Crestlands: A Centennial Story of Cane Ridge

  CHAPTER XIII.

  COURT DAY

  The old-time county court, held once a month, usually on Monday, was aninteresting feature of early statehood.

  Judging by the crowds that always assembled at the county-seat uponcourt day, one would have supposed that if legal business were the mainfeature of the occasion, a surprising amount of litigation wasnecessary to the well-being of the commonwealth. But legal business wasoften the least important feature of these gatherings, which seemed tocombine the characteristics of picnic, county fair, muster day and oldEnglish hustings.

  From an early hour upon court day, all was excitement, noise andconfusion in and around the county-seat. The discordant bleating andlowing of sheep and cattle filled the air, and droves of swine, afterthe manner of their kind, refusing to be driven quietly to themarket-place, wandered into byways, or sought refuge in stable lots andhouse yards. In fence corners and under trees, along every approach tothe town, horses were hitched--many of them with heaps of provender onthe ground before them, that they might feed at any hour which suitedtheir appetites; and vehicles of every known pattern, from family coachto ox-cart, thronged the highways. It was a gala time for theslave-buyer, stock-trader, horse-jockey, and itinerant packman, as wellas for the politician and the militia men. Not only was there muchtrading and political speech-making, but also horse-racing,cock-fighting, gambling and drunkenness; for society, even in the goodold times, contained a large rioting element.

  At Fayette County court, however, the chief interest was usually thepolitical; and the most popular rendezvous was the tree-borderedenclosure surrounding the court-house, until the noon hour; then thecenter of interest was the tavern, which, though but a two-storied loghouse, having only eleven rooms to serve all purposes of dining-hall,office, kitchen and guest chambers, was a famous resort. The sleepingapartments were large, and each was furnished with four beds. Always asmany as two guests to a bed, and frequently as many as three, was theeconomical rule of the house--an arrangement which, though possiblyinconvenient in some respects, was one likely to encourage a spirit ofdemocratic sociability.

  Abner Dudley accepted Major Gilcrest's invitation to accompany him inhis coach to Lexington upon a certain court day which was an occasionof unusual excitement. Tidings that the trade of the Mississippi Riverwas again endangered had just been received. The treaty of 1795, whichsecured to Kentucky the right of navigation of the Mississippi and theright of deposit in the New Orleans Bank, had now come to a terminationby limitation of treaty; and the Spanish Intendant of the province ofLouisiana had issued a proclamation that there should be no renewal,although it had been plainly stipulated in the former treaty that theprivileges should be renewed. The indignation which this act of brokenfaith produced in Kentucky was greatly augmented by tidings which hadjust reached the State that Louisiana had been ceded by Spain to Franceby the treaty made secretly in 1800, but not made public until 1802.

  The failure of all former efforts to induce Kentucky to sever herallegiance to the Union and to join her fortunes with Spain had notdestroyed the hopes of the Spaniards and of self-seeking Kentuckyagitators. Thus the revival of the old troubles over the navigation ofthe Mississippi afforded an opportunity of which treacherousconspirators were not slow to avail themselves.

  During the noon repast at the tavern, Dudley and James Drane had beenneighbors at table; and when the meal was concluded, the two had linkedarms and strolled up and down the wide portico running the length ofthe tavern, and serving to-day as a reception-room for the tavern andas a political arena for groups of excited men who were hotlydenouncing Spain and all her works. Other groups near by were asearnestly, but far less noisily, insinuating that Spain was the bestfriend Kentucky could have, and that her interests lay in the directionof an alliance with the foreign power.

  Somewhat apart from the larger groups three men were talking in lowtones. Presently, at a sign which, unperceived by Dudley, passedbetween his companion and one of the men, Drane, saying that he desiredto introduce Abner to three of the most agreeable and gifted men of theage, drew him toward the trio at one end of the porch, and presentedhim to General Wilkinson, Judge Sebastian and Judge Murray. Immediatelyafter the introduction, Drane excused himself and withdrew. Before anyconversation, save the usual exchange of introductory courtesies, hadpassed between the three distinguished Kentuckians and our youngVirginian, Hiram Gilcrest came through the door opening from the hall.Seeing Dudley in what was apparently a confidential conversation withthe three older men, Gilcrest stood a moment in the doorway, frowningheavily; then, turning, he strode through the hall to the negroquarters of the hotel. Here he found Uncle Zeke, his coachman, andordered him to prepare for a speedy return home. When he returned tothe porch, he walked up to the group of which Dudley was one, and saidto him, after a somewhat curt salutation to the other three, "I amsorry to cut short your day's pleasure, but I find that a matter ofgrave importance necessitates our leaving immediately."

  On the homeward drive Gilcrest explained the reason for this hastyretreat. "You were in the company of three of the slyest and mostdangerous intriguers of these unsettled times. They are brilliant,daring men, and I fear many of our adventurous young men are being ledaway by their specious arguments and schemes for future greatness. Youhave never been in their company before to-day, have you?" with a keenglance at his companion.

  Dudley explained that he had only exchanged a few words of ordinarycivility with the three before Gilcrest had interrupted theconversation. He did not, however, mention that Drane had brought aboutthe meeting, and had spoken of the men in glowing terms.