Existing comment:
The "Lion of the Wilderness"
J. Horace Lacy and his wife Betty Jones owned Ellwood for six decades. They witnessed its transformation from a plantation run largely by slaves to a typical agricultural operation that brought little wealth.
"Major Lacy is yet a vigorous man, erect in carriage, and retaining his old-time courteous, but dignified hearing. He now lives at the Wilderness... He is brilliant conversationalist."
-- Joseph O. Kerbey, Union Veteran, 1889
When J. Horace Lacy married Betty Churchill Jones at Ellwood on October 19, 1848, he married well. Though trained as an attorney, Lacy had also been a tutor. His marriage to Berry gave him control of Ellwood, its lands, and all its slaves.
Lacy quickly became known for his speaking skills. A slaveowner, he became an ardent advocate for secession. Some called him the "Lion of the Wilderness."
J. Horace Lacy and Betty owned Ellwood until they did in the early 1900s. The Civil War dealt a cruel blow to the [sic] their fortunes: the value of the Lacys' personal property dropped from $180,000 in 1860 to just $2,000 in 1870 -- most of that due to the loss of slaves.
After the war, Lacy raised money for Confederate memorials and ran for office in 1872 as "the White Man's Candidate." He won, but served only one term in the state legislature. |