throughout Virginia; declared all able to bear arms traitors, who did not resort to the king's standard, and offered freedom to all slaves " appertaining to rebels," who would join his master's cause. On this, Dunmore staked his last hopes of subjugating Virginia. Had he possessed at his command a sufficient force to have enabled him to carry his threats into execution some apprehensions might have been aroused. But, as it was, his course only aided to harmonize public opinion, and proportionately to increase public irritation.

About the 20th of November, Colonel Woodford, with a portion of the second regiment, marched within twelve miles of Norfolk, where he halted and began the erection of breast works, and here, on the 9th of December, he was attacked by a body of grenadiers, commanded by Captain Fordyce, who attempted to storm the works, but were repulsed by a most destructive fire from the Virginians. Fordyce retreated to Norfolk, and Dunmore and his entire force fled for safety to the vessels lying in the harbor. The Virginians entered the city and began a desultory fire on the vessels, which was continued for several days. In retaliation, Dunmore, on the 1st day of January, bombarded the town and set fire to the buildings along the shore. Orders were then received by Colonel Woodford from the committee of safety to burn the remainder of the town, and thus prevent the British from making it a permanent post. The orders were executed, and Norfolk, containing 6,000 inhabitants, and then the most populous town in Virginia, was laid in ashes.

The General Convention of Virginia met at the capital on the 6th of May. Edmund Pendleton was chosen president and John Tazewell secretary. Its work was plain. The tottering fabric of royal government in Virginia had fallen, and to rear upon its ruins a structure more elegant, more solid and more lasting, was now the task to be performed.

On the 15th of this month after appealing to the "Searcher of Hearts," the convention unanimously adopted the following reso

lution:

"That the delegates appointed to represent this colony in general congress, be instructed to propose to that respectable body to declare the United Colonies free and independent States, absolved from all allegiance to, or dependence on the crown or parliament of Great Britain; and that they give the assent of this colony to such declaration, and whatever measures may be thought necessary by Congress for forming foreign lliances, and a confederation of colonies, at such time and in the maner that to them shall seem best; provided, that the power of forming governments for, and the regulation of the internal concerns of each olony, he left to the colonial legislatures."

Thus Virginia furnished the draft of the future declaration of independence.

On the 29th a constitution was adopted, the first which was framed with view to a permanent separation from Great Britain, since those of South Carolina and New Hampshire, which alone preceded it, were to continue only until a reconciliation could be effected between the mother country and the colonies. The plan of government was proposed by the distinguished George Mason, and with the addition of a preamble written by Thomas Jefferson, unanimously adopted by the convention, and the following officers appointed in compliance with its provisions: Patrick Henry, governor; John Page, Dudley Digges, John Taylor, John Blair, Benjamin Harrison of Berkeley, Bartholomew Dandridge, Charles Carter, and Benjamin Harrison of Brandon, counselors of State; Thomas Whiting, John Hutchings, Champion Travis, Thomas Newton, Jr., and George Webb, commissioners of admiralty; Thomas Everard and James Cocke, commissioners for settling accounts; Edmund Randolph, attorneygeneral.

In the meantime Virginia had sent her representatives to the general congress then in session at Philadelphia; and they, in compliance with instructions from their constituency, were standing shoulder to shoulder battling for the Declaration of Independence, and when, on the 4th day of July, 1776, the immortal band signed that document, no less than seven of her honored sons were among the number. The names of those who thus signed the charter of American Liberty, were as follows: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, and Carter Braxton.

In the early days of June, Dunmore, with his fleet, had left Hampton Roads, landed and erected fortifications on Gwynn's Island, within the limits of what is now Matthews county. Here he was attacked on the 9th of July by a body of Virginians under Brigadier-General Andrew Lewis (who was in command at the battle of Point Pleasant in 1774), and forced to abandon the island. Dunmore, now having despaired of ever swaying the scepter over the province again, dispatched the remnant of his followers to Florida and the West Indies, and sailing himself away to the north, left the shores of Virginia, never to return.

On the 25th of the month the adoption of the Declaration of Independence was officially announced at Williamsburg amid the acclamations of the people, the roar of artillery and rattle of musketry. The Assembly met, on the 7th of October for the first time under the new government; Edmund Pendleton was elected Speaker of the House of Delegates, and Archibald Casey, President of the Senate. The first act passed by that body was one repealing all acts of Parliament against dissenters, and thus was the first blow struck at the Established Church in Virginia. Another act was passed providing for the appoint

ment of a committee to revise the State laws, and prepare a code " more suitable to the new state of affairs." The committee was appointed as follows: Edmund Pendleton, George Wythe, George Mason, and Thomas Ludwell Lee. All the work, however, was performed by the first three.

The seat of war had now been transferred to the North, where Washington, Virginia's distinguished son, on whom the Continental Congress had bestowed the commission of Commander-in-Chief of all the forces raised in defense of American liberty, was drawing Burgoyne in a trap into which he was destined to fall.

During this brief respite from war, Virginia renewed her labors in behalf of literature and society, as well as in the improvement of civil relations. Dr. Small, the learned professor of William and Mary College, continued his efforts in the diffusion of knowledge, which he had commenced before the beginning of hostilities, under the patronage of James Fauquier, "the ablest character who had then ever filled the chair of government in Virginia." A literary and scientific society was formed at this time, of which John Page was president, and Professor James Madison one of the secretaries. This body held its meetings in the capitol at Williamsburg, and many philosophical papers were read, and many interesting lectures delivered, but unfortunately the continuation of war prevented the ripe development of the association.

ALLIES OF GREAT BRITAIN.

While Virginia was battling with her oppressors on her eastern shores, she was also compelled to defend her frontier against the savage hordes employed by the emissaries of Great Britain to whom she paid a premium for the scalps snatched from the heads of helpless women and children. Thus Christian England, then boasting of the splendors of her civilization, turned loose the ruthless savage to murder and burn at the stake the people of her own blood.

MURDER OF CORNSTALK AT POINT PLEASANT.

One of the most atrocious acts recorded in border warfare was committed at Point Pleasant, at the mouth of the Great Kanawha, in the summer of 1777. This was the shocking murder of Cornstalk, the celebrated Shawnee chief, whose nobleness of character every student of pioneer history has learned to admire. In the spring of the above year, Cornstalk and Redhawk came to Fort Randolph at the mouth of the Great Kanawha and declared that he and all his tribe were opposed to

engaging in the war on the side of the British; but, that all the other tribes north of the Ohio were determined to do so, and that his people would be compelled to do likewise. Captain Arbuckle, commandant at Point Pleasant, detained his visitors as hostages, hoping thus to prevent their tribe from becoming allies of Great Britain. We subjoin an account of the murder from the memoir of Colonel John Stewart, who was an eyewitness of the scene:

"During the time of our stay [at Point Pleasant] two young men named Hamilton and Gilmore went over the Kanawha one day to hunt for deer. On their return to camp some Indians had concealed themselves on the bank among the weeds, to view our encampment, and as Gilmore came along past them, they fired on him and killed him on the bank. Captain Arbuckle and myself were standing on the opposite bank, when the gun was fired, and while we were wondering who it could be shooting contrary to orders, or what they were doing over the river, we saw Hamilton run down to the bank, who called out that Gilmore was killed. Gilmore was one of the company of Captain John Hall, of that part of the country now Rockbridge county. The captain was a relative of Gilmore's, whose family and friends were chiefly cut off by the Indians, in 1763, when Greenbrier was cut off. Hall's men instantly jumped into a canoe and went to the relief of Hamilton, who was standing in momentary expectation of being put to death. They brought the corpse of Gilmore down the bank, covered with blood, and scalped, and put it into the canoe. As they were passing the river, I observed to Captain Arbuckle that the people would be for killing the hostages, as soon as the canoe would land. He supposed that they would not offer to commit so great a violence upon the innocent, who were in no wise accessory to the murder of Gilmore. But the canoe had scarcely touched the shore until the cry was raised, 'Let us kill the Indians in the fort!' and every man with his gun in his hand, came up the bank pale with rage. Captain Hall was at their head and leader. Captain Arbuckle and I met them, and endeavored to dissuade them from so unjustifiable an action; but they cocked their guns, threatened us with instant death if we did not desist, rushed by us into the fort and put the Indians to death.

"On the preceding day Cornstalk's son, Elinipsico, had come from the nation to see his father, and to know if he were well, or alive. When he came to the river, opposite the fort, he hallooed. His father was at that instant in the act of delineating a map of the country and the waters between the Shawnee towns and the Mississippi, at our request, with chalk upon the floor. He immediately recognized the voice of his son, went out and answered him. The young fellow crossed over, and they embraced each other in the most tender and affectionate manner. The interpreter's wife, who had been a prisoner among the Indians and had recently left them, on hearing the uproar the next day, and hearing the