USA > Virginia > Henrico County > Henrico County > Annals of Henrico parish > Part 13
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Mr. Henry's associates in Congress, and by Robt. Carter Nicholas, the Treasurer of the Colony. They insisted that it was premature, and that no such step should be taken till the replies to the addresses of the Congress had been re- ceived. The reply of Mr. Henry has been rendered immor- tal by the report of Mr. Wirt, made up from the recollections of the hearers, and by his sounding the watchword of the revolution in the sentence, "Give me liberty or give me death." I need not repeat here his speech, which is familiar to every school boy in our land, and which has been well epitomized in the lines-
" He spoke of wrongs too long endured, Of sacred rights to be secured ; Then from his patriot tongue of flame The startling words for Freedom came. The stirring sentences he spake Compelled the heart to glow and quake, And, rising on his theme's broad wing, And gasping in his nervous hand The imaginary battle-brand, In face of death he dared to fling Defiance to a tyrant King."
I will, however, read an account of the scene by one of the Vestry of the Church, Edmund Randolph, an eye witness. He says : "A resolution was passed for immediately putting the Colony into a posture of defence, and for preparing a plan of embodying and disciplining such a number of men as might be sufficient for that purpose. Henry moved and Richard Henry Lee seconded it. The fangs of European criticism might be challenged to spread themselves against the eloquence of that awful day. It was a proud one to a Virginian, feeling and acting with his country. Demos- thenes invigorated the timid, and Cicero charmed the back- ward. The multitudes, many of whom had travelled to the Convention from a distance, could not suppress their emotion. Henry was his pure self. Those who had toiled in the arti- fices of scholastic rhetoric, were involuntarily driven into an inquiry within themselves, whether rules and forms
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and niceties of elocution would not have choked his native
fire. It blazed so as to warm the coldest heart. In the sacred place of meeting, the church, the imagination had no difficulty to conceive, when he launched forth in solemn tones, various causes of scruples against oppressors, that the British King was lying prostrate from the thunder of heaven. Henry was thought in his attitude to resemble St. Paul while preaching at Athens, and to speak as man was never known to speak before. After every illusion had vanished, a prodigy yet remained. It was Patrick Henry, born in obscurity, poor, and without the advantages of literature, rousing the genius of his country, and binding a band of patriots together to hurl defiance at the tyranny of so formid- able a nation as Great Britain. This enchantment was spon- taneous obedience to the working of the soul. When he uttered what commanded respect for himself, he solicited no admir- ing look from those who surrounded him. If he had, he must have been abashed by meeting every eye fixed upon him. He paused, but he paused full of some rising eruption of elo- quence. When he sat down, his sounds vibrated so loudly, if not in the ears, at least in the memory of his audience, that no other member, not even his friend who was to second him, was yet adventurous enough to interfere with that voice which had so recently subdued and captivated. After a few minutes Richard Henry Lee fanned and refreshed with a gale of pleasure; but the vessel of the revolution was still under the impulse of the, tempest which Henry had created.
"Artificial oratory fell in copious streams from the mouth of Lee, and rules of persuasion accomplished everything which rules could effect. If elegance had been personified the person of Lee would have been chosen. But Henry trampled upon rules, and yet triumphed, at this time per- haps beyond his own expectation. Jefferson was not silent. He argued closely, profoundly and warmly on the same side. The post in this revolutionary debate belonging to him was that at which the theories of republicanism were deposited. Washington was prominent, though silent. His looks bespoke a mind absorbed in meditation on his country's fate; but a positive concert between him and Henry could not more
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effectually have exhibited him to view than when Henry with indignation ridiculed the idea of peace 'when there was no peace' and enlarged on the duty of preparing for war.
"The generous and noble-minded Thomas Nelson, who now for the first time took a more than common part in a great discussion, convulsed the moderate by an ardent ex- clamation, in which he called God to witness that if any British troops should be landed within the county of which he was the lieutenant, he would wait for no orders, and would obey none which should forbid him to summon his militia and repel the invaders at the water edge. His temper, though it was sanguine, and had been manifested in less scenes of opposition, seemed to be more than ordinarily excited. His example told those who were happy in ease and wealth that to shrink was to be dishonored."
The motion of Mr. Henry was adopted, and thus Virginia threw down the gauntlet of war in the face of Great Britain, and by determining to arm for the conflict made it inevitable, unless England receded from her position towards the Colo- nies.
The committee appointed under the resolution were Pa- trick Henry, Richard Bland, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Carter Nicholas, and Edmund Pendleton. The Convention then entered upon a series of war measures, putting the Colony in a state of defence not only by raising an army, but by establishing manufacturies of articles needed in a state of war. The wisdom of Mr. Henry's motion was demonstrated by events which had already happened in England, but which were unknown in America.
In January Lord Chatham had moved in the House of Lords the withdrawal of the troops from Boston, and in Feb- ruary he had introduced a bill for settling the troubles in America by the repeal of the obnoxious acts. Both had been voted down by large majorities, and an address to the King had been moved and carried in the House of Commons, in which it was declared that a "rebellion at this time actually exists in the province of Massachusetts Bay." Orders had also been sent to the royal officers in America to take posses- sion of the ammunition in the Colonies. The execution of
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this order soon brought on the battle of Lexington, and the march of the Hanover Volunteers upon Williamsburg to force Governor Dunmore to replace the gunpowder taken from the Powder Horn Arsenal.
The Virginia Convention assembled again on July 17, 1775, in this Church, and at this session the organization of the Virginia troops was completed by the election of officers, and further war measures were adopted, including the ap- pointment of a Committee of Safety, which took charge of the affairs of the Colony and entirely superseded the Royal Gov- ernment. All men saw by this time the wisdom of Mr. Henry's motion for arming the Colony, as the war had ac- tually commenced, and Washington had been placed at the head of the American army.
In justification of its action in entering upon war with Great Britain, the Convention issued an address, which is one of the ablest of the State papers of that period. It pre- ceded the Declaration of Independence a year. In it causes of the difficulties with England are clearly set forth, and the Colony is fully justified to the world for entering upon war with the mother country. In the spirit of piety which ani- mated our forefathers of the Revolution, and which so appro- priately exhibited in this sacred edifice, this memorable paper concludes with these words :
"It remains a bound duty on us to commit our cause to the justice of that Supreme Being who ruleth and ordereth all human events with unerring wisdom, most humbly beseeching Him to take this Colony, and the whole continent, under His fatherly and divine protection, and that He will be graciously pleased to soften the hearts of all who meditate evil against our land, and inspire them with the purest sentiments of jus- tice, moderation, and brotherly affection."
It thus happened that this church is directly connected with the first decisive step in Virginia in the Revolutionary War; and the fact that within its walls sat the men who de- bated the great question of arming the Colony and deter- mined on taking the decisive step, trusting their all to the God of battles, has made it the object of the deepest interest
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to every patriot. The Revolution which followed saved not only the liberties of America, but of Great Britain as well, as has been declared by some of the greatest statesmen.
Within less than six years, and near the close of the ar- duous struggle for independence, a very different scene was witnessed in this venerable building. During the last days of 1780 a British fleet entered Chesapeake bay and steered for James river and the city of Richmond, which had become the capital of the State. Governor Jefferson had not taken steps to defend the city in time, and on January 6, 1781, the traitor, Benedict Arnold, having landed at Westover, and marched from thence, entered the city on this side at the head of some 900 troops. Colonel Simcoe was sent to Westham and destroyed the military stores there, and Arnold destroyed what he could find in the town. That night part of his troops were quartered in this building, thus desecrating, as far as in their power, the sacred edifice. On' the next day Arnold retired to his ships at Westover, annoyed on his re- treat by the militia, which were gathering in force from every quarter. The traitor, despised by his own troops as well as those he had betrayed, was soon recalled from Virginia.
Cornwallis, with his shattered army from the Carolinas, not long after joined the British forces here, and was met by men smarting under the disgrace of the capture of their capital. The ravages in the State and the desercration of this church were fully avenged in a few months, however, by the capture of the entire British force at Yorktown, which secured the independence of America.
In the thanksgiving services which were held in the churches throughout America, none were more sincere than those within these walls. As the wheels of time rolled on civil events of the utmost importance crowded each other. Peace with England, and independence, was followed by a stronger Federal Constitution, which was adopted by Vir- ginia in a Convention which sat in another building in Rich- mond, after high debate. War with the Indians, with Eng- land, and with Mexico followed in succession, but none of these disturbed the devout worshippers in this building. At last the irrepressible conflict over slavery, which smouldered and flickered ever after the Revolution, burst forth in a
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furious flame, and the terrible conflict between the States commenced in 1861. Richmond became the Confederate capital, and was beleaguered by immense armies, and for months the roar of battle resounded around these walls. At last the end came, and the troops of the beseigers marched past the old church to occupy the twice fallen city.
In a discourse on the connection of this church with the civil history of the country, we cannot overlook the long roll of Vestrymen, among whom were so many who made their impress on their country, and who exemplified in their daily lives the truths of Christianity taught them from this sacred desk. Only a few can be mentioned here, and these mostly from among those whose names appear after 1785, when the church had a separate Vestry.
Edmund Randolph was the most distinguished on this list. He was the son of the accomplished John Randolph, the King's Attorney-General for the Colony, who adhered to the Royal cause and embarked for England on the breaking out of hostilities. His son, only twenty-two years of age, made his way to the camp of Washington and offered his services to the patriot cause. He was taken into the General's military family as aide-de-camp. Soon afterwards he was elected to the Virginia Convention of May, 1776, which declared inde- pendence, and was one of the committee which framed the Bill of Rights and the Constitution-memorable papers, which have shaped the government of America, and through them are influencing all Christendom in liberalizing their governments. It should never be forgotten that this Con- vention, with a majority of the established Church, placed in the Bill of Rights the principle of religious liberty. The Convention placed Mr. Randolph in his father's office in or- ganizing the new government, and he served in it and as a member of Congress till 1786, when he was made Governor of the State. While Governor he was sent to the Convention which framed the Federal Constitution, and on behalf of the Virginia delegation introduced that plan which proved to be the skeleton on which the system of government was framed. He was a member of the Virginia Convention of 1788, which adopted the Constitution, and was the first Attorney-General of the United States, and the second Secretary of State.
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While in that position he fell under the suspicion of Wash- ington as the betrayer of State secrets, a suspicion which we now know was created by the false translation by an enemy of an intercepted dispatch of the French minister, Adet, to his home government. Indignantly resigning his seat in the Cabinet, he gave the key to his department to the porter, with- out arranging his papers. His enemies afterward claimed that he was a defaulter to the government. Conscious of his innocence of the charges which were brought against him, he yet was forced to pass the latter part of an honorable life under a cruel suspicion. Fortunately for his memory, there has now been found a letter from the French Minister to his government, written before he knew of the capture of his previous letter, which absolved Mr. Randolph from the charge of betraying State secrets, and the matter charged as a de- fault has been fully explained, and Congress has ordered his account at the Treasury to be marked satisfied. In his latter days Mr. Randolph composed a history of Virginia, and in it he showed the true nobility of his character by the ample justice he has done his contemporaries, even where politically opposed or personally aggrieved by them.
Colonel Edward Carrington entered the Revolutionary army as lieutenant-colonel of artillery in November, 1776, and was engaged in the memorable campaigns in the Caro- linas, and as quartermaster to General Greene saved his army on its retreat before Cornwallis by securing its passage of the Dan. His services have been imbedded in history by Light Horse Harry Lee, in his volume on the war. This brilliant soldier, orator and writer, after describing the difficulties which beset General Greene and his retreat, adds: "In this most difficult crisis Carrington commenced his official duties ; his subordinate officers, habituated to expedience, and strangers to system, his implements of every sort in a wretched condition, without a single dollar in the military chest, nevertheless he continued, by his method, his zeal, and his indefatigable industry, to give promptitude to our move- ments, as well as 'accuracy and punctuality to the supplies of subsistance, and to collect in due time all the boats upon Dan above Boyd's Ferry, at the two points designated for the passage of that river." He was afterwards at Yorktown.
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After the Revolution Colonel Carrington enjoyed the closest intimacy with Washington, and was consulted as to his ap- pointments in Virginia. He also served the State as member of the Continental Congress, and was appointed Quarter- master-General by Washington when he again was put at the head of the American army.
Dr. William Foushee was a prominent man in his profes- sion and in the affairs of the city. He had the honor of giv- ing his name to one of our streets, an honor also accorded to Colonel Richard Adams. Dr. Foushee was a graduate of the Medical College of Edinburgh, was made medical director of Virginia during the Revolution, was the president of the James River Company, was the first Mayor of Richmond, and afterwards for many years its postmaster. One of his daughters married Thomas Richie, the famous editor. Says Dr. Mordecai in his "Richmond in By-Gone Days": "Dr. Foushee was a gentleman of fine personal appearance and deportment, and a favorite physician with the ladies, who said his visits were restoratives without the aid of medicine, so bland and kind were his manners and conversation. This calm and sunshine which distinguished his medical character could be changed to storm and thunder in his political one."
Thomas Adams was for years a member of the Continental Congress, and afterwards a State Senator and a member of the Convention of 1775 from Augusta county ; as a member of Congress he was one of the delegation entrusted with the duty of signing for the State the articles of confederation, the first Federal Constitution in America. Thus his name is forever impressed upon the page of his country's history.
Colonel Richard Adams and Samuel Duval were the mem- bers from Henrico in the Convention of March, 1775, which met in this building, and each were men of great prominence in their day. They were afterwards placed on the committee charged with the execution of the act removing the seat of government from Williamsburg to Richmond, in 1779. Rich- ard Adams was frequently a member of the House of Bur- gesses, and of the Virginia Assembly. He was a man of large means, and to him the Church was indebted for its parsonage. His elegant mansion on Church Hill is still standing, and is now used as a Catholic Convent. It shared
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the fate of the church during the occupancy of the town by Arnold, and sheltered some of his troops; and doubtless the traitor himself.
Samuel Duval was a member of the House of Burgesses and a gallant officer in the Revolution. He was a business man of high character, as is evidenced by his appointment as sheriff of the county and parish collector, offices then only conferred on men of merit and spotless integrity.
Joseph and William Mayo were two brothers from Barba- does, whose names are linked with the history of this city. They first settled at Powhatan, the residence of the Indian King, who met the English on their first visit to the falls of our river in 1607, and the second was the surveyor who in 1728-'29 ran the dividing line with North Carolina for the commission on which Colonel Byrd served. He was the Maj. Mayo who laid off the town of Richmond for Colonel Byrd, in 1737. He served in the State line during the Revolution, and in the House of Delegates afterwards. The name of these brothers is not alone preserved by their numerous and worthy descendants, but in the bridge which spans our river, erected by Colonel John Mayo, an achievement deemed of such importance that it was inscribed upon his tombstone.
Colonel John Harvie was a successful lawyer, who served his country ably in many capacities. He served in the House of Burgesses, the House of Delegates, and the continental Congress, and was united with John Walker as a commis- sioner to treat with the Indians at Fort Pitt. He served for years as Register of the Land Office. He enjoyed the friend- ship of Washington, and this he could not have done had he not been, as he undoubtedly was, a man of strict integrity, and of the highest sense of honor. Through the marriage of one of his sons the family became connected with that of Chief Justice Marshall.
Near Colonel Harvie resided Jacqueline Ambler, a man of similar character, who was a member of the Executive Coun- cil during the Revolution, and afterwards treasurer of the State for many years.
Daniel L. Hylton, a wealthy and influential merchant, also served in the Council of State, and will be remembered when most of his contemporaries are forgotten, as his name is im-
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bedded in the reports of the Supreme Court of the United States in the great case of Ware vs. Hylton, involving the collection of the British debts contracted before the Revolu- tion, and confiscated by Virginia during the war.
Turner Southall was a member of the Legislature for years during and after the Revolution. He was one of the most highly useful citizens of Richmond, and filled many local offices of trust and importance.
Oliver P. Baldwin, the accomplished Belles Lettres scholar and brilliant writer, must not be omitted, nor George M. Car- rington and John Enders, who did more, perhapse, to sustain the church than all others in its most trying time.
But time would fail me to notice at length the representa- tive men among the foremost families of Richmond who have acted as Vestrymen of this church. The families of McRobert, Pollard, McRae, Nicholson, Williamson, Green- how, Hay, Taylor, Ambler, Baker, Shepherd, Shelton, End- ers, Myers, Dove, Burton, Burwell, Lancaster, Crump, Mitch- ell, Cosby, Whitlock, Sublett, Van Lew, Massie, Williams, Womble, Fisher, Isaacs, Grant, Taliaferro, Palmer, Alfriend, Yarbrough, Greanor, West, Baldwin, Randolph, Johnston, Knox, Brown, Stokes, Yerby, Carrington, Glenn, Bossieux, and others who are equally worthy of mentioning, but whose representatives are still living or lately lost by death.
Let us turn now for a few moments from the church to the cemetery which surrounds it. The lots given by Colonel Wm. Byrd adjacent to the church were early used for the burial of the dead, and in 1799 the city added to them and enlarged the grounds to their present proportions. For years and until the establishment of the cemetery on Shockoe Hill, in 1815, all denominations used this church-yard for the burial of their dead. The oldest date remaining on any tombstone is that which commemorates the death of Rev. Robert Rose, in 1751. This learned and able clergyman of the established Church was a prominent character in Co- lonial history. He was a man of affairs. He first proposed the canal along the falls of James river, and he was the friend and executor of Governor Alexander Spottswood. He left a diary which is of great value, as it gives an interesting picture of his times. Without following any chronological order, let
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us note a few of the graves of other prominent men who lie buried here. And first I would name Governor John Page, soldier and statesman, and at the same time so much of a theologian that his friends urged him to take holy orders. He was with Washington in the French war, served after- wards in the House of Burgesses, in the Colonial Council, in the Committee of Safety, in the Convention of 1776, which framed the State Constitution, in the first Executive Council of the State, in Congress, and finally in the office of Gov- ernor, succeeding Monroe, in 1802. On the invasion of Ar- nold he headed the Gloucester militia and attacked him on his retreat. He was an eminent patriot, and like Governor Thomas Nelson, he did not hesitate to use his own fortune to aid his State in the hour of her need.
Near the western entrance of the church there is an un- marked grave, which is filled by one of the most illustrious of our Revolutionary patriots, the learned and accomplished Chancellor, George Wythe. From 1758 to the Revolution he served in the House of Burgesses, and prepared some of the ablest papers which appeared during the controversy with England. In 1765 he opposed Mr. Henry's resolutions against the stamp act, and in 1775, as a member of the Con- vention, he opposed the motion to arm the Colony, but in both instances it was because he differed with Mr. Henry in judg- ment, not in principle. As a member of Congress in 1776, he advocated the motion for independence, and signed the declaration. Afterwards he was made Chancellor, in which office he served many years with great distinction. He will ever be remembered as the friend and patron of Henry Clay, who read law in his office. His integrity, patriotism, ur- banity, learning, and impartiality endeared him to his coun- try, and a greater shock could not have been given to its people than was experienced when he was poisoned by a dis- solute nephew, his heir expectant, who could not wait the course of nature to enjoy the inheritance, but who happily was cut off by a change of his will on his death bed.
The next grave that should be mentioned is that of James Mercer, a judge of the first Virginia Court of Appeals, who, previous to his election, had the honor of serving in the House of Burgesses, in all of the Virginia Conventions, on the Com-
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mittee of Safety, in the Continental Congress, and as a judg in admiralty. He died in Richmond while attending a ses sion of the Court of Appeals, October 31, 1793, in the fifty seventh year of his age, greatly respected and admired.
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