Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-07-14
.TeE EVENING STAR.
The camp On the James River-Its Sur.
reundiuss.

SsE .EtF,E<HNG SIAR.
The Camp On the JAIME. River-Iu Sur.
rsundinss.
Directly opposite s'the old Harrison n.n.ion,,
lives, or did live, Edmund Rufin. Jr son of the
old Rum n who "hred The frst gum at Fort Sum-
ter. Rafan junior had beautiful place when
was there, some years ago surrounded by belt
Of forest refs upon the bluff which is eighty or
a6unafsd bet above the river, which is here
aoout mile wide. The view from the top Of
me house was beautiful one, oyerlook king tie
Iivef and the old Harrison plantation and several
o'pers. FROM the same spot there must now be
PANORAMIC dew OF Gen. McClellan's camp; aud
II the rebsis are allowed the opportunity to erect
oaueiiSs upon r. fin's farp-eatirely mssted as
The Sould be-sneils could be easily dropped
upon The lower ground on the east side
The RUfin firm Is a very large one having
some 7OO acres In cultivation. The wheat crop,
when | knew the place, averaged go &C rs 4 year
ard produced from 10 to 20 busbels acre. The
crops ranged from 600 TO 4 700 bushels a year;
corn from 500 to 90 bushels. There were 60
slaves on the pl CO, whose labor and the applica-
ton Of mail had raised the place from It's condi-
Gon of en- old WORKOUT cotton plantation TO this
condition Of frutfulness II It's ste OF corn and
wheat, vegetables and fruit are spilled to the
ufes Of our army, one rebsl will have 20 pay fair
proportion Of his ''wsr tax"
There ere MANY other large firms along the
west side II Jsmes liver, from City Point thong d
generally hidden from the river by high bIufs
and forsGt, which will undoubtedly be infested
oy guerillas, who can annoy vessels as they did
last wear on the Potomac.
Thirty miles below City Point there are I'M
mense plantations, owned by the Harrison fam
iiy for more than two hundred years. rode six
OF seven miles through cultivated fields all In
one enclosure
Be ow the Harrison plantations lies the cor.
gsin estate, " inherited some years ago by No.
Allen, who then became the greatest land OWE,
In Virginia. There were II 600 acres In the
home farm, and 90 600 acres beside, includIr q
James Island and 'Old Jamestown ,nand ssBeri,
y, the General Harrison place. where the army
seven or eight hundred slaves, but as they could
not work quarter Of the land, 1t has grown up
70 forest.
The object Of his ancestor wa, to drive off all
white Population; to mplish " hich he bong ht
all the small farms surrounding him, ard made
desert OF them. That is real slaveholding
policy Republican policy would be honestly
applied IN using the crops Of this place for present
needs, and in Teconverting the land to the use Of
men, instead Of wild beasts.
recty opposite les the great "Sandy Point
es'ate,H formerly owned by Robert b Boil
1nS- Of Pete sHurg-a very wealthy, intelligent
ghod man He sod 1t to Richard Baylor, q very
large Save holder on the RePPahsnHOck, below
Frederick burg.
The Sandy Point plantation embraces the poi int
between the james and Chickahominy, ami con-
tains 1900 acres, ard when owned by Mr. Boiling
had 10 ares uGder cultivation, Of which 600
&c es were annually In wheat, about $50 In corn
50 IN cas-, and toe remainder In clover, and the
were $50 slaves on the place We venture to say
that these people did not rejoice at the change Of
ownership, ncr would they weep to see their
an Union army.
This place was the home Of the "LIehtfoot
fam iy' In the ancient days OF Virginia spendor,
and IL has eight miles OF navigabie shore line
ana would be better location for a large camp
than the ground now pied by the army. Ii
10 40 miIes by water below Richmond and as by
land
Ten miles toward Richmond. neariv su the
WIX u de fnfp AnSL
narrow ucworked road, | csme to the mansion
q x President TYLER, a long irregular wooden
fonss, standing on high ground, mile and q
EAlt back from the river, which Is near v hidden
q forest which ebounds In this part OF the State
IN us primitive condition. Tae soil here on the
upland Is stiff clay, ard travelling In a wet time
Is not dOGe for pleasure
President Tyler lad good wheat farm Of 100
ecteS-o1O cleaTed-but II was in a wil5. .Ecss,
without near neigubor except oversees cld
poor white trash" The road toward Rich.
the cornty seat at Charles City COUNTY i've miles
northward. where the ex President did his G. urt
business, WA Ike many 81 the capitals Of Viz
GINA countless capital without houses. It had
Before parting from the dead lion will give
Mn enc kiek BY copying and appls ing 20 himse f
an epitaph which f0u-d upon the saouument
n re lies the bones # NV faithful ola horse.
Cent?, aged y years who IN sl his LONG service,
never rnaered but once. Would that bis master
"Bsfkiy," tee place here the army is now en-
ca PED 10 about dozen miles from the TYLER
place There are some good farms in the country
cack from the river, but the great bulk of The
laid forest, the country betW cen there and the
Cbiek1homlnv comparatively level, clayey soil
Slt3 ba1 roads, and inhabited by miserable
looking people.
The chu'ch which served an place of vyorsbip
fof the nsst Harrison family still serves the gentry
OF hat nsfghoorhOod. II is q most woe beg one
Iook 6g edlhce, outside and In, o: was when
any sincs II has dOne more tina. eve, hsard of
aAY o'hsf old church In Virginia.
Ih+ nett plantation above Berkly" Is osiled
'Westover All plantations are named, and
Norlh 40 -
"WestoveT" was the residences OF q Colonel
byid, whose tomb 10 In the garden. He built an
expensive house OF English brick. more than $50
Yesrs ago. There was one m intlep pie e that cost
the bank OF the river, which was walled with
prick, and the lawn inclosed with brick wall,
entered By massive ron gatss.>
Ine Byfd estate was extensive, but after being
reduced to an area Of 900 acres of woodland and
I'VE hundred acres arable-and that run down to
starvation point-it passed from the heirs Into the
hands OF John Selden, one Of the most improving
farmers upon James river, who renovated the
land. and made IL productive aud beautiful IN
a pertonal ffisnd. Ii seems hardly possible for
kueh msn to be 'secesh rebel -
between Berkly and Westover there Ia an ex-
tnsive marsh, which Mr.. Selden tried TO reciai m
Of d. King out the tide and ditchinp but un.uc-
ceSsfaliy That will be lire OF defence upon
maj Hank against all enemies but musketoes,
which II VIII produce by the ship load.