USA > Virginia > Virginia and Virginians; eminent Virginians, executives of the colony of Virginia, Vol. I > Part 34
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A few days later Lafayette, with the entire available force of Vir- ginia, took post a few miles north of the British position, and from here sent messengers with dispatches to Washington, requesting him to hasten to Virginia and assist in the overthrow of the entire British force. A powerful French fleet was daily expected in the Chesapeake, and the American commander saw that Cornwallis, with his retreat cut. off by land and sea, would be compelled to surrender, and thus the fatal blow to the British arms would be struck. On the 30th of August the expected fleet, with four thousand men on board, arrived and anchored at the mouth of York river; and on the 2d of Sep- tember Count de Barras, commanding the French fleet at Newport, sailed into the Chesapeake with eight men-of-war and a number of trans- ports. Three days later Admiral Graves, with a large fleet of ships-of- the-line, appeared in the bay. A naval battle ensued, in which the ships of the English were so roughly handled by the French flotilla that Graves was compelled to withdraw from the bay and sail away to New York.
On the 14th General Washington arrived at the head-quarters of La- fayette, and on the next day visited the flag-ship of Count de Grasse, where the plan of the siege was arranged. On the 25th the Army of the North, which had been preceded by the commander-in-chief, arrived, and on the 6th of October the combined forces of America and France opened fire on the walls of the now beleaguered army, and on the night of the 14th carried the outer works by storm. Early in the morning of the 16th the English made a sortie, but were hurled back into their intrenchments. The next day Cornwallis proposed a surrender; on the 18thi the terms of capitulation were signed; and on the 19th Major-Gen- eral O'Hara, who appeared instead of Cornwallis, who feigned illness, marched the whole force out into the open field, where in the presence of the united forces of France and America, 7,247 English soldiers laid down their arms and became prisoners of war. Thus ended the war in Virginia, and here, on her soil, the power of the Briton in America was forever broken.
Had Virginia done her part in that mighty struggle? Let history answer. She had been the first to adopt an independent constitution; she was the first to recommend the Declaration of Independence; she had sent her noble son to become the first among the leaders of the armies of the nation; her officers and soldiers which she kept in the field for eight long and weary years, whether in the shock of battle, or marching half-clad, half-starved, and barefooted amid the shows of the North, or through the pestilential swamps of the South, had ever evinced unsurpassed bravery and fortitude. She had furnished the voice of Henry, the pen of Jefferson, the sword of Washington, and that was enough. What other American State can show such a record ?
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VIRGINIA AFTER THE REVOLUTION.
The most important act in the history of the State in the year 1781, was the cession of her immense territory north-west of the Ohio to the general government. The feeble colony of 1607, now grown to a power- ful State, stands on the banks of the Ohio and cedes to the general gov- ment her vast empire beyond. To this liberal aet she was induced by her desire to accelerate the general ratification of the Articles of the Confederation of the Union.
The war was now past, and it was seen by the ablest statesmen of the nation that the Articles of Confederation, under which the colonies had achieved their independence, were not suited to bind together a union of States whose territory extended over half a continent, and whose desire was to be held together by bonds of union which could never be severed; and now, for the first time, the subject of a federal or national constitu- tution began to be thought of. This plan of remodeling the government originated in Virginia.
After Washington resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the army to the Continental Congress, he retired to his home at Mount Vernon, and it was here, in the year 1785, during the visit of several distinguished statesmen, that the proposition was first made. They then prepared and issued a call for a convention to meet at Annapolis, in Maryland, the following year, " to consider the subject of a national con- stitution." In September, 1786, the convention met, but only five States were represented. This being a minority of the States, the body, after passing a resolution urging the several legislatures to appoint delegates to a national convention, to meet at Philadelphia on the second Monday in May, adjourned.
In compliance with that resolution, the convention met at the ap- pointed place and time, every State being represented except Rhode Island. "To that convention Virginia sent as her representatives, George Washington, John Blair, James Madison, Jr., George Mason, James McClurg, Edmund Randolph and George Wythe, the first of whom was elected president of the convention.
From the day of meeting to the 29th, a discussion was kept up in relation to the revision of the articles of confederation, when, on the latter day, Edmund Randolph moved to set aside the articles and pro- pare a new constitution. The motion prevailed. A committee was ap- pointed, which reported early in September. Their report was the Constitution of the United States. Copies of the new instrument were sent. to the several legislatures for ratification or rejection.
The Virginia convention called to ratify the Federal compact met in the city of Richmond in June, 1788, and was composed of men whose
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names were already illustrious, or destined to become so in the future history of the State and nation. Among them sat Marshall, Madison. Monroe, . Mason, Nichols, Henry, Randolph, Pendleton, Lee, Washing- tou, Wythe, Innes, Bland, Grayson, and many others " whose sound reasoning and eloquence shed a lustre upon the deliberations of that august body which has never been surpassed in the annals of the com- monwealth." On the 25th an ordinance was passed ratifying the Fed- eral Constitution, and the new government at once went into operation, nine States having previously adopted that instrument.
It was then that Virginia began her career as the central figure in the galaxy of States, and for fifty years her progress was such that it won for her the proud title of " the Old Dominion." But our space forbids us to notice in detail the minor events in her history.during that period, and we must content ourselves with a brief mention of the most important only.
BURNING OF THE RICHMOND THEATER.
The saddest event recorded in the annals of the State is that of the burning of the Richmond theater on the night of the 26th of December, 1811. This terrible catastrophe carried heart-rending sorrow to many heretofore happy homes, and cast a gloom over the entire State.
On that evening a popular play was to be introduced, and an audi- ence numbering six hundred, composed of the elite of the city, together with many others from distant parts of the State who were spending the holidays at the capital city, had collected to witness the perform- ance, and just at the time the play was to commence the scenery in the rear of the stage became ignited by coming in contact with a chandelier. The alarm was given, and then at once began such a scene as has rarely, if ever, been witnessed. We let the editor of the Richmond Standard, who was an eye-witness, describe it :
"The performers and their attendants in vain endeavored to tear down the scenery; the fire flashed in every part of the house with a rapidity horrible and astonishing; and, alas! gushing tears and unspeakable anguish deprived me of utterance. No person who was not present can form any idea of this unexampled scene of distress. *
* * There was but one door for the greatest part of the audience to pass. Men, women and children were pressing upon each other, while the flames were seizing upon those behind. The editor went to different windows, which were very high, and implored his fellow-creatures to save their lives by jumping out of them. Those nearest the windows, ignorant of their danger, were afraid to leap down, while those behind them were seen catching on fire and writhing in the greatest agonies of pain and dis- tress. At length those behind, urged by the pressing flames, pushed those who were nearest to the windows, and people of every description began to fall one upon another, some with their clothes on fire, some
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half roasted. Oh, wretched me! Oh, afflicted people! Would to God I could have died a thousand deaths in any shape, could undivided suf- fering have purchased the safety of my friends, my benefactors, of those whom I loved ! The editor, with the assistance of others, caught seve- ral of those whom he had begged to leap from the windows. One lady jumped out when all her clothes were on fire. He tore them burning from her; stripped her of her last rags, and, protecting her nakedness with his coat, carried her from the fire. Fathers and mothers were de- ploring the loss of their children ; children the loss of their parents ; husbands were heard to lament the loss of their companions ; wives were bemoaning their burnt husbands. The people were seen wringing their hands, beating their hands and breasts, and those that had secured themselves seemed to suffer greater torments than those enveloped in the flames.
" Oh, distracting memory ! Who that saw this can think of it again and yet retain his senses! Do I dream? No, no! Oh, that it were but a dream! My God! who that saw his friends and nearest connections devoured by fire and laying in heaps at the door, will not regret that he ever lived to see such sights? Could savages have seen this memorable event, it would even soften their hearts.
"A sad gloom pervades this place, and every countenance is cast down to earth. The loss of a hundred thousand friends on the field of battle could not touch the heart like this. Enough. Imagine what can not be described. The most distant and implacable enemy, and the most savage barbarians, will mourn our unhappy lot."
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About one hundred and twenty perished in the flames, among whom . were the Hon. George W. Smith, governor of the State; Abraham B. Venable, United States ex-senator and president of the State Bank of Richmond, and many other distinguished persons. Lieutenant J. Gib- bon, of the regular army, lost his life in an attempt to save that of a Miss Conyers, his affianced.
SECOND WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN.
When the war of 1812 came, Virginia was ready. She contributed liberally of her treasure, and thousands of her sons from her eastern shores and from her wide western domain enrolled themselves in favor of " Free Trade and Sailors' Rights," and went to join the land and naval forces of the nation ; and when the vandals of Ross, who laid the Federal capital in ashes, were ravaging her shores, her citizens rose en masse to repel the ruth- less invader. At Hampton, at Craney Island, at Norfolk, at Fort Meigs, and along the shores of the Northern lakes, hundreds of her sons foll upon the battle-field, and other hundreds paid the forfeit of their lives in a climate which, to them, habit and nature had rendered uncongenial and fatal.
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REVOLUTIONARY RELICS.
GRAVE OF GENERAL DANIEL MORGAN, of the Revolution, at Winchester, Va.
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CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES.
As already noticed, Mr. Archibald Cary, from the committee appointed for the purpose, reported, on the 24th of June, 1776, a plan of govern- ment for the colony. It was read a second time, on the 26th, and con- sidered in committee of the whole on that day, and on the 27th and 28th. It was then reported to the House, with amendments, which were read twice and agreed to. After being fairly transcribed, it was read a third time on the 29th and passed unanimously.
This constitution or form of government was originally drawn up by George Mason. Mr. Jefferson had put a draft of one into the hands of Mr. Wythe, who reached Williamsburg after the other was committed to the committee of the whole. Two or three parts of Mr. Jefferson's plan were, with little alteration, inserted in the other, and his preamble was also adopted. This constitution was in force until superseded by the amended constitution or form of government for Virginia which, on the 15th of January, 1830, was submitted and proposed to the people of Virginia by their delegates and representatives in convention assembled.
This amended constitution continued in force until January, 1852. 1 convention to form a new constitution was called in 1850. It assembled on the 14th of October of the same year, and the constitution which eon- tinued in force until the time of the civil war was adopted on the 1st of August, 1851. It was submitted to the people, who ratified it on the fourth Thursday in October following. On the second Monday of the succeeding December an election was held for the legislature, governor. lieutenant-governor and attorney-general. The first general assembly under the new constitution convened on the second Monday in January (the twelfth day of the month), and the first governor and lieutenant- governor took the oath and entered upon the discharge of the duties of their respective offices on the 16th of January, 1852. Under the now liberal provisions of this constitution, the State entered upon a decade of unexampled prosperity. These were the halcyon days of Virginia, but the storm came on apace and civil war hovered near.
JOHN BROWN'S RAID UPON HARPERS FERRY, VIRGINIA, 1859.
On the 16th day of October, 1859, an event occurred at Harpers Ferry. Virginia, which sent a thrill of terror throughout the State and astonished the entire nation, an event which was but the forerunner of mightier ones : it was the muttering of the storm in the distance, the rumbling of thunder below the horizon where lay the storm which was destined, erelong, to
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break forth in all its fury and scatter destruction far and wide through- out the country.
May 8th, 1858, a conference was held at Chatham, Canada, composed of numerous representatives from various parts of the United States and British America, the object of which was to consult upon and determine the best plans for bringing about a consummation of their long-cherished hope, the abolition of slavery in the Southern States. The moving spirit of that body was John Brown, or " Old Ossawattamie Brown," so called because of his participation in the battle fought at Ossawattamie, Kansas, during the troubles in that State. What the action of that convention was, never has been, and never will be known. but an inference may be drawn from the immediate action of its prin- cipal leader.
Shortly after, Brown and his two sons, Oliver and Watson, appeared in the vicinity of Harpers Ferry, Virginia, and under the assumed name of Smith, leased a farm in Maryland, only a few miles distant from the place selected as the scene of their future operations. Here a con- siderable quantity of arms and ammunition, shipped from an unknown source, was collected, and a force of twenty-two confederates joined him, of whom seventeen were white and five were colored. Brown's courage and resolute daring displayed in the long and bloody war which ended in making Kansas a free State, secured for him the leadership in the dangerous enterprise now to be undertaken. At length the day for action arrived; Brown issued his instructions to his followers and concluded by saying, "And now, gentlemen, let me press this one thing upon your minds. You all know how dear life is to you, and how dear your lives are to your friends; and remembering that, con- sider that the lives of others are as dear to them as yours is to you. Do not, therefore, take the life of any one, if you can possibly avoid it; but, if necessary to take life in order to save your own, then make sure work of it."
The hour was 10 o'clock P. M., when William Williamson, the ar- senal guard on the Potomac bridge, while walking his beat, was seized and made a prisoner. The guard thus removed, Brown and his men quietly took possession of the armory buildings, in which were stored an immense quantity of arms and ammunition. When the midnight re- lief came to the bridge and found the lights out and the guard gone, he supposed it to be an attempt at robbery, and hastened away to give the aların. About 1 o'clock in the morning several of the invaders went to the house of Lewis Washington, an extensive farmer and slave owner, and, arousing him from his bed, made him a prisoner, and after securing his arms and carriage and proclaiming freedom to his slaves, carried him to the arsenal. A similar visit was made to the residence . of Mr. Alstatt, who, together with his son, was made a prisoner and
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his slaves likewise proclaimed free. Several other prisoners were also brought in, some of whom interrogated Brown as to the object of the proceedings, to which he answered, "To free the slaves;" and when asked by whose authority the reply was, "By the authority of God Almighty.'
At the usual hour the mail train ou the Baltimore & Ohio road arrived, but was warned not to pass over the bridge, but after consid- erable detention was permitted to proceed. So quietly had everything been managed that the town was not aroused until after daybreak. when it was discovered that the government buildings were in posse- sion of a band of insurgents, who, with armed sentinels, guarded every approach to the town, thus rendering its inhabitants prisoners. At. daylight the workmen engaged on the buildings, not yet aware of the proceedings, went as usual to their work and were made pris- oners and confined in a large building in the yard; the other pris- oners being confined in the engine-house which the invaders after made their chief fortress.
When the true state of affairs became known the wildest confusion prevailed; messages were hastened off to the surrounding towns, and by noon military companies began to arrive. Colonel Baylor, with a company of Charlestown troops, was the first to arrive; they made a dash toward the bridge, the invaders falling back and taking refuge in the armory, where they checked the military and compelled them to fall back ; a desultory fire was kept up during the remainder of the day, by which Mr. Beckham, mayor of the town, was killed; also Brown's son, Oliver, Kagi, his secretary, and Leeman, one of his captives, fell within the armory. In the evening a considerable force arrived from Mar- tinsburg, which at once stormed and carried the building in which the workmen were imprisoned; they were all liberated and an attack was then made upon the engine-house, which was repulsed with consider- able loss.
Brown had taken the precaution to have the wires cut, so that the outside world should not be aware of his proceedings until he should have firmly established himself; but late in the evening messengers bore dispatches beyond the damage to the wires, and transmitted them to Washington, Baltimore, Richmond, and other points, at all of which the intelligence produced the wildest excitement and throughout the South it amounted to almost a "reign of terror." Col. Robert E. Lee. with one hundred United States marines and two pieces of artillery. was at once dispatched from Washington to the scene of action, and upon the arrival Colonel Lee sent Lieutenant J. E. B. Stuart to demand an unconditional surrender; only promising the insurgents protection from immediate violence, and a trial under the civil laws, but Brown refused to capitulate on any terms other than these : "That they should be per- mitted to march out with their men and arms, taking their prisoners with
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them; that they should proceed, unpursued, to the toll-gate, when they would free their prisoners; the soldiers would then be permitted to pur- sue. them, and they would fight if they could not escape." To these terms Lieutenant Stuart could not consent; he withdrew, and an attack was at once made which resulted in the capture of Brown and several of his followers, all of whom were forced to surrender only at the point of the bayonet. One of the soldiers struck Brown, after he had thrown down his arms, in the face with his saber, and another soldier ran a bay- onet twice into his body.
Captain Brown was carried out into the yard, where he soon revived, and talked freely to those around him, defending his action, and declar- ing that he had done only what was right. The following conversation took place between himself and one of the officers:
"Are you Captain Brown of Kansas?"
"I am sometimes called so,"
" Are you Ossawattamie Brown?"
" I tried to do my duty there."
" What is your present object?"
" To free the slaves from bondage."
" Were any other persons but those with you now, connected with the movement ?"
" No."
" Did you expect aid from the North?"
"No; there was no one connected with the movement but those who came with me."
"Did you expect to kill people in order to carry your point?"
"I did not wish to do so, but you have forced us to do it."
An indietment for treason and murder was at once found against Brown by the authorities of Virginia, and from this time until his trial, he was closely confined in prison. Several of his followers were also confined to await trial, all of whom demanded to be tried separately; the authorities consented, and Brown was placed on trial for his life, upon the charge preferred in the indictment. The case came up for hearing on the 26th of October, at Charlestown, Virginia. He asked for a continuance because of his severe wounds, but it was denied him. Throughout the trial, being unable to sit, he lay upon a mattress. The trial continued three days; a verdict of guilty upon all the charges preferred was found against him, and he was sentenced to be hanged on the 2d of December.
During the period of Brown's confinement from the time his sentence was pronounced until the day of his execution, he was visited by many distinguished persons, and letters of sympathy and condolence from emi- nent editors and politicians poured in upon him. When the day of his execution arrived he walked forth from the jail with a calm expression
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upon his face, and a firm and steady step; mounted the wagon which was to convey him to the gallows, and seated himself between Mr. Avis, the jailer, and Mr. Saddler, the undertaker. On the way to the gallows he conversed as cheerfully as if he had only been taking a morning drive with the object of viewing the surrounding mountain scenery. Arrived at the place of execution, he descended from the wagon and mounted the scaffold, the first man to stand upon it. A white cap was then drawn over his eyes and the fatal noose adjusted. Said the sheriff: " Captain Brown, you are not standing upon the drop; will you stop forward ?" Brown replied : "I can not see; you must lead me." Sheriff Avis then led him to the center of the drop ; the fatal signal was given and the body was dangling in the air. After hanging thirty-eight min- utes it was cut down, given to the undertaker, who placed it in a walnut coffin, after which it was conveyed to North Elba, New York, where an eloquent eulogy was pronounced over it by Wendell Phillips. That thus died a fanatic, a victim to a delusion which entirely possessed hin. none will deny; but that he was a brave man, possessing determined resolution, we have the testimony of Governor Henry A. Wise, who said of him : " Brown was as brave a man as ever headed an insurrec tion. He is the farthest possible remove from the ordinary ruffian, rake or madman."
Six of Brown's companions were also executed : Cook, Coppoc, Copo- land and Green, on the 16th of December, and Stephens and Haslitt on the 16th of the following March. Thus ended the most tragic scene in the history of Virginia.
THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES.
We have followed the fortunes of Virginia through the old French and Indian war; through two hundred years of border warfare; through the stormy scenes of the Revolution; through the second war with Great Britain; we know how her sons marched with alacrity to the di -- tant fields of Mexico; but now we are to see her plunged into a civil war, the equal of which has not been recorded in the annals of nations. Virginia, owing to her geographical position, was destined to become one great battle-field. On her soil was to be marshaled the hosts of the con- tending armies, and her mountains and valleys were to be crimsoned with the best blood of the nation. Within her domain was to arise a new commonwealth, and both the mother and the daughter were to reside upon the ancient estate. The year 1861 found Virginia in a state of civil commotion, unparalleled in history except it be France in the early days of the French revolution.
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