Chapter X
Since I wrote last
I have been very buisy at my calling and have not
heard much from the wars;Only that Gen. Mead give Lee
a sorte of a flaging, , and
took 1000 prisnons and some cannon. And there was a prity
Smart Raid on Patterson Creek it said the Rebels took 300 horses, and a number
of prisnors wagonns etc.
John G. Streets, Stright Shillingburg,
Dollys Hugh several others of this Nighbrood; as for two or three of them there is but little
pity, they had good homes, they did not know when they were doing well; perhaps they will know when they are doing
better or worse, I guess they will see the Elephant before they see there
homes. Nov. 29th to day I have heard
that there been some fighting in Tennesee and that
the Rebels got defeted . etc. I''v
been over to Bakers this week she is still very much Swelled, I have sent Jack
over there with some medicine I was clean out of Elaterium till I sent to
Cumberland.
Verry little News from
wars, John Liller Rust. & Rueben all arrested this day week for
not complying to J. Athey in
giving there age, names, etc., also Little John Wiseman arrested at Mrs. Perces.
I will now resume
my history; but I must t leave off Dr. Bob, return to my
more juvenile days. As I was the only child of my parents I had not much
company, I was glad to take company with anything, and as there was a famaly close by of 10 or 12 children, one of them Blind of
an Eye (Tom-,) another blind of boath Eyes (Dick) Now
this Dick was all my playfellow moast of time, Tom had to wind bobins
and other work, and all that Dick could do was to rock the cradle and this he
had to do very constant, for his mother had a child every 10 months for several
times. The first time that any
particular of -Dicks expresions was, one
day Dick was wishing to be at some play with me but Rocking
the cradle must be done. Now Dick and myself thought that they got Old Ruth
Boardman to bring more Babes was welcom, and he says
one day "I wish old Ruth would keep her old Babes at home I think we have
got Enow" this expresion
got poor Dick a crack on the pate with his mam. At one time when this Old Ruth had been
Officiating at Norrises, I asked my mam why she did not get Old Ruth to bring her a Babe; I got
the same pay as Dick had got for his expresion. But as we grew up we began to know better,
and we got a better Idea of the Babe business.
I must relate a circumstance or two that this Dick and I did. The first
I recolect was one Saturday night Dick was keeping me
company while Dad 8c Mam went to town, to buy in
there Nessery things for the next week; it was about the
last of October, for I remember I had got 2 ounces of Gunpowder, to hoot at the
5th of Nov. Gunpowder ( plot ) day, and
we were studing what mischief to do that night, to
wile away time at last we hit on a (?pice?) of fund
as we called it. There was a Nabour of ours whoes name was
Thomas Norris, a far Distant relation of Dicks; this Tomy
Norris had several Girls, and prity much wag-tails at
that, Now this
trick we would do was for me to get on Dicks Sholders,
and climb on to the Thatched roof of Tomy Norrises house; Now
the Eaves of this house was not more than 3 or 4 feet from the Ground on the
North side of the house, which was, or came into a Meddow. `We contrived it so, that when Dick had got
me on the roof, he was to hide in a cluster of Hollys
in the hedg, and I was to come to him. We got all
things fixed, and Dick lifted me on the Roof, he then went to his hiding place;
it was very hard for me to climb this thatched roof it was so slipry, but I got to the chimny
and looked down, but one of the Girls was frying pottatoes
on the fire and there was a very good fire in the Grate, but I would not drop
the powder down while the frying pan was on, but it was soon taken off, and
then I droped it down, it let (lit) plump into the
red fire, and we had wraped it in several folds of
paper, I had but just slided down into the meddow, but
it exploded, and such a Screeming as I had never
heard, and they all ran out of the house, but I could see nothing of them, as
the door was on the other side of the house; but we heard old Tomy runing up the lend close by
us, but it was very dark, when all was quiet, Dick and I went home, and it so hapened that my mam sent me down
to Tomy Norrises next
morning on an Errand, Tomy was fixing the grate, the
powder had nearly blowen the Grate out of its
place. I asked him how it was done, he
said that it as some of the Damn Nine-house lads that had climbed up and ad droped powder into the fire.
To day a very cold
day and I am at home, so I think I will write a little of my history. This pice of mischief
was never saddled on me, or I think I was never suspected of any hand in it. I
must relate another pice of mischied
that I helped to do, on a Nabour of this Tomy Norris; his name was Tomy
Dawson, this
T. Dawson and his wife Mary lived togeather in a cotage not far
from T. Norris; this T. Dawson was a
very nice steady man and had saved money so that the intrest
amounted to 50, or 60, a year yet he was as constant and dilegant at his loom as he ever was, he was a strange
looking man as I ever saw, he had a very large Nose, and that turned on one
side; but he was a very inocant harmles
man, and very much respected by every one who knew him, and he was Termed a
very Gradly man, and so was Old T. Norris called a Gradly [This word Gradly is a
very common word in Lancashire and has many a meaning. Honest, Friendly,
Truthful, propper etc.] man, but it was well
known T. Norris was somewhat Slippery in some of his actions. Mrs. Dawson was
quite a Snug Snod little woman, and she never had any
children in her life, yet it was thought fond of the "Crack of the
whip", and as I shall have to mention these two agean
in this history, you may Judge for yourselves. But to my
tale. Some how or other I had got to know that when Old Mary wanted to p
Tomy Dawson lifted the pp from under the Bed put it
on his Belly and Mary p in the. Bowl, it being a wooden pp this she could do
without geting out of bed. Now the Devil put into my head, or some of is
imps that if I could bore a hole in the bottom of this wooden pp there might be
some fun in this pp, so I mentioned the thing to Bob, Tom, and Dick Norris;
this project pleased all, and they determined to try what could be done, so
after considring various plans, it was agreed on that
I should occupy Old Tomy and Mary with some funny
tale, and Tom Norris was to be leaned on the side of the bed as if he was
sleepy, and being provided with a Gimblit, he soon
fixed the pp. Then Tom drew his chear closer to the five, and proposed that it was time we
was going home, --We did not hear anything of the pp till Monday afternoon,
when Old Mary came up to John Norrises, and Tom hapning to be in the house, she Old Mary attacted Tom something thus, "The little Blink eyed
son of a Bitch, tho thought thu
was doing a Big job in borink a hole throught the pp. Tom
denyed the charge flatly; Old John observed that it was like on of
Jack Grinnows trick, that was me, Old Mary said she
could clear Jack Grinnow, for he sat by the fire all
the time he was in the house;
Tom decleared his innocence in the
case, while Tom got nothing but curses,
You "darned Blink Eyed" son of a bitch". Old John Norris inquieted? what great damage had been done, for says John he could stop
the hoyle (hole) with a bit of peg, but still old Mary
keeped ?grining? at poor Tom, but would not tell the whole fun of it.
Christmas day and a very cold day too, I have been at home
all day, in short I am fast, there is such a sleet that I cant go, my horse is so Smooth that I cant ride him, and George is too lazy or something, that he has no coal nor will not have
any, only what people brings him, and I will try some other means before I will
carry coal to him or any other Smith. I
have been 8 or 9 days without a patient and as soon as I can get my horse to
the Creek, I will try to get my work done at some other place; if G. Barricks is
above his trade, I will try to do
without him. I have twised
a pice of Flannet for Mrs. Duling;
Yesterday I spooled it and Mam warped? it. I have heard
nothing from the wars for some time; it
has been very cold for sometime 8 or 9 days.
Then yesterday morning at 61?
above zero to day been very dull Cold and cloudy, very
likely for snow.
The fun was as old Tomy
told it himself to some neighbours just as we had
anticipated or pland;
for has he held the wooden pp. on his body the warm water ran throught the hold on to his body, "hold on Mary hold on, cryes Tomy thou are p----- by the
bow" (Bowl) but Mary declared she was right over it, and Tomy decleared she had p-------
by the Bow for all was wet, in the morning she examined the bowl, and they discovered the whole devilment, and
it was all saddled on T. Norris This was
the substance of the fun; but when it
got out to the public, it made many a merry fit of laughter but the contrivance
of it was laid on me; "fun says old
John Norris out lads never had that much Devilment in them, and it looks just like Jack G rinnow; I make no
doubt, but our Tom had a hand in it; yet if
old J. Norris was sorte of a Quaker he could not help
but laught at the trick."
I must relate one other circiumstances
or misschief that Dick and I did
on one of these Saturday nights. Dick
was keeping me company while Mam & Dad was gone
to town. But I am too fast with my
story: This Tomy
Norris, as I have said before, was a Sleek old fellow; and Old Mary Dawson
looked a little too young for her old T. Dawson; the Concequence
was; that Tomy Dawson eather
saw or thought he saw, something too Familliar betwix old T. Norris, Mary his wife: The result was a violant
quarril took place betwix
the two famalys, and it was quite a Neighbrood talk, and it was laughed and talked over in
every house, and Dick and I was now got old enough to understand something of
the subject, yet we were to young to particpate in
the talk except with ourselves; but we listened with all our Ears. It so
happened that Dick and I was talk over this Norris & Dawsons
scrape; when one of us proposed to make a Sungk(Song)
on this great quarril; I think it was myself that
proposed to make a Sunk on the subject;
but so it was, it was agreed on for us to try to make this Sunk, I could not
write at all in the form of writing, but
I could irritate print very expert, and
this was well known in all the Neighbrood, think this
was in the winter of 1813. So we set too,
to compose a song on this big quarril, and after
pondering our Brains for a long time, at last I blundered cut the three
following lines, in somewhat this Shape.
Gradly went to Gradly hease hease is the way they pronouced
house
And Gradly was
non awom awom, at home ;
non, not
Gradly kis owd Gradlys wife
owd, old
And wasn't that Gradly
done
here we stuck fast a long time before we
could make the other line, at last Dick with his head resting on his hands and
his elbows on his knees out with the fourth line which I thought was very
good; we then tryed
to compose another verse or two but we could get no further, at last Dick decleared the Sunk was finished, and he belived
there could be no more added to it, so we concluded it should go so; And I
found some paper and wrote down as above, it was agreed to pin it up on a tree
corner of wash-lane, about half a mile from T. Norrises
house, and about a mile from of Dawsons house, and we
would a fixed it up that night, but it was 10 o'clock, and we were expecting
Dad & Mam home every minut;
but it was agreed to put it upon Sunday night so on Sunday night being a very
Stormy night we state off with 4 or 5 nails and a hammer. We heard nothing of
it till the next Sunday morning when I saw Old T. Norris going into our house,
I guessed his buisness. I was out, listning
like a Duck in thunder, at last Mam called me in, as
soon as I got in the house, old Tomy showed the paper
with the verse on it he had pulled it down, but not ill a Dozen of copys had been taken from it, and I Guess 500 from them, when he showed me
the paper, I was quite Bluff, and knew nothing about it and my dad told Old Tomy he did not belive that it
was me that had wrote it. Tomy belived it was me that wore
it, and swore he would sue my dad for it.
My Dad told him he might Sue and Be Damned and I think Old Tomy was fool enough to go and get council of a Lawer, lot he never Sued dad; but it was not known for a
long time for a ceartinaly that we did the writing;
it so happened that Dick lad been to town by himself, and was coming home past
a Tavern, were was a Gang of men Drinking etc., they called him in and keeped giving him ale till Dick got tolarable
drunk, (for he was very fond of Ale) and they wheedled him to Confess the
whole; he toll them that Jack made the three first lines, and he Dick the
fourth line. After this when Dick and I would
fall in company they would Set n to Sing the verse, and many a Copper we
got; But whenever we would meet with old
T. Norris he would grin and Curse me for a Damn ?limping? Son
of a Bitch.
This year is nearly out, many a life has
been lost, and many brave men, and many fool lay at rest, and for what? Why for
the Negro, it is said, with a Great many, that philanthropy is there only Aim
and object, and to modrate the condition of the Negro
is all the wish for. Not any fool. that
wishes not to be blind, can see that this is only a plea, and that plea is Envy
they have to the Negro owener. Such mens princables, in the hearts and
minds are just the same towards there Neighbours who owens a horse or two or a Yoke of Oxen; this truth is
become Visable enough, and Glearing
enough in these times , when there is no law , but I have mentioned this befor.
To day a very cold windy day
, I cant stir out, I heard yesterday that Haverlys
Gaverly has done great reat
Execution in Stauton destroyed a great quantaty of Corn, wheat Flour Bacon etc.
It appears the Yankees will gain there
Object in this Great Strugle; whether it will be
right or wrong, or they are trying hard for it, but some think the Strugle is not ended by a long ways; there is a Great
rising in all comoditys, I give 40cts per lard for
Shirting cotton some five or Six week since, and now the same cotton is selling
at 50cts per yard, and other things goint upin like proportion and
how is it to be otherways, as long as the Government Issue fals or worthless money, flooding the Country with it, rasis the price of Gold, and comoditys
of all kinds, this I have I thnk mentioned before,
there is no way to come match with this false cappatle,
but for the Labourer to raise his wages, to meet this
false money; Yet it be hard for the farmers here abouts,
for Beeves in Baltimore market this fall sold very low, how then can the farmer
give higher wages to his hirelings
Last night and this morning the coldest
time thats been Since the 3 of Feb. 1836 last night at 7 o'clock Ther.
stood at 8 below zero,
this morning at
Since
I wrote last there has been a little more modrate Wether, and yesterday was quite warm and last night Rained,
but this morning the wind is got N. W.
and geting colder all the time. Since the lst there
has been a Rebel raid on N. Creek or at the head of Pattersons
Creek, they captured a number of Teams, some say 30 others say 40 teams, drawn
by Mules, the Yankees say there were 28 Teams, with from 4 to 6 Miles to a
team, and 75 prisnors, and they made said havock in taking horses etc., throughout this part., but
they are all gone, some say to the Shenandoah Valley, and it is said that Averly with 30,000 troops are in persute,
but I think this is all false; for if he bets in that Valley he would be in
danger.
Yesterday my Mare fell down with me and I
got very badly hurt in my brest, I cant tell how I hurt myself except
in Clinging to the mares neck, I was very bad for about 15 minuets after, and I
thought I should have died in the woods, but I got a little better, so as I
could ride home, I was still very bad when I got home for two hours till I took
a pint of Blood, this, morning I am very sore in my brest. I. Kitsmiller
returned from Knobley yesterday, and he said there
are 500 Caverly
in and about the Old-fields, I cant belive the
Report, for I cant see what they want there, or what they can get there, for betwix the two parties, they must have Striped that Neighbrood, but its my belief that if the Rebs are in that Neighbrood, they
will be on our mountain before long, and give it a Sweeping of Cattle horses
etc., but we are too poor to loose much, and perhaps too poor to venture a Rade among us; at least, the worst and the moast I wish they would stay away.
I am just returned from New Creek, been to
see a Girl of Jacob ?Knabshurs?, very sick of the Pluresy; and a Child of Dennies Duling I was bothered with piquets
etc., there are a Great many Soldiers about the Ford, all the finces burnt along the Creek. Last Saturday the Rebs
made another Raid, in the Neighbrood of Meddley, and Captured a large train of 88 wagons, and drove
the Union troops from Petersburg or they Evacuated; And then, true Enough, 150 Rebs came and Sweeped our mountain
of all the Cattle, they say of from 400, to 600 head of Cattle; it is expected that
Averly & Mulligan will head them before they can
get into the Valley.
Saturday, this has been a. very Cold
week, since Tuesday 16th, 17th, and
18th, the therm,
has been down below Zero, and on the 17th was at 120 below,
with a very high wind. I have not heard
of any accidents from the cold but I Guess we will
To day been to see E. Liller;
She is something better, yet not well by a long
way. I heard no News from the wars of
any account; some
Scouts are going up and down N. Creek, it is said that some of McNeals company are Strouting
about Moorefield.
On
Saturday last I went to see Mrs. A. Baker and Mrs. Rotruck.
Mrs. Baker is gone to
The war on the
The month of March is here, and this
was the day that the Draft was to take place; but it is reported that it is put
off till the 1st of April this may be so, but if a Draft is intended, this defer is only
a Sham to keep the folks from absconding; the News from the wars are very
conflicting, it was reported 10 days ago, that the Federals had been quite
Victorious in Florady and Tenn.. but
I it reported quite the reverse, and that a Gen. Smith had failed altogeather; and that Gen. Sherman was in danger of being cut
off; and that Gen. Lee Rebel was pushing
The news from the Potomac is of various Charactures, the last I saw was that Gen. Kilpatrick and
others was making some Strong advances on to Richmond, but since then I hear Verberl reports, and I guess its too true for this report
is from the Abolition party themselves; that these Yankee Gens.
have been repulsed, but how or where or how much I
have not understood. But I think that Mr. Chase is in a bad quandary at this
time; and it puzels him to keep things right; it is thought
that he intends to put a Stop to all Stats Banking, and to make his
Greenbacks the only leagal currancy,
now it this should be the case, it will make a Sad Crash in the Country; but it
willlower the price of gold, perhaps from its present
rates 161 1/4 to about 150; for thes states must have
1/4 or 1/2 of the Circulating courancy of the States,
and it would also lower the price of all comodatys
except Cotton.; but this change would be only for a few days, for its not known
how much Greenback are afloat at this time, and we will say nothing, or can say
nothing of the forgreys on the Greenbacks, and on
the 5, tens, 25 and 50 cts Shin plasters; it is not the Qualaty
of this fasls capital, but the Quantaty
that will kill Mr. Chase and will ruin A. Lincoln, it must do it Soon or late;
the bad effects of this paper money was bad enough in 1778 and 1779, but them,
was nothing to a few years after, hundreds of famalys
were ruined; and nothing can save this Nation from the same fate, eather now shortly, or at no very distant date, not all the
Machination of Mr. Chase, or A. Lincoln the pay day will come, even the intrist is not began to be paid. It is surprising to me,
that this Generation has such a short memory, not quite 88 years since, do the
people ever read there owen history, or are they wilfully blind? No; it is kind of Infatuation, a blind
Zeal, they have began a war, and for what? why, to do the Negro owener an Injure, and where, or when it will end no one can
tell, but I can tell one thing, it will bring on a Curse, or has brought on a
Curse, that no one now living will see the end of; but to Gratify the present
moments Spite, they will see themselves and there country in Utter ruin, and
with no other plea than the Negros Emanepation Equality.
Since I wrote last
, but little has been done with the fightin on
eather side:
except Gen. Kilpatrick, with some other Generals, had been intending to
have made a Sudin raid into
But this Financ,
and the money, or false Capital now afloat will be a dredful
curse to this country; and it must come on us Late or soon; who dare hoard
money of this kind, even Green-back; every man with half an Eye, or with the
least partical of Brains may see, if he is only
wishing to see; A. hinclon, Chase and all the Cabnit; cant be so Blind, What can be there
intentions? ceartainly men who wishes the wellfare
of there country, would not be Wilfully blind. If any. man will read the History of Nations will
see, that such policys has heretofore brought ruin to
the country; See the history of this country in 1779 which brought more Wo and misery than even the Revolution its self, and which
brought a Shame on the Americans that never has yet been wiped off; Thousand belive that this Government will redeem all this paper,
perhaps it will; but when we consider how many Thousands of this paper is
Forged; There are enough of Yankees smart enough to Forge Green-back, besides
5outheren Sharpers wise Enough to Counterfit
Green-backs and pass them her; I have often noticed people reciving
this paper, the never examain it no farther than to
see if its the propper amount figuer
on it, if its a Green-back, all right; The Forge the Genral
Deluge, will find as good a Grave as the Genuin
Green-back; and the Rich and poor, one grave is as good as the other, they will
all then be Equal Breathren.
Today started to go to J. Blackburn, got as
far as Hartmans, but could go no further, tth heavest snow storm came on,
and it averages about 21 inches at Hartmans was 18
inches, at home here 24 inches.