Historical collections of Virginia containing a collection of the most interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, anecdotes, &c., relating to its history and antiquities, together with geographical and statistical descriptions : to which is appended, an historical and descriptive sketch of the District of Columbia : illustrated by over 100 engravings, giving views of the principal towns, seats of eminent men, public buildings, relics of antiquity, historic localities, natural scenery, etc., etc. |
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PRINCE WILLIAM. |
 | Historical collections of Virginia |  |
PRINCE WILLIAM.
Prince William was formed in 1730, from Stafford and King
George. It is about 35 miles long, and 12 wide. The Potomac
forms its eastern boundary. Pop. in 1840, whites 4,867, slaves
2,767, free colored 510; total, 8,144.
Brentsville, the county-seat, is situated 101 miles from Richmond,
and 33 N. of Fredericksburg, in the heart of the county, at the head
of Occoquan River. It is a small village, containing 3 stores and
about 20 dwellings. The county buildings are handsomely situated
on a public square, containing 3 acres. Thoroughfare and Liberia
are small places in the county, containing each a few dwellings.
Dumfries is situated on Quantico creek, near the Potomac. It was
once the county-seat; but in 1822 the courts were removed to
Brentsville, and the old court-house is converted into an Episcopal
church. Dumfries is a very old town, and once had considerable
commerce; but from a combination of causes it has gone rapidly
to decay, and many of the houses have been removed out of town.
Occoquan, situated near the mouth of a river of the same name,
was established by law in 1804. It contains a large cotton factory,
an extensive flouring mill, several stores, and about 40 dwellings.
A handsome bridge is erected over the river at this place. The
Occoquan here has a fall of 72 feet in one and a half miles, affording
excellent sites for manufactories. This is the market for many
of the most important shad and herring fisheries on the Potomac.
The scenery around this village is uncommonly picturesque.
William Grayson died at Dumfries, whither he had come on his way to Congress,
March 12th, 1790, and his remains were deposited in the family vault, at the Rev. Mr.
Spence Grayson's. He was first appointed a member of Congress from Virginia, in
1784, and continued a number of years. "In June, 1788, he was a member of the Virginia
convention which was called for the purpose of considering the present constitution
of the United States. In this assembly, rendered illustrious by men of the first
talents, he was very conspicuous. His genius united with the eloquence of Henry, in
opposing the adoption of the constitution. While he acknowledged the evils of the old
government, he was afraid that the proposed government would destroy the liberty of
the states. His principal objections to it were, that it took from the states the sole right
of direct taxation, which was the highest act of sovereignty; that the limits between
the national and state authorities were not sufficiently defined; that they might clash, in
which case the general government would prevail; that there was no provision against
raising such a navy, as was more than sufficient to protect our trade, and thus would
excite the jealousy of European powers, and lead to war; and that there were no adequate
checks against the abuse of power, especially by the president, who was responsible
only to his counsellors and partners in crime, the members of the senate. After the
constitution was adopted, Mr. Grayson was appointed one of the senators from Virginia,
in the year 1789; his colleague was Richard Henry Lee. His great abilities were united
with unimpeached integrity."
Immediately after Dunmore was driven from Gwyn's Island, in July, 1776, he sailed
up the Potomac to this section of the state. The reception he met with from the inhabitants
is thus related by Girardin:
Ascending the Potomac, he left, on many parts of its banks, hideous traces of piratical
and depredatory warfare. A little above the mouth of Aquia creek, Mr. William
with causeless alarm, retired without opposing the ravages of the lawless freebooters,
who, after the destruction of the house, were proceeding to burn a valuable merchant
mill, at a small distance, when 30 of the Prince William militia happily arrived, advanced
with fearless step, and drove them on board. The spirit and bravery of the people
of Stafford county in general, amply redeemed, on subsequent occasions, the momentary
disgrace of that unaccountable panic; but the circumstance is yet well
remembered in the environs; and we have heard more than once, on the very ruins of
the prostrated edifice, the ludicrous account which the senile garrulity of some among
the surviving actors in that scene, was ever ready to give. It appears that the Stafford
militia mistook the detachment from Prince William for Englishmen, and exerted all the
agility and ingenuity of which they were capable to avoid falling into their hands. Dunmore's
fleet, consisting of the Roebuck, Mercury, Otter, an armed ship, some gondolas,
and several tenders, having taken in fresh water, fell down the river on the ensuing day.
They had, in this expedition, met with a severe gale of wind, which drove on shore
several small vessels with the friends of the British government on board. These were
made prisoners, and sent to Williamsburg under an escort. The third regiment and other
troops had been stationed along the banks of the Potomac, to watch the motions of the
enemy, while the infant Virginian fleet, consisting of some armed brigs and row-galleys,
was cruising for them in the bay. The Roebuck alone could protect Dunmore and his
wretched followers. The expected conflict was prevented by the flight of the foe. The
excessive heat of the season, the putridity of the water, the scantiness and bad quality
of the provisions on board, and the crowded and inconvenient situation of the people there,
engendered complicated and malignant diseases, which hourly plunged into a watery
tomb multitudes of the motley band. Thus, loaded with the execration of the country;
defeated in all his schemes of civil discord, and of servile and savage hostility; hunted
from station to station by the resentment of an injured people, naturally prone to loyalty,
gratitude, and attachment; pursued, as it were, by Heaven and the elements themselves,
Dunmore, with a wounded and humbled spirit, saw himself reduced to flee from these
shores, where he had hoped triumphantly to plant the standard of despotism, and to satiate
his vindictive and haughty passions with the tears and abjection of the feeble, and
the blood of the brave. After burning such vessels as he was able to spare, to prevent
their falling into the hands of the Americans, he steered for Lynnhaven Bay with about
40 or 50 sail; and then parting with the miserable companions of his disastrous fate, he
sent some of them to St. Augustine, under convoy of the Otter, some to Bermuda, some
to the West Indies, and some to Europe. With the rest, he repaired to Sir P. Parker's
fleet, and, on the 14th of August, reached Staten Island, where General Howe had
lately been joined by his brother, and the fleets under convoy of Commodore Hotham,
and the Repulse. Towards the close of this eventful year, he returned to England in
the Fowey.
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