Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1833-07-11
From the Richmond Whig.
VIRGINIA HISTORICAL. AND Pill OSO-
PHO SDf'IE-fsN

PiilCAi. SOCIETY.
The hr-t volume OF tie transactions Of this
society has issued from the press Of Mr..
White of this city. IL contains 80 pages
comprising the Address Of President Cushing.
ut the first meeting, n Memoir Of Indian
wars atd other occurrences by the late
Col. John Stuart of GrecnbrIer, presented by
his son, Charles 4 Stuart, Esg. Of Augusta:
the record of the trial OF Grace Sherwood.
IN 1905, IN Princess Anne county, Va. for
Wiiehcraft, presented by the late Archibald
Taylor, Esq of Gloucester, 4 list Of Dona-
iioBs, sc.
The record of Princess Anne Court, pre-
senicd by Mr. Tsy Tor, Il curious, as exhibit
ing the superstition OF our ancestors So late n
1905, aud for its photography We give an
outline of the case for the u.ement Of tho
reader AT Court held for Princess Anne
county, the I'D OF January, 1865, Grace.
Sherwood was summoned 10y Lucke Hill and
uNor TO ths Court, IN suspefion of Witchcrafi.
and she failing 20 appear, was attached Tor
contempt. Grace Was ordered to be at tho
next Court, to be searched according TO tho
complaint, by jury Of women, and the She
rif likewise ordered 10 summon an abls Jury
OF women accordingly. Al the March tern,
the trial proceeded, and the Jury (of which
Eliza Barnes was foreman) being sent out to
search, returned with the following rsrdief
Were OF We, (tbe contraction Of hs) Jury
have 'sreafh Grace Sherwood, and have found
two things like Tits, Sh. several oihir spots.'
No sentence seems TO have followed this YER
dict.
At the May term IL Is stated that the for
mcr proceedings were reported by the At
torney GeSersf 10 the Governor Ia Council,
by whom they were d,ssrproyed as too gene
raj, not charging Grace with any particular
act. The Court, " they saw ct, were autho-
riSed to examine her dc novo. which they de-
sermincd TO do, ordering the Sheriff to make
search OF her house for images aud such like
things,' as might strengthen suspicion against
her, and To have ready another able jury OF
women. The Sheriff is, however, unable TO
procure pannell, aud Grace, tired Of delay,
consents 10 be tried according TO The old form
of ducking, by which, IL the accused sank,
Der innocence was proved By the loss Of life,
and II she swan she was accounted an assur-
ed witch, aud to be burnt accordingly. But
on this occasion, the Court ordered Tie She
rifi To take all convenient assistance Of boats
and men, 90 save her from duDgninZ; to put
her into water above mans depth, and AS
soon as she comes out that he request as
many ancient aud knowing women az ne eaaH,
TO ssayoh her carefully for all teats, spOhs and
marks about ler body not usual ON Others
Being subjected to the ordeal, Grace swims.
The record proceeds 49, Being tried and she
tom and ye. judgments Of all the spectators,
and afterwards being serched by five antient
psEmtR, who have all declared on oath Vt.
she IS not like YIN. nor nae oihc. womaD VI.
they knew Of the Court ordered her 20 be
Imprisoned and ironed.
Ne. Is the contraction for the, vt. for that,
YIN. for thsm, universally used IN those days.
The memoir cOmmunieat by Mr.. Stuart,
Is highly Interesting, aud - the best sccOunI
eHtant Of the battle Of Point Pleasant in I774,
which, as he well says, was in fact, the be-
ginning Of the Revolutionary war. His no.
tees Of Gen. Andrew Lewis. va shall select
Tor another occasion. Much Of tho memoir
was formerly published N this and other pa
pcrs, under the signature OF COnpsiaik' and
was no doubt derived from this paper. by The
geDtien az who assumed that signature, Hugh
=. Taylor, Esq, Of CoYington.
We are glad ~ perceive that the Society
has already done something, with the promise
Of doing much more.