hall, having in it a large open fireplace.... In one corner of this public room was the bar, having shelves on which were ranged decanters and bottles of the ardent—the elixir of life.... Our farmers sat down to a superb dinner, and cheerfully paid the landlord fifty cents for it—not as in the present times, when many bring snacks in their pockets and eat them while sitting at a fire kept up by the landlord for the guests of the hotel.”

As late as the 1790’s public dances were given here, and were attended by high and low, the different classes keeping to themselves, though without friction. (This mingling was doubtless due to the scarcity of music.) Here, too, the political parties celebrated their victories with great dinners, and endless speeches and toasts.

An old book gives this somewhat disconcerting glimpse of the village in 1818:

“SATAN’S THUMB”

In passing through the place in 1818, Dr. Conrad Speece attempted to preach at night in the court house, but nearly failed, due to the insufficient light, and the rudeness of the boys. He spent the night at the tavern, and such were the sentiments uttered by the prominent gentlemen, and such the conduct of the young men frequenting the tavern, that he said the next day: “When Satan promised all the kingdoms of the world to Christ, he laid his thumb on Charlottesville, and whispered, ‘except this place, which I reserve for my own especial use’.”

This old hostelry in its day housed all the great men of the vicinity, and a great many from a distance.

CIVIL WAR PERIOD

SHERIDAN’S RAID

Charlottesville was occupied by Sheridan’s Cavalry, U.S.A., arriving March 3rd, 1865, and leaving on the 6th. Their entry was from the West, and troops encamped in many sections of the town: “above the University,” South of the University (Piedmont), Belmont, Park Street, what is now Locust Grove, etc.

A committee from the University secured guards for that institution and it was uninjured. There was no burning in the town with the exception of the Woolen Mills, East Market Street, which had furnished material for Confederate uniforms. All approaching bridges were destroyed. Searching homes for hidden arms was almost universal, and there was considerable looting, followed in some instances by mobs of negroes and disorderly whites. A detailed, edited letter in the Magazine of Albemarle County History, Vol. 14, gives the following information:

“As a general thing the citizens suffered little. Parties were sent out in all directions, and did an immense amount of damage. Our country friends suffered dreadfully. Corn, meat, flour, hay, horses, and negroes were in great demand.... I suppose the County has lost many hundred horses, and from 1500 to 2000 negroes. Some families lost almost everything they had, their household stuff being taken away or destroyed.... Hundreds of watches must have been carried out of the County. Poor Mrs. Harper (Farmington) not only lost in servants and horses, but had her house ransacked from garrett to cellar.... Her pictures were spared, her wines, of course, all taken.... I told my servants they had my full consent to go, ... but none of mine left.” (Quartered in his home, 713 Park Street, were Col. Battersby, 1st N. Y. Lincoln Cavalry, his Hungarian orderly, and a negro servant.) “He and his orderly appeared to be perfect gentlemen and conducted themselves in all respects as our guests.” He furnished guards for two neighbors. “Col. Battersby had a fine Newfoundland dog.... He returned to my house the day after his master left, and is now with me. I have written to Col. Battersby and sent my letter to Richmond to go by flag of truce.” Family tradition states that shortly after Appomattox the orderly came for the dog.

Col. Sheridan’s headquarters were successively No. 408 and No. 522 Park St. Major-General Wesley E. Merritt was quartered at 303 East High Street, and Major-General George A. Custer at The Farm—the beautiful house designed by Jefferson, now 1201 East Jefferson Street. It was at the time the home of Capt. Thomas L. Farish, C.S.A.

ESCAPE FROM GALLOWS

Capt. Farish was on Adjutant-General duty in South-side Virginia. He obtained leave to return to Albemarle for the protection of his family. He was captured in civilian dress and taken to the custody of Gen. Custer—in Farish’s own home. Receiving him, Custer said, “Capt. Farish, in these unusual circumstances, I don’t know whether it is my duty to ask you to take a seat or yours to ask me.” The civilian dress classed Farish as a spy, and Sheridan sentenced him to death by hanging. Workmen erected a scaffold beneath one of the giant white oaks on Farish’s lawn. Custer made persistent remonstrance, and in a discussion which lasted until midnight, obtained a change of sentence to parole. (See Farish’s narrative, Weekly Chronicle, Charlottesville, August 4, 1876—Alderman Library.)

MILITARY OCCUPATION

At the close of the war the country was under military government. The civil courts were closed, right of public assembly denied, and the usual further restrictions. Government headquarters were in Richmond, and Military Commissioners controlled the separate counties under direction from the central offices. This occupation continued for two years. Albemarle was fortunate in the character of the U. S. Army officers who filled this difficult role. On the first of these—Captain Linn Tidball—several anecdotes remain. He was strict with the populace, but also with his soldiers, and more than once disciplined them for “unnecessary harshness in the discharge of duty.” One small incident was as follows:

A group of soldiers stationed at the Farish house (now the old wing of the Monticello Hotel), for a while amused themselves hanging out a Union flag so that it impeded the sidewalk before the building. They would then force all passers-by to halt and salute. War feeling was still too high for this to be accepted; the populace boycotted that walk and passed in single file down the middle of the street, with eyes straight ahead. After a few days this came to the attention of the officer. The flag was removed and the men reproved, on the grounds that to use the flag for purposes of malice or sport was degrading to its honor.

Another story:

One regulation was that Confederate uniforms might not be worn in public. This worked much hardship on the newly-returned soldiers, who had no other clothing and no means of procuring any. A committee waited on the Commissioner and requested some modification. His order was that all military buttons and insignia be removed from the coats, and the grey could then be used until it could be replaced. Some time later a young mountaineer was brought before him. The youth, in Confederate uniform, had fought in the streets with Union soldiers. When these soldiers had testified, the officer asked for the young man’s statement. He said he had never heard of any regulations about his uniform. He was walking along and a soldier halted him and began to roughly cut off his buttons. “I thought he wanted them for his girl back home, and I knocked him down. Then them other fellows come up and they got me down.” The officer called for the severed buttons, gave them to the youth and said: “Take these home and give them to your girl. She may want to keep them. Have her sew plain buttons on your jacket, and in future, young man, don’t be so handy with your fists.”