Newspaper Article

Historic Eppington - Circa 1936

Looking upon old Eppington and its magnificent surroundings, one finds it very easy to understand why Thomas Jefferson spent as much of his time there as he could manage to extract from his crowded life; because to leave the main road and enter the three-mile lane that winds its way through the heart of a virgin forest, almost to the steps of the old house, is to step into a different world, about which still clings the charm of forgotten years.

The Alabama vs. The Kearsarge - Circa 1936

The death roll of the battle was very small considering its severity. Three men of the crew died on board the Kearsarge from wounds received on board the Alabama. It is believed that they had suffered amputations. Eleven wounded, some having broken bones and others, burns, were taken to the Cherbourg Naval Hospital. All of them were saved. One officer only, Dr. Lewellyn, the Alabama's surgeon, perished by drowning while he was finishing the dressing of the wounds of one of the crew who was saved. Captain Semmes was reported to have been seriously wounded at the hand. Another officer wounded was rescued by the small boat of Major-General Roze and died on board the said boat on which it is reported that there were ladies.

Capitol Square Guards are Veteran Officers - 1936

Few State employees have much occasion to come in daily contact with the public. Yet, one of the most interesting of the groups of State employees, known to practically every Richmonder and greeted intimately by many daily, are the guards stationed in Capitol Square. And in this group of four men represented a total of 127 years of continuous service to the State. In order of their length of service, they are: J. P. Pettis, T. A. Carroll, John William Truslow and Wilborn Wooldridge.

Shirley Temple - 1936

One just can't write about Shirley Temple!

In the first place, it's impossible to get into print the cunning charm of the child. In the second place, the only adjectives that justly apply to her--unspoiled, natural, simple--have been used too, too many times. And finally, if you manage to put the true story of Shirley down on paper, nobody will believe you anyway.

Sailors of the Confederacy - 1936

Every school boy knows the story of the capture of the Dutch fleet, frozen in the texel, by Napoleon's cavalry. But how many have heard of the "inland voyages" of the Confederate naval forces after the fall of Richmond? And who remembers that the South's largest force of sailors and marines surrendered after fighting their last battle, at Sailor's Creek, in Prince Edward County, Virginia.

'Greenwich Village' of Richmond, Virginia - 1936

They welcomed artists as tenants' these investors in the "development," and tore up the houses in such a way that the whole downstairs (except the kitchen) was thrown into one room, with high ceilings and much sunlight.

All the tubercles, boils and pimples were taken off the woodwork," one of these altruistic owners told me." We ripped off the sagging front porches and put wrought iron railings--and did what we could to make congenial surroundings for Richmond artists in search of rent they could pay."

Martha Dandridge Custis Washington

One day, in the year 1758, a young British officer, fresh from his first military triumphs, crossed the Pamunkey River, landing upon the plantation of his friend, Mr. Chamberlayne. Though he had no intention of being delayed, this soldier was at length persuaded to dine with Mr. Chamberlayne, the latter promising to reward him by presenting him to the most charming widow in the Colonies, who was also well endowed with worldly goods. And thus George Washington met the Widow Custis.

Gold Mines (Can Science Find Pay-dirt Here?) - February 9, 1936

For more than three quarters of a century the once active gold mining areas throughout the Appalachians in the United States have been idle. After so long a time they are now showing signs of coming to life. And should the prediction of accredited geologists be fulfilled, this is destined to again become one of the world's important producing centers of gold.

Gold Mines #2 (Rediscovering Virginia's Golden Era - February 16, 1936

This is the second and concluding article in Mr. Faust's survey of the possibilities of the old gold fields of Virginia. In this installment he draws a graphic picture of the possible wealth yet to be taken from the hills of the Old Dominion.

History of Confederate Museum (White House of the Confederacy) - February 16, 1936

The Confederate Museum, "White House of the Confederacy," was erected in the early days of Richmond in a section which was then the most fashionable part of the city, and was considered one of the most handsome residences of that time. It was built by Dr. John Brockenbrough around 1817-18. When the builder retired to Warm Springs, of which he was proprietor, he sold his Richmond home to James M. Morson. Mr. Morson added the third story, stuccoed the house and among the other improvements added the beautiful Carrara marble mantels. When he retired he disposed of the property to his law partner, James A. Seddon. The new owner had been a member of Congress from Virginia and a representative of Virginia in the Peace Congress held January 19, 1961, in Washington, and later became secretary of war of the Confederate States. A few years before the war Mr. Seddon removed to Sabot Hill and the residence again changed hands, Lewis D. Crenshaw becoming the owner. He sold the property to the City of Richmond for 35,000. The city furnished it to the extent of $8,000 and tendered it to President Jefferson Davis when the capital was removed to this city. Mr. Davis declined to accept it and only consented to occupy it on the condition that full rent be paid. This was done by the Confederate Government on June 10, 1861.

Martha Washington's Stolen Will - February 16, 1936

The Supreme Court has been called upon to decide grave questions of late--but none so momentous as that started by a company of Union soldiers when they raided the courthouse at Fairfax, Va., in 1862 and "stole" Martha Washington's will.

How that wartime incident almost precipitated another war half a century later as the outgrowth of a bitter struggle between proud Virginia and the aristocratic John Pierpont Morgans--father and son--is revealed in an old legal report just come to light.

Questions and Answers - February 16, 1936

Fulton - Margaret Cavedo Reminisces about Fulton - March 27, 1936

Memories of an older day in Richmond and of one of the city's historic sections are recalled in an interview given the News Leader by Mrs. Margaret D. Cavedo, widow of Raphael A. Cavedo, who for seventy-eight years has resided on the same block in "Fulton." Her home is now designated 4529 Lester Street and from its windows Mrs. Cavedo has had opportunity to see much of the city's life both on its historic nearby hills and its equally historic water front.

Clopton Hospital - April 19, 1936

During the bloody summer of 1862 the Clopton Hospital near the northwest corner of Fourth and Franklin Streets was opened on May 28 as an emergency unit by Captain Isaul Warner. Two hundred and eighty men were brought from Ashland on May 31 by order of General Winder, according to old records now in possession of the Clopton Descendants. All were retained with the exception of 12.

Cho-Cho-San - Madame Butterfly (Page without music) - May 3, 1936
Cho-Cho-San - Madame Butterfly (Page with music)

From Lotus Blossom Land Comes Hizi Koyke to Sing the Sad Operatic Story of the Japanese Maid in "Madame Butterfly."

In the gay and sentimental nineties a writer named John Luther Long wove some moonbeams into a tale about a Japanese girl and an American Naval officer who tried to span the gap between East and West with a gossamer web of romance. Cherry blossoms, fireflies and the lambent flame of Oriental moons illumined the story, which in that era of illusions enjoyed a vogue comparable to the fame of Pearl Buck's more realistic art today.

General Battle and the Stolen Colt - May 3, 1936

Perhaps it was the number of veterans who were present at this particular gathering that accounts for the talk's eventual turn to war episodes, but it was in one of those lulls in general conversation that the lady from Tennessee asked the question which instantly crystallized the attention of every one present.

"Do you not believe that had the South been victorious in its struggle that it would have imposed more grievous terms on the North, than the North did on the South?" her clear voice queried.

"For a while," says Mr. Battle, "I am told that no one answered, and then in a sort of bustle of expectancy a youngish man replied with this story which I am giving out now. It was Mr. Watts, and in these words he began:

Memorial to Stonewall Jackson - May 10, 1936

Commemorating the death of General Stonewall Jackson, which occurred May 10, 73 years ago today, a stained glass window in a Negro church in Roanoke, Va., picturizing the last words of the great military genius, is one of the most touching of the Confederacy's memorials.

Virginia Coal Mines - May 24, 1936

Great cities have been developed through the discovery near by of gold, silver, iron, coal and oil. Richmond may double its population within 15 years if Mother Earth yields the coal which outside capitalists believe can be extracted from the Chesterfield coal basin.

Grandfather Clocks - May 24, 1936

When Simon Willard was 13 years old he made his first "grandfather" clock. When he was 82 he made the large clock in the Capitol at Washington. He was born in 1753, lived to be 95 years old, and left behind him some of the best and most beautiful clocks that have ever been made.

Bethamy Home - May 24, 1936

"Faith, Hope and Charity--and the greatest of these . . ."

Founded and mantained literally on those three great virtues, Bethany Home for Friendless Children at Granite, Va., just outside the corporate limits of Richmond, has for more than two score years been a living testimonial to one woman's gratitude and Faith.

Fort Sumpter Fired On during the Civil War - August 9, 1936

What boy living in Charleston, S.C. during the War Between the States would not remember General Beauregard, and the stirring times around Fort Sumter.

Some time ago in Charleston, I met George McDonald, nearly 90 years old. Thin and active, his chief delight is to talk about "those terrible days," and the men who made history then. Perhaps he likes best to talk about General Beauregard, who was in command of the provisional army of the Confederacy, with headquarters at Charleston during the early days of the war.

"Dixie," by Daniel D. Emmett - September 20, 1936
"Dixie," by Daniel D. Emmett (Page with Music)

Had it not been for a dreary spell of weather one of our most loved songs might never have been written. One Sunday morning nearly 78 years ago Daniel Decatur Emmett looked out of a gloomy lodging-house window in New York City and exclaimed, "I wish I was in Dixie," and affixed his name forever to the roll of American song writers.

Secret Service Tales of the Confederacy - Part 1 - November 29, 1936

The "bureau" was by day and night a center of interest to higher officials and to newspaper reporters. The great majority of people in Richmond thought it was only a sort of headquarters for the officers and men of the Signal Corps. A few others knew enough to stimulate the imagination with some sense of mystery. Only a small number, even of the well-informed, knew that from those rooms was conducted a correspondence, usually in cipher, with numerous agents beyond the limits of the Confederacy, that in them, with occasional interruptions, mail was received from Washington almost as regularly as from Charleston, and that through them cipher dispatches between generals in the field and the departments were constantly passed.

Pickett's Last Man - September 28, 1936

Although he spent much time defending his chief, General Longstreet, Captain Nelson's account of the famous charge is graphic and awe-inspiring: The deadly stillness of the hours of waiting before a battle, "when the men lay in the tall grass in the rear of the artillery line, the July sun pouring its scorching rays almost vertically down upon them . . . the awful silence of the vast battlefield was broken by a cannon shot that opened the greatest artillery duel of the world." All the horror of this losing battle with death can be felt as one listens to this aged man tell his story.

The Honor System at University of Virginia

In 1840, the last foreign member of the faculty resigned in disgust, but by this time the lines of battle had been so sharply drawn that neither the trustees, nor the faculty, not the students would retreat an inch. At this crucial moment, St. George Tucker, a recently appointed member of the faculty, who had not had time to take sides in the struggle and who understood the smoldering spirit of resentment and insurrection among the students, submitted the following resolution to the trustees: "In all, future examinations for distinctions and other honors in the University of Virginia, each candidate shall attach to the written answers presented by him in such examinations a certificate in the following words, "I do hereby certify on honor that I have derived no assistance during the time of this examination from any source whatever, whether oral, written or in print." This has since been amended to read, "I hereby certify on my honor that I have neither given nor received any assistance during this examination." Perhaps in desperation, the trustees immediately accepted Mr. Tucker's resolution, and the honor system at the University of Virginia was born.

Secret Service Tales of the Confederacy - Part 2 - December 6, 1936

The Yankees were as shrewd as we were at signalling tricks. But General Early in his Valley Campaign, finding that Sheridan's signalmen were reading his messages, cunningly availed himself of the fact to create a diversion. He instructed his men to flag to himself the following message:

Lieut.-Gen. Early,
Fisher's Hill, Va.

"Be ready to advance on Sheridan as soon as my forces get up, and we can crush Sheridan before he finds out that I have joined you."    J. LONGSTREET

General Longstreet was supposed by Sheridan to be (as he really was) with Lee in front of Petersburg. The bogus message, therefore, greatly mystified not only General Sheridan, but Halleck in Washington and Grant in Front of Lee. They never solved the puzzle. When General Early was asked about it after the war, he only smiled and said nothing.

When New Store Guarded Aaron Burr - December 6, 1936

It was a warm, spring day the latter part of March in the year of our Lord, 1807.

The morning dawned on the peaceful little village as many another morning had dawned, but as we shall see, the sun would set on a far different scene. By high noon the country for miles around was all agog with excitement, for had not a messenger the evening before ridden post haste into the little village of New Store, in the county of Buckingham, State of Virginia, with the startling news that Aaron Burr had been captured? Not only had he been captured, but was being brought by guards from "the far South," Wakefield, Washington County, Alabama, where he was arrested and was being taken to Richmond to be tried.

Virginian Christmas Heritage from Many Lands - December 20, 1936

Christmas in the Old Dominion invariably runs true to the Virginian's English heritage of those ancient customs and traditions that made for a real old-fashioned Merrie Christmas in the England of our ancestors. ...

Many Christmas customs and traditions were brought to Virginia by these French, German, Scotch, Irish--customs that still prevail in many parts of the State today. In Richmond's small but staunch foreign-born colony (a mere two per cent of the city's entire population) and quaint and colorful Italian, Syrian, Greek, and Scandinavian observances of Christmas find expression, year in and out, in their homes and communities.