The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-10-02
One onthe Daughters OF Patrick Hen,


Not oil Of our readers, perhaps, VIA that IL
our own State and upon the borders OF ous village
there lives daughter of tue great Revoll uonar.
ta scarcey half Fah @e rom he spos
now write, resides Mrs. D. 8. Winston. widow II MI
G. d. Winston, Of Virginia, and daughter ON
who did mora, perhaps, than any Other one ma ~
humble cottage situated in quiet grove, thee, en
full life of this venerable lady is calmly and aui I'll
drawing to close. Old Tine indeed, has b nj
since silvered her locks and traced many flrH y
upon her brow, but yet it will be he has essh
the strength and the will to contribute her mi.et
the memory Of father and to the truth Of histo9
A communication from her will be found becs
None of our readers can fail to welcome it with
pleasure--none will fail to read and reverence ttnt
which comes from the aged daughter of the gres5
and fearless orator, who IN trying hour, had tho
boldness and the bravery to exclaim, Caesar had
his Brutus, Charles the First his Cromwell anb
George the Third may profit by their example
MEssRs. EDITORS or TIE HERALD.
You have made some commendable Efforts to
ascertain the truth in regard to some doubtful points
to you and such Of your readers as may be- aterest
ed in the matter to which !. refers. At all eyents
its Publication will crafty long cherished wish OF
my heart-a wish which is che offspring OF filiel
affection and patriotic attachment to the truth Of
history. While the ed writer Of this papec clains
to have Inherited little of the genius the glory Of
her venerated father sense ot duty to his memory
will not permit her to withhold information which she
possesses in regard to OF the events of his ite
Mr.. Writ in bis preface to his life Of Patrick Henry
speaking Of the difficulties be experienced in procur
ing reliable information and the exertions he made
to overcome them says
Notwithstanding all his exer.ion-. hc is entse'y con
that the materials he has been able to collect
seany and meagre and utterly dieproportionae To the
great me of Sr. Henry. il j. probable that much Of
What known Of him had perishcd beioe tine
author commenced his researches and il is very possible
that much may still be known which he has not been
able 10 discover because il lies in unsuspected sources
with persons unwilling for other, to
mtmicate their information.
The alluson TO persons Who were unwilling to
communicate probably applied to Mrs. Meredith,
Mr.. Henrys eldest sister, who was offended at
tain interrogatories propounded by Mr. Writ, and
declined to give him any information abont my
father. Mrs Fontaine, his eldest daughter was Of
all Others best qualified to have given information
but was not applied to by Mr. Writ 1t is not to be
wondered at, that biographer thus impeded by the
want of reliable authority, should fall into mistakes
sometimes Mr.. Writ was not acquainted with Mr.
| Henry, indeed he never saw him, and consequently
he relied entirely upon the information of Others
There is an error on page 4l9 of the Life of Patrik
Henry where it is stated that in Of his earlier
purchases Of land, he is blamed for having avail.
ed himself Of the existing laws OF the State in paying
| nor was he free from censure on account of some
participation which he is said to have had in the
profits of the Yazoo trade" Ofthe purchase of land
with appreciated currency know nothing, and am
| therefore sure II mast be a mistake.
At the close of Washngton's administration, Pat
rick Henry was spoken Of as his successor and
charge appeared in the prints OF the day that he ID
| repaid sum of money borrowed of Mr.. King, of
Norfolk, with the deprecated continental currency.
Being conscious Of his innocence he took no pains
to contradict this charge in public manner but
| my mother, who was q hghspirited woman, wrote
| to Mr.. Amber, the then Treasurer of Virginia
through whose agency the repayment had been
made and got his statement that the money used on
that occasion sas gold and silver. This statement
was published in the newspapers of the day, and
doubt not this is the affair which gave rise to the
| charge above mentioned. Had there been another
transaction of the same nature should have heard
| Of it.
It is true that he was interested in the Yazoo pur-
chose. remember that he sold his interest to Mr.
Burwell who sold it again to Henry Lee, colonel of
the celebrated Legion" The well informed need
not be told that many persons of unquestionable in
tegrity became purchasers of the Yazoo stock and
that all the crminaty of the affair is attached to
| the originate Of the scheme.
! 1t is not to be expected, Messrs. Editors of the
H1ad, that all persons will feel as much interest
as yourselves in recying historical errors but this
very humble contribution would not be offered you if
its writer did not suppose that this tribute 10 the
memory of her venerated father, and the flia af.c
ton in which it originated, would be considered ss
allowable and proper by all your readers.
d. 8. WINSTON e