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The following is a first person account of Caswell Co., NC as described in
an 11 Aug 1810 letter to Thomas Henderson, Editor of Star, Raleigh, NC
from Bartlett Yancey, Jr. Mr. Henderson had solicited reports on various
NC counties, locally written, for a series of articles. Mr. Yancey,
lifetime citizen of Caswell Co., was a prominent lawyer and politician.
The original letters are included in the Thomas Henderson Papers (p 19-23)
located in the Private Collection (PC 19.1) at the NC Archives, Raleigh,
NC.
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Caswell: 11th Augt: 1810
Dear Sir:
I have herewith sent you a concise description of the particulars
respecting which information was required by your letter of March 30th
1810, which I had not the pleasure of receiving before the last of July:
An earlier reception of it would have given me a better opportunity of
making myself well acquainted with the particulars of which you sought
information. But having received it at a time when my fall circuit was
just about to commence, I had but this alternative, of giving you the
information I then possessed in an abstract manner, or delay my answer to
your request until the winter: these fancies I thought but adapted to your
purposes and therefore framed the fragment which I now transmit to you.
I have thought for a [illegible] past that some stricture upon the late
and fashionable mode of chicanery, might be of service to the good people
of this State, and have hoped and expected to have seen published in your
paper something on the subject; but not a word has been [illegible] it is
probable that during the winter when the mind of the public is cool and
calm something of this sort may appear: I should indeed wish to see some
writer undertake the subject, who is able to do it justice:
Accept of my wishes for your promotion and prosperity, and anything I can
do for you in this part of the State, shall be cheerfully [page edge worn]
Yours Mo. Respectfully
B. Yancey
It is hoped and expected that you will exercise your discretion, to [page
edge worn] my errors, and making abridgements: the description was thrown
together hasten, and has not been attempted to be corrected
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In Caswell the farm of the County is generally hilly: there is however
some valuable low land upon the water courses, that lies well: some
valuable level land, between is to be found, not immediately on any water
course. The Country line land, so called from a creek, of that name which
empties into Dan River, near where the Counties of Caswell and Person join
the Virginia line, is generally extreme, land of the first quality in the
County: Its greatest objection is, that the land adjacent to [worn page
edge] Creek, is so hilly, that without great care in the cultivator, much
of it is worn out and washed away in the course of 10 or 12 years
cultivation:
The Dan River low-grounds are very fertile and amply repays the farmer
anxious for his trial: but the adjacent ridges, are hilly, and still more
apt, to wash than the land on Country-line: next in part of value and
fertility is considering the land on Hico: A water course called Moon's
Creek, has some valuable low land on it, but is objectionable on account
of being marshy:
The growth on Country-line land is pine, all kinds of oaks, hickory,
dogwood, sourwood, Black gum, Black-walnut, white walnut, ash, beech,
birch, sassafras and a variety of other vegetable production: Nearly the
same growth on the other water courses, except not so much pine: The water
in Caswell is good perhaps as any other County in the State.
As to the value of land, as much depends on the situation of it, as the
fertility: land in the neighborhood of the Court House, and indeed most of
the lands ome situating on the main road, sells for as much, as a tract on
Dan River: The value of land therefore depends much on the neighborhood it
is situated in: the general price of good land, is from $5, to $10 p acre:
agreeable situations and tobacco good land may be had from $3 to $5 an
acre:
This county was first settled about the year 1750; from that time until
1754 or 5, there were about 8 or 10 families in that part of the county,
now known by the name of Caswell: A family by the name of Reynolds, and
two others by the name of D[page edge worn] and Bankston were among the
first settlers; not one of the family are now in county, and it is
believed not one of their descendants: The Lea's, Graves', Patersons, &
Kimbros came to this County about 1753, 54 & 55: they came from Orange and
Culpepper in Virginia: Several hundred of there families and their
descendants are now living in the County: The object of the first
settlers, was to possess themselves of fertile land, and good pasture: I
am told by the first settlers, that cane was so plenty, at that time, that
their cattle [smudged] fat all thru winter without feeding:
No extraordinary occasions took place in this county during the
Revolution: no regular fought battle: there were some skirmishes with the
"Tories", a number of whom were killed: Cornwallis passed through this
county in his pursuit of Genl Green, some little time before the Guilford
battle: but little injury was had to the inhabitants, when compared with
the general destruction they received in other parts of the United States:
Dan River runs through a small part of Caswell, and about 12 or 15
families, live on the north side of the River in the county: We have no
lakes, bays, harbours, canals, mountains, cataracs, islands, nor swamps:
The Roads in Caswell, are very good, for the back-county: they have been
much improved lately: Scarcely a county in the State perhaps has better
bridges, and more of them, then the little county of Caswell: Over every
water course of any size, there is a bridge, and over some 2 or 3:
As to mines, there is not at present as much mined about "the Silver
Mine", as was about 2 years ago: at that time a Rascal by the name of
Charles Stewart, induced a citizen of the county to believe, he possessed
an immensely valuable silver mine: experiments were made by Stewart in the
presence of men of respectability and intelligence, [name illegible]
induced to believe there was mental [metal] in the Ore: fifty dollars was
then advanced to Stewart for the purpose of procuring materials to extract
the metal; he pretended to go in search of the materials, but instead of
procuring them, he was shortly after confined in jail for his crimes:
Experiments have since been made of this ore, at Richmond, Washington
City, and Philadelphia, and I am informed it is said, to contain a little
Iron, but not worth the attention of the owner:
There is but one mineral spring that I know of in the county: This is on a
farm belonging to Capt: Tho: Graves, about five miles from the Co. House:
I have drank of this water, and think with care it would be as good as any
I ever saw:
Indian corn, wheat, Rye, Oats, Cotton, tobacco and flax are raised in
great abundance: Our Staple Commodities are, tobacco, cotton, and of late
flour: We generally send our produce to Petersburgh or Richmond:
The Inhabitants of the county are generally in easy circumstances: there
is a greater equality of property than in most counties: about 10 or 12
gentlemen, however, have a very considerable property; & of that number,
there are only two, whose imminent wealth and possession work an injury to
their neighbors:
The county has 2 towns: Leasburgh, formerly the Court House, when Caswell
and Person formed one county: it has one store, a grocery shop, a sadler's
shop, and a cabinet maker's shop, with about 10 or 12 houses: Milton is
situated in the fork of Country-line and Dan River: it has 2 stores, a
Sadlers Shop , a Hatter's shop, a tavern with about 15 or 20 houses:
Caswell Co. House is not an incorporated town, the whole of the possession
there belong to Capt. John Graves and his sons: it has 2 taverns, a Store,
a Hatter's Shop with about 15 houses
It is supposed that at least nine-tenths of the inhabitants are
agriculturists: great improvements have been made in agriculture within
ten years past of useful domestic animals, it may observed that few
Counties have more useful, elegant horses: they are from the stock of
Diamond, Ture-Blue, Dion, Magic, & Bryan Oly?d; there are valuable horses
from Old Celes and Nonperille: Almost every farm has a yoke of oxen:
The Inhabitants of Caswell, are following the example of the western
counties in erecting distilleries: there are I suppose upwards of fifty.
the greater part of which have been erected within a few years: Some of
them are useful to the owner and the Country, but most of them are
nuisances to society, being the resort of idle dispirited men, who by
their visits to such places, bring on ruin to themselves and their
families: I know of nothing which has no great a tendency to demoralize
Society, except it be the late practices of chicanery by drunkery the
people with grog, and with falsehoods:
Our fisheries are mostly on Dan River: the fish are general Shad, and
round fish: but they are not more than half as valuable as they were 15
years ago. Of game we have but little; the greater part of the deer having
been killed in an immense large snow that fell about 8 or 9 years ago: We
have however a few deer and some turkies:
The progress of society and civilization depends upon the education and
virtue of the people: great improvements therefore have been made since
the first settlement of this county: from 1750 to twenty five years after,
it is computed, that not more than one third of the inhabitants could
read, and scarcely half that number could write a legible hand: from 1775
to 1800 what was then called a C[illeigble] English education, viz, "to
read, write, and cypher as far as the rule of thre[page edge worn] was
given to a little more than half the inhabitants: but from 1800, [illegble]
to the present time, the progress of civilization and situation has been
greater, then perhaps fifty years antecedent to that time: the great
revival of religion about that period seems to have contributed much to
the [illegible] of morality, sound principles and good [illegible] in
Society: but as naturalists have observed every calm is succeeded by a
Storm, and accordingly many of inferior class of society, appear now more
depraved than ever:
For the progress of Situation in the [illegible] branches of an education,
such as reading, writing and arithmatic, since 1800, the people of this
County are much indebted to Mr. Robert H. Childers: greater improvement in
writing could not have been expected from any man: at least one half of
the youth in the County, who write well, were taught either directly or
indirectly by this excellent pensman:
Situated within a quarter of a mile of the Co: Ho: is Caswell Academy: The
plan of Caswell Academy was first conceived and brought to public view in
the [page edge worn] of 1801: early in the succeeding years between five
and ten hundred dollars was subscribed and during the year 1803 it was
completed for the reception of students: The Rev.d Hugh Shaw and Bartlett
Yancy were the teachers for the 2 first years: the [page edge worn] of
students were from 55 to 65 each year; from that point the institution was
not in a very flourishing [illegible] Until 1808; since which time it has
prospered much under the direction of Mr. John W. Caldwell: a gentleman
educated in Guilford by his father, the Rev.d D. David Caldwell, well
known in the State for his services in disseminating libration, morality
and Religion among his fellow citizens: The funds of the academy at
present are low; it is now and always have been dependant on [illegible]
of the Trustees of the Institution, and a few other public spirited
gentlemen of the county for a support: No library of consequence is yet
established, a plan has however been suggested and in now going into
operation, by which it is hoped a good library will be procured in a few
years: the number of students at present is 38:
Hico Academy situated near the Red-House in Caswell, was erected, it is
believed in 1804 by a number of public spirited gentlemen in that part of
the county: Mr. Shaw, after he left Caswell Academy became the teacher of
this academy for 2 or 3 years, during which time, it is believed, it had
between 30 & 40 students: it has since that time been on a decline, and
about the middle of last month it was consumed by fire: there had been a
school taught in it this year, but no fire had [illegible] been used in it
for several months previous to its being burnt: it is generally believed
that some vile incendiary put fire to it; for the purpose of consuming it:
The Trustees have previous determined to rebuild it of Brick, upon a more
extended plan:
Since the establishment of these Institutions the progress of Virtue and
of Science in the county, has exceeded the most flattering [illegible] of
the friends of libration: The education that has been acquired there by
our youth, seems to have benefited, not only its [illegible]; but to have
imparted its blessings to all them around: the inhabitants generally are
more enlightened: men who thirty and forty years ago, were considered the
best informed and most learned among us, are now scarcely equal in print
of information to a school boy of 15 years: The venerable fathers are
known, almost to a man (them that are able), the Supporters of Sanctuaries
of learning; they seem to look forward with pleasing anticipation to the
utility their country will derive, from the cultivation of the minds of
our youth: there are however some designing demagogues; "wolves in Sheeps
clothing", who because they can read a chapter in the Bible, (when it is
in large print) and drag over a congressional circular (after a manner)
think they have learning enough, [illegible] to excite prejudices against
the Institutions and their students: but "black sheep" are to be found in
almost every flock":
Since the commencement of the year 1804, this county has sent the
following students to the University of this State; the foundation of
whose Education (except, one), was laid at these Institutions. Viz.
Sanders Donoho, Bartlett Yancey, Edward D. Jones, James W. Brown, R? M.
Sanders, David Hart, and John W. Graves: besides them, the following
students, received the Rudiments of their education at Caswell Academy;
Dr. Horace B R[name illegible] now of Salisbury: William W. Williams of
Halifax Va.. Archd. Haralson of Person: Elijah Graves of Granville: James
Miller of Person
Caswell is not distinguished for men of talents: We have no men of the
first rate talents; but a great number [illegible] to the rank of
mediocrity, and some above it, [illegible] are all nations, for we have no
Sp[illegible] Irishmen, revolutionizing Frenchmen, nor Speculating
Scotchmen among us.
In this county there are fine practicing Physicians: Dr. John McAdoo, Dr.
William S. Webb, Dr. Samuel Dabney, Dr. James Smith and Dr. Edward Foulks:
of the profession of the law, now residing in the county are the following
gentlemen; Bartlett Yancey, Edward D. Jones and Solomon Graves, Junr., the
order in which each professional character is named denotes the priority
of time, in which they commenced the practice of their profession:
There are two Societies in the County constituted for intellectual
improvement: One at Caswell Academy and Another at the tavern of Jethro
Brown esq.: their exercises mostly political. We have no public library in
the county.
About 2 years ago Several gentlemen of Caswell and Person had found
themselves into Society for the encouragement of the arts and agriculture;
but that Spirit of [page edge worn] and national pride. Which then
characterized all, seems now to be possessed by a few only; little has
been done for the progress and promotion of this Society or [page edge
worn]
The Religion of the inhabitants may be best estimated by the number of
churches and communicants: there are 4 Baptist Churches & about 300
Communicants: 4 Presbyterian Congregations and about 200 or 250
Communicants: 3 or 4 Methodist Societies and about 250 or 300
Communicants:
Caswell is a very health part of the County: the common diseases of the
inhabitants are Nervous and Billious fevers: the remedy for the most part
is Stimulant, purgatives, the Composition of which is best know to the
Physicians:
The amusements of the public part of Society consists in Balls, tea
parties, and [page edge worn] parties: them of an inferior class consists
of Saturday night frolicks, now [illegible] almost obsolete,: shooting
matches and horse racing afford amusement to [page edge worn] better part
of man, and now and then may be seen a party with an old rusty pack of
cards, [smudged] for whiskey: The only Sporting club in the county is the
"Jockey club" of the Caswell :
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