Vaucluse

Vaucluse, built by Dr. J. L. Hadley in early part of last century on land granted to Robert Livingston as reward for diplomatic services, was among the most magnificent and splendid of Southern mansions in days, before the Civil War, and the scene of many interesting and romantic incidents. Connected with the erection of the great powder plant is a very sad story. "The Passing of the Hadleys." The Bend is everywhere dotted with the dwellings of the Hadleys, nesting in the midst of their peaceful fields of wheat and rye, while on a little knoll surrounded by its old oak trees still may be seen the remains of the once magnificent old Hadley homestead, "Vaucluse". For generation after generation the Bend has been thus, and the Hadleys have been proud people, and justly proud, too, of their long line of famous ancestors, and the fertile fields that have come down to them. All things must have an end, and the end of the Hadley rule in this beautiful little "Garden of Eden" is fast drawing nigh. How sad it must make them feel to leave the homes where they were born and have lived such a happy, peaceful life. But room must be made for the great powder plant and there is no alternative, they must go, and, going, see their homes pulled to the ground and their crops destroyed. It is indeed a pathetic tale that such a thing shall come to pass, but then there is also something high and noble in the fact that they are giving their loved homes to the cause of democracy.

This is still further heightened when it is known that it was through the defense of democracy that their lands were granted to them. The original Hadley tract of some three thousand acres was given to Robert R. Livingston for diplomatic services in England with Monroe. At this time the United States had only lately secured its independence from England and the young government was heavily in debt, so Livingston took what is now Hadley's Bend for his services. It came into the possession of Dr. J. L. Hadley, Jr., through his mother, who was a Livingston. And now this tract is to play a great role in the struggle for the perpetuation of democracy as any spot in America. When Dr. J. L. Hadley, better known as Dr. Jack Hadley, came into possession of the Bend in the earlier part of the nineteenth century, he built an old homestead which is still standing. Tennessee at this time was a part of the state of North Carolina, and it was not for some years later that it was given a charter of its own. A larger portion of the estate has been handed down, and bears the unique distinction of being one tract of land which has never been sold in the history of the world. The history of Vaucluse from that time to the present day is very interesting, and could the old homestead speak, many strange happenings would come to light. In the olden days it presented a magnificent appearance to the chance traveler who turned the bend in the little road and came suddenly upon it sitting in the midst of an unexplored land, surrounded by it's large gathering of slaves, homes and outhouses, as if it had been picked up bodily by some great power and transferred from its original home in England or France to its present location. The main building was a two story red brick structure, with large windows and overhanging roof framed in ivy. On one side was a Negro hospital made of the same material, and to balance it, on the other side was the carriage house, while in the rear could be seen the slave quarters. Before it was an old fashioned flower garden with its white graveled paths and primrose peeping from behind tall, gay colored hollyhocks, and surrounding the whole was a red brick wall five feet high with false turrets every twelve feet.

If the traveler should rap with the great brass knocker on which is engraved, "Vaucluse", the ponderous oaken door would be swung open slowly by a little shiny Negro maid, and a sight so beautiful to make him gasp with astonishment would meet his eyes. First would be the exquisitely designed old hallway with its high ceiling in dull gray, and the many colored rag carpets on the polished floor. On one side an old grandfather's clock slowly counting the seconds until a new generation should be born. On the other side the antique family hat stand, brought over from England, with its horn knobs for hats and its long glass that has reflected the images of kings and queens, and then by its side the walking stick holder with its sedately quiet ivory handled walnut sticks, so appropriate to an old Southern gentleman.

Through heavy somber hued tapestries drooping languidly from the high arch in the rear of the spacious hall glistened the polished rounds of the stairs, slowly ascending to the large bedrooms above. The door to the left of the old clock into the hospitable parlor with its grand old stone fireplace surrounded by a half circle of huge luxuriously cushioned chairs that seem to invite you with open arms to sit and dream of days gone by. There also is the old massive mahogany piano, the big horse hair sofa, and in the corner a glass case containing a collection of curling sea shells. But by far the most noticeable feature of the room is the paper on the wall.

This paper was originally ordered from France by Andrew Jackson for the Hermitage, but the ship lost its course, and when it did not arrive, Jackson had secured paper for his house elsewhere, so this was sold to Dr. Hadley for Vaucluse. Different from modern paper, it is in eighteen inch squares and portrays scenes from the Grecian mythological tale, Cupid and Psyche. No two of the gray steel engravings are alike, and indeed half a day could easily be spent in their inspection. In the great room across the hall is paper of similar origin, but portraying scenes from Paul and Virginia, a tale well known to those who have studied the old blue back speller and the primer that goes with it.

On through the draperies and past the polished stairs is the commodious dining room, with its long table and stiff backed chairs that are freely open to the chance passerby whether he be friend or stranger. It is past mealtime but the snow white cloth is spread and in the center are tea cups, gingerbread, and cookies of all kinds, while among the silverware on the mahogany sideboard is the ever filled decanter of home?made blackberry wine, or perchance a bottle of select old port brought up the river from New Orleans by the slow puffing side-wheelers that take the cotton down.

But on through the swinging door is the realm over which black mammy is the absolute ruler, the southern kitchen. The odor that greets one makes him reach for his watch and long for 12:00. So often has the steam risen from Mammy's sizzling chicken that the very walls about seem as if they would make a delectable morsel. But no one can remain here long, as Mammy at her work does not care for company; so on through the iron hinged back door with its heavy barricading bars and take a look at the rear.

First there are three long brick slave quarters with their little naked pickaninnies playing about in the sunshine, and on past these, like the white swells of a great ocean, roll the billowing fields of cotton.

And thus was Vaucluse, the home of Dr. Jack Hadley, just before the outbreak of the Civil War. But the people must not be neglected. Volumes could easily be written on the proud builder of this typical old southern mansion, and it is to be hoped that the stories with which the Bend is overflowing will someday be collected and published. No one can describe the balls given in this house where young ladies in hoop skirts and chivalrous young southern gentlemen danced the Virginia reel to a slave band of guitars, harps and banjos. No one can portray the quilting parties with their stately old ladies, the southern dinners, fox hunts and holiday festivals.

And then came the war and a dark period in the history of Vaucluse and Hadley's Bend. This is vividly shown by extracts from the diary of a Northern girl who married a Hadley and moved south just previous to the outbreak of the war. (Note: This was Virginia Starkweather, # 7-538 in A Hadley Genealogy, Volume I). They contain accounts of interesting incidents and sidelights on the war never before published.

An entry on Sunday, January 15, 1863, gives an unfair criticism of Lincoln, yet it was one for which there was possibly some grounds at the time and from a Southern standpoint. The extract is:

"Lincoln issued a proclamation some time since emancipating all slaves belonging to persons in rebellion, but he found that it would not do, as all the border states would leave him, so he modified it by saying, all the slaves in the portion of the country of which he had possession are not to be freed, but those in the country of which the Southerners have possession are to be freed. 'Oh, constancy, thou art a jewel of which Lincoln stands very much in need!' Lincoln's next proclamation was to call out 100,000 negroes to take their places in the ranks amid the white men."

Another extract tells of the Northern gunboats on the Cumberland:
"Mr. Hadley and myself went to the river to see the Yankee gunboats pass. We saw six or seven and it was indeed a most beautiful sight, there being many different colored lights shining from them. We were afraid that they would stop and get wood, but much to our joy, they passed on."

Sunday, April 13, 1863:

"On Friday we had 5,000 Southern soldiers in the Bend. They went down to Hooper's ferry and remained there until the train passed and fired into it. As they had two or three pieces of artillery, the locomotive and several of the cars were torn all to pieces, but our men could not get across the river, it being too high to ford, and there were no boats. If they had been able to cross, they would have gotten a great many cattle and also many horses, the train being entirely loaded with them. Our soldiers are so different from the Yankees. While the Southern soldiers were passing, I never heard an oath or an ungentlemanly expression, and those that came and asked for something to eat acted like perfect gentlemen."

Sunday, May 22, 1864:

"Two weeks ago there were six or seven Negro soldiers in the Bend, headed by a white officer. They went to Bondurant's in search of Dr. Franklin. He (the doctor) went out sometime after dark to get his horse. While he was in the stable, the soldiers surrounded it and all fired on him. He returned the fire and then escaped, but they got his horse. The next morning they found a dead negro, whom the doctor had killed. They arrested Mollie and Ed and all the workmen that were there. Dr. Franklin started out to the army, but was arrested just before he reached the Confederate lines. They have sent him to Johnston Island for the remainder of the war."

Sunday, August 7, 1864:

"There has been for sometime a number of Southern soldiers in the Bend. They went to Mr. Fowler's house, who had a man staying with him in the employ of the Federal Government, and took the man's horse, saddle and bridle, knife and pipe, and told him to charge it to Jeff Davis."

Sunday, April 23, 1865:

"On Tuesday Mr. Hadley and myself attended the funeral of Andrew Jackson at the Hermitage. His death was a great blow to his family. He was out hunting one week before his death, and while getting over a fence on his return home, his hand was on the mouth of the gun and his foot touched the trigger and the gun went off. The bullet entered his hand, taking off two fingers, and came out of his arm near the elbow. His hand was not amputated soon enough, so mortification set in and caused his death on Monday, one week ago tomorrow. ****** Richmond, Virginia has fallen at last. It was there they had Congress. General Lee and most of his army are prisoners. Several weeks ago, while President Lincoln was at the theater, he was assassinated. I can assure you it has caused great mourning all over the country. The assassin has been captured, and it is rumored that he was hired by some of Lincoln's own party who thought he would be too lenient to the South. The assassin also attempted the life of Seward, and stabbed him several times. It has not been ascertained yet whether or not he has recovered. Andrew Johnson is now President and what kind of a President he will make, time alone will tell."

After the war was over came the dark period in the history of Vaucluse, as, indeed, it was in the history of the entire South. Its deserted slave quarters crumbled to pieces and its wide fields were neglected. The old homestead was never restored to its original splendor but, instead, the Hadleys built small dwellings in other parts of the Bend. There, under careful supervision, prospered, and at the present time the Bend is one of the richest farming sections in Tennessee.

The old homestead as it stands today presents a sight very different from its original magnificence. Only the main structure itself is standing, and even the brick wall which enclosed the whole has given place to a wire fence.

The inside would indeed seem strange to Dr. Jack Hadley. The tapestries of the hall are gone, and the arch is left bare. The old grandfather's clock, the highboy, and the rag carpets have disappeared, while in the parlor and adjoining room, the famous French paper has been replaced by modern flowered paper in rolls. The cotton fields are no more, but in their place are fields of wheat and rye.

So this is the history of the Hadleys. For generation after generation they have lived in the Bend which bears their name, but now they will be scattered to the four winds. None has moved as yet, and they have hardly began to realize what the options they have signed means to them, but it cannot be long before they will be forced to seek new homes.

The razing of Vaucluse promises to be an interesting spectacle, and possibly an exciting one. The house was built during the times of terrible Indian massacres, and the walls being two feet thick, a secret passageway could easily have been constructed. If there is any such secret way, the knowledge of it died with Dr. Hadley, but as the back door is three inches thick and built to be barricaded, it is entirely plausible to suppose that he provided some other means of safety as a last resort. The residents of the Bend are greatly interested in learning if there be any truth in this supposition.

Other mysteries also promise to come to light, such as silver hidden during the war, important papers or possibly gold. About two months ago one of the Hadley children was digging in the cellar when he suddenly struck a board which sounded hollow. It was much decayed on top as if it had been in the ground a great length of time, and on further investigation, it was found to be the top of a long box in which were found fragments of bones, said to be the remains of a human skeleton. Nothing else was found in the cellar and the matter still remains a mystery.

In building the new powder plant another famous old Hadley house will also probably be razed, the residence of Livingston Hadley. (Note: ? Gretna Green) While not as old as the Pearcy (Vaucluse) home, still it dates back to about the time of the construction of The Hermitage. It was built by Dr. Jack Hadley for his son John. Its history is very interesting, and contains many stories of slavery time and the wide fields of cotton.