Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-23

OF his house. stripped him. and gave him
a seyere whipping. The men were mask
ed and were unknown TO the parson. He
never alluded 20 the subject and his cas-.
tigators attrlbuting hts silence 10 fear
openly boosted about the part they bad
taken In the affair. AZ soon rs toe parson
could easily establish that they had
criminated themselves be rode up to
Prince Edward, where Patrick Henry,
having retired from public life, was living
in a very plain house near Prospect, and
being employed IN oil the large cases in
the State, was making his fortune by his
profession. He employed him % sue tho
parties for damages. Henry appeared and
by the weight OF his character and power
Of his eloqueuce secured a verdict for ex-
emDlary damages
With the large amount he received he
bought plantation IN Powhatan. where
be died IN 1913 at tho age Of as. His resi-
dence was destroyed by FIRE some years
since, aud the runs may be seen from tde
train near BelOna Station. He left many
descendants and many Of them IN Viz
gina and the southern States have occu-
pied prominent positions.
PoPR's PUNE.
On the summit Of one Of those long
ridges which stretch along through the
Southside counties dividing the waters
OF the James and Appomattox, IN the
county Of Powhstan. there stood a lofty
pine. which has been the most prominent
landmark in that region tor hundred
wears gone by. Colonel William Pope.
when settling his place and building his
well. known residence, Montpelier" on
the edge OF the forest. saw standing upon
o small patch of ground, worn ont by the
original settler young. tall, and yigor-
ous pine of the secondary or old-feld kind.
A. he N
old country gentlemen 10 celebrate the
Fourth OF July by erecting tail pole
called a liberty pole, surmounted with a
cap like the ono on the head of the God
dess Of Liberty on one of tho old-tashioned
copper cents. and to celebrate 1t further
with q barbecue. Colonel Pope trimmed
up the pine tree for his pole, put the cap
on il. and. having summoned the old
soldiers Of the Revolution. Of whom he was
one. 10 his spring with an old-tasbloDed
barbecue of roasted lamb aud shoat and
! a Brunswick stew (which was invented IN
Powhstan by Edward +. Baugh, Sr),
washed down with homemade apple
| brandy celebrated the glorious Fourth
| better than il has been done since.
This tree standing alone grew apace:
| As small limb s grew on ITS sides, Colonel
! Pope m his lifetime and his grandson
since, trimmed them of and there ID stood,
surmounted with a bushy top some eighty
| feet high and seen for miles IN the sur
| rounding counties. Last year II was killed
| by the bug which has during the last two
! or three years killed so many OF the trees
| in Eastern Virginia. Colonel Pope was
| one of the most generally known men OF
| the past regime. He knew personally every
| President from Washington to Polk and
| ALI the celebrated men Of the period. lie
| was "A member of the Legislature for many
| years and tor sixty years was the Common
| weslth's Attorney for the Circuit Courts OF
! Powhatan and Goochland He will be re-
| membered as long as the life of his most
devoted friend, William Writ, by Kennedy,
IL read, as it contains a sketch OF him and
| many of Mr. Wirt's letters TO him.
THE CUMBERLAND OAK.
At Cumberland Courthouse. aud easily
| seen from the train Of toe Fredericksburg
| and Potomac railroad when II stops there
| 10 taKe on water, there stands most re-
| markable tree. OF no variety now IN VIZ
! ginia. with leaf utterly unlike any other
| with a much larger yield of acorns, II ls
| larger around its trunk two feet above the
ground than any tree in the county. 1t re-
! sembles the Virginia white oak. 1t is
sprung from one OF two acorns brought
| from England 10 the pocket OF one OF the
| first pioneers 20 this section. There was
another. long since down. but Its roots and
part OF It's stump still can he seen near ths
| court. house, II is well preserved and IN
GOOD condition and will last for an lndeh-
mite period, "a II is upon level spot where
| the soil Is not worked away by the rains
| from It's roots.
WILLIAM PoPE DABNEY,
Pouhatdrl, July II, 1888.