Augusta County: James R. McCutchan to Rachel Ann
McCutchan, July 11, 1862
Summary:
In this long letter to his cousin Rachel, James R. McCutchan writes of the beauty
of the area in which he is staying, telling Rachel of a deep mountain lake she
should see one day. The letter also refers to several people McCutchan had
recently encountered.
July 11th, 62
Newport Giles Co.
Dear Rate,
I haven't heard a word from you since I left your house, I have no means of knowing whether you are dead or alive. Though I hope the "black rose" is entirely gone from your cheek, & that you are again well & happy. Together with the rest of the family that were sick when I left. I had an extremely lonesome trip through the mountains to [deleted: ], but as I gave Lizzie an account of it in my letter to her, I will not here repeat it.
I am still with Henry, he is getting well again & I think will soon be
able to walk about. He is able to sit up ten or fifteen minutes at a time now,
though not more than twice a day. I have had a directly hard time of it. I haven't had a good nights sleep since last Wednesday was
a week. I was so sleepy this morning after breakfast, that I couldn't keep my eyes open, & I lay down
& went to sleep I didn't
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wake up till dinner was ready & I'm going to sleep again as
soon as I get through writing.
Mrs. Paine is a fine old lady, her husband is dead & she has no children she has an adopted daughter, Miss Hattie Early a young lady about six teen. They are all mighty nice about every thing, real sanctified methodists. The circuit rider is here now. I don't know how he can preach but from his appearances, I judge if I had two days study, & a glass of brandy, I could preach as well in the back woods as he can.
This is a romantic place, if you imagine little [unclear: young] mountains coming from every direction with deep narrow hollers between & meeting around a dark ravine filled with some dozen plain houses, you have a pretty [illeg.] idea of Newport & its vicinity.
You would laugh if you could hear the old woman squalling at her little
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"niggers" She has about a half a dozen attired in long [unclear: tow]
shirts slit up on both sides, & nothing else in the world on their
backs. She is a perfect [unclear: termagnent] among the darkies
& when the equality of her temper has been a little ruffled, her voice
reminds me very much of a thrashing machine in full motion, or the escape of
steam from a steam whistle. I suppose I'm too hard on the old woman, but she
will forgive me I reckon for the sake of a little [unclear: four].
Well how is l_e_d getting along I suppose she quit coming to see the sick after I left, she is the biggest fool I ever saw I think & I dont know why somebody didn't tell her so. I haven't heard a word from my Dearie since I saw her a month ago, I would like very much to hear from her & much better would I like to see her, though it is hard telling when that will be.
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I wish you were here Rate, we would go to see the falls & the
mountain lake, two great natural curiosities. The
falls are about 5 miles from here. I have never been
there, I know but little about it. The mountain lake is 8 miles from here on top of a lofty mountain. The top of the mountain is
level for some 6 miles across at this place, with some
interesting ravines. This lake has been formed in one of these in the last half
century. Some years ago several small streams from the mountain sides around led
down into the bottom of this deep hollow & formed an outlet through the
ground, cattle were salted here it is said in Summer a
great[unclear: -eat] & in the course of time the opening at the
bottom became closed & it began to fill up, & it was 30 years
filling up to where it formed an outlet
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From a little pool where
cattle were salted it grew to be a pond, & from a pond it has grown to
be a beautiful silvery lake three miles in circumference & three hundred feet
deep. You can't imagine any thing more beautiful & grand than this lake
on the mountain top. There has been a beautiful hotel erected on its margin by a
Mr. Porter & not another house within six miles of it. There are several
boats there for the accomodations of visitors, but all old & out of
repair & a sail on the lake in one of them is not half so pleasant as it
would be in a a good skiff or sailboat. I stopped there a little while as I came
from [unclear: mission] here & sailed out upon the lake in company with Mr. Long, when we had gotten about a half
mile from shore, there came up
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a tremendous storm of wind &
rain & you may well suppose that we hauled in canvas, tacked about, & bent our oars into port, we reached
shore without any accident except a good soaking. The water is quite clear
& pure & one can see down in to it for some distance.
There is a high knob of the mountain 3/4 of a mile from the lake, from the top of which you can see into Kentucky, Tennessee & North Carolina. When the war is over I am going to get married and bring my old woman here to see it & you may come along. Give my love to all & Cousin Sallie too & write soon. Direct to Newport Giles Co. Va. in no ones care.
Yours Affectionately,
James R. McCutchan
