The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-09-20
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readers the following heartfelt Offering TO-
:the memory OF Yirgihlas lafnented histo-y
Ran, Charles CAMP ei!, which has been
handed rs by mfr. Il. a. Brock. it Is from
tho pen oil q Kindred spirit, the venerable
Philip Slaughter, %. D., now of Cnipeper
county, an honored member OF the Vir-
ginia Historical Society during Its earlier
lahors, m earnest and indeiatigabie anti
quarian and historical student, and the
author OF the following published works
History Of Bristol Parish (ineluding an
account OF Old Blandford church,. 8yo.,
Richmond. 1916; The History OF st.
Georges Parish, Spotsylyania county. Syo.
New York. 1S47; Address before Virginia
Historical Society, 1850. 4
DR.. Slaughter aided largely iii the prepara..
ton of Bishop Meade's Old Churches ana
Families OF Virginia, and has contributed
frequently from the wealth OF his investl-
cations to the magazine and newspaper
press.
/ humbly crave the privilege OF adding
one sprig to the wreath Of laurel which Mr..
Brock has so lovingly and SO gracefully laid
upon the tomb Of Charles Campbell. More
than thirty years ago, when took charge OF
st. Pauls church, Petersburg, i was brought
into friendly intercourse with this remark.
able man, and was surprised to lind, under
his plain garb and modest mien, so large a
heart and mind so richly stored with his
torical lore. had Just conceived the idea
Of writing the histories OF the old parishes
OF Virginia, and soon after published those
OF Bristol and st. Georges. In gathering
! materials for the history OF Bristol parish,
| Petersburg, had the aid OF Mr.. Campbelfs
sympathy and counsel. We used to have
I 60, o,,I
hontas and Jamestown and Weromo
. and the legends and traditions which still
haunt those names and places, and which
are the romantic and poetic elements OF our
early history. And we took long walks in
the classic suburbs of Petersburg, including
| the old church-yard at Blandford, and
its n,ossed-rooi and ivy-clad church,
which had for him as great charm as the
ruins of the Temple Of Minerva in the Ro-
man Forum have for the most enthusiastic
classical antiquary. Charles Campbell was
in high sense our cold Mortality" Sir
Walter Scotts hero did not cherish with
greater reverence the memory OF the Scot
fish martyrs than did our historian the me-
mory of our primitive patriarchs. Nor did
that worthy with q more loving and dlsln.
terested zeal hunt for the tombs OF the mar
tyrs OF his own faith, and with more plouS
care clear away the moss that concealed the
inscriptions, than did our more catholic an
tiquary do the same kind office for Viz
ginians in every faith in politics, religion
and literature.
Instead OF the white pony OH which Ole
Mortality ambled on his way, our frieno
often took his staff in his hand and made
his pilgrimages OH foot to his favorite
shrnes. I had the pleasure Of calling his
attention to .sAnderson's History OF the
British Colonial Church" which l accident.
ally found in bookstore in New York
and such was his appreciation OF tha'
valuable work that when | went tf
, E,lrope he sent by INC to Mr.. Anderson
[ one of his own works in testimony OF his
, obligations to him for his valuable labors IN
our historical fields. remember we'll when
returned from Europe, and recounted to
him my visit to the tomb OF Captain Smith,
and my search for the grave OF Pocahontas,
how his sympathetic face cleaned with
gladness, and with what child-like interest
he listened to every item OF the story. !
have rarely met man OF so much merit,
with so little self-consciousness. and so lit.
tie seli-assertion. The height OF his amDl.
ton in literary point of view seemed to me
+ to be to write a " History of the Colony and
Old Dominion OF Virginia" that should be
worthy Of the theme. He lived to realize
, this great desire of his heart in work
which has raised him to the front Of the
historians OF Virginia. The Historical So
ciety ought to have its hall graced with
J portrait of Charles Campbell, who was a
Virginian in every fibre OF his soul; and
they would do well to persuade Mr. Brock
to expand his interesting notice into fuller
memoir OF our cold Mortality" who de
serves to be perpetuated on canvas by the
pencil of the painter, and on paper by the
pen OF the biographer.
BID silent poetry the canvas warn-
The stored page with speaking picture Charm.