Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-03-02
RICHMOND. MARCH ,,
COL. WILLIAM 'TATHA NJ.

| ne ioHoMiug Sketch OF this uniortu-
| mate and Ingenious gentleman was drawn
by hlmsclia few days before his death,
| ana addressed 10 a memberof The Senate
iot Virginia. We present il as an article
OF much curious interest 10 our readers
II is now ascertained that Col. L. INTENDED
| The aci Of seli-desiruclion, and had spo-
ken but few days before bis death of his
intention, 10 destroy himself in Tie face
| OF The public on the very scene of his
| death, the Capitol Square :!
DEAR SIR..-.in compliance with Your re-
quest of yesterday, | have the honor 10 state,
that was born in England on the 18Th April
iNSl 1852 My family and connexions ATE
certified nnder the seal of this coniuionw ealth
| IN the testimonial Of the Hon, Thomas Nelson.
'ast secretary of state in Virginia, flied ia the
pers.traHsm'tted for the inspection of your
honorable committee if ueediu.
In the autumn of I70S, my father sent me
from school 20 Liverpool, thence TO be sent to
Messrs Carter and Trent, native American
| merchants on James river. TO be brought up in
the commercial pursuits OF the tobacco irahe.
On my birth day in 1860, arrived In NirEiuia
aud was immediately received into their en-
| ploy, serving them faithfully several years aud
haing in their confidence, intercourse, aud
conneXiJn ill their death. This year became
intimate with your grandfather and tdtier
1 wastorbiddeD by my family to take part
with the Americans; bat my own opinion OF la
tonal rights prepomderating. Joined Garlamds
Volunteers. IN Luienbnrg. Va. but was not i'm
action with them at the battle OF the Great
Bridge, (Nortolk) on account OF NY return
| from Petersburg TO Lnnenbnrg on iInnortan,
business, under orders verbally.
In April, i776, aud thereafter through the
Revolutionary war. | was i'm The tr, acti,u
| fought with the sudians, and ia tile storm OF
| the enemy'S lett famous rock reduubt ~ the
siege OF York with the Marquis De la Fayette,
Lea. Muhien5uFe, &c.,. See testimonials i'm
! my files, for my general conduct attested
i flu a. ffta ~
Washington's farewell advice To the ARM /
became a member of The bar, with practice
worth 5000 per ann.; aud the representative
| OF my county IN the legislature Of \. Carolina
| IN NsS. family concerns, wherein found a
| trick concerning ihe statute of limiiaiions)
| induced me 10 go 10 England; after III months
absence arrived in Norfolk in an Indifferent
| state of health; and although I found some of
my heIshDors III town with spare borseS the
condition. of my health ind me 10 come np
| TO Richmond, by eater, for the settlement Of
old affairs.
Az thi, period, (Feb. 1890 came request
| from 6cn. knox, then secretary of WaT.IiuCer
! The orders of General Washington. 90 the
governor aud coaacil OF Virginia 10 select Tie
person they deemed 10 be most capable OF
! GIVING such Typographical additions TO the cx-
! isung maps as might enable the federal execu.
| tive 10 know their country and provide for its
| defence. See Governor Beverley Randolph
| letters to me. in my files.
Unfortunately for me, General Wa. hngton's
4 WIN ~ >Hs fiNdSS my law, chteFeu upun tins
ardions task without hesitation contract or
! arrangement! / was cOuntenanced by the
| bon. the Executive OF Vrginia-had access 60
| all the public archives of tie state, apartments
| ~ Tue capitci, aad every aid (bnt money! from
/ All the departments of goverIEmelt.
| After employing many months with several
assistants, ttanscTiblug records in the capitol
&c. IL was discovered that eeery map and geo
graphical production OF the country was so
| radically erroneous ,hat the acquisition of TIE
| federal standardization could ,uot be complied
| with without beginning and proceeding de
noV0, onT NAP OF The SoutiiPrS States and
while ;he public cerrespondence was carried
| on, during an inlerruptIrg lpdispoSitiOu of
zen aShi"gtou, complied tOFtlieIr tempo.
rdTy relief my ARdiysis of tirsiNiu which Gen
! Knox caused 10 be printed in Philadelphia
feseIVihS to me copy right Tor political
| reasons.
| Before adefnitive answer was procured from
| toe war Office ! had completed about two
| TN as OF NV map of the Southern States on
! Dot! sniii and a large scale; bat alas !'when
| Tue fe0erdl gDveriines't decned my ideas too
| c0mPrcht nsive 10 be then carried INTO ellie It. [
was ieti without money, considerably involved
il debts my honor forbade me to eyade and
| Tue sist of the question OF responsibility
between the twOyOvernIneDfs hurled The "a hole
obligation on Gov. Randolph personal estates
! circumstance OF which no msu OF honest
| ieeimgs would be base enough 10 avaliimseif.
| IN ihi' dilennia, various projects we're pro-
| posed, by Subscription, &c. To enable me TO
l
| open 10 all the views Of administration at my
! own expense {; and the treasury being then
! very poor, the Lottery Law OF 1901 was resertod
| TO- IS vel TO give me some prospect of remu-
1 heIatiOn Tor my services rendered aud the
| debts incurred as to encourage my persever.
ance to accomplish the views Of government
! In iIS2-3 | made two different journiss to
| tue western country, surveying, and collie ctin 9
! surveys &bd other Information, and conIpletiu.
! the Icnressee, Hentucky.x Georgia frontiers,
1 rs herewith exhibited but fOr want of wag
| g0nAse at That period, NY franks fducnmants
! were sIH months deidyef ~ the hdutis Of IN
| inend Mir. McGavock at Fort Chsweli
| Al this time, LEFT AN Office fitted np at
Knoxville, "a similar one al abingdon. ara one
/ or the eastern side OF SIiOckOe creek, i'm lie
| city Hichmopd-zli oftbeiB dead To- s TO me.
| Ia august 1881 SAT- out IN company and wtii
the aId OF my old revolutionary friend and
| compatriot, Colonel Edward Darlington, of
! venerable memory .Jto Frederich shutg thence
| under bis Introductory letters TO Go0rl etown
! dnd WaSinngtOn, Columbia parted at
| Fredericksburg alas 10 meet no more in THIS
! world.
! Georgetown being then the only populated
! part OF Columbia, fiEed an Office in the house
| o. Tessis Bowman ~ Co. Of Baltimore maze
! al possible progress ~ collecting materials
! aud doing public good and advanced 30 Baiti.
| more iU face OF tie yellow fever.
| The violence Of ihc yellow fever then raging
| inBHltimore, pUf stop ~ AZ friendly arrange.
| menie which had been prepardtofiy made for
nae with IN eugtatcr in that place. i went 10
I Philadelphia, established auofiice in the house
I Of Dir Charles Young IN Che.nut street and
! NEGOTIATED villa hie-sIs. Thacksra q Valance,
| th" only competent eugTaveTs thpn that
! place, but who were previously engaged on
| CI1Hiths mp IS Maryland. which behaved
| then longer than they expected, and too long
| i0t me 10 wait without resources. iuN York
| found 40 engrdyer IL the nap line IN Phi
! iadeiplia I made consider bic acquisitions Of
Typographical materials ard after becoming
dcudUiufQU mi
| Joseph Jaudcnncs, vNo bad marrted aliss
Sionghtou Of Boston, he suggested te pfoba
pity that Lopeziu MadTid, who WIS bred IN
siayer ~ London, might be disCngaccd dud