Old Denton and The Grey Ghost

[Woods-walker]

"Old Denton and The Grey Ghost"​

(Old Denton, The Plains, Fauquier County Virginia)​

When I was a youngster growing up, in a now much-changed Virginia, a local TV station carried a series on John Singleton Mosby, called The Grey Ghost.
It ran from 1957 to 1958, and I watched it faithfully every afternoon after school. These many decades later I still vividity recall details of many of those episodes of Mosby and his Rangers out foxing the Yankees.

One of my favorite episodes was when the Major climbed out of a bedroom window onto a limb of a tree to avoid capture. The Major quietly stayed on the limb while the enemy walked and stood under the tree looking for their elusive apparition. @lelliott19 posted this story on CWT on January 27, 2015. I recommend you read her comprehensive and articulate account.

As followers of @UCVRelics now know, I have been fortunate enough to have worked with Doc Strobel for over a year finding witness trees, which he uses to fashion writing pens. To date I have added 18 trees to his collection.

Eight months ago, I got an idea to get a limb from this famous black walnut tree, recoded at Virginia Polytechnic Institute as the seventh largest in the state.
I set out talking to people who were familiar with the tree and the owner of Old Denton, Mr. Garon Stutzman. Attempt after attempt turned up with the same answer,...."Mr. Stutzman guards that tree. Even when he occasionally has it pruned, the workers are required to account for every branch and its trimmings are stored safely on Mr. Stutzman's property." "You will never get a cutting from that tree" became a familiar and resounding reply. After every failed attempt to get a cutting from the Old Denton tree, I was remined of Thomas Edison famous statement following many failed attempts at the incandescent light, "I now know what doesn't work."

After six months of trying, I got a break following a letter my wife, Darlene, wrote to Mrs. Stutzman. In February, Mrs. Stutzman wrote back to Darlene.
"We are interested in Dr. Strobel's offer, have him call my husband at…… ".

I immediately contacted Dr. Strobel, who was at that time being treated in the hospital. A few days later "Doc" called Mr. Stutzman and samples of the famous black walnut tree arrived at his house in late March.

This tree is so special to me in many ways. It ties an eleven-year-old boys past of "riding" his fateful living room chair, galloping along with Mosby and his Rangers every afternoon; to two CWT contributors whom I have come to know and respect; to one of my dearest friends, Dr. Strobel.