The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-07-16


back to defend their beloved capital city
Many of the old breast works have fallen
in, and the deep pits are here and there
filled up with trash and the accumula-
tion OF years However for all OF that,
the fortiications look startlingly reaIis-
tie and formidable even at this date.
Gloucester county. with its hospitable
people. old-timc plantations, and reputa-
ton as one Of the exclusive sections in
that part of the State known AZ odd Fir-
ginia. teens with material of great his
torical value 4 few miles inland from
the Point on a small strcam-called after
its original Indian name WerocomOco
Crcek-stands portion OF an aged and
weathcr.staincd stone chimney. the relic
OF what was once the primitive home OF
the great Indian chcftain POwhatan.
Truthful or not. legend has it that II was
here on the site OF the old chiefs home
that the life oi Capt. John Smith was
saved by the tendcr-hearted Pocahontas.
Not much remains oi the chimney to re-
call the beautiful legend-but il rocks
could speak what tales Of romance and
adventure these stones could tell.
Farther up in the county stands des-
olate structure in the last stage OF dilap-
idation. surrounded by fields oyergrown
with bushes. weeds and wild grass. Some
thing about the mournul aspect OF the
entire estate strikes the visitor with n
desire to know it, history. lIeis s0tisiied
when he learns it was "once the home Of
President Tyler" Now rapidly decay
ing with time. the old house seems about
10 crumbe into past existence; ne,erthe-
less ~ long ~ il does stand it will con
tinue to be- one Of the few remaining links
that 81 yividly connects the past with
the present
Leaving Gloucester county, with its
numerous attractions, the Traveller TAX
ing the steamer at the Gloucester landing
finds himself. after few hours ride. at
West Point. .anattractivc town oiperhaps
1000 souls. about 80 miles southeast OF
Richmond. Here in the picturesque vii
lagc. 50 pleasantly situated between
three beautiful rivers, the York, the Pa
munkey, and the Mattaponi, the visitor
finds much 10 interest him, there are
many charming features about the old
town and il is hard To realize that II was
upOnits site that the terrific, but utindecisive
battle between the Fclerals, under Frank
lin and Sedgwick, and the Coniederates,
under Whiting. was fought on the tn and
Sth Of May, 1862 There il little about
the towns present aspect to remind one
Of n battlefield, yet there is probably
many an aged veteran living today who
recalls the struggle at West Point with
mingled pride and sorrow.
Some miles above West Point, on the
york River Line" n branch OF the
Southern railway, the traveller hears
the name. White IIouse," called by the
conductor and. looking out of the car
window upon the smiling waters OF the
pretty little Pamunkey, feels himself
again becoming buried in the past. Near
" two hundred yards below the station,
on the same side Of the river he observes
with keen interest the remains of well
formed chimney, standing on what was
obviously once terraced land, sloping IN
symmetrical precision down to the edge
Of the stream. There seems 10 be little
about the chimney itself to engage at
tention. vet il never fails to do so. 1t is
said by reliable people living in the vicin-
ity. whose ancestors have lived at the
same place hundreds of years before them,
that the aged hue represents grand
mansion that once stood in majestic
splendor on the ground and interest is
intensified when one learns it was in this
house that "the father OF our cOuntry"
took to wife the lovely belle, Martha
Custis. II tradition in this instance is
true. it does seem that the estate is
worthy of far more careful consideration.
During the Civil war White House was
the favorite rendezvous for the Army OF
the PatOmac. At the beginning of the
struggle several hard engagements were
fought at this point 1t also has the.dis
tinctiOn of having been one OF the battle
grounds in 1914 when the British and
Americans clashed arms from the 1st to
the 9Th OF September.
Ii is not within the limits OF a column
article to describe all of the historical old
places to be found around Richmond; it
would be folly to attempt to dOso. Suffice
it is to say the interest OF anyone travel
ing through this section never Tags from
one days end to another. Aside from its
historical associations, this portion OF
the Old Dominion almost leads one to inn
age he is liyingm the ante-bellum period,
as he passes in rapid succession one hand
some old estate after another 1t is true
they are not kept mp as they were in
DAYS of yore, but for all that, when one
sees the magnificent yards, filed with
magnolia and other superb trees, stately
mansions of the Coleman style, and old
darkey "mammas," hobbling about with
great red bandannas streaming over
their heads, he is strongly tempted to
believe he is living in the good old days
''befo' de wah." y. II. 1.
July 11th, 1901.