would be their fate should they be taken alive. Thirty-one killed and wounded fell into our hands, and the number borne off was much greater. Through the whole engagement every officer and soldier behaved with the greatest calmness and courage. The conduct of our sentinels I cannot pass over in silence. Before they quitted their stations, they fired at least three rounds as the enemy were crossing the bridge, and one of them, posted behind some shingles, kept his ground until he had fired eight times, and, after he had received the fire of a whole platoon, made his escape across the causeway to our breastwork. The scene was closed with as much humanity as it was conducted with bravery. The work of death being over, every one's attention was directed to the succor of the unhappy sufferers; and it is an undoubted fact, that Capt. Leslie was so affected with the tenderness of our troops to those capable of assistance, that he gave signs from the fort, of his thankfulness. What is not paralleled in history, and will scarcely be credible, except to such as acknowledge a Providence over human affairs, this victory was gained at the expense of no more than a slight wound in a soldier's hand; and one circumstance which rendered it still more amazing is, that the field-pieces raked the whole length of the street, and absolutely threw double-headed shot as far as the church, and afterwards, as our troops approached, cannonaded them heavily with grape-shot.

An article in a succeeding paper says: "A correspondent on whose information we may depend, informs us that our soldiers showed the greatest humanity and tenderness to the wounded prisoners. Sev eral of them ran through a hot fire to lift up and bring in some that were bleeding, and who they feared would die if not speedily assisted by the surgeon. The prisoners expected to be scalped, and cried out, 'For God's sake, do not murder us.' One of them, unable to walk, cried out in this manner to one of our

men, and was answered by him, Put your arm around my neck, and I will show you what I intend to do.' Then taking him with his arm over his neck, he walked slowly along, bearing him along with great tenderness, to the breastwork. Capt. Leslie, seeing two of our soldiers tenderly removing a wounded regular from the bridge, stepped upon the platform of the fort, and bowing with great respect, thanked them for their kindness. These are instances of a noble disposition of soul. Men who can act thus, must be invincible.

The repulse of the British at Great Bridge, determined the Virginians to march to Norfolk, "the strong-hold of ministerial power, and the focus of hostile enterprise; and a numerous party under Col. Stevens was immediately detached to Kemp's Landing, with orders to secure, in the neighborhood of that place, every person known to have left Norfolk since the battle of the Great Bridge.

"Among the individuals arrested in consequence of these orders, one William Calvert reported that he was present when Dunmore received the news of the defeat. His lord. ship, frantic with rage, swore, in his impotent ravings, that he would hang the boy who brought the information. The intrenchments at Norfolk were hastily abandoned, more than 20 pieces of cannon spiked and dismantled, and the fleet resorted to by the late governor and many of the disaffected, with their families and the most portable and valuable of their effects, as the only asylum against the impending vengeance of the patriots. Nothing but trepidation, shame, and despair, was now to be seen among those rash and infatuated boasters who lately hurled defiance and insult in the face of the Virginians-who, with ferocious joy and presumptuous confidence, spoke of easy triumphs over them-considered their noble enthusiasm as a momentary effervescence of popular phrensy-denied their courage, as well as their ability to resist ministerial omnipotenceand in their dreams of ideal conquest, dealt around confiscation, proscription, and death." In consequence of a pacific declaration, issued by Col. Woodford to the inhabitants of Princess Anne and Norfolk counties, many of the inhabitants resorted to his camp. To those who had joined the enemy through fear alone, all reasonable indulgence was extended; while upon others a vigilant eye was kept. Those taken in arms were each coupled with handcuffs to one of his black fellow-soldiers, as a stigma, and placed in confinement. On the night of the 14th, five days after the battle of Great Bridge, the Virginians entered Norfolk, and the succeeding morning Col. Howe assumed the command.

"Although the greater part of the loyalists of Norfolk and its environs had sought refuge in the governor's fleet, there had, nevertheless, remained a considerable number of them; either on account of their reluctance to leave their properties, or their dread of the sea and of famine, or perhaps because they hoped to find more lenity on the part of their fellow-citizens who made profession of liberty, than they had shown towards them when they had been superior in this country.

"But it is certain that the patriots, on acquiring the ascendency, made them feel it cruelly, and overwhelmed them with all those vexations of which there are so many examples in civil wars, between men of different parties. The governor, transported with rage, and touched by the piteous cries of the loyalists, panted to avenge them. This reciprocal hatred was daily exasperated by the rencontres which took place very frequently between the two parties; the provincials watching at all points of the shore to prevent the royal troops from landing, in order to forage in the country, and the latter, on the contrary, eagerly spying every means to plunder provisions upon the American territory. The multitude of mouths to be fed. kept them constantly in a famishing state. A ship of war arrived in the mean time, in the bay of Norfolk. Lord Dunmore sent a flag on shore to apprize the inhabitants that they must furnish provisions, and cease firing, otherwise he should bombard the town. The provincials answered only by a refusal. The governor then resolved to drive them out of the city with artillery, and to burn the houses situated upon the river. He sent in the morning to give notice of his design, in order that the women, children, and all except combatants might retreat to a place of safety."

On the first of January, 1776, "between three and four o'clock in the afternoon, a heavy cannonade from the frigate Liverpool, two sloops of war, and the ship Dunmore, opened against the town. Under cover of the guns, several parties of marines and sailors were landed, and set fire to the houses on the wharves. As the wind blew from the water, and the buildings were chiefly of wood, the flames rapidly.

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spread. The efforts of the American commanders and their men to stop the progress and ravages of the fire, proved ineffectual. The conflagration raged for nearly three days, and consumed about nine-tenths of the town. Scarcely can even the strongest imagination picture to itself the distress of the wretched inhabitants, most of whom, friends or foes, saw their homes, their property, their all, an indiscriminate prey to the irrepressible fury of the flames. The horrors of the conflagration were heightened by the thunder of cannon from the ships, and musketry of the hostile parties that encountered each other in sharp conflict near the shore, and on the smoking ruins of the devoted town. British were uniformly repulsed, and driven back to their boats with shame and loss. Of the Americans, by a singular good fortune, none were killed, and only 5 or 6 men wounded, one of whom mortally. In these encounters, the Some women and children were, however, reported to have lost their lives. In this affair, the intrepid Stevens still added to his fame. At the head of his hardy, indefatigable, and irresistible band, he rushed with the rapidity of lightning to the water-side, struck a large party of British, who had just landed there, and compelled them to retire, with slaughter and in dismay, to the protection of their wooden walls. In general, during the whole of this afflicting scene, both officers and men evinced a spirit worthy of

veterans.

"Such was the melancholy event which laid prostrate the most flourishing and richest town in the colony. Its happy site, combining all those natural advantages which invite and promote navigation and commerce, had been actively seconded by the industry and enterprise of the inhabitants. Before the existing troubles, an influx of wealth was rapidly pouring into its lap. In the two years from 1773 to 1775, the rents of the houses increased from 8,000 to 10,000Z. a year. Its population exceeded 6,000 citizens, many of whom possessed affluent fortunes. The whole actual loss, on this lamentable occasion, has been computed at more than three hundred thousand pounds sterling; and the mass of distress attendant on the event is beyond all calculation."

After the conflagration of Norfolk, occasional skirmishes took place between the Virginians and the enemy, in which the latter suffered most severely. February, Col. Robert Howe, who was now commander of the American troops, aban"On the 6th of doned Norfolk, or rather, the site on which Norfolk had stood; for scarcely any vestige of that ill-fated town was now to be seen. ing edifices had been destroyed; and the mournful silence of gloomy depopulation now After removing the inhabitants, the remain. reigned where the gay, animating bustle of an active emulous crowd had so lately prevailed." Howe stationed his troops at Kemp's, at the Great Bridge, and Suffolk. the latter place numbers of houseless and distressed fugitives from Norfolk had resorted; humanity and hospitality had thrown open her doors, and every building was crowded with these unfortunate wanderers.

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The most energetic measures were resorted to by the committee of safety, to preclude the flotilla of Dunmore from obtaining supplies along the banks of those waters which their presence still infested. By these measures they were compelled to abandon their intrenchments, and after burning the barracks they had erected near the ruins of Norfolk, to seek a refuge on board their vessels, where much suffering awaited them. In the latter part of May they were seen manœuvring in Hampton Roads, and they finally landed and intrenched themselves at Gwyn's island. The signal defeat that awaited them there, is detailed under the head of Mathews county.

On the 9th of May, 1779, a British fleet from New York, conducted by Sir George Collier, anchored in Hampton Roads. The government of the state had erected Fort Nelson a short distance below Portsmouth, on the western bank of Elizabeth River, to secure Portsmouth, Norfolk, and the marine yard at Gosport, from insult. This work was garrisoned by about 150 men, under Major Thomas Matthews, who abandoned it and retreated to the Dismal Swamp. On the 11th, the British took possession of Portsmouth, and detached troops to Norfolk, Gosport, and Suffolk. At the two first they destroyed abundance of naval and military stores, and the last they burnt. They also destroyed, besides much public and private property, upwards of a hundred vessels. They remained but a short time, and then re-embarked for New York.

In October, 1780, Brig. Gen. Leslie, with about three thousand troops from New York, landed at Portsmouth, and took possession of vessels and other property on the coast. He soon left the shores of the state and sailed for Charleston, and shortly after joined Cornwallis. When Arnold invaded Virginia in January, 1781, the waters of Elizabeth River were again entered by the enemy. Portsmouth was for a time the head-quarters of the traitor. Cornwallis was also at Portsmouth just previous to taking post at Yorktown.

Portsmouth, the seat of justice for Norfolk county, is on the left bank of Elizabeth River, immediately opposite Norfolk, with which

there is a constant communication by a ferry, distant three quarters of a mile. The town was established in February, 1752, on the land of William Crawford. Like Norfolk, and several of the large towns of eastern Virginia, many of its early settlers were Scotch and Irish, principally engaged in mercantile pursuits. In common with Norfolk, it possesses one of the best harbors in the

Union, in which vessels of war are generally lying at anchor, and vessels of the largest size come to its wharves. A short distance below the town is the U. S. Naval Hospital, a large and showy building-shown on the right of the above view-built of brick, and stuccoed. On the opposite side of the river stand the ruins of Fort Norfolk; it is on or near the site of Fort Nelson, built in the war of the revolution.

The U. S. Navy Yard is directly on the southern extremity of Portsmouth, half a mile from the central part of the town, in that portion of it called Gosport, where the general government has built a large and costly dry dock, of the best materials and work manship, capable of admitting the largest ships. The construction of vessels at the navy-yard, at times employs as many as 1,400 men; and it is this source that proves one of the principal means of the support of the town. The Portsmouth and Roanoke rail-road commences at this place, and with the connecting rail-roads forms a communication with Charleston, S. C. The Virginia Literary, Scientific, and Military Academy, established here in 1840, by Capt. Alden S. Partridge, numbers about forty pupils. Portsmouth contains a court-house, jail, 6 churches-1 Presbyterian, 1 Episcopal, 1 Catholic, 1 Baptist, 1 Methodist, and

1 do. for blacks-a branch of the Bank of Virginia, and a population of about 7,000. The town is beautifully laid off into squares, and its site is level. With Norfolk, it possesses an excellent fish-market. Shellfish, oysters, crabs, &c., abound. The Lynn Harbor oysters are highly esteemed by epicures.

The village of Deep Creek is situated at the northern extremity of the Dismal Swamp canal, about 10 miles from Norfolk. It is a depôt of the canal, and contains about 30 dwellings. Its commercial business is principally confined to a trade in large juniper or white cedar shingles, and other lumber from the Dismal Swamp, which gives constant employment to several schooners, plying to the northern cities.

The celebrated swamp called the "Dismal," lies partly in Virginia and partly in North Carolina; it extends from north to south nearly 30 miles, and averages, from east to west, about 10 miles. Five navigable rivers and some creeks rise in it. The sources of all these streams are hidden in the swamp, and no traces of them appear above ground. From this it appears that there must be plentiful subterraneous fountains to supply these streams-or the soil must be filled perpetually with the water drained from the higher lands which surround it. The latter hypothesis is most probable, because the soil of the swamp is a complete quagmire, trembling under the feet, and filling immediately the impression of every step with water. It may be penetrated to a great distance by thrusting down a stick, and whenever a fire is kindled upon it, after the layer of leaves and rubbish is burned through, the coals sink down, and are extinguished.

The eastern skirts of the Dismal Swamp are overgrown with reeds, ten or twelve feet high, interlaced everywhere with thorny bamboo briers, which render it almost impossible to pass. Among these are found, here and there, a cypress, and white cedar, which last is commonly mistaken for the juniper. Towards the south there is a very large tract covered with reeds, without any trees, which being constantly green, and waving in the wind, is called the green sea. An evergreen shrub, called the gall-bush, grows plentifully throughout, but especially on the borders; it bears a berry which dyes a black color, like the gall of an oak-and hence its name.

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Near the middle of the swamp, the trees grow much closer, both the cypress and cedar; and being always green, and loaded with large tops, are much exposed to the wind, and easily blown down in this boggy place, where the soil is too soft to afford sufficient hold to the roots. From these causes the passage is nearly always obstructed by trees, which lay piled in heaps, and riding upon each other; and the snags left in them pointing in every direction, render it very difficult to clamber over them.

On the western border of the Dismal Swamp is a pine swamp, above a mile in breadth, the greater part of which is covered to the depth of the knee with water: the bottom, however, is firm, and though the pines growing upon it are very large and tall, yet they are not easily blown down by the wind; so that this swamp may be passed without any hinderance, save that occasioned by the depth of the water. With all these disadvantages, the Dismal Swamp, though disagreeable to the other senses, is, in many places, pleasant to the eye, on account of the perpetual verdure, which makes every season like the spring, and every month like May.

"Immense quantities of shingles and other juniper lumber are obtained from the swamp, and furnish employment for many negroes, who reside in little huts in its

recesses.

"Much of the lumber is brought out of the swamp, either through ditches cut for the purpose, in long narrow lighters, or are carted out by mules, on roads made of poles laid across the road so as to touch each other, forming a bridge or causeway. There are very many miles of such road. The laborers carry the shingles, &c., to these roads from the trees, on their heads and shoulders. The Dismal Swamp Canal runs through it from north to south, and the Portsmouth and Roanoke Rail-road passes for five miles across its northern part.

"It looks like a grand avenue, surrounded on either hand by magnificent forests. The trees here, the cypress, juniper, oak, pine, &c., are of enormous size, and richest foliage; and below is a thick entangled, undergrowth of reeds, woodbine, grape-vines, mosses, and creepers, shooting and twisted spirally around, interlaced and complicated, so as almost to shut out the sun.

"The engineer who had constructed the road through this extraordinary swamp, found it so formidable a labor as almost to despair of success. In running the line, his feet were pierced by the sharp stumps of cut reeds; he was continually liable to sink ankle or knee deep into a soft muddy ooze; the yellow flies and moschetoes swarmed in myriads; and the swamp was inhabited by venomous serpents and beasts of prey.

"The Dismal Swamp was once a favorite hunting-ground of the Indians; arrowheads, some knives, and hatchets, are yet found there; and it still abounds in deer, bears, wild turkeys, wild-cats, &c. The water of this swamp is generally impregnated with juniper, and is considered medicinal by the people of the surrounding country, who convey it some distance in barrels. This swamp is much more elevated than the surrounding country, and by means of the Dismal Swamp Canal, might be drained, and thus a vast body of most fertile soil reclaimed; and the canal might be transformed into a rail-road-and the juniper soil, which is vegetable, might, perhaps, be used as peat.

"LAKE DRUMMOND.-There is in the interior of the Dismal Swamp a body of water bearing this name, after the discoverer, who, says tradition, wandering in pursuit of game with two companions, was lost, and in his rambling came upon this lake. His comrades failed to thread their way out. Drummond returned, and gave an account of the sheet of water, which was accordingly called after him."

This lake is much visited by parties from Norfolk and the adja cent portions of North Carolina. There is here, exactly on the line of Virginia and North Carolina, a favorite public house, called "The Lake Drummond Hotel," which has become "the Gretna Green" of this region. The poet Moore, who was in this country in 1804, has made a superstition connected with this lake the subject of a well-known poetical effusion, which we here extract.