Caroline County Virginia USGenWeb Archives History - Books .....Caroline County In Howe's History Of Virginia 1845
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Alice Warner http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00015.html#0003503 March 22, 2008, 1:54 pm

Book Title: Historical Collections Of Virginia By Henry Howe

Caroline, p.214-215

Caroline was formed in 1727, from Essex, King and Queen, and King William. It is
30 miles long by 20 broad. The Rappahannock flows on its north, the Pamunkey on
its south boundary, and the Mattapony runs near its centre. The surface is
broken, and the soil various, but the low grounds of these streams are extremely
fertile, and admirably adapted to the culture of corn, wheat, and tobacco.
Caroline was formerly divided into three parishes; Drysdale and St. Mary's,
created in 1727, and St. Margaretts in 1744; in each of which a church was
placed-- the latter only remains. The Baptists are now the prevailing
denomination. Pop. 1830, 17,774; 1840, whites 6,725, slaves, 9,314, free colored
774: total, 17,813.

The principal villages are Bowling Green and Port Royal. The first is situated
on the mail road from Fredericksburg to Richmond, 22 miles from the former, and
a short distance only E. of the rail-road between these two places. It is the
seat of justice for the county and was originally called New Hope. Its fine
location, on a beautiful level green, has given rise to its present name. It
contains 2 churches and about 40 dwellings. Port Royal, on the Rappahannock, 22
miles below Fredericksburg, is a somewhat larger village. It was founded in
1744, and possesses a fine harbor, capable of admitting vessels drawing 11 feet
of water. The Concord Academy is an institution in this county in excellent repute.

Edmund Pendleton was born in this county in 1741, and died in Richmond in 1803.
He was president of the Court of Appeals, and of the Virginia convention of
1775. He was twice appointed a member of Congress. In 1788 he was chosen
president of the convention of Virginia which met to consider the adoption of
the Federal constitution. When the Federal government was organized, he was
selected by Congress to be district judge for Virginia, but declined the
appointment. Wirt says "He had in great measure overcome the disadvantages of an
extremely defective education, and by the force of good company, and the study
of correct authors, had attained to great accuracy and perspicuity of style....
His manners were elevated, graceful, and insinuating. His person was spare, but
well proportioned, and his countenance one of the finest in the world; serene,
contemplative, benignant; with that expression of unclouded intelligence, and
extensive reach, which seemed to denote him capable of any thing that could be
effected by the power of the human mind. His mind itself was of a very fine
order. It was clear, comprehensive, sagacious, and correct; with a most acute
and subtle faculty of discrimination; a fertility of expedient which never could
be exhausted; a dexterity of address which never lost an advantage and never
gave one; and a capacity for continued and unremitting application which was
perfectly invincible. As a lawyer, and a statesman, he had few equals and no
superiors. For parliamentary management, he was without a rival. With all these
advantages of person, manners, address, and intellect, he was also a speaker of
distinguished eminence. He had that silver voice of which Cicero makes such
frequent and honorable mention; an articulation uncommonly distinct; a perennial
stream of transparent, cool, and sweet elocution; and the power of presenting
his arguments with a great simplicity and striking effect. He was always
graceful, argumentative, persuasive; never vehement, rapid, or abrupt. He could
instruct and delight; but he had no pretensions to those high powers which are
calculated to "shake the human soul."

General William Woodford, a revolutionary officer of high merit, was born in
Caroline. He early distinguished himself in the French and Indian war. Upon the
assembling of the Virginia troops at Williamsburg in 1775, consequent upon the
hostile attitude of Lord Dunmore, he was appointed colonel of the second
regiment. In the military operations immediately subsequent, in that section of
the state, his name is honorably mentioned in history, particularly at the
battle of Great Bridge, fought Dec. 9th, upon which occasion he had the chief
command, and gained a signal victory over the enemy. He was finally promoted to
the command of the 1st Va. brigade, in which station he served through the war.
He was in various actions, in one of which, the battle of Brandywine, he was
wounded. He was made prisoner by the British in 1780, during the siege of
Charleston, and taken to New York, where he died on the 13th of that year, in
the 46th year of his age.

Caroline was also the birth-place of Col. John Taylor, "one of the most zealous
of the republican party," and an intimate associate of Jefferson. "He
represented Virginia in the United States Senate, and was distinguished among
the great and good men which this ancient commonwealth has produced. He did much
towards advancing the science of agriculture in his native state, and was ever
forward in promoting objects conducive to the public good. As a statesman, he is
perhaps better known by his Construction Construed; and an Inquiry into the
Principles of the Government of the United States, which he published in 1814.
He also published several other treatises on various subjects. He died in this
county, Aug 20th, 1824, ripe in years and honor." A county formed in western
Virginia, in the sessions of 1843-4, was named after him.

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