Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History

Book

Open Original Text

ure:
and in 1861 he entered the Confederate service and rose to be
Lieutenant-Colonel. He died from exposure in the Seven Days' Battles
around Richmond, 1862.

His "Hansford" is considered one of the best of historical romances
and gives a vivid picture of Virginia in the seventeenth century under
Governor Berkeley.

WORKS.

 Hansford, A Tale of Bacon's Rebellion.
 The Southern Crop.

BURNING OF JAMESTOWN IN 1676.

(_From Hansford._)

Scarcely had Berkeley and his adherents departed on their flight from
Jamestown, when some of the disaffected citizens of the town, seeing
the lights in the palace so suddenly extinguished, shrewdly suspected
their design. Without staying to ascertain the truth of their
suspicions, they hastened with the intelligence to General Bacon, and
threw open the gates to the insurgents. Highly elated with the easy
victory they had gained over the loyalists, the triumphant patriots
forgetting their fatigue and hunger, marched into the city, amid the
loud acclamations of the fickle populace. But to the surprise of all
there was still a gloom resting upon Bacon and his officers. That
cautious and far-seeing man saw at a glance, that although he had
gained an immense advantage over the royalists, in the capture of the
metropolis, it was impossible to retain it in possession long. As soon
as his army was dispersed, or engaged in another quarter of the
colony, it would be easy for Berkeley, with the navy under his
command, to return to the place, and erect once more the fallen
standard of loyalty.

While then, the soldiery were exulting rapturously over their triumph,
Bacon, surrounded by his officers, was gravely considering the best
policy to pursue.

"My little army is too small," he said, "to leave a garrison here, and
so long as they remain thus organized peace will be banished from the
colony; and yet I cannot leave the town to become again the harbour of
these treacherous loyalists."

"I can suggest no policy that is fit to pursue, in such an emergency,"
said Hansford, "except to retain possession of the town, at least
until the Governor is fairly in Accomac again."

"That, at best," said Bacon, "will only be a dilatory proceeding, for
sooner or later, whenever the army is disbanded, the stubborn old
governor will return and force us to continue the war. And besides I
doubt whether we could maintain the place with Brent besieging us in
front, and the whole naval force of Virginia, under the command of
such expert seamen as Gardiner and Larimore, attacking us from the
river. No, no, the only way to untie the Gordian knot is to cut it,
and the only way to extricate ourselves from this difficulty is to
burn the town."

This policy, extreme as it was, in the necessities of their condition
was received with a murmur of assent. Lawrence and Drummond, devoted
patriots, and two of the wealthiest and most enterprising citizens of
the town, evinced their willingness to sacrifice their private means
to secure the public good, by firing their own houses. Emulating an
example so noble and disinterested, other citizens followed in their
wake. The soldiers, ever ready for excitement, joined in the fatal
work. A stiff breeze springing up favored their designs, and soon the
devoted town was enveloped in the greedy flames.

From the deck of the _Adam and Eve_, the loyalists witnessed the
stern, uncompromising resolution of the rebels. The sun was just
rising, and his broad, red disc was met in his morning glory with
flames as bright and as intense as his own. The Palace, the State
House, the large Garter Tavern, the long line of stores, and the
Warehouse, all in succession were consumed. The old Church, the proud
old Church, where their fathers had worshipped, was the last to meet
its fate. The fire seemed unwilling to attack its sacred walls, but it
was to fall with the rest; and as the broad sails of the gay vessel
were spread to the morning breeze, which swelled them, that devoted
old Church was seen in its raiment of fire, like some old martyr,
hugging the flames which consumed it, and pointing with its tapering
steeple to an avenging Heaven.

GEORGE WILLIAM BAGBY.

~1828=1883.~

DR. BAGBY was born in Buckingham County, Virginia, and educated at
Edge Hill, New Jersey, and the University of Pennsylvania. He took his
degree in the study of medicine, and made his residence in Richmond.
He was correspondent for several papers, wrote some very witty letters
under the pen-name of "Mozis Addums," and made a reputation as a
humorous lecturer. From 1859 to 1862 he was editor of the "Southern
Literary Messenger," ably succeeding John R. Thompson in that
position: and from 1870 to 1878 he was State Librarian of Virginia.

His writings are not only witty but wise as well, and give many
interesting aspects of Southern life and manners. A selection from
them has been published by Mrs. Bagby, under the title "Writings of
Dr. Bagby" (1884-6). Among them are: My Uncle Flatback's Plantation,
Meekins's Twinses, Jud. Brownin's Account of Rubinstein's Playing,
Bacon and Greens, or the True Virginian, What I Did with my Fifty
Millions, [a sort of Utopian Prophecy.]

JUD. BROWNIN'S ACCOUNT OF RUBINSTEIN'S PLAYING.

"When he first sot down he 'peared to keer mighty little 'bout
playin', and wished he hadn't come. He tweedle-leedled a little on the
trible, and twoodle-oodle-oodled some on the bass--just foolin' and
boxin' the thing's jaws for bein' in his way. And I says to a man
settin' next to me, s'I, 'What sort of fool playin' is that?' And he
says, 'Heish!' But presently his hands commenced chasin' one 'nother
up and down the keys, like a passel of rats scamperin' through a
garret very swift. Parts of it was sweet, though, and reminded me of a
sugar squirrel turnin' the wheel of a candy cage. 'Now,' I says to my
neighbor, 'he's showing' off. He thinks he's a-doin' of it; but he
ain't got no idee, no plan of nuthin'. If he'd play me up a tune of
some kind or other, I'd'--

"But my neighbor says, 'Heish!' very impatient.

"I was just about to git up and go home, bein' tired of that
foolishness, when I heard a little bird wakin' up away off in the
woods, and callin' sleepy-like to his mate, and I looked up and I see
that Ruben was beginnin' to take interest in his business, and I set
down agin. It was the peep of day. The light come faint from the east,
the breeze blowed gentle and fresh, some more birds waked up in the
orchard, then some more in the trees near the house, and all begun
singin' together. People begun to stir, and the gal opened the
shutters. Just then the first beam of the sun fell upon the blossoms;
a leetle more and it techt the roses on the bushes, and the next thing
it was broad day; the sun fairly blazed; the birds sang like they'd
split their little throats; all the leaves was movin', and flashin'
diamonds of dew, and the whole wide world was bright and happy as a
king. Seemed to me like there was a good breakfast in every house in
the land, and not a sick chi

Previous Next