lingbrook," published in the Southern Literary Messenger of January, 1840, we extract some interesting facts:

There is, perhaps, no house in Virginia connected with a greater number of military revolutionary recollections, than Bollingbrook, in the town of Petersburg.

On the approach of the enemy, a large portion of the people of the town made their escape. General Phillips took up his residence at Bollingbrook. He and the officers of his family are said to have treated Mrs. Bolling with a good deal of courtesy, and (some add) addressed her always as Lady Bolling. Arnold is recollected as a handsome man, that limped in his gait. He was fond of caressing the children of the family, and dan

dled them on his knee.

Both the houses on Bollingbrook hill were occupied by British officers. Mrs. Bolling was allowed the use of a room in the rear of the east building. Two sentinels were placed at each door of the house with crossed bayonets. The British soldiery repeatedly set on fire the fences about Bollingbrook, and frequently "all around was in a light blaze." Upon these occasions, Mrs. Bolling was obliged to send her servants to arrest the flames, and she was thus kept in a state of continual apprehension and alarm.

On the next day after his arrival, (to wit, the 26th of April,) General Phillips (according to Arnold's letter to Sir Harry Clinton) burnt 4000 hhds. of tobacco. The warehouses which belonged to Mrs. Bolling, at her solicitation, were spared on condition that the inhabitants should remove the tobacco from them, which was accordingly done, by extraordinary exertions, during the night of the 25th. This conflagration must have presented a striking and picturesque spectacle. The scarlet-dressed soldiers moving about amidst the flames, scattering the fire-brands, and officiating in the work of destruction—the burning of the shipping on the river, reflecting its lurid glare on Pocahontas and Blandford-heightened the effect of the scene.

Arnold, on dit, cautioned Mrs. Bolling to be careful in her intercourse with General Phillips, not to irritate him, as he was a man of an ungovernable temper. This lady, during that period of terror, suffered an intense solicitude and anxiety, which discovered itself in her unconsciously darning the needles, with which she was knitting, into the bed by which she sat. Her conduct during this trying crisis, displayed a heroism which doubtless won the respect of the British officers; who are in general "men of honor and cavaliers."

After committing devastations at Osborne's, Manchester, Warwick, &c., the enemy set sail, and proceeded down James River, until, receiving (near Hog Island) countermanding orders, they returned up the river. On the 7th of May, they landed in a gale of wind at Brandon; and on the 9th, marched 30 miles, and entered Petersburg late in the night. They came so unexpectedly as to surprise ten American officers, who were there for the purpose of collecting boats to convey the army of the Marquis de Lafayette across the James River.

General Phillips entered Petersburg this second time, sick of a bilious fever;-he arrived on the 9th of May, and breathed his last, on the 13th, at Bollingbrook. He lay sick in the west room front of the east building. During the illness of General Phillips, the town was cannonaded by Lafayette from Archer's hill, and it is commonly reported that he died while the cannonade was going on. It seems, however, more probable, that this cannonade occurred on the 10th, when Lafayette (according to Arnold's letter) 66 appeared with a strong escort on the opposite side of the river,¶ and having stayed some time to reconnoitre, returned to Osborne's." Cannon-balls fired upon that occasion, were preserved in the town some years ago, and may be yet extant. The Americans being aware that Bollingbrook was head-quarters, directed their shot par

* These reminiscences were written by Chas. Campbell, Esq., of Petersburg, a gentleman better informed upon the history of eastern Virginia than any one we have met in the course of our investigations, and to whom we are indebted for much valuable information.

+ From a wound received at Saratoga, where Phillips was made captive with Burgoyne's army.

There was then a tavern somewhere near the corner of Old and Market streets, called the "Golden Ball," at which a number of the British quartered.

Chastellux says, speaking of the enclosure, "It was formerly surrounded by rails and she raised a number of fine horses there, but the English burnt the fences, and carried away a great number of the horses."

On the north side of the river opposite the town.

The Appomattox.

ticularly at that house, a measure which, considering the sickness of General Phillips, would hardly have been justifiable, but for the horrid series of devastations in which he had just been engaged, in company with that odious traitor Arnold. This officer, in the early part of the cannonade, was walking across the yard, until a ball having passed very near him, he hastened into the house, and directed all the inmates to go down into the cellar for shelter. General Phillips was removed down there. Mrs. Bolling also took refuge there, with one or two ladies who were with her. Anbureyt (if memory serves) mentions that during the firing of the American artillery, Phillips, being then at the point of death, exclaimed-" Wont they let me die in peace?"

Gen. Phillips died on the 13th of May, and was buried in the grave-yard adjoining Blandford church. There reposes one, of whom Mr. Jefferson said-" he is the proudest man, of the proudest nation on earth."

On the 20th of May, 1781, just one week after the death of Phillips, Lord Cornwallis entered Petersburg on his route from Wilmington, North Carolina. He remained in Petersburg only three or four days, and, as is understood, made his head-quarters at Bollingbrook. General O'Hara, it appears, was quartered at what is commonly styled the "Long Ornary,"-about a mile to the west of Petersburg, on the main road. Mrs. Bolling found it necessary to visit this officer at that place, for the purpose of recovering certain negroes and horses, which had been taken from her, and were then there. The general consented to restore the slaves, but with respect to the horses proved quite inexorable. He is described as a harsh, uncouth person. He was wounded at the battle of Guilford, and surrendered Lord Cornwallis' sword at Yorktown.

At the siege of Toulon, in a sortie made by the youthful Napoleon, a grenadier in the darkness of the night drew a wounded prisoner down into a ditch; that prisoner was Major-General O'Hara, of "Long Ornary" memory, commander-in-chief of the British forces.

On the 21st of October, 1812, 103 young men from this place and vicinity embarked in the service of their country, and consecrated their valor at the battle of Fort Meigs, on the 5th of May, 1813. They were extensively known as the "Petersburg Volunteers." They remained in service one year, and on their discharge received the following highly commendatory testimonial of their gallant and soldier-like conduct.

GENERAL ORDERS.

Head-Quarters, Detroit, 17th October, 1813. The term of service for which the Petersburg Volunteers were engaged having expired, they are permitted to commence their march to Virginia, as soon as they can be transported to the south side of the lake.

IN granting a discharge to this patriotic and gallant corps, the General feels at a loss for words adequate to convey his sense of their exalted merits; almost exclusively composed of individuals who had been nursed in the lap of ease, they have, for twelve months, borne the hardships and privations of military life in the midst of an inhospitable wilderness, with a cheerfulness and alacrity which has never been surpassed. Their conduct in the field has been excelled by no other corps; and while in camp, they have set an example of subordination and respect for military authority to the whole army. The General requests Capt. M'RAE, his subalterns, non-commissioned officers, and privates, to accept his warmest thanks, and bids them an affectionate fare well.

By command, ROBERT BUTLER,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General Herewith is a list of this corps: the italicised letters attached to their names signify * Two balls struck the house, one of which being spent, lodged in the front wall of the house; the other passed through the house, and killed a negro woman (old Molly) who was standing by the kitchen door, in the act of reviling the American troops.

+ On the approach of the enemy, Old Tom, a house servant, was provident enough to bury certain silver plate, money, &c., in the cellar; there is also a vague rumor of an earthenware tea-pot, full of gold. While Arnold was down in the cellar, he was not aware that he was in such desirable company. There is still in preservation in the town, a set of China-ware, which was interred at this time.

↑ In his travels in the interior of North America.

as follows: k. killed at Fort Meigs; w. wounded at Fort Meigs; d. died; p. promoted and p. a. promoted in the army.

A pleasant anecdote is related of the volunteers in a late number of the Pioneer,* as having occurred at Point Pleasant, while they were passing through that place to the frontier. The author of the story was then on his way from western New York, with his family, bound for Cincinnati. After he had been there about a week, the volunteers arrived. The anecdote we give in his own words:

Being unable to pass the Ohio on account of the running of the ice, they encamped near the village, and remained about two weeks, during which time the writer had an opportunity of learning their character, which soon became of great service to him. Soon as the ice permitted, they struck their tents and began to cross the river, rejoicing in the prospect of soon reaching the post of danger. Some five or six of these soldiers, impatient of delay, were about to take a skiff which belonged to the writer, who was then young, inexperienced, and of such very fiery temperament as not to be very passive when his rights were invaded, and therefore began rather abruptly, perhaps, to remonstrate with them; and on their persisting in taking the skiff, high words ensued, in which he called them a set of scoundrels. The words were scarcely uttered, when he was surrounded by half the company, all of whom seemed to feel that the indignity was offered to the whole company. As more and more still gathered around him, they said: 'We have a right to use any means in our power to get on where our country calls us. We bear the character of gentlemen at home: you have called us scoundrels; this you must retract, and make us an apology, or we will tear you in pieces.' Thinking I knew their character, I instantly resolved on the course to be pursued, as the only means of saving myself from the threatened vengeance of men exasperated to the highest pitch of excitement. Assuming an apparent courage, which I confess I did not feel as strongly as I strove to evince, I turned slowly round upon my heels, looking them

*The American Pioneer is a monthly periodical, now published at Cincinnati, by John S. Williams. It is devoted to collecting and publishing incidents relative to the early settlement and successive improvement of the country. Its materiel is furnished by numerous correspondents, interested in historical researches. We take pleasure in directing public attention to this excellent work.