Our Ancestors of Adams County

Last week we left off talking about Nancy Campbell’s brother, John Glasgow and his wife, Patsy. John and Patsy lived on the Tuscan Villa plantation, which they built. John and Patsy had five children but lost four of them at an early age. John died at the age of 44, leaving only one son, Alexander McNutt Glasgow to carry on the family name.

This week we will be looking at the life of Alexander McNutt Glasgow. Alexander was born in 1820 and grew to manhood at his parent’s home, Tuscan Villa plantation. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Law degree from Washington College (now Washington and Lee University). At the outbreak of the Civil War, he joined and became a part of the 19th Virginia Calvary Regiment. This was much to the dismay of his mother, having already lost her other four children and husband.

In 1863, Alexander served as Captain, leading the South River Home Guard. We might note that Nancy Campbell of Adams County was an aunt to Alexander. Alexander’s father was her brother and his mother was her first cousin. Nancy had five grandsons and the husband of her granddaughter who served in the Union Army of the North. Two of those grandsons were killed during the war. I can’t begin to think what that must have been like to have family fighting on opposite sides of the war.

After the end of the war in 1865, Alexander continued to live at Tuscan Villa with his mother and took over the reins of operating the plantation. However, Patsy, his mother being in poor health due to the loss of so many family members, the war and the life she had known, died a few short months later leaving Alexander as the sole survivor of his family. After his mother’s death, to whom he was so affectionately devoted, he lived many years as a bachelor.

Late in life at age 54, he married Laura Bell Mackey, daughter of Henry and Nancy (Hamilton) Mackey. Laura was born on July 22, 1853, and was 33 years Alexander’s junior. Alexander had spent the years before marriage in the operation of Tuscan Villa, as well as the owner of a general mercantile business, served as a Judge in the County Court system and was an Elder of the local Presbyterian church. Alexander and Laura had six children. Their sons were educated at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia and their daughters at the State Normal School in Farmsville, Virginia.

Alexander was a gentleman of the old school, of unquestionable character and high ideals. All his life a planter and public-spirited, he was active in all public matters, a great reader and well-informed. As one of the first judges of Rockbridge County, he served with his associates, with rare credit to his profession and his people. It is said of those first judges who composed the County Court that they were governed, in rendering their decisions by sound common sense, rather than deciding cases on technical rules of evidence. Appeals from their decisions were rarely ever taken and their decisions were usually affirmed if appealed from. It is from this service that he became known as Squire Glasgow. Alexander died on August 4, 1894, due to heart failure.

His death notice provides the following information. Mr. Alexander McNutt Glasgow, who was born and lived all his life on the South River in this county, died on the 4th at his plantation Tuscan Villa and was buried in the Lexington cemetery yesterday. He was 75 years of age. He was a nephew of Alexander McNutt, who was Governor of Mississippi about 60 years ago. Mr. Glasgow’s relatives are numerous in this section of the valley as well as in other states than Virginia. He was educated at Washington College and there was a classmate of Governor Kemper. He left a widow and six children.