were "a' beaten, and he had seen Donald M'Donald up to his hunkers in mud, and a' the skeen af his heed." Both Lewis and Grant were made prisoners. Before Lewis was taken into the fort, he was stripped of all his clothes but his shirt. An elderly Indian insisted upon having that; but he resisted, with the tomahawk drawn over his head, until a French officer, by signs, requested him to deliver it, and then took him to his room, and gave him a complete dress to put on. While they were prisoners, Grant addressed a letter to Gen. Forbes, attributing their defeat to Lewis. This letter being inspected by the French, who knew the falsehood of the charge, they handed it to Lewis. He waited upon Grant,* and challenged him. Upon his refusal to fight, he spat in his face in the presence of the French officers, and then left him to reflect upon his baseness. Major Lewis was with Washington July 4, 1754, at the capitulation of Fort Necessity, when, by the articles agreed upon, the garrison was to retire and return without molestation to the inhabited parts of the country; and the French commander promised that no embarrassment should be interposed either by his own men or the savages. While some of the soldiers of each army were intermixed, an Irishman, exasperated with an Indian near him, "cursed the copper-colored scoundrel," and raised his musket to shoot him. Lewis, who had been twice wounded in the engagement, and was then hobbling on a staff, raised the Irishman's gun as he was in the act of firing, and thus not only saved the life of the Indian, but probably prevented a general massa. cre of the Virginia troops. He was the commander and general of the Virginia troops at the battle of Point Pleasant, (see Mason co.,) fought the 10th of May, 1774. In this campaign the Indians were driven west of the Ohio. Washington, in whose regiment Lewis had once been a major, had formed so high an opinion of his bravery and military skill, that, at the commencement of the revolutionary war, he was induced to recommend him to Congress as one of the major-generals of the American army-a recommendation which was slighted, in order to make room for Gen. Stephens. It is also said, that when Washington was commissioned as commander-in-chief, he expressed a wish that the appointment had been given to Gen. Lewis. Upon this slight in the appointment of Stephens, Washington wrote to Gen. Lewis a letter, which is published in his correspondence, expressive of his regret at the course pursued by Congress, and promising that he should be promoted to the first vacancy. At his solicitation, Lewis accepted the commission of brigadier-general, and was soon after ordered to the command of a detachment of the army stationed near Williamsburg. He commanded the Virginia troops when Lord Dunmore was driven from Gwynn's Island, in 1776, and announced his orders for attacking the enemy by putting a match to the first gun, an eighteen pounder, himself.

Gen. Lewis resigned his command in 1780 to return home, being seized ill with a fever. He died on his way, in Bedford co., about 40 miles from his own house on the Roanoke, lamented by all acquainted with his meritorious services and superior qualities. "Gen. Lewis," says Stuart, in his Historical Memoir, "was upwards of six feet high, of uncommon strength and agility, and his form of the most exact symmetry. He had a stern and invincible countenance, and was of a reserved and distant deportment, which rendered his presence more awful than engaging. He was a commissioner, with Dr. Thomas Walker, to hold a treaty, on behalf of the colony of Virginia, with the six nations of Indians, together with the commissioners from Pennsylvania, New York, and other eastern provinces, held at Fort Stanevix, in the province of New York, in the year 1768. It was then remarked by the governor of New York, that the earth seemed to tremble under him as he walked along.' His independent spirit despised sycophantic means of gaining popularity, which never rendered more than his merits extorted."

BRUNSWICK.

BRUNSWICK was formed, in 1720, from Surry and Isle of Wight. It is nearly a square of 26 miles on a side. The southwest angle

This was the same Col. Grant who, in 1775, on the floor of the British Parliament, said that he had often acted in the same service with the Americans-that he knew them well, and, from that knowledge, ventured to predict "that they would never dare face an English army, as being destitute of every requisite to constitute good soldiers."

touches the Roanoke, and a small section is drained by that stream; but the body of the county is comprised in the valleys of Meherrin and Nottoway Rivers and declines to the east. Large quantities of tobacco and corn are raised, together with some cotton. Pop. 1830, 15,770; 1840, whites 4,978, slaves 8,805, free colored 563; total, 14,346.

Lawrenceville, the county-seat, is 73 miles w. of s. from Richmond. It is a neat village, pleasantly situated on a branch of Meherrin River, and contains 2 churches and about 25 dwellings. Lewisville contains about 15 dwellings.

In the upper end of the county, in the vicinity of Avant's and Taylor's creeks, have been found many Indian relics, and this portion of the county yet shows traces of having been inhabited by Indians. It is supposed that when the country was first settled, there was a frontier fort, or trading establishment, a few miles below Pennington's Bridge, on the Meherrin: an iron cannon now lies on a hill near the spot, and in the neighborhood runs a road, called to this day "the fort road." There are also excavations in the earth constructed for wolf-pits, by the early settlers. Tradition says they were formed in the following manner: A hole was dug ten or twelve feet deep, small at the top, and growing wider on all sides as it descended, sloping inwards so much that no beast could climb up. Two sticks were fastened together in the middle at right angles; the longer one confined to the ground, and the shorter-to the inner end of which was attached the bait-swinging across the middle of the pit, so that when the wolf attempted to seize it, he was precipitated to the bottom.

BUCKINGHAM.

BUCKINGHAM was formed in 1761, from Albemarle. It is 34 miles long, with a mean breadth of 24. The James River runs on its N. and w. and the Appomattox on its s. boundary. Willis' and Slate Rivers rise in the south part. On the margin of the streams the land is fertile, but the intervening ridges are frequently sterile and desolate, and in many sections uninhabited. The surface is generally level, and the only mountain of note is Willis', from which is an almost uninterrupted prospect over a vast extent of level country. The Buckingham White Sulphur Spring is 12 miles SE. of the court-house, and there are also one or two other mineral springs in the county, none of which have as yet attained any celebrity. Buckingham is rich in minerals; some dozen gold mines have been in operation, only three or four of which have proved profitable. Limestone found in the county is beginning to be used in agriculture, and iron ore abounds. Upon Hunt's Creek, within 2 miles of James River Canal, is an inexhaustible slate quarry of superior quality. The principal literary institutions of

the county are a Collegiate Institute for females, under the patronage of the Methodist church, and the Slate River Academy, which has two professors, and is liberally supported. Tobacco, corn, wheat, and oats, are the principal products. Pop. 1830, 18,351; 1840, whites 7,323, slaves 10,014, free colored 449; total, 18,786. Maysville, the county-seat, 79 miles west of Richmond, near the centre of the county, on Slate River, 26 miles from its junction with the James, is a neat village, containing 1 church, 4 stores, and about 200 inhabitants. New Canton contains about 40 dwellings. Curdsville, a flourishing village, has 1 Episcopal church, 6 stores, and about 250 inhabitants.

PETER FRANCISCO, a soldier of the Revolution, and celebrated for his personal strength, lived and raised his family in Buckingham, where he died a few years since. His origin was obscure. He supposed that he was a Portuguese by birth, and that he was kidnapped when an infant, and carried to Ireland. He had no recollection of his parents, and the first knowledge he preserved of himself was in that country when a small boy. Hearing much of America, and being of an adventurous turn, he indented himself to a sea-captain for seven years, in payment for his passage. On his arrival he was sold to Anthony Winston, Esq., of this county, on whose estate he labored faithfully until the breaking out of the revolution. He was then at the age of 16, and partaking of the patriotic enthusiasm of the times, he asked and obtained permission of his owner to enlist in the continental army. At the storming of Stony-Point, he was the first soldier, after Major Gibbon, who entered the fortress, on which occasion he received a bayonet wound in the thigh. He was at Brandywine, Monmouth, and other battles at the north, and was transferred to the south under Greene, where he was engaged in the actions of the Cowpens, Camden, Guilford Court-House, &c. He was a very brave man, and possessed such confidence in his prowess as to be almost fearless. He used a sword having a blade five feet in length, which he could wield as a feather, and every swordsman who came in contact with him, paid the forfeit of his life. His services were so distinguished, that he would have been promoted to an office had he been enabled to write. His stature was 6 feet and an inch, and his weight 260 pounds. His complexion was dark and swarthy, features bold and manly, and his hands and feet uncommonly large. Such was his personal strength, that he could easily shoulder a cannon weighing 1100 pounds; and our informant, a highly respectable gentleman now residing in this county, in a communication before us, says: "he could take me in his right hand and pass over the room with me, and play my head against the ceiling, as though I had been a doll-baby. My weight was 195 pounds!" The following anecdote, illustrative of Francisco's valor, has often been published:---

oner.

"While the British army were spreading havoc and desolation all around them, by their plunderings and burnings in Virginia, in 1781, Francisco had been reconnoitring, and while stopping at the house of a Mr. Wand, then in Amelia, now Nottoway county, nine of Tarleton's cavalry came up, with three negroes, and told him he was their prisSeeing he was overpowered by numbers, he made no resistance. Believing him to be very peaceable, they all went into the house, leaving him and the paymaster together. Give up instantly all that you possess of value,” said the latter, ‘or prepare to die.' 'I have nothing to give up,' said Francisco, so use your pleasure.' 'Deliver instantly,' rejoined the soldier, 'those massy silver buckles which you wear in your shoes.' 'They were a present from a valued friend,' replied Francisco, and it would grieve me to part with them. Give them into your hands I never will. You have the power;

6

take them, if you think fit.' The soldier put his sabre under his arm, and bent down to take them. Francisco, finding so favorable an opportunity to recover his liberty, stepped one pace in his rear, drew the sword with force from under his arm, and instantly gave him a blow across the scull. My enemy,' observed Francisco, was brave, and though severely wounded, drew a pistol, and, in the same moment that he pulled the trigger, I cut his hand nearly off. The bullet grazed my side. Ben Wand (the man of the house) very ungenerously brought out a musket, and gave it to one of the British soldiers, and told him to make use of that. He mounted the only horse they could get, and presented it at my breast. It missed fire. I rushed on the muzzle of the gun. A short struggle ensued. I disarmed and wounded him. Tarleton's troop

of four hundred men were in sight. All was hurry and confusion, which I increased by repeatedly hallooing, as loud as I could, Come on, my brave boys; now's your time; we will soon dispatch these few, and then attack the main body! The wounded man

Francisco's Encounter with Nine British Dragoons.

[This representation of Peter Francisco's gallant action with nine of Tarleton's cavalry, in sight of a troop of 400 men, which took place in Amelia county, Virginia, 1781, is respectfully inscribed to him, by James Webster and James Warrell.-Published Dec. 1st, 1814, by James Webster of Pennsylvania.] flew to the troop; the others were panic struck, and fled. I seized Wand, and would have dispatched him, but the poor wretch begged for his life; he was not only an object of my contempt, but pity. The eight horses that were left behind, I gave him to conceal for me. Discovering Tarleton had dispatched ten more in pursuit of me, I made off. I evaded their vigilance. They stopped to refresh themselves. I, like an old fox, doubled, and fell on their rear. I went the next day to Wand for my horses; he demanded two, for his trouble and generous intentions. Finding my situation dangerous, and surrounded by enemies where I ought to have found friends, I went off with my six horses. I intended to have avenged myself of Wand at a future day, but Providence ordained I should not be his executioner, for he broke his neck by a fall from one of the very horses.'"

Several other anecdotes are related of the strength and bravery of Francisco. At Gates' defeat at Camden, after running some distance along a road, he took to the woods and sat down to rest; a British trooper came up and ordered him to surrender. With feigned humility, he replied he would, and added, as his musket was empty, he had no further use for it. He then carelessly presented it sideways, and thus throwing the soldier off his guard, he suddenly levelled the piece, and driving the bayonet through his abdomen, hurled him off his horse, mounted it, and continued his retreat. Soon he overtook his colonel, William Mayo, of Powhatan, who was on foot. Francisco generously dismounted and gave up the animal to his retreating officer, for which act of kindness the colonel subsequently presented him with a thousand acres of land in Kentucky.

Francisco possessed strong natural sense, and an amiable disposition. He was, withal, a companionable man, and ever a welcome visitor in the first families in this region of the state. He was industrious and temperate, and always advocated the part of the weak

and unprotected. On occasions of outbreaks at public gatherings, he was better in rushing in and preserving public peace, than all the conservative authorities on the ground. Late in life, partly through the influence of his friend, Chas. Yancey, Esq., he was appointed sergeant-at-arms to the House of Delegates, in which service he died, in 1836, and was interred with military honors in the public burying-ground at Richmond.

CABELL.

CABELL was created in 1809, from Kanawha, and named from Wm. H. Cabell, Gov. of Va., from 1805 to 1808. It is 35 miles long, with a mean breadth of 20 miles. A considerable portion of the county is wild and uncultivated, and somewhat broken. The river bottoms are fertile, and settled upon. Pop. 1830, 5,884; 1840, whites 7,574, slaves 567, free colored 22; total, 8,163. Barboursville, the county-seat, lies on the Guyandotte river, 7 1-2 miles from its mouth, and 352 miles wNw. of Richmond. The turnpike, leading from the eastern part of the state, by the great watering-place, to the Kentucky line, passes through this village, which contains about 30 dwellings. Guyandotte lies on the Ohio, at the mouth of the Guyandotte River. It is much the most important point of steamboat embarkation, as well as debarkation, in western Virginia, with the exception of Wheeling. It is a flourishing village, containing 1 church, 6 or 8 stores, a steam saw-mill, and a population of about 800.

Cabell county was settled at a comparatively late period. Thomas Hannon was one of the earliest settlers, having removed, in 1796, from Botetourt county to Green Bottom, about 18 miles above Guyandotte, when the first permanent settlement was made. Soon after Guyandotte was settled, at which place Thomas Buffington was one of the earliest settlers.

A portion of the beautiful flatland of what is called Green Bottom, lying partly in this and Mason county, a few years since, before the plough of civilization had disturbed the soil, presented one of those vestiges of a city which are met with in central America, and occasionally in the southern and western forests of the United States. The traces of a regular, compact, and populous city with streets running parallel with the Ohio River, and crossing and intersecting each other at right angles, covering a space of nearly half a mile, as well as the superficial dimensions of many of the houses, are apparent, and well defined. Axes and saws of an unique form the former of iron, the latter of copper-as well as other implements of the mechanic arts, have been found. These remains betoken a state of comparative civilization, attained by no race of the aborigines of this country now known to have existed. Who they were, or whence they sprung, tradition has lost in the long lapse of ages. It is a singular fact, that these remains are rarely, if ever, found elsewhere than upon the river bottoms, or flat level lands.