The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-03

GENERAL eA
! intimate friend of General Baden-Powelln
thar he was greatly impressed by this
bust of John Smith, when he had the
honor of being invited to private
view" Of 1t in General Baden-Powelrs
London studio. on which occasion several
members of the royal family" were pres
ent: that he urged his friend to present 1t
to the State of Virginia, and that. finally,
General Baden-P DWELL, when he sailed for.
South Africa, in 1895. generously gave the
bust TO Judge" Mayer. making no sug-
gestion as to the disposal OF it,
The reporter added. apparently with
authority, that letter from General Ba-
den Powell to Judge Mayer touching
the matter would shortly be sent to the
Governor. AS Il. matter of fact, such a
letter was sent. and reads as follows:
20 Princes Gate. London. S. W,
. Dec G5
My Dear Judgc,-Before we part to-
morrow, you to America and / TO South
Africa. l send for your acceptance the
bust which made of your co-distnguish-
ed virginian. Captain John Smith.
Il have always taken q special interest
In him. partly on account of his character
and actions. but more particularly because
he was my ancestor.
II have several portraits OF him as well
as biographies, and 1t was from these
and from his character that l composed
the bust.
II hope that 1t may be acceptable as
being under the circumstances n sutfi-
GENTLY reliable presentment of your first
Governor OF Virginia
With best wishes, yours very truly,
r. S. Radeu-PoweU
Up. S. As regards my connection with
Captain John Smith, 1t seems, as far IS
can be ascertained. that he married while
in America: and his grandson. Benjamin
Smith Cor Snyth). lived in New Jersey
sussex. and died in 1863
'Beniamin's son, Joseph, came to Eng
land as Loyalist; married, and was
father OF my grandfather, Admiral ". II
smyth whose daughter was my mother
This branch of the smyth family are en-
titled. at the Heralds' College. to bear the
arms of John Smith-viz.. the three
Turks heads. etc"
(T'he above is a verbatim COPY of the
original letter now in possession of the
Governor)
That General Baden-Powell should not
know that John Smith was not "the first
Governor OF Virginia" nor the first "Presi-
dent (Which was the correct title), did
not greatly surprise me- but it was dis
tinct shock to an humble student of Vlr-
Sinian history to learn that the stout old,
soldier. who died at the comparatively
early age OF ffty-one, had n grandson
BENJAMIN Smith" Dir smyth), living in
(of all places on earthly New Jersey
one hundred and sixty years after his
grandfather had sailed away forever from
Virginia. But, though those of us who
had long been students OF virginian col
onial history, knew that twas as sure
as anything can be sure that John Smith
was never married. and. consequently.
could be no lineal ancestor of General
Baden-Powell. to disalow publicly q claim
of descent Is in any case an ungracious
office. rendered doubly SO in this case by
the fact that, as an old soldier of Lees
army. I had, as l still have. the greatest
admiration for the consistency and courage +,
Of 1.-THE hero of Nfafeking."
It was only When it became known to
me that in the formal vote of thanks
that was to be offered in the Virginia .
Legislature on accepting the bust, men /
ton was to be made Of General Baden (
Powell's being "a lineal descendant of
John Smith that I fclt inipelled, as /
President OF the Virginia Historical So /
ciety," to intervene and protest against i
such official recognition OF a claim that |
had no solid foundation. need hardly |
add that my protest was needed, and that |
the claim was ignored in the official re-
solutions accepting Judge Mayors gift |
passed by the General Assembly" of |
Virginia. The question is almost too plain |
for discussion. Smith was in the colony |
less than two years and ha!f-was easily |
the foremost figure In 1t, and we can ac-
count for well-nigh every action of his
during that time. lie had the bitterest of |
enemies. as he had the staunchest of |
friends. and between the narratives Of the
two We can follow him almost day by
DAY IN his splendid fight to save the great
enterprise in the face Of appalling diff |
culties and dangers without any cowardly
within. Had he ever married, |
We should have surely known Of it from
the narratives of Todlsil and Bagnall or
Masters Pots and Phettiplace No man,
as l have said. had bitterer enemies, and
had he sailed away after marriage aban-
doninE wife and child, We should Just as
surely have heard OF 1t from Wingtleld
or Master Archer.
Indeed. after Smith, owing to his dread
full accident, sailed for England, the chief
of all the stories trumpet UP against him
was that he designed to marry Poca-
hontas and make himself King Of Vr
sinia,"
The latest life Of Smith-a small volume
in the English Men of Action" series
that by Mr.. A. G.. Brad
ley, who has evidently made a careful
study of the printed records, and gives,
In brief compass. a very interesting ac-
count of Smiths activities and schemes
FOR colonization after he left Virginia, and
q tho last days. Smith," he says (p. 222)
Seems to have had no settled home after
his return to England i. 1t seems pro-
bable, however, that lie made London his
headquarters, and, lonely bachelor as he