Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-23
THE OLD DOMINION.
A TRIBUTE TO HER FROM GENERAL
BRADLEY T. JOHNSON.
OF Hc1 Historical Attractions
and Grent reu.

and Grsnt Men.
lfnm advance sheets from memoir Of Joseph
!: Johnston, formerly Quartermaster- General
O. tho army q tho United State. and q general
~ NE army OF tho United States OF America.
Edited by bradley T. johnson, once soldier
III BIO army Of Northern Virginia. In proes
ali 70 he published by X. II. Woodward &
To-, Baltimore)
For many reasons the environment Of
the carly history Of Virginia was peculiarly
romantic and picturesque. When the force
ot tho renaissance begun TO be felt in
England and the vitality Of the new learn
ing 70 he impaired to the hearts and minds
Of Enelishmen, when the great changes
wrought by Henry VIII. had become opera
tive, and tho ideas Of tho reformation
takon deep root, all-pervading energy d.
rected thought. ideas, and action. The
mag nations OF men created realms from
dreams and stimulated efforts from aspira-
tons.
In this prodigious effort of will and mind
md body Virginia was horn. From tho
first she was tho Utopia Of England and
Irotcstantism. Spain had possessed all
tho southern part of the New World
with It's islands and IT'S ocean shores,
and from the southern cape TO ths
Northern sea on tho west. France had
seized the larger part Of the North Ameri-
can continent. from the lakes to the North
Pole. Virginia alone. between the two
great reactionaIy powers, represented pro-
gross, liberty. and hope.
BROAD LIuIs.
Virginia included the northern CONT
nent from ocean TO ocean, and from the
Trench on the north 10 the SIaniard on
the south.
She represented the cause OF liberty, Of
FIRE, thought. and free action.
In tho first company of Virginia were in
cludsd al the leading historic families Of
the realm-'eyenty peers and 100 knights
and baronets, and oil the great merchants
and trading guilds Il the Kingdom: Percy.
| Of Northumberland, sent his son Henry to
represent the family. whose antiquity. no
bil.ty. and spendOr. SAYS the ChrOnicler
on;edat"s the Norman Kingdom. and which
FOR thousand years had furnished sol
dicrs 70 carry the flag OF England IN bat
tie and statesmen TO enlarge her authority
and 20 guide her dcStinics. Hardly d
noble family in England but what was
represented IN that wonderful array which
| destroyed the Armada, hardly a family
winch hal struck for England md tree
thought. under Lord Howard. Of Fling
ham, against Parma and Medina-Sid onia
and Gui'e bat what WAS represented III
the settlement Of Virginia.
Henry Percy was Governor for n time
and lett the title of his house to county.
THE DoNINIoY.'
Virginia was Tho Dom nion." and con-
stituted the flth Of the domiuions Of the
Ring. whose title was King Of England,
| Scotland. Ireland. France. arl Virginia.
$40 bore Oh her cOat-OLsim: aud her great
seal tho proud motto;
rvgmil On ia' q'f'h.p','
for she was the peer and equal OF either Of
! the other four kingdoms claimed by tho
Lncli'h Crown.
Inc dawn of her history had been illu'-
trotcd by Captain John Smith-soldier,
Statesman. knight errnnt-whO bore on HI.
shield tuTcc Turks heads in memory OF
| the three Turkish champions Of the cree
| cent he lad slain in honor Of the cross IN
! open fslt before tho walls Of s!IistrIa.
ApARTERRr OF SOUVENIRS.
| The country Is parterre Of 'lur9rfr'
rrdolcnt and blooming with flowers OF
! sentiment and r0msHce-it Is shrine OF
| consecrated relics.
Here IS Bacon's Castle. where
| Nathaniel Bacon mustered the house
! holders Of virginia for their first rebel.
| Lon IN defence % liberty end home. There
IA Bloody run. which perpeturtas the
bloody victory of tho Nirgnians over the
savage On The very edge or the city Of
! Richmond BOscoOel y held by
! the family 10 whose ancestor II was grant
| el by Charles II. Cor loyal service ~ th1
| Royal Oak. ROmancoke designatcs the
| spot of Claihorne's victory over the IN
| dams. IN consideration OF which the es-
tate OF 10000 acres was granted to him.
III this family is preserved the collar anC
star # the order Of 81. Stanlslaus. once be
| lorging To Lewis Llttlcp,ge. chamberlain
| 90 10 last king OF Poland aud knight o
the order OF st. Stanisaus. In another II
| kelt the silver frontlet presented by
! Charles r.. to the Queen Of nmuukey. ant
still another holds tho golden horseshoe
set with precious stones, given 10 their an
| cestors by Sir Alexander SpOttswOod @.
| the insisaium OF the order al trarnOntaa,
| knights. who rode with him on the marcel
| over tho Blue Mountains. Here IS Green
spring. where Sir William Berkeley and the
cavaliers held high feast during tn
| Commonwealth, when the k.ng Wss OyeI
| the water. aud where they drank many {
| full bumper II NirgiElan wine. passing i
| from let 10 right over lumber Of pur,
water. There was Greenway Court. wher,
| i.lTU 7 AlII.A, NtrffllltAA VI lAt blOHi4t
| saxon and # Black iom Fairfax. called tC
| his servant on the noWs of Yorktown I,
take hun 70 bed to die. for twas tine now
HISTORIC PLACE.
| There Ia the road called Braddock's road
over which the British general with HI
| Nirciuiau gid-de.camp marched 10 battle
and to death. Their. Is another roG,
known TO his day as - Marquis road." which
/ | afayette cut through the forests Of Cal
peper 10 close IN on COrnWailis and th'
| British. There Il the stone which marx
| the post Of Arnold's outside picket whcI
he sacked and burned Richmond. At kocl
Castle il the mark OF TaIietOn's sabr,
wnero ho hacked OF the Arms ofTarleton
borne 10y the Lord OF tho Manor. au'
carved in the wood over the chimney
piece. There live the descendants Of lalio
| ferro. VINO rode By the side of William
carving his bannerat hastings es he chant
el tie song of LO4aad and the rear guard o
i,OncesvaiIes.
| Alexandria l. named for Sir william
Alexander. descendant Of a Morse vlAin
who conquered the isles on the mort
coast of Scotland, and whose descendants
t. lords OF the isles, Teigned there for Ger
turies to reapuear in Virginia and max
their mark there b. intellect and force G
will rs their ancestors had done wit
sword and dagger.
A ROMANTIC PAST.
There was the descendant OF old 81
Humphrey Gilbert, who, when hts yesse
on his way 10 Virginia was SINKING. hi
last words were: " BE Of good cheer N
friends, it Is a. near heaYen by sea as b
land"
Not neighborhood, not mountai
peak, not ford. not n ferry but has a
ways borne q connection with roIIan,l
and sentimental past.
Tradition transmits legends Of honor, {
piety, and OF devotion. From every fir,
side proceed the light Of love. OF honor {
family. and Of friends. The aroma and tn
halo OF romance ladens the CIR and glow
around the hearts OF the people.
From these surroundings, and by the
, influences, q well-msrked and distin,
character has been produced, which seen
t. be the most enduring and most forcib
, ns yet evolved by American civilization.
TIKI TRUTH.
Polybius has a chapter on tho characteri
tics OF the Romans, whom he describes as
singular people, FOR, says the Greek. The
actually believe that they are bound to kee
their oaths. and do keep them" Such
waste of energy in telling the truth. oil
keeping faith, was incomprehsnsible TO Il
! keen, alert intellect Of the descendant