The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-04-23
rr,,,o. xy,,.tn,,, County. -

| N !" ,,.c u.,tyl,M--A GAME ROOSTER
| COLONIAL CHURCH At NAH"ohie l--''unn
| ,r.n,i-,RTrRs AND FAMOUS -piSFAieh
| ,rw,x1,t, MEETING ASp LIBERAL coNrh'h,
T,oy AT BrrLAu CuuRCH-A wotHpho 'N'
AIRY OFFICER.
| ,Corrcspontcncc Of The Richmond Dis'atch'l
| KING WILLIAM COUNTY, a.,
April II. 1873. }
A stranger who should go by the kich,
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac lai'foao
to Pamela station should be carried ty Tue
station several hundred yards, nave ioo.,
race back to catch his conveyance, huu
then travel in buggy down through hlne
William, might not find much TO lh'cl,>'
him !; hut your correspondent (thai'Ns 10 ''I
cordial hospitality OF kind irlcha>) mas n'''
an exceedingly pleasant VISIT ana i''cAcn up
| some items which may interest your feadei>.
| King William county was formed IN !'0i
from King and Queen. Ii lies in between
the Pamunkcy and MatElponi, which unite
nj West Point TO form the York, and is about
,hr,y-two miles long and nine wide. The
lands along the ridge do not look promising,
INT those that border the rivers are very fer
tile and productive. The population OF King
| William hv the census IF 1870 was I,3l1; III
| 1864 il was $3.50. and in 1870 it was 9,Sl2.
| 1t had in 1860 4 slave population OF oo2o. ana
in 1870 colored population Of 400. The
prcpondcrance Of the negro element gives
| The kadirals the control OF the county, and,
| unfortunately, the farmers are not compcn-
stated by ~ abundant supply OF iaborcrS. In
| the upper part of the county Cutlcc chops
| wood. which has become most important
| business. while in the lower part OF the
county he goes fishing, and makes it very
| difficult at times for the farmers TO Sccul
tire labor needed TO plant or gather their
crops.
King William has : ,S4S acres Of improved
land, 1913 acres OF woodland, and 33,GGS
acre, of other unimprovcd land. The present
clsh value OF its farms is Sl,72S,29S; OF its
farming implements and machinery, Si2,0
1t paws annual wages amounting to SlCG,aSS,
and the total estimated value OF its farm pro-
duets is SilS,49S. The annual value of its
animals slaughtered or sold for slaughter Is
SlA,2OS, and the value OF its live stock Is
Sl95.41l. Its chief products are wheat. corn,
and cats. OF which there were reported III
1870 6S,25G bushels Of wheat, 23G,5:'0 bush
els Of corn, and $1,000 bushels Of oats. But
these figures do not give Il fair idea of the
productive power OF the county, a, besides
the DISCRIMINATION Of the labor system. they
have had for five years al unprecedented
series Of droughts.
In colonial times King William was occu-
pied by the Ia'taponi and Pamlnkey tribes
of Indians. and remnant vi the latter tribe
still linger ut ludiantown. The remains Of
several Indian mounds still exit, and lndiAn
relics are occasionally dug up Oy the farmers.
Uny the other day iii Indian pipe, with a
wirW am and other devices curiOuSly carved
upon it, was p!oughcd up Oh one Of the
farms.
The famous Indian chief pechancanough
(brothcr OF Pow hatan, and King OF Panun-
kew bad his abode on the present site OF
West Point. lie was the author Of the
great mas>acle in 1922, and was bold. crafty.
and cruel chici, who, when old, intirnI. and
nearly blind, used TO have himself carried on
a hitter as he led his braves to battle. He
was ut last captured by Governor Berkeley,
and while a prisoner ut Williamsburg WAS
assas>inatrd by the hand Of private vcnse-
ancc. "dt>pEnyiug to the last moment The
rorlltude of Il .>ioic of the wonds.' uniin-
paired Jv age and mistaken by calamity
| During Bacon'> rebellion West Point
was occupied and strongly fortified by the
"rebes."
When Grant found himself confronted at
Hanover Junction by "ElIe ubiquitous Lee.
who seemed 10 move by magic and carry III,
brcastworkS witt. him " taS a northern
writer puts it,, and was convinced ny the
heavy repulsc he received that Ill effort to
force Lees position would he Useless, he
moved down through King William 10 Han
uycriown, where he crossed the Pluunkey.
| travelled ly some Of the roads along
which this vast army moved, and even yet
the abScncc nf ali fencing, The destruction ol
lumber, and the "reminiscences OF the people,
tell tie story Of Tie march OF The army and
the piIlagc OF the >tr;;-H'crs.
| \ gentleman ave ne al amusing account
of how some soldiers Killed tor b!m sixty
hens that were nursing troods Of young
chickens and Slot 4 number Of times ut an
! old rooster, who, unframed ~ their bullets,
clapped his wing, and crowci his triumph
until another party rim him down and cap
! tured him.
| was interested at Maugohic in gazing on
the old colonial church built of bricks
brought from England, and in recalling
Grants famous dispatch from this point, in
which he said that he was within few
hours march Of Richmond. Yes, he was
W thin few hours march of the capital of
the Coniederacy: but Lee and his veterans
barred the way, and werea few days after, III
the bloody defeat they gave him at Cold
HarAor, to prove once more that they were
more than his match, and that the only hope
| Of lis final success WIS 10 abandon his boast
| that he would fight it cut on that line ii it
| took all summer and resort u the siege
which .houlu ultimate in the starving out
and teci,naIiny OF the ranks of the Army Of
Northern Virginia until they should be
compelled to "yield to overwhelming
hunters and resources"
There was held at Bculah Baptist church,
in this county, yesterday, memorial
meeting, ut Which the pastor (Rcy. j. D.
Turpn) was assisted by Il Richmond minis.
ter, and the church raised 4 subscription Of
about 500 to the memorial fund. This was
considered Il very liberal contribution for
this church. was touched 10 note among
the most liberal contributors Il most gallant
and skil:ul cavalry officer who followed
the feather OF Stuart, Hampton, and the
Lees until he received the terrible wounds
which have confined him for life to his couch,
but have not deprived him Of his cheerful
enjoyment of meetings. to which he is car
ried, or his deep interest in "everv good
word and work."
In the afternoon there was 4 Sund "
school meeting, and during the recess the
excellent ladies spread feast of good things
that did not betoken "short crops and hard
times" FlAToR.
"Tho Bankrupt Bill and the Bankrupt
Rin:.''
To The Editors Of The Dispatch: