1755-1756.
Stith--Davies visits England and Scotland--Patriotic Discourse--
Waddel, the Blind Preacher--Washington made Colonel of Virginia
Regiment--Indian Incursions--Washington visits Boston.
DURING the year 1755 died the Rev. William Stith, president of the
College of William and Mary, and author of an excellent "History of
Virginia," from the first settlement to the dissolution of the London
Company. He was of exemplary character and catholic spirit, a friend of
well-regulated liberty, and a true patriot.
The Rev. Samuel Davies, during the year 1754, went on a mission to
England and Scotland for the purpose of raising a fund for the endowment
of a college at Princeton, New Jersey. His eloquence commanded
admiration in the mother country. The English Presbyterians he found
sadly fallen away from the doctrines of the Reformation, and their
clergy, although learned and able, deeply infected with the "modish
divinity"--Socinianism and Arminianism. In Scotland, where he met a warm
welcome, he found the young clergy no less imbued with the "modish
divinity," and the cause of religion and the spiritual independence of
the kirk lamentably impaired by the overweening influence of secular
patronage. Davies was of opinion that in genuine piety the Methodists,
who commenced their reform in the Church of England, ranked the highest.
He returned to Virginia early in 1755, and during the French and Indian
wars he often employed his eloquence in arousing the patriotism of the
Virginians.
After Braddock's defeat, such was the general consternation that many
seemed ready to desert the country. On the 20th of July, 1755, Davies
delivered a discourse, in which he declared: "Christians should be
patriots. What is that religion good for that leaves men cowards upon
the appearance of danger? And permit me to say, that I am particularly
solicitous that you, my brethren of the dissenters, should act with
honor and spirit in this juncture, as it becomes loyal subjects, lovers
of your country, and courageous Christians. That is a mean, sordid,
cowardly soul that would abandon his country and shift for his own
little self, when there is any probability of defending it. To give the
greater weight to what I say, I may take the liberty to tell you, I have
as little personal interest, as little to lose in the colony, as most of
you. If I consulted either my safety or my temporal interest, I should
soon remove with my family to Great Britain, or the Northern colonies,
where I have had very inviting offers. Nature has not formed me for a
military life, nor furnished me with any great degree of fortitude and
courage; yet I must declare, that after the most calm and impartial
deliberation, I am determined not to leave my country while there is any
prospect of defending it."[483:A]
Dejection and alarm vanished under his eloquence, and at the conclusion
of his address every man seemed to say, "Let us march against the
enemy!" A patriotic discourse was delivered by him on the 17th of
August, 1755, before Captain Overton's company of Independent
Volunteers, the first volunteer company raised in Virginia after
Braddock's defeat. In a note appended to this discourse, Davies said:
"As a remarkable instance of this, I may point out to the public that
heroic youth, Colonel Washington, whom I cannot but hope Providence has
hitherto preserved in so signal a manner for some important service to
his country."[483:B]
It is probable that Patrick Henry caught the spark of eloquence from
Davies, as in his early youth, and in after years, he often heard him
preach. They were alike gifted with a profound sensibility. Henry always
remarked that Mr. Davies was "the greatest orator he had ever heard."
Presbyterianism steadily advanced in Virginia under the auspices of
Davies and his successors, particularly Graham, Smith, Waddell, "the
blind preacher" of Wirt's "British Spy," and Brown.
The Rev. James Waddell, a Presbyterian minister, was born in the North
of Ireland, in July, 1739, as is believed. He was brought over in his
infancy by his parents to America; they settled in the southeastern part
of Pennsylvania, on White-clay Creek. James was sent to school at
Nottingham to Dr. Finley, afterwards president of the College of New
Jersey. In the school young Waddell made such proficiency in his studies
as to become an assistant teacher; and Dr. Benjamin Rush, the signer of
the Declaration of Independence, recited lessons to him there. He
devoted his attention chiefly to the classics, in which he became very
well versed. He was afterwards an assistant to the elder Smith, father
of the Rev. John Blair Smith, president of Hampden Sidney College,
Virginia, and of the Rev. Samuel Stanhope Smith, president of the
College of New Jersey. Waddell, intending to pursue the vocation of a
teacher, and to settle with that view at Charleston, in South Carolina,
set out for the South. In passing through Virginia he met with the
celebrated preacher, Davies, and that incident gave a different turn to
his life. Shortly after, he became an assistant to the Rev. Mr. Todd in
his school in the County of Louisa, with whom he studied theology. He
was licensed to preach in 1761, and ordained in the following year, when
he settled as pastor in Lancaster County. Here, about the year 1768, he
married Mary, daughter of Colonel James Gordon, of that county,[484:A] a
wealthy and influential man. In the division of the Presbyterian Church
Mr. Waddell was of the "New Side," as it was termed. The Rev. Samuel
Davies often preached to Mr. Waddell's congregation; as also did
Whitefield several times.
In the year 1776 Mr. Waddell removed from Lower Virginia, in very feeble
health, to Augusta County. His salary was now only forty-five pounds,
Virginia currency, per annum. In 1783 he came to reside at an estate
purchased by him, and called Hopewell, at the junction of Louisa,
Orange, and Albemarle--the dwelling-house being in Louisa. Here he again
became a classical teacher, receiving pupils in his own house. James
Barbour, afterwards governor of Virginia, was one of these, and
Merriwether Lewis, the companion of Clarke in the exploration beyond the
Rocky Mountains, another. Mr. Waddell resided in Louisa County about
twenty years, and died there, and was buried, according to his request,
in his garden. During his residence here he was, for a part of the time,
deprived of his sight; but he continued to preach. In person he was tall
and erect; his complexion fair, with a light blue eye. His deportment
was dignified; his manners elegant and graceful. He is represented by
Mr. Wirt, in the "British Spy," as preaching in a white linen cap; this
was, indeed, a part of his domestic costume, but when he went abroad he
always wore a large full-bottomed wig, perfectly white. Mr. Wirt held
him as equal to Patrick Henry, in a different species of oratory. In
regard to place, time, costume, and lesser particulars, Mr. Wirt used an
allowable liberty in grouping together incidents which had occurred
apart, and perhaps imagining, as in a sermon, expressions which had been
uttered at the fire-side. Patrick Henry's opinion of Mr. Waddell's
eloquence has been before mentioned. It was the remark of another
cotemporary, that when he preached, "whole congregations were bathed in
tears." It might also be said by his grave, as at that of John Knox,--
"Here lies one who never feared the face of man."
The late Rev. Dr. Archibald Alexander married a daughter of Dr. Waddell,
and the late Rev. Dr. James Waddell Alexander thus derived his middle
name.
August, 1755, the assembly voted forty thousand pounds for the public
service, and the governor and council immediately resolved to augment
the Virginia Regiment to sixteen companies, numbering fifteen hundred
men. To Washington was granted the sum of three hundred pounds in reward
for his gallant behavior and in compensation for his losses at the
battle of Monongahela. Colonel Washington was, during this month,
commissioned commander-in-chief of the forces, and allowed to appoint
his own officers. The officers next in rank to him were
Lieutenant-Colonel Adam Stephen and Major Andrew Lewis. Washington's
military reputation was now high, not only in Virginia, but in the other
colonies. Peyton Randolph raised a volunteer company of one hundred
gentlemen, who, however, proved quite unfit for the frontier service.
After organizing the regiment and providing the commissariat, Washington
repaired early in October to Winchester, and took such measures as lay
in his power to repel the cruel outrages of a savage irruption. Alarm,
confusion, and disorder prevailed, so that he found no orders obeyed but
such as a party of soldiers, or his own drawn sword, enforced. He beheld
with emotion calamities which he could not avert, and he strenuously
urged the necessity of an act to enforce the military law, to remedy the
insolence of the soldiers and the indolence of the officers. He even
intimated a purpose of resigning, unless his authority should be
re-enforced by the laws, since he found himself thwarted in his
exertions at every step by a general perverseness and insubordination,
aggravated by the hardships of the service and the want of system. At
length, by persevering solicitations, he prevailed on the assembly to
adopt more energetic military regulations. The discipline thus
introduced was extremely rigorous, severe flogging being in
ordinary use. The penalty for fighting was five hundred lashes;
for drunkenness, one hundred. The troops were daily drilled and
practised in bush-fighting. A Captain Dagworthy, stationed at Fort
Cumberland, commissioned by General Sharpe, governor of Maryland,
refusing, as holding a king's commission, to obey Washington's orders,
the dispute was referred by Governor Dinwiddie to General Shirley,
commander-in-chief of his majesty's armies in America, who was then at
Boston. He was also requested to grant royal commissions to Colonel
Washington and his field-officers, such commissions to imply rank but to
give no claim to pay.
The Indians, after committing murders and barbarities upon the unhappy
people of the border country, retired beyond the mountains. Colonel Byrd
and Colonel Randolph were sent out with presents to the Cherokees,
Catawbas, and other Southern Indians, in order to conciliate their
good-will and counteract the intrigues of the French.
Colonel Washington obtained leave to visit General Shirley, so as to
deliver in person a memorial from the officers of the Virginia Regiment,
requesting him to grant them king's commissions; and also in order to
make himself better acquainted with the military plans of the North. He
set out from Alexandria early in February, 1756, accompanied by his
aid-de-camp, Colonel George Mercer, and on his route passed through
Philadelphia, New York, New London, Newport, and Providence. He visited
the governors of Pennsylvania and New York, and spent several days in
each of the principal cities. He was well received by General Shirley,
with whom he continued ten days, mingling with the society of Boston,
attending the sessions of the legislature, and visiting Castle William.
During the tour he was everywhere looked upon with interest as the hero
of the Monongahela. Shirley decided the contested point between
Dagworthy and him in his favor.
While in New York he was a guest of his friend Beverley Robinson
(brother of the speaker.) Miss Mary Philipse, a sister of Mrs. Robinson,
and heiress of a vast estate, was an inmate of the family, and
Washington became enamored of her. The flame was transient; he probably
having soon discovered that another suitor was preferred to him. She
eventually married Captain Roger Morris, his former associate in arms,
and one of Braddock's aids. She and her sister, Mrs. Robinson, and Mrs.
Inglis, were the only females who were attainted of high treason during
the Revolution. Imagination dwells on the outlawry of a lady who had won
the admiration of Washington. Humanity is shocked that a woman should
have been attainted of treason for clinging to the fortunes of her
husband.[487:A] Mary Philipse is the original of one of the characters
in Cooper's "Spy."
FOOTNOTES:
[483:A] Davies' Sermons, iii. 169; Sermon on the defeat of General
Braddock going to Fort Du Quesne; Memoir of Davies in Evan. and Lit.
Mag.
[483:B] Davies' Sermons, iii. 38. "Who is Mr. Washington?" inquired Lord
Halifax. "I know nothing of him," he added; "but they say he behaved in
Braddock's action as bravely as if he really loved the whistling of
bullets."
[484:A] Ancestor of the late General Gordon, of Albemarle.
[487:A] Sabine's Loyalists, 476.