Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-05-08
Peter Francisco,

former times, the Richmond Wing hes the
following:
Among her sister counties, Buckingham
obtained notoriety for her DULLES, hardly
consistent with the present character OF her
highly civilized and enlightened population.
This was probably owing to the fact Of her
reckoning the famous Peter Francisco, the
Virginia Samson, 7 as he has been called
among her citizens. Peter was the least a
bully Of all men in the world lie was
good-tempersd and kind hearted TO fault.
But he was the strongest man IN Virginia,
probably, in the world, and that was enough
to procure .hin Infinite annoyance. The
country abounded with champions, who
could not rest till they had broken lance
with such Saladin. They came from Che
most distant counties to try their strength
with him. He usually declined, until pre-
yoEed by blow, when il cest him mere
in11sh with his arm to lay the stoutest of
them rolling ID u. .le dust On one occasion,
it is said, an ambitious bully tIa'-eo.'ed all
the way from New Kent or Charles City, to
encounter the champion. Not finding him
at the court house, he went to his home,
where he found him ii an enclosure, shear
ing sheep Riding in and dismounting, he
announced his business. and was told that
he should have trial As soon as the sheep
then under the shears had beoa sieaA with.
No sooner had his job been finished, than
Peter seized him, though he was man Of
1 large size, and threw him over the fence,
ten rails high, as boy hnrl5 sstaae from
a sling. The astounded bullys gathering
himself up ia the best way BE conld, and
not liking to venture inside Of the enclosure
again. accosted Peter with please, sir,
just throw over my horse, and let me ZEE
going" Whether Peter complied with this
very modest request or not, we do not re-
collect to have heard According to the
rules Of chivalry, however he was certain
~ entitled to retain the steed and trappings
/! Of the yanquished knight
Another anecdote Of Peter was related to
us BY person who was an eye witness. In
the year 1885, party Of neighbors we're
assembled, one Saturday, at the Lttle-store
on the Three-notched road, in Goochland
county, to shoot for beef, when, having dis
poscd Of all the beef, they converted the
occasion iato regular shooting match.
Among the crowd were three noted DULLES,
AL Of them men Of more than ordinary
! strength and reputation il their line. In
the inidst CT their spo~t, q tail, pow ertul
man, mounted on strong black horse, rode
up from the direction If Richmond, and
seeing what vas going on, got down, de-
posted his pistareen, ard borrowing gun,
fred at the mark. He did not touch the
board, and, of course, lest bis money. At
ter making several ether trials, with no
better success, be accused the three bullies
of "greasing his gun, = an operation, which,
we have been told, causes the shot to fall
out Of the muzzle. at the feet Of the marks
mar. They furiously denied it, and one
Of them stacking Ills rags" as the phrase
was. challenged the stranger to battle The
latter. with great indifference, iutinatea
that he would not bolittle himself so far as
to fight one Of the party, bat if all three
would come at once, he might be induced
to think about il, provided only they would
| let him take post in an angle formed by the
paliugs- and smoke-h house, precaution which
he said was necessary to prevent them from
attacking him in the rear. This arrange
ment was agreed to, but as there was all
oxcart in the way, and forming the
base Of the triangle, there arose difficulty
about getting it away. This difficulty the
stranger soon solved by applying his right
arm to the body and upsetting it SO com
pletely as to leave the bottom-side upper
most. This Was enough for the DULLES.
They fell back from the stranger as though
he had been the Angel Of Death, and NUT
tering peter Francisco" left him undls-
p uted master of the ground
The mention Of Peter Francisco has led
us into long DEPRESSION. We will continue
it little farther. a Northern paper dates
bis death in 1884 He died in February
1881, IS may be found by an examination
Of the 6les either of the Wig or Enquirer,
at the Columbian Hotel in this city, kept at
the time by Mr. Crenshaw. He was Ser
geant-at-arms to the House eff Delegates, at
I the time Of bis death, ard all the members
of the Legislature attended his funeral. At
his own especial request, Lis funeral sermon
was preached by the Right Reverend Rich
ard Claiming Moore, at that time Bishop
of the Protestant Episcopal Church. in this
| diocese. The tales that have been told O
his extraordinary strength are net exagger
atoms, and his courage was equal to his
! strength. lie served in the South, under
! Gen. Gates, aud was present at the battle
of Camden, where he performed extraordi-
nary feats of valor. and lost horse, fo
which he petitioned the Legislature to pa,
. him, about thirty Eye years ago, We believe
without success. lie afterwards served IN
der General Green in the company Of which
tie late Judge Peter Johnston was frs
lieutenant Who the captain was, i W
ever knew, we have forgotten. Gne Of Tx
:; descendants Of Judge Johnston told US, a
coming from the Judge, that while til
troops Of General Green were engaged il
the siege of Ninety six, Peter used to asaaassss
himself and his comrades by shouldering
dismonnted six-pounder, weighing abou
twelve hundred pounds, and walking will
it around court house that lay within tht
,, lines. lis sword, nearly six feet long
J was in possession Of the late Joseph Il
Bently, at that time ensign Of the Publ
Guard, for several years after his death. =
What became of it finally, we never knew
Peter was a man of powerful understanding
though entirely uncultivated
An freshman had been sick long tim
and while in that condition, would occasion
allv cease breathing, and life be apparent,
Iovt;not snr cox-ae +i,ne when he wo;,ld com