The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-08-30


SMlTH.-A patriotic Virginia lady who has
recently. been in London sendssuur reporter
through personal friend q most interest
ing sketch of the grave OF Captain John
Smith, which we give below. 1t is to be
hoped that the suggestions contained will
be adopted, and that the "pioneer hero's"
grave will be suitably honored:
In the heart OF London, on the corner OF
Giltspur and Newgate streets, diagonally
opposite the prison, stands in narrow strip
OF graveyard the old Church Of St. Sepul.
chre, ivy-mantled and square-toWered. The
exterior has within few years been re-
stored with good taste. The interior IS
ugly with the heavy, oppressive ugllness OF
church architecture in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries.
One flag-payed aisle divides the nave; an
other crosses it near the eastern end. The
two entrances are at the eXtremities OF the
cross-aisle. In this cross-aisle, near the IN
tersection, q large slab covers the grave OF
Captain John Smith, the pioneer hero OF
Virginia.
The trampling feet OF eight generations
have in 250 years utterly obliterated what
ever inscription or epitaph recorded his
deeds and virtues. Not letter remains.
One morsel Of carving, sheltered by its
proximity to the pews, alone serves to lden'
tify the stone. But this Identification is be-
yond dispute. 1t consists OF the upper deX.
ter corner of shield containing the three
Turks heads, which Smith was permitted
to bear in his coat-of-arms after he had, in
three single combats, slain the Turkish
champion Bonny Mu1gro and his two COM
panions. The remainder Of the shield has,
like the inscription, vanished. -
Standing beside this grave last month, the
writer, as Virginian, could not but fee
reproached by its neglected condition. Many
Americans visit it, the verger said, and e1.
press their wonder that Virginia does moi
rescue this memorial OF her first great man
from the destruction OF time.
The interior Of the church will shortly bt
thoroughly restored. Unless some pains be
taken to preserve this slab there is danger
even in conservative England, that it may
be added to the pile Of similarly obliterateC
tombstones in the church.yard, be applied
to some other use, and at last utterly lost.
Will Virginians suffer this?
The cost OF recutting shield and inscrip
ton would be trifing--so trifiing that ont
person might easily defray it; but surel!
many would be glad to contribute. 1t will
|. be, a disgrace to US il II it's pot done; ant
an almost equal dlsgIace One Pefsoi
is allowed to do it alone. To give num6el
the opportunity Of aiding TO, preserve thi
simple memorial iof; a. hero, it is proposed
that the Dispatch, open q subscription fol
the purpose-no one person being permittet
to contribute more. than one dollar. Th'
money, when collected, can be sent to Rev
James Jackson, Vicar Of, st. Sepulshre's 8
No. 2 Charterhouse Square, London.
Mr.. Jackson will obligingly take charge O
the restoration.
An engraving Of the shield and copy o
the inscription are probably to be found II
the biographical notice prefXed to the lates
edition of Captain Smiths History OF Vir
ginia. II not, the Herald's College can sup
ply the coat-of-arms, and some competen
Virginian should write new inscription
recognizing the services OF John Smith tt
our infant State, and expressing our appre
citation and gratitude. r