Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-02-13
r,,r.NSALS ALEXANDRIA.
THIRD SERIES-lG15 TO l740.
INTRODUCTORY.

THIRD SERlGS-lOI0 III lifU.
INTRODUCTORY.
+ .Snouicn, .W., esq.
Ny DEAR SIR: As you we'll Know, it has
long been my desisn 10 write the history OF
Alexandria, ani have accumulated, year ty
year, no incoasocrab!e material tor this par
nose The vci>>itudas ct LIE and the demands
ordaily journalism have, especially OF late, al
lowed me little OF that kind of leasu.e which is
needed for such Il pursuit, and i has been only
At chance hours have been able to continue
the work 1t has been my design to mark,
step by step, the wave Of population that rolled
M the river side, pauslng here aud there to
note the Salicut points OF the movement, or
narrate IN detail some of the mos! reulal kabc
of the incidents by which it was accompanied.
In the Two series which have already been pub
Iished the settling Of the laad beyond the Oc-
G. auan river has been noted as we'll as the
ra,cutDg aud rude survey of he land on which
Alexandria now stands.
At the opcuug OF this series there had been
no sattleln ats on the uorth Of Hunting Creek,
uod the whole region hereabout was ablaze
with the ire kiudled by Bacou's rebellion.
The present site of Alexandria was thcu lu-
cluied in Stafford county. ". +. CARSE
CHAPTER |.
.HE POTOMAC SIDE DURING BACON 5 RE-
BELLlON.
1915 The winter of 1915 was passed upon
the Potomac IN great tear OF the IudanS.
When spring came ou, most OF the men pur-
sued their labors IN arms Bacon was on the
James river with large force The colony
burdcned and harasSed beyond bearing, every.
where hcaVcG with revolutionary throes.
a new assembly met 10 june The repre-
seDtatives, deeply imbued with the spirit Of
the times, provided for raising one thousand
men, aud the governor fearing the c0nscqueu-
ces of opposition, and willing II may be to cou.
cae, gave his approval. Under this act
Stafford was required to furnish before the
10th of July, 1916, twenty-niue men, pay their
wages, and provide each soldier Two pounds
OF powder and six pounds of shott man-
with good aud we'll fixed guns aud other
armcs, with zone pound of biscake bread aud
one halle pound of good dried beef, bacon and
cheese per day, with the necessary cattle.
horses and uteuslls
1916 Berkley, soon after the passage of
IL,
paramount 10 the colony The forces re.
and commanded by Colonel Giles Brent
Of their operations against the Indians, we
have no account, but they seem not to
have gone beyond the direct object for Which
they were raised, and to have dsbaUded when
ordered BY Gov Berkey being perhaps the
only militia 10 arms who obcyed the orders Of
the OLD Knight When Sir William was
fully reiustated, and all signs OF the movement
under Bacon had vanished, this loyalty was re-
warded, and the assembly allowed full pay to
those Northerne soldours under command uf
Col Giles Brent, who did only serve against
the Indians, and did rcturne to their due ODE,
dience and allegiance wheu Col. Giles Brcut did
lay down down his arms
The loyalty Of the Stafford people was not
however sufficiently strong to oppose Bacon in
arms Col. Brent, anxious to vlndlcate the
cause of the fallen governor, called out his force
and advanced towards the Rappahannock.
Bacon having burned Jamestown crossed the
York river to encounter the Potomac forces,
but the latter deSerting their coors declared
for the popular idol resolving says Mrs. Cot
ton 5 narrative, ito 90 with the Persiaus and
worship the rising SUM-" Another account
says, that after Two or three days journey the
Potomac men resolved not to come near Ba-
con" and marched back. 'Colonel Brent
says the account, was nightly astonlshed at
the departure of his followers, saying they
had forsaken the stoutest mao and ruined the
fairest estate in Virginia, which was by
their coWardce or disafeciiOn exposed to the
mercy Of The Bacouians,' but continues the
chronicle, "they were not to be rought upon
by anything hc, Brent, could say contrary 10
their own faucies." So Bacon, If ne had no
aid, received no opposition from The Potomac
side. Nor did the julicial murders which vim
dlcated the power OF the Royal Governor, touch,
So taras the records tell single dweller hy
the waters of the quiet river. The troublous
til es, Of course, iutertered greatly with the
set,lem mt of the frontier lands, and Immediate
ly atte' the close ofthe war the assembly ex-
tended on that account, until, 1854, the time
usually allowed for that purpose. This allowed
Mr.. A 'xauder, the holder of the Howsen
?. tent until that period to confirm his title by
actual settlement The expenses OF riverside
proportion of the war were assessed by com
III ssOn.
1919. AT the close of Bacou's war the number
of men required to man the Stafford block houses
was reduced, and twenty soldiers only assigned
to each block house, who, 1t Was expected,
would be reinforced, # occasion should require,
by portion of the British regiment Of regu-
lars then serving in Virginia.
1852. Two years passed With this small gar
risou, but DO Indians appeared, and the couu-
ties began to complain Of the needless expense.
The Assembly gave ear to the comp lalnts, and
in November, 1862, directed the forts to be
disuantlcd, and the garrisons disbauded before
the conclusion Of the year. lu lieu of the dis
banded force upon the Potomac, Stafford was
required to raise twenty horsemen, household
ers, if possible, who under the command of
mllltia off1car shonla Hat |aaSt onca in every
fourteen daies rauge and scout about the from
tiers Of the county, aud in such other places as
shall be most likely for the discovery of the ene-