Today I went to the grave of my gggrandfather, Henry Roberts, on Rattle Creek, in Washington County, Va. and I was reminded of how he acqured his first farm about 1835..Bought over a hundred acres and paid $90.00 dollars in produce down on the farm and agreed to pay a similar amount in meat and produce for three years. The produce was valued "at Abingdon market prices". He paid for the land and I believe is buried on his original farm, however he bought several thousand acres after that and was one of the wealthier farmers in Washington County in 1860..During the Civil War his "Stave Mill" at Greendale, Va. furnished barrell staves to the saltworks at Saltville, Va. All the Staves were hauled by horses and wagon about 15 or 20 miles to the saltworks..Henry also operated a mill and a store at Greendale..His money was in gold bars, not Confederate bills! He was a Captain in the Washinton county Reserves during the war and lost one son also..It was because of Henry Roberrts that my ggrandfather and his son owned a good farm along the North Fork Holston river. G. Lee Hearl Abingdon, Va..