The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-11-06


, Peter Francisco. "A pamphlet. entitled
Peter E.rancsco. Soldier of the Revol,,-
t,or::'s written BY Miss ". b. winston,
gives us the following facts;
Probably Tn tho year 11tS or SO an
English vessel put into City Point which
brought to the colony Of Virginia a small
boy, soled and stained In apparel by a
long sea voyage, yet one well built. with
the dark coloring and bright flashing eye
Of a por tuguege eor italian child. Who
The little fellow was no one knew. nor
whence ne came. His name, Peter Fran
cisco. pointed most directly TO Portugal
as his native land. 1t was believed the
Child had been Kidnapped. After several
days spent on the wharf, where the kind.
ness OF the sailors saved him from star
walton, the little fellow was sent 10 Prince
George poorhouse. There he remained
until he found home as an indentured
servant In the family OF Anthony Winston,
Esq, OF Buckingham county.
I}efore he was sixteen Peter had ac-
q,lited much notoriety throughout the
county for his wonderful physical
strength. In iii, at, the age OF sixteen,
lie obtained Mr.. Winstons consent to
enlist IN the American forces ns a volun-
tee. In personal appearance Francisco
is described as most striking He was
six feet. one inch III height. He weighed
two hundred and sixty pounds. yet be-
Ing exceedingly muscular and active. no
one ever thought OF him as clumsy or
oyerweightcd man, His features were
extremely handsome. his colorlng dark.
His son says, in writing OF him: He
could take with his two arms two men,
Weighing 1G0 pounds, by their legs, and.
at arms. length raise them to the cell
ing. lie told me he had shouldered q
cannon weighing HOO pounds. General
Washington ordered a sword made for
him IN b1acksmith's shop six feet from
HIT to point. which he could WELD like
q feather. In character he Is described
as n man above all personal meanness
Of conduct, and devoted phssonately to
the cause he had made his own
%"Soon after his enlistment Francisco
took part in the battle of Brandywinc--
was present the following month at tho
battle Of Germantown; Immediately AZ.
ter taking part In the defence Of Fort
MifiIn. He was wounded In the battle
OF Monmouth. but appears again at Stony
Point where ne covered himself with
glory. s
They Took Stony Point.
STONY Point. rocky promontory on
the Hudson, was washed on three sides
ny the river. moraRs separated It
from the mainland. At high tide this
marsh was covered with water. The
British had captured and heavily armed
the, fortress. To General Anthony Wayne
Washington had intrusted the surprisal
of stony Point. Every dog within three
miles of the fort was killed that no sud
den lark might alarm the garrison. Not
gun OF the approaching troops was
loaded At midnight on the 18th Of
July, 1779, the Americans crossed the
causeway and were upon the bulwark IS
before the enemy had discovered their
approach. I'm reslstless mass they
pressed over the works, ar, q within a few
minutes the garrison surrendered. Next
after Major Gibbon. came Francisco, who
pressed forward to tho flagstaff. and
killed the man who stood guard there,
though, not before no had received a
bayonet wound in his own body.
After this Francisco took part in slir-
Inishesj under GeneralsMorgan. In 1is0
Morgan was sent south, and Francisco
comes a gain to light9at the battle OF
Camden, where under command OF Colo
mel Mayo OF Powhatan, Nirgina, he wit
messed the ignominious- defeat OF Gates.
At this battle Francisco. killed a; British
officer who had attempted to take Colonel
Mayo sEIife. At the ycloscZof the battle
Francisco himself was enlarged upon by
one of. 4Tarleton's troopers. Who demand
cd lis gun. whereupon Peter ran the au-
mounting the fellows horse rode at a
.apid rate through Tarleton's men. An
hour later! he fell In again with Colonel
Mayo and finding rslp Il ofiesg exhausted
rom fatigue, made him. mount the dead
troopers horse. This act was not for
gotten. Out ,iofs. gratitude Colonel Mayo
presented francisco With 1000 acres OF
land In Kentucky.
Praised by Washington.
ina charge at the battle Of Guilford
Courthouse. the bravery of francisco
received the personal applause Of Colonel
Washinaton. After killing several Of
the enemy, ! Francisco received q terrible
wound in the leg and was left on the
battlefield with the dead. Hi was dis
covered BY some good Samaritan and
cared for until he could walk. Francisco
returned to Virginia on foot a mo soon
equipped himself as a volunteer.
when the revolutionary War was over
Francisco settled down ,eardentlyat Ito the
task Of getting an education. He LEARNED
to read and write, became g good reader
and an enthusiastic student of history
70, many years he held the position OF
Sergeant alarms in the Virginia Legis-
lature, and when he died at Richmond In
1882 funeral services were held over his
body by Bishop Moore In the House OF
Delegates. ss 5t5
The unusual physical powers Of Fran
cisco resulted in many amusing incl
dents While the strong man was Ser
geant-a farms of the House of Dele
gates, a stranger one day accosted him
and sdes!red to see some feat Of strength.
Francsco's response was to seize an
enormous iron rod which was used in the
Capitol as q. fire poker, and to curl It
around the visitors neck. But the sau-
Ger eyes and livid lips Of the sight-seer
quickly moved tho pity Of the good Her.
cules and he UNFINISHED the necklace as
easily as ne had thrown It on,
Francisco is buried not far from the
THE VALUE OF CHARCOAL.