Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-01-01
Historic Richmond.

businaas or Measure, or TO chase away
predatory hands of Indians, has arisen the
city Of Richmond.
The beauty of Richmond's site was re-
marked from the first The Indians re-
cognized il /; 90 did the English. ard sucn
names as "Nonesuch and "Nonpareh
we're given TO localities which are no"
within our bounds. When stout OLD Zap
tain JoHs SMITH wrote OF his exploring eA-
uedition to this point he described the
beauty of the scenery and referred TO
three lovely "islets" in the river. nearly
opposite CAS- well as we can guess where
the wharves of The Chesapeake ana
Ohio Railway Company now are. Ihese
islets have long since disappeared.
One after another they have Joineu
the Chesterfield shore either IN conse-
quence of great inundations closing oia
channels or because OF filings made 10
deepen the rivers channel for purposes
of navigation. But other isles remain IN
the river. One is the stepping-stone, as IL
were, for Mayo's bridge TO cross the river
on. Another serves like end for the Rich
mond and Danviue Railroad Company.
Another IL an adjunct OF the Ireuegar
irony Works and still another IL the nome
Of the OldDominIon Iron and Nail Works,
while others vet are the special haunts Oh
boy-bathers in the summer.
Here at Richmond the James river
comes down from the mountain country
leaping over rocks, making many merry
falls. until it joins the tidal waters OF the
harbor. Here are high bills overlooking
rich lowlands. and here, having emerged
from amidst the isles, the river winds
majestically to the south and seward.
Here the eye of tho early Drospector.
after O complete survey, saw that there
was site for great city-tidai water Tor
ships from tho Atlantic; fine fall OF
water to turn mlll-wheels; nilltops for
residences low-grounds for gardens and
farming lands. and all the conditions for
greater healthfulness than could be hoped
for lower down the river.
In full appreciation Of all these ed-
vantages WILLIAM BYRD had tho city laid
! off in 1887. He had doubtless stood where
| st. Johns church now is, or near where
the Private Soldiers and Sailors MOnu-
ment has recently been built on Libby
Hill and saw before him landscape SINH
lar TO that presented at Richmond on tho
| Thames. and thus had the name Of Rich
mond suggested to him, a name also
| appropriate to the situation by reason or
| the red hills" which showed themselves
where the sub-soil was exposed.
Through various conflicts with Indians,
/ ~ 4. e 10 and
through o century of undistinguished life,
| Richmond grew steadily but not rapidly.
/ Its tobacco-businesS early assumed i'm
| portance, and few grist-mills were built
| and shops for the sale of general mer-
chandise were opened; but the town was
moving along but slowly when the
Revolution was begun. That decided
Richmonds fate as we'll as the coun-
try's. The capital of Virginia was
removed hither from Williamsburg, in
view of the danger to which that city was
| exposed by the operations of the enemy.
But the enemy not only GOV to Williams
| burg, but to Richmond. Our forces, IN
able to hold the place, retreated and let IN
| BENEDICT ARNoLD's British marauders, who
burned many warehouses and other build
ings, and for a time played great havoc
with citizens lives and property.
The war over, Richmond was incorpo-
rated as n city, and few years later the
| foundations of the State Capitol were laid.
In 1887 there was a great fire here. In 1911
| tho Richmond Theatre was burned and In
| il the Governor of the State and about
sixty other persons persisted. Year by
year the city grew at q quiet, easy, steady
| going pace. and in 1860, when we were
| coming face to face with the war between
the States, its population was put down
by the United States census at $1,000.
The Confederate war was the making
and almost the unmaking of Richmond.
| From 1861 to 1865, as the capital of the
| Confederacy, the city was metropolis
| such as she had never been before, and her
name became known TO all of the world.
Hther focked people from all sections of
the South. Here also came refugees from
all portions of Virginia, flying with scant
stores Of household goods before the
sabres of the enemy's cavalry advances.
| About us the armies camped. and around
us battles were fought. From north OF
Richmond to south of Petersburg were
| two lines of bristling bayonets, and on
many fields the men who held these wea-
| pons used them with due diligence. And at
last when human valor had proved itself
unequal to our task at last when the Con-
federacy was crumbling into ruins, Rich
monds glory as q nations capital departed
IN the smoke of hundreds of her business
| houses, and she was in ashes literally and
| fguratively.
Yes. this is historic city. From the
time when at 1.-The fallesn was the furthest
frontier settlement; through days of In
dian warfare, when every man went TO his
pillow or to church with his gun in his hand
and was lucky to have his scalp on his
head at night; past the seven long, weary
wears of battle with Britain and down into
the period of 1s6l'65. this has been q
nelghborhood IN which great events have
occurred, in which great orators, soldiers,
and statesmen have become famous and
linked their names with spots now por-
tons of historic Richmond.
That the city is dear to the heart OF
| every Nlrginian and southerner goes with
out SAYING. but we have been also gratifed
TO find that she has hosts of friends in the
| North and West; friends who fought here
under MCCLELLAN and GRANT; friends
who tried to starve US into submission or
bomb us into surrender, and who feel that
they have share in Richmond's history
and would be quite at home walking our
streets or rambling over the battle-felds
| in our suburbs. Richmond invites all of
her friends to rejoice with her to-day in
her solid growth. and would not lot " auld
acquaintance be forgot" in the pride OF
her prosperity.
Postal Reforms.
The New York Herald forged ahead -
of us when it proposed. as it did in its
issue Of Thursday last, the introduction OF
an international postage-stamp to be sold
A l. n. Il