Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-09-01
EARLY VIRGINIA HISTORY.
COLCHESTER ON THE OCCooUAN.
Continued }

COLCHESTER ON THE OCCOQUAN.
(Continued)
No. 81.
The town of Colchester was projected
in time Ct p, ace, but afsr in the
West the war cloud was rising.
Early in the sprirg of l755 the
wild din of the drum apG Ifs Of the
rec uiting sergeant was heErd in its
treets summons G the inhabitants Of
town and ne ghborhood to aims. Start
ing rumors mad been coming down by
couri~rs and fleeing settlers from Win
ct ester and beyond telling of hostile
tlncursions of the French and their mur-
derous Indian allies from the Ohio val
lev. Governor Dinwiddie had issued
his proclamation and call for troops for
The common defense and they were hur
ryiI from the Virginia counties below
" the great highway and ferry" to
the q Il er 81 rendezvous at Alexandria
TIE Governor from Williamsburg came
up 10 his vice regal chariot accompani-
ID bv General Bradd OK, Comodore
K-pp and their shouy retinues on
,nelr way to Alexandria to meet in
council Of war with the other provincial
Gov, rnors, Dean'y, Morris, Shirley,
5 l.rpe and Dobbs. Keppef5 feet was
aa.llug up the Potomac from Hampton
nliuglng the royal troops who we're to
Cooperate with the provincial forceF.
Ia the council, which YVES held in th-
Old Carlisle House, were TO be arranged
the details of the prospective campaign
which before the close of the succeed
ing summer was to end so disastrous'y
to the British and provincial forces.
| One company OF the royal guards" fol-
lowed the general and Governor and
Dumped by general orders for a night
81 Colchester Col. Washington had
been commissioned to supsrintend the
raising and equipment of volunteers
for the war, with hesdquarter at Alex
andria. From Colchester went
company of rangers not decked
out in gaudy uniforms OF scarlet
plumes and guiding like the
'guards,' but III hunting jack
ats and trousers of plain and coarse
materials, but each man had his fiji 3
lock musket, his horn of powder, ba=
If bullets, long knife and tomahawk.
Little thought their brave captain as
ais hardy men took up their line of
| march from the banks of the Occo quan
hat he was soon to see so many OF his
command fall before the deadly fire OF
the Indians in ambuscade and tie
laundering British regulars, in front OF
the battlements of Fort Duquesne.
Hire is the story of the slaugh-
ter as told in the official &C
count: THE conduct OF the Vlr-
pinis troops was worthy of better
fate. They boldly formed and march
ed up the hill, only to be fired upon by
tie frightened royal troops. Captain
Wa ,ner brought up eighty men to take
possession of knoll, on the top of
which fallen tree was lying three or
four feet in diameter, which he intend
ed TO Us as bulwark. He marched
up and took posse ion with shouldered
arms, and with loss of only three
men killed by the enemy. AS soon as
his men discharged their pieces upon
the Indians 10 the ambuscade which
was exposed to him from their posi-
| ton. and when the movement might
have driven the enemy from their
! coyerts, the smoke of the discharge
was seen by the British soldieiy and
they fred upon the gallant little band,
80 that they were obliged to leave their
position and retreat down the hill with
a loss of fifty killed out of eighty.
Some of the men who were thus
sacrificed had been with Colonel
Washington the year before in the ex-
pc iition to the Great Meadows. CAPT.
Wagorer had been we'll known by him
for years as u neighbor and through
often meeting together at the court
sessions and other public gatherings OF
the coun'y, and they were destined to
be often thrown together in coming
Revo olution Col. Wsgoner commanded
Virginia regiment and did good SER
vice in the continental struggle.
During the few years of the troubles
with the French sud Iudians, the pre-
gress of Colchester was slow, but the
days of prosperity again eau with the
return of peace. The colonies of set
tiers along the Shenandoah and the
streams beyond nov secure in their
possessions and pursuits were augment
ed by large accessions of German and
other immigrants; aud the overland
trade by the great roads leading to
Williams, Vestal and Ashby's gal s
aourished more than ever before. Ships
came and went with their cargoes. ard
the town expanded and grew into i'm
portance as a port of entry and trading
center. The General Assembly" in
1862 authorized the court OF t'airia1
ITO erect, build and completely furnish
so many strong, close and substantial
houses as shall be sufficient to contain
all the tobacco coming to Colchester Tor
inspection"
Colchester was on the great highway
or "post road" from Baltimore to Fred
ericksburg and other important points
of the southern tidewster region, ana
here is an old advertisement giving the
schedule of stage coach travel, st the
beginning of the present century
"Stage Line From Baltimore to Rich