USA > Virginia > Washington County > Washington County > History of southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870 > Part 18
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79
After the adjournment of this Congress, the Colonies were in that condition which precedes the coming of a storm. The people were willing to forgive and forget, provided their petitions were listened to and their.wrongs corrected : otherwise they were ready to give their lives and property in defence of their liberty.
It was now time for the English statesmen to recognize, in the resistance of the Colonies, that spirit of freedom which has ever marked the actions of the Anglo-Saxon race.
At a meeting of the British Parliament on the 20th day of January, 1425. Lord Dartmouth, Secretary of State for the Colo- nies, laid before the House of Peers all the papers relative to the American Colonies. As soon as all papers were read, William Pitt. the undying friend of the American Colonies, arose and moved that an address be presented to the King, requesting him to direct Gen- eral Gage to move his Majesty's forces from the town of Boston. He said: "America could not be reconciled, she ought not to be reconciled to this country, till the troops of Britain are removed from the Continent. Resistance to your acts was necessary, and
200
Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
therefore just; and your vain declarations of the omnipotence of Parliament, and your imperious doctrines of the necessity of sub- mission, will be equally impotent to convince or enslave America. You may, no doubt, destroy their cities, you may cut them off from the superfluities, perhaps. the conveniences, of life; but my Lords, they will still despise your power, for they have yet remaining their woods and their liberty. He said that the spirit which now animates America was the same that led to the revolu- tion in England, and that the friends of liberty on both sides of the Atlantic had but one common cause. "In this great cause," he continued, "they are immovably allied; it is the alliance of God and Nature, immutable, eternal, fixed as the firmament of heaven." His Lordship admitted the right of Parliament to con- trol the complicated machinery of commerce and navigation, but denied its authority over the property of the people of the Colonies ; "property is private, individual, absolute, the touch of another annihilates it." He besought the House to rest upon that distinc- tion, to allow the Americans to maintain their principles of taxa- tion, and to confine the exercise of parliamentary authority to the regulation of commerce. Of the Continental Congress the noble Earl spoke in a strain of the highest eulogy. "History, my Lords," said he, "has been my favorite study, and in the celebrated writings of antiquity have I often admired the patriotism of Greece and Rome; but, my Lords, I must declare and avow, that in the master- states of the world, I know not the people or the Senate, who in such a complication of difficult circumstances can stand in prefer- ence to the Delegates of America. assembled in General Congress at Philadelphia. I trust it is obvious to your Lordships, that all attempts to impose servitude upon such men, to establish despotism over such a mighty continental nation, must be vain, must be futile." The speaker went on to say, that ministerial manœuvres would never be able to resist such a union as that of America, that the hour of danger was not to be averted by the tricks of office, that matters had now gone so far that even repealing the obnoxious Acts would not restore the lost confidence of America, unless his Majesty's armed force was withdrawn from the Continent. The Noble Lord pledged himself, that they would one day find themselves compelled to undo all their oppressive acts. He advised them, therefore, to enter at once into that course, of their own
201
Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
accord, which they must be ultimately forced to adopt. "To con- elude, my Lords," said he, "if the Ministers thus persevere in mis- advising and misleading the King, I will not say that they can alienate the affections of his subjects from the Crown; but, / affirm. they will make the Crown not worth his wearing. I will not say that the King is betrayed, but I will pronounce that the Kingdom is undone."
The motion of Lord Chatham was rejected by a large majority. and the British Ministry declared their purpose never to abandon a single right until the American Colonies were whipped into obedience. The same day that William Pitt delivered the pre- ceding address in the House of Lords, the backwoodsmen of Fin- castle county met, pursuant to the resolves of the Continental Con- gress, at the Lead Mines, their county seat, and took action in the premises ; of which the following is a correct account :
"In obedience to the resolves of the Continental Congress, a meeting of the Freeholders of Fincastle County, in Virginia, was held on the 20th day of January. 1715, who, after approving of the Association framed by that august body in behalf of all the Colo- nies, and subscribing thereto, proceeded to the election of a Com- mittee. to see the same carried punctually into execution, when the following gentlemen were nominated : the Reverend Charles Cum- mings. Colonel William Preston, Colonel William Christian, Cap- tain Stephen Trigg. Major Arthur Campbell. Major William Inglis. Captain Walter Crockett. Captain John Montgomery. Captain James McGarock. Captain William Campbell. Captain Thomas Madison. Captain Daniel Smith, Captain William Russell. Captain Eran Shelby and Lieutenant William Edmondson .. After the elec- tion the committee made choice of Colonel William Christian for their chairman, and appointed Mr. David Campbell to be clerk."
The following address was then unanimously agreed to by the people of the county, and is as follows :
To the Honorable PEYTON RANDOLPH. Esquire. RICH- ARD HENRY LEE, GEORGE WASHINGTON, PATRICK HENRY. Junior. RICHARD BLAND, BENJAMIN HARRI- SON. and EDMUND PENDLETON. Esquires, the Delegates from this Colony. who attended the Continental Congress held at PHILADELPHIA:
Gentlemen .- Had it not been for our remote situation and
202
Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
the Indian. War which we were lately engaged in to chastise those cruel and savage people for the many murders and depredations they have committed amongst us, now happily terminated under the auspices of our present worthy Governor, His Excellency the Right Honorable the Earl of Dunmore, we should before this time have made known to you our thankfulness for the very important services you have rendered to your country, in conjunction with the worthy Delegates from the other Provinces. Your noble efforts for reconciling the mother country and the Colonies, on rational and constitutional principles and your pacifick, steady and uniform conduct in that arduous work entitle you to the esteem of all British America, and will immortalize you in the annals of your country. We heartily concur in your resolutions, and shall, in every instance, strictly and invariably adhere thereto.
We assure you, gentlemen, and all our countrymen, that we are a people whose hearts overflow with love and duty to our lawful Sovereign, George the Third, whose illustrious House for several successive reigns have been the guardians of the civil and religious rights and liberties of British subjects, as settled at the glorious Revolution ; that we are willing to risk our lives in the service of his Majesty for the support of the Protestant religion and the rights and liberties of his subjects, as they have been established by compact, law and ancient charters. We are heartily grieved at the dif- ferences which now subsist between the parent state and the Colo- nies, and most ardently wish to see harmony restored on an equi- table basis and by the most lenient measures that can be devised by the heart of man. Many of us and our forefathers left our native land, considering it as a kingdom subjected to inordinate power and greatly abridged of its liberties ; we crossed the Atlantic, and explored this then uncultivated wilderness bordering on many nations of savages and surrounded by mountains almost inacces- sible to any but those very savages, who have incessantly been com- mitting barbarities and depredations on us since our first seating the country. These fatigues and dangers we patiently encoun- tered, supported by the pleasing hope of enjoying those rights and liberties which had been granted to Virginians, and were denied us in our native country, and of transmitting them inviolate to our posterity ; but even to these remote regions the hand of unlim- ited and unconstitutional power hath pursued us, to strip us of
203
Southwest Virginia. 1746-1786.
that liberty and property with which God. nature and the rights of humanity have vested us. We are ready and willing to contri- bute all in our power for the support of his Majesty's government. if applied to constitutionally, and when the grants are made by our own Representatives, but cannot think of submitting our liberty or property to the power of a venal British Parliament, or to the will of a corrupt Ministry. We by no means desire to shake of our duty or allegiance to our lawful sovereign, but, on the contrary. shall over glory in being the loyal subjects of a Protestant prince. descended from such illustrious progenitors, so long as we can enjoy the free exercise of our religion as Protestants, and our liberties and properties as British Subjects.
But if no pacifick measures shall be proposed or adopted by Great Britain, and our enemies will attempt to dragoon us out of those inestimable privileges, which we are entitled to as subjects, and to reduce us to a state of slavery, we declare that we are deliberately and resolutely determined never to surrender them to any power upon earth but at the expense of our lives.
These are our real, though unpolished, sentiments of liberty and loyalty, and in them we are resolved to live and die.
We are, gentlemen, with the most perfect esteem and regard. your most obedient servants.
The meeting of the Freeholders of Fincastle county, on the 20th of January, 1725, in answer to the resolves of the Continental Con- gress was not the first meeting held for this purpose in the Colony. but it was, as far as we have any record, the first meeting in which the frecholders declared that they were deliberately and resolutely determined never to surrender their inestimable privileges to any power upon earth but at the expense of their lives. The senti- ments of this meeting were definitely stated by the Committee of Safety when they declared that the frecholders of Fincastle county did not desire to shake off their allegiance to their lawful sovereign as long as they could enjoy the free exercise of their religion as Protestants and their liberties and properties as British subjects. The Committee of Safety, appointed by the freeholders of Fin- castle county, was composed of fifteen men. any one of whom, by reason of his intelligence and patriotism, was competent to draft the address before given.
The members of that committee living at that time on lands
204
Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
afterwards within the limits of the county of Washington, were seven in number, as follows:
Reverend Charles Cummings, Major Arthur Campbell,
Captain William Campbell, Captain Daniel Smith,
Captain William Russell, Captain Evan Shelby,
Lieutenant William Edmiston.
Early in the year 1775, the British Parliament passed a bill restraining the trade of Virginia and that of a number of the other colonies.
Several efforts were made by members of this Parliament to have measures adopted that would have a tendency to bring the Colonies and Great Britain together, but all to no purpose. In the Virginia House of Burgesses, Patrick Henry introduced a num- ber of resolutions for arming and disciplining the militia of the Colonies, and the delegates to the former Congress held in Phil- adelphia were re-elected, along with Thomas Jefferson, to serve in the next Congress which met at Philadelphia in May, 1775.
In the month of April, hostilities began between General Gage, commanding the British forces at Boston, and the troops of the Massachusetts Colony, and the first blood of the Revolution was shed at Lexington, Massachusetts, on the 17th day of April, 1775. In a few days this news spread, and the entire Colony was in arms. The first blow had been struck by the King's troops, and now the Colonies took up their arms in self-defence.
In Virginia, Governor Dunmore, upon a plea that an insurrec- tion existed in a neighboring county, removed the powder stored in the public magazine at Williamsburg, and placed it on board of a ship by a small body of marines, on the 9th of April, 1775. This action of the Governor provoked a great deal of discontent, and, in answer to a request from the officials of the city of Williamsburg, he promised to restore the powder whenever wanted, but declined , to do so at that time, for the reason that he had heard that the people were armed, and that he did not think it prudent to put. powder in their hands.
This promise of the Governor did not satisfy the people, and, arming themselves, they began to assemble and march through the streets of Williamsburg, whereupon, Governor Dunmore sent thern a message in which he stated that if they interfered with any of the King's officers he would declare freedom to their slaves and
205
Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
lay Williamsburg in ashes. This information being communicated to the surrounding country and the news from Massachusetts hay- ing reached Virginia, the people flew to arms in all directions. Patrick Henry placed no confidence in the promise of the Governor and resolved upon making an effort to recover the powder.
He organized a company in his own county, and, with this com- pany, began his march to Williamsburg. Patrick Henry was very popular with the people of the Colony and upon their hearing of his determination, fully five thousand men tendered him their services. The Governor was greatly alarmed by this occurrence and fled from the capitol and boarded a man-of-war. Apprehending the conse- quences of this act of Patrick Henry's. he directed the Receiver- General of the Colony to meet Mr. Henry and pay him in full for the powder that had been carried off, which he did. Thereupon. Henry and his followers dispersed to their homes. Two days after this occurrence. the Governor proclaimed Patrick Henry an out- law. Upon the 15th day of July, 1175, the Committee of Safety for Fincastle county assembled at the Lead Mines, and adopted the following resolutions in approbation of the course pursued by Pat- rick Henry. 1 1
At a committee held for Fincastle County, July 15th, 1275, William Christian, chairman. The committee, taking into their consideration the clandestine removal of the gunpowder from the magazine of this Colony by order of our Governor, are clearly and unanimously of opinion that his Lordship's conduct reflects much dishonor on himself. and he very justly deserves the censure so universally bestowed upon him.
Resolved. That the spirited and meritorious conduct of Pat- rick Henry, Esq., and the rest of the gentlemen volunteers at- tending him on the occasion of the removal of the gunpowder out of the magazine in Williamsburg, very justly merits the very hearty approbation of this committee, for which we return them our thanks, with an assurance that we will, at the risk of our own lives and fortunes, support and justify them with regard to the reprisal they made .*
Resolved. That the council of this Colony in advising and co-operating with Lord Dunmore in issuing the proclamation of the 3d of May last, charging the people of this Colony with an
*Amer. Arch., Vol. II., pp. 16-20, 16-21.
206
Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
ungovernable spirit and licentious practices, is contrary to many known matters of fact, and but too justly shows to us that those who ought to be mediators and guardians of our liberties are become the abject tools of a detested administration.
Resolved, That it is the opinion of this committee that the late sanguinary attempt and preparations of the King's troops, in the Colony of Narragansett Bay, are truly alarming and irritating. and loudly call upon all, even the most distant and interiour parts of the Colonies, to prepare and be ready for the extreme event, by a fixed resolution and a firm and manly resolve to avert ministerial cruelty, in defence of our reasonable rights and liberties.
A perusal of these resolutions clearly show the spirit that ani- mated the people of Fincastle county. The third Continental Con- gress assembled at Philadelphia on the 10th day of May, 1775, and elected the following officers :
President, Peyton Randolph, Virginia ;
Secretary, Charles Thompson, of Pennsylvania.
Among the first measures proposed and adopted by this Con- gress was one looking to the placing of the Colonies in a defensive position and, on the 7th day of June, 1775, the Congress passed a resolution fixing the 20th day of July, 1775, as a day to be observed by the twelve Colonies in humiliation, fasting and prayer. About this time, General Gage, commander of the British forces at Boston, issued a proclamation in the King's name, offering a pardon to all of the people who would lay down their arms, except John Hancock and Samuel Adams.
At this time, Peyton Randolph, President of the Continental Congress, resigned his position as President of the Congress, and thereupon John Hancock was elected president-this election being in answer to General Gage's proclamation. On the 15th of June, 1775, the Continental Congress, by a unanimous vote, elected as Commander-in-Chief of all the continental forces George Washington, of Virginia, and elected the following Major-Gen- erals: Artemus Ward, Philip Schuyler and Charles Lee, and Ho- ratio Gates, as Adjutant-General.
On the 17th of June, 1775, the battle of Breed's Hill was fought, in which battle the British suffered a loss of eleven hundred men, of whom two hundred and twenty-six were killed, eighty-nine of the number officers. The American loss was four hundred and
207
Southwest Virginia. 1746-1986.
fifty-three killed, wounded and missing. The Continental Con- gress. in this month, ordered twelve rifle companies to be raised in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, and directed the issuing of two million dollars in continental currency. for the redemption of which they pledged the property of the twelve Colonies. Gen- eral Washington, immediately upon the receipt of his commission, proceeded to Massachusetts, where he took charge of the continental troops, and. by the middle of August. the rifle companies ordered to be raised in Virginia, reached Cambridge, Massachusetts, in time to take part in the capture of Boston.
While we have no documentary evidence of the fact, there can be no doubt that a number of the riflemen from Fincastle county accompanied the troops from Virginia. In the meantime, on the 6th day of July, 1175. the Congress of the United Colonies adopted a memorial setting forth the causes that led to, and the necessity of, their taking up arms.
On the 24th day of July, 1:15. the Colonial Convention of Vir- ginia met at Williamsburg and appointed a Committee of Safety. and passed an act for the raising of two regiments to be placed under the command of Patrick Henry, who was made commander of all the forces raised and to be raised in defence of the Colony. The two regiments were speedily raised, and assembled at Wil- liamsburg.
The Committee of Safety for Fincastle county. in answer to the resolutions of the Virginia Convention, immediately dispatched a company of choice riflemen from Fincastle county, under the com- mand of Captain William Campbell. this company being among the first to arrive at Williamsburg.
On the 3d day of September of this year, a British ship-of-war was driven ashore near Hampton. Virginia, during a storm, and. on the morning of the 4th, the people set fire to and destroyed it. The captain of the ship threatened to burn the town and actually tried to do so, but the Virginia Committee of Safety dispatched Colonel Woodford, with three companies of riflemen. to the assist- ance of the people of Hampton. Of the three companies thus dis- patched, one was the company of Fincastle troops under Captain William Campbell .*
When the British captain began his attack upon the town he
* Amer. Arch., Vol. - , p. 296.
208
Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
was so warmly received by Colonel Woodford and his men, that he took to flight after the loss of a number of men. Thus it will be seen that troops from Fincastle county took part in the first engagement of the Revolutionary war, on Virginia soil, in which blood was shed. Upon the receipt of this information, Lord Dun- more issued a proclamation, proclaiming freedom to all the slaves who would join his standard. He thus gathered a considerable number of volunteers, of whom four hundred were slaves. Colonel Woodford and his company returned to Williamsburg. Lord Dun- more with his forces began a series of depredations upon the people living along the sea-coast, and the Virginia Committee of Safety again dispatched Colonel Woodford at the head of eight hundred men to drive him from his position at the Great Bridge. Colonel Woodford had not been long in the vicinity of the Great Bridge, when Lord Dunmore dispatched Captain Leslie, with the regular troops and slaves, to attack the troops under Colonel Woodford, and, as the result of this attempt, every man of the British troops was killed, wounded or captured ; whereupon, Governor Dun- more and his troops went aboard their ships, leaving Colonel Wood- ford and the Colonial troops in complete control of the position formerly occupied by the Governor.
The Colonial troops that assembled at Williamsburg formed two battalions, and the first battalion, to which the troops from Fincastle were attached, was officered as followed :
Colonel, Patrick Henry.
Lieutenant-Colonel, William Christian, of Fincastle county.
Major, Frank Eppes.
Lord Dunmore, after his defeat at the Great Bridge, placed all his white followers on board the ships and left his negro allies to shift for themselves. After some time his provisions began to grow scarce, when he sent a request to the citizens of Norfolk for supplies, which request was denied, and on the 1st day of January, 1776, he began to bombard the town of Norfolk, with four ships, and, under cover of the fire from these ships, a company of sailors landed and set fire to the town, which soon was a heap of ashes; an uncalled for act upon the part of the British forces.
The British Parliament at its session in 1776, passed an act pro- hibiting all trade and intercourse with the thirteen American Colonies, and, about the same time, the King of England nego-
209
Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
tiated treaties with some of the petty princes of Germany for the use of a number of Hessian troops in the campaign against the American Colonies. When information of this act of the British Parliament reached General Washington, he decided to drive the British from Boston and proceeded to do so on the 2d of March. and, on the 4th day of March, General Thomas, with a detachment of the American troops, took charge of Dorchester Heights over- looking Boston harbor. In a few days thereafter, General Howe, with nine thousand British troops, evacuated Boston without a fight, and General Washington, at the head of the continental army, took possession on the 17th day of March, 1776.
On the 6th day of May, 1:26, the first constitutional conven- tion assembled in Virginia, at Williamsburg, pursuant to the direc- tions of the Committee of Safety, under an ordinance of the con- vention of 1125, which directed that, in view of the fact that the usual meeting of the General Assembly in a constitutional way had been altogether obstructed, it had become indispensably necessary for the oppressed people of this country, at a crisis so alarming, to adopt such other mode of consulting and providing for the gen- eral safety as may seem most conducive to that great end. The members of this convention were elected in the same manner in which the members of the House of Burgesses had been previously elected. and the representatives in this convention from Fincastle county, were :
Arthur Campbell, William Russell,
both citizens of that part of Fincastle county afterwards included in the subsequently formed county of Washington.
It is hard to understand, except upon the idea that the people living upon the waters of the Holston and Clinch exceeded in number the people living on the waters of the New river in Fin- castle county, how both members of this Convention should have been residents of the western part of Fincastle county.
Some may say that this was done by consent, but such was not the fact, for the elections in those days were as hotly contested as any held in more recent times. It is worthy to be remembered. that in these early days every freeholder was required to vote under the penalty of two hundred pounds of tobacco for a failure, and every freeholder was required to attend and vote on the day
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.