Upon a steep hill, situated about half a mile from the hotel, and
bearing from it about south-east, stand the ruins of a well-built
church, surrounded by a large grave-yard, thickly tenanted by the once
citizens of Petersburg: numerous tombs, of a respectable and, indeed,
venerable appearance, contribute to invest the spot with quite an
Old-country character; and, viewed from the high stone wall which
surrounds it, the setting sun is glorious.
To this place my first visit was one of mere chance, but each evening
after saw me at the same calm hour taking my walk amongst the tombs. I
discovered that by far the greatest number of these decent dwellings of
the dead were inscribed to Europeans, chiefly from Ireland and Scotland:
very few were dated past the middle age of life, the majority were
indeed young men,--enterprising adventurers, who had wandered hither to
seek fortune, and had found a grave, the consummation of all wants and
desires.
Upon many of these grave-stones were displayed evidences of the
lingering pride of gentle birth; recollections which, suppressed, or
perhaps forgotten in the land of equality during life, seemed to have
survived the grave, stronger than death. Here were set forth in goodly
cutting the coat armour, crest, and motto of an old Scots or Irish
house, from which the junior branches had probably received no other
inheritance save this claim to _gentillesse_, with liberty to bear it to
some distant soil.
How favoured was the French gentleman of whom we read, who, resigning
his sword, sailed in search of gain, and was permitted to return and
reclaim it before time had rusted its bright blade! How many young
hearts, that, quitting home, have beat high with the prospect of an
equally happy return, have been doomed to waste and wither in all the
misery of hope deferred, which maketh the heart sick indeed, until care
and climate closed the protracted weary struggle, and the fortune-seeker
was laid to moulder in some stranger grave.
I trust that, amidst the changes each day brings forth here, this
ruined church will be left unprofaned, and that the tenants who sleep
within its little inclosure may be left undisturbed. And I would further
counsel any gentle traveller who rests for a sunset in Petersburg, to
walk to this church, and contemplate its going-down from off the lofty
stile leading over the western wall of the grave-yard: and when he shall
behold the forest vale below changed--as I have more than once beheld
it--into a lake of living gold, and over this shall watch the shadows of
evening steal till the last bright fringe is withdrawn, and the brown
forest again is seen to cover all the land--when, I say, this has been
witnessed, the stranger (if a woman, certainly) will hardly fail to
thank me for this discovery; for such I do verily consider it to be, as
much as was Colon's first lighting on this huge sliver of our nether
world.
I visited this little city at a period when cholera was making frightful
ravages on every side, and a consequent depression was to be expected
amongst the community. I was nevertheless greatly pleased with the
situation of the place, and with the air of business that appeared to
animate its citizens despite the frightful disease by which they were
assailed; and indeed, so far as a sojourner of five days may be
permitted to express an opinion, I should say that the evidences of the
city's prosperity and growing prospects were many and cheering.
I in this place and in the neighbourhood saw a good deal of slavery, and
heard much more: the victims themselves (so called) seem here a merry,
light-hearted, and lightly-worked race, and I was a good deal surprised
to find that in many instances their possessors were looked upon as the
real sufferers.
Some of these, it is certain, are not to be envied this description of
property, for they are often compelled to keep many active mouths for
one useful hand: yet here are numbers of such persons who do not like to
sell these household knaves, familiar as they have been from the cradle
to the day of inheritance, and mixed up with every recollection of home
and its inmates, although they would gladly renounce the present
possession to be assured against all after claims.
_Nov. 5th._--Quitted Petersburg on a delightful morning, and as far as
Norfolk made a quick trip; but, shortly after leaving this place, we
encountered a very heavy gale of wind that endured all night, and
compelled us next evening to put into Annapolis, the capital of
Maryland, for a fresh supply of fuel: that night, the gale moderating,
we reached Baltimore about fourteen hours later than was anticipated.
_7th._--Took the steamer for Philadelphia, where I rested for a day; and
thence on to New York, which I learn is exceedingly gay,--a circumstance
I do not regret to hear, as I am about to sojourn here for a couple of
weeks previous to my departure for the South.
This I discover to be the commencement of the New York gay season; and
here is, at present, no lack of amusement,--two theatres, an Italian
Opera, various public assemblies, besides the ordinary resources of
balls and family parties: of these there are three or four taking place
every week; and I do not think the New-Yorkers are ever seen to better
advantage than in the exercise and enjoyment of the lavish hospitality
usually dispensed on these occasions. Here is no fobbing you off with a
meagre account of jellies and a cup of lemonade: you find, on the
contrary, without fail, a sensible supper, abounding with substantials
for the hungry as well as trifles for the sentimental; the best wines
of the cellar are paraded in abundance, together with a punch such as I
never elsewhere remember to have encountered. Now and then, a little set
would get drawn together at these suppers, which it was no easy matter
to disperse.
_Nov. 22nd._--Embarked for Charleston, South Carolina, on board the
William Gibbons, steamer. We had a series of hard blows until the
evening of the 24th, when, getting to the southward of Cape Hatteras,
the weather gradually moderated, and, early in the morning of the 25th,
we were landed in Charleston; but so excessive was the cold, that I
conceived it possible the captain had made a mistake, and that we were
at some Charleston, in Greenland, or Icy Cape. The weather either was,
or appeared to be, much colder than in New York when we departed.