The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-07-27
A Richmond Man on his Travels.

Richmond Man on his Travels.
rCorres pondcnce of the Richmond Dispatch.l
GLOUCESTER COUNTY, VA,
July &c. 1875.
Gloucester has newspaper OF its own, ana
the Argus-eyed Dews-editor who shares your
sanctum will not fail to discover and trans
fer to your columns any news OF general IN
terest appearing therein, but few ooSerYa-
inns and " moral Suggestions" donated
by visitor TO the county may not be uhln-
terestipg to some OF your readers.
Before the war there were few counties IN
the State in which there was more of wealth.
intelligence, and refinement than was found
in this county. The people were among the
most hospi,ab.e in the world. Formed IN
1G.2. and settled principally by Immigrants
from Worcestershire, England, the new in
habitants brought with them many CT the
customs of the mother country, ana gave 10
their county, the streams, and many oil The
| plantations, the English names which they
still bear There are many places OF hlsto-
| ric interest in this county.
Roosevelt, on the York river nearly oppo'
site Queens creek, for long time the resi-
dcDce of John Page, who was Governor of
Virginia from 1902 TO 1905, is probably the
oldest mansion, as it is the most venerable
relic of antiquity, in Virginia. The house is
cubicaI in form and about eighty feet high.
From the roof, which is fiat and loaded,
magnificent view is afforded of the beautiful
York and the country contiguous. Many dis
tinguisheG Nirginians have found shelter
| beneath its hospitabe roof; and during its
occupancy by Governor Page many Of the
fathers of the Republic spent their summer
evenings upon the roof engaged in c2nversa-
ton and shaping the destiny OF the patton"
| 1t is nov The residence OF Josiah l.. Deane,
E.u and ITS old.time gaiety and sDlendor
was renewed and brilliant company gath
! cred within its walls few days ago 10 Wit
| ness the nup,ias Of the daughter OF the pro-
prictor with Colonel Weaver, who takes one
| of Glouccstei's fairest daughters TO grace
his Alabama home
Smelly, formerly portion Of the Roosevelt
plantation, is said TO be the Woro wocomico
Of tradition, where the pussant warrior Pow
hatan held his savage court, and where was
enacted that Interesting episode in colonial
history The rescue OF Captain John Smith by
PUcahontas.
In my boyhood Gays, while roaming
through the woods Of Powhatan." near
Richmond, then the residence of the Mayo
family, have often cor jured up this scene,
L
where by woman's beroism the intrepid
leader OF the coIonists was saved from an ig-
nominious death, but q recent examination
of the following passages proves that Gou.
cester, and not HenricO, was the place Of this
transaction.
In book 3, page 142, Smith says:
cat WoroHocomico, on the north side of
the river York. was his (PoWhatan's) resi-
dence when | was delivered him prisoner,
some IA myIes from James Towne, where for
the most part he was resident"
And Stiih as quoted in Burk's history,
vol. l., page Ill, describes its position as
follows:
Worowocomico lay on the north side Of
York river, in Gloucester county, nearly op.
posite the mouth OF Queens creek, and about
% miles below the fork Of the river
Attempts have been made TO throw dis.
credit upon The whole story by the assertion
tha: Smiths testimony is uncorroborated by
credible witnesses, but l prefer to cling to
the tradition, and the iconcla>ts of the nine
teenth century who are laboring to prove
that Columbus did not discover America.
that Shakespeare did not write Shakespeare"
that Washington was Il potroon. and Captain
John Smith 4 liar. will find it difficult to
wre>t these idols from me.
Gloucester is also the buria|-phct Of Ma.
thauie BIcon, that intrepid young soldier
who delivered the coloni,s from the butch.
cries Of lhs suvugcs, and that patriot who,
t&o hundred years ago, raised the standard
of revolt against the od!Ous and oppressive
government OF the naughty and treacherous
Sir William Berkeley. Bacon'> Efforts failed,
aud in history he is branded "rebel." One
hundred years aitel' other men took up the
cause, and having succeeded they now lie
h0nored in patriots graves, while his re-
mains were secretly consigned to earth, and
.'no man knowcth Of his sepuchre unto this
day."
While Gloucester furnished no battle fields
for the lately contending armies, yet her pee
pIe suffered much from the incursions OF
armed bands of The enemy stationed at
Yorktown and Gloucester Point. Many out
RACES, peI petrsted by irresponsible bummers
and mp-folfowers, yet remainin the memory
Of the people; and to-day visited house
where Frenchman nearly sixty yeas old,
"Adolphe Ernette, from Paris, Professor of
Drawing and Painting" was shot down at
midnight and cruelty murdered in the cham.
Der and presence Of an aged couple for SIM
ply demonstrating with toe laHleSs maraud-
erS. s-.
But the people Of Gloucester arc disposed
to forgive, if they cannot forget, the authors
Of these atrocities. and they welcome the
dawn of an era brighter with hope, and the
restoration of more iraternal relations.
The material prosperity of, tie county has
been somew hat retarded by tue unfavorable
SEASONS for several years past, but some Of
those farmers who have given more alien
ton 10 trutk.raising than formerly have been
quite successful, and that branch Of agricul.
ture is greatly Oh the increase. There are
| some farms here " hich may be regarded as
among the finest in the State, OF which we
may mention White Marsh, formerly owned
by ProzSer Tabb, Esq, and more recently
purchased by Mr.. Hughes, of New York;
gentleman Of wealth and enterprise, who
conducts bis farming operations after the
most approved method, and with all the APP
pliauees Of art. Many northern settlers
| have made their homes here since the war,
and wherever they have shown themselves
worthy these people have extended to them
that hospitality and kindness for which they
are SO justly celebrated. ...
Gloucester is certainly The most CONNER.
cs county to be found anywhere in the State.
Wherever the road forks there you will find
Q store, and where two roads cross. two or
more stores present rival claims for patron
age. Very little currency is in circulation
here, and the old method Of bartering is
largely carried on. Butter, eggs. poultry,
berries, &C., are readily taken in exchange for
]" store goods" aud large quantities OF these
articles are shipped weekly. 1t is matter of
regret to observe that Baltimore is The prin.
clpal market for this section. Nearly all the
produce that finds sale is shipped there, and
the merchants, with some few exceptions, ig-
nore-tireir capital city and gooul OF the State
to make their purchases. They do not give
Us reason lhsl their. goods command better I
prices, or that they can purchase on more adj.