the country, to enjoy their freedom and be uncontaminated by the vices of civilization. But even here they found no security-the arm of the paleface and his arts and liquid fire reached them.

ing. And then language, indeed-the irrepressible | tribes dwindling away-the graves of their fathers outbreaking of nature-flowed glowing from the overturned by the ploughshare, and their hunting passionate fountains of the soul." As a politician, grounds converted into fields of grain, and occuhe was a Philip-as an orator, a Demosthenes-pied by men whom they had every reason to look as a warrior, a Napoleon;-without their intellec- upon as the enemies of their race. Their native tual cultivation. He died like a patriot and a hero, courage and a deep sense of the injury and wrongs in what he supposed to be the cause of his country, under which they groaned, roused them to action, and the history of this noble being will, as it de-and their vengeance became sometimes terribleserves, be transmitted to posterity and regarded but their vengeance was unavailing. They gradu with esteem and admiration by future generations. ally retired before the wave of the white populaAnother Indian chief, whose object seemed to be tion, yielded up their valuable lands, either by like that of Tecumseh, I must not omit to mention.compulsion or persuasion, and buried themselves, Pontiac was prior in time to the celebrated indi- from time to time, among the primeval forests of vidual just named, but inferior in the qualities which formed the greatness of the Shawaneese chieftain. He belonged to the Ottawa tribe, and existed in the middle of the eighteenth century. He united with the French against the Anglo-Americans, and form-"As the tide of our population rolled on," says an ed a confederacy of all the northern tribes for the eloquent American senator,* “we have added parpurpose of wholly extirpating the English. It is chase to purchase-the confiding Indian listened to said that his military plans, to accomplish this ob- our professions of friendship-we called him broject, evinced great genius and courage. His de- ther and he believed us-millions after millions he sign was to make a sudden and simultaneous attack has yielded to our importunity, until we have acon all the British fortifications on the lakes. Suc-quired more than can be cultivated in centuries; and cess in these operations would make him once more yet we crave more. We have crowded the tribes master and king of the country of his ancestors. upon a few miserable acres on our southern fronThis combination was the more easily effected, from tier-it is all that is left to them of their once the circumstance that Pontiac, according to Rogers, boundless forests, and still like the horse leech, our had the largest empire and greatest authority of insatiate cupidity cries give-give." This is a any Indian chief that has appeared on the conti- true picture of the treatment the aboriginal proprinent since our acquaintance with it."* The sim- etors of the soil of America have received from ultaneous movement was made, and on the same their white brethren since they arrived in this counday the work of extermination commenced. Nine of the British forts were captured and their garri- Congress, a few years ago, passed an act for the sons massacred. The war was prosecuted with removal of all the Indian tribes beyond the Misgreat energy, skill and courage by the Indian chief; sissippi, where they are to be protected by the gobut some of the confederate tribes, finding the Bri-vernment, and have been furnished with lands in tish force too powerful, becoming tired of the war lieu of those they have abandoned—and almost all sued for peace. Pontiac would not stoop to min- these tribes have consented to retire, either volungle in the negotiation, abandoned the country and tarily or by compulsion. The Sacs and Foxes retired to Illinois. There, it is said, he attempted made some resistance to this measure, and under to form among the southern Indians, a new combi- the command of a famous chief, named Black nation against the possessors of his country. "His Hawk, held out gallantly for some time, until they exertions," says Thatcher, "grew only the more were finally defeated by superior numbers and disdaring as his prospects became more desperate." cipline. Of this chief, it was stated at the time of But he was not permitted to succeed in his bold his capture, that he had seen and fixed his affecundertaking, and he fell under the blow of an as- tions upon a respectable white lady, to whose sassin supposed to be employed by the English as friends he made repeated proposals for her hand, a spy, and thus terminated the fears of his enemies and offered droves of valuable Indian ponies, and and the hopes of his tribe. "His memory," says other plunder-but to his disappointment and chaThatcher, "is still cherished among the tribes of grin his proposals were rejected. One of his sons. the north, and tradition still looks upon him as it too, fell in love with a young woman named Hall, looked upon the Hercules of the Greeks." whom he captured, but whose family he nevertheSeveral other combinations were formed at dif-less murdered-such is the nature of the Indian. ferent times by distinguished Indian chiefs and pat- The Seminoles yet hold out against the whole riots, to rescue their country from the hands of military power of the nation. They will not vothose whom they regarded as usurpers and intru- luntarily consent to abandon their native fortresses, ders. They saw their once unbounded possessions their hunting grounds and the graves of their fagradually receding from them-their numerous thers-and almost the entire force of the nation

* Rogers' account.

try.

* Mr. Frelinghuysen of New Jersey, in 1830.

there, was still visible, and as he saw her lily handkerchief waving a last adieu,—the scene was shut out from his view, by an intervening forest into which they entered.

He retired to repose on his humble camp-bed;where wearied with the fatigues of the day, amid thoughts of the lovely young Virginian, whose image had been ever present before him, since he The next morning at Richmond, parting from his had parted from her, whether in the solitariness of generous host, with many kindly valedictions on his journey or in the motley microcosm of the barboth sides, St. Leger pursued his journey, and about racks. Dreaming-he stood in the field of battle: a sunset arrived at Charlottesville. Here in view hail-storm of fire whistling in his ears. Through the before him he saw the familiar scenes of his cap-opening clouds of gunpowder smoke, wavering cotivity;—the camp of the convention troops,-long lumns are visible, squadrons of horse with the noise rows of log-house barracks lining the declivities of of the trumpet, dash by like a tornado, the horse a hill that rose above the town in front of the whose rider is fallen, flies frantic over the plain; barracks an open area, in which the scattered stumps the wheeled cannon mingles its bellowing roar with of newly felled trees, manifested that the ground the clangor of arms, and the shrieks and groans of had been recently cleared for the purpose. In the wounded and dying: half awaking with the another direction, were extensive gardens, in which thunder of the artillery still resounding in his ears, soldiers were at work, having exchanged the mus- he turns in his bed ;-still tossed in a dreamy sea, ket and sword, for the spade and weeding-hoe. The he now stands in the shade of his own accustomed scarlet-coated men were either seated indolent, at oaks in England; the sweet haunts of his childhood the threshold of their huts, or sauntering listless smile upon him, and he is once more saluted in his paover the green; a wagon heavy laden with barrels ternal halls, by the familiar voices of those he loved. of flour was slowly toiling up towards the camp, Anon afar from land, in the untracked deserts of drawn by a long team of yoked oxen. Here a the sea, by gleams of lurid lightning that fitfully British captain was trying the mettle of a blooded disclose the horrors of the storm, he sees the seabay, newly purchased;—there a group of officers men like toys clinging to the fluttering shadows, seated on a log, were solacing their ennui, with the amid creaking masts, and shrieking cordage, and aromatic fumes of long-stemmed tobacco-pipes, re-feels the bark that bears him, tossed like the playcounting their various adventures, cracking jests thing of destruction, and as she sinks into the yawnover each others heads, or caricaturing with high ing chasm of the deep, he starts from his pillow; glee, the pomp and circumstance of the American the next moment a lovely apparition, a form of uncommandant of the post, as he rode slowly by, earthly beauty is at his side: with her he wanders stately and erect, in buff and blue, with a well-through the gardens of Ringwood, and 'gathers powdered cue of extreme longitude depending from fresh dewy flowers to grace her braided hair,' and underneath the brim of his cocked hat, two tatter- in a summer-house latticed with jasmine and myr demalion dragoons in front with drawn swords, and two of the same sort behind him, and a most obstreperous bugler in flank.

tle and honey-suckle, where the hum of the bee is heard, and the humming-bird flits with inconstant celerity from flower to flower; together seated they entwine a wreath; the eye of the maiden beams benignantly upon him, and he listens enchanted to the low murmur of her accents, when all at once-suddenly he is startled from his slumber by the loud clattering footsteps of two huge rats recreating

The scene there is changed! Captor and captive repose in the dust on either side of the Atlantic; the reveille and countersign are unheard, and the ensigns of war have yielded to the arts of peace. In the place of block-houses and barracks, a learned university, the Salamanca of Virginia, has expanded themselves by a mal-a-propos, midnight foot-race her classic portals to the flower of the commonwealth, on a spot consecrated by the genius of an illustrious man!

The curtains of evening were now folded in the western sky. Of the British officers, some contrived to kill time in fencing, others at billiards, while of others grouped together one described a quarter-race of mules he had that day witnessed in the neighborhood, and another, a rabbit hunt, in which he had participated, or the charms of some Albemarle beauty. St. Leger in his turn, narrated some of his adventures in his late excursion to the lower country, and tried to affect an interest which he did not feel in the usual recital of rencontres with the semi-barbarians of the country, duels, bad-fare, rats and their enormities, money lost at play, qualities of horses, and the like.

through the interstices of his log hut. It would be indiscreet to set any particuiar limits to the extent of the noise, which these curious little animals can make, when they set themselves seriously to work.

V

PART THIRD.

Virginia until the year 1781, had in a great mea sure escaped the direct ravages of war; but during this year, it was her destiny, to suffer them in an intense degree. Arnold, at the head of a motley band of traitors and brigands, penetrated into the heart of the state, with impunity plundered the metropolis; and retiring with the same rapidity, with which he had advanced, like a West Indian hurricane distinguished his course everywhere, with the inglorious trophies of outrage and destruc

Among the officers who accompanied Phillips, upon this occasion, chanced to be Lieut. St. Leger, who had also recently been exchanged; and it was during this second invasion, that the little occurrences took place which will now be narrated.

tion. Ensconced within the fortifications of Ports- | Bollingbrook-house, and proceeded in the direction mouth, like an ill-omened vulture, his attention was of Ringwood; which he hoped to reach in time to for a time diverted from new projects of havoc and anticipate the arrival of the marauders, whose revenge, by the lively apprehensions which he now route was more circuitous. His road lay chiefly began to entertain for his own safety. These ap-through forests, in whose awful gloom was heard prehensions were dispelled by the arrival of a rein- no sound, save the occasional vivacious stoccato forcement, under the command of Gen. Phillips. tap of the crimson-crested woodpecker, or the This officer, after a long captivity, having at length mournful note of some sequestered solitary dove. been exchanged, had been selected as a suitable The plantations seemed deserted of their inhabiinstrument to lay waste a state, in which he had tants, except here and there a straggling negro been so long confined a prisoner of war. The apparently skulking from the horseman's approach. force of Arnold being united with his own, Phil- While absorbed in reflections on the circumstances lips in the spring, proceeded for the second time, of the errand in which he was engaged, St. Leger to ravage the borders of the James river. was suddenly confronted by a party of mounted men, the leader of whom, after some interrogation, the replies to which seemed suspicious, made him a prisoner; and placed in the centre of the party he was conducted by an obscure road, to a house in the interior. The party were in the ordinary dress of the country-with no uniform distinction, except green twigs inserted in their hat-bands,—and they were variously armed with swords, carbines and muskets. Arrived at the house, the leader of the guerilla party instituted a more particular investigation into the case of the prisoner. St. Leger, frankly disclosed his character, and the circumstances of his errand. His statement produced a diversity of opinions among the party; some of them were disposed to release him at once from confinement, while others and with them the leader, seemed to think it more judicious to retain him until the morning, and submit the circumstances to squire Page, a man of note in that part of the country, and a justice of the quorum. ment prevailed, and the young Briton self obliged to remain in their hands.

This sentifound himThe even

While the British troops were quartered at Petersburg, St. Leger on returning from a foraging expedition, learned with inexpressible concern, that a detachment of the army had that day, set out in the direction of Ringwood. The wealth of the Littlepage family, and their patriotism rendered Ringwood a conspicuous object of plunder. A place so endeared to his recollection, St. Leger at once resolved, if possible, to shield from destruction. He therefore requested Gen. Phillips to grant a 'Protection' for Ringwood. To the name of Littlepage, Phillips was reluctant to yield any favor; but overcome by the earnest solicitations of the young officer, he at length ordered an aid to prepare the Protection. It ran thus: "Major General Phillips, commander in chief of his Majesty's forces, in this province, hereby orders, that the property of Colonel Edward Littlepage, shall not in any manner being passed off in noisy talk, and frequent potations molested or injured by his Majesty's troops. Any of rum from their canteens. At length overcome violation of this order will be forthwith followed by liquor and the fatigues of an active day, the by condign punishment." militia men fell asleep; not however without the precaution of placing the prisoner on a straw pallet on the floor between two of the party. St. Leger found no sleep; but wrapping himself in his cloak, lay perfectly still. At length about midnight, one of the inebriated militia men began to snore; commencing, like the Roman empire from small beginnings, his sternutatory thorough-bass increased by a regular series of cumulative gradations, until the prisoner was satisfied that all minor disturbances would pass unnoticed under cover of so inordinate an uproar;- Omne majus minus infra se continet.' Extricating himself from his cloak,-he softly arose, and leaving his boots and cloak stole gently out at the door, and in a few moments mounted his horse, and made the best of his way towards the main-road-this he at length found, not without difficulty, and turning again towards Ringwood, he The sun had crossed the meridian of the sky, dashed through the woods at a swinging gallop. when St. Leger in a plain dress, equipped with a The moon had been casting a dim fitful superstibrace of pistols, mounted his horse at the gate of tious light on the earth beneath, her disk occa

“General Phillips is happy to extend this favor to Colonel Littlepage, in return for the courtesy shown by that gentleman, to certain of his Majesty's officers while prisoners of war in Virginia."

Gen. Phillips inquired of St. Leger, how he meant to convey the paper to Col. Littlepage? he replied, that he desired to deliver it in person; "then," said the general, "you must have either an escort, or a fag.' St. Leger however declined both, and expressed an entire willingness to encounter every risk. Well,' said Phillips, 'be assured if these Buckskins catch you, they will tuck you up on the nearest tree;' and as the lieutenant retired, he remarked to his aid, 'Noble, I will bet you a thousand pounds to a penny, that there is some girl in this case ;-nothing else will account for such an absurd manœuvre.'

"Freeze, freeze thou wintry sky,

Thou dost not bite so nigh,

As benefits forgot."

sionally obscured; now dark masses of cloud bank- | Fled from her sanctuary of peace and innocence, ed up to the west were swept over the sky in suc- exposed to the extremities of want, and tortured cessive battalions; the leaves of the forest rustled perhaps by a thousand apprehensions of danger! fluttering in mimic whirlwinds;-a prelude of deep, What a return! unnatural stillness ensued, when sudden burst upon the ear a peal of thunder;-the rain poured down in a flood, the thunder bellowed, and the lightning flashed from every quarter of the heavens. The St. Leger proceeded to reconnoitre the garden; roads were deluged with water,—and could only be he found it trodden down by the footsteps of men distinguished by the fitful aid of the lightning as it and horses; the fences burnt; the summer-house gleamed through the horror of the surrounding of his dream demolished, and near the spot where it forest. The whole heavens blazed in a liquid sheet stood, the carcases of cattle slain by the plunderers. of fire,,—a lofty pine fell crashing athwart the road, In the entire garden, he found nothing to remind of its gnarled trunk shivered into a thousand splinters; its identity, but the initials A. L. on the smooth St. Leger was stunned;-his horse reared up vio-bark of a fruit tree, which he recollected carving lently, and with an unearthly scream of terror, fell prostrate with his rider.

there. At this instant he heard the distant clattering of horses feet;—quickly mounting his charger he galloped rapidly away by a private road in another direction.

Dewy morn was streaking the rosy west with gold-tipped clouds, when St. Leger reached the precincts of Ringwood. Every leaf of the forest, Here our story terminates-too abruptly. To every blade of grass, and flower of the field came glean the farther particulars of the history of St. out from the recent storm refreshed,-in renovated Leger and the Littlepages, the writer has used every beauty; and the singing birds of spring were chant-possible means within his power, yet with but little ing their matin hymns of gladness. St. Leger en- success. Time is continually dissolving the traditered the outer gate of the plantation, and as he tions of that day, and from the shipwreck of the past, rode down the lane quickened his pace, from an only a few disjointed fragments are tossed upon eager solicitude to discover whether the appre- the shore. hended catastrophe had occurred. The eagles

Ringwood is yet standing,-dilapidated and ruinous. Out of numerous rooms only one or two are now habitable. Those, on a visit the writer made there some years ago, were occupied by an obscure old lady, from whom no satisfactory antiquarian information could be gleaned,—except that she had heard say that some of the quality used to live there.'

which had surmounted the massive pillars of the arched gate-way were gone; he reached the yard; the work of destruction was done! the Protection had come too late! The yard was strewed with monuments of recent pillage. He passed on into the house; there the floor was covered with fragments of glass, china and mirrors broken up; the windows were smashed, the inside shutters distortIn one corner of the parlor was a heap of loose ed from their hinges; the walls naked, blackened unpicked cotton, and the only furniture one old with smoke, and disfigured with gross expressions chair with three legs. The saloon was festooned written in charcoal by the soldiery. The family with cobwebs, the blue room was desolate; and portraits were part lying on the floor, or in the yard the nursery no longer echoed the voices of childwhere they had been fired at as targets, and riddled hood; the doors are rotting from their hinges, and with bullet-holes, or pierced with vindictive bayo- the vacant windows are open to all the winds of nets; the rest had been cut into strips, and the can- | heaven. The oaken pannels and curious cornice vass converted into knapsacks. The books of an speak of a former day; and the walls on the outextensive and curious library had been thrown in a side are tinged with the dusky yellow hue of antiheap from a window, and burnt. Stray half-char-quity. All is empty, silent and cheerless. As you red tattered leaves, that had survived the conflagra- tread the unaccustomed stairway, echo disturbed in tion, fluttered in the zephyr; among these, the lieutenant had the curiosity to pick up one, marked with the notes of music; the air was a simple one and the words written in the hand of the daughter of Ringwood-which he recognized as one which he had heard her sing so touchingly to the harpsichord.

And where now was that drooping form, in what shelter was that sweet ill-starred flower cowering from the elements? She on whom,

"The freshness of the heart did fall like dew,
Which out of all the lovely things we see,
Extracts emotions beautiful and new,
Hived in the bosom."

her long sleep, repeats the noise of your footsteps through the vacant corridors, and deserted halls,— mingling with the winds as they moan the requiem of Ringwood!

Not far from Ringwood, stands still more ruinous, St. Mary's church. There, on the bank of the river, is a grave-yard,—surrounded by an antique wall, in part fallen down;-there, the wild grape, myrtle and Indian honey-suckle have come like friendship in adversity, and fastened their tendrils in the crumbling monuments of decay,—as if desirous with their mantling foliage, to conceal the