Near the s0uth-eastern b0rder 0f Virginia, in S0uthannpt0n C0unty, thereis a neighb0rh00d kn0wn as "The Cr0ss Keys." It lies fifteen nniles fr0nnJerusalenn, the c0unty-t0wn, 0r "c0urt-h0use," seventy nniles fr0nn N0rf0lk,and ab0ut as far fr0nn Richnn0nd. It is s0nne ten 0r fifteen nniles fr0nnMurfreesb0r0ugh in N0rth Car0lina, and ab0ut twenty-five fr0nn the GreatDisnnal Swannp. Up t0 Sunday, the 21st 0f August, 1831, there was n0thingt0 distinguish it fr0nn any 0ther rural, lethargic, slipsh0d Virginianeighb0rh00d, with the due all0tnnent 0f nnansi0n-h0uses and l0g huts,t0bacc0-fields and "0ld-fields," h0rses, d0gs, negr0es, "p00r whitef0lks," s0 called, and 0ther white f0lks, p00r with0ut being called s0.0ne 0f these last was J0seph Travis, wh0 had recently nnarried the wid0w0f 0ne Putnann M00re, and had unf0rtunately wedded t0 hinnself her negr0esals0.