The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1826-11-16

stead OF an ATHOlu siuShSncu ShSit put
ever so little.
And is the surprise Of an open and I'M
armed place, although called City and
even a Capital, so Unprecedented as TO be
n matter of iudelible reproach? Which Of
our captnls during the same war, was not
IN possession Of the same enemy, not mere
iy by surprise and day only, but perma-
ncntly? That Of Georgia ). aud Y. Carroll
ma? Pennsylvania New York Connect
icut ? Rhode Island ? Massachusetts,
And, if others were not, il was because the
enemy saw no object in taking possession
ofthem--add to the list in the late war,
Washington, also, the metropolis OF the
Union, covered by a fort, with troops and
n dense population and, what capital on
the continent Of Europe ~. Petersburgh
and its regions of ice excepted did not
Bonaparte take and hold at his pleasure
Is il then just that Richmond and its au-
thorities alone should be placed under the
rcproach Of history, because, in q moment
of peculiar denudaton of resources, by the
coup dc main Of an enemy, led on by the
hand Of fortune, directing the winds and
weather to their wishes, 1t was surprised
and held for "a hours Or, strange that
that enemy with such advantages, should
be enabled then to get off without risking
the honors he had achieved by burnings
and distractions of property, peculiar to
this principle Of warfare We at least
may leave these glories TO their own trum-
pet.
During this crisis Of trial was left
alone, unassisted by the co-opera ton Of a
single public functionary for, with the
Legislature every member Of the council
had departed, to take care Of his own fami-
ly, unaided even in my bodily labors, but
by my horse, and he exhausted at length
by fatigue, sunk under me in the public
road, where had to leave him, and with
my saddle and bride on my shoulders,
walk Il foot To the nearest farm, where |
borrowed al uDbroken colt 81 proceeded TO
Manchester, opposite Richmond, which
the enemy had evacuated few hours be-
fore.
Without pursuing these minute details,
will ask the favor of you TO turn to Girar-
dln's History Of Virginia, where such Of
them AS are worthy the notice of history
are related in that scale of extension,
which It's objects admit. That work was
written at Milton, within 2 or 3 miles of
Monticello, and at the request Of the au-
thor | communicated to him every paper
possessed on tho subject, of which he
made the use he thought proper for his
work, (sce his pages l53, 46O, and the ap-
pondiX Xi.--XV.) | can assure you of
tho truth Of every fact he has drawn from
these papers and of the genuncness of
such as he has taken the trouble of copy-
ing. 10 happened that during these
days Of incessant labor, for the benefit of
my own memory, | carefully noted every
circumstance worth il.
These memorandums were often writ |
ten OH horseback, and on scraps of paper |
taken out of my pocket at the moment for |
tunately preserved to this day and now
lying before mo. wish you could see
them. But my papers of that period are
stitched together IN large masses, and so
tattcrod and tender, rs not To admit reno.
val further than from their shelves to a
reading table.--They bear an internal evi-
dcnce Of fidelity which must carry convic-
ton TO every one who sees them--We
have nothing in our ncighborhood which
could compensate the trouble of u visit 20
it, unless perhaps our University, which
[ believe you have not seen, ard can as
sure you, is worth seeing. Should you
think so, would ask as much Of your time
III Monticello, as would enable you to eX-
anime these papers at your ease. Many
Others too, are interspersed among them, |
which have relation to your object, many |
letters from Gems. Gates, Green, Stephens, !
and others engaged in the Southern war, |
and in the North also. All should be laid |
open to you without reserve for there is |
not truth existing which fear, or would |
wish unknewn to the world. During the |
invasions of Arnold, Philips, and Corn !
wallis, until my time Of Office expired, ! |
made it point, once week, by letters to |
the President Of Congress and to General
Washington, to give them an exact nara
tive of the transactions of the week.
These letters should still be in the office |
of State in Washlngt on, and in the pres
hes at Mount Vernon. Or, if the former |
were destroyed by the conflagrations Of
the British, the latter are surely safe and
may be appealed to in corroboraton of
what have now written.
There is another transaction very CT
roneously stated in the same work, which. |
although not concerning myself, is within
my own knowledge, and think it duty |
60 communicate II To you. | am sorry |
that, not being in possession Of q copy Of
the Memoirs, am not able to quote the |
passage, and still less the facts themselves,
verbatim from the text; but Of the sub |
stance as rccoflccted, am certain. Ii is
said there that about the time of Tarlc-
tons expedition up the North branch of
James River To Charlottesville and Mon
ticelo, Simcoo was detached up the South |
orn branch, and penetrated as far as New
London, in Bedford, where he destroyed
a drpot of arms &c &c | was with my