The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-20
VIRGINIA HISTORY.
CRIMINAL NEGLECT ~ ITS PRESER
VATION.

a
Rogers Clarke Interesting Narrative.
His Exploration and Acquisition Of the
Northwest TER tory.
There are great many well informed
people in this Stale. IA well as out OF II,
who have never even heard mention
made of the name OF one who perhaps
lid as much for his country as any other
nan Of his time This remark applies as
well to many other noted Virginians who
rom time 10 time have adorned the his.
.ory of their State In The Revolution.
NV war there were instances Of men
whose career in that momentous struggle
illustrated the highest capacities Of whom
the world now knows no more than If
they had never lived. II IL may be said Of
any people, II can with truth be told Of
Tie Nirgnians Of tina, day that, 10 the
cause they eSpOused, they sacrificed their
AL And yet, in the face Of this fact .
they have been the most Indifferent of
all who were engaged in that momen-
tous struggle TO the preservation Of their
history during its prosecution. Indeed,
ye may with truth say that this indifler
encc 10 her career "a a colony and an in
dependent Commonwealth has ever eX.
i-ted. The consequence is, there is at
this very time more unwrilten history in
Virginia than is to be found in any State
OF the Union; a history, too, out Of
which might be constructed as heroic an
epic as ever stirred the imagination or
hrcd "a patriots heart This has not
been the case with some of our neigh
bors Our Northern friends have been
much more diligen; in this respect than
their Southern brethren With far less
material they have filled up the measure
of their history, even to small overflow
ings, and have taxed their well known
ingenuity TO a degree which, II it does
not meet our approval. AZ least commands
our admiration They began this prac-
tice at an early date Not long after the
revolution was over the literature of the
day was chiefly occupied with stories and
forif accounts of the small heroes of
New England. For q long time after
this period, in the nursery and out Of IL,
the young people Of the entire country
were taught 10 believe. FOR instance, thai
old lsreal Putnam was almost "as bic a
man As Washington himself, because on
one occasion he was said 10 have crawled
into % VOLTS den. aud on another 10 have
ridden his horse down set of steps to
escape capture by the British The tastes
q our people seemed not to have been
in This direction. and although we had
plenty of other heroes, Sergeant Jackson
and Peter Francisco were the only rccip-
tents Of historic fayors
Blt 20 our narrative. At a spot now
well known, not more than one and
half miles east of Charlottesville, Abe
marie county, Va, was born ON the l9th
day Of November, 1902, the famous Gen
cral George Rogers Clarke. His family |
had long lived in the county OF Caroline, |
Va, but his father, John Clarke, at an
early date removed to Aibemarle. He |
settled on piece of land on the left bank |
% The Riyanna river, described above. |
At the death Of this John Clarke the |
land was divided and his son John |
Clarke, elder brother of George, drew the !
household tract. This he sold, and the |
place passed from one person to another |
until about the year 1900, ii was purchased |
by Mr. William Franklin Bache, a grand
sDn Of DR.. Franklin. He resided only three |
years in Virginia, and then returned to
Philadelphia. How George Rogers Clarke
passed his early years We are not tod,
fOT little seems TO be known of him al
that time Mr. Jefferson. while residing !
al Shadwell, knew him as a mill-bcy rid
ing on his meal-bag homeward from the
mills near that place Il was in this way,
perhaps, that the acquaintance between
Mr.. Jefferson and Clarke's family began,
which may have caused the selection of
William Clarke. younger brother to
George Rogers Clarke, as fitting com.
pAni0n 10 the famous Meriwether Lewis
boo bis w9rld-renOwned expedition 10 the
Columbia river al later date
At The age of twentythree Clarke de-
;ermined To leave Virginia, although at
that time there was abundant reason why
be- should remain at home. The state
OF the public mind was such as fOTetOld
the troubles which soon burst upon the
entire country. Hence one would have
supposed that such man, in the yigor of
youth. would have at once become iden-
tilted with the events OF his own com
mauty IL may be he had heard OF the
adventures Of those who were daily risk
Ing their lives and property in danger.
)us and doubtful existence in the far off |
frontiers of the West. His sympathetic
and ardent nature was of the kind to be
fascinated with just such life, and his
bold and reckless spirit was no doubt
,hahng under the restraints of an older
md more sedate society. BE this as it
nav, we soon find him in what was then a.,
.nown as the District of Kentucky, be
ouring 10 the State of Virginia. For
omc unknown reason Clarke's stay on !
Dee frontier was not a long one He re-
rnel 10 his home IN Virginia But dur
DE- ihis sh0rt eN 2ericnce his quick, dis y
cuing mind had found enough to excite
lc most intense interest i'm the future of /,
lat attractive country. tie saw the i'm
o,unrc of rc,cuiug the settlers Il. m The
ai,.toucd destruction 40 the hands OF
.e uc.Eh10riug .ayagcs and what was y
& ,4ua. importance, the absolute neces-
.'y of establishing them in their claims
Ir 'bc land upon which they were living.
BE- pot orr purpose 10 dwell here upon
e oub.cs that grew out of the COM
. lions and schemes of land spectators \
greedy corporations that were at this :
..ugrrcllInE over the rich and inviting y