Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-25
n,r,br,oce Of General sumter.

have read with a good deal of interest
Or. Brooks letter in regard to General
Sumter. ,.
have this morning made an examina-
tion of the deed-books in the county 10
see what trace / could find OF the Gene
raj our deed-books commence In l'4e.
ON the Goth Of May. 1862, / ind a DEED
from loci Terrell, ST., of FREDERICKSBURG
rarish AIbemarle county Che north side
OF the county, wherein is Priddy creek
tn I Sumter. for $50 acres; consideration
fl20 | also find, on the llth OF Octope,'
17s3. a deed from Thomas Lana TO VIZ
liam Sumpter for go acres; consiue,a-
ton. OF which is e. 10 shillings. Inc To-
cation is not given, except IN the county,
Now. which OF these is the ancestor OF
General Sumter. I cannot say; but as
"a the birthplace of General Sumter have
no doubt. for the reasons which L VIII
now give:
was born. and lived for about eighteen
wears on the north branch OF the Ri
wanna. river. at the mill then known as
Millbrook. about eight miles northeast
of Charlottesville, where the Southern
railroad now crosses the north branch OF
the Rivanna. When / was lad be-
tween 10 and u years old there was
customer at that mill named Jonn
DoweU. He was a regular customer at
the corn-mill. always bringing his own
turn OF corn. so that it was properly
tolled and measured up. l have hearu
him say on more than one occasion lhaI
he had often played push-pins win tne
boy. Sumter, or Sumpter at that mil.'
and that he had moved TO the South WIN
his father and family some years Delore
the Revolution. This John Doweli was
"a Revolutionary soldier, and was at the
siege of Yorktown.
The only thing that marks the birth
place Of General Sumter is an apple
tree standing on the brow Of the hill on
which he is said to have lived. In addl-
ton TO this. l knew for many years
Mr.. Thomas Gilbert, who died IN 1917, IN
his 9Jth year He, at the time / knew
him. owned the land upon which Sumter
lived. and IL still belongs to his descend
ants. He pointed out to me the point
upon his land at which the family OF
General Sumter lived. Lyman G. Draper
now deceased, who lived and died IN
Wisconsin, states as Il fact that Sumter
was born in Albemarle county. his
work should be in the state Library or
in the papers Of the Virginia Historical
Society. If it is not there it ought 10 De,
Draper. many years ago. cOrresponded
w. ]. Duke. and myself, and obtained
from US letters in regard TO the birth
place Of General Sumter. l have not
Draper's work myself, but l suppose DR..
Brock can have access to II in Rich
mond. 1t IS remarkable fact that
General Sumter, George Rogers Clarke
William Clarke his younger brother
who was with Merriwether Lewis on his
expedition across the Rocky Mountains
Merriwether Lewis, and Thomas Jener7
son were all natives Of Albemarle coun-
ty. George r. Clarke and William Clarke
were born and lived some years on the
north side Of the Rivanna, about TWO
miles from Charlottesville, IN full view
Of Monticello Merriwether Lewis was
born and reared about five miles west
Of the present city Of CharlottesVllle'
Colonel Fry. who commanded the regi-
ment of which General Washington was
lieutenant-colonel, was reared near Car
ter's bridge. In this county. He died
between Winchester and Fort Duquesne,
where Pittsburg now stands, and was
succeeded by General Washington as
commander Of the Virginia troops AT
Braddock's defeat. Very respectfully,
II. II. w. DUKE.
p. s. 1 will add a fact not germane to
the question before US, but still possibly
Of interest to some people.
When | was a youth my rather en-
ployed as manager on Millbrook an o'u
gentleman named Zacharie Taylor.
heard him repeatedly say that the dam al
Aillbrook was the first dam built be-
tween that point and Richmond; that IN
1881. the spring before Cornwalhss sur
render. he and a parcel Of boys and ola
men, exempt from military duty, met TO-
mil pnuna "a seine OIL
bushes. called a bushseine, and caught
30 shad Of the finest sort Immediately De-
low this dam and about a mile below that.
IL IS fact well known TO fish culturists
that in the spring all the streams in VIZ
ginia not obstructed by dams teemed with
shad. and the higher these fish went the
finer and better they were. one OF the
elder Cabells, think the father Of Judge
Cabell, Of the Supreme Court Of Virginia
had a regular fishing shore about war
Minister, I'm Nelson county. then Aibe-
marie ana made more money from MS
fshing-shore than he did from his to-
bacco, although he was a very extensive
planter The people from the surrounding
country came I'm covered horse-carts anu
got shad, herring, rock. and other salt
water fish. which frequented fresh-water
streams in the spring for the purpose OF
spawning. i do not know the fact. but
suspect that Rockfish river took its name
from the rockfsh which were caught in II.