Amanda Elizabeth Rhoads

Excerpt From My Memory File by Amanda Clark Rhoads, daughter of George William Clark: My Father George Wm Clark was born in Va Sept 15th 1845. One 100 and 10 years ago. His brothers names, Henry, John, Strother and Hallam. His siters, Joey, Alice, Hannah and Mattie. I came into the world not so many years after the cruel, bloody war between the North and South ended. A "Johnny Reb's" daughter, and I am proud of it. My Father was 17 when he enlisted in Capt. Pollock's Fredericksburg Artillery at Camp Taylor, May 1st 1864. He was surrendered by Gen. Robert E. Lee, April 9th 1865 at Appomattox, Va. This information was given me by the War Department by E. C. Conley, Brigadier General fromt he Adjutant's Generals Office. The Yankees were capturing all Southern boys, and putting them in northern prisons. He said, "I could not think of being shut up in .....missing line.....The short time in service often hungry and thirsty but never a scratch. Once a bullet penetrated his hat brim but God took care of him. I have often stood on the battleground at Spotsylvania, and on the spot his cannon was placed. Father told us often, before the dead bodies could be removed from the Battle Field, the "Johnny Rebs" would spend their time reading the love letters of the Yankees written by wives and sweet hearts. A heartless thing to do, but they wanted to while the depressing time away. In my native co. (Spotsylvania) named from the colonial Gov Spottswood, one of the members of the "Knights of the Golden Horse Shoe" four bloody battles were fought. Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness and Spotsylvania. The beloved Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded at Chancellorsville by his own men as he was returning from a reconnoiter at twilight. This tragedy brought deep sorrow and a loss to the Confederacy that made them feel his leadership could never be filled. Today a granite monument stands at Chancellorsville to honor this brave Gen. "Old soldiers Fade Away" was said by Gen. McArthur, but they should not, for battles won. They should be honored. ... In Ole Virginy in our happy home on winter evenings we had a Story Hour as we sat round the open fireplace, filled with oak, pine and hickory logs. (We had four legged stools,a dn three legs crickets to sit on) to listen to the Bible and War stories. Father always removed his hightop leather boots. We had turns bringing him his Boot Jack. It has been long years since I saw a Boot Jack, Children. .....missing line....My two brothers wore red-top boots. The girls copper toe shoes laced with leather strings. How we enjoyed the war stories of the Revolutionary War, Paul Revere one of our favorite heroes. War with the Indians, War of 1812. Then the Cruel War between the North and South. We couldn't love Abraham Lincoln. Tell us all about the War and what they killed each other for, was an often repeated request. Father told us the Negro was brought to this country and sold as slaves. Africa, their native home, was a very hot climate. In the passimg years the southern people paid good money for the Negro, to help on their large estates adn considered them valuable property. The Negro naturally thrived in the climate in the south. The North didn't look upon the Negro as property but as overworked slaves, needing to be free. .....comments on present.....I have always loved the colored people. I had a "black Mammie" named Caroline and a colored nurse "Jinny." We liked to sing the "War Songs" . One favorite - The Yankees fought at Fredericksburg To whip the Southern Rebel But, oh! we turned the game, And whipped them like the Devil. 15 My homespun dress is plain I know My hat is Palmetto too But then it shows what Southern girls To....Rights...will do I envy not the Northern girl Her robes of beauty rare And diamonds grace her snowy white neck And pearls adorn her hair Hurrah! Hurrah for the Southern Rights Hurrah! Hurrah! for the Bonnie Blue Flag That bears a single Star. Then we would give the Rebel Yell. Father told us a Rebel Yell would make a Yankee jump out of his breeches. It was worse than an Indian War Whoop. It was terriffic. ............... The old English style house where I was born still stands.....The date the house was built is a question mark. The setting is ideal, nestled on an elevation surrounded by tall locusts, spreading aspens, weeping willow, and in the back yard, the largest oaks I have ever seen. One measures 21 feet in circumference. In this oak is a rendezvous for the parasite mistletoe. Christmas, Father would shoot off branches covered in wax berries for the young folks of the neighborhood. If a girl was caught under the mistletoe bough, she was kissed by the boy watching for a kiss. No offence. The quaint old house is weather ......missing line.....The boards are nailed on with hand wrought nails presumably exported from England. The wainscoating is high in the spacious hall painted in a rare shade of blue - I would say peacock blue. The wide hall has double doors at each end fastened with bars that rest in strong iron hooks. Above the door leading into the dining room is a gun rack consisting of two iron hooks to hold the gun. A safe device from children. The sinding stairs at the south west end of the hall leads to the second story. The basement windows have iron bars across windows making it so no one could enter. If you should have the pleasure of visiting this home today you are greeted with hospitality by the genial owners (Mr. and Mrs. Altamont Dickerson). So many relatives and friends visit "Salem Farm" it is known by the sobriquet "Dickersons's Filling Station". The long dining table is loaded with every thing that is delicious to eat. This old home is now modernized up to date look plumbing, bathroom, bowl, bathtub, electric light to take the place of candles and kerosene lamps that had to be filled every morning, shades washed, wicks trimmed. We made lamp lighters to save matches. A short distance down the hill is a large bubbling spring, unsurpassed for pure water, cold as ice. Like the judge said to Maud Mueller, "A sweeter draught from a fairer hand was never quaffed." This spring by hands unknwon has long been rocked up like a chimney. A large flat stone for the top. The rock walls are covered with delicate ferns, including the maiden hair and luscious green moss. Three flat stone steps to...............missing line.......cedar wood buckets to be taken to the house to be consumed. The spring is surrounded by a grove of large poplars, oaks, cedar, birch, hickory and wild cherry trees. One cherry tree is covered with a fox grape vine. The fox grapes are large and a potent smell. Some people are very fond of them. ----------------------------------see Lucy Bullock Haight for trip to DC Our family of brothers and sisters were five. Then three surprise packages. One-two-three darling baby sisters. Father called them his second crop. We grew like weeds, plenty of vitamins in our menus, but we had never heard the word vitamin. .....see Mortimer..... Christmas: Christmas Time we looked forward to Christmas s S entertainment at our church. Two beautiful cedar trees lit up with tallow candles. Bags made of tarlatan, green pink white red blue yello, filled with candy and nuts and one bunch of raisins, on every branch of the cedars. The candy to me was sweeter than all the Christmas carols sung. We thought Christmas Eve would never come, so we could hang up our stockings (red wool, Mother knit. she had the old fashion spinning wheel. She spun the yarn, also raised cotton and spun cotton also. It took little to make children happy, after the war had deprived the South the very necessities of life. .....I remember how many books we read and re-read. "Robinson Crusoe", "Tom Thum" and "Cinderella. Father made our home-made toys. "Bowing Man" "Supple Sawney" "Whirl a Gig" Bows and Arrows, whistles.......In the Box and china dolls. We loved our home made rag dolls. Our humble home was really "Home Sweet Home" Our Christian parents left us an heritage to last as a sweet memory through life. I think of the lines of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. 16 Between the dark and the day light Whe the light is beginning to lower There comes a pause in the days occupation That is known as "The Children's Hour". How much we enjoyed that hour! We always adked for "War Stories". .....Some years after the war we owned beautiful horses. Named Toy, Crocket, Champ, Cora, Dick, Maggie Fly. We rode bare back, side-saddle, saddle or straddle. When Father came from the filed at noonwe always rode the horses to the "branch." to drink.) In the North they call a "branch" a "crick") to quench their thirst. One "War Horse" was donated Father. We named him "Mr. Yankee". He was the only "War Horse" I ever saw branded U.S. in his skin on both sides. He was a cross old thing backing his ears flat if we looked at him. Father said he belonged to the cavalry and to never say "Charge", because he would run like he did when going in battle. We would say in a low tone "Charge", but Mr. Yankee did not bat an eye. We told him very solemnly "When you die, we will not shed one tear." Mr. Yankee didn't care if no tears were shed. His days of hard work were over. Every farmer owned dogs. All boys want to own one. We never kept more than two at one time, usually one. Our dogs names Jack, Sailor, Bingo and one Shepherd. Mother paid $1.00 for this destructive little rascal. (I will not tell you his name)He grew to be very intelligent, knowing exact time to go to the pasture to bring the cows to be milked. He caught the chickens for Mother by getting them into a huddle, and holding one down with his paw until Mother came. Sundays he knew the number to be killed was three. Our minister often came driving up the drive-way. He was not a Methodist minister either) Shep would immediately get the chickens in a huddle. The roosters were the ones killed. Shep knew the roosters from the pullets. Some are doubting Thomas about this intelligence. He really knew a rooster. Roosters have a long tail. Shep had eyes to see. One Sun. diversion was a walk to the nearby battle field (Spotsylvania) to hunt relics after a hard washing rain. We found many Minie balls, and lead bullets. I still have a few relics, one a spoon & fork comvined in one handle. In later years many of the G. A. R. came to visit the "Batlle Fields" collecting relics and cut young hickory and other growth to make canes for souvenirs. An old man living near Sedgewick monument made relics by beating lead into foxtail pines cut at "Bloody Angle". He made money and chuckled at his deception. "It is only a Yankee trick, he said, I am playing". In the Christian Church named Berea at Spotsylvania, I've seen five pews penetrated by a minnie ball. Years later when a girl I heard a "Johnny Reb" preach in the pulpit where the bullet had spent its force. I wondered if the ball put out his eye, as he stood in the pulpit. This man was Rev. Robert ........ slaves who worked for us after the war. Arch Lee and his wife Lavinia. Poor old Arch was the shape of an orangutan, long arms, head set back on short neck, round shoulders flat nose, big mouth, wooly hair and big pearly teeth. When asked, "Did your Master ever whip you?" he replied, "He sho' did, but I desarved every lick he gave me. I sho' was one impudent young Nigger." At the age of 90 years, he could turn somersaults many times and stand on his head. [My note (dch): dad told me about this man who was still living when he visited his grandparents. Probably about the same 90 years. Dad said that for a plug of tobacco, he would dance on top of the picket fence.] Like all colored people, he could carry one wooden pail of water on his head and one in each hand. He made up a name we children had to call him. It was "Bru Brill Bruters Land Lord in Clover Who Was Exalted For the Most Grand Importance of the Influence of Life - Who Ran Tons of Waters of the Red Sea Over those Eguypt Children and Drowned that Old Devil Pharoah with all his Chariots Made of Pure Gold and His Prancing Horses Down Down In the Red Sea." Now chilluns when you call me by this name, my legal adoption name, I answer, "Yes, Sir I is coming fast." He ate his meals on the back porch. (He always ate his dessert first.) If he thought we were listening he would ask the blessing, saying "I thank you the Giver in Heaven for this sumptions food and my spacious stomach to hold it. I know my God you are busy hearing the prayers of need souls, but please hear my request. Please prop up this mortal clay, a long, long time, so this child can enjoy this beautiful work you made with your hands. You made man of dust, and we sure return to dust. Amen" Lavina smoked a corn cob pipe, as so many old colored people did and some old white women........missing line...... .....My Father was the first Link in the Family Chain to be broken. He was not well but never sick in bed. He went fishing the day he went to this Heavenly Home. He fell into the river holding his fishing pole. Dilation of the heart......missing line.... are buried in the Confederate Cemetery at Spotsylvania. My nephew Charles Fletcher of Washington, D.C. played "Taps" at his grave. One Marker for both graves, "They Kept the Faith". -------------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from "Papa, Why Are the Trees and Grass So Green?" Memories of an eighty-two year old lady by Bessie K. Clark Nussey This question was asked by a little five year old girl, as she was riding in a horse drawn buggy down a hill in April, when the trees along the river below were coming out so pretty and green. He answered, "Honey, God made them green because it is the softest color for the eyes". That was seventy-seven years ago, now I feel I would like to tell some of my memories through the years. Oh! such happy days. I was the youngest of eight 17 children, five sisters and two brothers. My parents were fine Christian people and they brought us up to have faith and love God. Always we knelt for family worship at night; I am sorry to say I fell asleep many a night on my knees. When I started to school I had to walk two miles morning and afternoon. My oldest Sister taught school for five years, in the one room schoolhouse. She had about 35 to 40 scholars. We loved her dearly as a teacher, and she had such well behaved classes. She stressed reading, writing and arithmetic. She wrote a beautiful scribe. We used the Spencerian copy books and how we prided ourselves on how neat they could be. On Friday afternoons we would have spelling bee's on naming the states and capitals which I learned as a small child and never forgot. After five years I went to private school and rode horseback on my little horse "Champ". I think my first recollections are of going to Sunday School. I had a sweet old lady for a teacher and every Sunday she would come in with a slat basket on her arm, and she would have a stick of candy or cookie and apple for every pupil when the lesson was over. At Christmas we would have a big Christmas tree, in the Church, trimmed with net bags, filled with hard candy and nuts or an orange, for the children. The entertainment was put on by the children and such happy little faces, when we would get up to recite. My Father took us to Church in a lumber wagon pulled by two horses. We would get up in the straw, and in winter time cover up in heavy homemade quilts. The weather seemed so cold in those days. We lived on a farm named "Willow Oaks", there were two large oaks in the front yard. We lived in a log cabin until I was five years old, then my Father built a nice nine room house. My paternal grandparents lived across the river from us, my grandfather operated a grist mill, turned by a big water wheel, he ground the meal for neighbors for miles around, and it was a treat for me to go and watch the big mill wheel go 'round and see the meal come out so soft and white. My grandparents were lovely old folk, both played the "fiddle" and how they enjoyed life. They loved to entertain the grandchildren. My maternal grandparents died when my mother was six years old, so we never knew but one pair of grandparents. My grandfather was a small man, he always wore a black tie and white linen coat in the summer. My brother tells of one occasion when grandfather was leading a cow to pasture, the cow ran with him and pulled grandfather down and dragged him. My brother said when he got up, hs shook his fist att he cow and said, "I am great mind to stomp your guts out". It tickled my brother so to think that a man so small would htink he could do that. Their home was up on a hill with a small brook running at the bottom of the hill. There was a small bridge across the brook and we would fish with bent pin hooks, trying to catch the little fish or tadpoles. My father's brother and his wife, Bettie, lived about two miles from our farm. They had six boys and two girls, just reverse from our family. We were like one big family. All the boys had lovely voices and all loved to sing. We had a piano and pump organ, and Papa played the violin. On Sunday afternoons all would gather at our home and such singing! I still think I can hear the old hymns. Aunt Bettie was left a widow while so young and reared the family along. One funny thing that I remember, Aunt Bettie had an old red rooster that followed her everyplace around the farm. One day she went in her garden to plant green peas. She had dropped them in a row and when she reached the end, she looked back and the Will of George W. Clark: Spotsylvania County Will Bk. , Page 68 I, George W. Clark, of Spotsylvania County, Virginia, being of sound sense and memory do hereby make and declare this to be my last will and testament in manner and form to-wit: First; It is my desire that all my just debts and funeral expenses shall be paid out of my estate. Second; It is my will and desire that after the payment of debts and funeral expenses that all my estate, both real and personal, wherever situated, shall go to my beloved wife E.V. Clark for and during her natural life and at the death of my said wife, E.V. Clark all of my said property, real and personal remaining is to be equally divided between each of my eight children as follows; M.C.Clark, Mrs. A.L. Rhodes, W.G. Clark, Alice B. Rice, Lucy R. Smith, Nellie E. Fletcher, Verna B. Dickinson and Bessie K. Nussey, share and share alike. I hereby appoint my said wife, E.V. Executrix of this my last will and testament and request that no security as such may be requested of her and direct that no inventory by made of my estate. In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my hand this 24th day of February 1919. Geo. W. Clark (Seal) Signed, sealed, published and acknowledged by Geo. W. Clark as and for his last will in the presence of us who, in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereto subscribed our names as witnesses. J.P.H. Crismond. 18 W.R. Linthicum. A.H. Crismond. Virginia; In the Clerk's Office of the Circuit Court of Spotsylvania County, September 23rd, 1925. It appearing that Geo. W. Clark died on this 14th day of September, 1925, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, and at the time of his death had a mansion house and known place of residence in Spotsylvania County, and a writing bearing date on the 24th day of February 1919, and purporting to be the true last will and testament of the said Geo. W. Clark, deceased, having been this day produced for probate before me, A. H. Crismond, Clerk of said Court, and proved according to law by the oath of W.R.Linthicum, on of the subscribing witnesses to said will, and who further made affidavit that J.P.H. Crismond, deceased another subscribing witness thereto, subscribed his name as attesting witness to said will in his presence and in the presence of said testator, and the said testator having signed his name to said will in the presence of each of said witnesses, the three being present together at the same time; it is ordered that the said writing be and the same is admitted to record. Now on the motion of E.V. Clark, the Executrix named in said will, she is permitted to qualify as such and has this day appeared in person in the Clerk's Office of this court and qualified as such and taken the oath that the writing admitted to record contains the true last will and testament of the said Geo. W. Clark, deceased, so far as she knows and believes and that she will perform the duties of her office according to the best of her judgment, and given bond as required by law, in the penalty of $1000.00 without security, the will requiring none, which said bond being signed, sealed and acknowledged by the obligor is ordered recorded; certificate is accordingly granted the said E.V. Clark for obtaining letters of Executorship upon the estate of the said Geo. W. Clark, deceased, in due form. No inventory or appraisement is had the will expressly waiving the same. Teste: A.H. Crismond, Clerk Clark Geo. W. List of Heirs A list of all the heirs of George W. Clark deceased, to be filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of the County of Spotsylvania. The undersigned, who qualified on the 23rd day of September 1925, in the County of Spotsylvania as Executrix of George W. Clark late of said County on my oath do say that I have made diligent inquiry as to the names, ages and addresses of the heirs of my decedent George W. Clark and I believe the following to be a true and correct list of such heirs with their ages and addresses. Name Age Kinship to decedent Last known address E.V. Clark 75 Widow Massaponax Va. M.C. Clark 55 Son Salem Oregon 1228 N. Winter St Mrs. A.L. Rhoads 53 Daughter Western Springs Ill. W. G. Clark 51 Son Huntington W. Va. 17 West Ave. Alice B. Rice 50 Daughter Belmar N.J. Lucy R. Smith 46 Daughter Fredericksburg, Va. Nellie E. Fletcher 39 Daughter Washington D.C. Verna B. Dickinson 38 Daughter Massaponax. Va. Bessie K. Nussey 36 Daughter Petersburg, " Mrs. E.V. Clark Sworn to and subscribed before me this 23rd day of September, 1925 and truly recorded. Teste; A. H. Crismond, Clerk. --------------------------------- --------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------

• Reference: FamilySearch Family Tree - SmartCopy: Dec 31 2022, 0:20:57 UTC