Burning Of The Village Of Hampton--interesting Reminiscences

The subjoiiK'd remiuiscences aro from The Richmond Exuminer, and weit: publiebed {fiat after tlie recent burning ot the Ódd Followa Jiull and jail at Hampton by the Federal troop: This is the sücond time in its history tliat it has been fired by the enemy. In the war of tlio first Revolutioü, the EnglLsh squaddron, annoyed by the galluDt expioits of two youug officers, Samuel and Jumes Duron, attacked Hampton and put the most of it in llames; nor, however, without öDoouo tering a moat gallaot resista Doe from the Hamptoniaus, supported by the celebrated Culpepper Minuto Men; the united forco under command of' Col. Woodfordj who u"bsequently feil in one the battles of the Revolution. !No spot in Virginia is invested wilh more tbcilÜDg romance and historie interest thaD Hampton and its immediate. vieinity. Il wüs visited in 1607 by Oapt. John Smitit, then an Indiau town called Koeaughtan. Here Smith and liia party were regalad witb c'ÓFf) cakes, and ezobanged for them trinkets and beads. The locality was settled from Jamestown in 1610, and was incorporated a centiirv aftorward as the town of Te Shire of Elizabetb City." The Episcopal Church, an ancient pile made of imported bliek, is the oldest building in the village, and probably, from its isolated looation, may have escaped the late conflagraüoa. - It is the sueond oldest church in the State, and is surrounded by a cementery filled vviíh countless"narblo rnarks oí the doa'-l." Scattered thruugh it .-nay be found, at intervals, stonus with armorial quarterings designating the resting placo of honorod unoestry. - Some oí these are very old, dating, in several instances, bacil into the soventeenth centiry. Here repose the earthly remaina of many a cavalier and geptkruan, whoae qmes ure borne by nuincrous iaruilies all over the Southern States. Oue of the traditions oonneoted with this old edifico is tliat tlio venerable 8teep!o was, prior to the Revolutioo, surraounted with the royal cout of-arme of Öeorge III., but tlv.it op tho 4th of July, 1770, a thunder-cloud blow up, and lightning rent tho steeple and dashed the insignia of royalty to the earth. The vilhige of Hampton is beauti fully situated on an arm o( the sea w t ting in from the adjacent roadste d which beara its name, and is eelebiatid for ita health and facilities for the living. The late census showed that the aggregate white and black population was noarly two thousand, who pursued nearly all the common or general pureuita of a town of that size. Some of the residences were of briok, and erected at a heavy cost, beloogiog to opulent farmers and tradesinen; beeides, they had Urge gardens, outbouses, and o. lier valuablé improvernents, all of which ure destroyed. M4M JJ3E" When Louis the thirteenth passed through the little town of Languedoc, the mayor and tho consuls were very miich embarraseed about his reoeption. They consulted a buteher of the place, who was reckoned a very Solomun. Tho fellow, proud of being sought after, ofiered his services to iotroduce them to tho king, and performed his duty by saying, " Sire, as I ara a buteher by trudo, I bring you a few of my beaste." Tliu maycrand the concia then made a low bow, and the ceremony endüd to tho general satisfaction of all. J53 A good many ilying rutnors of tho day iwould be more uppropriatoly