The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-02-01
Interesting Revolutionary Keminiscence.
In the speech Of MIR. Boteler, of the House of

Interesting Revolutionary "Reminiscences.
In the speech of MIR. Boteler, of the House of
Represen tatives, ON Wednesday last, he mar
rated and applied in the following appropri-
ate manner, very interesting "Reminiscences of
the Revolutionary War:
"The district which / represent, and the
county from which l come--that county made
famous by the raid of Brown-was the first
the very first in ali the South, to send succor
to Massachusetts. In one OF the most beauti-
ful spots in that beautiful county, within rifle
shot Of my residence, at the base OF the hill,
where . glorious spring leaps out into sun
light from beneath the gnarled roofs OF a thun-
der-riven oak, there assembled on the 10Th Of
July, 1775, the very first band ofSouthern men
who marched to the aid OF Massachusetts,
They met there, and their rallying cry was,
a. bee-line for Boston,"
'That beautiful and peaceful valley had
never been polluted by the footsteps of foe;
for even the Indians themselves kept it free
from the incursiOn of the enemy. Ii was the
hunting range and neutral ground of the abo-
riginees. This band assembled there, and "a
ee.line for Boston, was made from thence.
Before they marched they made Il pledge that
all who survived would assemble there fifty
years after that day. 1t was my pride and
pleasure to be present when the fifty years
rolled around. Three aged, feeble tottering
men-the Survivors of that glorious band OF
one hundred and twenty-were all who We're
left to keep their tryst. and be faithful to the
pledge made fifty years before to their COM
bleaching on the Northern hills.
'ssir, have often heard from the last survi-
vor of that band of patriots the incidents Of
their first meeting aud their march how they
made some six hundred miles in twenty days
thirty miles day-and how, as they near
ed their point Of destination, Washington,
who happened to be making reconnaissance
in the neighbours cOd, saw them approaching,
and recognizing rGe linsev-woolsey hunting
shirts of old Virginia, RODE up to meet and
greet them TO the camp; how. when he saw
the capiain-his old companion III arms, Ste
phenson, who stood by his side at the Great
Meadows, ON Braddooi;'s fatal field, and in
many an Indian campaign, and who reported
himself to his COMMANDER as from The right
bank of shs P0t0mae''-he sprang from his horse
and clasped his old friend and companion in
arms with both hands. He spoke no word OF
welcome, but the elo4uence of silence told
what his tongue could not Articulate. He NOV
ed along the ranks, shaking the hand of each,
from man to man, and all The While-as my in
former told me-the big tears were seen cours-
ing down his manly cheek.
AYE. sir, Washingtoa wept! Aud why did
the glorious soul Of Washington swell with
emotion Why did he weep Because he saw
that the cause Of Massachusetts was practi-
cally the cause Of Virginia; BECAUSE he saw
that her citizens recognized the great princi-
piles involved In the contest. These Virginia
volunteers had come spontaneously. They
had come ia response to the words OF her
Henry, that were leaping like live thunder
through the land, telling the people of Virginia
that they must fight, and fight for Massachu-
setts. They had come TO rally by Washington's
side, to defend your fathers firesides, to pro-
tect their homes from harm. Well, the risit
has bees sstwrned, John Brown selected that
very county as the spot for his invasion and,
a. was mentioned In the Senate, the rock where
Seeman Tell was the very rock over which
Morgan and his men marched "A few hours af-
ter hugh Sievenson's command had crossed
the river some two miles further up.
MAY this historical "Reminiscences rekindle
the emhers Of patriotism in our hearts! Why
should this nation OF ours be rent in pieces by
this irrepressible conflict Is it irrepressible
The battle will not be fought out here. When
the dark day comes, as come it may, when this
question that now divides am agitates the
hearts OF the people can only be decided by
the bloody arbtrameut of the sword, it will be
the sAddest day for US and all mankind that
the sun Of Heaven has ever shone upon.'