Fourty-Four Years, or, the Life of a Hunter. Meshach Browning
the Flintstone — Induced by an aunt, John Spurgin's wife, to leave the maternal roof — Removes to Alleghany County, and settles in a small Cabin— Great abundance of Game — Again removes with his uncle to Monongahela County, Va.— Then again back to the Blooming Rose — Becomes acquainted with Mary McMullen, his future wife — Goes one quarter to School, being all his Education — Falls in love with Mary — Goes to see her at night, and the old man, her father, sets the dog on him, supposing him to be a prowling Wolf — Ludicrous scene in escaping — Aunt has an Heir, after twenty years' Marriage, and treats the Author unkindly — First success in Deer Hunting — Aunt in an ill-humor strikes him with a heavy wooden shovel — Leaves his Uncle and Aunt — Goes hunting again, and kills a fine Buck, but his feet nearly frozen — Takes leave of his Betrothed — Both much affected.
I WAS born in Frederick County, in the State of Mary- land, in the year of our Lord 1781. My father's name was Joshua Browning, and my mother's name was Nancy. He was a farmer with limited means, and, with his wife, resided on a small farm; having little to recommend them in this world but an unsullied name, and known only as being strictly honest, industrious, and truthful.
They lived a happy life together until they had four children—one daughter named Dorcas, and three sons, Joshua, Jeremiah, and myself, called Meshach. My mother became a widow when I was an infant of two weeks old; and, after the business of the estate was settled,
2 (13)
14 FORTY-FOUR YEARS OF
there was but a trifle left for the support of the little family; and she was obliged to maintain herself and chil- dren as best she could.
But it does seem to me, that when persons are left in such distress, that kind Providence has always something in store to supply their necessities, as was the case in this instance.
My mother's friends had all gone to the West, then so called,—I mean to the western part of Washington County, and had settled on the Flintstone and on Hurley's Branch, now in Alleghany County. But to follow them she had not the means. The next thing was, her neigh- bors advised her to put out her children to good places, and then she could see and attend to them. But this she refused to do, until she should try to keep them herself. But before she had rented a house and garden, she did consent to let a Mr. Aaron Lee have Jeremiah, to keep him until he was twenty-one years old.
Often and long did she rue that unthoughtful transaction. And it turned out that she never could, nor ever did gel him home; he lived with that family until he was 16 or 17 years old, when he quit his place to shift for himself; but not before mother and the other three children left that country, and had gone to the West.
Mother managed by dint of industry and economy, with what my sister and Joshua could help, to keep us as well as other poor children; and sent sister to school one quarter, in which time she learned to spell and read a little in her primer. They worked together in the gar- den, and raised plenty of vegetables; and by spinning, sewing, and knitting, in which sister began to be helpful, they got along through three or four years. My mother was a woman of a medium height, strong and determined, but of very tender heart—rash when angry, out soon over, and kind again.
She continued in this situation until she found we were
A HUNTER'S LIFE 15
making nothing, and my sister was 16 or 17 years old, when a young man by the name of James Harvey then addressed her, and they were married, much against my mother's will. Then it was that she determined to leave Frederick county, and go out to the backwoods. Shortly after, she wrote to her friends in the West that she wished to move out to them; and a brother-in-law of hers ar- ranged to get a Mr. Jacobs, who lived in Oldtown, as he was coming from Baltimore with goods, to take our things in his wagon and help us as far as Oldtown, within a few miles of his house; and in a few days Mr. Jacobs's wagoner, a large negro, called on us to go to the backwoods, then so called. We hurried and bustled into the wagon, while Joshua was sent to Mr. Lee's for Jeremiah to accompany us; but, to our great disappoint- ment and grief, he was not to be found. Having our property all in the wagon, off went the horses, with whip cracking, mother crying, negro cursing and swearing, until we were in the main road to Frederick—then the insolent negro became quiet; and an old man met us with another horse, to help out with our too heavy load.
We went on in good order until we reached Sideling Hill, where the road was very rough and rocky : by and by we arrived at a very sideling place, with a considerable precipice on our left—the wheels struck a rock on the other side, and away went wagon, horses, and all down the hill, rolling and smashing barrels of rum, hogsheads of sugar, sacks of salt, boxes of dry-goods, all tumbling through one another, smashing the bed of the wagon, and spilling rum, molasses, sugar, and all.
My frightened mother called out, "Where is Meshach?" —knowing that I was riding in the wagon when it turned the dreadful somerset. All was bustle and alarm, until at length I was found under some straw and rubbish, stunned, breathless, mangled, and black with suffocation.
16 FORTY-FOUR YEARS OF
Here was despair and weeping from a mother, in a dense wood, with no help but her little Joshua, the old man, and that hateful negro. The wagon was broken to pieces, the left hind-wheel smashed, and entirely useless. The man applied the spilling rum to use in handful, until life began to return; and as mother saw hopes of my return- ing to her bosom again, she became quieted.
The loading was found to be greatly damaged, with the loss of two barrels of rum, and a great quantity of sugar mixed with dirt and trash. The next task was to prepare some shelter for the night, and in the meantime to mend the broken wheel: it was, however, soon found that the wheel was so badly broken that it could not be mended; and then it was that the old gentleman struck on the fol- lowing plan: he told the negro to cut down a small tree, put the butt on the foremost axle-tree, leave the top end on the ground, and lash the axle-tree fast on the dragging tree. Thus we made a substitute for the broken wheel. By this time night had come on us; a large fire was made, and my mother took her place by the root of a tree, with Joshua by her side, who was about twelve years old, and myself in her arms: she has often told me that she never closed her eyes until day-light appeared next morning; when we made a breakfast of bread, cheese, and molasses gathered from the smashed barrels, and flat and hollowing stones, where it was in puddles.
This hasty breakfast done, and everything made ready, the whip cracked again, and off we started, Joshua walk- ing and my mother carrying me on her back: we had twelve or fifteen miles to travel before we would be in Oldtown. We proceeded on our journey slowly, reached our destination, and found ourselves in Oldtown. Mother much fatigued, worn down, and in low spirits; the wagon, old gentleman, and negro all gone off, and we three left alone in a strange country. But in the morning a neigh-
A HUNTER'S LIFE. 17
bouring gentleman to her mother-in-law, whose name was Joseph Robinett, came by chance into the village to trade; and mother by some means found that he lived near her sister, and prevailed on him to assist her in getting me along to her friends; which place we reached a little after noon. Here we are at Hurley's Branch, and among our friends.
We remained here two or three weeks, until my wounds and bruises were well, or nearly so, when we went to my grandfather's, on the head-waters of the Flintstone, and remained during that fall and winter. The spring follow- ing, mother's friends took her to a small piece of vacant land that was too small to attract the notice of others, and no person had any claim to it: it was very good soil, and something over twenty acres. Here her friends built her up a neat little cabin, and placed herself and her children in it; and we then had a snug home of our own.
In a few weeks our sister came to us, having lost her husband, Mr. Harvey, who died the same winter we left Frederick county. She joined us, and to work went all hands; Joshua and mother to chopping and grubbing, and sister to picking up and burning the grubs and trash that lay over the ground; and soon they had four acres cleared off, and ready for planting corn. This done, they went into it altogether; dug holes for the hills of corn to be planted in, and planted as they went; and when they were done making holes, they were done planting also;