One Hundred Years Ago

 

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1922. 

QUINTON 

“The snow, the snow, the beautiful snow”—that is to the beaux and belles as they speed over it as only lovers can, while the sleigh bells give music to the occasion. It makes one who has passed courting days sigh for the days of his youth, but the mill can never grind with the water that has passed. We have had our pleasures and our sorrows, and so it will be with all. 

This is one of the worst snow storms for many years. The poor dumb creatures suffer, both the domestic animals and the wild game of the forest. Beautiful partridges are coming from the woods where they have been hiding from the huntsmen. The farmers are feeding them. 

Young Whit Tunstall*, who is a fine farmer and good sportsman in season, says he has put away his gun. He has killed this season twelve wild turkeys, seven deer, and no telling how many squirrels and rabbits. Returns from a shipment of fur caught this season amounted to $194. He now has more to sell. He is an expert trapper. Now he is knitting a shad seine that will be ready when the fish begin to run. All this will be over in time for farming. He has the prettiest fields of wheat and oats to be found and over 500 bushels of Irish potatoes ready for market. There are many other young men who are making money by farming.

There was general sorrow all through New Kent when it was reported that Dr. C. L. Bailey† had sold his- beautiful farm to Mr. Richard McCormick near Quinton. Dr. Bailey has been here twenty years—one of the most beloved and successful doctors we ever had. He is going to locate at Highland Springs. He says he cannot stand the terrible roads in New Kent. He is quite a young man and has only his wife. He could have retired from practice years ago and lived at ease the rest of his life. He will have a fine field to work and fine roads.

Mr. C. W. Bowry¹is building a fine dwelling on the farm bought some time ago. Will move in the spring to his new home. 

Johnson Miller will soon move into his new dwelling near Quinton.

Mr. Riley, of Gloucester, who bought several large tracts of timber near Quinton will soon finish cutting the timber. Mr. Walker, his brother-in-law, is general manager. 

Our faithful rural mail carrier is having a hard time as only a half of the route from Quinton can be made in one day. No one complains, though we certainly miss our mail, especially as we can do nothing this weather but keep fires, feed the stock, and read our paper all day and our Bible at night. The school teachers and children are having a difficult time getting to school. 

Hens have struck. Say they will not lay until the weather breaks up. Now for 75c eggs again!      

                                                                  Truthful Jeems.

- West Point News,  3 February 1922

*Whitmel Pearson Tunstall Jr.,(Jan 13 1890-April  28 1979). W. P. Tunstall Jr. lived at White Hall.

† Dr. Charles Llewellyn Bailey (May 14 1876- Aug 1 1929)

¹ Charles W. Bowery, (Sep 9 1866- Dec 23 1951), The property date fits the house on Henpeck Road.

Keyes Tries to Justify his Actions . . . and Inactions

Some final words on the July 1863 raid/diversion . . .

 . . . well I have to admit this is the first time I've heard New Kent compared to the Vendée
  
. . . but in the end his justifications did him little good.

"On the correspondence between General Keyes and myself, I make no comment but leave it to speak for itself." Part II

-The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies: Chapter XXXIX - Operations in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Department of the East. June 3-August 3, 1863.

"On the correspondence between General Keyes and myself, I make no comment but leave it to speak for itself."

-The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies: Chapter XXXIX - Operations in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Department of the East. June 3-August 3, 1863

Action at Tunstall's May 1863

 The Daily Dispatch.

      Wednesday morning . . . May 6, 1863.

The fight at Tunstall's

Brief allusion was made yesterday to the repulse of a Yankee cavalry detachment at Tunstall's Station, on the York River railroad. It appears that the 46th Virginia regiment, Col. Duke. was on the way from the White House to Richmond, when information was received from a young lady (whose patriotism deserves all praise) that the Federal cavalry was moving in the direction of Tunstall's, evidently for the purpose of destroying that portion of the road Col. Duke immediately dispatched four companies, commanded respectively by Captains Hoffman, Yates, Abbott, and White, upon a train of cars, for the purpose of giving them a suitable reception. They arrived there about 11 o'clock A. M.Monday, and discovered the Yankees within two hundred yards of the road. They discharged their carbines at the train, when our men leaped off, and taking the best positions they could find along the embankment, returned the fire, and soon put them to fight.--The enemy left six or seven dead, and had several wounded — among them Lieut March, of the 12thIllinois cavalry, with about a dozen others, including a guide named Fleming Patman. Col. Duke's men, being infantry, could not pursue. Our scouts afterwards reported that the cavalry picketed five miles distant from the road, on the Pamunky.--There is a rumor that Col. Davis, the leader of this gang, was seriously wounded in the engagement, but we do not vouch for the correctness of the statement. 

Wrenn's cavalry reached the city yesterday morning from the White House, and brought intelligence that this detachment of Yankees had retired beyond the Pamunky. We received information last evening that the road was clear to the White House, and uninjured. 

Capt. Pearce, Gen. Wise's Adjutant General, lost two horses, having been surrounded by the enemy. He and his party, eight in number, barely escaped capture, having been compelled to take to the river and swim.

Adventure of a Hanoverian taken prisoner by the Yankees. 

--Among the prisoners lodged in Castle Thunder to Vay (today?)was Fleming Patmen, a native and resident of Hanover, of respectable standing, who was captured by Gen. Wise's forces near the scene of the skirmish with the Yankees at Tunstall's Station, on Monday morning, and who was sent to Richmond as a supposed spy. This charge will doubtless, be dismissed on investigation. It seems that when the Yankees appeared in Hanover on Sunday Patman and other neighbors were at church, and that on returning home from it, he and a neighbor named Alex. Wingfield rode towards the Bash church, near Mrs. Goodall's, to reconnoitre (sic) and to meet some of their friends, who proposed to concert measures for resisting the Yankees.--It was found that the Yankees had been by the church and dispersed those who proposed to assemble, and captured Eldridge Cross, a neighbor. On the return of Wingfield and Patman towards their homes they were taken prisoners by the Yankee cavalry, led by Col. Davis, of the 12th Illinois. These troopers had a large number of mules and horses and negroes, which they had stolen from the farmers, and, taking the three men with them, proceeded to Ashland. Their proceedings there have been given in detail. From Ashland they pushed on towards the Central Railroad, and, arriving there Sunday night, burnt the depot buildings, all the Government wagons, tents, &c, and stole all the mules and horses they could lay their hands on, and staid all night near the scene of their depredations. In the morning they proceeded in the direction of the York River Railroad, pursuing the line of the Pamunkey, which they did not attempt to cross. Arriving near Tunstall's, they were charged on by Wire's troops, and after making some show of fight retreated with their, booty. During the firing Cross and Wingfield succeeded in making their escape, but Patman's horse being shot he wandered about in the woods until accosted by our troops, when be was sent prisoner to Richmond. Davis's cavalry were said to have been led by a negro fellow owned by Mr. Winston, Clerk of Hanover county. Though nine companies were represented, and it was called a regiment, there were only 350 men in it.

- The Daily Dispatch(Richmond), May 6, 1863