Henry Bedinger III (45)
Continued from Henry Bedinger III (45)
Journal of a Law Student
We find scraps of a manuscript of Henry Bedinger's life story written by his daughter Danske Bedinger Dandridge. She writes, “Wherever it is possible, we want him to tell his own story. We wish to present our readers, just as he was, with all his faults upon him; all his lovable qualities, and all his traits of mind and character; concealing nothing, extenuating nothing. But, we have no records in his own hand-writing prior to the year 1831.” Dandridge includes in her manuscript pages from his journal written March 30th through April 18th in 1833, during the time in which he was studying for his exams for the practice of law. These pages provide very personal view of a brief segment of Henry Bedinger's life in Shepherdstown, his social activities along with his love interests, thoughts, studies, resolutions and aspirations during the time he was reading for the law.
[This introduction and the journal of Henry Bedinger below is from the Bedinger-Dandridge Collection of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.]
[This introduction and the journal of Henry Bedinger below is from the Bedinger-Dandridge Collection of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.]
[In his diary, Henry Bedinger identifies individuals by only initials. Because the identity of friends, relatives and others is of interest to many readers, those who have been identified by the editor, though some tentatively, are given a lower case roman numeral and their names are given at the foot of the diary.]
March 30th. [1833] Sunday. Protumna [i]. Rode to Meeting at Bunker’s Hill with Miss B. [ii], Miss M.[iii] and my niece and nephew V. W. [iv] and L.B.W. [v]. We were overtaken by two Misses Briarly, and had a very pleasant ride. Went in to the church with L. B. W. [v], but we soon came out again, took a long ramble. And carved our names and Miss M’s upon a sycamore tree; wonder if we will ever be there together again! Rode to Uncle B’s [vii] with the girls. Found Col. Davenport [viii]. Dined and chatted with Miss M.[iii] to the no small torment of my poor lovesick nephew [v], who had taken me there only to help his cause, - poor fellow, how sad he looked ! (By the way I was as much in love with my fair cousin as he before night.) Took a walk with Lawrence [v], returned and chatted with Miss V.[iv] till dark, and with the old folks till tea. Took tea and gave L.B.W. [v] the blues by talking to Miss M.[iii] again. In truth this was a glorious day to me, but I lost my heart completely, yes, completely.
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April 1st. 1833. Monday. Took leave of Miss M.[iii] and the family, and came to Bedford with V. [iv] and L.[v]. Dined and walked with Lawrence to see Uncle Jacob [ix]. Poor man! He made Lawrence [v] try on his wedding suit. Came home. Jumped with L. [v]. Made an uncommon leap, 20 feet at a single spring. Took tea, walked over to see Daniel M.[xi] and Cousin Polly [xii]. From there to see Miss Eugenia M. Not at home. Came to town with T. Van Swearingen [xiii]. L.[v] talked him dumb, and I chatted with father and mother, Miss M.[iii] too fickle for me. T.V.S. [xiv] ahead of me again. Then let him stay and be --- I have another Miss M. in my head and heart just now. Came home and went to bed.
April 2nd. Tuesday. Went down to see Uncle Jacob [vii]. Bored me all the morning. Came home and dined . Went to town. Bought a coat. Came home, took tea, went to town and back again, Heard that Miss W. M. had sent over expressly for me. Too late to go. Wrote till bedtime. |
April 3rd. Wrote a letter to J. Swearingen [xiv] of Chillicothe. Went to town, Danced till one. Came home, got my dinner, went back and danced all afternoon. Came home, dressed, and wrote till bedtime.
April 4th. Thursday. Danced all morning. Dr. B. [xv], L.[v], and E. L. [xvi] came home with me to dinner. Beat them all jumping. Dined and danced till sundown. Came home, took tea with E. L. [xvi]. Went back and attended a cotillion party. Spent a very pleasant evening. Danced with Miss M.[iii] several times and made T. V. S.[xiii] stand off “Like a poor boy at a husking”. But oh, she’s so fickle! Sparked Mrs. H., a handsome widow, think I captured the old lady. Brought E. L. [xix] home with me, and went to bed at 11. Dreamed all night of Mrs. H. April 5th. Friday. Breakfasted and walked to town with E. L. [xvi]. Stayed about an hour, came home idled till 4 p.m. Rode to Mr. L ‘s [xvi]. Supped with the boys, and went to the Debating Club. Took the affirmative of the question,”Is a single life happier than a married on?” Decided affirmatively. |
April 6th. Saturday. Breakfasted with L’s [xxi] family. Rode home. Tried to write poetry but could not. Idled till 3 p. m., when Miss M.[iii] came over, and I went with her and Henrietta [ii] to see Uncle Jacob [ix]. Had a pleasant walk, and spent a pleasant evening, but returning met T.V.S. [xiv], who pestered me a little. Miss S. took tea with us, and stayed until 10. I walked home with her, but was rather disgusted with her, and resolved to have no more to do with her. (N.B. I wonder if she will forget our walk shortly, and if her hands have got well!) Came home and went to bed.
April 10th. Wednesday. Read law and wrote till 12. Read Tom Moore’s poems till dinner. Went to town, bought a pair of pantaloons, came home and idled until tea. Walked about till dark. Walked to town again, Bought a lock for my table. Came home and read Tom Moore and the Spectator. Attempted to write poetry, but did not succeed, and went to bed. |
11th. Read law till 12. Tried to put a lock on my table drawer, but did not finish before dinner. Walked to town with Dr. Bedinger [xv] after dinner. Beat F. W. [xvii] and Dr. Parran shooting a mark. Came home, read law till tea. Chatted with Henrietta[ii] and Dr. B.[xv], who is constantly telling me that I am too lazy to make a lawyer or anything else but a beau or idler. Now I am afraid the doctor has missed his calculation. Tis true the seductive charms of women not unfrequently draw me from my book. Tis true that I cannot give my whole soul, and devote my every hour to the musty pages of a law book. No, no. who can? Who turns a deaf ear to the song of beauty, or, when she smiles, who is not led a captive? Even Dr. B. [xv] himself yields to the influence of woman, and is devoted to her society, and shall I, young as I am, tear myself from the society of the girls and stick to nothing but the law? Yes, I swear it shall be so! I’ll rend the chain that binds me, and free myself from the thralldom of love, I will study, I swear it !!!
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April 12th. Read law till twelve. Put a lock on my table. Dined and walked down to see Uncle Jacob [ix]. Killed an hour or two with him. Came home and chatted with Mr. Lucas [xviii] about the election till dark. Took tea, and talked with Dr. B. [xv] and Mr. Lucas [xviii] till 10 and went to bed. Dreamed all night about the approaching election, and Miss L. M.’s black eyes.
April 13th. Saturday. Went to town with B. & L. Idled there till 12. Came home, got dinner. Came back to hear Colonel Swearingen address the crowd. Made a poor speech, I think. Mr. Lucas [xviii] replied to him, beat him all hollow. Determined, if possible, to be an orator, and think I might if I could only break the chain of Beauty. Met with J. J., an old acquaintance from Romney. Chatted with him till dark. Came home, took tea, & talked with Dr. B. [xv] and Lucas [xviii] till 10. Went to bed and dreamed of Miss L. M. and election. 14th. Sunday. Rode to old L’s [xvii] with Dr. B. [xv]. Ran a race with his son E. [xvi] and beat him jumping. Came home, dined, and spent the evening with Mr. L. [xvi], D., T., & Dr. B. [xv]. Took a walk with Dr. B [xv]. Took tea, went to my room . Tried to write poetry on woman but was interrupted by Dr. B. [xv]. Chatted and digested a question or two with him. Wrote till after ten, and went to bed. |
15th. Monday. Rode to Charles Town to the election. Saw plenty of candidates. Voted for Lucas [xviii], Gallaher, and Wager. Remained there till four. Rode to Shepherd’s Town. Stayed till dark. Came home. Took tea. Dr. B. [xv] brought two Yankee ladies from town, connections of my sister’s, but as they were neither young nor handsome, I withdrew, and left him and the rest of the family to entertain them.
April 16th. Read law till 12. Read the Cincinnati Mirror till dinner. Went to town, lounged about, came home, exercised till dark. Went to my room and wrote the following unfinished, unconnected lines and went to bed. Lines dictated by the Blue Devils. I cannot rest, I cannot sleep, I cannot close my weary eye, etc., etc. |
April 17th. Read law and wrote till 1. Dined and went to town. At night wrote till bedtime. Among other things the following unfinished and unconnected verses to Miss S. of Hagers Town, who taught me to play backgammon.
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Lady, I have always spurned
All gambling as a vice. I think I never should have learned To play with card or dice If you had not assisted me To learn the pleasing mystery. You taught me to play, you know, You taught me how to move You taught me how the dice to throw, And how to fall in love. For while you showed me each trick of art You tricked me of my silly heart. You told me which was tray and ace, And which was cater size; And while you spoke full in your face I gazed with both my eyes. No wonder you should think me stupid, How could I play ‘gainst you and Cupid? You said that I must never make A blot within my table, And that I must be sure to take You up when I was able. But this when e’er I tried to do You constantly were crying “No”. You told me it was best to show At first an ace and tray. And when it chanced to happen so You showed me how to play. But if I chanced to meet your eyes I always happened to throw sighs. Yes, sighs were all that I could fling No wonder you should beat me. O lady, t’was a wicked thing, So cruelly to cheat me. For while I used the fairest play You slyly stole my heart away. There is a law which says that he Who e’er by gaming loses, May in a Court of Chancery Recover, if he chooses; But then my loss is so severe No law can give relief, I fear. Yet if I thought by any art Of Courting I could get In place of mine another heart, I’d surely try it yet. But I’m afraid perhaps I may Be cast and have the costs to pay. |
April 18th. Rode to the Ferry to see if Dr. Bedinger would lend me his horse to go to Romney, but the old cadger would not. Went to see Miss Mary M., a pretty little black-eyed girl. While there Miss Mary S. came in, and I spent an hour very pleasantly with them. Walked home with Miss S., dined and walked upon the hill to look about me. Stayed there an hour; came down and went to see Mrs. T. and Miss B. Chatted with them an hour; went to Dr. B’s [xv], ordered my horse, and set off with him.
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“Here”, Mrs. Dandridge notes , “there is a gap in the journal, many pages of which are missing. This is enough, however, to show the way of life of the young law student at this time. Friends who remember him describe hi as a great beau, and general favorite, and more than one story has come down to us of the hearts he has won.”
Footnotes for Journal: Many of the individuals mentioned in Henry Bedinger's journal can be identified; these are footnoted and identified below.
[i] Protumna, the home of Henry Bedinger II, Uncle of Henry Bedinger III.
[ii] Miss B., Henrietta Bedinger, sister of Henry Bedinger III
[iii] Miss M., a cousin of Henry Bedinger III, possibly Mary Morgan, daughter of Abel Morgan and his wife Mary Coldwell. Abel Morgan is the son of Anna Maria Bedinger and Abraham Morgan. Anna Maria Bedinger was the sister of Henry Bedinger III’s father Daniel Bedinger.
[iv] V.W., Virginia Thornton Washington, niece of Henry Bedinger III and daughter of Henry III’s sister Elizabeth Conrad Bedinger.
[v] L.B.W., Lawrence Berry Washington, nephew of Henry Bedinger III and brother of V. W.[iv].
[vii] Uncle B., Henry Bedinger II, of Protumna, brother of Henry Bedinger III’s father.
[viii] Col. Davenport, Braxton Davenport, husband of Henry Bedinger II’s [vii] daughter Elizabeth.
[ix] Jacob Bedinger, brother of Henry Bedinger III’s father, Daniel Bedinger.
[xi] Daniel M., Daniel Morgan son of Abel Morgan and Elizabeth Bedinger, aunt of Henry Bedinger III.
[xii] Polly Morgan, daughter of Elizabeth Bedinger and Abel Morgan.
[xiii] T. van Swearingen, Thomas(?) van Swearingen
[xiv] J. Swearingen, James Strode Swearingen, husband of Nancy Bedinger, daughter of Henry Bedinger II.
[xv] Dr. B., Doctor Daniel Bedinger, brother of Henry Bedinger III.
[xvi] E. L., Edmund Jennings Lee II.
[xvii] E. L., Edmund Jennings Lee I, father of Edmund Jennings Lee II.
[xvii] Benjamin Franklin Washington, nephew of Henry Bedinger III, brother of Lawrence Berry Washington [v] and Virginia Thornton Washington [iv].
[xviii] Mr. Lucas, Edward Lucas, brother of William Lucas who married Virginia Ann Bedinger, sister of Henry Bedinger III.
[ii] Miss B., Henrietta Bedinger, sister of Henry Bedinger III
[iii] Miss M., a cousin of Henry Bedinger III, possibly Mary Morgan, daughter of Abel Morgan and his wife Mary Coldwell. Abel Morgan is the son of Anna Maria Bedinger and Abraham Morgan. Anna Maria Bedinger was the sister of Henry Bedinger III’s father Daniel Bedinger.
[iv] V.W., Virginia Thornton Washington, niece of Henry Bedinger III and daughter of Henry III’s sister Elizabeth Conrad Bedinger.
[v] L.B.W., Lawrence Berry Washington, nephew of Henry Bedinger III and brother of V. W.[iv].
[vii] Uncle B., Henry Bedinger II, of Protumna, brother of Henry Bedinger III’s father.
[viii] Col. Davenport, Braxton Davenport, husband of Henry Bedinger II’s [vii] daughter Elizabeth.
[ix] Jacob Bedinger, brother of Henry Bedinger III’s father, Daniel Bedinger.
[xi] Daniel M., Daniel Morgan son of Abel Morgan and Elizabeth Bedinger, aunt of Henry Bedinger III.
[xii] Polly Morgan, daughter of Elizabeth Bedinger and Abel Morgan.
[xiii] T. van Swearingen, Thomas(?) van Swearingen
[xiv] J. Swearingen, James Strode Swearingen, husband of Nancy Bedinger, daughter of Henry Bedinger II.
[xv] Dr. B., Doctor Daniel Bedinger, brother of Henry Bedinger III.
[xvi] E. L., Edmund Jennings Lee II.
[xvii] E. L., Edmund Jennings Lee I, father of Edmund Jennings Lee II.
[xvii] Benjamin Franklin Washington, nephew of Henry Bedinger III, brother of Lawrence Berry Washington [v] and Virginia Thornton Washington [iv].
[xviii] Mr. Lucas, Edward Lucas, brother of William Lucas who married Virginia Ann Bedinger, sister of Henry Bedinger III.
Continued: Go to The Eagle from Harper's Ferry