Besides the caverns or excavations below, and the gaoler's house above, there are other apartments prepared for the prisoners, and particularly a hospital, of which the neatness and airiness afford a strong contrast to the other parts of the prison. It was also satisfactory to find that in this hospital there were no sick.

Such is the seat and the scene of punishment, provided by Connecticut, for criminals, not guilty of murder, treason, or either of a few other capital offences. . .

. . . As to the subterranean cells in this prison, they are rather adapted to convey horror to a transitory visitor, than to occasion any particular misery to those who become their inhabitants. A humane visitor will console himself with this reflection; but he will still call in question the rectitude of the persons by whom those inhabitants are placed there under a very different intention. . . .

But, though no large addition may be made to the misery of the prisoner, it does not follow that nothing is added to his depravity. Prisoners in this gaol are treated precisely as tigers are treated in a menagerie; and if the minds of men are influenced by education, then the education of a tiger may be expected to make a tiger of the man. From all persons

in and about the gaol, you hear of nothing but the ferocious disposition of the prisoners, and of the continual fear in which they keep their keepers. . . .

So strong is the fear entertained, of violence on the part of the prisoners or of their friends, that the overseers are invested by law with the extraordinary power of seizing and "confining in the caverns, till they can be otherwise disposed of according to law, spectators and others who shall be found lurking without the pickets." Pickets formerly supplied the place of the present walls. The military guard consists in ten privates and three officers. Their regimentals are blue; and they compose the whole of the regular army of Connecticut.

What is further enacted betrays some of the peculiarities of the legislation received in the United States: "Be it further enacted, That at the expiration of the term of confinement for which any prisoner is, or shall be sentenced to Newgate-prison, if it appear by the warrant of commitment, that he is ordered to stand committed until the cost be paid, and such prisoner shall not be able to pay the cost, or to secure the same, to the acceptance of the overseers of said prison, in such case, the overseers are hereby authorised and empowered to assign such prisoner in service, to some inhabitant of this state, or of any of the United States,

for such term as they shall judge necessary, to pay such cost, taking reasonable security of such inhabitant to pay the same to the state; but if no suitable person appear to take in service such prisoner, the overseers may direct the master of the prison to hold him in service, within said prison, and for such term as may be limited by the overseers to pay such cost; who are directed to allow such prisoner, customary journeyman's wages for like services; and the master of the prison shall have power to confine such prisoner at his labour, so far as the safe keeping of the prisoners in general may demand. But if such prisoner shall be unable to labour, the overseers, first taking the best security for the cost that may be obtained, shall order the master to discharge him. Be it further enacted, That if any prisoner shall make his escape from said. prison and shall be retaken, and recommitted, the necessary expense of pursuit and recommitment, to be allowed by the overseers, shall be paid and satisfied by such prisoner, as is herein provided for the payment of original bills of cost, taxed by the court; and the overseers shall dispose of such prisoner accordingly."

Edward Augustus Kendall, Travels through the Northern Parts of the United States, in the Year 1807 and 1808 (New York, 1809), I, 206–218 passim.

CHAPTER III-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS,

1783-1800

19. A Great Plantation (1774)

BY PHILIP FITHIAN

After graduating from Princeton College, Fithian held the position of tutor in a prominent family in Virginia. Social and economic conditions in the South after the Revolution had not sensibly altered from those of ten years earlier. - Bibliography: Channing and Hart, Guide, § 148.

FRIDAY, March 18 [1774]. I have all along intended, and shall

now attempt to give a short description of Nomini-Hall, and the several Buildings, and improvements adjoining it; as well for my own amusement, as also to be able with certainty to inform others of a Seat as magnificent in itself and with as many surrounding Conveniences, as any I have ever seen, and perhaps equal to any in this Colony.

Mr. Carter now possesses 60000 Acres of Land; and about 600 Negroes. But his Estate is much divided, and lies in almost every county in this Colony; He has Lands in the Neighbourhood of Williamsburg, and an elegant and Spacious House in that City. He owns a great part of the well known Iron-Works near Baltimore in Maryland. And he has one or more considerable Farms not far from Anapolis.

He has some large tracts of Land far to the West, at a place call'd "Bull Run," and the "Great Meadows" among the mountains. He owns Lands near Dumfries on the Potowmack; and large tracts in this and the neighbouring Counties. Out of these Lands, which are situated so remote from each other in various parts of these two large Provinces, Virginia and Maryland, Mr. Carter has chosen for the place of his habitation a high spot of Ground in Westmoreland County at the Head of the Navigation of the River Nomini, where he has erected a large Elegant House, at a vast expence, which commonly goes by the name of Nomini-Hall. This House is built with Brick, but the bricks have been covered with strong lime Mortar; so that the building is now perfectly white; it is seventy-six Feet long from East to West; and forty-four wide

from North to South, two Stories high; the Pitch of the lower story seventeen Feet, and the upper Story twelve. It has five Stacks of Chimneys, tho' two of these serve only for ornaments.

There is a beautiful Jutt, on the South side, eighteen feet long, and eight Feet deep from the wall which is supported by three tall pillars. On the South side, or front, in the upper story are four Windows each having twenty-four Lights of Glass. In the lower story are two Windows each having forty-two Lights of Glass, and two Doors each having Sixteen Lights. At the East end the upper story has three Windows each with eighteen Lights; and below two Windows both with eighteen Lights and a Door with nine.

The North side I think is most beautiful of all; In the upper Story is a Row of seven Windows with eighteen Lights a piece; and below six windows, with the like number of lights; besides a large Portico in the middle, at the sides of which are two Windows each with eighteen Lights. At the West end are no Windows. The Number of Lights in all is five hundred, and forty-nine. There are four Rooms on a Floor, disposed of in the following manner. Below is a dining Room where we usually sit; the second is a dining-Room for the Children; the third is Mr. Carters study; and the fourth is a Ball-Room thirty Feet long. Above stairs, one Room is for Mr. and Mrs. Carter; the second for the young Ladies; and the other two for occasional Company. As this House is large, and stands on a high piece of Land it may be seen a considerable distance; I have seen it at the Distance of six Miles.

At equal Distances from each corner of this Building stand four other considerable Houses, which I shall next a little describe. First, at the North East corner, and at 100 yards Distance stands the School House; At the North-West Corner, and at the same Distance stands the stable; At the South-West Corner, and at the same Distance, stands the Coach-House; And lastly, at the South-East, and at an equal distance stands the Wash-House. These four Houses are the corners of a Square of which the Great-House is the Center. First the School-House is forty five feet long, from East to West, and twenty-seven from North to South; It has five well-finished, convenient Rooms, three below stairs, and two above; It is built with Brick a Story and a half high with Dormant Windows; In each Room is a fire; In the large Room belowStairs we keep our School; the other two Rooms below which are smaller are allowed to Mr. Randolph the Clerk; The Room above the School-Room Ben and I live in; and the other Room above Stairs

belongs to Harry and Bob. Five of us live in this House with great Neatness, and convenience; each one has a Bed to himself. And we are call'd by the Bell to the Great-House to Breakfast &c. The Wash-House is built in the same form, and is of the same Size of the School-House. From the front yard of the Great House, to the Wash-House is a curious Terrace, covered finely with Green turf, and about five foot high with a slope of eight feet, which appears exceeding well to persons coming to the front of the House. This Terrace is produced along the Front of the House, and ends by the Kitchen; but before the Front-Doors is a broad flight of steps of the same Height, and slope of the Terrace.

The Stable and coach-House are of the same Length and Breadth as the School- and Wash-House, only they are higher pitched to be convenient for holding Hay and Fodder.

Due East of the Great House are two Rows of tall, flourishing, beautiful Poplars, beginning on a Line drawn from the School to the WashHouse; these Rows are something wider than the House, and are about 300 yards Long, at the Eastermost end of which is the great Road leading through Westmorland to Richmond. These Rows of Poplars form an extremely pleasant avenue, and at the Road, through them, the House appears most romantic, at the same time that it does truly elegant. The Area of the Triangle made by the Wash-House, Stable and School-House is perfectly levil, and designed for a bowling-Green, laid out in rectangular Walks which are paved with Brick, and covered over with burnt Oyster-Shells. In the other Triangle, made by the WashHouse, Stable, and Coach-House is the Kitchen, a well-built House, as large as the School-House; Bake-House; Dairy; Store-House and several other small houses; all which stand due West, and at a small distance from the great House, and form a little handsome Street. These Buildings stand about a quarter of a Mile from a Fork of the River Nomini, one Branch of which runs on the East of us, on which are two Mills; one of them belongs to Mr. Turburville the other to Mr. Washington, both within a mile. another branch of the River runs on the West of us, on which and at a small distance above the House stands Mr. Carter's Merchant Mill . . . to go to the mill from the House we descend I imagine above an 100 Feet; the Dam is so broad that two carriages may pass conveniently on it; and the Pond from twelve to Eighteen Foot water. at the fork Mr. Carter has a Granary, where he lands his Wheat for the mill, Iron from the Works etc. . .

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