Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-25
OVER A CENTURY AGO
BRITISH IN POSSESSION OF RICH
MoND, VA.

zone hundred and twenty-four years ago
on Tuesday, January 5. the British forces
entered and took possession of the town OF
Richmond, which was then, as now, the
capital of the state of Virginia, though in
stead of splendid twentieth century city,
with nearly 100000 happy souls within her
gates she was but an old-fashioned. slow
and backward town, with only 1850 inhabi-
tants,' said member of the Virginia
legislature today. There were no long
and winding avenues on which rose COM
manding piles of brick and stone, and no
magnificent church edifices, whose tall
spires seemed almost to pierce the blue
dome of the heavens above. The busy hum
of progress was not heard for miles around,
nor did million-dollar factories belch great
volumes of the smoke of industry toward
the sky.
waters of the same old river that now floats
millions of commerce and furnishes power
for hundreds of factories. was a quaint old
country town, with rude wooden structures
and a few stores and mills.
But to the story. The public needs no
contrasting Of Richmond then and now.
History correctly tells of the Richmond of
the long ago, while in the everything pres
ent the Richmond of today impresses her
self upon the public mind and needs no
eauNoSdlS VI utltIluSi III any al
Virginia's Great Commoner.
In those memorable days now under con-
stderation, when the soil Of the old mother
was drenched in the blood Of her heroic
sons, her great comanoner, the sage or
Monticello was her chief executive. Mr..
Jefferson embodied In his life all the char
acteristics of great stafesmanship and
philanthropy but he was nothing of a
soldier. Although Governor Jefferson had
been warned that the British had invaded
Virginia, and that detachment under
command of General Arnold was approach
ing Richmond by way of the James river,
not the slightest resistance was orered.
the governor not even calling out the local
military.
"Luttrell, in his history OF Richmond and
Virginia, says that General Washington had
notified Governor Jefferson that the British
fleet was in Virginia waters and was head
ing for the capital up the James. NO at
| tention seems to have been paid to this
| note of warning, however, and Arnold, with
| only 800 men. was permitted to land at
| Westover and march unopposed into the
| town on January 8, ISL.
ct Lieutenant Colonel SimcOe was in d.
rect charge of the 800 men in Arnold s
fleet They were allowed to burn and
| plumber at will and to return TO their ships
| unmolested,' says the author. Governor
Jefferson and most of the white citizens
| fed for their lives. When the British were
actually in sight about 300 men, mostly
raw recruits, stationed themselves on high
| points around the town and after firing
from afar followed the governor and others
| in their flight. 1t was with much hesita-
| ton that Arnold finally entered Richmond.
| He was under the strictest orders from his
government to run no risks and he Thought
| the town was under heavy defense. But
Colonies Dundas and Simcoe insisted and
after two days march from Westover, a
distance of thirty miles, they walked into
| town without the slightest opposition.
Threat to Burn Town.
ARNOLD threatened to burn the entire
| town unless allowed to load his ships with
tobacco and other things. and under this
| threat he was given full and undisputed
sway. Provisions were dumped into the
streets and liquor ran like water, and 1t
! Is related that the hogs drank of the lat
| ter and staggered about among the half
drunken British soldiers.
From all accounts General Arnold was
| no novice in the business Of invading towns.
| He still had some apprehension as he near
| ed the capital and ordered his men to
| march open, so to give the appearance
| of great numbers. One of Arnold's first
acts was to fire the foundry at Westham
and to pour all the powder in the maya
| zine into the river.
| The warehouse and mills at Westham
| were destroyed and then the invad ding
| hosts marched back to town to enjoy the
spoils of war.
| Lafayette was quickly dispatched to
| Richmond by General Washington and took
| possession in April holding the town
against Arnold and Phillips whom he drove
| to Manchester and thence to Petersburg.
Later on CORVALLIS came to Virginia
| and uniting with Arnold. drove Lafayette
| from Richmond and the town was once
again in the hands of the enemy.
| Those were spirited II not strenuous
| times and there are but few citizens now
! living whose fathers were participants in
| them"