Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1921-09-30
THACKERY, JNO. B. GORDON,
THE CAVALIERS.
(By ]. w. Bakery

Dear Mr.. Editor:
William Nj. Thackery, the great
writer, came to Richmond, Virginia,
about sixty-iive years ago. He came
to examine the records to learn all
he could of Colonial Virginia. Years
after very old man. who was librar-
ian at that time, told me of the
charming intercourse h: had with Mr..
Ihackery when, for six weeks, they
searched the library for what they
wanted. Then Mr.. Thackcry return
ed to England and wrote "The Vir-
ginians."
insist that every Virsnian, espec-
tally the ladies. should read Thu,
book if they read nothing else, for
there you can learn moro of YOUR
ancestors than from all other books
ever read. Thackery tells you that
the men were truthful, honest, clean.
brave. That the women were the
peers Of any Of any -go Or country
..beautifud and charming. The very
hnest pen portrait ever drawn Of
Washington you can find IN the Vii
ginians. Read-why deny yourself?
Read Thackery; love to read rhackerv
and by that time you will be ed
ucated.
Hon. Joseph Wing OF Ohio, great
sheep man. fine writer. e1d talker
had poked his nose into : :ery stare
OF the union and into Countries be
yond the fish pond; f:i.n impellei
by wanderlust he fou::i himself in
Virginia. Here he r.mained Iony
enough to get acquainted with MANY
OF tho people in the cities and in tba
country. On his return home I'M
wrote to his paper i 1ulogy of Viz
glnians 80 fulsome and exaggerat-
ed that he had TO explain that thu
truth had impellcd :,rn to write ns
ne dld: MY opinion s, that the beau
W ana kindlliies. nc gracious charm
OF tnese Virgin women, had gone
to his head. az :: he had filled up ON
champagne ar. 50 he was no lonu-
er RESPONSE; :: for what he wrote.
Betwee: iiespeake Bay and the
Blue i..-1t you will find the old
nest = the cavaliers. When a bow.
Sc ~ or eighty years ago, I went
:" school there. For weeks at a
ZINE heard no word spoken nor
saw an act that need have been mid
How is it now? What precedes ~
ont prelude to this. Today the old
nest OF the Cavaliers is the most de-
sirabie place to live and rear chill
Gren. Less crime there, fewer kill
mgs, hardly ever divorce, upright
and honest these people still read
their Bibles and worship God. They
nave not yet dethroncd the Almigh.
W and bowed the knee to Darwin.
1t can be said of the Cavaliers
thnt they We're square and brave
their children made good, clean cit,-
zenss. They increased and overlooked
as far as Texas and California. They
became Indian fighters, Generals,
Governors, went to Congress-
every Office from constable to Presi-
dent. The truth is they liked to per
form before the footlights and to
stand, arrayed in purple and fine
linen, In the light and splendor OF
the monday sun. l have no words to
express the admiration and almost
alteration felt for the women
knew there when I was boy. But
in one sense a million of years has
interviewed since then and things NAV
not be so lovely as they once were.
Eight companies of the 18th Vir.
ginia Infantry came from the Cava.
lier country. One company fro,.l
Winchester in the valley. These solo.
iers were of the very best material
In Company D there could be foun>
in the ranks, university man, college
graduates. doctors, lawyers, eve.
preachers. And it was SO in the 9th
err companies. Morally and spirituar
ly they lived on u higher platform
than any other men ever knew
They could pray. When they met fo