were attorneys at the Albemarle Bar in early days: David Michie, I,8,(2),(1798),Robert Michie, I,7,(I), (1800); Thomas J. Michie, I,5,(1825) (evidently qualifiedwhile practicing in Staunton), Alexander H. Michie, I,8,(4), (1845) and T. L.Michie, I,6,(3), I,8,(5) and I,8,(4), (1870), and that the same T.L. Michierepresented the County in the House of Delegates from 1878 to 1881.

Robert Michie,I,7.

As I said above, Robert Michie, I,7, probably the eldest of Scotch John'ssons to leave descendants, lived in Louisa. He married Anne Watson,ll,7, adaughter of the James Watson, II,8, who was shipped to this country with ScotchJohn Michie.

According to Meade's Old Churches and Families in Virgihia, RobertMichie and his brother William Michie were among the first vestrylnen added tothe vestry of Fredericksville Parish soon after its formation. The vestrymen, likethe members of the County Court, were selected from among the mbst prominentand respected gentlemen of the parish and at the time Fredericksville Parishembraced substantially all of Louisa County and the northem half of Albemarle.

Robert Michie lived near the Green Spring in Louisa County and speaksin his will of his place ooat the Green Spring." I am told that actually he lived alittle to the North of the Green Spring proper on what is known as Michie's Hill"and that he was called in the family "Robin-on-the-hil1." It is said that M. F.Peers, I,7,(5), a descendant of Robert, now hives just across the road from"Michie's Hill."

Robert Michie Inherited large tracts of land from his father and added tothem. He is also known to have owned one or more mills. He died in 1793 andhis widow, Ann Watson, outlived him more than forty years. She must havebeen close to 100 years old when she died in 1834, leaving dozens ofgreatgrandchildren and quite possibly some great great grandchildren. Her great greatgranddaughter, Mrs. N. L. Alexander,I,T,(4), of West, Miss., has an old familyportrait of her, as well as similar portraits of Anne's daughters Anne Cross,I,7,(I), and of Sally's husband, David Michie I,8,(2), of Albemarle (who looksjust like my great grandfather Thomas J. Michie of Staunton).

Before leaving Robert Michie, I,7 , to take up our ancestor Patriclg I,6, Iwill devote a few words to Patrick's brothers and sisters and their descendants.Four of the sisters have been mentioned, Sally, who married her first cousinDavid of Albemarle and had no children, Elizabeth and Lucy, both of whommarried their double first cousins, George and John Michie, and have numerousdescendants living in Tennessee, Mississippi, Texas and elsewhere, and Annecross. The husband of the latter was Col. Oliver Cross and they too moved toMississippi, in which state, as well as Tennessee

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and other states, there are numerous descendants. There was a fifth daughterMury, who married a John Downing. Her son Charles W. Downing,I,7,(2),served several terms as a member of Congress from the Territory of Florida priorto its admission to the Union. He was evidently a man of great ability, a lawyerand a very handsome person, as evidenced by his portrait now in the possessionof his grandson John H. Downing,I,7,(4), of Portsmouth. Among otherdescendants of this couple are Pat Smith, I,7 ,(4), of Charlottesville, his sisterMrs. McCormick, and Pat_Gwathmey,I,7,(5), who married Anita Ashhurst.

Besides our ancestor Patriclg Robert Michie had five other sons, making,with the daughters, a family of eleven who grew to maturity. There may havebeen others who died young. Of these sons James, who was apparently the oldestand who I am still inclined to believe was a captain in the Revolution despite thepossibility that this may have been his uncle James, died fairly young, leavingone daughter Martha, of whose subsequent history I know nothing. The secondson John was a lawyer, the first of the name in Virginia to qualify as such(inI782). He lived and practiced law for many years in Goochland County. Hisson moved to Rockbridge County, where the family lived for several generationsand where his great grandson Col. John Chapman Michie, I,7,(4),later ofDurham, N. C., was raised. Diana Michie, a daughter of John of Goochland,married Thomas Jefferson Woodson (his father was a first cousin of ThomasJefferson) and moved to Tennessee, in which state and in Mississippi and Texasshe has probably as many living descendants as any one ofher generation in anybranch of the family.

As John Michie of Goochland appears to have been attorney in some ofthe litigation that resulted, this point is perhaps as good a place as any other tomention the serious break that occurred between the Michies in Louisa County,or some of them, and their Watson kin. This reached such a state that thefamilies were not on speaking terms for years. I have never quite gotten to thebottom of it, but apparently it involved some provision in the will of old JamesWatson, Scotch John's companion in arms in the Rising of 1715, probable havingto do with a daughter of his who married a Paulette. A Watson descendant,II,8,(?) now living in Louisa wrote my Uncle George Michie several years age:

o'It was a pity the descendants fell out about thePaulette money, as the feeling was very bitter on both sides.Some of our land was Michie land having, I suppose, comedown from Robert. When it was bought, my great uncle, Jos.Morris, was buying some to add to his place, which wasadjoining ours. He bought it all and let his brother-in-law Jas.Watson, III, have some of it. I always heard this was donebecause a Michie would not have sold to a'Watson"'

I have in my possession a very interesting letter from John Michie ofGoochland on this subject written to his distinguished cousin David Watson. Itfollows, to the extent it is decipherable:

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Goochland 7 June i802My dear Sir:

I have given yourself & myself more trouble about Harry Paulett'snegros than my interest in them is worth. Indeed my interest is the other way -on the side of a law suit. One hundred dollars fee is what I have been offered byone of the parties, &, it is because they will not be oppressed. But as it nevershall be said that I stir up strife among my own relations to make Money from it:so it never shall be truly said that I betray the interest ofa client.

But what particularly urges me at this time to give you some loosethoughts on the subject Jimmy Michie tells me you differ from me as to the law.The great point is had Harry Paulett a right to will them negros? This dependsupon the will a copy of which I inclose you to be returned. The words are these:"I lend unto my grandson Henry Paulett my Negro Jane & Kate dufing hisnonage & furthermore it is my will & desire that If my grandson H$ttry Paulettshould die without bodily heir lawfully begotten then his part of my estate shallreturn to my grandchildren to be equally divided amongst them. I

You say if the devise had been of a real estate it would havd given anEstate Tail to Henry Paulett. I think not. You say I am interested. Forarguments sake I admit it;but surely it is to carry the dispute to court. Havingadmitted that I am interested; you must also admit that L'd Kenyon is notinterested. Hear from him. In 7 volume Durnsford & east's reports Wilkersonagainst South he lays the Law down to be this: "If personal property be solimited that If it were an Estate of Inheritance it would give an Estate Tail theabsolute Interest vests in the first Taker" (agreed) "But if the Limitation be witha double aspect to A & to the Issue of his body, it there be any such issue livingat his Death if not, then over it is a good limitation. It was so settled inSubbarton & Subbarton Cos. v. Talb. 55, 245 and a variety of other cases, someof which are not in print. Here the words of the will are to S. Parker & the Heirsof his Body & to their Heirs & assigns forever. If those Words stood alone anduncontrolled by any thing subsequent in the will the absolute Interest would havevested in him, but other words are added. But in Default of such Issue hen afterhis Decease to go to the Testator's grandson. There is a case in the Books toshow that then & when are adverbs of Time (?) So far L. Kenyou. Indeed Iconsider it a profuse waste of Time to add arguments upon a point which I havenot doubted for twenty years, and which Ld. Kenyon says in the same Book page596 has not been disputed for about two hundred years.

This puts Harry Paulett's will out of the question.

2Dly. Is my Mother's Branch of the family entitled? I hoped your father'scharacteristic prudence would not have suffered this point to be stirred for threereasons.

l. It must necessarily rip up to Lawsuit, which ought to beforgot; & all the personalities to avoid which I advised my father to take onetenth of his claim. 2. It would create a Rancor that hardlv

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death could remove. 3. It would raise a point where proof would be adduced inorder to establish that he obtained the Grandfather's Will by Improper Influence.I will tell you the particulars whenever you will ask them. These are Reasonsthat should have some weight with a prudent man. But these Things I mentionfor your consideration & by no Means think material in the Question. On thecontrary I acknowledge that when my father claimed under the MarriageContract your father might have called upon the Court by proper pleading to holdhim to his Election either to take under the contract or under the Will; but nothaving done so it would be now too late. The maxim which applies is Qui Libetrenuntiare potest juri pro se introducto. You speak of the Decree. That at best isonly equivocal. But to show that my father never meant to relinquish the Will &that that made no part of the old people's agreement or the Court's Dectee he hasever since been in peaceable possession of every thing that the will gave him.This is a fact which cannot lie or forget & which of itself is decisive in the cause.But the point is clear without this fact. The Court that forfeits one claim firstalways establishes the other. If Chancery should say you shall forfeit under theWill, it must also say take under the Marriage Contract to the full amount ofclaim, & Mr. Jefferson's letter, which I expect is among my father's papers, saidmy father & yours should throw into Hotchpot & equally divide. But throwingall these points out of the case there is one which is conclusive. My Mother'sclaim is not immediately under the Will but under a Limitation over after aparticular Estate & I know of no case where the Doctrine of Elections have beenapplied in such an Instance.

Ambler 390 Ld. Chancellor says I have great Doubt whether such aCondition (speaking of Election) can be coupled with a partial estate. It wouldmake a great Confusion. The Devise would be sometimes good, at other timesnot: as the Devise submitted to the Will or not. It is an unknownspecies of Estate; ad voluntaten sub. Cancel (?).

I think you gave it as your opinion that if my Mother's claim wasforfeited under the "Will it devolved equally to your father & the two otherSisters; upon what ground I know not. It is not Reason and I will now show it isnot Law. lYezey Junr. 523. If a Testator takes upon himself to devise to BLands to which he has no Colour of Title & which are in possession or are theInheritance of A, to whom some part of the Testator's Estatepersonal is also either renounce to the Extent of his own Estatethe Estate devised or must convey his own Estate to B - not to B. C. & D, but tothe person disappointed.

The old suit betwixt my father & yours was an unfortunate one; but itsJustice your father acknowledged when he paid up, &, it should now sleep.

I think your father blames me & looks angry in this Business. I am sorryfor it: fiat justitiaruat collum. If after reading this you are satisfied please to useyour influence & let us keep peace. That I have not been an incendiary you mustknow, else why lie still? What Right has your father to hold the negros aMoment? They are not his. He acknowledges it. Yet as I supposed it aconvenience to him to finish his crop - I have never once

as@)

called on him to give them up 'til the Fall. However, Justice is Justice. He mustthen pay the Hire & he must pay up the thirty ponds, to be divided with Interest.Jimmy said a certificate would be required. I have taken the Liberty to draft onewhich I inclose to be executed by him. Let it all be done by next Court andplease give my compliments to the old man and tell him I am sorry if he is aflgry;but that if I am not true to my clients, I shall get no business, & a Man will besooner suspected doing business with an Uncle & an influential character thananother person. He is the only uncle I have on the Mother's side & I feel lessregret in calling upon him to shell out, as he does not want it. Tell him thePauletts are stirring.

Yours,

(Signed) Jno. Mic[rie

45(b)

Despite this letter and the subsequent serious family breach, John ofGoochland remained on good terms with the Watson's for some years thereafterand perhaps permanently, as I also have other letters of his written laterindicating that he was then representing them in various legal matters.

The third son of Robert Michie was Captain William Michie, whomarried Mary Ann Maury, cousin of Mathew Fontaine Maury, the famous Parsonof the Parson's Case. This couple lived in Louisa County and their portraits arein the possession of their great granddaughter Mrs. Earl Crank, I,7,(4), of LouisaCourthouse. They too raised a large family and have many descendants,especially in Virginia, West Virginia and Missouri. Their son James FontaineMichie served in the War of 1812. His daughter Mary lived to be over 100 anddied only a few years ago. She is said to have been the first member of thefamily to leave the Episcopal Church, turning Baptist at a time when a greatmany others in Louisa were doing so. Her father donated the land on which theMechanicville Baptist Church was erected. (MV father once said he had nevermet a Michie who had not been raised as an Episcopalian, but I find that manyare Baptists and the only Minister I have heard of among the descendants ofScotch John was of the Christian or Campbellite faith, Robert WashingtonMichie, I,8,(3) and[,7,(2), of Michie, Tenn.) Among the descendants of JamesFontaine Michie are C. C. Michie, Assistant Secretary of the C. & O. railway andRandolph Peers, who works for the Koppers Company in Boston. Otherdescendants of Capt. William Michie, through his son Reuben or through hisdaughters (two of whom married Lasleys, one of whom married a Hopkins, andanother of whom married a Thomasson include Earnest Michie of Charleston, W.Va., and his son Beverly, a lawyer and a member of the West VirginiaLegislature, Maury Diggs, distinguished architect of San Francisco.

Matthew Michie, one of the younger sons of our ancestor Robert,married his cousin Nancy Meade and as far as know had only one son JohnJames Michie, who married twice, his first wife having been Martha Michie, adaughter of John Augustus of Albemarle. There are no living descendants of thisfirst marriage, but there are descendants of the second, to Amazon AugustaDixon, living in New York and elsewhere.

Finally we come to our ancestor Robert's son Robert, Jr. He is referredto in a note in the April, 1921, issue of "The Virginia Magazine of History andBiography" which, with the paragraph of the text to which the note is appended(a letter from one Jo. S. Watson, then a student at Robertson's School inAlbemarle County (run by the father of Judge W. J. Robertson) to his brotherDavid, dated September 7, 1796) I reproduce:

"Bob Michie 3 left us last week. He had forgotten all his latin before heleft us, and become an intire Grecian. Neither Virgil, Horace, Pope norDryden were any longer worthy to be read. But it was 'read Homer onceand vou can read no mofe."'

"3. This intire Grecian' was probably Robert, son of RobertMichie of Louisa County.

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Robert (Sr.) of Louisa, married Ann Watson, so theschoolmates were related."

"The following letter is also among the Watson papers:

"May 9th, !795

"Mr. David WatsonGreenspring

:Louisa.

"Dear David:

"Coming over to borrow your Greek testament I was sorry[ could nothave the satisfaction of seeing you. But believe me I experienced rlo incompetentdegree from hearing of your attention to Divine Institutions. Your iealousy willnot even permit to stay till the day but you must in order for furtherrsecurityattend the day before. But respecting religion, Mr. Causby a close reasoner andan implicit follower of Mr. Paine Reasonable Age. Has converted ttre wholeDucking Hole Fraternity insomuch that we never think of such a thing. I askedthe young gentleman at the time when he was very zealously opposing the faith ifhe had divested himself of even the most minute conscientious scruple respectingthe Divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? Without hesitation heanswered in the affirmative. But these are matters unfathomable by me for whichreason I am resolutely determined to remain in the faith till I see cause to alter-which God forbid I ever should. They say he has so staggered the vestal faith ofthe vestal P.J. (if she ever had any) that she is resolved on a revolution. But noneof this still is what I want. I came here today to borrow your Greek testament ifyou were not using it too busily yourself for a few months therefore as I take itfor granted you do not I must presume on our acquaintance and take it withsupposed permission. Court is at hand if you have the most instant use for it ifyou will inform me then I will retum it. I waited sometime for your father but Icould not see him being in a hurry and supposing he would be on the plantationtill night.

"With great hesitation and mental reservation I lay hands on yourtestament with presumed permission and remain yr

FriendBob Michie"

47.

There are two other less interesting letters from this Robert Michie toDavid Watson, as well as a number of letters to Watson from Chapman Johnson,Joseph C. Cabell and others in XXIX, Virginia Magazine of History andBiography, p.257, et seq.

This Robert was probably the Robert Michie who qualified as anattorney at the Albemarle Bar in 1800. However, if so, he did not practice longin Albemarle as he lived most of his life in Hanover County, where he died atRussell's in 1823. An obituary notice in the Richmond Enquirer speaks of hislearning and the respect in which he was held in the Community. He had twosons, John who died young and William Watson. William Watson was a studentat the University in its first year and had a brilliant record there. He is mentionedas an honor student, along with Edgar Allan Poe, in Hervey Allen's o'Israfel" onp.128. His will is one of the most interesting documents I have read in myexamination of the family records. He married Virginia Ann Dupuy and hadonly one child, a daughter, Cornelia Virginia. Under his will if he and his wifeand daughter died without other issue, his slaves were to be freed. In 1842 hewas murdered and his body found covered with leaves in the woods of his homenear Ashcake, Hanover Co., Va. The mystery was never salved, but hisdescendants think the murder was committed by some of the slaves who hadgotten wind of the provisions of his will and who either intended to murder thedaughter also and lost their nerve or else didn't rcalize it was necessary to do soto obtain their freedom. At any rate, the daughater grew up to marry Robert B.Watkins of Ampthill, Chesterfield Co., and later of Louisa, and to become thegrandmother of Bob Jackson, who was in college with me and was later a judgein Los Angeles, and of Raymond Jackson, now Secretary of the Commonwealthof Virginia, and many others. A granddaughter, Mrs. Burns Bradley ofHarrisonburg, has her wedding gown and slippers and also the wedding slippersof virginia Ann Dupuy

patrick Michie,I,6

My great great grandfather, Patrick Michie, is famous principally forhaving been a mentor of the once well known Chapman Johnson, III,7,(1), in thelatter's youth. Chapman Johnson today has been reduced to a footnote inhistory-Virginia history, hardly a footnote in American history-and PatrickMichie, I,6, gets a footnote to that footnote. But that footnote still stands and innearly every sketch of Chapman Johnson you will find a reference to theindebtedness he owed to his older brother-inlaw, Patrick Michie, who wasresponsible for his education after his father's early death.

Patrick Michie lived at Prospect Hill in Louisa County, near theAlbemarle Line, between Gordonsville and Lindsay. He married DorothyJohnson, III,6, a sister of Chapman Johnson and daughter of one of the severalThomas Johnsons. Our branch of the family has always held to the theory thatbrains first entered the Michie family here--doubtless because of the laterprominence of Chapman Johnson and the grcat respect in which he was alwaysheld by the entire family. Yet, despite the fact that the brains of the family aresupposed to have come from Patrick's wife, Patrick himself had

48.

the reputation of being a great scholar. Apparently Patrick was pronounced as ifit were spelled Pagrick. It is actually so spelled at least once on the records inthe Clerk's Office in Louisa County, and when I called on Mill Lucy Taylor,II,8,(?)m West End, Louisa County, a Watson Descendant, a few years ago Inoticed that she always so pronounced the name, usually referring to my greatgreat grandfather as "old Mr. Partrick Michie," just as if she had know him-though he died in 1854.

It is possible that as a young man Partick Michie attended William andMary College, though the records of the college (which are, however, by nomeans complete) do not indicate it. Miss Mary Rawlings, II,8,(?), told me thatshe had heard so from older members of the Watson Family who spoke of one oftheir ancestors taking the long ride to Williamsburg with him. But I think itlikely that Patrick has been confused with his brother Robert Patriclk wasevidently not very prosperous, at least at one time, for I have a lettel written byhim in 1829 to his cousin David Watson asking further time in which to pay anote to David's father, Maj. James Watson, II,8,(1), stating that if this time wasnot granted he would be forced to sell a negro which he could ill aflord to spare;and saying also that he and his son planned a school for another year; "could youand Mr. Morris encourage us? We will board and teach your sons on your ownterms." At a later date, 1845-6, Patrick was the Sheriff of Louisa County. OldCousin Sarah Hewitt, his granddaughter, lived with him until she was nine yearsold and once wrote to my father about him: 'oHe was a tall fine locking oldgentleman and wore a dark blue suit with brass buttons as he went with us tochurch."

In 5 Tyler's Quarterly, p.26, appears a letter written by President JamesMonroe to Dr. Charles Everett of Belmont, who was a prominent citizen ofAlbemarle and whose home Belmont was, I believe, not far from Cismont, orperhaps Lindsay. This letter is headed "At Mr. Michie's July 26,1828" and sayso'Dear Sir: It was my intention to have been with you this morning., with JudgeNelson who is here, and to have dined with Mr. Rogers, but feel weak inconsequence of the heat and late fatigues, and hope that you and Mr. Rogers willcomply with Mr. Michie's invitation and come and dine with us here. Withsincere regard, your friend, James Moffoe." I cannot be sure whether this letterwas written from Prospect Hill, but I feel reasonably certain that it was.Certainly it was not written from the home of any of the Albemarle CountyMichies, as they lived on the other side of the county twenty or thirty miles fromDr. Everett's home, but Prospect hill seems more likely, first because it wascloser to Dr. Everett's - only a few miles away - and second because Capt.,William Michie is almost always referred to in the records by his title and it theletter had been written from his home it would probable have been headed "AtCapt. Michie's" instead of "At Mr. Michie's"

In addition to helping to bring urp Chapman Johnson, Patrick Michieraised a large family of his own. His chLildren where Jane, Mary, Henry Braxton,Johnson, Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franldin and John Chapman,

49.

none ofwhom left descendants, and oul ancestor, Thomas Johnson, I,5, Sr.William, I,6,(1), who married her second cousin, Jonathan Michie, I,8,(3).

John Chapman Michie, I,6,(1), practiced law and taught school inSouthern Virginia and finally moved to Mississippi. I have two very well writtenand entertaining letters, written by him after he left Southern Virginia to a friendthere. In one of these he speaks of hearing had news from Louisa, the death ofhis mother and a few weeks later of a brother, the next youngest to himself. Thisbrother was Isaac Newton. He married Lallah Grey of Leesburg and while heywere on their wedding trip his mother died. Returning to Louisa he was soovercome with grief that he lay down on his mother's grave and, though it wasraining and cold, could not be induced to leave all night-whereupon he caughtpneumonia and died. I have a little miniature of him with a lock of his hairbehind, engraved, "1. Michie" (for his wife Lallah). He has a sad face but ratherfine looking.

Benjamin Franklin Michie, I,6,(1), was also a lawyer and practiced inRichmond. I also have an extremely wedl written letter of his, sent to one of hisJohnson cousins. Undoubtedly these ch.ildren of Old Patrick and DorothyJohnson had real talent and it is a pity tlnt so few ofthem left descendants. Infact only one of the seven sons has descendants living today bearing the nameMichie.

Old Uncle Henry Michie, I,6,(1), was the great scamp of the family. Hewas originally named Patrick Henry Mi,chie and is so called in His father's will,but he changed his name, first to Braxton Henry Michie and finally to HenryBrazton Michie - for what reason I have no idea. Probably he acquired somedislike to Patrick Henry. He was usually called Brack Michie outside of thefamily, but Uncle Henry or Cousin Hen:ry by his relatives.

Like his fatheq Uncle Henry was a great scholar. But like some more ofthe Michies, he was also a great whiske'y drinker. My brother Hewson once metan old lady in the county who said that some of her ancestors were Michies andasked him which branch of the family he belonged to, because, she said, onebranch had been entirely too much addir;ted to whiskey. Hewsom reported theconversation to father and Uncle George, who said that they were quite sure theycouldn't tell what branch the lady was talking about, for, if there was any branchof the family that had not been too fond of the bottle, they didn't know of it. Atany rare, Old Uncle Henry apparently grot his share in a long life that extendedover more than eighty years. Once when he was visiting my grandparents,Granny observed him going out of the house late at night with his bedroom lampin his hand. Which he traded at a saloon for a bottle of whiskey. One of hispleasant eccentricities was the use of a c;offin instead of a suitcase to carry hisclothes around in. He had won the coffirn in a poker game and had to make someuse of it. I have been told that he once tried to trade the coffin to my greatgrandfather for a suit of clothes. He got the suit of clothes.

:'0.

but as my great grandfather had no immediate use for the coffin (and hoped tohave none for some time to come) uncler Henry was allowed to keep it. He gaveup carring it around only when he finally lost it in another poker game.

I never met Cousin Edgar Michie, I,8,(4) and I,8,(5), of "Locust Grove"until a few years before his death. He was somewhat of a salty old characterhimself, though a charming gentleman rvithal. I remember asking him if he hadever known Uncle Henry. He let out a loar, gave his thigh a great clout with thepalm of his hank and chuckled: "Damndest old son of a b_ I ever saw in mylife." He then proceeded to tell me several tales on Uncle Henry, including theone about trying to trade the coffin to my great grandfather for a suit of clothes.

Another yarn of Cousin Edgar's was of Uncle Henry riding fromGordonsville to some public sale over in Louisa in an old ox cart dbad drunk.When he got there and came to, he hied to sell the ox cart and bragfed about howsmoothly it rode saying (truthfully) that he had ridden that long distance withoutfeeling a jolt. He had been too far gone to feel them!

Old Cousin Sarah Hewitt,I,6,(2.) was a niece of Uncle Henr! and he oncestole a Bible of hers and haded it in for whiskey. Some years ago, when mymother, Miss Mary Robertson, cousin Sarah and other ladies were playingaround with a spiritualist, who was ? lcing ghosts for them, the ghost of oldUncle Henry appeared and asked Cousi:n Sarah some question, which I can'tremember but which was most embarrassing to Cousin Sarah. Whereupon, sheimmediately had the spiritualist ask Unr;le Henry what had become of herBibla-but got no satisfactory reply. Tlhe interesting thing here was that CousinSarah was certainly not in cahoots with the Spiritualist nor was my mother. MissMary Robertson might have been, yet, although she had known Uncle Henry,nobody in the family thought she coul.d have know of the embarrassing incidentabout which he asked Cousin Sarah.

I might add that Mrs. George Gordon Johnston, I,7,(3), vouches for thetruth of the sale of the Bible for whiske'y, saying that her husband's father ownedthe country store at which the sale was made. However, she says her father-in-law sent the Bible back to Cousin SarahL. Perhaps Uncle Henry stole it again andit was as to the second theft that Cousin Sarah sought information from thespiritualist.

Mrs. Johnston also writes: "I never heard of the coffin, but I do know(when on a spree) he used to carry his vrhiskey around in a gallon oil can, and onone occasion, while going from Mecharricsville to John Michie's (son of JamesFontaine) after arain with the dirt road muddy, he slipped and stuck in a mudhole, can and all, when a respected Negro in the neighborhood James Braxtoncame by and on seeing his plight said: 'Mr. Michie let me help you up to MarseJohn's' he replied oNo James, go on. I am very comfortable.' And many moretoo numerous to mention."

5 1 .

I am aware that the foregoing anecdotes make Uncle Henry look like apretty sorry character. And so doubtless he was. But there was also another sideto him. He was, as I have said, a man of considerable education and supportedhimself teaching school until he was over eighty years old. He taught a schoolfor years at Prospect Hill and also, probable later, in Gordonsville. Also,probably in his old age, he lived around in the houses of members of the family,not only in Virginia but also in West Virginia and Missouri, teaching the childrenof the family and perhaps those of neigtrbors too. I have corresponded or talkedto many whom he taught and they all speak of him with the greatest admirationand affection. And Mrs. Johnston is typrical of others who never went to schoolto him when she writes "it has been one regret of my life that I did not have theopportunity to sit at his feet."

Another son of Patrick Michie was Dr. William Michie, I,6,(1), ofPetersburg. He was married three timesr. His second wife was a Morris, hissecond cousin, or second cousin once relmoved, a descendant of his greatgrandfather, James Watson, who came over with Scotch John, and old CousinSarah Hewitt, I,6,(e) and II,8,(3) or (4), was her daughter. This second wife'sfather was probably the Mr. Morris referred to in the letter from Patrick Michieto David Watson quoted above. His third wife was a Walker and Cousin EvelynCromwell, I,6,(2), of Baltimore, formerly of Towson, Maryland, was herdaughter. He also had a son Junius, I,6,(2), by his first wife. Junius attendedWilliam and Mary College for two years, but then evidently got a medical degreesomewhere as he served first as Assista:nt Surgeon and later as Surgeon in theConfederate Army. He must have had something of old Uncle Henry in him,. Atany rate, he became a gambler and finally sent formal cards to all his friends tothis effect: "Mr. Junius Michie announces his death to society, having decided toturn professional gambler." My father, who, I suspect, did his fair share ofgambling in his youth, once met a gamlbling house proprietor who asked him ifhe were related to Junius Michie and tolld him how highly Junius was thought ofby the gambling fraternity and what an honor to the profession he wasconsidered.

I rather thinlg too, that Dr. William Michie had another son who wasreturning home from school or college (.I think William and Mary) one day bytrain. The train had to pass his home without stopping since there was no stationthere and he, anxious to get home and unwilling to go on in to the station anddrive back, jumped off the train and wars killed. At any rate, I am sure that thatincident happened to someone in the family, and I think it was to a son of Dr.Michie.

Apparently only one of Patrick Michie's several daughters married.Pamela, whom Uncle George remembered as'oa fine old lady who ruled theroost", married an uncle of Captain Clay Michie, Jonathan Michie, I,8,(3), hersecond cousin. Jonathan Michie's descendants are. therefore.

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two generations closer kin to us than tk: other Albemarle County Michies. Oneof his daughter, Frances Michie, I,8,(4) andI,6,(2), married Dr. R. N. Hewitt ofEvington and it is through this marriage that Cousin Betty Hewitt, I,8,(5) andI,6,(3) and the other Hewitts, as well as the Langhornes in Campbell County, arekin to us. A sister of Cousin Betty man'ied Thomas Nelson Langhorne, who wasa brother of old "Chilly" Langhorne ancl therefore an uncle of Lady Astor and theother famous Langhorne girls. After the death of his first wife, Dr. Hewitt foundthat he had not had his fill of Michies and married Cousin Sarah Hewitt,I,6,(2),who was a daughter of Dr. William Micrhie, I,6(1), of Petersburg, a brother of thefirst Thomas J., so that Dr. Hewitt's second wife was a first cousin of his firstwife. I have been told that Dr. Hewitt proposed to Cousin Sarah within a fewweeks of his first wife's death, but that rshe was properly scandalized and kepthim waiting a full year.

Another daughter of that JonathLan Michie, I,8,(3), who madried old AuntPamela, I,6,(1), Margaret, I,6,(2) and I,{},(4), married Dr. Theodore Michie,I,8,(3). Dr. Theodore was, as stated above, a son of James Michie, Jr., I,8,(2), or"Beau Jim" as he was called- who lived at Longwood, west of Earlysville.

Dr. Theodore Michie's wife, Margaret, was, therefore, a first cousin ofmy grandfather through her Michie mother, as well as a distant cousin throughher father, and Dr. Theodore himself was, of course, also a distant cousin. Hepracticed medicine in Charlottesville, o'wned a drug store at the University, andalso inherited Longwood from his father. He had three sons, two of them diedfairly young, one as a prisoner during ttre Civil War, and the third was Thomas L.Michie, I,6,(3), I,8,(5) and I,8,(4), who practiced law in Huntington, WestVirginia, and Cincinnati for many years. My father (who was his second cousinplus) practiced with him for a short time in Huntington. T.L. was quite acharacter and a charming fellow. I have heard older lawyers speak of him often.He was not a great lawyer, but would take any kind of case and win half of themon sheer nerve and charm. He made good money and spent it freely, and oftendid not know where the next dollar was coming from. His wife was a charminglady who had a hard time getting used t,o T.L.'s highjinks. They often visited athome when we were young as did their only child, a daughter Mary. CousinMary was popular with the young men iin Charlottesville and used to go for longbuggy rides with them and was occasiornally know to be late for dinner gettingback from such drives. One night she vras very late indeed; in fact, she didn'tcome in at all, and it was discovered that she had run off to Washington andmarried Billy Humbert, who was Postmaster at Charlottesville for many years.She died fairly young, but has a marriecl daughter living in Charlottesville now,Marjorie Holsinger.

Old Aunt Pamela and Johathan had four sons, three of whom, Tom,Chapman and Frank, left no descendants. The fourth, John Patriclq wasuniversally known as "Devil Jack." Uncle George says that when he knew himhe was a very mild-mannered old man rvho quite belied his soubriquet, but in hisyouth he was apparently a fighter and a tough customer. "Devil Jack", I,6,(2)and I,8,(4), was the grandfather of Mrs. E. O. McCue, Claire Michie and MikeMichie - also the Tilleys and Jacksons iLn Norfolk and numerous others

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Mrs. McCue, who was a very pretty worman with a beautiful voice, had severalchildren, of whom Martha was one of thLe most beautiful girls I ever knew, whileI. O., Jr. now practices law with his father in Charlottesville and is one ofAlbemarle's delegates in the General Assembly of Virginia. "Devil JacK'Michie's second wife was the old lady l,now to us as "Cousin Sally" Michie.Some of Devil Jack's children quarrelecl pretty bitterly with Cousin Sally, but shewas on good terms with others and my grandmother and all of our close kin werevery fond ofher.

A son of "Devil Jack's" that many of us remember was "one-armedJimmy", I,8,(5) and I,6,(3), who was the founder of the wholesale grocery houseformerly known as the Michie Grocery Company and now known as theAlbemarle-Michie Company. And he has a son, Tevis, still living inCharlottesville.

Thomas Johnson Michie (I),I,5.

The first Thomas Johnson Michie, I,5, was born in Louisa County onApril 9, 1796. In early life he was a student at the Staunton Academy and laterstudied law in Staunton in the office of his uncle, Chapman Johnson. He beganthe practice of law in Wythe County, burt when Chapman Johnson moved toRichmond in1824 his nephew, Thomas J. Michie, returned to Staunton to takeover his practice there and lived there the rest of his life. On November 22,!826,he married Margaret Reed Garber:, V,5, of Staunton and, after her death in1841, he married Elizabeth Perin, wido'w of John Page. The two portraits of thefirst Thomas Johnson's wife that the farnily possesses are both of this secondwife, who is said to have been a great b,eauty in her day. One can believe thatwhen looking at one of the pictures, but not when looking at the other.

I quote from my father's account of the first T.J. in his "The MichieFamily":

It has been said that no fame is more evanescent then that of aGreat lawyer. Sixty years have passed since Mr. Michie's death and it isonly natural that the figure that loomed so large to his contemporariesshould have been dimmed by time. But we can still perceive some of themore salient points of that character which so impressed his colleagues atthe Bar, his neighbors, his friends and indeed the whole state of Virginia.The first of these was his integrity. The resolutions of the Bar upon hisdeath express their 'undoubting; faith in his integrity and sincerity ofcharacter.' The Hon. A. H. H. isfuart, who had known him long andintimately, says: 'I venture to alffirm that there is no man living who everentertained a doubt of the integ.rity of his motives and purposes.' JudgeHugh H. Sheffey dwells on his 'ftankness,' 'sincerity' and 'integrity,'

and the Richmond Whig, in an

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editorial upon his death, remarks, 'his honesty and good sense carried aweight that few opponents coulC resist before a jury.' Indeed, though hepossessed many great qualities as a lawyer this sturdy honesty,intellectual and moral, seems to have most strongly impressed all thosewho knew him.

"of Mr. Michie's intellectual equipment, which placed him at thehead of his profession, it is harcler to form an estimate at this distance oftime. We are obliged to rely upon fragmentary and casual estimates ofhis contemporaries, as no contemporary biography exists. Judge Sheffeysays that 'he was endowed with an intellect of rare power, quickness andcomprehensiveness of glasp; w:ith a faculty of logical reasoning ofalmost terrific force,' and 'with mental resources in the midst of shifewhich never failed him.' All testiff to his deep learning arid greatcapacity for study and work. I have heard one of his sons dp.y that hedevoured a new law book as thtrugh it were a novel and read the Greekand Latin classics for recreatiorL. If this be so, either the lalt books or thelawyers have changed much sinLce his time. Like all strongly markedcharacters, Mr. Michie was the subject of many anecdotes. \Few of thesehave been preserved and most of them now seem rather trite andpointless. This is probably due to the fact that a personal acquaintancewith the subject is necessary in order to appreciate the full force of moststories, the point of which turns on personality. After this apology andexplanation I will, at this place, set out two of the stories concerning him,illustrating his absence of mind; The first I take from the StauntonSpectator of July 10, 1908: 'It'was President Pierce, we believe, whohad on one occasion met the late Thomas J. Michie, in his day the mosteminent lawyer of Staunton. Tlney had been together at some feast, weare told, where Mr. Michie either introduced President Pierce or was oneof the speakers. Some time after that Mr. Pierce, so the story furthergoes, was returning through Staunton from White Sulphur Springs. Inthe time he was obliged to spend here he went to Mr. Michie's office andcalled on him. He saw that Mr. Michie did not recognize him, so heintroduced himself as Pierce. 'tGlad to see you Mr. Pierce' said Mr.Michie. 'How are the people gr:nerally about New Hope?' There was anold Mr. Asa Pierce, a shoemaker, living then at New Hope and Mr.Michie supposed this to be his ,risitor. Here was a man to whom eventhe glamour surrounding a President of the United States had notsufficiently appealed to fasten the features ofthe President upon hismemory.'

"The other story has, I have no doubt, been told of many others,but there can be no doubt that i1. actually happened in Mr. Michie's case.Returning home from his wedding trip

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on the occasion of his second marriage, he had to change cars at a stationnot far from Staunton. While a'waiting his train at this station he becameengaged in an earnest conversation with his friend which continued untilhe reached Staunton. As he stepped off the train he was greeted by asecond friend with: 'Why Mr. lMichie I thought you were bringing homeyour bride.' 'Bless my soul, I lrsft her at _,' the stationwhere he had changed cars. He'returned by carriage and found the bridequietly weeping in the station. I am so1ry, but tradition does not tell uswhat she said.

"In his personal relations Mr. Michie was kind, genial andtolerant of others. A most affectionate husband and indulgent father. Onthis phase ofhis character I can do no better than to again quote JudgeSheffey: 'To us of the profession, he was an object of peculiarveneration and love. None of us have any memories of him except thoseconnected with his distinguished achievements at the bar, frankness andintegrity in his practice, score of all mere technical advantages-especially when opposed to the younger members of the profession---courtesy, reverently and unifonnly respectful to the bench, and cordialand fraternal to the bar; and cheerful and social intercourse, whichrendered him at all times a companion to be sought and a friend to betrusted. He was the father of our bar! We have reverenced him as a trueman and a high-toned lawyer; a.nd now that he is gathered to his father,we mourn him as a father."'

The Pierce story reminds me ol'the fact that as a small boy I possessed asilver snuff box inscribed, "To Thomas Johnson Michie from his friend WilliamHenry Harrison"-Tippecanoe. Unfortunately, the box was stolen or lost and Ido not remember it.

One more extreme story of absr:nt-mindedness I have heard my fathertell of his grandfather. In those days la,wyers did not inhabit large officesmanned by clerks and stenographers wlto kept the place constantly open duringbusiness hours. The lawyer was his own clerk and amanuensis and if he went outduring business hours to court or lunch he placed a sign on the door saying wherehe had gone and when he would be back. One day a friend saw my greatgrandfather sitting in front of his office (doubtless on the doorstep) with a sign onthe office door reading o'Out to Lunch--will be back soon." "Why Mr Michie,"said the friend, o'What are you doing sitting there." Pointing to the sign, Mr.Michie said, "I'm waiting for the gentleman to return." He had noticed the signand was waiting for himself to come back!

I now have a very splendid portrait of my great grandfather in which Ithink the artist has captured a great deall of his strength of character. Withoutlooking at all like the late Dean J. M. Piage, II,8,(?), of the university, the portraitreminds me somewhat of him. In his disnitv

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and poise, Dean Page always seemed to me more like a mountain than a man (tosee him looking slowly across the LawnL was to see the mountain coming toMohammed.) And my great grandfather's portrait shows much of the sametremendous strength of character. But an even stronger portrait of the firstThomas Johnson Michie, in my judgment, is that which hangs in the Courthousein Staunton. It shows him at a much more advanced age. Incidentally, it was thefirst portrait of a lawyer or judge hung in that Courthouse, though the walls arecovered with today.

When I practiced law in Charlottesville, I had fairly frequent contact withsome of the more active mernbers of ther Staunton Bar. The hadition of my greatgrandfather was still very much alive arnong them. I remember particularlybeing very much impressed by a comment of Steve Timberlake's. Timberlakewas much too young to have known hinn, but like all lawyers in thetsmaller townsand cities, he had had considerable occarsion to browse through old bhancerypapers and he said that he had always brlen tremendously impressed by Mr.Michie's ability to say everything that was essential in a pleading wlth thegreatest conceivable brevity. And in my own draftsmanship of legal papers, Ihave always tried to follow his exampler-through readers who have\gotten thisfar in these memoirs may have considemble reason to doubt that I have achievedany large measure of success.

I have heard my father say that his grandfather was a poorbusinessman--or at least a poor trader. And in that respect he set an examplethat he had uniformly followed by his descendants. Father said that he boughtand sold during his lifetime half the lan,il in the city of Staunton-always buyingwhen real estate was high and selling when it was low. He lived for many yearsin a comfortable old house he built near the site of the present Stonewall JacksonHotel. This house is now the residence of Judge Holt of the Supreme Court ofAppeals.

For some reason that I have never been able to discover older peoplewho remember my great grandfather sometimes refer to him as ooJudge" Michie.I am reasonably sure that he never held any important judicial office though hemay have held a minor office in his youmger days. Possibly it was merely acourtesy title. Nor did he ever hold any'other important public office though hedid serve one term in the Legislature. [Ie also took part in a number of quasi-public matters. For example, I find that in 1855 he was elected a vice presidentof the Virginia Colonization Society akrng with several other distinguishedVirginians and that he also served as a member of the board of visitors of theVirginia Military Institute, the Mary Barldwin Seminary and the Virginia StateDeaf and Blind Institute.

Thomas J. Michie, I,5 died Junrl 11, 1873. There were laudatoryeditorials in the Richmond Whig, StauLton Spectator and probably other papers.I have a number of copies of a reprint of the articles from those two papers. Ialso have a copy ofan account ofhis death that appeared in the StauntonVindicator, from which the following are excerpts:

> t .

"On Wednesday night last, duriing the brilliant concert atMozart InstituteHall, a lady was suddenly summoned fi'om the room with the haste of a deathmessage, and in a few moments it was rumored in the hall that the eminentlawyer, Thomas J. Michie, was dying, arnd a relative had been sent for. Thegreatest feeling was shown among the erudience, deepened in a shock when it washeard later that he was dead. Yesterdal' morning the news spread in the city, andthe deep feeling of the citizens was evinced by their gathering in little knots onthe street corners, discussing the news of what they rightly deemed a calamity."

"Thomas Johnson Michie.. .... established a strong hold on theesteem and admiration of this people by his sterling worth, even more than hisgreat ability. Here he married Miss M. Garber, a daughter of Michael Garber,and settled for a lifetime residence. Hir; popularity was great. He was elected tothe legislature in 1833, but, though he rnight have had any office in the gift of thepeople in this section, never took anoth,er, being a man of moderate means, andnot being able to give up the income of his profession for the meager one of anhonest public life. His services, however, where it did not interfere with thepractice of his profession, were always at the command of his fellow-citizens,and he often served them in floo-r€rrrun,grative offices, such as director of a banlqpresiding officer of the board of the public institutions here, and similarpositions. In his early life he was assocriate editor of the Staunton "Spectator,"with Kenton Harper, and was a short tirne prosecuting attorney for the counties ofRockbridge, Albemarle and Augusta.

"The personal appearance of Mlr. Michie was striking. Habited in a wornsuit of blaclg his form slightly bent with age, his hair perfectly white, his featuresmarked with strong character, lighted by a piercing gray eye shades byoverhanging white brows he seemed thrl calm judge, the honest lawyer, andunpretending man of genius that he wari. Of his character, Judge Sheffey saideloquently and truly yesterday at a meeting of the Staunton bar, that 'few menequaled him-almost none excelled hirn in large attributes of character. He wasendowed with an intellect of rare power, quick and comprehensive grasp; with afaculty of logical reasoning of almost terrific force; with mental resources in themidst of the conflict of intellectual strifb which never failed him; with a warmthof grand emotion which imparted living energy to his words; with a singleness ofdevotion to the cause he espoused never surpassed; with a lofty sincerity andunquestioned conscientiousness, which gave tone to all he said and did; with adirectness of aim and a straight forwarclness of action, never for a momentwarped by an artifice or diverted by a device; with learning which placed him infront rank of his profession, and withal, possessing as he did, the highest gift of

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mind and the noblest endowments of a lull developed and vigorous emotionalnature, he was clothed with a modesty which cast over the grand and seeminglyrugged developments of his nature a charm of visible attractiveness.'

"As the funeral procession moved to the cemetery, the merchants along theprincipal streets closed their stores."

With all of the eulogy, however, it is interesting to note that the Hon. A.H. H. Stuart said in a testimonial meetirrg of the Staunton Bar that prior to Mr.Michie's marriage "His social disposition...tented, for a time, to retard hisprofession success."

I quote again from father's boolk \

"The children of Margaret Garber Michie and Thomas Johnson Michiewere,

A. Caroline Elizabeth Michie. \B. John Chapman Michie.C. Albert ]{ewton Michie.D. Sarah Jane Michie.E. Benjamin Franklin Michie.F. Thomasi Johnson Michie.G. Henry llowyer Michie.H. Marganlt Reed Garber Michie

"A. Caroline ElizabethLMichie was born in Staunton the 21sr ofOctober, 1828. She married, in Staunton, H. H. Robertson, a lawyer whopracticed in Covington, Virginia, on the 3lsr of March, 1849. Her deathoccurred on the 5rH of June, 1869, in Covington, Virginia, leaving nochildren.

"B. John Chapman Michie was born in Staunton June 23, 1830,and was killed in Harrisonburg while serving in the army of the NorthernVirginia by the fall of a tree, Ootober 11, 1864. He was quite deaf andfailed to hear the warning of his comrades who were felling the tree forcamp purposes.

"C. AlbertNewton Michie was born in Staunton February 11,1932. He was of a very advenfurous disposition and ran away to theWest at the early age of 15. ArLd though he returned to Staunton oftenafter this first adventure in the rWest, I believe that he spent most of hislife beyond the Mississippi. Upon the outbreak of the war heimmediately started South to join the Southern Armies, but in Denver,Colorado, became engaged in an altercation with some federal soldiersand was killed Mav 24" 1861.

59.

"D. Sarah Jane Michie was born November 1, 1833. She firstmarried a cousin of hers, Capt. Edward Garber, who was killed at SecondManassas. She then married Maj. Richard Fletcher, C.S.A. Her childrenhave all moved to San Francisc,o.

"8. Benjamin Franklin Michie was born in Staunton September1, 1835. He died in Harrisonburg on the 8rh of February, 1861, oftyphoid fever, contracted while serving in the Hanisonburg HomeGuard.

"F. Thomas Johnson lVlichie, II, was born May 18rH, 1837. Hewas practicing law in Alabama when the war broke out and entered theafiny as a lieutenant in an Alab:rma regiment and died July 8rH, 1862, ofbayonet wounds which he received in one of the battles near Richmondat that time. (4)

"H. Margaret Reed Garber Michie was born in Staunton,Virginia, on the 22ND day of March, 1841, and died in Staunton Aug, 14,1900. After the death of her father she lived with her brother , HenryBowyer Michie, as a member of his family. She was most affectionate,warmhearted and unselfish of uromen and bv her brother. his wife andsons was most devotedly loved,"

Henry Bowyer (or 'Bounce") iVlichie, I,4, was, of course, my grandfatherand it will be seen from the foregoing ttrat the only living descendants of the firstThomas Johnson Michie are the descenrlants of Henry Bowyer Michie and thedescendent of Sarah Jane Michie who nnrried first a Garber and second aFletcher. Until after I was thirty years old I was under the impression that therewere no such descendants other than m1r father, his brothers and their children.While I was engaged to be married, my future wife and I had dinner in Stauntonwith the Holts in the Old Michie residence. Mrs. Holt began talking about theFletcher's and explaining who they wer,e. I couldn't believe my ears, "'Why", Isaid, "they would have been first cousin,s to my father's." ooExactly," she said. Ithought she was mistaken and probably told her so. When I got back toCharlottesville I asked my father about jit and he, of course, confirmed Mrs. Holt.After some questioning, I gather that there had been considerable of a familyquarrel years ago between the Fletcher's on one side and my grandfather and hissister Margaret on the other and that oul end of the family had not kept in touchwith the Fletcher's, most of whom had moved to California years ago.

A word should be added about,A.lbert Newton Michie, I,5,(1). I haveheard it said that when the war broke ouLt he owned practically all the land onwhich the City of Denver now stands. Ilut when the family looked into thematter after the war they found that during the war his holdings had been sold fortaxes.

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Father also pulled his punches il bit in the story of Albert Newton'sdeath. It seems that after he started hor:ne to join the army he entered a saloon inDenver, held up all those present and fcrrced them to drink to the health ofJefferson Davis. They did so, but as he left the saloon he was shot in the back bysome one of those present.

In regard to Thomas Johnson lVlichie (II),I,5,(1), father also quotes in afootnote a letter written by his sister Carrie to his Uncle Alexander Garber inAlabama and an official report as follorvs:

'oStaunton, July 13, 1862.

"My dearUncle:

"Father asked me to wriite to you, andyou the sad news I have to comLrnunicate.

I

\1

I do not know how to tellI

"On Monday, June 30rH, at the battler of Richmond\our dearTom received several wounds, which were first pronounced notdangerous, but the following Mlonday night there was a sudden changefor the worse and on Tuesday rnorning (July 8rH) about 5 o'clock hisnoble spirit took its flight. Father was with him. He was at the hospitalin Richmond, and we were lool<ing for him home every day when thetelegram informing us of his derath. He was wounded on the head with asaber, in the side with a bayonert, and was shot in the arm. They hadtaken a battery, and in defendirrg it he was attacked by four and had todefend himself single handed. He had killed two, and he thought hewounded a third when he received a cut on the head when he fainted. lnRichmond Father says he recei'ved every attention and kindness, and tho'all others were so entirely unprepared for the charge for the worse,Father thinks he anticipated it himself; he was so affectionate and tender,his manner as soft and gentle as a woman's, and he told Father that if itwere not for the suffering he knew it would cause him, he would ratherdie and be free from pain, and lFather says he spoke as though death hadno terrors for him. There are not many like him, he was one of theloveliest character I ever knew. He always spoke so affectionately andgratefully of you and your famrily. When he was at home last summer hetalked so much of your kindnesis to him. My Uncle, we all feel sograteful to you. Father told me to thank you for him and to tell you thatwords can not express his gratitude. Father says if he owed you anythingplease let him know, and the arnount, also any other liabilities he mayhave been under in your part olithe country, as he wishes to paywhatever he owed.

"At the battle of Richmond none of the other friends were hurt,except Chap, slightly on the sh,oulder, but so slightly as not to interferewith his duty. John Harman came home sick a

6 1 .

day or two ago. I have not seen, him but heard he was not seriously sick.Sallie Garber has been right siclk the last two or three days. She got aletter from her Uncle Cyrus' wife telling her of his death, and theexcitement was too much for her. She is better now and is thinking oftrying to go up to see her aunt, as soon as Sandy can get a furlough to gowith her, but I hardly think she can go, she is not able to walk allscarcely. Aunt Nancy, Uncles,A.lbert and William and their families areall well, as are all the rest of us, no other sickness in the wholeconnection except what I have mentioned, and Mike Harman and his sonLewis, who I suppose you hearrl were wounded, they are recoveringrapidly and going all about. M;y' husband is still a prisoner. He was inRichmond just before the battle on parole to try and get his exchange butSec. Randolph refused to make any individual exchange and he had to goback. I went down to Richmond to see him but have not heard from himsince he went back.

"Again my dear Uncle let me express our heartfelt thanks foryour kindness to our dear Tom while he was in the south. I suppose youknow he had been made first Lt. of his company several months ago, andon the day of the battle was in command of his company, Capt. Fletcheracting field officer.

ooGive our love to each member of your family. May God blessyou all is the prayer of your fonLd niece.

C. E. Robertson"

ooFrom a Report of Brigadier General C. M. Wilcox, Official Records ofthe war of the rebellion, Series I, Vol. XI, Part 2, p. 777.

"July 21,I862, Headquarters Fourth Brigade, Longstreet's Division.

'The Eleventh Alabama had experienced server loss in crossingthe open field while advancing against this battery. Here the enemy atfirst repulsed and driven from tlhe battery retire to the woods both on ourleft and in rear of the battery and from there under shelter of the woodsand with superior nurnbers, deliiver a tenible and destructive fire uponthis regiment. With its ranks sardly thinned its heroically stands itsground and returned the enemy fire with telling effect. The latter undercover of trees on our left flank and directly in our front, confident andbold from their strength, and seeing this regiment isolated andunsupported now advance frornL their cover against it. Our men do notflee from their prize so bravely and dearly won, overwhelmed bysuperior numbers, but with determination and courage unsurpassed theystubbornly hold their ground, men and officer alike engaged in the mostdesperate personal conflicts wilh the enemy. The sword and bayonet arefreely used. Capt. W. C. Y. Parrker had two successive encounters with

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federal officers, both of whom :Felled with his sword and beset by othersof the enemy he was severely urounded, having received two bayonetwounds to the breast and one inLthe side and a musket wound breakinghis left thigh. Lieutenant Michie had a hand-to hand collision with anofficer, and havingjust dealt a server blow upon his adversary he fell, cutover the head with a saber bayc,net from behind, and had afterwards threebayonet wounds in the face and. two in the breast, all severe wounds,which he survived, however fol three days *** Lieut. O. N. Steele andLieutenant Michie, commanding company were both mortally woundedand since dead.

C. M. Wilcox.Brigadier General Commarlding"'

Henry Bowyer Michie, I,4. l

My grandfather, Henry Bowyer Michie, I,4, better know as ooBounce"

was his father's youngest son. One of tris brothers was know as "Boots" and theothers had similar nicknames. When their mother died there were five of theseboys aged from two to eleven, to say northing of three sisters aged from one dayto twelve years. Doubtless the boys were not much older, though perhapssomewhat more rambunctious, when their father married the beautiful widowPage. I have always heard that they showed her a time-which may account forthe sour lock in the portrait I have of her. At any rate, "Bounce" grew up to bequite a boy and service through four years of the Civil War probably did not tamehim down any too much. He was twenty-two years old when the war broke outand for his war record I cannot do betterr than to quote from father's book:

"Henry Bowyer Michie when the war broke out at once entered the armyand served until the end, first in the Staunton Artillery, Imboden's Battery,and at the last in the Clark County Cavalry. After Lee's surrender he withone or two other Staunton young men attempted to make their way South tojoin Kirby Smith, but had not goner far on their journey before they heard ofthe surrender of that General. I believe he was present at every great battlein Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. I recall anecdotes of his of thebattles of First Manassas, Antietam, Gettysburg and Trevillians Station. Hewas wounded only once and then but slightly.

"At Gettysburg he said that the cavalry knew nothing of the Confederaterepulse until after all was over. TtLey were carrying all before them in theirencounters with the Federal cavalr,y and naturally supposed that theircomrades were being equally successful.

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"At Antietam he said that the army had been subsisting for days on greencorn, and he together with many others was suffering from dysentery-thathe never went into a fight with less stomach than he had for this battle.

"At Trevillians Station he used tto relate that he arose tardily in themorning and together with three others placed himself at the head of thecolumn which had already formed. Riding over a hill they foundthemselves confronted by a regiment of infantry, which at once opened fire.Although they stood not on the order of their going, and were back over thehill in an instant, yet the first volle;1 of the infantry emptied the saddles ofthe three troopers beside him and tlhe four immediately behind him.

"On another occasion, when retrurning from Richmond to Staunton,together with many other soldiers on furlough, the train was held up byFederals at some station in the mountains-near Afton, I think. On the rightside of the train a mountain rose precipitously; on the other side was thestation platform swarming with soldiers of the enemy. Having no desire tosee the inside of a Yankee prison he raised a window on the mountain sideand jumping through it started up the mountain. He was soon seen by theenemy, who at once opened fire and the bullets began to patter around him;but going up the mountain at apac'e which he always claimed would havewon him fame on the flat, he escaped unhurt.

o'At one battle, the name oif which I have forgotten, he was ridingside by side with another Confederate cavalryman when a cannon ballpassed between their horses, causirrg them to shy apart. When theyrecovered control of their horses thLey rode on for a few minutes, when hiscompanion exclaimed, 'My God, ivlichie, look at my leg,' and looking downhe perceived that his comrade's leg had been severed by the cannon ball andremained attached to his body by a mere scrap of flesh. The man died veryshortly afterwards.

"While his son, George, was living in Staunton in 1896, he said to thelate Carter Berkeley that his father had told him he had no knowledge ofever killing a man during the war. Mr. Berkeley replied that he couldn'tstate positively that he had killed a man but that he had seen his father strikedown three men in a cavalry charg,e, felling them from their horses.

"On another occasion, during a reunion of Confederate Veterans inStaunton, George met a Mr. Williams from the lower part of the Valley whohad been in his father's company and

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spoke of his father's bravery. Later in the day George went into the BeverlyClub where some twelve of fifteen veterans were collected. Mr. Williamscame forward and said to those pn:sent: 'I wish you all to fill your glassesand drink to the health of the son of the bravest man in Jackson's Army."'

My brother Hewson has also drrg up from somewhere several interestingwar anecdotes of our grandfather. It seems that during one of the great battles ofthe war grandfather and some other Confederate soldier spent the entireafternoon in an old-fashioned pre-Marquis of Queensbury rough and tumblefight, tearing each other to pieces and h,aving no time for the Yankees at all.

On another occasion, Stonewalll Jackson's anny was fording theShenandoah, Grandfather's first cousin, Col, Harman, was in command ofJackson's artillery and had with some difficulty contrived a landing place on thebank for his artillery which he tried to reserve for this purpose. Ocbasionally,howevet, a cavalryman came out of the river onto the landing to Col. Harman'sgreat distress. Finally seeing another coming up, he flew into a rugE and dashedtowards the hapless cavalryman, sabre drawn. Approaching he recognizedgrandfather and said: "Oh, is that you llounce? Well, you can comb up. But thenext God damn cavalryman that comes up that landing is going to be cut topieces."

Hewson also says that one of the older employees of The MichieCompany remembered his father telling; him of a trip to Richmond withgrandfather on leave during the war in rvhich they both passed happily out tocome to in a hayloft with half a pint of rvhiskey left out of very large quantitiespreviously on hand.

After the war, my grandfather studied law at a private law school thenbeing conducted at Lexington by Judge Brockenbrough, but not connected withWashington and Lee University. While there, grandfather met my grandmotherwho was visiting relatives there. Usuallty she stayed at the home of her aunt,Mrs. Yellott, but on at least one occasion she stayed at General Lee's. Generallee was a connection, though not actualJly a relative, and Granny was a lifelongfriend of his daughter Mildred with whom she had become acquainted atboarding school. While she was visiting there grandfather used to call on her andgeneral Lee always sat in the room with, them reading a paper or a book. I haveheard father say that grandfather was ne)ver much of an admirer of General Lee.

A few months after my father vras born, my grandmother was visitingLexington again, this time with her bab'y. She took him over to see General Lee.The general was eating strawberries ancl cream and playfully offered father some.Father always claimed to remember the incident perfectly!

After finishing his law course, llounce Michie became his father'spartner in Staunton. He was the only one of five sons who survived the war.And here I quote again from father's book:

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o'..... His health, much iimpaired by his service in the army, brokedown entirely in 1878 amd he was forced to retire from thepractice of law to his far in Loudoun county, where he dweltwith his family until September, 1883, when he removed toCharlottesville, Virginia, having purchased the CharlottesvilleChronicle, which paper he edited until his death March 15, 1895,in Nelson county. Henry Bowyer Michie was a man of brilliantability and of a strong literary bent. It was always said by themembers of the Staunton Bar that he had as good a legal mind ashis father, and if his health had not failed he might have repeatedthe latter's success at ttre Bar. He was very deeply read and oneof the most interesting oonversationists that I have ever known.His character was most lovable, and no father or husband wasever more loved bv sons and wife than he."

Henry Bowyer Michie had the following children:

1. Thomas Johnson Michie, born September 13,1867,died March 6.1938.

2. Henry Bedi.nger Michie, bornNovember 2, 1868,died Mav 24.1869.

3 George Rust Bedinger Michie, born August 28,1870, diedJune 29, 19ii8.

4. Margaret lvlichie, born October 3, 1871,died Septemb er I, I87 2..

5. Armistead Rust Michie, born January 9,1873.

6. John Garbe,r Michie, born July 2,1874,died Julv 14.1874

7. Henry Bouyer Michie, born September 19,1876,died July 6, 1877.

When my grandmother died, w,e found some old newspaper clippingsthat she had preserved about grandfather and also the last editorial that he wrote.This is the only sample of his writing Lhave ever seen. It was a rip-snortingattack on Wall Street and the money power. I am satisfied that he was an ardentNew Dealer-a generation ahead of time.

(Uncle George, who read the first draft of this sketch before he died, wasincensed at the foregoing. He said gran,dfather was strong for States' Rights,economy in government, etc., and therefore could not have been called a NewDealer. He said "Just because Tom is a damn fool is no reason he should makemy father out to be one." It is all in the point of

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view. From my point of view, Thomas Jefferson was the first New Dealer in thiscountry, and he was certainly strong for economy and States' Rights. Othertimes, other measures. It is the attitude of mind, not the specific measuresadvocated that determines whether one rshould he called a Tory or a New Dealer.)

Father says grandfather was a nnn "of strong literary bent"-which Ithink means that he was a voracious reader. I have heard some of the Rustsspeak of going frequently over to Macaria when grandfather and his family wereostensible farming in Loudoun County and always finding grandfather and histhree sons sitting on the porch reading. I remember their telling of the firstthrashing machine they ever saw and how they tried to get father and my unclesto go with them to follow the machine a,ll day to watch it work. But they wereunable to tear the Michies away from their books-which to the Rusts wasincomprehensible. But to the Michies tlhe notion of following a thrbshingmachine around was equally incomprehensible. \

It is also interesting to note that'oBounce Michie was the fiJst of thefamily, so far as I know, who is generally thought to have held the views aboutreligion and the church which have since been more or less characteristic of thedescendants-although Uncle George n:ports that he several times saw him kneelby his bedside, apparently in prayer, witth no word of explanation offered.

Besides my father, two sons survived my grandfather. Father's accountof themwas as follows:

'03. George rust Bedinger Michie M. Hay Watson Perkins.George Rust Bedinger Michio lvas born in Staunton August 28, 1870. Hewas educated at Holderness Scltool, New Hampshire, Cleveland HighSchool, Fauquier, county, Virginia, and the University of Virginia. Afterleaving college he entered the o,ffice of the Charlottesville Chronicle asbusiness manager and continuerC in that position until 1896 when heaccepted a position as editor and manager of The Staunton News. Uponleaving the News he formed, w:ith his brother, Thomas Johnson Michie,the law publishing firm of G. R. B. Michie and Company, which in ashort time was merged into The Michie Publishing Company ofCharlottesville, Virginia. Sincer the inception of that corporation he hasacted as its business manager and treasurer. In 1910 he became vice-president of the Peoples National Bank and upon the death of itspresident, Judge White, in 1913i, he succeeded to the presidency of thatbanh which position he still oc,cupies. In 1913 he was appointed one ofthe board of Visitors of the University of Virginia and chairman of theexecutive committee. On Mav 19"

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1897, he was married in Charlollesville to Miss Hay Watson Perkins, ofCharlottesville, Virginia. Miss Perkins was a daughter of GeorgePerkins, a distinguished member of the Charlottesville Bar, and LizzieWatson, his wife, a daughter of Judge E. R. Watson of Charlottesville,Virginia.

"The children of Georg,o Rust Badinger Michie and Hay WatsonPerkins Michie are:

"a. Virginia Bedinger, born May 17, 1898, and marriedAtcheson Laughlin Hench at "'llhe Farm' August 27,1925. Theirdaughter Margaret Hench was brorn May 14,1929.

"b. Elizabeth Watson, born December 21,1900. She marriedWilliam Sobieski Hildreth, March 29,1924, and had issue, HaideePerkins Hildreth, born August2, L925, and Jane Neave, born Septembertg,1927.

'oc. Hay Watson, born October 31, 1903, married John TabbHeyward, August 15,1927; issue, George Michie Heyward, born March6, 1932.

"d. Henry Bowyer, bo:rn May 21,1905; died May 24, 1905.

"e. Mary Rawlings, born April 8, 1907.

"f. Margaret, born Apdl 8,1907, married Wilson Carter,December 24,1932.

"9. Anne Henderson, born June 3,1909, married HarryClaibaugh Lamberton, December 5, 1931.

5. Armistead Rust Michie was born January 9,1873, inStaunton, Virginia. He was edurcated at Cleveland High School and atthe University of Virginia, from which latter institute he graduated with adegree of Bachelor of Law in 1901. Upon graduation he entered theeditorial staff of The Michie Company with which company he stillremains as a director and secretiary."

To which I should perhaps add for the record the birth of ClareSchowalter Hench April 10, 1933, of John Tabb Heyward March 17,1934, ofHelen Clabaugh Lamberton June 3, 1937, of Benjamin Paulding LambertonMarch 8, 1940, and of Wilson Rosser Carter July 3, 1940.

Uncle Armistead and Uncle Ge,orge's children and grandchildren beingall still living, I might get scalped if I wrote about them as freely as I have aboutour ancestors. So perhaps I had better have them with just the bare bonesaccount that I have quoted from father'srbook. But a word should now be addedabout Uncle George.

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In many respects Uncle George was the ablest business man I ever knew- and I have known a good many so-called "big" businessmen. But UncleGeorge was never a "big" business man, partly because the fields in which hehappened to become engaged did not particularly lend themselves to bigness andpartly I think because he would not havt wanted to be a "big" business man.

After a few years at the Universiity, Uncle George began to work on thestruggling weekly newspapers that Grandfather Michie owned. These weregradually driven to the wall and sold out to the new daily competitors. However,the old printing presses evolved into The Michie Company. Fatherwas writinglaw for The Edward Thompson Comparry in Northport and the management therewas about to abandon publication of an old set of annotated selected cases knownas Railroad Cases. Father persuaded them to turn the rights over to him and heand Uncle George continued the publication, issuing them in the nalme of G. R.B. Michie & Co., at first and later as The Michie Company. Father\wrote theannotations and did the other editorial vrork in the evening after a days work atThe Edward Thompson Company and [Jncle George printed the bodks on the oldnewspaper presses. The set, being publ:ished in this way very cheaply, made alittle money and the business was exparLded by the publication of a tariety ofother law books. Uncle George was the, treasurer, business manager, publisherand to a considerable extent salesman for the firm. As it expanded the need formore of a plant arose and Uncle George had to such an extent secured theconfidence of some of the leading and nnore prosperous citizens of thecommunity - Judge White and the Robertsons particularly - that they invested$100,000 in the preferred stock of the c,cmpany, with which they were given abonus of common stock. Father, Uncle tGeorge and Uncle Armistead keepingenough common stock to retain control. This substantial investment was madeby Judge White and the others entirely because of their faith in the integrity andability of Uncle George and his brothers as the business itself was (and to someextent still remains) highly speculative. The company was, however, quitesuccessful in the early years and I am inclined to think that there has never been ayear in which the preferred dividends have not been paid.

Uncle George's friendship with Judge White became one of thedetermining factors in his life. In 1910 Judge White, then President of thePeoples National Bank in Charlottesville, had Uncle George made a VicePresident and when Judge White died irr 1913 Uncle George was the logicalsuccessor. From then on he divided his time between The Michie Company andthe banlq gradually, however, giving more and more time to the latter. As asmall town banker he was an immense r;uccess. He had no difficulty in saying'ono" when it was necessary and, while this naturally made many people mad, it isan essential ingredient in the makeup of'a good banker. His reputation for being"tough" was accompanied by a reputation for absolute and fearless honesty. AsMr. John White said in contrasting him with the head of another local bank "Thepublic thinks Mr. Michie is ruthless and knows he is honest; they know Mr. X isruthless and think he is honest."

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Under Uncle George the Peophs Bank became one of the outstandingfinancial institutions of central Virginia. In fact at one time they checked up andfound that it was the second largest bank in the country located in a city of thesize of Charlottesville. The same thing may be true today as it has continued togrow and prosper with Bill Hildreth, Urrcle George's son-in-law, taking over thereins from him.

It is impossible to write about llncle George without mentioning his longstanding feud with Mr. Rinehart. This ,was really inherited from Judge White.Mr. Rinehart had come to Charlottesville in 1910 with a good deal of money anda desire to play a prominent part in local affairs. He tried to get on the Board ofthe Peoples Bank, but Judge White said "No." This infuriated Mr. Rinehart so hewent into the smaller Jefferson National Bank and when that was absorbed by thePeoples he started a bank of his own. His ruling passion for years seemed to be toinjure the Peoples Bank and all of those, who were active in its affairs. BecauseUncle George was the head of the Peoples Bank, Mr. Rinehart started a printingand law book publishing company to compete with The Michie Company (it wasa complete failure); because Mr. T. E. Fowers, an influential vice president of thePeoples Banlq was the active head of Tlhe Michie Grocery Company (one-armedJimmy had lost it), Mr. Rinehart started a rival wholesale gocery company; soalso for Marshall Timberlake and his drug store. Uncle George was a member ofthe Board of Visitors of the University, but Mr. Rinehart decided he wanted theplace himself and backed candidates for governor who were opposed by UncleGeorge until finally one was elected who gave Mr. Rinehart the place. Hisprincipal ambition, however, was to make his bank a bigger institution than thePeoples, but in this he never succeeded as it has never been much more than halfas large.

This rivalry between Uncle George and Mr. Rinehart, between thePeoples Bank crowd and the National Biank crowd, went into every phase of thelife of the community, social and political. Uncle George was the leader of whatwas generally the dominant faction in the Democratic party; the National Bankpeople led the other faction. Uncle George, however, never held any publicoffice. In some ways he might have liked going to Congress. For years,however, his outspoken opposition to prrohibition would have made his electionimpossible. Finally when that issue wars removed a few years before his deathand Senator Byrd offered him his support, which would have assured him ofelection, he had apparently lost whatever interest he may once have had as hedeclined to run on the ground that he could not afford the financial sacrifice thatwould have been involved.

Although never holding public office Uncle George was neverthelessactive in various aspects of public affairs. I have already mentioned hismembership on the Board of Visitors ol'the University, in which he took greatinterest. He was also on the Miller School Board. He served as CountyChairman of all the Liberty Loan drives in the first World War. But perhaps thepublic service of which he was most proud was his part in saving the old CountyCourthouse. In the roaring early twenties a group of modernists made a seriouseffort to have the old historic court house torn down and replaced

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by a modern pile of masonry such as yo,u might see in Sauk Center of any otherup and coming new county seat. Uncle George led the forces of thetraditionalists that opposed the move anLd today the old courthouse restored tosomething more nearly approaching its original Jeffersonian simplicity is one ofthe show spots of the county.

In politics Uncle George was o.Fcourse a Democrat and an important cogin the old Martin machine. He was in fact a close friend of the old Senator andhis last executor. And when Harry Byrrcl succeeded to the leadership afterSenator Martin's death he had no more loyal friend and supporter. In nationalpolitics, however, Uncle George was never attuned to the only Democraticadministrations of his day - those of Wilson and Roosevelt. Like nearly allVirginians of his class and generation he was violently anti-New Deal. Andtwenty years earlier he had despised alnnost as heartily the reformirigzeal ofWoodrow Wilson. The generation that grew up in the South after the Civil Warlearned that life was hard and the race i,nly to the strong, so they came to theconclusion that there was not much use in trying to uplift the masseb. Today theoutlook among the same class in the yo'unger generation is, I thinl! far lesspessimistic. \

Personally Uncle George could be one of the most attractive and likablemen that ever lived. He could tell a great story when he took the trouble to do so.And he was usually entertaining in a cnrwd and seemed to enjoy himself. But heclaimed to be bored with social life and seldom mixed with people except at theRed Land Club and with a limited group in his own home. Like Father andUncle Armistead his offrcial position was that nobody except his own brothershad sense enough for him to be interested in talking to them. And whatarguments they had together, argument$ to which Hewson and I were admitted ina minor capacity as we grew up. Mother used to hear them arguing in father'slibrary and be certain there was a pitcherd battle going on, though actually,despite the violence of their language, I don't believe any of them ever got at allangry with either of the others during thLeir whole adult lives.

Uncle George was very fond of'bridge and was one of the best players Iever knew. For years he had a summer place in Sugar Hollow in the Blue RidgeMountains where his family spent the summer and he went every week-end,usually taking some friends from Charlottesville with him. There the week-endwas spent in playing bridge and pitchinlg horseshoes. And the sessions at the oldspring house before Sunday dinner should not be overlooked either. UncleGeorge, though violently opposed to prrohibition (he was always against any kindof cant or psalm-singing) was never as much of a drinking man as most of theMichies. But before prohibition came on he had laid in a fairly good stock andevery Sunday morning when we were at Sugar Hollow all the men presentrepaired to the spring house with a quafi of old Fulcher's whiskey, which UncleGeorge made into old-fashioned toddy's (spring water and sugar and whiskey,with no ice). We always finished the qrrart before dinner and so when there wereonly a few of us we were all pretty mellow for dinner.

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fl "a. Thomas Johnson lMichie, [V, born in Northport, L.I., NewYorlg June 7 , t896. He was educated at the University of Virginia,taking the degrees of 8.A., M.A., and LL.B. He entered the aviationservice, was commissioned and served in [taly during the World War.For several years he practiced Law in Ch4rlottesville, Virginia, and thenremoved to Pittsburgh,Pa., where he toold a position in the LegalDepartment of the Koppers Comparry. He married Cordelia Byrd Ruffin,daughter of Edmund Sumter Ruffin, of No,rfolk, Virginia, February 18,1928. The children of Thomas Johnson l\rflichie,IV, and Cordelia ByrdMichie, his wife, are Cordelia Ruffin Micfrie, born June 2I,1929, andThomas Johnson Michie. V. born June 211 1931.-

To which should be added Emily $ewson Michie, I,1, bomJanuary 13, 1938.

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