Life in the early 1800s had its similarities to today’s life. Family history is composed of the study of what life was like in the past. To be a good genealogist or family historian you sometimes have to imagine how people in the past lived. The below is an account of one man from the early 1800’s.
Perhaps the most all around sport that ever lived in Virginia was Robert Bailey. He was undoubtedly possessed of talents, which, had they been properly directed, might have ensured him high position. He wrote a biography, which was printed in Richmond by J. & S. Cochran, 1822, in which he gave an account of himself that is as perhaps as near the truth as a man of his loose character could make it. According to this he was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, April 29, 1773. His father was an Irishman, and in the American Revolution was a major of artillery. He was killed at the battle of the Cowpens. His mother was Margaret Hite, a rich Quakeress. The family lost their money by the Revolution, and after the death of his father they removed to Culpeper Co., Virginia, which he always afterwards claimed as the place of his birth, though it was not.
The incidents of his early youth, his struggles to support his mother and get an education, were much to his credit, and despite every handicap he became a successful merchant of Staunton, and was made captain of the best uniformed infantry company in that city.
Then began his career of a gambler, into which he was seduced by falling into bad company on a visit to Philadelphia. He went the limit with women and cards, traveled all over the United States and was a constant attendant at the races and faro banks.
Sometimes he had thousands of dollars in his possession, and at other times was in absolute penury. At one time, in 1803 he was indicted at Staunton for keeping a faro bank, was convicted and ordered to be hired out under the vagrancy law, a penalty which he managed to evade.
But as he apparently never cheated or resorted to the low tricks of gamblers, he contrived to retain a certain respect, and at one time came within three votes of an election to Congress, in the District represented by the Counties of Rockbridge, Botetourt, Monroe, Greenbrier, Kanahway and Mason. He was owner of the Sweet Springs, and at another time kept a Boarding house in Washington frequented by members of Congress and other public men.
The value of his book, if it has any at all, consists in the side lights it throws on life in the United States in the early part of the 19th century. It is evident that standards of morality were not high. The spirit of betting was universal, and raged in England and France as well.
Charles James Fox was a notorious gambler in England and Henry Clay in America is said to have loved cards passionately. Men would wake up in the morning, and the first thing they thought about was to get up a bet on something, no matter how trivial. Fox bet with a friend on the holes in a cullender and Fox won by taking the precaution quietly beforehand to bore an extra hole.
Some idea of the holdness and resources of Bailey is afforded in the following extract from his extraordinary confessions. He went to England to sell mountain lands at one dollar an acre, but he did not find the English as easy as he expected and managed to dispose of only a thousand acres. The money thus secured he soon got rid of and this adventure then occurred :
“After losing and spending the whole of my last thousand dollars, for which I sold the land, I did not know how to raise a new fund. I walked incessantly, trying to sell more land, not a cent in my pocket. I will here introduce the anecdote on myself, which I preceedingly promised, it is one that I have often told in this country. I walked and got all the information I could. I at length discovered where the noblemen played dice; after dining together, they passed about sixty yards, to a house kept for that purpose; they would have a porter at each door, and the house afforded attendants and every refreshment.”
“I must confess, I studied on this project; on a very dark night I placed myself at this house, and waited until about twenty of the nobility came rushing out, full of wine ; and as they passed me I caught one by the arm, in as familiar a way as if I had been one of the party, as he supposed; we kept locked arms, and we walked these sixty yards; he says to me, my lord, I feel very much like winning tonight, I cant say so, I replied, I am rather dejected; why so my lord? Damn it, you want another glass of Burgundy or Champaign, we mush replenish when we get in; I will, sir, said I ; as we entered the first door I lay a little back, let several pass me, and let my companion go in; my heart palpitated as much as when I fought Wigg; I summoned all by resolution and ventured up; all busily engaged; I seated myself with these nobility.”
“My companion addressed himself to this lord, whom he supposed he had been walking with, and said, will you drink Champaign or Burgundy; as your spirits are low, I would recommend Champaign. Why, so, do you suppose my spirits low? Because, you observed, as we came along, that you felt dejected. I, sir, you are mistaken ; very well sir, any way, take a glass of Burgundy or Champaign, I want to make ten thousand out of you tonight; they took their wine together.”
“I mixed in the crowd, and drank two glasses of Champaign; this encouraged me very much, I felt as if I was socially associated with old friends and pot fellows; they commenced the game most eagerly, I among the rest; no person appeared to notice me; an Irish nobleman, a very liberal gentleman, proposed betting fifty thousand pounds sterling that he was in, when the box came to him.”
“Some one observed, that it was too extravagant a bet, without it was guaranteed by some real estate; the Irish nobleman, pulling out his pocket book, and putting down the roll bills on the bank, replied, by Jesus, gentlemen, I will shew you the roll maps themselves to guarantee the bet; and the bet was made, and the Irish nobleman won it.”
“The box was coming near me, and by this time they had sipped of the nectar copiously, and those who did notice me supposed I had dined with them; this Irish nobleman who had won the fifty thousand pounds looked at me steadfastly, and observed, sir, don’t you bet? Yes sir, said I, but you bet too low for me; this gentleman observed, what do you wish to bet? I observed I would bet fifty thousand pounds, this gentleman to my right throws out, and one hundred thousand pounds I throw in ; and laid down an elegant pocket book, without one cent in it. Luckily for me, the gentleman threw out; I let my pocket book remain, and the fifty thousand pounds that I had won; and lifted the dice box and shook them well, to throw for the hundred thousand pounds. I was well acquainted with the game, having played before for thousands. I dashed away, as bold as any of the party, but fortune frowned, and I threw out.”
“I was instantly seized with a sensation that disqualified every faculty; I arose from the table in silence; upon reflection I observed, gentlemen, you must act with me as you please, I am an unfortunate young man, I have not one cent, I have imposed myself upon you; I passed the porters without notice, I came in with you all, thinking by good fortune, I might raise some money to take me home; I am from America, bred and born in the State of Virginia; I have lost and spent all I had, and now I have no way to get home; I am honest; seeing and knowing as I did, where you played, and this being a dark night, on your return from your place of dining I took this gentleman by the arm and walked with him as a companion, and ventured in among your lordships to try my fortune ; I never was guilty of such impudence before, and I do hope to be treated with lenity by your lordships.”
This Irish gentleman, who had won the fifty thousand pounds, first spoke, saying, he had won fifty thousand pounds, and had lost it with me; and added, young gentleman you stand perfectly excused, and I think you ought to have won, for the large dash you made at us ; pray sir, what is your name ? and where did your father go from? I told him my name was Robert Bailey, and my father was an Irishman, from the county of Derry, my mother was born and raised in America; he observed, that he knew all my father’s family, that they were respectable good people, linen drapers, and for the respect he had for the name and country, and my bold dash, if I would accept of twenty guineas, it would afford him pleasure to give it to me; and several others contributed, to the amount of fifty guineas ; I took two glasses of Champaign, made them a bow and left the room, much elated with my fortunate escape; but had dame fortune smiled upon me, by bestowing one hundred and fifty thousand, then indeed would my heart have been exulted, and I should have stood excused by my own judgment, for so bold and hazardous an adventure. I have often thought since, that if I had won the one hundred and fifty thousand, I would have relinquished the practice of gaming, but my nature is such, that a sum like that might have plunged me into other excesses, than those to which I had been addicted, upon a larger scale.”
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