[With Col. Byrd at Major Woodford's on 5 October 1732.]
"In the afternoon we tempted all the family to go along with us to Major Ben Robinson's, who lives on a high hill called Moon's Mount, about five miles off. On the road we came to an eminence from whence we had a plain view of the mountains, which seemed to be no more than thirty miles from us in a straight line, though to go by the road it was near double that distance. The sun had just time to light us to our journey’s end and the Major received us with his usual good humor. He has a very industrious wife, who has kept him from sinking by the weight of gaming and idleness. But he is now reformed from those ruinous qualities and by the help of a clerk's place in a quarrelsome county will soon be able to clear his old scores."We drank exceeding good cider here, the juice of the white apple, which made us talkative till ten o’clock, and then I was conducted to a bedchamber where there was neither chair nor table; however I slept sound and waked with strong tokens of health in the morning.
"6 [October]. When I got up about sunrise I was surprised to find that a fog had covered this high hill; but there’s a marsh on the other side of the river that sends its filthy exhalation up to the clouds. On the borders of that morass lives Mr. Lomax, a situation fit only for frogs and otters.
"After fortifying myself with toast and cider and sweetening my lips with saluting the lady, I took leave and the two majors conducted me about four miles on my way as far as the church. After that, Ben Robinson ordered his East Indian to conduct me to Colonel Martin's. In about ten miles we reached Caroline [County] courthouse, where Colonel Armistead and Colonel Will Beverley have each of 'em erected an ordinary well supplied with wine and other polite liquors for the worshipful bench. Besides these, there is a rum ordinary for persons of a more vulgar taste. Such liberal supplies of strong drink often make Justice nod and drop the scales out of her hands.
"Eight miles beyond the ordinary I arrived at Colonel Martin's, who received me with more gravity than I expected. But, upon inquiry, his lady was sick, which had lengthened his face and gave him a very mournful air. I found him in his nightcap and banian [dressing gown], which is his ordinary dress in that retired part of the country. Poorer land I never saw than what he lives upon, but the wholesomeness of the air and the goodness of the roads make some amends. In a clear day the mountain may be seen from hence, which is, in truth, the only rarity of the place.
"After my first arrival, the Colonel saluted me with a glass of canary and soon after filled my belly with good mutton and cauliflowers. Two people were as indifferent company as a man and his wife, without a little inspiration from the bottle, and then we were forced to go as far as the kingdom of Ireland to help out our conversation. There, it seems, the Colonel had an elder brother, a physician, who threatens him with an estate some time or other; though possibly it might come to him sooner if the succession depended on the death of one of his patients."
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.