USA > Virginia > City of Hampton > City of Hampton > History of Hampton and Elizabeth City County, Virginia > Part 4
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The British, accordingly, attempted to land, but were retarded by some boats sunk across the channel for that purpose.
Squires then commanded a furious cannonade, and under that cover sent armed men in boats to make a land- ing, but the Virginians sent so many death shots that the boats were obliged to return. In the morning, Col. William Woodford arrived from Williamsburg with reinforcements, and when the enemy resumed their cannonade of the town, his men replied with a hot fire, which soon spread terror among the British. Unable to withstand such a valiant attack, the British commander ordered the cables to be slipped and the vessels to retreat, but before the fleet could get away, two of the vessels were captured. The victory was complete. Not a single Virginian was killed.
Many of the buildings in Hampton, including the church, were injured by the fire of the British, and one house, Mr. George Cooper's, was burned. Not long after this incident, when the Declaration of Independence was promulgated, it is said that lightning struck the steeple of the church and hurled to the ground the insignia of royalty which adorned it.
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The Heroes of Hampton Town
During this war several of the inhabitants of Hamp- ton acquired credit and renown. Prominent among these in political life was George Wythe, son of Thomas Wythe and Margaret Walker, who attained almost equal distinc- tion as a statesman, a jurist, and as an interpreter of the law, being the preceptor of both Jefferson and Marshall. The brick house in which he was born, on Back River, is still standing. / William Roscow Wilson Curle was not only chairman of the County Committee of Safety, and Colonel of the County Militia, but one of the first judges of the Ad- miralty Court of the new Commonwealth. / Miles King, afterwards mayor of Norfolk, also performed important military services. As a resort for seafaring men, it fur- nished both sailors and officers to the gallant State Navy. Among the most famous of these was Captain Joseph Mere- dith, who commanded the privateer La Fayette, George Hope, who superintended the construction of gunboats at Warwick near Richmond, Capt. William Cunningham, who was first lieutenant of the schooner Liberty, and afterwards prominent in procuring munitions of war from the West Indies, and Captain Richard Barron and Captain James Barron, sons of Captain Samuel Barron, who commanded Fort George in 1749.
Virginia had, at one period of the war, as many as seventy vessels including frigates, brigs, brigantines, schooners, sloops, galleys, armed pilot boats and barges; and they rendered great service to the American cause. They not only effectually prevented the incursions of bands of plundering Tories on the bay, but were useful in making prizes of British merchantmen and in exporting tobacco and other produce, and exchanging their cargoes in the West Indies for arms and military stores. Smollet, in his continuation of Hume's History of England, says that, "by the export of tobacco from the Chesapeake the credit of the colonies was chiefly, if not wholly supported," and by the inland navigation of that bay, large quantities of provis- ions were conveyed to the middle colonies for the subsist- ence of the American armies."
Many of these small vessels were built at South Quay, Hampton, which became headquarters of the Virginia Navy.
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It was controlled by a board of naval commissioners, of whom Col. Thomas Whiting, of Hampton, was president. The largest ships carried thirty-two guns each, and one of them-the Gloucester-was a prison ship and was moored near Hampton on Elizabeth River. Only one of the Virginia ship's survived the war-the famous Liberty-which fig- ured in twenty gallant encounters.1
Undoubtedly the most distinguished of the naval offic- ers was James Barron. He was the son of Captain Samuel Barron, and his wife, Jane Cooper, daughter of Philip Cooper. He was born at Fort George in 1749, and began sea life at a very early age. He was sent to sea at ten years in charge of Captain Barrington, who sailed in a fine ship belonging to London, a constant trader to James River. His first commission was over a small vessel belonging to Col. John Hunter, of Hampton, called the "Kickotan," in which he sailed for some time. On attaining his maturity he was made commander of a fine ship owned by Samuel Guest, a merchant of London. At the first dawn of the Revolution he was captain of a military company composed of the young sailors of Hampton, who were numerous at that time, and was engaged in the action with Captain Squires' party when he attacked the place in 1775.
After the navy of Virginia was organized, James Bar- ron and his brother, Richard had commands at different times of the ships Liberty and Patriot.
In 1779, James Barron became senior officer and was placed in command of all the naval forces of the common- wealth. He performed many gallant naval exploits, but possibly nothing that he did was more important to the cause of the Revolution than his interception of a boat sent by Lord Dunmore in April, 1776, to Annapolis with dis- patches for Governor Eden from Lord Dartmouth, the English Secretary of State, regarding the proposed expe- dition against the City of Charleston. James Barron then cruising in the Chesapeake, captured the boat and conveyed the papers, which discovered the whole plan of British oper- ations to Williamsburg. The Charlestonians had warning in advance, and had time to concert a defence which foiled completely the formidable British attack under Sir Henry
1 The Virginian Navy of the Revolution .- Southern Literary Messenger, Richmond, Va., XXIV, I, 104, 210, 273.
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Clinton and Sir Peter Parker. After the peace he continued in command of the only two vessels retained in the service for the protection of the revenue until the year 1787, when he died, leaving the services he had rendered to his country to survive after him.'
After the repulse of Captain Squires' force in 1775, there was no other attack made upon Hampton during the Revolution, but the waters and country in the vicinity were the scenes of conflict at each invasion of the British. In December, 1780, a fleet commanded by Benedict Arnold, sailed through the capes and captured some small vessels of the Virginia navy in Hampton Roads.
During their stay the shores of Elizabeth City and Warwick County were repeatedly visited by small parties of British troops bent on plunder and forage, who had skirmishes with the local militia. In these encounters, Col. Francis Mallory and his brother Edward, of Hampton, bore a conspicuous part. In March, 1781, Arnold sent Col. Dun- das around to the York River with 200 men to surprise the American post at the Halfway House between Hampton and Yorktown. The post was deserted, however, and Dundas continued his march to Newport News, where he was to join the ships again. On the way he fell in with forty of the militia, commanded by Col. W. R. W. Curle and Col. Francis Mallory. They made a brave resistance, but were overwhelmed by numbers. Curle was taken prisoner, and Mallory fell pierced by numerous musket balls and bayonet thrusts.
In the summer of 1781 Lord Cornwallis took up his position at Portsmouth and his transports stationed in the Roads repeated their annoying depredations. When later in the year he removed to Yorktown, the Elizabeth City County militia participated in his capture, much to their own satisfaction and that of their friends and neighbors, who had been so tormented by him.
1 A Biographical Notice of Commodore Barron of the Navy of Virginia, The Virginia Hist. Register I, 23.
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7
The Later Barrons
Hampton, like all the seaports of Virginia, suffered very much from the results of American Independence. Its trade with the West Indies was cut off and the town made little advance for many years after the Revolution. It remained, however, the headquarters of the pilots of James River, who disbursed considerable money. It con- tinued to give naval heroes to History, and among them may be mentioned the two sons of James Barron of the Revolution-James, the younger and Samuel, who both be- came commodores in the United States Navy and were con- spicuous for their bravery and executive ability.
Samuel Barron, the oldest son, was born in the town of Hampton, September 25, 1765. He studied at a gram- mar school in Petersburg and at the Grammar school at William and Mary College. At fifteen years of age he went as midshipman on Board the frigate Dragon commanded by Captain Markham, and during the rest of the war, shared in both sea and land duty and was raised to the rank of captain. After the peace he was in the revenue service of the State until the adoption of the Federal constitution in 1788. He then engaged in the merchant service, but was soon employed by the government and in 1804 had com- mand of the Mediterranean fleet sent to the relief of com- modore Bainbridge and his companion then prisoners in Tripoli. He was taken ill, and was compelled to turn over his command to Commodore Rogers and returned to Vir- ginia. He was put in command of the navy yard at Gos- port, where he died Nov. 10, 1810.1 His son, Samuel Bar- ron, was born in 1802, and served also with great distinc- tion in the United States Navy in all grades to captain; but, when the war broke out in 1861, he joined the Confed- erates, and was made Commodore, in which position he gave a good account of himself till the war was over and he returned to his home.
His brother, James Barron, was born in Hampton in the year 1768. He was too young to take any part in the Revolution, but after the peace was employed like his brother and father in the revenue service of the State. He
Commodore Samuel Barron, Virginia Historical Register III, 198.
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subsequently followed the merchant line until the organiza- tion of the United States Navy when he entered the public service as lieutenant. In this grade he served with credit under Commodore Barry in the short war with the French Republic, on board the frigate United States, in which Stephen Decatur was midshipman. On account of his effici- ency, he was raised to the rank of captain and given the command of that war ship. During Mr. Jefferson's admin- istration the navy was placed on a peace establishment and most of the officers were discharged, but James Barron and his brother, Samuel, were two of the few retained. In 1804 he commanded the frigate Essex, one of the squadron of ten vessels sent to Tripoli under the command of his elder brother, Commodore Samuel Barron. In this service and various other commands he won much honor till a shadow was cast over his career by the affair, in 1808, of the Leopard and Chesapeake, when he was courtmartialed and relieved from command for five years for "neglecting on the probability of an engagement to clear his ship for act- ion." This decision was a most unjust one, as the fault was not with Barron, but with the Navy department.
After the war of 1812 he was restored to the navy, over the protest of Stephen Decatur, who spoke of him in dis- paraging terms, which led, in 1820, to a challenge resulting in the death of Decatur and the wounding of Barron. After this Barron was in command of the Philadelphia Navy Yard and had the honor of receiving General La Fayette when he visited that place in 1824. He held command next at the Gosport Navy Yard and the naval asylum at Phila- delphia, but at last on account of old age resigned and re- tired to Norfolk, where he died April 21, 1851, in the 83rd year of his age. His eldest daughter, Jane, married Wilton Hope and was mother of James Barron Hope, a disting- uished Virginia poet and literateur.
Lewis Warrington
Another of the naval heroes of Virginia was Commo- dore Lewis Warrington, who was the grandson of Rev. Thomas Warrington, minister of Hampton Church in 1770. He entered the United States navy in 1800 and served with great distinction. His most brilliant performance occurred
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during the war of 1812, when commanding the Peacock, he engaged the British sloop of war Epervier, convoying a fleet of merchantmen. In the battle which ensued the Epervier was badly injured and her crew surrendered. On board of her there was found the sum of 118,000 pounds in specie. The Epervier was sent into Savannah under com- mand of J. B. Nicholson and the Peacock continued on her voyage until the end of October, when she arrived at New York, having captured, principally in the Bay of Biscay, 14 British merchantmen.
Hampton in the War of 1812
In this second war with Great Britain, Hampton suf- fered more severely than in the first. Under Admiral Cock- burn, the British made an attack on Craney Island at the mouth of Elizabeth River. That place was defended by six hundred Virginia militia, recently called into service. With no other aid than a half-finished redoubt, and the co-opera- tion of a few volunteers from the shipping in port, they beat back the British, though numbering three thousand men. Foiled in this first attack, the British turned to glut their vengeance on the little hamlet of Hampton, situated on the north side of James River.
On the 25th of June, 1813, he landed a force of 2500 men at what is now "Indian River," and with a small squadron sailed to the mouth of Hampton Creek, from whence he shelled the town. The place was defended by 450 Virginia militia under Col. Crutchfield stationed at "Little England" with seven small cannon. Taken in the flank by the British land force, the small garrison had to abandon the place and retreat up the peninsula. The Brit- ish occupation was attended with barbarous circumstances, the responsibility of which they afterwards ascribed to some French prisoners, who constituted a part of the Brit- ish force.
Governor Barbour in his message to the Legislature spoke of the private houses that were plundered, the gray hairs that were exposed to wanton insult, the sick man that was murdered in his bed under circumstances of peculiar aggravation, the females that were publicly borne off to suffer the last degree of unutterable violence, and the house of God given over to sacrilegious outrage.
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Religion was at a low ebb in Virginia for many years after the Revolution. The spread of rationalistic ideas and the breaking up of the old establishment affected even the new sects of Baptists and Methodists, while it almost de- stroyed the Episcopal church. The small congregation, which assembled in the old church in the parish, hobbled along under the ministrations of Rev. William Nixon, Rev. Henry Skyren, who died in 1795, Rev. John Jones Spooner, who died in 1799, Rev. Benjamin Brown, who died January 17, 1806, and Rev. George Halson, who officiated till the war of 1812. It was probably by performing the duties of teachers of the Hampton Academy that these ministers managed to obtain a livelihood.
During the interval between Parson Brown and the war of 1812, the frame work of the tower which stood on the west side of the church became so decayed that the bell had to be taken down and was placed in the angle made by the church and the tower. From that position it was re- moved by order of Major Crutchfield to the guardhouse of the American Encampment at "Little England," and soon the tongue fell out, and the hours were struck by an ax, till the bell cracked. After the capture of Hampton by the British soon after, the churchyard was used by them for a slaughter pen and the church itself for a barracks.1
Hampton After the War of 1812
After the conclusion of the war, religion among the people was too feeble to permit much interest to be taken in the church, and the churchyard was used by the public as a grazing ground for cattle, horses and hogs. Soon not a vestige remained of the doors, windows, floors or furni- ture. The general religious awakening began in Virginia under Rt. Rev. Bishop Moore about 1824, and in that year Mrs. Jane Hope, eldest daughter of Commodore James Bar- ron, and Mr. Richard B. Servant started subscriptions for repairing the church walls.
Shortly after a vestry was elected, and money was raised to restore and furnish the church. Then a minister, Rev. Mark A. Chevers, was named, and the old vestry book was dragged from its hiding place.
1 Meade, Bishop William, Old Churches, Ministers and Families of Virginia, 2 Vols., 1878.
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After the destruction of Fort George, in 1749, nothing was done for many years to restore the fort at Point Com- fort. During the war of the Revolution the French threw up some slight fortifications there. The experiences of the war of 1812 advised that it should be made a permanent stronghold. The present Fort Monroe was commenced by the Federal government in 1819, and about 1830 the work began of sinking rocks on the Rip Raps opposite, and after- wards a fort was erected called Fort Calhoun, and subse- quently Fort Wool. Fort Monroe became a frequent resort of visitors, and for their accommodation a hotel called the Hygeia was built which was in later years moved from the first site, near where the Fort Y. M. C. A. now stands to a location on the beach, on the East side of the street leading to the wharf. Immediately opposite The Chamberlin Hotel was completed in 1893. It was a hostelry of great magni- cence but was burned to the ground on March 7, 1920. The Hygeia was razed by order of the War Department. The Sherwood Inn, another hotel remains, but has been taken over by purchase by the Government.
The commercial and religious interests of Elizabeth City County were not the only ones which suffered by war. After peace was made in 1783, the ancient schools of Syms and Eaton were much neglected, for, under the changed state of affairs, the ministers and churchwardens fo Eliza- beth City parish, and even the justices, doubted their true succession as incorporators. Thus the lands were again wasted, and the schools much impaired. At length, in 1805, by virtue of an Act of the Legislature, the two schools were incorporated in one as the "Hampton Academy," and, aided by new contributions, continued for many years as a prosperous institution for the benefit of the children of Elizabeth City and of Poquoson Parish, York County. The following list of teachers was furnished by the late Col. John B. Cary, of Richmond, who was the last teacher of the school previous to its union with the general public school system; Prior to 1826, Parson Halstead; 1826-1829, John Page; 1829-1832, C. J. D. Pryor; 1832-1835, George Cooper; 1837-1840, C. J. D. Pryor; 1840-1847, John A. Getty; 1847- 1852, John B. Cary.
In the year 1846 the General Assembly adopted the present public school system for the State, but its operation
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was left in the cities and towns to the council and in the counties to a popular vote. Elizabeth City was one of those counties which decided favorably for the school system. In 1851 it was divided into school districts and Hampton was comprised in District No. 3. In 1852 the Hampton Academy was associated with the school system and its treasurer, William S. Slater, appeared before the Board of school com- missioners for the county and reported the fund belonging to the school to amount to $10,706.55. At a meeting of the commissioners held January 6, 1855, it was resolved that the commissioners of District No. 3 be authorized to take charge of Hampton Academy as the district school house.
While the school system was not at this time adopted by all the counties of Virginia, its operation in Elizabeth City is well worthy of consideration. In his annual report for the year 1854 the county superintendent says: "The free school system, taking into consideration the sparse- ness of our population in some parts of the county, and the consequent increased size of some of the districts, appears to be working remarkably well. I think it is realizing the expectation of some of its most sanguine friends and rapid- ly securing favor among its former opponents."
In another report he advances some ideas as to school architecture, which have been put forward anew in recent days and approved by the public. He has hopes "that for the future, in the erection of school houses, the wretched plan of school architecture, which now so generally obtains in Virginia, will be rejected, and that ornament as well as comfort will be consulted in their structure."
During the era of improved public education, John B. Cary, the last teacher of the old Hampton Academy, estab- lished a military school of his own, which was attended by young men from all parts of Virginia, and other Southern States. Among his pupils were Captain James Barron Hope, of Norfolk, who attained much distinction as a poet, Capt. W. Gordon McCabe, of Richmond, former President of the Virginia Historical Society, and the late Col. Thomas Tabb, of Hampton, one of the most distinguished lawyers of Virginia.1
Mr. Cary was an enthusiastic teacher and had excellent courses in Latin and Greek as well as music and mathe-
1 Armstrong, Syms-Eaton Academy, 1902.
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matics. His discipline was strict, and the motto of the school was: "Order is Heaven's first law." The young men had a literary society called "The Old Boys," which was addressed by eminent men on suitable occasions. In 1859, the orator was Ex-President John Tyler, who for sev- eral years before the war passed the summer in a villa which he caused to be erected on a point of land opposite to the town, on the east side of Hampton River, and called the "Villa Margaret."
Still another school advanced the educational condi- tion of the county. In 1854, Rev. Martin Forey, a Baptist minister, erected near Hampton the Chesapeake Female College, which in 1859 appears to have been converted into a boy's school.
Between 1850 and 1860 Eastern Virginia greatly im- proved under the new system of farming introduced by Edmund Ruffin, which restored the fertility of the over- worked soil. Millions of dollars were added to the value of the lands. Hampton and Elizabeth City County shared in the prosperity, and there were fewer places in the United States where the people lived in greater comfort. From the plantations were obtained abundant crops of corn and wheat and from the gardens almost all of the best vege- tables. From the waters of the running creeks and inlets were taken the most delicious fish and oysters; and wild ducks and geese not infrequently contributed to the de- lights of the table.
There were all kinds of amusements, such as fishing in the creeks, sailing on the rivers, fox-hunting, card-playing and dancing. Yearly the town was paraded by a numerous troop of masked riders, who attired in all kinds of quaint disguises, moved quietly down the streets at night to dis- appear no one seemed to know where.
The Hotels at Old Point Comfort were frequent resorts of visitors, and the band at the fort not only discoursed sweet music to the troops, but was used by the officers in serenades and to furnish music at the military balls.
The population of Elizabeth City County in 1791 was 3450, of whom 1876 were negro slaves, 18 were free negroes, and 1556 were white people. In 1800 the population was only 2778, of whom 1522 were negro slaves, 18 were free negroes, and 1238 were white people. In 1810 the popula-
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tion made up more than its losses, and was 3598, of whom 1734 were negro slaves, 75 were free negroes, and 1789 were whites. In 1820 the population was 3789 and in 1830, 5033.
In the last year (1830) the population of Hampton was 1120. It contained at that time about 130 dwelling houses, two Baptist churches, one Methodist and an Episcopal church, one Academy and one private school, six dry goods stores, ten grocery stores, two taverns and three castor oil manufactories. The principal mechanical pursuits were shoemaking, blacksmith's work, house carpentering and ship building. It enjoyed a considerable emolument from the money circulated by the Federal government in the building and maintenance of Fort Monroe and the Rip- Raps. There were two lawyers resident in the town and four physicians. In 1840 the population of Elizabeth City County was 3706, of whom 1708 were negro slaves, 44 were free negroes, and 1954 were white people. In 1860 the pop- ulation of Elizabeth City County was 5798, of whom 2417 were negro slaves, 201 were free negroes, and 3180 were white people. The population of Hampton the same year was 1848, of w hom 782 were negro slaves, 73 were free negroes, and 993 were white people.
Hampton During the War of 1861-1865
In the war for Southern Independence, the people of Hampton were warmly for the Confederate cause, but their close proximity to the most powerful fort of the United States rendered their position a most unhappy one. The first regular battle of the war occurred in their vicinity at Big Bethel near the place where Colonel Mallory was killed during the American Revolution. Nearly all the families abandoned the town, and on August, 1862, the place was fired by order of General Magruder. The soldiers selected to do this were property owners in the town, who approved the policy, and the few remaining residents, not over twenty in all, were notified in advance. This drastic and perhaps useless action was taken because of a dispatch from General Butler, which fell into General Magruder's hands that the houses would be used for military purposes. In the general conflagration the church also was consumed, with the excep- tion of the massive walls which remained standing. Only
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