THE FLAVIUS J. ASHBURN STORY
Part 5
(Beginning of his entries regarding the Civil War included.)
Last week I shared excerpts of an article Dr. Alton Childers published on Flavius Joseph Ashburn’s diary in 1993 Part 4. This week, I am submitting a continuation of Flavius Josephus Ashburn’s diary in Part 5.
Dr. Childers notes that at this point, he decided to leave out some of the entries that only described the weather. He continued to include entries that described his way of life as well as others who lived in the county.
Flavius Ashburn continues to write:
Dec. 3rd . I made up a small school with the expectation of teaching on the hill between the head of Rock Run & Nutter’s Fork, a distance of about three-fourths of a mile from my house. I expect to commence teaching there on Monday the 10th of this month.
Dec. 9th – This evening Rheulanah Jeffrey came here to board & go to school this winter for which I have received a watch worth fifteen dollars.
Dec. 17- Mon. On Monday the 10th I commenced teaching school & taught five days last week with from 23 to 30 scholars.
Sun. Dec. 30, 1860 – I have taught school fifteen days thus far this winter. The most of my pupils are obedient when in my sight but I am obliged to chastise some of them occasionally for misconduct & I have excluded from the school two for their disobedience.
Monday, Dec. 31, 1860- Conclusion of the year of our Lord 1860. This year leaves me involved in debt & difficulty & with but little prospect of extricating myself.
Owing to the confused state of my affairs at this time I am not able to make a record of them. The sum of my debts are a fraction less at this time than they were a year ago.
My amount of worldly happiness, though very small, is sufficient to make me be contented to remain in the world till the good Lord sees fit in his wisdom to call me out of it. And it is not & I hope never will be sufficient to bind my heart to earth & cause me to forget that my home is in heaven.
If all our hopes & all our fears
Were prisoned in life’s narrow bound,
If travelers through this vale of tears
We saw no better world beyond,
Oh what could check the rising sigh
What earthly thing could pleasure give,
Oh who could venture then to die
Oh who could then endure to live?
Sunday, January 27, 1861. At this time I have taught 34 days. My school ranges from 18 to 30 pupils, my average number being 24. I lost two days from school on account of the sickness of me & my family.
Sunday, Feb. 17th. Last Monday at one o’clock a little girls clothes caught fire at the school house & I smothered it out in my hands which burned them so badly that I lost half a day from school to doctor them. They are not well yet.
Sunday, March 3rd. I taught school five days last week, with an average of 18 scholars. On Tues. night I went to West Union to mill & while I was in town I heard a Methodist preacher by the name of Hall preach a sermon. The next night I went back to mill after my grist & heard a Seventh-Day Baptist preacher by the name of Estee preach. Each night by request I concluded the services with singing & prayer.
Friday, March 8. I finished my school. But I have had no success in collecting my pay & I have great reason to fear that if I ever collect it, it will be a difficult task.
Monday, March 25. I went to West Union to see the school commissioners about my pay for the indigent children at my school this winter which amounted to $30.22. But I found to my no little trouble that owing to the illegal manner in which they were signed, I cannot get any of it.
Sunday, April 21st, 1861. The great crisis has come & is now at hand that patriots have long anticipated with horror & dread. The once glorious union, the pride of our nation & envy of the world is rent asunder. The sun of her happiness is enveloped in clouds & thick darkness……. The North & South are arrayed against each other in deadly enmity & warlike hostility.
The precious liberties purchased by the blood of our forefathers in the revolutionary struggle are now being trampled upon by those who boast their patriotism. The soil of America is doomed to drink the blood of many of her citizens…The sword is unsheathed, war has commenced & blood has already flowed.
Sunday, May 5, 1861. Last night Nancy & I went over to meeting at Bro. J. Cumberledge’s & heard Elder W. W. Duff preach. Today at eleven Eld. D. Seckman preached & at four & a half G. W. Duff preached. During the meeting they organized a church which they named Middle Island Church. They appointed Bro. J. Cumberledge Deacon & me clerk & called Eld. G. W. Duff to be their pastor.
Wednesday, May 15, 1861. The people far & near are excited to a greater or less extent in consequence of civil war. Several of the Southern states have seceded from the union which is evoked up by the north as treason (how can they view it in any other light?)
Virginia also on the 17th of April last in convention in Richmond passed an act for secession which is to be ratified or abrogated by the votes of the people of the state on the fourth Thursday in this month (May 23). So it is not known yet what Virginia will do but it is generally supposed that she will ratify the ordinance of secession.
Several little skirmishes have already taken place & all or nearly all the states are making preparation for a bloody conflict. And how soon it may break forth like an overwhelming torrent sweeping everything before it is not known. However there are slight hopes that the great national difficulty will be peaceably settled for the present.
This I feel assured of that the Lord will eventually overrule all things in his honor & glory & to the final good of his saints.
May 19, 1861 – The great national difficulty is the topic of conversation with nearly everyone. Some are for and some against the ordinance of secession.
May 23 – I went to the election at West Union & voted against the ordinance of secession & against the amendments of the constitution & against all the secession candidates running for office in this district.
June 10, 1861. It is not yet known here how the vote for & against the ordinance of secession went & it probably never will for it is supposed that those demagogues who are at the head of this treasonable rebellion will not suffer the poll books to be compared… But the convention (I suppose) has again in Wheeling to deliberate on what measures Western Virginia had best adopt.
For war appears to be inevitable. A vast number of soldiers have passed through West Union on their way to be in readiness to defend & protect the union. Guards are stationed along this railroad to protect it from the incendiarism of the disunionists. Volunteer companies are forming & preparation are making in every quarter for a long, hot, & bloody contest. Several small skirmishes have taken place. All the horrors of war stand at our threshold. Armed & thirsting for blood.
June 30, 1861. Sunday. Many of the secessionists in this neighborhood through shame or fear now profess to be union men & many of them have been taken up & compelled to take the oath of allegiance to the federal government.
July 22. Monday. The war between the United States & the Southern Confederacy is now raging with violence: Because inequity abounds, the love of many is waxing cold. Difficulty in our nation, difficulty in churches & difficulties in families have become almost universal.
October 6, Sunday. High waters. Some of the farmers & millers along Middle Island Creek sustained great losses in consequence of the great highth of the water. The creek has not been as high before since the spring of 1852.
(I neglected to note in the proper place that:- “(I) dined at Abraham Stutler’s on Sunday, Aug. 8th. On Sat. Aug. 14 I went out to Brother T.L. Gray’s on the South Fork of Hugh’s River & on Sunday, Aug. 8th. On Sat. Aug. 14 I went out to Brother T.L. Gray’s on the south Fork of Hughs’ River & on Sunday 15th I preached at South Fork Church from Revelations 2:17.
Oct. 13. Sunday. I went to North Fork Church with Bro. E. Hile & from there to Mr. D. Haymonds to see Lister Annie he (E. Hile) having fallen deeply in love with her & doubting his ability to win her affections & having been informed that I was a confidential friend of hers, he solicited my assistance.
God Bless.
Patricia Richards Harris
Doddridge County Historical Society