The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-11-06
Peter Francisco.

y
a. smous the members of his own family, one
OF whom is the gentleman himself who MAKES
the request We knew him, it is true, very
wall; but 1t was in the latter years OF MS me
after he had become Sergeant-at-Arms. This
was about the yesr 1927 or ls2s, We mink. nv
that time he retained much Of his gigantic
strength. and all his vivacity. He was ex-
,r.melv good .humored and kind hearted, de.
lieh ted in the society Of young people, espe-
eislly of boys, and was full of anecdotes. We
do not recollect ever to have seen any old man
enjoy life more heartily or evince less disposi-
ton 10 quarrel with his lot. We have fire.
ouently seen him make exhibitions Of his
strength in a small way, for the amusement OF
the boys, with whom he was prodigious IA
yorite. but we never Witnessed one OF those
marvellous displays, which 1t was we'll known
he could make upon occasion. He was . man
Of urcommorly strong, though unculiivated
mind. to appearance, at least, very accurate
iudye of character, and possessed OF causuc
hnmor TO which be often gave vent In shrewd
aud original remarks about men ana tnings
around him. He died in the month OF Janu-
,ry or February, 1891, at the Columbian Hotel
where he boarded At the time. We recoi'ect
the d.y very well. 1t was one OK the most
dismal Of a long Succession OF such. he was
attended n his last illness, to the best OF our
recollection, by Bishop MOORE, VINO also
preached his funeral sermon.
The services Of FRANCISCO in the revolu-
tionary war were very great, beyond all uouot
Everybody concurs in that opinion. 1e',
with regard TO their specific character, We
know not enough TO place our hands upon
them. They have been neglected, or substi-
tuted by traditions which have become so nu-
1nersus as to obscure if not obliterate, the
truth of hist tory. Surely some OF his descend
ants must possess the means Of strengthening
some. at least, of these difficulties de, Mn
SELF once presented, either TO the Legislature
of Virginia or to the Congress OF the united
States. 4 memorial, in which he asked remu-
neration for services rendered, and that me-
rnerial certainly contained detail OF some OF
his services. We say certainly, because
we recollect having heard IL read When we
were boy, long before We dreamed that we
should ever bs connected in any way what
aver with d newspaper. single statement
in it, 70 the effect that General GATES broke
down several horses (two or three, in escap-
Ing from the rout OF Camden, riysted ii upon
eur memory. We are disposed 10 think he
claimed compensation for horse which he
los. in that engagement, and the price OF which
had never been paid him. 1t was at Guild-
ford, we believe, that he saved the life OF Col.
MlYo In our boyhood, we recollect seeing
an engraving, purporting to have been done
nv JAMES WEBSTER, in which he Is repre-
senled a. &c gagged in mortal combat with nine
OF TARLTOG's cavalry, in full view OF MS
whole legion, four hundred strong. The
repcoutre was said In the inscription, 10
have occurred in the county OF Amelia
aud in the month of June, 1871. There
is mystery about this transaction which,
no doubt, FRANoIsCo's relatives could clear
up. Uuquestionably, he was at the siege OF
Ninety-Six, in South Carolina, for we have
heard anecdotes OF him while there, and heard
of auecdo,e. related by him with respect TO
the person from whom the anecdotes respect
ing himself came, which put il beyond dis
pute Now, the siege of Ninety Six commenced
on the I'D OF May, and was raised on the 10th
Of June. We are disposed to think that the
date was wrongly stated in the inscription, or
It may be that our memory is at fault. Never
theless, we are under The impression that
FRANoIsCo served with Gen. GREENE through
out his campaign in South Carolina. The Le-
sislature of this State once voted him sword
six feet long-at least we have seen such a
sword, aud have understood that IL was a
testimonial. Others say that was the weapOn
which he ctually used in the battle of Cam
den, where he is represented TO have perform
ed prcdigi of valor. We can well believe 1t,
for what could withstand such a champion
armed with such a weapon, mounted upon a
horse sufTiciently powerful to carry his weight
utterly destitute of fear, and animated by the
hos ne "a combat wont 10 tir
up. in men even of less nerve than FRANCISCO!
All The Knights we ever read OF, would be but
the sport OF his rage. He could have cut Or
LAEDo through the middle, and sliced the first
RICHARD OF gland from the crown Of his he'll
met 10 the seat of his saddle, as though they
were made of ginger bread or as easily as Don
QUixoTE decapiated the puppets of Gines de
s.mozte. ARIosTo never sang OF such
warrior, and SirWALTKR SCOTT could not have
found such an one in the whole array OF
BLACK DouGLAssEs, from the "smali grey
man, with whom the line commenced, to him
who was shut up in convent, and mus was
the last Of it, FRANCISCO was fair match
for apy half dozen of them, leaving firearms
out OF the question.
For many years subsequently to the revo-
1utionary war, every county In the State was
intes ed by professional bnl!iss-men who
made IL a business TO travel from courthouse
TO courthouse, with no other object than to
engage in fsticuffs with any man that was re-
no W ned for personal prowess. The county of
Buckingham has been said to have been par.
ticuIarIy plagued with this description OF per-
sons. FRANCISCO, whose renown as a man Of
personal strength had extended
all over the State, was said TO have been fire..
quentiy annoyed by them. Being of an un-
commonly peaceable disposition, he was at the
same tiLae SO conscious Of his enormous supe-
riority, that he felt the same indisposition to
engage Ia personal combat with any of his tor
men tors that a lion might. we suppose, feel to
putting forth his strength against a fee
dog. lie usually tried every way to avoid
Them, but it is said he was not always sue
cessful. II may be doubted, indeed, whether
ne ever struck any man with his iull force,
for il is hardly possible that he should
nos have killed him had he done go
BE-! he was compelled, sometimes, to get rid
oil las prosecutor by slight punch, or d fillip
with his middle finger, or by taking him up.
Shaking him until he made the teeth rattle in
his head, and holding him OF at arms length
La his tremendous grippe, until he cried for
quarter. The anecdote Of his throwing a ms
who came 10 fight him over the palings and
his horse after him, has often been told. We
know not whether tue story was wholly true
or true only in part but true or false. it is
very generally believed, and The very fact OF
lie credit given TO 1t, affords evidence of hi.
pfeaigious strength. 1t il well known that
ne could prsventa pair Of the strongest horses
from moving carriage on dead level bv
esizlag The carriage behind and puttiur ont
ms strength against them. An eyewitness
'oio "s ne once saw him stoop over the railing
OF rue porch which ral along the front OF tbs
Ola CONTIGUOUS faysrn on Main street