It extends in

length is 26 ms.; mean breath 53 ms.; and area 149 sq. ms. lat. from 37° 08', to 37° 23' N. and in long. from 0° 12', to 0° 46' E. of W. This county occupies nearly half of the peninsula which is formed by the near approach of the York and James rivers; but the surface inclines towards the former, on which it lies. Much of the soil is good. Population in 1810, 5,187--in 1820, 14,380-1830, 5,334. York belongs to the 3rd judicial circuit, and 2nd district. Tax paid in 1833, $802 06-in 1834, on lots, $31 69--on land, $1,261 50-1,220 slaves, $305 00-365 horses, 833 90-5 studs, 820 00-12 coaches, 824 00-7 carryalls, $7 00-72 gigs, 840 35. Total, 8823 45. Expended in educating poor children in 1832, $292 68-in 1833, $184 39,

TOWNS, VILLAGES, POST OFFICES, &c.

HALF-WAY-HOUSE, P. O. 84 ms. scenery. Population 282 persons; of S. E. by E. of R. and 187 ms. from whom 1 is an attorney, and 2 are reW., situated in the eastern part of the gular physicians.

county, about 12 ms. S. E. of the C. County Courts are held on the 3d H. and half a mile from Poquosin ri- Monday in every month;-Quarterver. There are at this place 5 build-ly in March, June, August and Noings, 2 of which are old stores, not vember.

occupied at present, 1 public house, Circuit Superior Courts of Law and i excellent dwelling house. The and Chancery are held on the 24th of land in the neighborhood is fertile, April and September, by JUDGE UPproducing well the ordinary staples, SHUR.

corn, wheat, oats, &c. The situation Before closing Eastern Virginia it is pleasant and eligible, directly on the may be interesting to the reader to main stage road from Yorktown to peruse a succinct account of the meHampton. morable events which took place at YORKTOWN, P. V. Port of en- the siege of Yorktown during the retry and seat of justice, 72 ms. S. E. volution, and which eventuated in the by E. of R. and 175 ms. S. S. E. of surrender of the whole of the English W. in lat. 37° 14', and long. 0° 30' army, under the command of Lord E. of W. C., situated immediately on Cornwallis, to the combined Amerithe right bank of York river, 11 ms. can and French army, under the comabove its mouth, and 33 ms. N. W. mand of Washington, which was the from Norfolk. Yorktown suffered closing scene of the American war; considerably from a fire which occur- and the establishment of American red during the last war, when most independence.

of the best buildings were destroyed. The following brief outline seems together with the old Episcopal to have been taken from the journal church. The present number of of an American officer, engaged in houses, besides the county buildings, the scenes which he describes, and to are 40,--the most of which are going have been published in some periodi fast to decay. It has several stores, cal about the year 1784 or 1785. 1 house of public worship (Baptist,)

Siege of York and Gloucester. 1 school, in which are taught the ru diments of English education, 1 tan- Sept. 15, 1781.-General Washyard, 1 cabinet maker, 1 carriage ma-ington arrived at Williamsburg; reker, 1 house carpenter, and 3 black-ceived the Marquis de la Fayette's smith shops. Yorktown is pleasant-command, and count St. Simon's ly situated in an open country, having troops, which had arrived the 30th of a beautiful view of land and water August, with count de Grasse, and

landed at Jamestown the 3d instant. 31-The light infantry relieved by

21. First division of the northern Wayne's division this evening. The army arrived in James's river. The redoubts completed this night, and 23d and 24th almost the whole got in filled with a proper number of troopsand landed. The 27th, the whole October 1 to 6.--Employed in prearmy moved, and encamped in a line, paring materials, getting up our artil three quarters of a mile advanced off lery, &c. At six o'clock, moved on Williamsburg, distant from Yorktown the ground, and opened our first pa11 miles. rallel, about six hundred yards from 28.-The whole moved at day- the enemy's works, under cover by light: after two halts, arrived within a day-light. No accident. mile and a half of the enemy's works: working till morning. displayed and lay on our arms all 7.--The light troops entered in line night. Beaver pond creek, and mo- reversed, with drums beating, and corass in our front, over which bridges lours flying; planted their standards were built that night: and general on the top of the line of the parallel; Muhlenbergh's brigade of light infan- continued working on the batteries, try formed a picquet in advance. which were completed about five 29.-About sunrise moved to with- o'clock.

Continued

in three quarters of a mile of the ene- 9.-P. M. the enemy received the my's out-works, and displayed into first shot from us, which was contin two lines, a ravine in front, to view ued with spirit from cannon and morour ground; advanced small parties tars. The enemy's fire slackened. in front to cover our reconnoitering Several of their guns were dismountparties. At four, P. M. moved to our ed: and they were obliged to fill up ground on the right, and encamped their entrenchments.

within range of the enemy's artillery 10.-Light infantry mounted: and in two lines; advanced a line of pic- the Charon of 44 guns and two smaller quets in front, and increased our camp vessels, were burned by some hot guards. shot from the left of the line, com30. The enemy fearing we should manded by count St. Simon. This turn their left, and get between their happened about eight o'clock in the out-works and the town, abandoned evening, the weather being serene and the whole of them, and retired to town calm, and afforded an awful and mea little before day-light, leaving a few lancholly sight. The Charon was on light horse to protect their rear. fire from the water's edge to her truck Colonel Scammel, being officer of the at the same time. I never saw any day, advanced to reconnoitre and re- thing so magnificent.

port accordingly, when he was inter- 11. In the evening, the second cepted, wounded and taken, by a few parallel opened by B. Steuben's dilight horse, who had lain concealed. vision. This parallel was carried on [He died of his wounds in six days.] with amazing rapidity, at 360 yards Both lines were put in motion, and distance from the enemy's batteries, advanced with caution towards their under a very heavy fire, the enemy's works, suspecting some feint of the shot and shells directed at the workenemy. Lay on our arms all that men; our shot and shells going over night. The light infantry remained our heads in a continual blaze the on the ground, as a covering party to whole night. The sight was beautithe fatigued men, busied in erecting a fully tremendous. We lost but one chain of redoubts to guard our camp, man, shot by our own men, the gun and cover our working parties, who not being sufficiently elevated, or were occupied in procuring materials being fired with a bad cartridge. for the siege.

12th, 13th, and 14th. Continued Continued 17.-Light infantry still in the completing the batteries of the second trenches. Between ten and eleven, parallel, and wounding their abattis, A. M. chamade beat, and propositions and frize-works with our shot and for surrender sent out by his fordship: shells. About two o'clock, P. M. the received by the Marquis, and forout defences of two redoubts, that warded to head-quarters. Cessation were advanced on their left 250 yards of firing about twenty minutes, till in their front, were thought sufficient- flag had returned within their works. ly weakened, to attempt them that On our resuming the fire, a second evening by storm. The light infan- chamade beat: and the officer returntry were relieved, and directed to re- ing, was told that the answer, as soon fresh themselves with dinner and a as received from head-quarters, would nap. About dusk, they moved on, be forwarded. The firing on both under the Marquis, and were in pos- sides re-commenced, and went on as session of one, in nine minutes. The usual, only small intermissions, duother was carried by the French ring the passing of two or three letgrenadiers and light infantry, under ters from each side. Light infantry baron Viomenil, nearly about the relieved by the baron Steuben's divissame time, when the second parallel ion: and the business being concluded was continued on, and enveloped these that evening, the firing ceased about two redoubts, and finished a line of five o'clock, P. M. The 18th and communication between the rights of part of the 19th, taken up in adjusting the first and second parallel of up- matters, viz. articles of capitulation, wards of a mile, before day-light next public letters, &c.

morning. The whole of this was 19. P. M.-They marched out and performed under a very incessant and laid down their arms. The whole of heavy fire from the enemy, with the king's troop, including sailors and amazing steadiness and expedition. marines, amounted to 8,054, officers included.

15.-Employed in repairing the redoubts, and erecting batteries, now within reach of the enemy's grape, rifle and wall-pieces.

Thus ended this business, in nine days from our breaking ground.

The whole of our strength, includ16.--This night, a timid, ill con- ing every person that drew provisions ducted sortie was attempted under by the commissary-general's return, lieutenant-colonel Abercrombie, with amounted to 12,200. Our loss was about six hundred men. They en- 324 killed, wounded and died in the tered the parallel about the centre, hospital; sick in the hospital about nearly between the French and Ame- 600; unfit for duty, 830. So that rican troops, at a battery erecting by when the necessary detail of the whole the Americans, not completed. They army was completed, his lordship was killed a sarjeant and two privates of never opposed by more than an equal captain Savage's company of artillery: number. Very frequently, from our spiked six guns with the end of their great fatigue, parties at a considerable bayonets, which they broke off in the distance from the camp, and trenches vent-holes; turned about; and went off two miles, had he come out to us, we with the greatest precipitation. In could have opposed him with but their retreat, they were pursued, and very few more than two thirds of his lost twelve men-six killed, four number. This, I believe, will be alwounded, two taken: the light infan-lowed by any officer of discernment, try in the trenches. Lord Cornwal- who was acquainted with the details lis, in his account of the matter, says of the victorious combined army. our loss was upwards of 100.

WESTERN VIRGINIA.

INTRODUCTION.

PERHAPS no section of country of the same extent, possesses greater natural advantages than that portion of the State of Virginia westward of the Blue Ridge Mountain. Possessed of a climate the most salubrious and invigorating, and a soil happily adapted to the production of almost every thing useful to man, nothing is wanting but industry to render this one of the fairest agricultural portions of the globe. The vallies of the Shenandoah, the Upper James river, the Kanawha and Holston, found in this portion of the commonwealth, present a field alınost unrivalled for the exertions of an industrious and enterprising population. Some of these as yet, are comparatively unreclaimed and in a state of nature; but the time is not distant, when under the invigorating influence of wise and salutary regulations, they will be seen teeming with the products of enterprise and industry. But Western Virginia is not remarkable only for agricultural advantages. Her fossil and mineral wealth is no where equaled; iron, lead, gypsum, coal, and salt, are found in different places in this region, some of which have already become a fruitful source of commerce and of wealth. Other and similar sources of wealth may still be buried and concealed from the eye of man in our extensive forest regions. The salt of the Kanawha and Holston, after supplying the home consumption, is already an article of extensive and profitable commerce upon most of the western waters. The iron of the valley, the excellence of which is readily admitted, would soon become a staple of commerce and a source of wealth to that section, did the improvements of the country supply the required facilities for the transportation of so cumbersome an article. These enumerated manufactures, though already claiming notice from their consequence, are to be regarded as yet in their infancy, compared with the rank they will hereafter attain, in numbers and extent, should the increasing commerce and enterprise of the country call forth their resources. With the exception of the commercial channels which nature has provided as outlets for them, our productions, whether manufactured or agricultural, are and must be limited to a narrow region of country surrounding them. This will continue to be the case until the country becomes aroused to the necessity of following the example of our sister communities, in opening additional and much needed lines of commercial intercourse.