The acclamations of gratitude and tumult of arms, which momentarily interrupted the habitual calm of Yorktown, had already ceased, when on the morning of the 20th, we departed for Williamsburgh, formerly the capital of Virginia, but at present a small town retaining very little of its ancient importance. Its college which was founded under the reign of William and Mary, and bears their name, was celebrated for the excellence of its learning until within about half a century, since when it appears to have partaken of the sad destiny of the town, to which it belongs. Williamsburg is situated on a plain between York and James rivers. Two creeks which fall into these great rivers approach each other in front of the town and form a sort of narrow road upon which General Lafayette established the excellent post which Cornwallis attempted unsuccessfully, when he essayed to escape from the snare into which he had been drawn by his youthful adversary. Although the population of Williamsburg is not more than 14 or 1500 souls, the general was received with great feeling, and had the pleasure of greeting a considerable number of ancient friends, with whom he passed the day. The day following, we embarked at Jamestown for Norfolk, and our voyage down James river was very interesting to General Lafayette and some of our old travelling companions, who at each point of the shore again reviewed a page of the history of their glorious Virginian campaign.
In about five hours we arrived in the vast road of Hampton; the declining sun threw his rays obliquely upon the fort of old point Comfort, which in the distance seemed to rest upon the level surface of the sea.—Beyond that, upon the Chesapeake, we beheld several ships whose majestic sides seemed elevated like high walls, which belonged to the French squadron; some cannon which we heard towards the south, and the columns of smoke seen rising in that direction, indicated the position of Norfolk, which, situated upon a flat and marshy ground at the mouth of Elizabeth river, does not appear above the surface of the water, unless it be closely approached. Our boat soon reached the wharf, and at his landing General Lafayette was saluted by the two forts which defend the entrance of the river, and by the shipping in port. I shall not undertake to describe the festivities prepared by the citizens of Norfolk for the reception of the nation’s guest; they were, as every where else, strongly impressed with the patriotic and grateful character of the people. The young lady, who as the emblem of the Genius of Norfolk, received General Lafayette under the triumphal arch, and expressed the sentiments of the citizens, merits an especial remembrance; her beauty, eloquence and the modest firmness with which she performed her part, made a deep and ineffaceable impression upon all the spectators.
Of all the cities we had visited, Norfolk had the least agreeable aspect; the houses are generally badly built, and the streets narrow and crooked. On account of the circumjacent marshes, the air is unhealthy, and diseases common during autumn. Its population does not exceed 4000 souls. Its commerce however is very active with the northern states, Europe and especially the West India Islands; its harbour is deep enough for the largest, has room for at least three hundred vessels, and is the only good port in Virginia and North Carolina, so that all the imports and exports of these two states are made thereby. The exports consist principally of corn, flour, wheat, all sorts of lumber, salt-meat, and fish, iron, lead, tobacco, tar and turpentine. A great number of French families, emigrants from St. Domingo reside at Norfolk. These families first made choice of this asylum because of its proximity, and were eventually induced to fix themselves there, because they had permission to retain and work the unfortunate slaves they brought with them. It is a sad and revolting spectacle which is presented at present by some of these refugees, who have no other means of struggling against misery, than by hiring their wretched slaves out to severe labour, for which they receive the pay. Many of the negroes who work about the harbour are slaves thus hired to the merchants, who feed them and pay about 65 cents a day, which they faithfully carry home at night to their indolent master.
On the following morning, we visited Portsmouth, a small village situated immediately opposite Norfolk upon the left bank of James river, and contains a fine navy yard, where we saw a superb sixty-four gun ship, the North Carolina, which had not long been launched. On re-entering Norfolk, we were received with great pomp by the freemasons, who had the kindness to receive us all three as honorary members of their lodge. In the evening there was a brilliant ball, to which the citizens of Norfolk hoped to have had the company of the officers of the French squadron, but it appeared that the same causes, which had prevented their participation in the Yorktown festival, also prevented them from having the pleasure of dancing with the Norfolk ladies, for we did not see one of them, at least in uniform.
After the ball, about eleven P. M. we returned to the steam-boat to ascend James river to Richmond, the capital of Virginia, distant about one hundred miles. The nation’s guest was expected there with more impatience because this city in proportion to its population contained a greater number of witnesses of his efforts in favour of American independence. At Richmond, in fact, and its vicinity, the multiplied movements between Lafayette and the traitor Arnold, supported by General Philips took place.
All business was suspended to receive Lafayette, and in spite of the inconvenience of a profuse rain, which detained us for some hours on board the boat, the crowd had pushed forward to meet us at Osborn where we were to land. The solemn entry could not take place till next morning. Forty revolutionary soldiers who had served under him in Virginia, were introduced to him immediately after his arrival. It was with great feeling that they again beheld their old general, and he, full of emotion, astonished them by remembering and calling by name those who most particularly shared his toils and dangers.
The next morning, as the bad weather ceased, the festivities were resumed with increased splendour. The general was received at the capital, built in imitation of the square house of Nimes, and welcomed in a speech by Chief Justice Marshall, in presence of the civil and military officers, and a vast concourse of citizens, among whom we had the pleasure of finding some Frenchmen, and particularly Mr. Chevalié, who for thirty years has lived in Virginia, where he has uniformly enjoyed the friendship and esteem of his adopted fellow-citizens.
Notwithstanding the multiplicity of entertainments into which we were almost forced, during our stay in Richmond, we were able to pass some moments in private society, with some of the most distinguished men of the city. From their uniformly instructive conversation, I collected the details relative to the history, constitution, and manners of Virginia, which will be found below.
That part of the American continent called Virginia, which was one of the most ancient English colonies in the western hemisphere, and at present forms one of the vastest states of the great republican family of the union, was first discovered by John Cabot, according to English, and by Verrazano according to the French historians, who took possession of it in the name of Francis I. But whoever was the fortunate navigator who first landed upon this fertile soil, it is not the less true, that its first establishments do not date earlier than 1587, at which time Sir Walter Raleigh took possession on behalf of a company of English merchants. This feeble colony was composed of but 500 individuals in 1605, and was soon reduced to sixty by all sorts of privations, and the reiterated attacks of the Indians. It is probable that this shattered remnant would soon have been entirely destroyed, if a new expedition of three ships under Captain Newport, had not arrived to assist them with men, arms and provisions. At this time Jamestown was founded, and its slender ramparts offered a shelter to the colonists from the Indian arrows. War, famine and discord would speedily have extinguished the colony, if the influence of one man of genius had not sufficed to save it. Captain Smith, by his skill and bravery, soon became the soul of the settlement; he waged successful war with some of the tribes which refused to negociate, and formed friendly alliances with others, so that the colony was soon in a nourishing condition. It was in this state, and already beginning to forget its first troubles, when Captain Smith was taken prisoner by hostile Indians, who would inevitably have killed him, if the young Pocahontas, daughter of Powhatan chief of the tribe, by her prayers and tears had not obtained his pardon, at the moment he was about to be sacrificed. As soon as he was set at liberty, he hastened to return to Jamestown, where he found the colony once more reduced to the most miserable state. But thirty-eight persons survived, and were willing to risk in a frail shallop, the lives they had compromitted by their imprudence and presumption. Smith still had sufficient ascendance to retain them; his activity created new resources, and another reinforcement was brought by Newport. The colony again began to prosper, but a novel incident again threw them into necessity, and was near extinguishing them forever. They thought they had discovered gold in a rivulet flowing through a bank of sand above the town, and the senseless wish of amassing gold caused them to abandon the only exertions by which they could hope for a happy existence. Famine again began to decimate the colonists who were obliged to recur to him, whose prudence had so often saved them. Smith taking advantage of the terror with which he had impressed some tribes, and the friendship he had excited in others, obtained succours from them, which they brought to Jamestown in abundance. He then undertook to explore the country to great distances to ascertain its resources. For this purpose he embarked in a small canoe, and amid all perils explored most of the rivers flowing into the Chesapeake, and collected concerning them, and especially of the actual territory of Virginia. Such exact details that they still serve as the basis of the best efforts of the best geographers. In short the genius of Smith preserved the colony, and continued to extend its limits until 1610, at which time a fatal accident prevented him from making farther attempts. In returning from his expedition, his powder flask exploded and wounded him dreadfully. His friends urged his return to England; he yielded to their intreaties, and in six months after the five hundred colonists, whom he had left well armed, well provisioned and beginning to enjoy their flocks and harvests, were reduced to sixty individuals, looking like spectres more than men. The colony would have soon ceased, but for the arrival of three ships and a great number of new emigrants, brought by Lord Delaware. This reinforcement raised the spirits of the colonists, and the wise administration of Sir Thomas Dale gave to the settlement an unexpected increase of prosperity. At this time Mr. Rolfe, one of the settlers, married Pocahontas, the same that saved the life of Captain Smith. This alliance was immensely advantageous to the colony, because Powhatan pledged himself and all the tribes under his influence, to aid the English in all their wars, and furnish them with provisions. How much is it to be regretted that Rolfe’s example had not been followed by his companions! It would have been easy for them to have secured their own prosperity by such alliances, and they would have spared humanity much blood and tears.
After this marriage, the settlers peacefully applied themselves to the culture of tobacco, which brought them great wealth, and subsisted almost entirely at the cost of the Indians, who were faithful to their treaty, although it was truly onerous to them. Sir Thomas Dale profited by this tranquillity to perfect the administrative system, but unfortunately he was succeeded in 1617, by Captain Algal, whose haughty and tyrannic disposition was near causing the greatest disorders, and the colony already experienced some vicissitudes. Recalled by the company, he was replaced by George Hardly, who to obtain the means of repairing the errors of his predecessor, convoked a general assembly of the inhabitants of Virginia. The introduction of the representative system into the colony dates from this period, which was not slow in feeling its happy effects. The London Company assented to this new form of government, and determined its basis by a charter granted on the 24th of July 1621. This charter established, “That in Virginia for the future, there should be a legislative body, called the General Assembly, consisting of the governor, twelve counsellors, and representatives of the people; that the counsellors and representatives should make the laws, and that the government should have the right to approve or reject them; that the laws should have no effect until ratified by the company; and that as soon as the colonial government was well established, the orders of the company should not affect the colony, without consent of the General Assembly.”