Caroline Lucy Urquhart Downing, mid-1800s
David Urquhart, the eldest son of John and Katharine Urquhart was born in Cadboll, in the parish of Fearn, county of Ross, Cromarty, Scotland, May 15th, A. D. 1779. The family is ancient. Some records of it date back to the time of David II of Scotland, in 1340, when several members of it received charters and grants of land.
Katharine Brooks Garterey MacGehee, wife of David Urquhart, was born in Prince Edward county, State of Virginia, July 7th, 1789.
John Urquhart and Katharine, his wife, had eight children—six sons and two daughters—David, John, Robert, Charles, William and Hugh, Katharine and Jane. Only one son, David, and the two daughters, were married. Their home was near Loch Ness. The family of Urquhart once owned and inhabited a large Castle on the border of Loch Ness, in Cromarty.
My father, in his youthful days, was fond of fishing and boating. Loch Ness was near his home, and he employed much of his leisure time in those pursuits and upon those waters. He would moor his boat upon the shore and go to the old castle of the Urquharts, go into it, and explore it as far as he could. It was very old, and he speculated curiously upon the dead and gone people of his kindred and name, who had lived there, and how they had faded away. There were some Urquharts living at Hilton Castle then. The family title was theirs, they being the older branch.
Urquhart Castle was built for a fortress; also for the residence of the chief of the clan and of as many of his retainers as was expedient. It was strong, and, if well provisioned, could hold out against almost any force. It was called the 11 Stronghold of the North."'
Hugh Miller, the eminent Scotch geologist, gives an account of the 99 Urquharts of Cromarty," and of 11 The Old Castle of the Urquharts;" he also presents a sketch of the eccentric and learned Sir Thomas Urquhart, and mentions several others of the name. He says of them: "The Urquharts of Cromarty were a race of ancient standing, and of no little consideration."
When my father (David Urquhart) was about seventeen years old, his maternal uncle, Mr. Charles Banks, a merchant, then resident in Charleston, South Carolina, re-visited Scotland, his native land. He persuaded my father's parents to let David oome out to him in Charleston, promising to establish him in business. It seemed a great way to travel, and a " wide, wide world" to the lad who had never been out of Scotland.
I remember his telling us of the grief of his parents at the prospect of parting, and the preparations his mother made for his journey, the socks she knitted for him, the various articles of clothing she made, and all the comforts she could stow away in his sea-chest.
He embarked on a ship at Inverness which was bound for Edinburgh. They sailed on a bright afternoon. His parents went with him to the vessel, and after the bitter parting stood on the shore to watch him, and even the receding ship as long as they could see it; while he also watched them whom he was to meet no more on earth.
The picture of that solitary young traveler, and sorrowful farewell, is as vividly impressed on my mind as though I had seen it myself.
After a few hours the wind became contrary, and the ship beat about in the stormy North sea, not making much headway. By the second night out the wind had become a gale. My father said he was in the cabin after supper, where the cabin boy was toasting cheese. All at once the vessel gave a terrible lurch, and the boy tumbled over on the floor. The ship had struck on a rock, and was thumping back and forth at a fearful rate. Everything was in confusion. The captain presently appeared, and told the' passengers that they must all soon go to the bottom if they could not float the ship off the rocks. One of them was a young minister who had made acquaintance with my father. He called to him, and said—"Come, David, we will stand here on the side of the ship, and go down together if we must die."
The captain's wife then ran into the cabin, and began to implore the men "not to give up, but try to save the vessel." Then the first mate said—"We can try one other means, and if that should fail we must be lost." So he gave orders " to crowd on all sail," and try if the wind, when it filled them, would not bear the ship off the rocks. The experiment succeeded, the vessel floated off, and they went on their way to Edinburgh. On arriving there, my father stopped awhile to see the fair city, and to rest. He described it to us as being 11 the most beautiful city in the world." Its lovely situation and romantic surroundings were such as to win the admiration of all who might see it.
From Edinburgh he went by sea to London. There he remained some time before embarking for distant America. There was much to see and learn in London. He had a relative there, a Mr. George Urquhart, living near the Tower.
In those days travelers and sea-faring people had to watch the skies, and wait for fair winds to begin a journey. There were only sailing vessels then, and the voyage to America took a long time, from four to six weeks. Ships were provisioned for this period, and provided with water in casks. How the crews and passengers must have suffered! At last the journey was begun. There were few passengers, and but little to beguile the tedium of the voyage.
Father had very keen eyesight. He was a close observer, and knew a great deal of the sea from his boyhood. One day after noticing the appearance of the water for awhile, he went to the captain, who was a rough and surly man, and said "Captain, we are in soundings." What do you know about it?" gruffly responded the captain. He told his reasons, and the captain angrily contradicted him. But in a little while he ordered the sailors to "heave the lead." They did so, and found that they were indeed "in soundings," and would soon have been in danger. Another day he was scanning the horizon, when he perceived a distant object, which he made out to be a sail. He told the captain of this too, and was again contradicted, as neither the captain or any one else could see it. The captain then got his telescope, and saw the ship just where my father had said it was. The voyage was long and often stormy; so that when they at last made the port of Charleston they were glad to leave the ship.
My father found his uncle, Mr. Charles Banks, in very prosperous circumstances. He had a fine store and a large business. He resided in a handsome house, well furnished; had a pretty and excellent wife, and their social standing was good. My father was faithful and diligent, and he soon became valuable to Mr. Banks. He remained about two years with him, then a gentleman who had perceived his merits made him an offer.
He wanted to establish a business in the town of Augusta, Georgia; "would furnish the goods and equip the store if Mr. Urquhart would go there and take charge of it for him." He at once accepted the offer, and told Mr. Banks that he was going to leave him. Mr. Banks was much displeased, and offered inducements to him to stay in Charleston, but he was resolved to go, and soon did so.
While resident in Charleston he had the strangers' fever, and nearly lost his life by it. He said that the home-sickness was nearly as bad. I remember his saying that he frequently went out several miles from the city to look at a field of "small grain," because it-and the sea-were the only things that reminded him of home.
He liked Charleston for its being situated on the sea, and because it was more of a city than the interior towns were. He went to Augusta and worked industriously in the store, which was on Broad street, at the John P. King corner. Such a stock of goods as that which he opened had never before been seen in Augusta. People flocked in to see and to buy. Augusta at that time furnished a good many towns in the country around with goods for their stores. So the business prospered, and the new firm had all that it could do.
My father fell ill with malarial fever during the first summer of his residence in Augusta. His physician, Dr. Murray, used the then ordinary means of blistering, bleeding, and exhausting medicines in his treatment of the case. Father was in a hot room up-stairs, and was not allowed to drink a drop of cold water. Finally Dr. Murray came up one afternoon and said to him "Well David, my boy, I have done all I can for you; I can't help you any more." Father could scarcely speak, his tongue was so parched.
The doctor left him, and going down stairs, told the people around that he would soon die. "A good Samaritan," a gentleman who knew and loved my father, went up at once to see him. He opened the windows to admit the air, and inquired how he was, and remarked that 11 he was glad that the doctor was gone." He got some cold water and some Madeira wine, and mixing some of it, held him up, and told him to 11 drink." He remained with him that night, and took charge of him afterward, nursing him until he got well, which happy result was accomplished with only rational treatment. Father always said that he owed his life to the kindness and good sense of this most excellent Christian gentleman.
A young man named William McGehee applied for a place in the store, and was employed as book-keeper. He lived in Columbia county, about ten miles above Augusta, on his father's farm. On one occasion when he was going home to spend Sabbath, he invited Mr. Urquhart to accompany him. He did so, and on arriving at the house, they found that the elders of the family had gone to church.
On opening the door, they saw some children in the room listening to something that was being recited by a lovely young girl, who was standing on a chest. She was much confused at seeing a stranger gentleman come in with her brother, and immediately descended from her position. They entreated her to repeat her "1 piece," which proved to be "Dr. Dodd's sermon" preached from a hollow tree. She would not then do it, but subsequently did.
As for the young Scotchman, his peace of mind was gone. He fell then and there in love with the beautiful young girl, Katharine Brooks Garterey McGehee, and never ceased to love her, until the day of his death. She was made aware of the fact before very long, and they were married when she was not quite sixteen and he was about twenty-two.
They lived in Augusta, on Broad street.
Father sent to England for his furniture, carpets, china, glass, and many things for his home. They were handsome, for that day. Mr. Banks came up from Charleston to visit them after a time. He was surprised and charmed at the beauty and grace of my sweet mother. But she had been brought up by a mother like her, a Virginia lady, who had a right to bequeath and teach good manners to her children.
They lived in Augusta for many years, in prosperity and comfort. They had eight children born to them—two sons and six daughters—all of whom except one son, were married.
They were both devoted members of the Presbyterian Church.
After a while my father found it necessary to buy a farm on which to colonize the negroes who had accumulated on his hands. Some of them my mother inherited from her father's estate.
Other tracts of land were purchased by him, and he finally owned a very valuable plantation lying along the Savannah river, and about four miles above Augusta. I heard him say that during his occupation of it, he had sold seventy thousand dollars' worth of wood from it. The land on the river was very fertile, and the uplands good and productive.
Father built an excellent two-story house one mile from the river in a beautiful grove of oak and hickory trees. Gardens, orchards, shrubbery, flowers, and everything to make comfort, was there. Grain crops, potatoes, cattle, milk, butter, bacon, and an excellent shad fishery; horses and carriages for riding and driving.
Father named his place "Hilton," for Hilton Castle in Scotland, where the senior branch of the Urquharts lived in his time.
For some years he planted cotton, and found it profitable, but he grew tired of the trouble of it, and ceased to cultivate ii. He sold his home in the city and moved to the country when I was about seven years old, and I have always been glad that a part of my life was spent there. I have a vivid remembrance of the happiness of those years, when my beloved and wise mother was my teacher. The best lessons I ever learned were under her guidance. She knew much of plants, trees and wild flowers, and many times took me to walk in those beautiful woods to show me their natural homes anti habits, and the daily example of her devoted and Christian life was worth more than all else to me.
My father would often take his family into Augusta for the Winter months, returning to Hilton in Summer.
He always retained a strong attachment for his native land, and cherished the hope of going "home" again.
I felt a lively interest in the incidents he related to us, and the descriptions which he gave us of the persona and scenes with which his early life was associated; how the silent snow would often steal on during the night, enfolding the earth in its white mantle and banking up against the doors. Often in the late Autumn or early Winter, it would find some of the sheep in the pasture and cover them up. The farmers would search for them and dig them out-not frozen, but sheltered and warm.
There were none but common country roads then; it was before the era of railways and steam carriages, and people did not travel much in the Highlands except in Summer. But they were mindful of neighborly kindness, and "forgot not to entertain strangers."
The Scots were then strict religionists. My father told us how they kept the Sabbath: All labor was avoided that could be done on Saturday, so that servants, children, and even mothers could attend the three Sabbath services. If any one remained at home, the minister called during the week to know why the absence. If a child, or any one else, misbehaved in church, an officer reproved, or caused the offender to go out. On Monday, at school, all the pupils who had attended Sabbath services were required to repeat the text and something from the sermon. They had no Sabbath-schools then; but once a week the children, being previously instructed by their parents, were catechised by the minister. On festive occasions and social gatherings, the minister and his family were invited to be present. Father said he had often seen them at the dancing parties of young people.
Highlanders were proverbially fond of music and dancing, which were, for them, a recreation and not a dissipation. Father could himself play on the violin and flute and had a good voice. He loved music and beautiful things. He was quite a reader, and had many good books. These he kept in order, and the family were required to replace them in the library after reading them. He was exquisitely neat and systematic about everything. Now a-days he would be called over strict. He required obedience from his family, and was particular about the observance of etiquette and courtesy to every one. He was proud of his lineage and of his country, and never ceased to love it. He loved the sea, and regretted living out of sound and sight of it, and would relate, with interest, his adventures in sailing and fishing. In business habits he was punctual and exact. He made his own fortune, and was careful to keep out of debt. As a Christian, he was consistent, always performing his duty and having a firm faith and hope in his Savior. In this he lived and died, leaving a spotless example to his children.
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