Journal and Letters of Philip Vickers Fithian Part 19

_Thursday 24._

At Breakfast Mr Carter entertained us with an account of what he himself saw the other Day, which is a strong Representation of the cruelty & distress which many among the Negroes suffer in Virginia! Mr Carter dined at Squire Lees some few Weeks ago; at the same place, that day, dined also Mr George Turburville & his Wife--As Mr Carter rode up he observed Mr Turburvilles Coach-Man sitting on the Chariot-Box, the Horses off--After he had made his compliments in the House, He had Occasion soon after to go to the Door, when he saw the Coachman still sitting, & on examination found that he was there fast chained! The Fellow is inclined to run away, & this is the method which This Tyrant makes use of to keep him when abroad; & so soon as he goes home he is delivered into the pityless Hands of a b.l.o.o.d.y Overseer!--In the Language of a Heathen I query whether cunning old _Charon_ will not refuse to transport this imperious, haughty Virginian Lord When he shall happen to die over the Styx to the Elysian Gardens; lest his Lords.h.i.+p in the pa.s.sage should take affront at the treatment, & attempt to chain him also to the Stygean Galley for Life!--

Or, In the language of a Christian, I query whether he may be admitted into the peaceful Kingdom of Heaven where meekness, Holiness, & Brotherly-Love, are distinguis.h.i.+ng Characteristicks?--

Tho the Pain in my Teeth has entirely left me, I am not therefore free from distress; for to day I am attacked with a pain in my Head, & Fever; which hinders me from Walking out at twelve as is my Custom!--

_Fryday 25._

I rose by seven--& through G.o.ds mercy I feel myself much relieved of yesterdays complaints--The weather cloudy, cold, rainy at times, & unpleasant--Evening _Ben_ took courage & asked his _Papa_ for his consent to allow him to go with me to Philadelphia--The Colonel very kindly, & at the same time very Politely consented--For he would not agree till he knew of me whether it is agreeable to me, & at my Request that he is to go--

_Sat.u.r.day 26._

_Ben_ & _Bob_ are soon after Breakfast on Horseback; Breakfasted with us one Lee, a Gentleman of what they call here the back Woods--He seems indeed a little stiff in his manner; but he has had a long Ride--I spend the Day close in my Room Reading Writing &c--

_Sunday 27._

An odd Jumble of affairs happened this morning--_Bob_ drest himself & came into our Room & in his usual way began to be pretty free in telling us _News_. Amongst a vast quant.i.ty of other stuff he informed _Ben_ & I that he heard Mr _Randolph_ has the P... we both join'd in severely reprimanding for attempting to propogate so unlikely a Tale--Why, Brother Ben, said the mischeivous Wretch I heard in this Neighbourhood, yesterday a Report concerning you not much to your--but I will conceal it--This inraged Ben he at first however persuaded him but soon began to threaten loudly unless he told the whole--why then, Brother said Bob, it is reported that two Sundays ago you took Sukey (a young likely Negro Girl maid to Mrs Carters youngest Son) into your stable, & there for a considerable time lock'd yourselves together!--Before Bob had done, the Bell rung for Breakfast & we parted--All went to Church to-day but Miss _Nancy_, _Harry_, & _Myself_--I spend the day agreeably in Mr _Carters_ Library--Evening when the Colonel returned, (for he dined at Squire Lee's) he informed me of an affair which happened yesterday in this County, One Smith, a Man of a Middle age who lives with his aged Father, & his Father too is old & declining fast with disease--This youth has lately made a will for his Father which he yesterday compell'd him to sign; & after the Good old Man had obliged him, he beat and abused him (tho his father) in desperate manner it is thought with a design to destroy him! Soon after this he discharged a musket at his own Brother who was at some distance from him & lodged in his body eighteen large Shott!--Docters were immediately call'd--& officers directed to take the villian but he, with his Wife have hid themselves in a Thicket & have as yet evaded the search of the Sheriff--

Sup'd with us one Mr Mathews a Steward for Mr Carter in Louden.

[_Monday 28_]

Breakfasted with us Mr Mathews; he seems to be a man of great Gravity, says little, & Sighs often--The day is warm & vastly mild; it is the first Day we have in all our Rooms been without any Fire--At twelve I rode to Mr Taylors two miles; he was out, I sat half an hour with Miss Taylor & returned to Dinner, the Ride exceeding pleasant, and my Horse seems (as jockeys say) in good Flesh & well prepar'd for our approaching & much wished for Journey--Evening Mr _Simpson_ came in, sup'd & stays the Night. He has last Week, been destilling Mr Carter's Liquor made of Pisimonds--it is soft, mild, of a fair pure Colour, burns clear, but does not answer the Colonels Expectations; so that he does not propose to recommend it to his Neighbours in this or the Neighbouring Counties as a useful experiment. When call'd on for my Toast, at Supper I gave Miss _Jenny Corbin_; Mrs _Carter_ gave Captain _Lee_; & Mr _Simpson_ gave Miss _Jones_.

_Teusday 29._

To warm to day for fire, but we have the wind very strong from the West--Mr _Carter_ rode to Court--Soon after Breakfast I receiv'd a Letter from Mr _Andrew Bryan_ of Baltimore, Maryland formerly at College my Cla.s.s-Mate--the Letter bears Date January 21st 1774 Dated at _Baltimore_. He informs me of his good Health, & that, he shall soon forward my Letters inclosed to him; perhaps kind oppertunity shall have before this hour favoured my wish, & brought to Laura advices of my State--At twelve I rode out, with Ben, an hour & better, the Day vastly windy. About four Colonel Philip Lee's Chariot arrived, in which came four young Misses to be ready for the Dance which happens here tomorrow--I am informed this Evening that Smith the Villian mentioned last Sunday was to day apprehended, & committed to the prison in this County

[Ill.u.s.tration: prisoner being taken to prison]

_Wednesday 30._

Rainy & cold--The Colonel informed me this morning that the general Opinion of the Gentlemen at Court yesterday seem'd to be that the County would be free'd of three Villians if the old abused Father, the wounded Son & Brother, & the offending guilty Son were to be all hanged--The Day so bad Mr _Christian_ does not attend--Mrs _Was.h.i.+ngton_ came however, with Miss Jenny her Daughter; the two Fantleroys came also, & Miss Corbin, & Miss Turburville, & one Miss Hale[142] a new _Scholar_--Mr Carters Man play'd & the Dance goes on with great Spirit & neatness. Evening there is as common a good play.

Separated all for Bed by half after nine.

[142] The Heale family was a well-known one in Lancaster County where they lived on "Peach Hill" and other manor plantations. The name was apparently p.r.o.nounced Hale all through the eighteenth century.

Priscilla Heale was the daughter of George Heale of Lancaster County.

Heale had served as a Burgess from that county.

_Thursday 31._

All our company continue. The morning fair & cool--Yesterday & to-day I am strongly solicited to dance--I decline however & must persevere.--Mr & Mrs Turburville came in before Dinner--With the two Fantleroys, Ben, Bob, & Harry, I had a pleasant walk through the Fields, to the Mill &c. I paid my forfeit to the Baker 7d--The Plumb-Trees are beginning to blossom--Towards Evening our company all left us.

_Fryday April 1st 1774._

Good Fryday--A general Holiday here--Wednesday & thursday I gave up my School on account of the Dance, and they must have this Day for Devotion!--The Colonel, _Ben Harry_, & _myself_ all go to Ucomico Church--Parson _Smith_ gave the usual Prayers for the Day and a long Sermon very suitable & well chosen.

After Service we were invited and went Home with Captain Walker to dine; I was here introduced to Dr Steptoe[143] & a young Gentleman Brother to the Parson Both seem agreeable, & appear to be men of Sense Dined here also the Parson, his Wife, Sister, Mr Warder the Lawyer

[143] Dr. George Steptoe of "Windsor" in Westmoreland County had been graduated in medicine at Edinburgh in 1767.

Towards Evening we rode home I observed as I rode along People are universally plowing up their Land for planting Corn & for Tobacco And in one field I saw several Women planting Corn I think however, it is early even here--They raise no Flax, their Land in general being so poor that it will not produce it--And their Method of farming is slovenly, without any regard to continue their Land in heart, for future Crops--They plant large Quant.i.ties of Land, without any Manure, & work it very hard to make the best of the Crop, and when the Crop comes off they take away the Fences to inclose another Piece of Land for the next years tillage, and leave this a common to be destroyed by Winter & Beasts till they stand in need of it again to plough--The Land most commonly too is of a light sandy soil, & produces in very great quant.i.ties shrubby _Savins_ & _Pines_, unless in the Vallies (for it is very hilly) & near the Potowmack where it is often vastly rich--Mr Carter has been lately solicited & was to have gone this Day with a number of Gentlemen to Horn-Point on the River Ucomico, with an intention, if they think the Situation will be proper, to establish Ware-Houses, & form a small Town--It is however, in my opinion, a fruitless Scheme--

_Sat.u.r.day 2._

The morning stormy. I kept the children in til twelve o-Clock then dismissed them--I spent the greater part of this Day in reading Miscellaneous Pieces out of Magazines--The weather cleared before Evening--At five with _Ben_, I rode over to Mr Turburville's, chiefly to see a young Lady[144] lately from London; who has come over at Mr Turburville's Invitation in the character of Governess to Miss Turburville She seems to be young, genteel, & is not without personal excellence--I received together with Mr _Carters_ Family an Invitation from Mr Turburville to dine with him to morrow; which I propose to accept.--

[144] Miss Sally Panton.

_Sunday 3._

The Day pleasant; I rode to church--after the Service proper for the Day, Mr Smith entertained us with a Sermon from Pauls Defence before King Agrippa "How is it thought a thing impossible with you that G.o.d should raise the dead," He in this gave us a very plain & just Discourse on the doctrine of the resurection--This being Easter-Sunday, all the Parish seem'd to meet together High, Low, black, White all come out--After Sermon the Sacrament was administered, but none are admited except communicants to see how the matter is conducted--

After Sermon I rode to Mr Turburville's (for I found to day the true spelling of his name) There dined with him, Ladies Mrs _Carter_, & Mrs _George Turburville_: Gentlemen, Colonel _Carter_, Squire-_Lee_, Mr _Cunningham_, & Mr _Jennings_, Merchants; Mr _George Lee_, & _Ben Carter_ & Myself--We had an elegant dinner; Beef & Greens; roast-Pig; fine boil'd Rock-Fish, Pudding, Cheese &c--Drink: good Porter-Beer, Cyder, Rum, & Brandy Toddy. The Virginians are so kind one can scarce know how to dispense with, or indeed accept their kindness shown in such a variety of instances.--I had again an oppertunity of seeing Miss _Sally Panton_ which is the name of Mrs Turburville's English Governess--But the common voice seems to be against me as to her being Handsome--But her huge _Stays_ low Head _dress_; enormous long _Waist_, a Dress entirely contrary to the liking of Virginia Ladies, these I apprehend make her in their Eyes less personable, than to any one wholly unprejudiced--Her _Stays_ are suited to come up to the upper part of her shoulders, almost to her chin; and are swaithed round her as low as they can possibly be, allowing Her the liberty to walk at all: To be sure this is a vastly modest Dress!--She speaks French & is to teach the Language to Miss Turburville, & also Writing, & reading English--Upon the whole, if her Principles of Religion, & her moral behaviour, be as unexceptionable as her person, & her Manner, let Mr and Mrs Carters opinions go again me I shall think her agreeable--Miss _Prissy_ Miss _Nancy_; & Miss _f.a.n.n.y_ all stay the night at Captain Turburville's--At Church, Mr Low, a young Scotch Gentleman, tutor in Colonel _Was.h.i.+ngtons_ Family, solicited me to carry his Recommendations from Scotland, to Dr Witherspoon as he is desirous to be licensed in one of our northern Presbyteries--I shall do him the Favour.[145]--The country begins to put on her Fowery Garment, & appear in _gaity_--The _Apricots_ are in their fulles Bloom; Peaches also, & Plumbs, & several sorts of Cheries are blossoming; as I look from my Window & see Groves of Peach Trees on the Banks of Nomini; (for the orchards here are very Large) and other Fruit Trees in Blossom; and amongst them interspers'd the gloomy Savin; beyond all these at a great Distance the blue Potowmack; & over this great River, just discern the Woods of Maryland & conceive that beyond them all lies Cohansie my native pleasant Residence; & when I think with myself that by G.o.ds permission, in a very few days more I shall be in the midst of Society, quite remote from formality, and from the least fear of giving offence by being familiar, or of being aw'd to silence by ostentatious vanity: how the thought fires me!

Direct my Way, merciful G.o.d, and keep my Feet from falling, & my Heart from disobeying thy pure & perfect commandments--And make my Way prosperous that I may go and return again, still doing thy Pleasure, & honouring thy great Name!--

[145] Lowe was apparently not licensed as a Presbyterian minister at this time for he shortly afterwards appears as an Anglican clergyman in St. George's and Hanover Parishes in Virginia.

_Monday 4._

Easter Monday; a general holiday; Negroes now are all disbanded till Wednesday morning & are at c.o.c.k Fights through the County; This morning I make a general payment First to Sam the Barber 8/2. Second to Tom the Hostler 7/6. third to Nelson who waits on me /3. Sum 15/11--

Mr & Mrs _Carter_, with Mr _Cunningham_ & _Ben_ (as Mr Cunningham came home with us last Night) all rode to Day to Richmond Court--I was in the morning strongly solicited to go, but chose to decline it--After Breakfast, came home from Mr Turburville's our young Ladies, they inform me that Miss Panton discovered a strong inclination to be better acquainted with me; which indeed is a Curiosity that I cannot say I am altogether dest.i.tute of. I shall therefore, when I find it convenient make Miss Panton a visit--

I was before Dinner very strongly urged, by Mr Taylor, Mr Randolph, & some others to attend a c.o.c.k-Fight, where 25 c.o.c.ks are to fight, & large Sums are betted, so large at one as twenty five Pounds, but I choose rather to stay at Home. I read to day, & am much charmed with a Speech of _Plato's_ over Alexander the _Great_ lying dead before him--"O thou, who deceived by vain-Glory didst think of grasping at every thing, others are now going to gather the fruits of thy labours & thy Fatigues. Of so many conquests, there remains of thee but the terrible account, which thou art obliged to render unto the sovereign Judge"!--

I have also to Day with considerable attention been looking over Junius's Letters. His sentiments are strong, & bold. His language is chaste, & concise. & his Genius seems free and vast--I cannot easily omit transcribing a short pa.s.sage from his Letter to the Revd Mr _Horne_ in which he is speaking of Lord _Chatham_. as it pleases me vastly. "As for the common, sordid views of avarice, or any purpose of vulgar Ambition, I question whether the applause of _Junius_, would be of service to Lord Chatham. My vote will hardly recommend him to an increase of his pension, or to a Seat in the Cabinet. But if his Ambition be upon a levil with his understanding--If he judges of what is truely honourable for himself with the same superior Genius which animates & directs him to Eloquence in Debates, to Wisdom in Decision, even the Pen of _Junius_ shall contribute to reward him. Recorded Honour shall gather round his Monument, & thicken over him. It is a solid Fabric, & will support the Lawrels that adorn it--I am not conversant in the language of panegyric--These praises are extorted from me; but they will wear well, for they have been dearly earned."--

Junius, however, does not seem to have been at all ignorant of his own merit; for in the close of the same letter he says "Such Artifices cannot long delude the understanding of the People; &, without meaning an indecent Comparison I may venture to foretell, that the _Bible_ & _Junius_ will be read when the Commentaries of the Jesuits are forgotten. We supped at nine--Mr Carter tired and early in Bed.

After Supper I had a long conversation with Mrs Carter concerning Negroes in Virginia, & find that She esteems their value at no higher rate than I do. We both concluded, (& I am pretty certain that the conclusion is just) that if in Mr Carters, or in any Gentlemans Estate, all the Negroes should be sold, & the Money put to Interest in safe hands, & let the Lands which these Negroes now work lie wholly uncultivated, the bare Interest of the Price of the Negroes would be a much greater yearly income than what is now received from their working the Lands, making no allowance at all for the trouble & Risk of the Masters as to the Crops, & Negroes.--How much greater then must be the value of an Estate here if these poor enslaved Africans were all in their native desired Country, & in their Room industrious Tenants, who being born in freedom, by a laudable care, would not only inrich their Landlords, but would raise a hardy Offspring to be the Strength & the honour of the Colony.

_Teusday 5._

It is with difficulty I am able to collect the members of our School together for Business. Holidays have become habitual, & they seem unwilling to give them over. As the Negroes have this Day for a Holiday our Schollars thinks it hard that they should be compell'd to attend to Business. I summon them together however, and shall keep them to constant Study until the time of my setting away. Miss Priscilla this morning told me, of Miss Panton, a moving story: Last Sunday Evening after we left there She took a lonely Walk, & being asked why She chose to walk without a companion, she answered that she was thinking of Home & of her Friends, & indulging her fond Grief on account of their absence!--Such a feeling as this I have not been a stranger to, I therefore Sympathize with the poor young Girl. The Day agreeably pleasant--Towards Evening Miss _Corbin_ came over to pay us a visit After School I waited on the Ladies in the Dining-Room the conversation was on Fas.h.i.+ons, which instantly introduced the oddity of Miss _Panton_. But Miss Corbin with a _Sneer_, & with ill-nature enough, swore She would not think of imitating such a thing as her!--O!--Tantam Animis caelestibus Irae?--I spent the Evening in cheerful chat with the Ladies. I think I have not had a more sociable & unconstrained feeling since I left Home, & my forgiving Friends.