The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-08-26
MR.. MAGILL WRITES
STORY OF RICHMOND
City, Like Rome, Built On Seven
Hills, Within Sound Of Sad
Voice Of James River.

Editor Press and Banners.
This is the capital and chief city
Of Virginia in size, Importance and
sad history.
Like the ancient city of Rome,
built on seven hills, it is in close
hearing to the sad voice of the bloody
James River in Henrico County,
ninety miles from the sea. As I
learned in my boyhood School days in
Miss McQuerns school the site was
discovered in 1907 by Captain John.
Smith when visiting chief .Powhatan
and hs daughter, PocahonSas.
Richmond, it will be remembered,
was founded in 1897 by Colonel Will
liam Byrd incorporated as town
in 1742, and as a city in 1882. 1t
was the Capital Of Virginia in Ito,
the seat of government being trans
ferred from Williamsburg, owing to
the presence of British troops in that
locality. It was the chief city Of the
Sputh in the rebellion, against King
George, and the Confederate govern
ment in the War Between the
States, 1s61-1s65. , Z,
THE seven hills. Of Richmond have
been known as Church Hill, Libby
Hill, Smith Hill, Gamble HILL Ore
gon Hill, Hollywood Hill and Capitol
Hill Doubtless they bore other names
when Captain John Smith and his ex-
ploring party sailed up the river from
Jamestown and landed at the foot
of the rapids, below, the heights now
known as, CANDLES Hill Park. i
Standing on the heights. Captain
Smith and his companions could see
what is now Belle Isle, just below
them. A cross, set up on top of the
hill; marks the spot where Captain,
Smith and his companions landed.
To the southeast, where is now
Dutch Gap, was the site which was
called Henriopolis, after Prince Hen
ry, eldest son of King James. The
settlement of Henriopolis led finally
to The settlement of Richmond; when
that place was destroyed by the In
dians it was natural that the advance
guard of civilization would choose
site. more easily defended against at
tack, and Richmond at the falls, was
the chosen, place. -. s.>l
Down the sad signing James, in
the days Of Capt: John Smith, often
glided, the canoe of Pocahontas,
daughter Of Powhatan, greatest of
all the Indian chiefs and hailed by
the English as Emperor
Ia the time that has elapsed since
Captain John Smith stood on the top
of CANDLES Hill there have been
many changes-ancient landmarks
have disappeared, and generations,
the. uaborn, have come and depart
cd. .Ji
What is left of the great Kanawha
canal may still be seen in. the ribbon
of water that flows at the foot of the
hill close to the river. The Kanawha
canal was at one time the dream of
George Washington, who was an en-
gineer as we'll as statesman and SOL
der. 1t was to unite the James with
the great western waters and form
a great inland waterway from the
West to the Atlantic.
During the dark days of the Civil
War many redoubts> were erected
around Richmond. The Notifications
stretched in a crescent from the riv-
er at a point below Rockets, along
the heights outside the city until they
swept around to the river again
above Hollywood.
Traces Of these old redoubts, twelve
in number, may yet be seen.
On the morning of April 8, 1865,
the evacuation of Richmond was
completed, but the beautiful, and
then unhappy city was further DOOM
ed. Torches were ordered to be ap-
piled to the several warehouses
where enormous quantities of tobac-
co was stored, and rather than al
low it to fall into the hands of the
Federal forces, the flames were put
to the warehouses. The flames leaped
from one house to another and to