Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-10-23
SITE OF BIC TRAGEDY
MARKEDLY MEMORIAL
construction OF University Buildings Had Begun When
Indians Came and Little Settlement Had Right
to Look Forward to Great Future.

River. Dale cut Il Dutch gan" AT tho
narrowest point. and erected "a pali-
sadc on the side toward tho town.
This was called Dutch Gap. by Dale.
because lie was in tho military ser
vice or Holland and was furloughcd
Tor limited time to England by re-
quest OF tho Virginia Company, and
In the wars of the Lower Countrler.
he had become familiar with this
method of defense. IL WAC not the
attempted completion OF this gap
by Germans under command of Gen
cral II. i. Butler. In the Civil war.
That gave the name to this piece OF
engineering. though this is the gen
cral impression that has prevailed.
Interrupted by Mnssacrc OF IG...
Evidently the intencion Of Dale
was to make this gap deep enough
To permit the passage of vessels. for
prior to the war between the States,
channel was open half way across
the work having been interrupted by
the Indian massacre of 1872.
About two miles from tho town, n
Pale tpalisade fcnce) two miles in
length. was placed from the James
River 10 the Appomattox. and there
were several block houses on this
line Of defense. This was to secure
fcrtll section OF land between the
James and Appomattox. so that the
planters could raise corn and to-
bacco without interruption By the
Indians. Ralph Hammer says that
suniclcn, crops could be raised in
this sector TO have supported every
tItlfF hot
arrive within the colony for three
years. Coxcndalc was also inpalcd.
and secured by block houses Here
the colonis,s began the raising OF
quantities Of hogs and cattle.
In 1919 Brown states in his ."Eirs:
Republic in America" that, The City
Of iicnr!cus included IIcnricotFarrar's
Island). extending thence on both
sides OF James River to the west
ward. the pale run by Dale between
the said river and the Appomattox
River being the line on the South
SIDE. il was represented in the
House OF Burgcsscs by Thomas
Dowsc and John Polcntine
selected Az College site.
II'nrico having been selected az
the site foS college and university,
10000 acres were set by. as agreed,
and the limits Of the corporation were
extended from the Falls OF the james
/ or the Pophapl side to what is nov
called Farrar's Island Part OF the
University Land was impaIed on tho
Salisbury side. around CoNcndalc. 10
! which was added 100 acres Elcbe
land for primary school, and 1000
acres CD to belong to the college.
TIC college was for the purpose OF
educating Indian boys and girls
whereas the protest for the larger
institution cOmprchended Including
"Ithin It's scope, the education OF
sons and daughters Of the colonis,s
fifty tenants were sent from England
to I'LL the college land. their wages
to be pro-rated on SO per cent ba
sis Of the profits.
In 1922. construction had begun
upon tho university buildings. and
number Of houses had been added.
among them guest house or tavern,
ana the little settlement had every
right to look forward toward rand
growth and prosperity. But. while
man proposes and plans, without be-
ing able TO look into the future, will,
any accuracy. all OF those caicula-
lions proved as naught. II was this
year. March ~. that the massacre
entirely destroyed both the inhabi-
tants and their habitations, Henricus
was never rebuilt. Only n monumen,
stands sentinel to mark the spot
where this great tradgcdy occurred
ana commemorate the efforts of these
hardy coionists, TO establish the frs,
English city in the New World. 1t
may be observed by those passing
through Dutch Gap.
Fort Algernounc (Old Point Com.
iorp was so named by George Percy,
president OF the Kings Council in
i"o9. The name was selected lin
monor Of the founder OF his family,
William AlGernoune de Percy. who
came from France to England. with
"!iiiam the Conqueror, in l0G6. lie
was called Algernoune. (Which means
whiskers) on account OF his wearing
beard, thus distinguished him from
'he other Williams OF the Conquest.
CONTINUED Next Sundaho