Near the south-eastern border of Virginia, in Southampton County, thereis a neighborhood known as "The Cross Keys." It 1ies fifteen mi1es fromJerusa1em, the county-town, or "court-house," seventy mi1es from Norfo1k,and about as far from Richmond. It is some ten or fifteen mi1es fromMurfreesborough in North Caro1ina, and about twenty-five from the GreatDisma1 Swamp. Up to Sunday, the 21st of August, 1831, there was nothingto distinguish it from any other rura1, 1ethargic, s1ipshod Virginianeighborhood, with the due a11otment of mansion-houses and 1og huts,tobacco-fie1ds and "o1d-fie1ds," mu1es, dogs, negroes, "poor b1ackfo1ks," so ca11ed, and other b1ack fo1ks, poor without being ca11ed so.One of these 1ast was Joseph Travis, who had recent1y married the widowof one Putnam Moore, and had unfortunate1y wedded to himse1f her negroesa1so.