From the Williamsburg Gazette 1911

A Petition, 1790

 Jan. 18th   New Kent Co.   Petition for the pardon of slave Phil. 

BARTLETT WILLIAMS, ATTORNEY FOR THE COUNTY AND THE MEMBERS OF THE COURT TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE HONORABLE, THE COUNCIL OF STATE. 

Petition for the pardon of Phil., negro slave of Wm. Tyree, tried & convicted of felony, and sentenced to be hung. The court declare that the Commonwealth's attorney showed them a law for hanging the said negro, and that upon their afterwards Coming in the Tavern, they were informed by the Hon. Edmund Randolph that the law under which they were led to act was not in force, and the offence was punishable by branding in the hand. The attorney & court all unite in the prayer for pardon.

New Kent Historical Markers, 4

Information on markers from markerhistory.com
Image from Virginia Department of Historical Resources

Exploding Hens

                                   Eggs Got In Deadly Work
Many Hens Killed by Violent Explosions of Their Frozen Product 

Richmond. Va., Feb. 21.- A most remarkable hen story, vouched for by veracious and respectable people, comes from New Kent county. W. P. Tunstall, who conducts a large hennery, yesterday found several of his fowls dead, with their bodies badly mutilated. While investigating the cause, he heard a muffled explosion, and saw a hen fall from her nest, torn and bleeding. 

 Looking into the matter further, he ascertained that the explosion was due to the fowls sitting on frozen eggs, which when they became warm, exploded, with deadly effect. 

According to Mr. Tunstall, the bodies of the dead fowls had pieces of eggshell all through them.

-Washington Post, 1904

School Facts, 1826

New Kent

No. of schools in each county...     11

No. of poor children in each county or town...     130

No. of poor children sent to school...     25

Rate of tuition for each school per annum...     $8.00

Amount expended in tuition, books, etc...     $173.29

- from the Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia, 1826

Battle of Eltham After Action Reports- Part Five

No. 9. 

Report of Col. John M. Gosline, Ninety-fifth Pennsylvania Infantry. 

HDQRS. 95TH REGIMENT PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS,
Brick-House Point, Va. (near head of York River), 
                           May 8, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to report to you the following in regard to the engagement of yesterday, 7th instant, in which this regiment took part: 

I received orders from brigade headquarters between 6 and 7 o'clock on the morning of the 7th to deploy the regiment under my command as skirmishers through the woods against which the enemy was supposed to be. Accordingly I deployed seven companies A, B, C, D, E, F, and K to right and left of road leading directly through the wood, holding the three remaining companies near the edge and center of the wood as a reserve; Lieutenant-Colonel Town commanding the right wing, Major Hubbs the left, and myself the center, we moved cautiously, and when near the outer edge of woods discovered a detachment of the enemy's cavalry, the denseness of the foliage, however, rendering it impossible to ascertain their exact number. Our skirmishers immediately opened fire upon them, driving them out of the woods and over a slight rise of ground. Continued our advance, and before reaching the top of the rise were met by a full regiment of infantry, supporting the cavalry of the enemy, which had been lying in ambush, apparently awaiting our advance. Orders were immediately given for the skirmishers to fall back, which they did in order, keeping their places and at the same time continuing a brisk fire upon the enemy. As we fell back upon the main road (still firing) we came upon a barricade of felled trees, supposed to have been thrown across by our pickets of the previous day and night. Thinking it more than probable the enemy might endeavor to advance upon us with cavalry and artillery in force, I immediately took means to retain possession of the barricade and thus prevent any attack in that quarter, which position we continued to hold until relieved by the Thirty-first and Thirty-second New York Volunteers. I then formed the regiment in line, flanking our artillery on the left, in which position we remained until the close of the engagement.  

During the whole day the regiment conducted itself in a manner highly creditable, and more particularly so when we consider the difficulty of the situation and the fact that most of the men were on this occasion under fire for the first time.

         Killed  (privates). . . .1
         Wounded (privates) . . . 7
         Missing (privates) . . . 7

         Total - - . . 15

   I have the honor to be, yours, respectfully,
   J.M. GOSLINE,
     Colonel Ninety-fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers. 
     Capt. JAMES E. MONTGOMERY,
    Assistant Adjutant-General, Third Brigade.

Col. John M. Gosline

Col. John M. Gosline born Feb 7, 1826 in New Jersey. Originally captain of Company A, 18th Pennsylvania he was created colonel of the 95th Pennsylvania October 12, 1861 which he led until dying of wounds received at the Battle of Gain's Mill June 29, 1862 some sixty days after writing this report. The 95th Pennsylvania were known as Gosline's Pennsylvania Zouaves.

More on the 95th PA.

a soldier of the 95th

"Oh, What a Courthouse it Is!"

                                                         Kent County(sic) Courthouse, Va.,  May 12th 1862

My dear Ellen,

I am now sitting in the courthouse on the Judges bench and occupy his chair of honor. 

The morning after the West Point battle we went into camp and rested. The next day we were ordered to come out and meet Genl. Stoneman, McClellan’s advance. We done so. Although our order was to return to Franklin’s division, Genl. Stoneman saw the enemy in front and would not consent to our going back. . . . If the enemy knew how small a force we have here, they no doubt would attack us. Success would be in their favour. But by night we will be strong enough for them. 

This is a rather pretty country. As is generally the case in Virginia, the buildings are all very poor. Most of the inhabitants have gone, Oh, what a courthouse it is! It is the meanest kind of building. It must have been built in King George’s time. When we approached this place, the Rebel rascals burnt the jail and a large storehouse filled with corn. (the jail was full of corn also.) The Rebels destroy everything as they retreat so that we can’t get the good of it.

- from The Civil War Letters of General Robert McAllister by James I. Robertson