The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-11-22

Cry pofSr was once ashipp,ns p ts,rr from,
which nearly all the siarGsx Nfsnv ~ thern
tnss port resel'. : nortioa- of their freight mt
wn Sn reSs anS would then drop down to this
,s.,i.. where they would take an the retna,n,
TIT. s, wss s sns !s Sii and where ri.
ILL., were landed before he commenced tne
tIvo,ppaign of 1866, which resulted In the sur
crsnaer or Leo and the downfall OF ane nopes
Of the southern people. ,.S ~ 40
~ General Harrison, who was born In IT'S, Is
another of those old coleman mansions iru ron
which the hospitality OF It's owner was aIs-
pensed In such rrinceiy style Inc harrison
family Is one OF the Oldest IN tne Sta,e, tne
arst OF the name having settled In Virginia In
1910. ..sop u-s.
was built by Colonel William Byrd, who died
I'm i744, aged seventyyears. His grave and the
shown. The old MISSIONER church, about a
mile in rear Of the mansion, is standing, and
Is said 10 be the oldest church editice In Nir-
ginia In which religious services are Kept up.
FoRr WARRINGTON, o short distance below
City Point, and on the same side OF the river,
Is one of the Notifications erected by the
Americans In the Revolutionary war, and used
i'm the late war, first by the Confederates, and
afterwards by the Federals. II has been re.
modelled and altered so materially tnat put
little Of It's former appearance remains. Inc
its solid stone masonry seems to bid defiance
TO time, as II once did TO British guns,
SwIYYARDs is not now used as landing, but
II was celebrated for long number Of years
as wharf and ferry. 1t is now only remem-
bered as being the point where Cornwaliis
crossed the river on his way to Yorktown
Many other places of historic interest lie on
both sides of The river. Princely mansions
once "reared their stately heads" on It's
banks, but, alas where are they now. In
many cases the blackened walls and bare chin.
neys, standing as grim sentinels, tell the SAD
tale The houses are gone, the owners nave
once looked so neat and productive are now
running wild with rank grass and pestilentlal
weeds. \. .g
JAMESTOWN is, known to every school. boy
read with delight the nimitable description of
IL in the "British SPY" and Twill only men
ton, that with the exception OF the houses
having been burnt, and the ground having
been torn mp to some extent ior ine purpose Vi
erecting batteries, 1t bears the same appear
ance so elegantly described by Mr.. Writ. .
" Just above jamestown is spot known as
prpciag Point. 1t derives its name from ira
dition current among the sailors on the river.
The property was owned by a man whom
shall call Lightfoot. On the farm there was
a marsh which the owner was very DESTROYS OF
clearing up, and tradition says that the scheme
was violently opposed by the devil. An inter
view between his Majesty and Lightfoot took
place, during which it was decided that q trial
of dancing should be held to decide whether
the marsh should be cleared up The night
was appointed and the spot chosen. at the
hour the parties met, and commenced their
exercises. Flaming torches and shooting stars
rising from the swamp lighted the ground over
which the contest took place. NO witnesses
were there to cheer them on, but the desire to
improve his farm was sufficient inducement to
Lightfoot TO keep up the strife, and despite the
odds against him, when morning broke the
devil retired and Lightfoot discovered that
the spot formerly occupied by the swamp was
a field, high and dry. Lights still float
over the field at night, and on the ground
where the dance took; place no grass nor
herb will grow. A bare spot Of hun
bred yards in extent still marks the scene
of the strife No freedman's foot crosses the
spot after nightfall. and no fox seeks here his
prey. " Newport News, the great shipping
port, which is to be, of Virginia, does not now
show signs of being what its founders hope
one day to see it. Only q few shanties now
compose the city. Here we could see the masts
of the privateer Florida, which accidentally
sunk after she was ordered to be given up.
Her masts, still shooting up above the water,
mark the spot where she went down. Here,
was just of this point that the naval fight
achieved the victory which ut one bound
and changed the whole naval architecture of
the world. Our steamer does not stop 1T Old
Point 10 day, and now we are in Norfolk har-
Dor. Possibly l may write you another from
there. Until do, yours, &C., SNAPPER.