My brother, Miles Macon, afterwards commander of the Fayette
Artillery, Confederate States Army, joined me at "Woodland" and became
a scholar in our school; he was my senior by two years. Our country
life there was very pleasant, for on Saturdays we would hunt birds all
day, as my brother owned a fine pointer dog named "Roscoe," and we
were hunting on "Spring Garden," owned by Judge Meredith, it being
about seven miles from our place, when the old dog broke down from the
infirmities of age and Miles and I carried him home on our shoulders,
it being his last appearance in the fields that he had so successfully
hunted, for he died soon afterwards.
About this period politics were coming strongly to the front, and I
remember when Mr. Chastaine White was nominated by the Democrats for
the General Assembly, and William C. Wickham was put up by the Whig
party for the same office. My brother, Dr. Macon, was a Whig, and a
friend and supporter of Wickham. The Democrat was of course elected,
as at that time a Whig stood no show, however superior his
qualification for the position might be. Another feature of the times
was the muster of the county militia, when the colonel commandant,
arrayed in a uniform as gorgeous as that of a field marshal of France,
put his men through a few drill evolutions and then disbanded them,
after which all hands went willingly up and took a drink, and it was a
field day, for Mr. Ellett who then kept "Old Church" Tavern and
profited greatly by the crowd's liberal spending of money.
There were two churches near "Woodland," the Presbyterian was called
"Bethlehem," a name connected with many good associations; the other
was an Episcopal one, and named "Emmanuel," which name suggests many
Christian ideas. As a boy I attended both these churches, and noticed
one thing particularly that was that the male attendants, both
communicants and non-communicants, gathered on the outside and
discussed farming and neighboring topics and conditions generally. I
also observed that those living a long distance from the church always
dined with some friend near the church, this being, I thought, simply
a species of "whacking" which was quite admissible under the
circumstances.
The planters, who owned and cultivated large estates on the river,
built summer residences on the higher lands of the same, in order to
escape the malaria and chills, produced by the miasma arising from the
marshes exposed to the sun and night air at low tide during the heated
term, which the first killing frost in the fall would dispel and
render the river residents healthy and comfortable when they would all
return to their estates. I have never in my travels seen a more
productive country in the State than the famous low grounds bordering
the Pamunkey river, beginning about Hanover Town and continuing down
that stream to the celebrated "White House" plantation in New Kent
County, which estate originally belonged to General Custis, who was
the first husband of Martha Washington (nee Dandridge).
Dr. William Macon, my brother, about this time came into possession of
the Mount Prospect plantation in New Kent County, on the Pamunkey
River, left to him by our grandfather, Colonel William Hartwell Macon,
it being then one of the finest farms on the river; it adjoined the
famous White House aforementioned, which latter plantation was
inherited and occupied later by General William H. Fitzhugh Lee, son
of the famous General Robert E. Lee, of Confederate fame.
The York River railroad passed through a portion of the "Mt. Prospect
farm." A noted feature of the place was its very large and beautiful
garden, almost every flower and plant known to Eastern Virginia
florists was to be found there, and considerable expense had been made
to render it a veritable Garden of Eden; and then, alas! when the
great strife began between the North and the South, and our beloved
old State became the battleground of the contending hosts of soldiers
of both sides, and the Federal army, under General McClellan, advanced
up the peninsula from Fort Monroe the farm became the camping ground,
and his cavalry was picketed in that lovely spot, amid the almost
priceless roses and violets, and needless to add that when those
horsemen left it was a pitiable scene of "horrid war's" desolating
effects, as hardly a trace of its former beauty and vision of
refinement remained.
A gentleman, Colonel Grandison Crump, taught school near the place,
and I was made a scholar of his; it was quite like that of Count
Larry's, except that the Colonel had no girls in his school. He sat is
the same kind of armchair, and made and trimmed quill pens in the very
same way. He was a most excellent teacher and I fairly buckled down to
hard study, and as a consequence learned more than ever before, or
indeed afterwards, at school. Our teacher was not a young man, as he
was near sixty years of age, and was deeply enamored with a certain
beautiful girl living in Charles City County adjoining; a Miss Maria
Jerdone was the fortunate one, a most attractive girl, and quite young
enough to be his daughter, but which did not prevent the old Colonel
from loving her with all the ardor of youth. He was then living in the
family of Mr. Braxton Garlick at "Waterloo" plantation, on the
Pamunkey, which gentleman was one of the most hospitable men that ever
lived, and who joked with the Colonel about his attentions to the
young lady, but which did not dampen his ardor towards her, though he
did not gain his suit, as she afterwards married a Mr. Pettus, an A.
M. of the University of Virginia, who taught, and was the principal of
a female academy in Tennessee; they made a very handsome bridal
couple, but she did not long survive the wedding, and Mr. Pettus
married, as his second wife, a Miss Turner, and removed to Richmond,
Va., where he had the misfortune to lose his second wife by death.
About this date I, who had grown to be a good-sized boy, remember well
going down to New Kent Courthouse to see the cavalry troop with their
new and very showy uniforms of light blue cloth with silver trimmings
and metal helmet, with white plumes. This old company, one of the
oldest in the State, was then officered as follows: Captain, Braxton
Garlick; first lieutenant, George T. Brumley, with Southey Savage as
orderly sergeant. On this occasion, after the commanding officer had
put the troopers through a few drilling paces, all of them, officers
and private soldiers, with one accord repaired to the tavern bar room
and there regaled themselves with several fine juleps each; this treat
had been set up by Captain Garlick, and he expected each man to do his
duty in this valiant attack upon the enemy's fort, and truly was he
not disappointed therein, although it was one of the hottest days I
ever felt in the month of May.
Not far from my brother's residence, where I was then living, lived a
man named Tip Rabineau, a unique character, his ways and dress were
both similar to that of the person described as Dominie Sampson in Sir
Walter Scott's novel "Guy Mannering." Tip was about six feet and two
inches in height; he wore his pants too short and coat sleeves not
long enough to cover his big wrists, and yet he had an accomplishment
which gave him much distinction in the neighborhood as being one of
the most successful hunters to be found anywhere around, ranking as
one of the best shots in Hanover County. He used always a
single-barreled shot-gun that measured about six feet in length and
carried powder in a small round gourd, and the shot in a canvass
shot-bag; for loading this muzzle-loader he used newspaper for
wadding; the bore of this weapon was but little larger than a ladies'
thimble, but with this primitive outfit he brought down a bird every
time he fired at one. What finally became of Rabineau I know not since
I lost sight of him.
Colonel Frank G. Ruffin, just before the beginning of the war, at my
brother's invitation, came down to Mount Prospect, our home then, for
the purpose of lecturing on agriculture to the farmers at New Kent
Courthouse, on a court day, where a large crowd had assembled to hear
him, and although whether theoretical or scientific farming had then
attained the high degree it now enjoys is a matter of much doubt, yet
he imparted to his listeners in a very pleasing and instructive
manner, many valuable ideas on the subject of the new way of tilling
"old mother earth"; how poor, thin soil could be made to yield as much
as the richest Pamunkey low grounds under his advanced system of
cultivation. Of course there were some present who believed the
Colonel, and others who did not fully accept his theories, for as a
matter of fact, he was considered one of the least practical of the
prominent farmers in the State, but one of the best theoretical ones.
We passed a very pleasant day at the courthouse and I enjoyed, on our
return home, as a boy, great pleasure and instruction from his most
interesting and amusing conversation. Ah, indeed! was those the flush
times in the old Commonwealth, the like of which will never again be
known.
At about the period I am writing the York River railroad was being
built from Richmond in an easterly direction about forty miles to West
Point, in King William County, at the head of York River, and the
junction of two rivers, the Pamunkey and the Mattaponi. The young men,
the civil engineers employed about the surveying and construction of
this work frequently visited "Mount Prospect," it being convenient to
the camp, and we all enjoyed their society very much indeed, they
being polished gentlemen, whose presence was an agreeable addition to
any company; among them I can recall the names of Major E. T. D.
Myers, General J. M. St. John, Colonel Jno. G. Clarke, Colonel Henry
T. Douglass and others whose names I fail to remember now, but all
were then young, intelligent men, each of whom afterwards attained
important military positions in the Confederate service during the war
which soon followed their railroad building on the peninsula. Colonel
Clarke, above mentioned, subsequently married my sister, Lucy Selden.
The majority of them have now passed from this life on earth to join
those on the "other side of the river," though their names and deeds
are revered by their survivors. No State, nor country ever produced a
braver or more accomplished group of heroes than they were.
Well, after attending Colonel Crumps' school for three years, when he
closed for the summer vacation I bid farewell to his excellent
tutorship. There were many quite pleasant associations connected with
my school days there; I was considered one of his best boys; I packed
up my few belongings there and returned to Auburn, my mother's home.
My respected father died in the year 1852, and my mother then carried
on the farming operations under the supervision of our servant Israel
as her head man and overseer, who was one of the most efficient and
faithful negroes I ever knew, performing his duties fully and
satisfactorily to his mistress as manager of the hands.
Two of my sisters were then married, Sister Anne to Mr. Peyton
Johnston, the senior member of the drug house of P. Johnston &
Brothers, of Richmond; my other sister, Betty, married the Rev. Dr.
Alexander Martin, of the Presbyterian Church in Danville, Va. Probably
no minister in that denomination had a higher reputation for pulpit
oratory; he preached with force and effect, and set an example of a
pure, unselfish, Christian life.
After consulting the wishes of her single daughters my good mother
decided to move to Richmond. She therefore rented a nice roomy house
in a pleasant street in the city, and then a new leaf in the book of
life was turned for me, as I of course continued to live with the
family, but an era, or epoch in my journey of life now confronted me,
as I was about to start to work to earn my own bread and meat. I
therefore duly made application to the firm of Parker, Nimms & Co. for
a clerkship in their establishment, and the senior partner told me to
call in a few days for an answer, which I accordingly did in due time
and received a favorable one, and in a few days I began my life's
work. I remained with that firm six years and only left in 1861 to
join, or rather to go with the First Company Richmond Howitzers into
the great war between the States, being a member before the same
strife began, having joined in the year 1859 when the company was
organized. The house of Parker, Nimms & Co. was one of the largest
wholesale dry-goods houses in Virginia at that time. When a young man
commenced his apprenticeship in a dry goods store, it took some time
to become acquainted with the routine of the business; it was about
twelve months before I was allowed to carry a customer through it. It
was not then as now when there is a salesman in separate departments
and buyers are taken to another counter and clerks; but then in my day
when a salesman started with a customer or purchaser he carried him or
her through every department until the memorandum of the buyer was
complete. It was then considered quite undignified for houses of
established reputation and standing to advertise their wares in the
newspapers; how different it is now, when most of the articles are
sold through the aid of printer's ink; then they were sold upon their
merits and intrinsic values, and also by means of an agreeable mode of
showing them off. The house had a large patronage in the city as well
as from all parts of the State. By degrees I advanced and became
familiar with the whole business, and my sales were footing up well,
which gave satisfaction to my employers, and consequently my salary
was advanced, that being a very important point to me.
The following incident occurred to a Colonel Jos. Weisiger, who was a
fellow clerk in the house of Parker, Nimms & Co.; he was a very genial
man, and had been the husband of the daughter of a wealthy planter,
Colonel Bolling, who had settled on his daughter a handsome endowment
at the time of her marriage, devising all the property at her death to
the children by the marriage; so that when she died a few years later
not a single dollar fell to the husband and he was then thrown out
upon his own resources for his living. Under such circumstances, he
applied to the firm of Parker, Nimms & Co. for a position as salesman
and he was given one. He was at the time waiting on a widow, Mrs.
S----, whose deceased husband had left her a fine estate, on the
condition of her not again taking unto herself a help-mate, in which
latter case all of the property should go to her children by her
former husband. She hesitated some time before again marrying the
Colonel, the meanwhile became very attentive to her, visiting her
frequently, and as she was very fond of peanuts he bought a nice lot
of roasted ones, tied them up nicely in a box, and placed them, as he
thought, in a perfectly safe spot; when another clerk and I slyly
opened the package, took out the "goobers," and replaced them with
paper and saw-dust. Well, the fond lover, the Colonel, called on her
and gaily presented the box, and her disappointment and his great
mortification may be imagined when its contents were exposed to view.
There was another incident which happened during one of the hottest
summers in Richmond, when the mercury ranged from ninety-five to
ninety-eight degrees in the shade; the clerks in the store took it by
turns in the afternoon to go down into the basement, where it was cool
and dark, and stretch themselves out on a pile of goods for a quiet
nap, as there was nothing much doing up stairs. So one afternoon I
went down there for my turn to sleep and fixed myself very
comfortably; was soon sleeping as sweetly as an infant, when down came
Weisiger, on mischief bent, took away my gaiters that I had removed
from my feet and filled them up with paper, stuffed and rammed in
hard, after which he placed them some distance from where I was, and
then sprinkled water in the space between; he then went to the top of
the stairs and called loudly for me, which of course awakened me, and
I hurriedly reached for my shoes, but they were gone, and in order to
reach them I had to walk on a wet floor in my sock feet, and hunt for
them, but I finally found them and got things straight, to find out,
when I went up stairs, that the thing was but a good joke on me. I
told him that I certainly would get even with him yet on that; so some
two or three evenings later he went down stairs for the same purpose
and he was sleeping soundly when I got some paper, the kind that comes
on blocks of ribbons, and made a funnel; I then took some lamp-black
and placed in the top of it, going down I gave the funnel a whiff and
the whole contents went on his face, and the more he rubbed it the
worse it became, so he came up stairs one of the most furious creature
that ever I saw. A fellow-clerk, a Mr. Cagbill, furnished him with
soap and turpentine, and assisted him in applying it so that his face
was once more restored to its normal state, and finally pacified him
by saying, well you played a good practical joke on Macon, who took it
in a good spirit, and now one who cannot take a joke, should not play
one on others. The Colonel was an old time Virginia gentleman and we
afterwards became the best of friends, and often laughed at our tricks
of other days.
The dry goods house of Binford, Mayo & Blair was one of the largest
and best in Richmond. Mr. Binford was the managing head of the firm,
and they had a customer from the southside, who was a large tobacco
planter, and came to the city twice a year, bringing with him a
memorandum for dry goods to be purchased nearly a yard long, and the
first thing he would do on reaching town was to visit the store and
hand in his list of supplies--his memorandum--asking that it be filled
in the best manner, and with reasonable prices, and when he collected
from his commission merchant he would call and pay his bill before
leaving for his home, which he never failed to do, and being a regular
customer the thing went on year after year to the satisfaction of both
parties. At last the planter died and his wife took his place and
attended to his affairs in the city; she accordingly visited the
store. Mr. Binford met her and tendered his sympathy in her misfortune
and after a few minutes of conversation she drew out her long list and
asked to be shown several articles and their prices, after examining
them she remarked to Mr. Binford, I wish to look around some before
purchasing and will return and go through with my bill. She called
upon and went carefully over the stock of every house in that line in
Richmond in order to see if he had been overcharging her husband. She
returned to the store in the evening. Mr. Binford having preceded her
but a few moments and was remarking to a clerk that he wished the old
lady had died instead of her husband, who always came to town, gave me
his memorandum to fill and everything worked smoothly, and now she
comes in and runs around to every store in the city, almost; she heard
every word he said, but instead of taking offense, she "pitched in,"
and went through her bill without a hitch. There was another incident
in the Binford, Mayo & Blair house; it appears that one of the
salesmen by the name of William Perkins, who was a bright fellow, and
a good clerk, had one especial accomplishment, that of being one of
the best draw-poker players in the city, indulging in that game
frequently. One morning the senior member of the firm called Perkins
to go down stairs as he wished to have a little private talk with him.
Mr. Perkins, said he, I am informed that you play cards a great deal.
Perkins replied, sir, do I perform my duty satisfactorily to your
house? Is there anything in my conduct here displeasing to you? If so,
please let me know now. Mr. Binford said, sir, you are an efficient
salesman, and we are well pleased with you. Mr. Perkins then said,
well Mr. Binford, I do not understand why you should bring me down
here to lecture me, to which he gravely replied, Perkins have you any
real good pointers in draw-poker? Perkins told him that he thought he
had, when Mr. Binford said, then press them, which remark ended the
conference in peace and harmony.
Richmond about this time had some prominent hotels and restaurants,
among the latter were "Zetelle's," Tom Griffin's, Charles Thompson's,
and several others. There were no dairy lunches, nor snack-houses in
town. Cold storage had not then come to the front. When a gentleman
entered a restaurant and ordered a piece of roast beef, or a steak, he
got home-killed beef, fat, tender and rich in flavor, and when he
called for oysters they were set before him cooked with pure country
butter, or genuine fresh hog's lard, and not cotton-seed oil. Coffee
was then made of Java mixed with a little Rio, and not colored water,
as is found at some of the eating houses of the day. To be sure one
had to pay a little more for such a repast, yet he generally received
full value for his money.
Age and experience have improved many thinks in the city, yet I do not
believe that the restaurants of the present time are as good as they
were then. Among the hotels, the Columbian, owned and conducted by Mr.
Spottswood Crenshaw, who was succeeded by Mr. Sublett, was situated at
the corner of Cary Street and Shockoe Slip, and was the most popular
hostelry for tobacco planters. It was very well kept, the table was
supplied with the very best the market afforded; a marked feature of
its dinners was that pitchers of toddy were freely distributed to
refresh the thirsty guests. There was also the "American," which
occupied the site of the Lexington--of the year 1912--at the corner of
Main and Twelfth Streets. The Exchange and Ballard on East Franklin
and Fourteenth Streets, was regarded as the leading hotel, and it was
one of the finest houses of its time; it was kept first by Colonel
Boykin and afterwards by John P. Ballard and brothers, and last by
Colonel Carrington. In those days there were no transfer companies,
and each ran its own omnibus to bring to and fro the guests from the
railway stations and steamboats. I well remember one of Mr. Ballard's
teams, consisting of four fine iron-grey horses which he drove to one
of his turnouts, and they were beauties, being driven by a negro-whip,
who knew how to handle them to advantage.
At this period of time I was living in the country, and came to the
city to attend the ceremony of laying the corner-stone of the
Washington Monument in the Capitol Square. It was during the
administration of Governor Jno. B. Floyd, and it was one of the worst
days I ever experienced, being cold, rainy, and snowing, all the
military of the city, besides the cadets from the Virginia Military
Institute, of Lexington, were in the parade. It took several years to
build the foundation for the monument, and then some time elapsed
before the equestrian statue of Washington, which was designed by
Crawford, arrived by steamer from New York, when it was hauled from
Rockets wharf on a flat with a long rope attached to it and drawn to
its destination in the Capitol Square by citizens and placed it on its
pedestal. When it was soon afterwards unveiled it was a "red-letter
day" in Richmond and in the history of the State. This splendid
triumph in sculpture dedicated to the renowned "Father of his country"
stands this day where it was erected more than a half-century ago, and
is considered by good judges to be the finest equestrian statue in the
United States; it is surrounded by heroic size figures in bronze of
several eminent Virginians.
The retail grocery stores were a prominent element of the city of
Richmond's business, being an important part of its commercial
greatness. Among them there were the firms of Walter D. Blair & Co.,
the senior member a genial gentleman whose elegant manners not only
retained all of his old customers, but drew many new ones to his
attractive store; William M. Harrison, Joseph Weed & Son and George
Dandridge. These all kept liquors, as well as groceries. Mr. Dandridge
had a clerk who was a good salesman and advanced the interests of his
employer in every way he could, and yet he had one failing, being an
honest frequent drinker, so one day his employer called him back to
the rear of the store and said, now sir, you are a good salesman, and
also a good man, and I have but one fault to find with you, namely,
you take a drink with every customer that comes in here; yes, he
answered I do, and if they don't come in fast enough I drink by
myself, just to keep my hand in, and to encourage trade. Mr. Dandridge
retained him in his employ and he finally became a member of the firm.
The retail dry goods houses were distinguished for their efficiency
and size; there were on Main Street five or six and about the same
number on Broad Street. I recall particularly the prominent one of
Mann S. Valentine, who was one of the most successful merchants of
Richmond. His son, Mann S. Valentine, Jr., was the discoverer of the
formula for extracting and manufacturing for commerce the fluid
extract of beef, known as "Valentine's Meat Juice," which at his death
fell to his sons, who organized the Valentine Meat Juice Company,
which has proved a boon to humanity, particularly to invalids. The
enterprising firm conducts a very large export, as well as a domestic
trade, and is composed of intelligent and progressive business men.
Mr. M. S. Valentine, Jr., the founder of the present house, at his
death, through his munificence, established and endowed the well known
Valentine Museum, which is a lasting monument to his memory. It is
kept in the best manner by his sons, who feel a great pride in it.
Within its spacious rooms are to be found many of the finest relics of
the arts of antiquity, and also specimens of Virginian and Southern
fossils and curiosities, which have been collected and placed here at
great expense and trouble. The building occupied by the Museum was
originally purchased from James G. Brooks, and he, from Mr. Jno. P.
Ballard, and he bought it from Mr. Wickham, so it is associated with
historic memories, and it is truly one of the most interesting places
in the city, and is visited daily by thousands of strangers visiting
Richmond, as well as by the residents of the city. Mr. Edward S.
Valentine is one of the most famous sculptors of his day, who designed
and created out of Italian marble the celebrated recumbent statue of
General Robert E. Lee, now in the chapel of Washington and Lee
University at Lexington, Virginia. This is considered one of the best
specimens of the fine arts in the world. Indeed it is an effigy in
marble which produces mingled emotions of admiration and awe, as it
lies there in its silent vault illumined by electric lamps in its
darkened chamber.
The wholesale grocery houses of Richmond at this time were large and
served their purpose well. I recall to memory the firms of E. & S.
Wortham & Co., which did a very large business, having the patronage
from the extensive plantations on the Pamunkey River in grain and
produce. Also Stokes & Reeves, Selden & Miller, Hugh Fery & Sons, and
Dunlop & McCauce, the latter firm dealt principally in New Orleans
sugars and molasses, carrying on the largest business in that line of
any house in the city. Next I must mention the many tobacco
manufacturers, which business was a very important one, as it is now.
The factories of James A. Grant, William H. Grant, William Greanor,
Robert A. Mayo & Son, James Thomas, Jr., and many others, all did a
tremendous trade in this lucrative business.