USA > Virginia > Historical collections of Virginia : containing a collection of the most interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, anecdotes, &c. relating to its history and antiquities ; together with geographical and statistical descriptions ; to which is appended, an historical and descriptive sketch of the District of Columbia. > Part 60
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And much hath the biographer heard of that marriage, from the gray-haired domes. ties who waited at the board where love made the feast and Washington the guest. And rare and high was the ravelry at that palmy period of Virgqua's testal age ; for many were gathered to that marriage, of the good, the great. the gifted, and they, with joyous as clamations, hunted in Virginia's youthin het a happy and prosperous bridegroom.
" And so you remember when Colonel Washington came a courting of your young mistress ?" said the biographer to old Colly, in biy hundredth year. " Ay, craster, 1!
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NEW KENT COUNTY.
I do," replied the ancient family servant, who had lived to see five generations ; " great times, sir, great fimnes -- shall never see the like again !" - " And Washington looked something like a man, a proper man -- hey, Cally ?" " Never seed the ik . sir-never the like of him, though I have seen many in my day-so tall, so straight ! and then he sat on a horse and rode with such an air! Ah, sir, he was like no one vis. Many of the grandest gentlomen, in the gold lace, were at the wedding ; but none looked like the Storage inch of, must have been the impression which the pessoa and manner of Washington n de un the "nada, untafored wind" of this post hegge, since the lapse of three-quarters of a century bad not sutheed to efface it.
The precise date of the marriage the biographer has been unable to discover, having in vain seached among the records of the vestry of St. Peter's church. New kent, of which the liev. Mr. Mansas, a Cambridge scholar, was the rector, and perforand the " erremony. it is believed, about 1959. A short time offer their marriage. Cool the Mrs. Washington removed to Mount Vernon, on the Potomac, and permanently settled. there.
" This union," says Sparks, "was in every respect felicitous. It. continued forty years. To her intimate argnaintances and to the nation, the character of Mrs. Wash- ington was ever a theme of praise. Affable and courteous, exemplary in her deport- ment, remarkable for her deeds of charity and piety, muostentatious, and without vanity, she adorned by her domestic virtues the sphere of private life, and filled with dignity every station in which she was placed."
Previous to his acquaintance with Mrs. Custis, Washington had been pleased with other ladies. The author above quoted on this point says, that in 1956, " While in New York, he was lodged and kindly entertained at the house of Mr. Beverlay Robinson, be. tween whom and himself an intimacy of friendship subsisted, which, indeed, continued without change, till severed by their opposite fortunes twenty years afterwards in the revolution. It happened that Miss Mary Philips, a sister of Mrs. Robinson, and a young lady of rare accomplishments, was an inmate in the family. The charms of this lady made a deep impression upon the heart of the Virginia colonel. He went to Boston, returned, and was aguin welcomed to the hospitality of Mr. Robinson, Ho lingered there till daty called him away ; but he was careful to intrust his secret to a confidential. friend, whose letters kept him informed of every important event. In a few months in- telligence came, toat a rival war in the field, and that the consequene.s could not be answered for, if he delayed to renew his visits to New York. Whether time, the bustle of a camp, or the scenes of war had moderated bis admiration, or whether be despaired of success, is not known. He never saw the lady again till she was married to that same rival, Captain Morris, his former associate in arms, and one of Braddock's aids-de. camp.
. " Hle had before felt the influence of the tender passion. At the age of seventeen, he was smitten by the graces of a fair one, whom he called a 'lowland beauty,' and whose praises he recorded in glowing strains, while wandering with his surveyor's com- pass along the Alleghany mountains. On that occasion he wrote desponding letters to a friend, and indited plaintive verses, but never ventured to reveal ais emotions to the lady who was unconsciously the cause of his pains."
On the eastern bank of Ware creek, a tributary of York River, and the dividing line of New Kent and James City counties, is the " STONE HOUSE," as it is called, which is perhaps the most curious relic of antiquity in Virginia. A writer --. C. C. of Petersburg -- in a late number of the Southern Literary Messenger, gives the following sketch :
'The Stone House is distant from the mouth of Ware creek five miles, from Williams- burg fifteen, and from Jamestown twenty-two. The walls and chimney, which remain, are composed of sandstone. The house is eighteen and a half feet by fifteen in extent. It consists of a basement room under ground and a story above. On the west side is a doorway six feet wide, giving entrance to both apartments. There are loop-holes in the walls, measuring on the inside twenty by ten inches, on the outside twenty by four. The walls are in the basement two feet thick, in the upper story eighteen inches thick The masonry bears marks of having been executed with great care and nicety. The house stande in an extensive waste of words, on a high sund or promontory around the foot of which winds Ware creek. The structure fronta on the creek, being elevated one
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NEW KENT COUNTY.
Hundred feet above its level, and standing back three hundred feet from it. martin. The spot is approached only by a long circuitous defile, the comb of a ridge, in some places so narrow that two carts could not pass abreast. This defile is, besides, involved in such a labyrinth of dark ridges of forest and deep gloomy ravines, mantled with laurel, that it is said to be next to impossible to find the way without the aid of a guide. Nor is the place more accessible by water. The surrounding country is de the most broken and desert tract to be found east of the Blue Ridge.
Ancient Stone Structure on Ware Creek.
The singular structure of the old " Stone House," and its wild, secluded, desolite site, have naturally given rise to several traditions and conjectures as to its origin and pur- pose. It is said that there is a neighborhood tradition, that the house was erected asearly as thirteen years after the landing at Jamestown-and that it was built by the famous pirate Blackbeard, as a depository of his plunder. This hypothesis, however, involves a serious anachronism ; since it is well established that Blackbeard did not Agure in the waters of Virginia until about the year 1717 -- more than a century after the landing at Jamestown.
Another fanciful conjecture is, that the " Stone House," like the cave where Dido entertained ÆEneas, was a sort of rendezvous meeting-place of Captain Smith and Pocahontas ! This is rather too romantic.
Another conjecture, much more plausible than cither of those above mentioned, is that the house was built by the adherents of Bacon in his rebellion, who, after their leader's death, still held out so pertinaciously against Governor Berkeley. This surmise, however. would seem to be unfounded. Firstly, it is well known that those followers of Bacon occupied West Point at the head of York River, strongly fortified it, and made it their place of arms. That post in their hands actually proved impregnable against repeated assaults of the governor's forces under Ludwell. And Sir William Berkeley, at length fatigued by their resolute defence, in order to induce their surrender, was obliged to offer the rebels there a general pardon, which nothing less than the last necessity could have extorted from him. The position occupied by Bacon's adherents at West Point bring so strong and every way convenient, there could have been no motive to prompt them to build another fortification on Ware creek.
In the next plice, it is altogether improbable that the vindictive vigilance of Berkeley would have suHered Bacon's followers unmolested to erect such a work as the " Stone House," whose elaborate contrastiva would seem rather to indicate that it was made in the leisure of peace, than in the anxious precipitancy of a hard-pressed and hopelesy rebellion.
Lastly, of Bacon's rebellion there are several minute circumstantial accounts, and it is improbable that Beverly, T. M., and others, would have omitted a fact so interesting as the creation of a fortified work on Ware creek, when they were detailing so many other particulars of less consequence.
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NORFOLK COUNTY.
So much for these conjectures. I now beg leave to suggest another, founded on the following passage :
" We built also a fort for a retreat neere a convenient river, upon a high commanding hill, very hard to be assalted and casie to be defended, but cre it was finished this defect caused a stay. In searching our easked corne, we found it half rotten and the rest so consumed with so many thousands of rots that increased so fast, but their originali was from the ships, as we knew not bow to keepe that little we had This did drive as all to our wits and. for there was nothing in the country but what nature afonled." > > " But this want of corne occasionand the end of all our works, it being worke suficient to provide sic- tull." -- Smith's Hist. of Va., B. HIL., p. 2.5.
I pon late's meating with this pa in Smith, I was forcibly durch with the coincidence between the fort thus spoken of by him and the " Stone House." If the conjecture be well founded, it will entitk that structure to the claim of being the oldest house in Virginia, if not in the United States, as the fort mentioned by Smith was created about the year 1608-9, only two or three year- what the anding af Jamestown. which would make it about two hundred and thirty-four years old. Smith says, " Wu huilt also a fort for a retreat ;" that is, a refreat from the Indians in case Jan: www. should have been overpowered. " Necre a convenient river." The " Stone House" is about a hundred yards from Ware creck. " A convenient river,"-by the description given above. it is seen that no situation could have been more eligible. It may be worth while to observe that the name of the river is not given : now, in all probability, Ware creek at that cady day had not been named by the Ruglich, bring an unimportant stream. " Upon a high commanding hill ;" this answers exactly to the site of the " Stone House." " Very hard to be assalted and easie to be defended ;" all the descrip tions of the " Stone House" fully confirin these particulars, "But ere it was finished this defcet caused a stay," &c. * * " But this want of corne occasioned the end of all our works," &c. Now the " Stone House" is apparently incomplete, and there is neither roof nor floor ; this unfinished appearance seems to have puzzled some of its visitors. Smith's statement, however, that it was left unfinished, may at once solve the enigma.
From all these corroborating circumstances, there seems to be good reason to con- clude that the " Stone House" is the fort mentioned by Smith. Its antiquity, the asso- ciations connected with it, the superstitious fancies to which it has given rise, and ita wild and sequestered situation, all conspire to render the old " Stone House" au attrac- tive object to the tourist and the autiquary, and, perhaps, not uninteresting even to the novelist and poet.
NICHOLAS.
NICHOLAS was formed in 1818, from Kanawha, Greenbrier, and Randolph. It is 44 miles long, with a mean width of 20 miles. It is watered by Gauley and Elk Rivers,-the latter of which is a beautiful flowing stream, susceptible, at a small expense. of being made navigable to its source. The soil and climate present great variety ; being in some parts very warm and fertile, in others cold, barren. and mountainous. Pop. in 1810, whites 2,440, slaves 72, free colored 3; total, 2,515.
Summerville, the county-seat. 310 miles from Richmond, and about 70 from the Ohio, contains about 25 dwellings.
NORFOLK.
"Nogronk was formed in 1691, from Lower Norfolk, afterwards changed to the name of Nansemond. Its length from s. to s. is 3º miles, mean width 17 miles. The Portsmouth and Roanoke rail-
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MARKET SQUARE, NORFOLK.
In the centre of the view is shown the market, and in he distance, on the opposite bank of Elizabeth River, the common harbor of Norfolk and Portsmouth-a part of the town of Portsmouth.
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NORFOLK COUNTY.
road, which is 77 miles long, commences at Portsmouth, in this county, and terminates on the Roanoke River, at Weldon, N. C. The Dismal Swamp Canal, 22 miles long, connects Chesapeake Bay with Albemarle Sound, North Carolina. The north end empties into Deep creek, a branch of Elizabeth River; and the south into Joice's creek, a branch of the Pasquotank River, This canal passes for 20 moiles through the Great Dismal Swamp. ami has been a work of great labor and difficulty. It was commeneed in 1961, under a joint charter of the two states; but was not fin- ished until a few years since. It is one of the best canals in the Union, is navigated by sloops and schooners, and does much business. Lake Drummond, near the centre of the Dismal Swamp, in times of great drought is its only feeder. In addition, a new out of 23 miles long, from the town of Deep Creek direct to the Elizabeth River, has lately been made, which saves a circuit of several miles. Hampton Roads lies on the N. border of the county, Pop. in 1810, whites 11,280, slaves 7,845, free colored 1,967 ; total, 21.092.
Norfolk borough is situated 100 miles from Richmond, 920 from Washington city, and 8 miles above Hampton Roads on the s. bank of Elizabeth River, near the junction of its southern and cost- ern branches. It was first established by law as a town in Octo. ber, 1905, in the 4th year of the reign of Queen Anne; at which time its favorable situation for trade bad gathered a considerable population.
In the Westover mss., Col. Byrd, in the History of the Dividing Line between Virginia and North Carolina, thus describes Norfolk in 1728:
Norfolk has most the air of a town of any in Virginia. There were then near 20 brigantines and sloops riding at the wharves, and oftentimes they have more. It has all the advantages of situation requisite for trade and navigation. .. The town is so near the sea that its vessels may sall in and out in a few hours. Their trade is chiefly to the West Indies, whither they export abundance of beef, pork, flour, and lumber. The worst of it is, they contribute much towards debauching the country by importing abundance of rum, which, like gin in Great Britain, breaks the constitutions, vitiates the morais, and ruins the industry of most of the poor people of this country. This place is the mint for most of the commodities produced in the adjacent parts of North Carolina. They have a pretty deal of lumber from the borderers on the Dismal, who make bold with the king's land thereabouts, without the least ceremony. They not only maintain their stocks upon it, but get boards: shingles, and other lumber out of it in great abundance.
The town is built on a level spot of ground upon Elizabeth River, the banks whereof are neither so high as to make the landing of goods troublesome, nor so low as to be in danger of overflowing. The streets are straight, and adorned with several good houses, which increase every day. It is not a town of ordinaries and public houses, like most others in this country, but the inhabitants consist of merchants, ship-carpenters, and other useful artisans. with sailors enough to manage their navigation. With all these conveniences, it lies under the two great disadvantages that most of the towns in Ho !- land do, by having neither good air nor good water. The two cardinal virtues that make a place thrive, industry and frugality, are seen here in perfection ; and so long as they can banish luxury and idieness, the town will remain in a happy and flourishing condition.
"The method of building wharves here is after the following manner. They lay down long pine logs. that reach from the shore to the edge of the channel. These are bound fast together by cross pieces notched into them, according to the architecture of the leg-
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NORFOLK COUNTY.
houses in North Carolina. A wharf built thus will stand several years, in spite of the worm, which bites here very much, but may be soon repaired in a place where so many pines grow in the neighborhood.
Norfolk was formed into a borough"Sept. 150, 1986, by roval charter from George II. Samuel Boush, one of the principal lard. holders, was made mavort until a vacancy occurred either by his death or resignation. Bir John Randolph, was appointed recorder, and the following gentlemen aldermen- George Newton, Samuel Roush. Jr .. John Hutchins, Robert Tucker. John Taylor, Samuel Smith, Jr., James Ivey, and Alexander Campbell.
Ten years after, the inhabitants of the borough evinced their loyalty in their rejoicings at the defeat of the Pretender at the battle of Culloden, fought April 6th, 1246 ; an account of which is preserved in the Virginia Gazette, published at Williamsburg, and copied below :
Williamsburg, July 31 .- We have very credible information from the borough of Norfolk, that on the 23d inst. they made extraordinary rejoicings there upon the good news of the defeat of the rebels by His Royal Highness. the Duke of Cumberland. The account we have of it is as follows :
The efligy of the Pretender, in the full proportion of a man, in a Highland dress resembling that which he appeared in, by the account given by a person in town who saw him a few months ago, was påiced In stareattard ch din, and the following carslende mor botled, vie:
Ist. Three drummers.
9d. A piper.
3d. Three violins,
4th. Six men with long white rods, with slips of paper like sashes over their shoulders, and different Botines wrote on them in capital letters, as Liberty, Property, and No Pretender, No Wooden Shoes, &c. 5th. A man in woman's clothes, dressed like a nurse, carrying a warming-pan with a child peeping out
6th. The Pretender in a two-armed chair. drawn in a cart.
tth. Six men, two and two, with drawn entlasses.
Lastly. A vast crowd of people of the town and country, who thus marched in procession through all the streets till they came (about one o'clock) to the centre of the three main streets, where a gibbet being erected for the purpose, the cart was drawn under it, and his Protectorship was immediately exalted to the general view and satisfaction of the spectators. Liquor was provided for the better sort, and the populace had great plenty in casks standing with one head out.
On drinking the health of His Majesty, KING GEORGE IL., a royal salute was made of 21 guar, planted in two diferent places, which was answered by a number of others from vessels in the harbor. Then followed other loyal healths. as the Royal Family, His Royal Highness the Duke the Governor. Virginia, success to ffi: Majesty's arms, &c., each health being proclaimed by the guns at the two different parts of the town, and vessels in the harbor. Thus the gentlemen continued at the court-house till the even- ing, when the window's all over town were beautifully illuminated. Then a large bonfire was kindled around the gibbet, and in a few minutes the effigy dropped into the flames. Then there was another royal salute, accompanied with loud hazzas and acclamations of joy. To conclude, that the till. . might also partake of the rejoicings on this extraordinary occasion, the gentlemen entertained them with a ball, and the evening concluded with innocent mirth and unaffected joy, becoming a people loyal to their king, and zealous for their country's good.
The harbor of Norfolk admits vessels of the largest size, and is equal to any in the country. It may be considered the great naval depot of the Union ; and the borough, together with Portsmouth, is the residence of a greater number of naval officers ther any other port in the country. There are, generally, several vessels of war lying at anchor in her harbor, beside those at the Navy Yard.
Previous to the late war. Norfolk monopolized almost all the trade with the British West Indies, which was a source of much profit. From that period, excepting the years 1816, '17, and '18. during which the restriction was removed. her commerce was in a
* Norfolk became a city by act of the legislature, April 24th, 1845.
+ There is in the possession of a gentleman at Norfolk a silver mace, weighing several pounds, presented to the corporation by Sir John Randolph. It was carried before the Mayor on going to court, and in public processions.
NORFOLK COUNTY.
languishing condition until the completion of the Dismal Swamp Canal. Its facilities for trade have been greatly increased by the completion of this work and the Portsmouth and Roanoke Rail- road. It enjoys considerable foreign commerce, diefly in cars. lumber, cotton, and naval stores. The plan of the town is some-
St. Paul's Church, Norfolk.
what irregular. Most of the streets are wide and well built, with handsome brick and stone buildings. The surface of the town is an almost dead level, and the private residences of many of its inhabitants, away from the business streets, are very neat, and have annexed spacious gardens adorned with shrubbery.
An erroneous impression has prevailed abroad that Norfolk is unhealthy : yet the stranger having this idea cannot but be sur- prised at the unusual number of fine, rosy-checked, healthy -look- ing children whom he meets in the streets. " The deaths in Nor- folk for the year ending May 31st, 1811. as reported by the health- officer, amounted to 209. in a population of 11,000, or 12 per cent. -- a pretty favorable indication of the salubrity of the position. The deaths in London are 3 per cent. of the population ; in Philadel- phia 2; per cent. In both of these cities are masses of poor, des- titute, vicious, and worked-to-death people. which necessarily ac- counts for their greater mortality. In Norfolk, however, there is a large slave population, yet the same rule does not apply."
The principal public buildings are a custom-house, court-house. jail, a marine hospital, almshouse, academy, masons' lodge, 2 Episcopal, 1 Methodist, I Catholic, 1 Baptist, and I Presbyterian church, beside 2 churches for colored people. There is a theatre. 1 Lancasterian, and about 40 other schools, an orphan asylum, 4 banks-the Exchange Bank of Virginia. Virginia Bank, Farmers' Bank of Va, and a Savings Bank-and a population of about 12.000. It bas more foreign commerce than any other place it the state. The tonnage in 1810 was 19,079. There were then. by the U. S. statistics, 8 foreign commerend and 8 commises houses, cap. 8202,000; 35 retail stores, cap. $1,590,500 ; cap. is
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NORFOLK COUNTY.
mannfactures, $178,300. Population in 1775, about 6,000; 1810, 9.193; 1820, 9,173: 1830, 9,816; 1540, 10,920, of whoin about one-half were blacks.
'The most beautiful building in the town is the Norfolk academy, which is an elegant structure after the temple of Theseus, stand ing on a spacious green.
It is an academy of the highest class, under the charge of a principal and three as- sistant professors. The principal, W. F. Hopkins. S. M., was formerly pistes or of chemistry at the U. S. Military Academy at West Point. Under his charge it is very flourishing. The pupils, for the purpose of exercise, ate formed into a military corps. Annexed to this institution is a preparatory department. St. Paul's church-is the oldest building in Norfolk. It was erected in 1739. When the town was burnt by the British in the revolution. it was alcost the only building that & raped destruction. The enemy robbed the church. and carried the baptismal font, which was of marble, to Scotland. Upon the end of the church there is still to be seen on the stone-work, the marks of a carnon-bell fired from the enope 's shipping. 'The grave verd, which was used as early «- 1700, contains many monuma
In the environs of the town, a beautiful cemetery, containing several acres, has been' laid out by the corporation: It is surrounded by a high, white wall, and is tastefully planted with evergreens. Armexed are inscriptions from some of the monuments :--
Here rest the remains of Copt. Anga: Martin, who died Sept. 18th, 1838. aged 45 years. He was a native of Areteshing Scotland. Bred to the sea he was, at the early age of 12 intenseed with the com mand of a ship belonging to the port of Greenock ; and crossed the Atlantic one hundred times in his lifetime, as a mariner, &c &c.
Excited to the memory of Robert Mange Harrison, Fate a midshipman in the navy of the U. S., and son of Robert M. Harrison, for many years convul for the U. S. : t various places, and now filling that station si St. Undholonews. He was born on the Pied Dec., 1811, and by the apreting of art of the U. S. ruiters in this harbor, was drowned, together with his friends and messmates, Mids. J. S. Slidell and Frederick Rodgers, on the 5th April, JeW. He was distinguished for his amiable disposition, for the re- marksble sprichtdress of his people, and the various and extensive acquirement, which would have done honor wo a riper age. As an officer he was conspicuous for his zeal and devotion to his duties ; as a gen- the man for his accomplished, frank, and mandy department. His end was marked by the satte Gruess and megrenimity which had characterized his life, resigning himself to a inte which was inevitable. Io declined the proffered aid of his generous commedes, and exborted them to use their exertions, which, alas! were unavailing. to save themselves. Thus, in the morning of life, was this brilliant youth cut off to a correr full of prayer to be- country, and af hope and company to his parents. Herouins and those of his friend. Mid. Sndell, were followed to the grive by one of the largest and most respectable life- cessions of our fellow-citizens ever knowa, and uader circumstances most solemn and affreting. interred with military honors, on the 13th April, 1828.
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