Sunday, the 3d
Six men drowned in the Shenandoah on the night of Sunday, September 3, 1854, on their way back from a groggery on the mountain. They had "gone over, in the morning," one account said. "Attempting to cross the river, on their return, in a small boat, they were all drowned." That account ran in the Richmond Daily Whig on September 16 under the heading "Melancholy and Fatal Occurrence," credited to the Winchester Virginian, and it places the drowning "near Parker's landing, in Clarke county." The Richmond Daily Dispatch had printed a shorter notice the day before, dating the drowning to "the 3d inst.," the third of that month.
Source note: Richmond Daily Whig, 1854
The Richmond Daily Whig of September 16, 1854 printed an item, credited to the Winchester Virginian, reporting that on the night of Sunday the 3d six men were drowned in the Shenandoah "near Parker's landing, in Clarke county," trying to cross back in a small boat from a groggery on the mountain they had gone over to that morning.
What the source supports
That the drowning was reported, with the night, the river and a named landing in Clarke County, in an account the Whig credits to the Winchester Virginian.
Uncertainty
A reprint. The Winchester Virginian's own issue has not been inspected, and the credit line does not date its printing. The place is the account's own wording: Parker's landing is not identified with any later or modern crossing, and it is not placed from where anyone named in the item lived.
Source
Evidence role: supports. The account: the night, the river, the landing, the groggery and the small boat.
Richmond Daily Whig, September 16, 1854, page 2: "Melancholy and Fatal Occurrence," credited to the Winchester Virginian
Richmond Daily Whig · 1854-09-16 (publication)
Locator: Page 2, item headed "Melancholy and Fatal Occurrence", the account
Relevant passageMELANCHOLY AND FATAL OCCURRENCE.—We regret to learn that, on the night of Sunday, the 3d, six negro men were drowned in the Shenandoah, near Parker's landing, in Clarke county. They had gone over, in the morning, to a groggery on the mountain; where,it is supposed, they became more or less intoxicated. Attempting to cross the river, on their return, in a small boat, they were all drowned.
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: winchester-virginian-1854-09-drowning. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: contextualizes. The credit line naming the Winchester Virginian.
Richmond Daily Whig, September 16, 1854, page 2: "Melancholy and Fatal Occurrence," credited to the Winchester Virginian
Richmond Daily Whig · 1854-09-16 (publication)
Locator: Page 2, same item, the list and the credit line
Relevant passageThree of the men where hired by Mr. Alfred Castleman, from Dr. E. Hoard and Dr. Fisher of Fauquier. Of the others,two belonged respectively to Messrs. [J]ames W. and C. C. Larue, and the third to Miss Emily Bell.— Winchester Virgini[a]n.
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: winchester-virginian-1854-09-drowning. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-09-24. How this project checks its sources
Source note: Richmond Daily Whig, 1854, and one more
The Whig's "Sunday, the 3d" and the Dispatch's "the 3d inst." in its issue of September 15 together place the drowning on the night of Sunday, September 3, 1854.
What the source supports
A date for the drowning, derived from the two items and their issue dates.
Uncertainty
An inference. Neither item prints a full date: the Whig gives a weekday and a day of the month, and the Dispatch a day of the current month.
Source
Evidence role: contextualizes. "On the night of Sunday, the 3d", read against the Whig's issue date.
Richmond Daily Whig, September 16, 1854, page 2: "Melancholy and Fatal Occurrence," credited to the Winchester Virginian
Richmond Daily Whig · 1854-09-16 (publication)
Locator: Page 2, item headed "Melancholy and Fatal Occurrence", the account
Relevant passageMELANCHOLY AND FATAL OCCURRENCE.—We regret to learn that, on the night of Sunday, the 3d, six negro men were drowned in the Shenandoah, near Parker's landing, in Clarke county. They had gone over, in the morning, to a groggery on the mountain; where,it is supposed, they became more or less intoxicated. Attempting to cross the river, on their return, in a small boat, they were all drowned.
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: winchester-virginian-1854-09-drowning. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: contextualizes. "On the 3d inst.", read against the Dispatch's issue date.
Richmond Daily Dispatch, September 15, 1854, page 1: notice of six drowned in the Shenandoah
Richmond Daily Dispatch · 1854-09-15 (publication)
Locator: Page 1, notice of six drowned in the Shenandoah
Relevant passage[S]IX NEGROES, who were drowned in Shenandoah [riv]er on the 3d inst., were subsequently recognized. [Th]ree of them belonged to Mr. James Larue, of [Cl]arke county, two to Mrs. Elvira Fisher, of Fau[qu]ier, and one to Dr. Enos Hood, of Fauquier.
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: richmond-dispatch-1854-09-15-drowning. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-09-24. How this project checks its sources
Two lists
Both papers describe the six as enslaved, as men who "belonged" to someone or had been hired from someone, and both identify them only through those people. In the account the Whig credited to the Virginian, three of the men had been "hired by Mr. Alfred Castleman, from Dr. E. Hoard and Dr. Fisher of Fauquier." Of the others, two "belonged respectively" to James W. and C. C. Larue, "and the third to Miss Emily Bell." The Dispatch said that three "belonged to Mr. James Larue," of Clarke County, two to Mrs. Elvira Fisher of Fauquier, and one to Dr. Enos Hood of Fauquier.
Source note: Richmond Daily Whig, 1854
The same item reports that three of the men had been hired by Alfred Castleman from Dr. E. Hoard and Dr. Fisher of Fauquier, and that of the others two belonged respectively to James W. and C. C. Larue and the third to Miss Emily Bell.
What the source supports
Who the Virginian's account, as the Whig printed it, says hired or held the six men.
Uncertainty
A newspaper's list, not a record of ownership or hire, and it names none of the six men. It is not reconciled with the Dispatch's different list: Hoard and Hood, Dr. Fisher and Mrs. Elvira Fisher, and James W. Larue and James Larue are not treated as the same people. The "J" of "James" is damaged in the print.
Source
Evidence role: supports. The Virginian's list of hirers and owners, as the Whig printed it.
Richmond Daily Whig, September 16, 1854, page 2: "Melancholy and Fatal Occurrence," credited to the Winchester Virginian
Richmond Daily Whig · 1854-09-16 (publication)
Locator: Page 2, same item, the list and the credit line
Relevant passageThree of the men where hired by Mr. Alfred Castleman, from Dr. E. Hoard and Dr. Fisher of Fauquier. Of the others,two belonged respectively to Messrs. [J]ames W. and C. C. Larue, and the third to Miss Emily Bell.— Winchester Virgini[a]n.
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: winchester-virginian-1854-09-drowning. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-09-24. How this project checks its sources
Source note: Richmond Daily Dispatch, 1854
The Richmond Daily Dispatch of September 15, 1854 reported that, of six drowned in the Shenandoah on "the 3d inst.", three belonged to James Larue of Clarke County, two to Mrs. Elvira Fisher of Fauquier and one to Dr. Enos Hood of Fauquier.
What the source supports
Who the Dispatch says the six belonged to.
Uncertainty
An uncredited notice that does not say where its information came from. A list, not a record of ownership; it names none of the six and says nothing of hire. It is not reconciled with the Whig's different list, and names that look alike are not treated as the same people. The retained crop cuts the left margin, so a few leading letters in the transcription are reconstructions.
Source
Evidence role: supports. The Dispatch's list.
Richmond Daily Dispatch, September 15, 1854, page 1: notice of six drowned in the Shenandoah
Richmond Daily Dispatch · 1854-09-15 (publication)
Locator: Page 1, notice of six drowned in the Shenandoah
Relevant passage[S]IX NEGROES, who were drowned in Shenandoah [riv]er on the 3d inst., were subsequently recognized. [Th]ree of them belonged to Mr. James Larue, of [Cl]arke county, two to Mrs. Elvira Fisher, of Fau[qu]ier, and one to Dr. Enos Hood, of Fauquier.
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: richmond-dispatch-1854-09-15-drowning. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-09-24. How this project checks its sources
Where the lists part
Both lists include the surnames Larue and Fisher, but they divide the six men differently. The Virginian's doctors are E. Hoard and Fisher, while the Dispatch names Dr. Enos Hood and Mrs. Elvira Fisher. The Virginian gives the Larues one man each, and the Dispatch gives three to James Larue of Clarke. Only the Virginian mentions Alfred Castleman or Miss Emily Bell, and only it says that some of the men had been hired.
Source note: Richmond Daily Whig, 1854
The same item reports that three of the men had been hired by Alfred Castleman from Dr. E. Hoard and Dr. Fisher of Fauquier, and that of the others two belonged respectively to James W. and C. C. Larue and the third to Miss Emily Bell.
What the source supports
Who the Virginian's account, as the Whig printed it, says hired or held the six men.
Uncertainty
A newspaper's list, not a record of ownership or hire, and it names none of the six men. It is not reconciled with the Dispatch's different list: Hoard and Hood, Dr. Fisher and Mrs. Elvira Fisher, and James W. Larue and James Larue are not treated as the same people. The "J" of "James" is damaged in the print.
Source
Evidence role: supports. The Virginian's list of hirers and owners, as the Whig printed it.
Richmond Daily Whig, September 16, 1854, page 2: "Melancholy and Fatal Occurrence," credited to the Winchester Virginian
Richmond Daily Whig · 1854-09-16 (publication)
Locator: Page 2, same item, the list and the credit line
Relevant passageThree of the men where hired by Mr. Alfred Castleman, from Dr. E. Hoard and Dr. Fisher of Fauquier. Of the others,two belonged respectively to Messrs. [J]ames W. and C. C. Larue, and the third to Miss Emily Bell.— Winchester Virgini[a]n.
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: winchester-virginian-1854-09-drowning. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-09-24. How this project checks its sources
Source note: Richmond Daily Dispatch, 1854
The Richmond Daily Dispatch of September 15, 1854 reported that, of six drowned in the Shenandoah on "the 3d inst.", three belonged to James Larue of Clarke County, two to Mrs. Elvira Fisher of Fauquier and one to Dr. Enos Hood of Fauquier.
What the source supports
Who the Dispatch says the six belonged to.
Uncertainty
An uncredited notice that does not say where its information came from. A list, not a record of ownership; it names none of the six and says nothing of hire. It is not reconciled with the Whig's different list, and names that look alike are not treated as the same people. The retained crop cuts the left margin, so a few leading letters in the transcription are reconstructions.
Source
Evidence role: supports. The Dispatch's list.
Richmond Daily Dispatch, September 15, 1854, page 1: notice of six drowned in the Shenandoah
Richmond Daily Dispatch · 1854-09-15 (publication)
Locator: Page 1, notice of six drowned in the Shenandoah
Relevant passage[S]IX NEGROES, who were drowned in Shenandoah [riv]er on the 3d inst., were subsequently recognized. [Th]ree of them belonged to Mr. James Larue, of [Cl]arke county, two to Mrs. Elvira Fisher, of Fau[qu]ier, and one to Dr. Enos Hood, of Fauquier.
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: richmond-dispatch-1854-09-15-drowning. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-09-24. How this project checks its sources
Subsequently recognized
The Dispatch's notice is shorter, but it says one thing the Virginian's does not: the six "were subsequently recognized." It does not say what that involved: whether the bodies were recovered, where or when, or who recognized them.
Source note: Richmond Daily Dispatch, 1854
The same notice says the six "were subsequently recognized", and does not say what that involved.
What the source supports
That the notice reports the six as recognized at some point after the drowning.
Uncertainty
"Subsequently recognized" does not by itself establish that the bodies were recovered, or where, when or by whom they were recognized.
Source
Evidence role: supports. The words "were subsequently recognized".
Richmond Daily Dispatch, September 15, 1854, page 1: notice of six drowned in the Shenandoah
Richmond Daily Dispatch · 1854-09-15 (publication)
Locator: Page 1, notice of six drowned in the Shenandoah
Relevant passage[S]IX NEGROES, who were drowned in Shenandoah [riv]er on the 3d inst., were subsequently recognized. [Th]ree of them belonged to Mr. James Larue, of [Cl]arke county, two to Mrs. Elvira Fisher, of Fau[qu]ier, and one to Dr. Enos Hood, of Fauquier.
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: richmond-dispatch-1854-09-15-drowning. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-09-24. How this project checks its sources
A supposition
The Virginian offered an explanation, and marked it as one. At the groggery, "it is supposed, they became more or less intoxicated." It does not say who supposed it. Neither account mentions an inquest or any inquiry, and neither gives a name for any of the six.
Source note: Richmond Daily Whig, 1854, and one more
The Whig's account marks its explanation as a supposition: at the groggery, "it is supposed, they became more or less intoxicated." It does not say who supposed it, and neither account mentions an inquest or any inquiry.
What the source supports
That intoxication is the paper's supposition, not a finding.
Uncertainty
The paper gives no source for the supposition. No inquest or other record of the deaths has been inspected.
Source
Evidence role: supports. The supposition, in the paper's own words.
Richmond Daily Whig, September 16, 1854, page 2: "Melancholy and Fatal Occurrence," credited to the Winchester Virginian
Richmond Daily Whig · 1854-09-16 (publication)
Locator: Page 2, item headed "Melancholy and Fatal Occurrence", the account
Relevant passageMELANCHOLY AND FATAL OCCURRENCE.—We regret to learn that, on the night of Sunday, the 3d, six negro men were drowned in the Shenandoah, near Parker's landing, in Clarke county. They had gone over, in the morning, to a groggery on the mountain; where,it is supposed, they became more or less intoxicated. Attempting to cross the river, on their return, in a small boat, they were all drowned.
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: winchester-virginian-1854-09-drowning. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Evidence role: contextualizes. The Dispatch's notice, which mentions no inquest or inquiry either.
Richmond Daily Dispatch, September 15, 1854, page 1: notice of six drowned in the Shenandoah
Richmond Daily Dispatch · 1854-09-15 (publication)
Locator: Page 1, notice of six drowned in the Shenandoah
Relevant passage[S]IX NEGROES, who were drowned in Shenandoah [riv]er on the 3d inst., were subsequently recognized. [Th]ree of them belonged to Mr. James Larue, of [Cl]arke county, two to Mrs. Elvira Fisher, of Fau[qu]ier, and one to Dr. Enos Hood, of Fauquier.
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: richmond-dispatch-1854-09-15-drowning. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-09-24. How this project checks its sources
About the accountsWhat the evidence says
Two inspected newspaper items, printed in Richmond a day apart. Six deaths reported, the place given in one account only, two conflicting lists of owners and hirers, and no name for any of the six.
The fuller account is a reprint in the Richmond Daily Whig of September 16, 1854, page 2, credited to the Winchester Virginian and read from the page image. It gives the night, the place near Parker's landing in Clarke County, the groggery, the small boat, and one list of owners and a hirer. It marks its explanation, intoxication, as a supposition. The shorter notice is in the Richmond Daily Dispatch of September 15, 1854, page 1, also read from the page image. It gives a different list and says the six "were subsequently recognized". No issue of the Winchester Virginian has been inspected, and no record of ownership, hire or death.
- An account exists✓ Supported by a source
The Richmond Daily Whig of September 16, 1854 printed an item, credited to the Winchester Virginian, reporting that on the night of Sunday the 3d six men were drowned in the Shenandoah "near Parker's landing, in Clarke county," trying to cross back in a small boat from a groggery on the mountain they had gone over to that morning.
See the evidence
✓ Supported by a sourceAn account existsThe Richmond Daily Whig of September 16, 1854 printed an item, credited to the Winchester Virginian, reporting that on the night of Sunday the 3d six men were drowned in the Shenandoah "near Parker's landing, in Clarke county," trying to cross back in a small boat from a groggery on the mountain they had gone over to that morning.
What the source supports
That the drowning was reported, with the night, the river and a named landing in Clarke County, in an account the Whig credits to the Winchester Virginian.
Uncertainty
A reprint. The Winchester Virginian's own issue has not been inspected, and the credit line does not date its printing. The place is the account's own wording: Parker's landing is not identified with any later or modern crossing, and it is not placed from where anyone named in the item lived.
Source
Reporting Evidence role: supports. The account: the night, the river, the landing, the groggery and the small boat.
Richmond Daily Whig, September 16, 1854, page 2: "Melancholy and Fatal Occurrence," credited to the Winchester Virginian
Richmond Daily Whig · 1854-09-16 (publication)
Locator: Page 2, item headed "Melancholy and Fatal Occurrence", the account
Relevant passageMELANCHOLY AND FATAL OCCURRENCE.—We regret to learn that, on the night of Sunday, the 3d, six negro men were drowned in the Shenandoah, near Parker's landing, in Clarke county. They had gone over, in the morning, to a groggery on the mountain; where,it is supposed, they became more or less intoxicated. Attempting to cross the river, on their return, in a small boat, they were all drowned.
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: winchester-virginian-1854-09-drowning. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
Reporting Evidence role: contextualizes. The credit line naming the Winchester Virginian.
Richmond Daily Whig, September 16, 1854, page 2: "Melancholy and Fatal Occurrence," credited to the Winchester Virginian
Richmond Daily Whig · 1854-09-16 (publication)
Locator: Page 2, same item, the list and the credit line
Relevant passageThree of the men where hired by Mr. Alfred Castleman, from Dr. E. Hoard and Dr. Fisher of Fauquier. Of the others,two belonged respectively to Messrs. [J]ames W. and C. C. Larue, and the third to Miss Emily Bell.— Winchester Virgini[a]n.
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: winchester-virginian-1854-09-drowning. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-09-24. How this project checks its sources
- An account exists✓ Supported by a source
The same item reports that three of the men had been hired by Alfred Castleman from Dr. E. Hoard and Dr. Fisher of Fauquier, and that of the others two belonged respectively to James W. and C. C. Larue and the third to Miss Emily Bell.
See the evidence
✓ Supported by a sourceAn account existsThe same item reports that three of the men had been hired by Alfred Castleman from Dr. E. Hoard and Dr. Fisher of Fauquier, and that of the others two belonged respectively to James W. and C. C. Larue and the third to Miss Emily Bell.
What the source supports
Who the Virginian's account, as the Whig printed it, says hired or held the six men.
Uncertainty
A newspaper's list, not a record of ownership or hire, and it names none of the six men. It is not reconciled with the Dispatch's different list: Hoard and Hood, Dr. Fisher and Mrs. Elvira Fisher, and James W. Larue and James Larue are not treated as the same people. The "J" of "James" is damaged in the print.
Source
Reporting Evidence role: supports. The Virginian's list of hirers and owners, as the Whig printed it.
Richmond Daily Whig, September 16, 1854, page 2: "Melancholy and Fatal Occurrence," credited to the Winchester Virginian
Richmond Daily Whig · 1854-09-16 (publication)
Locator: Page 2, same item, the list and the credit line
Relevant passageThree of the men where hired by Mr. Alfred Castleman, from Dr. E. Hoard and Dr. Fisher of Fauquier. Of the others,two belonged respectively to Messrs. [J]ames W. and C. C. Larue, and the third to Miss Emily Bell.— Winchester Virgini[a]n.
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: winchester-virginian-1854-09-drowning. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-09-24. How this project checks its sources
- An account exists✓ Supported by a source
The Richmond Daily Dispatch of September 15, 1854 reported that, of six drowned in the Shenandoah on "the 3d inst.", three belonged to James Larue of Clarke County, two to Mrs. Elvira Fisher of Fauquier and one to Dr. Enos Hood of Fauquier.
See the evidence
✓ Supported by a sourceAn account existsThe Richmond Daily Dispatch of September 15, 1854 reported that, of six drowned in the Shenandoah on "the 3d inst.", three belonged to James Larue of Clarke County, two to Mrs. Elvira Fisher of Fauquier and one to Dr. Enos Hood of Fauquier.
What the source supports
Who the Dispatch says the six belonged to.
Uncertainty
An uncredited notice that does not say where its information came from. A list, not a record of ownership; it names none of the six and says nothing of hire. It is not reconciled with the Whig's different list, and names that look alike are not treated as the same people. The retained crop cuts the left margin, so a few leading letters in the transcription are reconstructions.
Source
Reporting Evidence role: supports. The Dispatch's list.
Richmond Daily Dispatch, September 15, 1854, page 1: notice of six drowned in the Shenandoah
Richmond Daily Dispatch · 1854-09-15 (publication)
Locator: Page 1, notice of six drowned in the Shenandoah
Relevant passage[S]IX NEGROES, who were drowned in Shenandoah [riv]er on the 3d inst., were subsequently recognized. [Th]ree of them belonged to Mr. James Larue, of [Cl]arke county, two to Mrs. Elvira Fisher, of Fau[qu]ier, and one to Dr. Enos Hood, of Fauquier.
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: richmond-dispatch-1854-09-15-drowning. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-09-24. How this project checks its sources
- An account exists✓ Supported by a source
The same notice says the six "were subsequently recognized", and does not say what that involved.
See the evidence
✓ Supported by a sourceAn account existsThe same notice says the six "were subsequently recognized", and does not say what that involved.
What the source supports
That the notice reports the six as recognized at some point after the drowning.
Uncertainty
"Subsequently recognized" does not by itself establish that the bodies were recovered, or where, when or by whom they were recognized.
Source
Reporting Evidence role: supports. The words "were subsequently recognized".
Richmond Daily Dispatch, September 15, 1854, page 1: notice of six drowned in the Shenandoah
Richmond Daily Dispatch · 1854-09-15 (publication)
Locator: Page 1, notice of six drowned in the Shenandoah
Relevant passage[S]IX NEGROES, who were drowned in Shenandoah [riv]er on the 3d inst., were subsequently recognized. [Th]ree of them belonged to Mr. James Larue, of [Cl]arke county, two to Mrs. Elvira Fisher, of Fau[qu]ier, and one to Dr. Enos Hood, of Fauquier.
Checked: Original inspected. A digital reproduction was inspected; no original has been handled.
Open sourceSource family: richmond-dispatch-1854-09-15-drowning. Multiple passages from one source are not independent witnesses.
AI-assisted source check (Claude Opus 5.5) · 2026-09-24. How this project checks its sources
Each statement above is assessed on its own evidence. Nothing here is averaged, scored or voted on, and a well-attributed account can be documented while what it describes stays unconfirmed.
What this account does not say
It does not name the six men; neither account inspected does. It places the drowning near Parker's landing, in Clarke County, because the Virginian's account, as the Whig reprinted it, says so. It does not say where Parker's landing was. It does not identify the place with any later crossing, and it does not place it from where anyone named in the lists lived. It treats neither list as a record of ownership, and does not settle which list is right, whether each man was owned or hired, or whether names that look alike belong to the same people. It does not treat drink as the cause; that was the paper's supposition. And it does not say when the Virginian first printed the story, or where the Dispatch's notice came from. The Whig's credit line shows where the Whig took its text; it does not date the Virginian's printing or trace the Dispatch's.
Who were the six men who drowned near Parker's landing?
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Go deeper: every source under this story Follow another threadAlec Cary: a killing on the turnpike
Another death in Clarke known only from brief newspaper reports that leave key facts unsettled.