Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-12-27
For the Spectator.


this Winter, in the moments of leisure, wi
employ some of it in furnishing you with "scraE
of history" as gathered from the old, musty az
scarcely legible records found among the archivf
of our State government. Should the calamit
of a fire ever be visited upon the people of ou
State, in the destruction of our Capitol, irrep
arabic would be the loss-for nothing could b
saved, should it occur in the night, and origin
ate, as it would most likely do, in the basemen
portion of the building. So impressed have
always been with the danger, that have lei
anxious years ago to see step taken IN th
right direction-the erection of new Caplto
The necessity for it, the material with whic
to build 1.-THE granite, and the operators fron
the Penitentiary to perform the labor, all shoul'
conduce to bring it about, and that speedily
For fear it will not be done, have this da.
brought to the attention of the Legislature, to,
necessity of erecting suitable building for thei
preservation, the recordO and offices for til
Executive officers, and the library, but esPd
oially for the safe-keeping of Houdon's statq
of Washington. But to return. | did not
tend to say so much by way of introduction.
send the following letter, written by Dsnia
Boone and others to Gov. Harrison, and send
it verbatim ct punctustim:
LEXINGTON Fayette county Sept. 1lth '82
"Sir The Officers civil as well as Military ol
this County beg the Attention OF your excelleacy
& the Hole council. The Number of the Enemy
that lately penetrated into our County, their Be-
hsviour adding to this our late unhappy Dsfea,
at the Blue Lick, fill US with the deepest cotcern
and Anxiety, the Loss Of our worthy Oncers
& Soldiers who fell there the 10th of Aug'st we
Sensibly feel and deem our Situation truly slsrm-
ing, we can scarcely Behold spot OF Earth but
what reminds US of the fate of some fellow ad-
venturer, Massacred by savage hands, Our Num-
Der OF Melitia decreases, our Widows u Orphans
are numerous Our Officers & Worthiest Isen fall
sacrifice. In short Sir, our sttlement hitherto
formed at the expense of Treasure & much Blood
seems to decline & if some thing is not speedily
done we doubt not will wholly be depopalated,
the Executive we believe think often Of US &
wish to protect US, but Sir, we believe any Mil
itary Operations that for 1S monts past have
been carried Oh in Consequence of Orders from
the Executive have rather been detrimental than
Beneficial. Our Melitis are called on to do Du-
ty in a manner that has tendency to protect
Jefferson County, or Rather Louisville Town
without Inhabitants Fort situated 10 such q
Manner that the Enemy coming witha design to
Lay waste ou: Country would scarcely come
within one Hundred miles OF it, d our own
Frontiers open & unguarded. Our lnhabitants
are discouraged tis now near two years since the
division of the County SS no Surveyor has ever
appeared among us, but has by appointment
from time to time deceived US, our principal ex'
pectations of strength are from him, during his
absence from the County Claimants of Land dis.
appear, when if Otherwise they would be an ad-
ditional Strength, we entreat the Executive tc
examine into the cause and remove it speedily
If it is thought impracticable to carry the wal
into the Enemy's Country we beg the plan Of
building garrison at the mouth OF Lime stone
& another at the mouth of Licking formerly pre-
scribed by your Excellency might be again a.
dopted g. performed. A garrison at the mouth
of Lime stone would be Landing place for ad-
venturers from the Back parts OF PeDnsylv'a q
Viirg'a adjacent to Large Body of good land
which would be speedily Settled would be OK,
actly in the Enemy's principal crossing place
not more than fifty Miles from Lexington oul
largest settlement & might readily be furnished
with provisions from above till they would be
supplied from our settlements here. Majol
NetlerlanG we expect will deliver this he viii
attend to give any particular Information tha
may be deemed necessary.
Humanity towards Inhabitants destitute o
Hope of any other aid, will surely induce you
Excellency to spair from the lnteriour parts o
State 200 Men and few pieces of Artillery to-
the purposes above mentioned-we are Sir "
Excellency's Mot Ob't and H'ble Serv'ts.
DANIEL BOONE,
LEVI TODD,
j. PATTERSON,
r. NETHERLAND,
ELI CLEAvELAND,
VIM. ANDERSON,
VIM MCDONNELL,
JOHN CRAIG,
Nm. MCDONNELL"