Diary of Col. Landon Carter; Wm. and Mary Qrtly., Vol. 15, No. 1 Transcribed by Kathy Merrill for the USGenWeb Archives Special Collections Project ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** Diary of Col. Landon Carter Landon Carter William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 15, No. 1 (Jul., 1906), pp. 15-20. DIARY OF COL. LANDON CARTER. (Continued from Vol. XIV., 253) Sunday, January 9, 1776. When Mr. Colston had discovered how my daughter Lucy's affections lay, he ventured to speak to me, telling me he shd have done it sooner, but he was doubtful as to the provisions in his entailed estates. I answered him I had only L800 sterling to give her as a portion (Here follow some words I can't make out) * * Accordingly, the wedding takes effect, and as soon as I saw Mr. Colston was serious of carrying his wife home, I told him as I understood he wanted a few slaves to stock his plantation better, I intended the cop after this to give him 6 slaves wch shd be valued and their value to be received as a part of the L800 sterling. This he expressed a seeming desire should be done. Accordingly, I offered my wench Franky, who used to wait on my daughter, to be taken as one. Lucy said there did not seem to be any occasion, for the wench was a fine woman & would be wanted to work for me as her mother was now in a manner past it. Therefore, she only desired Franky for a few days till she could instruct Mr. Colston's girl he intends for the house. This was, accordingly, done and after 7 or 8 days the wench returned. At this visit my daughter told me she must take her word back again, and desired she might have Franky on the terms I at first offered her. I agreed to this as I found all parties willing; then I asked my daughter if she knew how Mr. Hornsby had given the house and land. She answered that Mr. Colston's widow in case of such an accident was somehow provided for, but could not tell how. Yesterday I communicated this conversation to Colston, adding that I wanted to be satisfied how by Mr. Hornsby's gift of the house &c. his widow, possibly without children, was to be provided for; and he answered, she was only to be maintained out of that estate during her life. I then replyed that the negroes, at least, I should let him have as part of her fortune ought to be settled upon his wife, and he then actually told me, to be sure it was most reasonable they should be so done, and begged that I would get such an instrument. I told him any lawyer could easily draw such an Page 16. one and repeated to him the Purport of it. Our conversation ended with essming satisfaction. But in the evening I discovered a dulness in him and only asked if he was unwell and was answered: No, he was bery well. I said no more, believing his dulness was an efffect of something natural in him. But this morning, when alone, he told me he was a little too hasty yesterday in consenting to the negroes being settled on his wife; for in such a case he said he should have no power over them to part with them as he might think proper; and his whole fortune might as well have been settled upon her wch he could not have done if I had at first demanded it, because he was in debt for a tract of adjoyning land wch he had bought. I became serious, and spoke to this effect: Sr. I have treated you rather more like a gentleman than you at first did me, for you did not speak to me before you had engaged my daughter's affections, but imputing this to love and bashfulness I thought nothing about it, but did not my conversation about her fortune before marriage tend to know whether the donor of your estate had not restrained the law as to a widow's dower out of entailed lands, and did not that imply a settlement on my child if you had told me then it did? How then, now you do tell me it does, can you wish I had demanded this settlement at first beacause you would not have agreed to it? Was there an equal or a greater temptation to a parent in such a match in your estate, than there was in other Gentmen's fortunes who have married my daughters. The gift to you, only saying your widow shall be maintained out of the estate given away to another, if you die without heirs must either leave my children in the power of others or of the law, and what would this differ from a Parent throwing his child into a river that some kind hand might save her from drowning. He then told me that his wife thought that there would be no manner of occasion for such a settlement. I answered she seemed to reason as he did on the present moment in the full shine of a honeymoon, but things of this sort should extend and could be only meant after his death, when perhaps the moons of others might never shine on his widow. However, said I, don't disturb yourself. Your wife out of weakness might, seeing your uneasiness, tell you so. Page 17 but no Prudent parent ought not to do so. But if you want to be at liberty to leave her a beggar, should you choose it, for God's sake do it. He offered then to leave the fortune in my hands. I replied no, Sr. no one shall ever have an opportunity of declaring anything with a face so interested as that must appear. I will let you have the 6 negroes the next crop as I promised, and Franky shall go now agreeable to your desire. He then asked me at what value. I began then to see & replied, to be sure a very healthy wench and a fine workwoman must be of much more value than an outworker. And so our conversation ended. It may be something, at this time, a little inconsiderate in this Gentleman, but I cannot help crowding myself into some doubts only to be trusted to myself, but I will be honest, and Prudent to boot. I can't but still condemn Lucy's too easy confidence in others, at the same time she seems to suspect her father, but before the God whom I now write, I mean nothing but a real Parental care; and may he so direct me and others. They went home this day. 8, Monday. Wm. Beale, Junr's. negroes to wit: two men which hire as sawyers for ten pounds a year each. The time of the younger begins this day, but the eldest only begins his year when his leg gets well. I have put it under necessary care. They were to have brot their whipsaws by agreement, but I have not seen that . . . I am just to cloath them when they go away as they are now. It seems they have not as yet got their new cloaths. 9, Tuesday. A most blusering morning indeed. Last night Col: John Lee, of Essex and Mr. Phil: Smith, of Westmoreland came here. This morning, cold and blowing as it was, as Colo: Tayloe was just returned from Chantilly, we went to hear the news from Richd: Henry Lee, saw a Paper from Philadelphia, and one from Maryland chiefly filled with the Virginia accots. of Dunmore sometime past & also the Proceedings of the Congress too formal & particular to be easily remembered. Mr. Smith remembered to have seen a Dunlop paper which has given an accot. of the Spillat field weavers exercising under arms to assist America, but forgot the date. Dr. Jones from town had also written from town to the Col:, Page 18. but only dated it on a Saturday, and speaks of a false alarm, but does not mention what it was and tells of two topsail vessels, valuable Prizes sent up by Capt. Barron taken by his armed Pilot boat with only two swivels & some armed men. 10, Wednesday, January, 1776. Extreme keen & cold last night, so that at 6 this morning my clock slow, I suppose frozen, but probably dusty, for the keen violent wind blew that about very much. Much was advanced about the honesty of Posey who brought the news of Norfolk being burnt by Ld. Dunmore & the men-of-war. Altho' Jones does not say a syllable about it. I could not credit it, such an inconsistency, come from who it will, but a man who shd swear he saw it burn & actually set on fire without any accidents; and was austerely treated to think the lad who never told a lie shd tell one now. I answered it was plain by saying Colo: Tayloe was no gentleman, he owns he told one lie; and I see no such casuistry that admits of telling one from conveniencey wch will not tell another for diversion; or Perhaps that may be conveniency likewise. Be- sides, if he has not lied, somebody had for him, for here we were told the Capt: of the man-of-war's Lady had sent for Provisions & necessaries to Colo Howe & was refused, but then I heard her letter was so very polite and genteel that the Colo sent her Particular presents; and yet his town was burnt and fired upon by the men-of-war because they could not let them victual? Extraordinary! to be sure, such faith must have been larger than a grain of mustard seed. I still doubt whether this collector was even at Norfolk. I think I have reason every day to be more and more astonished at the tempers of people; some folks either in a passion or from a spirit of contridiction don't even care to own any truth. I asked whether it was not remembered that we were told that Posey had said that Cpt. of the man- of-war's Lady had asked for water & had been denied by the Colo; and tho one of them were asked, Why, as the ships had command of Portsmouth the Capt. did not send there for water. Yet the whole was occasionally forgotten for a while and then after they were forced to Page 19. own they heard it; then the person who told it, might have mistaken the boy. Why should he lie any more than another? 12. Write to Robin & Dr. Jones by Col. R. H. Lee. 13. On Sunday last I sent my wench Franky to my daughter Colston, but as I was alarmed about Hornsby's gift to her husband in whc, as it was represented to me, she was, if his widow, only to be maintained out of it. I could only tell her I did not give up my right in her. On this when the boat came back whch was not till Wednesday morning wth a pretense of getting 9 bushels of very indifferent oysters, I recd a letter from my daugher very simple indeed, only for the sake of some filial ill usage. At the same time Hornsby's will was sent, in which it is mentioned the widow of the person dying in possession of the estate shall enjoy the house and be suitably maintained out of the estate and the children educated out of it; as this word "suitably" will mean with service also, I shall give or sell my right in the slaves I let Colston have. My grandson, in his rambling about, met H. Muse, and heard from him that Banks, the agent, had brot to Essex Court, The convention was to break up this week, that Dunmore, in the exchange of Prisoners proposed, only offered a cake boy that was with Hatch for Lieut. Battall, wch so offended him and the rest of the Grenadiers, that, as they were so kindly treated by the Virginians, as soon as they were well of their wounds, they would enter in the service of America. This Banks also brot word of large topsail vessels being in the bay, imagined by some to be northern vessels of war, wch were expected to attach Dunmore & the men of war here; but nobody knew, and they might as well be other vessels of war come to prevent that, for this intended step was known to the northward, before it got here. Colo. R. H. Lee, on his way to town from Fraser's, sent newspapers with nothing more in them than what Banks had told, that Gosport, the whole town, Tucker's mill, and all And: Sprowles' houses were burnt by our people as his Excellency had burnt down Norfolk. All the men-of-war kept up a vast firing to prevent it, but without any effect. February 6, Tuesday. I have heard that Andrew Lewis re- Page 20. fused to receive a command from his country, because they have so contrived it that he should be under the command of those whom he had in the war actually commanded. It is a great pity that those thus advanced should not submit to so approved & experienced an officer; but yet I do hope, as it is his country that calls him, he may endeavor to waive such a slur. It will then show him superior to himself. February 14. My daughter Colston & her husband came here yesterday. It means they are to go to a treat at Lee Hall, foolish enough, but time, it is to be hoped, will produce more sense. I had resolved my chariot should not be used, roads bad & indeed the weather far from the least inviting. But if I had thought of to-morrow being a called court, it should not have gone. I see the Philadelphia Pamphlet called Common Sense is much advertized in Philadelphia, and it is pretended to be written by an Englishman. If true, it is really much to be suspected of its secret intentions to fix an ill impression that the Americans are resolved not to be reconciled. And indeed that matter is encouraged under the most absurd arguments in the world. But I do suppose it to be the concealed topic of even some in Congress, tho they have so repeatedly contradicted & tho they have so severely reprehended Dr. Cooper some time ago, who actually charged them with a design of independency. I have written an answser to the Extracts Published by Purdie, but as I do not understand by the advertizements, tho it is said to be in great demand, the new edition is to contain many additions. I would wait to see what they are; for the present impression of it is quite scandalous & disgraces the American cause much; whc as it is reasonably imagined to be supported by Almight Mercy, I would not have its original justice constitutional freedom in the least sullied. (To be continued.)