughter, married
Augustus Benners of Greensboro young
lawyer. who rose to distintion. and their
children and grandchildren are distin-
guished citizens of Birmingham AL.
lived to honor as valuable citizens.