proposition of the Legislature of Virginia, submitted to the Coun ty Court of Westmoreland, some years ago, in relation to said Portrait be, and the same is hereby, adopted; and the Clerk of this county is directed to send on to the Legislature a copy of the proposition aforesaid, and request the delegate of this county to bring the same to the notice of the Legislature.

But the Portrait, we learn, has yet another short journey to make; for, the Joint Committee on the Library, it seems, finding after some time that there was no proper place for it in the room, passed a resolution recommending that it should be removed thence into the Hall of the House of Delegates, where it will accordingly be set up, in a few days. Here then it will find its home at last, and in the very place, we may observe, which was originally designated for it by the worthy and patriotic gentleman who sent it over to our State.

We will only add, in concluding our little history, that we consider all these proceedings relating to the Portrait as highly honorable to all concerned; and we only regret that the portrait itself is not more worthy of the station it will occupy, and of the office it has to perform.

THE SCHOONER LIBERTY.

The Schooner Liberty, one of the armed vessels of the Navy of Virginia, was commanded, in the commencement of our revolutionary war, by Captain James Barron, afterwards Commodore Barron, Senior officer of that Navy. The Liberty was the most fortunate vessel in the service, and was the only one, in fact, that ran through the whole contest without being captured by the enemy. Her armament was judiciously arranged, so much so, as to render her superior to British Government vessels of double her size and rate. She was engaged, first and last, in more than

twenty sharp actions, but I shall select only one of them for this short account of her.

In the early spring of 1779, she had an action with the tender to the frigate Emerald, a New England built schooner, called the Fortunatus, of about 120 tons, mounting 10 six pounders, and manned from the Frigate with a crew of fifty seamen; commanded by a Lieutenant named Dickey, a gallant and worthy fellow, as the sequel will show. The Fortunatus came into Hampton Roads in the night during a heavy gale at N. E., and, at daylight next morning, was seen by Capt. Richard Barron (who lived on the banks of the James River opposite the Roads,) getting under way to go to sea again, when he instantly mounted his horse and rode in great haste to Hampton, to inform his brother, Capt. James Barron, of the fact. Volunteers were immediately called for, and as readily obtained from the good old patriotic town, and off started the Liberty in pursuit of the enemy, which she came up with, four or five miles inside of Cape Henry, where a most sanguinary conflict (at least on the part of the English) ensued; which continued for about two hours, during which period most of the crew of the Fortunatus were either killed or wounded, and her fire so much slackened that Capt. Barron was induced to hail her, and request the Lieutenant Commandant to surrender, as he, Captain Barron, had not a man either killed or wounded; and as Lieutenant Dickey was by this time convinced that there was not the least probability of his escape from capture, and the request to surrender was manifestly prompted by motives of humanity, he consented to do so; and hauled down his colours. When the boarding officer from the Liberty got on the deck of the Fortunatus, he found that the Lieutenant Commandant and four men, were all the crew then able to use a sponge, or a rammer, to load a gun. I ought to state that the ammunition of the Liberty was composed entirely of large-sized musket balls, and 32 of them put in a bag were discharged at every fire from each of her guns, so that 160 of these balls were constantly playing on the crew of the Fortunatus, which will account for the great number of men killed and wounded on board

of her; while the fire of the Fortunatus was only five six poun. der shot thrown at her enemy in the same time.

The result of this action was encouraging to the patriots of the Navy of the State; and the officers, crew, and volunteers of the Liberty, sixteen in number, were spoken of in terms highly, honourable to them. I wish I could now remember the names of all those worthy persons; it would afford me pleasure to record them along with their deeds in defence of their country. Two of the volunteers, I recollect, were Captain Richard Barron, and John King, Esq., first Collector of the Port of Norfolk, after the war; and there were several other gentlemen of Hampton whose names I have forgotten. John Gibson was the Gunner. The Lieutenants were so frequently changed in those days, that it is not to be wondered at that I do not remember who they were on this particular occasion. The most of them were masters of merchant vessels, who had been compelled to go to sea in order to obtain clothes suitable to their decent appearance in public.

The Fortunatus was not considered an efficient vessel for our service, and was therefore sold. Lieutenant Dicky was sent to Portsmouth, then a garrison town, and put on his parole of honor, with almost unlimited privileges; and there he remained, becoming a great favorite with the good people of that place, and enjoying the hospitality of all the genteel families in it, until the invasion by Admiral Collier and General Matthew, in the following May. It will be remembered that at this time the British Army under General Matthew, landed south of Pig-Point, and marched along the river side to the Western Branch, when they crossed over that stream, and Scott's creek, to the woods in the rear of Fort Nelson, then commanded by Major Mathews, who, aware of his utter inability to defend the fort against such odds, was obliged to quit it, and cross over to Washington Point, leaving, however, the colours flying to deceive the enemy and gain time. During this movement of our troops, Lieutenant Dickey had walked out into the country, as was his usual custom, and to that part of it back of the fort, now the site of the United States Hospital, and there he remained until he saw the last of

Major Mathews's men embark for the other shore. He then entered the fort, and found himself solus, and commander-inchief, and so he continued to be until the British made their appearance out of the woods, and approached the place, when he mounted the ramparts, and hauled down the American colours. The British then advanced, and took possession of the fort, and very soon after of the town of Portsmouth, where Lieut. Dickey now appeared in his new character of Conqueror, instead of a prisoner; and it is gratifying to record that he shewed the utmost kindness and courtesy to the citizens of the town, who experienced all proper protection and comfort through his influence with his countrymen.

After this action, the Liberty continued to cruise successfully until Lord Cornwallis invaded Lower Virginia, when it became necessary to conceal her; and she was therefore stripped of her masts, and sunk in a deep hole in Nansemond River, where she remained until the siege of York commenced. She was then raised, and employed as a transport of provisions for Gen. Washington's army then before York Town; and all the small vessels that could be found on the James and other rivers, were seized and employed for the same purpose; even canoes became important for this service. The Nicholson, also, I remember, which had in like manner been sunk for concealment from the enemy, was got up and added to the Moscheto fleet. Colonel Pickering, Commissary General to the continental army, and Commodore James Barron, were selected to attend to this duty, and stationed at Trebel's landing, near Burwell's ferry. The Nicholson was captured soon after the surrender of York Town, by an English Frigate, disguised with French-fashioned paint-work, and shewing French colours. She was commanded at the time by Lieut. John Jennings, but so complete was the disguise of the British Frigate, and so unexpected her visit so high up in our bay, that no blame was attached to that officer.

This capture of the Nicholson left the Liberty alone in the Virginia Navy, until the new Patriot was completed, and added to it. The Liberty was then employed as a cruiser for the pro

tection of our Bay, and the rivers emptying into it, and was commanded by Captain Michael James; and so she ran until her colours were at last struck on the surrender of Virginia's absolute sovereignty to the Confederation of the United States. She was then sold like any other craft, and went to the West Indies to run as a droger, instead of being hauled up into the public yard, and there preserved, as she ought to have been, as a monument of the deeds of the many and courageous patriots who had served on board of her during the war. Amongst these, I take pleasure in stating there were several coloured men, who, I think, in justice to their merits should not be forgotten. Harry (a slave, belonging to Captain John Cooper of Bennet's Creek, Nansemond County,) was distinguished for his zeal and daring; Cupid, (a slave of Mr. William Ballard,) stood forth on all occasions as the champion of liberty, and discharged all his duties with a fidelity that made him a favorite of all the officers. It is well known, indeed, in Virginia, that many of the African race were zealous and faithful soldiers in the cause of freedom, and one of them, in particular, named Aberdeen, distinguished himself so much as to attract the notice of many of our first officers and citizens, and among them, of Patrick Henry, who befriended him as long as he lived,

Norfolk.

J. B.

HOWISON'S HISTORY OF VIRGINIA.*

This is a work of some merit, and, all things considered, does great credit to its young and promising author. It is not, in

* A History of Virginia, from its Discovery and Settlement by the Europeans to the present time. By R. R. Howison. In 2 vols., Richmond, Drinker & Morris. New York and London: Wiley & Putnam,

1848.