Memoir of John Howe Peyton: in sketches by his contemporaries, together with some of his public and private letters, etc., also a sketch of Ann M. Peyton
History
Memoir of John Howe Peyton: in sketches by his contemporaries, together with some of his public and private letters, etc., also a sketch of Ann M. Peyton
Peyton, Anne Montgomery, 1802-1850; Peyton, John Howe, 1778-1847
Many years after one of Major Peyton's young children hearing of this
affair, enquired if the commissary had challenged him. The Major replied
that he had not. But continued the child "suppose he had, what would you
have done?" "Why," said the Major, "I would have answered him as humorously
as did the gentleman spoken of by Dr. Franklin, A gentleman in a coffee
house," said the Major "desired another to sit further from him. Why so?
Because you stink! That's an insult, and you must fight me. I will
fight you, if you insist upon it, but I do not see how that will mend
the matter, for if you kill me, I shall stink too, and if I kill you,
you will stink, if possible, more than you do at present."
A WESTERN TRIP IN 1815.
Shortly after the close of the war, Mr. Peyton made a visit to Kentucky
on business, one object being to look after fifteen hundred acres of
land belonging to his wife lying near Louisville, a property which has
since become of immense value. He was accompanied by Ned Phipps or Fibs,
his body servant during the war, a faithful negro, upon whose attachment
he could rely. In his station few men behaved, as a rule, better than
Ned, who had a certain amount of self respect, "nigger" as he was
styled, and knew how to conduct himself, if he did not always do it.
They made the entire journey from Staunton to Louisville, on horseback,
of course they were armed, as their route was through a wild and savage
country, infested by Indians, many of them dissatisfied with the close
and the result of the war; and a class of desperate whites, more
dangerous than the red men, some of whom had served under Gen. Harrison
in the North West, and were survivors of Fort Meigs, and the battle and
massacre of the river Raisin. The Eastern part of Kentucky, known as the
"Knobs," or the "Knobby country," is still a savage country in
possession of a savage people, though traversed by the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railroad which is supposed to have let in some of the light of
civilization, and has gained an unenviable notoriety within the past ten
years by reason of the bloody feuds between the Hatfields and McCoys.
Through this wilderness they travelled on miserable paths called roads,
which connected the settlements, swimming rivers, and other water
courses and resting of nights in log huts, called country taverns
promising accommodations for man and beast. And what is remarkable to
relate completed their outward journey and returned to Virginia in
safety.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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