Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1916-04-07
THE OLD TAVERN
by James P. Whitman

lions, is to be replaced with a modern
garage. This seems to me to be sacri
lege. and reflection upon the spirit
of progressiveness-if not upon the
wisdom of the Town council, an,
should be estopped, and building
suitable to the demands and increas
ing development Of the city should
be erected on this historic spot. Will
the town council and the civic leagues
and business men take the matter
into consideration? Or has public
pride in architectural structure ceas-
ed to exist, 1t certainly demonstrate.
lack of reverence for this antiouat-
ed building.
DIR. Robert Hufford had remodeled
the old tavern, and it compared ia
vorably to other buildings of the main
thoroughfare of the city and should
have been held in tact. sacred to the
memory OF Capt. John Crockett, one
OF the early pioneers. who built it, and
resided there until his decease. In its
early history after the death of Capt
Crockett, 1T was occupied as a tavern
and hostelry by different persons.
The first ! remember was james Har-
.risson, the father of the late Col.
Joseph Harrisson; after James Hnr-
risson's death, by John l.. Daugherty,
until his death, which occurred about
1860 or 61, and then his widow, Har-
riett Daugherty,- who was his third
wife, continued as hostess to oper-
ate it as a boarding house up and
during the war.
1t was noted far and wide in those
early days for it's hospitality, it's good
cheer, it's well supplied tables, with
the best the country afforded, wild
game, turkey, deer, and bear, was of
Ten served on the tables of the host
IS appetizing delicacies, and its well
supplied bar with the purest country
distilled apple and peach brandy.
A place of rendezvous for some of
the best citizens of the county, to
meet and enjoy the hospitality and
test the purity of the excellent bran
en-up," which was not considered a
violation of law or destructive of the
morals of the young, (for the young
in those times was we'll under parent
al discipline), the stake bling only
large enough to pay for the brandy,
which was cheap "fo'pence" a glass
and they were not ounce glasses, but
old fashioned tumblers-what COM
parison of those blessed old times
and the present-now you can only
have quart month, and detective
at your heels to report you if you
uncork to smell or taste as to its
purity before you reach home.
The Old Tavern had its tragedies
as we'll as it's accommodations and
good cheer. During the war between
the States, Capt. Collision with eight
or ten men, stopping there with wo-
man purporting to be the Captains
wife, who had a brother with the men,
came out from dinner and sat down
on the horse block near the pavement;
the Captain came out and sit down on
a bench opposite, drew his pistol and
shot the man, killing him; another
one ran in the direction of the Pres
byterian church, and escaped Col
ston who fired at him. A detachment
of soldiers came and arrested Col
ston. What became of this dispera-
do or what caused the killing was
not known to my brother, w. o. Whit
man, who related this incident to me-
Another incident which occurred
during the war, in which was par
ticipant that almost resulted in n
tragedy-that was unprecedented
and surprise to me. had obtained
leave of absence from the army and
had been home a few days. Gen.
Williams, with Kentucky brigade,
was encamped on the Copt. w. E.
Peery farm east of Tazewell. Several
of his soldiers were in town that day
and were shooting up the place. In
the evening l walked up to the tav-
forget, and one that almost chilled
h1nOI Thn,.a no. tol
under the old porch several of the cit
.izens of the town as was customary
for them to do-Augustus SPOTS,
Preston Spots, A. j. Vanpelt, Col.
Samuels, refugee; R. B. Gillespie,
and my father; there may have been
others, but | do not recall them. A
tall, six foot Kentuckian, with enfield
rifle, bayonet attached, loaded and
cooked, was punching at these old
men from the benches and with an
oath driving them from the premis-
es, my father the last to remain, was
sitting on the end of bench near the
hall door; the Kentuckian stood over
him with rifle and bayonet present
ed, with an oath ordered him to leave
or he would peirce him with the bay
onet; my father never moved or spoke
but gently pushed the bayonet aside,
which seemed to enrage the soldier.
Having left my brace of Colts at
home, I went to the public room to
look for something to meet the at
tack, observed a pair of steelyards
hanging against the wall, I hurriedly
wrenched the pea therefrom and just
as / reached the door the Kentuck-
ian was in the act of piercing my
father with the bayonet, threw the
pea, struck thes older on the head,
knocking him several feet, the gun
exploding as it fell on the pavement
He lay2unconscious for sometime be-
fore showing signs of life, when Col
Samuels, myself and some others, car
ried him to a room and placed him ir
bed, where he remained for several
weeks before he was able to rejoir
his command. 1t was fortunate hac
left my pistol at home, for / woulc
have shot him, and regretted the act
Col. Samuels informed me that he
knew the men, they were deparados
and they would surround my home
Iii &c 1.