EDITORS FREE PRESS: Capt. Richard Wommack, one of our most respected citizens, who had perhaps been more closely identified, and taken a more active interest in the public welfare of Lincoln county for the last fifty years, than any other man that ever lived in our county, died on the 25^th inst., in the seventy seventh year of his age.

No man has been better known to the people of Lincoln county for the last half century, and done more universally respected, than Richard Wommack.

He was born in Halifax county Virginia, January 10^th, 1804, in 1806 went with his parents to Tennessee where his father died. He then came with his mother and family to this county Oct. 22^nd 1823.

He was married three times; in 1825 to Miss Cynthia Smiley, in 1831 to Mrs. Elizabeth Gilmore, and in 1874 to Mrs. Mary Morris who survives him; has had thirteen children, eight of whom are still living, all are married and constitute a highly respectable portion of our community, to mourn the loss of a valued and much beloved husband, father and friend.

Capt. Wommack was twice elected to the office of assessor, four times to the sheriff, and four times to the legislature, as well as appointed to many other minor public trusts, and in all of these important and varied positions in which the people place him, they had an abiding continence in his judgment, honesty, and ability, and were deceived, or disappointed in the faithful discharge of the important trusts committed to his management and care. Though knowing it was human to err, in his acute judgment of men and things, he was scarcely ever found in the wrong.

kindly and respectful consideration from the people of Lincoln county than that of Mr. Richard Wommack.

Through life he was a firm and consistent member of the Baptist church, and died full of resignation and hope of a happy eternity, making it one of the last acts of his life, while his strength would admit of it, so read chapters from the bible. Particularly on the afflictions of Job; bearing his own afflictions with Christian resignation, and edification to his children and others around him.

It was the melancholy, pleasure of the writer of this little sketch of the life of a good man, to see and converse with him only a few days before his death, witness his complete resignation and bid a final and last farewell to his valued friend.

M.

that many of his neighbors who were violent opponents of the party to which he belonged, invariably voted for Mr. Wommack. The question was asked, "Why do you support a man who is so sturdy an opponent of your political principles, and whose energetic action does more injury to your party than that of any one else!" The reply was "He is our neighbor and nobody is more ready and prompt to assist us in any way than he. If we need pecuniary help, he does not refuse it – if we are sick, he is always at our bedside to aid us." Decided in his religious opinions, and a warm partisan in politics, he never intentionally said aught personally offensive to any one, neither in argument nor debate. In a personal acquaintance of more than fifty years, the writer of this tribute to his memory never heard him use a profane or obscene word. To him anything bordering on profanity or vulgarity was extremely offensive. He was a man of decided and positive character, and should he have committed acts of indiscretion – as who has not – they wink into utter insignificance in comparison to the good he has done, and the example, he has set to those coming after him, for his works live after, as well as follow him. The old landmarks of society are constantly being removed by death, but it will be many a day before one who stood so prominent, and pointed the way of an honest, upright and Christian life with more constancy will fall in our midst. As a husband and father his actions ere ever characterized by the most affectionate and tender regard. He left a wife and numerous progeny, and though he was too generous to have accumulated much of this world’s goods to leave them, they have an inheritance of which they may be much more proud, a good name and an untarnished honorable honor. His life was gentle, and the elements so mixed in him, that Nature might stand up and to all the world. This was a good man.

H.

The paupers at our poor house, with shriveled limbs, old age and infirmities of body and mind, as well as the rich man who could pay well for his services will long remember his kindness, skill and devotion in the practice of his profession. The doctors of our county of whose merits and ability we feel a just and honest pride, will attest his merits and ability, perhaps as the peer of them all, at least to the high toned gentleman and able and accomplished physician.

The writer hereof can bear willing testimony to his urban and gentlemanly kindness and skillful profession treatment.

had chosen, and by alleviating pain and suffering of his fellow man of both rich and poor, and wherever found.

The Doctor was born and raised in our country, near Troy, where he died. He was one of our own men, and the true type of a gentleman, carrying it out in all his actions with his fellow man, without aping or pretence, and had won that which he was fairly entitled to, the confidence and admiration of the people wherever he was known.

Dr Hutt may have had his faults like the rest of us, as who has not, but as a able and accomplished physician, and most highly respected gentleman, his memory will be long cherished as one of our very best men; and we feel most sadly bereaved at his death whilst yet so young, hardy having reached that time in life when he could and would have been most useful in his profession and otherwise.

To his most amiable but afflicted and heartbroken wife, now left a widow with three beautiful little daughters and a darling little boy, and to his respected and venerable father and mother, we can make no other offering in their bereavement, but one heartfelt sorrow also, in which we know, we but feebly express the sentiment of a host of friends like ourselves.

A venerable and most respectable subscriber of the WATCHMAN sends us the following communication which we have no doubt will be read with the greatest interest. Particulars which we could not obtain are here most generously and gracefully supplied.

Millwood, Mo., Sept 8^th 1881

As Sister Dominic and myself were born and raised within a mile or so of each other, not in Prince George, but a little over the line in Charles country, Maryland, near Beantown in the parish of St. Ignatius, where I move from, to this place forty years ago, but have kept posted all the time of the life and labors of Sister Dominic and have seen her a few times, and often heard from her through my brother-in-law, Father Patrick O’Brien, who was one of her best friends, and who greatly admired her most Christian and self sacrificing labors, as well as her little pleasant eccentricities. I thought it might not be nice for me to give a little account of the history of her family etc. I well knew her widowed mother, Mrs. Charity Boone, from my earliest recollection to some time after Sister Dominic or whose Christian name was Celesta became a Sister of Charity, she owned a good estate of land and a few servants. Sister Dominic, I think, was her eldest child, but there was another sister whose name I cannot now remember, that never married. She had three brothers, David, Sylvester, and Dominic. The youngest of the three was an old schoolmate of mine though some seven years my senior; the two eldest brothers, David and Sylvester, died many years ago, but her brother Dominic, a highly respected and Christian gentleman, still lives, and whose daughter Rose Ellen, my brother Dr. George D. Mudd, member of the Maryland Senate, married twenty-eight years ago.

I well remember Sister Dominic before she became a Sister of Charity, who made herself most useful in her kind offices, to old Father Auger our parish priest of that day, in arranging the alter and vestments teaching catechism, etc.

Sister Dominic was of highly respectable Catholic family, whose ancestors in part; I think date back to the early settlement of Lord Baltimore in that part of Maryland.

I have carefully mailed your paper to her brother, Mr. Dominic Boone, and my brother George who are near neighbors to our old homestead in Maryland.

Messrs. Editors: I had contemplated not some time back, making a little trip around a portion of our county to see some old friends, our lower railroad, and the general outlook of our material resources in population, revenue, etc., as compared with the years 1843-4-5-6, when I assessed our county, and in ’47-8, when I was sheriff of the county and collected the taxes for those two years.

And during those six years, now 23 o 28 years ago, I might almost say I was acquainted with every man, woman and child in the county, and had broken bread with, and enjoyed the hospitality of nearly all our old citizens of that day, a portion of whom I was glad to meet again and talk over our old reminders of the good old times of hog and hominy and pumpkin pie of forty years ago, when ordinary state and county revenue was somewhat less than $6,000, about half of which was state revenue and was carried to Jefferson City by the Sheriff in his saddle bags, and paid to old uncle Peter Glover, then state treasurer, while Col. Web Houston, of our county, was state auditor, Gen’l. David Stewart our representative and Wm. Allen of St. Charles our senator.

efficient and excellent county clerk making a similar book and transcribed it for the use of the sheriff, who at that time was ex-officio collector of taxes.

But I had set out to say something about my little trip around a portion of our county, particularly the eastern portion and along the line of our new railroad, where many of our good old citizens used to live, and a portion of our county where I had not been for the last thirty-three years. And as I had just gotten my crop of wheat threshed, turning out about 1,500 bushels, which was a trifle better than I had expected, and my hogs put to feed, and a somewhat leisure time in the store, I thought it a good time to start, in which I was slightly mistaken, as I found it exceedingly hot and dusty after leaving Auburn.

My friend and neighbor, Mr. William Achor, had agreed to god with us as far as Auburn, and the next morning my little son, John Pierce, harnessed up our gray mare, Lucy, and his gray colt, Charley, and started for Auburn, falling in with Mr. Achor by agreement at Sitton’s Spring on the route.

dinner, and that he must send for his brother, old Judge James Wilson, a venerable old gentleman, and former honored member of the county court, now in the 86the year of his age, and to tell his wife to prepare the best kind of a dinner for us – and she did it.

Mr. Achor and myself having arrived at Judge Moxley’s we learned fro his most courteous daughter-in-law that he had gone to Auburn for his mail, and after a kindly chat with the young Mrs. Moxley, Achor cracked the whip, (but I believed it was a hickory switch) over "Lucy" and "Charlie" for Auburn, we meeting Judge M. on the road, and of course turning him back with us to Judge Alex and soon finding in our jolly crowd the two old ex-county judges Wilson, Judge Moxley and myself, making us a quorum of county court, and one or two over, together with Mr. Achor, and Judge Wilson’s two sons, Luther and Tom.

fund to draft on that never gave out. Judge Alex followed close after him, and old Judge James bringing up the rear very handsomely by getting off several very good jokes that brought out roars of laughter, and, in fact, I was making a sort of feeble effort to help things along myself!

An exceedingly interesting and readable communication from Judge Mudd is unavoidably crowded out this week, but will appear in our next issue. I am very sure if Judges P.W. & S., of the present county court, could have been with us, they would have enjoyed it; or if they could have stood off a little in the back ground taking a view of us they would have thought that we in our own estimation, at least, had helped to make a very good county court in our day. And if they made up their county court verdict from the fun we were having, they might have rendered a verdict that we had been stirring some white sugar in the bottom of a goblet, but the must remember that Auburn is a very dry place in that line as well as stock about the same time. Well, before leaving Judge Wilson’s, I may add that he has turned his attention more particularly of late to farming; has near 300 acres of about as good farming land as there is in our county; line crops, and good stock on it; with everything that pertains to comfort and even luxury around him; out of debt and before hand and a more hospitable and kindly gentleman Lincoln county does not contain.

owning a nice house and five acres of good rich land, mostly tilled by his own hands; has ample means ahead, the interest of which is perhaps more than he cares to spend after the products of his well tilled have acres. He served about ten years as Judge of our county and probate courts, and is well remembered by our old citizens as an honest efficient and incorruptible Judge.

Judge Moxley, now in the 78^th year of his age, has rented his farm, which is a very good one, to his youngest son, Howard, and lives with him, and has in a measure given up all the cares of the farm, stock, etc., to Howard. He has served in the County and Probate courts of different periods for the last forty years, and has at all times been considered as an able, honest and incorruptible Judge by all good men. This brings us to about 4 o’clock, the close of our pleasant stay with Judge Wilson, and up to the time of our leaving Auburn, without having time to call on our friends, Doctors Weems and Knox, and Messrs. Tilford, Finley & Gladney, merchants of Auburn, which I very much regretted, as it had bee a part of my programme to have done so.

This is perhaps as much as I might say of my little trip at this time, with some doubt in my mind whether I should write anything, as it may appear quite foolish to some and perhaps to some, more so than myself. I am sure I have one or more critics in my own family that will

condemn it when they see it and I very much fear that Master John Pearce, who was with me, will be the only one of our home critics, that I should have written anything.

I will however, opportunity permitting, give further account of my trip from Auburn to Elsberry, and down our lower railroad, next week; but if I should be as tedious in telling it as I have been in getting from Millwood to Auburn, my next communication will probably only find me with my old friend, Mr. Ira T. Nelson, at New Hope.

H.T.M.

EDITORS FREE PRESS: My last letter left me on route from Brevator to the Catholic church at Old Monroe, where we dined with Mr. Ball, a clever German merchant and postmaster at the church, who has a good stock of goods and doing a fair amount of business. After which we called on the Rev. Father Sudiek, whom we found to be a very courteous gentleman and who most kindly showed us through his church, sacristy, and the fine school house of some 28x45 with modern improvements and first class teaches with chapel above where mass is celebrated on week days and festivals. His congregation consists of about seventy five families of sturdy, honest farmers, mostly German, among whom are Mr. Henry Wader and several others, who are each raising 2,000 bushels of wheat.

up and put his foot down, and we had to surrender at discretion as sort of willing prisoner, at least until after breakfast the next morning. And after a short rest we were taken around to see the things he had. We were first shown a mixed herd of some 80 to 100 head of cattle, a portion of which are thoroughbred and well graded, and from that down to common stock bought and put on pasture (of some 300 acres) some what bare from drought, but the cattle were in fine order. Next we were shown a lot of fine sheep among which were a imported English Buck which the Judge told me weighed over 200 pounds (but I doubt it).

Leaving Father Sudeik’s at half three, in hopes t reach Troy by night, after night, after calling on Judge Martin, but upon reaching his house found the old fellow sitting in his porch, and when tailing of going tutor that night, he humped himself up and put his foot down, and we had to surrender at discretion as sort of willing prisoner, at least until after breakfast the next morning. And after a short rest we were taken around to see the things he had. We were first shown a mixed herd of some 80 to 100 head of cattle, a portion of which are thoroughbred and well graded, and from that down to common stock bought and put on pasture (of some 300 acres) some what bare from drought, but the cattle were in fine order.

We were next shown some 30 head of horses and colts, and his training track, where some 8 or 10 of his horses are put in training in harness and under saddle to see how fast they can go, some of which he said could go a mile in four minutes (but I doubt it, even if the buck should go over 200).

The Judge is a great admirer of fast "goers", and told me he once rode a race himself, but it was a long time ago; he also told us that good "goers" in harness or under the saddle, when well trained, added on third to their selling price, which I am inclined to believe.

The Judge is a great admirer of fine horses, and thinks he is a good judge of a horse, especially when Sydney gives his judgment first.

We spent a very pleasant time with Judge M. and his kindly family, at whose cabin home, on the same spot where now stands his commodious and elegant dwelling house. In June, ’39, about sunset with a friend we rode up and enquired if we could stay all night, it being my first arrival, in Lincoln county, to which he characteristically replied, "He had a poor house, but plenty of hog and hominy," and under whose hospitable roof I am quite sure that, in these forty odd years, his hog and hominy with its better condiments has never ran short, nor in his proverbial hospitality has it ever been denied to any friends or other good people passing his way. Judge M. is now seventy years of age, has served twelve years in probate and county court, during which time his good judgment and modest, gentlemanly decorum was as proverbial as his hospitality at his own house.

After leaving Judge Martin’s we drove direct to Troy, and after attending to some business, spending a few hours with old friends, and dining with Mr. Buswell, we drove home. It had been my intention to have called to see my old friend, Judge Thomas W. Hutt, who served one term in the county and probate court some thirty five years ago, and who is now in the 82^nd year of his age and much regretted my inability to do so.

the people, population, resources and revenue of our county, compared with the present time, it may not be out of place to give some reflections or comparisons with then and now. Our county at the first mentioned period, as stated in my first letter, paid less than $6,000 revenue, and stood relatively in population and revenue about the sixth in the state.

But owing to our having no landings on the Mississippi, at which towns or cities could be built, and no railroads passing through our county, and not the lack of good soil and material advantages and resources, our county at the present time only holds her place in population and revenue about the 20^th out of the 120 counties in the state. With her present population, 18,000, having trebled in the thirty-five years and her revenue then $6,000- now $48,000.

At last in looking to the near future with our lower railroad passing through the entire eastern breadth of our county, with its present and prospective store houses, mills, warehouses and granaries,; with its present busy hum lighting out all along the line; and it is to be hoped, the early completion of our Short Line road; passing through the center of our county, it presents a prospective view to us., if not grand, at least most cheerful and hopeful; indeed a certainty that our progress will be much better in the future than in the past.

Since writing the above, Judge Martin and Mrs. Martin his better half, were upon West Prairie making a visit to their daughter and other relatives, and the Judge drove over with is carriage and two of his fine trotters, and spent a night with me and ate some my hog and hominy – at least it wasn’t as good as his was in the log cabin in June, ’39, for we were young then and could get away with so much or of it, especially myself and friend, after a hard days ride.

This closes all I have to say, Mr. FREE PRESS, about the little trip I made, and of which, at your request, I have written, telling as I think assured that if it has been read without interest to any one that not have been offended.

But of our home critics, of which I spoke in my first, although my first two letters have appeared and are on our table, they say they have not seen or read them, except Master John Pearce, who thinks I have given a pretty good description of what we saw along the route.

H.T.M.

We are permitted to make the following extract from a letter written by a gentleman residing in Yazoo City, Miss., to a lady visiting in this city.

"The welcome FREE PRESS made its appearance on time laden with its usual amount of new from the different section of the county; which as you know, is always read with a great deal of interest. I read the sketch of Judge Mudd’s travels through the county, and had a hearty laugh over it. I would have know who the writer was had there been no name mentioned. Old Lincoln ought to be very proud of that man; he is one of the old landmarks, and one of the first men that, I remember – a better man never lived."

THE BOND QUESTION AGAIN

EDITORS ADVANCE: The time has now come that our county court, by and with the aid and support of our taxpayers, should make an earnest move in the matter of compromise and settlement of our county bonds. It has fallen to my lot to have much to do and say about our county bonds, and as we well know have had my full share of abuse abut the matter. But in vindication of my own action and my fellow members of the county court who voted in good faith and honesty with me, and for the welfare of myself and the taxpayers of our county, I propose to offer a few suggestion to our county court and people again. And I know not better how to commence than to call their attention to the following extract from a letter I wrote and published in the Troy Herald two years ago which think applies to the preset time as well as then:

bondholders at various amounts but generally governed by their amount of indebtedness and ability to pay, the bondholders, making liberal discount, etc., and very few indeed have kept themselves wrangling out in the cold like ourselves, but have acted more sensibly much fear we will now be able to obtain. and honestly towards their creditors, and have gotten better, terms than I very I think there have been several speeches made on this bond matter by persons who imagined that if they had been in Henry Cunningham’s place they would have knocked the bowels out of the whole fraternity of these dishonest bondholders at the first pop. But like some other blunderbusses we have heard of before, the greatest danger is behind them, for it is certain they are missing the mark they think they are firing at, and only diverting our people from a sensible and serious consideration of the grave question before us."

Beal Hand or Mr. Sturgeon of the new store, or Goodman Cannon & Co., tries it they will find they have an elephant by the tail that they can’t hold on to. And if Judge Porter and his two Jr. associate of the county court tries it, they will find it a very expensive luxury; in fact I think they will find they have the elephant by the tail or a bull by the horns that will be quite a match for either of them or all three combined; for I see that Judge Treat says he won’t be trifled with, and I for one don’t blame him for I think it at least a part his business to make people pay their debts.

________________________ when he was making his best efforts before the court who would most probably have given us all the advantages of doubts as to fraud. Is he who turns his back and runs at the first sight of battle to get behind a hay stack and shake his fist at somebody that can’t sue him ; but failed to go forward and give this valuable information in the courts when the enemy were in sight, and also failed to put Mr. Cunningham in possession of the important facts as to these frauds to be trusted without some grains of doubt as to the value of their opinion since the judgments were obtained?

money, character, immigration etc. by not taking the only compromise ever offered us. It perhaps has been asked by a hundred taxpayers – why the old county court did not go on to effect that compromise regardless of the committee and their advisors, but

In conclusion I may add that I am no bondholder further than some notes and bonds I hold from parties who think they have got value received and intend to pay if they can. And the little good luck I have had in shaping my affairs the past year will require me to add several thousands to my next tax list, that will perhaps place me among the larger taxpayers of our county; hence my anxiety an interest that this matter may be settled with the least possible injury to myself in common with the taxpayers of our county, and that wise counsel and cool heads will prevail and carry it to a successful termination. It is my opinion if early action is taken a compromise can yet be had at about $300,000 at a very low rate of interest, and when both of our railroads are in successful operation and aiding in its payment with our probable increase in immigration and wealth, they the levy of of 1/3 of one percent tax on our people would at the end of twenty years find us owing neither principal or interest, and of course under a larger levy could be wiped out much sooner. And if our Short Line making a center pop through our county, is finished this year, who will undertake to say except the croakers, that we have made a very bad bargain in the whole transaction after all its unfortunate delays. I hope then the trip made by these gentlemen to confer with the bondholders may not prove barren of good results, or that our county court will get Mr. Cunningham to try his had again at a compromise and report to our county court with his opinion on the matter for their consideration as to whether an election of the people shall be ordered. All of which is respectfully submitted.

and how even foolish it may seem to one of my age now, I am reminded of the folly of youth in others as well as myself – for instance Judge Charles W. Martin tells the old county court that when he was young he once ran a race and the horse was taken out of harness in his own wagon for the purpose, and with himself as the rider a bet was made and won. It seems that the horse was a good runner or the Judge a good rider – I don’t know which, perhaps both, at any rate he beat the other fellow’s horse, or at least that’s his version of it.

And it is well known fact that Judge Alex Wilson often hammered on the anvil all day with his eye cocked for a dance all night and could even go it on the hard jig, sometimes called the "shin dig or break down."

And even Judge Baskett, seeming to be very staid and solemn in his movements and manners now, when he was young used to be a sort of class leader, or teacher in the art of singing in families around, but it seemed to be more for the purpose of casting his eye, or his arm around at the young ladies than for any good he was doing in the singing class – at least that’s the impression left with Judge Martin and myself.

And as to Judge Trescott, although he used very due caution in telling anything that happened him when he was young, we may very well suppose that in a horse race, dancing, casting his eye, or on a Christmas serenade he could let fly his heels quite as well as the rest of us.

Of the present county court however, I know but very little as to how they acted, when young, but suppose the presiding Judge will write up some account of it hereafter.

Which happened to be on the exact full of the moon, and one of the most beautiful nights imaginable for that time of the year. It was made up by agreement some days before hand by some of the most respectable portion of our then neighborhood, that we were to rendezvous at the house of Mr. Joseph Wells, also one the most active participants in its arrangement, and who is now a Baptist preacher in the state of Texas, who I am very sure will most vividly remember all the particulars if this account should ever reach him.

Col. Frank Sweeny, of Troy, who, at that time, was at work at his trade for old Mr. Wing in Troy, was also most active in its arrangement, and to assist in the music for the occasion he promised to bring up several pieces or instruments from Troy, and to be on hand at the rendezvous in due time. Our part of the music was Nathaniel Mudd and myself on the violin, with several others behind us with clevis-irons in the shape of the letter U without notches, hung upon a string and the pin used to make the rattle with, and some twenty or more of use in waiting for Col. Sweeny and the pieces from Troy to arrive.

At length the music was heard, and up rides Frank on Mr. Wing’s old horse "Charlie," of the tanbark mill (I suppose Fred will remember the old horse) with the bridle reins lying on his withers and the Col. with both legs on the same side knocking away with an old cracked flute on Yankee Doodle.

But upon reaching half way down the prairie; to the old Squire’s we heard a French horn in the distance; and it seemed they heard our Yankee Doodle on our fiddles and flute, and upon coming together, we found it to be Col. Bill Kinion with the French horn and six men with guns and one pound of powder, which we agreed to take into our crowd upon condition that the Col. would take charge and insure good order, proper drill etc., which he professed somewhat to understand, as he had been Capt. of our company of state militia a short time before; our numbers now being about thirty, the order of attack on Squire Hammond was at once arranged, and to be made with quite rapid march with our gunners double file in front, and the music in the rear – firing to commence at the yard gate and continued until the house door was reached – the infantry or gunners filing to the right and left as they fired their pieces, and so arranged that the music would be in front when the firing ceased and the house door was reached, and the fiddles, flute and clevises were then to be let loose on Yankee Doodle, with moderately quick step three times around the house, with gunners close up in the rear, and upon the third round, if not invited in we were to depart in peace; but, as may be supposed, we had not made our first round before the ‘Squire and whole family with their politest bows were inviting us in, where first met our view, as a matter of course, a large jug of good whiskey, whilst partaking of which Mrs. Hammond and her daughters hastily sat out upon the table such things as are generally found about a well ordered house at Christmas, as pies, cakes, apples, etc.

the government all the lands around us, and knew almost every section corner.

towards home passing the house of old Mr. Daniel Clare, one of our best old citizens of that day, whose son Jacob had died but a short time before, and in passing this good man’s premises, all else in silence, we played the most solemn dirge we knew how until out of hearing, but thought it best to make no call.

We next came to the house of old Mr. George Jamison, upon which we opened fire that almost seemed to lift the house from its foundation; it now being about one o’clock in the morning of Christmas day. Uncle George had procured a two gallon jug of whiskey the previous evening and perhaps getting a little mellow, was in bed fast asleep and upon awaking in intense alarm, in the idea that he was about to be over powered and to use his own expression, ruined entirely, he was afraid to open his door until after our march with music three times around his house, with Col. Sweeny still hard down on Yankee Doodle, and the clevis-irons in full swing, we found the door open wide enough to admit his hand through with a battered tin cup full of whiskey, seemingly in the hope that it would save him from the infuriated mob that was about to murder him right out, but upon Nat and myself making ourselves known, the old man’s door was thrown open with a cordial invitation to come in and take full possession of his domicile, which soon found us on the jig with the Major’s and Col’s heels flying as lively as ever, and Uncle George in his stocking feet trying his hand, or rather his heels, with them, but finding himself badly beaten on the jig; he said he could beat them at kicking and he was the first and only man I haven ever seen who could kick or put his foot upon the ceiling 81/2 feet above the floor.

our arrival, which was somewhat later than had been expected, but as the firing (although most of the time three miles or more away) could be plainly heard and our route indicated; and after going through the same routine at the Doctor’s with Nat and myself as good as ever on the draw bow for the hard jig and the Col. and Major’s heels still on the fly without, diminution or let up on the jig, and Col. Sweeny with the cracked fluted as hard down as ever on Yankee Doodle.

Thus ending at the Doctor’s, and roll call being made and orders given for an attack on my own house, where similar preparations had been made, and the same routine as before gone through, we struck out for Col. Sweeny’s on Lead Creek, calling by old Mr. Sands’ with a salute from our gunner, Yankee Doodle, etc.

Arriving at the Col’s on Lead Creek, where Mrs. Sweeny and some lady friends had made ample preparation for us, just as the day was breaking, and after partaking of the Col’s and his good wife’s most genuine hospitality and sending forth to the gentle morning breeze in the hills of Lead Creek our very best strains on Yankee Doodle, our serenade was ended and we all depart for our homes.

It might be inferred from the fact that Col. Sweeny was on Yankee Doodle all night long, that it was the only tune he could play, but he could play another tune which he called "all night long," and had played it all night a short time before at a dance at old Major Tuggles, at which Judge Wilson was one of the principal dancers, and another part of the business was that he was generally in accord with poor Nat and myself, for it was very little else than Yankee Doodle that we could play.

per hundred; best beef cattle $10 to $15, and good cows and calves $5 per head, and so on, in proportion for what a farmer had to sell, as many of our old citizens will remember; and with our population less educated and refined, but possessing in all probability, more of the genuine house-raising, log rolling , neighbor-helping and good old fashioned hospitality than at the present time – at least that is the opinion of some of our old citizens of that day.

Of those participating in that somewhat uproarious, but pleasant little serenade, quite a number have long since gone to their graves, but the usual average number, considering length of time, still survive and amongst them are Joseph Wells, Francis Sweeny, George F. Sands, Wm. Kinion, George I. Dyer, Ben F. Mudd, Alexander Mudd, and myself.

H.T. MUDD

I am much amused at Judge Mudd’s articles published in your paper. The Judge need not sign his name if he wants his old friends only to know the author of them. I am sure that all who know him as well as I do, need no signature to point out the author of his articles. Whilst his productions are peculiar and interesting, the most beautiful part is observed in the fact that an honest man holds and direct his pen.

Very Truly Yours,