Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-14
Stout English hearts all. the great
strength OF the world.

Here found they home. those valiant
Here M last the sails were furled;
And here did they plant them the flag OF
the freemen-- ,,
The van of the race that his giruieu
the world.
o. men of this last time here where ye
The ground is holy Be We true ana
For heirs are ye to that brave. hardy
Who crossed painless sea and west
ward thrust.
Re,rIng the message OF mans destiny
Here lived they. strove and died; here
sleeps their dust; -.
For that they wrought, then, are ye b!est
This ground is hoy; keep ye well the
trust.
From tawny tides OF Powhatan.
From white-lipped waves of Chesa-
Still with the sun has pressed the van,
Ger plain and cloud-wreathed mourn
tain peak.
Three thousand miles OF glorious land,
The stretch Of freedman's FAIR estate
From here her splendid arc ~ spahneu-
Virginia to the Golden tate
MIX. 4 LEN . hDDhsa''
When the applause which followed
the reading Of Mr.. Coiemahs poem
had subsidized President Lyon u.
TYLER. of William and Mary Col
Iese the chosen orator of the day. de-
Iivered his superb address. He was cor
daily received and. after appropriate IN
trodrctory remarks. substantially said;
but for the plantation of jamestown
there would have been no virginia no
New England, and no United states.
Within the narrow limits or the country
between the James and York rivers, IN
Guiding this island. have occurred the
most important events anecting the ues-
tiny of the United States-viz, the
settlement itself az this place introduc-
ing the institutions of marriage the right
OF trial by Jury. the Protestant religion,
and ali the principles of English civili-
cation. the birth OF the first white child;
| the conversion OF the first heatnen' tne
arrival of the first cargo OF negroes. the
establishment of the first free schooi
that Of Benjamin Syms. at Hamptonl'
the first uprising against the Ehgns"
authority. | refer TO the act OF the VIZ
ginia people, denounced by Charles l. as
AN assumption OF regal power OF se"u-
ing Sir Iohn Harvey close prisoner 10
England in 1925 jamestown was never
ANYTHING more than mere village with
some considerable buildings of "A metro
politan character: but as the first inVen-
ton: the first plantation, It's hrst ios
cabin is OF more consequence 10 tnc
Union at large, than the proun mans'on
NJ Tho Chief Executive. Surely, such
character in the place Justiiles 'he par
ticular. even II tedious narrative IN
tend to-day" The speaker then gave Tue
dimensions of the historic island ana
said: 100
More than 100 years ago the cease
less action OF the water. making inroads
ON both sides. consumed the passageway
to the main.
IMPROVING THE SWAMPs.
"rhe island Itself, a fact which has not
been generally noticed, was divided INTO
two natural parts by a swamp stretching
from, Rack river to the James, ana IL was
AT the eastern side that the settlers dis-
embarked. The extreme eastern point was
called Black Point. The extensive iaDors
of Mr.. Barney. the present proprietor OF
the island. have in the last year or TWO
flied up the most of these swamps' one,
so Injurious to health, and none would
suspect in the beautiful and level helds
the existence of any ridges whatever. THIS
eastern portion Of the plantation vas call
! ed James Island .
''The first houses of the settlers. VINO
numbered about loi. were little CABINS
matched with reeds and grass. or hole
in the ground, the whole enclosed by
pallsad- of bushes and triangular fer.
THE church was first an old sal huns
| to the great trees that then densely cover
ed the landscape.
IN January. 1898, arrived the first SUP
ply,' consisting OF ~ men, worse pro-
yided in every way than the first Corners
A fire breaking sut on the 18th OF January
1905 Immediately afterwards. destroyed
| the crazy shanties so far erected, to-
gether with the library of the gentle min
lister, Rev. Robert Hunt who never COM
planned a log church was thereupos
erected. and some few poor houses Of a
similar character.
Then came the second supply con-
sisting OF sixty emigrants principally
men OF gentle birth and some few Poles
sent over to make pitch tar. potash, and
glass. This crowd were also so meanly
provided by the company that with the
except of few who remained guard
on James Island. they We're dispersed
abroad at various places 10 live on oys-
ters or by begging from the Indians.
Then followed the third supply, con-
sistlng OF 500 persons who. coming with
out a commander-Sir Thomas Gates,
Sir Thomas Dale. ami Sir George
.OIlttS DtiEB NItChtl Oh iHt brftuuld
lslands-proved Of very unruly DISPOSE
ton. When, on the 10Th OF May. 1910.
Sir Thomas Gates arrived from the Ber-
mudas with 80 men, there were &ound
OF 800 persons hitherto imported but sixty
alive. Starvation and disease had done
the business for the rest. A final aban-
donment of the Colony was contemplated,
but the timely arrival Of Lord Delaware
fixed the settlement again on James
Island.
Lord Delaware mounted two or three
cannon at the port. erected several new
log houses. and built a block house and
new church, which Strachey, his sec
Rotary describes as 60x2i. II was in
this church, II may be presumed, that
Pocahontas was married 10 John ROlfe
in 1911.
ONLY A FEW HOUSES.
when Captain Samuel Argall arrived.
as Governor. in 1917. ne found not above
five or six houses at jamestown fit to be
inhabited At the close OF twelve years
from the first settlement there were only
ten or twelve houses In jamestown, OF the
saddest make-the only redeeming feature
being new church Of timber 50x2O feet,
built wholly at the charge OF the in
h5bitants' The administration OF the
Earl OF Southampton, which succeeded
Sir Thomas Smiths, produced mar
vellous change. The company in London
became the nursery OF English liberty.
On July 80 1919, the first representative
body OF the continent OF America met in
the church on James Island.
Five years of liberty and enlightened
government under the great Earl and his
friends. the Sandyses and Fefrars, In
England, and Sir George Yardly, in Vir-
ginia. settled there, despite the Indian
massacre, l,252 persons. The log houses
that were every year or two tumbling
down were substituted in this time by
others, which, though principally OF
frame structure, surpassed the best in
many towns of England.
In 1924 there were I'm jamestown forty
or fifty houses The greater part OF the
population was now collected at the
New Town" on the main island. In
New Town" the first lot known TO ms
was that Of Captain Richard Stephens.
one of the Council, who killed George
Harrison In a duel. He occupied lot
facing on the river; and behind him was
John Chew. a notable merchant and
burgess. Next TO Stephens was the lot
OF Captain Ralph Hamor. His neignbor
was George Menifie. member Of the coun-
ell And next to George Menine was
Harvey himself Fronting on the back
In ba NJ Harvey Ha