The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-06-26
Chronicles of The Canebrake
BY JOHN wITHERsPooN DUBosE

1 terim head of the church in Alabama. As usual, he was a delegate to the tri-ennial convention of the Episcopal church of the United States. sitting at Baltimore in 1S73 He was there a guest of Rev. John Y. Gholson and fell dead in MT. Ghol- sons parlor without forewarning. A brass tablet was placed in St. Andrew s church In memory of the faithful priest by the community, led by Mrs. Ivey F. Lewis.
 No exact information is to be secured touching the birth place of MT. Hanson. A distinguished family of the name lived on the eastern shore of Maryland and he was supposed to have come from them. The general character and habits of the man would seem to favor the con- lecture. He began work in the church as missionary to China. Frank with him. self he discovered his inadaptability to that field and abandoned it. On the oc- casion of his tour at the north, just re- ferred to. he was offered the rectorship of well established church. Nc" he said. my people are poor and in dis tress. I shall remain with them. They shared with me their abundance as long as they possessed it.'
 CAPT. REUBEN VAUGHAN. | I have before me photographic copy of the commission issued by Governor Patrick Henry to this distinguished pion- eer of St. Andrews parish, reading as follows:
 l Commonwealth of Virginia. To Reuben Vaughan. Gent
 | Know you, from the Special Trust and Confidence which is reposed in your Pa | triotism, Fidelity, Courage and good Con- duct you are. by these presents, consti- tuted and appointed Captain of Militia in
 
 therefore carefully and diligently to dis charge the duty of Captain of Militia by doing and performing all manner of Things thereunto belonging, and you are to pay a ready Obedience to all Orders and Instructions which from Time to Time you may receive from the Gov ernor or Executive Power of this State for the time being or any of your su- perior officers, agreeable to the Rules and Regulations of the Convention or General Assembly. All officers and soldiers un- der your command are hereby strictly charged and required to be obedient to your Orders and to aid you in the Exc cution of this Commission according to the Intent and Purport thereof.
 | Witness Patrick Henry, Esquire, Gov ernor or Chief Magistrate of the Com monwealth aforesaid, at Williamsburg this 29th Day of October. in the Second Year of the Commonwealth, Anno q Dom. TIT, P. HENRY. l Let us pause from our story proper for a single moment. This document bears date some Is months after the colonies had de,ared their independence and united fSemselves under the Declara- ton of July f. No admission is made by Governor Henry of the existence of a Power in the premises, except the | nF VirCpto ho Com gress was in session, but that body is ig nored The only political authority ac- knowledged is "the Convention. or General Assembly" of the independent state of Virginia. reF
 | Reuben Vaughan was born In Nottaway county, Virginia. in 1751. He was licensed | to the bar after several years study as the custom then was, but seems never to have practiced. At the age of 26 he en- tered upon the military duties indicated by his commission. In mature life, hav- ing provided adequate means for fam | fly, at the age of AZ he married. The chosen wife was Miss Alice Goode Wat kins of Lunenberg county The Goode and Watkins stocks were pioneer settlers of the James river region and were of the | hrst-class in influence there. Henry Wat kins was step-father to Henry Clay Clay was an ardent suitor for the hand of Miss Alice. His repulse was supposed to have been responsible for his departure for Kentucky. When the great common CT appeared only a few years later in the Senate at Washington. even then under his legal eye, and Mrs. Vaughan was twitted with the loss of her opportunity She replied: Henry was homely young man with an enormous nose"
 The bride possessed land in Lunen- berg, 50 Captain and Mrs Vaughan made their home on 1t. When their daughters grey up to long for wider so- ciety than Ue country there offered, he purchased "Batterzea." an estate in the vicinity of Petersburg, which an English man had settled and built a residence upon. The grounds were spacious and cultivated. The shade of oak. elm and cedar was dense. On the trunks of many trees the clinging ivy fourished Tn course of time four of the daughters were married at "Batterzea" Gasquett, Mrs. Montague, Mrs. White and Mrs. Duggar. All emigrated to the southwest with their husbands, the first named to New Orleans and the others to the cane- brake
 When about 75 years of age. still vigor- ous in mind and body. Captain Vaughan resolved to move his family to Alabama. He formed a line of white top wagons. for the use of his negroes Mrs. Vaughan sat in the family coach and he bestrode his horse. Thus the journey was begun, Inearly 1000 miles through the forest. The first pause was at Huntsville. The gov ernment was selling forest lands in the valley of the Tennessee at public out cry. The prices seemed extravaeant. as