#VirginiaHistory

[47thpennvols]

Battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia, 19 October 1864 (Alfred Waud)

Alfred Waud's sketch of the Battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia, 19 October 1864 (U.S. Library of Congress, public domain).

[weemsbotts]

How to Catch a Burr

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

Caesar Augustus Rodney undoubtedly cursed the roads around Dumfries in March 1807. Tasked with advising President Thomas Jefferson on the situation with Aaron Burr, Rodney struggled to find fast transport out of Dumfries to verify Burr’s capture and whereabouts. In a series of letters that lamented the lengths he took to obtain accurate news, we can both emphasize his complaints against the roads and find some familiarity with his need for social networking.

On 03/22/1807, President Thomas Jefferson asked Rodney to meet with him to discuss ways of taking Burr to Richmond as fast as possible. Unfortunately for Burr, this was not for a social engagement or political campaign. Instead, it stemmed from his suspected treason and looming treason trial court case. On 03/26/1807, Rodney wrote to Jefferson bemoaning the roads noting it would take him three days to travel from Dumfries to Richmond. While Rodney waited for more horses, he reported,

“This gentleman says that Burr arrived at Fredericksburg yesterday about three O Clock. Reports stated that some country men who knew him apprehended him not far from thence in the woods where he was travelling alone. They called out some of the militia to their aid under whose charge he was brought to Fredericksbg & who sat off with him this morning for Richmond before the gentleman who is my informant left Fredericksburg which was at half past nine O. Clock. I think the information so far as it relates to Burr’s having been actually taken to Fredericksburg yesterday, & from thence this morning to Richmond. I presume the messenger sent by Genl. Dearborn reached Fredericksburg last night in the stage & not before, & that he has ordered Burr to Richmond.”

Rodney dramatically finished his letter as he hastened to Fredericksburg to verify these statements and Burr’s whereabouts, noting he deemed it “a duty I owe to you & my country.”

(The Arrest of Aaron Burr, The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library. "The arrest of Aaron Burr" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 10, 2023)

Rodney reported from Bowling Green the following day with more information regarding the particulars of Burr’s capture, including Burr’s disguise.

“On the subject of Burrs arrest &c. I received the following information from Mr. Farish the keeper of the Inn at Fredericksburg, to which they brought Burr. He had it from Perkins in whose charge he was. I send it to you lest no other more correct may have reached you yet, as we were without any intelligence on the subject when I left Washington.

Burr was discovered in disguise by the Sherif of —— within 15. or 20 miles of the Spanish lines. He was dressed in a pair of striped Virginia cloth trousers, a white country yarn jacket, an old drab surtout & an old white hat. The Sheriff rode on with him until he met a country man going to fort Stoddart by whom he sent for some soldiers. Burr knew not, that he was so near the fort. As soon as he saw the soldiers he was alarmed & asked where they were going. The Sheriff told him they were merely ordered to another station. The soldiers came up, presented arms at him, & told him to surrender. This he did without resistance. On his way, at some little village in South Carolina he got off from his horse & called on the people who had collected to protect him, told them he had been twice acquitted & was a persecuted man &c. They told the guard to take him on & he was compelled to mount once more.”

Rodney did not neglect to include a diatribe against the roads he deemed “so intolerably bad” as he lamented his harrowing journey to Fredericksburg followed by his carriage ride to Bowling Green. Rodney relied upon this news from Mr. Farish, proprietor of the Inn at Fredericksburg, who received the info from Mr. Perkins, the man in charge of the party leading Burr to Richmond. Supposedly, Burr was still in his disguise and wished to see or speak to no one on his forced travel.

Not having news media to rely upon, Rodney ceaselessly used his connections in Dumfries and Fredericksburg to receive updates and utilize his own scouts. He indicated waiting to see “Mr. Henderson of the Marine” to meet with his brother, but finding the brother had already departed Dumfries, Rodney turned to people arriving from Fredericksburg, reporting that “country men” apprehended Burr as he traveled the countryside alone near Fredericksburg. Once Rodney reached Fredericksburg, he confirmed that Burr had received habeas corpus, which he was unable to prevent. However,

“I wrote to Mr. Hay to employ two of the ablest counsel, lest Burr should then anticipate us. I shall in consultation add a third when I get there. I presume Wirt & Wickham will be employed by Mr. Hay, unless Burr has retained Wickham immediately on his arrival.”

The trial began on 05/22/1807 in Richmond. Rodney, George Hay, William Wirt, and Alexander McCrae served as the prosecution while Edmund Randolph, John Wickham, Benjamin Botts (woo!), Charles Lee, and Luther Martin served as the defense, along with Burr. While not discussing the actual trial (it deserves multiple blogs!), Burr’s alleged attempt to take over portions of the Louisiana Territory and declare himself Emperor always raises a few eyebrows. As our young country was still flexing its international muscles and trying to retain a place of dignity and strength as a global force while maintaining neutrality, the threat of war with Spain was a very real possibility, and Burr’s decision to step down as Jefferson’s Vice President was quickly followed by his communication with his friend General James Wilkinson, the new governor of the Louisiana Territory. A series of letters between the two highlight Burr’s planned military expedition as well as his attempts to garner support on his behalf, correspondents later claiming Burr attempted to incite the people in the territory against the U.S.

Much of the trial focused on Blennerhassett’s Island, where resources, supplies, and people had started amassing for the military campaign. Burr and his brilliant defense argued that he was one hundred miles away from the island at the time of the trial, and if the people on the island did not face treason, neither should Burr. Presiding Chief Justice John Marshall agreed in his incredible three-hour opinion read to the court. Marshall then excluded any evidence related to the island, pretty much ensuring the jury could not find Burr guilty on the Neutrality Act charge.

President Jefferson was unhappy. He considered a range of actions against Marshall, including possible impeachment, but most of his anger and rage vented through letters. On 09/20/1807, he wrote to General Wilkinson,

“…the scenes which have been acted at Richmond are such as have never before been exhibited in any country where all regard to public character has not yet been thrown off. they are equivalent to a proclamation of impunity to every traiterous combination which may be formed to destroy the Union: and they preserve a head for all such combinations as may be formed within, and a center for all the intrigues & machinations which foreign governments may nourish to disturb us.”

As Jefferson continued to fume at Marshall, really demonstrating the unique and tense relationship between the two, Burr made sure to absent himself from further trials. Notably, after hearing news regarding the state of unrest in Texas in the 1830s, he remarked, “There! You see? I was right! I was only thirty years too soon. What was treason in me thirty years ago, is patriotism now.” Even today, scholars still debate the treason charge. As for Botts? He did not receive a great review from Jefferson either,

“Burr preserves a firm Mind & his Talents & resources are on the stretch, He can instruct his Counsel, yet he is ably supported by Wickham & Martin, and Botts appears to be an indefatigable, act[ive,] scrutinizing drudge.”

Read all the court case documents here along with excellent historic contextual info!

Note: Did you read the latest May 2023 edition of The Town Crier? Instead of frowning and shaking your head no, click here to read about upcoming free programs with HDVI!

(Sources: “From Thomas Jefferson to Caesar Augustus Rodney, 22 March 1807,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-5331. [This is an Early Access document from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. It is not an authoritative final version.]; “To Thomas Jefferson from Caesar Augustus Rodney, 26 March 1807,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-5360. [This is an Early Access document from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. It is not an authoritative final version.]; “To Thomas Jefferson from Caesar Augustus Rodney, 27 March 1807,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-5369. [This is an Early Access document from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. It is not an authoritative final version.]; “From Thomas Jefferson to James Wilkinson, 21 June 1807,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-5788. [This is an Early Access document from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. It is not an authoritative final version.]; Linder, Douglas O. Famous Trials: The Treason Trial of Aaron Burr. UMKC School of Law: https://famous-trials.com/burr/156-home)

[georgiapioneers]

https://virginiapioneers.net/where-to-find-your-virginia-ancestors/

[secretvirginia]

Most Haunted Plantations in Virginia

#virginia #plantation #hauntedplantation #virginiahistory

Hidden away down tree-shaded lanes, stately manors remind passersby of a bygone era when parasol ladies in bright dresses strolled past enslaved workers tilling the fields. Today they are historic sites, museums, or private homes, but something from the past remains. Perhaps you can catch a glimpse of a smokey figure at one of these most haunted plantations in Virginia. Elmwood Photo courtesy…

[theremightbecupcakespodcast]

In the late afternoon with a ginormous chai black tea latte, reading for the next two episodes already. Books are House of Leaves (to continue the series) and Something Needs to Be Done About Prince Edward County: A Family, A Virginia Town, A Civil Rights Battle by Kristin Green, for my infrequent Virginia true crime series, Against the Peace and Dignity of the Commonwealth. #blackhistorymonth #blackhistory #history #virginia #virginiahistory #schoolintegration #kristingreen #memoirs #houseofleaves #markzdanielewski #podcastseries #theremightbecupcakes ♥️♥️♥️🧁🧁🧁 #bookstagram #bookpodcast #bookpodcaster #bookpodcasts #trypod #podcast #beyourownheroine #podcasts #podernfamily #ladypodsquad #readersofinstagram (at Starbucks) https://www.instagram.com/p/CaVba8SFZZY/?utm_medium=tumblr

[tidewatergone]

Mount Wharton, near Accomack, Virginia. HABS photo, Library of Congress ( HABS VA,1-____,3--1)

Survey notes: “Main house approx. 25 x 50 feet and has cellar. South end gable…of brick. This end in ruins July 1940. Scalloped shingles on main hose and [south] wing.” 

Later additions on early houses are quite common, and Eastern Shore houses often have “telescoping” series of added rooms, making the houses much longer than they are deep. Mount Wharton shows a good example of that trend. The addition likely represents one or more  18th or 19th century add-ons to the core 18th century building.  Note the exposed frame and rafters in the ruined section of the building and also the small outbuilding behind.

No longer extant, near as I can tell.

[ashmarie1687]

When you work for an organization that is a steward of an historic home, and you have the chance to tour that home and bring tour groups to the home, you suddenly begin to see more of the angles and aesthetics. It’s a supplement to its 260+ year history.

[officeofspecialpoliticscounsel]

🇺🇸MAGA ROLLER COASTER🇺🇸 "This Day In History" #maga #history #general #generallee #confederate #confederateflag #virginia #virginiahistory #americanhistory #america #civilwar #civilwarhistory #confederatestatesofamerica #union #soldiers #veterans #thisdayinhistory #historyfacts #warhistory #trump #trumptrain #trumpmemes #donaldtrump #republican #soldier #usa #robertelee #happybirthday #army #makeamericagreatagain https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs0bVtWAu-A/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=wmwv1fmlgjyt

[amnglobalmedia]

[OUTREACH 🌍📍] United States (AMNG) Are you wondering how you could celebrate #Juneteenth? -🎁 Support a Black business -🏤Visit a Black History Museum -🏦 Donate to a Black organization -📙Read a book by a Black Author -❌ Help put an end to Racism -🇺🇸 Learn about the real history of America #htx #galveston #newyorkcityhistory #marylandhistory #restorativejustice #ushistory #collaboration #beautifultosee #building #goodfaith #workingtogether #reparationsmovement #movements #northamericahistory #emancipationproclamation #goodbuild #virginiahistory #beapartofthishistory #freedmanhistory #protectedclass #learning #causes #alabama #mississippi #atlanta #ga https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce69PdkvBrp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[hamiltonglass]

Today is the last live painting session for the 10 #freshpaint #exhibit artist at @virginiahistory, but be sure to get tickets for the Opening Cocktail Reception with Artist Conversations at the #virginiahistoricalsociety on Friday, Oct. 26! Meet the #artists and learn about their #creative process, sip cocktails and enjoy hors d’oeuvres while listening to a local DJ, see a ceremonial signing by the artists and check out the exhibition after hours, and get your own copy signed of the new book that inspired the exhibition. Learn more at virginia history.org . 📷 by @styleweekly . #whosham #rva #rvaarts #rvamurals #wallart #knowurhistory #virginiahistory #wallart #art #artlife #vhmc #dmv #loveva #artober https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo1KLiOFdwx/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1fl2wyydiecf9

[47thpennvols]

"On the Advance to Fisher's Hill: Forward the Skirmishers" (Alfred Waud, 22 September 1864, courtesy of the U.S. Library of Congress, public domain)

American Civil War artist Alfred Waud's depiction of Union Army troops advancing on Confederate forces during the Battle of Fisher's Hill, Virginia on 22 September 1864.

[weemsbotts]

How Bull Run Mountain Got Its Name. Maybe.

By: Lisa Timmerman, Executive Director

Virginia folk legends embrace every aspect of our state, whether recording the details of a famous person, event, or location. Folklore is literally everywhere, from the graffiti found in public restrooms to documented narratives collected during the Virginia Writer’s Project in the 1940s. While the name “Bull Run” may automatically trigger Civil War history in your mind, go back further with Miss M.A. Ewell interviewed by Susan R. Morton in Haymarket, undated (1937-1942). Based on the date of Ms. Morton’s other interviews in PWC, this was probably recorded in 1941. Ms. Morton indicated she heard the same version of this tale told by others in the community.

(Kitchin, Thomas. A new map of Virginia from the best authorities. [London: London Magazine, 1761] Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/2001627679/)

When the first settlers made their way along the Carolina Road which led from the Susquehanna to the Carolinas, the mountains to the west were of sinister repute. Wolves abounded, catamounts yowled in the night, and always there was the danger of brigands who hid there to waylay the travelers along the trail, to say nothing of the fierce Indians. So cattle that escaped from the droves along the road were often left behind rather than risk the dangers of a prolonged hunt for them on the mountainside. Thus it was a young bull breaking away from some settlers bringing their stock with them was left to roam at will. It grew to unusual proportions, and together with its great size, became so fierce that it was before long felt to be as great a menace to the peace of the community within a few miles of the mountain as the wild animals that roamed there at will. Hunters came home with tales of being chased by this ferocious beast, who seemed to have a great dislike for men. His body was massive and the footprints showed a cloven hoof that might have belonged to some animal that roamed the hills before the advent of man. His roar could be heard over half a mile, yet, in spite of his size, which would have been supposed to make him ungainly, he was so swift that nine had ever been able to [get] within shot of him. With the approach of winter he came near the dwellings of the settlers at the foot of the mountain, frightening women and children, several of whom had had a narrow escape; so it was finally decided to form a group of well-armed men and run the bull until captured, the one to fire the fatal shot to have the meal.

The news of the proposed chase was spread throughout the countryside, and it was a challenge to the men to show their courage and skill, as well as a promise of a good supply of meat. The day designated found a large sports-loving group assembled at the foot of the mountain where the trail could be easily followed. Some of the men went from a sense of duty to rid the section of a menace; others in the hope of adding to their frugal fare in the winter to come; and the younger men for the joy of such heroic sport. They started at sunrise, and it was not until after several hours of hard work and futile riding that they came in sight of their quarry, who took them in mad pursuit over the rough trails, through heavy underbrush, showing remarkable speed for an animal of his size. Some of the horses became exhausted, some riders too, until finally as the autumn dusk became near there were but a very few left. However, the bull had slowed his pace, and finally he turned in a small ravine and was about to charge when two almost simultaneous shots felled him.

This led to an argument as to who had fired the shot that reached his heart first. But it was finally settled to the apparent satisfaction, and the victor proceeded to claim the spoils. Finding the carcass more than he could handle, he promised a hundred weight to anybody who could stay and help him skin it and cut it up. This was accomplished, but darkness was upon them by then, so the helper left with a forequarter for himself, and a hindquarter strapped to the back of the victor’s horse, which he was to lead back and get the man;s son to come with a fresh horse as well as his to carry down the remainder of the meat. He built a fire to warm himself as well as keep prowling beasts away. He cooked himself bits of the meat while he waited with growing impatience for the returning rider. He was very exhausted from the day’s work and excitement, and it was cold as the night drew on, so he wrapped himself in the hide of the bull and before long was in a sound sleep.

So sound in fact that he did not hear a rider approach. The rider, instead of his expected son, was the one that had helped with the skinning of the bull. He had merely taken it to his home, kept the other horse there, and returned with a fresh horse to get the rest of the meat, expecting that by a delay he would find owner asleep. He proceeded to cut ip the meat so that it could be tied to the horse. He worked hastily in the darkness so he could get away before the return of the owner, whom he thought had merely gone a short distance in search of help. To complete the job, he tied the tail of the bull to the horse and started off at a gallop to get out of sight as soon as possible. All at once he heard terrified screams and curses coming out of the hide, the sleeper being so rudely awakened and realizing that he, as well as the meat, was being stolen. [He] soon caught the culprit, a desperate fight ensuing. Searchers later found them both, too battered to make their way home, and an easy prey for wolves.

While unique to the area, the folklore of the bull falls into recognizable world-wide motifs. Thompson’s motif-index and the Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index (ATU) are extremely helpful when analyzing folktales. These descriptive and exhaustive catalogues identify common motifs across all cultures, providing a structured and organized hierarchy that we can use to find similar folktales. This folk legend falls within three of those motifs: Devastating Bull, Bellow of bull heard over great distance, and Task: killing fierce bull. According to Thompson’s motif-index, these cross with both Greek and Irish folktales. The people telling their narratives relied upon their family’s experiences, oral stories, and their own knowledge to craft an understanding of the region they inhabited. According to Folklorist Thomas E. Barden, place names “support the attitudes and morals of their group, express its anxieties, give advice, and recognize and sometimes resolve social and personal ambiguities.” It can also entertain, identify important issues to the culture, features of the land, and change/evolve. While Miss Ewell told a tale warning of dangerous animals, greed, and honesty, perhaps you heard something different from your family and friends. Folklore and history are not static – as we continue analyzing primary documents and pulling at the threads of folktales for tasty historical nibbles, we constantly evaluate and gain better insight into the people living in Virginia.

Note on transcribed interviews: A subsidiary of the WPA Federal Writers’ Project, Virginia field workers collected over 3,850 folklore across sixty-two counties from 1937–1942.

(Sources: Barton, Thomas E., ed. Virginia Folk Legends. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1991)

Note: Did you know we host everything from classes crafting beautiful winter décor to monthly sessions focused on literary & historic short stories featuring a delicious tea from local shop Leaf & Petal? You can find all our current seasonal events here!

[caycearchives-blog]

On today’s date in 1952 Gladys Davis married fellow A.R.E. member Al Turner. Gladys Davis Turner (1905-1986) served as Edgar Cayce’s stenographer and secretary beginning in 1923 and dedicated her life to protecting the archives of the Cayce work. She built her cottage, "Glad Niche," in the early 1950s. Mary Ellen Carter in “My Years with Edgar Cayce: The Personal Story of Gladys Davis Turner” writes that the cottage, “situated adjacent to the headquarters property, ...was already a lovely setting which Al enhanced by his labors as nurseryman and gardener. He taught the many children who came to visit how to respect and care for the natural environment - reminding Gladys of Edgar Cayce's own love of nature" (138-139).  These photographs reside in the archives of the Edgar Cayce Foundation and are open for research.

citation:

Mary Ellen Carter, “My Years with Edgar Cayce: The Personal Story of Gladys Davis Turner.” New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, 1972.

[fractialis]

Another photo of the former Hotel Danville in downtown Danville, Virginia. #danville #danvilleva #virginiahistory #virginia #architecture #architecturephotography #historicarchitecture (at Danville, Virginia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXMEObClYbY/?utm_medium=tumblr

[ofgraveconcern]

27th July 1586, English explorer, politician, spy and pirate (according to the Spanish), Sir Walter Raleigh brings the first tobacco to England from Virginia. The plant was already known to the English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese, who referred to it as the "sacred herb", because it was considered medicinal. The first recorded use in England of it being smoked, was recorded by English clergyman William Harrison in 1573. Despite its popularity, Stuart King James I, and VI of Scotland, wrote of his dislike of tobacco in a pamphlet titled ‘A Counterblaste to Tobacco’ in 1604; stating that it was a custom ‘ lothsome to the eye, hatefull to the Nose, harmefull to the braine, and dangerous to the Lungs’, On the same day and year, English astronomer Sir Thomas Harriot, who is also known to history as the first person to draw a map of the moon, brings the first potatoes to Europe; on return to England after being part of Sir Walter Raleigh’s Roanoke expedition. The potato became a staple of European food by the 19th century, especially in Ireland, staving off famine, throughout periods of war, and climate change triggered by the last interval of the Little Ice Age. 29th July 1588, the Spanish Armada fleet is scattered and damaged by the English Navy, following the Battle of Gravelines in the Spanish Netherlands. On the previous day, the English had sailed fireships into the armada which began the breaking up of the ships’ close formation. Both navies after the battle suffered horrifically with the English ships suffering an outbreak of typhus, with further disease and starvation killing the sailors. The Spanish Armada with many damaged ships after the battle were pursued by the English until (Continued in the comments). #walterraleigh #sirwalterraleigh #elizabethi #elizabethan #tobaccoleaf #virginiahistory #jamesi #potatohistory #potato #roanoke #roanokevirginia #16thcentury #ageofdiscovery #spanisharmada #tudorhistory #littleiceage #shipwreck #shipwrecks #thespanisharmada #sirfrancisdrake #britishhistory #englishhistory #claypipe #claypipes #claypipesmoker #historicalstory #historystory #thehumblepotato #thepotato #tobaccopipe https://www.instagram.com/p/CR9Q6uInAWF/?utm_medium=tumblr

[hamptonroadswanderer]

Spent the day at Jamestown Settlement. It was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed everything, especially the outdoor areas. I would have spent more time in the indoor exhibits but my 5 year old was rushing through a little. I definitely didn’t remember the indoor exhibits being as awesome the last time I went to Jamestown for a field trip in elementary school. Right now, the Virginia resident pass is only $28.50 for a yearly pass if you purchase online! #jamestown #history #jamestownsettlement #williamsburg #hamptonroads #virginiahistory (at Jamestown Settlement) https://www.instagram.com/p/CN5xTAKh-gK/?igshid=1p88menri1l8h