University of Virginia Library

INTRODUCTION.

The materials of the following traditionary story were collected and
embodied some years ago, and would have been given to the public through
another channel, but for an unfortunate accident which befel the author.[1]
The traditions forming the ground work of the plot, were many of them
gathered on the good old classic ground of Virginia, and sometimes on the
very spot of their occurrence. One of the country seats of Sir Alexander
Spotswood, unfortunately, was consumed by fire previous to the author's
visit to that part of the country. This was the more to be regretted, as the
old Hall contained the pictures of Gen. Elliot, in armor, and of his Excellency
in his court dress.

Many of the other old mansions yet stand, and are in possession, too, of the
descendants of the old cocked hat gentry, of whom our story treats. It is but
too true, that many others of these are either in a ruinous condition, or have
entirely disappeared even from the memory of the oldest citizens. We
have hunted up the former sites of these, and gathered together the fleeting
traditions of their inhabitants with no little care and trouble. Sometimes
wandering over the desolate scene only to find a ruinous old grave-yard, with
here and there a dilapidated tomb stone, bearing, amongst its moss-grown
evidences of antiquity, armorial bearings which look strangely out of place,
surrounded by the institutions which have since banished all these lordly and
aristocratic distinctions. At other times we were more fortunate, and fell in
with some venerable old sexagenerian, who, surrounded by the family pictures,
loved to turn back with us and tell their histories in the days of the vice-regal
court, pointing the while to the veritable lineaments of the person whose
actions were described.

So long a time has elapsed since the actors have slept in their graves, that
we have presumed to use the real names of nearly all the principal personages
whom we shall introduce to the reader. We have had the pleasure, and
still reckon it amongst our highest honors, to number many of the descendants
of these on the list of our friends, and from them we have obtained many of the
personal traits and family traditions which will be found embodied in the following
tale, as well as the names and localities of such of the old family mansions
as it was impracticable to visit.

Having these high credentials for the authenticity of many of our traits,
incidents and scenes, we hope to avoid giving offence to any of the descendants
of our old time-honored gentry. This, however, is by no means an easy task;
for nearly every principal name which we shall use, boasts descendants scattered
over our widely extended country. To give the reader some idea of this
wide separation of the descendants of the old cavaliers, and at the same time
show, at what pains and labor we have collected the materials of our story,
we will mention one fact in illustration. In tracing out the descendants of the
venerable chieftain, whose achievements form the ground work of our plot, we
commenced at the ancient capital of Virginia, indeed at both the ancient capitals.
Not a vestige of them, in a direct line, could be found. Even his own

remains had been interred in another state, (Annapolis, Maryland,) where he
died on his way to take command of an expedition against Florida. Accidentally,
we heard of a venerable old lady, some hundred miles off from this
starting point, who was said to have been connected by marriage, or blood,
with one of the descendants of the Governor. Thither we posted; and
through the intervention of a friend, obtained not only many curious and valuable
traditions, but a clue by which we first traced a lineal descendant to the
extreme borders of western Virginia, and afterwards to the interior of Indiana.
We forthwith opened a correspondence with him, and obtained a further store
of old traditions, which we have likewise endeavored to work up for the
amusement of our readers.

From all those whom we have been enabled to consult personally, or by
letter, we have been amply encouraged to go on; but though we have found
and consulted many, there are many others whom we could not reach, unless,
indeed, we had undertaken to write a history, instead of a more humble traditionary
tale of the olden time.

Would that we could do justice to the vast field which our explorations
have barely entered; no where in this country is there such an unexplored
storehouse of materials for the novelist, as may be found still clustering around
the hearthstones of the old cocked hat gentry. In many of these old mansions,
there are still preserved genealogical trees, and the family pictures of
all the generations, from the landing of their forefathers down to the present
time. There, may be learned at one and the same time, the histories of the
old people, and the various costumes, from the hoops and farthingales down to
the republican simplicity of Thomas Jefferson's era. This, alone, might
form an interesting study to one sufficiently imbued with the true antiquarian
spirit. But, alas! few in this country have the fortune or the elegant leisure,
necessary to pursue these matters uninterruptedly; such is the fate of the
author of the following imperfect and crudely digested effort, and he must offer
it in extenuation of his many short comings.