Middletown transcript., 1881-10-28


traveller leaves on his left the little vii
lage of Yorktown, enters the broad
York, and is again in the midst OF
many localities connected with history.
This was the heart of Powhatan' IS
realm, and his royal capital, where
Smith was rescued, was in sight of the
present Yorktown. 1t was called
Werowocomoco, the chief place OF
council" and near it was the great
Uttamussack shrine, the burial-place of
the Indian kings, where the priests
watched day and night, and celebrated
their hideous rites. The shrine was a
long Z" arbour' of boughs on range of
sand-dunes, and the bravest warriors
regarded it with superstitious terror.
As they passed in their canoes, they
threw copper into the river to propi-
tiate the terrible Kiwassa, and made
long strokes of the paddle to get away
from the dangerous spot.
AS at jamestown, "a hundred scenes of
the old chronicles pass at WerowOc''-
moco. Pocahontas saved Smiths life
on two occasions at the spot, and the
locality of the Indian capitol has been
clearly ascertained. 1t was near
Shelly" an estate of the Page family,
on plateau above the river. Pow
hatan's Chimney" built nearly three
centuries ago, is still there to mark the
spot. The chimney and another struc-
ture are the most ancient remains of
the first settlement of Virginia. The
other is the i" Stone House," on Ware
Greek, across the York, which was
built, almost beyond doubt, by Smith,
about 1908. 1t was meant for place
of retreat'' in case of an Indian attack,
and is still solid and substantial on its
wild ridge among the laurel-trees.
An interesting locality of this old
historic land is the large house on the
Roosevelt, y which stands on the north
bank of the York, not far above York
town. This was the residence of the
Pages, and was a famous old place at
the time of the Revolution. 1t was
built by Mann Page, who imported the
material from England, passed the first
brick through the hands of his eldest
son, baby in arms, and ruined himself
before it was finished, 1t was finished,
however, and in a style Of great ele-
gance. It was large building with
wings, the whole front two hundred
feet, and the interior was wainscoted
with mahogany, and decorated with
pillars, with trailing vines and grape
punches of carved wood. On the roof
was broad space heavily floored with
lead obsarvatories rose at each end
and here Jefferson and his friend, the
master of the mansion, used to sit in the
summer evenings and discuss theology |
and politics. This friend was the Hon.
John Page, an able and excellent man.
He was soldier, statesman, and so
pious that it was the general desire of
his friends that he should be ordained
Bishop of Virginia. To-day Roosevelt,
like so many of the old Virginia houses,
has passed into the hands of others, but
it is standing firmly still, an imposing
relic of past things, "more like
feudal castle than modern dwelling"
and brings back the days of the Rev
Olution.
York and Gloucester, along the banks
Of the York, were famous regions in the
old Virginia annals. Here was the
scene of some of the bloodiest strug-
giles of Bacon's rebellion-of the cap
ture of Hansford, the brave young
patriot, on stolen visit to his lady
love, from which he passed to the gal
lows by order af the pitilesS old tyrant
Sir William Berkeley of the capture
Of Cheeseman, and the escape of Drum
mond, the conspirator and the end of
all, row of gibbets, with bodies hung
on them in chains. Bacon's head
quarters were at West Point, where
Smith had seized Opechancanough by
his scalp-lock and dragged him down,
and where, just before Yorktown,
Lafayette also made his quarters while
awaiting the arrival of Washington,
and listening to the long thunder of
De Grasses guns from the ocean.
These chance allusions--there is
space for nothing more-to the PENN
sula will indicate its great historic in
terest as the theatre of events in the
history of Virginia. The territory is
contracted, for if the traveller who de-
sends the James and steames up the
Y York returns by rail to Richmond, he
has passed in single day around the
whole stage Of SO many moving events.
Here the subject has been merely
touched. Not even the name of
Williamsburg has been written, and
yet no locality except jamestown has
with it so many historical
recollections. Long before the Revo-
this old borough was already
famous under the name Of Middle Plan
.ation. One hundred years before the
American Declaration of Independence
that is to say, in the month of Au-
yust, 1676-there met here a great
crowd of the "prime gentlemen of
Virginia for a specific object The
meeting was held in the evening, and
continued until midnight by the light
If torches. The company was mot
ey one. On all sides were seen the
aced coats and ruffles of planters, and
he buff jenkins Of troopers, armed with
sword and pistol. At the head of them
was fiery General Bacon, a young man
,wenty-eight, who, addressing himself
with nassionate elOouence to the as