Middletown transcript., 1891-02-12
saMEsroNN, VIRGINIA.


speak Of jamestown, the most meMU[, 1Ma
able spot in American history we
wsra driven for some four miles over
a narrow road much worn by time,
thesame ~ Il was travelled BY the ilrss :
seller through an original growth OF
beavy timber /; once the reservation
of T powhatan and his 5000 followers.
and A. lie same oyer which Pocohontas
took her secret warnings 70 the inlans
Colonies.
chinfs sachems, bards, heroes, seers'
That live IN story ana 10 song
,.,;.a - .a,,s,st ~ three hundred years,
Ike me, this lonesome road naa p.o'ee-
On.
How ;ncouceiyable are the many
incidents connected with the his
tory of this memorable highway,
and IN our extravagant conception
moi unlike the foreign traveller We
looked for the lamps that lit up Noun.
Calyery the pools Of Bethesda ana
Gideon the tomb Of the Virgin Mary,
the pillow Of Absolom and the holy
field n vain. After four miles ride
and crossing o small creek the 1.-THE OF
the deer Of the immense forest to TINS
day. seventeen OF which have been
kiiled this winter, we came to the
neck Of farm land, the former home
Of Major Allen. It contains zUUU
acres. 1000 Of which is arabic, and Of
the finest quality soil and we could
not conceive q more favorable spot
for ! dairy farm in oil our travels
IN manvs s6fsfhe States of the Union.
There are 20 small houses, once the
abode of two hundred slaves, with
tobacco barns and other comfortable
farm buildings; it Is divided from
jamestown BY small creek on which
there Is 8 good wharf near the main
dwelling. Fish, game and oysters,
abound and this is the best place
imaginable in which to while away
time.
It is nearly surrounded BY
water bordering in part on James
river. and there are many redoubts the
remains Of Colonial and civil wars,
and behind which Major Allen and his
followers found shelter from the gun
boats Of the federal feet in 1852.
Here we crossed the first cause
way ever built in the United States.
We were on the jamestown farm and
were in conversation with Mrs. Brown
8 progressing lady ofintelligence, the
owner and occupant of the Mecca of
American Antiquity. The farm is
en- island containing 1400 acres, 800
of which are fine soil. beautifully
located on James river and is devoted
to the raising of sheep, hogs and
fruit; there is q wharf on the farm
where two steamers land daily. The
executive mansion of Gov. Berkeley is
still standing large brick house in
good condition where Mr.. and Mrs.
Brown reside and keep the postofice.
Having received from the lady
valuable information, We proceeded to
the ruins Of the Oldest church of
America. Tbs tower IS stu standing
and consists Of q substantial wall some
20 feet high. We entered through an
arched doorway some 15 feet to the
main auditorium; portion of the
foundations are still traceable and
from there we could Judge its capacity
to- be about three hundred inn
mediately adjoining is a cemetery
whose walls are partly preserved, and
reposing here are the remains Of many
of England Q nobility as shown by the
insignia on the numerous grave
stones, many Of which are scattered
and broken beyond recognition.
Among them we noticed the name of
John Crouch who died 1929.
William Shearswood W no was born
in the famous Whitechappel parish,
London, and on the tomb was written,
Z 4 great sinner waiting fer
righteous resurrection. Another
John Drummond, o traitor ;and many
others. There is . large button
wood tree standing in the grounds
and one ofthe tombs has grown into
its immense trunk, and | thought
what q grand hovenger Of rest upon
whose boughs the little birds could
carroll sweet sounds and the tear of
sorrow rs slipped from the morning
dew would 90 gently fall 10 rember-
ance Of the past, in these desolated
ruins instead Of briars and thorns we
felt like strewing flowers upon the
graves of those that so heroicly
served their country's good.
Keep watch sweet hovenger ofrest.
Beneath thy wide extending boughs
Here rest the great, here they repose
From generous toll, q sacred band.
Though poweriess my heart revolts at ruins
As stoSod within those sacred walls:
Remorse, the hand that hewed, the heart
that reared.
We feltit . reproach not alone on Vir.
ginia, but the nations pride, while to
The memory Of our pilgrim fathers.
on Plymouth rock is a
virgin holding in her hani an open
bible, that this the babe of liberty
vas smothering in the lap Of a help
less mother. After winding through
the briers we found ourselves stand
ing before the chancel, where POGO
hontas received christian baptism and
stammsred in broken English the
marriage vows as the wife Of John
Rolfe on the 18th of April, 1913. We
imagined her child like simplicity
and winning grace as Lady
Rebecca" before the nobility of Eng
and, and the meeting of that man
of iron,, Captain John Smith as she
landed from the ship. History tells US
hat he kissed her and that the em.
brace. lasted for some time as they
TODD and wept tearsof joy, and today
he victim and deliverer sleeps the
|ong sleep Of death in little church
9ard near London, noticed only by a
ew American tourists. Like Sodom
md .Gomorah, there are no other
,ssss iss;s .djS. & ~ s1ssRiiag Z