Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-06-04

| dIiap.dated condition Is almost pathetic.
| Indeed. one does not appreciate the scope
| OF the work mapped out for the Associa-
tion f3r the Preservation OF Virginia An
tjouitics until he visits this section. MT.
cruishanks. the affable gentleman who
| occupies the Nelson house as tenant,
| has n thorough appreciation OF the place,
| and can tell you its entire history. IN
| deed. his knowledge OF the Revolutionary
| war made me blush with shame-not be-
| cause he was inaccurate, but because
| realized how much I didn't know. Before
| he finished telling US the story or this
| princey mansion / hardly dared to look
| him In the face. He would commence by
| saying: NOW. you know CORVALLIS did
| so and So" whereas, as "A matter OF fact,
! I didn't know IL at all. and ! felt that l
| was grossly deceitful in letting his pre-
| sumption go unchallenged. You can bet
| that / looked wise during his explana-
| nations there was nothing else left for
| me to do.
| The new monument erected by the gov
| eminent at Yorktown in 1881 towers high
| into the air and sweeps the country for
| miles around. 1t is surmounted by the
| Goddess OF Liberty, who seems glad that
| things have gone her way and that we
people have been so prosperous. / shall
not attempt TO describe the monument,
though it is by far the handsomest Of its
kind in Virginia, and shows that the gov
ernment can display lots of taste when
she pleases. When all the States "chip
In" something very elegant is pretty apt
to be the result.
The spot where the surrender took place
Is marked by a stone shaft about b feet
high, which reminds one of plain, ordi-
nary tombstone, such as any man dying
worth $4,000 is liable to get from sor-
rowing relatives. Most great men, on
viewing this suggestive place, would nave
gone into rhapsodies, worked OIL a lew
epgrams, and then bowed their heads in
silent awe and revere Not so with me.
AS / stood in the presence of this unpre-
tentious shaft l could stir up no latent
enthusiasm All my thoughts were con-
centrated i'm wrath against the tailor who
had made my vest too tight. The warmth
accruing from this misfit and the hot
sun which beat down upon me made me
bitterly regret the fact that CORVALLIS,
or rather his military substitute, had not
selected a shadier spot in which to sur
render. l hope If the thing ever occurs
again my suggestions will be acted upon
After leaving this tombstone to the buried
hopes of British tyranny, we proceed
amidst dust and hilarity to the old Moore
able residence is but a short distance
from Yorktown, and has been so hand
somely and tastefuly fitted up that much
Of it's identity has been lost. 1t was in
this place that 1.-The matured spirit Of
our government was released by the
solemn articles of surrender, signed by
Lord CORVALLIS. from all tutelege and
minority" This information l CLEAN
from some printed data on the subject,
though my dictionary persists in spelling
"tutelage" with an a instead of an e.
To come down TO plain, Hanover Eng
lsh, this is the house in which the arti-
Giles of surrender were prepared. 1t IS
at present owned by a. o. Mauck, Esq,
a handsome, cOurty gentleman. who
welcomes visitors with a smile when is
worth going miles to see. L was so i'm
pressed with the courtesy of our host
that l almost forgot to look at the house.
1 believe Mr.. Mauck is smiling, cheerful,
and happy out OF pure patriotism. In
other words, he's glad CORVALLIS sur
rendered. And the Virginia public, / am
sure will be gratified to know that the
sacred relic is in such appreciatve hands.
In the chimney of the Moore house is
large hole which was made by ReYOlu-
tionary prOjectiie. have no DOUBT
great deal of SCOT was knocked down the
house. but on that point L can find no
data. The Moore house was historical
even before the surrender, for it had been
the country residence of Governor Spots
wood sixty or more years before. "The
civil war, the war of 1872. and the Revolu-
ton have all passed over the green fields
OF Temple farm but it is still doing busi-
ness at the old stand and gives evidence
Of wel-ordered husbandry and good man.
agement
The "cullud pussOns' in this vicinity |
live chiefly by fishing, which 1 suppose |
does not require hard work. They are a |
thrifty. orderly class, who generally wear
GOOD clothes, and occasionally desecrate |
the sacred sod by riding bicycles over the
ground which years ago was tr0dden by |
martial hosts. As we moved across the
country we noted the pety OF these SIM
pie Afro Americans. They appear to be
abundantly stocked with churches, and
on Sundays have large congregations. AS
we rode i'm state we saw the Rising Sun
and Morning Star churches i'm full blast.
[ am told, however, that chickens are
compelled TO roost just as high in this
neighborhood as they do hereabouts.
Seven miles from Williamsburg Is the
Colonial gem of all this secuOn-the beau
tiful and historic Carriers Grove. now
owned and occupied by DR.. f.. q. Booth.
This superb old homestead, which arose
out of the Virginia wilderness some time
about 1725 or 1880 is a dream Of arboral
beauty and natural pcturesqueness. 1t is
to James City county what Monticello"
is to Albemarle, and though the scenery
is of an entirely different sort. one place
suggests the other. Carter's Grove gets
it's name from an old Colonial gentleman
who was called king Carter. A gentle
man named Burwell had the wisdom and
TO marry his daughter. and
this delightful plantation fell to their lot.
Since those days the place has frequently
changed hands, though. verify. it has Ill
tmately fallen into the possession Of a
gentleman who does 1t honor.
The land in front Of the mansion IS ter