Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1855-05-11
Peter Francisco; the Sampson OF tho
Western Hemisphere.

rs lQlH dS lllU lGul l00VI bUCtC UhCu w W CSlGlH
Virginia man, whose strength wos 50 temafkablg
as IL win iOt him the lille Of the "Vfgnlu SAmp'
son." lie knew nothing Of his Iitlh Ur patent.
ose, but suppos lie was born III Portugal, fr0ln
whence tIe was stolen when Child aud carried to
LELAND, Ills earliest recOlItctIUnS were those Ol
buylood III tie latter country.
While YET lad lie nppteniced himself 10 sea
captain loI seven yeats, IN pay TOT q passage 10
lis country On lis arrival his tune mud services
wete sold 10 Mr., Winston, Of Virginia, IN wllOsc
service iu remained until tho breaking out OF the
Revolution. Being Of all adventurous turn in
mind, lie sought and obtained permission Of his
naslet 10 iOiu lie Amy, aud was engaged In active
service dutins tue whole contest. SuCil wat his
strength nd personal GIayety, tat no enemy could
resist him. liz welded sword, te blade oil
which was hve Ieel III length, rs though II had
been feather, and every ollie who came In con-
tact with him PAID the (Utfen vi his ite At Stony
Point he was one Of tie "ftIlOtn Hope" which
was advanced 10 Cul away the UhallS, nld, ntxl IL
Major GihbUu was the fist man ~ eater lhv works,
At liraniywinc, aud Monmouth, lie exhibited tie
most C:aIeSS bta\ely, and nothing but his iNaOlll'
" 10 write, prevented his promotion 10 cUlnns'
sion. Transferred to the South, he tnOk l1h IN
most OF lie engagements III lhnt section, and 10
wards the CLOSE VI the wHr, liz was engaged IN u
contest which exhibited in n striking lnunner, lis
remarkable degree Of seIl'conlidencG nnd couI.
oge.
One day while accommodating, lie stopped al
the house Of q nan by tile uatnU VI W., 10 IL.
flesh linself While nj Tie table he woS SutptIs.
ell Ly nluu British troopers, who tUlle up ~ Tie
house and told hin lle was their prisOnet. Secng
that lie was so greatly oulnHmbeteb, hu Pretended
10 SNtte ngt, aud the lTagOOiiS seeing lie was oppa,
reNtly yety peacefully iRCliEed, after disntmlnE
him, allowed him considerable freedom, While
they sol down tU naitakG OF tho fool which he
had left when disturbed, Wandering out into lllt
door. yard 10 was accOsel by Tx paylna$eri who
demanded Of hin everything VI value about hin
at the Isk VI his life in case Of refusal. q have
nOlhing 10 give,' said Francisco, $50 use yCUE
InieaSule.' Give mp th0se massive silver buckles
IN yUus shoes, said lhe drosoJn. 'rhey were tllg
gift u ftiend' replied FEanCiic0, aud give them
Ito you never shIll, take them II you will, you
have the power, but will never give them IL
lazy Oae,' Putting his sabre under his otG tie
soldier STOPPED down 10 take them francisco
seeing The opportunity which was TOO good 10 "
lost, selzed Tic sword, and dlawng II With force
ftom under the arm OF tile soldier, dealt him q
teyete blow aciOss tie skull, Although severely
wounded, ytt being brave man, tile dtasOOl
ltew pistol and Nined II at tie breast of his OIL
lasOnsi, who woS iOU quick for him however, Ont
us lie pulled lie tEggtt, blow from tie swott
neatly severed h$.wllIt, and placed lin III hoiS ii
cOMbH. Tile repOTl Of thv pistol drew the Ulhe
dragons Into The yatd as we'll rs W, witt
vcfy ungenttUusly Brought out musket which
liz handed 10 one OF lle toidIrtS and told him Il
Use it, Mounting the only hOlss h. could get at
he presented the lnuEZIe nj The bleusl oil francisco
ami pulled the trigger. Fortunately II missed tte
aud francisco clU!ed In upon HIM A short stfug.
Gle eHSped, which ends'l In his dISIIming pnL
wouijing the soldier, laftUn$ troop OF iOu
bundled men were now IN Sigh; alld lie Uihel
diagOOhs Wete about 10 attack lin. Seeing ht.
case was Ilesperatute, lie turned toward all oil,
Joining thicket, aud as u cheering OIL party d
men Le exclaimed, Come OIL, my Utuve toys
now Is your tiinej we will soon Dispatch these few
aud then attack the main bodyp al The same time
rushing al tho dtagoOnS with tile fury Of an ell
fOged tiger.
They did not engage him, but lsl precipiiaiely
TO the troop, pahic struck anu dSmayrl. SeiEiHg
upon Tie tallUTous villain, ", Francisco
was about 10 dispatch him, but he begged aud
RleaI 50 hard fOt his life, that he f0tsave him, and
told him 10 sectele lot him tile eight hotses, which
lie soldiers LEFT bckinl them. PetceiYRg tllat
Iorton had dispatched Two other dtHgfOOns in
seaichtf hin, lie made OF INTO the adjoining
wood, and Willie they stopped OF the house, he,
like an old fJ&, doubled upon their reat aud sue.
ceSsfuly eValed theft vigilance. The next DAY
he went 10 W, lot his LOIsesj he demanded
two Of them foE hisSeryceS, aud seucrous inIell.
tons. Finding his situation dangerous, nnd SUI.
POUNDED by enemies, where lie ought 10 have
found friends, francisco was compelled ~ make
the best Of il and left with six tOESeS, intending Il
revenge himself upon ", al some lulute
time, but 0S Is said Providence, ordained that
should not be lis eXecuIiOlcf, ut he ItokV his
neck BY fall fttm Une Of tie very hOises,'
Many other anecdotes ale told VI Francisco, Il.
lusltaiYe Of his immense strength and lIetsOnnl
pfowCss, at Cjnlen, where Gates was defeated,
he teireated and after running along road some
distance, lie sal down 10 TEST himself. lie was
suddenly aceostel by British dtpgoOn, who pte'
ssnted pistol, and demanded his immediate SUI.
render. lis gun being empty lie fsisnei *ubnis.
SiOni and said no would Suirendel, al the slmU
time renetklng liot his ggu was no tufllet use 10
him, he presented II sideways 10 lie tIOOper, who
III reaching for Il threw himself or his guatd,
when francisco, quick as thought ian him Through
with The bayOnet and as he fell ftom his horse, Le
mounted him and continued his tetteat. 0yetla.
king his commanding officer, Colonel Mayo, Of
PUwhattan, he gave him up tic animal, f0t which
actof generosity the Colonel, Afterwards present.
ed him with thousand actes oflnHl In Kentucky.
The following OneCdOte exelnpliIylUs Ills peace.
fll nature aud his strength, Is $50 told Of Fan
CISCO. How tue Il Is, we cannot say, but We
tell ii as was told Us, many Yeas ego, while lie
was still liYipg In Buckingham, county, Va,
0ue day while working In his gatdtn, 10 was
acc0sItl by oslrangcr, who tole upto The fence
aliRqnited Of him II lie knew 'whCte man BY
l Al ~.