Legends of the Skyline Drive and the Great Valley of VirginiaWillis, Carrie Hunter
History
Legends of the Skyline Drive and the Great Valley of Virginia
Willis, Carrie Hunter
Shenandoah National Park (Va.); Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History
The Legislators were badly demoralized, for they feared Tarleton would
come to Staunton. Many of them left during the night and went to the
hospitable home of Colonel George Moffett. During Mr. Henry's hasty
changes he had the misfortune to lose one of his boots. While eating
breakfast the next morning, Mrs. Moffett remarked, "There was one member
of the Legislative body whom I knew would not run." The question was
asked by one of the party, "Who is he?" Her reply was, "Patrick Henry,"
at that moment a gentleman with one boot colored perceptibly. The party
soon left and after their departure a servant rode up and asked for Mr.
Henry, saying he had forgotten his boot. Of course Mrs. Moffett knew
whom the boot fitted.
A tale made more popular perhaps because of a recent revival of interest
in Salem witchcraft is that of a woman who lived years ago in Augusta
County and who was a great aunt of Governor James McDowell of Rockbridge
County. She was born Mary McDowell and married James Greenlee.
It is recounted that she was an unusually attractive and intelligent
young woman but was considered highly eccentric in her behavior.
Neighbors thought that an early love affair had contributed something to
her peculiar manner. Be that as it may, she was regarded by her
acquaintances as a witch. They believed she had made a written contract
with the devil--a contract drawn up in duplicate form so that each party
might retain a copy!
Once at a quilting party in her home she urged one of the quilters to
take a second piece of cake and laughingly remarked that "the mare that
does double work should be best fed." The women misconstrued this to be
an acknowledgment that she was a witch who rode a mare at night on her
excursions to meet the devil. The rumor of her evil activities rapidly
spread throughout the countryside.
[Illustration:--_Courtesy Virginia State Chamber of Commerce_
WOODROW WILSON'S BED, STAUNTON, VA.]
The neighborhood thought she was capable of placing curses upon them and
attributed such tragedies as fires, loss of family or stock, or poor
crops to the unfortunate woman.
The fact that she was never brought before the court with the accusation
of being a witch was due in large measure to the standing of the family.
That does not mean, however, that Mrs. Greenlee did not live a wretched
existence or that failure to declare her a witch made the people less
afraid of her powers.
While he was President of the United States, Woodrow Wilson returned to
Staunton and placed a tablet on the wall of the First Presbyterian
Church in memory of his father, Dr. Joseph Wilson, a former minister.
The church in which Dr. Wilson used to preach and in which the President
was christened serves now as the Chapel of Mary Baldwin College.
An interesting old home in Staunton is the Stuart House, located on
Lewis Street. It was planned by the great architect and builder Thomas
Jefferson. Mr. A. H. Stuart, the owner, was a member of President
Fillmore's Cabinet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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