



Produced by Bill Tozier, Barbara Tozier and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net





Note: This version preserves the irregular chapter numbering scheme of
the original printing; ignoring the first and last chapters, the rest
are numbered I-II, IV, XI, XV-XXIII, XXVI-XXVII, XXIX-XXXV. Also, many
variant and alternative spellings have been preserved, except where
obviously misspelled in the original.




LIFE GLEANINGS



Compiled by

T. J. MACON



RICHMOND, VA.



1913

W. H. ADAMS, Publisher

Richmond, Virginia




PREFACE


My Life's Gleanings is not intended to be a technical history
chronologically arranged, but a reproduction of events that my memory
recalls. By retrospecting to occurrences that happened during my
journey of life. To those who were contemporaneous with the gleanings
alluded to they will recognize them. To the younger reader he will
glean what happened in the past. The incident and anecdote is founded
on facts. I launch the book on the highway of public approval, hoping
the reader will not be disappointed.                      THE AUTHOR.




MY LIFE'S GLEANINGS

COMPILED BY T. J. MACON




CHAPTER I.


The author of these pages first saw the light of day at the family
home of his father, Mr. Miles Gary Macon, called "Fairfield," situated
on the banks of that historic river, the "Chicahominy," in the good
old County of Hanover, in Virginia. My grandfather, Colonel William
Hartwell Macon, started each of his sons on the voyage of life with a
farm, and the above was allotted to my respected parent. Belonging to
the place, about one or two miles from the dwelling, was a grist mill
known as "Mekenses," and how the name of "Macon" could have been
corrupted to "Mekenses," is truly unaccountable, yet such is the case.
The City of Richmond was distant about eight miles to the South. This
old homestead passed out of the Macon family possession about seventy
years ago, and a Mr. Overton succeeded my father in the ownership of
"Fairfield" and the mill. Later a Doctor Gaines purchased it. My
highly respected parents were the fortunate possessors of a large and
flourishing family of ten children, all of whom were born at
"Fairfield."

The Macon manor house was situated just on the edge of the famous
trucking section of Hanover County, which agricultural characteristic
gave its soil an extensive reputation for the production of the
celebrated and highly-prized melons and sweet potatoes of Hanover,
known to Eastern Virginia for their toothsomeness and great size. This
fine old plantation was surrounded by country estates belonging to
Virginia families, who were very sociable, cultured and agreeable
people. My father and mother were thoroughly imbued with the spirit of
that old-time genial country hospitality, which was never found
anywhere in this country more cordial, nor probably even equal, to it.
It afforded them infinite pleasure to visit and to receive the calls
of their neighbors. It was then the invariable custom, when guests
were entertained, for the host to set out refreshments, always the
best the larder afforded, and to insist upon a liberal partaking of
it, for a refusal of the good cheer was indeed a rare thing, and it
was not considered polite to decline joining in wishing good health
and prosperity to your friends and neighbors, always of course in
moderate bumpers, not in excess, and then the viands bountifully
spread out were truly tempting, real old Virginia style of cooking,
such as beaten biscuits that would almost melt in one's mouth, and
other dishes almost too numerous to mention, and then such a hearty
welcome accompanied the feast and "flow of soul," and when the parting
came there was always an appealing invitation for a "speedy coming
again"--a wish for another visit.

Now there was no sham-pretence in these old Virginia manners, but
genuine heartfelt hospitality, which sprang from kind hearts. A
striking habit or custom at that happy period in the "Old Dominion"
life in the country was the intrusting of the white children of the
family to the care of a good old  nurse, or "Mammy," as they
were affectionately called by them; their mothers turned the children
over to their watchful supervision and they were truly faithful and
proud of their control of the little young masters and mistresses,
thus relieving their "old mistress" of all care in rearing them. Well
do I remember my "old Mammy," whose kindness and affectionate
treatment, not only won my heart, but my prompt obedience to her
commands and my cheerful recognition of the authority delegated her by
my fond mother. I was the youngest of the family, and as time was
welding each link in the chain of my life, it was passing like, as in
all families at that period, situated as my parents were, smoothly and
unruffled by excitement or troubles abroad. My mother owned a number
of slaves, or servants, as Virginians generally termed them, whom she
treated with kindness, and when sick she nursed them with the skill
and tender consideration accorded members of her own family, and in
return they looked up to, and respected, her; indeed revered "Old
Missus," as they often called her.




CHAPTER II.


At the time I am writing about, the life of the Virginia farmer was
one to be much desired, for he was a baron in his realm, was lord of
all he surveyed, and yielded no obeisance to any one, but to his Maker
and his country. The dark shadows of coming dire events had not then
cast their war-like omens ahead. The question of the Missouri
Compromise, the admission of Kansas into the sisterhood of the States
under the Lecompton Convention, the decision in the Dred Scott case,
the political issues and measures which were the precursors of the
great war between the States had not yet reached Congress. Everything
that could render life pleasant was vouchsafed the country gentleman
and planter, and his family about three-quarters of a century ago.

What was to happen in the near future no one at this early period
could Cassandra-like predict, and yet there was in the political
horizon a small pillar of portentous appearance, which was destined to
cover the whole heavens with gloom and bring death to thousands of
peaceful citizens in this country, through the clash of arms and
fratricidal strife in which brothers were arrayed against brothers,
and fathers against sons.

My father was an old line Whig and believed in the theory of
government advocated by Alexander Hamilton, yet he recognized the
autonomy of the States and approved some of the tenets of Mr. Thomas
Jefferson, but did not agree with him generally, being in favor of a
strong central government at Washington, though disagreeing with the
extremists of both sections.

Being a close student of the political history of our country he
subscribed to, and carefully read every page of, the National
Intelligencer, owned and published by the Seaton brothers, which was
the best exponent of the legislation of the time that has ever been
issued; the editorials were clear and forcible and the reports of the
debates in Congress were correct and complete. The political disputes
on the floor of Congress began to be warm, and indeed acrimonious
between the Northern and Southern members, which brought out the great
efforts for peace of Henry Clay, of Kentucky, and prevented at that
time a clash of arms between the sections. The admission of Kansas
into the Union under the Lecompton Convention was but a link in the
chain of events leading to the great Civil War. Well do I recall my
respected parent's remark that the trend of the speeches by the
Free-Soil, or Abolition, party in the North and those of the
Secessionists of the South, would certainly bring about a disruption
of the United States if persisted in; and alas! his children lived to
see his remark verified in the year 1861.

Our family moved from old Fairfield to Magnolia farm, only about two
miles north of Richmond, which place was then owned by the Nortons,
and it was a quiet, pleasant home "far away from the madding crowd" in
a sociable and agreeable neighborhood; it is at the present time owned
by the "Hartshorne"  Female Institute and now is included
within the corporate limits of the city of Richmond, Va. How rapidly
the wheel of time brings changes in our surroundings. My father's
children are advancing in years, the older ones are sent off to
boarding schools, my oldest brother had just returned from
Philadelphia, where he had attended the Jefferson Medical College as
an office student of Dr. Thomas C. Mutter, the president of the
college, who was first cousin of my mother--her maiden name was
Frances Mutter.

From Magnolia we moved to "Rose Cottage," owned by a Mr. Richardson,
the object in this move being to be near "Washington and Henry"
Academy, a boarding and day school carried on by a Mr. and Mrs.
Dunton; she was in charge of the small boys and the girls, while her
husband taught the large boys. I was in Mrs. Dunton's department,
being but a small chap, and as to whether I learned anything at this
time it is a matter of considerable doubt. My mother furnished six
pupils to this institution. The principals would come over to "Rose
Cottage" two or three times per month, bringing their boarders with
them, which visits they appeared to enjoy greatly as a good supper,
with a large and shady yard to play in, was certainly well calculated
to afford mirth and pleasure to both old and young. A Mr. Osborne, a
Presbyterian minister, boarded at the academy, being a unique
character and one of the best men to be found anywhere; he formed the
plan of teaching the scholars, young and old, the catechism of the
Presbyterian Church, and all those who committed it to memory received
a nice book as a prize. The climax of the scheme was an offer of a
grand prize to any scholar that would repeat the whole of it without a
hitch or halt. The children were thoroughly inoculated with
Presbyterianism. The final trial of reciting, or memorizing, the
catechism came off at the residence of Mr. Thomas Gardner. The contest
was one long to be remembered, a Miss Fannie Shelton scoring the first
honor, and Miss Newell Gardner the second. The supper provided for
this happy occasion was a first class one in every respect. The best
that a well-stocked farm house could produce, both in substantials and
nicknacks, such for instance, as broiled chicken, roast lamb and
barbecued pig, with dessert of ice cream, yellow cake and pies in
abundance; it was in short one of the finest "lay-outs" that I ever
saw, and being an appreciative youngster I did ample justice to it
indeed, and fairly revelled in the many good eatables so generously
spread before us, and to this day I remember it with pleasure. "Rose
Cottage" was truly a delightful home. The never-failing wheel of time
was turning fast, and the water of life that once passed over it will
never again turn it. We were all growing fast as we advanced in years.
At this time my father bought a place on Nine Mile Road, about two and
a half miles from the city, it was named "Auburn," and to it we moved
bag and baggage.

Just as with "Fairfield" and "Magnolia," we found hospitable
neighbors, and genial intercourse was conspicuous. Among them were
Colonel Sherwin McRae and family, a Mrs. Gibson, Mr. Tinsley Johnson,
Mr. Galt Johnson, and many other well known families, nearly all of
whom have now moved away or have passed to the other side of the
river. Mr. William Galt Johnson lived about a quarter of a mile from
us, and there was a considerable intercourse between the two families.
"Galt," as he was called, was a character of renown and possessed of
much personality; one of his traits was never to give a word its
correct pronunciation and yet he thought he was right always. I was
visiting there one evening, and as supper was placed on the table the
bell rang; Galt arose from his seat and in a clear voice said "the
bell has pronounced supper ready, let's go." His wife, who was a
cultivated lady, attempted to correct him by saying "announce,
William," but she could never get him to change his mode of speech.
Another of his peculiarities was his lack of fondness of church-going.
Mrs. Johnson, his wife, was a regular attendant to the church and
naturally desired her husband to accompany her, a most reasonable
wish, but Galt made several excuses for not complying, and finally he
urged as a last resort that he could not sit in a pew unless he could
whittle a stick, and could not collect his thoughts sufficiently to
listen to the sermon; so she told him that should not be a good
excuse, and that he could take a stick along and trim it as much as he
chose, and he consented to go with her, but did not receive much
benefit from the sermon.

My mother determined to send me to live with my