Notes of Jefferson County: The Academy and its Founders

NOTES ON JEFFERSON COUNTY.
NO. 6 — The Academy and its Founders.

Editors of the Spirit of Jefferson:
As I expect, very soon, to bring these Notes to a close, it may be well to reiterate a few observations, made either substantially or by implication already– in order that those who may not have seen my previous Notes, may understand the objects, (aiming at the general good–both of rich and poor)– that impel me. From the time I first took up my pen, during the snow-storm, to condense these reminiscences– my aim has been to set the people of Jefferson county to inquiring–

Whether the District School System of Jefferson county be, or be not, worthy of all that it costs; and tenfold more than it has yet cost, provided it eventuate, even half a century hence, in carrying the facilities of a thorough education, in language and science, to the doors of the most illiterate and vicious of our population.

Whether it would be, or would not be, of any interest to each of the 27 School Districts, to keep up, within its limits, or convenient thereto, a thoroughly educated teacher, able to teach to pupils, at least the elements of Latin, Greek, Metaphysics, and Natural Science. In other words,–

Whether the time has arrived, or has not, when the Commissioners might safely recommend to the people resident in or near the four great centres of our population, to-wit: Shepherdstown, Charlestown, Harpers-Ferry and Smithfield, the erection, at once, of four High Schools — on in each of those four places– at the expense of the county– with a sufficient number of teachers, to teach the higher branches, both useful and ornamental to both poor and rich, on equal terms.

Whether the poor children, both in town and country, ought or ought not, to be sought out, and placed in a school, in a quiet manner, so as not to wound those delicate sensibilities which belong to genius, and sometimes most delicate when crushed down by penury.

Whether such, even if discovered on the slopes of the Blue Ridge, in rags and filth, might or might not be so generously provided for as to secure to them opportunity for progressing as far up the “Hill of Science” as they would be willing to go. And finally—

Whether it was, or was not, a prominent design, with the forefathers of this community, in 1795, to found an Academy where ample provision should by made for the gratuitous education of the children of the poor.

As to the last point, I have already replied by quoting, in a former note, the very first section of the rules and regulations, adopted at first; but it is worthy of being repeated, and is as follows: “It shall be kept in view, as a future object of the institution, to be carried into effect when the funds shall allow of it, to admit a convenient number of youths to be taught gratis.”

I proceed now with the sketches; and will hasten to the end of the list.

XV– James Hite.– This gentleman was the father of Col. Thomas Hite, and resided on the same estate on which the latter now lives. He was an active service in the war of 1812, as an officer of our militia; and was in command of the Jefferson Regiment (the 55th V.M.) for many years afterwards.

XVI– Chris. Collins.– Father of Capt. Thomas Hammond’s second wife, and grand father of Mrs. Dr. Burnett. He was a Baptist Minister; and had a school of high repute, about 2 1/2 miles north of Charlestown.

XVII– Matthew Frame.– Long known here as a prosperous merchant, and previously engaged in merchandizing at C[E?]eeler’s Mill, where a very active business was done more than three-fourths of a century ago. Mr. Frame was a native of Ireland; but married here, and reared a family. His only son– John James Frame– was thrown from a gig, and killed, in 1834. The daughters married Fayette Washington, Dr. S. C. Snyder, and —- Beall. — a few years ago. The mansion, so long occupied by Mr. F., is now the property and residence of James L. Ranson.

XVIII– Magnus Tate.– Of this gentleman, all I know is, that he lived in Martinsburg– was a brother of Wm. Tate, whose widow (Abigail North Tate) lives now at Belvidere, near Charlestown; and that, among the sisters of these two gentleman, were Mrs. Daughtery, wife of the late Capt. Patrick Daugherty, and another lady, long since deceased, Mrs. Muse, the mother of Mrs. Hierome L. Opie, senior, and of Mrs. Dr. John H. Lewis, and of Mrs. Wm. C. Walton.

– [ERRATUM.– I have been recently informed, by Mrs. Anna Kearsley, that it was more probably the father of both William and Magnus, [and grandfather of the present Dr. John and George Tate,] whose name appears on this ancient list. The house where he lived was father [further] towards the Spring on that beautiful slope where Belvidere, by the way, is supposed by many to be one of the most beautiful situations within the limits of this beautiful county; and to this opinion, I see no cause to object]

XIX– Edward Gantt.– Nothing known of this gentleman except that he lived on Bullskin, near McCurdy’s Mill.

XX.– John St. Clair.– Nothing known of this name; but it is supposed to be the same as written Sinclair. Wm. Z. Sinclair, of Bullskin– related to Dr. R. S. Blackburn– is supposed to have been a relative of his.

XXI.– James Hammond.–XXII.– Jos. Dean,– Nothing known of these gentlemen.

XXII– Thomas Rutherford, jr.– This gentleman married Mary Darke, daughter of the celebrated General who will come under review at No. XXX, of this table. A daughter of this marriage now resides at her family mansion, Piedmont. Mrs. Sarah Briscoe, widow of the late Dr. John Briscoe. The widow of Mr. Rutherford afterwards married Capt. Manning, the father of Nathaniel W. Manning, Jacob Manning, Monroe Manning, and father-in-law of Dr. Waugh.

XXIV– John Bate– Nothing known of this name. Smalley Bates, of Louisville, and the late Mrs. Wager, of Harper’s-Ferry, mother of James Bate Wager, Gerrard Bond Wager, and mother-in-law of Noah H. Swayne, of Columbus, Ohio, were probably relatives of his.

XXV– Andrew Taws– Lived on Bullskin, near Wm. Lee’s estate. Nothing further known of him.

XXVI– William Cherry– This gentleman, known as Capt. Cherry, was an Englishman. He kept a tavern in the oldest house of Charlestown– which house is still standing, in a lot adjoining Mr. Thos. Rawlins’ residence; and is his property. The diagonal situation of the house, with regard to the lot, is owning to the fact, that the public road, “from Winchester down below,” passed in colonial times, along there, before the town was laid out– and the house being erected parallel to the highway, could not possibly accommodate itself to the new fangled lanes, streets and alleys, of Capt. Chas. Washington’s town-speculation. Vernable house! Let every son of Charlestown hold thee up, shouldst thou ever begin to totter down!

In olden times, Mr. Matthew Frame (No. XVII, kept a store in the building opposite Capt. Cherry’s Tavern– that is to say, in the identical house where Mr. Hogan’s school is now taught; and the Winchester road passed between these houses, and to the right or Northward of the mill.

XXVII.–Edward Tiffen– This gentleman was a preacher of the Gospel in the Methodist connection. Among the private houses, where he preached and held class meetings, was that of a Mr. Bogges, about half a mile above Halltown, a short distance North of where the road now passes. No vestige of the house now remains. He was a physician, and practised extensively– thus, as the Apostles of old, uniting the consolations of religion with the “healing art” of a “good physician.” He resided in (and I believe owned) the mansion, near the Market, now in the possession of Lawson Botts. About fifty years ago, he removed to Ohio, and was not long afterwards elected Governor of that State. One of the counties of that vigorous young commonwealth bears his name. Whether he was a native of Jefferson, I know not, but his wife was, and so was her father. Her maiden name was Mary Worthington, daughter of Robert junior. His father, who was called, previous to the revolution, R. W. senior, came from England with Wm. Penn, and brought out settlers for the infant colony of Penn’s Woods, (the English of “Pennsylvania.”) Afterwards, he came to the woods of Virginia, here– about 1725-’30. For some interesting particulars about these ancient progenitors of Mrs. Tiffen, I am indebted to George Isler, whose mother, in her childhood, often saw the widow of that old patriarch. The aboriginal Indians, then living in this region, used to come to that old widow’s house, to beat their hominy in her mortar. A will, made in 1779, devising all the estate inherited from the patriarch by the son, R. W. jr., naming particularly the heirs in the third degree viz: Mrs. Tiffen, her sister Margaret, and her four brothers, was shown to me by Mr. Isler since these sketches began to appear in print. See XIV.

XXVIII– Smith Slaughter, XXIX.– Joseph Minghini.– Concerning these gentlemen, the knowledge I have is so meagre, that I have almost nothing to relate. The former I remember distinctly, as a man of vernable appearance, with long grey locks standing by the side of Major Braxton Davenport, (his young colleague,)– standing, I say, at the hustings, and bowing their thanks to the voters: for in that court house, in those old times, every voter, from every extreme of the county, had to travel to the county site to record his vote. That, perhaps, was the last time that ever the old legislator appeared before the people of Jefferson. He and Maj. D. were both successful over Jos. McMurran and Rich’d Duffield; Wm. B. Page, over Mackey for the Senate; and Maj. Stephenson, (no comp titer against him) for Congress. James L. Ranson, (Deputy Sheriff) in the flush of young manhood, stood erect; and with clarion voice, proclaimed vote after vote, the livelong day– so as to be heard through the dense crowd in and around the court house. When there was rain causing high waters, the polls were kept open three days. Two neices of Capt. Slaughter– one Miss S., a maiden lady– the other Mrs. Eichelberger– recently from Darkesville, are at present residents of Charlestown.

Of Mr. Minghini (XXIX) all I know is, that he was a proprietor of the old Sulphur Spring in Berkeley, near the Opequon. By the way, that old water is far superior to much of the new. I know this– having withn a few days past, stopped to drink there “of the brook in the way”– literally so, in the highway: for it is a desolate ruin. There is not a sound of a dog within hearing– nor the crowing of a cock. I stopped as I passed along in the starlight; for the purple stream, and the whole air, were fragrant with sulphur. As I lapped the waters, after the manner of Gideon’s 300, I saw the incrustations of blue, on the slate in that little valley– every thing, by a forcible contrast, starting up afresh life like recollections of the through of gay visitors whom I used to see, annually resorting thither in the days of my childhood.

XXX– William Darke– His name belongs to the Biography of American Heroes; nor is it unknown in the early statesmanship of Virginia. Gen. Darke was in the State convention of 1788, and voted on the Federal Constitution. He was badly wounded at St. Clair’s defeat; and his son, Capt. Joseph Darke was slain. He served previously in the revolution, and suffered long a prisoner. There is a tradition that, on his return from confinement, he stopped at a tavern where a bird was encaged. He bought it from the landlady for one dollar, and immediately threw it up, telling it to go free, as he [k]new the life of prison. He was one of the Rangers of 1755, (then 19 years old) serving under Washington, in Braddock’s ill-managed march towards Fort Du Quesne. He was born in Pennsylvania; but came to this neighborhood when 6 years old, in 1741, with his father. The splendid estate where he was reared, and where he reared his family was on Elk Branch, Duffield’s Depot being included in it. Among his grand children, are– John W. Duffield, Mrs. Sarah Briscoe and her half sister, Mrs. Mary Waugh, and half brother Mr. N. W. Manning all of this neighborhood, excepting the first, J. W. Duffield.