Full text of "History of Augusta County, Virginia"

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HISTORY 



—OF— 



AUG-USTA COL^N^TY, 



VIRGINIA 



— BY — 



J. LEWIS PEYTON, 



Author of "The American Crisis, or Pages from the Note Book of a State Agent duiing the Civil 

War ;" "Over the Alleghanies and Across the Prairies, or Personal Recollections of the Far 

West one-and- twenty Years Ago;" "A Statistical Viewr of the State of Illinois," etc. 




Staunton, Virginia : 

SAMUEL M. YOST & SON 

MDCCCLXXXII, 



All rights reserved. 



COPYRIGHTED. 






^^ -.^'l 



FiSANK Prufer & Son, 
Binders. 

Staunton, Va. 



INTRODUCTION. 



A county remote from the first scenes of European settlement in Vir- 
ginia ; not visited by whites until 1716; uncolonized till 1732, and organ- 
ized less than a century and a half ago, appears to offer few materials for 
history. The Valley of Virginia, in the heart of which Augusta lies, was 
unknown to the whites for more than a hundred years after the landing at 
Jamestown. During this long period no effort was made to penetrate into 
what was supposed to be an impenetrable region lying beyond high and 
inaccessible mountains. No one ventured to overcome these obstacles of 
nature, and to enter a dismal solitude of irremediable barrenness and per- 
petual gloom, whose air was said to be infectious and mortal, the ground 
covered with serpents, the forests infested by wild beasts, and the indige- 
nous inhabitants a race of fierce and brutal savages, hating strangers and 
implacable in their cruelty. It was only after the return of the " Knights 
of the Golden Horseshoe " from their successful expedition over the 
mountains and into the Valley, that all previous accounts were discovered 
to be fabulous, and what was hitherto considered an accursed land, was 
found to be a delightful region, blessed with a delicious climate, rich fields, 
groves, shades and streams. From this period many persons seriously 
considered the question of making their homes in these hesperian regions, 
and within less than twenty years of Spotswood's return the Valley became 
the permanent home of Europeans. The early history of the discovery 
and occupation of the country west of the great mountains, so far as the 
present County of Augusta is concerned, is illustrated by few traditionary 
legends or incidents of border warfare, beyond the ordinary privations 
attending a new settlement, but when the entire territory which bore her 
name from 1738 to 1790, comes under view, it is eminently worthy of his- 
torical relation. A small remnant only of the adventures of our western 
pioneers is preserved. Much of the information, collected here and there 
from tradition, is uncertain and some of it absurd, yet we know enough as 
to their patient perseverance in subduing the wilds of nature ; of their 
dauntless valor in their wars with the savages, (whose native courage was 



IV HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

improved before these wars began, by the use of arms and the knowledge 
of discipline,) and of the events of those bloody struggles, to render their 
history both interesting and instructive. 

A strong wish to preserve, in a permanent form, a record of the past, 
that it may no longer be clouded by ignorance nor perplexed by fiction ; 
to rescue from unmerited oblivion the memories of our founders, whose 
heirs we are, with respect to civil and religious laws, language, science and 
territory ; to keep alive in their descendants a love and veneration for their 
memories and a spirit of patriotism, has been the chief incentive to this 
work. It has been well said that a love of country and its institutions and 
distinguished benefactors is as natural to man as is the love of those who 
are endeared to him by his earliest, his most pleasing and permanent asso- 
ciations. And this sentiment inspires a deep sense of obligation to bene- 
factors, and to that Being who, in His infinite mercy, is the bestower of 
every blessing enjoyed by man. It cannot be denied that to our fore- 
fathers we owe much of the happiness and prosperity we now enjoy, and 
every worthy descendant of those gallant and adventurous spirits must 
feel a strong desire to become intimately acquainted with their characters 
and history. A remembrance of what is past, and an anticipation of what 
is to come, seem to be the two faculties by which man differs from most 
animals. Though beasts enjoy them in a limited degree, yet their whole 
life seems taken up in the present, regardless of the past and the future. 
Man, on the contrary, endeavors to derive his happiness, and experiences 
most of his miseries, from these two sources. 

That every existing history of Virginia is incomplete, is generally ad- 
mitted and regretted. The student must still have recourse to Hening's 
Statutes at Large as the best record of the intellectual and moral advance- 
ment in our Commonwealth. When a complete history of Virginia is 
written, it will contain not only a full account of her political, civil and 
military transactions, but a clear and concise exposition of the character of 
her authors, scholars, statesmen, jurists and warriors, and also a view of 
her physical resources. Before such a comprehensive work can be com- 
posed, it is necessary to obtain true and precise details of private and pre- 
liminary transactions. In history, it is not the great and striking events 
that are instructive, but the accessory facts or the circumstances that have 
prepared or produced them. This is evident, because it is only by a 
knowledge of the preparatory circumstances that we can be enabled to 
avoid or to obtain similar results. It is not from the issue of a battle that 
we receive instruction, but from the different movements that led to its 
decision, which, though less splendid, are, however the causes, while the 
event is only the effect. Such is the importance of those details that, 
without them, the term of comparison is vicious, and has no analogy with 
the object to which we would apply it. The history of a county should 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. V 

abound in details, so necessary to the elucidation of the different parts o f 
a general history ; and if a complete history of each county cannot be 
now written, all the fragments, at least, should be collected and put in 
order, as necessary to just conclusions, as to the formation of society, the 
mechanism of government, and a correct view of the habits, manners, 
opinions, laws, internal and external regimen of each community or state. 
The gathering together of this material for a history of Virginia, its pre- 
servation in a convenient shape for reference — (it has been well said to 
know where you can find a thing is, in fact, the greatest part of learning) — 
is one of the duties which the present owes to the future. 

With these views, the writer has undertaken the task of preparing a 
history of his native county. In the scope of his design, he could only 
aim at a brief sketch or outline of the subject previous to 1790, when the 
county assumed its present confines. He has endeavored to exhibit the 
principal events which belong to the history of the Valley and the western 
country, — or that part of Augusta without the existing limits of the 
county, — in the most general and simple terms, confining himself, for the 
most part, in the case of Indian depredations, murders, massacres, «&c., to 
those which occurred within a certain area, or territory, not too remote 
from the present county. He has made free use of the works of various 
authors ; he pretends to no originality, and offers his production to the 
public in the hope that it may prove useful and acceptable. 

Under the head of Excerpts, Ana, &c., it has been found convenient to 
insert, at the close of several chapters, anecdotes, incidents related by 
living persons, genealogical memoranda, extracts from public records, 
original deeds, etc. Such matters could not be included in the text with- 
out interfering too much with the thread of the narrative. He has not 
sifted the evidence as to the authenticity of all these anecdotes, etc., but 
where there was a probability, from the story itself and the circumstances 
of the times that it was true, — where the matter was not inconsistent with 
nature and reason, — he has given them as he has found them in the news- 
papers or as they have been related to him. In this, the author has but 
followed the course of Herodotus, the father of profane history. History 
had its commencement in traditions, or narratives transmitted from 
mouth to mouth, from generation to generation. Indeed, before the 
art of printing was invented there was little else than these traditions. 
Such was the difficulty of multiplying books when writing was the only 
means by which they could be produced. While, therefore, implicit con- 
fidence may not always be placed in the stories handed down to us, we are 
not irreverently to reject them, unless irrational, contrary to nature and 
sound judgment. These scattered traditions, anecdotes and reminis- 
cences are so many living monuments of antiquity, and serve at once to 
instruct and amuse. 



VI HI8T0KY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

It may, perhaps, be proper to make a further remark. In a work of 
t his nature the author could not, without swelling the volume to unreason- 
able proportions, seek to minutely detail the policy or exhibit the springs 
and motives of government. He has, therefore, in general restricted him- 
self to a plain exhibition of facts and events. It would be vain to attempt 
to unravel the tangled maze of British, French and Spanish politics in 
their connection with each other and their American colonies, within the 
limits necessarily assigned to the present volume. The intricacies of the 
complex machinery of government form a difficult study in themselves, 
and are therefore left, with other grave matters, to more competent hands. 

In the appendix he has brought together all the information he could 
procure, or which was supplied to him by friends, as to the families of the 
pioneers or early settlers, and to this has been added a third part made up 
of biographical notices. These biographies are given, because biography 
is the hand-maid of history, portrait- painting for posterity, and the memory 
of our pioneer fathers and distinguished men is passing away, and will 
soon be forgotten unless some attempt be made to rescue it from impending 
oblivion. The heroes, who flourished before Agamemnon, says the Ro- 
man poet, passed into forgetfulness for want of a recording pen. Cicero 
eloquently remarks, the life of the dead is retained in the memory of the 
living, but a lethean wave will soon obliterate the remembrance of both 
living and dead, without the biographer's pen. If an apology is needed 
for his course it will be found in the remark of Lord Macaulay, who has 
justly observed : "A people, which takes no pride in the noble achieve- 
ments of remote ancestors, will never achieve anything worthy to be re- 
membered with pride by remote descendants." 

The writer solicits indulgence for such errors, omissions or imperfec- 
tions as may be found in his work, and will endeavor to render a second 
edition, if one should be called for, more worthy of public favor. In the 
progress of the work he has had frequent occasion to seek in various quar- 
ters for information, but has not thought it necessary to weary the reader 
by crowding his pages with references. All those interested in preserving 
facts worthy of being transmitted to posterity were invited through the 
Staunton papers to communicate them to him. He regrets that much 
apathy exists on the part of the general public, and that information was 
frequendy received too late to be always introduced where it properly be- 
longed. Notwithstanding this apathy, he has received from many so kind 
and ready a response to his appeal for information as to have excited his 
deep gratitude. He cannot forbear mentioning, in this connection, the 
spontaneous kindness of the following gentlemen, which has enabled him 
to enrich the work in many particulars : Rev. William T. Price, R. A. 
Brock, Joseph A. Waddell, Judge William McLaughlin, Hon. A. H. H. 
Stuart, Judge J. H. McCue, Wm. Withrow, Rev. J. S. Martin, Wm. E. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. Vll 

Craig.T.S. Doyle, Mathew Pilson, Chas. Campbell, Dr.C. Berkley, Dr. J. T. 
Clark, William M. Tate, George M. Cochran, jr., A. G. Christian, Marshall 
Hanger, J. H. Wayt, Maj. H. M. Bell, Hon. Absolom Koiner, J. W. Craw- 
ford, William Frazier, Hon. R. W. Thompson, Col. D. S. Young, J. N. 
Ryan, J. S. Gilliam, W. H. Peyton, W. A. Burnett, Joseph B. Woodward, 
Rev. JohnMcVerry, Hon. Thomas Barry, D. A Kayserand A. H. Davies. 
To the people of Augusta, who love their native land, and who will 
peruse the work with interest, he commends the volume. 

J. L. P. 
Steephill, near Staunton, Va., 
November, 1882. 




THE HISTORY 



— OF — 



ATJG-USTA COXJI^TT. 



CHAPTER I. 



ANCIENT LIMITS. 

The County of Augusta was ushered into existence the 12th year of the 
reign of George II., as one of the shires of the colony of Virginia. No 
reason appears in the act estabhshing the county for the name, but it is 
believed to have been selected in honor of the Princess Augusta, wife of 
Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales, and daughter of Frederick 11. Duke 
of Saxe-Gotha. Frederick county was created at the same time, and it is 
said, with good reason, to have derived its name from the Prince of Wales 
himself. From the act, which we quote in full from Hening's Statutes, 
vol. 5, pp. 78-79, it will be seen that Augusta and Frederick are twin 
sisters : 

ACT FOR ESTABLISHING THE TWO COUNTIES PASSED BY THE GENERAL 
ASSEMBLY OF THE COLONY OF VIRGINIA NOV. 1ST, 1738. 

I. Whereas, great numbers of people have settled themselves of late 
upon the rivers of Sherrando*, Cohengoruto and Opeckon, and the 
branches thereof, on the N. W. side of the Blue Ridge mountains, where- 
by the strength of this colony, and its security upon the frontiers, and H. 
M.'s revenue of quit rents are like to be much increased and augment- 
ed : For giving encouragement to such as shall think fit to settle 
there, 

II. Be it enacted by the Lieutenant-Governor, Council and Burgesses of 
this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority 
of the same, That all that territory and tract of land, at present deemed 
to be part of the county of Orange, lying on the northwest side of the 
top of the said mountains, extending from thence northerly, westerly and 
southerly, beyond the said mountains, to the utmost limits of Virginia, be 



*Sherrando, or Shenandoah, signifies, in the Indian tongue. Beautiful Daughter of the Stars. 



2 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

separated troni the rest of the said county and erected into two distinct 
counties and parishes ; to be divided by a line to be run from the head 
spring at Hedgman river to the head spring of the river Potomack. And 
that all that part of the said territory lying to the northeast of the said 
line, beyond the top of the said Blue Ridge, shall be one distinct county 
and parish, to be called by the name of the County of Frederick and 
parish of Frederick ; and that the rest of the said territory, lying on the 
other side of the said line, beyond the top of the said Blue Ridge, shall be 
one other distinct county and parish to be called by the name of the 
County of Augusta and parish of Augusta, 

III. Provided, always. That the said new counties and parishes shall 
remain part of the County of Orange and parish of Saint Mark until it 
shall be made appear to the Governor and Council, for the time being, 
that there is a sufficient number of inhabitants for appointing justices of 
the peace and other officers, and erecting courts therein for the due ad- 
ministration of justice, so as the inhabitants of the said new counties and 
parishes be henceforth exempted from the payment of all public county 
and parish levies in the County of Orange and the parish of St. Mark ; 
yet, that such exemption be not construed to extend to any of the said 
levies laid and assessed at or before the passing of this act. 

IV. And be it further enacted That after a court be constituted in the 
said new counties respectively, the court for the said County of Frederick 
be held monthly upon the second Friday ; and the court for the said 
County of Augusta be held upon the second Monday in every month, and 
that the said counties and parishes, respectively, shall have and enjoy all 
rights and privileges and advantages whatsoever belonging to the other 
counties and parishes of this colony. And for the better encouragement 
of aliens, and the more easy naturalization of such as shall come to 
inhabit there, 

V. Be it further enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for the Gov- 
ernor or Commander-in-Chief of this colony, for the time being, to orant 
letters of naturalization to any such alien, upon a certificate from the clerk 
of any county court, of his or their having taken instead of the oaths of 
allegiance and supremacy ; and taken and subscribed the oath of adjura- 
tion, and subscribed the test, in like manner, as he may do upon taking 
and subscribing the same before himself. 

VI. And ior the more easy payment of all levies, secretary's clerk, 
sheriff's and other officers' fees, by the inhabitants of the said new co' n- 
ties. Be it further enacted. That the said levies and fees shall and may be 
paid in money, or tobacco at three farthings per pound, without anv de- 
duction. — And that the said counties be and are hereby exempted from 
public levies for ten years. 

VII. Provided, nevertheless. That from and after the passing of this act 
no allowance whatsoever shall be made to any person for killing wolves 
within the limits of the said new counties. Any law, custom, or usage to 
the contrary hereof, notwithstanding. 

VIII. And for the better ordering of all parochial affairs in the said new 
parishes, Be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, '1 hat the freeholders 
and housekeepers of the same, respectively, shall meet at such time and 
place as the Governor or Commander-in-Chief of this dominion, for the 
time being, with the advice of the Council, shall appoint, by precept under 
his hand, and the seal of the colony, to be directed to the sheriffs of the 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 3 

said new counties, respectively, and by the said sheriffs publickly adver- 
tised ; and then and there elect twelve of the most able and discreet per- 
sons of their said parishes, respectiv^ely : which persons so elected, having 
taken the oaths appointed by law and subscribed to be conformable to the 
doctrine and discipline of the Church of England, shall to all intents and 
purposes be deemed and taken to be the vestries of the said new parishes 
respectively.'" 

The " utmost limits of Virginia," as expressed in this act for the western 
boundary of Augusta County, was the Mississippi river, beyond which 
were situated the French possessions known as Louisiana. This region 
was explored by the French in 151 2 and partly colonized by them in 1699. 
In the year 1717 it was granted by the Crown to the Mississippi Company, 
but three years later was resumed by the Crown, and in 1763 was ceded 
to Spain, but was recovered by Napoleon in 1800. New Orleans was the 
southern and St. Louis the northern capital of these vast territories. The 
French claimed that their possessions extended from the Gulf of Mexico 
to the St. Lawrence, a claim that ignored the rights of English colonists to 
any portion of the western territory, or country lying beyond the Ohio 
river. In support of their pretensions, the French erected forts and block- 
houses at intervals from the great Lakes through the western part of 
Pennsylvania to the Ohio, then along the banks of that stream to its junc- 
tion with the Mississippi, whence their chain of military posts followed the 
course of the latter river to its mouth. The English colonists, more par- 
ticularly the people of Augusta, found themselves by these proceedings of 
the French, hemmed in — prevented all expansion westward. A conflict, 
then, between the two rapes, the French and the English colonists of Au- 
gusta, Pennsylvania and New York, was, under th^se circumstances, soon- 
er or later, inevitable. A conflict in fact took i)lace as early as 1753, on 
the banks of the Ohio, between some English settlers and the garrison of 
one of the forts already referred to. Both parties hastened to lay the 
story of their injuries before their respective governments. The conse- 
quence was a long and sanguinary war between England and France, in 
which half of Europe became involved. 

In this war Braddock's defeat temporarily delayed, but could not avert, 
the final catastrophe. The superior numbers and indomitable resolution 
of the Anglo-Saxon in the end prevailed. Canada was conquered and 
the forts on the Ohio were necessarily abandoned. France, it is true, still 
retained Louisiana, which comprehended not simply the present area of 
that State, but, as we have said, a vast tract of territory extending from the 
Gulf to the 49° of north latitude, and from the Mississippi river on the 
east to the Mexican frontier on the west. The territory embraced within 
the French claim is now known as Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, 
Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. 
To the eastern limits of this vast region, the Mississippi river, the western 



4 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

boundary of Augusta county, extended under this act, and from its ancient 
territory were subsequently carved the present States of West Virginia, 
Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and part of Pennsylvania. 
It is not our purpose to write the history of this extensive region, now the 
seat of many great and prosperous Commonwealths. Its history, how- 
ever, cannot be altogether omitted in our work. It was part of Augusta 
county for over fifty years subsequent to 1738, was the native land of many 
of the savage tribes who harassed the border, the scene of the French and 
Indian war, and the wars of 1764, 1774, and of many civil and military 
expeditions, and, in fact, of continual Indian hostilities for forty years pre- 
vious to 1794, when the brilliant victory at the Rapids of the Maumee by 
Gen. Wayne brought permanent peace to the frontier. 

All the events occurring in this region from the first settlement of Au- 
gusta had more or less influence upon the fortunes of the people of the 
Valley, and the inhabitants ot Augusta and the Valley were so involved in 
them that they form in some measure a part of our history. 

ABORIGINAL POPULATION. 

At the period, 1716, of Col. Spotswood's discovery of the Valley, it was 
the camping, hunting-ground or residence of numerous tribes of Indians. 
These tribes, while wandering in pursuit of game from place to place dur- 
ing a considerable part of the year, possessed a few scattered villages, 
comprising a limited number of habitations, of the most imperfect con- 
struction, where they were in the habit of passing their winters and where 
they left their wives, children and old men during their absence. Round 
about these rude villages some feeble and ill-directed attenipts at agricul- 
tu/e announced the more frequented and permanent haunts of savage life. 

Many learned disquisitions exist as to the origin of these red men, and 
it cannot be denied that the origin, history, languages, and condition of 
the aborigines present ample materials for speculation. Among the Cen- 
tral and South American nations, notably in Mexico and Peru, many evi- 
dences exist oi' a regular, but limited civilization, but for the most part the 
tribes of both North and South America were, on the discovery of Colum- 
bus, composed of roving savages in a brutal state of abasement. Not- 
withstanding the greater progress among some of the aborigines, and 
certain physical differences, the Patagonians being generally over six feet 
high and the Esquimaux less than five feet, — a race of deformed and 
diminutive savages who tremble at the sound of arms, — the varieties of 
complexion, etc., those scholars whose opinions are entitled to most respect 
are agreed that there are sufficient points of general resemblance in all the 
nations of North and South America to justify the belief that they are 
sprung from one primitive pair. Religion, philosophy, geology, history 
and tradition combine to teach that man was created in Asia, and that his 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUMTY. O 

home after the flood continued in the high lands and lofty mountain regions 
of the Eastern continent. 

While much obscurity rests on the question of the origin of the Ameri- 
can tribes, it may be stated as the settled opinion that our continent was 
peopled from different quarters of the old world. Space will not permit 
us to enter into an examination of this subject, of the causes which drove 
the Asiatic tribes from their native seats, which impelled their march to- 
wards the northeastern portion of the Eastern continent, and finally brought 
them to the shores of the New World. In their route to America there 
was no particular obstacle. Behripg's Straits, the water they are believed 
to have crossed, is only 39 miles wide ; in it there are two islands, and in 
winter it is frozen over, so that quadrupeds as well as man can pass. And 
it has been well said that water is the highway of the savage, to whom, with- 
out an axe, the jungle is impervious. Even civilized man migrates by sea 
and rivers, and has ascended 2,000 miles above the mouth of the Missouri, 
while interior tracts in Virginia, New York and Ohio are still a wilderness. 
To the uncivilized man, no path is free but the sea, the lake and the river. 

On supposed analogies of customs and language, some have thought 
the aborigines of the Tennessee Valleys and the plains of the Cordilleras 
were the descendants of the lost tribes of Israel, "who took counsel to go 
forth into a further country, where never mankind dwelt." — [II Esd. c. 
xiii, V. 4045.] 

Dr. Lang suggests the possibility of an early communication between the 
Polynesian world and South America, and while it is possible that it may 
have taken place, the better opinion is, as mentioned, that it was by Behr- 
ing's Straits that America received her first inhabitants. 

The following is a list of the various tribes who resided in or resorted tO' 
the Valley of Virginia in 1716-32, and they all spoke the same language or 
a dialect of it. This was the mother tongue of the natives from North 
Carolina to Massachusetts. This mother tongue received from the French 
the name of Algonquin, and under it all the wild tribes of this region were 
grouped : 

I. The Shawanese, the most considerable of the Algonquin tribes, had 
their principal villages east of the Alleghanies, near the present town of 
Winchester, but their possessions extended west to the Mississippi river. 
Foote asserts (Second Series, p. 159) that the Shawanese owned the whole 
Valley of Virginia, but had abandoned it. He gives no authority for the 
statement, and we have found none in our researches. Of all the Indian 
tribes with whom our ancestors came in contact, the Shawanese were the 
most bloody and terrible, holding all other men, as well Indians as whites, 
in contempt as warriors in comparison with themselves. This estimate of 
themselves made them more restless and fierce than any other savages, 
and they boasted that they had killed ten times as many white people as 



6 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

any other Indians did. They were a well-formed, active and ing-enious 
people, capable of enduring great privations and hardships, were assuming 
and imperious in the presence of others not of iheir own nation, and some- 
times very cruel. 

II. The Tuscaroras, whose villages were near Martinsburg, in the pres- 
ent county of Berkeley. 

III. The Senedos, who occupied the north fork of the Shenandoah until 
1732, when it was exterminated by hostile natives from the South. 

IV. The Catawbas, whose headquarters were on the Catawba river in 
South Carolina. 

V. The Delawares, who frequented the Susquehanna river in Pennsyl- 
vania. 

VI. The Susquehanoughs, who originally occupied the headwaters of 
the Chesapeake bay, but were driven out by the Cinela tribe and took up 
their residence on the upper waters of the Potomac, supposed to be one of 
their favorite places of residence, as the remains of their villages are more 
numerous in this region than elsewhere in the Valley. 

VII. The Cinelas, on the Upper Potomac. 

VIII. The Pascataway tribe, on the headwaters of the Chesapeake. 

IX. The Cherokees, who occupied the Upper Valley of the Tennessee 
river and the high lands of Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. The Chero- 
kees were the tallest and most robust of the Southern tribes, their com- 
plexions brighter than usual with the red men, and some of their young 
women were nearly as fair and blooming as European women. They owed 
allegiance to the Muscogulges, who stood at the head of a confederacy 
composed ot Cherokees, Seminoles, Chickasaws, Choctaws and Creeks, 
and it is probable that bands from all of these tribes, or at least warriors, 
accompanied the Cherokees in their annual visits to the Valley. Without 
exception, these Southern Indians were proud, haughty and arrogant, 
brave and valiant in war, ambitious of conquest, restless and perpetually 
exercising their arms, yet magnanimous and merciful to a vanquished 
enemy when he submitted and sought their friendship and protection. 

These vagrant tribes camped or resided at great distances from each 
other, were widely dispersed over a vast country, and any connection be- 
tween them and particular localities was of so frail a texture that it was 
broken by the slightest accident. 

The different tribes or nations were small in number as compared with 
civilized societies in which industry, arts, agriculture and commerce have 
united a vast number of individuals whom a complicated luxury renders 
valuable to each other. 

No accurate information exists as to the numbers composing these tribes, 
but it is most probable they did not exceed a few hundred warriors each. 
At the landing of the Pilgrims in 1620, the number of Indians in New En- 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. i 

gland did not exceed 1 23,000, and a few years later the number was greatly 
reduced by a plague. It is probable that the Indian population of Vir- 
ginia was larger at this time, as the climate of our Valley and State is gen- 
erally better adapted to the wants of man than that of New England. 
Bincraft, hjvvsv^r, ventures the opinion that the whole Indian papulation 
east of the Mississippi and south of New England did not:, in 1620, exceed 
180,000. 

Detached parties of armed barbarians fro.n the Northern and Westera 
tribes oejasionally ca ne to the Valley, and the Massawomees penetrated 
to Eastern Virginia and were a terror to the low-land tribes Armed par- 
ties also visited the Valley from the five nations situated on the rivers and 
lakes of New York — the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas and 
Senecas. 

There was little difference in character and person between these wild 
men of whatever tribe, and the remark of Capt.Jno. Smith in his general 
history, Vol. i. p 120, that the Cinelas were of gigantic size, is now rejected 
as incredible — a statement as little to be believed as the fabulous origin 
assigned by the Goths to their enemies, the Huns, namely : that the witches 
c5 Scythia had copulated in the desert with infernal spirits, and that the 
Huns were the offspring of this execrable conjunction. 

We distrust whatever is marvelous, but it is proper to mention in this 
connection that the historian of the Valley gives an account, in his second 
chapter, of the discovery, in Hardy county, of the under jaw bone of a hu- 
man being of great size, with eight teeth in each side of enormous size, and 
the teeth standing in the jaw bone transversely ! What is repugnant to 
experie ice and co n non sense we discredit, and consequently have little 
faith in this story, thous^h given upon the authority of a gentleman who 
represented that he had himself seen the jaw bone. Within the present 
year mastodon bones have been excavated on the Kentucky Central rail-- 
road. The supposed human jaw bone found in Hardy, was doubdessthe: 
fossil remain of some extinct animal of the genus mammiferous. 

That portion of the Valley now embraced within the County of Augusta,, 
is not known to have been the home or fixed residence of any tribe of 
Indians at the period of its settlement, nor is it known that it was not the' 
home of some tribe or branch of a tribe. Such red men as Lewis met on 
entering Augusta, in 1732, were friendly, and so continued for over twenty 
years. 

That the country had been, previous to 1732, permanently occu- 
pied, is indicated by the remains of barrows, cairns and ramparts, com- 
posed of mingled earth and stones, found at different points in the county 
— notably near Waynesboro, on Lewis creek, a few miles below Staunton ; 
on Middle river near Dudley's mill, and at Jarman's Gap, north of Rock- 
fish. The cairn at Jarman's Gap is probably sepulchral, and may have 



8 HISTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

been intended and used as a place of worship. In the lower Shenandoah 
Valley and the country west of the Alleghanies — in fact over every part of 
North America, especially in the Mississippi Valley — there are remains of 
fortifications mounds and other monuments of a primitive race, bearing 
marks of great antiquity, which " whisper mysteriously of a shadowy 
race, populous, nomadic, not altogether uncivilized, idolatrous," worship- 
ping '' in high places." It does not come within the scope and design of 
this volume, however, to investigate the question whether they were the 
work of the progenitors of the Indians or of a race long since extinct. 
That and all similar matters must be left to those who have taste and lei- 
sure for such abstruse enquiries. We may remaik, however, that no 
remains exist in the Valley which indicate labor on a large scale or which 
were worthy, in Jefferson's opinion, to be styled Indian monuments. He 
would not dignify with that name their stone arrow-points, pipes, &.c. 

The Valley of Virginia was, in 1716, when visited by Spotswood, with- 
out extensive forests, but the margins of streams were fringed with trees ; 
there were pretty woodlands in the low grounds, and the mountain sides 
were densely covered with timber trees. The wood destroyed by Autum- 
nal fires was replaced by a luxuriant growth of blue grass, white clover and 
other natural grasses and herbage. The spontaneous productions of the 
earth were everywhere numerous and abundant, and there were many 
varieties of game and wild animals. The luxuriance of the vegetation 
evinced the fertility of a soil which required only the hand of art to ren- 
der it in the highest degree subservient to the wants of man. But the 
nomads of the Valley were averse to improvement ; their indolence re- 
fused to cultivate the earth, and their restless spirit disdained the confine- 
ment of sedentary life. To prevent the growth of timber and preserve 
the district as pasture, that it might support as much game as possible, and 
that the grass might come forward in the early Spring, the savages, before 
retiring into Winter quarters, set on fiie the dry grass and burnt over the 
country. The absence of trees in an extensive quarter of the county N. 
W. of Staunton led our ancestors to style it "The Barrens," a name that it 
still bears, though it is interspersed at this time by handsome woodlands, 
the growth of the last eighty years. 

As we shall speak in a subsequent page of the physical character and 
resources of the present county, nothing further need be novi^ said beyond 
this, that the climate of the region west of the mountains was found by the 
first settlers to be mild and agreeable, the winds light and bracing, the 
rain fall ample, storms and mists rare, the soil fertile, producing trees and 
grass, and the earth apparently rich in ores, as indicated by mineral 
springs. 

The two principal non-resident tribes who frequented this fine country 
ini 7 1 6- 1 745, were the Delawares from the North and theCatawbas from 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUN-Tr. 9 

the South. At the time Augusta was settled, 1732, a bloody war was 
progressino: between these tribes, and the Valley was the theatre of action. 
In this war other tribes now and again participated as the allies of one or 
the other party, and it was at a batde on the North fork of the Shenan- 
doah, in the county now bearing that name, that the Senedos tribe 
was exterminated. There is a burial place there eighteen to twenty 
feet high and sixty feet in circumference, filled with human bones, which 
testify to the truth of this tradition. 

Wars between the tribes who frequented the Valley were of constant 
occurrence, and much speculation has been indulged in as to'their origin 
— some inclining to the opinion that there is a natural state of hostility of 
man against man. It is more probable, that these wars resulted from the 
restless and turbulent nature of mankind, the ambition of leaders and dis- 
putes as to the hunting grounds. Such, indeed, was the red man's mar- 
tial and independent spirit, his love of arms, that he considered war and 
rapine as the pleasure and glory of mankind. It was the wars of the 
Iroquois and Massawomies, on the Ohio, which gave that beautiful stream 
its significant name of the " River of Blood." The war-paths conducting 
into the Valley were through Rockfish and Jarman's gaps, thence by the 
present site of Staunton and down the Valley, branching at different points. 
Armed parties during this period constantly passed and repassed the 
white settlements without disturbing them. Sometimes they spent the 
night near the whites, and, when in need, asked for food and other sup- 
plies, which were always given them. If in want of provisions, and no 
white was near to supply them, they would kill pigs or cattle running at 
large, which they considered lawful game. The setders were too few and 
too wise to resent these liberties, and continued on amicable terms 
with both Catawbas and Delawares when those tribes were, in 1732, and for 
many years subsequently, at war with each other. And it is worthy of 
remark that neither tribe sought to involve the colonists in their quarrels. 
When a single Indian, or a party of two or three, called at the hut of a 
white for victuals, rest or social conversation, he confidently approached 
the door and said, " I am come." Soon the whites set before them food 
and drink. After eating and drinking they lit their pipes, and while 
smoking conversed. This over, they arose and said, " I go," and off 
they walked, to stop without an introduction or invitation at the next 
habitation the appearance of which they liked. The sententious brevity 
with which they announced their arrival and departure may be ascribed 
to their limited English vocabulary rather than rudeness, though it must 
be allowed that the easy and graceful manners of a gentleman are not 
innate. The gradual process by which they are arrivedat are summarized 
in Pope's line: " He marries, bows at court and grows polite." 

The Indian villages in the Valley were principally on the upper waters 



10 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

of the Potomac, near the present towns of Martinsburg and Winchester, 
but at some period previous to the settlement of Augusta. villai:;es had 
existed at numerous points on the banks of the streams East and West of 
the inouniains. The spots can now be identified in Eastern Virginia by 
the deposits of oyster and muscle shells, these bivalves constituting a part 
of their food, and in the Valley by ashes, charred wood, arrow points, toma- 
hawks, pipes and otherremdins. Their huts or wigwams were built by uniting 
poles at the top and inserting them at regular distances in the ground. An 
aperture was left at the top for smoke, and the ribs or rafters were covered 
with bark, the skins of wild beasts or with the boughs of trees. A small 
opening was left on one side, and in front of this in warm weather their 
fires were lit. In Winter the fire was niade in the centre of the wigwam, 
and the savages ranged themselves round it on skins, mats and the leaves 
of trees. It was their custom, and a wise one it was, to sleep with their 
feet to the fire. Each family had its own hut, but occasionally they 
allowed others to enjoy its shelter. Their villages were always located 
near pure water, and if possible under the protection of a hill or forest. 
Their wigwams were unfurnished, except a covering of leaves and skms, 
for the dirt floors on which they slept. They ate without table, chairs, 
knives or forks. 

Their clothino: consisted of skins — their feet being encased in a kind of 
sandal made of deer skin or other soft leather, called moccasin. It was, 
unlike the sandal, with a soft sole, and was ornamented on the upper side. 
They took fish with hooks made of fish bones or the spear, or caught 
them in nets. For hunting and in war they used clubs, bows and arrows 
and tomahawks headed with stone. After the settlement of the whites 
the heads of tomahawks were made of metal for their use by the English, 
with the hammer-head hollowed out to suit the purpose of a smoking 
pipe, the mouth-piece being in the end of the shaft. The tomahawk 
was the Indian's most valuable weapon. He used it in time of peace for 
cutting his firewood, and in war wielded it with deadly effect. Their 
arrow-points and scalping-knives were made of flint stone, and many of 
these are constandy picked up near Staunton and in other parts of the: 

county. 

For passing streams the Indians used canoes, which were made of birch 
bark, sewed together with fibres, or roots. Their treatment of females 
was cruel and oppressive. They v;ere considered as slaves and treated as 
such. To the squaw was assigned the labors of the field and the ser- 
vices of domestic care. Chastity was not one of the virtues of the wo- 
men, but when married, they did not dispense their lavors without the 
consent of their husbands. We have no account of the marriage cere- 
mony, if such a ceremony existed among them, and imagine the associa- 
tion of the sexes was a voluntary union, which might be terminated at any 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 11 

time by consent of the parties. As, hovvev^er, in all ages and among all 
people, religion of some kind has prevailed, and a reverence and awe 
of a Divinity existed, and our red men p lid honor and homage to the 
Great Spirit, we do not feel at liberty to declare that such unions were 
altogether without religious character. We shall not dwell upon these 
matters of marital infidelities, as we are not called upon to represent hu- 
man nature in such colors and lineaments as dishonor her, and do not 
wish to familiarize the minds of our readers with vice. A slight allusion 
to tnem was important to historic truth, which renders it necessary to speak 
of the vices and failings as well as the virtues of a people. We shall be 
content with touching thus lightly upon them. The men, who were occu- 
pied procuring the means of a precarious subsistence, were not, as may be 
readily imagined, of a lively disposition. Indeed, much gaiety of temper 
or a high flow of spirits was altogether inconsistent with their surround- 
ings. These red men were, therefore, in general, grave even to sadness ; 
had nothing of that giddy vivacity peculiar to some nations of Europe, 
and they despised it. Though usually silent and gloomy, their aged 
chiefs and the squaws were, on occasion, fond of conversation, and amused 
the children with tales of war and hunting. There were professional 
story-tellers also among them, who imitated the actions of their heroes, 
and thus increased the interest of their narratives and excited the liveliest 
interest in their hearers. When tales of bloody fights, or the incidents of 
buffalo hunts were recounted, the narrators imitating the actors in the 
scenes, the audience listened with breathless attention. When they related 
amusing stories, acting out the parts, the groups would break into wild 
shouts of laughter and applause. 

The diseases of the Indians were not numerous ; their remedies few and 
simple, their physic consisting mainly of the bark and roots of trees. 

For music they used rude drums, rattles made of gourds, and a cane on 
which they piped. They were hospitable, and grateful for benefits ; brave, 
but wayward and inconstant. To sum up their character in a few words : 
They were distinguished in council for gravity and eloquence ; in war, for 
bravery and address. When provoked to anger they were sullen and 
retired, and when determined on revenge no danger would deter them : 
neither absence nor time could cool them. If captured by an enemy, they 
never asked life nor betrayed emotions of fear. 

For over a hundred years after the settlement at Jamestown the colonists 
from Virginia to Massachusetts were harassed by the Indians. The 
friendly relations, which existed for a short time after the landing of the 
English, soon changed, and the Indians became hostile and relendess in 
their enmity. During their wars with the whites they practiced every 
possible cruelty, burnt their houses, shot them down in their fields when 
at work, and now and again met them hand to hand in battle. They were 



12 HISTORY OP' AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

entirely unreliable, neither respecting in peace the faith of treaties nor in 
war the dictates of humanity. They tortured their prisoners to death, 
and some of the tribes notably, the Mianiis, ate the flesh of their cap- 
tives. 

War, if not brought on by an accidental rencontre, was preceded by a 
formal declaration of hostilities. This was made with great ceremony. The 
chief, having determined on fighting, sent wampum, or belts of beads, to 
his allies, inviting them to come and destroy their enemies, and to the 
enemy a belt painted red, or a bundle of bloody sticks, as a defiance. A 
great fire was then lit and the war dance took place. These ceremonies 
observed, the braves issued forth singing to the women a farewell hymn. 
If they surprised a village of their foes, while the flower of the nation was 
absent, they massacred the women, children and helpless old men, or 
made prisoners of such as had strength to be useful to them. Their pris- 
oners were treated with inconceivable barbarity, thus exhibiting to what an 
extremity men's passions lead them when unrestrained by reason and un- 
influenced by the dictates of Christianity. These savage acts make us 
more sensible, too, of the value of commerce, the arts of civilized life, and 
the lights of literature, which, if they abate the force of some of the natural 
virtues by the luxury which attends them, have taken out likewise the 
sting of our natural vices and softened the ferocity of the human race. 

The Indians were not without a certain species of government, which 
prevailed, with little variation, over the continent. Though free, they did 
not despise all sorts of authority. They were attentive to the voice of wis- 
dom, which experience had conferred on the aged, and they enlisted under 
the banners of their chiefs with child-like confidence — chiefs in whose valor 
and military address they had learned to repose their trust. His power, 
however, was rather persuasive than coercive ; he was reverenced as a 
father, rath r than feared as a monarch. He had no guards, no prisons, 
no officers of justice; but, relying upon the respect, confidence and esteem 
of his people, he lived unthreatened by Nihilist cabals and unterrified by 
dynamite and infernal machines. Few modern European rulers do this. 
The elders in every tribe constituted a kind of aristocracy, and were always 
consulted on grave occasions by the chief and people. They possessed 
no power except the influence they exerted by reason of their age and 
experience, and the further fact that they constituted a kind of hereditary 
nobility. Among the Indians age alone acquired respect, influence and 
authority, because age brings experience, and experience is the chief 
source of knowledge among a people without literature. 

Their religious belief consisted of traditions mingled with many super- 
stitions. They believed in two Gods, the one Good, who was the supe- 
rior, and whom they styled the Great Spirit ; the other Evil. They wor- 
shipped both, but principally the latter, the Good Spirit, in their opinion, 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 13 

i^.eeding no prayers to induce him to aid and protect his creatures. Be- 
sides these, they worshipped various other deities, such as fire, water,, 
thunder, — anything which they supposed to be superior to themselves and 
capable of doing them injury. They believed in a future state, in a tran- 
quil and happy existence with their ancestors and friends, spending their 
time in those exercises in which they delighted when on earth. 

From the picturesque situations of their villages, they are supposed to 
have admired the grand and beautiful in Nature. That they possessed to 
a considerable degree the poetic sentiment, is inferred from the names 
given to the rivers and mountains, their war songs, and the speeches of 
some of their chiefs. 

Such, in short, were the wild red men of the forest, on whose lands the 
early settlers pitched their tents. The barbarian heroes of our border 
wars have been depicted with so much fidelity and graphic power by one 
of our greatest writers, that in the defect of materials strictly historical, 
they may to a certain extent supply their place. Nowhere can the moody, 
taciturn and sententious red man be more delightfully studied than in the 
pages of Fenimore Cooper. These delineations of Cooper should not be 
rejected because given to the world in his fictitious writings. Historical 
facts are often rendered the more agreeable by being conveyed in a story 
of adventure designed for the entertainment of the reader. Novels fre- 
quently approach to the nature of history, and history often partakes of 
the character of romance. Histories, in general, are full of chimerical and 
extravagant details, especially as they ascend to periods of great antiquity 
and are connected with the origin of nations, and it has been oftener than 
once said that even Livy is but a romance. Yet who would give up such> 
histories ? We read ihem with deep interest, though we feel that they are 
but a compound of truth and fiction. We linger over the harangues which. 
the characters in history never made, and delight in the eloquence of Lo- 
gan, though persuaded that the author of his eloquence was an educated 
white man. 

A succinct r&ume of Virginia's colonial history, from the landing at 
Jamestown to the year 1750, will be given in the next succeeding chapter^ 
as an interesting, if not necessary preliminary to the history of Augusta. 



14: HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY, 



CHAPTER II. 



The following outline of colonial history, from the first landing at James- 
town to the year 1750, and slight reference to French explorations and set- 
tlements in the West, will enable the reader to understand the condition oi' 
affairs in the colony and western country generally at the period Lewis 
entered, took possession of, and settled Augusta. It exhibits also the 
position of Virginia in her connection with the various colonies which after- 
wards united together to resist the tyranny of Great Britain and found the 
United States, and will enable the reader to understand any points of gen- 
eral history which may be touched upon in the progress of this work. 

The closing years of the fifteenth century saw the theatre of history sud- 
denly enlarged. The history of the world, as embracing all parts of the 
globe, commenced with the discoveries of Columbus and Vasco da Gama. 
To within a century of the end of the Moorish kingdom in Spain, and of 
that ten centuries of medieeval times, the first six of which are known as 
the "dark ages," the settlement of Virginia carries us back. The earliest 
incidents in her career belong to that European era which witnessed the 
massacre of St. Bartholomew, the independence of the United Provinces 
under William of Orange, the destruction of the Spanish Armada, and the 
persecution of the Puritans in England. They belong also to that Eliza- 
bethan era of English history so remarkable for literary taste and for the 
spirit of commercial adventure which pervaded all classes. It was from 
the England of Raleigh, Gilbert, Marlowe, Shrnkespeare, Burleigh, Wal- 
singham, Essex, Leicester, Sidney and Francis Bacon that came the men 
who undertook to found colonies on our shores and to build up politi- 
cal communities in the New World. The most remarkable of these men 
was the "learned and valiant" Sir Walter Raleigh, whose name is indis- 
solubly associated with the first efforts at English colonization in America. 

Upon the unsuccessful efforts of Raleigh to make a settlement on Roa- 
noke Island, we cannot dwell. He had undertaken a task beyond the 
strength of a single individual, and met the common lot of enthusiasts. 
His failures did not deter others, and a few years later James I granted 
charters to the London and Plymouth companies for " deducing colonies 
and making habitation and plantation in that part of America commonly 
called Virginia." Under these charters all the coast was embraced Iving 
between Florida and Nova Scotia. 

These charters are long and tedious documents, which possess no intrin- 
sic merit — are just such stupid papers as one might expect from the narrow 



mSTORT OF AUGUSTA COUNT i'. 15 

mind of James. By virtue of them a complicated form of goveniment was 
framed. For each colony separate councils, appointed by the King, were 
mstituted in England, and these councils were in turn to name resident 
councillors for the colonies. Thirteen members constituted the resident 
council. They had power to choose their own president, to fill vacancies 
in their numbers, and, a jury being required only in capital cases, to act as 
a court of last resort in all other causes. Religion was established in 
accordance with the forms and doctrines of the Church of England. The 
adventurers, as the company were called, had power to coin money and 
collect a revenue for twenty-one years from all vessels trading to their 
ports, and they were also freed from taxation for a term of years. One 
article, and only one, in the most general terms, provided for the liberty of 
the subject. Another clause provided for community of goods. 

A worse system of government could not have been devised. Two 
arbitrary and irresponsible councils — one in England and the other in 
America — the legislative powder reserved to the King — the governing body 
commercial monopoly, and the chief principle of societ)^' a community of 
property. Such was the government elaborated in the charter. With 
such a frame of government the first colonists, composed of men who 
cared little for forms of government, set forth for Virginia. 

The colony consisted of 105 persons, who sailed from the Downs, Jan, 
if I, 1507, for Virginia under command of Capt. Newport, who landed them 
^ at Jamestown on the 13th May, 1607. The men composing the expedition 

were wretched material for founding a State. There were seventy men in 
the party, of whom fifty-four were gentlemen, four carpenters and twelve 
laborers — or, as Capt. Smith describes them, '" poor gentlemen, trades- 
men., serving men and libertines." The first President <>( the Colony, 
appointed in London, was VVingfield, a man of wealth and social position, 
but incapable and unfit for governing. He was soon superceded by the 
strongest man among the colonists — a. man to whose name a romantic 
interest attaches — the celebrated Capt. John Smith. Smith has been 
described as an adventurer of a high order in an age of adventurers. He 
had all the faults of his time and class in full measures,^ but he had also 
their \'irtues, and it was here that he surpassed his companions. He was 
arbitrary, jealous of power, quarrelsome and despotic, ready to lie auda- 
ciously to serve his own ends, and rashly overconfident. But he was also 
brave, energetic, quick-witted, and full oi resource. By his energy and 
wisdom he preserved the colony from impending ruin and improved its 
condition. What we would call now-a-days a many-sided man, he made 
himself familiar, by repeated explorations, with the country and its pro- 
ducts, became well acquainted with the aborigines, with whom he opened 
a trade, and in various ways displayed his superior qualities, and an earn- 
est desire to promote the interest of the colony. 



16 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

A small fort was erected, and a few log huts, and in these the colonists 
were kept together by Smith for two years, in the presence of a subtle and 
ferocious enemy, who, within a fortnight of the first landing, made an 
attack upon them, evidently with a view to their extermination. This 
attack of the Indians was repelled by the colonists under Wingfield, who 
was an old soldier, having served many years in the European wars. 
Notwithstanding Smith's etforts, the colony languished, and matters grew 
so much worse that the settlement was abandoned, and the colony would 
have been broken up but for the arrival of Lord Delaware, as Governor, 
with five hundred fresh men and supplies, in 1609 — 1610. 

Lord Delaware, who received the appointment of Governor for life, 
surrounded himself with stately officers and liveried servants, and as- 
sumed the demeanor of the ruler of an opulent empire. He was an able 
man, and might have rendered valuable service, but unfortunately was 
forced, by disease brought on by the climate, to return to England. He 
committed the gov^ernment to Mr. Percy, who was supplanted by Sir 
Thomas Dale in 161 1, to whom the government granted authority to rule 
by martial law. Dale exercised his arbitrary powers with prudence and 
moderation, and to him Virginia is more indebted than to any of her early 
Governors. He established and maintained order, and extended the settle- 
ments into the interior, forming a colony of 350 men at a point up the 
James river, called Henrico. But the chief good of his administration 
consisted in breaking up the system of community of property and intro- 
ducing individual proprietorship. On his departure, in 1616, he left the 
colony firmly established and under the protection of Sir Thos. Yeardley, 
whose administration was not unlike that oJ his predecessors, but he was 
soon superceded by Cnpt. Samuel Argall, a rough sea captain, accustomed 
to command respect, of a cruel, covetous and tyrannical disposition, with 
a decided taste for piracy. He made an energetic and active Governor, 
carrying out the military code in the spirit of a buccaneer. He oppressed 
and robbed the colonists, his greed lighting especially on the friends of 
Lord Delaware. Complaints went to England, and the Virginians awak- 
ened to the fact that they were shockingly misgoverned ; that they were 
left at the mercy of one man's rule, and that man a tyrant ; that their 
rights were unknown. The period of political development had, however, 
now began. 

The indignation in London at Argall's misconduct led to a new and 
representative government in Virginia, granted under the influence of the 
Earl of Southampton, Sandys, Digges, Selden and others. Argall was 
recalled, and a new form of political organization was granted to the 
colonists. The Governor's power was in future to be limited by a council, 
and the assemblage of a representative body was authorized. Under this 
new order of things the first General Assembly was held at James City in 



IirSP'diV '.)? AUftUSTA OXTtSTTy. 17 

June. i6ig, and in May, 1620, a second Assembly convened. In order to 
give the reader, better than an elaborate disquisition would do, an idea oi 
the spirit and character of the early setd<'rs and of their sufferings and 
difficulties, more particularly with the Indians, we append the commission 
to Sir Francis Wyait, Governor; and the Council, of date July 24, 1621. 
The object of the assembly was '' to assist the Governor in the administra- 
tion of justice, to advance Christianity among the Indians, to erect the 
colony in obedience to his Majesty, and in maintaining the people in justice 
and christian conversation, and streno^thenintj them ao-ainst enemies. The 
said Governor, Council, and two burgesses out of every town, hundred or 
plantation, to be chosen by the inhabitants to make up a General Assem- 
bly, who are to decide all matters by the greatest number of voices ; but 
the Governor is to have a negative voice, to have power to make orders 
and acts necessary, wherein they are to imitate the policy of the form of 
government, laws, customs, manner of trial, and other administration of 
justice used in England, as the company are required by their letters pa- 
tent. No law to continue or be of force until ratified by a quarter court to 
be held in England, and returned under seal. After the colony is well 
framed and settled, no order of quarter court in England shall bind till 
ratified by the General Assembly." 

From the first, the Burgesses sought to obtain equal rights for all men 
before the law, by praying the company not to violate that clause in the 
charter by which they were guaranteed. After passing various sumptuary 
and police laws, laws for the government of ministers and raising taxes on 
tobacco, &c., they adjourned. But this year marks an era in Virginian 
annals — the dawn of representative government and constitutional free- 
don:!. It is memorable also lor the introduction of the first slaves in Auier- 
ica, and of a forced class of immigrants — boys and girls seized by the 
press gang in the streets of London, and shipped, as if they were felons, 
to Virginia. 

At this Assembly eleven boroughs were r-presented by twenty-two Bur- 
gesses, and this constituted the great State of Virginia in 1619. But the 
prospects of the future were bright. Immigration increased, and was now 
composed, not of adventurers, but of "prudent men v/ith families,' and in 
1623, under the governorship of Sir Francis Wyatt, the population con- 
sisted of 4,000 persons, and the massacre of 350 by the Indians did not 
destroy the colony. Under the system which prevailed in Virginia, free- 
dom of debate and love of independence were fostered. 

To the form of government established by the colony July, 1621, was 
added the proviso, as mentioned above, that no order of the Council in En- 
gland should bind the colony, unless ratified by the General Assembly of 
Virginia. Thus early in our country's history was introduced those prin- 



18 !irSTi)KY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

c'ple.s of republicanism which eventually seaired to us our present gov- 
ernment. 

lames became jealous at what he considered an invasion of prerogative, 
and denounced the Company which gave a democratic constitution to Vir- 
ginia " as a seminary for a seditious Parliament," and also said he would 
rather they "chose the devil as treasurer than Sir Edwyn Sandys." The 
Company was firm, and refused his claim to nominate their officers, and 
from the struggle and the feelings it excited, the colony derived solid ad- 
vantages. 

But the Company was doomed. James pursued them unrelentingly. 
A royal commission was sent to Virginia to gather material for its destruc- 
tion. The commissioners, reaching Virginia, demanded the records of the 
Assembly, which were refused. The clerk was bril^ed to give them up by 
the commissioners. The Assembly stood their clerk in the pillor}' and cut 
off his ears. The patriotic resistance of the colonists was fruitless. A ^uo 
warranto was tried in the King's Bench, and the charter was annulled. 
The dissolution of the London Company was a distinct benefit to the colo- 
nists, by relieving the settlers from the cumbrous, complicated and uncer- 
tain government of a mercantile corporation, and placing them in the same 
rt-lation to the King as his other subjects. 

The five years which now followed of Sir Francis Wyatt's continuance 
in oflice were characterized for their legislative activity, for the formation 
of political habits, and for the first opposition to the home government, 
which strengthened and confirmed the independent spirit of the colonists. 
During the session of 1623-24, Royal Commissioners came to Virginia to 
assist in ruining the Co.;;pany. This peiiod is marked in the statute book 
by the definition and declaration of certain guiding political principles 
which were never afterwards shaken. The Governor's power was limited. 
He was not " to lay any taxes or impositions upon the colony, their lands, 
or other way than by the authority of the General Assembly, to be levied 
and employed as the said Assembly shall appoint." The Goven^or was 
not to withdraw the inhabitants from their labors for his own service, and 
the Burgesses attending the Assembly were to be it ee from arrest. These 
were the great and fundamental principles for which patriotic men were 
then contending in England. Jan:es I died March 25, 1625, and Charles 
I succeeded him and took the government in his own hands. He granted 
large plantations in Virginia to his favorites, Lords Baltimore and Fairfax. 
Shortly afterwards Wyatt departed, and Georj^e Yeardley was appointe-d 
his successor. He lived but a short time, when the Council chose Francis 
West as Governor. Subsequently, John Pott was appointed, who was 
soon superceded by Sir John Harvey. The latter quarreled with the colo- 
nists, was thrust out of the government, was reinstated by the King, and 
in 1639 the King reappointed Sir Francis Wyatt. 



HISTOPa" OF AUGUSTA OOUXTV. V) 

Two important events occurred durin;^- Harvey's administration — the 
settlement of Maryland by Lord Baltimore, an 1 the rise of the Puritan 
party in Virginia. The Virginia colonists considered Maryland as a part 
of Virginia, and resented the course of Lord Baltimore. Quarrels about 
jurisdiction soon broke out, and all parties suffered. Attached to the 
Church of England, Virginia was not a promising field for Puritans, but a 
community of them had settled in Virginia years before. 

Wyatt was replaced in 1642 by Sir William Berkeley, who governed 
well at first, but his accession brought no increase of political freedom to 
Virginia. The first step toward federation was taken ab(^ut this time, in 
the passage of an act ratifying and regulating commerce with Maryland. 
The prosperity of the colony increased rapidly, interrupted only by a sec- 
ond outbreak of Indians, which was quickly quelled. 

The execution of Charles I, 1649, filled Virginians with horror and in- 
dignation, and the well-known sympathy of Virginia with the unhappy 
King drew many exiled cavaliers to America. The Governor invited 
Charles II to come to and be King of Virginia, but on the eve of his em- 
barking from Holland for Virginia, in 1660, he was recalled to the throne 
of England. After he ascended the throne, Charles II, desirous ol giving 
a substantial proof of the profound respect he entertained for the loyalty of 
Virginia, caused her arms to be quartered with those of England, Ireland, 
and Scotland, as an independent member of the Empire. This fact, and 
because Virginia was the first of the English settlements in the limits of 
the British colonies, led to her being styled " The Old Dominion." 

During the administration of Cromwell, Virginia enjoyed a free and in- 
dependent government under three Governors — Bennet, Digges, and 
Mathews — all Puritans, who were chosen by the Assembly. An old histo- 
rian tells us that Mathews was " a most deserving Commonwealth's man, 
who kept a good horse, lived bravely, and was a true lover of Virginia." 
Under these three men the political rights of the people were firmly estab- 
lished and their commercial interests protected and extended by the com- 
mencement of treaties with New England, New York, and the cultivation 
of closer relations with Maryland. General prosperity consequently pre 
vailed. 

After the Restoration, the Virginia Assembly elected Berkeley Gov- 
ernor, an address was voted to the King, and Berkeley was sent to En- 
gland to protest against the enforcement of the Navigation Act ; the 
Church of England was re-established, and severe laws passed against Dis- 
senters.* The Navigation Act was enforced ; tobacco fell in price, and im- 



*As the word Dissenter occurs frequently in these pages, we may as well state at this point that it is a 
vague word, which, in its full latitude, is applied to all who differ from the Church of England, which was 
the Established Church of Virginia down to 1776. Originally it meant in England only the Presbyterians, 
who rather differed from the discipline and polity, than the opinions of the Episcopal Church. 



20 HTSTOEY OF AUGUsTA COUNTY. 

ports rose. The return of the Royahst party to power soon led to trouble, 
and as early as 1663 an outbreak, led by some of Cromwell's soldiers, oc- 
curred, which, however, miserably failed, and four of the conspirators were 
executed. 

Under the profligate government of Charles II, the trade of Virginia was 
almost extinguished ; the titles of the colonists were endangered, if not de- 
stroyed by royal grants to Lords Arlington and Culpepper; the justices 
levied taxes for their own emolument ; the Indians were treated with 
Sfverity ; the Church fell into contempt . the rectors and curates were licen- 
tious and incompetent ; and corruption and extortion prevailed. 

A second outbreak threatened in 1674, but partial reforms and the want 
of a leader quieted the people, though everything was in a combustible 
condition. 

The unwise policy of severity towards the Indians led to a war, and 
Berkeley, for some unknown reason, disbanded the force which ought to 
have been used to repel the enemy. 

At this moment, the leader, whom the people had before wanted, ap- 
peared in Nathaniel Bacon, a voung, popular, wealthy, brave and patriotic 
man. Bacon was aided, if not instigated, by two planters, Drummond and 
Lawrence, who evidently wished to effect a general reform of all abuses, 
as well as put down the Indians. Bacon, having vainly sought a commis- 
sion, marched against the Indians at the head of a few brave volunteers, 
which gave Berkeley die opportunity to proclaim them rebels. The Gov- 
ernor started in pursuit of Bacon — not the Indians — with troops, but the 
revolt becoming general in his rear, he retre.ited. Aware now of the rising 
storai, the Governor issued writs for a new Assembly, to which Bacon was 
elected. On his way to James City, Berkeley caused his arrest, but re- 
leased him on parole, and Bacon read at the bar of the house a written 
confession and apology, and was thereupon p.irdoned and readmitted to 
the Council, of which he had previously been a membv-r. Shortly after. 
Bacon fled on a suspicion that his :ife wa.-. threatened, and ret rned to 
Jamestown with a large force. lie appealed to the Assembly, who made 
him their General, vindicated his course, and sent a letter to England ap- 
pro\'ing him. While the Assembly was engaged in the correction ot 
abuses, Berkeley dissolved them. Bacon, now too strong to be resisted, 
extorted the necessary commission- from the Governor, and again marched 
agiiinst the Indians. Availing himself of his absence, Berkeley pro- 
claimed him a rebel. On hearing this news, Bacon retraced his steps, 
when Berkeley fled to Accomac, thus leaving Bacon supreme. Bacon 
immediately summoned a convention of all the principal men to replace 
the House of Burgesses, pledged them to his support, and even to resist- 
ance to England, if their wrongs were not redressed. Bacon now again 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 



21 



moved against the Indians, but in his absence, the fleet, which he had sent 
to capture BerkeIe\^ was betrayed, and the Governor returned to James- 
town at the head of his would-be captors. Bacon's friends in JamestovvT. 
made terms with the Governor, and Bacon returned a second time. Berke- 
ley fled again to Accomac, and Bacon captured and burnt Jamestown. 
About this time he became ill of fever, and died shortly afterwards ni 
Gloucester county. The hero dead, his followers scattered. The leaders 
were caught in detail and executed. Thus ended the so-called Rebellion. 

Nothing was gained by Bacon's course, and for a hundred years the 
people sunk into apathy. Berkeley was recalled, and died soon after h:s 
return to England. He was a covetous, dishtniest, bloodthirsty, cov,-- 
ardly impotent, whose life was stained with crime. He was succeeded by 
Col. Herbert Jeffreys who died a year later, in 1677, and was followed by 
Sir Henry Chicheley, and he by Lord Culpepper, upon whom the Gover- 
norship was conferred for life in 1675. Culpepper arrived in Virginia in 
1680. His administration was, on the whole, one of simple greed and 
violent exactions. He came to Virginia to make his fortune, and stopped at 
no act to accomplish his purpose. He was one of the most cunning and 
covetous men in England, He was succeeded by Lord Howard, of Ef- 
fingham. He also came to make his fortune, and as he became richer, 
Virginia became poorer. During his time immigration almost ceased. 
Howard returned to England to find James driven from the throne, which 
ended the Stuart domination. The reign of Charles was contemptible for 
its meanness and corruption, and that of James the basest and most barren 
in English history. Charles debauched and debased England, and Cul- 
pepper and Eflingham degraded their governments and almost ruined 
Virginia. 

riie oaly political events of these times of any significance were the 
sending of delegates, in 1684, from Virginia to Albany to meet the Gov- 
ernor of New York and certain agents sent from Massachusetts to discuss- 
Indian affairs. This was a move in the direction of confederation. 

Virginia derived little benefit from the revolution of 1689, which placed 
William and Mary upon the throne, and shortly after that event, a war 
breaking out between the allied powers and Louis XIV of France, the 
colony was ordered to place itself in the best posture for defence. 

The continued complaints of the Virginia Legislature led to the recall 
of Howard, and Sir Francis Nicholson succeeded him. Nicholson was an 
arbitrary man. and practiced the arts of a demagogue, but was not a cor- 
rupt man. His administration is marked for the establishment of William 
and Mary College, under Dr. James Blair, an active and energetic Scotch- 
man, who became one of the most serviceable men in Virginia. 

Sir Edward Andros came after Nicholson, and was actuated in his gov- 
ernment by a sound judgment and a liberal policy. In 1698, Andros re- 



22 HISTOUY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

tired and Nicholson was reappointed and served seven years without ac- 
comphshing any good except what grew out of his own neghgence. From 
his indifference, the Burgesses made the treasurer of the colony an officer 
of their own, and thus obtiined control of the public purse. 

In 1704, Edward Nott beca ne deputy governor under the Earl of Ork- 
ney, but the history of Virginia, more particularly Eastern Virginia, from 
this time, is httle more than a list of Governors. 

The period from 1704 to 1776, barren as it is in political events, was 
socially a period of great importance. The social ele nents, which h id 
gathered in Virginia from its foundation, crystalized, and the fabric of 
society, as seen in 1776, was built up. 

In 1 7 10, Alexander Spotswood became Governor. He was an accom- 
plished and enterprising man, — the best of the eighteenth century Gov- 
ernors. He thus describes in his day the state of affairs in Virginia : " This 
government is," says he, " in perfect peace and tranquility, under a due 
obedience to the Royal authority, and a gentlemanly conformity to the 
Church of England." 

The Virginians at this day were living in the forests, but were men who 
had inherited the culture and intelligence of the seventeenth century. 
They cherished personal freedom, secure possession, and legislative power. 
They soon manifested at the polls some uneasiness at royalist principles 
and the prospects of an aristocracy. " The inclinations of the country," 
says Governor Spotswood, " are rendered mysterious by a new and unac- 
countable humor, which hath obtained in several counties, of excluding 
gentlemen from being Burgesses, and choosing only persons of mean figure 
and character." From ^th^'s it appears that in 1710-23, no less than in 
1882, the post of honor was the private station ; that instead of political 
positions being conferred upon the good and wise, they were, in Spots- 
wood's day, as now, more frequently the rewards of greed and incom- 
petency. 

Many reforms were introduced by Spotswood, and among his benevo^ 
lent schemes was one for civilizing and christianizing the Indians. With 
this view he undertook his expedition to the interior in 17 16, of which we 
shall anon speak more freely. 

In 1723, Spotswood was succeeded by Sir Hugh Drysdale, and he, in 
1727, by William Gooch, who, during his term, commanded the expedi- 
tion against Carthagena. This expedition was the most important event of 
Gooch's administration, as, taken in connection with the other colonies, it 
was another step in the development of union. 

Gooch was a man of firmness and moderation, and ruled Virginia for 
twenty-two years much to the satisfaction of the people. During his time, 
wealth and population increased, printing was introduced, education be- 



TIISTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 23^ 

came diffused, and its improving effects were felt in all, particularly the 
upper classes. But the loose and licentious character of the clergy made 
the Established Church but a feeble bulwark against the tide of religious 
e.illiusiasni which swept in with Whitfield, and the old cry was raised 
against Dissenters by those who conformed from habit or worldly interest 
to the Established Church. Gooch attempted to suppress heterodox opin- 
ions by all the powers of the State, and there was nmch petty persecution, 
which left the Church weaker and more unpopular even than before. In 
April, 1745, in his charge to the Grand Jury of the General Court, he said 
of the Presbyterians and other religious sects, " that false teachers had 
lately crept into this government, who, without order or license, or pro- 
ducing any testimonial of their education or sect, professing themselves 
ministers under the pretended influence of new light, extraordinary im- 
pulse, and such like satirical and enthusiastic knowledge, lead the inno- 
cent and ignorant people into all kind of delusion." And he called upon 
the jury to present and indict the offenders. 

While England was colonizing in Virginia, New England, and at other 
points on the Atlantic coast, and sending into the interior hardy pioneers, 
the descendants of her two earliest colonies, the French were making ex- 
plorations along the coast and into the backwoods. As far back as 1534, 
Jacques Cartier, at the head of a French expedition, entered the St. Law- 
rence and claimed the territory on both sides for France. In 1608, Quebec 
was founded by the French, and French immigrants arrived in succeeding 
years, until the dominion claimed by the French extended, as previously 
mentioned, from the St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico. In 1673, the 
Upper Mississippi was discovered by Father Marquette, a monk of the 
reformed order of Franciscans, called Recollects. In 1679, the French 
sent a second expedition to the West under La Salle. It reached through 
the lakes the Chicago river, passed down the Illinois to where Peoria now 
stands, and there La Salle erected a fort called Creve Coeur, or broken 
heart, on account of the hopeless difficulties he encountered. In 1682, 
La Salle sailed down the Mississippi to the Gulf, and called the country 
Louisiana, in honor of Louis XIV. 

In 1700, the population of Virginia was 22,000, and in 17 16 did not ex- 
ceed 30,000. It was principally seated on the rivers and streams of East- 
ern Virginia and the Atlantic coast. No county had been organized west 
of the 78° of longitude, nor were there any white settlements further west. 
The exploring party which discovered the Valley made its way from Ger- 
manna over a hundred miles through a trackless forest. 

The progress of the population in the colony is indicated by the figures 
below: Ini6o7itwas 105; in 1609 itwas490 ; in 1617 itwas 400; in 1622 
it was 3,Soo;in 1628 itwas 3,000; in 1632 itwas 2,000; in 1644 itwas 



24 KISTOKY ()F AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

4,812; in 1645 it was 5,000; in 1652 it was 7,000; in 1700 it w.is 22,OD3 : 

in 1748 it was 82,000. 

From these matters of colonial history, so briefly recapitulated, the 
reader will understand the causes of the subsequent coniiiclii between 
the French and En.^lish colonists, the pro.s^ress of the c3lo:i7 cf Virginia, 
and its actual condition in 17 16, when the Valley war, discovered, and be- 
came a few years later the seat of an English settle nevit. 



CHAPTER III. 



The first passage of the Blue Ridge, or discovery of the Valley, was 
effected by Spotswood at the head of a troop of horse in August, 1716. 
The party consisted of about fifty persons, who had a large number of 
riding and pack-horses, an abundant supply of provisions, and an extraor- 
dinary variety of liquors. The expedition proceeded from Williamsburg 
by Chelsea, King William county, to Beverly's in the county of Middlesex, 
where the Governor left h's chaise and continued on horseback to Germanna. 
There, on the 26th of August, he was joined by the rest of the party, 
among whom were four Meherrin Indians and two sr.ali companies of 
rangers. The party marched thence to Todd's, on Mountain Run, then 
to the Rappahannock, w'hich they crossed at Somerville's ford, thence by 
the left bank to near Peyton's ford, on the Rapidan. Here they turned 
south, recrossed the river and proceeded to where Stanardsville now 
stands ; thence through Swift Run gap to the Valley, crossing the Shenan- 
doah river at a point about ten miles north of the present town of Port 
Republic. The popular belief, down to Bishop Meade's time, that the 
party had reached the Valley by Rockfish gap is thus shown to have been 
a popular error. 

In commemoration of this event Spotswood is said to have been 
knighted, and to have presented each of the party with a golden horse- 
shoe, on which was inscribed : " Sic jurat transcendere montes." (Thus 
he swears to cross the mountains.) 

The glowing accounts given by Spotswood's party — or, as they were 
afterwards styled, the " Knights of the Golden Horseshoe " — of the fertile 
and beautiful valley beyond the mountains, excited the spirit of enterprise 
and adventure in the people of Eastern Virginia and Pennsylvania. Though 



H13T0KY OF AUttUSTA COUXTY. 25 

the approach to the upper country was difficult either from the North or 
East, from the want of roads and bridg^es, and the hills were infested with 
rovinof tribes of savacres, each tribe assertin'j certain ri^fhts in and to the 
country, many plans were now considered by families and little commu- 
nities for changing their residence to these favored regions. The Knights 
of the Golden Horseshoe, who encountered no Indians on their entry into 
the Valley, spread abroad reports that the mountains east and west, which 
enclosed this lovely and fruitful Valley, presented an almost insurmount- 
able obstacle to the entrance of savages, and that defenceless families 
might there live in security and plenty, enjoying not only the necessaries 
but the luxuries of life without labor and without price. They repre- 
sented the verdant plains as sparkling with streams filled with fish, and 
covered with herds browsing in quiet joy. The trees which fringed the 
banks were festooned with vines, and both vines and trees were bending 
under their weight of luscious fruit. It is not surprising that an adventu- 
rous population, many of whom had already given evidence of their spirit 
by severing the ties binding them to friends and native land, should be 
seized with a desire to occupy such a country. Accordingly, in 1732, six- 
teen families from Pennsylvania crossed the Potomac and settled near the 
present town of Winchester. 

Among those whose attention was now directed to our Valley was John 
Lewis, who had been for some time in Pennsylvania, quietly awaiting the 
arrival from Europe of his wife and children. This remarkable man was 
born in the north of Ireland, descended from a French- Protestant family, 
and was educated in Scotland. In Ulster, where he resided until fifty 
years of age, he commanded the confidence, respect and esteem of the 
people, and occupied that position of influence, and took that leading part 
in society and county affairs, which had been traditionally the role of the 
O'Donnells, Chichesters and O'Doghertys. In youth he was of impetu- 
ous temper, but the varied experience of an active life had taught him to 
control his spirit. He was endowed with a high order of intellect, a 
valorous soul, and soon became noted for his virtuous principles. A deplo- 
rable affair, but one alike honorable to his spirit and manhood, terminated 
his career in Ireland. He had been sometime in America, when, in 1732, 
Joist Hite and a party of pioneers set out to settle upon a grant of forty 
thousand acres of land in the Valley, which had been obtained, in 1730, by 
Isaac Vanmeter and his brother, by warrant from the Governor of Vir- 
ginia. Lewis joined this party, came to the Valley, and was the first white 
settler of Augusta. 

The circumstances which led to the emigration of Lewis and his settle- 
ment of Augusta are detailed in the Virginia Historical R^egister for 1851, 
and in Howe's History. The accounts differ sufficiendy to make both 
agreeable reading. The Register narrative, published some years after 



26 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

his death, was written by Hon. Jno. H, Peyton from information derived 
orally from Wm. I. Lewis, of Campbell, M. C. for that district from 1817 
to 18 19, and is as follows : 

"Col. Lewis stated that the account given by the ' Son of Cornstalk,' 
in his essays, of the native country and the causes of the removal of his 
family to the Colony of Virginia, was incorrect. That the true history of 
the matter, as he had obtained it from his father, the late Col. William 
Lewis, of the Sweet Springs, who died in the year_i8i2, at the age of 85 
years, and long after Col. Wm. L Lewis had arrived at manhood, was 
this : John Lewis, his grandfather, was a native of Ireland, and was 
descended of French- Protestants, who emigrated from France to Ireland 
in 1685, at the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, to avoid the persecutions 
to which the Protestants, to which sect of religion they belonged, were 
subjected during the reign of Louis XIV. John Lewis intermarried with 
Margaret Lynn, also a native of Ireland, but descended of Scottish ances- 
tors — the Lynns of Loch Lynn, so famous in Scottish clan legends. John 
Lewis, in Ireland, occupied a respectable position in what is there c ailed 
the middle class of society. He was the holder of a free-hold lease for 
three lives upon a valuable farm in the County of Donegal and Province 
of Ulster, obtained upon equal terms and fair equivalents from one of the 
Irish nobility, who was an upright and honorable man, and the owner of 
the reversion. This lease-hold estate, with his wife's marriage portion, 
enabled the young couple to commence life with flattering- prospects. 
They were both remarkable for their industry, piety and stern integrity.. 
They prospered and were happy. Before the catastrophe occurred which 
completely destroyed the hopes of this once happy family in Ireland, and 
made them exiles from their native land, their affection was cemented by 
the birth of four sons, Samuel, Thomas, Andrew and William. About the 
period of the birth of their third son, the Lord from whom he had obtained 
his lease — a landlord beloved by his tenants and neighbors — suddenly 
died, and his estates descended to his eldest son, a youth whose principles 
were direcdy the reverse of his father's. He was proud, profligate and 
extravagant. Anticipating his income, he was always in debt, and to meet 
his numerous engagements he devised a variety of schemes, and among 
them one was to claim of his tenants a forfeiture of their leases upon some 
one of the numerous covenants inserted in instruments of the kind at that 
day. If they agreed to increase their rents, the alleged forfeiture was 
waived ; if they refused, they were threatened with a long, tedious and 
expensive law suit. Many of his tenants submitted to this njustice, and 
raised their rents rather than be involved, even with justice on their side,, 
in a legal controversy with a rich and powerful adversary, who could, in 
this country, under these circumstances, devise ways and means to har- 
rass, persecute and impoverish one in moderate circumstances. Lewis, 
however, was a different man from any who thus tamely submitted to 
wrong. By industry and skill he had greatly improved his property, his 
rent had been punctually paid, and all the covenants of his lease had been 
complied with faithfully. To him, after seeing all the others, the agent of 
the young Lord came with his unjust demands. Lewis peremptorily dis- 
missed him from his presence, and determined to make an effort to rescue 
his family from this threatened injustice by a personal interview with the 
young Lord, who, Lewis imagined, would scarcely have the hardihood to 
insist before his face upon the iniquitous terms proposed by his agent. 



HiStORY OP AUGUSTA C()[JNfi\ 27 

Accordingly he visited the castle of the young Lord. A porter annoanaed 
his name. At the time the young Lord was engaged in his revels over 
the bottle with some of his companions of similar tastes and habits. 

As soon as the name of Lewis was announced he recognized the only 
one of his tenants who had resisted his demands, and directed the porter 
to order him otf. When the porter delivered his Lord's order, Lewis 
resolved at every hazard to see him. Accordingly he walked into the 
presence of the company — the porter not having the temerity to stand in 
his way. Flushed with wine, the whole company rose to resent the insult 
and expel the intruder from the room. But there was something in Lewis' 
manner that sobered them in a moment ; and, instead of advancing, they 
seemed fixed to their places, and for a moment there was perfect Silence, 
when Lewis calmly observed : " I came here with no design to insult or 
injure any one, but to remonstrate in person to your Lordship against 
threatened injustice, and thus to avert from my family ruin ; m such a 
cause I have not regarded ordinary forms or ceremonies, and I warn you, 
gentlemen, to be cautious how you deal with a desperate man." This 
short address, connected with the firm and intrepid tone of its delivery, 
apparently stupefied the company. Silence ensuing, Lewis embraced it 
to address himself particularly, in the following words, to the young Lord : 
" Your much-respected father granted me the lease-hold estate I now pos- 
sess. I have regularly paid my rents, and have faithfully complied with 
all the covenants of the lease. I have a wife and three infant children 
whose happiness, comfort and support depend, in a great degree, upon 
the enjoyment of this property, and yet I am told by your agent that I 
can no longer hold it without a base surrender of my rights to your rapa- 
city. Sir, I wish to learn from your lips whether or not you really medi- 
tate such injustice, such cruelty as the terms mentioned by your agent in- 
dicate ; and I beg you before pursuing such a course to reconsider 
this matter coolly and dispassionately, or you will ruin me and disgrace 
yourself." By the time this address was closed, the young Lord seemed 
to have recovered partially, (in which he was greatly assisted by several 
heavy libations of wine,) from the effects produced by the sudden, solemn 
and impressive manner of his injured tenant. He began to ejaculate : 
■"Leave me! Leave me! You rebel! You villain!" To this abuse 
Lewis replied calmly, as follows : " Sir, you may save yourself this useless 
ebullition of passion. It is extremely silly and ridiculous. I have effected 
the object of my visit ; I have satisfied my mind, and have nothing more 
to say. I shall no longer disturb you with my presence." Upon which 
he retired fi-om the room, apparently unmoved by the volley of abuse 
that broke forth from the young Lord and his drunken comrades as soon 
as he had turned his back. After they had recovered from the magical 
effect which the calm resolution and stern countenance of Lewis pro- 
duced, they descanted upon what they called the insolence of his manner, 
and the mock defiance of his speech, with all the false views which aristo- 
cratic pride, excited by the fumes of wine, in a monarchial government 
were so well calculated to inspire. During the evening the rash purpose 
was formed of dispossessing Lewis by force. Accordingly, on the next 
day, the young Lord, without any legal authority whatever, proceeded at 
the head of his guests and domestics to oust Lewis by force. Lewis saw 
the approach of the hostile array, and conjectured the object of the dem- 
onstration. He had no arms but a shelalah, a weapon in possession of 
every Irish farmer at that period. Nor was there any one at his house but 



28 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COOxNTY. 

a brother, confined to bed by disease, his wife and three infant children ,- 
yet he resolved to resist the lawless band and closed the door. The 
young Lord, on reaching the house, demanded admittance, which, not 
being granted, the posse attacked the house, and after being foiled in 
several attempts to break down the door, or to effect in other ways an en- 
trance, one of the party introduced the muzzle of a musket through an 
aperture in the wall and discharged its contents — a bullet and three buck- 
shot-^upon those within. Lewis' sick brother was mortally v/ounded, 
and one of the shot passed through his wife's hand. Lewis, who had up 
to this time acted on the defensive, seeing the blood stream from the hand 
of his wife, and his expiring brother weltering in his blood, became en- 
raged, furious, and, seizing his shelalah, he rushed from the cottage, deter- 
mined to avenge the wrong and to sell his life as dearly as possible. The 
first person he encountered was the young Lord, whom he despatched at 
a single blow, cleaving in twain his skull, and scattering his brains upon 
himself and the posse. The next person he met was the steward, who 
shared the fate of his master ; rushmg, then, upon the posse, stupefied at 
the ungovernable ardour and fury oi' Lewis' manner, and the death of 
two of their party, they had scarcely time to save themselves, as they did, 
by throwing away their arms and taking to flight. This avv'ful occurrence 
brought the affairs of Lewis in Ireland to a crisis. Though he had violated 
no law, human or divine ; though he had acted strictly in self-defence 
against lawless power and oppression, yet the occurrence took place in a 
monarchial government, whose policy it is to presei've a difference in the 
ranks of society. One of the nobility* had been slain by one of his 
tenants. The connexions of the young Lord were rich and powerful, 
those of Lewis poor and humble. With such fearful odds it was deemed 
rash and unwise that Lewis should, even with law and justice on his side, 
surrender himself to the officers of the law. It was consequently deter- 
mined that he should proceed, on that evening, disguised in a friend's 
dress, to the nearest sea-port, and take shipping for Oporto, in Portugal, 
where a brother of his wife was established in merchandize. Luckily he 
met a vessel just ready to sail from the Bay of Donegal, in which he took 
passage. After various adventures, for the ship was not bound for Portu- 
gal, in different countries he arrived at Oporto in the year 1729. Upon 
his arrival there, he was advised by his brother-in-law, in order to elude 
the vigilance of his enemies, to proceed to Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania, 
and there to await the arrival of his family, which, he learned, was in good 
health, and which his brother-in-law undertook to remove to America. 

Lewis, following this advice, proceeded at once to Philadelphia. In a 
year his family joined him, and learning from them that the most industrious 
efforts were being made by the friends of the young Lord to discover the 
country to which he had fled, he determined to penetrate deep into the Amer- 
ican forest. He moved then immediately from Philadelphia to Lancaster, 
and there spent the Winter of 1731 and 1732, and in the Summer of 1732, 
he removed to the place near Staunton, in the County of Augusta. 
Virginia, now called " Bellefonte," where he settled, brought up his 
family, conquered the country from the Indians, and amassed a large for- 
tune. ' At the time he settled at this place, Augusta county was not 
formed. The country was in the possession of the Indians, and Staunton 



*The man killed by Lewis was Sir Mungo Campbell, Lord of the Manor, and hence commonly called 
" The Lord." He was not a Baron or peer of the realm. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 29^ 

was not known. After establishing himself here, his family was a nucleus 
for new settlers from the East side of the Blue Ridge and Ireland, and the 
number had so increased by 1745. that the County of Augusta was organ- 
ized, when John Lewis was appointed a magistrate, and assisted in the 
organization." 

From this narrative it appears that our early historians, among them 
the late Dr. Ruffner, whose MS. is quoted in Howe, have incorrectly stated 
that Lewis came from Williamsburg. It is not surprising that such errors 
should have crept into our history, which, for nearly a century, was mere 
tradition ; and the reader will not have been surprised to learn that Spots- 
wood was believed to have entered the Valley by Rockhsh gap until wittim a 
few years past, wiien the line of his march was ascertained by the publica- 
tion of Fontaine's journal. The mistake as to Lewis may have arisen 
ij-om the fact that a number of emigrants reached America about this 
time in her Majesty's men-of-war Blandford, Wolf and Hector — the latter 
under command of Sir Yelverton Peyton, Baronet R. N., and the trans- 
ports accompanying them. These emigrants were for the most part Pro- 
testants from Salsburg and bound for Georgia. But some of them came 
to Virginia, in 1732, and were at Williamsburg, and thence made their 
way into the interior. Lewis may have been supposed to have belonged 
to this party. 

Howe's account, p. 181, is as follows, and was written by Charles H. 
Lewis, late Minister Resident to Portugal : 

" |ohn Lewis was a native and citizen of Ireland, descended from a family 
of Huguenots, who took refuge in that country from the persecutions that 
followed the assassination of Henry IV of France. His rank was that of 
an Esquire, and he inherited a handsome estate, which he increased by 
industry and frugality, until he became the lessee of a contiguous property, 
of considerable value. He married Margaret Lynn, daughter of the Laird 
of Loch Lynn, who was a descendant of the chieftains of a once powerful 
clan in the Scottish Highlands. By this marriage he had four sons, three 
of them, Thomas, Andrew, and William, born in Ireland, and Charles, the 
child of his old age, born a few months after their settlement in their moun- 
tain home. 

The emigration of John Lewis to Virginia was the result of one of those 
bloody affrays, which at that time so often occurred, to disturb the repose 
and destroy the happiness of Irish families. The owner of the fee out of 
which the leasehold of Lewis was carved, a nobleman of profligate habits 
and ungovernable passions, seeing the prosperity of his lessee, and repent- 
ing the bargain he had concluded, under pretence of entering for an alleged 
breach of condition, attempted, by the aid of a band of ruffians hired for 
his purpose, to take forcible possession of the premises. For this end, he 
surrounded the house with his ruffians, and called upon Lewis to evacuate 
the premises without delay, a demand which was instantly and indignantly 
refused by Lewis, though surprised with a sick brother, his wife and infant 
children in the house, and with no aid but such as could be afforded by a 
few faithful domestics. With this small force, scarce equal to one-fourth 
the number of his assailants, he resolved to maintain his legal rights at 



30 HISTORY OP AUGUSTA CoUNTY. 

every hazard. The enraged nobleman commenced the affray by discharg- 
ing his fowling-piece into the house, by which the invalid brother of Lewis 
was killed, and Margaret herself severely wounded. Upon this, the en- 
raged husband and brother rushed from the house, attended by his devoted 
little band, and soon succeeded in dispersing the assailants, though not 
until the noble author of the mischief, as well as his steward, had perished 
by the hands of Lewis. By this time the family were surrouhded by their 
sympathizing friends and neighbors, who, after bestowing every aid in 
their power, advised Lewis to fly the country, a measure rendered neces- 
sary by the high standing of his late antagonist, the desperate character of 
his surviving assailants, and the want of evidence by which he could have 
established the facts of the case. He therefore, after drawing up a detailed 
statement of the affair, which he directed to the proper authorities, em- 
barked on board a vessel bound for America, attended by his family and 
a band of about thirty of his faithful tenantry. In due time the emigrants 
landed on the shores of Virginia, and fixed their residence amid the till 
then unbroken forests of West Augusta. John Lewis' settlement was a 
few miles below the site of the town of Staunton, on the banks of the 
stream which still bears his name. It may be proper to remark here, that 
when the circumstances of the affray became known, after due investiga- 
tion, a pardon was granted to John Lewis, and patents are still extant, by 
which his Majesty granted to him a large portion of the fair domain* of 
Western Virginia. 

For many years after the settlement of Fort Lewis, great amity and good 
will existed between the neighboring Indians and the white settlers, whose 
numbers increased apace, until they became quite a formidable colony. It 
was then that the jealousy of their red neighbors became aroused, and a 
war broke out, which, for cool though desperate courage and activity on 
the part of the whites, and ferocity, cunning and barbarity on the part of 
the Indians, was never equaled in any age or country. John Lewis was, 
by this time, well stricken in years, but his four sons, who were now grown 
up, were well qualified to fill his place, and to act the part of leaders to the 
gallant little band who so nobly battled for the protection of their homes 
and families. It is not my purpose to go into the details of a warfare, 
during which scarcely a settlement was exempt from monthly attacks of 
the savages, and during which Charles Lewis, the youngest son of John, is 
said never to have spent one month at a time out of active and arduous 
service. Charles was the hero of many a gallant exploit, which is still treas- 
ured in the memories of the descendants of the border riflemen, and there 
are few families among the Alleghanies where the name and deeds of 
Charles Lewis are not familiar as household words. On one occasion, 
Charles was captured by the Indians while on a hunting excursion, and 
after traveling two hundred miles barefoot, his arms pinioned behind him, 
goaded on by the knives of his remorseless captors, he effected his escape." 

It is unnecessary to give more of Howe's account. It is composed of 
matter which will find a more appropriate place in the history of the Lewis 
family. 

At a point a mile east of Staunton, remarkable for the singular beauty 
and freshness of the scenery, on the estate owned in 1882 by D. C. Mc- 
Guffin, Mrs. J. A. Harman, and Capt. John N. Opie, Lewis pitched his 
tent, calling the place " Bellefont," which a portion of it still bears, from a 



HTSTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 3T 

bold bright spring issuing from the hill side. He was the first to occupy 
the scene ; no axe had ever before rung through that forest ; no spade had 
ever turned up that soil ; nature had delivered it into his hands in its un- 
touched virginity, and it was for him to say where, and how, and to what 
extent labor should mingle with it, and art adorn and enrich it. Here this 
man, nurtured in high civilization, but by sinister fortune deprived of his 
position and banished from his country, planted himself — making a home 
which became his tomb — delighting in the tranquility and independence of 
his secluded retreat. Here, amidst the deep shadows of the wilderness, 
he built a stone dwelling, which, with its flanks, formed one side of Fort 
Lewis, and in this half dwelling, half fortress, he maintained a long strug- 
gle with the savages, and under its stout walls the infant colony grew in 
time strong enough to defy every foe. A portion of this old fort still re- 
mains in 1882, and is occupied as a dwelling by the proprietor. It is the 
oldest house in the Valley, and though without architectural beauty or 
pretensions, is one of the most interesting of our historical relics. 

In this hitherto unvisited region, amidst beautiful landscapes and grand 
points of scenery, the old hero spent the remaining years of his life,, 
finally closing his eyes upon a country blooming in cultivated fertility and 
enlivened by the arts of civilization. 

Having pursued the fortunes of Lewis and his family to their settlement 
in the wilderness, we shall give in the next succeeding chapter a brief 
sketch, of the early settlers, their manners and customs, modes of life, etc., 
or historical outline of the little colony from its foundation to the year 
i749-'50, when Gov. Gooch sailed for England, in the flowery language of 
an old historian, "amidst the blessings and tears of the people, among 
whom he had lived as a wise and beneficent father." 

Such poetical extravagance on the part of writers would shock the 
understanding but for its frequency. It certainly distorts the facts of 
history, and fills her pages with absurdities. Gooch was a moderate and 
sensible man, who reaped the benefits of Spotswood's administration, and 
governed Virginia generally in an acceptable manner. But he made mis- 
takes — committed errors — as what man does not ? — granted lands with 
lavish prodigality to his favorites, and incurred the hostility of those whom 
he did not fancy ; indulged in much petty persecution of Dissenters, made 
enemies, and was far from escaping censure. It is probable, then, that 
this "wise and beneficent father" of the old historian left as many dry 
as weeping eyes in Virginia, and was followed to England by as many 
curses as blessings. 



32 HISTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 



CHAPTER IV. 



No census is extant of the population on Lewis creek at the period when 
the County of Augusta was formed. It is evident from the preamble of 
the act of 1738 that there had been a considerable increase of the inhabi- 
tants west of the great mountains, and it was to give these pioneers the 
benefits of civil government that the county was established. The County 
of Augusta, thus formed from Orang'e, which had previously embraced 
all the country west of the Blue Ridge, was not organized until some years 
later. Meanwhile the legal business of the people west of the Blue Ridge 
continued to be transacted at Orange Court-House. The expense, incon- 
venience and delay caused by this state of aflairs, led to the organization 
of the county, at Staunton, in 1745, when there was a sufficient number of 
inhabitants for appointing justices of the peace and other officers, and 
erecting courts therein. The first court-house was erected on the site of 
the present County Clerk's office, as near as may be, and the first court 
was held on the 9th of Dec, 1745, when the following magistrates, previ- 
ously _^commissioned by the Lieutenant-Governor, took their seats on the 
bench — viz.: John Lewis, John Brown, Peter Schall, John Pickens, Thos. 
Lewis, Hugh Thompson, Robt. Cunningham, James Keer, and Adam 
Dickinson. 

John Patton was appointed High Sheriff, and Jno. Madison clerk. 

The following gentlemen qualified as attorneys -at-law : Gabriel Jones, 
William Russell, James Porters, John Quin, Th. Chew. Gabriel Jones was 
appointed deputy attorney of the county, April 14, 1746, " as a fit person 
to transact his Majesty's affairs in this county," and qualified the follow- 
ing May. He was a learned lawyer, and married a Miss Strother, of Staf- 
ford county, a sister of Mrs. Thomas Lewis and Mrs. Madison, mother of 
Bishop Madison, and has, in 1882, a grandson living in Frederick county, 
namely, Mr. Strother Jones. 

On the second day of the court, a commission from William Dawson, 
President of William and Mary College, was read, appointing Thomas 
Lewis surveyor. 

From a motion now made by the Sheriff, it appears that up to this time 
there had been no prison in the settlement cr county, — that for a period 
of nearly fifteen years this pious little community of Scotch and Irish 
Presbyterians had lived without bolts and bars. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTT. 33 

Lewis, and we must speak much in this chapter of him, thou,q;-h not 
unmindful of the miserable weakness of mankind, which causes them to 
look with admiration upon persons glorious for mischief, and to be better 
pleased when reading- of the destroyer than the founder of a state ; who 
had entered the wilderness alone, or, at most, with a single companion, 
and whose family afterwards joined him, must be presumed to have given 
law to those who subsequently assembled around him. When the num- 
ber increased, these freemen, no doubt joined together and framed a so- 
ciety as best pleased themselves, in which, we are sure, while they may 
have, and doubtless did, recognize the founder as head, they took care 
that such rules as they adopted were for the good of the governed and 
not the governor. We have a fine picture of freemen, living according to 
their own will, in the case of Abraham and Lot : they went together into 
Canaan, continued together as long as was convenient for them, and 
parted when their substance did not increase, and they became trouble- 
some to each other. The men who collected in Augusta agreed toeether 
and framed a society, and thus became a complete body, having all power 
in themselves over themselves, subject to no other human law than their 
own. All those who composed the society being equally free to enter into 
it or not, no man could have any prerogative above others, unless it was 
granted by the consent of the whole, and nothing obliging them to enter 
into this society but the consideration of their own good ; that good or 
their opinion of it must have been the rule, motive and end of all that 
they did ordain. It is lawful for such bodies to set up one or a few men 
to govern them, and he or they who are thus set up have no power except 
what is conferred upon them by the multitude, and should exercise those 
powers according to the ends for which they were given. That the Foun- 
der was thus constituted the leader of the community until 1745, cannot be 
doubted. In '45, he was placed at the head of the court, and continued in 
this position until he went down, nearly twenty years later, in peace to the 
grave. 

In William I. Lewis' narrative, he speaks of the " industry, piety, and 
ste'rn integrity of the young couple, John Lewis and Margaret Lynn," 
and we see in the significant fact that there was no prison in Augusta for 
nearly fifteen years after the Founder set down on the banks of Lewis 
creek, the legitimate fruit of their characters and example. 

The people took their tone from the heads of the colony, and thus lived 
in the enjoyment of greater order and quiet than is commonly the lot of 
communities furnished with a regular system of laws and administration. 

Such facts enable us to understand better the people themselves and the 
state of society in those days than would otherwise be possible. It must 
not be inferred, because the early colonists lived in the wilderness, beset 
with Indians and wild beasts, that they themselves lacked cultivation — par- 



34 HISTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTF. 

took of the nature of their surroundings. It was an infant colony, cam- 
posed of grown men — a settlement in the wilds of the new world made up 
of men trained in the schools and civilization of the Old World. There 
were men of learning among them,, and means were early applied for 
educating the rising generation. A general taste for literature prevailed, 
as is obvious from the attention paid to the erudite men who, from time to 
time, came among them as clergymen ; from the collections of books in 
their houses — the libraries of the King's counsel, Gabriel Jones, and that 
of Hon. Thomas Lewis being famous — and from the early period at which 
schools, and particularly the Augusta Academy, were established. 

Col. and Mrs. Lewis were indeed persons of gentle blood, of education, 
refine nent and independent fortune. They were not adventurers, who 
came to America seeking wealth or social or political position. They 
were the innocent victims of adverse circumstances, of sinister fortune, and 
had crossed the sea and changed their climate, but not their characters. 
And what is true of them is true of others. Lewis, himself, was a man 
endowed with many noble qualities. Of a martial spirit and heroic cour- 
age, he was formed to excel in war ; the ardent friend of progress, of pub- . 
lie improvements, of trade and commerce, wise in his conceptions and 
persevermg in his plans, he was equally adapted for peace. Irreproacha- 
ble in his public and private morals; courteous, affable, and eloquent; 
fond of society and excelling in conversation, he excited the love and 
admiration of the people who adhered to him and the policy he pointed 
out, as well from their attachment to his person as because of their respect 
for his talents and his character. Had he continued in Europe his abilities 
and accomplishments, which had already given him a high local reputa- 
tion and position, could not have remained long unknown and unrewarded 
by his Sovereign. He was destined, however, for another career, a more 
appropriate theatre for his ardent and restless genius. Providence or- 
dained him to become a pioneer of civilization — to erect the standard of 
the Cross in the wilderness. In the colony which he founded the Church 
anticipated the town and the county. Before either was established t^e 
Gospel was preached in the houses of the settlers orunder the shade of the 
trees. In Col. Lewis' house, indeed, the first sermon ever delivered in the 
county was preached by Mr. James Thompson, in 1739. A little later, log 
buildings were erected for the worship of God, called, in the language of 
the day, " meeting-houses." There was no settled pastor, no organized 
church, but the rude walls of the meeting-house resounded to the bold, 
zealous, impassioned and enthusiastic words of the old-school ministers, 
who, from time to time, passed through the settlement. 

Lewis was not one of those men of overweening vanity, who fancy they 
can do without other men. He felt that he needed the counsel of others, 
and was not able to manage and direct all things alone. Accordingly, he 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNT f. 35 

early associated with himself in his labors persons of merit, eLuployin^ each 
of these according to his talents, and left to them the management of minor 
matters, which only consume time, and deprived him of the liberty of 
mind so necessary in the conduct of important affairs. He thus prevented 
envy and jea'ousy, by dividing a power which is apt to be offensive when 
united in a single person, as if all merit centred in him alone. This wise 
course facilitated the execution of affairs, and made their success more cer- 
tain. The value of a man n{ such rare parts — such disinterested soul — in 
a primitive community, cannot be exaggerated. Men, as lago says, are 
but men. They must be treated, ministered to, provided for, and gov- 
erned as such. In the Augusta settlement, they were freer than free- 
dom, and in danger of running into licentiousness. Lewis saw, what uni- 
versal experience has proved to be necessary, namely : that for prosperous 
self-government, a moral tone must pervade the community, a sound pub- 
lic sentiment prevail, and laws, though rude and unwritten, must exist, and 
are best upheld by it. He and his leading associates, by word and deed, 
accomplished the great task of moulding the opinions and forming the 
character of the people between 1732 and 1745. Without the aid of civil, 
military, or ecclesiastical establishments, by their wisdom and firmness, 
their humanity and justice, they maintained law and order in the colony, 
cultivated in all a respect for the rights of others, restrained vice, and 
asserted the majesty of moral virtue. Liberty is precious and dear to all 
men, and no people were more jealous of theirs than these pioneers, who 
had tasted the bitter fruits of slavery in their native lands. To preserve 
liberty — the rights and liberties of all — was the great motive principle of 
their actions, and became, in a manner, the soul of their laws, customs, and 
whole frame of government, as they afterwards existed, and as we see 
them to-day in America. 

These grand men of the frontier, our primitive colonial fathers, not only 
rescued their fields from the forest, but cultivated them with their own 
hands, performing, without reluctance, the offices of domestics. Thus the 
colony soon became, and naturally enough, noted for its prosperity and 
honored for its citizens. Possessing an ample fortune, Col. Lewis dis- 
pensed much hospitality, especially to strangers. While entertaining with 
generosity, he was careful that his establishment should not degenerate 
into luxury. The spirit of hospitality extended to all, and when any 
stranger happened to pass through Augusta, he was not only received, 
lodged, and maintained everywhere, but the inhabitants disputed with 
each other the honor of having him for their guest. This inviolable re- 
gard to hospitality is still preserved among our rural population. 

Each returning season brought accessions to the population from abroad. 
Many were good and true men, and many were turbulent spirits, impa- 
tient of control, and the enemies of law and order. The difficulties of the 



36 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA GO ON IT. 

Founder's position increased, but he and his associates exercised an I'n-e- 
sistible influence in behalf of all measures for the public good. The men 
who, after 1745, (as many had done before,) united with him in his 
labors and exertions, were the Madis-ons, Pattons, Prestons, Browns, Keers, 
Dickinsons, Pickens, Breckenridges, and others. Many of those early set- 
tlers founded families which have since become famous in the land. Madi- 
son was the father ot the Right Rev. James Madison, DD., Bishop of Vir- 
ginia, the first bishop consecrated in America by the three American bish- 
ops previously consecrated in Great Britain, of whom the first was Dr, 
Seabury, of Connecticut, consecrated by the Scotch Episcopal Church, 
who admitted him to the Scotch Episcopate 1784, by the hands of the 
Bishops of Aberdeen, Ross, and Moray. The second and third bishops 
were Drs. White and Prevost, the elect respectively of the conventions of 
Pennsylvania and New York, who were consecrated at Lambeth Palace, 
1787, by Archbishops Moore and Markham, and Bishops Moss, of Bath 
and Wells, and Hinchcliff, of Peterborough. 

John Preston and Robert Breckenridge were the founders of the distin- 
guished families of their names in Virginia and Kentucky, and from other 
early settlers are descended the extensive and highly respectable families 
bearing their names in this county, the State, the West and South. 

The Augusta colony, which was soon noted for its enterprising popula- 
lation, its good order, its industry and progress, was thus physically and 
socially in advance of other frontier settlements. It must be remembered, 
however, that all the settlers in this community were not worthy men. 
Augusta was not, as we have mentioned, thus signally blessed. 

The subject of public improvements soon engaged the attention of the 
leading men, and they quickly discovered difficulties, besides those of na- 
ture, in their way. In every population there are two orders of men — one, 
who with little difficulty are open to a conviction that improvements are 
desirable, and another, who either from excess of ignorance or perversity, 
can tolerate no change whatever. With the former of these, the Founder 
had no difficulty. They readily came into his plans and appreciated his 
general policy, even acknowledging, with gratitude, the benefits and bless- 
ings that had already arisen from the schemes he had introduced of public 
improvement, elementary education, etc. They anticipated other and 
greater benefits from those he now proposed. The enemies of innovation 
and improvement, the suspicious, the prejudiced, the grumblers, were 
harder to manage, but they were, for the most part, in time, skillfully won 
over, and in the end he was supported by a large majority of even these. 

Though the Founder, from the early years of the colony, called to his 
aid, as we have observed, the best men in it, there were such difficulties to 
encounter in executing his wise and benevolent plans, that only the most 
unwearied patience and self-denying virtue could have surmounted them. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 6i 

One of the chief wants of the community was good roads, and particu- 
larly of a road communicating with the more improved parts of Eastern 
Virginia, whence their supplies were drawn. Lewis perceived this on his 
difficult journey into the wilderness, and every day satisfied him more 
fully that there could be no solid improvement or prosperity among them 
while this was the case. It was difficult to communicate any news or treat 
of affairs with other settlements far and near, being obliged to send a 
courier at great charge and loss of time, or wait for the departure of some 
person going north or east of the mountains, to take their letters — a preca- 
rious and uncertain method. 

Calling into council the chief men, the Founder proposed that they 
should widen and improve the so-called road leading to Goochland, and 
finding his views favorably received, the project was announced to the 
people. We can imagine their astonishment at the boldness of his plans ; 
how some of the more timid and indolent would declare the thing impos- 
sible ; how others would find an excuse, in their private affairs, for not en- 
couraging or wishing to engage in such an enterprise ; how it would be 
argued that the Indian trails through the mountain gaps answered a very 
good, if not every purpose ; how it would be said that by those paths they 
had arrived in the country and were doing well, and how those who 
were not satisfied with doing well, ought to be allowed to leave — to go 
farther and fare better ; how it would be reiterated that they could get, and 
actually did get on pack horses, their salt, iron, steel castings, powder and 
shot, and whatever they needed, including dress and personal ornaments ; 
how these croakers would dwell upon the time and labor such a work 
would cost, and finally, when it was constructed, upon the dangers which 
would menace the community, as by it luxury would be let in in time of 
peace, and the enemy in time of war. Nothing is too absurd for the dis- 
contented to urge on such an occasion. The men, however, who promoted 
this scheme, were not easily discouraged. Without losing time with mal- 
contents, they explained to the public the advantages to be derived from 
having a good outlet for the produce of their fields and facilities for pro- 
curing the multitude of comforts and conveniences of which they were des- 
titute. Soon the better part of the community was on their side, and the 
enterprise was begun. 

Let us attempt to call up the scene when this work was taken in hand. 
There comes the venerable " Lord of the hills," as Lewis was called, with 
Brown, Keer, Pickens, Jones, Preston, Patton, and the leading spirits gen- 
erally. They are about to go forth with Thomas Lewis, the Surveyor, as 
Chief Engineer, to locate this highway. A motley crowd assembles in the 
streets and about the inn door, where horses stand, on whose backs men 
are packing tents and panniers with provisions. In this crowd stand men 
in hunting shirts and moccasins, leaning upon their long rifles, and sympa- 



38 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

thizing, if at all, in the movement, in a listless way. These still hunters, or 
deer-stalking pioneers, are almost as much opposed as the Red Men to 
their hunting-grounds being disturbed — opened up by roads. Business is 
at a stand-still on this morning in the litde hamlet, now the city of Staun- 
ton, and women and children peer curiously from their doors. It is evident 
from the stir that a movement of no ordinary importance is on foot. At 
length the expedition starts, the crowd disperses, and the village relapses 
into its habitual drowsiness. Wetks pass, and the place is again astir. 
The venerable fathers reappear on the outskirts of the hamlet at the head 
of the surveymg party and the mass of the people themselves, — all are 
excited, — some in a lively state of enthusiasm. The road has been located, 
every preliminary arranged, and the work of Its construction is now to 
begin. The chief men — the elders — are all present and mingle in the 
crowd ; the scene is graced, too, by the presence of ladies — a " store of 
ladies -whose bright eyes rain influence." S^e the sturdy old pioneer, the 
venerable Founder, coming to the front, after the blessing of Heaven has 
been asked upon their undertaking, and casting up the first spadeful of 
earth, and hear the loud cheers which make the welkin ring ! Behold 
every one now pressing forward to lend a helping hand — even the malcon- 
tents, catching the spirit of the hour, hurrying to the front and taking part 
in the good work. There was a moral grandeur in such a spectacle, in the 
initiation of such an enterprise, — of turning to practical account, of thus 
giving a right direction to the industry of the people. 

It was no holiday task, but, for that little community, without accumu- 
ted capital or mechanical appliances, a prodigious undertaking. The com- 
pletion of the work, — ^and it was completed in due time, — ameliorated the 
condition of the settlers, and it was from time to time followed by other 
improvements. Thus we see that on the 19th of May, 1749, this order en- 
tered of record by the County Court : " That Jas. Montgomerie, and Richard 
Burton, or any one of them, wait on the Court of Lunenburg and acquaint 
them that the inhabitants of Augusta have cleared a road to the said 
county line, and desire that they will clear a road from the court-house of 
Lunenburg to meet the road already cleared by the inhabitants of Au- 
gusta." 

A good road, for those days, having been constructed over the moun- 
tains to the East, the people used it to market their produce, furs, cattle, 
etc., obtaining, in return, all necessary articles, and sometimes the luxu- 
ries and elegancies of life. The parties which brought in these supplies 
were so large that they were called Caravans. Soon shops, called " stores," 
and still so called, were established, and dealers supplied the public wants. 
About this time a division of labor occurred, and carpenters, wheelwrights, 
blacksmiths, masons, tailors and shoemakers set up their trades. Work 
was now done at home, which hitherto, with much delay and expense, was 
executed at a distance. 



HISTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. " 39 

In the absence of a system of laws, order was preserved and individual 
rights protected by virtue of public opinion and what is termed the forest 
code, -that mysterious power of public opinion, which it is impossible to 
resist, and than which nothing is more unsteady, more vague or more 
powerful, and which, capricious though it may be, is nevertheless just and 
reasonable more frequently than is supposed, — and that backwoodsman's 
code (a relentless and martial one it is), written in the constitution of their 
natures and the circumstances of their position. Every State must have 
its policies, kingdoms have edicts, cities have their charters, and even the 
wild outlaw, in his forest walks, keeps yet some touch of civil discipline. It 
is not easy for those never subjected to frontier trials to understand the 
fierce wrongs which sometimes heat the pioneers' strong passions to the 
fever point, and the necessity for this martial code. As to the forest code, 
it is well known that the punishments inflicted by it were well adapted to 
secure the end in view. Hazing was one of the punishments under it, and 
intended either to reform or expel an obnoxious character. The term 
hazing was not then in use, but the practice prevailed, and base conduct 
on the part of a man led to his being hazed out, or, as the pioneers styled 
it, " hated out " of the community. The unlucky individual who aroused 
public indignation was forced to make atonement and to reform, or incur 
the worse penalty of banishment. This mode of chastisement was com- 
mon among the Greeks, and is an effectual remedy. Few men have the 
hardihood to face the general indignation of an outraged community. 

Two crimes met with peculiar punishment at the hands of the pioneers, — 
the first, theft, which was held in such detestation that the culprit was ban- 
ished, but not before thirtv-nine lashes were well laid unon his bare back. 
The second, seduction, which was punished by death. To extort a confes- 
sion, they sometimes resorted to the torture of sweating ; that is, suspend- 
ing the accused by the arms pinioned behind his back until he confessed. 
Thus the stern morality of the leaders became the prop and support of their 
government. We need not enter further upon the forest code, the spirit and 
effect of which is clearly seen from the foregoing. 

Our sketch would be incomplete without a reference to some of the 
social customs and rural superstitions of the pioneers. When new comers 
arrived, or young married people contemplated housekeeping, all united to 
build them a dwelling. When land was cleared, all aided, as also at har- 
vest, hay-making, and other busy seasons. In times of danger, all men 
performed military duty, and no case is on record of a pioneer seeking to 
evade such service. As a rule, the men were brave and the women pretty, 
seeming to have inherited virtue and valor from their adventurous ances- 
tors. Personal difflculties, when they could not be amicably adjusted by 
the good offices of friends, were settled by wager of battle — a primitive 
mode of deciding causes between parties of high antiquity among the rude 



40 . HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

military people of Europe. This mode of settling disputes made people 
more conservative and less vulgar in expressing their opinions of others 
than is common now-a-days. Family pride in Augusta was always great, 
and family honor was jealously guarded. Such was the chivalric character 
of our forefathers, that no personal insult or injury to a man or a member 
of his family was unavenged. Thus it was that crime and license were 
prevented from distorting humanity in the infantile colony. 

People in those days dressed plainly, in half-savage, half-civilized style ; 
the men generally in a hunting shirt, a kind of loose frock, resembling the 
Roman tunic, fastened by a belt or girdle about the waist, with loose 
sleeves, and a cape to throw off the rain. In the belt of the tunic the 
Roman carried his money — in the hunting shirt the pioneer stored away 
his luncheon. By his side was suspended his knife and tomahawk, both 
in leathern cases. The hunting-shirt was made of Linsev-Wolsey, or 
dressed deer skin for Winter, and of tow linen for Summer. The breeches 
were usually of the same material, and the feet were encased in mocca- 
sins. 

Previous to the Revolution, the married men usually shaved their heads, 
and either wore wigs or white linen caps — a custom adopted, no doubt, 
from the severity of our Summer climate, the heats of which are beyond 
anything prevailing" in Western Europe. The women dressed, ordinarily, 
in the same plain stuff, woven, during the first twenty years of the colony, 
by themselves, for they were skilled at the loom and spinning-wheel, thus 
exemplifying Probs. xxxi.: " She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her 
hand holdeth the distaff.' Their duties were to educate their children, take 
care of their household, and live retired with their families ; their pleasures, 
to visit, give feasts, where there was much mirth and enjoyment. They were 
spiritual and healthful women, and wholly unaffected by that worldliness 
which so often depraves in fashionable society all the powers and faculties 
of the soul. From these peerless women sprung the heroic sons whose 
deeds have since made Virginia famous the world over. We trust the 
young women of the present day will not be unmindful of their bright 
example, or despise the duties of ordinary life. There is no position which 
exonerates a woman from the discharge of female duties, and the higher 
her talents, the more cultivated her understanding, the better regulated 
will be her household, the more eminently qualified will she be to per- 
form all the duties of her station, whether it be of high or low degree. 

Thus on the frontier grew up a race of vigorous and spirited men, pure 
and virtuous women, and within a few years the " wilderness ceased to be 
their habitation, a barren land their dwelling-place." Though remote 
from the world of ton and commerce, they were eminently a happy peo- 
ple — their peace and morals not contaminated with the vices of fashionable 
life, the rooted depravity of a pretended civilization and a spurious and 



HISTORY OF ATTGCSTA CO^jNTt. 41 

mock Christianity. The mass of them were po >r, it is true, but their 
poverty might be styled the truest riches, since those who want least ap- 
proach nearest the gods, who want nothing. 

The first settlers of Augusta, as their names indicate, were Scotch and 
Irish, but soon a few English and many Germans and persons of German 
lineage, from Pennsylvania, joined the community. Each party brought 
with them the religion, habits and customs of their ancestors, and this led to 
the erection of churches of different denominations and to a variety of little 
social circles, which, however, were never at any time very exclusive. The 
prevalence of German names evidences that a considerable part of the 
immigrants were of Teutonic origin. The superior intelligence of the 
people was due to the fact that the county was populated with adults, and 
it requires both talent and enterprise to produce voluntary change of 
country. It may be assumed with confidence as a truth, in our opinion, 
that there was as much talent, intelligence and spirit in the people of 
Augusta in i732-'50, as falls to the lot of any equal number of people in 
the world. 

As the country was, while this influx of immigrants was flowing in, 
without roads, immigrants made their way into the interior on foot or 
horseback, following the Indian or bufifalo trails, or guided by blazed 
trees, carrying their worldly goods upon their backs or in packs lashed to 
horses or mules, crossing water courses on a fallen tree, which served as a 
bridge, or, in case of rivers or high water, swimming the streams. The 
men had, for the most part, seen "military ser\ace in Europe, and 
became inured, in Pennsylvania, to the hardships of frontier life. The 
experience of the women must have been terribly severe, though doubtless 
every possible effort was made to ameliorate their situation. These immi- 
grants are uniformly represented to have been, as a rule, men of staid 
habits, sterling worth, of high spirit, and untiring energy. And this is no 
doubt strictly true, for it is only, let us repeat, the courageous and self-reliant 
who venture on such enterprises. The houses of the pioneers were built 
of wood and covered with clap-boards : the flooring was split puncheons, 
smoothed with the broad-axe ; the chimneys of stone, or brick dried in 
the sun. Their furniture was rudely fashioned from the timbers of the 
forest, oak, walnut, maple ; their beds stuffed with feathers from the backs 
of their geese. It was not until long after 1732, that the pewter plates, dishes 
and spoons, wooden bowls, treanchers and noggins, strangely mingled on 
the pioneer's table with family plate brought from Europe by some of the 
settiers, were replaced by glass, china and silver ware. 

Let no one imagine from the rudeness and simplicity of their dwellings 
and furniture that our conclusions are hastily drawn as to the cultivation 
and refinement of the early settlers. The people were restrained in im- 
provements by want of labor, the absence of machinery, tools, &c. 



4^ fflSTORY Of AI/GUSTA COCTJS^TI'. 

Moreover, tli'e industry of the community was specially directed to the 
fields, where it was certain of an ample reward, as a means of supplying not 
only their own wants, but the heavy demands of incoming parties of stran- 
gers. And their immediate wants were for the necessaries, not the luxuries 
of life. 

In front of every house a garden was cultivated in flowers, and hard by 
in a truck patch, their vegetables. They nourished their bodies by the 
same earth out of which they were made, and to which all must return. 
Water was their pure and innocent beverage, though they sometimes in- 
dulged in the luxury of blackberry wine or spruce beer. 

In the elegant mansions of the present, where one sees displayed the 
delicacies of every clime, served on plate from the mines of Potosi or 
Nevada, and which contain accumulated treasures of mahogany, uphol- 
stery, pictures, china, glass, etc., one can scarcely realize the brief period 
within which these transformation scenes have occurred. Our young men 
no longer disport Linsey-Wolsey hunting-shirts and bear-skin moccasins, 
but are clothed in fine linen and patent-leather boots. Verily, "Jeroboam 
has clad himself with new garments." 

On arriving in the settlement, the first work which engaged the colonist 
was the erection of such log huts, or cabins, as we have described. A 
site having been selected, a hut was erected of round or rifted logs. Each 
family was supplied by the common labor of all with these rude dwellings, 
and in a few days after ending their journey the little community of in- 
comers was put under cover of their own roof. The sites of the settle- 
ments were always in or alongside of groves, near some spring of pure 
water, i'hese log huts, which were built around a square, were united by 
palisades, and thus presented a wooden wall to their enemies. I'he doors 
opened into the common square, on the inner side. As an additional 
protection, around the whole settlement a stockade inclosure was built, 
with block-houses at the angles, and these rude fortifications formed an 
impregnable barrier against the red skms. These block-houses were two 
stories high, the upper story projecting over the lower, that the inmates 
might discharge their rifles from above upon an enemy. They were of 
such strength that they afforded perfect security to those within, if the 
efforts of the Indians to burn them by lighted arrows could be prevented. 
These cabins, block-houses and stockades were constructed without the 
aid of a nail or spike. 

The two first buildings of a public kind which were erected were the 
church, or "meeting-house," and the school-house, where religion and the 
elements of a sound and liberal education were taught, and by the same 
instructors — the Presbyterian clergymen. Those pious, patient, laborious 
men, who brought to the wilderness the cultivation and refinement of 
Europe, became the preceptors of little grammar schools at their own 



rnSTOKY OF ACGTJSTA COUNTT. 43 

Ifiouses, or in t"he immediate neighborhoods, and gave tiieir pupils a thorough 
if not extensive course of education. In a word, these good men formed 
the youth of Augusta, taught them to love their country and to honor 
their parents, and by their examples and admirable lessons sought to engage 
them more warmly in the pursuit of virtue. The first of these teachers 
in Augusta was Rev. John Craig, who did not con-fine himself to penman- 
ship, history and mathematics, but in his course embraced a classical edu- 
cation. In these schools all received the rudiments of education, and 
those who wished to pursue a more elaborate course entered the schools 
of Eastern Virginia— among which may be mentioned that of Rev. James 
Waddell, where William and Charles Lewis were trained. And in the 
year 1749, the '^Augusta Academy" was established, near the present town 
of Lexington. In 1782, it was organized, by a charter, as Liberty Hall 
Academy, and in 1796, Geo. Washington transferred to the institution a 
gift from the State of Virginia to him for his services in the Revolution, of 
100 shares of his James river canal stock, and subsequently the Legisla- 
ture made this amount $50,000. The name was then changed to Wash- 
ington Academy, and, in 18 13, to Washington College. From these be- 
ginnings sprang Washington and Lee University, now one of the principal 
seats of learning in the South — an institution in which the leading men of 
Virginia have always manifested a deep interest, and among whose list of 
trustees the names of such distinguished men appear as Col. Arthur 
Campbell, Gen. Andrew Moore, Judge Arch'd Stuart, Col. James McDow- 
ell, Gen. Sam'l Blackburn, Hon. John Brown, Hon. Allen Taylor, Rev. 
George Baxter, Hon. James McDowell, Hon. John Howe Peyton, Charles 
L. Mosby, Esq., Hon, J. W. Brokenborough, Judge Wm. McLaughlin, 
Rev. Wm. S. White, etc. 

In 1865, after the surrender of the Confederate armies, Gen. Lee was 
appointed President of the University, and on his death, in 1870, the name 
was changed from Washington College to Washington and Lee Univer- 
sity. Since, it has steadily increased in prosperity and usefulness. 

Ignorant and illiberal foreigners have, until recently, reproached 
America with a want of scholars and literary men — thus ungenerously in- 
sinuating that our soil is unfavorable to letters, or our people so degraded 
as to take a pleasure in condemning to obscurity everything formed to 
diffuse lustre and glory around a state. It is unnecessary to descant on 
such a fallacy. The local and temporar}'' causes which have retarded our 
literary development were a virgin soil to be brought under cultivation, roads, 
canals, bridges, and every kind of public work to be constructed, and this, 
too, by a sparse and scattered population, inadequately supplied with im- 
plements of industry, entirely without capital, and pressed by their own 
personal necessities. Ours was a country of proprietors, it is true, but 
every proprietor was a laborer. What opportunity, what leisure, had 



44 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COdNTV. 

such a people to devote to letters ? " The wisdom of a learned man 
cometh by opportunity of leisure ; and he that hath litde business shall 
become wise. How can he get wisdom that holdeth the plough, and that 
glorieth in the goad ; that driveth oxen, and is occupied in their labors ; 
and whose talk is of bullocks." — [Ecclesiasticus : c. 38, v. 24-25.] 

But to return from this digression. When cultivation was going on 
around these stockade forts, strong places, or infant settlements, pickets 
were posted to give warning of an enemy's approach. The women and 
children, when an alarm was raised, retired within the stockade, but the 
men, seizing their rifles and taking to the trees, contested every inch of 
ground, rarely seeking the shelter of the fort until every effort to drive off 
the red skins failed. 

Until a supply of domestic animals was reared, one of the most impor- 
tant employments of the men was the taking of game. This was styled 
hunting, and included the pursuit of both hairy and feathered game. The 
fur obtained from the wild beast found ready sale east of the mountains, 
and thus gave them the means of supplying their necessities. The Au- 
tumn was devoted to hunting until a Winter's supply of meat was secured. 
The pioneers soon learned the habits of wild animals, and knew where to 
find them in all the different stages of the weather. They became guides, 
hunters, trappers, soldiers, knew every mountain peak and valley, every 
path and stream. They were fleet and agile as the deer, tireless as the 
red man, and as indifferent to hunger and cold. The following was one of 
their devices for taking wild beasts : Wolf pits, fox holes, or bear traps, 
were excavations thus formed : a hole was dug, say ten feet deep, small at 
the top and growing wider on all sides as it descended, sloping inwards so 
much that no beast could climb up. Two sticks were fastened together in 
the middle at right angles, the longer one confined in the ground, and the 
shorter — to the inner end of which was attached the bait — swinging across 
the middle of the pit, so that when the wild beast attempted to seize it, he 
was precipated to the bottom. 

As the means of support were easily procured, the cost of living mode- 
rate, the inhabitants married young, families were large, and the increase 
of population astonishingly rapid. A brief description of a wedding may 
not inappropriately, in this connection, be introduced in further illustration 
of frontier life. The few indoor amusements of the early settlers made a 
wedding a social event of the highest importance. It attracted the atten- 
tion of the entire settlement, and was anticipated by old and young with 
impatient delight. From the house of his father, the groom, attended by 
his best man and friends, proceeded, on the morning of the happy day, to 
the home of the bride-elect. Here, the bride and bride's-maids, mounted 
on fine horses, joined the party, and they made their way to the clergy- 
man's. The ceremony performed, the cavalcade set out on the return to 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 45 

the bride's residence, and now what was called running, or racing, for the 
bottle occurred. While the wedding party was absent, the father, or next 
friend of the bride, prepared at the bride's residence a bottle of the best 
spirits, around the neck of which a white ribbon was tied. When within 
a mile or two of the house, on their return from the clergyman's, the 
young men prepared to race for the bottle. Taking an even start, their 
horses were put at full speed, dashing over mud, rocks, stumps, in total 
disregard of all impediments. The race was run with as much desire to 
win as is ever manifested on the turf. The father or next friend of the 
bride, expecting the racers, stood with the bottle in his hand, ready to de- 
liver it to the successful competitor. On getting it, he forthwith returned 
to meet the bride, to whom the botde was presented, and who must at 
least taste it, then the groom and the attendants. Arrived at the bride's 
home, instead of the champagne breakfast of the present, with its Bohe - 
mian glass and epergnes of silver, its lobster salad, savory jellies, etc., a 
substantial dinner awaited them. It was generally dinner time when the 
party returned from the clergyman's. During the dinner, and while the 
healths were being drunk in blackberry wine or spruce beer, dashed with 
whiskey, the wedding cake was cut and handed about. The bride's father 
proposed the health of the bride and groom. They replied themselves, 
or by friends, and generally with such wit and humor as to bring down 
the nouse. After the speechifying, during which there was great hilarity, 
the gentlemen retired to the shade-trees undl the preparations for dancing 
were completed. Before this, we must not omit to mention, while din- 
ner was progressing, the custom of stealing the bride's shoe was ob- 
served. This custom is said to have afforded heart-felt amusement to the 
guests. To succeed in it the utmost dexterity was required on the part of 
the younger portion of the company, while equal vigilance was manifested 
by the attendants to defend her against the theft ; and, if they failed, they 
were in honor bound to pay a penalty, a bottle of wine, for the redemption 
of the shoe. As a punishment to the bride, she was not allowed to dance 
until the shoe was restored. The successful robber, on getting possession 
of the shoe, held it up in triumph to the view of the assemblage. 

Dancing having once commenced, it did not stop until the light of the- 
following morning. If any of the dancers showed signs of weariness, 
there were loud cries to the musicians from the others to strike up with,, 
" Hang out till to-morrow morning." 

While the dance was proceeding, the bride made her escape, and the 
groom, under the guidance of the best man, was soon snugly by her side. 
If it was a wedding among the Germans, the young people were now ad- 
mitted to the bed-chamber, and another custom was observed. A stock- 
ing rolled into a ball was given to the young females, who, one after the 
other, would go to the foot of the bed, stand with their backs to it, and 



46 ' HLSrOKV OF AUUIJ6TA CuUNTV. 

throw the stocking over then- shoulders at the bride's head, and tiie first 
who succeeded in touching her cap or head, was the next to be marr!eJ. 
The young men then threw the stocking at the groom's head, in like man- 
ner, with the like motive, and hence their eagerness and ciexterity in throw- 
ing the stocking. These gaieties were kept up for several days at the houses 
of the parents, until the whole company, completely exhausted by loss of 
sleep, retired for a long rest, which was necessary before they could return 
to their ordinary avocations. There was no bridal tour in those days — no 
traveling dress was to be assumed. Within a few days of the marriage 
ceremony, on a plot of land given by one of the parents, preparations were 
made for building the young couple a residence. This rustic edifice hav- 
ing been finished and furnished, the house-warming took place. This 
consisted of a stout meal similar to the marriage dinner, followed by a 
night's dancing, after which the happy pair were left to themselves. As 
far as the means of the respective parents would admit of it, they aided 
the young couple. In all of their affairs our fathers were prudent and 
economical, but not mean or niggardly. They knew that extreme avarice 
is folly, and that to make a proper use of the goods of this world, is to 
enjoy them. They therefore not only lived well themselves, but assisted 
the young married of their households to do likewise. 

There were no towns of consequence in the early days of Augusta. The 
churches were all in the country, and around these was the burial-place or 
grave-yard. Owing to the absence of doctors and the want of medi- 
cines, many died who might have been easily cured. 

The following were the principal diseases among the pioneers, and their 
specifics, mode of treatment, &c., in the absence of any disciple of Escu- 
lapius : 

They gave a solution of common salt, sulphate of iron, or green cop- 
peras, to children afflicted with worms. 
Roasted onions and garlic, for croup. 
Slippery elm bark was applied to burns. 

A purging pill was made from the inner bark of the white walnut tree. 
For snake bite, the snake was killed and cut into pieces, split open and 
laid on the wound to draw out the poison. The wound was then poul- 
ticed with the boiled leaves of the chesnut. After this the snake was 
burnt to ashes. • 

Another remedy was a poultice made of the white plantain. As a ma- 
jority of the settlers were from Ireland, where no poisonous reptiles are 
found, it is doubtless from the Indians they learned these treatments. 

Cupping, sucking the wound, and making deep incisions, which were 
filled with salt and gunpowder, were among the earliest remedies for snake 
bites used by the whites, and may be regarded in the light of experiments 
in the healing art. 



mSTORY OF ArOUSTA COUNTY. 47 

Since this work went to press, the efficacy of one of the above modes of 
treatment has been tested in the writer's family, as will be seen by the fol- 
lowing extract from the Staunton (Va.) Valley Virginla.n of July 20. 
1882: 

A Serious Snake Bite. — On Tuesday last, as Col. Peyton and family 
were crossing North Mountain, fifteen miles from Stavmton, for an outing 
in the Shenandoah mountains, his bright and intelligent little son, Law- 
rence, who was walking up the mountain with his mother and a man-ser- 
vant, stepped upon a moccasin snake coiled under a tuft of grass on the 
roadside. The venomous reptile instantly struck his fangs deep into the 
leg of the little fellow, who sprang forward, crying out that he was bitten. 
The Colonel jumped from his carriage and immediately put his lips to the 
wound and sucked out the poison, sucking until he had raised a blister. 
He then steeped the wound in French brandy, and ordered the coachman 
to return, only delaying a moment to kill the snake, by which time the 
child's leg was much swollen and very painful. Upon reaching home, Law- 
rence was placed under the skillful treatment of Dr. Gibson, and is now, 
we are glad to say, rapidly recovering. We congratulate Colonel and 
Mrs. Peyton upon what, but for his heroic treatment in extracting the poi- 
son, would have proved a fatal calamity. 

Wounds were healed with slippery elm bark, flaxseed, &c. 

Rheumatism was treated with the oil of rattlesnakes, geese, wolves^ 
bears, raccoons, ground-hogs, polecats, &c. 

Coughs and pulmonary consumptions with syrups made with maple 
sugar and the bark of the wild cherry, etc. 

Charms and incantations were also used for the cure of many diseases, 
and these were practiced by the whites as well as the red men.. 

Erysipelas was circumscribed by the blood of a black cat. Hence there 
was scarcely a black cat to be seen whose ears and tail had not been fre- 
quently cut off for a contribution of blood. 

Blood-letting and draughts of warm water were as popular in all cases of 
fever as with Dr. Sangrado. Under this system of medicine, the reader' 
will not be surprised to learn that many of the pioneers perished, that the- 
extreme salubrity of the climate and the robust constitutions of the people 
alone prevented the population from being decimated. 

It is by no means certain that their condition would have been improved, 
by the presence of such practitioners as then drove their trade east of the 
Mountains. In an act passed by the Burgesses for regulating the fees of 
" the practisers of physic," it recites that " the practice is commonly in the 
hands of surgeons, apothecaries, or such as have only served apprentice- 
ships to these trades, who often prove very unskillful, and yet demand 
excessive fees and prices for their medicines, which is a grievance, danger- 
ous and intolerable evil." 

It was no more all work and no play with the pioneers, than with Jack 
of the proverb. Every manly exercise was cultivated. Boys were taught 



4:8 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

to box and use the cudgel and to draw the bow. At the age of t^'^ or 
twelve years, they were supplied with firearms, in the use of which they 
became experts, and aided, not only in supporting the family, but in the 
public defence. The boys became so skilled in imitating the noise of 
every bird and beast, that they could decoy any of the tenants of the for- 
ests within reach of their rifles. In throwing the tomahawk, another of 
their sports, they acquired the skill of the savages, and. would strike down 
an enemy with unerring aim at twenty to thirty paces. No athletic sport 
was neglected, such as running, jumping, pitching (the quoits), wrestling, 
boxing, but all sports were practiced which tended to make them quick of 
eye, fertile in expedients, strong of hand, active of foot, and fearless in exe- 
cution. 

To bar out the schoolmaster was one of the customs of the boys, kept 
up to within the writer's school days, when he has more than once engaged 
in the sport. About a week before Easter and Christmas, the larger 
scholars would meet in the night to bar out the master. On his arrival at 
the school-room, he would take in the situation and endeavor to force his 
way in, but finding his efforts unavailing, he would proceed to negotiate, 
and would enter into an agreement to give the scholars holiday at Easter 
week and between Christmas and New Year's. Sometimes he would agree 
to give a gallon of some beverage and a lot of gingerbread on Christmas 
day, and play a game of corner ball with his pupils on the occasion. The 
terms being understood and agreed upon, the doors would be unbarred, 
and the duties of the school would be resumed. 

It was customary for the ladies to meet at each other's houses usually at 
three in the afternoon, an hour after dinner, when all the busy occupations 
of the day were over. These were called " quilting parties," and the ladies 
presented themselves with their work-bags upon their arms, and work and 
conversation began together. Gossip, of course, constituted the staple of 
their conversation. What else was there in these retired societies but the 
domestic detail of household anecdote and the tattle of the settlement ? At 
five, sassafras tea was brought in, accompanied by a handsome collation, 
consisting of pastry, fruits, creams and sweetmeats, and often of cold fowl 
and meats. This substantial kind of refreshment is not found unacceptable 
after an early dinner, and with the perspective of a solid supper. Pio- 
neers have keen appetites arising from their robust health and the bracing 
mountain air. Among the heads of families, who had children married, 
there were regular days — generally once a week — when all the offsprings 
assembled at the father's or grandfather's house for dinner. There was 
something respectable, and even affecting, in these patriarchal meetings ; 
they seemed a means of drawing closer those ties of consanguinity which 
are the best refuge against human ills, in which the purest affections of the 
heart mingle themselves with the wants and weakness of our nature, guid- 



HISTORV OF AUGCSTA. CODNTT. 49 

ing, with watchful tenderness, the wanderinj^s of youth, and supporting, 
with unwearied care, the feebleness of age. 

The evenings were devoted to amusement, to social pleasure, to friend- 
ship, to some object that cheers or soothes the heart. Music and dancing 
were both practiced, adding much to the general happiness by lessening 
the laborious monotony of their lives. The round dance of the present, so 
much praised by poets and denounced by preachers, was not then known. 
Upon the young the beneficial effects of both music and dancing were 
apparent, particularly of music which is so well adapted to softening the 
manners and humanizing the feelings. The young people were intro- 
duced in the evenings, and entertained strangers with their songs, the girls 
often singing the airs of the countries beyond the seas which their parents 
had left, never to see again, the boys accompanying them on the flute, 
flageolet or violin. The cultivation of a taste for music and poetry pro- 
bably led to descanting in the wild style of the rude minstrels of the Mid- 
dle Ages. The souls of these children of the woods quickly took fire at 
the beauties of, poetry, and the most important benefits of poetry were 
thus produced, by promoting a repugnance to everything mean and igno- 
ble ; by the study of nature in the purity of her poetical forms ; by the in- 
nocent, and at the same time agreeable, direction which the pursuits of 
taste impart to the idler propensities of the mind ; by the influence of gen- 
erous and pathetic verse, in keeping open those hearts which are in danger 
of being choked with the cares of business. The influence of poetry can 
be seen in the eloquence of such men as Patrick Henry and Rev. Samuel 
Davies. Music and dancing were, therefore, considered an essential part 
of their education, and the old field school-houses were the academies 
where they practiced both. History was in this repeating herself, for, 
from the earliest ages, music has been much in use. The ancients attached 
vast importance to it, and ascribed the malignity, brutality and irreligion 
of some of the peoples of antiquity to their absolute neglect of it. In the 
days of Laban, music was much used in Mesopotamia, where he resided, 
since, among other reproaches he makes to his son-in-law, Jacob, he com- 
plains that, by his precipitate flight, he had put it out of his power to con- 
duct him and his family " with mirth and with songs, with tabret and with 
harp." — [Gen., cxxxi, v. 27.] 

On both sides of the Blue Ridge mountain, the amusements of the peo- 
ple were such as might be expected in a rural society ; and in Eastern 
Virginia they were those of a people of considerable wealth and compara- 
tively slight education. Horse-racing and racing balls were the events, 
and fox-hunting, cock-fighting, drinking and card-playing the regular pas- 
times. In the Virginia Gazette for October, 1737, we read: "We have 
advice from Hanover county that on St. Andrew's day there are to be 
horse-races and several other diversions for the entertainment of ladies 



50' HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COtTNTT. 

and gentlemen, at the old field, near Capt. John Brickerton's, in that 
county, ttie substance of which is as follows — viz. : It is proposed that 20 
horses or mares do run around a three miles' course for a prize of ^^5. 

" That a hat of the value of 20 shilling's be cudgfelled for, and that after 
the first challenge made, the drums are to beat every quarter of an hour 
for three challenges round the ring, and none to play with their left hand. 

" That a violin be played for by 20 fiddlers ; no person to have the 
liberty to play unless he bring a fiddle with him. After the prize is won 
they are all to play together, and each a different tune, and to be treated 
by the company. 

■' That 12 boys of 12 years of age do run 112 yards for a hat of the cost 
of 12 shillings. 

" That a flag be flying on said day 30 feet high. 

" That a handsome entertainment be provided for the subscribers and 
their wives ; and such of them as are not so happy as to have wives may 
treat any other lady. 

" That Drums, Trumpets, Hautboys, &.C., be provided to play at said 
entertainment. 

" That after dinner the Royal health, His Honor, the Governor's, &c,, 
are to be drunk. 

" That a Quire of ballads be sung for by a number of Songsters, all of 
them to have liquor sufficient to clear their wind-pipes. 

" That a pair of shoe buckles be wrestled for by a number of brisk 
young men. 

" That a pair of handsome shoes be danced for. 

" That a pair of handsome silk stockings, of one Pistole value, be given 
to the handsomest young country maid that appears in the field ; with 
many other whimsical and comical diversions too numerous to mention. 

"And as this mirth is designed to be purely innocent and void of offence, 
all persons resorting there are desired to behave themselves with decency 
and sobriety, the subscribers being resolved to discountenance all immor- 
ality with the utmost rigor." < 

These were rough, honest English sports, and prevailed everywhere in 
Eastern Virginia. At all the county towns, east of the mountains, fairs 
were held at regular intervals, accompanied by sack and hogshead races, 
greased poles, and bull-baiting. In fine weather, barbecues in the woods, 
when oxen, pigs and fish were roasted, were frequent, and were much en- 
joyed by all, ending usually, among the lower classes, with much intoxica- 
tion. Another great source of delight was the cock-fight. The small 
farmers assembled at the taverns to play billiards and drink. The monthly 
sessions of the courts filled the towns with a miscellaneous crowd. The 
people were not much given to reading or the sister art of writing. Gov. 
Spotswood remarked on one occasion, in an official reply to some remon- 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTT, 51 

strance of the House of B-rgesses: " I observe that the grand ruling 
party in your house has not furnished chairmen of two of your standing 
committees who can spell English or write common sense, as the griev- 
ances under their own hand-writing will manifest." 

FOLK LORE, 

The progress of science has convinced mankind that the material uni- 
verse is everywhere subject to fixed and immutable laws. In the infancy 
and less mature state of human knowledge it was otherwise, and man was 
constantly disposed to refer many of the appearances, with which he was 
conversant, to the agency of invisible intelligence ; sometimes under the 
influence of good, but oftener of malignant disposition. Omens and 
portents told these men of good or ill fortune. These superstitions pre- 
vailed, to a vast extent, among our English ancestors. Queen Elizabeth 
consulted Dr. John Dee, an astrologer, respecting a lucky day for her 
coronation ; James I employed much of his time in the study of witch- 
cratt and demology, and in 1664, Sir Matthew Hale caused two old women 
to be hanged upon a charge of unlawful communion with infernal spirits. 
A belief in such supernatural agency has existed in all ages and coun- 
tries — among the Jews, Chaldeans, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, down 
to within recent times. 

The history of mankind, therefore, will be very imperfect, and our 
knowledge of the operations and eccentricities of the mind lamentably 
deficient, unless we take into our view what has occurred under this head. 
The supernatural appearances, with which our ancestors conceived them- 
selves perpetually surrounded, must have had a strong tendency to 
cherish and keep alive the powers of the imagination, and to penetrate 
those who witnessed, or expected such things, with an extraordinary sensi- 
tiveness. But whatever were their advantages or disadvantages, at any 
rate it is good for us to call up in review things which are now passed 
away, but which once occupied a large share of the thoughts and attention 
of our ancestors, and in a great degree tended to modify their characters 
and dictate their resolutions. Vast numbers of persons have been sacrificed 
as witches in different ages and countries, and stringent laws once existed 
against dealers in witchcraft in Virginia. As late as 1705, Grace Sherwood 
was punished in Virginia for witchcraft. An able jury of ancient women 
was impannelled, and, after search, reported " that she was not like them, 
nor any other woman.' 

The witch was, by our ancestors, supposed to be a woman who had 
formed a contract, signed with her blood, with a mighty and invisible 
spirit, the great enemy of man, and to have sold herself, body and 
soul, to everlasting perdition for the sake of gratifying, for a short term of 
years, her malignant passions against those who had been so unfortunate 
as to give her offence. They considered such a crime as atrocious above 



52 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

all Others, and regarded the witch with inexpressible abhorence. The 
witch was thought to possess the power of inflicting strange and incurable 
diseases, particularly on children ; of destroying cattle by shooting them 
with hair balls ; of inflicting spells and curses on guns and other things, 
and of changing human beings into horses, and, after bridling and sadling 
them, riding them, full speed, over hill and dale, to their places of meet- 
ing. The wizard, or man witch, was supposed to possess the same am- 
ple powers of mischief, but to exercise his powers, for the most part, to 
counteract the malevolent influence of the witches. These wizards, or 
witch-masters, as they were commonly called, went about exercising their 
art, and many of these impostors were smart enough to make a good liv- 
ing, without work, out of their calling ; were pure and unadulterated hypo- 
crites. 

All incurable diseases were ascribed to the supernatural agency of a 
malignant witch, such as epileptic and other fits, dropsy of the brain 
rickets, &c. For the cure of diseases inflicted by witchcraft, the picture of 
the supposed witch was drawn on a stump, or piece of board, and shot at 
with a bullet containing a little bit of silver. This bullet transferred a 
painful and sometimes mortal spell on that part of the witch corresponding 
with the part of the portrait struck by the bullet. Another method was to 
get some of the child's water, which was closely corked up in a vial, and 
hung up in a chimney. This inflicted the witch with stranguary, which 
lasted as long as the vial remained in the chimney. The witch could only 
relieve herself from a spell inflicted on her by borrowing something, no 
matter what, of the family to which the subject of her witch-craft belonged. 
Such family was never in a hurry to accommodate her with a loan. 

When cattle or dogs were bewitched, they were burnt on the forehead 
by a branding-iron, or, when dead, burnt to ashes. When disease and 
pestilence prevailed, fires were lit to ward off both. This was, doubdess, 
a relic of an older custom, when an animal was offered as a burnt sacrifice 
to appease the wrath of the gods. If an animal was infected by murrain, 
the diseased part was cut out while the beast was alive, and solemnly burnt 
in a bonfire. To the modern scientific mind, these would seem wise 
precautions to hinder the spread of infection. Any one who knows the 
rural mind, even at the present day, will be quite sure that the precaution 
was magical, not sanitary. Witches were often said to milk the cows of 
their neighbors. This they did by fixing a pin in a new towel for 
each cow intended to be milked. This towel was hung over her own 
door, and by means of certain incantations, the milk was extracted from 
the fringes of the towel after the manner of milking a cow. 

The first German glass-blowers, in America, drove witches out of their 
furnaces by throwing in live puppies. 

Bewitched persons sometimes vomited quantities of crooked pins ; the 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 63 

palms of their hands were turned outwards, and, if they spoke, it was not 
in their own voice, but that of the devil, by whom they were possessed — at 
least, they were said to do so. Such were some of the extravagant fancies 
of our forefathers, and may afford us a salutary lesson. 

At many remote points on the Western frontier, similar settlements to 
the one \v^ have described on Lewis creek were made by a like class of 
immigrants. The same virtues of hospitality, of disinterested kindness, 
prevailed in all these backwoods communities, and were, in some measure, 
the result of their situation. Unselfish and liberal, these pioneers sought 
no recompense but the approval of their own consciences, and it has been 
well said that the greater part of mankind might derive advantage from 
the contemplation of their virtues. Such were those majestic men of the 
frontier — the men of 1732-1776-1812 — whose souls grew like the shadows 
of the mountain ridge they walked beneath. " wild, above rule or art, 
rugged, but sublime !" 

The first settlers of Augusta were, for the most part, the descendants, 
paternally or maternally, of the ancient Caledonians, who boasted that 
they had never been subjected to the law of any conqueror. They be- 
longed to various Highland clans, and were strongly imbued with the pre- 
judices, feelings, sentiments, &c., of their peculiar clans. One of the cir- 
cumstances connected with their condition as followers of a chieftain was, 
that every clan bore the name of their hereditary chief, and were sup- 
posed to be allied to him, in different degrees, by the ties of blood. Thia* 
kindred band, or admitted claim of a common relationship, led to a freedom: 
of intercourse highly flattering to human pride, and communicated to the- 
vassal Highlanders a sentiment of conscious dignity and a sense of natural 
equality. And every individual sought to show his attachment to his- 
leader as the head of his family. This feeling strongly exhibited itself in 
the Augusta colony, which, from intermarriages, soon assumed something 
of the character of a numerous and increasing family. The poorest preserved 
with pride the facts of this consanguinity, and whatever the distinctions of 
rank that may have arisen from the unequal acquisition of wealth, they 
mutually respected themselves and each other. The haughty backwoods- 
man yielded a cheerful obedience to the head of the clan or colon)-, whom 
they regarded somewhat as a father, and who may be supposed to have 
exercised among them the authority of a judge in peace, and of a leader 
in time of war. 

Such, briefly, was the colony of Augusta from 1732 to 1745, and a more 
interesting spectacle of undisturbed felicity, quiet progress, r otwithstand- 
ing the primitive condition of the community, and the roughing inci- 
dent to their remoteness from commercial centres, it would be difficult to 
imagine or describe. Of luxury, there was little or none, unless it might 
be termed a luxury to be without want, without beggars, and without the 



54 HISTORY OF AUGUST'a COUNTY. 

enervating diseases which attend on idleness and opulence. There were 
no diamonds or pearls, but plenty cf bright eyes and rosy cheeks ; no 
shimmering silks or brilliantly colored velvets and satins, resplendent 
with gold and silver lace, but plenty of woollen stuffs, recommended by 
their warmth and healthfulness ; no theatres, operas, fancy balls, saloons, 
or their attendant licentiousness, but plenty of fun and frolic. When we 
consider the condition of the people, and their fertile, salubrious and beau- 
tiful country; that they married and multiplied, and their virtue, instead of 
degenerating, was confirmed by time, and the more they increased the 
more examples they furnished to animate succeeding generations, one 
feels how impossible it is to describe the happiness of this fortunate peo- 
ple. Could they be other than the favored of Heaven? They who 
recognized God in everything, and constandy approached him with grati- 
tude and veneration. Religion cooperated with nature to soften and pol- 
ish their manners. Nature left but little unfinished ; that little, religion 
completed. 

The brief foregoing account of the manners and customs of the colony 
will hold good, generally, up to and long after the Revolution. 

EXCERPTS FROM THE RECORDS, ANA, ETC. 

The profession of the law seems to have been as popular in Augusta a 
hundred and twenty-five years ago as now. Though five attorneys ob- 
tained a licence to practice in December, 1745, at the February term, 1746, 
less than three months from the organization of the county, five more gen- 
tlemen of wig and gown fraternity qualified to practice in the courts, 
namely : John Newport, Obediah Merriot, Ben. Pendleton, Jno. Nicholas, 
and Wm. Wright. 

These professional gentlemen soon began to wrangle in a too charac- 
teristic way, and the court, at the same term, was driven to make the fol- 
lowing order, viz : " That any attorney interrupting another at the bar, or 
speaking when he is not employed, forfeit five shillings." 

That the manners of the bar were not over refined may be inferred from 
a fine imposed upon the leader of the circuit, Gabriel Jones, at the May 
term, 1746, of five shillings, for swearing. His profanity was indulged in 
before the court, and doubtless directed to one of his legal rivals. 

The fees of lawyers in the county and inferior courts were, as estab- 
lished by act of 1753, for an opinion or advice, ten shillings ; in any suit at 
common law, or petition, fifteen shillings ; in all chancery suits, real, mixt 
or personal actions, thirty shillings ; on a petition for a small debt, seven 
shillings and six pence ; and a fine of ^50 was levied for any violation of 
these prices. A shilling was of the value of sixteen and two-thirds cents. 
Attorneys were not likely to grow fat on such moderate fees, but could 
live well, if they got plenty of them. For we see the court, March, 1746, 
established the following rates for ordinaries, and from the scale we infer 
that they were very ordinary indeed : " For a hot diet, well dressed, nine 
pence ; a cold diet, six pence ; lodging, with clean sheets, three pence ; 
stabling and fodder for the night, six pence; rum, the gallon, nine shil- 
lings ; whiskey, six shillings ; claret, the quart, five shillings." 

Many of these early colonial lawyers were doubtless lawyers only in 



HISTOKT OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 55 

name — men not versed in the laws, but picking up a support as commis- 
sioners in chancery, conveyancers, paper shavers, or usurers and specu- 
lators, who, deriving a knowledge of the troubles of parties from their po- 
sition, availtd themselves of it to make a good turn for themselves. 

The early records abound with proofs of the morality of our ancestors, 
their determination to uphold religion, law and order. At the May term, 
1746, the court ordered Edward Boyle to be put in the stocks for two 
hours and fined twenty shillings for damning the court and swearing four 
oaths in their presence. All through the records appear cases of persons 
fined for swearing, fornication, adultery, drunkenness, and other offences, 
and in August, 1747, the sheriff was ordered to make a duckiug-stool for 
the use of the county, according to the law of 1705. 

The ancient laws of Virginia declared that the court in every county 
shall cause to be set up near the court-house a pillory, pair of stocks, a 
whipping-post and a ducking-stool, in such place as they shall think con- 
venient, which, not being set up within six months after the date of this 
act, the said court shall be fined five thousand pounds of tobacco. 

The corporal punishments inflicted upon criminals consisted of the pil- 
lory, the stocks, the whipping-post and the ducking-stool. Each of these 
is described below, for the benefit of those who are unacquainted with 
those relics of barbarism. 

The pillory is one of the most ancient corporeal punishments in En- 
gland, France, Germany, and other countries. As early as 1275, by a 
statute of Edward I, it was enacted that every stretch-neck, or pillory, 
should be made of convenient strength, so that execution might be done 
upon offenders without peril to their bodies. The pillory consisted of a 
wooden frame, erected on a stool, with holes and folding boards for the 
admission of the head and hands. The heroes of the pillory have not 
been the worst class of men, for we find that a man by the name of Leigh- 
ton, for printing his Zion's Plea against Prelacy, was fined ^10,000, de- 
graded from the ministry, pilloried, branded, and whipped through the 
city of London, in 1637, besides having an ear cropped and his nostrils 
slit. The length of time the criminal stood in and upon the pillory was 
determined by the Judge. 

The stocks was a simple arrangement for exposing a culprit on a bench, 
confined by having his ankles made fast in holes under a movable board. 
Sometimes the stocks and whipping-post were connected together. The 
posts which supported the stocks, being made sufficiently high, were fur- 
nished near the top with iron clasps to fasten round the wrists of the 
offender and hold him securely during the infliction of the punishment. 
Sometimes a single post was made to serve both purposes, clasps being 
provided near the top for the wrists when used as a whipping-post, and 
similar clasps below for the ankles, when used as stocks, in which case the 
culprit sat on a bench behind the post, so that his legs, when fastened to 
the post, were in a horizontal position. 

Women were punished in the ducking-stools. They fasten an armed 
chair to the end of two strong beams, twelve or fifteen feet long, and par- 
allel to each other. The chair hangs upon a sort of axle, on which it plays 
freely, so as always to remain in the horizontal position. The scold, being 
well fastened in her chair, the two beams are then placed as near to the 
centre as possible, across a post on the water-side, aud being lifted up be- 
hind, the chair, of course, drops into the cold element. The ducking is 



56 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

repeated, according to the deg^ree of shrewishness possessed by the pa- 
tient, and has generally the effect of cooling her immoderate heat, at least 
for a time. 



John Preston, at the May term, 1746, came into court and prayed leave 
to prove his importation, which was granted him, and thereupon he made 
oath that at his own charge he had imported himself, Elizabeth, his wife, 
William, his son, and Lettice and Ann, his daughters, immediately from 
Ireland into this colony, and that this is the first time of procuring his said 
right, in order to partake of his Majesty's bounty in taking up land, which 
is ordered to be certified. 



The first court-house of Augusta was no doubt like those common on 
the frontiers, a log cabin covered, but without daubing, sash or doors. In 
this hall of justice, a carpenter's bench, with a half-dozen chairs upon it, 
served as the judgment seat, and though the house was barely sufficient to 
contain the bench, bar, jurors, and constables, the occasion of the first 
court must have brought the whole population to the town. The follow- 
ing description of a scene in one of these frontier court-houses will no 
doubt hold true as to many in that of Augusta. But few spectators could 
be accommodated on the lower floor, the only one laid ; many, therefore, 
clambered up the walls, and placing their hands and feet in the open in- 
terstices between the logs, hung there, suspended like enormous Mada- 
gascar bats. Some had taken possession of the joists, and big Jno. Mc- 
Junkin (who, until now, had ruled at all public gatherings,) had placed a 
foot on one joist and a foot on another, directly over the heads of their 
Honors, standing, with outstretched legs, like the Colossus of Rhodes. 
The Judge's sense ol propriety was shocked at this exhibition. The 
sheriff, John McCandless, was called, and ordered to clear the walls and 
joists. He went to work with his assistants, and soon pulled down by the 
legs those who were in no very great haste to obey. Mc'Junkin was 
the last, and began to growl as he prepared to descend. " What do you 
say, sir?" said the Judge. " I say I pay my taxes, and has as good a 
reete here as iny mon." "Sheriff!" Sheriff!" said the Judge, " Bring 
him before the court !" Mcjunkin's ire was now up, and as he reached 
the floor, began to strike his breast, exclaiming, " My name is John Mc- 
Junkin, d'ye see ; here's the brist that niver flinched, if so be it was in a 
good caase ; I'll stan' iny mon in Butler county, if so be he'll clear me o' 
the la'." " Bring him before the court," said the Judge. He was accord- 
ingly pinioned, and if not gagged, at least forced to be silent while his 
case was under consideration. Some of the lawyers volunteered as amici 
■rcurice ; some ventured a word of apology for Mcjunkin. The Judge pro- 
nounced sentence of imprisonment for two hours in the jail of the county, 
and ordered the Sheriff to take him into custody. The Sheriff, with much 
simplicity, observed : " May it please the court, there is no jail at all to 
put him in." Here the Judge took a learned distinction, upon which he 
expatiated for some length for the benefit of the bar. He said " there 
were two kinds of custody ; first, safe custody ; second, close custody. The 
first is, where the body must be forthcoming to answer a demand or an 
accusation, and in this case, the body may be delivered, for the time being, 
out of the hands of the law, on bail or mainprize ; but where the imprison- 
ment forms a part of the satisfaction or punishment, there can be no bail 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTT. 5 i 

or mainprize. This is the reason of the common law, in relation to escapes 
under capias ad satisfaciendum, ;ind also why a second ca. sa. cannot is^ue 
after the defendant has been once arrested and then discharged by the 
plaintiff. In like manner, a man cannot be twice imprisoned for the same 
offence, even if he be released before the expiration of the term of impris- 
onment. This is clearly a case of close custody — areta custodia — and the 
prisoner must be confined, body and limb, without bail or mainprize, in 
some place of close incarceration." Here he is interrupted by the Sheriff, 
who seemed to have hit upon a lucky thought : " May it please the court, 
I am just thinking I can take him to Bowyer's pig-pen ; the pigs are killed 
for the court, and the pen's empty." " You have heard the opinion of the 
court." said the Judge, " Proceed, Sherifif, and do your duty." The Sheriff 
accordingly retired with the prisoner, and drew after him three-fourths of 
the spectators and suitors, while the Judge, thus relieved, proceeded to 
organize the court. But this was not the end of the affair. Peace and 
order had scarcely been restored, when the Sheriff came rushing into court 
with a crowd at his heels, crymg out, " Mr. Judge ! Mr. Judge ! May it 
please the court!" "What is the matter. Sheriff ? " " Mr. Judge ! Mr. 
Judge ! John Mcjunkin's got off, d'ye mind." " What ! escaped ! Sherifif, 
summon \hc posse comitaius.'" "The posse, the posse, what's that, may it 
please your Honor? Now, I will just tell you how it happened. He was 
going along quietly enough till we got to the hazle patch, and all at once 
he pitched off into the bushes, and I after him, but a limb of a tree kitched 
me first, and I fell back three rods." The Judge could not restrain his 
gravity ; the bar raised a laugh, and there the matter ended, after which 
the business proceeded quietly enough 

Nov. 27, 1751. — The Grand Jury presented Owen Crawford for drink- 
ing a health to King James, and refusmg to drink a health to King George. 

Feb. 19, 175 1. — John and Reuben Harrison presented a petition to the 
court praying to be rewarded for killing two persons, under the command 
of Ute Perkins, who were endeavoring to rob them. 

Feb. 19, 1751.— Catharine Cole being presented for having a bastard 
child, and refusing to pay her fine or give security for the same, according 
to law, it is ordered that she receive on her bare back, at the public 
whipping-post, twenty lashes, well laid on, in lieu of said fine, and that the 
lashing be done immediately. 



May 18, 1749. — Jane Scot, a servant woman, for having a bastard child : 
Ordered that after the expiration of her servitude by indenture, and serv- 
ing her master one year for the trouble of his house, the Church Wardens 
of Augusta Parish sell her for the said offence, according to law. 



March i, 1749. — Robt. Armstrong, in open court, made oath that he 
saw the Indians kill one, and take away another mare, belonging to Peter 
Wright, of this county. 

Nov. 28, 1750. — The Grand Jury present Jacob Coger, for a breach of 
the peace, in driving hogs over the Blue Ridge on the Sabbath day ; and 
May 28, 1751, James Frame was presented for a breach of the Sabbath, in 
unnecessarily traveling ten miles. 



58 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

May 17, 1754. — ^Ann, wife of James Brown, havins^ come into court and 
abused William Wilson, Gent., one of the justices, by calling him a rogue, 
and that on his coming off the bench she would give it to him like the 
devil, ordered that she be taken into custody, &c. 



August 24, 1754. — Joseph Tees, having affronted this court by saying 
" he got nothing in this court but shuffling," it is ordered that he be fined 
twenty shillings, &c. 



March 17, 1756. — Francis Furgesson, being brought before this court, 
&c., for damning Robert EHnwiddie, esq., (Governor of the Colony,) " for 
a Scotch pedling son of a bitch," was* found guilty, but was excused on 
apologising and giving security to keep the peace. 

May 21, 1756. — On motion of Thomas Lewis, Gent., setting forth that 
his negro, Hampton, frequently absconds from his service, and that he has 
several times attempted to ravish Ann West and other white women, and 
praying, to prevent the like mischief, he may be dismembered ; it is or- 
dered that the said Lewis employ such skillful person, as he may think 
proper, to castrate the said slave. 



Dec, 8, 1756. — Charles Dever was tried for cursing God and our Sover- 
eign Lord George II, King, &c., but acquitted. 

SERVING WRITS. 

It was not the easiest thing in the world to bring malefactors to justice 
in those days, as the following returns, made to executions, will illustrate : 

In the case of Johnson vs. Brown, (1751), "not executed by reason 
there is no road to the place where he (Brown) lives." 

Again : " Not executed by reason of excess of weather." 

Nov., 1752. — " Not executed by reason of an axe " (the axe being in 
the hands of defendant, uplifted, no doubt, to cleave the officer's skull.) 

" Not executed, because the defendant's horse was faster than mine." 

" Not executed, by reason of a gun." 

Emlen vs. Miller, — " Kept off" from Miller with a club. Sec; Miller not 
found by Humphrey Marshall." 

" Not executed, because the defendant got into deep water — out of my 
reach." 

Nov., 1754. — " Executed on the within, John Warwick, and he is not 
the man." 

" Not executed, by reason of flux being in the house." 

August, 1755. — Forty-nine executions returned "not executed, by rea- 
son of the disturbance of the Indians." 



One of the early vices of the frontier was insobriety among the lower 
classes, and our ancestors made strenuous efforts, as the records show, to 
stamp it out. They believed, probably like the ancients, that it was a dis- 
ease. Five centuries before the Christian era, Herodotus said that " Drunk- 
enness showed that both body and soul were sick." Diogenes and Plutarch 
assert that " Drink madness is an affection of the body which hath de- 
stroyed many kings and noble people." Laws were passed forbidding 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COTTNTy. 59 

women to use wine and restricting- boys. In the first and second centuries 
the early Christians urged temperance, and from that time to this it has 
engaged the attention of the good and wise. Temperance societies ha\'e 
done much to rescue mankind from the horrors of intemperance, and in 
the early days of Augusta, the County Court was, so to speak, a kind of 
temperance society. The justices were men of sobriety ; the court did not 
s it idle and see the mighty evil entail untold ruin upon man. They sought, 
by rigid execution of the laws, to extirpate the evil and to encourage vir- 
tuous habits. Thus we see that on Feb. loth, 1746, the court ordered the 
sheriff to take William Linwell into custody, and that he be fined five 
shillings for being drunk. Many similar orders might be cited. 



CHAPTER V. 



The early settlers were naturally anxious on entering territory which had 
been held for time immemorial by native inhabitants, to conciliate their 
good will, and, if possible, to live on friendly terms with them* Policy, 
no less than humanity and justice, dictated this course. The pioneers had 
witnessed the good effects of Penn's kind treatment of the simple-hearted 
children of the forest, and were determined to follow his example. The 
colonists on Lewis creek did not require advice on this point, but six years 
after they planted themselves in Augusta, shortly after some acts of injus- 
tice had been perpetrated by reckless whites in the Valley, the people 
were strongly advised to pursue a policy of justice and humanity towards 
the natives by a venerable and respected member of the Society of 
Friends, Thomas Chalkley. In a letter dated May 21st, 1738, and ad- 
dressed to the Friends at Opequon, near Winchester, he urged them " to 
keep a friendly correspondence with the natives ; to recognize their right 
to the country, and not settle on their lands without their consent or until 
purchased ; to therefore select the most reputable whites to treat with the 
Indians as to the acquisition, by purchase, of such lands as the whites 
might wish to possess." He informed them that an opposite course would 
expose themselves and families to murder by a cruel and merciless enemy. 
He begged them to consider " that you are in the province of Virginia, 
holding what rights you have under that government, and the Virginians 
have made an agreement with the natives to go as far as the mountains 
and no further, &c.; and you are over and beyond the mountains, there- 



«*•*» 



<>^ HISTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

tore out of that agreement, by which you lie open to the insults and incur- 
sions of the Southern Indians, who have already destroyed many of the 
inhabitants of Carolina and Virginia." " The English having gone beyond 
the bounds of their agreement," says he, " eleven of them were killed by 
the Indians while we were travelling in Virginia." He informed them 
that in Pennsylvania no new settlements were made without an agreeinent 
with the natives, as was the case in Lancaster, a county far within Penn's 
grant, and warned them of the danger they would incur from both the 
N jrthern and Southern Indians by presuming to squat upon their lands. 
And, lastly, he assured them that he was moved to give them this advice 
solely by his love of God and man, and a sincere desire that they might 
live in peace and happiness. 

Lewis and the early settlers recognized, to the fullest extent, the right of 
the Indians to the country of their nativity. As America, up to the dis- 
covery by Columbus, had been unknown to the rest of the world, how 
could it belong to any foreign prince or State ? The native tribes, who 
possessed it, were free and independent communities, and as such capable 
of acquiring territorial property. Among the various principles on which 
a right to the soil has been founded, there is none superior to immemorial 
occupancy. In this case, no European power could derive a title to the 
soil from discovery ; because, that can give a right only to lands or things 
which have neither been owned nor possessed, or which, after having been 
owned or possessed, have been voluntarily deserted. The right of the 
Indian nations to the soil in their possession was, therefore, founded in 
nature. It was the free and liberal gift of Heaven to them, and such as no 
foreigner could rightfully annul. The blinded superstition of the times, 
however, regarded the Deity as the partial God of Christians, and not as 
the common father of saints and savages. The pervading influence of 
philosophy, reason and truth has, since that period, given us better notions 
of the rights of mankind, and of the obligations of morality. These, 
unquestionably, are not confined to particular modes of faith, but extend 
universally to Jews and Gentiles, to Christians and infidels. Unfounded, 
however, as the claims of European Sovereigns to American territory were, 
they severally proceeded to act upon them. By tacit consent they adopted, 
as a new law of nations, that the countries which each explored should be 
the absolute property of its discoverer. While thus sporting with the 
rights of unoftending nations, they could not agree in their respective 
shares of the common spoil, and hence the long and bloody wars between 
the English, French and Spaniards. 

The leaders of the infantile colony in Augusta, not holding the views of 
their Sovereigns, but the juster sentiments to which allusion has been 
made, on arriving near Bellefont, sought to acquire lands, by purchase 
from the aborigines. They soon ascertained that no tribe residing in the 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 61 

Valley claimed exclusive ownership in the soil, or set up a right to dispose 
of it by sale. The whites were, therefore, compelled either to withdraw or 
settle upon the lands and wait for the issue of events. The latter course 
was adopted. That they afterwards found savages claiming authority to 
dispose of the country, may be taken for granted from a remark of Jeffer- 
son in his " Notes on Virginia " : " That the lands of this country were 
taken from the Indians by conquest, is not so generally a truth as is sup- 
posed. I find, in our historians and records, repeated proofs of purchase, 
which cover a considerable part of the lower country, and many more 
would be doubtless found on further search. The upper country (/. ^., the 
Valley,) we know has been acquired altogether by purchase, in the most 
unexceptionable form." That Lewis and the first setders of the " Upper 
Country," did acquire, very soon after their arrival, some such title, may 
be inferred from the friendly relations which existed between them and the 
Indians for many years. And from the proofs which are still extant of such 
purchases in the District of West Augusta — such as the deed quoted in 
full in the sequel of this chapter, from certain Indian chiefs to George 
Croghan. A deed acknowledged, by the way, in that N. W. portion of 
Augusta in which, as will appear later on. justices' courts were frequently 
held anterior to the Revolution. It is well known that the two races, the 
whites and Indians, lived in the Valley for above twenty years, from 1732 
to 1753, on amicable terms. This could not have been the case had the 
policy of the whites been one of injustice and inhumanity, and unappre- 
ciated by the wild men. For as early as 17 12, the Tuscarora Indians, in 
North Carolina, had massacred one hundred and thirty -seven of the whites 
in a systematic effort to rid their country of the new-comers. Had the 
wise course of Penn and of the Augusta settlers been generally followed, 
there is reason to believe that the continent would have passed into the 
hands of the superior race without loss of blood or treasure. 

In 1732, when Lewis and his associates, if others were associated with 
him in his adventurous enterprise, entered the present County of Augusta, 
they had not taken the precaution to secure titles from the Colonial Gov- 
ernment to any lands they might wish to locate — ^a singular omission, if 
they came from Williamsburg, as has been stated. It was the custom of 
the times to issue such grants, and in the year 1733, the Governor issued 
one for 5,000 acres to a German, by the name of Stover, "on the south 
fork of the Gerando (now Shenandoah) river, on what was called Mesi- 
netto creek," and it is certain that the colonial authorities of Virginia 
regarded the Valley and country west of the mountains as belonging to 
the British crown — ignoring, as absurd, any claim to it of natives. This 
has been the traditional course of Great Britain, and continues her present 
policy. Hence within the last decade, i872-'82, she has waged wars with 
the Zulus in Africa, with the native tribes of India, and other quarters of 



62 HISTORV OF AUOUSTA COUNTY. 

the globe, for the possession of their lands, wh'ch she had neither pur- 
chased nor conquered, but to which she calmly set up a claim. 

Having settled in Augusta, without any other title to their lands than 
they may have subsequently acquired from the aborigines, it does not 
appear that the whites applied to the colonial authorities for patents. It 
is probable, having bought of the red men, they did not consider this 
course necessary. If they had given the Indians a satisfactory considera- 
tion for the soil they occupied, they no doubt considered an application to 
Gov. Gooch unnecessary. The Governor, however, took the European 
view of the situation, and commenced sporting with the rights of the In- 
dians in the " Upper Country" by issuing patents for large tracts to his 
favorites. Thus we find him issuing a patent to the Augusta section of the 
Valley, on the 12th day of August, 1736, to William Beverley and his 
associates for 118,491 acres, being a tract known as Beverley Manor. Up 
to this date the colonists had, as we have seen, lived upon the demesne 
without law, or the authority of English law, and governed by such cus- 
toms as had grown up among themselves for regulating their intercourse. 
Among these were what were termed "corn rights," tomahawk rights, and 
cabin rights. The corn right was a title derived from having enclosed and 
cultivated a plot of ground. Whoever cultivated one acre in corn acquired 
a title to one hundred acres of land. The tomahawk right consisted of 
nothing more than the deadening of a few trees, generally round a spring, 
and blazing a few trees on the lines of a claim. The cabin right was 
derived from building a log hut upon a certain tract of land. Every 
escaped trial under the ancient laws of Virginia is, in view of all the facts, 
builder of a hut acquired a title to forty acres. The patent to Beverley, the 
original of which is in the Circuit Clerk's office, Staunton, is as follows : 

PATENT FOR BEVERLEY MANOR. 

George II, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, 
King, Defender of the Faith, &c. : To all to whom these presents shall 
come, greeting : Know, that for diverse good causes and considerations, 
but more especially, for the consideration in an order of our Lieutenant- 
Governor, in Council, bearing date 12th of August, 1736, we have given, 
granted and confirmed, and by these presents for us, our heirs and suc- 
cessors, do give, grant, and confirm unto William Beverley, of the Co. of 
Essex, Gentleman, Sir John Randolph, of the City of Williamsburg, 
Knight, Richard Randolph, of the Co. of Henrico, Gentleman, and John 
Robinson, of the Co. of King and Queen, Gentleman, one certain tract or 
parcel of land, called the Manor of Beverley, containing 118,491 acres, 
lying and being in the county of Orange, beyond the great mountains, on 
the river Sherando, and bounded as follows, to wit : Beginning at five 
white oaks, on a narrow point, between a large run, called Thirsty Creek, 
and a small run, called Gearer Run, about thirty poles on the east side 
through middle (of the) river Sherando, and running thence N. 70°, W. 
364 poles, by four linds, with the same river : thence N. 15°, W. 145 poles, 
crossing the said river the whole course, being 443 poles, by a large white 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 63 

oak and two small ones ; thence N. 75°, E. 297 poles to four linns and a 
red oak on a ridge ; thence N. 15°, E. 44 poles to a double walnut and 
gum on this ridge of the said Middle River ; thence down the same 102 
poles to a red oak and hickory by the river side , then from the first men- 
tioned five white oaks S. 364 poles, crossing Gearer Run twice, just below 
three small Spanish oaks under a steep hill ; thence S. 83°. E. 270, by 
five linds ; thence S. S. E. 330 poles to three white oaks by the side of a 
meadow ; thence E. by South 738 poles, across Sherando River, to a 
forked white walnut, a black one, a hickory and an ash by the river side ; 
thence down the same 74 poles to two water oaks, two hickories, a whortle- 
berry tree and a walnut ; thence E. by South 60 poles to four linds on the 
foot of the Blue Ridge, in stony ground; thence South by East 88 poles, 
between a white and red oak ; thence S. E. 103 poles by four linds and 
white oak; thence S. S. W. 492 to three linds; thfnce South 450 poles 
by a red oak, white oak and two linns ; thence S. W. 456 poles to five 
Imns ; thence S. 5°, W. 88 poles to a white oak and linn saplins on the 
river bank ; thence S. S. E. 38 poles by four linns ; thence S. W. by West 
286 poles to twohnns near the river; thence S. 26°, E. 90 poles to three 
white oaks; thence S. and by West 134 poles, nigh two red oaks, by a 
boiling spring, almost as big as the river in flat grounds ; thence S. 60°, 
W. 176 poles to three linns nigh the river ; thence W. 232 poles by two 
red and two white oaks on the river side ; thence through several thickets 
of the same 1,300 poles, by two Spanish oaks, two red oaks and a white 
oak just below three springs, called the Great Springs ; thence S. 30 poles 
by two hnns and a hickory ; thence S. W. and by W. 178 poles to three 
linds; thence S. 33°, W. 238 poles by four pines; thence West by South 
274 poles by two pines and a red oak bush ; thence West Northwest 114 
poles by three pines ; thence North 85°, West 546 poles by four pines ; 
thence W. 506 poles by a chesnut oak, red oak and pine on the brow of a 
hill; thence N. 50°, W. 244 poles to three pines; thence N. 396 poles to 
three hickories and a pine by a red oak ; thence S. 70°, W. 630 poles by 
four hickories near a valley ; thence S. 20°, W. 544 poles to three red 
oaks on the west side of Hamerk's branch ; thence S. W, by West 94 
poles by two white oaks and a red oak ; thence S W. by South 652 poles 
by four red oaks and three hickories just above the head of some of the 
Sherando waters ; thence N. W. and by West 232 poles to a red oak and 
white oak and hickory by the head of a draft that runs into James River; 
thence S. W. by West 300 poles, crossing two springs of the James River; 
thence N. W. by West 600 poles, crossing the head spring of Sherando 
to two hickories, two chesnuts and white oak, with a spring of James 
River ; thence N. 2,016 poles, crossing four springs of James river to a 
white oak by a path ; thence N. 75°, W. 106 poles on the side of a very high 
hill, (from the foot of which issues a spring about fifty feet broad called 
the Black Spring) to a white oak and hickory; thence S. 60°, W. 120 
poles to a Spanish oak, hickory and walnut ; thence S. 40°, W. 100 poles 
by a hickory and white oak ; thence N. 50°, W. 92 poles, crossing the 
middle river of Sherando, on which we first began to survey the whole 
Louisa county, 160 poles, between two white oaks and a hickory at the 
foot of a ridge of mountains that lies between this and the north branch of 
the same river ; thence N. 40°, E. 160 poles by a white oak and hickory ; 
thence N. 20°, E. 34 poles between two white oak saplings ; thence N. 
40°, E. 183 poles to a white oak ; thence N. by East 47 poles to two 
Spanish oaks by a deep valley ; thence N. 36°, E. 350 poles along the foot 



64 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

of the mountains ; thence N. N. E. 270 poles; thence N. 31°, E. 4S0 poles 
thence N. 19'^, E.460 poles; thence N. 60°, E. 374 poles; thence S. 34^ 
E. 234 poles to the north of a dry meadow; and lastly, N. 70°, E. 4,190 
poles to the red oak and hickory mentioned at the end of the sixth source 
by the river side ; with all woods, underwoods, springs, marshes, low 
grounds, feedings, and their due share of all coal, mines and quarries, as 
well discovered as not discovered, within the bounds and limits aforesaid, 
and being part of the said quantity of 118,491 acres of land, and the rivers, 
waters and water-courses therein mentioned, together with the privileges 
of hunting, hawking, fishing, fowling, and all other profits, commodities 
and hereditaments whatsoever to the same or any part thereof belonging 
or in any wise appertaining : To have and to hold, possess and enjoy the 
said part or parcel of land, and all other the above granted premises, and 
every part thereof, with their and every of their appurtenances, unto the 
said William Beverley, Sir John Randolph, Richard Randolph, and John 
Robinson, to their heirs and assigns forever, to the only use and behoof 
them, the said William Beverley, Sir John Randolph, Richard Randolph, 
and John Robinson, their heirs and assigns forever ; to be held of us, our 
heirs and successors, as of our Manor of East Greenwich, in the county of 
Stout, in free and common soccage, and not in villenage, or by Knight's 
service ; they passing and paying unto us, our heirs and successors, for 
every fifty acres of land, and so proportionately for a lesser or greater 
quantity than fifty acres, the fee rent ot one shilling yearly, to be paid upon 
the feast of St. Michael, the archangel ; and also cultivating and improving 
three acres, part of every fifty of the tract above mentioned, within three 
years after the date of these presents: Provided always, That if three 
years of the said free rent shall be in ^.rrear and unpaid, or if the said 
Wm. Beverley, Sir John Randolph, Richard Randolph and John Robin- 
son, their heirs and assigns, do not, within the space of three years next 
ensuing after the date of these presents, cultivate and improve three acres, 
part of every fifty of the tract above mentioned, upon the estate hereby 
granted, shall cease and be utterly determined, and thereafter it shall and 
may be lawful to and for us, our heirs and successors, to grant the same 
lands and premises, with the appurtenances, to such other person or per- 
sons as we, our heirs and successors, shall think fit. 

In witness whereof, we have caused these, our letters patent, to be made. 

Witness, our trusty and well-beloved William Gooch, Esq., our Lieu- 
tenant Governor, and Commander-in-Chief of our Colony and Dominion 
of Virginia, at Williamsburg, under the seal of our said colony, the 6th 
day of September, 1736, in the fourth year of our reign. 

WILLIAM GOOCH. 

The tract thus conveyed extended across the Shenandoah Valley, and 
the southern portion included the present site of Staunton. Public atten- 
tion was attracted by this and similar grants of various tracts of fertile 
lands at nominal prices, and the basest motives of personal gain were 
attributed to the parties interested, not excepting the Governor, who, with 

the grantees, was denounced in unmeasured terms. 

The grant for Beverley Manor had no sooner been issued than the 

grantees sought industriously to attract immigrants from the northern 

colonies and from Europe. Advertisements, setting forth the advantages 

of the country, were conspicuously displayed in Alexandria, Philadelphia, 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA CODNTT. 65 

and other seaports, and thev were sent to Europe by settlers who wished 
to draw their friends after them. 

In this work they were aided by an Englishman by the name of Benja- 
min Burden, or Borden, who was settled in trade in New Jersey, but who 
frequently visited Eastern Virginia, and during these visits had ingratiated 
himself with the Lieutenant-Governor. Burden came to America as the 
agent of Lord Fairfax, and while in Williamsburg formed the acquaintance 
of John Lewis, who was on a visit to the city. Lewis was pleased with 
the social qualities and keen judgment of the enterprising agent, and in- 
vited him to Bellefonte, Burden accepted, and spent some months under 
the hospitable roof of the Founder. He was delighted with the manners 
and customs of the settlers ; with the beauty and fertility of the country, and 
with the comparative leisure enjoyed by the people — a leisure devoted to 
hunting, fishing, and rural sports. While at Bellefonte, he shot over the 
country with the Founder's sons, Thomas, Andrew and William Lewis. 
During one of their excursions they captured a buffalo calf, which Burden 
took on his return to Williamsburg and presented to the Governor. The 
General was so much gratified at this and other civilities on the part of Bur- 
den, that he directed a patent to be made out, authorizing Burden to locate 
500,000 acres of land on the Sherando (Shenandoah) or James Rivers, 
west of the Blue Ridge. This large grant extended from the southern 
line of Beverley Manor, and embraced the whole upper part of Augusta 
and Rockbridge. It was surveyed by Capt. Jno. McDowell, who, some 
years later, in December, 1743, fell into an ambush while on this land, near 
the junction of North and James rivers, and was killed by Shawnee In- 
dians. Burden's grant was upon the sole condition that he would settle, 
within ten years, one hundred families upon the said land. Burden im- 
mediately returned to England, and in 1737, returned with the required 
number of families, among whom were the McDowells, Crawfords, Mc- 
Clures, Alexanders, Wallaces, Moores, Mathews, and others, who became 
the founders of some of Virginia's distinguished families. 

Neither Burden nor the proprietors of Beverley Manor relaxed their 
efforts to secure emigrants, and the population increased with such ra- 
pidity, as we have seen, that it resulted in the establishment of the county 
of Augusta the following year. Other causes were at work to hasten the 
settlement of the country about Staunton. Lord Fairfax held, under pa- 
tent from James II, all that part of Virginia known as the Northern Neck. 
Under this grant, Fairfax claimed for the western boundary of his terri- 
tory a line from the head springs of the Rappahannock, supposed to rise in 
the Blue Ridge, and the head springs of the Potomac, supposed to rise in 
the Alleghanies. This claim embraced the lower end of the Shenandoah 
Valley, now composed of the counties of Jefferson, Berkeley, Morgan, 
Hampshire, Frederick, Clarke, Warren, Page, Shenandoah and Hardy. 



66 HISTORY OF ADGDSTA COUNTT. 

His Lordship's claim was neither admitted in Virginia nor in England, 
and the colonial government continued to issue warrants to enterprising 
men, for surveying and appropriating extensive tracts west of the Blue 
Ridge, on condition of permanent settlements being made. Under these 
grants, settlements were made on the lands claimed by Fairfax, and ex- 
tended quickly as far south as Linvel Creek, in Rockingham county, 
which was in Beverley Manor. 

Disputes arose between Fairfax and these settlers, and expensive law 
suits ensued. This state of things alarmed many immigrants, and in hopes 
of greater security, they passed south, beyond the hmits of Fairfax's claim, 
and settled in Beverley Manor and to the south of it. The upper Valley 
was, for these reasons, more rapidly occupied by the Europeans than the 
lower. Augusta, being thus benefited, made exceptionable progress in 
both population and wealth, which brought about her organization as a 
county at the early period of 1745. In the general work of inviting popu- 
lation to the country west of the mountains, the grantees were aided by 
the whole weight and authority of the government. The Legislature 
passed an act at the session of 1752 to encourage persons to settle on the 
waters of the Mississippi, in Augusta, "as well His Majesty's natural born 
subjects, as foreign Protestants, willing to import themselves and their 
families and effects, as the settling of that part of the country will add to 
the strength and security of the colony in general, and be a means of aug- 
menting His Majesty's revenue of quit rents;" and it was enacted that 
said settlers should be exempt from taxes for the term of ten years. 

At this period there existed, as for some time previously in the colony, 
a regular militia system, rendered necessary by Indian wars, which oc- 
curred, more or less, along the entire frontier, from New Hampshire 
to Georgia, from 1690 to 1794. As from this period, 1752, John Lewis, 
the Founder, is uniformly styled Colonel, it cannot be doubted that he 
was about this time commissioned Colonel, or chief officer of the militia. 
Under this commission, it became the duty of the Colonel to list all free 
male persons above the age of twenty -one, within the county, under such 
captains as the Colonel should think fit to appoint. By this act, public 
officers in the civil service were exempt from duty in the militia, and " any 
of the people commonly called Quakers." That war was near, and Indian 
incursions were apprehended, is evident from their acts, requiring the 
officers and men to be thoroughly armed and accoutred, and every militia 
man to keep at his house at all times one pound of gunpowder and four of 
ball. He was also required, when called out, to bring the same into the 
field with him. These arms, accoutrements, &c., were exempt from seizure 
and distress. The Colonel was further empowered to require all militia 
men " to go armed to their respective parish churches." A court-martial 
was held after every general muster, composed of the field-officers and 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA. COUXTY'. 67 

captains, for tryin'y delinquents, of which the following- officers were to be 
members: the Colonel of the county, the Lieutenant-colonel, and the 
Major. The militia was regularly trained, and in September of each year 
was assembled for a (reneral muster or battalion drill. A similar militia 
system existed in all the colooies, fro n Massachusetts to Georgia, and by 
it were trained and formed for service the future Washingtons, Lewises, 
Lees, Putnams, Waynes, Moultries, Greenes, and Gateses. 

As much of our present civilization and progress is due to the pious 
men who first preached the Gospel in the wilderness, we shall give in the 
next succeeding chapter a brief account of the Presbyterian Church and 
other religious sects, which preceded the Established Church in the Valley. 

MARY GREENLEE, THE SO-CALLED WITCH — HER DEPOSITION IN THE 

BURDEN CASE. 

Mary McDowell, who married James Greenlee, was the daughter of 
Ephraim McDowell, one of the early settlers on Burden's grant, and a 
great aunt of the late Gov. James McDowell, of Rockbridge. She was a 
woman of more than ordinary brightness and vivacity of intellect, but 
many aberrations of mind and eccentricities of character and conduct. 
Early disappointment in a love affair heightened her natural peculiarities, 
and these, with her superior abilities and her independence, caused her 
neighbors to regard her as a witch. Nothing in those days was too wild 
and remote from the reality of things, not to meet with an eager welcome, 
at least, from many. She was, no doubt, as were all witches, thought to 
have signed in her own blood a contract with the devil, to abjure the 
Christian religion and all reverence for the true God ; that she would 
steadily refuse to listen to any one who should desire to convert her or 
convince her of the error of her ways and lead her to repentance. Many 
of our ancestors, no doubt, believed this contract was duplicated, to pre- 
vent mistakes, and that while the Prince of Darkness retained one copy, 
the other was in possession of Mrs. Greenlee, and often consulted by her. 
Such, notoriously, were the supposed conditions and custody of these 
compacts with Satan. On one occasion, at a " quilting party " at her own 
house, and when hospitably pressing one of the ladies to eat more, she 
said gaily, " The mare that does double work should be best fed" The rash 
ignorance of the party construed this to mean that she herself was a witch, 
and this woman the mare she rode in her nightly incursions to the conse- 
crated haunts of diabolical intercourse. Her crimes, and many were attri- 
buted to her, were said to have proceeded from malignity and resentment, 
and she was supposed to go forth at night into the open air, and there, 
amidst darkness and the storm, to curse her victims and pursue her unholy 
incantations. No wonder the more superstitious of her neighbors shrank 
from her with holy horror, poured out curses upon her from the bottom 
of their hearts. In a somewhat mysterious ay , some of the stock of Mr. 



68 HI8TOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

Craig, an inhabitant of the Triple Forks, disappeared, and the loss was 
attributed to Mrs. Greenlee, for witches were understood to have the 
power of destroying life, without the necessity of approaching the person 
or beast whose life was to be taken. One method was by exposing an 
image of wax to the action of the fire, while in proportion as the image 
wasted away, the life of the individual, who was the object contrived 
against, was undermined and destroyed. Another, was by incantations 
and spells. Either of these was styled " compassing, or imagining the 
death." Possessed of such subtle and dangerous power, and indulging in 
such practices, in the opinion of her neighbors, one can readily understand 
the indignation and abhorrence with which she must have been regarded. 

From so much of the story of Mrs. Greenlee as is preserved, it is prob- 
able her vanity was flattered at the terror she inspired in her simple neigh- 
bors, and that she was greatly amused at the fright she caused these rus- 
<"ics. Possibly, in the end, she deluded herself, and began to think her 
imprecations had a real effect ; that her curses killed — provided, always, 
that she indulged in any, which is open to doubt. 

Mary Greenlee inherited not only the hard intelligence, but the pluck, 
of her Covenanter stock ; was the kinswoman of the Founder, surrounded 
by a powerful family, and indulged few fears of coming to the ordeal of fire 
and water. In that superstitious age, however, to pursue, at the expense of 
her ignorant neighbors, a mysterious conduct might be likened to whet- 
ting the knife that was to take her life — digging her own grave. That she 
escaped trial under the ancient laws of Virginia is, in view of all the facts, 
surprising. Rather would we have expected to hear that she had been 
seized by the hair of the head, or nape of the neck, and drawn before a 
judge. The belief in witchcraft of our ancestors was sincere, and this is 
the less to be wondered at when we consider that these superstitions are 
cropping up in the civilized life of the present day in " spirit manifesta- 
tions." The belief, however, in these matters is now confined to a class 
who may be, not inappropriately, styled "cranks." 

Let us rejoice that light has broken in upon us, and that amidst the in- 
evitable ills of this life we are no longer harassed, like our forefathers, with 
imaginary terrors and haunted by frightful images. 

In the Burden case, Mrs. Greenlee underwent, in 1806, a long examina- 
tion, testing her temper and memory. In the midst of the examination 
the question was put to her, " How old are you ?" She tartly replied, 
" Ninety-five the 17th of this instant; and why do you ask me my age ? 
Do you think I am in my dotage ?" Her deposition, which follows, can- 
not fail to be read with interest. It casts much light upon our early days, 
supplies valuable information as to the early settlers, their manners and 
customs, and has not inaptly been styled the corner-stone of our county 
history. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 69 

DEPOSITION OF MRS. JAMES GREENLEE, TAKEN NOVEMBER lO, lSo6, IN 
THE SUIT OF JOSEPH BURDEN, PLAINTIFF, VS. ALEX. CUETON AND 
OTHERS, DEFENDANTS. 

Mrs, Greenlee, being sworn, deposeth and saith : 

That she, with her husband, James Greenlee, settled on Burden's large 
grant, as near as she could recollect, in the Fall of the year 1737. * * * 
That shortly before her settlement on said grant, she, together with her 
husband, her lather, Ephrami McDowell, then a very aged man, and her 
brother, John McDowell, were on their way to Beverley Manor, and were 
advanced as far as Lewis'es creek, intending to stop on South river, hav- 
ing, at that time, never heard of Burden's tract. That she remembers of 
her brother, James, having, the Spring before, gone into said Manor and 
raised a crop of corn on Sourh river, about Turks, near what was called 
Wood's Gap. That about the time they were striking up their camp in 
the evenmg, Benj. Burden, the elder, came to their camp and proposed 
staying all night. In the course of conversation, said Burden informed 
them he had about 10,000 acres of land on the waters of James river, or 
the forks, if he could ever find it, and proposed giving 1,000 acres to any 
one who would conduct him to it. When a light was made, he produced 
two papers, and satisfied the company of his rights. The deponent's 
brother, John McDowell, then informed him, said Burden, he would con- 
duct him to the forks of James river for 1,000 acres ; showed said Burden 
his surveying instruments, &c., and finally it was agreed that said McDow- 
ell should conduct him to the grant, and she thinks a memorandum of the 
agreement was then made in writing. They went on from thence to the 
house of John Lewis, in Beverley Manor, near where Staunton now stands, 
who was a relation of deponent's father. They remained with him a few 
days, and there, she understood, further writings were entered into, and it 
was finally agreed they should all settle in Burden's tract. That said John 
McDowell was to have 1,000 acres for conducting them there, agreeable 
to the writing entered into, and that the settlers were, moreover, tc have 
100 acres for every cabin they should build, even if they built forty ca- 
bins, and that they might purchase any quantity adjoining at 50 shillings 
per hundred acres. The deponent understood that said Burden was inter- 
ested in these cabin rights, as they were called, for that any cabin 
saved him 1,000 acres of land. These cabin rights were afterwards 
counted, as deponent understood, and an account returned to the govern- 
ment, then held at Williamsburg, and she has heard, about that time, 
many tests of the manner in which one person, by going fi-om cabin tO' 
cabin, was counted, and stood for several settlements. 

She recollects, particularly, of hearing of a serving girl of one James 
Bell, named Millhollen, who dressed herself in men's cloaths and saved 
several cabin rights, perhaps five or six, calling herself Millhollen, but 
varying the Christian name. These conversations were current in that 
day. She knows nothing of the fact but from information. She under- 
stood that it was immaterial where the cabins were built ; that they were 
to entitle the builder to 100 acres as aforesaid, whenever he chose to lay it 
ofif, and that he had a right to purchase, at 50 shillings as aforesaid, any 
larger quantity. One John Patterson was employed to count the cabins 
rights, as she understood. He was accustomed to mark the letters on his 
hat with chalk, as she has been informed, and afterwards deliver the ac- 
count to her brother, John McDowell, and remembers to have heard that 



70 HISTOUV OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

her brother had expressed his surprise at so many people by the name of 
Millhollen being settled on the land, but which was afterwards explained 
by the circumstance of the servant girl above mentioned, and was a sub- 
ject of general mirth in the settlement. She does not know whether this 
plan of saving several cabin rights by one person appearing at different 
cabins, was suggested by Burden, the elder, or not. She understood 
that every person saving a cabin right got i6o acres for each right so 
saved, as he, Burden, was to have a cabin for every i, coo acres. When 
the party with which she travelled, as aforesaid, came, as they supposed, 
into the grant, they stopped at a spring, near where David Steele now 
lives, and struck their camp, her brother and said Burden having gone 
down said branch until they were satisfied it was one of the waters of 
James river. The balance of the party remained at that spring until her 
brother John and said Borden, as she understood, went down to the forks 
formed by the waters of the South and North river, and, having taken a 
course through the country, returned to said camp. They then went on 
to the place called the Red House, where her brother, John, built a cabin 
and setded where James McDowell now lives. The first cabin her hus- 
band built was by a spring, near where Andrew Scott now lives, but when 
deponent went to see it, she did not hke the situation, and they then built 
and settled at the place called Browns. They sold this after some short 
time, and purchased the land on which her brother, James, had made an im- 
provement, now called Templetons, and where she resided until about the 
year 1780, being within sight of where her father, then near a hundred years 
of age, resided. This was the first party of white people that ever settled on 
the said grant. The said Burden, the elder, remained on the grant from 
that time, as well as she can recollect, for perhaps two years and more, 
obtaining settlers, and she believes there were more than a hundred set- 
tlers before he left them. She believes he was in the grant the whole time 
from his first coming up until he left it before his death, but how long be- 
fore his death he left it, she does not know. He resided some time with 
a Mrs. Hunter, whose daughter afterwards married one Greene, and to 
whom, she understood, he gave the tract whereon they lived. When the 
said Borden left the grant, she understood he left his papers with her 
brother, John McDowell, to whose house a great many people resorted, as 
she understood, to see about lands, but what authority her brother had to 
sell, or whether he made sales or not, she does not know. Her brother, 
John, was killed about Xmas before her son, Samuel, her first son of that 
name, was born. He was born, as appears by the register of his birth in 
the Bible, about April, 1743. The date of this register is pardy obliterated, 
in the last figure, but from the date of the birth of the preceding and 
subsequent child it must have been, as she believes, in 1743, that said 
Samuel was born. 

Young Benj. Burden came into the grant before her brother's death. 
She recollects this from the circumstance of his being then in ordinary 
plight, and such that he did not seem much respected by her brother's 
wife, and when she afterwards married him she could not but reflect on the 
change of circumstances. She understood that he was altogether illiter- 
ate. She said Benjamin, junior, lived with her brother, John, whilst in the 
grant, but returned to his father's before the death of said John, and after 
his father's death returned, fully empowered by his father's will to com- 
plete titles and sell lands, and then married the widow of her said brother, 
and continued to live at the place where her said brother settled as afore- 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 71 

said, until his death. This place, now called the Red House place, is 
about three-quarters of a mile from Templetons, where the deponent 
resided as above. 

Joseph Burden, (a son of old Ben. Burden, the grantee,) had resided at 
his brother, Benjamin's, some years before his, (Benjamin's) death ; had 
gone to school, and was here at his death ; had the small-pox about the 
time of her brother's death, some time after which (deponent does not 
recollect precisely, but believes it was not long,) he went away, not being, 
very well liked, as she understood, and not made very welcome ; was then 
but aJad about 18 or 19, as well as she can recollect from his appearance. 
This deponent recollects John Hart, who had removed to Beverley Manor 
some short time before the removal of this deponent and her friend, as 
above stated, but she cannot say whether he surveyed for the said Benja- 
min or not ; she understood he was a surveyor. The people who hrst set- 
tled and purchased did not always have their lands surveyed at the time 
of the purchase ; as she understood, some had their lands surveyed and 
some had not, but when it was not surveyed, they described it by gen- 
eral boundaries. Beatty was the first surveyor whom she knows thai 
surveyed in the grant. The said Borden had been at Williamsburg, and 
some one, perhaps the Governor's son-in-law, by name Needier, and his 
other partners, had in a frolic given him their interest in said grant. She 
understood there were four of them — the Governor, Gooch, his said son- 
in-law, and two others whose names she does not recollect, who were 'in- 
terested in the order of Council for said land, and that Burden got it from 
them, as above ; this was his information. She well recollects that her 
brother, John, assisted one Wood to make the survey of said large grant 
alter they removed to it, as aforesaid, it being at the time of their removal^ 
as aforesaid, held by order of Council, as she understood. The said 
Woods and her brother made the survey, she believes, after the cabia 
rights were taken in, as above stated. Many people came up, and many 
settlements and cabins were made immediately after their settling on the 
tract, as aforesaid. 

Being interrogated as to the value of the lands remaining unsold by 
Ben. Burden, she stated that one Harden, who, she understood, was an 
executor, and who was in this country after the death of young Ben. Bur- 
den, (which occurred from small-pox in 1753,) and after John Bowyer had 
married the widow, and who, she understood, was settling Burden s busi- 
ness — but she does not know by what authority — she recollects that said 
Harden offered to her brother, James, the unsold lands for a bottle of 
wine, if he would clear him of the quit rents. She also recollects that her 
said brother consulted with her father about the proposition, who advised 
him to have nothing to do with it, for it would probably run him into jail. 
This, she thinks, was shortly after Bowyer's marriage. She does not 
know whether Benj. Burden, jr., was distressed on account of the quit 
rents or not, but recollects that shortly before his death, Col. Patton was 
at her house ; a horse of said Burden broke out and came there, which 
said Patton wished to have caught, that he might take him for some claims 
against said Burden, but she did not hear what. She had, however, said 
horse sent home, fearing that as there had been some misunderstanding 
between deponent's husband and said Burden about this land, he might 
think they had aided in said seizure. The deponent further states that 
her husband purchased 1,000 acres of land of old Burden at an early day 



72 HISTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

for fifty shillings per hundred, which she understood he had located on the 
Turkey Hill, as it is called. After the death of old Burden, his son, Ben- 
jamin, disputed giving a deed for the whole quantity there, alleging it was 
all valuable land, and afterwards, for the sake of peace, it was agreed that 
a part should be taken there — a part joining Robert Cutton,\vhich was 
sold to one Buchanan, and a part near John Davidson. This arrangement 
was made at the time Harden was present, as aforesaid, who seemed will- 
ing to give the land, and advised this deponent, whose husband was then 
abroad, to agree to take it at those places, which she did. All the land 
purchased by her husband was purchased from old Burden ; indeed, he 
had purchased this i,ooo acres before they came to the tract, at Lewis', as 
before stated, provided he liked the land when he saw it, which he did. 

The deponent being asked what she knew of the persons named in a 
mutilated paper purporting to be an account of entries and sales, beginning 
at " No. I — McDowell, Jno., to No. 22 — Moore, Andrew," on the first 
side, where the papers appeared to be torn off; beginning on the other 
side at " No. 42 — Martin, Robt., and ending at No. 62, at Brown, Robt.," 
and whether those persons were settled in the grant at an early day or 
owned lands in it ? 

Answered — That she knew a number of the persons therein named. 
Many of them lived in Beverley Manor, and others in the Calf Pasture, 
and elsewhere, but she did not know many of them to have lands in Bur- 
den's tract. The McDowells and her husband she had before spoken of. 
She also knew John Moore, who settled at an early day where Charles 
Campbell now lives ; Andrew Moore, who setded where his grandson, 
Wm. Moore, now lives. Wm. McCausland also lived in the grant, as did 
Wm. Sawyers and Robt. Campbell, Sam'l Woods, John Mathews, Rich- 
ard Woods, John Hays, Chas. Hays, his son, Sam'l Walker, &c., all of 
whom settled in the grant at an early day. 

The deponent being interrogated if she knew Alex. Miller, and if he was 
an early settler? 

Answered — That she did know said Miller. He was the first black- 
smith that settled on the tract. She recollects of his shoeing old Bur- 
den's horse, and understood he purchased land of said Burden. He lived 
on land adjoining one John McCroskey's land, who also purchased his 
land from old Burden. He also joined the plantation, now Stewart's mill- 
place, as she believes, whereon one Taylor, who, she believes, married 
Elizabeth Paxton, formerly lived. She recollects being at the burial of 
said Taylor, who was killed by the falling of a tree not long after his mar- 
riage. Said Miller's land, she has understood, has been in possession of 
people of the name of Teeford since the said Millers removed. The de- 
ponent recollects one McMullen, who resided some distance above the 
place where Robt. Stewart's mill now stands, but up the same branch, and 
near a spring. Said McMullen was living on said land, and had a daugh- 
ter married there when this deponent's daughter, Mary, was a sucking 
babe. She recollects this from having gone to the wedding when a 
daughter of said McMullen was married, and having left her child at 
home. Her daughter, Mary, was born, as appears from the register of 
her birth, in May, 1745. Humphrey's Cabins, as they were called, were 
over the hill, at another spring, not far from where said McMullen lived. 
She knows not from whom McMullen purchased, but rather thinks her 
brother, James McDowell, gave him a piece of land there for teaching 



mSTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTV. 78 

school. There was no mill where Stewart's mill now is, in the lifetime 
of Ben. Burden, jr. John Hays' mill was the first mill in the grant, and 
built very early after the settlement. 

The deponent said the people paid no quit rents for two years from the 
time the grant was first settled. She understood this exemption was 
granted by the Governor at the instance of one Anderson, a preacher. 
When they had to pay quit rents, they raised money by sending butter to 
New Castle, to Williamsburg, and other markets below, and got also in 
return their salt, iron, &c. 

Being asked whether Joseph Burden was frequently in this country 
after the death of young Ben. Burden, she answered that he was frequently 
in this country some time after the death of said Benjamin. He called at 
her house, inquiring for a horse, and she thought she knew his name, and 
afterwards heard he lodged in the neighborhood, at one Wm. Campbell's. 
She saw him again at her house about twelve or fifteen years ago. He 
made some enquiries of her about her husband's estate or something of that 
kind. She does not recollect the particulars, but she had very little con- 
versation with him. She also heard of h's being through this country 
some little time before this, but does not recollect how long, nor did she 
see him. 

Question by the defendant's agent — Did not many persons, from time 
to time, in the lifetime of old Burden, settle in the grant, under an expec- 
tation of getting the lands at the usual price, and without first contracting 
with said Burden ? 

Answer — I believe they did. I think many settled before they had an 
opportunity of seeing Burden, and Burden would frequently direct them 
to deponent's husband, to shew them the land, as they said. 

Do you not believe that the first deeds were made for the cabin rights ? 

Answer — I suppose the cabin right, with such land as the settler had 
purchased, would be deeded together, and perhaps these were the first 
made. 

Did Ben. Burden, jr., appear, when he first entered on the affairs of the 
estate, to be disposed to do justice to the devisees ? 

Answer — I thought he did. He appeared to be a good man. She un- 
derstood he was the heir-at-law, and did not hear of the sisters' claims, 
except to five thousand acres, which she understood had been assigned to 
them on Catawba, where the land was good. 

Did he ever leave this country and go to Jersey, after he came up and 
got married ? 

Answer — No, I believe he did not. I am pretty confident he did not. 

Did you know of Archibald Alexander and Magdalen Bowyer selling 
lands ? 

Answer — I did not know they were executors, and had a right to sell. 
I understood John Bowyer sold a great deal and gave away a great deal. 
Alexander was as respectable a man as any I knew. Bowyer, she under- 
stood, claimed what Ben. Burden claimed, though she had no conversation 
with him about his claim. 

Being asked whether Alexander paid Burden any money on account of 
the estate ? 

Answered — She never heard that he had, and from her intimacy with 
the wife of said Bowyer, she believes she would have heard of it, had it 
taken place. 



f4 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUKTT. 

Question by same — When Burden produced his right to the land, as 
you have stated, were you not satisfied, and did not the company appear 
satisfied, that the right was completely in him ? 

Answer — Yes, the papers appeared perfectly satisfactory. 

Did you not understand that your brother, James McDowell, built a 
cabin and purchased the land where Thos. Taylor, above mentioned, 
resided ? 

Answer — My brother, James, purchased a considerable tract, perhaps 
four or five hundred acres, either at or where Stewart's mill now stands. 
It run, as she understood, on a large hill, but whether in one or two tracts, 
she knows not. This tract, she understood, he sold to some person, but 
does not know who. She does not know whether he had it surveyed or 
not, but supposes it was merely designated by general boundaries. She 
thinks if she was on the land, she could point out the tree whereon his 
name was cut, if it is yet standing. It stood near a deep hole in the creek. 
Knows not how he acquired it, but understood he had built a cabin on it 
and saved a cabin right, but never saw the cabin, nor does she know 
where it stood, but the land was called his very shortly after they went to 
the grant, and in the lifetime of old Burden. 

Sworn before us, loth November, 1806. 

JOSEPH WALKER, 
J. GRIGSBY. 

Burden succeeded in procuring the erection of ninety-two cabins within 

two years, and received his patent from the Governor, dated Nov. 8, 1759. 

He died in 1742, and his will is on record in Frederick county. 

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS, ETC. 

Section II. — Deed for 200,000 acres of land from the Chiefs of the Six 
United Nations to G. Croghan, November 9th, 1768. 
To all people to whom these presents shall come — Greeting : Know ye, 
that we, Abraham, a Mohawk chief; Sennghors, an Oneida chief; Che- 
naugheata, an Onondaga chief; Tagaaia, a Cayuga chief, and Gaustrax, a 
Seneca chief, chiefs and sachems of the Six United Nations, and being 
and effectually representing all the tribes of the Six United Nations, send 
greeting. Whereas, Johonerissa Scaroyadia, Cosswentanica, chiefs or 
sachems of the said Six United Nations, did, by their deed duly executed, 
bearing date the 2nd day of August, 1749, for and in consideration of the 
following goods and merchandise being paid and delivered to them at a 
full council of the Six United Nations, Delawares and Shawanese. held at 
Logstown, on the river Ohio, on the 2nd of August, 1749, that is to say: 
240 strouds*, 400 Duffield blankets, 460 pair of half thick stockings, 200 
shirts, 20 pieces of calico, 20 pieces of callimancoe, 20 pieces of embossed 
serge, fifty pounds of vermilliont, 50 gross of gartering, 50 pieces of rib- 
bon, 50 dozen of knives, 500 pounds of gunpowder, 1,000 of bar lead, 
3,000 gun flints, 50 pounds of brass kettles, 400 pounds of thread, 1,000 
needles, ten dozen jews-harps, 20 dozen tobacco tongs, and 100 pounds 
of tobacco : Grant and sell unto George Croghan, of the Province of 
Pennsylvania. Esquire, in fee, a certain tract or parcel of land, situate, 
lying and being on the southernly side of the river Monongehela : Begin- 
ning at the mouth of a run nearly opposite to Turtle creek, and then down 

*Strouding is a coarse cloth. 

+The Indian kept the record of his wounds by shining marks of vermillion on his skin. 



HISTORY OF AUGTTSTA. COITNTr. 75 

the river Monongehela to its junction with the river Ohio, computed to be 
ten miles ; then running down the eastern bank and sides of and unto the 
said river Ohio to where Raccoon creek empties itself into the said rit^er ; 
thence up the said creek ten miles, and from thence on a straight or direct 
line to the place of beginning on the aforesaid river Monongehela, con- 
taining, by estimation, one hundred thousand acres of land, be the same 
more or less. And, whereas, the said Johonerissa Scaroyadia and Coswen- 
tanica, chiefs or sachems, as aforesaid, for the consideration hereinafter 
mentioned to them in full council, as aforesaid, paid and delivered, that is 
to say: 140 strouds, 240 Duffield blankets, 275 pair of half thick stockings, 
120 shirts, 12 pieces of calico, 12 pieces of callimancoe, 12 pieces of em- 
bossed serge, 30 pounds of vermillion, 12 gross of gartering, 30 pieces of 
ribbon, 30 dozen knives, 300 pounds of gunpowder, 600 of bar lead, 1,000 
gun flints, 30 pounds of brass kettles, 4 pounds of thread, 500 needles, six 
dozen of jews-harps, six dozen tobacco tongs, and 50 pounds of tobacco, 
*did, by one other deed, bearing date the same day and year last aforesaid, 
grant, bargain and 5ell unto the said George Croghan, in fee, one other 
tract or parcel of land, situate, lying and being on the river Yoxhiogeni, 
including the Indian village called the Seurchly, old town; the same tract 
or parcel of land containing 15 miles in length, on the said river, and ten 
miles in breadth, and including the lands on both sides of the said river 
Yoxhiogeni, which, 15 miles in length and ten miles in breadth, he, the 
said George Croghan, has liberty to locate either upon or down the said 
Yoxhiogeni, but nevertheless in such manner so as to include and locate 
the said Indian village and land called the Seurchly, old town, which said 
tract or parcel of land contains, by estimation, 60,000 acres, be the same 
more or less. 

And, whereas, the said Johonerissa Scaroyadia and Cosswentanica did > 
by one other deed, bearing date the day and year last aforesaid, for the 
consideration herein mentioned to them in full council, paid and delivered, 
as aforesaid, that is to say, 96 strouds, 160 Duffield blankets, 184 pair of 
half thick stockings, 80 shirts, 8 pieces of calico, 8 pieces of embossed 
serge, 20 pounds of vermillion, 20 gross of gartering, 20 pieces of ribbon, 
20 dozen of knives, 200 pounds of gunpowder, 400 of bar lead, 1,000 gun 
flints, 20 pounds of brass kettle, two pounds of thread, 500 needles, four 
dozen jews-harps, four dozen tobacco tongs, 50 pounds of tobacco, Grant, 
bargain and sell unto the said George Croghan, in fee, one other tract or 
parcel of land, situate, lying and being, and Beginning on the east side of 
the river Ohio, to the northward of an old Indian village, called Shanop- 
instown, at the mouth of a run called the two mile run ; then up the said 
two mile run where it interlocks with the heads of the two mile springs, 
which empties into the river Monongehela ; then down the said two mile 
spring to the several courses thereof unto the sd. Monongehela ; then up 
the said river Monongehela to where Turtle creek empties itself into the 
same river ; then up the said Turtle creek to the first lorks thereof; then 
up the north or northerly branch of the said creek to the head of the same ; 
thence a north or northerly course until it strikes Plum creek ; then down 
said Plum creek until it empties itself into the river Ohio, and then down 
the said river Ohio to the place of beginning, where, as aforesaid, the two 
mile run discharges itself into the said river Ohio ; containing, by estima- 
tion, 40,000 acres, be the same more or less, which said several grants, 
bargains and sales, duly made and executed, by the last-mentioned chiefs 



76 HISTOEY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

or sachems, in pursuance of certain powers and authorities delegated to 
and vested in them for the purpose aforesaid by the chiefs or sachems of 
the Onondaga Council, in full council assembled ; and, whereas, the said 
first-mentioned chiefs or sachems of the Six United Nations, parties to 
these presents, are not only truly and sensible and convinced that the said 
George Croghan hath faithfully and justly paid and delivered unto Joho- 
nerissa, Scaroyadia and Cosswentanica, chiefs or sachems, as aforesaid, all 
and several the goods and merchandize herein particularly recited and 
mentioned, but of the great justice and integrity of the said George Cro- 
ghan, used and reserved by him towards the said Six Nations and their 
allies in all his public and private conduct and transactions, wherein they 
have been concerned : Now, know ye, therefore, that we, the said chiefs or 
sachems of the Six United Nations, in full council assembled, at Fort 
Stanwix, for and in consideration of the sum of five shillings to them in 
hand paid, by the said George Croghan, the receipt whereof they do 
hereby acknowledge, and for and in consideration of the aforesaid goods 
and merchandise, paid and delivered by him unto Johonerissa, Scaroya- 
dia, Cosswentanica, chiefs as aforesaid, have granted, bargained, sold and 
aliened, released, enfoeffed, ratified and fully confirmed, and by these pre- 
sents do grant, bargain, sell, alien, release, enfeoffe, ratify and fully confirm 
as to his Most Sacred Majesty George III, King of Great Britain, France 
and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c., his heirs and successors, for the 
use, benefit and behoof of the said George Croghan, his heirs and assigns, 
all those, the above described or mentioned tracts or parcels of land, 
granted, or intended to be granted, by the said several recited deeds as 
aforesaid, and also all mines, mineral ores, trees, woods, underwoods, wa- 
ters, and water-courses, profits, commodities, advantages, rights, liberties, 
privileges, hereditaments and appurtenances whatsoever the said several 
tracts or parcels of land belonging, or any way appertaining ; and also the 
reversion and reversions, remainder and remainders, rents, issues and 
profits thereof, and of every part or parcel thereof, and all the estate right, 
title, interest, use, property, possessions, claim and demand of them, the 
said Abraham, Sennghors, Sagnarisera, Chenaugheata, Tagaaia, Gaustrax, 
chiefs or sachems aforesaid, and of all and every other person and persons 
whatsoever, for belonging to said nations of, into and out of the premises, 
and every part and parcel thereof, to have and to hold the said several 
tracts and parcels of land, and all and singular the said granted or bar- 
gained premises, with the appurtenances, unto his said Majesty, his heirs 
and successors, to and for the only use, benefit and behoof of the said 
George Croghan, his heirs and assigns forever ; and the said Abraham, 
Sennghors, Sagnarisera, Chenaugheata, Tagaaia and Gaustrax, for them- 
selves and for the Six Nations, and all and every other nation and nations, 
tributaries and dependants on the said Six United Nations, and their and 
every of their posterity, the said several tracts of land and premises, and 
every part thereof, against them, the said Abraham, Sennghors, Sagna- 
risera, Chenaugheata, Tagaaia and Gaustrax, and against the said Six 
United Nations, and their tributaries and dependants, and all and every of 
their posteritys, unto his said Majesty, his heirs and successors, to and for 
the only use, benefit and behoof of the said George Croghan, his heirs 
and assigns, shall and will warrant and forever defend, by these presents ; 
Provided, always, nevertheless, and it is the true intent and meaning of 
these presents, and the said Abraham, Sennghors, Sagnarisera, Chenaug- 
heata, Tagaaia and Gaustrax, do hereby covenant and agree to and with 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 77 

his said Majesty and his heirs and successors, to and for the only use, 
benefit and behoof of the said George Croghan his heirs and assigns, that 
if any or all of the said several tracts of land, or any part thereof, shall 
hereafter be found to be within the bounds and limits of a certain grant, 
bearing date the 4th March, 1681, made by Charles II, King of Great 
Britain, &c., to William Penn, esq., for the tract of country called and 
known by the name of Pennsylvania, that then, and in such case, his said 
Majesty, his heirs and successors, to and for the only use, benefit and be- 
hoof of the said George Croghan, his heirs and assigns, shall be permitted 
and shall have and enjoy full right, power and authority to survey and 
locate the said several quantities of 100,000 acres, 60,000 and 40,000 acres 
of land, be the same more or less, as contained within the limits and 
bounds of the said several and respective tracts or parcels of land men- 
tioned and described as aforesaid, in such quantities and in such parts and 
places of, in and within the lessioner grant of land or territory, which shall 
be ceded and granted at the conference aforesaid, to the said King of 
Great Britain by the chiefs or sachems of the said Six United Nations, 
anything herein contained to the contrary thereof in any wise notwith- 
standing. 

In witness whereof the said chiefs and sachems, in behalf of ourselves, 
respectively, and in behalf of the whole Six United Nations aforesaid, have 
hereunto set our hands and seals, in the presence of the persons subscrib- 
ing as witnesses, hereunto at a Congress held at Fort Stanwix, aforesaid, 
this, the 4th day of November, in the year 9th of his Majesty's reign, and 
in the year of our Lord 1768. 

The mark 
ABRAHAM, or TYAHANESERA, [The Steel] (l. s.) 
a chief of the Mohawks. of his nation. 

The mark 
WILLIAM, or SENNGHORS, [The Stone] (l. s.) 

a chief of the Oneidas. of his nation. 

The mark 
HENDRICK or SAGNARISERA, [The Cross] (l. s.) 
the chief of the Tuscaroras. of his nation. 

The mark 
BURT or CHENAUGHEATA, [The Mountain] (l. s.) 
a chief of the Onondagas. of his nation. 

The mark 
TAGAAIA, [The Pii>e] (l. s.) 

a chief of the Cayugas. of his nation. 

The mark 
GAUSTRAX, [The High Hill.] (l. s.) 

a chief of the Senecas. of his nation. 

Sealed and delivered in the presence of us. 

The word "Croghan"* being first written on Rasures eleven times, 
and the words " and, or down tract," being first interlined. 



♦George Croghan was sub-Commissioner to Sir Wm. Johnson, who was commissioned to treat with tlie 
Indians, and met the representatives of more than twenty tribes in a grand council at Niagara, and in 
August, 1764, concluded a definite treaty at Detroit with them. Croghan accompanied the returning 
deputies of the Delawares and Shawanese to their homes in the West, and reached Vincennes, Indiana, 
June 15, 1764, which he describes in bis journal as "a village of 80 or 90 French families." 



T8 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

Sealed and delivered in presence of us all, the foregoing interlineations, 
Rasures and writings on Rasures being first made. 

WM. FRANKLIN, Governor of New Jersey. 
FRE. SMYTH, Chief Justice of New Jersey. 
THOMAS WALKER, Commissioner for Virginia. 
RICHARD PETERS, ] r,u n -i ro i • 

JAMES TILGHMAN; j °^'^^ ^°^"^^^ of Pennsylvania. 

JOHN SPINNER. Capt. in the 78th Regiment. 

JOSEPH CHEW, of Connecticut. 

JOHN WEATHERHEAD, of N. Y. 

JOHN WALKER, of Virginia. 

E. FITCH, of Connecticut. 

THOMAS WALKER, Junior, Virginia. 

JOHN BALTER, Interpreter for the Crown. 



CHAPTER V. 



As the people of the Valley were, considered as a religious community 
professing Christianity, divided into various sects and denominations, all 
justifying, explaining, and upholding their respective tenets, however va- 
rious or contradictory, by an appeal to the same Sacred Writings, we 
shall, without any remarks as to the propriety or impropriety of any one 
or the other, give a concise sketch of their external situation, as conducing 
to general information and a right understanding of the Augusta colony. 
To observe some order, let us commence with the Presbyterian Church, 
the first established in Augusta. Brief allusion has been made to its more 
obvious temporal effects upon the civil characters of its members and the 
"community. Our limits will not admit of an elaborate statement of the 
causes which led to the emigration of the Scotch-Irish and their settlement 
in America, Our county was principally settled by these religious refugees 
who left Ireland after the siege of Londonderry, the entrance of the Prince 
Orange into London on the escape of James to France, the acceptance 
of the British throne by William and Mary, and the glorious revolution 
of 1688. We style this revolution glorious, not only because it aimed at 
iust and worthy ends, but because established without any of those scenes 
of bloodshed and horror which have so generally been the accompani- 
ments of even beneficial and desirable changes. The highest eulogium 
that can be pronounced upon the revolution of 1688 is, that it has been 
England's last; and the last, because, from the midst of servitude, the 
English people plucked freedom ; from anarchy, order ; obtained the au- 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 79 

thority of law, security for property, peace and happiness in their homes, 
and representative government, as it exists to-day in that country. The 
Bill of Rights passed by Parliament in 1689, which limits the Royal pre- 
rogative, and clearly defines the rights of British subjects, is the only written 
law respecting the liberties of the British people, except Mas;nu Charta. 

But we are wandering from our path. These matters cannot be re- 
viewed here, however interesting in themselves, and however intimately 
connected with the settlement of our Valley. It must suffice to say, that 
after the siege of Derry, while the Episcopal Church was established in 
England and the Presbyterian in Scotland, the Irish, by whose bravery 
and sufferings mainly the Kingdom had been secured to the Prince of 
Orange, were compelled to pay their tithes to the Established Church, 
maintain their own ministers, and also suffer other disabilities consequent 
on an Establishment. And the prospects of the Presbyterians not being 
improved after Ireland was subdued by Williarii, notwithstanding the 
passage of the Toleration Act, and favorable reports reaching Ulster from 
America, many were lured from their homes across the Atlantic. For 
half a century this emigration continued, and thousands of these poor suf- 
ferers found their way to our shores. Early in the eighteenth century 
they formed congregations in New England, some years previous to 1726 
in Pennsylvania, and, as we have seen, came to our Valley in 1732, fixing 
their residence at Opeckon. Thence Lewis made his way to Bellefonte, 
and Presbyterian congregations were formed in Augusta by him and his 
Scotch-Irish neighbors previous to 1740. The Presbyterian Church, thus 
planted in the Valley, has become almost as much identified with the soil 
as the deep-rooted trees themselves. From its first seats in Pennsylvania 
and Western Virginia, it has spread throughout the West and South, be- 
coming the prolific mother of churches in a vast region. 

The colonial government, anxious to seat a white population west of the 
great mountains for the reasons previously mentioned, relaxed its rigor 
towards the Presbyterians and other Dissenters, and welcomed them, in- 
deed, in 1732, and thereafter, to the upper country of Virginia. From the 
Scotch and Irish settlements in Pennsylvania emigrants began to pour into 
the Valley, as soon as the more fertile lands of Pennsylvania and Mary- 
land were located. They were directed and encouraged to do so princi- 
pally by Vanmeter, of Frederick, Beverley, of Augusta, and Burden, of 
Rockbridge. For mutual protection, social intercourse, and religious wor- 
ship, they came in bodies composed of a number of families. If a more 
adventurous spirit penetrated deeper than usual into the forest, he was 
soon followed and surrounded by others. Within five years of Lewis' 
settlement at Bellefonte, so great was his own desire and that of the people 
for the ordinances of religion, that they sought to secure the services of a 
Presbyterian minister. On the 2d of September, 1737, a supplication from 



80 HISTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

the inhabitants of Beverley Manor was laid before the Presbytery of Done- 
gal, Ireland, requesting supplies. The Presbytery "judged it not expe- 
dient, for several reasons, to supply them this Winter, but ordered that 
Mr. James Anderson should write an encouraging letter to the people, to 
signify that the Presbytery resolves, if it be in their power, to grant this 
request next Spring." 

In 1738, Mr. Anderson visited Virginia, bearing a letter from the Synod 
of Philadelphia to Gov. Gooch. His visit was made on the invitation of 
John Caldwell and others, who asked protection in the exercise of their 
religious preferences. He was kindly received by Gooch, and visited 
Augusta with assurances from him that the protection he sought would be 
extended to him, Anderson, and the people west of the mountains. Leav- 
ing Williamsburg, Mr. Anderson crossed the Blue Ridge, proceeded to 
the house of the Founder, where he remained some time, consulting the 
leading Presbyterians of the setdement. The Governor was actuated in 
his liberal course as well by a desire to place a barrier between the eastern 
settlements and the Indians, as by his high opinion of the inhabitants, 
whom he well knew to be enterprising, industrious, and spirited — the best 
of citizens in times of peace and soldiers in times of war. 

The next probationer who visited Augusta was Mr. Dunlap, of the 
Presbytery of New York, who spent three months in the neighborhood of 
Staunton in the year 1739. In this year, Mr. Jno. Thompson, of the Pres- 
bytery of Donegal, also visited the Valley, spent some time in Augusta, 
and was active in promoting the Presbyterian cause in Virginia. Through 
his instrumentality, Mr. John Craig was sent to Augusta in 1739 by the 
Presbytery of Donegal, and ultimately became pastor of Tinkling Spring 
and Augusta churches. 

Rev. John Craig was ordained in 1740, and immediately commenced his 
ministry at Augusta and Tinkling Spring churches. He was thus the first 
Presbyterian minister regularly settled in the colony of Virginia. Uniting 
the duties of a teacher with those of a preacher and pastor, he was emi- 
nently useful in both capacities. Those who may wish to read the story 
of his life can find it in an autobiography which he prepared in his old 
age, entitled " A Preacher Preaching To Himself, &c.," and embraced in 
Foote's Sketches. 

Space will henceforward admit of little more than an enumeration of 
the churches and their ministers from their organization to the present 
time. Those seeking fuller information may obtain it from Foote's excel- 
lent sketches of the Presbyterian Church in Virginia. 

The Old Stone, or Church of Augusta, where Mr. Craig's ministry com- 
menced, was built in 1740, It is situated on the Valley turnpike, about 
eight miles north of Staunton, and is standing, at the end of one hundred 
and forty years, in perfect preservation. It was the second church built 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTF. 81 

in the Valley. The first church, or " meeting-house," was erected about 
1736, at Opeckon. The old Stone Church was erected during that long 
period of tranquility which followed the settlement of Augusta, but while 
the Indians were warring among themselves, but friendly to the whites. 
Doubtless, the apprehension that the savages might turn their arms against 
the colonists on some future occasion, led to its being built of stone at a 
vast labor, in order that it might serve, as it subsequently did, the pur- 
poses of fort as well as church. The reader can form an idea of the labor 
spent upon this venerable edifice when he reflects that there were then no 
roads on which to transport material, no carts or wagons, few trained horses 
or oxen, and the population rather pastoral than agricultural. The build- 
ing of the church, was, indeed, an arduous undertaking, and could never 
have been accomplished in those days but for the persevering labor of all — 
men, women, and children ; for the women and children took part in the 
good work, carrying in sacks upon their backs the lime and sand neces- 
sary for the building, while the men hewed and transported the stone to 
the spot, night oftener, than otherwise, finding them at their work, and not 
putting a stop to it. This sacred building, half church, half fortress, was 
the strong place of the northern part of the county, as Fort Lewis was of 
the country east, south, and about Staunton, and to its shelter the women 
and children betook themselves during the Indian forays which occurred 
so frequently after 1754. The church was surrounded by an earthen em- 
bankment, which gave it greater strength, and traces of this rude military 
work may still be seen. 

Mr. Craig was a man of eminent piety and usefulness, and discharged 
his duties at Augusta Church until his death, in 1774. The church erected 
at its expense, in 1798, a monument to his memory. His successors have 
been Revs. Wm. Wilson, until 1805; Conrad Speece, DD., from 1813 to 
1836 ; Wm. Brown, F. M. Brown, I. I. Handy, DD., and the present pas- 
tor. Rev. Alex. Sprunt. 

Tinkling Spring. — In the southern part of the settlement, on the 
triple forks of the Shenandoah, near the present village of Fishersville, the 
division of the congregation, known as Tinkling Spring, worshipped. 
Staunton belonged, in its early days, to this congregation, and the Foun- 
der, James Patton, John Preston, and the people of Staunton generally, 
attended its services. The first building used for worship was a log house, 
belonging to Preston, and Rev. John Craig preached on alternate Sun- 
days. " The members of this congregation were distinguished," says 
Foote, " for the part they took in the Indian wars, and furnished some of 
the leading military men in the border wars ; the most famous were of the 
Lewis family." 

Shortly after Beverley's grant, a grant of 100,000 acres was made to 
John Lewis and his associates, under the name of the " Greenbrier Com- 



82 HISTORY OF AUGDSTA COUNTY. 

pany." Much of this land was located on the Greenbrier river, a name 
given to the stream by Col. Lewis. James Patton, another member of the 
cong-regation, received a grant for 1 20,000 acres, which he located in the 
present county of Montgomery, where he was killed by the Indians in 
1753" John Preston, who married a sister of Col. Patton, also belonged 
to this congregation, though his residence was north of Staunton, on 
Spring farm, which, in 1882, is owned by the city of Staunton. 

After Mr. Craig ceased to be the pastor of Tinkling Spring, Rev. John 

A. VanLear, the son of an emigrant from Holland, became pastor, and, in 
1778, was succeeded by Rev. James Waddell, D. D., and he by Rev. John 
McCue, D. D., whose ministry extended to September 20th, 1818, when 
he was killed on his way to church by a fall from his horse. 

Mr. McCue has been succeeded at Tinkling Spring by the following : 
Revs. James Wilson, until 1840; B. M. Smith, D. D.; Robert L. Dabney, 
D. D., the distinguished author and theologian ; C. S. M. See, and Givens 

B. Strickler, the present pastor. 

The Rev. John Blair, during his visit to Virginia, in 1746, formed four 
congregations, embracing the whole width of the Valley, from a Uttle 
south of Staunton to some distance south of Lexington. The congrega- 
tions were those of the " Forks of the James." 

Timber Ridge, now in Rockbridge, New Providence, and North Moun- 
tain. 

Timber Ridge and New Providence alone remain. 

In the place of North Mountain there are the two congregations of 
Bethel and Hebron. 

Bethel church was first built about 1772, principally through the exer- 
tions of Col. Doake, a few steps from the site of the present brick church, 
about ten miles south of Staunton, and about midway between the Green- 
ville and Middlebrook roads, leading from Staunton to Lexington. The 
first minister was Mr. Charles Cummings, who received a call in 1766, and 
served till 1772. He was followed by Mr. Archibald Scott, who dis- 
charged his duties for over twenty years with great zeal and fidelity, and 
dying in March, 1799, was followed, after a vacancy of some years, by 
Rev. William McPheeters, D. D., a native of Augusta, who was educated 
in Staunton and at Liberty Hall, Rockbridge. He took charge of Bethel 
in 1805. In 1 8 10, Mr. McPheeters removed to Raleigh, N. C, where he 
died in 1842. His successors have been : Revs. Chapman, D. D., (we 
believe), Francis McFarland, D. D., who resigned and went to Philadelphia, 
when Rev. Alex. B. McCorkle took his place. Mr. McC. resigning. Dr. 
McFarland was recalled, and died, senior member of the church. He was 
succeeded by Rev. James Murray, the present pastor, who was Dr. McFar- 
land's colleague for many years. 

Shemeriah was organized about i832,principallyfrom the congregation 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 8 



g 



of Bethel. The first minister was Rev. Henry Brown. His successors 
have been : Rev. E. S. Thomas, Luther Emerson, W. G. Campbell, Har- 
vey Gilmer, I. N. Campbell, and the present minister, Rev. I. H. H. Win- 
free. 

Hebron Church, which was anciently called " Brown's Meeting- 
House," is situated about four miles west of Staunton, in the midst of 
much attractive scenery. The original church, under the name of North 
Mountain, was organized by Dr. John Blair on his visit to Virginia, in 
1746, and withm the bounds of that congregation there are now Bethel, 
Shemeriah, and Hebron. In October, 1746, Rev. Charles Cummings re- 
ceived a call from the congregations belonging to Major Brown's meeting- 
house, in Augusta. He remained pastor until April, 1776, when the ser- 
vices of Rev. Archibald Scott were secured. He was ordained in 1778, 
preaching from the words, "God is Love." He was a man of great piety, 
and one of his sons has written an able and instructive work, entitled, 
"Genius and Faith ; or, Poetry and Religion in Their Mutual Relations." 
N. Y., 1853. After a vacancy of a few days, in May, 1805, Rev. 
William Calhoun received a call from Staunton and Brown's meeting- 
house. In 1826, his pastoral relations with Staunton ceased, and for 
many years thereafter he gave his attention to Hebron church. Mr. 
Calhoun, whom the writer, as a boy, had the pleasure to know, was 
one of the strong men of the Presbyterian church. He published a trea- 
tise on Christian baptism, which illustrates well his vigorous intellect. He 
was succeeded by Rev. Isaac Jones, remarkable as a revivalist. The 
writer remembers some of his terrific discourses and can endorse the 
general estimate of them — that they excited rather than instructed his lis- 
teners. He was succeeded by a native of Ireland, Rev. Solomon I. Love, 
who continued in charge until 1858, when his place was filled by Rev. 
John F. Baker, who, from ill-health, gave up his charge in a few months, 
and was succeeded by Rev. T. L. Preston, D. D. — a descendant of the 
original John Preston, who settled in Augusta, 1746 — who served from 
i86i-'65,and is now pastor of the First Presbyterian church of Richmond, 
Va. Mr. Preston was followed by Rev. D. B. Ewing, and he by Rev. F. 
H. Gaines, the present pastor. Hebron is identified with the fame of Dr. 
Alexander, the elder, as the place where he was received under care of 
the Presbytery as a candidate for the ministry. 

The Rev. Mr. Paris, missionary to the Sandwich Islands, and Rev. W. W. 

Trimble, of Missouri, are among the ministers who have gone out from 
this congregation. 

Mossy Creek congregation was originally a part of Augusta church, 
but about the year 1767, became a separate organization upon the request 
of John Davis and Mr. Makamie. They were stoutly opposed by Rev. 
John Craig, who said he could "do all the preaching that was needed be- 
tween the mountains." 



84 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

In 1768, Mr. Thomas Jackson was received as pastor of Mossy creek, 
and continued in charge till his death, in 1773. His place was filled by 
Rev. Samuel Edmondson, in 1773, who soon removed to South Carolina, 
and was followed by Rev. Benj. Erwin, who was ordained pastor in 1780. 
His pastorate closed in 1808, when he was dismissed to the Presbytery of 
Transylvania, Ky. In 1809, Rev. A. B. Davidson was installed at Mossy 
Creek, over the united congregations of Cooke's Creek, Harrisonburg and 
Mossy Creek. Mr. Davidson introduced politics into his sermons, thus 
following the pernicious example of many New England divines, which 
gready offended many of his listeners, and probably led to his resignation 
in 1814. After three years, in 1818, Rev. John Hendren became pastor, 
and remained many years in charge. In i835-'36. Rev. Isaac Paul sup- 
plied this church a few months, until his death. Rev. John A. VanLear 
became pastor in 1837, and so continued until his death, in 1850. In 1853, 
Rev. John Pinkerton was ordained and installed, and served with success 
until his death, in 187 1. He was succeeded by Rev. John W. Rosebro, in 
1873. The present church, built during Mr. VanLear's pastorate, is the 
fourth which has been occupied by this congregation since its organiza- 
tion. 

Union Church was organized February 17th, 18 17, Rev. Conrad 
Speece preaching upon the occasion. The ruling elders were Thomas 
Hogshead, F. Gilkerson, D. Hogshead and James Irvine. In 1818, Rev. 
John Hendren was regularly installed as pastor, and his pastorate extended 
until 1855. He was succeeded by Rev. R. C. Walker, who was installed 
in 1857, and served until 1877, when he resigned, and for two years Revs. 
A. S. Moffett and I. N. Campbell preached as supplies. In 1879, Mr. 
Campbell was installed as pastor, and is at present in charge. 

Loch-Willow Church, at Churchville, was organized October 5th, 
1866, within the limits of Union church, and the members came from both 
Union church and Hebron. The first pastor was Rev. P. Fletcher. His 
successors have been: Revs. McDuff Simpson, A. S. Moffett and J. H. H. 
Winfree, the present pastor. 

Mt. Carmel Church. — South of Staunton 17 miles, near Midway, in the 
County of Augusta, upon a beautiful eminence, over-shadowed by primitive 
oaks, stands the neat and tasteful house of worship wherein the Mt. Carmel 
congregation assembles. 

This church was built in 1835, upon an acre of land presented to the 
congregation for this purpose by David Steele, then living in the village of 
Midway, but who afterwards removed to Missouri. Prominent among those 
who exerted themselves to build the church was the late Capt. Jas. Henry. 
Soon after the house was completed, the ministerial services of the Rev. 
James Paine, who also preached at Fairfield, were secured for one-third of 
his time. He commenced his labors in 1836, and continued them until 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 85 

1856, when he resigned. His successors have been: Revs. John Miller, 
WilliaiT) Pinkerton, until his death, in 1875, and A. H. Hamilton. 

Staunton Church. — The Presbyterians of Staunton had no house of 
worship previous to the Revolution, but were in the habit of attending, as 
we have mentioned. Tinkling Spring. If a minister preached in Staunton 
it was in the court-house or some private residence. After the Revolution 
the Episcopal and Presbyterian congregations occupied the Episcopal 
church on alternate Sundays. 

In 1776, Rev. James Waddell settled in Augusta, as the pastor of Tink- 
ling Spring, and in 1783, received a call by the united congregations of 
Tinkling Spring and Staunton ; on part of the Staunton people the call 
was signed by Alex. St. Clair and William Bowyer. Dr. W. removed 
from the county in 1784, and it is not known who, if any one, officiated in 
Staunton until 1791, when Rev. John McCue became pastor of Tinkling 
Spring and Staunton. From 1799 to 1804, Rev. John Glendy, from the 
Root Presbytery, in Ireland, preached occasionally in Staunton. In May, 

1804, the church was organized in Staunton, with the following ruling 
elders : James Bell, Joseph Cowan, Andrew Barry and Samuel Clark. In 

1805, Rev. William Calhoun was installed pastor of the united congrega- 
tions of Brown's meeting-house (Hebron) and Staunton. During his pas- 
torate, a substantial brick church was erected in Staunton, and was used 
until 1 87 1, when the present commodious and elegant church edifice was 
commenced and completed in 1873. Mr. Calhoun retired from his con- 
nection with the Staunton church in 1826, and devoted himself to Hebron 
congregation. He was succeeded by Rev. Joseph Smith, D. D., of Penn- 
sylvania, who, while pastor, was also Principal of the Staunton Academy. 
Mr. Smith retired in 1832, and was succeeded, in 1834, by Rev. John 
Steele, who removed to Illinois in 1837, and was succeeded by Rev. Paul 
E. Stevenson, of New York, during whose pastorate the church and con- 
gregation made considerable progress in various ways. Amongst the 
outward improvements was the enlargement of the church grounds and 
the establishment of the Augusta Female Seminary, under the Rev. R. W. 
Bailey. In 1844, Mr. Stevenson retired, and was succeeded by Rev. R. R . 
Howison, the distinguished author of the History of Virginia ; at the end 
of six months he retired, and was succeeded by Rev. B, M. Smith, D. D., 
who resigned in 1854, when Rev, Joseph R. Wilson accepted a call from 
the congregation, and remained two years in Staunton. He was succeeded 
by Rev. William E. Baker, who was installed in 1859, and continues in 
charge. Under Mr. Baker's pastorate the church and congregation have 
made marked progress, as well as the Seminary. 

Second Presbyterian Church, Staunton. — This church was orga- 
cized in 1875, by many who had previously worshipped in Staunton 
church. Among the active friends of the movement to establish the 



86 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

Second church were Major Jed. Hotchkiss, William Jordan, M. H. Efifin- 
ger, Henry A. Walker, J. W. Morrison, J, S. Lipscomb and J. M Lickli- 
ter. The first elders were Messrs. Morrison and Jordan. The first pastor 
was Rev. McDuft' Simpson, M. A.; the second, the present minister. Rev. 
J. B. Booker. A beautiful lot was purchased on the northwest corner of 
Lewis and Frederick streets, and the handsome and substantial brick 
church, in which the congregation now worships, was erected, and occupied 
in 1876. 

Mt. Horeb Church. — This church was formed from the congregation 
of the Stone church in 1S57. The first minister was Rev. David Erwin, 
His successors have been : Revs. P. M, Custer, H. H. Haws, G. H. Den- 
ny, and Thomas M. Boyd. 

Rocky Spring Church is situated near Deerfield, in the Big Calf 
Pastures, and the minister is Rev. Mr. Brown. 

On the eastern slope of Betsy Bell, about a mile from Staunton, there is a 
pretty little Presbyterian chapel. It originated in the efforts of Mrs. D. A. 
Kayser, Miss M.J. Baldwin, and other ladies, who first established a Sun- 
day-school, occupying the public school-house at that place. In 1881, 
through the zeal and activity of David Doom and other residents of the 
vicinity, assisted by the ladies of Staunton church, the chapel was erected. 
Services are regularly conducted in it by Rev. J. B. Booker, and there is 
also connected with it a flourishing Sunday-school. 

SUNDAY-SCHOOLS. 

With all of the above-mentioned churches, as, indeed, with those of 
every denomination of Christians in the County, Sabbath-schools have 
been for many years organized, and in successful operation. At present 
they are in a flourishing condition, many of them having excellent circu- 
lating libraries for the use of the pupils. 



Volumes might be written upon the lives and labors of the noble men 
whose names have been mentioned, and merely mentioned for want of 
space in the foregoing account. Our object has been simply to give a 
proper place in history to those by whose labors and sacrifices the Presby- 
terian church was established in our county and brought to its present 
position of usefulness and importance. In our outline we could do no 
more than place on record names which well deserve to be remembered, 
and deeply regret our inability to give, at least, sketches of lives so worthy 
to be studied. 



THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN AUGUSTA. 

The Methodists are a comparatively new sect, having sprung up in 
England about the year 1737, under Rev. John Wesley and George Whit- 
field, students of the University of Oxford. It was founded in New York 



HISTOKT OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 87 

in 1766. They received their name from Hving by a stricter regimen and 
method than the members of the Church of England, and they are more 
animated, spirited and zealous than the regular clergy of that church. 
The Methodists are, however, baptised with the Episcopalians, attend 
Episcopal services and sacraments, admire the Episcopal liturgy, and only 
blame the Episcopal church for lukewarmness and want of energy and 
animation. About the year 1775, John Hagerty and Richard Owens, two 
Methodist preachers, delivered, at Stephensburg, near Winchester, the 
first sermons ever preached by any ministers of this sect in the Virginian 
Valley, making a most favorable impression ; many joined the church, and 
a place of worship was soon erected in Stephensburg, and the Methodist 
is now one of the most numerous, wealthy and intelligent denominations in 
this section of Virginia. 

We are under obligations to Rev. J. S. Martm, D. D., for the following 
account of the church in Augusta : 

" The name of Staunton Circuit first appears on the minutes published 
for the Methodist Episcopal Church in the year 1806. The circuit, then, 
must have included all of Augusta county, including, under the same 
name, much of the country beyond the North Mountain ; also the county 
of Rockbridge. Much of this territory had been served before in con- 
nection with the Rockingham Circuit. Rockingham Circuit was begun in 
1788. William Phoebus was appointed to it as its first preacher. In 1789, 
Rockingham Circuit had only seventy-nine members, though it then em- 
braced some four or five counties, from Winchester, beyond. Staunton, in 
the Valley, and west of the North Mountain. In 1806, the membership 
had increased to seven hundred and sixty. In that year Staunton Circuit, 
as described above, was formed. In 1807, it embraced two hundred mem- 
bers, scattered over its extensive territory. Noah Fiddler was the first 
preacher appointed to Staunton Circuit. In 1833, Staunton Circuit was 
divided — Rockbridge was taken ofi" under the name of Lexington Cir- 
cuit. Augusta Circuit, embracing all of Augusta county, was formed, and 
the town of Staunton was made a distinct station to itself, and which re- 
ported, in 1834, a few members. In 1838, Staunton had only sixty white 
members, and unable to support a preacher alone, to whom it had given 
usually, as a single man, $100 and his board. It was now placed again as 
one of the appointments on the Augusta Circuit." In 1882, there were 
twenty Methodist churches in Augusta county, with a membership of 
1,511. The value of the church property was $29,100. There were also 
six parsonages, valued at $11,500. The Wesleyan Female Institute, held 
by trustees for the Baltimore Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church, 
South, is located in Staunton, and valued at $60,000. The African portion 
of the Methodist church is represented in Staunton by two large and 
flourishing congregations, one of which worships in an imposing brick 



88 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

edifice, handsomely fitted up, and the other in a substantial and well ap- 
pointed frame church. Scattered throughout the county are a number of 
chapels and churches, in which services are held at regular intervals. 

THE BAPTIST CHURCH IN AUGUSTA. 

The Baptists differ from other sects chiefly in the mode of administering 
baptism, which, they conceive, should always be by immersion, and they 
reject the baptism of infants. There were many of this faith in Holland, 
Germany, and the north of Europe ; in Piedmont and the south. Their 
first congregation in England was in 1607. As early as 1754, Mr. Stearns, 
a preacher of this sect, and several others, removed from New England to 
Opeckon, in the present county of Berkeley, where they formed a Baptist 
church, under the care of Rev. John Gerard. This was probably the first 
Baptist church founded west of the Blue Ridge in Virginia. 

The first effort to plant a church in Staunton was in 1834, and in 1836 
Rev. Texas Freeman came into the county and labored as a missionary, 
but soon left the work, owing to ill health. In 1849, Rev. T. W. Rob- 
erts was sent as a missionary to Nelson and Augusta counties. 

In 1853, Dr. S. B. Rice came to Staunton, and a church was organized 
in the Town Hall by Revs. L. W. Allen, Samuel Harris and Charles 
Wingfield, with about twenty members. Major Wm. H. Peyton and S. 
F. Taylor were the principal members. L. W. Allen preached a sermon 
from John, ch. xviii, v. 36. Dr. Rice was elected pastor. Funds for erect- 
ing a church were raised, principally in Eastern Virginia, and the corner- 
stone of the present edifice was laid June 26, 1855, Rev. J. L. Burrows 
delivering an address in the Episcopal church. Dr. Rice was succeeded 
in 1857 by Rev. Geo, B. Taylor. Under Dr. T., the membership increased 
rapidly, the church debt was paid, and the General Association met with 
this church, in its first session west of the Blue Ridge, May 31, i860. 
After the Civil War, 1865, most of the colored members were dismissed, 
to form a separate organization. In 1870, Dr. Taylor, who had been ap- 
pointed Chaplain of the University of Virginia, was succeeded by Rev. 
W. H, Williams. During his pastorate the Church continued to flourish, 
and Prof, Hart's school was removed to Staunton. On Mr. Williams' 
resignation, Dr. Taylor was recalled, and was pastor till 1873, when he 
resigned, to accept the appointment of missionary to Rome. Rev. Dr. J. 
F. Deans was engaged to supply his place, and labored with great accept- 
ance till July, when he removed from Staunton. In the following October, 
1873, Dr. Charles Manly became pastor, and served till 1880. He was 
an excellent pastor, and did more than any one, during his time, to build 
up the Church in the town and county, Rev. Thos. Hume, Jr., followed 
Dr, Manly, and served till March i, 1880, when Rev, J, M. Frost, Jr., 
took charge, and labored with such success that in 1882 more than one 
hundred new members have been added to the church. In the county. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 89 

Rev. J. H. Taylor and Rev. C. F. Fry have done much toward building 
up the denomination. The Baptists now have six churches in Augusta 
and 891 members. Besides these, are two African Baptist churches in 
Staunton, Mt. Zion and Ebenezer, and a number of small chapels and 
churches throughout the county. 

THE TUNKER, OR GERMAN BAPTIST CHURCH. 

We are indebted to the Rev. Samuel Driver for the following brief ac- 
count of the Tunker Church in Augusta : 

The Tunker, or German Baptist Church, was first organized in Augusta 
about the year 1790, by Bishop Miller, the father of Bishop John Miller, 
who now resides near Mount Sidney. Rev. John Miller was the first 
Bishop permanently settled in the county. After the organization in 1800, 
the Church received accessions of members, and it was found necessary to 
district the county, and a Bishop, or Elder, was appointed for each 
district. The names of the districts are Mt. Vernon, of which the two 
Elders are Messrs. John Cline and George Wine ; 2nd — Barren Ridge — 
Elder, John Bower ; Middle River District — Elder, Levi Garber ; 3rd — 
Valley District — Elders, John Miller and Daniel Miller; Fourth District is 
Moscow — Elder, Levi A. Wenger. In the above list is included all the 
Tunker churches in the county, but there are several branches or congre- 
gations who worship at different points in the county, notably, one at 
Union Hall, in the western part of Augusta ; one at Jarman's Gap, in the 
Blue Ridge ; and one every fifth Sabbath in the Episcopal Trinity chapel, 
near Hebron, The Rev. Sam'l Driver preaches thus four times a year in 
Trinity chapel. There are in Augusta about nine hundred communicants. 
In the United States the Tunkers have three colleges, the first at Hunting- 
ton, Penn., the second in Ashland county, Ohio, and the third at Lanarck, 
Illinois. In connection with all Tunker churches there are Sunday-schools, 
and the Tunker community is justly celebrated for industry, integrity, and 
piety. 

THE LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AUGUSTA. 

Wm. E. Craig, Esq., has kindly furnished the following account of the 
Lutheran Church : 

Among the early emigrants to the Valley of Virginia were many Luth- 
erans, but we have no account of any organized Church in Augusta until 
about the year 1780, when a congregation was formed, and Coiner's 
Church built. This church is about five miles southwest of Waynesboro, 
and we think the first minister was Rev. Adolph Spindle. We have no 
list of his successors, but the present minister is Rev. Mr. Kuegle, and 
the number of communicants about 100. The first trustees and organizers 
of the church were Casper Koiner, Martin Bush, and Jacob Barger. The 
next church organized was Mt. Tabor, about the year 1785. We have 
no list of the former ministers, but the present minister is Rev. L. L. 



90 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

Smith. The number of communicants in this church is about 250. Mt. 
Zion church, situated about six miles west of Middlebrook, was organized 
about 1830, with the following trustees: Martin Miller, David C. Arehart, 

and Weaver. Its number of communicants is about 100, with Rev. 

J. M. Hedrick as its present pastor. Under the charge of Rev. J. M. 
Hedrick is also Mt. Herman church and congregation, situated at New- 
port, organized about 1850 by Rev. C. Beard, with A. S. Craig, Wm. 
Black and David Hull as the first trustees and organizers. The number 
of communicants is about 75. 4th. — Bethlehem, near Fishersville, was 
organized about 1845, with the following trustees : Absalom Koiner, Cyrus 
Koiner, and David W. Coiner. Rev. L. A. Fox, DD., has served this 
charge for a number of years, and is its present pastor. Number of com- 
municants, 150. 5th. — The second Mt. Zion church, near Waynesboro, 
was organized about the same time as Bethlehem. Its first pastor was 

Rev Bowman. Rev. C. Beard served this congregation from 1854 

to 1 88 1. Rev. J. H. Barb is the present pastor. Communicants, 100. 
6th. — The congregation at Staunton was organized and the church built 
about 1850 by Rev. John B. Davis, DD., and George Shuey, B. F. Points 
and George Baylor as the first trustees. Col. George Baylor was mainly 
instrumental in organizing this congregation and building the church. 
The lot was purchased and the church built by the " Virginia Synod," 
together with the aid given it by Col Baylor and other representatives of 
that Synod, under the charge of Col. Baylor as principal superintendent. 
Rev. J. B. Davis, DD., was the first pastor. Rev. D. M. Gilbert. DD.,the 
second, Rev. J. I. Miller the third, Rev. M. R. Minnick the fourth, and 
Rev. J. B. Haskell, the fifth. Number of communicants, about 200, 
6th. — Salem church is located near Mt. Sidney, and was built about 1845. 
It has been served by the pastors in connection with Mt. Zion, No. 2. Its 
number of communicants is about 100. Its present pastor is Rev. A. C. 
Gearhart. 7th. — The Churchville church was built also about 1850, under 
the supervision of Rev. J. B. Davis, DD. Rev. C. Beard is now serving it 
as a supply. Number of communicants, about 75. 8th. — Bethany, near 
Waynesboro, and Pleasant View, near Staunton, have been organized 
within the past five years. The Bethlehem minister serves Bethany, and 
the Staunton minister Pleasant View. The number of communicants of 
each church is about 75. 

The Catholic Church, at Staunton, is situated on a beautiful site on 
the east side of Augusta street, in a fine grove of maples and other native 
trees. The edifice, a substantial brick structure, was built in 1850, the lot, 
which embraces half a square, being donated by the late M. Quinlan, 
Esq. Until about the year 1841, there were but one or two Catholic fami- 
lies in Staunton. The Rev. Daniel Downey made missionary journeys to 
this section from Lynchburg, and labored with such success that in the 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 91 

year 1850 he was enabled to gather a flock around him sufficiently large to 
form the nucleus of a congregation. With zeal they undertook the erec- 
tion of the church, the reverend gentleman's most active helpers being 
Messrs. M. Quinlan and Patrick McAlear. Having thus secured a hand- 
some house of worship, Rev, Downey became the pastor, and con- 
tinued to minister to the spiritual wants of the congregation until 1857, 
when he resigned, and was succeeded by Rev. T. A. Sears, who served 
until 1859. From 1859 to 1861, the church was supplied from Richmond. 
Rev. Jos, Bixio, a Jesuit, then became the pastor, and continued in that rela- 
tion until 1866, when he was succeeded by Rev. J. A. Weed, who died in 
March, 1871. His successor was the Rev. John McVerry, the present pastor. 
During his pastorate, the Rev. McVerry has been aided by the following 
assistant pastors, viz : Rev. J. A. G. Riley, Rev. Peter Fitzsimmons, Rev. 
H.J McKeefry, and the present assistant, Rev. G. T. O'Ferrall. The 
church has prospered. Its membership now reaches 700. The church 
property embraces a handsome brick parsonage. The parochial school 
was, in 1878, placed under the charge of the Sisters of Charity, and since 
then a commodious and imposing brick structure has been erected for 
educational purposes. The school itself has made marked progress, and 
promises, ere long, to be abreast of Staunton's most flourishing seminaries 
of learning. 



CHAPTER Vn. 



With the first colonist to Virginia came a clergyman of the Established 
Church, and from that time onward the Church was protected and fostered 
in Virginia. Non-conformists were expelled from the colony, and a fine 
of 5,000 pounds of tobacco was exacted from participants m the meetings 
of Dissenters. Papists, Presbyterians, and Quakers, were alike perse- 
cuted, and those who even entertained a Quaker were liable to a heavy 
fine. The first sect to make head against this intolerance was the Presby- 
terian, under Rev. Francis Makemie, and the Scotch- Irish settlers of our 
Valley. About the year 1698, this intolerant spirit began to decline, and 
by the year 1776, more than half the people of Virginia were Dissenters, 
and during the war, the Church went down, apparently unregretted. The 
course and reason of the change can be readily followed. The reaction 
which ensued after the intense spiritual excitement of the seventeenth cen- 
tury produced a species of religious lethargy in the eighteenth. Frigid 



■92 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COCNTY. 

morality, a well-bred abhorrence of anything like zeal, and a worldly indif- 
ference, characterized the English clergyman of the latter period and their 
Virginian brethren. The colonial ministers, as a class, were ruder and 
narrower than those of the mother country, and their coldness and indif- 
ference to great religious principles showed themselves more plainly and 
coarsely. Religion declined, and " paganism, atheism and sectaries " be- 
gan to prevail. " Quakers," says Byrd, " prevail in Nansemond county, 
for the want of ministers to pilot the people a better way to heaven." 
Advantage was taken of this relaxation by the Presbyterians, who exacted, 
as we have seen, from Gov. Gooch, promises of toleration to those of their 
faith. Their eloquent and earnest men, however, soon aroused the latent 
hostility of the ruling Church, and Gooch himself joined in the resistance 
to the new doctrines. But the Dissenting sects were full of vitality, and 
grew apace, while the Established Church, maintained simply as a part of 
the social system, declined with proportionate rapidity. The success of 
the Revolution, and the withdrawal of support, caused the Church to fall 
into ruins. 

The Church of England was, as we have said, established by law in 
Virginia, to the exclusion, and without toleration of any other denomina- 
tion. The Act of Conformity, passed by the British Parliament, was ac- 
knowledged as law, and carried into execution by the magistrates. It 
must be remembered, however, that while the Church of England was 
thus recognized, from the settlement at Jamestown down to the Revolu- 
tion, it was, during this long period of 170 years, kept in a state of bondage 
to the Government, which never allowed it to organize. For political 
reasons, it was not permitted to have a bishop, and there were no ordi- 
nances or confirmations in Virginia during the whole colonial period. 
Candidates for orders had to make the voyage to England. The Church 
was not only denied an executive head, but it had no legislature. It had 
no authority to pass a law, enact a canon, or inflict a penalty, not even for 
the discipline of its own ministers and members, and it never performed 
one of these functions. And this enslavement, no doubt, impaired its 
spirit, and rendered it less active in the cause of religion than would other- 
wise have been the case. 

In the previous chapter, we have referred to some of the minor reasons 
which begot a spirit of liberality early in the eighteenth century with the 
colonial authorities in their policy towards Dissenters west of the Blue 
Ridge, namely : A desire to erect a barrier against the encroachments of 
the Indians. Such motives doubtless had their weight with men like 
Gooch, but there was a deeper and broader motive beginning to influence 
the people of Virginia, and which showed itself conspicuously at a later 
period. This was their hostility to the establishment of any religion in 
America by the British Parliament. This feeling, which existed long be- 



HISTOET OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 93 

fore the Revolution, led the sages of 1776 to unite afterwards in destroy- 
ing all ecclesiastical establishments by the bill for religious freedom, which 
was passed by the General Assembly of Virginia December 16, 1785. 

Though the Episcopal was the established religion, no church existed in 
Augusta previous to 1746, and Rev. Joseph Doddridge, DD., the first 
minister of the Episcopal Church who visited the regions of Western Vir- 
ginia and Eastern Ohio, in his " Notes on the Settlement and Indian 
Wars of Western Virginia and Pennsylvania, from 1763 to 1783," thus 
speaks upon the subject of this apathy and neglect : 

" The Episcopal Church, which ought to have been foremost in gather- 
ing their scattered flocks, had been the last and done the least of any 
Christian community in the evangelical work. Taking the western coun- 
try, in its whole extent, at least one-half of its population was originally of 
Episcopalian parentage, but for want of a ministry of their own, they have 
associated with other communities. They had no alternative but that of 
changing their profession, or living and dying without the ordinances of 
religion. It can be no subject of regret that these ordinances were placed 
within their reach by other hands, whilst they were withheld by those by 
whom, as a matter of right and duty, they ought to have been given. One 
single suffragan bishop, of a faithful spirit, who, twenty years ago, should 
have ordained these elders in every place where they were needed, would 
have been the instrument of forming Episcopal congregations over a great 
extent of country, and which, by this time, would have become large, nu- 
merous and respectable ; but the opportunity was neglected, and the con- 
sequent loss to this Church is irreparable. So total a neglect of the spir- 
itual interest of so many valuable people, for so great a length of time, by 
a ministry so near at hand, is a singular and unprecedented fact in eccle- 
siastical history, the like of which never occurred before. It seems to me 
that if the twentieth part of their number of Christian people, of any other 
community had been placed in Siberia, and dependent on any other 
ecclesiastical authority in this country, that that authority would have 
reached them many years ago with the ministration of the Gospel. With 
the earliest and most numerous Episcopacy in America, not one of the 
Eastern Bishops has yet crossed the Alleghany Mountains, although the 
dioceses of two of them comprehended large tracts on the western side of 
the mountains. It is hoped that the future diligence of this community 
will make up, in some degree, for the negligence of the past. There is 
still an immense void in this country, which it is their duty to fill up. 
From their respectability, on the ground of antiquity among the reformed 
churches, the science of their patriarchs, who have been the lights of the 
world, from their number and great resources even in America, she ought 
to hasten to fulfill the just expectations of her own people, as well as those 
of other communities, in contributing her full share to the science, piety 
and civilization of our country. From the whole of our ecclesiastical his- 
tory, it appears that, with the exception of the Episcopal Church, all our 
religious communities have done well for their country" 

Bishop Meade differs with Dr. Doddridge as to the percentage of Epis- 
copalians in the population, and assigns very reasonable causes for his 
belief; but as Dr. Doddridge wrote of a country in which he lived, and 



94 HISTORY OF AUOU8TA COUNTY. 

with whose people he mingled, he is more likely to be correct than a sub- 
sequent writer. We cannot but attribute the tardiness of the church in 
evangelizing to the character of the Episcopal clergy, of whom the Bishop 
of London said about this time in a letter to Dr. Doddridge : " Of those who 
are sent from hence, a great part are the Scotch or Irish, who can get no 
employment at home, and enter into the service more out of necessity than 
choice. Some others are willing to go abroad to retrieve lost fortune or 
lost character. For these reasons, and others of less weight, I did apply 
to the King, as soon as I was Bishop of London, to have two or three 
bishops appointed for the plantations, to reside there." 

Of the clergy, more particularly the English, as contradistinguished from 
the Scotch and Irish representatives of the Church in the pulpit, the fol- 
lowing is a picture — graphic, and, no doubt, perfectly true : 

With some exceptions, the Virginian clergy aped the manners and habits 
of the laity. Most of them were men who cultivated their glebes like 
other planters, preaching once a week, and performing the other services 
of the Church for the sake of an addition to their income. Their morals 
were loose, and the general tone of the profession was low. Here and 
there might be found a man of exemplary life and high character; but the 
average parson was coarse and rough, and his parishioners might be 
thankful, if he was not also a drunkard and gambler. They hunted the 
fox and raced horses ; they played cards ; turned marriages, christenings 
and funerals alike into revels, and sat out the stoutest planter after dinner 
to finally accompany him under the table. One reverend gentleman 
bawled to his church warden during communion, " Here, George, this 
bread is not fit for a dog." Another commemorated his Church and office 
by fighting a duel in the grave-yard. Another received a regular stipend 
for preaching four sermons annually against atheism, gambling, racing, 
and swearing, although he was notorious as a gambler, swearer, and horse- 
racer. Still another, of great physical strength, thrashed his vestry 
soundly, and then added insult to injury by preaching to them next Sun- 
day from the text, " And I contended with them, and cursed them, and 
smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair." — [Meade, vol. I, pp. i8, 
162, 231, 250, 275, 361, 387, 470: Vol. II, 179.] One married a wealthy 
widow, although he had a wife living in England. Another was brought 
before a magistrate for drinking and carousing on Christmas Eve, and 
another, who dined every Sunday with a great planter, was sent home 
tied in his chaise, under care of a servant. At every race-course and cock- 
pit might be seen reverend divines betting on the contending birds or 
horses. — [Foote, II: 371.] The petty tradesmen would not trust them 
beyond their salary, and extorted 150 per cent, for interest. 

Among the colonial clergy there was another class, quite the reverse of 
the rollicking blades described, and less to be admired. These were the 



BISTORT OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 95 

self-seeking and ambitious, who, in order to impose upon the world, and 
secure professional success, kept up a constant appearance of sanctity. 
There was no defective preaching or evil living on the part of these models 
of decorum. The sanctity of such, as may be readily imagined, did not 
proceed from spiritual motives and the sentiments of the heart ; it was a 
certain exterior, which they found themselves compelled to preserve. 
Their devotion did not spring from devout feelings; it was affected, 
whether experienced or not. This gave something formal and uncouth to 
their manners. And it could scarcely have been otherwise. A continual 
attention to a pious exterior necessarily gives a constrained and artificial 
bearing to the carriage. The characters of all ministers, under a religion 
established by law and supported by taxation, are liable to be disadvanta- 
geously affected by their situation as legalized guides and teachers of 
others. They address their, audiences at stated periods, and no one is 
allowed to contradict them. They pronounce the prayers of the congre- 
gation, visit the sick, and officiate as oracles to such as are in distress. 
They seek to govern the thoughts of their parishioners, and to restrain 
the irregular sallies of their understandings. They warn their flocks 
against innovation and the intrepidity of thinking. The adversary is 
silent before them. With other men he may argue, but if he attempt to 
discuss a subject freely and impartially with them, it is construed into a 
personal insult. Thus, the circumstances of every day tend to confirm in 
them a dogmatical, imperious, illiberal and intolerant character. Worthy 
Bishop Meade, who recounts the doings of our colonial clergy with much 
sorrow, says there was not only defective preaching, but, as might be sup- 
posed, most evil living among the clergy. The natural result followed, 
and the revival of the eighteenth century broke down the old clergy and 
their abuses. Then came the ill-advised struggle for salaries, famous as 
" The Parsons' Cause," the fatuous effort to procure a bishop, and a fatal 
indecision and lukewarmness in the contest with England. The Revolu- 
tion was the finishing-stroke, and the old Church of Virginia perished. 

But we must return. With such a clergy as above described, no mis- 
sionaries could be found to cross the Blue Ridge, and there was no Estab- 
lished Church in Augusta until nearly fifteen years after the foundation of 
the colony, when the ground was already occupied by Presbyterian and 
other Dissenters. There were doubtless a few Episcopalians in Augusta, 
though it has been observed, we do not know how truly, that persons of 
that denomination do not like new countries, or are deficient in zeal, where 
it is not cherished by parish or tithe. There may have been another rea- 
son. Education is in the Episcopal Church a necessary qualification for 
administering the affairs of both Church and State, and both the educa- 
tion and population of the Valley, to a great extent, belonged to the Scotch- 
Irish, or Dissenting element. In 1745, steps were taken to introduce the 



96 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

Established Church in the county, and in 1746 the first election for 'a vestry 
of Augusta parish took place and resulted in the choicefof the following 
persons : James Patton, Thomas Gordon, John Buchanan, John Madison, 
Patrick Hays, John Christian, Robt. Alexander, Jas. Lockhart, Jas. Bu- 
chanan, Jr., Jno. Archer, Jno. Mathews, and J. Smith. John Madison was 
elected clerk, and Robt. Alexander and James Lockhart church wardens, 
who, before entering upon the discharge of their duties, took the follow- 
ing oaths : 

OATH OF ALLEGIANCE. 

" I, A. B., do sincerely promise and swear that I will be faithful and bear 
true allegiance to his Majesty, King George the Second. So help me 
God." 

OATH OF ABJURATION, ENFORCED BY ACT OF I70I, ABOLISHED 1858. 

" I, A. B., do swear that I do from my heart abhor, detest, and abjure, as 
impious and heretical, that damnable doctrine and position that Princes 
excommunicated or deprived by the Pope, or any authority of the See of 
Rome, may be deposed or murdered by their subjects, or any other what- 
soever. And I do declare that no foreign Prince, Prelate, Person, State or 
Potentate, hath, or ought to have, any jurisdiction, power, superiority, 
preeminence, or authority, ecclesiastical or spiritual, within this realm. So 
help me God." 

OATH OF ALLEGIANCE, IMPOSED I558, CHANGED 1689. MODIFIED 1838. 

" I, A. B., do truly and sincerely acknowledge and promise, testify and 
declare, in my conscience, before God and the world, that our Sovereign 
Lord, King George the Second, is lawful and rightful King of this realm 
and all other his Majesty's dominions and countries hereunto belonging; 
and I do solemnly and sincerely declare that I do believe in my conscience 
that the person pretended to be Prince of Wales during the life of the late 
King James, and since his decease pretending to be, and taking upon him- 
self the style and title of the King of England, or by the name of James 
III, or of Scotland by the name of James VIII, or the style and title of 
King of Great Britain, hath not any right whatsoever to the crown of this 
realm, or any other dominion hereunto belonging ; and I do renounce, 
refuse and abjure any allegiance or obedience to him, and I do swear that 
I will bear faithful and true allegiance to H. M. King George II, and him 
will defend to the utmost of my power against all traitorous conspiracies 
and attempts whatsoever which shall be made against his person, crown or 
dignity ; and I will do my utmost to endeavor to disclose and make known 
to his Majesty and his successors all treasonable and traitorous conspiracies 
which I shall know to be against him, or any of them ; and I do faithfully 
promise, to the utmost of my power, to support, maintain and defend the 
successor of the crown against him, the said James, and all other persons 
whatsoever, which succession, by an act entitled 'An act for the further 
limitation of the crown and better securing the rights and liberties of the 
subject,' is and stands limited to the Princess Sophia, late Electress and 
Duchess, dowager of Hanover, and the heirs of her body, being Protes- 
tants ; and all other these things I do plainly and severally acknowledge 
and swear, according to these express words by me spoken, and according 
to the plain and common sense understanding of the same words, without 



HISTOKT OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 97 

any equivocation, mental evasion, or secret reservation whatsoever ; and I 
do make this recognition, acknowledgment, abjuration, renunciation, and 
promise, heartily, willingly, and truly, upon the true faith of a Christian. 
So help me God." 

TEST OATH PASSED 1673, REPEALED 1828. 

" I do declare that I do believe that there is not any transsubstantiation 
in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, or in the elements ol bread and 
wine, at or after the consecration thereof by any person whatsoever." 



The vestries of that day represented all the local and municipal govern- 
ment there was in Virginia. They had assigned to them, by act of the 
Burgesses, secular functions, made returns of births, marriages and deaths, 
presented for crimes, commanded the sheriffs to hold the election for Bur- 
gesses and assisted the county courts in building work-houses. They 
" processioned the lands " every four years, and kept up the roads and 
ferries. 

The first vestry of Augusta parish was doubtless largely composed of 
Dissenters, men who, so far as religion was concerned, were politically 
Episcopalians and doctrinally Presbyterians, but willing to submit out- 
wardly to the powers in being, while they held themsel ves free to have 
their own private opinions. With the exception of Madison, their names 
would seem to indicate this. A liberal feeling prevailed for many years 
after the introduction of the Church of England, and all denominations of 
Christians attended worship, and now and again dissenting ministers 
preached from the Episcopal pulpit. 

The community still retained strong marks of its Presbyterian leaven ; 
the clergyman abjured gown and surplice ; the clerk, a layman, read the 
lessons ; the altar forsook the East windows, and the congregation stood 
and received the Holy Sacrainent. When dissenting ministers increased 
in numbers, the doctrines of dissent were more widely promulgated ; the 
old spirit of non-conformity awoke ; there were many seceders from the 
church, and almost all the sects extant in England were before the Revolu- 
tion represented in Augusta. 

First Rector of Augusta Parish. — At the first meeting of the 
vestry, held in the court-house, 6th of April, 1747, Rev. John Hindman, 
having produced letters from the Governor and Commissary, directed to 
Col. John Patton, setting forth his ability as a minister, the vestry agreed 
to accept of him, conditionally — viz.: That the said Hindman will not in- 
sist on the parish purchasing Glebe lands, building a Glebe, and such 
other necessaries as are prescribed by law for the space of two years, until 
the parish be more able to bear such charges, and that he agree to preach 
in this court ■'house, and in people's houses of the same persuasion, in the 
different quarters of the parish, as shall be most convenient, and that he 
administer the Sacrament in the court-house instead of a church, and in 



98 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

different quarters of the parish as aforesaid, unless His Honor, the Gover- 
nor, thinks proper to reverse the same, which shall not be by complaint of 
said Hindman or any person for him, and that he bring in his charge at 
the laying the parish levy for the same. 

A Glebe. — Our English ancestors were particular to make provision 
for the support of the clergy ; to place them above want and the disrespect 
which too generally attends upon poverty ; to place those who were to in- 
struct ignorance, and be the censors of vice, where they would neither 
incur the contempt nor live upon the alms of the people. The Augusta 
vestry were ready to comply with the provisions of the law in this matter, 
but were particular to stipulate, as above, with Mr. Hindman, as a protec- 
tion against any inconsiderate or rapacious conduct on his part. They 
looked on his dues as his property, and they intended to protect him in 
that possession, but they were determined, also, to secure themselves 
against abuses. 

It is not surprising, considering what manner of men many of the Epis- 
copal clergy were in Virginia, that the vestry should have been thus 
guarded. The sincerity of the Augusta vestry is evident from their action 
in July, 1747, when a committee was appointed to purchase land for a 
Glebe, &c., &c., unless a place could be bought with sufficient improve- 
ments to answer the purposes. On September 21st, 1747, the vestry pro- 
ceeded to make the parish levy, when the number of tithables is stated to 
-be 1,670. If we allow five persons to a family, which is a moderate num- 
ber, the population of the county was, at this time, 8,350, and there were 
no poor, at least none who had applied for relief, as appears from the 
order of February 24th, i747-'48 : " That the money levied for fines, &c., 
be kept in the church wardens' hands until the meeting of the next vestry, 
the poor not being as yet known," Ordered that the persons appointed 
to purchase a Glebe meet on Monday next to purchase the same, and that 
the church wardens advertise and let the public buildings in November 
next, (September, 1747.) These lands were subsequently purchased of 
Robert Campbell, for the sum of ^60. 

The committee appointed for that purpose, having advertised and let out 
on contract the public buildings, at the meeting of the vestry board, Au- 
gust 22nd, 1748, this order was made : 

"John Lewis, gentleman, having undertaken the public buildings of 
Augusta parish for ^140., ordered that he be paid by John Madison, 
the trustee for the sd. parish, on raising the said buildings, ^74, and the 
remainder on completing the same, unless he want money to carry on the 
said work, which the said Madison is ordered to supply him with." 

These buildings had not been completed in 1750, when, on the 21st of 
Mayj it is 

"Ordered : That John Lewis, gendeman, do such work as shall be nec- 
essary for completing the public buildings on the Glebe, over and above 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 99 

his articles, and that it be valued by workmen, and that he be allowed for 
the same." 

In August, 1750, the vestry, at its meeting on the 6th, 

"Ordered that payment be made to Colonel John Lewis of ^64.17.1, 
the balance due him for the Glebe buildings." 

At the meeting of the 22d of August, 1748, the vestry proceeded to lay 
the parish levy as follows : 

Augusta Parish. Dr. 
To the Rev. John Hindman 16,000 pounds of to- 
bacco, at three farthings per pound, without any 

deduction _;i^50 o a 

To 10 per cent, on ditto for collection 500 

To Mr. Hindman, for board ... 20 o o 

To Samuel Gay, per agreement with church war- 
dens 140* 

To James Portees 2 50 

To Robt. McClenachan, peracct 4157 

To Daniel Harrison, per acct 10 o 

To John Madison, clerk 8 00 

^91 14 7 
The Parish Dr. 

To the above creditors . . ;^ 91 14 7 

To a deposite in the collector's hands 50 6 5 

£^42 I o 
Per contra — Creditor, 
To 1,421 tithables, at 2 shilling per pole ;^I42 i o 

While the church buildings were being constructed, the following provi- 
sion was made for Mr. Jones (the Rector) : 

" It appearing to this vestry (22nd November, 1752,) that the Glebe 
buildings are not yet finished, and the said Jones having acquainted this 
vestry that John Lewis, gentleman, (the contractor of the same) agrees to 
allow him at the rate of ^20 per annum until the same be finished, for 
which he declares himself satisfied, and acquits this vestry and parish of 
any further charge for the same. 

"Ordered that a reader to this parish be allowed the sum of £6.5 yearly, 
and that Rev. Mr. Jones have a liberty to choose the same to officiate at 
the court-house. 

"Ordered that William Preston be allowed the sum of ^5 per annum to 
serve as clerk for this vestry, and that he commence from the ist Septem- 
ber, 1752." 

It would seem from the following entry that some difficulty had occurred 

as to articles supplied the parish : 

"Ordered that every particular (thing) to be provided for the parish to be 
set down in the vestry book." 

Accordingly, at the October meeting, we find William Hunter send- 
ing in his account for articles furnished Col. James Patton for the parish, 
which is duly recorded : 



100 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

3 law books ^4 lo o 

3 stitched books 10 6 

Wax 30 

Ink powder 39 

1 ream post paper i 80 

2 8vo. prayer-books i 10 

I folio ditto 234 

£9 19 7 
The Glebe buildings seem to have been completed somewhere between 
I753~i754> as this order is entered on the 22dof November, 1754 : " That 
the church-wardens view the Glebe buildings, and make such reparation 
as they may deem proper, and bring in their charge at the laying of the 
next levy." 

The tradition that the church was built of English-made brick, trans- 
ported on pack mules across the mountains, is a myth. The community 
could not have borne such an expense. We have been informed by an 
aged gentleman that the brick for the Glebe buildings were made on Jos. 
Ast's farm, near Staunton. 

The caution of our ancestors is illustrated by the following entry, made 
evidently after the death or removal of Mr. Hindman, 21st May, 1750 : 

"Col. James Patton having produced a letter, under the hand of Peter 
Hedgman, gentleman, recommending Mr. Robert McClowseme, and desir- 
ing presentation might be made to the Commissary, but the vestry not 
being acquainted with him, do agree to present none nor receive any min- 
ister without a tryal being first had." 

The Glebe was sold about this time, and the proceeds invested in the 
Academy at Staunton. 

Rev. John Jones, Rector. — It does not appear at what precise period 

Mr. Hindman retired from the rectorship of the parish, but on the 13th of 

October, 1752, Gov. Dinwiddle recommended the Rev. John Jones to the 

parish in this note : 

"Williamsburg, i6th October, 1752. 

" To THE Vestry of Augusta Parish : 

" Gentlemen, — The Rev. Mr. John Jones has been recommended to me 
by many persons of good repute and undoubted credit as a worthy and 
learned divine. As such I recommend him to you, gentlemen, to be your 
pastor, not doubting but his conduct will be such as will entitie him to 
your favor by promoting peace and cultivating morality in the parish. 
Your receiving him to be your pastor will be very agreeable to, 
" Worshipful Gentlemen, 

" Your very humble seA''t, 

"ROBERT DINWIDDIE." 

A month later Mr. Jones was received as rector, with a salary of ^50 a 

year and ;^2o for his board. This excellent man continued to hold his 

position for over twenty-five years, and at the last meeting of the vestry at 

which he presided, November 19th, 1772, was authorized to employ a 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 101 

curate. In this capacity the services of Rev. Adam Smith were secured 
but he only remained one year in the parish, and on the 9th of November, 
1773, the Rev. Alex. Belmaine was chosen to fill his place. For more than 
four years subsequent to Mr. Belmaine's appointment, Mr. Jones retained 
his rectorship, as appears from this entry, made at the meeting of the ves- 
try February ist, 1777. Among those present was " Mr. Robert McClen- 
achan, attorney-in-fact of the Rev. John Jones, Rector," &c. Mr. Jones 
was absent, no doubt, from his advanced age and growing infirmities. It 
does not appear how long Mr. Belmaine remained in the parish, but in 
1776, he took an active part with the colonists against the mother country, 
and became a chaplain in the Revolutionary army. 

The financial affairs of the parish still seem to have been in an unsatis- 
factory condition, and we find this order, passed August 21st, 1753 : 

" Whereas, it appears to this vestry that there is no regular account 
either in the minute or register books, how the money collected off this 
parish, for the use of the same, is laid out, 

" I'ts, therefore, ordered that the church wardens and clerk of this ves- 
try wait upon Mr. John Madison, late clerk and treasurer for this parish, 
and demand of him a full and perfect account, deb'r and cred'r, with all 
the vouchers for all the money collected off this parish, both fines and 
levies, since the 6th of April, 1747 ; also a particular account of the per- 
sons' names given in the lists of tithable by Mr. Montgomery in the year 
1748." 

Mr. Madison and his brother officials do not seem to have been rigid 
men of business, or ink and paper must have been scarce, for at the next 
meeting of the vestry, November 28th, 1753, the following gentlemen, 
having apparently neglected to give receipts in writing, were produced 
before the vestry, in person — viz.: 

" Mr. Robert Campbell, of whom the Glebe land for this parish was 
purchased, acknowledged that he received the full sum of ^60 of Mr. 
James Lockhart, being the price agreed on for the said lands." 

"Col. John Lewis came into this vestry and acknowledged that he re- 
ceived of Mr. John Madison the sum of ;^I48, being the full sum agreed 
on for building the Glebe work, according to bargain. He also acknowl- 
edged that he will pay this parish ;^2o per year until the Glebe buildings 
be finished, according to agreement, to commence from the first of Sep- 
tember last past." 

" The Rev. John Jones acknowledged himself satisfied that he receives 
of this parish the sum of ;^20 per year from the ist September last until 
the Glebe buildings are finished, over and above his yearly salary." 

To prevent any further irregularities or looseness in business matters, 

this order was now made : 

"Ordered that the church wardens agree with a collector and take bond 
and sufficient security, and that said collector pay the money put into his 
hands to the church wardens as he collects it, and discount for the whole 
sum with this vestry at the laying of the next levy." 



102 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

Pursuing a strict business system, the church wardens then took the 
following among other receipts : 

" Received of Mr. James Lockhart the sum of ^50, Virginia currency, 
for salary from the ist of September, 1752, till the ist of September, 1753; 
also /4.6.8 for a visit in July, 1752. I say, received by me. 

[Signed] "JOHN JONES." 

" Received of Mr. James Lockhart the sum of ^5, which was due from 
Augusta parish to me for one year's service as clerk to the vestry. I say, 
received by me. 

[Signed] "WM. PRESTON." 

" Received of Mr. James Lockhart the sum of one pound ten, on Wil- 
liam Hayne's account, for carrying the vestry books from Williamsburg. 
I say, received by me. [Signed] DAVID STUART." 

And so on with all the accounts. That the vestry meant business, is 
obvious from this order, made Nov. 27, 1754 : " It appearing to this vestry 
that Robt. McClenachan, gent., late Sheriff of Augusta county, and Col- 
lector of the parish levy, had collected in the year 1748 eighty-one titha- 
bles, at 23. each, the then parish levy, and had not accounted for the same, 
and refuseth so to do, it's 

Ordered, That the church wardens of this parish employ an attorney, 
practicing in this court, to prosecute him for the same." 

From an act of the General Assembly, passed at the session of 1753, it 
appears that the salary of ^50 a year was not sufficient for the support of 
the rector. The act provided : 

That from and after the passing of this act, the vestries of the parishes 
of Frederick and Augusta and of Hampshire, when the same shall take 
place, at the times of laying their respective levies, shall * * * levy and 
assess upon the tithable persons in their respective parishes an annual 
salary of ^100 for the minister of the said parishes, respectively, with an 
allowance of 6 per cent, for collecting the said salary, to be collected, 
levied, distrained for, and paid in the manner directed by the first above 
mentioned act, instead of, and in full compensation for the said salary of 
16,000 pounds of tobacco and cask ; and if the vestries of either said par- 
ishes shall neglect or refuse to levy said ;^ 100, in such case all the vestry- 
men of the parish neglecting or refusing, shall be liable to the action of 
the minister injured thereby, his executors or administrators, for, all dam- 
ages which he shall sustain by occasion of such refusal or neglect. 

In 1760, it was resolved to build a new brick church in Staunton, 40 feet 

by 25. The work was undertaken and executed by Francis Smith, gent., 

of Hanover. 

DIVISION OF THE PARISH. 

On May 23d, 1774, the House of Burgesses received a petition from sun- 
dry inhabitants of the county and parish of Augusta, representing that 
" the parish is upwards of ninety miles long and near eighty miles wide, 
and that there are between three and four thousand tithables in it, and but 
one church ; therefore, praying it may be divided." No action seems to 
have been taken on this subject by the House. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 103 

" From the commencement of the Revolution, onward," says Rev. T. 
T. Castleman, " until the year 1781, the doors of the venerable old church 
in Staunton remained closed. In that year, however, a portion of the 
British army, under Tarleton, drove the Legislature from its place of meet- 
ing, in Richmond, first to Charlottesville, and thence to Staunton. And 
here they held their meetings in the old church, and here the proposition 
was made to create "a dictator." Here they remained in session undis- 
turbed for about sixteen days, and adjourned to meet in Richmond in 
October following. 

"About 1788, the rectorship of the old church was in the hands of a Mr. 
Chambers. Who he was, or how long he remained in the parish, we are 
nowhere informed. Tradition says that after a short residence in this 
place, he removed to Kentucky. 

" Years rolled on, in which a long interval occurred in the rectorship of 
the parish. At length the few friends who had been left from the desola- 
tions of the Revolution, and from the withering odium which had fallen 
on the Church because of its connection with the British crown, began to 
lift up their heads and to look around with a cautious and timid eye for 
some one to minister to them in holy things. At length a good old man, 
moving in the humbler walks of life ; remarkable for nothing but his inno- 
cent and inoffensive piety, presented himself as willing to serve them in 
the capacity of God's minister. He had long been a member of the 
Methodist church, and had there imbibed that spirit of feeling and ardent 
religion which seemed so peculiarly to characterize that body of Chris- 
tians in those dreary days of our Church. Notwithstanding Mr. King's 
(for that was his name) roughness of manners, his meagre education, his 
simplicity of intellect, and his humble profession as a steam-doctor, he was 
taken in hand by a few friends of the Church and pushed forward in his 
laudable efforts. He was sent off with letters of commendation from 
Judge Archibald Stuart and the Hon. John H. Peyton to Bishop Madison, 
who ordained him Deacon, and sent him back to read the services and 
sermons to the desolate little flock in Staunton. His ministry began in 
181 1, and closed with his death, in 18 19. That was a long and cheerless 
day for the Church here. No evidence can be found that she had a single 
communicant, besides the simple-hearted old Deacon, to kneel at her altar. 
So unpopular was her cause, that none but those whose principles were as 
true and unbending as steel, would venture openly to avow themselves 
her friends. An eye-witness told me that on the occasion of the first ser- 
vice after Mr. King's return from Williamsburg, the small congregation, 
the feeble and disjointed responses, the dampening dreariness of the church, 
with its old, high-back pews, and the long, sing-song, drawling tones in 
which the new Deacon attempted to read the service and one of Blair's 
sermons, presented a solemn ludicrousness he never before or since wit- 
nessed. The congregation, numbering not a dozen, left the church, dis- 
pirited and ashamed, almost resolved never to repeat the expermient. Mr. 
King died here, esteemed by all who knew him for his humble zeal and 
simple-hearted piety. 

"On January i, 1820, Rev. Daniel Stephens, DD., visited the parish and 
remained till the following Easter. On Easter Monday the congregation 
assembled and elected Vincent Tapp, Chapman Johnson, John H. Peyton, 
Briscoe G. Baldwin, Dabney Cosby, Wm. Young, Erasmus Stribling, Jacob 
Fackler, L. L. Stevenson, Alex. McCausland, A. M. Mosby, and N. C. Kin- 
ney. This vestry immediately assembled and passed resolutions highly com- 



104 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

mendatory of the preaching and living of Dr. Stephens, and unanimously 
electing him their rector. These were the props and pillars of the Church 
in its darkest and most trying days. Dr. Stephens labored and preached 
with a zeal and devotion which secured for him the confidence and love of 
the great mass of the congregation. Under his ministry, the Church was 
somewhat revived and the hearts of its friends cheered. At a convocation 
held in Staunton in May, 182 1, the number of communicants reported was 
fifteen. In 1827, Dr. Stephens removed to the far West, where he died in 
1850. His ministry was followed in 1831 by the Rev. Ebenezer Boyden. 
In the early part of Mr. B.'s ministry, the venerable old church was torn 
down, and a new one erected near its site. The latter was ready for use 
on July 23, 1831. Mr. Boyden continued in the parish, with high credit 
and universal acceptability to his congregation, until Jan. 7, 1833, when he 
resigned for another field in the West. Next came the Rev. W, G. Jack- 
son, who preached with success and acceptability for several years. He 
was succeeded by Rev. Fred. D. Goodwin, who continued until 1843, and 
removed to Nelson county, leaving sixty-two communicants. He was fol- 
lowed by Rev. Thos. T. Castleman, who entered on his duties August, 
1843, and continued in them until 1857." 

He was succeeded by Rev. J. A. Latane, who served until 1871, when 
he withdrew from the church, left Staunton, and is now Bishop of the Re- 
formed Episcopal Church of the United States, and a resident of Baltimore. 
The present rector, Rev. W. Q. Hullihen, was chosen to fill Mr. Latane's 
place in the year 1871. 

Having given, as necessary to faithful history, a brief account of the 
Established Church in Virginia during the colonial period, when it was a 
corrupt Church, with an unworthy and hireling clergy — an account we 
would fain have blotted from the page of history — it is proper to refer, 
and it gives us no ordinary pleasure to do so, to the wonderful change which 
has, since the Revolution, taken place in Virginia. It must not be for- 
gotten that while there were defective preaching and evil living among the 
colonial clergy, many of whom proved faithless shepherds, deserting their 
flocks during the war, some seeking Canada, others returning to England, 
and not a few taking to secular pursuits, there was also among them a 
small number of sincerely pious men, full of zeal and fidelity, whose reli- 
gion was deeper than a vague, instinctive feeling. Such a man was Alex. 
Belmaine, who once filled the Staunton pulpit, as we have seen, and who, 
for this reason, is here specially alluded to. He was a man with enough 
of the weakness of humanity to have often been led astray by those around 
him, always warm-hearted, and in his later years, remarkable for his sin- 
cere repentance, his fervid piety, and exemplary life. This good, but too 
frequently erring man, would often, when standing in the chancel on sacra- 
mental occasions, refer in eloquent terms, and with tears in his eyes, to his 
past errors. 

When the connection with the Bishop ot London, the tie which united 
the churches in America, was severed by the acknowledgment of our inde- 



HISTORY OP AUGUSTA COUNTY. 105 

pendence, steps were taken to form for the United States a future eccle- 
siastical government. The first move was in 1784, and in 1785 a meet- 
ing was held in Philadelphia, in which seven States were represented. At 
this meeting the Book of Common Prayer was altered, accommodating it 
to the recent changes in the State. Other steps were also taken for a 
complete organization. It is unnecessary to go into the details of the 
history of the Protestant Episcopal Church, even if our limits and design 
admitted of it. Suffice it to say that it has had, since the formation of the 
Federal Union, a regular, vigorous growth, and has now a sure footing in 
every part of our country ; has founded theological seminaries, domestic 
and foreign mission societies, Sunday-school unions and book societies, 
societies for the promotion of evangelical knowledge, historical societies, 
church extension societies, the University of the South and ladies' colleges, 
all highly successful, and under control of the General Convention. These 
gratifying results have been obtained by reason of the fact that we have 
been blessed for nearly a century with a truly pious, humble-minded, and 
zealous ministry — men of deep-seated and pervasive piety, many of them 
possessing sound, discriminating, well-balanced minds, some gifted with 
eloquence, and all preaching diligently and faithfully " unto death." Some 
of them have had social dispositions and highly-engaging manners, ren- 
dering themselves peculiarly acceptable to and influential with their flocks, 
and the whole constituting a body or fraternity every way equal to any 
similar body of Christian ministers in the land. 

EPISCOPAL CHAPELS. 

There are two Episcopal chapels in Augusta, one called Boyden Chapel, 
situated near Folly Mills, the other near Hebron church, called Trinity 
chapel. No clergyman officiates regularly in either. 

ORPHAN CHILDREN. 

Previous to the Revolution, the vestries bound out orphan children as 
apprentices. They were required to serve until they arrived at the age of 
twenty-one, were instructed in some art, were taught to read and write and 
arithmetic, given two suits of clothing, etc. 

THORNROSE CEMETERY. 

To within a comparatively recent period, the grave-yard of the Episco- 
pal church in Staunton was used for the interment of all persons dying in 
or near the city. Its overcrowded condition, and the fear that the air 
might become tainted, and thus spread disease and death, led to the pur- 
chase of twelve acres of land beyond the town limits in 1850, and the lay- 
ing out of that beautiful City of the Dead, known as Thornrose Ceme- 
tery. Since no more bodies are likely to be buried in this cemetery than 
the free oxygen contained in the rain and dew carried through the soil 
will decompose, the air of Thornrose is not harmful, but fresh and healthy. 
In the absence of a park, garden, or other decorative public ground in or 



106 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

near Staunton, Thornrose is a favorite resort. In its shady retreats silence 
and solemnity reign, diffusing, as it were, a perpetual Sabbath over the 
scene. 

NATIONAL CEMETERY. 

On .the western slope of Betsy Bell, a handsomely improved cemetery 
contains the bodies of the Federal soldiers who lost their lives during the 
Civil war. 

BETSY BELL AND MARY GRAY. 

These two lofty and beautiful mounts, which rise above the landscape 
near Staunton, piloting the people from every part of the county to the 
town, thus derived their names : Some time in the seventeenth century, 
during the prevalence of a plague in Scotland, two young girls, Betsy Bell 
and Mary Gray, to escape infection, fled from their homes and took refuge 
in a solitary booth in the Highlands. Here they were often visited by an 
admirer, who carried them supplies. During his visits, he unconsciously 
communicated the plague to them. Both became ill, both died, and were 
buried near Perth, where their graves, which were carefully sodded over 
and attended to by the hands of surviving friends, were long pointed out, 
and, for aught we know to the contrary, may still be seen. Their sad fate 
gave rise to a ballad commencing 

" Bessie Bell and Mary Gray, twa bonnie lassies," 
which has been preserved. This ballad was taken to Ir eland by Scotch 
emigrants, and the names it commemorates given to two hills, near New- 
town Stewart, in the county of Tyrone. The early settlers of Augusta no 
doubt discovered some resemblance between the Irish mounts and the two 
lovely hills which dominate Staunton, and affixed these names to them. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



From the arrival, in 1752, in Virginia of Gov. Dinwiddle, the history of 
the little colony in Augusta becomes more closely connected with that of 
the colony of Virginia, as that of Virginia becomes part of the history of 
the North American colonies, at the head of which she stood at the open- 
ing of the Revolution. It will have been perceived from the preceding 
chapters that the Mississippi Valley was first explored and settled by the 
French ; that they had a line of forts from New Orleans to Quebec, one of 
them being Fort du Quesne, where Pittsburg now stands. The English 
colonies were jealous of these movements, and that jealousy at length 
ripened into hostility. Previous, however, to any open acts of war, the 



HISTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 107 

English sought to gain possession of the western country by throwing a 
large white population into it by means of land companies. In this way 
three trading companies came into existence — namely : " The Ohio Com- 
pany," to which was granted 500,000 acres of land, to be taken on the 
south side of the Ohio river, between the Monongehela and Kanawha ; 
the " Greenbrier Company," granting to John Lewis, of Augusta, and 
his associates, 100,000 acres, which he located on the river Greenbrier ; the 
third, the " Loyal Company," incorporated June 12th, 1749, with a grant 
of 800,000 acres, from the Canadian line north and west. Tn 1750, the 
lands of the Ohio Company, and the western country, down to the Miami, 
were explored by the company's agent, C. Gist. In 1751, Col. John 
Lewis and his son Andrew, afterwards the distinguished General, surveyed 
the Greenbrier tract. The movements of the English were closely watched 
by the French, who, understanding their designs, determined to defeat 
them. They accordingly crossed Lake Champlain, built Crown Point, 
and fortified certain positions on the waters of the upper Ohio. A com- 
pany of French soldiers was sent south as far as the Miami, by whom the 
English traders among the Indians were ordered to leave the country. 
The Indians, being unwilling to give them up, and the traders refusing to 
leave, a fight ensued in 1752, in which fourteen Miamis were killed and 
four white prisoners were taken. This was the beginning of a contest 
which resulted in the loss to France of all of her territory east of the 
Mississippi. 

Thus stood affairs in 1752, when Gov. Dinwiddle arrived in Virginia. 
In 1753, viewing with alarm the French encroachments, he despatched 
Geo. Washington on a mission to the French commandant. Washington 
arrived at the French headquarters, near the present city of Pittsburg, 
November 26, 1773, and delivered his dispatches. The French comman- 
dant, who refused to leave, informed Washington that it was his purpose to 
destroy every English settlement in tlie West. Having performed his 
task, Washington left on his return, and reached Williamsburg January, 
1774. 

Washington's mission did not prevent war, and Virginia, seeing it to be 
inevitable, proceeded to raise a regiment, under Col. Joshua Fry, with 
Washington as Lieutenant-Colonel. This force was despatched to the 
West, and, on 28th of May, reached a place called Redstone, where they 
encountered a French and Indian force, which they attacked, killing ten 
and taking the rest prisoners. From the prisoners Washington learned 
that a French and Indian force of 1,000 men was in his front. Undaunted, 
he continued his march to the " Great Meadows," where he halted, and 
built a fort, calling it " Fort Necessity." On the 3d of July, at 11 o'clock, 
A. M., the whole French and savage force attacked Washington's works, 
which they attempted to take by assault. The battle raged until 8 in the 



108 HISTORY OF AUOUSTA COUNTY. 

evening, the air resounding with the sharp report of rifles and the hideous 
whoops and yells of the savages. The Virginians, animated by their 
chief, defended the fort with determined pluck. The little fortress was 
said to resemble a volcano in full blast, roaring and discharging its thick 
sheets of fire, which carried death to two hundred of the enemy. At the 
end of nine hours, the French leader. Count de Villiers, sent in a flag of 
truce, extolled the gallantry of the Virginians, and offered to treat for a 
surrender of the works on honorable terms. His proposals were accepted, 
and next morning the Virginians marched out. 

The British Cabinet was now satisfied that a war was inevitable, and 
encouraged the colonies to form a union among themselves. This was 
done, and a plan, or system, was signed by the agents of the leading 
northern colonies and Maryland in 1754. Early in the Spring of 1755, the 
colonies attacked the French at four different points, — Nova Scotia, Crown 
Point, Niagara, and on the Ohio river. The operations against the 
French, on the Ohio, were conducted by Gen. Braddock, who arrived from 
England in February, with two Royal regiments, the i8th, under com- 
mand of Lieut.-Col. Dunbar, and the 44th, under Sir Peter Halkett. Vir- 
ginia raised eight hundred men to join Braddock, who arrived at Alexan- 
dria, then called Bellhaven, and appointed Washington his aide-de-camp. 
Braddock now despatched one company of colonial troops, under Capt. 
Thomas Lewis, of Augusta, to Greenbrier, to build a stockade fort and 
prevent Indian raids on the white settlements in that region. The cap- 
tains of the Virginia companies in Braddock's command were Waggener, 
Cock, Hogg, Stephens, Poulson, Peyronny, Mercer and Stewart. Brad- 
dock commenced his march from Alexandria on the 20th April with about 
2,200 men, and on the 9th of July, 1755, crossed the Monongehela river. 
We cannot delay to describe the amazing difficulties he encountered on his 
march or the disastrous defeat he now sustained. He fell into an ambuscade, 
was mortally wounded, and the army, after sustaining tremendous losses 
in killed and wounded, was put to flight. But for the coolness and cour- 
age of Washington and the Virginia Blues, as our troops were called, the 
whole force would have been destroyed. In this battle the British and 
colonial loss was 777 men killed and wounded. 

The alarm and despondency arising from this disaster was soon dis- 
pelled by the elastic spirits and indomitable pluck of our people, encour- 
aged by the eloquence of Rev. Samuel Davies and other Presbyterian 
and dissenting ministers. 

Among the Virginians who survived this battle, and were afterwards 
distinguished in our annals, were Washington, Andrew and William Lewis, 
Mathews, Field, Grant and others. 

It must be mentioned in this connection that Braddock held the provin- 
cial troops in contempt, and consequently kept them in the rear. Yet, al- 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 109 

though equally exposed with the rest, far from being affected by the fears 
that disordered the regular troops, they stood firm and unbroken, and 
under Washington, the Lewises, Mathews, Fields and other frontiersmen, 
covered the retreat of the regulars, and saved them from destruction. The 
British force retreated one hundred and twenty miles, and had they 
even stopped here, might have rendered important service by preventing 
the devastations and inhuman murders perpetrated by the French and 
Indians during the Summer on the western borders of Virginia and Penn- 
sylvania. Instead of adopting this salutary course, Col. Dunbar, leaving 
the sick and wounded at Cumberland, marched with his troops to Phila- 
delphia. 

The whole frontier of Western Virginia was thus thrown open to the 
ravages of the Indians. The savages crossed the Alleghanies and pushed 
into Augusta and the lower Valley, torturing and murdering men, women 
and children. Some of the settlers fled east of the Blue Ridge, but the 
vast majority of the inhabitants of Augusta remained at home, prepared 
for defence, and determined, if necessary, to embrace an honorable death as 
their refuge against flight. The distresses of the people during this period 
of war exceed all description. In one of Washington's letters to Gov. 
Dinwiddie there is a famous passage which brings all this suffering and 
wretchedness vividly before us. He says : " The supplicating tears of the 
women, and moving petitions of the men, melt me into such deadly sorrow 
that I solemnly declare, if I know my own mind, I could offer myself a 
willing sacrifice to the butchering enemy, provided that would contribute 
to the people's ease." 

The campaign of 1755, closed by the failure of Braddock's expedition 
and that under Gen. Shirley against Niagara. Although the French and 
English colonies had been for two years at war, peace was maintained be- 
tween the two governments at home. An end was put to this unnatural 
state of affairs by a formal declaration of war by Great Britain against 
France, May 9th, 1756, and the bloody struggle, known as the French and 
Indian war, began, wherein most of Europe, North America, the East and 
West Indies, were engaged. The American colonies were called on to 
raise a force to cooperate with the royal troops, and Virginia contributed 
1,600 men. Washington was commissioned colonel, Adam Stephens, 
Lieutenant-Colonel, and Andrew Lewis, Major. The force intended to 
operate in the West was placed under command of Gen. John Forbes, 
and consisted of 9,000 men. The plan of campaign for i756-'57, was as 
extensive as that of the previous year, and resulted in the capture, by the 
French, of Fort William-Henry, Lake George. The success of the French 
and Indians brought the colonial affairs of England in America to an 
alarming situation, and fears were felt that the French would make good 
their claim to the country from Canada to Louisiana. But the blackest 



110 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

clouds frequently have rays of light in their fleecy folds. There are few 
days all dark. There are wells in the Sahara, flowers on the edge of the 
avalanche, and hope in every heart of despair. The fears now felt by a 
few were not participated in by the many. The mass of the people girded 
themselves for the contest, and affairs assumed, during the campaign of 
i758-'6o, a totally different aspect. Victory everywhere crowned British 
arms, and, in the end, Canada fell into the hands of the English. 

During the expedition of 1758, an affair occurred in which Augusta's 
distinguished son. Gen. Andrew Lewis, was involved, and is so character- 
istic of the chivalric Virginian that we make room for it. During the 
march against Fort du Quesne, under Gen. Forbes, Maj. Grant, with 800 
men, was sent forward to ascertain the state of affairs at the fort, and on 
the morning of the 21st of September, was before it. At the first alarm 
the gates were thrown open, and the French and Indians rushed forth in 
great numbers. The air was rent with the savage war-whoops as they 
charged, and before Grant's men had time to bring their guns to bear 
they were surrounded and captured. Maj. Andrew Lewis, of Augusta, 
who was at the head of the rear guard, hearing the sound of battle, left 
the baggage under charge of Capt. Bullitt and fifty men, and hastened to 
the front. He only arrived in time to see Grant's force prisoners, and be 
captured himself. The following incident is related of these ofiicers while 
on parole at Fort du Quesne. Grant, in his dispatches, endeavored to 
throw all the blame of capture on Lewis, who, in fact, deserved all the 
credit of saving, by means of Bullitt, the baggage and the few men who 
escaped to the rear guard. The messenger who had been despatched with 
the papers by Grant to the British commander, was captured, and the dis- 
patches fell into the French commandant's hands. Lewis being present 
when they were opened and read, heard with astonishment and indigna- 
tion their contents, and, without uttering a word, started in pursuit of 
Grant, whom he soon found. He instantly charged him with his infamous 
calumny, drew his sword, and called on Grant to defend himself. Grant 
declined the combat, when Lewis denounced him as a liar and poltroon, 
and, in the presence of two French officers, spat in his face. 

Hearing of the capture of Grant's force. Gen. Forbes urged forward the 
main body of his troops, and, on reaching Fort du Quesne, found it aban- 
doned by the French, who, alarmed at the size of his force, took to their 
boats and retreated down the Ohio. Before leaving, the French applied a 
slow match to the magazine and blew up the fort. It was rebuilt by the 
British and called Pittsburg, m compliment to William Pitt, Earl of Chat- 
ham, who was very popular in America. 

Thus more than a century and a-half after the first permanent settle- 
ment in America, England completed the conquest of Canada, — an object 
which had been for seventy years desired by the colony, — effected the ex- 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. Ill 

pulsion of the French from the Ohio Valley, and, despite the efforts of her 
rivals, France and Spain, became almost sole possessor of North America. 
The treaty of Fontainbleau, in 1762, put an end to war. 

SANDY CREEK EXPEDITION OF I756. 

Before closing this subject, the leading events of which we have set 
before the reader in such rapid succession, some allusion must be made to 
the Sandy Creek expedition. The depredations of the Indians, after 
Braddock's defeat, led to the fitting out, under Maj, Andrew Lewis, of this 
force, with orders to attack the Indian towns west of the Ohio. The force 
consisted of three hundred and forty men, and left Fort Frederick, on 
New river, in the then County of Augusta, for the mouth of Sandy creek, 
February, 1756. Among the officers in this command were Capts. Wm. 
Preston, Peter Hogg, John Smith, Archibald Alexander, R. Breckenridge, 

Woodson and Overton, and Capt. David Stewart, commissary. 

There were also two volunteer companies, under Capts. Montgomery and 
Dunlap, and a party of friendly Cherokees, commanded by Capt. Paris. 
The Indian forces against whom they marched were commanded by their 
celebrated chiefs, Outacite, the Man Killer, Round O, and Yellow Bird. 
While Lewis' command was at Fort Frederick waiting for supplies, &c., 
sermons were preached to them by Revs. John Craig, of Augusta, and 
Mr. Brown. The command crossed the Holstein river February i8th, 
1756, and reached Sandy creek on the 28th. Their supplies ran short, 
and a famine was threatened, men deserted, and but for the wisdom and 
firmness of Lewis, who possessed the unbounded respect and confidence 
of his officers and men, the whole expedition would have been destroyed. 
The sufferings from hunger were so severe that the men cut their buffalo 
robes into tugs and ate them, and hence the name of the stream, on whose 
banks it occurred, of Tug river. When within a few miles of the Ohio, 
Lewis received orders to return, and thus the expedition ended without 
results of importance. The Indians were much elated at Lewis' retreat, 
and immediately advanced on the white settlements, carrying death to 
many a helpless family. Conspicuous among their blood-thirsty chiefs was 
Killbuck, who, in 1757, drew Capt. Mercer's force of forty Virginians into 
an ambuscade and killed thirty-four of them. The following year, 1754, 
the savages reappeared east of the mountains, and one of these parties, 
consisting of fifty warriors, reached a point nine miles from Woodstock, in 
Shenandoah. The whites took refuge in the house of one George Paint- 
er. Mr. P., attempting to escape, was killed. They then plundered and 
burnt the house. While the house was burning, they forced from Mrs. P. 
her four children, hung them in trees, and shot them in savage sport. 
They then moved off with forty-eight prisoners. On reaching their vil- 
lage, after six days' travel, they tied to a stake Jacob Fisher, a helpless 
prisoner, who had given them much trouble, and burnt him to death. 



112 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

After an absence of three years, Mrs. P., her daughters and several others 
escaped and returned to their homes, but some remained, married Indians, 
and spent their hves with the savages. 

DEATH AND CHARACTER OF THE FOUNDER. 

In 1762, the Founder died, thirty years after coming to Augusta, and in 
his eighty-fourth year. He was a man of superior abihties and virtuous 
principles, prudent in concerting his plans, and perseveringly vigorous in 
executing them. The last thirty years of his life were devoted to advanc- 
ing the interests of the little community he founded. His mind was im- 
proved by a liberal education, and few possessed greater knowledge of 
everything capable of forming and qualifying a man for public employ- 
ment. Tall, vigorous, and commanding in figure, he was distinguished 
for the manly beauty of his person, the cordial frankness of his address, 
the charms of his conversation, and the desperate character of his courage. 
He was buried at Bellefonte, and an enormous limestone slab, rude and 
uncut, was placed over his grave, where it still lies half-buried. In 1850, 
this was replaced by a marble slab, bearing the following inscription : 

Here lie the remains of 
JOHN LEWIS, 

who slew the Irish lord, setded Augusta County, 

Located the town of Staunton, 

And furnished five sons to fight the battles of the 

American Revolution. 

He was the son of Andrew Lewis, Esq., and Mary Calhoun, 

and was born in Donegal Co., Ireland, 1678, 

and died in Virginia Feb. ist, 1762. 

He was a brave man, a true patriot and 

a firm friend of liberty throughout the world. 



Mortalitate relicta, vivit iimnortalitate inductus. 



HANNAH DENNIS, THE QUEEN WITCH OR INVISIBLE PRINCESS. 

In 1 76 1, sixty Shawanese warriors penetrated east of the AUeghanies to 
the James river settlements, committing murders and carrying off prison- 
ers — among them Mrs. Renix and her four children. Mrs. Renix was, 
under Bouquet's treaty, brought to Staunton, in 1767, and redeemed, as also 
her son, afterwards Maj. Renix, of Greenbrier, and her other children, 
except her son Joshua, who became so enamored of savage life that he 
took an Indian wife, became a chief among the Miamis, amassed a con- 
siderable fortune, and died, at Detroit, in 18 10. 

Among the captives was Hannah Dennis, a clever and spiritual woman, 
who was sent to reside at an Indian town, near Chillicothe. Instead of 
giving way to grief at her bondage, she applied herself to learn the Indian 
language, performed such labor as they required of her with alacrity, pro- 



HISTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 113 

fessed warm attachment to their ways of Hfe, painted her body Hke the 
squaws, and conformed to their manners and customs. She became very 
popular with the tribe, and in order to enhance her influence, professed 
a knowledge of medicine, of the properties of plants and herbs, and com- 
menced practice as a doctor among them. She soon discovered the super- 
stitious character of the Indians, and determined to take advantage of it 
to increase her power and position. Accordingly, she professed witchcraft, 
and affected to be a prophetess. Unlike most witches, Hannah was ex- 
ceedingly beautiful, and employed her charms of person and the seducing 
grace of her manners to enhance her influence. By cunning and craft, by 
pretending to tame horses and wild beasts by whispering in their ears ; to 
divine future events from the various indications that manifest themselves 
in fire, smoke, and in other ways ; by spells and incantations to communi- 
cate with the dead ; to foretell earthquakes, allay storms, drive away pes- 
tilence, cure disease by virtue of a few words pronounced over the sick 
person, — a quicker way than with snake-root or ginseng, — this marvelous 
woman acquired such a reputation among the savages that they not only 
gave her perfect liberty but looked upon her as a female deity, and hon- 
ored her as a Queen. Placing little value upon their homage, she deter- 
mined to escape, and in June, 1763, left Chillicothe, in search, as the Indians 
supposed, of herbs for medicinal purposes, as was her custom, and did not 
return, but, crossing the Scioto, set out for Virginia. Alarm spread 
among the tribe when her disappearance was known ; they ran to all parts 
on foot and on horseback, but she could not be found. The chiefs met ; 
the utmost consternation prevailed ; scouts were dispatched to scour the 
country. Finally the pursuing savages caught sight of her beyond the 
Scioto, forty miles below Chillicothe. They fired upon her but without ef- 
fect, and probably they did not expect to kill her, as their rifles were loaded 
with leaden instead of silver bullets. They forded the river and still pur- 
sued, but Hannah had disappeared as if the clouds had received her up, 
or she had been swallowed by the earth. Awed by the mysterious disap- 
pearance, they gave up the chase, lit their camp-fires, and passed the night 
on the spot. Next morning they set out on their return. When they had 
been gone some time, the invisible princess crept from a hollow log, in 
which she had concealed herself, and dressed a wound in her foot which 
had been received during her flight. Knowing enough of the Indian 
character to feel satisfied they would not return to look after one who had 
gone, in their opinion, to the spirit land, Hannah spent three days at this 
point, nursing her wound and recovering her strength, and then resumed 
her journey for the mouth of the Kanawha. She crossed the Ohio on a 
log of drift-wood, and after travelling for twenty nights, resting during the 
day in a cave or under the branches of trees, subsisting on fruits gathered 
in the forest with difficulty, she finally set down on the banks of a stream 



114 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

which supplied her drink, to die. In this condition, ahnost expiring from 
hunger and fatigue, she was discovered by a backwoodsman, relieved by 
the pioneers, and ministered to until restored, then supplied with a horse, 
and conducted to Jackson's river, and thence to her home and friends. 

HISTORY OF SELIM, AN ALGERINE CONVERT. 

Among the curious waifs found astray in Augusta, about the year 1756, 
was a native of Algiers, by the name of Selim. The particulars of his life 
are given upon the authority of Rev. Benj. H. Rice. About 1756, Mr. 
Samuel Givens, of Augusta, when shooting in the forest, near his resi- 
dence, was startled by seeing in the limbs of a fallen tree a living creature, 
which he supposed to be a beast of prey, and was in the act of shooting, 
when he discovered it was a human being. Approaching nearer, he found 
a man in the most wretched and pitiable condition, his person naked, ex- 
cept his feet, about which a few rags were tied, and covered with scabs 
and sores, his body emaciated, and the man nearly famished to death. As 
the man could not speak English, Givens could hold no conversation with 
him, but acted the part of the good Samaritan by conducting him to his 
house, supplied his wants, and by tender care, restored him to health and 
strength. He then accompanied Mr. Givens to the house of Col. Dicker- 
son, near Windy Cave, who entertained him for some months with true 
backwoodsman's hospitality. 

The African, finding it impossible to communicate his history without a 
knowledge of English, applied himself, with remarkable success, to acquire 
it. In the course of a few months, being aided by the Colonel and his 
family, he so far mastered our language as to be able to communicate his 
ideas, and repaid the kindness of his friends by giving them an affecting 
narrative of his various unparalleled misfortunes. He said his name was 
Selim ; that he was born of wealthy and respectable parents in Algiers ; 
that when a small boy his parents sent him to Constantinople for educa- 
tion, and that after he had spent some years in that city, he returned to 
Africa. His visit over, he reembarked for Constantinople, to complete his 
education. The ship was captured by a Spanish man-of-war, and Selim 
was taken prisoner. Spain was at the time an ally of England and France, 
and the Spaniards, falling in with a French ship bound for New Orleans, 
transferred Selim to the vessel, and he was landed in New Orleans (and 
most probably sold into slavery, though this is not stated). After being 
some time in that city, he was sent up the Mississippi, to Ohio, to a Shaw- 
anese town, and left as a prisoner in their hands. The Indians held a 
prisoner at this time, a white woman from the frontiers of Virginia, and 
he, by signs, learned from her whence she came. The woman pointed to 
the rising sun. Selim was sufficiently acquainted with history and geog- 
raphy to know that there were English settlements on the eastern shore 
of America, and resolved to escape to them. With no pilot but the sun. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 115 

no provisions for the journey, and no arms to kill game, he eluded 
the vigilance of the Indians, and set forth on his journey and traveled 
through the wilderness, subsisting on nuts and berries and other wild 
fruit, until his clothes were torn from his body, and, almost famished and 
dying, he was found by Mr. Givens near Staunton. The Colonel was so 
much moved by his tale of woe, that he supplied his every want, made 
him his companion, and introduced him to his friends and neighbors. 
Taking him to Staunton on court-day, Selim there saw Rev. Jno. Craig 
who attracted his particular attention, so much so, that Selim addressed 
him and asked to accompany him home. Mr. C. consented, and gave 
him a warm welcome. He afterwards asked Selim the cause of his wish 
to live with him. Selim replied : " When I was in my distress, I once, in 
my sleep, dreamed that I was in my own country, and saw the largest 
assembly of men my eyes ever beheld, collected in a vast plain, dressed 
in uniform, and drawn up in military order. At the further side ot 
the plain, and at an immense distance, I saw a person, whom I under- 
stood to be a person of great distinction ; but the distance prevented my 
discerning what sort of a person he was.. I only knew him to be a person 
of distinction. I saw, every now and again, one or two of this large assem- 
bly attempting to cross the plain to this distinguished personage ; but 
when they had got about half over, they suddenly dropped into a hole in 
the earth, and I saw them no more. I also imagined I saw an old man 
standing by himself at a distance from this assemblage, and one or two of 
the multitude applied to him for direction how to cross the plain, and all 
who received and followed his advice, got safely over." " As soon as I saw 
you," added Selim, " I knew you to be the man who gave these directions, 
and this has convinced me that it is in the mind of God that I should 
apply to you for instruction in religion. It is for this reason I desire to go 
home with you. When I was among the French, they endeavored to 
prevail on me to embrace the Christian religion ; but as I observed they 
made use of images, I looked on Christianity with abhorrence, such wor- 
ship being, in my opinion, idolatrous." 

Mr. Craig cheerfully undertook the agreeable work he seemed called to 
by an extraordinary Providence. He soon found Selim understood the 
Greek language, which gready facilitated the business. He gave him a 
Greek testament. Selim spent his time in reading it, and Mr. C. his 
leisure hours in explaining to him the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In a fort- 
night he obtained what Mr. C. considered a competent knowledge of the 
Christian religion, and was baptized in Mr. C.'s church. Some time after 
this, Selim expressed a wish to return to his native country. Mr. C. sug- 
gested that he might be ill-used by his friends and countrymen, now that 
he was no longer a Mohammedan, and asked if it would not be better to 
remain in Virginia, where he might enjoy his religion without disturbance. 



116 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

To this Selini replied that his father was a man of good estate, and he 
was his heir ; that he had never been brought up to labor, and knew no 
possible way in which he could obtain a subsistence ; that he could not 
bear the thought of living a life of dependence ; that he was sensible of 
the strong prejudices of his friends against Christianity, yet could not 
think that, after all the calamities he had undergone, his father's religious 
prejudices would so far get the better of his humanity as to cause him to 
ill use his son on that account, and that, at all events, he desired to make 
the experiment. Mr. Craig urged his temptations to return to Moham- 
medanism, to which Selim said he would never deny Jesus. 

Finding him resolved, Mr. C. and his friends supplied him with money 
and a letter of recommendation to Hon. Robert Carter, of Williamsburg. 
Mr. C. gave Selim further aid, and he sailed for England with the flatter- 
ing prospect of once more seeing his parents and native land. Some years 
later, Selim reappeared in Virginia, at Mr. Carter's, in a state of insanity. 
His constant complaint was that he had no friend, and where could he find 
a friend ? From this complaint, and his pitiable condition, it was conjec- 
tured his father was not his friend. In lucid intervals, Selim gave some 
account of his life after leaving Virginia. He arrived in England, and 
proceeded to Africa. He found his parents alive ; on learning that he had 
become a Christian, his father disowned him as a child, and turned him 
out of doors. Broken-hearted, he returned to England, but finding no 
way to earn a support there, he set sail for America, and during the 
voyage such was his grief that he sank into madness. He wandered from 
Williamsburg to Staunton, and thence to Col. Dickerson's, thence to the 
Warm Springs, where he met a young clergyman. Rev. Mr. Templeton, 
who, hearing something of his history, asked him if he was acquainted 
with the Greek language, to which he modestly replied that he understood 
a little of it. Mr. T. handed him a Greek testament, and asked him to con- 
strue some of it. He opened the book, and when he saw what it was, in a 
transport of joy he pressed it to his heart, and then complied with Mr. 
T.'s request. He left the Warm Springs, and returned to Mr. Carter's, 
who was now in Westmoreland, and was finally consigned to the lunatic 
asylum in Williamsburg. Selim was inoffensive in his behavior, grateful 
for favors received, always manifested a veneration for religion, and was 
often seen engaged in prayer. He died with great composure. His por- 
trait was taken for Gov. Page by Peak, of Philadelphia, and long hung on 
the walls of Rosewell. 

MASSACRE AT SEYBERT'S FORT. 

The fatal talent of the Indian for strategy is well illustrated by the cap- 
ture of Fort Seybert, which stood about twelve miles west of the present 
town of Franklin, m Pendleton county, and about fifty miles from Staun- 
ton. This rude fort, composed of log huts enclosing a hollow square, if 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 117 

properly manned, could have resisted any attack of savages. It was the 
strong place of the surrounding settlements, and into it the people gath- 
ered in times of threatened danger. In 1758,3 party of Shawanese invested 
the fort, and demanded a surrender. Finding neither threatening words 
nor bullets of any avail, the cunning savages, after two days' trial, resorted 
to strategy, and unhappily, with success. They made various proposi- 
tions to the besieged to give up, promising to spare their lives ; but if not, 
and the siege continued, and the place was taken, they said every soul 
would be murdered. The promise of safety lured the unfortunate whites 
from the line of security, and they surrendered the fort. There were thirty- 
six persons in the work, and these the savages proceeded to secure. 
Instantly the whites realized the horror of their situation, and foresaw the 
fate which awaited them. Of the whole number, all were massacred but 
eleven. Ten, whom the Indians wished to save, were secured and removed 
from the fort ; the others were tied hand and foot, and seated in a con- 
tinuous line upon a log. Behind each of the unfortunates stood a stalwart 
savage, who, at a given signal, sunk his tomahawk through the skull of his 
quivering victim. The work finished, the fort was destroyed. This hor- 
rible scene was witnessed by a boy named Dyer, who was spared, although 
not of the number removed from the fort. He was led into captivity to 
the Shawanese towns on the Scioto. After nearly two years captivity, he 
escaped and returned home. Nothing was ever known of the fate of the 
ten borne off as prisoners. 

BINGAMON AND THE INDIANS. 

In 1758, near the present village of Petersburg, Hardy county, lived a 
giant by the name of Bingamon, whose house was broken open by the 
Indians at night. Before Bingamon was aware of the danger, the savages 
were in the house. Bingamon got his parents, wife and children, beneath 
a bed, and then prepared for action. The hired man was called down, but 
refused to come. The room was dark, and having discharged his rifle, he 
clubbed it and beat about at random. He fought with desperation, killing 
seven men. The eighth rushed from the house, and escaped, telling his 
tribe he had met a " perfect devil." In the morning, Bingamon could 
scarcely be prevented from killing his cowardly hired man. Bingamon 
was greatly distinguished for his firmness and strength. 

FURMAN'S FORT, ON THE SOUTH BRANCH OF THE POTOMAC. 

In 1764, eighteen Delawares killed Wm. Furman and N. Ashby, who 
had gone hunting near the fort. They then passed on to Frederick county, 
and killed D.Jones and his wife and Mrs. Thomas, capturing Miss Thomas. 
They also killed Mr, and Mrs. Loyd and several of their children, and 
several others. These are only a few of the murders and captures of this 
party. 



lis HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

INDIAN FORAYS AND MASSACRES IN SHENANDOAH. 

In 1764, a party of eight Delaware Indians, with a white man who had 
joined their tribe, by the name of Abraham Mitchell, advanced into the 
present county of Shenandoah, and near Strasburg killed George Miller, 
his wife and two children. They also, the same day, killed John Dellin- 
reg and took his wife and infant child prisoners. In crossing the moun- 
tains the child, who probably retarded the retreat, had its brains beaten 
out against a tree. A party of white men pursued them, overtook them 
in the Southbranch Mountains, fired upon them, killing one, when the 
others fled, leaving everything behind. 

In the Autumn of 1765, the savages reappeared in Shenandoah, near 
Woodstock, and killed George Sigler and some women and children who 
were with him. Shortly before Sigler's murder two Indians were discov- 
ered lurking in the neighborhood of Mill creek. Three whites went in 
pursuit — M. and John Painter, and Wm. Moore. They had not gone far 
before they approached a fallen pine tree, with a very bushy top. As they 
neared it, M. Painter observed. '• We'd better look sharp ; it is likely the 
Indians are concealed under the tops of this tree." The words were 
scarcely spoken before a savage rose up and fired. The ball grazed the 
temple of J. Painter. Moore and Painter returned the fire. One of their 
balls passed through the Indian's body, and he fell, as they supposed, 
dead. The other fled. The whites pursued some distance, but the fugi- 
tive was too fleet for them. They gave up the chase and returned to the 
pine tree ; but, to their astonishment, the supposed dead Indian had moved 
off with both rifles and a large pack of skins. They followed his trail, and 
when he found they were gaining on him, he got into a sink-hole, and as 
soon as they approached, commenced firing upon them. He had poured 
out a quantity of powder on dry leaves, filled his mouth with bullets, and, 
using a musket which was a self-primer, he was enabled to load and fire 
with astonishing quickness. He thus fired thirty times before they got a 
chance to dispatch him. At last Moore got an opportunity, and shot him 
through the head, and Moore received the premium allowed by law for 
Indian scalps. The fugitive who made his escape met a young white 
woman. Miss Sethorne, near the present town of Newmarket, whom he 
pulled from her horse, and forced ofl" with him. After travelling twenty 
miles, it is supposed the young captive broke down from fatigue, when the 
savage beat her to death with a pine knot. Her screams were heard by 
some whites living two miles from the scene of horror. On going, next 
day, to ascertain the cause, they found her dead body, naked, and covered 
with blood and bruises. 

RAID ON Jackson's river and catawba. 

In 1764, a party of forty or fifty Mingos and Delawares came up Sandy 
to New river, where they separated, one party going towards Roanoke 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 119 

and Catawba, the other in the direction of the Jackson's river settlement. 
The party for Jackson's river traveled down Dunlap's creek and crossed 
the river, and killed a Mr. Carpenter, took his son, two young Browns and 
a woman, all of whom were working- in the fields, prisoners. They then 
robbed the house and fled. Capt. Paul and twenty men went in pursuit 
and accidentally fell upon the first party, who had gone towards Roanoke. 
The savages were discovered about midnight, and were all lying round a 
small fire wrapped in their skins and blankets. Paul's men fired upon 
them, killing three and wounding others. The rest fled and escaped. Sev- 
eral captives, taken on the Roanoke, were liberated, and considerable 
plunder recovered. The deadening effects of these terrible scenes may be 
derived from the reply of a prisoner rescued at this time, a Mrs. Glass, of 
English birth. She had known Capt. Paul, and recognized his voice. She 
called his name just as one of his men, supposing her to be a squaw, was 
about tomahawking her. She made no resistance, and, when asked the 
reason, replied : " I would as soon die as not ; my husband is murdered, 
my children slain, my parents are dead. I have not a relative in America ; 
everything dear to me is gone. I have no wishes, no hopes, no fears ; I 
would not rise to my feet to save my life." Such were some of the hor- 
rors experienced on the frontier. 

The British Government, anxious to secure peace on any honorable 
terms, directed Col. Bouquet to issue a proclamation forbidding the whites 
to settle or hunt west of the AUeghanies. In accordance with these in- 
structions. Col. B. issued the following proclamation, which was posted 
against the trees, on the booths at the trading points, and on the trails or 
road sides leading to the west : 

"Whereas, by a treaty at Easton, in the year 1758, and afterwards rati- 
fied by his Majesty's ministers, the country to the west of the Alleghany 
mountam is allowed to the Indians for their hunting ground ; And as it is 
of the highest importance to H. M.'s service, and the preservation of ttie 
peace and good understanding with the Indians, to avoid giving them any 
just cause of complaint : This is, therefore, to forbid any of H. M.'s sub- 
jects to settle or hunt west of the Alleghany Mountains, on any pretense 
whatever, unless such have obtained leave in writing from the general or 
governors of their respective provinces, and produce the same to the com- 
manding officer at Fort^Pitt. And all the officers and non-commissioned 
officers, commanding at the several posts erected in that part of the coun- 
try for the protection of the trade, are hereby ordered to seize, or cause to 
be seized, any of H.M.'s subjects who, without the above authority, should 
pretend, after the publication hereof, to settle or hunt upon the said lands, 
and send them, with their horses and effects, to Fort Pitt, there to be tried 
and punished, according to the nature of their oflence, by the sentence of 
a court martial." 

In October, 1764, a similar proclamation was issued by the government, 

and in 1765, to accomplish the object in view, two movements were made 

into the Indian territory. The first, under Gen. Bradstreet, who proceeded 



120 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

to Lake Erie, and the second, under Col. Bouquet, who marched to the 
Muskingum. Bradstreet had a grand council, at Niagara, with twenty 
tribes, in June, who had sued for peace, and concluded a treaty. Bouquet 
proceeded, at the head of a force, from Fort Pitt, in the Autumn, and, 
reaching the Muskingum, convened in council the Delaware and Shawa- 
nese, negotiated and signed a peace with them, and received from them 
two hundred and six prisoners, ninety of whom were Virginians, or West 
Augusta people, and one hundred and sixteen Pennsylvanians. He also 
received from the Shawanese hostages for the delivery of other captives, 
who could not be brought in at that time. A number of distinguished 
chiefs united in forming this treaty, among them Kyashuta, Red Hawk, 
Custaloga and Captain John. 

THE horse's sagacity AND HATRED OF THE SAVAGE. 

Not only the people but their domestic animals, at least the horse, de- 
tested the savages, and many a pioneer owed his life to his sagacity. The 
animal snuffed the presence of the Indian in the tainted air, and neither 
whip nor spur could urge him to the dreaded spot. Many instances could 
be cited to prove the intelligence and fidelity of the horse. The following 
will suffice : A gentleman, riding home through a wood at night, struck 
his head against the branch of a tree and fell stunned from his horse. The 
steed immediately returned to the house which they had lately left, and 
which was now closed and the family in bed, but he pawed at the door 
until some one arose and opened it. He turned about, and the man, won- 
dering at the affair, followed him, and the faithful animal led him to the 
. place where his master lay senseless on the ground. 



CHAPTER IX. 



The affairs of the people of Augusta, and more particularly of the district 
of West Augusta, were further complicated for over twenty years previous 
to the Revolution. This was caused by a disagreement between the colo- 
nies of Virginia and Pennsylvania as to their boundary line, a question in 
which the Indians were also deeply interested, and which intensified their 
hostility to the Augusta or Virginian people, who were settling on their 
lands without purchase. We purpose now giving a brief history, derived 
from Dr. Creigh's interesting and valuable work, of this controversy, and 
of Mason & Dixon's line, by which, in 1784, the matter was forever 
settled. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 121 

As far back as 1752, a controversy existed as to the boundary line be- 
tween Virginia and Pennsylvania — Virginia relying upon the charter of 
James I, and Pennsylvania claiming under her charter from Charles II, in 
1 58 1. The Pennsylvanians contended that their line extended several 
miles beyond Pittsburg or Fort du Quesne, while Virginia claimed all the 
territory between the parallels of 36° 30' and 39° 40' North latitude, from 
the margin of the Atlantic due west to the Mississippi. Settlements had 
occurred on the Monongehela, the Youghiogheny and on other tributaries 
of the Ohio for one hundred and twenty miles south of Fort du Quesne, 
as well as on the Greenbrier, the Elk and the Little Kanawha, or in the 
whole region of Northwestern Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania, 
and were claimed by Virginia as part of Augusta County, including Pitts- 
burg, a frontier town, where, as will appear later on in this chapter, the 
County Court of Augusta was often held before the Revolution. The 
Pennsylvanians appealed to history in support of their rights, and quoted 
the instructions from George II to Penn, Lieutenant-Governor of Pennsyl- 
vania in 1765, in which H. M. said : " Whereas, it hath been represented 
unto us that several persons from Pennsylvania and the back settlements of 
Virginia have emigrated to the westward of the Alleghany Mountains, and 
there have seated themselves on lands contiguous to the river Ohio, in ex- 
press disobedience of our royal proclamation of October 7, 1763, it is, there- 
fore, our will and pleasure, and you are enjoined and required, to put a 
Stop to all these and all other the like encroachments for the future." 

On December 11, 1766, the Governor of Virginia wrote the Governor 
of Pennsylvania : " No regard is paid to the proclamation of October 7th 
and April, 1766, by you. But the commander-in-chief has taken a more 
effectual method to remove these settlers by giving orders to our officer 
and party to summon the settlers on Redstone creek to warn them 
to quit these illegal settlements, and, in case of refusal, to threaten military 
execution," 

And in July, 1766, Gen. Gage wrote to Gov. Penn: "The garrison of 
Fort Pitt shall assist to drive away the settlers," (the settlers on Redstone 
creek, near Brownsville.) 

In May, 1766, the chiefs of the Six Nations held a council at Fort Pitt, 
and said, as soon as peace was made, in 1765, contrary to their engage- 
ments,^mam^ white people came over the great mountains and settled at 
Redstone creek and on the Monongehela. George Croghan, the Indian 
agent, wrote to Gen. Gage : " If some effectual measures are not speedily 
taken to remove these people, till a boundary line can be settled, and the 
governors pursue vigorous measures, the consequences may be dreadful, 
and we be involved in all the calamities of another general war." 

In consequence of this state of affairs. Gov. Penn issued a proclamation 
warning the settiers of the Indian complaints that they had settled on their 



122 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

lands without purchase and contrary to the King's proclamation ; ordering 
them to assemble to be told of their lawlessness, and, in case they refused 
to collect pr leave, directed the commander-in-chief to seize and make 
prize of their goods ; after which they would be driven from " the lands to 
the westward of the Alleghanies, the property of the Indians." 

Gov. Fauquier at the same time, July, 1766, ordered the same people to 
evacuate the lands, and if they failed to do so, " they must expect no 
protection or mercy from the government, and be exposed to the revenge 
of the exasperated Indians." 

In September, 1766, the Speaker of the House of Delegates of Penn- 
sylvania acknowledged that " the boundary has not been exactly ascer- 
tained." In October, Gov. Penn asked the aid of Virginia in removing 
the settlers, and the Governor of Virginia replied that he had already 
issued three proclamations to these settlers, and had given orders on the 
subject to the military, but that a large majority of the families remained. 
Gov. Penn now acknowledged that the boundary line between the two 
colonies, near their western limits, had not been made, and that the set- 
tlers would shelter themselves under a disputed jurisdiction, which subse- 
quent events fairly demonstrated. Gov, Penn, in 1768, issued a procla- 
mation denouncing death without the benefit of clergy against the settlers 
who remained on the lands thirty days after the ist of May, 1768. In 
addition, he sent commissioners to read the proclamation to the people, 
and to expostulate with them on the folly and injustice of their settling on 
the Indian lands, etc. The commissioners reached Redstone March 23d, 
1768, read the proclamation, etc. A meeting of the people took place, 
and while in progress a number of Indians arrived. The business was 
explained to all parties, and they agreed, both whites and reds, that no- 
thing should be done as to the removal of the whites until after the con- 
clusion of a treaty then in progress between Geo. Croghan and the In- 
dians. In these settlements there were only about one hundred and fifty 
families, or, say, seven hundred and fifty persons. 

George Croghan, J. Allen and J.Shippenwere appointed commissioners 
to meet the chiefs of the Six Nations and form a treaty, and they accord- 
ingly met in conference at Pittsburg, May 9, 1768. The result of the con- 
ference was that two messengers were sent to the settlers to signify to 
them the great displeasure of the Six Nations, and that the Indians 
expected them to remove without further notice. These two deputies 
were to be accompanied by the White Mingo and the three deputies sent 
from the Six Nations' country ; but, when the time of their departure ar- 
rived, they refused to go, saying that their instructions were only to attend 
to making a treaty, and that driving the white people away from these set- 
tlements was a matter which no Indian could with any satisfaction be con- 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 123 

cerned in, and they thought it most proper for the English themselves to 
compel their own people to remove from the Indian lands. 

The commissioners, finding all efforts fruitless to gain over the Indian 
deputies, determined to return to Philadelphia, and, while making their 
arrangements, they were visited at their lodgings by one of the principal 
warriors of the Six Nations, who stated that he regretted the state of 
affairs, fearing the ill-will of the white people, yet pledging his Indian 
faith and Indian honor, that the Six Nations had good hearts to all their 
English brethren. Thus ended the treaty at Fort Pitt, and the white set- 
tlers were left on the lands. 

From this period the country west of the Alleghanies began to fill up 
with a further white immigation, but the boundary question was still a 
source of trouble, involving not only the extent of Pennsylvania, but the 
title to lands. The difficulties, too, were aggravated by one Michael Cre- 
sap, who sought to create disturbances on the boundary question, declar- 
ing that the province of Pennsylvania did not extend west of the Allegha- 
nies, but that all " westward of them was the King's land." 

In the midst of the trouble. Dr. John Connolly, a citizen of Virginia, 
appeared, and posted up the following significant notice, taking up the 
controversy on behalf of Virginia : 

" Whereas, his Excellency, John, Earl of Dunmore, Governor of the 
colony of Virginia, has been pleased to nominate and appoint me Captain- 
Commandant of the militia of Pittsburg and its dependencies, with in- 
structions to assure his Majesty's subjects, settled on the western waters, 
that having the greatest regard to their prosperity and interest, and con- 
vinced, from the reported memorials of the grievances of which they com- 
plain, that he purposes recommending to the House of Burgesses the 
necessity of erecting a new county, to include Pittsburg, for the redress of 
your grievances, and to take every other step that may tend to afford you 
that justice which you solicit. In order to facilitate this desirable circum- 
stance, I (John Connolly) hereby require and command all persons in the 
dependency of Pittsburg to assemble themselves there, as militia, on the 
25th inst., at which time I shall communicate other matters for the pro- 
motion of public utility." 

The Pennsylvanians immediately arrested Connolly, and on his refusal 
to find security for his good behavior, committed him to gaol. Connolly 
induced the Sheriff to give him leave of absence for a few days, during 
which, guarded by the settlers of Redstone, with Virginian predilections, 
he returned to Virginia. Penn wrote to Dunmore demanding an explana- 
tion of his sending Connolly to the State, and calling on and requiring the 
law officers of Pennsylvania to assert her rights and protect her people 
" within her own limits." 

The correspondence between Penn and Dunmore was spicy, and in it 
Dunmore supported Connolly, who returned to Pittsburg, and kept around 
him an armed body of men, to execute his orders in defence of Virginia's 



124 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

laws. The magistrates of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, refusing to 
acknowledge any authority but that of Pennsylvania, were arrested when 
returning from court, April 9, 1774, by order of Connolly, and refusing to 
give bail under the laws of Virginia, arrangements were made, and they 
were sent to Staunton for trial. The magistrates sent to Staunton were 
Smith, Mackay, and McFarland, On their way to Staunton, Mackay 
called at Williamsburg to visit Lord Dunmore, who informed him that 
Connolly was authorized by him to prosecute the claim of Virginia to 
Pittsburg and its dependencies. On arriving in Staunton, the three jus- 
tices gave security and returned to their homes. 

Col. Wm. Crawford, President of the Court, immediately sent an express 
to Gov. Penn, detailing the facts, and at the same time stating that Capt. 
Connolly, a few weeks before, went to Staunton, and was sworn in as a 
Justice of the Peace for Augusta county, in which " it is pretended that the 
country about Pittsburg is included, and he is constantly surrounded by 
about 180 militia, and obstructs the execution of every legal process." 

The Provincial Council ordered the arrest of Connolly, and sent com- 
missioners to Lord Dunmore. At the same time, they deprecated the 
alarming situation of affairs, and advised Col. Crawford, as " Virginia had 
the power to raise a much larger military force than Pennsylvania, pru- 
dence would dictate the propriety of not attempting to contend with them 
by way of force." 

The commissioners sent to Dunmore were Jas. Tilghman and A. Allen, 
and arrived in Williamsburg in May, 1774. Dunmore informed them 
that " the jurisdiction of Fort Pitt would not be relinquished by Virginia 
without His Majesty's order." This put an end to their mission. On the 
departure of the commissioners, Dunmore issued the following proclama- 
tion: 

" Whereas, I have reason to apprehend that the government of Penn- 
sylvania, in prosecution of their claim to Pittsburg and its dependencies, 
will endeavor to obstruct His Majesty's government thereof, under my 
administration, by illegal and unwarrantable commitment of the officers I 
have appointed for that purpose, and that that settlement is in some danger 
of annoyance from the Indians, also, and it being necessary to support the 
dignity of His Majesty's government and protect his subjects in the quiet 
and peaceable enjoyment of their rights, I have therefore thought proper, 
by and with the consent of His Majesty's Council, by this proclamation, in 
His Majesty's name, to order and require the officers of the militia in that 
district to embody a sufficient number of men to repel any insult whatever, 
and all His Majesty's liege subjects within this colony are hereby strictly 
required to be aiding and assisting therein, as they shall answer the con- 
trary at their peril. And I do further enjoin and require the several in- 
habitants of the territory aforesaid to pay His Majesty's quit rent, and all 
public dues, to such officers as are or shall be appointed to collect the 
same, within this Dominion, until His Majesty's pleasure shall be known." 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUISTT. 125 

Events were hastening to a crisis between Virginia and Pennsylvania, 
and the Indians, who considered themselves as injured parties, determined 
to avail themselves of a conflict, to join the Pennsylvanians, and be avenged 
on the Virginians. Pennsylvania, too, took immediate steps to meet the 
emergency, though Gov. Penn sent word to the Shawanese that if any 
wicked Virginians had murdered any of their tribe, he would make com- 
plaint to the Governor of Virginia, have the guilty parties punished, and 
that they should not seek to take revenge upon innocent people. Similar 
messages were sent to the Delawares, and the Indians met in council at 
Pittsburg, June, 1774, and all unhappy differences were satisfactorily setded, 
and the red men determined, in their own language, " to hold fast the 
chain of friendship, and make their young men sit quiet." 

Capt. Connolly was not satisfied with this friendly alliance between the 
Indians and the Pennsylvanians, and thus spoke in a letter to Gen. A. St. 
Clair in July : " I am determined no longer to be a dupe to their amiable 
professions, but, on the contrary, shall pursue every measure to offend 
them, the Indians, whether I may have the friendly assistance or not of 
the neighboring country." 

Connolly's course hastened on the war of 1774, and its outbreak was so 
immediately due to the conduct of Capt. Michael Cresap, that it was by 
some styled " Cresap's war." Space does not admit of our entering into 
explanatory details. 

In 1775, the conflicting jurisdiction of the provinces gave rise to further 
troubles, and magistrates, acting under Pennsylvanian authority, were 
threatened with imprisonment. Virginians, who were in prison under 
Pennsylvania laws, were turned loose by an armed mob, claiming to act 
under the laws of Virginia. Confusion reigned ; lands, already occupied, 
were given to friends and favorites by Virginia officers ; the courts of jus- 
tice, under Pennsylvania laws, were obstructed, and land offices were 
opened by the direction of the Government of Virginia. 

The court of the District of West Virginia also engaged in promoting 
the interest of Virginia, as is obvious from the following facts : 

" At a justice's court held at Fort Dunmore (Pittsburg), February 22, 
1775, (this was a court of Augusta), James Caveat was arraigned before 
the court for malevolently upbraiding the authority of His Majesty's offi- 
cers of the government of Virginia at sundry times, and for riotously 
opposing the legal establishment of His Majesty's laws. He offered as a 
plea the want of jurisdiction of the court, which was overruled, and he was 
required to give security for one year and a day, and desist from acknowl- 
edging, as a magistrate, within the colony of Virginia, any authority de- 
rived from the province of Pennsylvania. 

" May I, 1775, Thomas Scott was also bound over for acting and doing 
business as a Justice of the Peace under Pennsylvania laws, in contempt of 
the Earl of Dunmore's proclamation, and also other misdemeanors, and 
was required to desist from acting as a magistrate within the colony of 
Virginia. 



126 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUKTT. 

"September 20, 1775,. George Wilson, gentleman, was bound over for 
aiding, advising, and abetting certain disorderly persons, who, on the 
morning of the 22d of June last, violently seized and carried away Capt. 
John Connolly from Fort Dunmore, and also advising others not to aid 
the officers of justice, when called upon, to apprehend the aforesaid dis- 
turbers of the peace. He, not appearing, his recognizance was forfeited.'' 

These acts aroused the Pennsylvanians, and they seized Capt. Connolly 
and took him to Philadelphia, whereupon the county court of Augusta 
directed that Geo. Wilson, D. Smith and I. Spear should be kept as hos- 
tages for his safe return, and, to prevent their rescue, they were sent in a 
flat-boat to Wheeling. These matters must have led to open hostilities 
between the provinces, but for the merging of all local affairs in the all- 
absorbing question of the freedom of America, and nothing more is heard 
of the boundary until the second year of the Revolutionary war, when, in 
1777, Pennsylvania proposed to Virginia a final settlement of the disputed 
boundary. The correspondence on the subject led to the appointment on 
part of both States of Commissioners to settle the matter. 

Virginia appointed Bishop Madison and Robt. Andrews, to settle the mat- 
ter, and Pennsylvania, Geo. Bryan, Rev. John Ewing, DD.,and David Rit- 
tenhouse. They met in Baltimore, Aug. 31, 1779, and after four days' nego- 
tions, came to this agreement : " That Mason and Dixon's line be extended 
due West 5°, to be computed from the river Delaware for the southern 
boundary of Pennsylvania, and that a meridian, drawn from the western 
extremity thereof to the northern limits of the said States, respectively, be 
the western boundary forever," &c. This agreement, with the conditions 
annexed for the protection of individual rights, was adopted by the Legis- 
lature of Pennsylvania, September, 1780, and transmitted to Virginia for 
confirmation. While the negotiations were pending. Congress passed the 
following preamble and resolution, December 27, 1779: 

" Whereas, It appears to Congress, from the representation of the dele- 
gates from the State of Pennsylvania, that disputes had arisen between the 
States of Pennsylvania and Virginia relative to the extent of their bounda- 
ries, which may probably be productive of serious evils to both States, and 
tend to lessen their exertions in the common defence ; therefore 

Resolved, That it be recommended to the contending parties not to 
grant any part of the disputed lands, or to disturb the possession of any 
person living thereon, and to avoid every appearance of force, until the 
dispute can be amicably adjusted by both States, or brought to a just de- 
cision by the intervention of Congress ; that possessions forcibly taken be 
restored to the original possessors, and things be placed in the situation in 
which they were at the commencement of the present war, without preju- 
dice to the claims of either party." 

In 1784, Virginia confirmed the line agreed upon by the Commissioners 
in August, 1779, and the boundary was temporarily settled ; but it was not 
finally disposed of until the adoption, extension, and approval of the Mason 
8c Dixon line. 



HISTOR"S OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 127 

THE MASON & DIXON LINE. 

As this line forever put to rest all questions as to boundary between the 
two States, a brief history of it will not be here out of place. It was fixed 
in the years 1763-4-5-6-7 by two distinguished mathematicians and astrono- 
mers, Chas. Mason and Jer. Dixon, of London, afterwards extended by 
authority and consent of Virginia and Pennsylvania temporarily, and finally 
adjusted in 1784. The line properly begins at the northeast corner of 
Maryland, and runs due west. The Indians, as we shall see, were trouble- 
some to the surveyors, but, by treaties, they permitted them to proceed as 
far west as the old war-path, within thirty-six miles of the whole distance 
to be run, when the Indian escort informed them that it was the will of 
the Six Nations the surveyors should cease their labors. There was no 
alternative. The surveyors stopped, and hence arose the difficulties which 
we have narrated in the preceding part of this chapter as to the boundary. 

By reference to the charter granted by King Charles II to William 
Penn, his heirs and assigns, on the 4th of March, 1681, we find the follow- 
ing described land : 

" All that tract or part of land in America, with all the islands therein 
contained, as the same is bounded on the east by Delaware river, from 
twelve miles distant northwards of New Castletown unto the three and for- 
tieth degree of northern latitude, if the said river doth extend so far north- 
ward ; but if the said river shall not extend so far northward, then by the 
said river so far as it doth extend ; and from the head of the said river, the 
eastern bounds are to be determined by a meridian line, to be drawn from 
the head of the said river unto the said three and fortieth degree. The 
said land to extend westward five degrees in longitude, to be computed 
from the said eastern bounds, and the said lands to be bounded on the 
north by the beginning of the three and fortieth degree of northern lati- 
tude, and on the south by a circle drawn at twelve miles distance from New 
Castle northwards, and westwards unto the beginning of the fortieth de- 
gree of northern latitude, and then by a straight line westwards to the 
limits of longitude above mentioned." 

It is evident that Penn's grant of land from King Charles was to lie 
west of the Delaware river, and north of Maryland, because the charter 
by Lord Baltimore for Maryland included all the land to the Delaware 
Bay, " which lieth under the 40° of north latitude, where New England 
terminates " ; hence the only mode by which the form and extent of Penn- 
sylvania could be determined was by the two natural landmarks — viz.: 
New Castletown and the river Delaware. This river being her eastern 
boundary. New Castletown was to be used as the centre of a circle of 
twelve miles radius, whose northwestern segment was to connect the river 
with the beginning of the 40°, while the province was to extend westward 
5° in longitude, to be computed from said eastern bounds. 

The Penns claimed, for the western boundary, a line beginning at 
39°, at the distance of 5° of longitude, from the Delaware ; thence at 



128 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

the same distance from that river in every point to north latitude 42°, 
which would take into the province of Pennsylvania some fifty miles 
square of northwestern Virginia, west of the west line of Maryland. Lord 
Dunmore, however, rejtcted this claim, and insisted it would be difficult 
to ascertain such a line with mathematical exactness, and that the western' 
boundary of Pennsylvania should be a meridian line run south from the 
end of 5° of longitude from the Delaware, on the line of 42°. This claim, 
on the other hand, would have thrown the western line of Pennsylvania 
fifty miles east of Pittsburg. 

The foundation of the Mason & Dixon's line was based upon an agree- 
ment entered into July 4th, 1760, between Lord Baltimore and Thomas 
Penn, and the three lower counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex, on 
the Delaware, on account of the very long litigations and contests which 
had subsisted between these provinces from the year 1683. These parties 
mutually agreed, among other things, to appoint a sufficient number of 
discreet persons, not more than seven on each side, to be their respective 
commissioners, with full power to the said seven persons, or any three or 
more of them, for the actual running, marking, and laying out of the said 
part of the circle, (as mentioned in the charter from Charles II to William 
Penn,) and the said before mentioned lines. The commissioners were to 
fix upon their time of commencing said lines not later than the following 
October, and proceed with all fairness, candor and dispatch, marking said 
line with stones and posts on both sides, and complete the same before the 
25th December, 1763, so that no disputes may hereafter arise concerning 
the same. 

James Hamilton, (Governor), Richard Peters, Rev. Dr. John Ewing, 
William Allen, (Chief Justice), William Coleman, Thomas Willing, and 
Benjamin Chew were appointed commissioners on the part of the Penns. 

Horatio Sharpe, (Governor), J. Ridout, John Leeds, John Barclay, 
George Stewart, Daniel St. Thomas Jenefer, and J. Beale Boardley, on 
behalf of Lord Baltimore. 

The Board of Commissioners met at New Castle in November, 1760, 
and each province selected its own surveyors. The Pennsylvania survey- 
ors were John Lukens and Archibald McClain ; those of Maryland were 
John F. A. Priggs and Jonathan Hall. 

The commissioners and surveyors agreed that the peninsula lines from 
Henlopen to the Chesapeake, made under a decree of Lord Hardwicke, 
in 1750, were correct, hence they fixed the court-house at New Castle as 
the centre of the circle, and the surveyors proceeded on this data to mea- 
sure and mark the lines. James Veech, in his history of Mason & Dixon's 
line, quoted by Dr. Creigh, says : 

" Three years were diligently devoted to finding the bearing of the 
western line of Delaware, so as to make it a tangent to the circle, at the 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 129 

end of a twelve mile radius. The instruments and appliances employed 
seem to have been those commonly used by surveyors. The proprietors 
residing in or near London, grew weary of this slow progress, which, per- 
haps, they set down to the incompetency of the artists. To this ground- 
less suspicion we owe their supersedure and the introduction of the men. 
Mason & Dixon, who have immortalized their memory in the name of the 
principal line which had yet to be run." 

In August, 1763, Mason & Dixon were selected by Lord Baltimore and 
the Penns to complete their lines, and arrived in Philadelphia in No- 
vember, bringing the most approved instruments, among them a four- 
foot zenith sector. An observatory is erected in Cedar street, Philadelphia, 
to facilitate the ascertainment of its latitude, which they use until January, 
1764. They then go to New Castle, adopt the radius as measured by 
their predecessors, and, after numerous tracings of the tangent line, adopt 
also their tangent point, from which they say they could not make the 
tangent line pass one inch to the eastward or westward. They, therefore, 
cause that line and point to be marked, and adjourn to Philadelphia to find 
its southern limit in Cedar or South street. This they make to be 39° 56' 
20", while the latitude of the State has been marked as 39° 56' 20". They 
then extend that latitude sufficiently far to the west to be due north of the 
tangent point. Thence they measure down south fifteen miles to the lati- 
tude of the great due west line, and run its parallel for a short distance. 
Then they go to the tangent point and run due north to that latitude, and 
at the point of intersection, in a deep ravine, near a spring, they planted 
the corner-stone, at which point begins the celebrated Mason & Dixon's 
line. 

Mr. Veech continues : " Having ascertained the latitude of this line to be 
39° 43' 32" (although more accurate observations, make it 39° 43' 26" .8, 
or a little over nineteen miles south of 40° as now located), they, under in- 
structions, run its parallel to the Susquehanna, twenty-three miles ; and, hav- 
ing verified the latitude there, they return to the tangent point, from which 
they run the due north line to the fifteen mile corner and that part of the 
circle which it cuts off to the west, and which, by agreement, was to go to 
New Castle county. (This little bow or arc is about a mile and a-half 
long, and its middle width one hundred and sixteen feet. From its upper 
end, where the three States join, to the fifteen mile point, where the great 
Mason & Dixon line begins, is a little over three and a-half miles, and 
from the fifteen mile corner, due east to the circle, is a little over three- 
quarters of a mile. This was the only part of the circle which Mason & Dixon 
run. Lord Baltimore having no concern in the residue. Penn, however, 
had it run, and marked with ' four good notches,' by Isaac Taylor and 
Thomas Pierson, in 1700-'!.) Where it cuts the circle is the corner of 
three dominions, an important point, and, therefore, they caused it to be 
well ascertained and well marked. This brings them to the end of 1764." 

They resumed their labors in June, 1765. If to extend this parallel did 
not require so great skill as did the nice adjustment of the other lines and 
intersections, it summoned its performers to greater endurance. A tented 



130 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

army penetrates the forest, but their purposes are peaceful, and they move 
merrily. Besides the surveyors and their assistants, there were chain- 
bearers, rod men, axe men, commissioners, cooks and baggage carriers, 
with numerous servants and laborers. By the 27th of October, they come 
to the North (Cove or Kittatiny) mountain, ninety-five miles from the 
Susquehanna, and where the temporary line of 1739, terminated. After 
taking Captain Shelby with them to its summit to show them the course of 
the Potomac, and point out the Alleghany mountains, the surveyors and 
their attendants return to the settlements to pass the Winter and get their 
appointment renewed. 

Early in 1766, they are again at their posts, and by the 4th of June they 
are on the top of the Little Alleghany mountain, the first west of Wills' 
creek. They have now carried the line about one hundred and sixty 
miles from its beginning. The Indians, into whose ungranted territory 
they had deeply penetrated, grow restless and threatening. They forbid 
any further advance, and they had to be obeyed. The agents of the pro- 
prietors now find that there are other lords of the soil whose favor must 
be propitiated. The Six Indian Nations were the lords paramount of the 
territory yet to be traversed. To obtain their consent to the consumma- 
tion of the line, the Governors of Pennsylvania and Maryland, in the 
Winter of i766-'7, at an expense of more than ;^500, procured, under the 
agency of Sir William Johnston, a grand convocation of the tribes of that 
powerful confederacy. The application was successful, and early in June, 
1767, an escort of fourteen warriors, with an interpreter and chief, deputed 
by the Iroquois council, met the surveyors and their camp at the summit 
of the Great Alleghany to escort them down into the Valley of the Ohio, 
whose tributaries they were soon to cross. 

Safety being thus secured, the extension of the line was pushed on 
vigorously in the Summer of 1767. Soon the host of red and white men, 
led by the London surveyors, came to the western limit of Maryland, " the 
meridian of the first fountain of the Potomac," and why they did not stop 
there is a mystery, for there their functions terminated. But they pass by 
it unheeded, because unknown, resolved to reach the utmost limit of 
Pennsylvania, " five degrees of longitude " from the Delaware, for so 
were they instructed. By the 24th of August they came to the crossing 
of Braddock's road. The escort now became restless. The Mohawk 
chief and his nephew leave. The Shawanese and Delaware tenants of the 
hunting-grounds begin to grow terrific. On the 27th of September, when 
encamped on the Monongehela river, two hundred and thirty-three miles 
from the Delaware river, twenty-six of the laborers desert, and but fifteen 
axe-men are left. Being so near the goal, the surveyors (for none of the 
commissioners were with them,) evince their courage by coolly sending 
back to Fort Cumberland for aid, and in the meantime they push on. At 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 131 

length they came to where the line crosses the Warrior branch of the 
old Catawba war path, at the second crossing of Dunkard creek, a Httle 
west of Mount Morris, in Greene county, and there the Indian escort say 
to them, " that they were instructed by their chiefs in council not to let 
the line be run westward of that path." Their commands are peremptory, 
and there, for fifteen years. Mason & Dixon's line is stayed. 

Mason and Dixon, with their pack-horse train and attendants, return to 
the East without molestation, and report to the commissioners, who ap- 
proved their conduct, and on the 27th of December, 1767, grant to them 
an honorable discharge, and agreed to pay them an additional price for a 
map or plan of their work 

The commissioners caused stones to be erected upon the lines and at 
the corners and intersections around and near the three counties of Dela- 
ware. On the 9th day of November, 1768, they made their final report to 
the proprietors. 

It would be well to remark that along the line and at the end of every 
fifth mile a stone was planted on which were graven the arms of the pro- 
prietors on the side facing their possessions, respectively, while the inter- 
mediate miles were noted by a stone bearing the initials of the respective 
States thereon. The line opened was of the breadth of twenty-four feet, 
made by felling all the large trees, which were left to rot upon the ground ; 
the stones were erected along the middle of this pathway. 

The instruments used by Mason & Dixon were an ordinary surveyor's 
compass, to find their bearings generally, a quadrant, and the four-feet 
zenith sector, for absolute accuracy, and which enabled them to be guided 
by the unerring luminaries of the heavens. 

The measurements were made with a four-pole chain of one hundred 
links each, except that on hills and mountains one of two poles, and some 
times a one-pole measure, was used. These were frequently tested by a 
statute chain carried along for the purpose. Great care was enjoined as to 
the plumblings on uneven ground, and, so far as they have been since 
tested, the measurements seem to have been very true. 

The width of a degree of longitude varies according to the latitude it 
traverses, expanding towards the equator and contracting towards the 
pole. In the latitude of our line. Mason & Dixon computed it at fifty- 
three miles and one hundred and sixty-seven and one-tenth perches. They 
subsequently made Penns' five degrees of longitude from the Dela- 
ware, to be two hundred and sixty-seven miles and one hundred and 
ninety-five and one-sixteenth perches. To their stopping-place, at the 
war-path on Dunkard, they say was two hundred and forty-four miles, one 
hundred and thirteen perches and seven and one-fourth feet. Hence they 
left, as they computed it, twenty -three miles and eighty-three perches to 
be run. It was subsequently ascertained that this was about a mile and 



132 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

a-half too much, as the surveyors of 1784, made it two hundred and sixty- 
six miles, ninety-nine and one-fifth perches. 

The boundary between Virginia and Pennsylvania, after a long contro- 
versy, was finally settled, as we have seen, by the commissioners of the 
respective States in 1784. From the accounts of the commissary to the 
commissioners, it is evident that while discharging their trust they lived 
well. The bill calls for 120 gallons of spirits, 40 gallons of brandy, 80 
gallons of Madeira wine, 200 pounds of loaf sugar, a small keg of lemon 
juice, 6 pounds of tea, 106 pounds of coffee, 60 pounds of chocolate, 40 
pounds of Scotch barley pepper, 6 bushels of salt, 4 tin mugs, i coffee 
mill, I pewter tea-pot, i tin coffee pot, i frying-pan, i gridiron, 6 boiling 
kettles, I Dutch oven, i tea ketde, 2 pair snuffers, 4 candle-sticks, 2 funnels, 
100 pounds candles, 2 hand-saws, i cross-cut saw, 6 files, 2 hammers, I2 
gimlets, 50 pounds nails, i set knives and forks, tea-cups, glasses, tum- 
blers, bowls, dishes, plates, spoons and basins, 6 large camp stools, 6 small 
ditto, 2 marquees, or 4 horsemen's tents, 60 felling axes, 100 pounds steel, 
6 shovels, 6 pickaxes, 6 spades, 12 pair of H. L. hinges, 3 four-horse 
wagons and one light wagon, with 4 horses, 20 fathom h inch rope, 2 crow 
bars, 2 planes, 2 augurs, 4 broad-axes, 2 drawing-knives, ^ box window- 
glass, I ream of paper, 100 quills, 6 sticks of wax, 2 dozen pencils, i box 
of wafers, 2 ink stands, 2 large camp tables, i dozen memorandum books, 
cheese, 2 dozen hams, i dozen kegs of white biscuit. 

The commissioners for whom such excellent provision was made were, 
on behalf of Virginia, Bishop Madison, Robert Andrews, John Page, and 
Andrew Elliott; and for Pennsylvania, John Ewing, D. Rittenhouse, John 
Lukens and Thomas Hutchins. 

As public documents are difficult of access, owing to our distance from 
any great public library, the original reports of the commissioners are in- 
serted below for future reference : 

JOINT REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS ON THE BOUNDARY LINE BE- 
TWEEN VIRGINIA AND PENNSYLVANIA. 

Agreeably to the commission given by the State of Virginia to James 
Madison, Robert Andrews, John Page, and Andrew Elliott, and by the 
State of Pennsylvania to John Ewing, David Rittenhouse, John Lukens, 
and Thomas Hutchins, to determine, by astronomical observations, the 
extent of five degrees of longitude west from the river Delaware, in the 
latitude of Mason & Dixon's line, and to run and mark the boundaries 
which are common to both States, according to an agreement entered 
into by commissioners from the said two States, at Baltimore, in 1779, and 
afterwards ratified by their respective Assemblies, we, the underwritten 
commissioners, together with the gentlemen with whom we are joined in 
commission, have, by corresponding astronomical observations, made near 
the Delaware and in the western country, ascertained the extent of the 
said five degrees of longitude ; and the underwritten commissioners have 
continned Mason & Dixon's line to the termination of the said five degrees 
of longitude, by which work the southern boundary .of Pennsylvania is 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 133 

completed. The continuation we have marked by opening vistas over the 
most remarkable heights which He in its course, and by planting on many 
of these heights, in the parallel of latitude, the true boundary, posts 
marked with the letters P. and V., each letter facing the State of which it 
is the initial. At the extremity of this line, which is the southwest corner 
of the State of Pennsylvania, we have planted a squared unlettered white 
oak post, around whose base we have raised a pile of stones. The corner 
in the last vista we cut on the east side of a hill, one hundred and thirty- 
four chains and nine links east of the meridian of the western observatory, 
and two chains and fifty-four links west of a deep narrow valley, through 
which the said last vista is cut. At the distance of fifty-one links, and 
bearing from it north twenty-three degrees east, stands a white oak marked 
on the south side with three notches, or bearing south twelve degrees 
west, and at the distance of twenty-nine links, stands a black oak on the 
north side with four notches. The advanced season of the year, and the 
inclemency of the weather, have obliged us to suspend our operations, but 
we have agreed to meet again at the southwest corner of Pennsylvania on 
the i6th day of May next, to complete the object of our commission. 

Given under our hands and seals, in the county of Washington, in 
Pennsylvania, this i8th day of November, 1784. 

ROBERT ANDREWS, [Seal.] 
JOHN EWING, [Seal.] 
ANDREW ELLIOTT, [Seal.] 
DAVID RITTENHOUSE, [Seal.] 
THO. HUTCHINS, [Seal.] 

The report of the Virginia commissioners, which we have not been able 
to procure in time for this volume, is no doubt identical with the following 
report of the Pennsylvania commissioners, which was received by the Ex- 
ecutive Council, December 23, 1784: 

To His Excellency, John Dickerson, President of the Senate, and to the 
Hon. the Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of 
Pennsylvania : 

The commissioners appointed for ascertaining the length of five degrees 
of longitude, and for determining and fixing the boundary line between 
this State and Virginia, by astronomical observations, beg leave to report : 

That after procuring the necessary instruments, according to the direc- 
tions of council in the preceding Spring, we set off for our respective 
places of observation about the middle of June, Messrs. Rittenhouse and 
Lukens to Wilmington and Ewing and Hutchins to the southwest corner 
of the State. 

The observers at Wilmington completed their observatory and furnished 
it with the necessary instruments, so as to begin their astronomical opera- 
tions in conjunction with Messrs. Page and Andrews, commissioners 
from Virginia, about the beginning of July, where they continued observ- 
ing the eclipses of Jupiter's satellites till the 20th September, that they 
might have a sufficient number of them, both before and after his opposi- 
tion to the sun ; and although the Summer proved very unfavorable for 
astronomical purposes, they were fortunate enough to make amongst them 
near sixty observations of these eclipses, besides many other observations 
of the other heavenly bodies for the regulation of their clock and fixing 



134 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

their meridian line, so that they were well ascertained of their time to a 
single second. 

In the meantime the other observers, setting out for Philadelphia, pur- 
sued their route to the southwest extremity of the State, where they ar- 
rived about the middle of July, having been gready retarded by the bad- 
ness of the roads through that mountainous country. There they met 
with Messrs. Madison and Elliott, the commissioners from the State of 
Virginia, who had arrived about the same time. With all possible dispatch 
they erected their observatory on a high hill, at the place where the con- 
tinuation of Messrs. Mason & Dixon's line by Messrs. Neville & McClean 
ended, supposing this place would prove to be near to the western extrem- 
ity of five degrees of longitude from the river Delaware. After erecting 
their instruments, which had not sustained the least damage from the 
journey over bad roads, they began their astronomical observations about 
the middle of July, and they continued them night and day till 20th Sep- 
tember. Although they were frequently interrupted and disappointed by 
an uncommon quantity of rain and foggy weather, which seems peculiar 
to that hilly country, yet by their attention to the business of their mis- 
sion, they made between forty and fifty observations of the eclipses of 
Jupiter's satellites, many of which were correspondent with those made by 
the other astronomers at Wilmington, besides innumerable observations 
of the sun and stars for the regulation of their time-pieces and the mark- 
ing of their meridian with the greatest precision. 

In this part of their work, situated thirty miles beyond any of the in- 
habitants, the Commissioners were greatly assisted by the diligence and 
indefatigable activity of Col. Porter, their commissary, to whose industry, 
in providing everything necessary, and prudence in managing the busi- 
ness in his department with the utmost economy, the State is greatly in- 
debted. 

The astronomical observations being completed on 20th September, the 
eastern astronomers set out to meet the other Commissioners in the West, 
in order to compare them together. Messrs. Rittenhouse and Andrews 
carried with them the observations made at Wilmington, while Messrs. 
Lukens and Page returned home, not being able to endure the fatigues of 
so long a journey, nor the subsequent labor of running and marking the 
boundary line. Mr. Madison continued with the western astronomers till 
the arrival of Messrs, Rittenhouse and Andrews, when the affairs of his 
family and public station obliged him to relinquish the business at this 
stage and return home, after concurring with the other Commissioners as 
to the principles on which the matter was fully determined. 

Upon comparison of the observations made at both extremities of our 
southern boundary, your commissioners have the pleasure of assuring you 
that no discouragements, arising from the unfavorable state of the weather, 
or the unavoidable fatigues of constant application by day and frequent 
watchings by night, have prevented them from embracing every opportu- 
nity, and making a sufficient number of astronomical observations, to de- 
termine the length of five degrees of longitude with greater precision than 
could be attained by terrestrial measures of a degree of latitude in differ- 
ent places of the earth ; and further, that they have completed their ob- 
servations with so much accuracy and certainty as to remove from their 
minds every degree of doubt concerning their final determination of the 
southwestern corner of the State. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 135 

In the result of the calculations, they found that their observatories were 
distant from each other twenty minutes and one second and an eighth part 
of a second of time. But, as the observatory at Wilmington was fixed at 
one hundred and fourteen chains and thirteen links west of the intersection 
of the boundary line of this State with the river Delaware, and as twenty 
minutes of time are equivalent to five degrees of longitude, they made the 
necessary correction for the said one hundred and fourteen chains and 
thirteen links, and also for the said second and one-eighth part of a sec- 
ond, which is equal to nineteen chains and ninety-six links, and accord- 
ingly fixed and marked the southwestern corner of State in the manner 
mentioned in the joint agreement and report of the Commissioners of both 
States, under their hands and seals, which we have the honor of laying 
before the Council. 

After these calculations were made, the Commissioners proceeded with 
all convenient dispatch to the place where Mason & Dixon formerly were 
interrupted by the Indian nation in running the Southern boundary of this 
State, in order to extend the said boundary westward to the length of five 
degrees from the river Delaware. Being prevented by rainy weather for 
near a week from making any astronomical observations, in order to ascer- 
tain the direction of the parallel of latitude which we were to extend, we 
concluded, to save time and expense, that it would be eligible to take the 
last direction of Mason & Dixon's line and correct it, if necessary, when 
we should have an opportunity of a serene sky. Upon extending the line 
in this manner one hundred and ninety-five chains from the place where 
they ended their work, we found, by astronomical observations, that we 
were thirty-two feet and five inches north of the true parallel, and we ac- 
cordingly made the necessary correction here, and marked a tree with the 
letters P on the north side and V on the South. From thence we assumed 
a new direction, which we again corrected in like manner at the distance 
of five hundred and seventy-five chains, where we found our line to be 
seventy-three feet and six inches north of the parallel of latitude. We 
made the offset accordingly, and planted a large post in the true parallel, 
marked as above. From thence we found another direction, by calcula- 
tion, which, beginning at the said post, should, at the distance of eight 
miles from it, intersect the said parallel, making offsets at convenient dis- 
tances, and planting posts in the true parallel. This direction being con- 
tinued thirty-three chains further than the eight miles above mentioned, 
fell twenty-three inches south of the parallel, where we also planted a post 
in the true boundary, marked as before, and from thence, to the southwest 
corner of the State, we assumed a new direction, which, being continued, 
fell two feet and eight inches south of the said corner. This correction, 
therefore, being made, we planted a squared white oak post in the said 
point, and marked its bearing from different objects, as mentioned in our 
joint report. Besides the marking of this boundary line by the posts and 
stones above mentioned, your Commissioners took good care to have a 
vista of twenty or thirty feet wide cut over all the most remarkable ridges 
which were in the direction of the parallels. 

For a more full description of this part of our work, we beg leave to refer 
to the annexed plan (this plan has never yet been found among the State 
papers) and sketch of the country through which the line passes. The 
season being now far advanced, we were obliged to desist from any further 
prosecution of the work, and agreed with the Virginia Commissioners to 
meet them at the southwestern corner of our State on the 17th of May 



136 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

next, to proceed in running and marking the western boundary of this 
State. 

Agreeably to our commission, we were required to report the situation 
of the country, and the best means of preserving the communication be- 
tween the eastern and western parts of the State. We beg leave to ob- 
serve that the natural obstructions to so desirable a purpose may be in a 
great measure removed by a few easy instances of attention paid by the 
Legislature of this State to the situation and exhausted condition of the 
western citizens. Their public roads are numerous, extensive, and in bad 
order, while the citizens being few in number, scattered at a distance from 
each other, and being harassed and exhausted by an Indian war, are unable 
to repair their roads or to open them through more easy and convenient 
passes over the hills and mountains. A few hundred pounds, not exceed- 
ing one thousand, judiciously and frugally applied, would, in our opinion, 
make a tolerable good wagon road from York county to the Monongehela, 
and thereby facilitate the exportation of goods from this city to that west- 
ern country, and secure their trade with us, especially if the ferry over the 
Susquehanna was made free to all the citizens of the State. It appears 
probable to us, that otherwise, the exertions of Maryland and Virginia to 
repair their roads to that country, will frustrate the expectation which we 
are entitled to entertain of enjoying the advantages of the trade with the 
western parts of our own State. We beg leave further to observe that the 
natural attachment of the western citizens to this State might be increased 
and fixed by an indulgence to their distressed situation, in the price of 
their lands and the terms of payment, and particularly in the remission of 
the interest due on the purchase money during the time they have been 
obliged to evacuate their possessions by the savages and fly to forts for 
the security of their lives and families. 

JOHN EWING, 
JOHN LUKENS, 
DAVID RITTENHOUSE, 
THOMAS HUTCHINS. 



CHAPTER X. 



Five years after Francis Fauquier* became Governor of Virginia, a treaty 
of peace was signed, February lo, 1763, at Fontainbleau, between England 
and France. As, however, all questions as to boundary between their 
American colonies were left unsettled, it did not bring peace to our fron- 
tier. On the contrary, the year 1764-65 is memorable for the great extent 
and destructive character of a war waged by the united Indian tribes of 
the western country — from the northern lakes to the mountains of North 
Carolina — with a view to the extermination of the whites. We shall only 



*Fauquier was ruined at the gaming-table, but fascinating and high-bred, a gentleman and scholar, a 
charming companion and a popular Governor, he came to Virginia the friend of William Pitt and fully 
imbued with the spirit of the Great Commoner. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 137 

refer to the events of this war so far as to give a connected view of the mih- 
tary operations of this disastrous season. The savages were exasperated 
at the cession of Canada to the EngUsh, especially as they knew that the 
English government claimed the jurisdiction of the western country gen- 
erally. They saw forts being built far and near, on the Susquehanna, at 
Pittsburg, Bedford, Ligonier, Niagara, Detroit, Mackinac, and all manned 
by British troops. The various tribes decided, therefore, with great una- 
nimity, upon war, and war to the knife. It was evident to them that the 
time had come when they must either defend or renounce their country. 
Their resolution once taken, they were not slow in carrying out their plans 
of slaughter. They no longer considered the smallness of their numbers 
and their want of resources, but entered the unequal contest with the im- 
petuosity of passion, determined, if they could not rescue their lands from 
a detested foe, to die like men. Their plan of campaign was that of a 
general massacre of all the English settlers in the western country, as well 
as of those occupying lands which they claimed on the Susquehanna. 

" Never," says an old historian, " did the commanders of any nation 
display more skill, or their troops more steady and determined bravery, 
than did those red men in the prosecution of their gigantic plan for the 
recovery of their country. It was a conflict which exhibited human nature 
in its native state, in which the cunning of the fox is associated with the 
cruelty of the tiger. We read the history of this war with feelings of the 
deepest horror, but why ? On the part of the savages, theirs was the 
ancient mode of warfare, in which there was nothing of mercy. If science, 
associated with the benign influence of the Christian system, has limited 
the carnage of war to those in arms, may not a farther extension of the 
influence of those powerful, but salutary agents, put an end to war alto- 
gether?" 

The English traders among the Indians were the first victims of the 
contest, and out of one hundred and twenty of them, only two escaped 
being murdered. The forts of Presque Isle, St. Joseph, and Mackinac, 
were taken, with a general slaughter of their garrisons. They invested 
Fort Pitt, but the garrison had resolved to resist to the last extremity, and 
even perish by famme rather than surrender. In this situation, Col. Bou- 
quet sent Gen. Amherst to its relief. This escort was attacked by a large 
body of Indians in a narrow defile on Turtle creek, and would have been 
destroyed but for a successful stratagem employed by Gen. Amherst for 
extricating his force. After sustaining a furious contest from one o'clock 
till night, and for several hours the next morning, a retreat was feigned, 
with a view to drawing the Indians into a close engagement. Previous to 
this movement, four companies of infantry and grenadiers were placed in 
ambuscade. The plan succeeded. When the retreat commenced, the 
Indians thought themselves victorious, and, pressing forward with great 



138 HISTORY OF ATJGTJSTA COtTNTY. 

vigor, fell into the ambuscade, and were dispersed with great slaughter. 
The loss on the Englishside was one hundred killed and wounded ; that of 
the savages was never known. The reduction of Fort Pitt, which they 
had so much at heart, was now placed out of their reach. It was during 
this war that the dreadful massacre took place at Wyoming, and desolated 
the settlements of the New England people along the Susquehanna. The 
extensive and indiscriminate slaughter of both sexes and all ages by the 
Indians, at Wyoming and other places, so exasperated a large number of 
men, denominated the " Paxton boys," that they rivaled the most fero- 
cious of the Indians themselves in deeds of cruelty. The Conestoga In- 
dians had lived in peace more than a century near Lancaster, Pennsyl- 
vania. Their number did not exceed forty. Against the unoffending 
descendants of the first friends of Penn, the Paxton boys first directed 
their more than savage vengeance. Fifty-seven of them, in military array, 
entered the village and instantly murdered all whom they found a:t home, 
to the number of fourteen men, women, and cliildren. Those who did 
not happen to be at home at the massacre, were lodged in the jail of Lan- 
caster for safety. This precaution was unavailing. The Paxton boys 
broke open the jail door, and murdered the whole of them, between fifteen 
and twenty. It was in vain that these poor, defenceless people protested 
' their innocence, and on their knees begged for mercy. Blood was the 
order of the day with these ferocious " boys." The death of their victims 
did not satisfy their rage. They mangled the dead bodies with their 
scalping-knives and tomahawks, scalping even the children, and chopping 
off the hands and feet of most of them. 

While we read, with feelings of the deepest horror, the record of the 
murders which have at different times been inflicted on the unoffending 
Christian Indians, it is some consolation to reflect that our Government 
has had no participation in these murders, but, on the contrary, has at all 
times afforded the peaceable Indians the protection which circumstances 
allowed. 

We now come to events which transpired nearer home — the massacres 
of Big Levels and Muddy Creek, in Greenbrier, when Cornstalk, who after- 
wards became so distinguished in the border wars, for the first time attracted 
public attention. Those two were the principal settlements in the Green- 
brier region, and were about fifteen miles apart. The destruction of these 
settlements was determined on, and they were visited, in 1763, by the In- 
dians, before the whites were aware of the existence of war. The party of 
Indians who went to the settlement on Muddy creek, apparendy on a 
friendly visit, consisted of sixty men, and were kindly received and hospi- 
tably entertained. After feasting, they suddenly fell upon the unsuspect- 
ing and unarmed whites, murdering all the men, and making prisoners of 
the women and children. Having thus repaid the hospitality of the 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 139 

whites, they proceeded to the Big Levels, and on the next day, after hav- 
ing been as hospitably entertained as at Muddy creek, they reenacted the 
revolting scenes of the previous day. Every white man in the settlement, 
but Conrad Yolkom, who was some distance from his house, was slain,, 
and every woman but Mrs. Glendinin. Yolkom, when alarmed by the 
outcries of the women, took in the situation and fled to Jacksons river, 
telling the story. The people were unwilling to believe him, till con- 
vinced by the approach of the Indians. All fled before them, and they 
pursued on to Carr's creek, in Rockbridge, where many families were 
murdered and others captured. 

The following graphic, life-like, and, no doubt, perfectly veracious ac- 
count of the raids on Carr's creek, is derived from the venerable Samuel 
Brown's narrative, published in the " Rockbridge Citizen :" 

" There were two raids on Carr's, or Kerr's creek, but the accounts are 
so mixed that it is not known certainly whether the incidents related as to 
them occurred at the first or second. This settlement dates back to 
1737-38, when Burden was exerting himself to setde his lands, and was 
composed mostly of Scotch-Irish. The first invasion by Indians was early 
in 1763, and the second in October, 1764. The number of Shawanese 
warriors in the first invasion was twenty -seven, and was part of a larger 
force who had been on a hostile expedition against the Cherokees or 
Catawbas, and were on their return to their villages north of the Ohio. 
Some knowledge of their approach led to a hastily organized company 
under Capt. Moffett, who, marching to the mouth of the Falling Spring 
Valley, on Jackson's river, on the estate long owned by the late Hon. John 
H. Peyton, halted there to await the Indians. The Indians, who were hid 
behind a ridge on the right bank of the river, watched the movements 
of the whites, and at a favorable moment opened a destructive fire upon 
them from their concealed position. A number of whites were killed, 
among them, Jas. Sitlington, of Bath, and the force so demoralized by the 
terrific fire from the unseen foes that it took to flight. The Indians pur- 
sued on to the Cow Pasture river, where they burned the smithy of 

Dougherty, who, with his wife and two children, escaped to the mountain, 
west of Peyton Falls, and thus saved their lives. The Indians continued 
their eastern progress, and arrived at Millboro', where the force divided, 
the larger part setting out for the Ohio, and the smaller party, of twenty- 
seven warriors, for Kerr's creek. The larger party killed a man at the 
Blowing Cave, in Panther's Gap, crossed the Warm Spring Mountain, and 
encamped on the lands now owned by the Heckman family. A company 
of whites was quickly formed, and pursued the savages. On reaching 
Heckman's, they found a rude bier, on which a wounded Indian had been 
carried, and afterwards his grave. The whites hastened on, and overtook 
the Indians in their encampment, near the head of Back creek. The 
whites rushed upon the camp, routed the savages, killing many of them, 
and capturing all their camp equipage. Among the whites killed was 
Capt. Dickinson, of Bath ; John Young, grandfather of Col. D. S. Young, 
of Staunton, who resided near Hebron church, in Augusta, and others. 
****** The whites returned, bringing back as trophies of 
their victory a number of scalps, which were recognized by their friends. 
Among them was the scalp of Jas. Sitiington, known by his long, red hair. 



140 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

We shall now return to follow the trail of the smaller party, which set 
out for Kerr's creek. This party crossed Mill mountain at a point still 
called " Indian trail," and the North mountain, where the road now 
crosses leadingfrom the Rockbridge Alum to Lexington. At thebaseof the 
mountain they were on the head waters of Kerr's creek, and proceeding 
on came to the house of Chas. Dougherty, where they murdered the whole 
family. They next came to the house of Jacob Cunningham, who was 
from home. His wife was killed, and his daughter, ten years of age, 
struck down with the tomahawk and scalped. After the Indians left, she 
revived and lived, but fell into their hands on their second invasion in 1765, 
was taken north of the Ohio, where the Indians placed on her head what 
they said was her scalp, and, with great demonstrations of mirth and joy, 
danced around her. She was afterwards ransomed, rejoined her friends, 
and lived many years, but ultimately died from the effects of the scalping, 
her head never having properly healed. The Indians next came to the 
house of Thomas Gilmore, which they burned, killing and scalping him 
and his wife. The rest of the family saved them.selves by flight. The 
alarm now spread, and the inhabitants were flying in every direction. The 
next house they attacked was Robert Hamilton's, where they killed five 
of the ten members composing the family. The Indians went no further 
on this occasion, but retreated, not so much, it is supposed, because their 
thirst for blood was satiated, as because they feared to encounter a white 
force which must have been now collecting. One savage, however, 
pushed on to the house of John McKee, who had sent his six children to 
the house of a friend on Timber Ridge, intending soon to follow with his 
wife. When the alarm reached him, he and his wife fled down the creek 
about a mile to a thicket, followed by the savage. Seeing they would be 
overtaken, Mrs. McKee implored her husband to leave her to her fate and 
make his escape. This he refused to do. She appealed to him again and 
again to leave her for the sake of their children. If he remained, being 
unarmed, both would be slain, but, if he escaped, their young children 
would still have a protector. He yielded to her entreaties, and they 
parted, to meet no more on earth. After running a short distance, he saw 
the tomahawk descend on his wife's head The Indian, without halting, 
followed McKee, but was unable to find him in the bush, and, with a loud 
whoop, gave up the search. At night, McKee returned to the spot where 
he had left his wife, and found her dead. Loaded with scalps and plun- 
der, the savages left the settlement, and the whites, returning, buried their 
dead. The number of persons killed on this occasion was less than would 
otherwise have been the case, from the fact that many were at church, at 
the old Timber Ridge Church, to hear Rev. John Brown, the pastor. 

The second invasion of Kerr's creek was loth October, 1765, and was 
composed of about forty Shawanese. The Indians came over North 
mountain and encamped in a secluded spot, from whence their spies went 
out. They remained concealed two days, but their presence was detected 
by their foot-prints in a corn field. The alarm was given about the time 
they set forth to make an attack. The whites rallied at the " Big 
Spring," in the house of Jonathan Cunningham, to the number of a hun- 
dred — men, women and children. Mr. Gilmore and another settler went 
up the creek to watch the barbarians. The savages shot both from their 
place of concealment, and then rushed on the promiscuous crowd of 
whites. Some young men advanced to meet them, and were killed. Then 
commenced ascenewhich beggars description; the screaming of women and 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 141 

children, and the utter dismay which seized upon all. Many concealed 
themselves in a thick growth of weeds and brush — among them a Mrs. 
Dull, who witnessed the awful tragedy. She said the terror-stricken 
whites ran in every direction trying to hide, and the swift savages, each 
singling out his prey, pursued them round and round with yells. Some 
threw up their hands for mercy. Some were spared their lives, but the 
most fell under the tomahawk. All the men who attempted resistance 
were shot down. The whites had few arms, and, under the circumstances, 
any resistance was vain. The wife of Thomas Gilmore, standing with her 
three children over the body of her husband, fought the Indian who 
sought to scalp him with desperation. A second Indian came forward to 
aid his brother, but the first warded oif the blow of his tomahawk and 
saved her life, saying, " She is a brave squaw " — such was their admira- 
tion of courage. Mrs. Gilmore, her son and two daughters were made 
prisoners. Cunningham was killed and his house burned, and the bloody 
work did not cease until all who could be found were killed or captured. 
Gathering their prisoners in a group, the Indians prepared to leave. 
Among their captives were James and Margaret Cunningham, Archibald 
Marion and Mary Hamilton, Mrs. Gilmore and her three children, and Betsy 
Henry. Among the killed in the two invasions were the entire Dougherty 
family, Mrs. Cunningham, five of the Hamiltons, Thomas Gilmore, Mrs. 
Gilmore and their son, and James McKee. The names of others killed 
and captured are not known to the writer, but the whole num.ber slain was 
not less than sixty to eighty, and twenty-five to thirty were led into cap- 
tivity. 

The following incidents were related by some of these captives, who 
were redeemed by their friends and returned from the Shawanese towns 
north of the Ohio. On the evening of their first day's march, the savages 
opened their kegs of whiskey, made and captured at Cunningham's dis- 
tillery, and spent the night and until the afternoon of the next day in a 
drunken revel. The prisoners were hoping all night that a company of 
whites would come to their rescue, but none came. While here, two war- 
riors returned to " Big Spring," no doubt- to get more whiskey. On their 
way to Ohio the savages made other prisoners on the Cow Pasture. One 
of the white chi dren taking sick, and becoming fretful, a savage seized it 
and dashed its brains out against a tree, and threw the bloody corpse over 
the neck and shoulders of a young girl sitting at the root of a tree. The 
prisoners construed this as a signal that she should soon die, which proved 
true, for she was killed the next day. Another mother caused delay by 
being exhausted carrying her babe. This exasperated the savages, who 
took the child, laid it on the ground, and, running a sharpened pole 
through its body, elevated it in the air. On one occasion some of the 
prisoners were drying some leaves of the New Testament by the fire ; a 
savage snatched them away and threw them into the fire. 

After crossing the Ohio the prisoners were divided, the Indians separat- 
ing into several parties. Mrs. Gilmore and her son fell to one party and 
her daughters to another. The last she heard of them was their heart- 
rending cries as they were torn from her. Soon mother and son were 
parted. She was sold to a French trader and taken to Fort Pitt ; her son 
remained with the Shawanese. He was afterwards redeemed, taken back 
to Jackson's river by Jacob Warwick, where his mother, at the end of 
three years, joined him, after being ransomed. The son married and left 



142 HISTOKY OF ATJGTJSTA COUNTY. 

a family. A number of others, among them Mary Hamilton, were ran- 
somed and brought back." 

During one of these raids some of the savages continued their pursuit 
until within a few miles of Staunton, where they were met by hastily or- 
ganized bodies of men, who drove them back. 

In the wars of i763-'64, the Indians, no longer controlled by their for- 
mer allies, the French, indulged their native ferocity of disposition, and 
perpetrated every species of perfidy and cruelty. This led to retaliation 
on the part of the whites, and occasioned the revolting and sanguinary 
scenes which characterized all future wars with the barbarians. 

The scenes which were occurring on the frontier aroused the people of 
Augusta to the necessity of preparation, and as early as 1763, they took 
steps towards a military organization. This appears from the following 
entry : 

"At the Court of Augusta, held in Staunton, August i6th, 1763, 

"Andrew Lewis, gentleman, took the usual oaths to H. M. person and 
government and subscribed the abjuration oath and test, which is, on his 
motion, ordered to be certified on his commission of Lieutenant of the 
County." 

The Lieutenant of the County was the commander-in-chief of the mili- 
tary forces of the county, and Lewis, the leader of greatest experience 
and ability west of the mountains, was thus commissioned, in view of the 
threatening aspect of affairs. At the same court William Preston qualified 
as Colonel of the County, and the following as Captains : Walter Cun- 
ningham, Alexander McClenehan, William Crow, and John Bowyer ; as 
Lieutenants : John McClenahan, Michael Bowyer and David Long, and as 
Ensign, James Ward. 

At the opening of the Indian war upon the frontier, in 1764, the Six 
Nations were conspicuous. These Indians had previously been known as 
the Five Nations, and called by the French, Iroquois. These five tribes, 
the Mohawks, Oneidas, Senegas, Onandagos and Cayugas had, in 17 12, 
been joined by the Tuscaroras, who had resided in North Carolina and 
had been driven from their hunting-grounds, and became the sixth of this 
powerful confederacy. They were called the Six Nations because they all 
spoke the same language. These Six Nations united, in 1763 -'64, with 
the Shawanese and all the other tribes of the western country in the war 
against Virginia, Pennsylvania and the other colonies. Both Virginia and 
Pennsylvania had attempted to restrain their people from settling west of 
the AUeghanies, because the lands had not been purchased of the Indians. 
The people, however, defied the authorities, and, undaunted by fear of 
the red men, crossed the mountains. Unable to look to their governments 
for protection, they erected forts and block -houses in the west for their 
security. The savages, finding the colonial authorities unable or unwill- 
ing to prevent this invasion of their country, and believing them insincere 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 143 

m their professions, resolved to take up the hatchet, and either to 
expel or exterminate the whites. The following extracts from letters writ- 
ten about 'this time, and subsequently, will show that the Indians had rea- 
son to be exasperated ; that all the blame for these massacres and wars does 
not attach to them. In a letter dated Winchester, April 30th, 1765, the 
following passage occurs : 

" The frontier inhabitants of this colony and Maryland are removing fast 
over the Alleghanies in order to settle and live there. The two hunters 
who killed the two Indians near Pittsburg, some time ago, are so audacious 
as to boast of the fact and show the scalps publicly. What may such pro- 
ceedings not produce ? One of these hunters, named Walker, lives in 
Augusta County, Va." 

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM CARLISLE. 

"A number of men from this settlement went up to Shamokin (Fort 
Augusta) to kill the Indians there, which caused them all to fly from that 
place." 

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM FORT LOUDOUN, I768. 

" The last news we have had here is the killing of nine Shawanese Indians 
in Augusta County, Va., who were passing this way to the Cherokee Nation, 
to war against them, and had obtained a pass from Col. Lewis, of that 
county. Yet, notwithstanding, a number of county people met them a 
few miles from Col. Lewis' and killed nine, there being but ten in the 
Company." 

FROM LORD BOTETOURT, 177O. 

" I send the body of John Ingman, he having confessed himself con- 
cerned in the murder of Indian Stephen. You will find there never was 
an act of villainy more unprovoked and more deliberately undertaken." 

FROM FORT PITT, 1771. 

** I take the liberty to enclose for your perusal the copy of an affidavit 
relative to the murder of two Senecas Indians. I have had several meet- 
ings with the chiefs, who seem well pleased with the steps taken in the 
affair." 

This bloody war, after a course of twelve months, was ended by a treaty 
negotiated in the Autumn of 1764, by Col. Bouquet, near Muskingum, and 
another, concluded by Sir William Johnson, at German Flats, when, as 
we have seen, the Indians surrendered two hundred and six prisoners. 
The most conspicuous negotiator on behalf of the barbarians was the cel- 
ebrated chief. Captain John — than whom no warrior among the Shawanese 
or Delawares was more brutal or ferocious. He possessed great courage, 
energy and sagacity, and wielded a vast influence. This desperate and 
blood-thirsty savage was over six feet high, and celebrated for his strength, 
activity and dexterity with the tomahawk. On one occasion he encoun- 
tered, in single combat, an Indian chief by the name of Cushion, almost 
as noted as himself for physical power and bull-dog courage. They 
fought with tomahawks, and the fight resulted in the death of Cushion, 
whose skull was cloven in twain. Captain John quarreled with his squaw. 



144 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

They agreed to divide their worldly goods and separate. The mother 
held fast to their only child. The Captain jerked it from her arms, and, 
dividing the body with his tomahawk and scalping-knive into two parts, 
threw her one half, saying, " Be off, or I'll serve you in the same way." 

It will not be uninteresting, and will conduce to an understanding of 
western affairs, if we pause at this point to give a brief account of western 
land titles. At the close of the war of i763-'4, the country, from the AUe- 
ghanies to the Wabash, was an almost unbroken wilderness ; a few military 
posts and an occasional pioneer settler were all there was of civilization in 
that vast region. But the tide of emigration to the west was about to set 
in with force. Already, in 1762, some families had settled in Greenbrier, 
and had refused to leave on the King's proclamation, " enjoining and 
requiring ail persons whatsoever, who have either willfully or inadver- 
tently seated themselves upon any lands within the countries above de- 
scribed, or upon any other land:: which, not having been ceded to or pur- 
chased by us, are still reserved to the said Indians as aforesaid, forthwith 
to remove themselves from such settlements." From Greenbrier, the 
whites penetrated to and settled on the New river previous to 1776, and at 
various points were, in contravention of treaties, entering upon and culti- 
vating the lands of different tribes. The Indians witnessed these encroach- 
ments with bitter feelings ; lost faith in such proclamations as that of Bou- 
quet, given in the preceding chapter, and in all treaties, and though Col. 
Johnson had ordered the whites, by proclamation, to leave, they learned 
that he contemplated, himself, founding a colony south of the Ohio river. 
This is true, but it was Johnson's intention to purchase lands before com- 
mencing operations. From Franklin's letters, we learn that this plan was 
in contemplation as early as the Spring of 1766. At this time Franklin 
was in London, and was written to by his son. Governor Franklin, of New 
Jersey, with regard to the proposed colony. The plan seems to have been 
to buy of the Six Nations the lands south of the Ohio, a purchase which, 
it was not doubted. Sir William might make, and then to procure from the 
King a grant of as much territory as the company, which it was intended 
to form, would require. Governor Franklin, accordingly, forwarded to his 
father an application for a grant, together with a letter from Sir William, 
recommending the plan to the ministry, all of which was duly communi- 
cated to the proper department. But at that time there were various inter- 
ests bearing upon this plan of Franklin. The old Ohio Company was 
still suing, through its agent, Col. Mercer, for a perfection of the original 
grant. The soldiers, claiming under Dinwiddie's proclamation, had their 
tales of rights and grievances. Individuals, to whom grants had been 
made by Virginia, wished them completed. Gen. Lyman, from Connec- 
ticut, we believe, was soliciting a new grant similar to that now asked by 
Franklin, and the ministers themselves were divided as to the policy and 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 145 

propriety of establishing settlements so far in the interior, Shelburne be- 
ing in favor of the new colony, Hillsborough opposed to it. 

The company was organized, however, and the nominally leading man 
therein being Thomas Walpole, a London banker of eminence, it was 
known as the Walpole Company. Franklin continued, privately, to make 
friends among the ministry, and to press upon them the policy of making 
large settlements in the west ; and as the old way of managing the Indians 
by superintendents was just then in bad odour, in consequence of the ex- 
pense attending it, the Cabinet Council so far approved the new plan as to 
present it for examination to the Board of Trade, with members of which 
Franklin had been privately conversing. 

This was in the Autumn of 1767. But, before any conclusion was come 
to, it was necessary to arrange definitely that boundary line which had 
been vaguely talked of in 1765, and with respect to which Sir William 
Johnson had written to the ministry, who had mislaid his letters, and 
given him no instructions. The necessity of arranging this boundary was 
also kept in mind by the continued and growing irritation of the Indians, 
who found themselves invaded from every side. This irritation became so 
great, during the Autumn of 1767, that Gage wrote to the Governor of 
Pennsylvania on the subject. The Governor communicated his letter to 
the Assembly on the 5th of January, 1768, and representations were at 
once sent to England expressing the necessity of having the Indian line 
fixed. Dr. Franklin, all this time, was urging the same necessity upon 
the ministers in England, and about Christmas of 1767, Sir William's let- 
ters on the subject having been found, orders were sent him to complete 
the proposed purchase from the Six Nations and settle all differences. But 
the project for a colony was, for the time, dropped — a new administration 
coming in which was not that way disposed. 

Sir William Johnson having received, early in the Spring, the orders 
from England relative to a new treaty with the Indians, at once took steps 
to secure a full attendance. Notice was given to the various colonial gov- 
ernments, to the Six Nations, the Delawares and the Shawanese, and a 
congress was appointed to meet at Fort Stanwix during the following October 
(1768.) It met upon the 24th of that month, and was attended by repre- 
sentatives from New Jersey, Virginia and Pennsylvania, by Sir William 
and his deputies, by the agents of those traders who had suffered in the 
war of 1763, and by deputies from all the Six Nations, the Delawares and 
the Shawanese. 

The first point to be setded was the boundary line, which was to deter- 
mine the Indian lands of the west from that time forward, and this line the 
Indians, upon the ist of November, stated should begin on the Ohio, at 
the mouth of the Cherokee (or Tennessee) river ; thence go up the Ohio 
and Alleghany to Kittatinny ; thence across to the Susquehanna, &c., where- 



146 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

by the whole country south of the Ohio and Alleghany, to which the Six 
Nations had any claim, was transferred to the British. One deed, for a 
part of this land, was made on the 3d of November to William Trent, at- 
torney for twenty-two traders, whose goods had been destroyed by the 
Indians in 1763. The tract conveyed by this was between the Kanawha 
and Monongehela, and was, by the traders, named Indiana. Two days 
afterwards a deed for the remaining western lands was made to the King, 
and the price agreed on paid down. These deeds were made upon 
the express agreement that no claim should ever be based upon previous 
treaties, those of Lancaster, Logstown, &c.; and they were signed by the 
chiefs of the Six Nations for themselves, their allies and dependants, the 
Shawanese, Delawares, Mingos of Ohio, and others ; but the Shawanese 
and Delaware deputies present did not sign them. 

Such was the treaty of Stanwix, whereon, in a great measure, rests the 
title by purchase to Western Virginia, Pennsylvania and Kentucky. It 
was a better foundation, perhaps, than that given by previous treaties, but 
was essentially worthless, for the lands conveyed were not occupied or 
hunted on by those conveying them. In truth, we cannot doubt that this 
immense grant was obtained by the influence of Sir William Johnson, in 
order that the new colony, of which he was to be the Governor, might be 
founded there. The fact that such a country was ceded voluntarily — not 
after a war, not by hard persuasion, but at once and willingly — satisfies us 
that the whole affair had been previously settled with the New York sav- 
ages, and that the Ohio Indians had no voice in the matter. 

But besides the claim of the Iroquois and the north-west Indians to 
Kentucky, it was also claimed by the Cherokees ; and it is worthy of re- 
membrance that after the treaty of Lochabar, made in October, 1770, two 
years after the Stanwix treaty recognized a title in the Southern Indians 
to all the country west from a line drawn from a point six miles east of Big 
or Long Island, in Holsten river, to the mouth of the Great Kanawha ; 
although, as we have just stated, their right to all the lands north and east 
of the Kentucky river was purchased by Col. Donaldson, either for the 
King, Virginia, or himself, it is impossible to say which. 

But the grant of the great northern confederacy was made. The white 
man could now quiet his conscience when driving the native from his for- 
est home, and feel sure that an army would back his pretensions. A new 
company was at once organized in Virginia, called the " Mississippi Com- 
pany," and a petition sent to the King for two millions and a-half of acres 
in the west. Among the signers of this were Francis Lightfoot Lee, 
Richard Henry Lee, George Washington and Arthur Lee. The gentle- 
man last named was the agent for the petitioners in England. This ap- 
plication was referred to the Board of Trade on the 9th of March, 1769, 
and after that we hear nothing of it. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 147 

The Board of Trade was, however, again called on to report upon the 
application of the Walpole Company, and Lord Hillsborough, the presi- 
dent, reported against it. This called out Franklin^s celebrated "Ohio 
Settlement," a paper written with, so much ability that the King's Council 
put by the official report and granted the petition, a step which mortified 
the noble Lord so much that he resigned his official station. The petition 
now needed only the royal sanction, which was not given until August 
14th, 1772; but, in 1770, the Ohio Company was merged into Walpole's, 
and the claims of the soldiers of 1756, being acknowledged both by the 
new company and by government, all claims were quieted. Nothing was 
ever done, however, under the grant to Walpole, the Revolution soon 
coming upon America. After the Revolution, Walpole and his associates 
petitioned Congress respecting their lands, called by them " Vandalia," 
but could get no help from that body. What was finally done by Virginia 
with the claims of this and other companies we do not find written, but 
presume their lands were all looked on as forfeited. 

During the ten years in which Franklin, Pownall and their friends were 
trying to get the great western land company mto operation, actual settlers 
were crossing the mountains all too rapidly, for the Ohio Indians "viewed 
the settlements with an uneasy and jealous eye," and " did not scruple to 
say that they must be compensated for their right if people settled thereon, 
notwithstanding the cession by the Six Nations." It has been said, also^ 
that Lord Dunmore, then Governor of Virginia, authorized surveys and 
settlements on the western lands, notwithstanding the proclamation of 
1763, but Sparks gives us a letter from him in which this is expressly de- 
nied. However, surveyors did go down even to the Falls of the Ohio, and 
the whole region south of the Ohio was filling up with white men. The 
futility of the Fort Stanwix treaty, and the ignorance or contempt of it by 
the fierce Shawanese, are well seen in the meeting between them and Bul- 
litt, one of the early emigrants, in 1733. Bullitt, on his way down the 
Ohio, stopped, and singly sought the savages at one of their towns. He 
then told them of his proposed settlement, and his wish to live at peace 
with them, and said that, as they had received nothing under the treaty of 
1768, it was intended to make them presents the next year. The Indians 
considered the talk of the Long Knife, and the next day agreed to his 
proposed settlement, provided he did not disturb them in their hunting 
south of the Ohio — a provision wholly inconsistent with the Stanwix 
deed. 

Among the earlier operators in western lands was Washington. He 
had always regarded the proclamation of 1763, as a mere temporary ex- 
pedient to quiet the savages, and being better acquainted with the value of 
western lands than most of those who could command means, he early 
began to buy beyond the mountains. His agent in selecting lands was the 



148 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

unfortunate Colonel Crawford. In 1767, we find Washington writing to 
Crawford on this subject, and looking forward to the occupation of the 
western territory ; in 1770, he crossed the mountains, going down the Ohio 
to the mouth of the Great Kanawha ; and in 1773, being entitled, under 
the King's proclamation of 1763, (which gave a bounty to the officers and 
soldiers who had served in the French war,) to ten thousand acres of land, 
he became deeply interested in the country beyond the mountains, and 
had some correspondence respecting the importation of settlers from Eu- 
rope. Indeed, had not the Revolutionary war been just then on the eve of 
breaking out, Washington would, in all probability, have become the lead- 
ing settler of the west, and all our history have been changed. 

But while in England and along the Atlantic men were talking of peop- 
ling the west south of the river Ohio, a few obscure individuals, unknown 
to Walpole, to Franklin, and to Washington, were taking those steps 
which actually resulted in its settlement. 

These deeds were made upon the express agreement that no claim 
should ever be based upon previous treaties — those of Lancaster, Logs- 
town, &c. The deeds were signed by the chiefs of the Six Nations, for 
themselves, their allies and dependents. The Shawanese and Delaware 
deputies present refused to sanction the treaty by their signatures. Such 
was the treaty of Stanwix, whereon, in a great measure, rests the title, by 
purchase, of Western Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. 

In 1769, a new company was formed in Virginia called the '* Mississippi 
Company," and asking of the King a grant of 2,500,000 acres. 

Lord Botetourt encouraged these companies, as did also his successor. 
Botetourt died in 1771, and the Earl of Dunmore, who was appointed to 
the Governorship, arrived in Virginia in 1772. Under the favor of both 
Governors, settlers were crossing the mountains in considerable number, 
and to the very great annoyance of the natives. In order to protect these 
settlers, a small force was sent, in 1773, under Gen. Mcintosh, for the de- 
fence of the frontier, and to attack the Indian towns on the Sandusky. 
Mcintosh's operations were unsuccessful, and his campaign ended after 
severe losses in killed and wounded. That both sides of the question may 
be seen, we give the following extracts from letters written in 1774 by Gen. 
Arthur St. Clair and others : 

FROM ARTHUR ST. CLAIR, 1774. 

" The murder of a Delaware Indian chief was perpetrated eighteen 
miles from this place (Ligonier). It is the most astonishing thing in the 
world — the disposition of the common people of this country. Actuated 
by the most savage cruelty, they wantonly perpetrate crimes that are a 
disgrace to humanity, and seem, at the same time, to be under a kind of 
religious enthusiasm. The Delawares are still .friendly, and it may, per- 
haps, prevent a general war, if they can be kept in temper." 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 149 

FROM ALEX. M'kEE, FORT PITT, 1774. 

" You must, ere this, be acquainted with the critical situation of this 
country, and the unhappy circumstances which have lately arisen between 
the Virginians and the Indians, the event of which still continues doubtful 
— whether matters will be brought to a general rupture or an accommoda- 
tion. Hostilities have been commenced on both sides. * * Some wise 
interposition of Government is truly necessary, or thousands of inhabitants 
must be involved in misery and distress. But, to do the Indians justice, 
they have given more proof of their pacific disposition, and have acted 
with more moderation, than those who ought to have been more rational, 
a few Mingos and Shawanese excepted, who have long been refractory. 
There are more effective means of chastising them for their insolence and 
perjury than by involving the defenceless country in a war." 

FROM D. SMITH, PITTSBURG, I774. 

" The Indians were surprised to see a number of armed men at this 
place, with their colors, at different times, making a warlike appearance, 
and said some of the militia fired on them at their camps near the mouth 
of Saw-mill Run." 

FROM A. MACKAY, PITTSBURG, I774. 

" We do not know what day or hour we will be attacked by our savage 
and provoked enemy, the Indians, who have already massacred sixteen 
persons, to our certain knowledge, about Ten-mile creek. A party of 
militia, consisting of Capt. McClure, Lieut. Kincaid, and forty privates, 
were on their march to join Connelly, at the mouth of Wheeling, where he 
intended to erect a fort, when they were attacked by four Indians, who 
killed the Captain on the spot, wounded the Lieutenant, and made their 
escape." 

FROM JNO. MONTGOMERY, 1774. 

" The Shawanese seem well disposed and inclinable to peace, and will 
continue so, unless provoked by the Virginians. The Delawares are all 
for peace. Logan's party had returned, and had thirteen scalps and one 
prisoner. Logan says he is now satisfied for the loss of his relatives, and 
will sit still until he hears what the Long-knives (Virginians) will say. I 
am in hopes the storm will blow over." 

In June, 1774, Col. McDonald, with four hundred men, was ordered to 
Wheeling. After capturing the Indian village of Wappatomi, the savages 
sued for peace, and while negotiations were pending, removed their women 
and children, burnt their towns, destroyed their crops, and reduced the 
whites to the verge of starvation. 

But we are anticipating events. At the close of the war in 1764, the 
English colonies in America were thirteen in number, with a population of 
2,500,000. In the French and Indian war, to which we have briefly re- 
ferred, they all took part, and while England contributed some men and 
money, on the colonies fell the heaviest share of the burden, and to them 
belongs the merit of success. By their union, in this war, they laid the 
foundation of that union in the Revolution which resulted in the establish- 
ment of the United States. The year 1765 is memorable for the stand 
taken by Virginia as to those questions which were causing a state of hos- 



150 BISTORT OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

tility between the colonies and the mother country, which resulted in a 
long and bloody war, and ended in a final separation. 

BATTLE OF BACK CREEK. 

From D. S. Young, Esq., we have obtained the following account of his 
ancestors' participation in this affair: "About the year 1764, a party of 
Indians, passing through the country, made a raid upon the settlers on 
Kerr's creek, in Rockbridge, murdering men, women and children. The 
whole country was aroused, and a number of brave Augustians armed 
themselves hastily and went in pursuit. Crossing the Warm Spring moun- 
tain — following the Indian trail, they overtook the savages on Back Creek, 
in the present county of Bath. A hand-to-hand fight instantly commenced, 
the whites making an attack with such fury that the guilty barbarians had 
no time to fly. The engagement, which resulted in the defeat and death 
of almost every blood-stained savage, was deplored by the Young family 
for the loss of Thomas Young, one of the two sons of the original founder 
of the family in our county. This occurred in the following manner : In 
the heat of the contest, Thomas Young became engaged in mortal combat 
with two of the savages. While thus contending, a third savage ap- 
proached him from the rear, and with one blow buried his tomahawk deep 
into the skull of the brave white. Death ensued instantly, and, in the 
twinkling of an eye, the savage scalped his victim. John Young, although 
fighting desperately, saw the whole proceeding, and marked the mur- 
derer. Having disposed of his assailants, he fired upon the slayer of his 
brother. The shot took effect in the Indian's hip, who sank upon his 
knees. Young rushed upon him with his sword. His first blow was par- 
ried by the savage, who threw up his gun, on the barrel of which the 
sword was broken. With the remaining portion of the rapier. Young 
hacked and hewed the savage to pieces. Thomas Young's body was 
buried on the battle-field. His scalp was brought home and interred in 
the grave of his father — in the Glebe burying-ground, near the North 
Mountain, in Augusta." 



!BlSTOR"r OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 151 



CHAPTER XI. 



The year 1764, which witnessed the close of the Indian war, is memo- 
rable for the commencement of the narrow policy of Colonial oppression, 
which, after disturbing the ancient harmony of the two countries for twelve 
years, terminated in a dismemberment of the British Empire. Space does 
not admit of our entering upon the origin and history of the disputes be- 
tween the colonies and mother country ; upon the reciprocal insults, which 
soured the tempers ; the mutual injuries, which embittered the passions of 
the opposite parties, made reconciliation impossible, and finally led to the 
establishment of the Federal Government. We must confine ourselves to 
matters nearer home. During the Spring of 1774, it was evident that an 
Indian war was impending on our frontier. Such was the general belief 
i-n its imminency, that the traders and other adventurers who had pene- 
trated into the territory of the red men, left the wilderness, and collected 
at Wheeling. That post was then commanded by Capt. M. Cresap, and 
was called the " Key of the West." It must be remembered that Penn- 
sylvania and Virginia laid equal claim, in 1752-54, to Pittsburg and the 
surrounding country, and doubt still existed as to which colony it belonged. 
This led to the controversy treated of in the ninth chapter, and caused 
further irritation and trouble in 1774. Early in the Spring of this year, 
Dunmore, prompted by Col. Croghan, and his nephew, Dr.Jno. Connolly, 
an intriguing and ambitious man, determined, as we have seen, to assert 
the claims of Virginia upon Pittsburg and its vicinity. Then commenced 
a series of contests, complaints and outrages which are too extensive and 
complicated to be described within our limited space. The upshot of the 
matter was this : Connolly took possession of Fort Pitt, dismantled and 
nearly destroyed it, and then rebuilt and named it Fort Dunmore. He 
also wrote to the settlers along the Ohio that the Shawanese were not to 
be trusted, and he desired all to be in readiness to redress any wrongs 
these savages might perpetrate. One of these circulars he addressed to 
Capt. Michael Cresap, at Wheeling. A few days previous to the date of 
Connolly's letter, April 16, 1774, a canoe loaded with goods for the Shawa- 
nese towns, the property of Mr. Butler, a Pittsburg merchant, had been 
attacked by three Cherokee Indians about sixty miles above Wheeling, 
and one of the whites killed. This greatly excited the Virginians at 
Wheeling, and when, a few days later, it was reported that a canoe con- 
taining Indians was coming down the river, a resolution was at once taken 
to attack it. Connolly was endeavoring to foment a war, and the whites, 
largely participating in his views, exhibited at this time the blind im- 



152 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

petuosity of barbarians. Cresap, one of the leaders of the war party, • 
went up the river with several men, and, firing into the boat, killed 
two Indians, whom they scalped. Next day, several boats containing 
Indians were discovered a few miles up the river. Pursuit was given, and 
that night, while the Indians were encamped near the mouth of Captina 
creek, twenty miles below Wheeling, the Virginians attacked them, kill- 
ing and wounding several. Shortly afterwards, April, 1774, Daniel Great- 
house massacred twelve Indians at Baker's house, on the Big Yellow 
creek, where a considerable number of red men were encamped. By a 
disgraceful device, many of them were made drunk on rum, then mur- 
dered and scalped. Among the slain was the entire family of the famous 
chief, Logan, though Logan had hitherto been friendly to the whites, and 
warmly espoused a peace policy. These were the exciting causes of the 
war of 1774, though, as already premised, the magazine was charged, and 
needed only the application of the match to cause an explosion. 

The settlers, well knowing what would follow such brutalities, left the 
frontier and retired into stockade forts. As they anticipated, the Indians 
were soon on the war path. It was not a single tribe, but a combination, 
or confederacy of all the tribes of the northwest, conspicuous among them 
the Shawanese, Mingos, and Delawares. Having, by their own conduct 
brought affairs to this point, with the hope that, during a general war, the 
Indians would be " polished off the earth," to use the slang phraseology 
of the frontier, Connolly and Cresap despatched a scout to Williamsburg, 
where the Legislature was at the time in session, to inform the Governor. 

Gen. Lewis, a member of the House of Burgesses for the county of 
Botetourt, was then in Williamsburg, attending its deliberations. He was 
widely distinguished for his great actions and the important services he 
had rendered his country. He was now in his fifty-sixth year, and his 
strong understanding fortified by large experience. The Governor imme- 
diately sent for him, and, after a conference, decided on raising an army 
and appointing Lewis to its command. He asked the General his views 
as to a campaign. Lewis soon explained to him a plan of campaign that 
was simple, bold, and judicious. The General knew that no such formi- 
dable union of savage tribes as now existed had ever taken place on the 
continent ; that no such able and astute leaders as Logan, chief of the 
Mingos ; Cornstalk, sachem of the Shawanese, and King of the Northern 
Confederacy; Outacite, the Man-killer, King of the Cherokees; and 
Blue Jacket, had ever been formed against the whites, or occupied such a 
geographical advantage over their enemy. He informed Lord Dunmore 
that the savages must not only be attacked in front, but on the flank ; that 
he should advance by the Kanawha, or the River of the Woods, to the 
Ohio, while a cooperating force from Fort Pitt, coming down the river, 
would be prepared to strike the left of the Indian army, advancing from 



HISTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 153 

the west. He explained his campaign in detail, and the Governor heartily 
approved the prospective acuteness of his plans, and said he would take 
command in person of the force to move from Fort Pitt. Gen. Lewis im- 
mediately left the capital for Staunton, and applied himself, with unexam- 
pled energy, to raising from the southern counties his force, and performed 
such wonders of labor as could hardly have been expected from a human 
body and a human mind. He selected and appointed his own officers, 
and, under them, volunteers came in with such alacrity that there was no 
occasion to resort to a draft, which he was empowered to do, if necessary. 
As the companies were completed in Staunton, they were sent off to Camp 
Union, on the Greenbrier, and, when completed, the force there consisted of 
the foUowmg : 

GEN. lewis' force. 

I. Regiment of Augusta troops, under Col. Charles Lewis. The cap- 
tains in this regiment were : Geo. Mathews, (afterwards Governor of 
Georgia) ; Alex. McClenachan ; John Dickinson ; John Lewis, (son of Col. 
Wm. Lewis, afterwards of the Sweet Springs,) then only sixteen years of 
age, but celebrated for his martial spirit and herculean strength; Benj. 
Harrison; Wm. Paul; Jos. Haynes; Sam'l Wilson. 

n. The Botetourt regiment, under Col. Wm. Fleming. The captains 
in this regiment were : Mathew Arbuckle; John Murray ; John Lewis, (son 
of the General in command) ; James Robertson ; Robt. McClenachan ; 
James Ward ; John Stuart, (author of a Memoir of this campaign). 

HL The regiment from Culpeper, under Col. John Field. 

Three Independent companies from Washington county, Va., under 
command of Col. Wm. Christian. Their captains were: Evan Shelby, 
Wm. Russell, Harbert. 

An Independent company from Bedford county, Va., under command of 
Capt. Thos. Buford. 

These citizen-soldiers were men hardened by exercise and toil. Their 
bodies seemed inaccessible to disease or pain. War was their element. 
They sported with danger, and met death with composure. To such men 
the colony of Augusta, the State of Virginia, and the Republic of the United 
States, owe their present greatness. They remind us of the founders of 
Rome, of whom Cato, the elder, said to the Roman Senate : " Think not 
it was merely by force of arms that our forefathers raised this republic from 
alow condition to its present greatness. No ! By things of a very differ- 
ent nature — industry and discipline at home, abstinence and justice abroad, 
a disinterested spirit in council, unblinded by passion and unbiassed by 
pleasure." 

Gen. Lewis' last preparations completed, he left Staunton, arrived at 
Camp Union early in September, and assumed command. On the nth 
of September, 1774, unsheathing the old sword he had carried twenty 



154 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

years before at the defeat of Braddock, and in the war of '63-'64, he 
pointed to the West and commenced his march into the friendless wilder- 
ness. Never had the Virginians taken the field with so numerous and for- 
midable a force, but Lewis knew he was marching against a powerful Con- 
federacy. He therefore sought to impress upon his men that they should 
not show themselves inferior in valor to the heroes of 1755, nor sink below 
public expectation. He maintained a rigid discipline, and, as far as prac- 
ticable, the regularity of his march, as if in constant expectation of an 
attack, and illustrated the necessity of this course by a reference to 
the defeat of Braddock, and the well-known fact that an inferior number, 
well posted and handled with ability, has often proved too much for a 
more numerous body, whom contempt for their enemy exposes to attacks 
for which they are unprepared. They were on hostile ground from the 
day of their march, and the wisdom of his precautions cannot be doubted. 

There was no road, or even pathway, from Camp Union to the Ohio, a 
distance of one hundred and sixty miles. The whole country was an un- 
broken forest or trackless desert. Through this gloomy region the array 
was to be piloted by Capt. Arbuckle, a skillful backwoodsman. Their 
supplies of flour, salt and ammunition were to be transported on the backs 
of unshod horses, and their cattle driven in rear of the army. After a 
painful march of nineteen days, the army arrived on the ist of October, 
1774, at the mouth of the Kanawha. The troops had thus marched, on 
an average, eight-and-a-half miles a day — an astonishingly good progress 
under all the circumstances. This result could not have been attained 
but for the good health and vigorous character of the men. They had 
neither spirits, wine, nor malt liquor, and drunkenness, disease, crime, 
and insubordination were unknown. When the army reached Point 
Pleasant, the soldiers were almost naked. Their rations consisted of a 
small quantity of meal or flour, a little beef, and such game as they could 
kill — no tea or coffee. No men were ever called on to perform harder or 
more continuous labor, and yet they were always cheery, and worked with 
a will that could not be surpassed. We conclude from this, that water is 
better than grog, and that the theory of old army officers — especially those 
of the British army — that rum is essential to the good health and good 
humor of the soldier, is erroneous. 

The privations, the waste of strength and health, on such a march, are 
enormous, but owing to the temperance of the men, the high morale of the 
force, the troops were, notwithstanding some loss of physical condition, 
ready for action on reaching the Ohio. The General, who was then nearly 
sixty years of age, and was always worse lodged, worse served, and more 
plainly dressed than the youngest of his officers, was full of strength and 
vivacity, and elated at his success in crossing the wilderness. Owing to 
his failure to hear from Dunmore, and the fatigue of some of the less vig- 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 155 

orous of his men, Gen. Lewis now, as he had previously resolved on doing, 
formed and fortified a camp at this point, — selecting an elevated spot of 
land, where there was plenty of fresh air, good water, and excellent drain- 
age. Here the General remained nine days, until rest and a supply of 
wholesome food fully restored the bodies and spirits of his surviving sol- 
diers, and made them, if not more ready, better prepared for action. 

While the events we have related, commencing with April, 1774 — the 
recruiting of Lewis" force, the march to Point Pleasant, &c. — were transpir- 
ing east of the Ohio, the barbarians, fully advised by their spies and scouts, 
began to collect northwest of the Ohio in force. They were animated by 
their ancient hatred of the Virginians, whom they styled " Long Knives ;"* 
by a desire for revenge ; by a wish to rid the country forever of the pale 
faces ; and by a natural fondness for war. They mustered with such 
celerity, and in such force, that, greatly outnumbering the Virginians, 
they believed Lewis would not dare to meet them, or, if rash enough to do 
so, he would be ignominiously defeated. Their commander-in-chief, the 
famous Cornstalk, exerted himself to bring this force together with in- 
credible zeal and activity, and planned to take the two divisions of Lewis 
and Dunmore in detail. Accordingly, he advanced to meet Lewis, and 
was in the neighborhood of Point Pleasant, watching the progress of 
affairs, when Lewis arrived. From his lair, he witnessed the arrival of 
Lewis' force and the disposition made of them. 

On the 9th of October, three white couriers, who had previously lived 
among the Indians as traders, arrived in Lewis' camp, bearing dispatches 
from Dunmore, to inform Lewis that he, Dunmore, had changed the plan 
of campaign, and would not attempt to join Lewis at Point Pleasant, and 
ordering Lewis to march directly to the Indian towns on the Scioto, where 
Dunmore would join him. It is believed that this order was given with 
the base hope that Lewis' command would encounter an overwhelming 
savage force and be destroyed. In such cases, it is the duty of the histo- 
rian to give matters of fact, without reserve, without endeavoring to dive 
into the motives. 

It is charged by historians that Dunmore was now, and had long been, 
engaged in fomenting jealousies and feuds between the colonies, hoping 
thus to draw off their attention from the encroachments of the British 
Government upon their constitutional rights. He is also accused of encour- 
aging and inciting the savages to hostilities by his intrigues. And his pur- 
pose to take command of the force to rendezvous at Fort Pitt, is believed 
by them to have proceeded from a desire to allow, in his absence, the 
whole confederated Indian force to fall upon and annihilate Lewis. If 



*The origin of that term was as follows : Little Eagle, a noted Mingo chief, i*n a rencontre, in the war of 
1755, with some whites, under Col. Gibson, attempted to shoot the Colonel, but the ball missed the target. 
With the quickness and ferocity of a tiger, Gibson sprang upon his foe, and with one sweep of his sword, 
severed Little Eagle's head from his body. The Indians fled, and reported that the white captain had cut 
off their chiefs head with a "long knife" — hence the term. 



156 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

such was his object, he was signally defeated through the gallantry of 
Lewis' forces. Thus strangely do events confound all the plans of man. 

One of the scouts who came to Lewis from Dunmore was McCuUoch, 
and, no doubt, the Major Samuel McCulloch afterwards so famous as a 
scout, hunter and warrior. McCulloch informed Lewis that he had re- 
cendy left the Shawanese towns, on the Ohio, and gone to Dunmore's 
camp ; that the combination against the whites was formidable — composed 
of a larger number of men than under command of either Lewis or Dun- 
more, and all of them eager for the fray. " They will give you grinders, 
and that before long," said McCulloch, and repeating it, he swore " the 
whites would get grinders very soon." The express returned immediately 
to Dunmore, and the day after they left, the batde of the Point was fought. 

On the night of the 9th, Gen. Lewis' scouts reported no Indians within 
fifteen miles, and preparations were made to break camp and commence 
the march westward on the next morning. The morning of October 10, 
1774, had hardly dawned, however, before Lewis' force was startled by 
the report of rifles. The alarm was beaten, the enlivening strains rever- 
berating over the surrounding solitudes. Lewis' pickets came in rapidly, 
and reported the enemy advancing in force, one of them declaring that he 
had seen " a body of Lidians covering four acres of ground." 

Another scout declared the whole woods was swarming with painted 
warriors, armed with rifles, tomahawks, war clubs and battle axes, The 
rapidity with which Gen. Lewis formed his troops for battle alone saved 
the command from destruction. In this unexpected emergency, the ex- 
citement, the noise and confusion. Gen. Lewis was perfectly composed and, 
with the utmost coolness and presence of mind, took the necessary meas- 
ures to meet and repel the attack He ordered to the front the Augusta 
troops, under his brother. Col. Charles Lewis. He personally knew every 
man in this regiment — had known them from boyhood, and knew they 
could be depended on in the hour of danger. The Augusta regiment had 
hardly passed the outposts of the camp, when a furious onset was made 
upon them by an overwhelming force of Indians. Col. Charles Lewis fell 
mortally wounded at an early hour, but his brave troops kept up a stub- 
born resistance, until, overborne by superior numbers, they showed signs 
of being pressed back. At this moment. Gen. Lewis ordered forward Col. 
Fleming's regiment, which gallantly maintained the fortunes of the day 
until he, too, was struck down by a fatal shot, and was borne, dying, as his 
men believed, from the field. At this hour the aspect of affairs was ter- 
ribly gloomy, and less determined men would have been overborne and 
swept from the field. Gen. Lewis, who comprehended the critical situa- 
tion, (he was not more distinguished for the even tenor of his mind in ex- 
citement than for his intrepidity in action) determined to make a supreme 
effort. He immediately brought into action the entire reserve — men who 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 157 

rushed into the fray Hke bloodhounds cut loose from their leashes, and the 
fight raged from one end of the line to the other, both parties exhibiting 
the " stern joy which warriors feel in meeting foemen worthy of their 
steel." The barbarians, who thought their victory sure when they saw 
the whites waver after the fall of Cols. Lewis and Fleming, became frantic 
with rage as Fields' long-knives were seen advancing. " With convulsive 
grasp they seized their weapons, and would have rushed headlong upon 
the whites, had the latter not kept up a most galling fire, which had the 
double effect of thinning their ranks and cooling their rage." " The battle 
scene was now," says de Hass, " terribly grand. There stood the com- 
batants ; terror, rage, disappointment and despair riveted upon the painted 
faces of one, while calm resolution and the unbending will to do or die, 
were marked upon the other. Neither party would retreat, neither could 
advance. The noise of the firing was tremendous. No single gun could 
be distinguished — it was one constant roar. The rifle and tomahawk now 
did their work with dreadful certainty. The confusion and perturbation of 
the camp had now arrived at its greatest height. The confused sounds and 
wild uproar of the battle added greatly to the terror of the scene. The 
shouting of the whites, the continual roar of firearms, the war whoop and 
dismal yelling of the Indians, were discordant and terrific." About twelve 
o'clock the enemy's fire slackened, and Gen. Lewis detached the compa- 
nies of Capts. Stuart, Mathews and Shelby to turn their flank. This 
manoeuvre was handsoniel)'' executed, and by four o'clock the barbarians 
commenced a good-ordered retreat under Cornstalk, and effected their 
escape across the Ohio. 

It was throughout a terrible scene — the ring of rifles and roar of mus- 
kets, the clubbed guns, the flashing knives — the fight hand-to-hand — the 
scream for mercy, smothered in the death-groan — the crashing through 
the brush — the advance — the retreat — the pursuit, every man for himself, 
with his enemy in view — the scattering on every side — the sounds of 
battle, dying away into a pistol shot here and there through the wood, and 
a shriek — the collecting again of the whites, covered with gore and sweat, 
bearing trophies of the slain, their dripping knives in one hand, and rifle- 
barrel bent and smeared with brains and hair in the other ; — no language 
can adequately describe it. 

The calamity of our loss on that day was heightened by the death of 
Col. Charles Lewis, who abandoned himself too much to his passion for 
glory, and forgot that there is a wide difference between an officer and a 
private. Instead of confining himself to giving orders, he sought to exe- 
cute them also. Rushing headlong into the fray, a more than ordinarily 
conspicuous object by reason of a scarlet waistcoat which he wore, against 
the remonstrances of his friends, he fell early under the enemy's fire. Not 
inferior to his brother, the General, in courage, intrepidity and military 



158 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

genius, he surpassed him in some respects. He knew how to oblige with 
a better grace, how to win the hearts of those about him with a more en- 
gaging behavior. He, consequently, acquired the esteem and affection of 
his men in a remarkable manner. To perpetuate the memory of his public 
and private virtues, his eminent services in the field, and his heroic fate, the 
General Assembly of Virginia, in 1816, named Lewis county in his honor. 

The following is a list of our killed on this oocasion — a very incomplete 
list it is — as many subalterns and privates were slain whose names could 
not be obtained ; 

Colonels — Lewis and Field. 

Captains — Morrow, Buford, Wood, Murray, Cardiff, Wilson, and Robt. 
McClenachan. 

Lieutenants — Allen, Goldsby, and Dillon. 

The historian can scarcely do adequate justice to these heroes. Accord- 
ing to some accounts, Col. Christian's force did not reach the Point until 
the day after the battle. Others are to the effect that he came upon the 
ground about mid-day, and aided in routing the barbarians. 

Among the men in this battle who subsequently became distinguished 
were ; Gen. Isaac Shelby, first Governor of Kentucky ; Gen. Wm. and Col. 
John Campbell, heroes of " King's Mountain ;" Gen. Evan Shelby, of 
Tennessee; Col. Wm. Fleming, acting Governor of Virginia during the 
Revolution; Gen. Andrew Moore, U. S. Senator; Col. John Stuart, of 
Greenbrier; Gen. Tate, of Washington county; Col. Wm. McKee, of 
Kentucky; Col. John Steele, Governor of Miss.; Col. Chas. Cameron, of 
Bath; Major John Lewis, of Monroe; Gen. Wells, of Ohio; Gen. George 
Mathews, Governor of Georgia. 

At the commencement of the Revolution, Washington considered Lewis 
the foremost military man in America. His energies were in 1776, however, 
much impaired by disease and age — premature old age from illness and 
sufferings. 

The Indian army comprised the pick of the northern and western con- 
federated tribes. Cornstalk, King of the Northern Confederacy, was 
commander-in-chief, supported by Blue Jacket, Red Hawk, a Delaware 
chief, Scoppothus, a Mingo sachem, Elinipsico, son of Cornstalk, Chiyawee, 
chief of the Wayandottes, and the celebrated chief of the Cayugas, Logan. 
All of these warriors performed prodigies of valor during the battle, and 
above the din, the loud voice of Cornstalk was heard encouraging his 
men. In the heat of battle, seeing one of his men retreating, he slew him 
him with a stroke from his tomahawk. 

No witness of this battle, no one acquainted with the conduct of the red 
men in war, could doubt of their Asiatic origin. In all their habits they 
resemble the wandering Tartars ; support, with astonishing fortitude, hun- 
ger, cold, fatigue, and all the hardships of war. In battle, they exhibit 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 159 

the same want of discipline, the same fury to attack, the same readiness to 
fly from and return to the attack, and the same disposition to slaughter 
when they are conquerors. 

The battle was no sooner won, and the Indians in flight, than General 
Lewis, with that enthusiasm which is peculiar to great minds, took steps to 
reap the fruits of victory. He ordered preparations for pursuit, and, while 
these were progressing, had the wounded cared for, the dead buried, and 
himself laid ofl" a rectangular stockade fort, eighty feet long, with block- 
houses at two of the corners. It was built for the protection of the sick and 
wounded. The next morning he crossed the Ohio with his fighting men, 
and proceeded, though deep ravines and impenetrable thickets impeded 
his progress, by forced marches for the Pickaway Plains. The savages, 
who fled before him or hung upon his flanks, now regarded with admira- 
tion and terror his spirit and energy ; and, notwithstanding the losses of 
Lewis at the battle of the Point, he appeared to them as more formidable 
and more powerful than ever. They saw the folly of opposing such a 
man, and made up their minds to sue for peace. Thus this great soldier 
and wise man not only shaped the opinions and directed the conduct of 
his own men, but those of his enemies. At the Plains, Lewis was met by a 
courier from Dunmore, ordering him to halt, as he, Dunmore, was nego- 
tiating a peace with the barbarians. Lewis indignantly disregarded this order, 
and pushed on. He received a second order from Dunmore, which he equally 
scouted, and continued his march until within three miles of Dunmore's 
detachment. Dunmore, alarmed, proceeded, with a barbarian chief called 
White Eyes, to visit Gen. Lewis, whom he peremptorily ordered to halt. 
The fury of Lewis' men, at what they considered the treachery of Dun- 
more, was such that Lewis only, with great difficulty, preserved his life. 

Gen. Lewis' orders were to return to Point Pleasant, and thence to 
Greenbrier, where his forces were to be disbanded. Dunmore retired to 
his camp, concluded a treaty of peace with the barbarians, — the treaty of 
Camp Charlotte,— and returned to Williamsburg, It was on this occasion 
that the famous Mingo chief, Logan, made his celebrated speech. He 
would not oppose the treaty negotiated by Dunmore, and yet would not 
meet the whites in council. Dunmore, feeling the importance of securing 
his assent to the treaty, sent Col. Gibson to Logan, who was in his tent 
brooding in melancholy silence over his accumulated wrongs. Col. Gib- 
son returned without Logan, but with the following speech, which has 
given its author an imperishable immortality, though not a few doubt its 
authenticity. Jefferson regarded the speech as one of the most eloquent 
passages in the English language, and said ofJt, "I may challenge the 
whole orations of Demosthenes and Cicero, and of any more eminent 
orators, if Europe has furnished more eminent, to produce a single passage 
superior to it." It was in these words : 



160 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

" I appeal to any white man to say if he ever entered Logan's cabin 
hungry, and he gave him not meat ; if ever he came cold and naked, and 
he clothed him not. During the course of the last long and bloody war, 
Logan remained idle in his cabin, an advocate of peace. Such was my 
love for the whites, that my countrymen pointed as they passed and said, 
' Logan is the friend of the white men.' . I had even thought to live with 
you. but for the injuries of one man. Colonel Cresap, the last Spring, in 
cold blood and unprovoked, murdered all the relations of Logan, not even 
sparing my women and children. There runs not a drop of my blood in 
the veins of any living creature. This called on me for revenge. I have 
sought it ; I have killed many ; I have glutted my vengeance. For my 
country, I rejoice at the beams of peace ; but do not harbor a thought 
that mine is the joy of fear. Logan never felt fear. He will not turn on 
his heel to save his life. Who is there to mourn for Logan ? Not one." 

Though the peace thus secured continued through the year 1775, there 
were occasional symptoms of awakening hostility on the part of the Shaw- 
anese and other confederated tribes, which were instigated by the British, 
who saw that a contest between the mother country and her colonies was 
impending. With a view to coming events, the English sought, in May, 
1774, and with too much success, to bring over to their side the Six Na- 
tions. Consequently, during the Revolution, no one outside of a fort was 
safe on the frontiers of Virginia and Kentucky.. 

The following letter, fortunately found by the author some years since, 
and communicated to the public through a Richmond paper, is thought 
worthy of insertion at this point : 

THE BATTLE OF POINT PLEASANT. 

To THE Editors of the Standard : 

Gentlemen, — Many years since, when making some researches in the 
British Museum, I came across the following letter (without the writer's 
signature), dated at Williamsburg, Va., November 10, 1774. It gives, 
obviously from hearsay, a brief and incomplete, but, I imagine, a generally 
accurate account of the battle of Point Pleasant. You will probably con- 
sider it of sufficient interest to justify publication in " The Standard." 
Some of the names of the killed and wounded are inaccurate. Captain 
Blueford is doubtless intended for Buford. I'he letter appears in Vol. XLV 
of the "Gentleman's Magazine," page 42 — that is to say, in the January 
number for the year 1775. Yours truly, J. L. PEYTON. 

Staunton, February 10, 1882. 



" Williamsburg, November 10, 1774. 
"On the loth of October last a battle was fought on the Ohio, of which 
the following are the particulars ; On Monday morning, an hour before 
sunrise, two of Captain Russell's company discovered a large party of 
Indians about a mile from the camp, one of which men was shot down by 
the Indians, the other made his escape and brought in the intelligence ; in 
two or three minutes after, two of Captain Shelvey's men came in and con- 
firmed the account. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 161 

"Colonel Andrew Lewis being informed thereof, immediately ordered 
out Colonel Charles Lewis to take command of 140 of the Augusta 
troops, and with him went Captain Dickenson, Captain Harrison, Captain 
John Lewis, of Augusta, and Captain Lockridge, which made the First 
division; Colonel Fleming was ordered to take the command of 150 more 
of the Botetourt, Bedford and Fincastle troops, which made the Second 
division. 

"Colonel Charles Lewis' division marched to the right, some distance 
from the Ohio, and Colonel Fleming, with his division, on the bank of the 
Ohio, to the left. 

"Colonel Charles Lewis' division had not marched quite half a mile 
from the camp, when, about sunrise, a vigorous attack was made on the 
front of his division by the united tribes of Shawanese, Delawares, Min- 
gos, Tawas, and of several other nations, in number not less than 800. In 
this heavy attack. Colonel Charles and several of his men fell, and the 
Augusta division was obliged to give way to the heavy fire of the enemy. 
The enemy instantly engaged the front of Colonel Fleming's division, and 
in a short time the Colonel received two balls through his left arm and one 
through his breast, and, after animating the officers and .soldiers, retired to 
the camp. 

" His loss in the field was sensibly felt, but the Augusta troops being 
shortly after reinforced from the camp by Colonel Field with his company, 
together with Captain McDowell's, &c., the enemy, no longer able to 
maintain their ground, was forced to give way. In their precipitate retreat 
Colonel Field was killed. During this time, which was till after 12 o'clock, 
the action continued extremely hot. The close underwood, many steep 
banks, and logs, greatly favoured the retreat of the Indians ; and the 
bravest of their men made the best use of them, whilst others were throw- 
ing their dead into the Ohio, and carrying off their wounded. 

" Soon after 12 the action abated, but continued, except at short inter- 
vals, sharp enough until sunset, when they found a safe retreat. 

" They had not rhe satisfaction of carrying off any of our men's scalps, 
save one or two stragglers, whom they killed before the engagement. 
Many of their dead they scalped, rather than we should have them ; but 
our troops scalped upwards of twenty men that were first killed. It is 
beyond doubt their loss in number far exceeded ours, which is considera- 
ble. 

" The following is a return of the killed and wounded in the above bat- 
tle : Killed, Colonels Charles Lewis and John Field, Captains John Mur- 
ray, R. M'Chenechan, Samuel Wilson, James Ward, Lieutenant Hugh 
Allen, Ensigns Cantiff, Bracken, forty-four privates — total killed, fifty- 
three. 

" Wounded, Colonel William Fleming, Captains Joe Dickenson, Thomas 
Blufford, J. Skidman, Lieutenants Goldman, Robinson, Lard, Vance, sev- 
enty-nine privates — total wounded, eighty-seven ; killed and wounded, 
146. 

" The account further says that Colonel Fleming and several others are 
since dead of their wounds." 

CORNSTALK. 

It is to be regretted that those early writers who treated of the discovery 
and settlement of our country have not given us more frequent and can- 
diet accounts of the remarkable characters that flourished in savage life. 



162 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

The scanty anecdotes that have reached us are full of peculiarity and in- 
terest ; they furnish us with nearer glimpses of human nature, and show 
what man is in a comparatively primitive state, and what he owes to civili- 
zation. There is something of the charm of discovery, in happening upon 
those wild, unexpected tracts of human nature ; in witnessing, as it were, 
the native growth of moral sentiment, and perceiving those generous and 
romantic qualities which have been artificially wrought up by society, 
vegetating in spontaneous hardihood and rude magnificence. In civilized 
life, where the happiness and almost existence of man depends so much 
upon public opinion, he is forever acting a part. The bold and peculiar 
traits of native character are refined away or softened down by the level- 
ing influence of what is termed good breeding, and he practices so many 
amiable deceptions, and assumes so many generous sentiments for the 
purposes of popularity, that it is difficult to distinguish his real character 
from that which is acquired or affected. The Indian, on the contrary, 
free from the restraints and refinements of polished life, and living, in a 
great degree, solitary and independent, obeys the impulses of his inclina- 
tion or the dictates of his individual judgment, and thus the attributes of 
his nature, being freely indulged, grow singly great and striking. Society 
is like an artificial lawn, where every roughness is smoothed, every bram- 
ble eradicated, and the eye is delighted by the smiling verdure of a velvet 
surface. He, however, who would study nature in its wildness and variety, 
must plunge into the forest, must explore the glen, must stem the torrent, 
and dare the precipice. Such reflections arise on reading the accounts of 
the outrages of the savages upon the early settlers ; how the footsteps of 
civilization in our country may be traced in the blood of the aborigines ; 
how easily the colonists were moved to hostility by the lust of conquest ; 
how merciless and exterminating was their warfare. The imagination 
shrinks at the idea of how many intellectual beings were hunted from the 
earth ; how many brave and noble hearts, of nature's sterling coinage, 
were broken down and trampled in the dust. 

Such was the fate of Cornstalk, an Indian warrior, whose name was once 
a terror throughout Virginia and the west. He was the most distinguished 
of a number of cotemporary sachems, who ruled over the Shawanese and 
other northwestern tribes the latter part of the eighteenth century — a band 
of native, untaught heroes, who made the most generous struggle of 
which human nature is capable ; fighting to the last gasp for the deliver- 
ance of their country, without a hope of victory or a thought of renown ; 
worthy of the age of poetry, and fit subjects for local story and romantic 
fiction, they have left scarcely any authentic traces on the page of history, 
but stalk, like gigantic shadows, in the dim twilight of tradition. 

This Shawanese chief was king of the northern confederacy, and was 
born in that portion of the County of Augusta now comprehended within 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 163 

the limits of the county of Greenbrier, about the year 1747. He was first 
heard of when about sixteen years of age, when, in i763-'64, he took an 
active part in the massacres of Muddy Creek and Big Levels, in Green- 
brier. The savages were received as friends, and provisions given them 
with confidence. Unprovoked, as we have seen, they suddenly massacred 
the men and took the women and children prisoners. Cornstalk accom- 
panied the party to the mouth of the Falling Spring, on Jackson's river, 
thence to Kerr's creek, and, in the same year, crossed the North mountain 
and committed some depredations near Staunton. The massacre on 
Kerr's creek was, says Foote, terribly visited on Cornstalk, when a defence- 
less hostage, after the lapse of more than twenty years. All savages seem alike, 
as the trees in the distant forest. Here and there one unites in his person 
the excellence of the whole race, and becomes the image of savag-e great- 
ness. Cornstalk was gilted with eloquence, statesmanship, heroism, beauty 
of person, and strength of frame. In his movements, he was majestic ; in 
his manners, easy and winning. Of his oratory. Col. Wilson, an oiificer in 
Dunmore's army, says : " I have heard the first orators in Virginia, Patrick 
Henry and R. H. Lee, but never have I heard one whose power of de- 
livery surpassed that of Cornstalk." 

The whole savage race was alarmed at the attempts of the whites to 
occupy Kentucky, and the preparations to lay off the bounty lands for the 
soldiers of Braddock's war, near Louisville, at the falls of the Ohio, drove 
them to exasperation. A confederacy was formed, at the head of which 
Cornstalk was placed. Mutual aggravations on the frontiers, followed by 
plunderings and murders, of which the whites would no more say they 
were innocent than the savages, brought on the war. In April, 1774, Col. 
Angus McDonald, of the Valley of the Shenandoah, led a regiment against 
the Indians on the Muskingum. He destroyed their towns and secured 
some hostages ; and the hope was indulged that the frontier would be safe. 
The Indians, fully convinced that acting by tribes, or small companies, 
they would all share the fate of the Muskingums, made the last effort of 
savages, and acted in concert. Virginia had now no alternative but to 
meet the Indians with an adequate force. When he learned of the prepa- 
rations of the Virginians, in 1774, to invade the Indian territory, under 
Gen. Lewis and Lord Dunmore, and he had, through his spies, early in- 
telligence of the proposed campaign. Cornstalk organized his forces, and 
planned an attack upon the whites with great skill and ability. He saw 
the advantage which would result from defeating the separate columns be- 
fore their junction at Point Pleasant, and accordingly advanced, by forced 
marches, against Gen. Lewis, and reached the Point about the same time 
with him. He lost no time in ascertaining the position of the Virginians, 
but, crossing the Ohio in the night, attacked the whites, who were taken 
by surprise, and with the disastrous result to himself as related. 



164 HISTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

After the battle, Cornstalk opposed the treaty of peace concluded with 
the Indians by Dunmore, and in his speech in reply to Dunmore's charges 
against the red men for their infraction of former treaties, and their many 
unprovoked murders, he proved himself an orator as well as soldier. He 
rose to make his speech in no way confused or daunted, and spoke in a 
distinct and audible voice, without stammering or repetition, and with pe- 
culiar emphasis. His appearance is said to have been truly grand, yet 
graceful and attractive. He sketched in his remarks, in lively colors, the 
once prosperous and happy condition of his tribe, inveighed against the 
perfidy of the whites and the dishonesty of the traders ; and proposed 
that no one should be permitted to trade with the Indians on private ac- 
count ; that fair wages should be agreed upon and the traffic be com- 
mitted to honest men, and, finally, that no " fire-water," which brought 
evil to the Indians, should be sent amongst them. 

It is not known how Cornstalk spent the next three years, but, in the 
Spring of 1777, he visited Point Pleasant with Red Hawk and a few at- 
tendants. He informed Captain Arbuckle, who commanded the post at 
the time, that, with the exception of himself and the Shawanese, all the 
nations had joined the English, and that, unless protected by the whites, 
" they would have to swim with the stream." Capt. A. thought proper to 
detain Cornstalk and his companions as hostages for the good conduct of 
the tribe to which they belonged. They had not been long in this situa- 
tion before a son of Cornstalk, concerned for the safety of his father, came 
to the opposite side of the .river and hallooed ; his father, knowing his 
voice, answered him. He was brought over the river. The father and 
son mutually embraced each other with the greatest tenderness. 

On the day following, two Indians, who had concealed themselves in the 
weeds on the bank of the Kanawha, opposite the fort, killed a man of the 
name of Gilmore, as he was returning from hunting. As soon as the dead 
body was brought over the river, there was a general cry amongst the 
men who were present, " Let us kill the Indians in the fort." They im- 
mediately ascended the bank of the river, with Capt. Hall at their head, 
to execute their hasty resolution. On their way they were met by Capt. 
Stuart and Capt. Arbuckle, who endeavored to dissuade them from killing 
the Indian hostages, saying that they certainly had no concern in the mur- 
der of Gilmore ; but remonstrance was in vain. Pale as death with rage, 
they cocked their guns and threatened the captains with instant death if 
they should attempt to hinder them from executing their purpose. 

When the murderers arrived at the house where the hostages were con- 
fined. Cornstalk rose up to meet them at the door, but instantly received 
seven bullets through his body ; his son and his other two fellow-hostages 
were instantly despatched with bullets and tomahawks. 

Thus fell the Shawanese war chief Cornstalk, who, like Logan, his com- 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 165 

panion in arms, was conspicuous for intellectual talent, bravery and mis- 
fortune. 

The biography of Cornstalk, as far as it is now known, goes to show 
that he was no way deficient in those mental endowments which constitute 
true greatness. On the evening preceding the battle of Point Pleasant he 
proposed going over the river, to the camp of Gen, Lewis, for the purpose 
of making peace. The majority in the council of warriors voted against 
the measure. " Well," said Cornstalk, " since you have resolved on 
fighting, you shall fight, although it is likely we shall have hard work to- 
morrow ; but if any man shall attempt to run away from the battle I will 
kill him with my own hand," and accordingly he fulfilled his threat with 
regard to one cowardly fellow. 

After the Indians had returned from the battle. Cornstalk called a coun- 
cil at the Chillicothe town, to consult what was to be done next. In this 
council he reminded the war chiefs of their folly in preventing him from 
making peace before the fatal battle of Point Pleasant, and asked, " What 
shall we do now ? The Long-knives are coming upon us by two routes. 
Shall we turn out and fight them ?" All were silent. He then asked, 
*' Shall we kill our squaws and children, and then fight until we shall all be 
killed ourselves ?" To this no reply was made. He then rose up and 
struck his tomahawk in the war post in the middle of the council house, 
saying, " Since you are not inclined to fight, I will go and make peace," 
and accordingly did so. 

On the morning of the day of his death, a council was held in the fort 
at the Point in which he was present. During the sitting of the council, 
it is said that he seemed to have a presentiment of his approaching fate. 
In one of his speeches, he remarked to the council, " When I was young, 
(he was at this time only thirty years of age,) every time I went tcv war I 
thought it likely I might return no more ; but I still lived. I am now in 
your hands, and you may kill me if you choose. I can die but once, and 
it is alike to me whether I die now or at another time." When the men 
presented themselves before the door for the purpose of killing the Indians, 
Cornstalk's son manifested signs of fear, on observing which his father 
said, " Don't be afraid, my son ; the Great Spirit sent you here to die 
with me, and we must submit to his will. It is all for the best." He then 
turned to meet the enemy at the door of his cell. In a moment he fell 
dedd, pierced by seven bullets. His son was killed in the same way. Red 
Hawk was also shot dead while trying to escape. Thus perished one of 
the greatest heroes among the red men of the frontier — a brave and noble 
man, for whose death the Shawanese afterwards took ample vengeance on 
the whites ; — a chief remarkable for many great and good qualities, he was 
disposed at all times to be the friend of white men, as he ever was the ad- 
vocate of honorable peace. Dr. de Hass, from whose valuable work we 



166 EISTOEY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

have derived much aid, says, p. 173 : " The Governor of Virginia offered 
a reward for the apprehension of the murderers, but without avail. Con- 
gress, too, made every suitable concession to the Shawanese, through Col. 
Morgan, but the savages would not be appeased, and bitterly did the 
frontier suffer for this imprudent act of a few lawless men." 

MRS. JAMES HAGERTY, THE SO-CALLED WITCH. 

The laws of nature, and the ever-lasting chain of antecedents and con- 
sequences, were little recognized in the early days of Augusta. Our fore- 
fathers, though many of them were highly enlightened men, belonged to 
a community in which were still traces of the ignorance and barbarism of 
the Middle Ages. They understood few of the laws of nature, and every 
unusual event was contemplated with more or less of awe and alarm. 
They saw perpetually in events the supernatural and miraculous, and im- 
agined that there existed among their fellow-creatures a gifted race that 
had command over the elements, held commerce with the invisible world, 
and could produce the most stupendous and terrific effects, and a race of 
perverse and badly disposed, who delighted in mischief, and were thought 
able to bring on those to whom they were hostile the direst calamities. 
Science was already making advances. Dr. Franklin having discovered the 
identity of electricity and lightning, but there was still enough of credulity 
remaining to display in glaring colors the aberrations of the human mind, 
and to furnish forth many curious tales. The greater part of these strange 
stories and marvellous adventures are swallowed up in oblivion, but the 
following survives as to one of Staunton's so-called witches. 

One of the singular personages of early days in Staunton, of whom the 
writer has heard much from several venerable gentlemen still living, was 
Mrs. James Hagerty — a supposed witch. She lived in great poverty in a 
villainous little alley running by the Episcopal burying-ground. Witches 
are said to meet their master, the devil, frequently in churches and church 
yards, and one cannot help wondering at the boldness of Satan in thus 
invading consecrated ground. The alley was, in those days, called Spring 
Lane, but is at present better known as Irish Alley. Mrs. Hagerty was a 
poor, decrepit old woman, bending under the weight of years and infirmi- 
ties. The lingerings of decent pride were visible in her appearance ; her 
dress, though humble in the extreme, was scrupulously clean. Years be- 
fore, she was the victim of an accident, by which the lower part of her face 
was horribly burnt and scared. To conceal the disfigurement, she wore a 
scarlet handkerchief across her face, above which two bright, twinkling 
eyes shot forth penetrating glances. Born in Ireland, she came, at an 
early day, with her husband, to Staunton. After his death she was left with 
three children in such abject poverty that they were compelled to engage 
in the meanest offices for bread. The eldest child, James Hagerty, was 
kept for some time from starvation by tramping up clay, the ordinary task 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 167 

of a horse, for brick making. Though unable to more than half nourish 
themselves, Mrs. Hagerty was always attended by a fat black cat — the 
most faithful of companions. The cat was supposed to be a distinguished 
demon, a confederate in works of darkness. She and the cat were thought 
now and again to change shape, to make journeys together on a broom 
stick, and to be always plotting mischief. Mrs. Hagerty's body was lean 
and bony, only an excuse for a body on which material life had little hold, 
but her mind was transcendently bright and vigorous. These circum- 
stances were sufficient to gain for her the reputation of being a witch, of 
living in a sulphureous atmosphere with the damned everywhere around 
her. Beelzebub was thought, by the juvenile community, at least, to make 
a daily visit to her humble abode, and this prince of demons, not even 
excelled by the black cat in fidelity, was reported to have once taken her 
on the grand tour of Tartarus. Thus this old, decrepit, poverty- 
stricken, harmless and miserable woman was believed to be the incarnation 
of malice — able and delighted to blight the harvest, to cover the heav- 
ens with clouds, to destroy the health of an enemy, — in a word, to do 
everything that was wrong, and hence everything that went wrong was 
attributed to her. The young people carried their superstition so far as to 
have conceived a terror of passing her house. This, no doubt, accounts 
for the rural aspect of Spring Lane in the writer's boyhood. He well 
remembers to have seen grass growing in the lane, and sleek cows grazing 
in what now is one of Staunton's busiest thoroughfares. 

Her eldest child, James Hagerty, the mud-mixer, attracted the attention 
of Robert Gamble, one of the leading merchants, of that day, in Staunton. 
Gamble was struck with the quickness of the boy's answers to such ques- 
tions as were propounded to him, and took him into his employment and 
put him to school. Here his exemplary conduct and rapid acquisition of 
learning soon procured him many patrons, whose assistance enabled him 
to prosecute his studies and ameliorate the last days of his mother. Some 
years after, 1783, Gamble removed to Richmond, Va., and there resumed 
business, with Hagerty as one of his assistants. Hagerty remained with him 
till about 1805, frequently, during this period, making voyages to Liverpool 
in the interest of Gamble, and forming the acquaintance of her principal 
men of business. About 1805- 1806, Hagerty removed to Liverpool, and 
there opened, on his own behalf, a business house in the cotton and tobacco 
trade, was successful, and became one of Liverpool's merchant princes. 
In 1 84 1, he was appointed United States Consul for that port, and a few 
years later died, without issue. 

We may add that Robert Gamble, who acquired large fortune, married 
Letitia, a daughter of Gen. James Breckenridge, — a cousin of the writer, — 
and left two sons, one of whom became Governor of Florida and the other 
of Missouri. One of his three daughters married William Wirt, another 



168 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

Chancellor Harper, of South Carolina, and the third W. H. Cabell/, Gov- 
ernor of Virginia. 

EXCERPTS, ANA, ETC. 

Previous to 1772, there was only a pathway, or Indian trail, between 
Staunton and the Warm Springs. This year the Governor, Council and 
Burgesses enacted that John Wilson, Thomas Lewis, Andrew Lewis, 
Samuel McDowell, Charles Lewis, William Preston, John McClencchan, 
George Moffett, and James Loving, gentlemen, be and they are hereby 
appointed trustees for carrying into execution the laying out and clearing 
a road from the Warm Springs to Jenning's Gap. 



Among the successful natives of Ireland in Staunton, in i77o-'8o, were 
George and Sampson Mathews — the first of whom became Governor of 
Georgia. The latter left descendants in Staunton, one of his daughters 
marrying Samuel Clark, Mayor in 1820, and the other Gen. Blackburn, 
who died s. p. 

While recruiting his force previous to the campaign of 1774, Staunton 
was a general rendezvous for Gen. Lewis' men. Sampson Mathews kept 
an ordinary in the long frame building, afterwards occupied by Lawrence 
Tremper, on Augusta street, and now replaced by the brick building occu- 
pied by O'Rork and Alexander. Tradition relates that the height of the 
men composing one of the companies was marked on the bar-room wall, 
and not a man, in his stocking feet, was under six feet, and most of them 
were six feet two inches high. 



From a cabin in Western Virginia a song emanated after the battle of 
the Point, in which these lines occur : 

"Col. Lewis and some noble Captains, 
Did down to death like Uriah go ; 
Alas ! their heads wound up in napkins, 
Upon the banks of the Ohio." 

Another poetaster, evidendy an old European soldier, thus closes some 
hot-blooded poetry, which is still sung by the mountaineers : 
" I have been where cannons roared and bullets rapidly did fly, 
Yet I would venture once more the Shawanee to conquer or die." 



The following letter from Washington to Lord Dunmore has never been 
published. It was found by the author in the Clerk's Office of the Supe- 
rior Court of Augusta. It possesses little interest, beyond being the pro- 
duction of the illustrious Father of his Country, bemg from his pen, and 
referring to the compensation received by inany engaged in the campaign 
of 1754. of whom numbers were from Augusta, including our colonial 
hero, Gen. Andrew Lewis. It will be read not without interest : 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 



169 



To the Right Hon'ble John, Earl of Dunmore, his Majesty's Lieut.-Gov. 

General of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia, and to the Hon'ble, 

the Council : 
My Lord, and Gentlemen : The whole quantity of 200,000 acres of 
land granted by the Hon. Robert Dinwiddle's proclamation of the 19th of 
Feb., 1754, being now fully obtained, (within the number of surveys lim- 
ited) and the last certificates thereof lodged in the Secretary's office, I 
take the liberty humbly to inform your Excellency and Hon'rs that the 
surveys formerly made are already patented, agreeably to an order of 
Council of the 6th of Nov., 1772, and that the certificates lately returned 
and unappropriated, are for 28,400,21,941, 7,276, 7,894, and 6,788 acres, 
in all, 72,299 acres. It is also necessary to inform the Board that the fol- 
lowing claims, including not only those which were given on the day 

of Oct. 1771, but such as have been entered here, are yet to be acknowl- 
edged and satisfied accordingly : 
Col. Joshua Fry's heir, being short of his full ninth at the last 

distribution ... 7,242 acres. 

George Washington, also short of his ninth at that distribution 
Col. Muse & others, do. do. do. do. 

And'w Wagener, do. do. do. do. 

John Savage, do. do. do. do. 

Dr. James Craik, do. do. do. do. 



7,242 

453 
199 

2,672 

2,672 

394 



Robt. Stobos' heir, for his full proportion of the 200,000 acres 9,000 

Jacob Vanbraam, do. do. do. do. 9,000 

William Bronaugh, do. do. do. do. 6,000 

James Forest's heir, do. do. do. do. 6,000 

Thomas Bullet do. do. do. do. 2,500 

John Wright's heir, do. do. do. do. 2,500 

Jno. David Welfer, do. do. do. do. 600 

And'w Tonler, do. do. do. do. 400 

Francis Self, do. do. do* do. 400 

Arthur Watts, dec'd, do. do. do. do. 400 

Robert Stewart, do. do. do. do. 400 

Alex'r Bonny, do. do. do. do. 400 

Wm. McAnulty, do. do. do. do. 200 

Thos. Napp, do. do. do. do. 400 

Jesse May, do. do. do. do. 400 

Robt. Murphey, do. do. do. do. 400 

Jno. Smith, do. do. do. do. 400 

W^m. Horn, dec'd, do. do. do. do. 400 



53,432 acres. 

This ninth of 53,432 acres of land, taken from the amount of the survey 
on the other side, leaves, of the 30,000 acres, (set apart in Oct., 1771, for 
satisfying any claims which might thereafter come in, and for the further 
purpose of reimbursing the few who had been at the trouble and whole 
risque,) 18,867 acres, which, if appropriated to those who were full in ad- 
vance at that time, and distributed according to the former proportions, 
will go thus: To George Washington, 3,500; to Geo. Muse, 3,500; to 
Geo. Mercer, 2,800; Adam Stephen, 2,100; Andrew Lewis, 2,100; Peter 
Hog, 2,100 ; John West, 1,400 ; and James Craik, 1,400 acres. And if this 
method of proportioning the 18,867 acres of land is approved of by Y'r 



170 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

Exc'il'y and Hon'rs, and you are pleased to order, as before, an associa- 
tion of names into each Patent, so as to bring the amount of their several 
claims as near to the quantity of land in the survey as may be, the follow- 
ing method of doing it probably will be found to answer as well as any 
other, as it cost some hours in shifting and changing the claims from one 
survey to another, to bring them so near ; but if any other method, better 
approved of, it cannot but be equally agreeable to the parties concerned, 
as chance, at all events, must have the government of this matter. 

TRACT OF 7,276 ACRES. 

To Geo. Washington, for his div. of the last distribution . . . 453 
And for his div. of the 18,867 acres 3)500 

3.953 

To Geo. Muse, the residue 3.323 

7,276 

THE TRACT OF 28,400 ACRES. 

To Capt. Stobos' heir in full 9,000 

To Capt. Vanbraam 9,000 

To representative of James Towners, dec'd 6,000 

To Andrew Fowler 400 

To Thomas Napp 400 

To Arthur Watts, dec'd 400 

To Jesse May, (assigned to M. Fox) .... 400 

To Frank Self 400 

To Jno. Smith 400 

To Alex. Bonny 400 

To Wm. Horn, dec'd 400 

To Wm. McAnulty 400 

28,400 

THE TRACT OF 7,894 ACRES. 

To Wm. Bronaugh, in full 6,000 

Dr. Craik, for his div. at the last distribution 394 

do. for his div. of the 18,867 acres 1,400 

Col. Muse, for residue loo 

7,894 

THE TRACT OF 6,788 ACRES. 

To And'w Wagener, for his div. at the last distribution . . . 2,572 

Jno. West, his div. to the 18,867 acres . . 1,400 

Col. Mercer, for the remainder of the tract — with what he re- 
ceived over his proportion at the last distribution, it more 
than pays him 2,816 

6,788 

THE TRACT OF 21,944 ACRES. 

To the heirs of Col. Fry, for his div. at the last distribution . . 7,242 
John Savage, do. do. do. do. . . 2,572 

Thos. Bullet, in full of the grant 2,500 

Wm. Wright, dec'd, do. 2,500 

John David Welfer 600 

Adam Shepherd, for his div. of 18,867 acres 2,100 

Andrew Lewis • 2,100 

Peter Hog 2,100 

21,944 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 171 

As the opening of the patents for these lands will put an end to the 
business of this tract of 1754, so far as depends upon Y'r Excellency and 
Hon'rs, I would beg leave to offer two points of material interest to some 
of the trustees to the serious consideration and determination of the Board. 
The first is, as none of the patentees, under the mode adopted of granting 
land to numbers in the same patent, can be ascertained of their particular 
property therein till a legal division is estabhshed, which, (as in the case 
of a late grant of 28,667 acres to sixty odd patentees, is scarcely practi- 
cable to accomplish, and, of consequence, the saving of the land by culti- 
vation and improvement, next to impossible ; by this means the intended 
bounty offered for a valuable consideration is not only rendered void, but 
to those who have contributed to the expense, evidently injurious, inas- 
much as they have paid for that which it is not in their power to come at,) 
I say, under these circumstances, whether some expedient cannot be hit 
upon to serve those who are willing and desirous of complying with the 
theory of the grant, either by prolonging the time of cultivation, if this can 
be done, or by directing each man's share in any patent to be laid off (if 
the division is not effected by consent of parties) within a certain limited 
period, of which public notice to be given, as each patentee thereafter that 
respectively apply to the Surveyor, who may be entrusted, to lay the same 
in one body and in a good figure, to prevent injustice. 

The second matter to be offered is : whether something cannot, and if it 
can, ought not to be done, recompensing those who have never paid one 
farthing, or taken one single step towards obtaining their lands, (not even 
the fees of office on their own particular tracts,) to contribute in propor- 
tion to the quantity of land they have and are to receive ? Without some- 
thing of this sort can be done previous to the patenting, or in the patenting 
of these lands, nothing is to be expected from them afterwards ; for where 
men (I am speaking of those who hold principal shares in this grant, for, 
as to common soldiery, little ever was expected from them,) are found so 
remiss, after repeated exhortation, as neither to afford time nor money for 
the purpose of conducting a work which could not possibly have gone 
without both, little of the latter is to be expected after the business is at an 
end and their patents delivered to them, unless litigious law-suits are com- 
menced, some of which against infants, and some against persons beyond 
sea, and, without this, I must, after having been already saddled with 
almost the whole trouble and many expenses peculiar to myself, submit to 
considerable loss, as I have been obliged to advance all the fees of office, 
and many drafts of the Surveyor, and considered, I dare say, by him, as 
liable for his whole fees, assured by having one, in that case, for the be- 
fore-mentioned tract of 28,600 acres patented to the common soldiery to 
pay for account. (I fear their being a penny the better of it.) [A line 
illegible here.] One year of the three gone, and one-half of them may 
never more be heard of. 

I have thus, may it please Y'r Excellency and Hon'rs, endeavored to 
draw the whole of this matter into one short view, to save you the trouble 
of referring from one order of Council to another. I have now to beg par- 
don for the trouble I have had occasion from time to time to give in prose- 
cuting this matter, and have the honor to be, 

Your Lordship's and Hon'rs 

Most obed't and most humble serv't, 

GO: WASHINGTON. 



172 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 



CHAPTER XII. 



The right claimed by Great Britain to tax the colonies caused dissen- 
sions between the mother country and her American dependencies, soon 
after the peace of 1763. Previous to 1763, the colonies had been permit- 
ted to tax themselves without the interference of Parliament. The first act 
for the avowed purpose of raising a revenue from the Colonies was passed 
by the British Parliament in 1764, laying a duty on sundry articles of 
American consumption. Of this act the Colonies highly disapproved, be- 
cause it proceeded on the right to tax them without their consent. In pur- 
suance of the same policy, the notorious stamp act was passed the follow- 
ing year, and excited general indignation throughout America. Virginia 
led the way in opposition to this act by the adoption of Patrick Henry's 
resolutions. May 29, 1765. These resolutions were warmly supported in the 
House by our distinguished delegate at that time, Hon. Thos. Lewis. The 
■ controversy thus introduced continued for ten years, increasing in animosity, 
and had gathered strength and maturity from various circumstances of 
aggression and violence. The Ameriaans had no desire for independence, 
and neither party seems to have anticipated a civil war. Matters were, 
however, obviously tending towards that point at which all hope of recon- 
ciliation must be banished forever, and in 1776, America made a formal 
declaration of independence. From this time, local and colonial contests 
were swallowed up by the novelty, the grandeur, and the importance of 
the struggle which then opened between Great Britain and America. 
Within four months of the day on which the Boston port bill reached 
America, the deputies in the first Continental Congress convened in Phila- 
delphia. On the meeting of Congress, Hon. Peyton Randolph was chosen 
President, and Charles Thomson, Secretary. Congress, soon after their 
meeting, agreed upon a declaration of their rights, by which it was, among 
other things, declared that the inhabitants of the English colonies in North 
America, by the immutable laws of nature, the principles of the British 
Constitution, and the several charters, were entitled to life, liberty, and 
property, and that they had never ceded to any sovereign power what- 
ever a right to dispose of either, without their consent, &c. Congress 
also resolved that the colonists were entitled to the common law of Eng- 
land, and, more especially, to the privilege of being tried by their peers 
of the vicinage, &c., and that sundry acts, which had been passed in the 
reign of George III, were infringements and violations of the rights of the 
colonists, and Congress declared that they could not submit to these 



HISTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 173 

grievous acts and measures. In hopes that Great Britain would restore 
the colonists to happiness and prosperity by a repeal ot the obnoxious 
laws, they resolved, for the present, only to pursue peaceable measures, 
such as a loyal address to his Majesty, an address to the people of Great 
Britain, and non-intercourse. Congress having finished this important 
business in less than eight weeks, dissolved themselves on the 26th of 
October, after giving their opinion that another Congress should be held 
at Philadelphia on the loth of May next. Accordingly, on the loth of 
May, 1775, the second Congress met in Philadelphia, of which that distin- 
guished Virginian, Hon. Peyton Randolph, was President. 

Previous to the meeting of this Congress, the threatening aspect of 
affairs led the Royal Governor of Virginia secretly f April, 1755,) to re- 
move the gunpowder from the magazine at Williamsburg to a British man- 
of-war anchored off Yorktown. Exasperated at the Governor's conduct, 
the people of Virginia were only restrained from taking up arms to " de- 
fend the laws, the liberties, and the rights of this or any sister colony,'" by 
the advice of Peyton Randolph and Edmund Pendleton. Every county 
in Virginia was now aroused to the dangers that beset them, and commit- 
tees were appointed to take measures of defence. 

Foremost among the counties to act was Augusta, and the spirit which 
animated her people is derived from the proceedings of a public meeting 
held in Staunton on the 22d of February, 1775. This meeting occurred 
two months prior to the removal of the gunpowder from Williamsburg, 
and the resolutions adopted amounted to a declaration of independence on 
the part of Augusta — a declaration of a determination on the part of her 
citizens to be a free people. 

MEETING OF THE FREEHOLDERS OF AUGUSTA. 

" After due notice given to the freeholders of the county of Augusta to 
meet in Staunton, for the purpose of electing delegates to represent them 
in colony convention at the town of Richmond on the 20th of March, 1775, 
the freeholders of said county thought proper to refer the choice of their 
delegates to the judgment of the committee, who, thus authorized by the 
general voice of the people, met at the court-house on the 22d of Feb- 
ruary, and unanimously chose Capt. Thos. Lewis and Capt, Sam'l Mc- 
Dowell to represent them in the ensuing convention. 

Instructions were then ordered to be drawn up by Rev. Alex. Belmaine, 
Mr. Samson Mathews, Capt. Alex. McClanechan, Mr. Michael Bowyer, 
Mr. William Lewis, and Capt. Geo. Mathews, or any three of them, to be 
delivered to the delegates thus chosen, which are as follows : 

To Mr. Thomas Lewis and Capt. Sam'l McDowell : The commit- 
tee of Augusta county, pursuant to trust reposed in them by the free- 
holders of the same, have chosen you to represent them in Colony Con- 
vention, proposed to be held in Richmond on 2d of March instant. They 
desire that you may consider the people of Augusta county as impressed 
with just sentiments of loyalty and allegiance to His Majesty, King George, 
whose title to the imperial crown of Great Britain rests on no other foun- 
dation than the liberty, and whose glory is inseparable from the happiness 



174 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

of all his subjects. We have also respect for the parent State, which re- 
spect is founded on religion, on law, and on the genuine principles of the 
Constitution. On these principles do we earnestly desire to see harmony 
and good understanding restored between Great Britain and America. 

Many of us and our forefathers left our native land and explored this 
once savage wilderness, to enjoy the free exercise of the rights of con- 
science and of human nature. These rights, we are fully resolved, with 
our lives and fortunes, inviolably to preserve ; nor will we surrender such 
inestimable blessings, the purchase of toil and danger, to any ministry, to any 
Parliament, or any body of men on earth, by whom we are not repre- 
sented, and in whose decisions, therefore, we have no voice. 

We desire you to tender, in the most respectful terms, our grateful ac- 
knowledgments to the late worthy delegates from this colony for their 
wise, spirited, and patriotic exertions in the General Congress, and to 
assure them that we will uniformly and religiously adhere to their resolu- 
tions, providentially and graciously formed for their country's good. 

Fully convinced that the safety and happiness of America depend, next 
to the blessing of Almighty God, on the unanimity and wisdom of her 
people, we doubt not you will, on your parts, comply with the recommen- 
dations of the late Continental Congress, by appointing delegates from this 
colony to meet in Philadelphia the loth of next May, unless American 
grievances be redressed before that time. And so we are determined to 
maintain unimpaired that liberty, which is the gift of Heaven to the sub- 
jects of Britain's empire, and will most cordially join our countrymen in 
such measures as may be deemed wise and necessary to secure and per- 
petuate the ancient, just and legal rights of this colony and all British 
America. 

Placing our ultimate trust in the Supreme Disposer of every event, with- 
out whose interposition the wisest schemes may fail of success, we desire 
you to move the Convention that some day, which may appear to them 
most convenient, be set apart for imploring the blessing of Almighty God 
on such plans as human wisdom and integrity may think necessary to 
adopt for preserving America happy, virtuous and free.* 



In obedience to these instructions, the following letter was addressed : 

To the Hon. Peyton Randolph, President, and the other Delegates from 
this Colony to the General Congress : 

Gentlemen, — We have it in command from the freeholders of Augusta 
County, by their committee, held on the 22d of February, to present you 
with the grateful acknowledgements of thanks for the prudent, virtuous and 
noble exertions of the faculties with which Heaven has endowed you in 
the cause of liberty, and of everything that man ought to hold sacred, at 
the late General Congress, — a conduct so nobly interesting that it must 
command the applause not only from this but succeeding ages. May that 
sacred flame that has illumined your minds and influenced your conduct 
in projecting and concurring in so many salutary determinations for the 
preservation of American liberty ever continue to direct your conduct to 
the latest period of your lives ! May the bright example be fairly tran- 
scribed on the hearts and reduced into practice by every Virginian, by 
every American ! May our hearts be open to receive, and our arms 

*These resolutions, printed on white satin, were distributed throughout the colonies. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 175 

Strong to defend, that liberty and freedom, the gift of Heaven, now being 
banished from its latest retreat in Europe ! Here let it be hospitably en- 
tertained in every breast, here let it take deep root and flourish in ever- 
lasting bloom, that under its benign influence the virtuously free may en- 
joy secure repose and stand forth the scourge and terror of tyranny and 
tyrants of every order and denomination till time shall be no more. 

Be pleased, gentlemen, to accept of their grateful sense of your impor- 
tant services, and of their ardent prayers for the best interest of this once 
happy country ; and vouchsafe, gentlemen, to accept of the same from 
your most humble servants, 

THOMAS LEWIS, 1 p, , , 

SAMUEL McDowell, } relegates. 



To Thomas Lewis and Samuel McDowell, Esqs.: 

Gentlemen, — Be pleased to transmit to the respectable freeholders of 
Augusta County our sincere thanks for their affectionate address approv- 
ing our conduct in the late Continental Congress. It gives us the greatest 
pleasure to find that our honest endeavors to serve our country on this ar- 
duous and important occasion have met their approbation, — a reward fully 
adequate to our warmest wishes ; — and the assurances from the brave- 
spirited people of Augusta that their hearts and hands shall be devoted to 
the support of the measures adopted, or hereafter to be taken, by the 
Congress for the preservation of American liberty, give us the highest 
satisfaction, and must afford pleasure to every friend of the just rights of 
mankind. We cannot conclude without acknowledgments to you, gentle- 
men, for the polite manner in which you have communicated to us the sen- 
timents of your worthy constituents, and are their and your obedient and 
humble servants, PEYTON RANDOLPH, 

and the other delegates from Virginia. 

The Augusta resolutions are attributed to Rev. A. Belmaine by Bishop 
Meade. But for this, posterity would, doubtless, have credited them to 
Col. William Lewis, from whom they would have come more naturally. 
It must be remembered that the Episcopal clergy were pensioners on the 
bounty of the British Government, and were not likely to engage in efforts 
for its overthrow. In the southern colonies, it is true, there were some 
warm Whigs among the clergy, who, foreseeing the downfall of the reli- 
gious establishment from the success of the Americans, zealously espoused 
the patriotic cause. Mr. Belmaine was evidently a southern Whig, as his 
course now and later demonstrates. It is a small matter by whom they 
were penned. They but embody the sentiments of the people of Augusta 
— sentiments which prevailed with the entire population west of the moun- 
tains. This is evident from a meeting, held about this time, at Pittsburg, 
to give public expression to the views and opinions of the inhabitants of 
that remote district. Dr. Joseph Smith, in his "Old Redstone, or Sketches 
of Western Presbyterianism," thus refers to this matter : "This difficulty 
(the boundary line between Virginia and Pennsylvania) had brought the 
western people, at one time, almost to the verge of civil war. And yet, 



176 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

though they were also involved in hostilities with Indian tribes, when the 
United States began their Revolutionary struggle, there was but one com- 
mon feeling among both parties on that subject. They held two meetings 
on the 1 6th of May, 1775, only four weeks after the batde of Lexington, 
the Virginia party mainly, not exclusively, at Pittsburg, calling it a meet- 
ing of the inhabitants of that part of Augusta County west of Laurel 
Hill ; the Pennsylvania party at Hannastown ; both adopting unanimously 
strong Whig resolutions, in consonance with the public feeling of the 
land." Among the proceedings of the Virginia meeting, it was deter- 
mined that the " landholders of the district of West Augusta shall be con- 
sidered a distinct county, and have the liberty of sending two delegates to 
represent them in a convention for devising a plan to resist the oppressions 
of the mother country." 

THE DISTRICT OF WEST AUGUSTA. 

The first mention in the Statute Book of West Augusta occurs in an 
Act of the General Assembly, passed October, 1776, for ascertaining the 
boundary between the County of Augusta and the District of West 
Augusta. The preamble to this Act is in these words : Whereas, it is 
expedient to ascertam the boundary between the County of Augusta and 
the District of West Augusta: Be it, therefore, enacted, That the boun- 
dary between the said district and county shall be as follows : Beginning 
on the Alleghany mountains, between the heads of the Potomac, Cheat 
and Greenbrier rivers, (Haystack Knob, or north end of Pocahontas 
county,) thence along the ridge of mountains which divides the waters of 
Cheat river from those of Greenbrier, and that branch of the Monongehela 
river called Tyger's Valley river, to the Monongehela river ; thence up 
the said river and the west fork thereof to Bingerman's creek, on the 
northwest side of the said west fork ; thence up the said creek to the head 
thereof; thence in a direct course to the head of Middle Island creek, a 
branch of the Ohio, and thence to the Ohio, including all the waters of 
said creek in the aforesaid District of West Augusta, all that territory 
lying to the northward of the aforesaid boundary, and to the westward of 
the States of Pennsylvania and Maryland, shall be deemed and is hereby 
declared to be within the District of West Augusta. 

At a court of the District of West Augusta, held at Fort du Quesne, 
(Pittsburg), September 18, 1776, the court decided that on the passage of 
the ordinance they became a separate and distinct jurisdiction from that of 
East Augusta, and, as such, West Augusta assumed and exercised inde- 
pendent jurisdiction over its entire territory. 

After the Declaration of Independence, the Legislature of Virginia 
passed an Act, 20th August, 1776, enabling the present magistrates of West 
Augusta to continue the administration of justice until the same can be 
more amply provided for. 



history of augusta county. 177 

justices' courts. 

Lord Dunmore, Lieutenant-Governor of Virginia, organized justices' 
courts as early as 1774, and issued a commission adjourning the County- 
Court of Augusta from Staunton to Fort Dunmore. This fort was origi- 
nally called Fort Pitt, but in 1773, the British Government abandoned it, 
and Dr. John Connelly took possession of it in the name of Virginia, and 
named it Fort du Quesne. It is evident, therefore, that three years be- 
fore the Declaration of Independence, Pittsburg and the surrounding 
country was claimed as belonging to the District of West Augusta. 

The District of West Augusta was, by Act of the Legislature of Vir- 
ginia, November 8, 1776, divided into three counties — viz.: Youghiogheny, 
Ohio and Monongalia. 

Previous to the ratification of the report of the surveyors by the Legis- 
lature of Virginia, October 8, 1785, Ohio county had been formed from 
Youghiogheny by the line of Cross Creek. On the settlement of the 
boundary question, that portion of Youghiogheny county lying north of 
Cross Creek was added to Ohio county, being too small for a separate 
county, and the county of Youghiogheny became extinct. 

The courts of each district were required to administer and dispense 
justice, establish ferries, confirm roads when reported as necessary, bind 
out orphan children, grant letters of administration, probate wills, appoint 
subordinate officers, grant tavern licenses, try for crimes and misdemeanors, 
and perform such duties as would advance the interests of the community. 
Many of these duties had been performed, before the Revolution, by the 
vestry boards. 

NATURALIZATION. 

Previous to the Revolution, naturalization partook of a religious rite or 
ceremony. The certificate ran as follows. Let us preserve it as a relic of 
the past : 

" I do hereby certify that at a court held at , before — ; judges 

of the court, the following foreigner, having inhabited and resided for the 
space of seven years in his Majesty's colonies in America, and not having 
been absent out of the said colonies for a longer space than two months at 
one time during the said seven years, and having produced to the said 
court a certificate of having taken the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper 
within three months before the said court, took and subscribed the 
oaths, and did make and repeat the declaration, according to the di- 
rections of an act of Parliament, made 13th year of George II, entitled, 
'An act for naturalizing such foreign Protestants and others therein men- 
tioned, as are setded or shall settle in any of his Majesty's colonies in 
America ' ; therefore was admitted to be H. M.'s natural-born subject of 
the Kingdom of Great Britain. A.— B.— , Clerk." 

During the troublous times of the Revolution, the courts granted pass- 
ports indorsing the character of good and true citizens. The following 
was the form : 



178 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

War Office, Yorktown, October 15, 1777. 
" To all Continental Officers, and others whom it may concern : 

"Tacitus Gilliard, esq., late an inhabitant of the State of South Carolina, 
being on his way to Florida, or some of the countries or places on this 
side thereof, or adjacent thereto, where he purposes to form a settlement ; 
and having applied for a passport to enable him to go and travel through 
the parts of the country in allegiance to and in amity with the United 
States of America, and having produced the testimony of his having taken 
the oaths of allegiance and fidelity to the said States : these are to permit 
the said T. G., esq., freely to pass with his family, servants, attendants and 
effects down the Ohio river, and all persons are desired not to molest the 
said T. G., esq., and his family, servants and effects on any account or 
pretence whatever. 

" By order of the Board of War. 

" RICHARD PETERS, Sec'y." 



All classes of the people, more especially the Dissenters, were attached 
to the cause of independence, feeling that the final success of Great Brit- 
ain would result in the establishment of a church hierarchy. 

From these events, affairs moved on to a formal declaration of indepen- 
dence, July 4th, 1776, and the war of the Revolution began. The colonies 
were poor, and had placed themselves in open hostility to the most pow- 
erful empire in the world. They were confident, nevertheless, for it is not 
scarcity of money that debilitates a State ; it is the want of men, and men 
of spirit and ability ; and this want America did not suffer. 

A regular system of military opposition having been decided upon by 
Congress, Washington was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Army, 
and among the Augustians now and shortly afterwards commissioned were 
Andrew Lewis as a Brigadier-General ; as Colonels, William Lewis 
George Mathews, Alexander McClenechan and Thomas Fleming ; Majors, 
M. Donovan, John Lewis. Gen. Lewis took command of that portion of 
the American army stationed at and near Williamsburg, Va., and his 
orderly book from March i8th to August 28th, 1776, has been preserved 
and published. The circumstances connected with the preservation of the 
MS. are not known. From it we republish the following orders, which 
illustrate his character as a disciplinarian : 

" Williamsburg, May 14th, 1776. 

PAROLE — LIBERTY. 

" The many applications for furlough make it necessary for Brigadier- 
General Lewis to mention it in orders as improper in our critical situation, 
and he hopes that no request of this kind for the future (until circum- 
stances will admit) will be made. 

"Officer of the day to-morrow, Lieut.-Col. McClenechan ; officers for 
guard. Lieutenant Garland, Ensign Barksdale. For guard, 8 p. 1 s. 1 c." 

"Williamsburg, May 17th, 1776. 

PAROLE — CONVENTION. 

" Let it not be forgot that this day is set apart for humiliation, fasting 
and prayer ; the troops to attend divine service." 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 179 

On the next day he issued the following order : 

"Williamsburg, headquarters, March 19th, 1776. 

PAROLE — MARYLAND. 

"All officers, upon their coming into camp, are to consider it their indis- 
pensable duty to wait on the commanding officer to make him acquainted 
with their arrival. The Brigadier-General leaves the camp to-day ; he 
expects the soldiers will pay the strictest attention to th^ir duty and exert 
themselves to learn the discipline, so necessary to their own honour and 
safety ; that they will behave themselves with decency to their fellow-citi- 
zens, whose persons and property they were ordained to protect and de- 
fend, and that they will not by any unworthy conduct disgrace the profes- 
sion of a soldier. It is recommended and expected of all officers that they 
will, to the utmost of their power, keep order and decorum in camp, be 
diligent in learning their own duty and instructing the soldiers in theirs, 
that they will spare no pains nor think much of any labor or difficulty to 
make themselves fit for that important end they were intended to answer — 
that of defending the darling Rights of Liberty and property of their 
country." 

" Williamsburg, April 21st, 1776. 

PAROLE — LEE. 

" Brigadier-General Lewis is happy to find himself with part of the 
army from whom he has all the inclination imaginable to believe that their 
country will have reason to be satisfied with their service, and more so 
under conduct of Major-Gen. Lee, whose experience and confessed abili- 
ties have deservedly led him to the command. The army, which has the 
happiness to serve under him, may with great confidence rest assured that 
the strictest justice to every officer and soldier will be observed, and he 
flatters himself they will distinguish themselves by their regularity and 
compliance with good order and discipline ; and that none will be so re- 
gardless of their character and the duty they owe their country as to com- 
mit such improper and immoral actions as will bring them to disgrace and 
punishment. That none may plead ignorance, the articles of war are to 
be read frequently at the head of each company ; the captains to exam- 
ine the men's arms daily, and their ammunition, of which they are to be 
very careful, and be answerable," &c. 



PAROLE — STAUNTON.* 



" Springfield, June i6th, 1776. 



"As the centinals have of late made a practice of firing in the night at 
nothing, the officers on guard will, for the future, give them a caution 
about discharging their muskets, which they are by no means to do unless 
at an enemy." 

" Springfield, July 17th, 1776. 

"General Lewis hopes that the reports of some of the officers gaming 
to excess is without foundation. He begs that the field officers will make 
diligent enquiry into it, and, if true, to arrest such officers, that a total 
stop may be put to such infamous practices. 

"Officer of the day, Lieut.-Colonel Weedon." 



♦Staunton was founded by John Lewis, the father of Gen. Lewis, which no doubt caused the selection of 
this parole. 



180 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

" Springfield, July 24th, 1776. 
" The Declaration of Independence is to be proclaimed to-morrow in the 
city of Williamsburg, by order of the council, when all the troops off duty 
are to attend," 

" Williamsburg, July 26th, 1776, 

PAROLE — STEPHEN. 

"A fatigue of one captain, two subalterns, two sergeants, and sixty rank 
and file, to be warned from the college camp, to carry on the work in- 
tended to be thrown up on the road to Jamestown." 

War was no sooner seen to be inevitable between England and her 
colonies than both parties made extensive preparations for the contest. 
England not only directed her vast resources against the colonies, trans- 
porting to our shores large armies recruited from her own population, but 
the mercenaries of a foreign prince. Still dubious of success in a bad 
cause, she sought, in order to complete the works of death, desolation and 
tyranny in America, to bring on the " inhabitants of our frontiers the 
merciless Indian savages, whose known mode of warfare is an undistin- 
guished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions." The savages, 
burning with grief and indignation at their wrongs, were easily won over 
by British diplomacy, and inflicted terrible sufferings on the colonists dur- 
ing the Revolution, making the year 1777 memorable in the annals of the 
frontier as the " bloody year," though all of them were bloody enough. 
Directed by the superior intelligence of their European allies, supplied 
with arms, ammunition, food and clothing, the red men were more efficient 
tools in the hands of George III than his own troops or his Hessian hire- 
lings. In the language of the late Earl of Beaconsfield, the savages were 
" educated " for their diabolical work ; were informed that they should rely 
upon their superior craft and sagacity to get the better of an enemy, and 
not venture to meet the settlers in pitched battles. To satisfy any scru- 
ples these barbarians might have, — and the Indian is punctilious on the 
point of honor as he understands it, — it was impressed upon them that 
man is naturally prone to subtlety rather than open valor, because of his 
physical weakness in comparison with other animals, and, therefore, it was 
his right and duty to resort to craft and cunning to gain an advantage over 
an enemy. Even the untutored Indian could understand this logic. He 
had long practised on it without analyzing his motives. It was explained 
to him that the lower animals are endowed with weapons of defence, with 
horns, with tusks, with hoofs and talons — that man, alone, was born weak 
and helpless, and had to depend upon his superior sagacity. In all his 
encounters with the beasts, his proper enemies, he had a right to resort to 
strategem, and when warring with his fellow man, the British now told 
him, that he should continue the same subtle mode of warfare. Thus pre- 
pared in mind and body for the fray, the red men were soon on the war- 
path, and separating into small detachments, or " scalping parties," they 
penetrated at various points into the settlements. 



HI8T0BT OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 181 

How different might have been the fate of the red men and the Hves of 
the settlers had the policy of Penn towards the Indians been generally 
adopted ; how futile would have been England's diplomacy, her efforts to 
array them against the settlers. Lest a better opportunity should not 
occur, we may here say, for the information of the reader, that Penn 
enacted, with regard to the native inhabitants, that " whoever should 
hurt, wrong or offend any Indian should incur the same penalty as if he 
had offended, in like manner, against his fellow-planter " ; also, that the 
planters should not be their own judges in case of any difference with the 
Indians, but that all such differences should be settled by (12) referees, (6) 
Indians and (6) planters under the direction, if need be, of the governor 
of the province and the chief of the Indians concerned. Penn's letter to 
the natives, sent with the first passengers to settle on his grant, is worthy 
of a place here for its singular plainness and the engaging honesty of its 
manner. It is as follows : 

" There is a great God and Power, which hath made the world and all 
things therein, to whom you, and I, and all people, owe their being and 
well-being, and to whom >'Ou and I must one day give an account for all 
that we have done in the world. 

" This great God has written his law in our hearts ; by which we are 
taught and commanded to love, and to help, and to do good to one an- 
other. Now this great God hath been pleased to make me concerned in 
your part of the world ; and the king of the country where I live hath 
given me a great province* therein ; but I desire to enjoy it with your love 
and consent, that we may always live together as neighbours and friends ; 
else what would the great God do to us, who hath made us (not to devour 
and destroy one another,) but to live soberly and kindly together in the 
world ? Now, I would have you well observe, that I am very sensible of 
the unkindness and injustice which have been too much exercised towards 
you by the people of these parts of the world, who have sought them- 
selves to make great advantages by you, rather than to be examples of 
goodness and patience unto you. This I hear hath been a matter of trou- 
ble to you, and caused great grudging and animosities, sometimes to the 
shedding of blood ; which hath made the great God angry. But I am 
not such a man, as is well known in my own country. I have great love 
and regard towards you, and desire to win and gain your love and friend- 
ship by a kind, just and peaceable life ; and the people I send are of 
the same mind, and shall in all things behave themselves accordingly ; and 
if in any thing any shall offend you or your people, you shall_ have a full 
and speedy satisfaction for the same, by an equal number of just men on 
both sides, that by no means you may have just occasion of being offended 
against them. 

" I shall shortly come to see you myself, at which time we may more 
largely and freely concur and discourse of these matters. In the mean 
time I have sent my commissioners to treat with you about land and a firm 

*Penn on receiving his charter from Charles II, in 1681, intended to call the country New Wales, but the 
Under Secretary of State at the time was a Welshman, and thought that this was using too much liberty 
with the ancient principality, and objected to it. He then suggested Sylvania, and the King insisted on 
adding Penn to it. After some struggles of modesty, Penn submitted to the King s desire, and hence the 
name of Pennsylvania. 



182 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

league of peace. Let me desire you to be kind to them and to the peo- 
ple, and receive the presents and tokens which I have sent you as a tes- 
timony of my good will to you, and of my resolution to live justiy, 
peaceably and friendly with you. 

" I am your loving friend, 

" WILLIAM PENN." 



Turning from the inviting field of general history, we shall now briefly 
glance at some of the bolder acts in the bloody drama performed on the 
frontier of Virginia, or of that ancient County of Augusta, from which we 
emerged, in 1790, with our present confines. 

One of the first acts of the scalping parties on our borders was to seize 
and carry into captivity Mrs. Grisly and her two children. Mr. G. was 
absent at the time, but, returning soon after, and missing his family, sus- 
pected the true cause. Rallying some of his neighbors, pursuit was given. 
Keeping the Indian trail for six miles, the horror-stricken husband came 
suddenly upon the ghastly form of his murdered wife and child. The 
savages, finding Mrs. G. unable to travel on account of her delicate situa- 
tion, most inhumanly tomahawked her, together with her younger child. 

SIEGE OF FORT HENRY, IN NORTHWEST VIRGINIA, BY SIMON GIRTY. 

The autumn of 1777 was memorable in the annals of the West for the 
united and determined attack by British and Indian troops against the 
stockade fort, Henry, near Wheeling. Early in August, flying reports 
reached the settlers that the Indians were gathering in great numbers, 
with a view to attacking the settlement. Every precaution was taken to 
guard against an insidious foe. Scouting parties were kept out, who, with 
sleepless vigilance watched all the movements of the enemy. Information 
had been conveyed to Gen. Hand, commanding at Fort Pitt, by some 
friendly Moravian Indians, that a large party of Indians, composed of war- 
riors from the Northwestern Confederacy, were making extensive prepara- 
tions to strike a terrible blow upon the settlements on the Ohio. It was fur- 
ther stated that this chosen body of savages would be under command of 
Simon Girty, a man whose known relentless ferocity toward his foresworn 
countrymen could not but add to the fearful prospect before them. Gen. 
Hand lost no time in widely disseminating the information thus obtained. 
As it was uncertain where the expected blow would fall, all was activity, 
fear and alarm at the several littie half-finished stockades stretching at dis- 
tances from one to two hundred miles, between Fort Pitt and the Great 
Kanawha. But it soon became manifest at what point the enemy in- 
tended to strike. The settlers at Wheeling, about thirty families, betook 
themselves to their fort, to await the issue. 

Early in the evening of August 31st, Capt. Ogle, who had been sent out 
some days before at the head of ten or fifteen men to scout along the dif- 
ferent routes usually followed by the barbarians, returned and reported no 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 183 

immediate cause of danger. The barbarians, with their usual sagacity, 
suspecting that their movements might be watched, abandoned all the 
trails commonly trodden, and, dividing, as they approached the river, into 
small parties, struck out for Wheeling along new lines. Without dis- 
covery, they reached Bogg's Island, two miles below Fort Henry, and 
there, consolidating their force, crossed the river and proceeded directly, 
under cover of night, to the vicinity of the Fort, and made their final dis- 
positions for an attack next morning. 

The Indian army consisted of 350 well-armed Mingos, Shawanese and 
Wyandottes, commanded by the renegade, Girty. Girty disposed his men 
in two lines across the bottom, opposite the Fort, and concealed them in 
the high weeds and maize. Posted near the centre of these lines, and 
close to a path leading from the Fort (which they supposed some of the 
whites would pass along in the morning), were six Indians. Shortly after 
daybreak of the ist of September, Dr. McMechon, who was about to re- 
turn east of the mountains, sent out a white man named Boyd and a negro 
to catch the horses. The two men had not proceeded far before they dis- 
covered the six Indians already referred to. They turned to fly, but Boyd 
was killed. The negro was permitted to return, doubtless to mislead the 
whites as to the number of their foe. The commandant immediately or- 
dered Capt. Mason to dislodge the enemy. With fourteen men he sallied 
forth, and discovering the six Indians, fired upon them. Almost simulta- 
neously with this discharge, the whole barbarian army arose, and, with 
horrid yells, rushed upon the little band of whites. Mason ordered a re- 
treat, and in person commenced cutting his way through the Indian line 
which surrounded them. This he succeeded in doing, but twelve out of 
his little band perished. 

Soon as the disaster to Mason was known at the Fort, Capt. Ogle, with 
his twelve scouts, advanced to his relief, guided by the yel's of the savages 
and the shrieks of the whites. The barbarians, seeing Ogle's approach, 
rushed upon him with the fury of demons, and all but three, — Ogle, his 
sergeant, and Wetzel, — shared the fate of Mason's party. The loss of so 
many brave men at such a time was a sad blow to that part of the coun- 
try. Those who fell were the pride of the little fortress. They were 
heroes in every sense of the word ; men of iron nerve, indomitable cour- 
age, and devoted patriotism. Scarcely had the shrieks of the wounded 
and dying been quieted, than the barbarian army presented themselves in 
front of the Fort and demanded a surrender. The appearance of the 
enemy, as they advanced, was most formidable. They advanced in two 
lines with drum, fife, and British colors, many of the savages holding up 
the reeking scalps just torn from the heads of Mason's and Ogle's ill-fated 
parties. The morning was calm and bright. As the savages advanced, a 
few shots were fired at them from the Fort, without, however, doing much 



184 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

execution. Girty, having brought up his forces, disposed of them as fol- 
lows : The right flank was brought around the base of the hill, and dis- 
tributed among the several cabins convenient to the Fort ; the left defiled 
beneath the river bank, close under the Fort, but well sheltered. Thus 
disposed, Girty presented himself at the window of a hut, holding forth a 
white flag and offering terms of peace. He read the proclamation of 
Hamilton, Governor of Canada, and in a stentorian voice demanded the 
surrender of the Fort, offering, in case they complied, protection, but if 
they refused, immediate and indiscriminate massacre. He referred, in a 
boastful manner, to the great force at his command, and called upon them, 
as loyal subjects of George HI, to give up, in obedience to the demand of 
His Majesty's agent. Although there were only twelve men in the Fort, 
they refused to surrender, and defied the renegade and all the power of 
King George. The commandant of the Fort, Col. Shepherd, thus respond- 
ed to Girty : " Sir, we have consulted our wives and children, and all 
have resolved, men, women and children, to perish at their posts, rather 
than place themselves under the protection of a savage army, with you at 
its head, or abjure the cause of liberty and the American colonies." The 
outlaw attempted to reply, but a shot from the Fort put a stop to any 
further harangue. 

A darker hour had scarcely ever obscured the hopes of the West. 
Death was all round the little fort, and hopeless despair seemed to press 
upon its inmates ; but still they preferred death to surrender. Unable to 
intimidate them, and finding the besieged proof against his vile promises, 
Girty disappeared from the hut window, and was seen in a few minutes 
advancing with a large force of savages, who made a dash at the fort. 
They attempted to force the gates, and test the strength of the pickets by 
muscular effort. Failing to make any impression, Girty drew off his men 
a few yards and commenced a general fire upon the port-holes. Thus 
continued the attack during most of the day and part of the night, but 
without any sensible effect. About noon, a temporary withdrawal of the 
enemy took place. During the cessation, active preparations were carried 
on within the fort to resist further attack. Each person was assigned some 
particular duty. Of the women, some were required to run bullets, while 
others were to cool the guns, load and hand them to the men, &c. Some 
of them, indeed, insisted upon doing duty by the side of the men, and two 
actually took their position at the port-holes, dealing death to many a 
dusky warrior. 

About three o'clock the Indians returned to the attack with redoubled 
fury. They distributed themselves among the cabins, behind fallen trees, 
&c. The number thus disposed of amounted to perhaps one-half of the 
actual force of the enemy. The remainder advanced along the base of 
the hill south of the fort, and commenced a vigorous fire upon that part of 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 185 

the stockade. This was a cunningly devised scheme, as it drew most of 
the inmates to that quarter. Immediately a rush was made for the 
cabins, led on by Girty in person, and a most determined effort made to 
force the entrance. The attempt was made with heavy timber, but failed, 
with the loss of many of their boldest warriors. 

Several similar attempts were made during the afternoon, but all alike 
failed. Maddened and chagrined by repeated disappointment and ill- 
success, the savages withdrew to their covert until night-fall. Day at 
length closed, darkness deepened over the waters, and almost the stillness 
of death reigned around. About nine o'clock the savages reappeared, 
making night hideous with their yells, and the heavens lurid with their 
discharge of musketry. The lights in the fort having been extinguished, 
the inmates had the advantage of those without, and many a stalwart 
savage fell before the steady aim of experienced frontiersmen. Repeated 
attempts were made during the night to storm the fort and to fire it, but all 
failed, through the vigilance and activity of those within. 

At length that night of horror passed, and day dawned upon the scene 
but to bring a renewal of the attack. This, however, did not last long, 
and despairing of success, the savages prepared to leave. They fired 
most of the buildings, killed the cattle, and were about departing, when a 
relief party of fourteen men, under Col. Andrew Swearengen, from Holli- 
day's Fort, twenty-four miles above, landed in a pirogue, and, undiscov- 
ered by the Indians, gained entrance to the fort. Shortly afterwards, Maj. 
Samuel McColloch, at the head of forty mounted men, from Short Creek, 
made his appearance in front of the fort, the gates of which were joy- 
fully thrown open. Simultaneously with the appearance of McColloch's 
men, reappeared the enemy, and a rush was made to cut off the entrance 
of some of the party. All, however, succeeded in getting in, except the 
gallant Major, who, anxious for the safety of his men, held back until his 
own chance was entirely cut off. Finding himself surrounded by savages, 
he rode at full speed in the direction of the hill. The enemy, with exult- 
ing yells, followed close in pursuit, not doubting they would capture one 
whom, of all other men, they preferred to wreak their vengeance upon. 
Greatly disappointed at the escape of the gallant Major, and knowing the 
hopelessness of attempting to maintain a siege against such increased 
numbers, the Indians fired a few additional shots at the fort, and then 
moved rapidly off in a body for their own country. It has been conjec- 
tured that the enemy lost on this occasion from forty to fifty in killed and 
wounded. The loss of the whites has been already stated. Not a single 
person was killed within the fort, and but one slightly wounded. 

GRAVE CREEK AMBUSCADE. 

In 1777, Capt. W. Foreman organized a volunteer company in Hamp- 
shire county and marched to the frontier, at Wheeling, to aid in defence 



186 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

of the settlements. He was a gallant soldier, but unfamiliar with Indian 
warfare. The Indians had left Wheeling, and nothing had been seen or 
heard of them for some time. On September 26th, 1777, a smoke was no- 
ticed at Wheeling, in the direction of Grave creek, which caused appre- 
hensions that the savages might be burning the stockade and house of 
Mr. Tomlinson. Col. Shepherd despatched Capt Foreman's company 
and a few scouts to ascertain the cause. The party reached Grave creek 
and found all safe. They camped there for the night, and on the follow- 
ing morning started on their return. When they reached the lower end 
of Grave creek narrows, some of the scouts suggested the expediency of 
leaving the river bottom, and returning by way of the ridge. The captain 
hooted at the idea of so much caution, and continued on. Some declined 
to follow, among them a man named Lynn, of great experience as a scout 
and spy. During the interchange of views between the captain and Lynn, a 
man named Harkness said that the controvery ran high at times. Foreman, 
who prided himself on being a thoroughly disciplined officer, was not dis- 
posed to yield to the suggestions of a rough backwoodsman. Lynn, on the 
other hand, convinced of the fatal error which the other seemed deter- 
mined to commit, could not but remonstrate, with all the powers of persua- 
sion at his command. Finally, when the order to march was given, Lynn, 
with some six or eight others, struck up the hill-side, while P'oreman, with 
his company, pursued the path along the base. Nothing of importance 
occurred until the party reached the extreme upper end of the narrows. 
Just where the bottom begins to widen, those in front had their attention 
drawn to a display of Indian trinkets, beads, bands, 6cc., strewn in profu- 
sion along the path. With a natural curiosity, but a great lack of percep- 
tion, the entire party gathered about those who picked up the articles of 
decoy, and whilst thus standing in a compact group, looking at the beads, 
&c., two lines of Indians stretched across the path, one above, the other 
below, and a large body of them simultaneously arose from beneath the 
bank, and opened upon the devoted party a destructive fire. The river 
hill rises at this point with great boldness, presenting an almost insur- 
mountable barrier. Still, those of the party who escaped the first dis- 
charge, attempted to rush up the acclivity, and some with success. But 
the savages pursued and killed several. At the first fire, Foreman and his 
two sons fell dead, and about twenty others. When Lynn and his party 
heard the firing, they rushed down the hill, hallooing. This had the effect 
of restraining the Indians in pursuit, and doubtless saved the lives of 
many. Among those who escaped were Harkness and Collins. The for- 
mer, pulling himself up by a sapling, had the bark driven into his face by 
a ball from an Indian's gun. Collins was disabled by a ball through his 
thigh, but recovered and lived many years. Those who escaped this ter- 
rible affair made their way to Wheeling. On the second day, a party 
went down and buried the dead in a common grave. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 187 

In 1835, a few gentlemen caused a stone to be erected on the spot of 
their interment, with this inscription :. 

" This humble stone is erected to the memory of Captain Foreman and 
twenty-one of his men, who were slain by a band of ruthless savages, — the 
allies of a civilized nation of Europe — oiv the 26th of September, 1777. 

" So sleep the brave, who sink to rest, 
By all their country's- wishes blest." 

The inhabitants continued to observe their usual watchfulness until to- 
wards the close of November, when a fall of snow occurring, they relaxed 
their vigilance. As a rule, the savages withdrew on the commencement of 
Winter, and did not reappear until the coming Spring. Instances were 
very rare in which they disturbed the settlements during Winter. The 
readiness by which they could be tracked, together with the severity of 
the weather, compelled them to such a course. 

This snow to which we have referred, lulled the inhabitants into false 
security. About twenty Indians had penetrated the settlement in Tygart 
Valley, and were waiting to make an attack, when the snow fell. Not 
liking to return without some trophy of their valor, the savages concealed 
themselves until the snow disappeared. On the 15th day of December, 
they came to the house of Darby Connoly, at the upper extremity of the 
Valley, and killed his wife, himself, and several of their children, taking 
three other prisoners. Proceeding to the next house, they killed J no. 
Stewart, his wife and child, and took Miss Hamilton, his wife's sister, cap- 
tive. They then set out for home with their captives and plunder. Dur- 
ing the afternoon of the day on which these outrages occurred, John Had- 
den, passing by the house of Connoly, saw an elk which the family brought 
up, lying dead in the yard, and suspecting all was not right, entered the 
house and saw the corpses. He alarmed the neighborhood, and Capt. 
Wilson, on the next day, with thirty volunteers, went in pursuit. For 
five days they followed the trail through cold, rain and snow, often wading 
and swimming streams, and then traveling miles before they could make a 
fire to thaw off the icicles. Still they could not overtake the savages, and 
at length the men refused to go further, and so the Indians escaped with 
their prisoners and booty. 

In view of the defenceless condition of the frontier and the sufferings of 
the people. Congress lost no time in despatching a force across the AUe- 
ghanies, in 1778, under Gen. Mcintosh; but before an invasion of the In- 
dian territory was made, it was thought advisable to convene the Delaware 
Indians, at Fort Pitt, and obtain their consent to march through their 
country. The United States Government therefore dispatched two Com- 
missioners, namely, Gen. Andrew Lewis, and his brother, Hon. Thos. 
Lewis, to treat with the Indians. They negotiated a treaty on September 
17th, 1778, which was signed by the U. S. Commissioners and the Indian 



188 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

chiefs in presence of Cols. L. Mcintosh, D. Broadhead, Wm. Crawford, 
John Gibson, and others. 

Gen. Mcintosh now advanced into the enemy's country, and erected a 
fort called Laurens, in honor of the President of Congress. The demand 
for men in the East and Korth, to meet the British army, interfered with 
these operations, and Mcintosh, likely to be overpowered, retreated. Fort 
Laurens was subsequently invested by Indians, and the garrison reduced 
almost to starvation. A second advance of Mcintosh relieved them, and 
the fort was then abandoned, thus bringing Mcintosh's operations to an 
end without any good result, and after great sufferings endured by the 
whites. 

Col. Broadhead succeeded Mcintosh, and conducted a campaign in 
1781 against the Indians west of the Ohio, and took many prisoners, 
among them sixteen warriors, who were bound and then killed with toma- 
hawks and spears. During Broadhead's return march, twenty Indian 
prisoners were murdered. 

Williamson's campaign, 
in 1782, must not be passed over, though we would gladly do so. It re- 
sulted in the diabolical murder of the Christian or Moravian Indians, who 
consisted mainly of Delawares and a few Mohicans. They were con- 
verted to Christianity by Moravian missionaries, and had lived, from 1772 
to 1782, in peace and quietness. They were suspected by both parties ; 
by the whites, they were thought to harbor hostile Indians, and by the In- 
dians, because they had abandoned the customs of their race. Their four 
towns were on the direct route from Sandusky to the Ohio, and they were 
compelled to furnish supplies to both parties as they passed. They were 
neutral during the Revolution, but were suspected by the border settlers. 
In the Spring of 1782, a party of Indians entered the white settlements 
and killed eight whites. It was thought that this party had wintered with 
the Moravians, and in March eighty-nine men set out for the Moravian 
villages to seek vengeance. They reached the peaceful settlements, pro- 
fessed friendship, telling the Indians they were to be taken for safety to 
Pittsburg. They thus secured whatever arms these dusky Christians pos- 
sessed, and then made them prisoners. A vote was then taken as to what 
course should be pursued, and it was decided to murder them, and they 
were told to prepare for their fate. After the first burst of horror was over, 
they patiently suffered themselves to be led into buildings, in one of which 
the men, and in the other the women and children were confined, like 
sheep for slaughter. They passed the night in praying, exhorting each 
other to remain faithful to our Saviour, asking pardon of each other for 
any offences they had committed, and singing hymns of praise to God. 
In the morning they were all scalped and murdered, namely, ninety-six, 
one-third of whom were women, and thirty-four children. The town was 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 1S9 

then plundered and burnt. We need not dwell upon the atrocity of this 
massacre — a stain upon the country and a stigma upon the memory of 
every man engaged in it. 

CRAWFORD'S EXPEDITION. 

We now come to Col. Crawfords unfortunate expedition and his tragic 
fate. It is easy to trace it back to the Moravian massacre. 

During the Spring of 1782, efforts were made to fit out another expedi- 
tion against the Indian settlements at Sandusky. The success with which 
the Moravians had been destroyed induced many who had been with Wil- 
liamson to join it. Placards were posted at Wheeling, Catfish, and other 
places, stating that a new State was to be organized on the Muskingum, 
and inviting the people to enlist in the campaign. No effort was left un- 
tried that could excite either the cupidity or revenge of the frontier people. 
A force was soon raised in Pennsylvania and Virginia of 480 men, well 
mounted and armed. Each man furnished his own horse and equipments. 
The place of rendezvous was Mingo Bottom, where, on the 25th of May, 
1782, nearly 500 men mustered and proceeded to elect their commander. 
The choice fell on Col. Wm. Crawford, an old friend and agent of Wash- 
ington. Col. C. was a native of Berkeley county, in the Valley of Vir- 
ginia, and was born in 1732, ever memorable for the births of Washington 
and Marion. 

The army pursued " Williamson's trail" until they arrived at the Mora- 
vian ruins, where some Indians were lurking. From the time of the Mo- 
ravian massacre, the Indians, the savages, had kept out spies to guard 
against surprise. They therefore well knew of the organization and march 
of Col. Crawford's force, its size, &c. They visited every encampment im- 
mediately after the whites left it, on their march, and saw from writings on 
the trees and scraps of paper that " no quarter was to be given to any 
Indian, man, woman or child." Nothing of importance occurred until the 
6th of June, when they reached the site of a Moravian settlement on the 
upper waters of the Sandusky from which the Moravians had been driven 
by the Wyandottes. The place was covered with grass, and there were 
neither Indians nor plunder, but only vestiges of desolation. Finding the 
Moravians, whom they had hoped to murder and plunder, gone, and see- 
ing indications that a hostile force was in their neighborhood, they held a 
council, and it was decided to march one day longer in the direction of 
the upper Sandusky, and if they should not reach a Moravian or Wyan- 
dotte town which they could plunder by " a dash," they would retreat. 
They hoped, by a rapid retreat, to reach a secure place before the savages 
could muster in formidable force. Accordingly, the march commenced on 
the morning of the 7th of June, and about two o'clock the advance guard 
was attacked and driven in by the Indians, who were soon discovered in 
large numbers in the high grass, lying by the side of a forest. The battle 



190 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

commenced at once, and became general, the Indians soon being dislodged 
from the shelter of the trees. The fight continued with unabated fierce- 
ness until night, during which both armies lay on their arms. Both 
adopted the policy of kindling large fires along the line of battle, and then 
retiring some distance in rear of them, to prevent being surprised by a 
night attack. In the morning Crawford's force occupied the battle-ground 
of the preceding day. The Indians did not renew the attack until late in 
the afternoon, but were seen traversing the plains in large numbers in va- 
rious directions. Some seemed employed in carrying off their dead and 
wounded. 

During the forenoon a council of officers was held, in which a retreat 
was resolved on, as the only means of saving the army, the Indians ap- 
pearing to increase in numbers every hour. During the sitting of the 
Council, Col. Williamson, the leader of the former expedition, proposed to 
take 150 volunteers and march against whatever odds directly to the 
Upper Sandusky. To this Col. Crawford objected. 

During the day the Indians discovered Crawford's preparation for a re- 
treat, and about sundown attacked him with great force and fury, in every 
direction but that of Sandusky. By this, the only opening, the army be- 
gan its retreat, and, by a circuitous route, reached the trail by which they 
had come. The retreat was continued during the day and that following, 
the pursuit being retarded by a rear-guard of sharpshooters. 

Unfortunately, when a retreat was resolved on, a difference of opinion 
prevailed concerning the best mode of effecting it. The majority thought 
it best to keep in a body, while a considerable number thought it best to 
break off in small parties and make their way home in different directions. 
Many attempted to do so, thinking the Indians would follow the main 
body. In this they were mistaken. The Indians paid little attention to 
the main body of the army, but pursued the detached parties with such 
activity that but few escaped. The only successful detached party was 
that of about forty men, under Col. Williamson. It broke through the 
Indian lines late at night, under a galling fire, and made good its retreat. 

At the commencement of the retreat. Col. Crawford placed himself at 
the head of the army, and continued there until they had gone about a 
quarter of a mile, when, missing his son, son-in-law, and two nephews, he 
halted and called for them as the line passed him, but in vain. After the 
army had passed him, he was unable to overtake it, owing to the weari- 
ness of his horse. Falling in company with Dr. Knight and two others, 
they traveled all night, first north, then east, to avoid pursuit. On the 
next day they fell in with Capt. Biggs and Lieut. Ashley, and encamped 
together the succeeding night. On the next day, while on their march, 
they were attacked by a party of Indians, who made prisoners of Craw- 
ford and Knight, while the others escaped. The prisoners were taken to 



HISTORt OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 191 

an Indian encampment near by, where they found nine fellow prisoners 
and seventeen savages. On the next day they were marched to the old 
Wyandotte town, and the following morning four of the prisoners were 
scalped and tomahawked. 

Preparations were now made for the execution of Col. Crawford. 

It was on the nth day of June, and the afternoon was well spent, when 
Crawford, under escort of his tormentors, arrived at this ever-memorable 
spot of ground. They here met many Wyandottes from the Half King's 
town, and men, squaws and children from Capt. Pipe's village just below. 
A fire was brighdy burning. Crawford was stripped naked and ordered 
to sit down near the fire. The Indians now beat him with their fists and 
sticks. The fatal stake — a post about fifteen feet high — had been set 
firmly in the ground, and piles of hickory poles rather thicker than a 
man's thumb, and from eight to twelve feet long, lay at the distance of 
four or five yards from the stake. Crawford's hands were tied behmd his 
back. A strong rope was produced, one end of which was fastened to the 
ligature between his wrists, and the other tied to the post near the ground. 
The rope was long enough to permit him to walk around the stakes sev- 
eral times and then return. 

Crawford, observing these terrible preparations, called to Simon Girty, 
who sat on horseback at the distance of a few yards from the fire, and 
asked if the Indians were going to burn him. Girty very coolly replied in 
the affirmative. Crawford heard the reply with firmness, merely observ- 
ing that he would bear it with fortitude. 

When the poles had been burnt asunder in the middle. Captain Pipe 
arose and addressed the crowd in a tone of great energy, and with ani- 
mated gestures, pointing frequently to Crawford, who regarded him with 
an appearance of unruffled composure. As soon as he had ended his 
harangue, a loud whoop burst forth from the assembled throng, and all 
made a rush for the unfortunate prisoner. For several seconds the crowd 
was so great around Crawford that Knight, who was seated a little dis- 
tance away, could not see what they were doing, but in a short time they 
sufficiently dispersed to give him a view of the Colonel. His ears had 
been cut off, and the blood was streaming down each side of his face. 

A terrible scene of torture now commenced. The warriors shot charges 
of powder into his naked body, commencing with the calves of his legs, 
and continuing to his neck. It was the opinion of Knight that no less 
than seventy loads were discharged upon him. Three or four Indians by 
turns would take up one of the burning pieces of poles and apply the 
burning end to his naked body, already burnt black with powder. These 
tormentors presented themselves on every side of him, so that whichever 
way he ran round the post they met him with the burning brands. Some 
of the squaws took broad pieces of bark, upon which they could carry a 



192 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

quantity of burning coals and hot embers, and threw them on him, so 
that in a short time he had nothing but coals of fire and hot ashes to walk 
upon ! 

In the midst of these extreme tortures, Crawford called Girty, and 
begged of him to shoot him through the heart. " Don't you see I have no 
gun. Colonel ?" replied the white savage monster, bursting into a loud 
laugh, and then, turning to an Indian by his side, he uttered some brutal jest 
upon the naked and miserable appearance of the suffering prisoner, and 
seemed delighted at the horrid scene. The terrible ordeal had lasted 
more than two hours, and Crawford had become much exhausted. He 
walked slowly around the stake upon his fiery pathway, and in a low tone 
of voice earnestly besought God to pardon all his sins and have mercy on 
his soul. His nerves had lost much of their sens'bility, and he no longer 
shrank from the firebrands with which his tormentors incessantly touched 
him. At length he sank in a fainting fit upon his face, and lay motionless. 
Instantly an Indian sprang upon his back, knelt lightly upon one knee, 
made a circular incision with his knife upon the crown of his head, and, 
clapping his knife between his teeth, tore the scalp off with both hands. 
Scarcely had this been done when a withered old hag approached with a 
piece of bark full of coals and burning embers, and poured them upon the 
crown of his head, now laid bare to the bone. The Colonel groaned 
deeply, arose and again walked slowly around the stake. Nature, at 
length, could endure no more, and at a late hour in the evening he fell for 
the last time, and sweetly welcomed death, which at one stroke bore Col. 
Wm. Crawford beyond the reach of his tormentors, and gave Wyandotte 
county a martyr hero of whom she is justly proud. Crawford's disas- 
trous campaign was the last which occurred during the Revolution in the 
Sandusky settlements. 

By the treaties of Fort Stanwix, 1784, and that of 1785, between the 
United States and the Wyandottes, Delawares, Chippeways and Ottoways, 
the United States acquired all the lands lying west of Pennsylvania — the 
vast western domains of those tribes. These treaties did not bring peace ; 
the barbarians were constantly on the war-path, and the government, in 
1794, dispatched Gen. Wayne to the west with a large force. He met the 
Indians in battle at the rapids of the Great Maumee, August, 1794, and 
totally routed them, inflicting on them terrible losses in killed and 
wounded. And thus was terminated the long and sanguinary wars on the 
western frontier. 

SECOND SIEGE OF FORT HENRY. 

In September, 1782, a body of three hundred and fifty Indians and 
British, under command of George Girty, a brother of the notorious Si- 
mon Girty, and said to be a more ruthless man, and a company of Queen's 
Rangers, commanded by Capt. Pratt, made their appearance in front of 



HI8T0KT OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 193 

the fort and summoned it to surrender. The besiegers marched up, 
headed by a fife and drum, and with the British flag flying. To the de- 
mand for a surrender of the fort, the inmates returned a contemptuous 
refusal, and defied the white and red savages to do their worst. Girty 
deemed it imprudent to make the attack until nightfall, and continued to 
palaver, during which the besieged loaded the renegade with abuse, and 
occasionally fired a shot at him, but the distance was too great for effect. 

Fortunately for the inmates that the attack had not commenced half an 
hour earlier, for some days previous to the appearance of the savages 
scouts had been across the Ohio, but discovering no traces of the enemy, 
returned on the afternoon of Saturday and reported accordingly. This 
news had the effect of lulling the inmates into a feeling of security, so that 
it was scarcely deemed necessary to fasten the gates at night. 

A day or two previous to the time of which we write, Andrew Zane had 
gone to Catfish for a supply of liquor. Returning with two kegs (one in 
each end of a bag) he discovered, as he supposed, when near the present 
site of Mount Wood Cemetery, indications of Indians. Concealing his 
kegs, he hurried to the fort with all haste, and gave the alarm. Those who 
had just returned from the Indian country laughed at his fears, but most 
of the men said they would go along and have a " spree." 

Nearly the whole efficient force of the garrison accompanied Zane, and 
finding no Indians, repaired to the spring already alluded to, and there 
treated themselves to a glorious " blow out." Before starting with Zane, 
it was deemed advisable, with the characteristic caution of experienced 
frontiersmen, to send across the river two spies, who might give the alarm 
in case of danger. As the party at the spring were busy with their 
" gi'og," the alarm guns of the scouts were fired on the island, and at the 
same moment a large body of Indians were crossing the creek just above 
back-water. A simultaneous rush was made for the fort, and scarcely had 
the last man entered when the Indians appeared in large numbers crossing 
the bottom. 

All at once became activity and bustle in the fort. The men prepared 
for an energetic defence, each arming himself with a rifle, tomahawk, 
scalping-knife and spear. The women were busy in running bullets, se- 
curing the children, etc. The whole number of fighting men within the 
stockade did not exceed eighteen, while the number of women and chil- 
dren was about forty. 

Shortly before the enemy appeared, a canoe loaded with cannon balls, 
designed for Gen. Clark, at Louisville, in charge of a man named Sulli- 
van and two others, landed at Wheeling, to remain over night. Sullivan 
was a shrewd and experienced soldier, well versed in Indian cunning, and 
on this account was selected to manage the affairs of the fort during the 
seige, as the commandant, Capt. Boggs, had gone for succor immediately 

25 I 



194 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

on the alarm of the enemy's approach. Sullivan was a man of discrimi- 
nation and courage, and well qualified for the post of commander. His 
shrill voice could be heard at all hours, urging on the men and consoling 
the women. But at length he was wounded, and for a time had to give 
way. 

About sundown, Girty made a second demand for surrender, declaring 
that should be his last summons, and swearing, if they refused, that the 
fort would be stormed and every soul massacred. He was answered by 
taunts of defiance. The besieged said they remembered too well the fate 
of Col. Crawford to give up and be butchered like dogs. Girty replied 
that their doom was sealed ; he had taken their express, and all hope of 
safety might be given up. Sullivan inquired what kind of looking man the 
messenger was. "A fine, smart, active young fellow," answered the oudaw 

chief " That's a d d lie," said Sullivan ; " he is an old, gray-headed 

man." 

Finding all attempts to intimidate in vain, Girty led on his white and 
red army of savages, and attempted to carry out his threats of storming 
the fort. Near the centre of the stockade, and at a point sufficiently ele- 
vated to clear the pickets, was a small French cannon, which the enemy 
could at times see, but which they tauntingly said was "wood," and dared 
them to shoot. Having approached within a convenient distance, and just 
as the whole party was pressing up in deep columns, the " bull-dog " was 
let off, cutting a passage through the ranks of wondering and affrighted 
savages. Captain Pratt, who had heard guns and knew how they sounded, 
cried out to his swarthy comrades, " Stand back ! By G — , there's no 
wood about that !" The Indians and the " Rangers " gave way at the 
first discharge, but soon rallied and returned. Girty divided his force into 
small parties, and attacked the fort at different points ; now attempting to 
storm it, and again to fire it. In this manner the seige was kept up dur- 
ing the whole night, and but few such nights were ever passed upon the 
frontier. 

One of the bastions having given way, but two were of use, and these 
the men occupied in turn. The women, during that long and perilous 
night, proved themselves heroines of no ordinary type. They stood at 
their posts like soldiers of a dozen campaigns, cooling and loading the 
rifles of their husbands, brothers and lovers. Such women were worthy 
the love and devotion of men like these. No timid shrieks escaped them ; 
no maidenly fears caused them to shrink from their self-imposed and most 
onerous task. Such were the pioneer mothers of the west — women whose 
souls and bodies were so sorely tried in the fierce fire of our Indian wars. 
Through the whole of that long and terrible night, without food and with- 
out rest, did these brave and noble women stand to their duty, regardless 
of fatigue, but nerving their hearts to the contest and animating the men 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 195 

with hope and courage. The Greek matron who urged her son to the 
conflict, charging him to return with his shield or upon it, displayed no 
more zeal, devotion and true courage than these hero-women of the west. 
History is full of examples of female heroism. Israel had her Judith and 
Deborah; France glories in her Joan and Lavalette; two of them unsexed 
themselves in the excitement of battle ; one ingloriously stained her hands 
in human gore, and the other had nothing to lose by her successful efforts ; 
but the western heroines, without the eclat of female warriors, displayed 
more true courage throughout the long and stormy days of our Indian 
warfare, and exhibited more of the true spirit of heroism, than any exam- 
ples in ancient or modern history. 

At an early hour of the evening, the Indians descried the canoe already 
referred to, and at once resolved .to try the sport of cannonading. Pro- 
cunng a stout log of sufficient size and length, these simple-minded men 
split it open, and having cut out the centre with their tomahawks, fastened 
the parts together with iron bands and chains, found in a smith's shop be- 
longing to a man named Reikart. They then charged it heavily with 
powder and ball, and first announcing that their artillery had arrived, ap- 
plied the torch, when instantaneously a half-dozen of the gaping savages, 
who had clustered around to witness the discharge, were blown into 
eternity. Their frail gun had bursted, scattering death and consternation 
all around. 

During the night, a large number of Indians posted themselves in the 
loft of a house, which stood thirty or forty yards north of the fort. These 
amused themselves by dancing, shouting and yelling, making night hide- 
ous with their horrid noise. Thinking to dislodge them, several ineffec- 
tual attempts were made to do so with grape-shot ; but, failing, a full-sized 
ball was fired, which cut ofT a sleeper, and let the whole mass down to- 
gether. This disaster frightened the assailants off for a time. 

The cannon was fired sixteen times during the first night, doing more or 
less execution at each discharge. It was managed by a man named John 
Tait, shortly afterwards killed, and partly eaten, by the savages, on Dillie's 
bottom, opposite Grave creek. 

At the time of the Indian visitation in 1777, it will be remembered, they 
burned all the houses, killed the cattle, etc. Similar outrages were again 
attempted in 1781, and then Col. Ebenezer Zane resolved that should the 
savages again visit the settlement he would remain in his house and per- 
ish, sooner than abandon it to the torch of the enemy. On the reappear- 
ance of the Indians, Col. Zane continued at his house, and declared his fixed 
determination to defend it to the last. In the house with him were several 
members of his family, including his brother, Silas. There were also two 
brothers by the name of Green, and a black servant by the name of Sam. 
So constantly did these four keep up the fire against the enemy that they 
were slow to approach within range of the guns. 



196 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

The fortunes of the night were often variable ; the enemy at one time 
appeared to have the vantage, but again their schemes were frustrated by 
the energy and skill of those within the fort. More than twenty times did 
they attempt to fire the stockade, by heaping bundles of hemp against the 
walls, and kindling them at different points. Most fortunately, however, 
the hemp was wet, and could not be made to burn. Dry wood and other 
combustibles were tried, but all in vain. Day at length dawned upon the 
hopes of that almost despairing people, and never did Aurora display 
her beauties to a more admiring or a more rejoicing group. The night 
had been long, and full of gloomy terror. They knew not at what mo- 
ment the formidable enemy would crush the walls of their frail enclosure ; 
but, come what might, they resolved to stand firm to the last. 

Immediately after daybreak the Indians and British withdrew to the 
spring, and a cessation of hostilities for several hours ensued. 

It was about noon of this day that an incident occurred which has been 
the theme of history, poetry and romance. We allude to the " gunpowder 
exploit," as it is familiarly known in border story. 

As we have already stated. Colonel Zane remained in his cabin, near 
the fort, during the whole seige. Finding that his supply of powder was 
likely to run out, he proposed to those present that some one of them 
would have to visit the fort and renew the stock. It was known to be a 
hazardous undertaking, and, unwilling to order either of the white men to 
so perilous an enterprise, Col. Zane submitted the matter to their own de- 
votion and courage. One of them instantly proffered his services, but a 
female member of Col. Zane's family came forward and said : " No, I will 
go ; should I be killed, I can be better spared than one of these men." 
That woman, according to the traditionary accounts of the country, was 
Elizabeth Zane, sister to Col. Zane. She is represented to have been a 
young woman of great resolution and much energy of character, and those 
who knew her intimately say, unhesitatingly, that she was just the person 
for such an exploit. Preparing herself for the feat, the intrepid girl 
stepped from the cabin and bounded to the fort with the speed of a deer. 
A number of Indians, concealed in the neighborhood, saw her emerge 
from the cabin, but did not attempt to shoot, only exclaiming, with con- 
temptuous epithets, " Squaw ! Squaw !" She reached the fort, and tying 
about her person eight or ten pounds of powder, again ventured forth and 
moved rapidly towards the cabin of Col. Zane. Suspecting all was not 
right, the savages opened upon her a volley of rifle balls, but unscathed 
the courageous girl bounded into the arms of those who stood ready to 
receive her. That act of the heroic and single-hearted female saved the 
inmates of Col. Zane's house from certain destruction. Their ammunition 
had been exhausted, and every soul would have fallen a sure prey to the 
fury of the savages had not a supply been obtained. 



HISTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 197 

Night closing in, the enemy renewed the attack, and maintained it with- 
out intermission until daybreak. Shortly after sunrise the enemy, despair- 
ing of success, commenced killing the cattle, burning the vacant cabins, 
<&c. About lo o'clock, a. m., an Indian spy returned, and when within 
sight of the fort, gave a long, deep, peculiar whoop, which the well-trained 
Indian hunters fully understood as a signal to be off. Scarcely had the 
echoes of his shout ceased reverberating along the valley than the entire 
hostile army moved rapidly toward the river, which they crossed near 
where the Northwestern Bank now stands. In less than half an hour after 
their retreat. Captain Williamson, with seventy mounted men, rode up to 
the fort, and great was the rejoicing at the appearance of his gallant band. 

Thus ended the final investment of Fort Henry. The Indians never 
again attempted to molest it, but gave the place as wide a latitude as con- 
venient in their expeditions against the back settlements. 

ATTACK ON FORT RICE. 

Previous to the Indian attack on Fort Rice, in September, 1782, several 
of the men belonging to it had gone to Hagerstown to exchange peltry 
and furs for salt and ammunition. A few days before attacking Fort Rice, 
the Indians made their last attack on Fort Henry, and being defeated, they 
held a council, and decided that two hundred warriors should return home 
and one hundred picked men make a dash into the country and strike a 
heavy blow somewhere before their return. It was their determination to 
take a fort and massacre all its people, in revenge for their defeat at Fort 
Henry. Two white men, who had been long prisoners among the Indians, 
deserted, fled to Fort Rice, and gave notice of the Indian plan. They 
only reached the fort thirty minutes before the hostile savages themselves. 
On receiving the news, the people of the fort prepared for defence. The 
Indians soon surrounded the fort, commenced firing, and ran from all di- 
rections towards the fort, which they hoped to take by assault, rending the 
air with their horrid war-whoops. There were only six men in the fort, 
but they were fearless, and the best of marksmen. They fired with de- 
liberate aim on the enemy, brought down six at the first fire, scattering 
the assaulting party, which broke, every Indian hiding behind a tree, log 
or stump. The firing was kept up for four hours. In the intervals of the 
firing, the savages called out to the people in the fort : "Give up, give up ; 
too many Indian ; Indian too big ; no kill you." They were answered by 
the brave whites : "Come on, you cowards ; we are ready for you ; show 
your yellow hides, and we'll make holes in them for you." During the 
evening the Indians amused themselves, out of musket range, shooting 
horses, cattle, pigs and sheep, until the ground was strewed with dead 
bodies. About 10 o'clock at night they fired a barn, about thirty yards 
from the fort. It was large, and full of grain and hay. The flame was 
frightful, and at first the fort seemed in danger, but as the night was calm, 



198 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

it was saved. The light of the burning barn prevented the near approach 
of the savages, which prevented their burning the dwelHngs. After the 
barn was set on fire, the Indians collected on the side of the fort opposite 
the barn, so as to have the advantage of the light, and kept up a pretty 
constant fire, which was as steadily answered by that of the fort, until 
about two o'clock, when the Indians left the place and made a hasty re- 
treat. 

Thus was this little place defended by a Spartan band of six men against 
one hundred chosen warriors, exasperated to madness by their failure at 
Wheeling fort. Their names shall be inscribed in the list of heroes of our 
early times. They were Jacob Miller, George Lefler, Peter FuUenweider, 
Daniel Rice, George Felebaum and Jacob Lefler, jun. George Felebaum 
was shot in the forehead, through a port-hole, at the second fire of the 
Indians, and instantly expired, so that in reality the defense of this place 
was made by only five men. 

The loss of the Indians was four, three of whom were killed at the first 
fire from the fort, and the other was killed about sundown. There can be 
no doubt but that a number more were killed and wounded in the engage- 
ment, but were concealed or carried off". 

A large division of these Indians, on their retreat, passed within a little 
distance of another fort. In following their trail, a few days afterwards, a 
large poultice of chewed sassafras leaves was found. This is the dressing 
which the Indians usually apply to recent gunshot wounds. The poultice, 
having become too old and dry, was removed and replaced with a new 
one. 

Examples of personal bravery and hair-breadth escapes are always 
acceptable to readers of history. An instance of both of these happened 
during the attack on this fort, which may be worth recording. 

Abraham Rice, one of the principal men belonging to the fort of that 
name, on hearing the report of the deserters from the Indians, mounted a 
very strong, active mare and rode in all haste to another fort, about three 
and a-half miles distant from his own, for further news, if any could be 
had, concerning the presence of a body of Indians in the neighborhood. 
Just as he reached the place, he heard the report of the guns at his own 
fort. He instantly returned, as last as possible, until he arrived within 
sight of the fort. Finding that it still held out, he determined to reach it 
and assist in its defense, or perish in the attempt. In doing this, he had 
to cross the creek, the fort being some distance from it on the opposite 
bank. He saw no Indians until his mare sprang down the bank of the 
creek, at which instant about fourteen of them jumped up from among 
the weeds and bushes and discharged their guns at him. One bullet 
wounded him in the fleshy part of the right arm above the elbow. By 
this time several more of the Indians came up and shot at him. A second 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 199 

ball wounded him in the thigh, a little above the knee, but without break- 
ing the bone, and the ball passed transversely through the neck of the 
mare. She, however, sprang up the bank of the creek, fell to her knees, 
and stumbled along about a rod before she recovered. During this time 
several Indians came running up to tomahawk him. Yet he made his 
escape, after having about thirty shots fired at him from a short distance. 
After riding about four miles he reached Lamb's fort, much exhausted 
with the loss of blood. After getting his wounds dressed and resting 
awhile, he sat off late in the evening with twelve men, determined, if pos- 
sible, to reach the fort under cover of the night. When they got within 
about two hundred yards of it, they halted. The firing still continued ; 
ten of the men, thinking the enterprise too hazardous, refused to go any 
further, and retreated. Rice and two other men crept silently along to- 
wards the fort, but had not proceeded far before they came close upon an 
Indian in concealment. He gave the alarm yell, which was instantly 
passed round the lines with the utmost regularity. This caused the savages 
to make their last effort to take the place, and make their retreat under 
cover of the night. Rice and his companions returned in safety to Lamb's 
fort. About ID o'clock next day, sixty white men collected at Rice's fort 
for its relief. They pursued the savages, who kept in a body for two 
miles. The Indians then dispersed in small parties, and the pursuit was 
given up. A small division of the Indians had not proceeded far after 
their separation when they discovered four men coming from a neighbor- 
ing fort. The savages hid near the path and shot two, and the others 
fled. One of them made good his escape ; the other was overtaken by a 
savage. The white turned and snapped his gun at the red skin. The 
Indian threw his tomahawk at the white's head, but missed him. They 
then closed, and during the fight the Indian was killed. 

AN EXPECTED ATTACK. 

The following interesting account of affairs in a fort anticipating an at- 
tack is given by Kercheval, who was an inmate of Fort Dodderidge at 
the time. When advices reached the fort, in 1782, that the Indians were 
but a few miles distant encamped, it was believed that they would assault 
the place early next morning : 

"In order to give the reader a correct idea of the military tactics of our 
early times, I will give, in detail, the whole progress of the preparations 
which were made for the expected attack, and, as nearly as I can, I will 
give the commands of Capt. Teter, our officer, in his own words. 

" In the first place he collected all our men together, and related the 
battles and skirmishes he had been in, and really they were not few in 
number. He was in Braddock's defeat, Grant's defeat, the taking of Fort 
Pitt, and nearly all the battles which took place between the English, and 
the French and Indians, from Braddock's defeat to the capture of that 
place by Gen. Forbes. He reminded us, ' that in case the Indians should 
succeed, we need expect no mercy ; that every man, woman and child 



200 HI8TOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

would be killed on die spot. They have been defeated at one fort, and 
now they are mad enough. If they should succeed in taking ours, all 
their vengeance would fall on our heads. We must fight for ourselves and 
one another, and for our wives and children, brothers and sisters. We 
must make the best preparations we can ; a little after daybreak we shall 
hear the crack of their guns.' 

" He then made a requisition of all the powder and lead in the fort. The 
ammunition was accurately divided amongst all the men, and the amount 
supposed to be fully sufficient. When this was done, ' Now,' says the 
captain, ' when you run your bullets, cut off the necks very close, and 
scrape them, so as to make them a little less, and get patches one hundred 
finer than those you commonly use, and have them well oiled, for if a rifle 
happens to be choked in the time of batde, there is one gun and one man 
lost for the rest of the battle. You will have no time to unbritch a gun 
and get a plug to drive out a bullet. Have the locks well oiled and the 
flints sharp, so as not to miss fire.' 

" Such were his orders to his men. He then said to the women, 'These 
yellow fellows are very handy at setting fire to houses, and water is a very 
good thing to put out fire. You must fill every vessel with water. Our 
fort is not well stockaded, and these ugly fellows may rush into the mid- 
dle of it, and attempt to set fire to our cabins in twenty places at once.' 
They fell to work, and did as he had ordered. 

" The men having put their rifles in order, ' Now,' says he ' let every 
man gather in his axes, mattocks and hoes, and place them inside of his 
door ; for the Indians may make a dash at them with their tomahawks to 
cut them down, and an axe in that case might hit, when a gun would miss 
fire.' 

" Like a good commander, our captain, not content with giving orders, 
went from house to house to see that every thing was right. 

" The ladies of the present day will suppose that our women were 
frightened half to death with the near prospect of such an attack of the 
Indians. On the contrary, I do not know that I ever saw a merrier set of 
women in my life. They went on with their work of carrying water and 
cutting bullet patches for the men, apparently without the least emotion of 
fear ; and I have every reason to believe that they would have been 
pleased with the crack of the guns in the morning. 

" During all this time we had no sentinels placed around the fort, so 
confident was our captain that the attack would be made before daybreak. 
I was at that time fourteen years of age, but ranked as a fort soldier. After 
getting my gun and all things else in order, I went into the garret of the 
house, and laid down on the floor, with my shot-pouch on and my gun by 
my side. I did not awake till sunrise, when the alarm was over. 
The family we supposed had been killed came into the fort about day- 
break. Instead of their house being burnt, it was an old log on fire near 
the house, which had been seen by our expresses." 

INDIAN SUMMER. 

The derivation of the term, " Indian Summer," has given rise to much 
speculation. The best theory as to its origin is this : The term originated 
in the Valley among the early settlers, and the backwoodsman seldom 
heard it without a chill of horror, as it recalled painful recollections of its 
original application. The Indians were accustomed to make their preda- 



HISTOKT OF AUGUSTA COUNTT. 201 

tory incursions into the settlements of the whites during the Summer. 
They seldom or ever visited the territory of the whites after the frosts and 
snows set in. The commencement of Winter was therefore hailed by the 
inhabitants with delight. During that inhospitable season they would 
enjoy peace and freedom from the confinement of forts. At the approach 
of Winter, therefore, the planters would remove to their farms with the 
joyful feelings of a prisoner set free. All was bustle and hilarity preparing 
for Winter — the gathering of corn, digging of potatoes, fattening pigs, beef 
and turkeys, and repairing their dwellings. It sometimes happened, how- 
ever, after the apparent commencement of Winter, the weather became 
warm ; the smoky time commenced, and lasted for a considerable number 
of days. This was the Indian Summer, because it afforded the Indians 
another opportunity of visiting the settlements with their destructive war- 
fare. The melting of the snow saddened every countenance, and the genial 
warmth of the sun chilled every heart with horror. Hence this season of 
calm, during which the settlers were distressed by apprehensions when not 
driven by actual attack into the detested forts for safety, was called the 
Indian Summer. It corresponds to " the halycon days " of the Greeks, a 
name given to the seven or eight days which preceded and followed the 
Winter solstice when the weather was very calm and the air genial. To- 
wards the latter part of February there was a fine spell of weather, during 
which the snow melted away. This was denominated the " palavering," 
or " paw-wawing season," as the Indians now held their War Councils, 
and planned their Spring campaigns against the settlements. Sometimes 
it happened that the savages ventured to make their excursions too late in 
the Autumn or too early in the Spring for their own convenience. A man 
by the name of Carpenter was taken early in the month of March, 1782, 
near the present town of Wellsburg. There had been several warm days, 
but on the night preceding his capture, there was a heavy fall, of snow. 
His two horses, which the Indians took with him, nearly perished in 
swimming the Ohio. The savages, as well as himself, suffered severely 
with the cold before they reached the Moravian towns on the Muskingum. 
The morning after the first day's journey beyond the Moravian towns, the 
barbarians sent out Carpenter to brmg in the horses, which, after being 
hobbled the evening before, were turned out to graze. The horses had 
made a circuit of the towns, fallen into the trail, and were making their 
way homewards. When Carpenter overtook them, and had taken off 
their fetters, he had to make an awful decision. He had a chance — barely 
a chance — to make his escape, with a certainty of death, if recaptured. 
On the other hand, there was the horrible prospect of being tortured ta 
death by fire at the stake. He was the first prisoner taken that Spring, 
and it was the Indian custom to burn the first prisoner every Spring. 
After spending a few minutes making his decision, he resolved on making 
an attempt to escape, and effected it by way of Forts Laurens, Mcintosh, 
261 



202 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

and Pittsburg. The capture of Carpenter and the murder of two families, 
about the same time, contributed materially to the Moravian campaign 
and the murder of that unfortunate people. 

THE VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE IN STAUNTON. 

On the 5th of January, 1781, Benedict Arnold entered Richmond, which 
had recently become the capital of Virginia, and ravaged the place. The 
Legislature had previously taken refuge at Charlottesville, where they 
were pursued and dispersed by Tarlton. On June 3, the committee pre- 
viously appointed to prepare a bill to " establish martial law within 

miles of our camp and that of the enemy," was enlarged by Messrs. Jno. 
Taylor, Nicholas, Francis Peyton, of Loudoun; Talbot, Campbell, of 
Washington ; and Triplett. 

On June 4th, the House adjourned (so near were the British), to meet 
in Staunton on June 7th, where it met on that day, in the Episcopal 
church, according to adjournment. On Sunday, June loth, 1781, the 
House met and resolved, That this House do adjourn until to-morrow 
morning, at ten o'clock, then to meet in this place ; but if there shall appear 
danger in so doing, from the enemy, then that this House be adjourned 
until Thursday next, then to meet at the Warm Springs, in this county, 
at which time and place, if a sufficient number of members to adjourn the 
House should fail to appear, the Speaker is invested with power, as well to 
adjourn the House from day to day, as to appoint, in case of necessity, 
any other time and place for the meeting of this House, as to him shall 
seem advisable. 

On June 12th, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Esq., was elected Governor of the 
Commonwealth, and Wm. Cabell, Sam'l Hardy, and Sam'l McDowell 
members of the Council of State. 

On June 13th, James Madison, Ed. Randolph, Jos. Jones, Theodorick 
Bland and John Blair were appointed delegates in Congress to represent 
Virginia for one year. 

On June 14th, Mr. Henry reported from the Committee of Privileges 
and Elections that the committee had, according to order, inquired into 
the conduct of Zachariah Johnston (delegate from Augusta), upon the in- 
formation of Thos. Hughes against him, for being the principal instigator 
of an opposition which has been made by some of the people of Augusta 
in arms to a law passed by a former Assembly ; and had agreed upon a 
report, and come to a resolution thereupon, which he read in his place, 
and were agreed to by the House, as followeth : 

" It appears to your committee, from the testimony of various witnesses, 
that Zachariah Johnston hath uniformly recommended to the people of 
the county of Augusta an obedience to the law " for recruiting this State's 
quota of troops to serve in the Continental army," and did by no means 
instigate them to an opposition to the said law. 

Resolved, therefore, That the said information is groundless." 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 203 

On the same day, William Campbell, Esq., was appointed a Major- 
General in the militia. 

On Saturday, June i6th, Mr. Henry reported from the committee to 
whom the petition of John Poage was referred, that the committee had 
agreed upon a report, as follows : 

" It appears to your committee that James Graham, deputy sheriff for 
the county of Augusta, was robbed of the sum of ;^35,ooo ($175,000), be- 
ing the tax money of the said county, on his way to the treasury, and that 
a judgment has been obtained against John Poage, the sheriff of said 
county, for the sum of ;^35, 345.05, on account of said money so stolen, and 
not paid into the Treasury, 

Resolved, therefore, That the said petition is reasonable ; but that the 
final determination thereon ought to be postponed to the next meeting of 
Assembly, and, in the meantime, that the Public SoHcitor be directed not 
to take out an execution on the said judgment." 

On June i8th, the Speaker laid before the House a letter from the Hon. 
Major-General Marquis La Fayette, respecting the present state and move- 
ments of the army under his command, which was read and ordered to 
lie upon the table. 

This resolution was agreed to by the House : That all horses impressed 
for the use of the army, by order of the Marquis La Fayette, Major-Gen- 
eral Baron Steuben, or Gen. Nelson, ought to be paid for by the Treasurer 
of this Commonwealth, by warrant from the Auditors of Public Accounts. 

On June 21st, this resolution was passed : That the Treasurer do re- 
ceive on account any money which may be offered him by Henry Peyton, 
Esq., late Sheriff of Prince William county, so that if the said sales be con- 
firmed, he may be saved harmless from all penalties for the non-payment 
thereof, and if not, that the value thereof may be returned, according to 
the present state of depreciation, to the purchaser. 

On June 22d, the Speaker laid before the House a letter from George 
Mathews, Esq., late Colonel of the N^inth Virginia regiment, containing a 
representation of sundry matters on behalf of himself and the officers of 
the said regiment, which was read and referred. 

This resolution was adopted : That the Governor be empowered to ap- 
point a Secretary, who shall be allowed at the rate of 30,000 pounds of 
tobacco per annum. 

On June 23d, the House came to the following resolution : 

It appearing to the General Assembly that Col. Wm. Fleming (one of 
the gallant survivors of the battle of Point Pleasant), being the only acting 
m.ember of Council for some time before the appointment of a Chief Mag- 
istrate, did give orders for the calling out the militia, and also pursued 
such other measures as were essential to good government, and it is just 
and reasonable that he should be indemnified therein, 

Resolved, therefore. That the said Wm. Fleming, Esq., be indemnified 
for his conduct, as before mentioned, and the Assembly do approve of 
the same. 



204 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

And then the House adjourned to meet on the first Monday of October, 
1781, at Richmond, and " if the movements of the enemy make it improper 
to hold the Assembly in said town, then the Governor, with the advice of 
Council, appoint it to meet at Fredericksburg, or at Winchester, in Fred- 
erick county, or at such other place as they shall deem expedient " 



During this dark period in our history, considerable gloom filled the 
minds of members. Washington, who had been struggling against the 
British, in Long Island, was retreating through New Jersey and Dela- 
ware, the pursuing enemy wasting fields, destroying cattle, and committing 
every kind of violence upon the defenceless inhabitants. In this bitter 
hour of defeat, one of the members, recalling the history of Rome, who, 
when torn with intestine strife and deluged with blood, put a dictator at 
her head, suggested the idea of appointing Patrick Henry, Dictator. It 
found no countenance with Henry or the members, and one of them, Ar- 
chibald Gary, meeting Henry's brother-in-law, addressed him with heat in 
these terms: "Sir, I am told that your brother wishes to be Dictator: 
tell him, from me, that the day of his appointment shall be the day of his 
death, for he shall feel my dagger in his heart before the sunset of that 
day." 

To all the numerous calls made for volunteers to fight the Indians and 
the British during the Revolution, the people of Augusta responded with 
an alacrity which evinced their spirit and patriotism. The writer much 
regrets his inability to supply a list of the officers and men furnished by 
the county to these wars. The following extract from a letter of Adju- 
tant-General James McDonald, of date Richmond, July 23, 1881, will ex- 
plain the cause : 

To Col. J. Lewis Peyton, Steep-hill : 

My Dear Colonel : I duly received your letter, and regret to say 
that the office of the Adjutant-General, together with its contents, was de- 
stroyed by fire at the evacuation of this city by the Confederate forces in 
1865. Consequently, nothing relating to the wars of the Revolution, of 
1812, and with Mexico, can now be found in it. But I was anxious, if 
possible, to serve you, and accordingly set my friend. Col. Sherwin Mc- 
Rae, acting State Librarian, to rummage the State Library for informa- 
tion. He reports, after search, that while there are printed rolls of Vir- 
ginia troops in all those wars, the counties, &c., from which they come are 
not designated. 

On the 26th of December, 1776, Washington defeated the British and 
Hessians at Trenton, N. J., taking many Hessian prisoners, and severa 
hundred of them were sent to Staunton, where they remained for some 
years in custody. During this time, they built of bricks, dried in the sun. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 205 

the house still standing on Spring farm, and occupied, in 1882, by the 
Superintendent of the Staunton Water-works. 

The Revolutionary war closed in 1783, the British Government having, 
after the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, in 1781, abandoned 
all hope of conquering America. Provisional articles of peace between the 
two governments were signed at Paris, November 30th, 1782, a formal 
proclamation of a cessation of hostilities was made throughout the British 
army 19th of April, 1783, and the definite treaty, acknowledging the colo- 
nies to be free and independent States, was signed September 30th, 1783. 

For eight years the Americans had been subjected to the miseries of a 
devastating war. In a short time, they found the Confederative system 
defective, and incapable of subserving the great ends for which it was in- 
stituted, and in 1787 Commissioners from all the States, excepting Rhode 
Island, assembled at Philadelphia, and their labors resulted in the formation 
of the Federal Constitution. The fundamental distinction between the 
articles of Confederation and the new Constitution, consisted in this : The 
former acted only on States, the latter on individuals ; the former could 
neither raise men nor money by its own authority, but was dependent on 
the discretion of thirteen different legislatures, and without their unani- 
mous concurrence, could not provide for the public safety or for the pay- 
ment of the national debt. The more perfect organization effected by the 
Federal Constitution in our system of government gave a new aspect to 
the political afifairs of the country. A Constitution of more ample powers 
gave new vigor and efficacy to the measures of the General Government, 
and prepared the way for the wonderful prosperity which has since charac- 
terized our national annals. 

Under the Constitution, religious liberty was guaranteed, — the liberty of 
conscience, or freedom of a man to worship God according to his belief 
and the dictates of his conscience, provided he docs not thereby disturb the 
peace of the Commonwealth. The Constitution makes no provision for 
the support of any religion, but the clergy are maintained by the volun- 
tary contributions of the people, and are excluded from holding offices 
under the Government. 

Our English ancestors, in sustaining a religious establishment, acted on 
the experience of antiquity, for they regarded their clergy as the pre- 
servers, not only of a ritual, but of the truths which it symbolized, and 
saw united in them the spirit of the priest and the wisdom of the sage. 
While this clergy defended the faith, they advanced continually in a better 
knowledge of it, subjecting all dogmas to the discipline of reason. Under 
the churches of England and Scotland, religious and civil liberty reached 
maturity together. But even with these, the doctrines of blind obedience 
prevailed so far, by an old corruption of the blood, as to multiply sects 
and breed incurable miseries in the State. As far as possible to escape 



206 HISTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

these miseries, the framers of our Constitution refused any longer to sus- 
tain a Church, and extended liberty of belief to all, trusting that each 
community would provide for its own instruction in morality, and choose 
its own ministers of religion. We are not, therefore, to suppose in them 
an ignorant carelessness, or a contempt for the office of religion ; but only 
that they held it to be unjust that one man should be taxed for the reli- 
gion of another ; and there is little doubt that public instruction in the 
principles of virtue and religion would have seemed to them an object of 
the first importance, and to be sustained by legislation, had it been pos- 
sible to establish a religion or a system of morals in which all dogmas and 
superstitions might be reconciled and dissolved. 



The following are the proceedings of the meeting referred to (ante p. 
176), and may be found in 3d Vol. Am. Archives, 4th series : 

" At a meeting of the inhabitants of that part of Augusta county that 
lies on the west side of Laurel Hill, at Pittsburg, the i6th of May, T775, 
the following gentlemen were chosen a committee for the said district, 
viz : George Croghan, John Campbell, Edward Ward, Thos. Smallman, 
Jno. Cannon, John McCullough, Wm. Gee, Geo. Vallandingham, John 
Gibson, Dorsey Penticost, Edward Cook, Wm. Crawford, Devereux 
Smith, Jno, Anderson, David Rodgers, Jacob Vanmetre, Hy. Enoch, Jas. 
Ennis, Geo. Wilson, W. Vance, David Shepherd, Wm. Elliott, Rich- 
mond Willis, Sam. Sample, John Ormsbey, Richard McMaher, Jno. 
Nevill and Jno. Sweringer. 

The foregoing gentlemen met in committee, and resolved that Jno. 
Campbell, Jno. Ormsbey, Ed. Ward, Thos. Smallman, Sam'l Sample, 
Jno. Anderson, and D. Smith, or any four of them, be a standing commit- 
tee, and shall have full power to meet at such times as they shall judge 
necessary, and, in case of any emergency, to call the committee of this dis- 
trict together, and shall he vested with the power and authority as the 
other standing committees and committees of correspondence are in the 
other counties within this colony. 

Resolved, unanimously, That the cordial and most grateful thanks of 
this committee are a tribute due to John Harvie, Esq., our worthy repre- 
sentative in the late Colonial Convention held at Richmond, for his faith- 
ful discharge of that important trust reposed in him; and to John Nevill, 
Esq., our other worthy delegate, whom nothing but sickness prevented 
from representing us in that respectable assembly. 

Resolved, unanimously, That this committee have the highest sense of 
the spirited behavior of their brethren in New England, and do most cor- 
dially approve of their opposing the invaders of American rights and pri- 
vileges to the utmost extreme, and that each member of this committee, 
respectively, will animate and encourage their neighborhood to follow the 
brave example. 

This committee, therefore, out of the deepest sense of the expediency 
of this measure, most earnestly entreat that every member of this commit- 
tee do collect from each tithable person in their several districts the sum of 
2s. 6 pence, which we deem no more than sufficient for the above pur- 
pose, and give proper receipts to all such as pay the same into their 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 207 

hands ; and the sum so collected to be paid into the hands of John Camp- 
bell, Esq , who is to give proper security to this committee, or their suc- 
cessors, for the due and faithful application of the money so deposited 
with him ; and this committee, as your representatives, and who are most 
ardently laboring for your preservation, call on you, our constituents, our 
friends, brethren, and fellow-sufferers, in the name of God, of everything 
you hold sacred or valuable, for the sake of your wives, children, and un- 
born generations, that you will, every one of you, in your several stations, 
to the utmost of your power, assist in levying such sum, by not only pay- 
ing yourselves, but by assisting those who are not at present in a condi- 
tion to do so. We heartily lament the case of all such as have not this 
small sum at command in this day of necessity ; to all such we recommend 
to tender security to such as Providence has enabled, to lend them so 
much; and this committee do pledge their faith and fortunes to you, their 
constituents, that we shall, without fee or reward, use our best endeavors 
to procure, with the money so collected, the ammunition our present ex- 
igencies have made so exceedingly necessary. 

"As this committee has reason to believe, there is a quantity of ammu- 
nition destined for this place for the purpose of government ; and as this 
country on the west side of Laurel Hill is greatly distressed for want of 
ammunition, and deprived of the means of procuring it by reason of its 
situation, as easy as the lower counties of this colony, they do earnestly 
request the committees of Frederick and Augusta and Hampshire that 
they will not suffer the ammunition to pass through their counties for the 
purposes of government, but will secure it for the use of this destitute 
country, and immediately inform this committee of their having done so." 

The committee adopt another resolution, approving of " a resolution of 
the committee of the other part of this county," cultivating a friendly in- 
tercourse with the Indians. 

They direct, also, the " Standing Committee " to secure arms and am- 
munition not employed in actual service, or private property, and to have 
them repaired and put into the hands of such captains of independent 
companies as may make application for them. They also raised ^15 to 
transmit to Robert C. Nicholas for the use of the deputies sent to the 
general congress from " this colony." They also adopted " instructions 
to the delegates." These were reported by Mr. John Campbell, of the 
Select Committee, the first part of which is in these words : 
To John Harvie and George Rodes, esqs. : Gentlemen ; 

You being chosen to represent the people on the west side of Laurel 
Hill, in Colonial Congress, for the ensuing year, we, the committee for the 
people aforesaid, desire you will lay the grievances hereafter mentioned 
before the Congress at their first meeting, as we conceive it highly neces- 
sary they should be redressed, to put us on a footing with the rest of our 
brethren in the colony." They complain, first, of having had to supply 
the soldiers in the last Indian war with their provisions, and thereby hav- 
ing brought themselves well-nigh to suffering ; second, that the garrison 
maintained there had to be supported by the inhabitants ; third, " that 
this country, adjoining the Indian territory and Province of Quebeck," is 
exposed to the inroads of the savages and the militia of that province, and 
consequently their civil and religious liberties were in danger ; fourth, that 
for want of freeholders, they could not get grand juries ; fifth, "that the 
unsettled boundary between this colony and Pennsylvania is the occasion 



208 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

of many disputes " ; sixth, that the collecting the duty on skins and furs 
will banish the Indian trade from this place and colony," which report be- 
ing agreed to : Resolved, unanimously, That a fair copy be drawn off and 
delivered to our delegates as their instructions. Ordered that the fore- 
going proceedings be certified by the clerk of this committee, and pub- 
lished in the " Virginia Gazette." By order of the committee. 

JAMES BERWICK, Clerk. 

The delegates from Augusta to the Virginia Convention, which met in 
Richmond, March 20th, 1765, were Thomas Lewis, Samuel McDowell and 
John Harvie. 

On March 21st, 1775, a letter from the inhabitants of that part of Au- 
gusta county, which lies to the westward of the Alleghany mountains, de- 
siring that John Nevill and John Harvie, Esqs.,may be admitted into this 
convention as their delegates, being read ; upon a motion, 

Resolved, that the said John Nevill and John Harvie be admitted as 
delegates for the County of Augusta. 

Peyton Randolph was the president and John Tazewell clerk of the 
Convention 

ANA, EXCERPTS, ETC. 

All people abhor the character of a spy, moving in friendly garb, how- 
ever useful his treachery may be to his employers, and will not regret the 
fate of Tarlton's. One of Tarl ton's men crossed the Blue Ridge as a spy 
in 1 78 1. He was captured near Fishersville on Sunday morning, and 
taken to Tinkling Spring. The people were plunged into great excite- 
ment, thinking Tarlton was following on the heels of his scout. The congre- 
gation was immediately dismissed by the pastor, Mr. Waddell, who ex- 
horted the people to repair to the mountain and oppose the enemy, offering 
to lead them himself. The spy was placed in custody of a young man 
named Long, who volunteered to deliver him to the jailor in Staunton. 
Cocking his rifle. Long ordered the spy to march before him. When 
they reached Christian's Creek, Long, who wore moccasins, and who did 
not wish to wet them, ordered th« spy to halt till he could take them off. 
The prisoner paid no attention to his order, but doggedly kept on. Find- 
ing he would escape, Long, after warning him in vain, discharged his rifle 
at and mortally wounded the captive. The wounded man lingered sev- 
eral days, during which he acknowledged that he belonged to Tarlton's 
command, and was a spy in search of information. 

BURGESS WILSON. 

The old Glebe burying-ground (mentioned ante, p. 150,) near to the 
once Glebe parsonage of Augusta county, is about five miles north of 
Middlebrook, near the Middle River, and occupies a beautiful site. Among 
the tablets there is the following : 

" Here lys the interred body of Col. Jno. Willson, who departed this life, 
in the year of our Lord, 1773, in the 72d year of his age, having served 
his country 27 y'rs a representative in the honorable house of burgesses in 
Va., &c." 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 209 

On the same, below : 

" Likewise, the interred body of Martha, his well-beloved wife, who de- 
parted this life July loth, 1755, in the LX year of her age." 

Col. Willson, who so long served the county, was a member of great 
weight and influence. He was one of the early Scotch-Irish settlers., and 
resided on his estate, on Middle River, at the place occupied by his de- 
scendant, Mathew Willson, Sr., an elder in Bethel church thirty years ago. 
He was commonly called "Old Burgess Willson," from his long service in 
the House, and has left many highly respectable descendants in Augusta. 

THE CAPTIVE BELLE. 

In 1774, the Shawanese commenced their outrages on New River, in 
Giles, killing and scalping five children of Jno. Lybrook, who were play- 
ing near the stream. Among the prisoners they made was Mrs. Margaret 
Hall, who remained in captivity in Ohio until 1794, or eighteen years, 
until Wayne's victory. She was transferred to the Delawares, where she 
was adopted into the family of a chief The Indians were somewhat civ- 
ilized — had a few cattle, and made butter, fritters and pancakes. Shortly 
before Mrs. Hall's return home, a young chief fell violently in love with 
her, and urged his suit, and upon her refusal to marry him, threatened to 
take her life. Her foster mother used her persuasion in his behalf, and 
the young squaws congratulated her on the offer. Annoyed, she fled on 
horseback seventy miles distant, where her foster sister and brother had 
removed. She was pursued by the young chief, who again told her she 
must marry him or die. She persisted in her refusal. He made a lunge 
at her with a knife, when the foster sister threw herself between them, and 
received a slight wound in the side, the point of the knife striking a rib. 
The Indian girl seized the knife by the blade, wrenched it from his hand, 
broke it, and threw the pieces away. A fight ensued, in which the girl 
proved the conqueror, and drove the savage lover from the field. Her 
foster brother, who was absent, on his return told her not to be uneasy, 
denounced the lover, and threatened to kill him if he gave her further an- 
noyance. The disappointed lover went off and was soon killed in battle. 



The following lines, by a native of West Augusta, on Wayne, whose 
victory, in 1794, resulted in the peace of Greenville, are inserted as a spe- 
cimen of our early poetry : 

" The birth of some great men, or death, 
Gives a celebrity to spots of earth ; 
We say that Montcalm fell on Abraham's plain ; 
That Butler presses the Miami bank ; 
And that the promontory of Sigeum 
Has Achilles' tomb. 
Presqu' Isle saw Wayne expire ; 
There the traveller shall see his monument ; 
At least his grave. For this, 

27 X 



210 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

Corroding jealousy will not detract ; 
But allow a mound — 
Some little dwelling of the earth, 
To mark the interment of his bones. 
Brave, honest soldier, sleep — 
And let the dews weep over thee, 
While gales shall sigh across the lakes ; 
Till man shall recognize thy worth. 
And coming to the place will ask, 
' Is this where Wayne is buried?' " 

CONTINENTAL MONEY. 

During the Revolutionary war, Congress issued paper money, called 
continental money, to carry on the war, for the redemption of which the 
faith of the colonies was pledged. The dates and amounts of issue are as 
follows, and its value at certain periods : 

1775. — June 22, issued $2,000,000, and between this time and 1780, 
$200,000,000 were issued, and none redeemed. 

1777. — January, paper currency 5 per cent, discount ; in July, 25 per 
cent., and before the end of the year, $3 in paper would not command a 
silver dollar. 

1778. — April, $4 in paper to one dollar in coin ; September, $5 to*one in 
coin, and December, $6.50 to one in coin. 

1779. — February, $8.50 ; May, $12 ; September, $18 to one in coin, and 
before the close of the year a paper dollar was worth only four cents. 

1780. — March, $1 in paper worth three cents; May, two cents, and in 
December, $74 in paper was worth one dollar in silver. 

A VIRGINIA MATRON. 

The patriotic women of the Revolution assisted our heroic men in every 
possible way, and displayed that enthusiastic courage which great occa- 
sions will generally find lodged in those bosoms which are the seat of every 
gentle, every tender feeling, and which ought only to heave with the ten- 
derest emotions. When the Legislature fled to Staunton, the Governor 
was the guest of Col. William Lewis, at Fort Lewis. During his first din- 
ner. His Excellency expressed some uneasiness lest Col. Tarleton might 
swoop down upon and take them captive. Mrs. Lewis, who was at the 
head of the table, said, with some animation : " Do not allow yourself, Mr. 
Governor, to be disturbed by such apprehensions. I have sent my three 
sons to Rockfish Gap, and Col. Tarleton will never cross the mountains 
except as a prisoner or corpse." 

"At the time Tarleton drove the Legislature from Charlottesville," says 
Howe, p. 183, "the stillness of the Sabbath eve was broken in the latter 
town by the beat of the drum, and volunteers were called for to prevent 
the passage of the British through the mountains. The elder sons of Col. 
William Lewis, who resided at Fort Lewis, were absent with the northern 
army. Three sons, however, were at home, whose ap-es were seventeen. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 211 

fifteen and thirteen years. Col. Lewis was confined to his bed by illness, 
but his wife, with the firmness of a Roman matron, called them to her and 
bade them fly to the defence of their native land. "Go, my children," 
said she ; " I spare not my youngest, my fair-haired boy, the comfort of 
my declining years. I devote you all to my country. Keep back the 
foot of the invader from the soil of Augusta, or see my face no more." 
When this incident was related to Washington, shortly after its occurrence, 
he enthusiastically exclaimed : " Leave me but a banner to plant upon the 
mountains of Augusta, and I will rally around me the men who will raise 
our bleeding country from the dust and set her free." 

PATRICK HENRY CARRIES THE NEWS OF TARLETON'S RAID TO STAUNTON. 

Among the stories told for a long time after the dispersion of the Virginia 

Legislature by Tarleton, says Gov. Gilmer, was one that Mr. J efferson 

concealed himself in Carter's mountain, and another that Patrick Henry, 

flying to Staunton in the greatest haste, met Col. William Lewis in one of 

the streets, to whom he immediately related the adjournment and flight of 

the Legislature, then making their way to Staunton. Col. Lewis, not 

knowing who Henry was, said to him : " If Patrick Henry had been in 

Albemarle, the British dragoons never would have passed over the Rivanna 
river." 



A number of gentlemen, fearing Tarleton would capture them, left 
Staunton, and went, during the night, to the estate of Col. George Moffett, 
near which they heard there was a cave in which they might conceal them- 
selves. Breakfast was announced shortly after their arrival, and whilst 
discharging the duty of hostess, Mrs. Moflett, who was an enthusiastic 
Whig, remarked there was one member of that legislating body she knew 
would not run. The question was asked by one of the party, " Who is 
he?" Her reply was, Patrick Henry. At that moment a gentleman 
with one boot colored considerably. The party soon left, in search, no 
doubt, of the caverns. Very soon after their departure, a servant rode up 
with the lost boot, and inquired for Mr. Henry, stating that Patrick Henry 
had left Staunton in such haste that he had forgotten the boot. Mrs. 
Moffett ascertained who it was the boot fit. ' What her emotions and feel- 
ings then were, I know not, but I suppose Patrick's were, about that time, 

"Give me liberty — not death." 
MRS. INGLIS' CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE. 

One of the most remarkable incidents in the early wars was the capture 
of the Draper family. Geo. Draper, with his son, John, and wife, and his 
daughter, Mary, and her husband, Mr. Inglis, removed about 1750 from 
Pennsylvania to Southwestern Virginia, and settled where Smithfield, long 
the seat of the Prestons, now stands, in the present county of Montgomery. 
Here they resided in peace and quietness for six years, during which time 



212 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

many families were drawn to the settlement, and George Draper died. 
The Shawanese frequently passed the setdement on their expeditions 
against the Catawbas, but without molesting the inhabitants, till the year 
1756. In the summer of this year, they made a descent upon the inhabi- 
tants while the men were all in the harvest-field. The savages surrounded 
the dwellings in which were the women and children and arms of the 
families, murdered the widow of George Draper, and also Col. James 
Patton, of Augusta, who was on an exploring expedition, and sojourning a 
few days in the settlement. They took captive Mrs. John Draper, Mrs. 
Inglis, and her two sons, Thomas and George. The men, believing re- 
sistance ineffectual, concealed themselves until the departure of the In- 
dians, who moved off towards New River. Reaching the river, they pro- 
ceeded down the stream, on their way to their towns in Ohio. They were 
partial to Mrs. Inglis, whom they allowed to ride on horseback, carrying 
her two children. Mrs. Draper, who was wounded, and had her arm 
broken in the attack on the settlement, was less kindly cared for. Mrs. 
Inglis was permitted to search in the woods for herbs and roots to poul- 
tice the wounds of Mrs. Draper, the Indians trusting to her love for her 
children for her speedy return. She thus had opportunities of escaping, 
but would never avail herself of them, and leave her children behind. 
On reaching the Kanawha salines, the Indians halted several days to 
make salt. About thirty days after leaving Montgomery, the party 
reached the Shawanese town at the mouth of the Big Scioto. Here the 
kindness of the Indians for Mrs. Inglis continued. She was not required 
to run the gauntlet, as was Mrs. Draper, though her wound was unhealed. 
When the captives were divided, Mrs. Inglis was separated from her sons. 
About this time, some French traders from Detroit came to the village, 
and Mrs. Inglis exercised her skill in making shirts of gaudy-colored calico 
for the savages, which greatly delighted them, and increased their admira- 
tion for her. After some time, probably six weeks, Mrs. Inglis was sepa- 
rated from Mrs. Draper, and taken, with an elderly Dutch woman, one 
hundred miles south of the Ohio to Big Bone Lick, to make salt. The 
cruelty of the savages, in thus separating her from her children, deter- 
mined her to escape. She prevailed upon the Dutch woman to accom- 
pany her. Obtaining permission from the Indians to go in the woods to 
gather grapes, they left the camp in the afternoon, provided with a blanket 
each, a tomahawk and knife. They hastened to the Ohio, and proceeded 
up the left bank of the stream for five days to the mouth of the Scioto, 
opposite the site of an Indian village. Here they captured a horse, and 
both mounting, continued up the river unperceived. Being on the south 
side of the river, they were less exposed to observation by the Indians. 
The barbarians, missing them, made diligent search, but finding no trail, 
and never dreaming of such a thing as an attempt of the women to return 



HISTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. ' 213 

to Virginia, gave up the pursuit, under an impression that they had be- 
come lost and been devoured by wild beasts. The fugitives continued up 
the river, subsisting on maize and wild fruit, and reached the Big Sandy 
river. In crossing the stream, they lost their horse. Their sufferings 
were so great before reaching the Kanawha, that the Dutch woman, frantic 
with hunger and pain, threatened to take Mrs. Inglis' life for persuading 
her to the journey. On reaching the Kanawha, their spirits revived, and 
they continued up the river until within fifty miles of Mrs. I.'s home. Here 
the Dutch woman attempted to kill Mrs. I. Mrs. Inglis escaped from her 
grasp, and outran her, and hid under the river bank. After a while, she 
left her concealment, and finding a canoe, crossed the stream. The fol- 
lowing morning the old woman saw her, and begged her to recross and 
join company, promising future good behavior. Mrs. I. declined the invi- 
tation, and proceeded on her journey. Her clothes were worn and torn 
into fragments and her limbs swollen from the increasing cold (a slight 
fall of snow having taken place) and her exposure in wading streams, &c. 
After traveling forty-and-a-half days, she reached the cabin of Adam Har- 
mon, on New River, and was treated in the kindest manner. After a few 
days rest, Mr. H. took her on horseback to the fort in Dunkard's bottom, 
where, the next day, her husband and her brother, John Draper, came 
unexpectedly. The surprise of the meeting was mutual and happy. 
Thus ended the captivity and escape, embracing five months. While at 
Harmon's, Mrs. Inglis entreated him to go or send for the old Dutch 
woman. He positively refused, on account of her bad conduct, but in a 
short time the wanderer found her way into the settlement. 

In the Spring, Mr. Inglis, his wife being unwilling to live longer on the 
frontier, removed to Vause's fort, on the Roanoke, and thence to Botetourt 
county. This was providential, for in the following Autumn a French and 
Indian force took the fort and murdered or made prisoners of all the in- 
mates. Among the killed and captured were John and Mathew Inglis and 
their families. John Inglis was killed, and Mathew taken prisoner. Mary 
and William Inglis had six children, — Thomas and George, born before 
the captivity, Susan, Rhoda, Polly and John afterwards. George died in 
captivity. The other five married and left large families. Thomas escaped 
from the Indians after thirteen years' residence among them. He was, in 
1774, at the battle of Point Pleasant, and after the victory and Lewis' ad- 
vance into Ohio, met many of his old savage comrades. On his return 
he married Miss Ellen Grills, and settled on Wolf creek, a water of New 
river. Here he lived a short time, and then removed to Burke's Garden, 
where he was unmolested till 1782. In this year, the Indians attacked his 
house and burnt it, and took his family prisoners. They were soon pur- 
sued by the whites, who on the seventh day overtook the savages. As 
soon as the Indians saw Mr. Inglis and the whites they commenced, as was 



214 * HISTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

their custom, tomahawking their prisoners. Mr. Inglis rushed forward to 
rescue his wife and children, but was too late. All were tomahawked and 
all died but his wife. In the affair, Capt. Maxwell was killed. William 
Inglis removed to Tennessee, and thence to Mississippi. Susan, the eldest 
daughter of William and Mary Inglis, married General Trigg; another 
daughter, Mr. Charles Taylor ; and a third. Judge Allan Taylor, whose 
daughter, Sallie A. E. Taylor, married, in 1826, the late Col. William 
Madison Peyton, of Roanoke. Polly Inglis married a brother of John's 
wife. The youngest son left eight children. Mrs. Inglis died in 181 3, 
aged eighty-four. Her descendants are numerous, highly respectable, and 
contemplate with wonder and admiration her energy, boldness and en- 
durance. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



On the 14th of December, 1790, the counties of Bath, and Pendleton 
were formed from Augusta, and the latter was left with her present bound- 
aries. Here, probably, it might be thought our work should close — ^that 
of a county so limited in extent and population as Augusta now is no- 
thing remained to be said. This is not the case. The county has not 
been barren of historical interest the past ninety years. In point of size, too, 
Augusta, as she now stands, exceeds the celebrated island of Ithaca, which 
was part of the Kingdom of Greece, and long the residence of Ulysses, 
whose adventures, on his return to it from the Trojan war, form the sub- 
ject of Homer's Odyssey. 

The officers of the county, in 1790, were gentlemen justices William 
Bowyer, Thomas Hughart, Joseph Bell, John Wilson, J. Bell, jun., Robert 
Gamble, David Stephenson, William Mofifett, Alexander Nelson, James 
Berry, John Tate, Alexander St. Clair, Robert Douthat, Charles Cameron, 
James Searight, James Ramsey and William McPheeters. Clerk, A. 
McClenechan. The county court system, which originated in Virginia as 
early as i623-'4, was not materially changed by the Revolution as to its 
jurisdiction or general powers and duties. 

Under this system, John Coalter was Attorney for the Commonwealth 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 215 

until 1809, when he resigned the office in order to accept the position of 
judge of the general court of Virginia, to which he was elected. Chap- 
man Johnson was his successor, and served until 181 2, when John H. Pey- 
ton was elected, and discharged the duties of the office until 1844, when 
he resigned from ill-health. Thomas J. Michie was then elected, and 
served until 1851, when William H. Harman was appointed and served 
until 1 86 1, when James Bumgardner received the appointment and con- 
tinues in office. In 1809, the clerk of the county was Jacob Kinney, who 
was succeeded by Erasmus Stribling, who, in 1828, was succeeded by Jef- 
ferson Kinney, who was succeeded, in 1858, by J. D. Imboden, and he, in 
1864, by William A. Burnett, who has been reelected every six years to 
the present time. 

From the foundation of the Commonwealth, June 20th, 1776, down to 
1831, the administration of law and equity was wholly separate in Vir- 
ginia, except in the county and corporation courts. The two jurisdictions 
of law and equity were lodged in the hands of two different judges. In 
1802, the Commonwealth was divided into three districts, and a chancery 
court provided for each. Staunton was the seat of the chancery court for a 
district extending to the Ohio, and the first chancellor was John Brown, 
who served till 18 14, and was succeeded by Allan Taylor, who served till 
the adoption of the new constitution in 1831, Henry J. Peyton was clerk 
of the chancery court until he removed from Staunton in 18 14, and was 
succeeded by William S. Eskridge, who served till 1831. 

At the same time, Staunton was the seat of a common law court, of 
which Archibald Stuart was elected judge- 
In 1809, that arrangement was superceded by " Superior Courts of Law," 
held by a single judge twice a year in every county and corporation. 
Judge Stuart continued to preside, and in 1809, appointed John Howe 
Peyton Attorney for the Commonwealth, and Chesley Kinney clerk. Mr. 
Peyton was not at the time, nor had he ever been, a resident of Augusta, 
but was practicing in the Fredericksburg circuit, and was the distinguished 
representative of the people of Stafford in the House of Delegates of Vir- 
ginia. After his removal to Staunton, and while discharging the duties of 
Commonwealth's Attorney for this district, he served the session of 1808- 
1809, in the Legislature for the county of Stafford. He discharged the 
duties of Commonwealth's Attorney, under the old constitution, until 1831, 
when the new constitution was adopted ; was reappointed under it, and 
served until 1838, when he was elected Senator for the Augusta and Rock- 
bridge district, and resigned. 

In 1831, the law and equity courts were united, and L. P. Thompson, of 
Nelson county, was elected judge, and appointed N. C. Kinney clerk, who 
served till his death, in 1859, when his son, Alexander F, Kinney, was ap- 
pointed, and served until 1864, when Joseph N. Ryan was elected, and has 
been reelected at each successive election to the present time. 



21 G HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

After the year 1790, little of interest occurred in the county for some 
years. The population, wealth and resources of the community continued 
to increase steadily and rapidly, but the public prosperity was impaired 
from this time forward by a considerable exodus or migration from the 
county to the west and southwest. Among the old families who have left 
the county are the Lewises, who removed to Bath, Monroe, GKeenbrier 
and the Valley of the Kanawha, and have thence branched off into the south, 
the west and southwestern States ; the Prestons, who removed to Mont- 
gomery, and have since followed the path of the Lewises ; the Brecken- 
ridges, who settled in Kentucky ; the Gambles in Florida, and the Pat- 
tons and others in different quarters of the new States. Those 
who remained after 1790, continued to prosper, and the population 
increased steadily if not rapidly in spite of these migrations. Owing to 
the equality of fortune and simplicity of manners which still prevailed 
among the people, and the ease and comfort in which all lived, the inhabi- 
tants multiplied beyond the proportion of older communities corrupted by 
the vices of wealth and vanity. 

In 181 1, the Augusta Agricultural Society was formed, — one of the first 
ever established in Virginia, and a more particular notice of which will be 
given subsequently. 

The encroachments of Great Britain upon the maratime rights of the 
United States had, for some years previous to 181 2, been a subject of con- 
troversy between the two countries. No satisfactory concession had been 
made by the British Government after repeated negotiations. On the 
contrary, their depredations upon American commerce still continued. 
President Madison, as a last resort, recommended an appeal to arms, and 
war was declared June i8th, 18 12, by the United States against Great 
Britain. The grounds of the war are set forth in the President's message 
to Congress, and need not be recited nor can the history of the war find a 
place here. 

The people of Augusta immediately prepared for the contest, and on 
the 2oth of June, 181 2, formed a Military Association in Staunton to devise 
plans for military schools in which the recruits might be instructed. The 
following officers were elected at the first meeting : Robert Porterfield, 
president; Alexander Nelson, vice-president ; James Bell, treasurer; C. 
Johnson, secretary, and the following committee of correspondence ap- 
pointed : Gen. John Brown, John H. Peyton, William Boys, Thomas 
Jackson and James McNutt. The meeting also appointed a committee to 
prepare a plan of action, which said committee subsequently reported the 
following preamble and resolutions : 

The committee to whom was referred a resolution of the Staunton Mil- 
itary Association, which has for its object the establishment of military 
schools in the counties of Augusta, Rockingham and Rockbridge, having 



HI8TOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 217 

had that object undtr consideration, beg leave to report the result of their 
deliberations and enquiries : 

The committee deem it unnecessary to refer to any other authority than 
the good sense and honest feelings of every man to prove the great utility 
at all times, but more especially at this time, of military instruction to the 
people of this county. The subject, here at least, is a new and difficult 
one, and the committee are very sensible that any plan which they can 
suggest will have many palpable obstacles to encounter, and may be ex- 
posed to various others which they cannot foresee. They rely for every 
hope of success upon the acknowledged value of the object in view ; upon 
the patriotism of the people ; upon the order of the present times, and 
upon the success of the experiment which this Society has made . 

A military school, in which would be taught the complete discipline of a 
regiment, the different exercises of the rifle corps, the artillery and the in- 
fantry, together with the cavalry exercise of the sword, though it could 
not promise to teach the whole principles of war as a science, would cer- 
tainly promise much that would be eminently useful to every soldier and 
officer in the militia. And your committee cannot refrain from suggesting 
that a school for these purposes, successfully conducted, might serve as an 
introduction to some more extensive and some more perfect system of 
military education. 

To obtain a person capable of conducting such a school would not al- 
ways be easy ; such a person is not very readily met with, and what is 
yet more difficult, funds to remunerate his services are to be raised by vol- 
untary contribution. But at present, judging from their own experience 
in this Society, your committee think that a person whose skill, informa- 
tion and zeal in military affairs would enable him to conduct such a school, 
may be found in your own commandant, and they hope that funds to 
compensate his services are within the reach of an active and spirited ex- 
ertion. They hope that the neighbouring counties of Rockbridge and 
Rockingham would consider the subject as worthy of their attention, and 
might be induced to unite with the people of Augusta in their endeavors 
to attain it. A sufficient number of subscribers in the County of Augusta 
alone would probably not be obtained to induce any one properly qualified 
to devote his time to their service. But by the union of Rockingham and 
Rockbridge this might be effected. 

Your committee would therefore recommend to the Society the adop- 
tion of the following resolution : 

Resolved, That subscriptions be opened in the County of Augusta un- 
der the immediate superintendence of a committee of seven persons, ap- 
pointed by this society, for establishing a military school in the town of 
Staunton, to be denominated the Staunton Military School, to commence 
on the 15th day of July next, and continue for one year thereafter, and be 
under the direction of Capt. George Turner, the- present commandant of 
this Society ; that the times of teaching and price to subscribers be regu- 
lated by said committee and the commandant in conjunction, so that the 
days of teaching be not less than one day in each fortnight, and the price 
to subscribers be not more than ten dollars per annum, payable quarterly 
in advance. 

Resolved, That it be recommended to the commandant to endeavor to 
establish similar schools in the neighbouring counties of Rockingham and 

28 t 



218 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

Rockbridge, and that the committee aforesaid be instructed to invite, re- 
spectfully, the cooperation of those counties. 

JOHN H. PEYTON, C. JOHNSON, 

"WILLIAM TAYLOR, WILLIAM YOUNG, 

E. STRIBLING, M. McCUE, 

JAMES CRAWFORD. 



The opening of the war was, unfortunately, signalized by the surrender 
of Detroit, with 2,500 men, by Gen. Hull. Hull was charged with trea- 
son, cowardice, and unofficer-like conduct, was tried by court-martial and 
sentenced to death, but the sentence, — in consideration of Gen. Hull's great 
age and consequent mental incapacity, — was remitted by the President. 
The event, however, inspired the British with great enthusiasm and confi- 
dence. We cannot enter into the particulars of the war, the scenes of the 
conflict being, for the most part, far removed from Virginia. Virginia, 
however, did not entirely escape invasion. A British fleet, under Admiral 
Cockburn, in May, 181 2, entered Chesapeake Bay and ravaged the coasts 
of Maryland and Virginia. He sought to capture Norfolk, but was de- 
feated by a flotilla of American gun-boats off" Craney island, which stands 
at the entrance of Norfolk harbor. Cockburn withdrew, and took posses- 
sion of the unfortified and unprotected village of Hampton, where he com- 
mitted every species of outrage. The most uncontrolable excitement now 
burst over Virginia. A call was made for volunteers, and the people of 
Augusta responded with enthusiasm. Robert Porterfield, an old Revolu- 
tionary officer of skill and ability, then in the sixty-second year of his age, 
was commissioned Brigadier-General, and appointed John H. Peyton his 
chief-of-staff, and Dr. Williams, of Waynesboro, surgeon. 

The companies marched to Camp Holly, near Richmond, and thence to 
Craney island, and as near as we have been able to ascertain, were officered 
as follows : Captains: B. G. Baldwin, C. Johnson, J. C. Sowers, (artillery); 
John Mathews, Hugh Young, (riflemen); Abraham Large, from the Cow- 
pastures ; Christian Morris, Joseph Larew, Greenville; Samuel Doake, 
cavalry from neighborhood of Tinkling Spring ; Samuel Steele, (Waynes- 
borough); Alexander Givens, (Mt. Meridian); George C. Robertson, (New 
Hope); W. G. Dudley, (Middle River); James Kirke, (Jenning's Gap); 
John Sperry and John H. Peck, commissaries. 

These troops were quartered in barracks on the eastern slope of Betsy 
Bell, on Glendale, the estate owned, in 1882, by Col. George Lyttleton 
Peyton. There was plenty of pure water and good firewood at this point, 
and the land well adapted for military manoeuvres. From this camp they 
were dispatched, as soon as trained and uniformed, to Camp Holly, near 
Richmond. We cannot follow the fortunes of this force. The war to 
which they so gallantly contributed their services, was terminated by the 
treaty of Ghent, which was signed by the commissioners of the two coun- 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 219 

tries on the 24th of December, 1814, and ratified by the President and 
Senate on the 17th of the following February. This was one of the most 
singular treaties ever signed. It made no provision in regard to the sub- 
ject for which the war was avowedly undertaken. It was, however, con- 
tended by the friends of the administration that, as the orders in council 
had been repealed, and the motives for impressment ceased with the wars 
in Europe, the grounds of the controversy no longer existed. 

The termination of hostilities presented an opportunity for resuming the 
pursuits of private business and the great plans of improvement in Vir- 
ginia. Real estate rose rapidly in value, especially in the town of Staun- 
ton and its vicinity, and there was a rapid revival of prosperity in every 
portion of our county. 

During the war thus closed, we have seen that Augusta contributed 
liberally in treasure and the services of her sons to the defence of the 
country, and her sons submitted to the toils and perils of the camp and 
field without a murmur. Hundreds paid the forfeit of their lives in a cli- 
mate fatal to their constitutions. Laying down the sword at the end of 
the war, the soldiers returned to their peaceful employments, and nothing 
of sufficient importance to be noticed by the annalist or historian occurred 
in her history, or, indeed, in that of the State, for- many years. 

In October, 1829, a general convention assembled in Rich mond to revise 
the State Constitution, which had existed from a period prior to the Revo- 
lution, and was therefore consecrated in the affections of a large portion of 
the people. Many of our leading citizens were in favor of the mixed basis 
of representation, and opposed a convention. The advocates of the white 
basis of representation were, however, in the ascendancy, and the delegates 
from this county were C. Johnson and B. G. Baldwin. The labors of the 
convention, though it was composed of men of wisdom, varied talents and 
ripe experience, resulted in no essential good, but in much practical mis- 
chief. 

In 1835, Texas declared her independence of Mexico, and in 1836, 
adopted a constitution and elected a president. Her independence was 
acknowledged by the United States in 1837, and by England, France and 
Belgium in 1840. The question of her annexation to the United States 
was discussed in both countries, and she was finally admitted into the 
Union the 27th December, 1845, which resulted in a war between Mexico 
and the United States. To this war, Augusta contributed a volunteer 
company, under command of Capt. Harper and the following officers : R. 
H. Kinney, V. E. Geiger, William H. Harman, Lieutenants ; George W. 
Allen, C. H. Ball, William Blackburn, C. G. Merritt, Sergeants; Wilham 
O. Bickle, L. Clarke, O. C. Lavelle and B. F. Imboden, Corporals. The 
company marched to Norfolk, where it took shipping for Corpus Christi, 
Texas, and landing, proceeded, under command of Col. Hamtramck, to 



220 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

whose regiment it was attached, up the Rio Grande. Col. Hamtramck 
served under Gen. Taylor in northern Mexico until the close of the war, 
but the regiment was never so lucky as to be in any engagement. 

For many years previous to 1847, the people of Augusta had been 
anxious to secure more ample means of intercommunication, and a fresh 
impetus was given to the subject by the reviving prosperity resulting from 
the tariff of 1842. This led to meetings on the subject in different parts 
of the State. Among them one took place in Augusta, the proceedings 
of which we publish below : 

At a meeting of the friends of internal improvement, held at the court- 
house, October 3rd, 1846, William Kinney, Esq., was called to the chair 
and Chapman Johnson, jr,, appointed secretary. 

John L. Peyton, Esq., now addressed the meeting in a pertinent and 
forcible speech upon the great importance of internal improvements, and 
the advantages that would accrue to the county and State from an exten- 
sion of the Louisa railroad. At the conclusion of his address, he offered 
the following preamble and resolutions, which were unanimously adopted : 

" Whereas, the citizens of Augusta have witnessed with much pleasure 
the recent manifestations in both sections of the State of a disposition to 
improve the means of communication between the east and west. Regard- 
ing a judicious system of internal improvements as indispensable to the 
prosperity of the Commonwealth, they trust the spirit now spreading 
throughout the land is the harbinger of a brighter destiny for the Old 
Dominion. Should the great lines of communication between the east 
and the west be completed, they feel assured that there will be a rapid im- 
provement in the agriculture, manufactures, trade and commerce of Vir- 
ginia, and a consequent increase in her wealth and population. Enter- 
taining these views, a portion of the people of Augusta have met together 
in response to a call from their fellow-citizens of Bath and other counties, 
to give expression to their sentiments Be it, therefore. 

Resolved, ist. That we cordially approve the proposition for the holding 
of a convention from those counties friendly to an extension of the Louisa 
railroad and the James river and Kanawha canal. 

Resolved, 2d. That it is the opinion of this meeting that the convention 
should also consider and report upon such other schemes of improvement 
as may, in their opinion, be calculated to advance the great interests of the 
State. 

Resolved, 3d. That twenty-five delegates be appointed by the chairman 
to represent the county in said convention. 

The chairman, at his leisure, appointed the following delegates : John 
B. Baldwin, James Crawford, J. A. Cochran, J. A. Davidson, A. R. Givens, 
J. G. Fulton, K. Harper, Samuel Harnsbarger, T. J. Michie, L Newton, 
John McCue, C. Johnson, jr., P. A. Heiskell, John L. Peyton, James Lil- 
ley, Joseph Smith, A. H. H. Stuart, H. W. Sheffey, James Points, J. B. 
Trimble, William Young, George Searight, L. Waddell. 

The convention, as suggested, assembled in Staunton on the day recom- 
mended, October 30, 1846, and was attended by delegates from Albe- 
marle, Augusta, Bath, Greenbrier, Hanover, Louisa, Rockbridge and 
Richmond city, and was presided over by Dr. John Brokenborough, of 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 221 

Bath, with A. H. H. Stuart and T. J. Randolph as vice-presidents. The 
convention adopted resolutions in accordance with the recommendations 
of the Bath and Augusta meetings. 

Another convention on the subject of internal improvements was held 
in Staunton, October 2, 1848, with delegates from Augusta, Alexandria, 
Alleghany, Bath, Botetourt, Fayette, Greenbrier, Jefferson, Frederick, 
Highland, Hampshire, Hanover, Kanawha, Mason, Monroe, Pocahontas, 
Rockbridge, Richmond city and Randolph. It was presided over by 
John S. Gallaher, of Frederick, and the secretaries were N. C. Kinney, 
D. A. Stofer and J. L. Peyton. The following resolutions were adopted : 

Resolved, i. As the opinion of this convention, that the General Assem- 
bly should extend such liberal support to those great lines of improve- 
ment now being constructed, as would bring into market the abundant 
natural resources of the Commonwealth. 

2. That the General Assembly should commence, without delay, mak- 
ing appropriations for the construction of a railroad on State account, suit- 
able for the transportation of heavy burthens from some point near the 
head of steamboat navigation, on the Kanawha river, to some point at or 
near Covington, having in view the ultimate extension to the most suitable 
point on the Ohio river. 

3. That the Blue Ridge of mountains constitute a barrier to the com- 
munication between the eastern and western parts of the State, the removal 
of which barrier is an object of great interest to the whole Com- 
monwealth, and therefore the General Assembly ought to appropriate a 
sum adequate to the construction of the Louisa railroad from the eastern 
to the western base, requiring of the Louisa Railroad Company to pay 
into the treasury of the Commonwealth a reasonable sum on the staple 
productions of the country, and a capitation tax on all passengers trans- 
ported over that part of the road. 

4. That the capital of the Louisa Railroad Company ought to be in- 
creased, so as to enable them to extend the road to a point at or near 
Covington. 

5. That the extension of the Louisa railroad from the junction to the 
dock, in the city of Richmond, as an independent improvement, is a mea- 
sure of very great interest to a large portion of the people of Virginia, now 
looking to that road as a medium of transportation to market. 

6. That a committee be appointed to memoralize the Legislature on these 
subjects, &c. 

An impulse was thus given to the cause which has resulted in Virginia's 

having, at this day, improvements penetrating into every quarter of the 
State. 



As a means of encouraging thrift and economy among a people too 
prone to lavish expenditure and generous living, a financial institution was 
established in the county in 1848, — the first which had ever existed in the 
community, — called the Augusta Savings Bank. It went into operation 
with the following officers, elected by the stockholders : Benj. Crawford, 
president; Robert Cowan, treasurer; J. Lewis Peyton, secretary. Direc- 
tors : J. A. Cochran, H. W. Sheffey, Thomas J. Michie, L. L. Stevenson 



222 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

and George K. Snapp. It was highly prosperous and accomplished much 
good, but went out of existence during the war. 



There were other questions, in 1845-50, occupying the public mind, or, 
at least, the thoughts of the more prominent of our citizens. These had 
reference to the universal improvement of the human race, and give evi- 
dence that our community was advancing, had always been advancing, 
and will continue to advance, by a law of their nature, of the existence of 
which their early history and their present condition leaves no room to 
doubt. Unlike those stationary nations of Asia and Africa, Augusta was 
moving forward from her settlement, and was every day the wiser from 
her past experience. She recognized the benefits and blessings of having 
had at the opening of her career those earnest, pious, learned teachers 
among her — the Presbyterian ministers — ^and after the lapse of a hundred 
years, she perceived that further efforts were necessary to keep pace with 
modern progress. Thus she sought, as we have seen, to perfect her com- 
munications with every part of the country and the world, by an extensive 
system of public improvements. Deeper than was even the case with their 
forefathers, was their conviction now that liberty and morality are both de- 
pendent on intelligence ; that the only sure and ultimate guardian of either 
freedom or virtue is enlightened public opinion ; that such a general illu- 
mination of the intellect should take place as would make every man fully 
aware of the consequences of his actions, and not become, through igno- 
rance, the innocent cause of misery to himself and others. They proposed 
thus to banish from the face of society the misery that arises from vice and 
ignorance, which causes war and poverty and other untold evils, and that the 
empire of justice and benevolence should be extended, so as to open up those 
true sources of enjoyment when a people seek their own happiness in a 
constant endeavor to promote that of their neighbors. These convictions 
led in 1846 to active movements on the subject of a general system of 
primary education. Meetings were held in Staunton, at Mt. Carmel, and 
in other localities, strongly condemning the inefficient plan then in exist- 
ence as defective and altogether inadequate, and declaring it to be the 
duty of the Legislature to devise and adopt a general scheme for the edu- 
cation of the indigent children of the Commonwealth. 

On the nth of September, a meeting was held in Staunton to form an 
Educational Association for the town, auxiliary to a similar Association of 
the county recently established. At this meeting the late Charles H. 
Lewis was elected President, in recognition of his earnest efforts in the 
cause of popular education and of his literary abilities. Mr. Lewis 
was a poet by no means unworthy of mention. Though his fugitive pieces 
abounded in defects of execution, and exhibited evident marks of haste, 
they also exhibited beauties of no ordinary kind. Lyttleton Waddell was 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 223 

chosen Vice-President, having been long successfully associated with the 
cause of education as Principal of the Staunton Academy, a venerable 
institution which has turned out some of the first men in Virginia. J. L, 
Peyton was made Secretary, and Judson McCoy, Treasurer. 

A m.eeting was also held at Greenville, and an Association formed, of 
which Dr. J. K. Moore was elected President, Dr. Isaac Hall and John 
Merritt, Vice-Presidents, and Mathew Pilson, Secretary. The many reso- 
lutions and addresses adopted and put forth by these and other meetings can- 
not, however interesting in themselves, for want of room, be here introduced. 

RETURN OF THE AUGUSTA VOLUNTEERS. 

In August, 1848, this company of Augusta volunteers, after a long and 
arduous campaign — none the less arduous to the gallant soldiers because 
confined to guarding fields already won by the valor of others more fortu- 
nate than themselves, because earlier on the theatre of operations — re- 
turned to Staunton. As soon as the landing of the company at Fortress 
Monroe was known, our citizens met in public meeting and took measures 
for giving them a proper reception, as the following correspondence will 

explain : 

"Staunton, August 7, 1848. 
Dear Sir: At a public meeting of the citizens of the town of Staunton, 
and county of Augusta, held in this place on the 4th inst., it was unani- 
mously resolved to tender to you and the officers and men lately under 
your command in Mexico, a public dinner, and a committee was appoint- 
ed to make every arrangement for the same. 

On behalf of that committee, and the community represented by them, 
it gives me much pleasure to convey to you, and through you to the offi- 
cers and men composing your command, their earnest desire that you 
should partake with them of a public dinner, to be given at this place on 
Friday next. 

The people are grateful to the Mexican volunteers for the sacrifices they 
have made in defence of the interests and honor of the country, and are 
anxious to testify in a becoming manner their appreciation of such gallant 
and patriotic conduct. 

They know that while it was not your good fortune to meet the enemy 
in the field, you endured all the hardships and privations of a soldier's life, 
and that you enlisted, not for a limited period, but with a determination to 
remain in the service till the war should be successfully and honorably ter- 
minated ; and they cannot consent that a favorable opportunity, when you 
are still together, should pass, without paying a tribute to such distin- 
guished patriotism. 

Let me express the hope that you may find it convenient and agreeable 
to meet your friends and fellow- citizens on the occasion mentioned for 
showing you this evidence of respect and esteem. 

With sentiments of high regard. 

Your friend and ob't serv't, 

JOHN L. PEYTON." 
reply. 

" Staunton, August 7, 1848. 
Sir : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this 



224 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

date, inviting me and the officers and men of my late command to partake 
of a public dinner proposed to be given by the citizens of Staunton and 
the county of Augusta on Friday next. 

Although I have not the means of conferring generally with those, my 
late associates in arms, who are intended to be the objects of this public 
manifestation of esteem and regard, I do not doubt that it would be highly 
gratifying to them all to have the opportunity of meeting their friends and 
fellow-citizens and mingling their gratulations and sympathies around the 
festive board, after their long separation. The invitation therefore is most 
cordially accepted. With high respect. 

Your friend and fellow-citizen, 

To John L. Peyton, Esq. KENTON HARPER." 

In pursuance of these arrangements, large numbers of our town and 
county people assembled in Staunton on August nth, including many 
ladies, and, escorted by the Middlebrook Rifles, Capt. Shuey, proceeded 
to Ast's Grove, near Staunton. Here L. Waddell made an appropriate 
address of welcome to the officers and men, to which the Captain replied 
in befitting terms. After this a sumptuous dinner was served up, and the 
day closed with these festivities. 



The Mexican war was concluded February, 1848, by the loss to Mexico 
of Texas, California, Utah, and New Mexico. Previous to this time, there 
had been an agitation for a change in the State Constitution. This move- 
ment was now renewed, and resulted in the Convention of 1850. The 
calling of this Convention was opposed, as had been that of 1830, by some 
of our wisest and best men. The party of innovation, or progress, as it 
was styled, proved in a majority, and the following delegates were elected 
from the county : Col. Geo. Baylor, and Messrs. D. Fultz and H. W. Shef- 
fey. A new Constitution was framed, submitted to a popular vote, and rati- 
fied in 1851. 

ANA. 

It may not be uninteresting to mention that after the signing of the 
treaty of peace in December, 18 14, the British fleet, consisting of sixty 
sail, appeared oft" the coast of the Mississippi. A detachment of 15,000 
men were landed, under command of Major-Gen. Sir Edward Packenham, 
and on the 8th of January, 181 5, attacked the Americans, consisting of 
6,000 militia, under Gen Andrew Jackson, before New Orleans. After an 
obstinate engagement, the British were put to flight, with the loss of their 
commander, and near 3,000 men killed, wounded and prisoners. The late 
Major-Gen. C. Rochforth Scott, R. A., C. B., Lieut.-Gov. of Guernsey in 
1867-1872, author of" Excursions in Egypt and Candia, " The Life of the 
Duke of Wellington," &c,, who, when an ensign in the army, was en- 
gaged in the battle of New Orleans, informed the writer that the British 
officers, who had gone through the wars of Napoleon, declared they had 
never faced such a destructive and well-directed fire as that from Jackson's 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY, 



225 



militia. He also said that after their retreat, the supply of provisions in 
the fleet was so small they must all have starved, but for the news of the 
treaty of Ghent, received a few days after the battle, which enabled them 
to go into the harbor of Mobile, Alabama, In numerous conversations 
held by the author with another English friend, Col. Thos. Faunce, of H. 
M, 4th foot, whose father commanded that regiment in the battle of New 
Orleans, Col, Faunce confirmed Gen. Scott's account, and said it was 
almost a miracle the overweening confidence of Gen. Packenham had not 
led to the destruction of the entire British force. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



From the adoption of the new Constitution in 1 851, for nearly ten years 
little of interest, nothing of importance, occurred in the State or county. 
Meanwhile, events taking place in the nation were hastening to a crisis 
between the two great sections of the Federal Union, While these events 
and disputes were going on, the sudden raid of John Brown aroused an 
excitement and created a tumult which startled the Southern people like 
" a fire-bell in the night." This raid, which contributed so much to kindle 
the flame of civil war, occurred on the night of the loth of October, 1859, 
when Brown and a party of armed men made a sudden descent upon 
Harper's Ferry and seized the U. S. Arsenal, On the i8th the arsenal 
was recaptured, Brown was taken prisoner, tried for treason, found guilty 
and hanged December 2d, 1859. His fate made an extraordinary impres- 
sion upon the minds of the Northern people, and there was practically 
thenceforward only two parties in the country — one, the slavery, and the 
other, the anti-slavery party. On the 6th of November, i860, Abraham 
Lincoln was chosen President of the United States, and on the following 
4th of March was inaugurated amid a grand display of military. The as- 
semblage of large forces of all arms at Washington was deemed necessary 
in view of events transpiring in the South. 

On the 4th of February, 1861, the Confederate Government, composed 

of the Southern Cotton States which had seceded from the Federal Union, 

was formed at Montgomery, Alabama, and Jefferson Davis was on the 

same day elected President, and on the 12th- 13th of April, Fort Sumter, 

29 X 



226 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

S. C, was bombarded, when President Lincoln (15th of April) took the 
first material step for reducing the rebellious States to obedience by issuing 
a proclamation calling forth 75,000 militia, in which he " appealed to all . 
loyal citizens to favor, facilitate and aid this effort to maintain the honor, 
the integrity, and the existence of our National Union." Thus, from a 
state of perfect tranquility, the country passed into one of war, and the 
whole land resounded with the noise of armaments, and the treasure of 
the people was exhausted in vast preparations for hostilities. 

In all the Southern border States there was a large Union party, and on 
this party President Lincoln relied for support — too confidently, as the 
sequel will show. In the county of Augusta, a great majority of the people 
opposed secession, and were also opposed to coercion. 

The people of Augusta had contributed their all in men and treasure to 
the formation of the Union, and they believed it still capable of protecting 
every interest of themselves and the entire country. At this crisis they 
wished to act in the spirit of moderation and compromise which charac- 
terized the framers of the Constitution, and as if the venerable forms of 
those who bequeathed it to us were " bending down to behold us, from 
the abodes above, and as if that long line of posterity were also viewing 
us, whose eye is hereafter to scrutinize our conduct." They felt that no 
local policy or feeling, no temporary impulse, should . cause them to aban- 
don their foothold on the Constitution and the Union, but that, so far as 
honor would permit, they should exert themselves to the end that these 
States should continue united — " united in interest and affection, united in 
war, for the common defence, the common renown, and the common glory, 
and united, compacted, knit together in peace, for the common prosperity 
and happiness of themselves and their posterity." 

Entertaining these sentiments, and viewing the progress of affairs with 
painful distrust of the future, the people of the county, after due notice — 
the sober and solid men — met in Staunton and appointed a cofnmittee to 
consider of the state of affairs, and at a future meeting to report the result 
of their deliberations. This committee was composed of men to whom 
the people were in the habit of looking in times of trouble for direction. 
They were all natives of the county, having a deep property stake in the 
community, and were of liberal education and of dispassionate minds and 
conservative characters. The result of their deliberations is contained in 
the following proceedings : 

AUGUSTA COUNTY UNION MEETING. 

Pursuant to adjournment, a large meeting of the friends of the Union in 
the County of Augusta, irrespective of parties, was held in the court-house, 
at Staunton, on Monday, November 26, i860, Hon. Alex. H. H. Stuart in 
the chair, and John L. Peyton acting as secretary. 

The committee, composed of the following gentlemen : Hon. A. H. H. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 227 

Stuart, H. W. Sheffey, G. K. Harper, J. B. Baldwin, G. B.Stuart, John L. 
Peyton, John McCue, J. A. Waddell, Robert Guy, J. D. Imboden, Benj. 
Crawford, G. M. Cochran, jr., and George Baylor, who were appointed at 
the previous meeting to prepare them, presented the following preamble 
and resolutions : 

The people of Augusta, in general meeting assembled, solemnly im- 
pressed with a sense of the danger which instantly threatens the existence 
of the Government and the Union of the States ; cherishing a hereditary 
loyalty to the Constitution of the United States; citizens of a Common- 
wealth allied to the south in its domestic institutions, affections and sym- 
pathies, but bordering on the north, and, therefore, in immediate contiguity 
to the perils which may follow a dissolution of the Union ; far more vitally 
concerned in the issues of the conflict between the contending sections of 
the country than our more southern brethren can possibly be ; as deeply 
aggrieved as they by the recent election of a sectional President ; as keenly 
alive as they to the aggressive tendency of the step just taken by the 
north, and as firmly resolved as they to resist infractions of their constitu- 
tional rights, yet unwilling to believe the experiment of republican govern- 
ment a failure, deem it to be their privilege, and in view of the important 
interests at stake, their duty, speaking to the north as well as the south, 
calmly but firmly, to declare — 

1. That the Constitution of the United States, under the protecting^ 
power of which the country has become so strong at home and so re- 
spected abroad, with checks and balances so wisely adjusted, by which 
abuses are controlled and grievances are redressed ; imperfect it may be 
in some respects, working badly it may be on some occasions, is neverthe- 
less the easiest yoke of government a free people ever bore, and yet the 
strongest protector of rights the wisdom of man ever contrived ; and so 
long as it continues to secure our equality and rights as citizens of a com- 
mon country " in the fullness of its spirit and to the highest extent of its 
honest interpretation," we will stand by and maintain it. 

2. That the Union of these States, still esteemed by them as it was 
sixty-four years ago by the " Father of his Country," as the " palladium 
of their political safety and prosperity — as the main pillar in the edifice of 
their real independence — the support of their tranquility at home, their 
peace abroad — and of that very liberty which they so highly prize," is, as 
It has ever been, the object of the unwavering attachment of the people of 
Augusta ; and as for them and their households they will cling to it until 
the stern command of honor and the conviction that their rights can no 
longer be preserved under it, shall compel them, in sorrow, to let it go ! 

3. That the right of each State to form and regulate its own domestic 
institutions is perfect and complete under the Constitution, and that any 
organizations or discussions in other States intended to impair that right, 
or incite forays upon our borders for the purpose of disturbing our peace 
or robbing us of our property, are flagrant wrongs and breaches of faith 
inconsistent with the tranquility of the Union. 

4. That, apart from the consideration of the question whether, as Vir- 
ginia declared, in 1798, should be the case, to justify her in " interposing 
to arrest the evil " of Federal power, there has yet been, on the part of 
the General Government, " a deliberate, palpable and dangerous exercise 
of other powers not granted by the Federal compact," and apart also 
from the consideration of the right in itself, and the expediency in other 



22S HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

respects of State secession from the Union, it is the opinion of this "meet- 
gin that, bordering, as Virginia does, on that portion of the Confederacy 
from which danger to the institution of slavery is threatened, so far as her 
interests in that institution are concerned, secession is no remedy, 

5. That sympathizing deeply with their brethren in the extreme south- 
ern states in their sense of the outrage inflicted on the sentiments of the 
south by the election of Lincoln ; but having still an abiding faith, if not 
in the sense of justice, in the intelligent self-interest of the American peo- 
ple ; and confiding in the efficacy of constitutional means to protect their 
rights within the Union, the people of Augusta, as brothers speaking to 
brothers, bound together by the most sacred ties, beseech the gallant and 
patriotic people of the cotton states to pause and calmly consider the yet 
unimagined evils which must result from the dissolution of the Union, and 
before taking the step, from which there will be no receding, to unite with 
Virginia in testing the efficiency of remedies provided by the Constitution 
and within the Union ! 

6. That not regarding the mere election of any citizen to the Presidency 
in accordance with the Constitution and the laws as sufficient cause for 
breaking up the government, and therefore in the spirit of patriotic for- 
bearance, being willing to yield obedience to the Constitution and to ac- 
quiesce in the recent decision of the northern people, with no purpose to 
threaten or intimidate, but speaking as brave men to brave men, appealing 
to their loyalty to the Constitution and the Union, and to their regard for 
the peace, concord and continued happiness of a united country, the peo- 
ple of Augusta, who have been wont in times past, as Washington taught 
them, " indignantly to frown upon the first dawning of every attempt to 
alienate any portion of our country from the rest, or to enfeeble the sacred 
ties which bind together the various parts," solemnly declare to the peo- 
ple of the nonslaveholding states that the vexatious agitation of the sub- 
ject of slavery in Congress and in the northern communities, the distur- 
bance of our peace by the dissemination of incendiary documents in the 
south, the invasions of our rights of property in slaves by emissaries sent 
into our midst to decoy our slaves from our homes, the disregard by the 
governors and the people of the nonslaveholding states of their constitu- 
tional obligations in respect to the rendition of fugitives from service and 
from justice, the practical nullification by many of their state legislatures 
of the " Fugitive Slave Law," and the organization and triumph of a sec- 
tional party, united together by sentiments deemed to be hostile to the 
south, whose recent victory has been heralded by one high in its ranks as 
" the death-blow to slavery," constitute such grievances and outrages to 
the feelings and rights of the people of the south as will, if persisted in, 
extend over the whole south the fatal sentiment of disunion now so fear- 
fully on the increase. And the people of Augusta, convinced that there 
can be no permanent union without a strict adherence to the Constitution 
and a just enforcement of federative obligations upon the authority and 
people of the states, think they have a right to ask, nay, respectfully to 
urge, as essential to continued brotherhood between the north and the 
south that the people of the nonslaveholding states require their public 
servants to observe their constitutional obligations to the south, to remove 
from their statute books the acts intended to thwart, if not to nullify, the 
act of Congress concerning fugitive slaves, and that they instruct their 
representatives, as we shall instruct ours, to keep from the halls of Con- 
gress that bitter apple of national discord — the agitating discussion of 
slavery. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 229 

7. That we cherish the sincerest sympathy and most fraternal regard 
for those noble and true men in the non-slaveholding states who have bat- 
tled so gallantly against faction and fanaticism in defence of the Constitu- 
tion of the country and the rights of the south, and that we are unwilling 
to desert them, and that we yet hope, with their aid, to beat back the ene- 
mies of our peace and bear aloft in triumph, " not a stripe obliterated nor 
a star obscured," the glorious flag of the Union. 

8. That our Senator and delegates be requested, in discharge of the re- 
sponsible duties which will soon devolve upon them, in the spirit of har- 
mony and conciliation attempted to be expressed in these resolves, to bend 
all their energies to keep Virginia to her moorings as " the flag-ship of the 
Union," and to induce her, placed as she is between the north and the 
extreme south, with moderation, forbearance and wisdom worthy of her 
ancient renown, to exert her power and influence to preserve on the one 
hand the known and equal rights of her own people as citizens of a com- 
mon country, and on the other the harmony of the Union and the integ- 
rity of the Constitution ; and to this end they are authorized at whatever 
cost to adopt.such measures as their judgments shall approve, to carry out 
the great work of mediation and pacification, which the people of Augusta 
invoke the General Assembly of Virginia to undertake. 

Mr. J. H. Skinner moved as a substitute the following resolution, which 
was rejected : 

Resolved, In view of the wrongs which have been done to Virginia and 
her sister southern states by the unconstitutional and unfriendly action of 
the northern states of the confederacy, growing out of the hostility enter- 
tained by them to the institution of domestic slavery, and in consideration 
of the dangers with which we are threatened by the inauguration of a sec- 
tional Republican Administration, elected upon principles which, if carried 
into action, would be destructive of our equality, our interests and our 
safety, and injurious to our honor, it is proper and all important, in our 
judgment, that a convention of delegates of the people of Virginia should 
be held, at an early day, to consider of the state of the Federal Union, to 
preserve said Union, if it can be done consistently with our rights under 
the Constitution, and at all events to protect the State of Virginia from any 
detriment. 

A lengthy discussion took place upon the resolutions, in which the fol- 
lowing gentlemen participated : Gen. William H. Harman, Col. John B. 
Baldwin, R. D. Hill, J. A. Harman, J. H. Skinner, T. J. Michie, Gen. K. 
Harper, and Dr. E. G. Moorman. 

The vote upon the preamble and resolutions was taken seriatim, and 
they were each and all passed by very large majorities. 

On motion, they were ordered to be signed by the president and secre- 
tarv, and published in the papers of Virginia. 

A. H. H. STUART, President. 

John L. Peyton, Secretary. 

Though the people of Augusta were warmly attached to the Union, 
they sympathized deeply with their southern brethren. Standing between 
the north and south, they considered the occasion one presenting to them 
the opportunity to reconcile, if possible, all political differences between 
the two, — differences which they believed subordinate to the public good. 



230 HISTOEY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

and capable of adjustment within the Union and under the Constitution. 
Accordingly they convened in mass-meeting, as their forefathers had done 
in May, 1775, under the lead of their wisest and best men — men of temper 
and judgment, of virtue and prudence, and alike inaccessible to the seduc- 
tions or menaces of power. The meeting appointed the committee above 
mentioned ; this committee deliberated, and then came forward to the ad- 
journed meeting, whose proceedings have been above reported with the 
resolutions adopted, in which the truth was declared without diffidence and 
without acrimony, but in earnest and energetic terms, which left no mis- 
take as to their position. This was the cool, dispassionate action of the 
people of Augusta at a period of great excitement, and taken in order if 
at last driven to extremities they might assume with more decency that 
attitude of hostility to the government of our fathers which events might 
render necessary in the interest of their security and happiness. 

While our delegates were striving in Richmond and Washington to 
secure peace and preserve the Union, the President's proclamation, calling 
forth 75,000 men, brought the people of Augusta to almost entire una- 
nimity. Though they did not believe in secession, they all maintained 
the right of Revolution, and were now of the opinion that the time for ex- 
ercising it had come. They indignantly resented the proclamation, com- 
ing at the time it did, considered war as rudely and recklessly forced upon 
them, and they not only accepted the issue, but, inflamed with rage at the 
insult, they flew to arms. From this time forward there were no Union 
men in Augusta, and few in Virginia. 

The Staunton Artillery, commanded by Capt. J. D. Imboden, and the 
following officers : Lieuts. T. L. Harman, A. W. Garber, W. L. Balthis 
and G. W. Imboden ; Sergeants M. C. Garber, J. S. Shumate, U. V. Dab- 
ney, P. H. Prostor, W. T. Jewell, Powell Harrison ; Q. M. Sergeant A. H. 
Fultz ; Corporals P. Hounihan, M. Carmody, A. Weaver, C. Berkeley, W. 
J. Nelson, T.J. Gait; Color Sergeant, T. Shumate; Artificers G. M. Stan- 
ton, J. Rohr, J. W. Heiser, G. H. Hudson and C. C. Toothacre proceeded 
to Harper's Ferry and was attached to Stonewall Jackson's command. 

The West Augusta Guard, of Staunton, also marched to that point, 
with the following officers : Capt. W, S. H. Baylor ; Lieuts. H. K. Cochran, 
J. H. Waters, J. Bumgardner, W. Blackburn ; Sergeants C. T. Arnall, J. 
B. Engleman, J. C. Marquis, P. Scherer ; Corporals R. Bucher, P. Maphis, 
B. Wilson and R. Wilson. 

Two companies of cavalry were immediately formed, the first under 
Capt. Wm. Patrick, which also proceeded to Harper's Ferry, and was 
attached to the First Regiment of Virginia cavalry. Subsequently, Capt. 
P. was promoted to be Major of the nth battalion, and was killed at the 
second battle of Manassas. The second company was commanded by 
Capt. F. F. Sterrett, and marched from Churchville to Rich Mountain, 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 231 

and was attached to the 14th regiment, under command of Col James W. 
Cochran, of Augusta, (a descendant of the Founder.) 

Two regiments of volunteer infantry were also raised, the first called the 
5th Virginia, the second the 5 2d Virginia. The 5th regiment was com- 
posed" mainly of troops from Augusta, and was organized in May, 1861, at 
Harper's Ferry. The field officers were: K. Harper, Colonel; Wm. H. 
Harman, Lieut.-Colonel ; Wm. S. H. Baylor, Major ; and Capt. James Bum- 
gardner. Adjutant. The 5th, with the 2d, 4th, 27th, and 33d regiments 
formed the First Brigade of Virginia infantry, and was under the com- 
mand of Col. T. J. Jackson, afterwards the celebrated " Stonewall " Jack- 
son, and acquired the distinction of " Stonewall Brigade " by the gallant 
fight they made at the first battle of Manassas. Company A. commanded 
by Capt. J. H. S. Funk, and Company K, commanded by Capt. John 
Avis, were from Winchester. In the autumn of 1861, Col. Harper re- 
signed ; Harman was promoted to be Colonel ; Baylor, Lieut.-Colonel ; 
and A. Koiner was assigned to the regiment as Major. At the reorgani- 
zation, in March, 1862, Maj. Baylor was elected Colonel ; Capt. Funk, 
Lieut.-Colonel ; Capt. H. J. Williams, Major ; and C. S. Arnall was com- 
missioned Adjutant. After the death of Col. Baylor at the second Manas- 
sas, Lieut.-Col. Funk was promoted to Colonel ; Maj. Williams to Lieut.- 
Colonel ; and Capt. Jas. W. Newton to be Major. Col. Funk fell at the 
battle of Winchester, Sept. 19th, 1864. The commandants of companies 
were: Company B — Rockbridge Rifles — Capt. S. H. Letcher, and was 
transferred in July, 1861, to the 27th regiment in the same brigade ; Com- 
pany C, Capt. Robert Doyle — after reorganization, Capt. Jacob Trevy ; 
Company D, Capt. H. J. Williams — after reorganization, Capt. McHenry ; 
Company E, Capt. James Newton — after reorganization, Capt. Lycurgus 
Grills ; Company F, Capt. St. Francis Roberts — after reorganization, Capt. 
Peter Wilson ; Company G, Capt. Geo. T. Antrim — after reorganization, 
Capt. James Gibson : Company H, Capt. Asher W. Harman — after reorgani- 
zation, Capt. Richard Simms ; Company I, Capt. O. F. Grinnan — after 
reorganization — Capt. E. L. Curtis ; Company L, Capt. Jas. H. Waters — 
after reorganization, Capt. Thos. J. Burke. Capt. Milton Bucher, A. Q. M. 
and A. C. S. 

The second regiment,— the 52d Virginia infantry. This regiment, like 
the 5th, consisted mainly of Augustians. Two companies, however, were 
made up of men from Rockbridge. It was officered as follows : Colonel, 
Jno. B. Baldwin ; Lieut.-Colonel, M. G. Harman ; Major, J. D. H. Ross ; 
Adjutant, John W. Lewis, of Bath (a descendant of the Founder) ; Sur- 
geon, Livingston Waddell, M. D.; Assistant Surgeon, John Lewis, M. D., 
of Albemarle (a descendant of the Founder) ; Quartermaster, Geo. M. Coch- 
ran, jr.; Commissary, B. Christian; Captains of Companies — Wm. Long, 
E. M. Dabney, J. F. Hottle. J. H. Skinner, Thos. Watkins (Rockbridge), 



232 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

Samuel McCune, J. C. Lilley, John H. Humphreys, John Miller (Rock- 
bridge). 

In addition to these, there was another company raised in Augusta, 
called the Augusta Lee Rifles, of which Robt. D. Lilley was captain. The 
following were the officers; Lieutenants, C. G. Merritt, J. B. Smith, C. 
Davis ; Sergeants, C. D. McCoy, D. B. Wilson, H. Marshall, Jno. Hawpe 
and Wm. Burns; Corporals, J. B. Wright, J. S. Hawpe, Th. Opie, Jas. 
Larew ; Color-bearer, Jas. Van Lear. It was attached to the 25th regi- 
ment. Capt. Lilley lost an arm at Ramseur's stampede, near Winches- 
ter, in the autumn of 1864, having previously been raised to the rank of 
Brigadier-General. He was at the time commanding Pegram's brigade. 

Altogether there were sixteen field officers, natives of Augusta, in the 
Confederate army. 

The writer was engaged, in May, in raising a company to form part of 
a regiment to be styled the West Augusta Rifles. The following notice, 
published in the " Staunton Vindicator," in May, 186 1, shows when the 
first drill occurred : 

"Col. John L. Peyton is now raising a volunteer company to be called 
the West Augusta Rifles, to be drilled a la Zoiive. He now has some fifty 
names enrolled, and will soon have sufficient to organize. Those enrolled 
received their first drill on Wednesday night last. . This promises to be an 
efficient and useful company, and something new with the military of 
Virginia." 

While thus occupied, he was called to Raleigh, and during a sojourn of 
a few days there, was not only tendered by the authorities of North Caro- 
lina a foreign mission, but was urged to accept it by Gov. Clarke, Hon. D. 
M. Barringer, and the entire privy council. To this was added the solici- 
tations of ex-Gov. Wm. A. Graham, Gen. Branch and other friends, who 
pressed his acceptance on the grounds of duty and patriotism. This appoint- 
ment was accordingly accepted. The Confederate Government placed at 
his service the man-of-war Nashville, then lying at Charleston, S. C. In this 
vessel he broke the blockade of Charleston, S. C, in October, 1861, and 
arrived in England the latter part of the following November.* Mean- 
while the men recruited for the Rifles joined other companies. 



We cannot follow these Augusta companies and regiments through the 
war, nor enter into the history of that great strife, which forms one of the 
most memorable epochs in the history of the world. The circumstances 
of the times, the character of the people, the issues involved, all conspire 



*The incidents of the voyage from Charleston to Bermuda, thence over the stormy deep in Winter to 
the Azores, the capture and burning of the American packet ship " Harvey Birch," the arrival in South- 
ampton, and some of Colonel Peyton's European experiences and impressions are given in his highly inter- 
esting and valuable vifork entitled, " The American Crisis ; or. Pages from the Note-Book of a State 
Agent During the Civil War in America ;" published in two vols 8vo in London in 1865. 

The Publishers. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 233 

to render it interesting. The majority of the southern people enlisted in 
it under a belief that all that was dear to them, — liberty, honor and pro- 
perty, — was involved by an abuse of power and a breach of plighted faith 
on the part of the north, and by the FederaHsts for the maintenance at 
every hazard of the Union and common government founded by our an- 
cestors, and the existence of which they believed they had the constitu- 
tional and moral right to preserve at whatever sacrifice of life and treasure. 
We must however, confine ourselves to events immediately connected 
with the county — one of the most striking being the battle of Piedmont. 

BATTLES OF MT. CRAWFORD AND PIEDMONT. 

The first movement made against Lynchburg, in May, 1864, miscarried. 
The second move by the Federal troops against the Virginia and Ten- 
nessee railroad, and for the occupation of Lynchburg, thereby to cooperate 
with Gen. Grant against Richmond, commenced 31st of May, 1864. Gen. 
Hunter was placed in command of the Department of West Virginia, and 
the commands of Gens. Crook and Averill were reorganized for a simul- 
taneous advance on Lynchburg, while Gen. Burbridge, in Kentucky, ad- 
vanced upon extreme Southwest Virginia. The Confederates were unfa- 
vorably situated to oppose their advances. Gen. Breckenridge, with the 
only Confederate force of importance west of the Blue Ridge, had been 
withdrawn to the army of Gen. Lee, leaving nothing but a few small bri- 
gades of cavalry, about two regiments of infantry, and a small brigade 
made up of dismounted troops, acting as infantry. To supply the place 
of Gen. Breckenridge, the little force of Gen. McCausIand was sent from 
Dublin Station to the front of Staunton, and Gen. W. E. Jones was ordered 
to take all the troops which he could gather in Southwestern Virginia to 
the same point. Gen. J. accordingly got together all the Confederate 
troops west of New river, dismounted the cavalry, and moved to Staun- 
ton. His force was greatly inferior to that of the enemy, but what was 
wanting in numbers was made up in valor. Meanwhile the Federals were 
proceeding with their general plan, and Hunter moved from Cedar creek, 
near Woodstock, early in June, against Staunton. Confederate sharp- 
shooters harassed his march, and frequently destroyed his communica- 
tions. He advanced, however, to Harrisonburg, and on leaving that place 
divided his force into two columns — one of which took the road to Port 
Republic and the other direct to Staunton. The movement to Port Re- 
public was a demonstration against the Confederate right, and it encoun- 
tered a movement of Gen. Jones against the Federal left. At the same 
time the main body of Federals advanced to the North river, twelve miles 
from Staunton. A hot engagement ensued at this point, called the battle 
of Mount Crawford, but the Confederates were forced, by superior num- 
bers, to fall back and, to avoid Gen. Crook's Federal force, advancing 
from the west, continued their retreat to Waynesborough. A conflict 

30 I 



234 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

also occurred at Piedmont, near New Hope, between the Federal left 
and the Confederate right, in which the Confederates were overpowered 
and driven back with severe loss. The following account of this affair was 
derived from conversations held with several who participated in the en- 
gagement. The Confederate cavalry, under Imboden, but a handful of 
veteran troopers, had been falling back before an overwhelming Federal 
force until the 4th of June. On that day they reached the North river, 
where they halted, and the ground being favorable, prepared to give bat- 
tle. Gen. Jones, the Confederate general in command, came up from the 
south during the night with reinforcements, consisting, principally, of the 
reserves of Augusta and the adjoining counties — these reserves being, 
mainly, boys and convalescent soldiers. On the morning of the 5th of 
June the Federal force advanced upon the Confederate position near Mt. 
Crawford, and a hot engagement occurred, during which the boys and 
cripples held their ground and kept back the enemy. Unable to drive 
the Confederates from the field, the Federal General ordered a flank move- 
ment. Their long anaconda line was soon seen stretching out to the right 
and left with a view to envelope the Spartan band in its deadly embrace. 
Gen. Jones saw no alternative but a retrogade movement, and commenced 
falling back. When the Confederates reached Piedmont, a hamlet two 
miles north of New Hope, Gen. Jones halted, and formed his troops in Hne 
of battle. The Augusta officers in the force, knowing the country better 
than the General, urged a further retreat to Mowry's Hill. This was a 
short distance south of New Hope, and a very strong position, where it 
was believed a successful defence might be made. The General, however, 
declined this advice, and kept his ground. The Federal force was soon in 
the Confederate front, advancing in that cool, dogged and deliberate man- 
ner so characteristic of the Yankee, and this force was composed almost 
entirely of native troops. The Confederate cavalry was drawn up ready 
for battle by Capt. Frank B. Berkeley, of Staunton, acting brigade adju- 
tant. It was ordered to advance, and did so at a gallop, the blooded 
horses bounding lightly over ditches, fences and every obstruction. They 
rushed upon the Federal cavalry like an avalanche, sabering the officers 
and men and driving them from the field like chaff before the angry 
winds. As the enemy's cavalry broke and fled the Confederate troopers 
found themselves confronted by long unbroken lines of Federal infantry, 
and retired. The Federals continued their dogged advance in line of bat- 
tle. When a short distance from the Confederate lines, they halted to 
gather breath, and after a little rest, during which many were shot down, 
they advanced in the face of a destructive fire, and made a fierce attack on 
our lines. The Confederates behaved like veterans — the boys emulating 
the example of their sires, those old heroes who had been so hewed and 
hacked to pieces during the war that there was now nothing whole about 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 235 

them but their hearts. Incredible as it may seem, this force repelled the 
enemy's attack, driving them back broken and confused, like the waves 
which dash impotently as:ainst the rocks. The Yankees halted at the 
point from which they made their last advance, stunned and astounded. 
Not dispirited, however, they closed up their ranks and moved forward a 
second time — not with Confederate impetuosity, but with the same delibe- 
rate, sullen determination which belongs to that eminently bull-dog race. 
They were again driven back with much slaughter. Once more the Yan- 
kees formed in close order, and a third time advanced to the attack. This 
time they brought up their reserves. These fresh troops were directed to 
the weak point in the Confederate lines, — the left wing, — which was deci- 
mated by a withering fire kept up by these cold-blooded Federals, whose 
guns seemed never empty, however frequently fired.* The Confederates 
finding longer resistance impossible, began a retreat — gray-headed crip- 
ples, one-armed convalescents and young boys retiring slowly, loading and 
firing as they fell back, and thus preventing a panic and rout. The retreat 
was continued to Fishersville. The infantry was aided in getting off by 
the gallant conduct of two young artillery officers, both natives of Augusta, 
who deserve special mention. These young officers were Lieutenants 
Carter Berkeley and H. H. Fultz, both in command of sections of Mc- 
Clenechan's horse artillery of two guns each. When they saw the left 
wing of Jones' force fall back, heard of the death of Jones himself, and 
saw the right give way in confusion, they advanced without orders to the 
front. Here they took up a position with their guns on either side of the 
highway, opposite the centre of that imperturbable mass of phlegmatic 
Yankees, which was still advancing with a slow pace and determined air. 
Acting on their own impulses, Berkeley and Fultz now opened fire on the 
host in their front, cutting wide gaps in the Federal lines and retarding 
their advance. The enemy, seeing the desperate conduct of these batte- 
ries unsupported by infantry, ordered the First New York Cavalry to spike 
the rebel guns. This fine regiment of Knickerbockers advanced at full 
speed. As they galloped up the guns plowed wide gaps in their ranks, 
hurling horses and riders to the ground. This did not stop them. On the 
troopers came, sabreing men right and left. Reaching the batteries, a free 
fight occurred over the cannon, but some Confederate sharp-shooters, who 
lay in ambush, brought down such numbers of horsemen that the regi- 
ment retreated, or rather those who survived, without carrying out their 
orders to spike the guns. These well-directed guns continued to scatter 
death in the Federal ranks, and Imboden coming up with more sharp- 
shooters, the Federal advance was further delayed. During the time these 
two batteries, supported by a few hundred Augusta riflemen, kept back 
the northern host, the Confederate fragments of an army made good its 

*Many were armed with Winchester rifles, which fire thirty times before it is necessary to reload. 



286 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

retreat without confusion or panic. This object secured, Berkeley and 

Fultz also retired with the sharp-shooters. The Federals, on reaching the 

ground so recently occupied by the Confederates, called a halt, buried 

their dead, lit their camp-fires, and gave up the pursuit until the following 
morning. 

The Confederates from the county of Augusta engaged in this action 
were Imboden's cavalry; G. W. Imboden's regiment of infantry — the i8th 
Virginia ; Harper's Reserves — one company commanded by Jas. C Mar- 
quis, composed of boys from sixteen to eighteen years of age ; one com- 
pany commanded by John N. Opie, also composed of boys and old men ; 
one battery of flying artillery commanded by John H. McClenechan ; one 
battery of two guns, commanded by Lieut. Carter Berkley ; and one of 
two guns, commanded by H. H. Fultz. 

The distinguished Confederate officers killed were : Wm. E. Jones, Gen- 
eral in command ; Col. Brown, commanding 6oth Virginia regiment ; Lieut.- 
Col. Robt. L. Doyle, Capt. J. M. Templeton. 

The list of the killed and wounded in Harper's regiment at the battle 
was as follows : 

Company A — Capt. Hardy — wounded, Lieut. Steinbuck, Lieut. Wright, 
and D. H. Snyder. 

Company B — Killed, Capt. R. L. Doyle, Jno. Meredith ; wounded. Ser- 
geant Helms, G. F. Myerley, Wm. Cason. 

Company C — Killed, Capt. J. M. Templeton; wounded. Corporal A. H, 
Lackey, Jas. Welch, A. H. Hanger, Jas. Mitchell. 

Company D — Capt. Peck, commanding — none killed ; wounded, Wm, 
J. Rush ; captured, Sam'l Hunter. 

Company E — Capt. J. N. Opie ; killed, McKamy ; wounded, 

McCormick. 

Company F — Capt. Rippetoe — none killed ; wounded, Capt. Rippetoe, 
A.Staubus, J. Brown. 

Company G — Capt. Byrd — none killed ; wounded, Lieut. J. A. Synis, 
Chas. Ridgway, Wm. L, Kyser. 

Company H — Capt. Hilbert — killed, Jos. Granitto ; wounded, Robt. Bir- 
treit, mortally ; Jas. Locker, W. Kerford, W. Reswick, Harmon J. Lohr. 

Company I — Capt. Bacon — killed. First Serg't W. W. Moore ; wounded, 
Taylor Cofifman, Jos. Baldwin, Chas. Schendle, Thos Walls, Jno. Smith. 

Company K — Lieut. Blue in command, who was killed ; wounded, Ser- 
geant Binford ; captured. Sergeants Taylor and T. Wilson, Jno. Roebuck, 
J. Williams, P. McCormick, Jno. Henry, Wm. Evans, Jno. Condor, Thos. 
Bonworth, Thos. Kelly, Jas. Hackett, Hy. Kress, R. W. Goodman and 
Wm. Kenney. 

In this connection, the brief but interesting letter of Thos. L. Doyle, late 
Principal of the Virginia Institution for the education of the Deaf, Dumb, 
and of the Blind, at Staunton, will be read with interest : 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA -COUNTY. 237 



Institution Deaf, Dumb, and the Blind, 

May i8, 1882. 



My Dear Colonel : The main body of the troops that fought the 
Dattle of Piedmont (on the Confederate side) marched over from the Val- 
ley turnpike during the night, between the 4th and 5th of June, crossing 
the Middle River, I believe, at the ford near the residence of Maj. Walker 
(deceased). 

Imboden's headquarters on the night of June 4th were at Col. Samuel 
D. Crawford's house (" Bonnie Doon "), four miles below New Hope. 
The Federal troops came up the Port Republic road, Stahl commanding 
the cavalry. Frank Imboden, a captain of one of the troops composing 
the 1 8th Virginia cavalry (Geo. W. Imboden's regiment), was captured in 
the turnpike, below Mt. Meridian, during a hand-to-hand contest. 

Just before Gen. Jones received his death-wound, he remarked to Capt. 
Walter K. Martin, his Adjutant- General, that Hunter's army was desper- 
ately beaten, and he desired McNeill, the partisan, to be ordered to fall 
upon his rear. 

My father. Col. Brown, of the 60th Virginia infantry, and Geru Jones, 
were killed very near to each other, and were buried side by side in a 
grass lot in the hamlet of Piedmont. My father was shot through the 
head, the ball entering the cheek and coming out at the base of the skull. 
He was perfectly conscious after receiving this wound — was set against a 
tree by his men, and was bayonetted by the Yankees when they came up. 

Before the army got to New Hope, a scant two miles away, the rout and 
panic became universal, save among the artillery. The defile of New 
Hope — a long, straggling village, was choked with broken infantry, re- 
serves, cavalry, v.agons, &c. The enemy's horse were preparing to 
charge, which accomplished, would have been the ruin of Jones' broken 
remnant. Several squadrons, with this view, rode out of the woods 
southeast of the Tunker church, and formed a column, with troop front, 
to make the charge. Lieut. Carter Berkeley, commanding a section of 
McClenechan's battery, saw this movement, and promptly tearing down 
the fence, moved his two pieces into the field to the west of the road and 
opened upon this cavalry while in the act of forming. Two or three dis- 
charges ran them off, and active pursuit stopped. 

This is about what I told you this morning, but I thought it would be 
more satisfactory to you to have it in this shape. 

Very truly yours, • 

Col. J. Lewis Peyton. T. J. DOYLE. 

P. S. — I lost a brother, R(5bert M. Doyle, at the second battle of Manas- 
sas. He was in the seventeenth year of his age, and was one of the color- 
guard of the 5th regiment. 

The Federal loss was 250 killed. Staunton was immediately occu- 
pied. The woolen factory of Crawford & Young was burnt, the Staunton 
steam-mill, the steam distillery. Confederate Government workshops, the 
stables and house used for storing forage, the stables of Trotter and twenty- 
six coaches, the railway stations, etc. The railway track was destroyed at 
intervals to Goshen, with the fine bridges at Swoope's, Craigsville, and Go- 
shen — also the culverts and small bridges East of Staunton they tore up 
the track to Christian's Creek, bending the rails, and burning the bridges at 
the creek and at Fishersville. They broke open and plundered the shops 



238 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

and stores in Staunton, destroyed the shoe factory and newspaper offices, 
throwing the type of the " Spectator " into the streets. 

On the loth of June the consolidated columns of Gen. Hunter marched 
from Staunton through Middlebrook to Lexington. Three miles from 
Staunton, on the Middlebrook road, the Confederates, under Gen. Mc- 
Causland, were posted behind rail breastworks, designed to delay the 
Federal advance. They were dislodged by the Federals, and driven 
ahead. Seventeen miles from Staunton the Confederates made a halt and 
killed a few Federals, when they were dispersed by cavalry. On the nth 
the enemy reached Lexington. We cannot follow them further. 

SECOND INVASION OF AUGUSTA. 

The most energetic steps were taken to meet another invasion of the 

county, as appears from the following Circular of the Enrolling Officer of 

the county of Augusta and the Eleventh Conscription District. See the 
"Vindicator" of Sept. 23d, 1864: 

Circular No. 12. 

In obedience to Circular No. 20, Bureau of Conscription, Sept. 9, 1864, 
County Officers and Advisory Boards are required to proceed at once and 
with unremitting vigor to make a registration of all persons between the 
ages of sixteen and fifty years in their respective counties. This regis- 
tration will include all exempts from any cause whatever — detailed con- 
scripts, detailed soldiers and foreigners. The registration of youths who 
will attain the age of seventeen during the next twelve months must be 
accurately made. Local officers and Advisory Boards are impressed with 
the importance of registration, and they will devote their entire time and 
attention to the work till completed. The registration must be completed 
in each county before the ist day of October, and the papers returned to 
this office not later than Oct. 5th, 1864. 

CHARLES S. PEYTON, Lieut.-Col., 
Enrolling Officer for Eleventh District of Va. 

It was these drastic measures which caused Gen. Grant, when informed 
of them, to say, with singular phraseology, that the Confederate Govern- 
ment, in order to uphold its cause, " was robbing both the cradle and the 
grave." 

As the people anticipated from the enemy's" movements in the neighbor- 
hood of Winchester, the Federals advanced, in the month of September, 
1864, up the Valley, under Sheridan. His force consisted of the Sixth 
Federal army corps, 12,000; Nineteenth corps, 9,000; Crooks' corps, 
12,000; three divisions of cavalry, 10,000 ; artillery, 2,000; with twenty-two 
batteries of six guns each, or a total force of 45,000 men. Opposed to 
them was the force under Gens. Early and Breckenridge of 20,000 infantry, 
with fourteen batteries of artillery of six guns each, and an estimated cav- 
alry force of 3,000. On the 2 2d of September was fought the battle of 
Fishersville, where the Confederates were in position, and from which they 
retired with a loss of 1,100 prisoners. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 239 

Sheridan pushed on to Staunton, where all the public property was de- 
stroyed, including the railroad and two factories. Sheridan's cavalry pro- 
ceeded to Waynesboro for the purpose of destroying the iron railroad 
bridge there and of burning all the barns and mills in that portion of Au- 
gusta. In the meantime, the force of Gen. Early had retreated through 
Brown's Gap, with their wagon trains, but on learning of the operations of 
the Federal cavalry, Kershaw's division of infantry and Fitzhugh Lee's 
division of cavalry were ordered to march in their rear and cut off the 
command of Gen. Torbert, at Waynesboro. The Federal General, how- 
ever, having ravaged the country with fire, retreated during the night by 
way of Staunton, and by the celerity of his movements, escaped. Gen. 
Sheridan reported to Gen. Grant, October 7th, from Woodstock, that 
" The whole country, from the Blue Ridge to the North Mountain, had 
been made untenable for a rebel army. I have destroyed over two thou- 
sand barns filled with wheat, hay, and farming implements ; over seventy 
mills filled with wheat and flour ; four herds of cattle have been driven be- 
fore the army, and not less than three thousand sheep have been killed 
and issued to the troops. A large number of horses have been obtained, 
a proper estimate of which I cannot now make. Lieut. Jno. R. Meigs, my 
engineer officer, was murdered beyond Harrisonburg, near Dayton. For 
this atrocious act, all houses within an area of five miles were burned." 

Such was the account given by Sheridan of his operations in Augusta 
and the Valley. A correspondent, who was with the army, thus describes 
the scenes of their march : 

"' The atmosphere, from horizon to horizon has been black with the 
smoke of a hundred conflagrations, and at night a gleam, brighter and 
more lurid than sunset, has shot from every verge. The orders have been 
to destroy all forage in stacks and barns, and to drive the stock before 
them (the Federal army) for the subsistence of the army. * * Indis- 
criminating (for with such swift work discrimination is impracticable), re- 
lentless, merciless, the torch has done its terrible business in the Valley. 
Few barns and stables have escaped. The gardens and corn-fields have 
been desolated. The cattle, hogs, sheep, cows, oxen, nearly five thousand 
in all, have been driven from every farm. The wailing of women and 
children, mingling with the crackling of flames, has sounded from scores 
of dwellings. I have seen mothers, weeping over the loss of that which 
was necessary to their children's lives — setting aside their own — their last 
cow, their last bit of flour pilfered by stragglers, the last morsel they had 
in the world to eat or drink. Young girls, with flushed cheeks, and pale, 
with tearful, or tearless eyes, have pleaded with and cursed the men whom 
the necessities of war have forced to burn the dwellings reared by their 
fathers, and turn them into paupers in a day. The completeness of the 
desolation is awful. Hundreds of nearly starving people are going North. 
Our trains are crowded with them. They line the wayside. Hundreds 
more are coming. Absolute want is in mansions used in other days to 
extravagant luxury." 

The desolation of the Shenandoah Valley was thus sketched at the time : 



2i0 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

" We have conversed with an intelHgent friend, who formerly resided at 
Edinburg, in Shenandoah county, and who has been compelled to bring 
his family into a more favored locality, to keep them from starving, and 
he gives a deplorable picture of the sufferings and privations of these un- 
fortunate people. But a small amount of grain is in possession of the in- 
habitants, and what little they have it is hardly possible to get ground for 
want of mills, all having been burned except five or six, in the extent of 
country of which we speak. In many instances corn has been pounded, 
baked, and consumed in a rough state, and our informant states that he is 
familiar with instances where the people have mixed middlings with bran 
and baked it into bread, in order to stretch the food. Cattle, hogs and 
sheep have been swept away, and but few horses remain with which to 
cultivate the ground and raise a crop the present season. It is hard to 
realize and believe that such a state of things exist, but it is nevertheless 
fearfully true." 

Another says : " With the exception of small enclosures of one or two 
acres, here and there, there is scarcely a fence worthy of the name from the 
Rapidan to Bull Run ; and the fields, once the pride of the farmers' hearts, 
and shut in by " ten rails and a rider," are now broad commons, with old 
landmarks obliterated, ditches filled up, quarters, corn-houses and barns 
in ruins, while the lone and blackened chimneys of the once happy home- 
stead stand like some grim old sentries on guard until the last. The once 
majestic forests of oak, hickory, chesnut and pine along the line of the 
Orange 8c Alexandria Railroad have disappeared, and given place to the 
rude huts and cabins improvised by the armies of Lee and Meade ; and 
instead of whordeberries, chinquepins and chestnuts, one kicks upon can- 
teens, worn-out knapsacks, old shoes, bread-boxes, suggestive of the in- 
evitable " hard-tack," bayonet-scabbards, with here and there a stand of 
grape, a ten-pounder Parrott shell, and everywhere almost the hollow- 
base " little Minnies," whose whistling tones are so familiar to us all. The 
village of Raccoontord is a village no longer ; Stevensburg is Stevensburg 
only on the military map ; and all along the route, crossing and recrossing 
the railroad, one sees nothing where man's agency is concerned but utter 
desolation. The people are returning to their once happy homes, after 
such hardships as only refugees can know, and are patching up any out- 
buildings at hand for a temporary residence until the "great house" can 
be rebuilt and former comforts collected around them. The negroes in 
Orange county can be hired for their food and quarters ; but this does not 
pertain in Culpepper and Fauquier, where labor is scarce and in demand, as 
nearly every negro, — man, woman and child, left home early in the war with 
the hope of an improved condition in the crowded streets of Alexandria and 
Washington. The supply, however, will be equal, and perhaps more than 
equal, to the demand, when the farmers are once m^re prepared to culti- 
vate their lands ; but just now there is a feeling of oppressive uncertainty 
hanging over every man's head, and until courts are established, magis- 
trates, sheriffs, surveyors, commissioners, etc., are appointed, this feeling 
will prevail, and tend materially to retard the development of the agricul- 
tural resources of the country and of that desire to do their duty as good 
and loyal citizens, which is the sincere and hearty wish of nine-tenths of 
the poople of Virgmia, now that the terrible struggle is over, and which 
has been decided finally against them. The farmers need nearly every 
article necessary to a successful cultivation of their lands, and with but 
very limited means for purchasing them, no credit, and an entirely new 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 241 

system of labor to contend with, the problem of success seems to be one 
of difficult solution ; but with industry, skill and integrity, the prolific soil 
will soon supply their wants, and in a few years one will scarcely be able 
to recognize this as the classic battle-ground of the two celebrated armies 
of the Potomac and Northern Virginia." 

In a preceding page the reader has had a brief sketch of the inhuman 
cruelties inflicted on the settlers by the red men. In this chapter we have 
allowed the Federals to tell their own story — the story of their devasta- 
tions and cruelties in the Valley. These wanton acts surpass in barbarity 
those of Turenne in the Palatinate two hundred years ago, when lust and 
rapine walked hand in hand with fire and sword. If the glory of Turenne 
was stained by these cruelties and his reputation as a soldier merges into 
that of a monster, what must posterity think of a captain whose career is 
unmarked by victories, and whose fame rests solely upon his success in 
turning a garden into a desert, so that, to use his own coarse figure, "A 
crow flying over the Valley must take rations with him." The truth and 
the whole truth of Sheridan's barbarous rapacity and unfeeling violence 
has not been told, nor does our space admit of its being done here, but to 
find anything approaching it we must go beyond the age of Dubois and 
Turenne, of Wallenstein and Tilly, and search for the like among the an- 
nals of the fierce barbarians of the north of Europe or the savages of 
America ; to the records of those rude tribes who, without religion, edu- 
cation, science or art, gloried in horrible devastations and incredible mur- 
ders. Like the Huns, Sheridan ravaged and destroyed all around him ; 
made no distinction between what was sacred and what was profane, re- 
spected no age, sex or rank, and converted the most fertile and populous 
region of the south, — the " Garden of America," — into a desert in which 
the women and children — there were no men remaining — were left to 
starve in sight of their burning barns, smouldering granaries and demol- 
ished mills. Avenging his failures in the field upon innocent women and 
children, Sheridan imitated the barbarity of the Goths and Vandals, and 
has rendered his memory detestable by abusing the rights of conquest in 
doing violence to humanity and destroying the monuments of industry 
and art. 

But no oppression, no destitution, could break the spirit of the people 
of the Valley, or abate their zeal. Men came forward to fill the ranks of the 
army as if from the funeral pyre and from out the heaps of ruins. The 
government, too, was undismayed, and President Davis declared in his 
message to Congress, about this time, that " peace is impossible without 
independence." But we cannot linger over matters of general history. 

The surrender of Lee, April 9, 1865, and the disappearance of the Con- 
federate army, left Virginia desolated, her people impoverished, the civil 
authorities powerless and at the mercy of the Federals. General Halleck 

31 t 



242 HISTORY 0¥ ATJGXrSTA COUNTY. 

took command of Richmond, and refused to recognize any official autho- 
rity inthe State officers elected during the war. 

On May 9th, President Johnson issued a proclamation recognizing F. 
H. Pierpont, who was originally elected Governor of West Virginia, and 
upon the organization of a State government for that district, under the 
name of West Virginia, moved the seat of his government to Alexandria. 
During the existence of this government at Alexandria, a legislature was 
elected, designated the Legislature of Virginia. On the 26th of May, 
Gov. Pierpont removed the government to Richmond, and regarding his 
government as the restored State government, he proceeded to exercise 
authority accordingly. The people of Augusta accepted in good faith this 
government, and lent themselves cheerfully to its support, and the war 
being over, returned once more to the pursuits of peace. 



CHAPTER XV. 



The clouds of civil strife dispelled, the people of Augusta resolutely 
addressed themselves to the work of repairing the damages resulting from 
the war. The heroism and genius displayed by the people of Augusta 
and the south during hostilities, astonishing and unequalled as they were, 
seem destined to be eclipsed by a more brilliant career in peace. During 
the seventeen years which have elapsed since the battle of Appomattox 
bridge, results have been obtained in our county which fill one with un- 
bounded astonishment. Trade has revived and is flourishing ; a load of 
private debt has been discharged, and the county is altogether without 
debt ; fences and enclosures have reappeared of a more permanent and 
substantial character ; old fields have been reclaimed and new ones been 
brought into cultivation ; improved agricultural machinery and a more in- 
telligent system of husbandry have been introduced, which has increased 
the yield per acre, and added largely to our individual and aggregate 
wealth. Some of our iron and other ores are being mined, and the public 
attention been directed to our vast mineral resources. In every part of the 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 243 

county new, handsome and durable buildings have been erected, and in 
Staunton more substantial and elegant houses have gone up than during 
any previous fifty years of the town's history. A wise man has said that 
the farmer is a continuous benefactor. He who digs a well, constructs a 
stone fountain, plants a grove of trees by the road side, plants an orchard, 
builds a durable house, reclaims a swamp, or so much as puts a stone seat 
by the wayside, makes the land so far lovely and desirable, makes a for- 
tune which he cannot carry away with him, but which is useful to hiscoun-- 
try long afterwards. These substantial buildings enhance the value of the 
soil and create an attachment for the family residence. " Those who have 
been accustomed to poetry, ancient or modern, need not be told how finely 
and how impressively the household gods, the blazing hearth, the plen- 
teous board, and the social fireside, figure in poetical imagery. And this 
is not tying up nonsense for a song." They are realities of life in its most 
polished states; they are among its best and most rational enjoyments; 
they associate the little family community in parental and filial afiection 
and duty, in which even the well-clothed child feels its importance, claims 
and duties. 

The amount of attachment to the family mansion furnishes the criterion 
of the relative amount of virtue in the members of a family. If the headof 
a family should wander from the path of paternal duty, and become ad- 
dicted to vicious habits, in proportion as his virtue suffers a declension a 
love of his home and family abates, until any place, however base and cor- 
rupting it may be, is more agreeable to him than his once sweet home. If 
a similar declension in virtue happens on the part of the maternal chief of 
the family mansion, the first effect of her deviation from the path of ma- 
ternal virtue is that " her feet abideth not in her own house." The same 
observations apply to children. When a young man or woman, instead 
of manifesting a strong attachment to the family mansion, is " given to 
outgoing " to places of licentious resort, their moral ruin may be said to 
be at no great distance. 

Architecture is of use even in the important province of religion. Those 
who build no houses for themselves, build no temples for the service of 
God, and of course derive the less benefit from the institutions of religion. 
The very aspect of those sacred edifices, — churches, — fills the mind of the 
beholder with a religious awe, and as to the most believing and sincere, it 
serves to increase the fervor of devotion. Patriotism is augmented by the 
sight of the majestic forum of justice, the substantial highway, and the 
bridge with its long succession of ponderous arches. Rome and Greece 
would no doubt have fallen much sooner had it not been for the patriotism 
inspired by their magnificent public edifices. But for these, their histories 
would have been less complete and lasting than they have been. To ex- 
press the idea in a few words, these fine private mansions and public edifices 



^44 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

imply the evolution of a higlily organized man brought to supreme deli- 
cacy of sentiment ; are the evidences of an advancing on an advanced 
civilization, and of the growth of a nation after its own ijenius. They in- 
dicate a mysterious progress. Brutes make no progres s ; the savage red 
men are becoming extinct, not civilized; the negro of tioday in Africa is 
the negro of Herodotus. The effect of a brick or stone house is immense 
on the tranquility, power and refinement of the builder. A man in a cave 
or in a camp, a nomad, will die with no more estate than the wolf or the 
horse leaves. But so simple a labor as a house being achieved, his chief 
enemies are kept at bay. He is safe from the teeth of wild animals, from 
frost, sunstroke and weather, and fine faculties begin to yield their rich 
harvest ; invention and art are born, manners and social beauty and de- 
light. The builders of these durable edifices belong to the class of men 
who have left the world better than they found it, and their names deserve 
to be held in remembrance. Where there are so many substantial and 
elegant buildings, as in Staunton, they cannot be mentioned. The most 
worthy of enumeration beyond the city limits, but near the city, and they 
give animation, grace and beauty to the suburbs, are — 

1. Montgomery Hall, a mile south of the city, and l>uilt by the Hon. 
John H. Peyton, in i822-'24, from plans presented him l)y President Jeffer- 
son. The Hall is in a style between the Doric and Corint lian, combining the 
strength of the former with the delicacy of the latter, ind marked for its 
harmony of proportion and beauty of detail. 

2. Oak Grove, built in the early Engish style, about 1810, by the late 
Jacob Kinney, Esq. 

3. Gaymont, built in the same sty^. by the late John McDowell, Esq. 

4. Wheadands, built in the sam- style, by the late William Poage, Esq. 

5. Bear- Wallow, built in the Gc^hic style, by Judge David Fultz. 

6. Selma, built in the Grecian st^^e, by the late Simpson F. Taylor, Esq. 

7. Spring farm house, built in ifJ-'^o, by Hessian prisoners, and added 
to by Judge John Brown. 

8. Steep-hill, built by J. Lew' Peyton, in the Gothic or Villa- Romana 
style. 

9. Bellevue, built by J. Emmet^uy, Esq. 

10. Fair- View Villa, built by VVHiam F. Ast, Esq. 

11. Edgewood, built by Josep'P- Ast, Esq. 

12. Killarney, built by A. M.Bruce, Esq. 

13. Glendale, built in the earl English style by the late Silas Smith, 
Esq., on the eastern slope of BetV Bell. 

AUGUSTA AGRlULTURAL SOCIETY. 

Shortly after the close of the ci'J war, an important step was taken to 
revive our agricultural interests, anc^ society was formed, the objects and 
purposes of which the following sket^ will explain : 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 2'i5 

SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN, PROGRESS AND PRESENT CONDITION OF THE 

BALDWIN-AUGUSTA FAIR. 

Our wisest and best citizens in the past, recognizing the importance of 
agriculture to all the substantial interests of mankind, at an early period in 
the present century, sought to encourage a more intelligent and scientific 
mode of cultivation and improvement in the county, by means of united 
action, and a free interchange of opinions and experiences. Regarding 
agriculture as the foundation upon which the fabric of our social, moral, 
and political institutions are based, and upon which they must ever de- 
pend for support and prosperity, they organized, in Staunton, on the 8th 
of November, 1811, " The Augusta Agricultural Society." They sought 
by this association to increase the pleasures as well as the profits of rural 
labor, to enlarge the sphere of useful knowledge, and by concentrating 
their energies, to give to them greater effect in advancing the public good. 
The promoters of this movement v;ere General Robert Porterfield, who 
was elected President, Alexander Nelson, James Bell, John H. Peyton, 
Chapman Johnson, Jno. Brown, Wm. Boys, Thomas Jackson, and James 
McNutt, who were officers of the society. Little is known of the history 
of this association beyond its organization, as the file of " The Republican 
Farmer," the only newspaper then published in Staunton, has not been 
preserved, but the society probably expired during the exciting scenes of 
the war of 1812-1815. Every praise, however, is due to the enlightened 
men who inaugurated the movement, and sought to promote the public 
good by dedicating a portion of their time and labor to the advancement 
of the art of theoretical and practical agriculture — in the success of which 
the welfare of the community is so deeply involved. And it is much to 
be regretted that such distinguished examples have not been more gener- 
ally followed. Notwithstanding the acknowledged strides which agricul- 
ture has since made in this county and the State, yet no science has been 
slower in its progress towards perfection ; and even admitting numberless 
existing instances of intelligent and spirited management among farmers 
of the higher class, it is still an endeniable fact that the great mass of men 
are of a very opposite description. Thus it is that the average product of 
Virginia has fallen below that of other States of less natural fertility and 
less favored by climate. To remedy this evil by spreading abroad that 
knowledge which is power, a new generation of public-spirited citizens 
united together about thirteen years smce, in the creation of another asso- 
ciation as a means of developing the resources of the county and promot- 
ing thrift among the people. The leading spirits in this new movement 
were Cols. John B. Baldwin and Asher W. Harman, James Henderson, 
Geo. T. Antrim, Philip O. Polmer and others who undertook the task of 
forming the Augusta County Fair and prosecuted the design to ultimate 
success. 

The General Assembly of which Col. Baldwin was the then Speaker, on 
the 15th of January, 1867. passed the act for its incorporation. This act 
is given in full, as it briefly and clearly sets forth the objects and purposes 
sought to be secured by its originators. 

I. Be it enacted by the General Assembly, that the Court of Augusta 
county, when the justices thereof are next assembled to lay the county 
levy, shall choose ten citizens of the county to be " Directors of the Au- 
gusta County Fair," and shall divide them by lots into five classes, one of 
which shall go out of office at the expiration of each year. At the same 



24Q HISIORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

term in each year thereafter, the said Court shall fill all vacancies in the 
said Directory, If a vacancy occurs by expiration of a term, the appoint- 
ment shall be for five years, but in all other cases for the unexpired term, 
so as to keep up the regular succession by classes. 

2. The Directors so appointed shall be a corporation by the name of the 
Augusta County Fair, for the purpose of establishing and conducting fairs 
and other exhibitions of the natural and industrial products of Augusta 
county, as a means of developing the resources of the county and of pro- 
moting enterprise, industry, economy and thrift among the people. 

3. The Directory shall, from its own number, choose a President of the 
corporation. They shall pass rules whereby citizens of Augusta county, 
on contributing one hundred dollars each to the permanent endowment of 
the corporation, may become life corporators of the Augusta County Fair. 
Whenever there shall be at least one such corporator for every two hun- 
dred inhabitants of the county, as shown by the next preceding census, 
the lists shall be certified by the Directory to the Court of Augusta coun- 
ty, who shall cause the same to be entered of record ; whereupon elections 
of Directors by the Court shall cease, and thereafter the said corporators 
shall be the constituent body, from whom and by whom shall be chosen 
the Directors of the corporation, to fill vacancies, and to keep up the suc- 
cessions as hereinbefore provided. 

4. Elections for Directors by the corporators shall be held at the regu- 
lar annual fair. The voting shall be viva voce, and a plurality of votes 
shall elect in any case. In all other respects the elections shall be con- 
ducted, certified and determined as the rules shall prescribe. 

5. The Court of Augusta county, in laying the county levy for any 
year, may provide a fund, not exceeding five cents for each inhabitant of 
the county, as shown by the next preceding census ; and the Council of 
the town of Staunton may, in the same manner, provide a fund, subject to 
a like limitation, to be paid over in each case to the Augusta County Fair, 
and to be expended in suitable prizes to be offered at the fairs or other 
exhibitions conducted by the corporation. 

6. This act shall be in force from its passage, and shall be subject to 
modification or repeal, at the pleasure of the General Assembly. 

ACTION OF THE COUNTY COURT. 

In accordance with the provisions of this act, the County Court, at its June 
term, 1867, chose ten citizens of the county to be Directors of the Fair, 
and divided them into five classes, to go out of office annually, as follows : 

ist Class — John B. Baldwin and A. W. Harman, 

2nd " — James Henderson and G. T. Antrim. 

3rd " —J. M. McCue and P. O. Polmer. 

4th " — S. B. Finley and James Walker. 

5th " — W. A. Burke and W. M. Tate. 

FIRST MEETING OF THE DIRECTORS. 

The Directors thus appointed and classified by the County Court held 
their first meeting on the 29th of June, 1867, and elected Col. John B. 
Baldwin, President, and Major J. Hotchkiss, Secretary. Col. Baldwin 
immediately entered upon the discharge of his duties, and continued in 
them until his untimely death in 1873. On this melancholy occasion, 
the Directors paid a handsome tribute to his memory and his successful 
labors in establishing the Fair, remarking that, "Wholly unaided, almost 
without sympathy from any quarter in the then depressed condition of 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 247 

the popular heart, Col. Baldwin, whilst in the Legislature, and Speaker of 
the House, introduced and carried foi"ward to its enactment the charter of 
incorporation. But this was much the least of his labors. The pinch was 
to raise the necessary funds. In the existing condition of affairs and of 
men's minds, it was a difficult task to awaken and keep alive an interest 
m almost any enterprise. But when this interest was to be at once and 
prospectively taxed with money contributions, there were few men with 
nerve to undertake a task so apparently hopeless. 

" We believe John B. Baldwin was the only man in Augusta county who 
could have carried such a project through to a successful issue. 

" The Board, therefore, upon a review of the past seven years, say em- 
phatically that John B. Baldwin was the father and founder of the Augusta 
County Fair. That it was born of his love for his native county, was cher- 
ished by him in their interest, that he gave to it his time and talents and 
means. That he wrote for it, spoke for it, and worked for it, in season and 
out of season, believing that it would do more than any other instrumen- 
tality to cherish and advance the interest of agriculture and the mechanic 
arts and household arts not only in Augusta, but ultimately, in the State at 
large." 

CHANGE OF NAME. 

As a further acknowledgement of his great efforts on behalf of the fair., 
the directory, after his death, applied to the General Assembly to have the 
name of the " father and founder " of the fair indissolubly associated with 
it, and that body by act approved January 20th, 1874, provided that the 
name of the Augusta County Fair " shall be and the same is hereby 
changed to the name of the Baldwin- Augusta Fair." 

SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS. 

At a meeting of the directory on the 29th of June, 1867, a committee 
was appointed to prepare rules and regulations for the permanent organi- 
zation and government of the corporation ; also, to select and report on a 
suitable place for holding the fairs. It was further provided that corpora- 
tors might pay the $100 prescribed for admission by executing a satisfac- 
tory bond. 

SCRIP MADE TRANSFERABLE. 

On the 29th of May, 1869, it was resolved that the privilege of mem- 
berships of the Augusta County Fair, represented by the certificates 
granted to corporators, shall be transferable at the death of any corporator, 
as part of his estate, to any white citizen of the County of Augusta, pro- 
vided such citizen was not before a corporator, and that no one person shall 
hold more than one membership. 

PURCHASE OF LAND, ETC. 

On the loth of October of the preceding year of 1868, twenty-one 
acres of land lying to the east of the town on Lewis creek, was purchased 
for the exhibitions for the sum of $6000, and in these grounds the first fair 
was held on the 27th, 28th and 29th days of October, 1868. 

BY-LAWS. 

On August 24th, 1868, the Committee on By-Laws reported the follow- 
ing, which were adopted : 

I. The officers shall be a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Super- 
intendent of the Grounds and an Executive Committee, to consist of three 
members. 



248 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

PRESIDENT. 

The President shall preside at all meetings of the Directory and all 
general meetings of the Corporators. He shall appoint all committees, 
except such as shall be otherwise provided for by the Directory. He shall 
fill any vacancy in the offices of the corporation by an appointment to 
continue until an election by the Directory. He shall countersign all or- 
ders on the treasury before they are paid. 

SECRETARY. 

The Secretary shall be elected by the IDirectory and shall hold his office 
during its pleasure. He shall keep a fair record of the proceedings of the 
Corporators, of the Directory and of the Executive Committee, entering 
them in succession in the same book, which shall, at all times, be open to 
any corporator for inspection. He shall draw all orders upon the treasu- 
rer for claims audited by the Executive Committee, and shall enter among 
the proceedings of the said Committee a list of all such claims, preserving 
all papers relating thereto. He shall preserve all the papers, books, &c., 
belonging to the corporation according to such rules as shall from time to 
time be prescribed by the Directory. 

TREASURER. 

The Treasurer shall be elected by the Directory, and shall hold his office 
during its pleasure. He shall give bond, with security, in such penalty as 
the Directory shall, from time, require, which bond shall be payable to 
the Augusta County Fair, and shall be conditioned for the faithful dis- 
charge of his duties. No payment of any money due to the Corporators 
shall be valid unless made to the Treasurer, except in such cases as shall 
be specially provided for by the Directory. No money shall be paid out 
by the Treasurer except on orders drawn by the Secretary and counter- 
signed by the President. 

SUPERINTENDENT. 

The Superintendent shall be elected by the Directory, and shall hold 
his office during its pleasure. It shall be his duty to superintend and take 
care of the fair grounds under the direction of the Executive Committee. 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. 

The Executive Committee shall be elected by the Directory, except that 
the President shall be, ex-officio, chairman of the committee. The mem- 
bers shall continue in office during the pleasure of the Directory. The 
Executive Committee shall be charged with the duty of carrying into exe- 
cution all the orders of the Directory not otherwise provided for, and shall 
have a large discretion, subject at all times to the control of the Directory, 
to do, in the recess of Directory, whatever may be necessary to protect 
the interests and advance the purposes of the corporation. The Com- 
mittee was increased to five, October i6th, 1873. 

MEETINGS. 

The Directory shall meet regularly on the 4th Monday of each month. 
Special meetings may be appointed by the Directory, by the Executive 
Committee or by the President, and a meeting shall be called at any time 
by the President, on the written demand of any three Directors or any 
ten Corporators. A meeting of the Corporators may be called at any 
time by the Directory, and there shall be at least one such meeting in each 
year, to be held at the Annual Fair. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 249 

The following by-law was adopted January 14th, 1871 : 

ELECTIONS, 

The annual election of Directors shall be held at the Secretary's office, 
in the fair grounds, on the 2d day of the Fair, under the superintendence 
of three commissioners appointed by the Board of Directors from the 
body of Corporators, whose duty it shall be to return a correct poll, with 
a certificate of the result of the election, to the Board of Directors within 
five days after the election. 

AWARD OF PREMIUMS. 

On the same day it was resolved that in future the Secretary and Treas- 
urer be authorized to settle the award of premiums due Corporators by 
giving them credit upon their bonds, their consent thereto having been 
received. 

ADMISSION TO THE GROUNDS. 

On the 27th of July, 1872 : Resolved, That no ticket can be issued to or 
privilege granted to, or rights be exercised by, a Corporator except on the 
production of the Treasurer's receipt showing all dues paid. 

On the 23d of November, 1872 : Resolved, That hereafter six tickets be 
issued to each Corporator for the use of his family (not transferable) dur- 
ing the Fair, and that the Corporators, as exhibitors, be put on the same 
footing as other persons. 

ADMISSION OF SCHOOLS. 

And the privilege of attending the Fairs, at half price, was accorded the 
teachers and scholars of the ladies' colleges, in Staunton, by resolution of 
October loth, 1876. 

NO AUCTION OR GAMBLING ALLOWED AT THE FAIRS. 

On the ist of October, 1875, it was ordered that no person shall expose 
any article for sale, on the Fair grounds, except previously licensed so to 
do by the Secretary, nor shall any gambling, pool-selling or other game 
of chance be permitted. 

SALE OF OLD AND PURCHASE OF THE PRESENT LANDS. 

Previous to the adoption of many of the foregoing rules and regulations, 
namely, on the 7th of April, 1873, the Fair grounds on Lewis creek were 
sold to the Valley Railroad Company for $25,000; and on the 17th of the 
succeeding month the Directory purchased 33! acres of the Spring farm 
estate for $10,000. This constitutes the present landed estate of the in- 
corporation, and here the fairs have been since held, with annually increas- 
ing success. 

This estate, lying in a beautiful valley among the hills, to the northwest 
of Staunton, possesses great natural charms, and is susceptible of the 
highest improvement. It abounds in springs, which supply abundance of 
pure water, and is traversed by a brook having its source on the adjoining 
property, (Steephill,) and notwithstanding the recent sale of water right to 
the city, it is thought that the ornamental water, or Fair grounds lake, may 
in future be kept up to its present level. If the estate were divided into 
pasture and woodland, well stocked with shade trees and flowers, and 
every part made accessible by graveled paths and carriage roads, it would 
become the most attractive spot in the vicinity of the town, a favorite resort 
of its jaded business men, and of all seeking recreation and enjoyment. 

32! 



250 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

And I cannot close this report without expressing the hope that such a 
system of improvement may be speedily undertaken. 

In accordance with the resolution of the Board, at its meeting of No- 
vember 8th, 1879, I have the honor to submit the foregoing report or 
sketch of the origin, progress and present condition of the B. A. F, 

Steephill, November loth, 1879. JOHN L. PEYTON. 

DIRECTORS OF BALDWIN AUGUSTA FAIR. 

I. A. M. Bowman; 2. W. L. Bumgardner; 3. C. B. Coiner; 4. J. D. 
Crowie ; 5. A. W. Harman ; 6. J. Henderson ; 7. J. H. Parkins ; 8. John 
L. Peyton ; 9. A. A, Sproul ; 10. J, H. Waters. 



The manufacturing interests of the county have not been fully developed. 
We have few factories, and such as we have are not so flourishing as could be 
desired. This has been partly due to the disadvantages arising before the 
war from slave labor, and since 1865, from the want of capital. The prin- 
cipal part of our capital in Augusta has been invested in flouring mills, 
which are scattered over the county, in the tanning of hides, the distilling 
of spirits, manufacture of wagons, carriages and furniture. Since the war, 
there has been a greater division of labor than formerly, when the entire 
negro population was engaged in agriculture. We now have in the towns, 
and even villages, butchers, bakers, brewers, carpenters, joiners, wheel- 
wrights, plough, cart and wagon makers, and other mechanics, and there 
is a general disposition to barter and trade, — a growing spirit of enterprise. 
The opening of our iron and coal mines, marble quarries, tlae diversion of 
a certain part of our population to the mechanical arts, has given a limited 
home market to the farmer, and has caused a sensible improvement in our 
modes of cultivation and in the yield of our lands. Our county has, in a 
word, been gradually growing into a commercial community. There has 
been an increasing desire to live in cities and towns, to engage in trade, 
and the increase and riches of the towns has contributed to the improve- 
ment and cultivation of the lands by furnishing a ready market to the far- 
mer. Many orchards and vineyards* have been planted, and some wine 
of excellent flavor has been made ; a cloth factory is in operation on the head 
waters of South river, and an iron foundry and machine shop in Staunton. 
It cannot be said, however, that our manufactories are numerous and flour- 
ishing. There is a wide-spread feeling that we should foster manufactures, 
and with our vast supplies of iron, copper, coal, manganese, kaolin, which 
makes excellent earthenware, and sand from which the best of plate-glass 
may be manufactured, and a soil which, in addition to growing grass and 
all the cereals, — giving us a great wealth in horses, cattle, sheep and 
swine, — is admirably adapted to the growth of tobacco, hemp , flax, hops, and 
the vine, there is every reason to believe that factories will soon exist among 

*One of the vineyards near Staunton is on La Grange, the estate of Mr. Xaupi, and the grapes are equal 
in size and flavor to the best the writer has eaten in France and Italy. Others in the county, of which he 
has no personal knowledge, are probably equal to them. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 251 

US and pay high dividends. Our dimate is particularly adapted to them, the 
expense of living is moderate, rents are low, and labor at hand and cheap. 
Let us hope, then, that many years will not have elapsed before we have 
factories of every kind. Manufactures of iron in all its forms, of brass, 
copper and lead ; of linen, woollen and cotton cloths ; of cordage, furni- 
ture, wagons, carriages and farming implements ; of paper, glass, leather, 
hats, silks, laces, watches, and other objects of constant and frequent de- 
mand. Our grapes will make raisins equal to those of Malaga, and pro- 
duce wine and brandy not inferior to those of France and Germany. From 
the sorghum and beet root, we should make our sugar and molasses. 
Staunton should be the seat of a factory for canning fruits and vegetables ; 
for the making of starch from our corn ; oil from the palma christi, which 
grows luxuriantly in Augusta ; from the walnut and from the olive, which 
would doubtless flourish in our soil and climate, both of which are similar 
to those of Italy and the south of France. We would then enjoy all the 
benefits and blessings arising from order and good government ; the liberty 
and security of individuals ; an absence of idlers and paupers, of loafers 
and gamblers. In a country vyhich has neither foreign commerce, says a 
great writer, nor any of the finer manufactures, a great proprietor, having 
nothing for which he can exchange the greater part of the produce of his 
lands, which is over and above the maintenance of the cultivators, con- 
sumes the whole in rustic hospitality at home. If this surplus produce is 
sufficient to maintain a hundred or a thousand men, he can make use of it 
in no other way than by maintaining a hundred or a thousand men. He 
is at all times, therefore, surrounded with a multitude of retainers and de- 
pendents, who having no equivalent to give in return for their mainte- 
nance, but being fed entirely by his bounty, must obey him, for the same 
reason that soldiers must obey the prince who pays them. Before the ex- 
istence of commerce and manufactures in Europe, the hospitality of the 
rich and great, from the sovereign down to the smallest baron, exceeded 
every thing which in the present times we can easily form a notion of. 
Westminster Hall was the dining-room of William Rufus, and might fre- 
quently not be too large for his company. It was reckoned a piece of 
magnificence in Thomas Becket, that he strewed the floor of his hall with 
clean hay in the season, in order that the knights and squires, who could 
not get seats, might not spoil their fine clothes when they sat down on the 
floor to eat their dinner. A hospitality of the same kind was exercised 
before the civil war in diflerent parts of the southern states, from Maryland 
to Texas, and in our own county Fort Lewis, Montgomery Hall, Spring 
farm. Bear- Wallow, Oak Grove, Glendale, Folly, Selma, and other seats of 
our great proprietors, were famous for it, as will ever be all fertile agricul- 
tural and pastoral regions where commerce and manufactures are little 
known. 



252 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

Thoufjh Augusta continued to be largely composed of staid men at the 
opening of the nineteenth century, there was a considerable infusion of 
new comers, principally from Eastern Virginia. Though many of these 
were professional gentlemen, and distinguished for their learning, they 
were more cheerful and easy in mixed society than were the earlier set- 
tlers of Covenanter stock. Politeness and good manners could soon be 
traced, though in different proportions, through every rank, and society 
began to be more gay and vivacious. Private and public balls were in- 
troduced, and the fiddler's animating scrape was more frequently heard. 
These entertainments, if less splendid, when compared with the classical 
elegance of those of Richmond and New York, were none the less enjoyed. 
The programme at these fetes was simple enough. After dancing several 
hours, — and the figures were performed with a high degree of perfection, 
a light nymphish grace unsurpassed, — the company was conducted to the 
supper-room, which was decorated with taste and elegance. After par- 
taking of a sumptuous repast, the guests wandered through the open 
doors and windows to the garden, which was generally of considerable ex- 
tent, beautifully illuminated with colored lamps. Here, loitering under the 
trees and among the shrubbery, they were served with lemonade and 
other iced beverages. But these customs, not yet exploded, are too com- 
mon to be described. We have before us the list of a company which at- 
tanded a fete at Folly, 14th of December, 1814. It is inserted below, and 
will serve as a kind of directory of our fashionables at that period : 

Mr. Abney, Dr. and Mrs. Boys, Miss Jane Boys, Gen., Mrs. and the 
Misses Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin, Mr. Bierne, Mr. J. Blakey, Mr. W. 
H. Brown, Mrs. and the Misses Bryan, Mr. and Miss Cocke, Miss Coalter, 
Mr. and Mrs. J. Cowan, Mrs. and the Misses Chambers, Dr. and Mrs. 
Clarke, Mr. S. Clarke, Mr. K. Chambers, Mr. and Mrs. J. Crawford, Mr. 
Wm. Chambers, Mr. Davis, Mr. Edrington, Mr. Edmundson, Mr. and Mrs. 
W. S. Eskridge, Mr. Fulton, Mr., Mrs. and the Misses Fulton, Mr., Mrs. 
and the Misses Jones, Miss Garth, Mr., Mrs. and the Misses Garber, Mrs. 
Grove, Mr. J. Garber, Mr. G. HoUoway, Mr. Hartman, Mr. A. Hall, Mr. 
J. B. Heil, Mr. Heiskell, Dr. Hanger, Mr. Mcintosh, Mr. W. Kinney, Mr. 
Mr. J, Kenney, Mrs. Lyle and family, Mr, and Mrs. Mathews, Mr. Wm. 
Mathews, Mr. and Mrs. McDowell, Miss McDowell, Mr. and Mrs. Miller, 
Miss McCulloch, Mr. R. C. Nicholas, Mr. and Mrs. Peyton, Mrs. and the 
Misses Perry, Mr. and Mrs. Peck, Mr. and Mrs. Peck, jr.. Miss Porterfield, 
Mr. Reeves, Judge and Mrs. Stuart, Mr. T. J. Stuart, Mr. and Mrs. Strib- 
ling, Mr. Stringfellow, Mr. S. Smith, Miss Skelson, Mr. and Mrs. Sowers, 
Mr. Shomo, Mr. A. St. Clair, Mr. and Mrs. Ab. Smith, Dr., Mrs. and the 
Misses Telfair, Miss Tapp, Mr. Temple, Mr. Tebbs, Mr. and Mrs. Wayt, 
Mr. and Mrs. L. Waddell, Mr. and Mrs. A. Waddell, Miss Waddell, Mr. 
and Mrs. Wright, Capt., Mrs. and Miss Williamson, Mr. and Mrs. Whyte, 
Dr. Willson, Miss Waterman, Miss Webb. 



HISTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 



253 



ALPHABETICAL LIST OF THE JUSTICES OF AUGUSTA,. FROM 179O TO 1860. 

We have not attempted to continue the list after i860, the recurrent 
elections at short periods having so greatly enlarged the number of jus- 
tices that space could not be conveniently found for the catalogue of names. 



J. T. Antrim, 
S. F. Abney, 
W. D. Anderson, 
W. C. Bruffy, 
James Bell, 
D. S. Bell, 
Wm. a. Bell, 
J. Wayt Bell, 
Wm. Beard, 
R. G. Bickle, 
Jas. Berry, 
J. D. Brown, 

C. Brown, 
R. P. Brown, 
S. B. Brown, 

D. Blackburn, 
Jacob Baylor, 

J. B. Breckinridge, 
G. A. Bruce, 
B. Crawford, 
Jas. Crawford, 
S. D. Crawford, 
G. M. Cochran, 
J. A. Cochran, 

A. Coyner, 
J. T. Clark, 
Jno. Churchman, 
Sam'l Cline, 
Wm. Chapman, 
Hatch Clark, 

J. T. Clark, 
Jos. D. Craig, 
Wm. Davis, 
J. A. Davidson, 
Hy. Eidson, Jr., 
J. S. Ellis, 

S. B. FiNLEY, 

Jno. G. Fulton, 
Rob't Guy, 
Wm. Guy, 
Th. Gamble, 
Jas. R. Grove, 
J. R. Grove, 
D. Griffith, 
J. N. Gentry, 
Wm. George, 

B. F. Hailman, 



J.'.N. Hupp, 
M. W. D. Hogshead, 
Elijah Hogshead, 
D. B. Hogshead, 
Kenton Harper, 
P. A. Heiskell, 
Sam'l Hansbarger, 
Isaac Hall, 
Wm. Harris, 
Jas. Henry, 
J. A. Harmam, 
Sam'l Kennerly, 
J. Keiser, 
D. Kerr, 

D. Kunkle, 

J. M. LiLLEY, 

John McCue, 

J. A. McCuE, 

J. M. McCuE, 

W. W. Montgomery, 

E. G. Moorman, 
Sam'l McCune, 
Arch. M. Moore, 
J. K. Moore, 

N. Massie, 

C. G. Miller, 
Jno. Newton, 
J. Morrison, 

J. A. Patterson, 

D. W. Pattison, 
John H. Peyton, 
J. Lewis Peyton, 

J. PORTERFIELD, 

B. F. Points, 
Wm. Ramsey, 
Jno. Rimel, 
J. C. Rivercomb, 
A. H. Ross, 
Wm. G. Sterrett, 
G. B. Stuart, 
Geo. Seawright, 
Jos. Smith, 
Wm. R. Smith, 
J. B. Sycle, 
W. M. Tate, 
D. N. Vanlear, 
A. Waddell, 



254 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

L. Waddell, Lewis Wayland, 

Jno. Wayt, Alex'r Walker, 

T. P. Wilson, Luke Woodward, 

Wm. Wilson, Robert M. White, 

James Wilson, Wm. Young. 

In 1869-70 certain constitutional amendments were adopted by a pop- 
ular vote. Among these was one for township organization, another the 
substitution of a county judge for the old county court system. The first 
judge was J. N. Hendren. The officers of the county in 1881 were as follows > 

J. M. QuARLES Judge of County Court. 

Wm. a. Burnett Clerk of County Court. 

A. B. Lightner Sheriff. 

Jno. G. Stover Surveyor. 

Sam'l Paul Treasurer. 

BEVERLY manor DISTRICT. 

Jno. Paris Supervisor. 

J.M.Kinney. . . ... Justice. 

J. M. Lickliter " 

David Henkel " 

John Sullivan Constable. 

riverheads district. 

Wm. T. Rush Supervisor. 

J. H. Rush . . Justice. 

Wm. W. Cale " 

James N. Mitchell •' 

Thos. a. Blownlee Constable. 

middle river district. 

Wm. Crawford Supervisor. 

K. B. KoiNER Justice. 

C. S. Roller " 

J. H. Crawford " 

S. N. Patterson Constable. 

north river district. 

S. A. East Supervisor. 

J. A. Hamrick Justice. 

J. A. Mills " 

C. S. Byers Constable. 

south river district. 

Jno. S. Ellis Supervisor. 

David W. Coiner Justice. 

Jacob Coiner, Jr " 

A. A. Arnold " 

Jno. M. Hanger • • . . . Constable. 

pastures district. 

H. B. Sieg Supervisor. 

B.O.Ferguson Justice. 

J. S. Guy " 

W.J. EURITT " 

W. T. Lightner Constable. 



BISTORT OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 255 



CHAPTER XVI. 



CITIES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES. 

As new-comers arrived in the county after the settlement of Lewis at 
Bellefonte, they clustered round about the fort. This soon became a source 
of inconvenience to the Founder, and led to his selection of the site of the 
present city of Staunton for a town. It was recommended by its numer- 
ous advantages, its central position, its many springs, and good, though 
limited, water-power. Before the organization of the county, Staunton 
was a considerable hamlet, and was named in honor of Lady Staunton, 
the accomplished wife of Lieut.-Gov. Gooch. Here the first court-house 
was built, but for many years subsequent to 1745, the clerk's office remained 
at Port Republic. Tradition says that the constant presence of the King's 
attorney, Mr. Gabriel Jones, and his professional brethren travelling to and 
fro on this road, led to our witty ancestors styling it the " Lawyers' Lane," 
That " lane," widened, improved and graded, is the present road by the 
Western Lunatic Asylum to the National Cemetery, and thence through 
New Hope to the now historical town of Port Republic. No plat of 
Staunton was made until 1748, when a few streets and lots were laid off. 
The plat was subsequently confirmed by the Legislature, was presented in 
court, and admitted to record 27th February, 1749. It is believed by 
some that Staunton was incorporated by Act of the Assembly in 1748, and 
Campbell distinctly so states in his History of Virginia. We have seen 
nothing to establish this fully, but sufficient to justify a belief in its proba- 
bility. There is a proclamation, of date April 8th, 1752, from Governor 
Dinwiddie, repealing certain acts of the Assembly, passed at the revisal in 
1748. Among these acts is one entitled, "An act for establishing a town 
in Augusta County, and allowing fairs to be kept there." At this time, 
Pittsburg and the surrounding country was supposed to be and claimed as 
a part of Virginia, and it does not appear whether Pittsburg or Staunton, 
or either, was referred to in the act. It is probable, however, as Staunton 
was laid out into streets and lots in 1748, that it was Staunton ; and if so, 
she is the oldest town in the Valley. 

The first act for its incorporation, which appears in Hening, was passed 
in November, 1761, and is in the following words : 



256 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

I. " Whereas, the erecting towns on the frontier of this colony may prove 
of great benefit and advantage to the inhabitants, by inducing many of 
them to settle together, which will enable them the better to defend them- 
selves on any sudden incursions of an enemy ; and whereas, it has been 
represented to this present General Assembly that William Beverly, Esq., 
deceased, did, in his hfetime, lay out a parcel of land in the County of 
Augusta, at the court-house of the said county, into lots and streets for a 
town, and did sometime afterwards give to the said county twenty-five acres of 
land more, adjoining the said former lots, to be added to and made part of 
said town, which has also been since laid off into lots and streets, most of 
which are now disposed of, and many families are settled there ; 

" Be it, therefore, enacted by the Lieutenant-Governor, Council and Bur- 
gesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the 
authority of the same, that the lands so laid off by the said William Bev- 
erly, in the County of Augusta, shall be called and known by the name of 
Staunton. * * And whereas, it is necessary that trustees should be ap- 
pointed for said town hereby erected, Be it further enacted, by the author- 
ity aforesaid, That William Preston, Israel Christian, David Stewart, John 
Brown, John Page, William Lewis, William Christian, Eledge McClene- 
chan, Robert Breckenridge and Randal Lockhart, gentlemen, be and they 
are hereby nominated, constituted and appointed trustees for the said town 
of Staunton, in the County of Augusta. 

"And the said trustees, or any three of them, respectively, shall and may 
and they are hereby authorized and empowered to make, from time to 
time, such rules, orders and directions for the regular and orderly building 
the houses in the said town as to them shall seem expedient, and also to 
settle all disputes and controversies concerning the bounds of the lots in 
the said town, 

"And for continuing the succession of the said trustees. Be it further 
enacted. That in case of the death of any of the said trustees, or their 
refusal to act, the surviving or other trustees, or the major part of them, 
shall assemble, and are hereby empowered, from time to time, by instru- 
ment in writing under their respective hands and seals, to nominate some 
other person or persons in the place of him so dying or refusing ; which 
new trustrees so nominated and appointed, shall from thenceforth have the 
like power and authority in all things relating to the matters herein con- 
tained, as if he or they had been expressly named and appointed in and 
by this act. And every such instrument and nomination shall, from time 
to time, be inserted and registered in the books of the said trustees." 

Staunton is the only city in the county in 1882, is the seat of Justice, and 
the commercial metropolis of the county and much adjacent territory. It 
is situated on both sides ot Lewis creek, and on both sides of its two 
branches, — Peyton's creek and Gum Spring branch, — which unite in the city 
and make up Lewis creek, which was so called in honor of the Founder. 
It is about one hundred and twenty miles from Richmond, and about one 
hundred and eighty from Washington. Its average height above the sea 
level is 1,450 feet. A glance at the map shows it to be near the geo- 
graphical centre of the county. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 257 

In May, 1779, an act was passed by the General Assembly, by which 
the trustees of the town were displaced and the sheriff of the county was 
directed to proceed to take a poll for the election of five trustees in their 
room. This act defines the powers of the trustees, imposes penalties for 
misapplication of taxes, &c. The same act prohibited swine from running 
at large in the town, and provided that " it shall be lawful for any person 
whatsoever to kill and destroy every such swine going at large." The 
causes which led to the removal of the trustees does not appear, nor have 
we been able to get the names of the old or new trustees. This act was so 
much opposed by the pig-growers, that the portion relating to swine was 
repealed by the Legislature of 1782, and pigs were allowed to range at 
large through the streets. 

On November 6, 1787, an act was passed for enlarging the town by the 
addition of twenty-five acres, the property of Alexander St. Clair, which 
was ordered to be laid off into lots and streets, and made part of the said 
town. This is that portion of Staunton commonly called New Town, ex- 
tending from Church street south and northwest. That portion of the 
town lying north of Academy street is generally known as Gallowstown. 
It acquired its name thus: About the year 1795, a man by the name of 
Bullitt was charged with horse stealing, was tried, and condemned to 
death. He was executed at the forks of the road, the intersection of New 
and Augusta streets, opposite the residence of Mr. Evans, where the 
gallows was erected. At the time Bullitt was hung, his brother was hold- 
ing a court at the Warm Springs, and the family had hitherto been with- 
out reproach. We may add that East Main street and the surrounding 
district is styled Gospel Hill, from the eminent piety of the late Samson 
Eagan, who long occupied the present residence of D. A. Kayser. Mr. 
Eagan was a pillar in the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

Within recent )'ears, Staunton has been connected with the east and 
west by railways, and lying midway between the Atlantic and Ohio, occu- 
pies a good commercial position. 

The corporation consists of a mayor, who exercises the powers of a jus- 
tice of the peace, twelve councilmen, six justices of the peace, a consta- 
ble, four policemen, a treasurer, recorder, town clerk, an attorney, a com- 
missioner of the revenue, &c. The mayors, since 1802, have been — 

John McDowell, L. L. Stevenson, 

Jacob Swoope, John Eagan, 

Jacob Kinney, K. Harper, 

Chesley Kinney, Jeff. Kinney, 

Chapman Johnson, R. S. Brooke, 

Michael Garber, William Ruff, 

John H. Peyton, T. P. Eskridge, 

Eras. Stribling, N. K. Trout, 

33 t 



258 history of augusta county. 

Samuel Clark, W. M. Allen, 

James Crawford, R. G. Bickle, 

William Kinney, Wm. L. Balthis, 

J. A. Cochran. 

The charter of the town was amended by act of the Legislature Feb. 
20, 1833. 

The chmate of Staunton is dry, mild and healthy. 

The churches of the town are.'for the whites — One Methodist Episcopal, 
which accommodates 900 persons ; one Episcopal (Protestant) 800 ; two 
Presbyterian, 1,300; one Baptist, 600; one Lutheran, 400; one Roman 
Catholic, 400; and for the colored population — One Methodist Episcopal, 
700; one African Methodist Episcopal, 1,000; two Baptist, 1,300. 

No town possesses greater educational advantages than Staunton, 
whether we consider its public or private schools. 

" Its graded or public schools," says Maj. Hotchkiss, "offering complete 
facilities for a common or high school education or for a preparation for 
entering college, are free to all between the ages of five and twenty-one ; 
its select school for boys provides intermediate or aca^iemic instruction at 
a moderate charge to those preferring private preparatory schools ; 
its four denominational but not sectarian female colleges, Methodist, 
Episcopal, Lutheran and Presbyterian, are among the most thorough and 
prosperous in the country, as is evidenced by the hundreds of young 
ladies in attendance upon their classes from more than half the States of 
the Union. Besides, it is less than two hours by rail from the celebrated 
University of Virginia, at Charlottesville, with its unrivalled facilities for 
academic or professional training, and its free academic tuition to the young 
men of Virginia, on the one hand, and only thirty-six miles (now by stage 
but soon by rail over a railway in progress), to Washington and Lee Uni- 
versity, at . Lexington, an incorporated institution, conducted upon much 
the sam.e plan as the University of Virginia, or the Virginia Military Insti- 
tute, the West Point of Virginia, with free State cadets, on the other 
hand. 

The Free Public Schools of Staunton were organized in 1870, cotempo- 
raneously with their organization in Virginia, and during the school year 
1870-71 ten schools, 8 for white children and 2 for colored, were taught by 
14 teachers, for 5.81 months, with an average attendance of 277 white and 
103 colored children. At that time there was a joint Superintendent for 
the public schools of the county and city. In 1873 the free public schools 
of the city were reorganized with four grades of schools for the whites and 
two for the blacks, and all put in charge of a City Superintendent of 
Schools, the city having been most efficiendy aided in this work from the 
Peabody Education Fund and by Dr. Barnas Sears, a citizen of Staunton, 
the learned General Agent of that fund. During the school year 1873-4 
there were 13 grades or schools, 9 for whites and 4 for blacks, with 14 
teachers, taught for 7 months, with an average attendance of 390 whites 
and 160 blacks. Since 1873 the same organization has been continued and 
under the same Superintendent. 

During the school year 1876-7, the last reported, there were 15 schools, 
12 for whites and 3 for blacks, taught by 17 teachers, 2 males and 15 fe- 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 259 

males, for lo months, with an average daily attendance of 422 white and 
133 black children, 555 in all. These returns show that 30 per cent, of 
the white and 27 per cent, of the black school population of the city, — all 
those between the ages of 5 and 21 — were, on an average, in daily attend- 
ance in the free public schools during the annual session of ten scholastic 
months of this year. The enrollment for attendance during the year was 
576 whites and 250 blacks, a total of 826, which was 42 per cent, of the 
white and 50 per cent, of the black school population. One hundred of 
the white pupils were studying the higher branches. The average monthly 
enrollment to each teacher was 38, and the average age of the pupils 9.6 
years. 

The average salaries paid to the male teachers were $120.33 a month 
and to the female teachers $38.62. There were paid during the year, for 
teachers' wages, $8,653, ^o^" other purposes, rent, fuel, &c., $2,632.93, or a 
total of $11,285.93. The funds were derived, from the State $1,208.35, 
from city appropriation $7,992.61, from tuition for those from without the 
corporation $274.50, and from other sources, including $2,000 from the 
Peabody Education Fund, $2,486.03, aggregating $11,961.49, 

At this time, May 1878, there are in operation, for whites, 12 schools, in 
5 grades, with 12 teachers; and for blacks, 4 schools, in 2 grades, with 4 
teachers. The grades are : First and Second Primary, Intermediate, 
Grammar School and High School. 

The only requirement for the admission of any one between the ages of 
5 and 21, living in Staunton, to its public schools of any grade, is the pro- 
duction of a certificate of vaccination from a city physician on application 
for enrollment. 

Those living beyond the corporate limits of the city may attend its 
schools by paying tuition at the rate of $1 a month in the primary, $1.50 
in the intermediate, $2 in the grammar, and $2.50 in the high schools. 
The county free schools are open, quite near the city limits, without charge 
to those living without the corporation. 

The aim of the public schools is to give a thorough training in the com- 
mon English branches to all the pupils, teaching each one to think for 
himself, thus laying the foundation for intellectual improvement while im- 
parting skill in the application of principles in the affairs of life. Vocal 
music is taught in all the schools by a teacher having no other duty, and 
all are drilled in singing and the reading of music. 

The City Superintendent of Public Schools has supervision of and duly 
visits all the schools and investigates not only the study work, but all cases 
of misdemeanors and punishments. He devotes all his time to the schools. 
The teachers are appointed by the Board of Education of the city, after 
they have obtained a certificate of qualification, based on an examination 
by the Superintendent. They are required to meet every Saturday for 
normal drill and consultation, and in this way the efficiency and unity of 
the system is preserved. 

The discipline maintained requires a prompt and willing obedience from 
the pupils and the exercise of a firm but kind and parental authority on 
the part of the teachers. Parents are consulted and their cooperation 
sought, and corporal punishment is resorted to only in extreme cases, but 
good order is strictly insisted upon and enforced, and no town can furnish 
a more orderly and well-behaved set of children and youths. 

Separate and wholly distinct schools are, by law, provided for whites 
and blacks, but equal facilities are furnished to each race. 



260 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

There are several private schools, — one, St. Francis, under the supervi- 
sion of the Sisters of Charity, attached to the Roman Catholic Church, — 
and two for boys, one conducted by Capt. H. L. Hoover, and the other 
by G. M. Murray. 

There are four ladies' colleges in Staunton, where over five hundred 
young girls from almost every part of the Union are annually instructed 
and encouraged in everything virtuous and laudable. In all of these 
schools the course of study is extensive and thorough, and the graduates 
turned out from them are celebrated for the graces of their hearts, the ele- 
gance of their manners, and the improvement of their understandings. 
The social and religious influences of Staunton are unsurpassed, and special 
efforts are made to inspire the young ladies of these seminaries with true 
ideas ; to rouse them from a vacant and insipid life, into one of usefulness 
and laudable exertion ; to recall them from visionary novels and romances 
into solid reading and reflection, and from the criminal absurdities of 
fashion to the simplicity of nature and the dignity of virtue. The first 
established of these seats of learning was the Augusta Female Seminary, 
founded in 1842. It is under the general control of the members of the 
Presbyterian Church. The course of instruction is modeled after that of 
the University of Virginia, and it issues certificates of proficiency in each 
school, and a diploma is conferred upon full graduates — graduates in seven 
schools. The sessions begin in September and end in June. The expense 
per session ranges between $260 and $350, without music and the ancient 
and modern languages, for which an extra charge is made. For nearly 
twenty years this school has been under the judicious and enlightened 
control of Miss Mary J. Baldwin, who has a staff of between twenty and 
thirty assistants, and enjoys great prosperity. 

The Virginia Female Institute was established in 1844, and belongs to 
the Council of the Diocese of the Protestant Episcopal Church of Vir- 
ginia. The course of instruction is similar to that in the Augusta Female 
Seminary. The sessions begin and end about the same time, and the ex- 
penses are about the same. The school has recently come under the con- 
trol of Mrs. J. E. B. Stuart, who has a large staff of assistants, and is in- 
creasing in public favor. 

The third seminary is the Wesleyan Female Institute, founded in 1846 
by the Baltimore Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. 
The course of instruction, the period of the session, and the expenses, are 
similar to those of the other schools. The school has been for nearly fifteen 
years under the Presidency of Rev. Wm. A. Harris. It has a corps of . 
over twenty assistants, and is highly prosperous. 

The fourth great school is the Staunton Female Seminary, under the 
general auspices of the Lutheran Church. It was established in 1870, and 
is, as to the course of studies, expenses, &c., similar to the previous three 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 261 

mentioned. Until within a recent period, it was under Rev. J. I. Miller as 
Principal. Since his late resignation, Rev. Jas. Willis has been appointed 
and has taken charge of the institution. He comes with the best of recom- 
mendations, and will, no doubt, maintain the high reputation acquired by 
the Seminary in the past. 

These ladies' colleges are all of them commodious and elegant brick 
edifices, with the necessary offices, &c., and are replete with the modern 
improvements, — gas, heating apparatus, ventilation, bath-rooms, &c. The 
grounds are prettily and highly improved, ornamented with trees, flowers, 
fountains, jets d'eau, etc. 

Staunton is the seat of two great State charities, — the first, the Institu- 
tion for the education of the Deaf, Dumb, and of the Blind, — the second, 
the Western Lunatic Asylum. On both the State has expended hundreds 
of thousands of dollars, and in their respective spheres they are invaluable. 
The buildings are grand and imposing. In the Deaf and Dumb and Blind 
Institution, the pupils receive a good common school education, and are 
taught some trade or art by which they may, after leaving, maintain them- 
selves. All indigent deaf and blind children are here taught, lodged, 
boarded and clothed at the public expense. The present principal is Dr. 
W. R. Vaughn. 

In 1 85 1, the writer was the youngest member of the Board of Directors 
of the Deaf, Dumb and Blind Institution, and as such, in accordance with 
a custom of the Directory, was requested to write the report for that year 
to the General Assembly. He performed this duty, and in the course of 
that paper, said : " The Board respectfully suggests to the General Assem- 
bly that owing, no doubt, to the healthfulness of our climate, too little re- 
gard has been had in the construction of the buildings to hospital pur- 
poses. It is indispensable to the comfort, accommodation, and proper 
nursing of the sick in so large an establishment, that a separate suite of 
apartments should be appropriated to their exclusive use. The Institution 
is now filled to its utmost capacity, and in the event of an epidemic or 
contagious disease, every inmate would be endangered, and the operations 
of the Institution probably suspended." 

[These suggestions in regard to a hospital for the Institution suggest the 
want of a hospital for the town and county — a want severely felt during 
the recent prevalence of small-pox. It is hoped that ere long the town 
and county may unite in the purchase of a suitable piece of ground in the 
vicinity of the city and the erection of a substantial building, to be used as 
a hospital for the sick and disabled — strangers and travelers, as well as 
residents. A special department might be devoted to fever and small-pox 
cases, to which might be advantageously added a ward for convalescents. 
The site of such a charity should be where there is plenty of fresh and 
pure air, not too far from town, and entirely isolated by being in an open 



'TV 



262 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

field, susceptible of good drainage. The buildings should be constructed 
after a plan which would insure ventilation, warmth and light, and where 
an unlimited supply of water could be had for culinary purposes, for bath- 
rooms, closets, &c. In connection with it there should be a kitchen, laun- 
dry, dispensary, and a disinfecting chamber, where heat could be applied 
to clothes and bedding for the destruction of the germs of disease. A 
separate building, or a wing, might be fitted up for the use of those able 
to pay for such accommodations.] 

The other great State charity is the Western Lunatic Asylum, situated 
in the eastern suburbs of Staunton. It is one of the largest establishments 
of the kind in the United States, accommodating about six hundred pa- 
tients, and has been eminently successful in the treatment of the insane. 
The grounds are extensive, — about 230 acres of land belong to and are 
surrounding the buildings, and have been handsomely and expensively 
improved. The present Superintendent is Dr. R. S. Hamilton. 

THE COUNTY BUILDINGS. 

As all of the county buildings of any importance are situated within the 
limits of Staunton, we have deferred till now any particular allusion to 
them. About the year i836-'37, the county undertook, and in the course 
of a year erected, the present handsome brick court-house with two wings. 
The east wing is used as the clerk's office of the Circuit Court, and the 
west is the office of the county clerk. Both have fire-proof vaults for the 
preservation of the records. These vaults were constructed during the 
year 1881, at a cost of about $6,000. The building occupies the same site, 
or very nearly so, of the first court-house, and all others which have been 
built since 1745, up to the present time. The court room is embellished 
with portraits of some of our distinguished lawyers, and if all of our worthies 
were hung around its walls it would form a gallery of no small interest, 
excite the emulation of the young, and improve the taste of all. The room 
above the circuit clerk's office is used for the sessions of the Supreme 
Court of Appeals of Virginia, and that over the county office by the su- 
pervisors. Those above the court-room are used as jury-rooms, for which 
they are admirably adapted. 

On the square south and opposite the court-house the county built, 
about i847-'48, the present massive stone prison, on the site of the former 
brick jail. It is a handsome two-story building. The prisoners are con- 
fined in the rear rooms. The front ones furnish good accommodations to 
the jailor and his family. The present turnkey is George Harlan. 

Near the village of Arbor Hill there is a county poor-house, with a farm 
of about three hundred acres. Here the paupers of the county are kept by 
the superintendent, at present G. W. Fauber, who is appointed by the court. 
The Overseer of the Poor is elected every four years by the people. The 
poor-house has few inmates, and these, for the most part, persons unable, 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 263 

from age or bodily disability, to work. There is a distinction between the 
town and county poor. The town or city supports its own poor, and it is 
done at moderate expense through the efficient overseer, John Kurtz. 
There is no city alms-house, and the object is secured by a system of out- 
door relief. It is the general opinion that it might be done at less expense 
and more conveniently by the erection, in the suburbs, of a suitable asy- 
lum, for those who are reduced to want and dependence. We have no 
statistics of either the town or county pauperism, but Augusta is believed 
to have as few poor, in proportion to her population, as any county in the 
State. She stands equally high as to crime. The criminal courts have 
little business, and within the last thirty years few persons have been sent 
to the penitentiary and fewer still have felt the halter draw. During a 
residence of nearly forty years in the county, the writer only remembers 
to have seen four executions, and he believes only five have occurred during 
that long period. The first three hung were William B. Johnson and two 
negro accomplices in the crime of rape. They were hung in Sandy Hol- 
low, north of Staunton, in the year 1845. The other was Hemphill 
Trayer, who was hung Friday, 6th of January, 1854, for the murder of 
an old man named William Coleman. Shortly after the war, a man by 
name of Hodges was accused of horse stealing, and was taken from the 
county jail by a disguised band during the night, carried two miles south 
of Staunton, on the Lexington road, and there executed. This is the only 
instance of lynch law which has occurred in the county, and was much 
regretted by the cool and dispassionate part of the community. 

There are three weekly papers published in Staunton — the '■ Spectator," 
the "Vindicator," and the "Valley Virginian." They are all handsome 
and prosperous. The "Goodson Gazette " is a neat and sprightly weekly, 
published by the pupils of the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind Institu- 
tion, from a fund dedicated to this purpose by a wealthy and benevolent 
gentleman, Mr. John J. Goodson, of Norfolk. The " Virginias" is a hand- 
somely printed mining, industrial and. scientific monthly, ably edited by 
Maj. Jed. Hotchkiss. 

There are two large hotels in Staunton, the Virginia and the American, 
and many boarding-houses, notably the Mozart House, the Miller House, 
the Peyton House and Kalorama. 

There are two banks, the National Valley, with a capital of $200,000, 
and the Augusta National, with a capital of $100,000. 

An iron foundry and machine shop, called the Staunton Iron Works, is 
also in successful operation. 

There are three military companies — the West Augusta Guards, the Staun- 
ton Artillery, and a colored company. There is also a fine band, called the 
" Stonewall Band," which was organized in 1855, and during the civil war 
belonged to the brigade of the famous Stonewall Jackson. 



264 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

The Baldwin Augusta Fair has, as we have seen, extensive and beauti- 
ful grounds near the city, with race track, ornamental water, &c. 

The population of Staunton, in 1882, is estimated at 8,000, with about 
2,000 in the suburbs, but beyond the city limits. 

The following is a correct list of the officers of the city in 1882 : 

J. W. Green Smith Judge of Hustings Court. 

Newton Argenbright Clerk of Hustings Court. 

Edward Echols Attorney for Commonwealth. 

W. D, Runnels , Sergeant. 

George Harlan, ) t-. . o 

r Deputy Sergeants. 



John R. Kurtz, 



J. A. Cochran Mayor. 

John M. Carroll Treasurer. 

E. M. Gushing Deputy Treasurer. 

George H. Hudson . Commissioner Revenue. 

Charles E. Hudson Assistant Commissioner Revenue. 

John R. Kurtz Overseer of Poor. 

James H. Waters Chief of Police. 

M. HOUNIHAN, ") 

J. A. Newman, V Police Officers. 

Wm. M. Simpson, j 

E. W. Harman Superintendent Water Works. 

SCHOOL board. 

John W. Todd President. 

William J. Nelson Clerk. 

William A. Bowles Superintendent Schools. 

I. WiTZ, "] 

William Wholey, I t t 

JosEPH B. Woodward, | ^ rustees. 

John M. Carroll, J 

CITY council. 

Robert W. Burke President. 

Newton Argenbright Clerk. 

John W. Todd Chairman Committee on Finance. 

James C. Marquis . . Chair'n Com'teeon Streets and Retrnch't. 

Isaac Witz Chairman Committee on Water. 

J. D. Crowle . . . Chair'n Com'e on Street Lights and Printing. 

John Burns Chairman Committee on Fire Department. 

Dr. N. Wayt Chairman Committee on Health. 

G. M. Cochran, Jr . .Chair'n Com'e on Ordinances and Schools. 
G. G. Gooch Chairman Committee on Police. 

F. B. Berkeley Chairman Committee on Safety. 

John W. Alby . . . Chairman Committee on Poor and Public 

Grounds and Buildings. 

P. H. Trout Chairman Auditing Committee. 

John R. Kurtz Messenger of Council. 

Dr. J. H. Fultz City Physician. 

William M. Matheny Weighmaster. 

W. G. Paxton Sealer Weights and Measures. 

W. W. Fretwell Janitor City Hall. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 265 

MAGISTRATES. 

William B. Kayser, '\ 

George D. Pearman, >■ Ward No. i. 

W. D. Anderson, ) 

W Calvin Straughan, | ^^^^ ^ 

B. F. Terry, j 

FIRE DEPARTMENT. 

Thomas J. Crowder Chief Engineer. 

M. Cox ... Captain Augusta Fire Company. 

R, A. Hamilton Captain Newtown Hose Company. 

John M. Hardy Captain Hook and Ladder Company. 



By act of the General Assembly, passed March i6, 1838, it was provided 
that a turnpike road should be constructed from Staunton to Parkersburg. 
Under this act the road was located by Col. Claude Crozet and con- 
structed, and has added much to the prosperity of the town and to the 
country through which it passes. The superintendent of this road, in 
1882, is Major William H. Peyton, of Augusta County. The act for its 
establishment is in these words : 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly, That the Board of Public 
Works be, and they are hereby authorized and directed, to cause to be 
constructed, a turnpike road from Staunton, through the Dry Branch gap, 
to Parkersburg. The said board shall possess and may exercise all the 
powers, and shall be subject to all the duties and restrictions in relation to 
the road herein provided for, as are given to and imposed upon the presi- 
dent and directors of the N. W. turnpike road, except so far as is herein 
otherwise specially directed. 

The said road shall be commenced and completed as speedily as the 
same can be done consistently with a due regard to the interest of the 
State. Itshall nowhere exceed a grade of four degrees, nor shall it be more 
than twenty feet wide, nor less than fifteen feet, exclusive of side ditches, 
&c. 

2. That in order to defray the expense of constructing said road, the 
said Board of Public Works be and they are hereby empowered to borrow 
on the credit of the State, from time to time, such sums of money not ex- 
ceeding in the aggregate $150,000, as may be necessary therefor, agreea- 
bly to such provision as may be contained in any general act authorizing 
loans for purposes of internal improvement, passed at the present session 
of the General Assembly. But if no such act be passed, then the said loan 
shall be effected upon the terms and conditions prescribed by the act of 
March 19, 1831, for the construction of the Northwestern Turnpike Road. 
In force from its passage. 



During the session of 1837, the General Assembly passed an act to in- 
corporate the Staunton and Covington turnpike, and ordered books to be 
opened at Staunton for receiving subscriptions to the same, under John H. 
Peyton, Benjamin Crawford, Thomas J. Michie, J. C. Sowers and William 
Kinney. 

34 t 



266 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

On the 30th of March, 1837, the Harrisonburg and Staunton Turnpike 
Company was incorporated, and books for receiving subscriptions were 
ordered to be opened at Staunton and other places. 

At the same session an act was passed to revive an act incorporating the 
Staunton and Jenning's Gap Turnpike Company, passed February, 1837. 

At the same session an act was passed incorporating the Staunton and 
Iron Works Turnpike Company, for constructing a road from Staunton to 
or near Miller's, now Forrer's, Iron Works. 

Also an act to incorporate the Dry Branch Gap Turnpike Company for 
constructing a road from Buffalo Gap to some point on the Harrisonburg 
and Warm Springs turnpike road. Also an act to incorporate the Staun- 
ton and Little Kanawha road ; also an act to incorporate the Staunton and 
Potomac railroad. Acts for the incorporation of other roads were passed, 
but the terms of the acts were never complied with, and it is not necessary 
to enumerate them. 

In 1838, the Valley Turnpike Company was incorporated, the road loca- 
ted, graded and macadamized. 

It was this enlightened policy on the subject of public improvements, — 
the construction of new and improving old roads, — which led to a consid- 
erable increase in the trade and prosperity of Staunton shortly after 1840 ; 
and there is no better way of measuring the civilization of a people than 
by the number of their roads. The most enlightened countries in the 
world, — such as England, France and Germany, — are those in which roads 
are most numerous, and the most ignorant, benighted land is Africa, the 
country where there are fewest roads. 

The county is now traversed from east to west by the Chesapeake and 
Ohio railway, extending from the Atlantic seaboard, at Fortress Monroe, 
to the Ohio river ; from north to south by the Shenandoah Valley railroad, 
which crosses the Potomac near Harper's Ferry, thence pursues the Val- 
ley of the Shenandoah to Waynesborough, in Augusta, and thence going 
south through Rockbridge to Tennessee ; and by the Valley Branch of 
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, which passes the Potomac at Harper's 
Ferry, running south through Winchester, and up the Valley west of the 
Shenandoah river, and generally parallel to the Shenandoah Valley rail- 
road, to Staunton and Lexington. The ordinary roads are the Valley 
turnpike from Staunton to Winchester, a well-graded and macademized 
road, which has added much to the comfort of the people living contigu- 
ous to it, and enhancing the value of their lands ; the Parkersburg road, 
from Staunton through Buffalo Gap ; the Scottsville road, and numerous 
county roads . penetrating every quarter of Augusta. These roads need 
grading, widening, ditching and macadamizing, as nothing adds more to 
the comfort of a country, to the value of its lands and the profits of the 
farmer than good roads ; and many plans for securing this end are now 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY, 267 

under consideration, and ere long some of them will, no doubt, take form 
and be carried out. 



Augusta or Stribling Springs, 13 miles from Staunton, on the North 
Mountain, is a Summer resort of considerable reputation. The improve- 
ments consist of a large hotel, proprietor's residence, a number of cot- 
tages, &c. 

Arbor Hill is a pretty little hamlet, 6 miles south of Staunton, on the 
Middlebrook road. There is a mercantile establishment there, churches, &c. 

Barter Brook is situated about 7 miles southeast from Staunton, in a 
fertile and beautiful section of the county. The population is about 50. 
There are two physicians, a flouring-mill, post-office and smithy. 

Craigsville is situated on the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, about 
23 miles west of Staunton, and is noted for its valuable marble quarries. 
It contains a population of 117 souls, two stores and a smithy. 

Churchville is situated on the Jenning's Gap road, 7 miles from 
Staunton, and has a population of 245 ; three stores, four churches, a fine 
graded school, two resident physicians, an organ manufactory, smithy and 
a large flouring mill. It is an enterprising and prosperous village, situated 
in the fertile and lovely valley of Jenning's Branch. 

Deerfield is situated 25 miles from Staunton on the Warm Springs 
turnpike, on the Calfpasture, and has a population of about 60 souls. It 
has one church, a smithy, store-house, and a resident physician. 

FiSHERSViLLE lies 7 miles east of Staunton, on the Chesapeake and 
Ohio railroad, and has a population of about 175. It has a Methodist 
church, two stores, a wagon-maker's shop, smithy, and a resident physi- 
cian. In the vicinity there is a valuable iron mine, and much lime is burnt 
in the neighborhood and shipped to market. It is situated on the head 
waters of the " Long Meadows," one of the richest and finest sections of 
the county. 

Greenville is 12 miles south of Staunton, on the Lexington road. It 
has a population of about 250. It has churches, shops, a flouring-mill, 
resident physicians, several stores, &c. It is about a mile north of the 
Shenandoah Valley railroad, and is prosperous and thriving. There is a 
sprightly weekly paper published at this place, called the "Greenville Ban- 
ner." 

Mossy Creek is situated 2^ miles from Mt. Solon, near the Rocking- 
ham line. It is a village of about forty souls ; has a post-office ; a wag- 
onmaker's and blacksmith's shop, a furniture manufactory, a cooper's, and 
two flouring mills — Kyle's and Forrer's. One of the oldest Presbyterian 
churches (Mossy Creek) is here. 

Mt. Solon — We are indebted to J. T. Clarke, M. D., for the following 
account of this prosperous and pretty little village : 



26S HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

" The first settlers at the head of Mossy Creek, who located the lands 
at and around the site of the present village, were Robert Gregg, W. Mc- 
Dougal, and Adam Stephenson. These lands were granted to them by- 
Lord Botetourt in the year 1769, or prior thereto, and adjoined the lands 
of Samuel McPheeters and Col. Stephenson. A log house was built by a. 
Mr. Cochran, about 1799, which is now standing and occupied as a resi- 
dence, and a mill to the north of it. The log house was first used as a 
store by the firm of Cochran & Cravens — Dr. Joseph Cravens. This 
property was afterwards purchased by John and Christian Landes. One 
occupied the original log house, and the other built a similar residence on 
the north side of the forks of the road, which was subsequendy demolished 
by Gabriel Judson, of Luray, and on its site the present commodious store- 
house built. They also erected a small log house on the site of the pres- 
ent brick mill-house, which was occupied by a Mr. Decker, the grand- 
father of Capt. J. F. Hotrie, now of the village. The two Landes also 
erected a distillery on the south side of the dam, and a saw-mill on the 
north side of the forebay of the present mill. On the left side of the road, 
south of the creek, opposite the Cochran house, was erected a small log 
dwelling and smith shop, occupied and carried on by a Mr. Joseph Shuey. 
A school-house was about this time, or not long subsequently, built at the 
bend of the Staunton road. John Landes built a barn back of the smith 
shop on the side of the hill, and Christ. Landes built his barn a couple of 
hundred yards west of his house, on the North River Gap road. About 
the year 1818, the Landes sold the mill property and land attached to 
Wm. Cave (a brother-in-law of Abram Smith, who owned the farm called 
Egypt, on North River), and shortly after the sale the mill was burned 
down. Cave employed John and James Elliott and a Mr. Johnson, mill- 
wrights, to rebuild the merchant mill and saw-mill, and James Frazier, of 
Jenning's Gap, put up a store on the north side of the dam, and employed 
a Mr. J H. Bell to carry it on. Afterwards Bell and B. A. Ervine, both 
sons-in-law of Cave, bought out Frazier, and erected dwelling-houses on 
the lot adjacent to the store-house, and carried on the mercantile business 
until 1835. Cave also erected the brick mill-house, about the year 1827. 
About the year 1827, Jacob Daggy opened a tan-yard below the mill, and 
put up a brick dwelling-house — property now owned by J. E. Bolen. The 
village, with its varying fortunes, has continued ever since. In 1835. E. 
Stevens, of Rockingham county, and Henry Blakemore, of Miller's iron- 
works, bought out the firm of Bell & Ervine, and Mr. Blakemore, who was 
postmaster at the iron-works, by consent of the department, removed the 
post-office to his store, and the town was thenceforth christened Mt. Solon. 
On Friday, the 20th day of March, i860, the greater part of the village 
was burned down. At present the village contains thirty-four dwelling- 
houses, one M. E. Church South, ten shops, nine of which are in opera- 
tion, viz: two shoe-shops, one smith shop, one pump-maker, one wheel- 
wright and chair-maker, two cabinet-makers ; one tannery and five store- 
houses, three occupied and in successful operation ; one wagon and agri- 
cultural implement maker, one architect and house carpenter, and 150 in- 
habitants ; is seventeen miles from Staunton, fourteen miles from Harrison- 
burg, five miles from Stribling Springs, and seven miles from the Dora 
Coal Mines and Wooddell's Springs. We also have one school-teacher, 
two lighting-rod peddlars, numerous nostrum venders, a Commissioner of 
Revenue, and the residence of the County Treasui-er, and the usual pro- 
portion of gentlemen of leisure, and a physician." 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 269 

Mount Meridian is situated about i8 miles northeast from Staunton, 
on the Port Republic road, and has a population of 40. It has a large 
flouring-mill, a store, wagon-maker's shop, smithy, resident physician. 
There is a large builder's and contractor's shop here, and a church. 

Mount Sidney is situated about lo miles from Staunton, on the Valley 
turnpike, and has a population of 244. It has a post-office, churches, 
stores, workshops, physicians, &c., and is a highly prosperous village. 
The B. & O. Railroad passes on the outskirts, where there is a station. 

MiDDLEBROOK is 12 niiles south of Staunton, and has a population 
of 274, and is one of the most enterprising and prosperous villages in the 
county, having numerous stores, shops, &c. 

Mint Spring is situated 6 miles south of Staunton, on the Lexington 
road, and has a population of about 75, a church, blacksmith's shop, 
stores, &c. It is a station on the Valley Railroad. 

Midway is half-way between Staunton and Lexington, and has a popu- 
lation of 76. It has a church, two stores, smithy, a resident physician, &c. 

New Hope is 10 miles from Staunton, on the road to Weyer's Cave, 
and has a population of about 200. It has one church, a Tunker church 
near, two stores, two resident physicians, a graded school, and the usual 
workshops belonging to a thriving village. 

Newport is situated on the Brownsburg road, 18 miles from Staunton, and 
has a population of 102. 

Peytonsville. On the beautiful grounds at the intersection of Fair 
Ground avenue and the Parkersburg road, and north of those handsome 
thoroughfares, a plat of the streets and lots of this village has been 
made. In the opinion of many, it is destined to become the most attractive 
place of residence in the neighborhood of Staunton. The present popu- 
lation, on the Steep-hill estate, on which the lots lie, is 30. 

Piedmont is 2 miles east of New Hope, and famous as the scene of a 
bloody engagement during the civil war. 

Stuart's Draft is a post-office and village about 8 miles from Staun- 
ton, on the Shenandoah Valley Railroad, with a population of about 50, 
and is situated in the midst of one of the richest and most prosperous sec- 
tions of the county. 

Spring Hill is situated 8 miles northwest of Staunton, and has a popu- 
tion of 132. It is a post-office, has two churches, carriage and wagon- 
maker, blacksmith, physician, and two stores. It is a thriving and ad- 
vancing village. 

Sangersville is a post-office and village north of Staunton 22 miles. 
It has a store, blacksmith shop, two churches, and is a thriving little town 
of 75 to 100 inhabitants. 

Verona is on the Valley turnpike, about 6 miles north of Staunton, and 



270 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

has a population of 63. It is a station on the B. & O. Railroad, a post- 
office, has a store, extensive flouring mill, blacksmith shop, &c. 

Waynesborough was first located on lands belonging to James Flack, 
and named after Gen. Anthony Wayne. In 1798 Samuel and J. Estill 
made an addition to the town by laying off with streets and alleys a piece 
of adjoining land containing twenty-one acres. Good schools were early 
established, and the education of the young engrossed the public attention 
for many years. The first act for the incorporation of the trustees of the 
Waynesborough Academy and Town Hall was passed on 19th of Decem- 
ber, 1832, or two years before the incorporation of the town. It is in these 
words : 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly, That Richard Henry, Na- 
thaniel Massie, Wm. Clarke, John Wayt, Robt. Guy, Livingston Wad- 
dill, and Alex'r Wayland be, and they are hereby constituted a body 
politic and corporate by the name and style of " The Trustees of the 
Waynesborough Academy and Town Hall," and by that name shall have 
perpetual succession ; may sue and be sued, and have a common seal, 
with power to purchase, receive and hold, to them and their successors 
forever, any lands, tenements, rents, goods and chattels, of what kind so- 
ever, which may be purchased or devised, or given to them, for the use of 
the said Academy and Town Hall ; and to lease or rent or otherwise dis- 
pose of the same, or any part thereof, in such manner as to them shall 
seem most conducive to the advantage of the said Academy and Town 
Hall ; Provided, That not less than a majority of the said trustees shall be 
sufficient to authorize the sale of any real estate belonging to the said 
Academy and Town Hall. The said trustees, or their successors, or a ma- 
jority of them, shall constitute a Board, with power to appoint a President, 
tutors, treasurer, and such other officers as may be necessary, and shall 
have power, from time to time, to make and establish such by-laws, rules 
and regulations, not contrary to the laws and Constitution of this State or 
the United States, as they may judge necessary for the government of the 
said Academy and Town Hall. 

2. The said trustees, or any one of them, shall have power to take and re- 
ceive subscriptions for the use of the said Academy and Town Hall ; and 
in case any person shall fail to comply with his or her subscription, to en- 
force the payment thereof, by warrant before a justice of the peace, or by 
motion in any court of record in this Commonwealth, according to the 
amount of such subscription, upon giving ten days previous notice of such 
motion. And in case of the death, resignation, or legal disability of any 
one or more of the said trustees, the vacancy or vacancies thereby occa- 
sioned, may be supplied by the remaining trustees, or a majority of them. 

Nothing in this act shall be so construed as to restrain the General As- 
sembly of this Commonwealth from amending, altering or abolishing, at 
any future time, the said corporation. 

This act shall be in force from its passage. 

The act for the incorporation of the town was passed February 12th, 
1834, and need not be quoted, as it is in the usual form. It provided for 
the election of trustees, defined their powers, and authorized them to con- 
vey water into the town, etc. In 1874, Waynesborough obtained a new 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 271 

charter, the original charter having been in operation until 1858, when it 
was supposed to have lapsed. (See Session, acts 1874-5.) Under the 
new charter, William Withrow was elected Mayor; Thos. H. Antrim, 
Treasurer ; and J. H. Schindett, Sargeant. The Mayors have since been : 
Dr. P. St. G. Gibson, G. A. Bruce, and G. A. Patterson, who is the pres- 
ent Mayor. A handsome prison was erected in 1866-67, with a commo- 
dious Clerk's office and Council Chamber above. The population is 484, 
and the value of real and personal property is $137,209. Since the con- 
struction through the village of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad, there 
has been a considerable increase in business prosperity, and Waynes- 
borough seems destined to become a commercial and manufacturing centre 
of importance. There is a monthly magazine published in the town called 
" The Gem," and conducted with spirit by the enterprising firm of Dudley 
& Booz. A valuable flouring-mill was erected on the South River, at 
Waynesboro, as early as 1802. " It has been greatly enlarged," says Mr. 
William Withrow, to whom the writer is much indebted for information 
as to Waynesborough, the whole of which he regrets that his limited space 
does not permit him to use, " and has a capacity equal to, if not greater 
than any other in the county. It is said to grind one hundred barrels 
every twenty -four hours. To this mill is attached one for grinding plaster 
of Paris, of which it turns out from six to eight hundred tons annually." 

West View is 7 miles west of Staunton, on the Parkersburg turnpike, 
and has a population of about 60. It has a church, store, post-office, 
blacksmith's shop, flouring-mill, foundry and machine shop — formerly the 
property of Philip O. Polmer, dec'd. 



272 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



TOPOGRAPHY, METEOROLOGY, SOILS, GEOLOGY, MINERALOGY, FAUNA, 

FLORA, ETC. 

Augusta county lies in what is commonly called the Valley belt, situated 
between the Blue Ridge and Alleghany Mountains. (The AUeghanies 
are sometimes called the Apalachian Mountains. European geographers 
extend the name northwardly as far as the mountains extend. The moun- 
tains get the name from the Apalachies, a tribe of Indians formerly resid- 
ing in the southern portion of the mountains.) Staunton, about the geo- 
graphical centre of the county, is about 250 miles from the sea coast and 
about 270 from the Ohio river. The mountains are not solitary and scat- 
tered confusedly over the face of the county, but are disposed in ridges 
on the eastern and western boundaries, running nearly parallel to each 
other. In the county there are three solitary peaks, Betsy Bell, the Sugar 
Loaf, and Elliott's Knob, and one ot those ridges or divides which separate 
the waters of the Shenandoah from the James. The North Mountain 
range passes entirely through the county, and, from its great extent, was 
called by the Indians the " Endless Mountains." 

The county is bound on the east by the summit of the Blue Ridge on 
the lines of Albemarle and Nelson counties, on the north by Rockingham 
county, on the west by Bath, Highland and Pendleton counties — the last 
being in West Virginia — and on the south by Rockbridge. It occupies 
the entire width of the Shenandoah Valley, and contains the head-springs, 
or sources of the Shenandoah river. Staunton, in the centre of the county, 
is in latitude 38° 09' N. and longitude 79° 04' 12" West from Greenwich. 
The county is about 35 miles long and about 30 wide, with ah area of 
about 1,000 square miles, and has, by the census of 1870, 222,843 acres 
of improved land and 178,028 acres of unimproved land. In 1882 it is 
divided into six districts, among which the population is distributed, by 
the census of 1880, as follows: 

1. Beverly Manor, including Staunton, with a population of . . . . 10,026 

2. Middle River, with a population of 5,549 

3. North River, " " 4,313 

4. Pastures, " " 3,99i 

5. River Heads " " 4,757 

6. South River, " " 5,074 

Total, by the State's census of 1880 35, 710 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 273 

An extensive traveler in foreign lands, the writer has never seen a supe- 
rior race of men and women to those of Augusta and Virginia. 

The Valley of Virginia, in which Augusta county is situated, " is part," 
says Hotchkiss, " of the g:reat connected belt of Silurian limestone* valleys 
that extend for 1,500 miles from the mouth of the St. Lawrence through 
Canada, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, the 
Virginias, Tennessee and Georgia into Alabama, forming not only one of 
the most beautiful, fertile, populous, and everyway desirable portions of 
the States it crosses, but is the 'garden of America,' as Washington called it." 
In the grand plateau of the Virginian Valley, and about midway between 
Harper's Ferry and Bristol, lies Augusta county. Its surface is entirely 
above the plane of i, coo feet of altitude above the sea level ; its valley por- 
tions, proper, range from near 1,000 to over 2,000 feet in elevation, and its 
mountain lands range to 4,456 feet in Elliott's Knob. The average of the 
county is not far from 1,500 feet. The general aspect of the country is 
animated and inviting. In the scenery there is a union of romantic and 
rural beauty, a bold variety of broken ground, plain, and mountain peak, 
harmonized by congenial groves and clambering vines ; intervening marks 
of cheerful cultivation, and the quiet presence of herds of cattle, horses 
and sheep grazing upon the luxuriant pastures. 

The climate of Augusta is noted for its salubrity, the air being dry, pure 
and bracing, altogether without grossness. No malaria exists, and none 
of those fevers so common to less favored regions. The causes which 
modify the climate are in Winter the mountain ranges, which shelter the 
country from cold winds, and prevent, at every season, those cyclones and 
tornadoes which sweep the Atlantic coast, and are so destructive on the 
prairies of the West. The elevation of the Valley and the lofty mountains 
prevent excessive heats in Summer, and give us cool and pleasant nights. 
Thousands resort to this section annually in pursuit of health and a de- 
lightful Summer residence. The mean January temperature of Staunton, 
in the heart of the county, is 41° Fahr., and that of Jule 75°, according to 
the Smithsonian observations. The rainfall is 44 to 56 inches, and the 
rains are well distributed throughout the year. The winds are moderate 
in velocity, and the prevailing ones are from the southern quarters. The 
sky is remarkable for its clearness, and consequently, for the cheerfulness 
of the atmosphere — clear weather being the rule, cloudy the exception. 

The soil is generally fertile, and well adapted to the purposes of agri- 
culture. The country on the South River, on the Middle River, on Lewis' 
Creek, on Baker's Creek, on Christian's Creek, and on the other creeks 
and water-courses of the county, in richness of soil, is perhaps second to 
none in America. Wheat is the most important production, and is exten- 



*Silurian rocks, or strata, is the name given by Sir Robt.I. Murchiston to a series of rocks forming the up- 
per subdivision of the sedimentary strata found below the old red sandstone, and formerly designated the 
grey waches. These strata are well developed in Augusta county. 

35 t 



274 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

sively cultivated in every part of the county, and its quality is unsurpassed. 
Indian corn, rye, oats, barley, are also cultivated with success, and every 
part is well adapted, even the mountain sides, to grazing. The blue grass 
is indigenous and exuberant in its growth. The forests are composed of a 
variety of trees, and, above all, oaks, whose woods are valuable for manu- 
facturing purposes, such as the white, Spanish, black, red, scarlet, post, 
chesnut, rock chesnut, and other species of oaks remarkable for their 
strength and durability ; white and yellow tulip poplar ; cucumber tree and 
the umbrella tree ; black walnut, hickory, white pine, yellow pine, black 
spruce, hemlock, balsam fir, red cedar, juniper, arbor vitae, sycamore, 
beech, chesnut, ash, elm, sumac, locust, horn-beam, or iron-wood, dog- 
wood, persimmon, wild cherry, birch — black and white sugar maple, red 
maple, white maple, gum, and mulberry are common. The indigenous plum 
tree yields a fruit of agreeable flavor. Of shrubs and plants, the most 
noted are rhododendron, laurel and honeysuckles, — all being beautiful 
flowering shrubs, — wild hops, fox grapes, ginseng, sarsaparilla, snake- 
root, spikenard, vanilla grass, mandrake, wild gooseberry, and such Eu- 
ropean fruits — grapes, peaches, nectarines, pears — as have been intro- 
duced, flourish in Augusta, and the fruit is of delicious flavor. 

THE RIVERS AND OTHER WATER COURSES. 

The water-shed of the Shenandoah or sources of that river are in Au- 
gusta ; the thousand streams that form the head of the river are here, and 
consequently Augusta is better watered than counties lower down the Val- 
ley, where the creeks have collected into the main stream. Many of these 
sources are bold, perennial springs, capable of turning a mill or factory a 
stone's throw from their sources. 

Back Creek flows from the spurs of the Blue Ridge and along its base 
12 miles in a northerly direction, till it enters South river, which from its 
source, near Old Providence church, flows east 14 miles, receiving many 
small tributaries, till it joins Back creek, and then continues four miles fur- 
ther to Waynesboro ugh, thence north 14 miles to Port Republic, where it 
meets Middle river, and with it forms the south fork of the Shenandoah at 
an elevation of i ,000 feet above the sea. 

Christian's Creek. — Four miles from Old Providence church are the 
head springs of Christian's creek, which receives many tributaries, until in 
15 miles it enters Middle river. 

Mill Creek is the most important tributary to Christian's creek, en- 
tering it 8 miles below its source. 

Long Meadow Run heads near the Chesapeake and Ohio railway, 
three miles east of Christian's creek, and enters Middle river near the same 
point with Christian's creek. 

Lewis Creek heads near the bend in Mill creek, and flowing north- 
east, passes through Staunton and enters, after a ten-mile course. Middle 
river. It receives from the left 



HI8T0KT OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 275 

Peyton's Creek, having its sources in the Buttermilk and Wagoners' 
springs, northwest of Staunton, Fanny's run and Gum Spring branch. 
Poage's run enters Lewis creek from the north four miles below Staunton. 

Middle River. — At the foot of the Little North Mountain Middle 
river rises. It runs 9 miles along the base of the mountain northeast, 
where it receives another Back creek ; near West-view it receives Baker's 
creek, which has come down about six miles from the south. Two miles 
from the mouth of Baker's creek, the river receives 

Buffalo Branch, heading at the North Mountain Summit, 2,109 feet, 
and the highest point of the railroad between the James and Ohio rivers. 
Buffalo Branch receives Dry Run from the northwest. 

Grog Spring. — About two miles west of Buffalo Gap, in the heart of 
the mountains, on the south side of the Parkersburg road, a bright little 
stream issues from the hillside. This is called "Grog Spring," and has 
been walled up and improved by the Sporting Qub of Staunton. The 
water falls into a handsome marble vase or basin. On a slab let into the 
wall, supporting the vase, are inscribed some words inviting travellers to 
quench their thirst. 

Jenning's Branch, from the northwest, after receiving Whiskey creek 
and running a ten-mile course, enters Middle river. 

Bell's Creek also enters Middle river, coming up from the south. 

Moffett's Branch is another tributary , also Elk run ; also Falling 
Spring run, near Spring Hill. About 9 miles northeast from the mouth of 
Lewis creek. Middle river is joined by North river, and then joins the 
South river at Port Republic. 

North River. — In the northwest corner of the county, on the Shenan- 
doah Mountains, are the sources of North river ; the two principal streams 
join, and then receive Freemason's run, and pursuing its course, receives 
Briery branch from Rockingham county ; then it receives Mossy creek, 
and thence lower it receives Dry river, then Long Glade, and thence south- 
east till it joins Middle river, having four miles before its junction received 
Naked creek. 

Besides these waters, there are in the county the Little Calfpasture and Big 

Calfpasture rivers. Walker's creek, Moffett's creek, and South river of the 

James. All these head or have their sources opposite the sources of the 

North river in the Shenandoah mountains, and they flow southwest into 

Rockbridge. 

mineralogy. 

The mineral resources of the county have, as yet, been very imperfectly 
investigated, but such explorations as have been made show the earth to 
be pregnant with ores. In many places iron has been found in inexhausti- 
ble quantities, and has been mined and smelted at numerous places in the 
county : — 



276 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

1. Notably at Elizabeth, now known as Ferrol or Grace furnace, about 
1 6 miles west of Staunton ; built about 1863. 

2. At Mossy creek charcoal cold-blast furnace, 14 miles northwest of 
Staunton; built in 1760, burnt in 1841. 

3. Mount Torry hot-blast charcoal furnace, 15 miles east of Greenville ; 
built in 1800, rebuilt in 1853. 

4. Kennedy charcoal furnace ; built 1842. 

5. Estaline cold-blast charcoal furnace, 21 miles west of Staunton, on 
the head waters of the Little Calfpasture river, built 1838 — brown hema- 
tite ore. 

6. Cotopaxi hot-blast charcoal furnace, 16 miles southwest of Staunton 
on South river, built 1836. 

7. Vesuvius cold-blast charcoal furnace, 20 miles southwest of Staun- 
ton, on South river, built 1828 — " black rock " hematite ore. 

8. McDowell furnace, on South river, ih miles above Waynesborough. 
This furnace is supposed to have been erected between 1755 and 1780, by 
Samuel Moore, from whom McDowell, of Nelson, is thought to have ac- 
quired it. At the same place there was a forge, a saw and grist mill and 
carding machine, " making it," says Major McCue, " a place of consider- 
able importance." 

Marble of great beauty and value has been discovered, and the quar- 
ries are worked to profit at Craigsville — a demand existing for it at Cin- 
cinnati and Cleveland. In various other portions of the county it has 
been discovered — notably at Steephill, near Greenville, and on Betsy Bell. 
The specimens from the county are of a compact texture and beautiful ap- 
pearance, and susceptible of a good polish. 

Limestone abounds in almost every part of the county, and in differ- 
ent localities there are 

Sandstone ridges. One of these commences on Montgomery Hall, 
extends through Steephill, Selma and on to the Middle river, a distance of 
six or eight miles. The sandstone in this tract is composed of particles of 
quartz, united by a cement not calcareous or marly, but argillaceous or 
argillo-ferruginous and silicious. The grains of quartz are sometimes 
scarcely distinguishable to the naked eye, and sometimes they are equal 
in size to an egg. The texture of this sandstone is for the most part loose 
and porous, but hardens on exposure to the air, and of it durable walls are 
constructed. The four walls, a hundred feet long and about twelve high, 
of the Montgomery Hall barn were built nearly fifty years ago of this 
sandstone, and they are now in as good condition as when erected. 

Slate has been discovered in several localities, and has been worked on 
the Red Bud estate of Capt. Opie, within two miles of Staunton. This 
slate is of a bluish color and silky lustre, and splits into plates, and must, 
at a future day, become of marketable value. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 277 

Traces of lead and copper are also found in some of the mountain 
ranges. 

Kaolin and Fire-Clay — the former of pure white — have been found 
on the South river, at Porcelain, near Sherando Station, on the Shenan- 
doah railroad. Some years since extensive pottery works were erected, 
which were unfortunately destroyed by fire before insured. This catas- 
trophe, and the panic of 1873, put an end to operations. 

Glass-Sand of the finest description has also been found on the South 
river, in this neighborhood, and all the raw material exists of excellent 
quality and in vast quantities for the manufacture of porcelain, glass, fire- 
brick, terra-cotta, etc. 

Flint, imbedded in limestone, has been found in several localities. 

Coal, anthracite, has been discovered in the North Mountain, at Dora, 

Ochres, or Pigments, exist in different parts of the county, and 

Manganese is exported in large quantities. The Crimora mines of 
Augusta have recently received from England orders for considerable 
quantities of manganese. 

Traces of both zinc and lead have been discovered in the Blue Ridge. 

medicinal waters. 

The Augusta or Stribling Springs are situated on the eastern slope of 
the North Mountain, about thirteen miles from Staunton. The medicinal 
effects of the waters are acknowledged, and there are several kinds of wa- 
ter here — alum and chalybeate being among them. The water from the 
principal spring is strongly impregnated with sulphuretted hydrogen, and 
is said to equal the celebrated springs of Harrowgate, England, This re- 
sort is well improved, picturesquely situated, and is a noted sanitarium or 
mountain watering-place. Near Deerfield, in the Valley of the Calfpasture, 
there are numerous sulphur springs, — one formerly called the Lebanon 
White Sulphur, — and in various other localities there are chalybeate 
springs and other mineral waters, — notably on the eastern slope of the 
Blue Ridge, about eighteen miles southeast of Staunton, is the Black 
Rock Spring, which is said to equal the waters of the Rawley Springs, 
The Black Rock Spring waters contain iron, soda, lime, magnesia, with 
carbonic acid gas, and has been found efficacious in dyspepsia, scrofula and 
other diseases. 

The Seawright Lithia Spring, near the Augusta church, which 
much resembles the Buffalo Lithia, has been used by many afflicted per- 
sons with good effect. 

The Variety Springs, sixteen miles west of Staunton, so called from 
the different medicinal springs on the tract, are well improved, and annu- 
ally attract many visitors in search of health and recreation. 

Crawford Springs, twenty-three miles west of Staunton, are likewise 
improved, and are popular. 



278 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY^ 

NATURAL CURIOSITIES. 

Under this head we might class many of those uncommon views which 
abound in our county. Some of these prospects, such as that from 
EUiott's Knob, are sublime and awe-inspiring, and rivet the attention of 
every beholder. The scenery of the county, except in the plains, such as 
that about Verona, is grand, diversified and beautiful. 

Weyer's Cave, in a hill a short distance west of the Blue Ridge, is 
about sixteen miles north of Staunton, and is so called from the hunter 
who discovered it in 1804, Bernard Weyer. It has been said that no lan- 
guage can describe the vastness and sublimity of some or the exquisite 
beauty and grandeur of other of its innumerable apartments, with their 
snowy white concretions of a thousand various forms. It is ranked among 
the great natural wonders of the world. The stalactites and stalagmites 
are large and of slow growth. 

Fountain Cave is near Weyer's, and possesses many attractions, 
abounding in stalactites of a conical form, and basins of water of unknown 
extent. 

The Blowing Caves, in Castle Hill, so named prior to 1746, near Mt. 
Solon. These subterranean caverns give a passage to the waters of Free- 
mason's Run and part of North river through the hill to the head of Mossy 
creek. There is a great quantity of spar scattered over the hill and en- 
crusted on its edges of limestone. Where the waters of North river and 
Freemason's Run unite, and undermine Castle Hill, is called the Funnel. 

Under this head may be mentioned an immense spring at the head of 
Mossy creek and the Blue Hole, near Mt. Solon, which has been sounded 
one hundred and eighty feet without finding the bottom. There are many 
of the so-called sink holes north of the creek, and extending as far as 
North river. 

Cyclopean Towers, near the Augusta Springs, are from sixty to sev- 
enty feet high, composed of limestone in strata, and much resemble the 
palisades on the Hudson river. 

native animals. 

Augusta belongs to the Nearctic region of North America, in which 
there are 2,291 different species of vertebrata. We must confine ourselves 
to those of our county. The condition of Augusta and the Valley, and 
indeed of the whole country previous to its settlement by Europeans, was 
highly favorable to the increase of animals. The forests gave them shel- 
ter, and they fed upon the productions of a fertile soil, and unmolested 
but by a few unarmed, or badly armed barbarians, they increased and 
multiplied with astonishing rapidity. The principal quadrupeds were the 
buffalo, elk, deer, bear, panther, wild cat, wolf, fox, beaver, otter, raccoon, 
o'possum, martin, hare, red and grey squirrels, porcupine, skunk, weasel, 
and mouse. The amphibious animals were the beaver, otter, musk rat and 



BISTORT OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 279 

mink. We should like to describe some of the more interesting of these, 
but our limits do not admit of it. It may be remarked, however, that in 
disposition they ar-e more mild and temperate, and in size, strength and 
vital energy superior to the same kinds of animals in Europe. This is 
illustrated by the following table, which gives the average weight of several 
kinds of animals in America and Europe : 

IN EUROPE. IN AMERICA. 

Bear 153 pounds. 456 pounds. 

Wolf ... 69 " 92 

Deer 288 " 308 

Red fox 13 " 20 

Porcupine 2 " 16 

Beaver 18 " 63 

Hare 7 " 8 

Rabbit 3 " 7 

Weasel . 2 to 3 oz. 12 to 15 oz. 

Otter 8 29 

Fish — The waters of Augusta present a numerous list of fish, but they 
are rapidly diminishing. The most common are bass, pike, or pickerel, 
catfish, mud-suckers, speckled trout, perch, roach, mullet and eels. 

Birds — The number of birds in our groves and fields, or who visit the 
county, is surprisingly great — over a hundred kinds. Many of them are 
of bright plumage, and one of them, the nightingale, the sweetest songster 
of the American forest. The most common are eagles, hawks, and other 
birds of prey, pigeons, ducks, geese, snow-birds, blackbirds and crows, 
larks, pigeons, robins, woodpeckers, jays. The most diminutive is the 
humming-bird, whose swiftness, vivacity and plumage make it the admira- 
tion of all beholders. 

Insects — The varieties of these is considerable, especially in warm 
weather, when the earth and atmosphere teem with these specimens of 
animated nature. They are, however, for the most part, neither venomous 
nor otherwise injurious. 

Serpents and Reptiles — The number of these is small. The most 
poisonous are the rattlesnake, copperhead, red belly and garter snakes. 
Their number is rapidly diminishing. The black snake, water-snake, 
striped snake, green snake, and several others, are inoffensive ; lizards, 
tortoises, turtles. 



It has long been the warm wish of many to establish in Staunton a tech- 
nical and paleontological nmseum and library. The matter was brought 
before the public in 1877 by the writer, as will be seen in the following 
correspondence, and was most favorably received. Maj. Jed. Hotchkiss, 
Mr. Wm. M. Bowron, F. C. S., and other literary and scientific persons 



280 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

promised their hearty cooperation. So far, nothing has been accom- 
pHshed, owing to the depression following the financial panic of 1873-4, 
but it is believed that the suggestions made on the subject will ere many 
years be carried out : 

CORRESPONDENCE. 

Staunton, September 7, 1877. 
Capt. Wm. L. Balthis, Mayor, &c., of Staunton: 

Sir : I take the liberty, owing to your official position, to address you 
this letter, and to ask thus publicly the cooperation of the people of the 
town and county in securing the end in view. 

You will doubtless agree with me that it is much to be regretted that we 
have not had, and have not now in our town, a repository, or museum, 
where things having a relation to literature, art, science, or natural history, 
may be preserved. Were a suitable building secured, the industry of the 
antiquarian, the arborist, the genealogist and mineralogist would soon fill 
the shelves from the vast storehouse of Augusta's wealth. Such a mu- 
seum, where one might not only gratify an antiquarian taste, but see dis- 
played the products of the soil, fruits, grain, timber, ores, &c., would be 
one of the most attractive resorts in our community. It would be of the 
highest practical importance, also, as such a collection of soils, minerals, 
timber, &c., would enable strangers seeking investments in our county to 
see in a few hours what it would otherwise require years to obtain a knowl- 
edge of In such a museum, the student might examine specimens in 
every branch of science relating to organic and inorganic nature, and the 
value of such an institution, in connection with our schools, public and 
private, cannot be overestimated. The science of geology has within the 
memory of the present generation made immense progress. Aided not 
only by the higher branches of physics, but by recent discoveries in min- 
eralogy and chemistry, in botany, zoology and comparative anatomy, it 
has extracted from the bowels of the earth records of former conditions of 
our planet, and deciphered documents which were a sealed book to our 
ancestors. It has indeed extended its researches into regions more vast 
and remote than come within the scope of any physical science except 
astronomy ; yet in our county we have no collection of the evidences 
of the formation of the earth, of native or extraneous fossils, such as min- 
erals, earths, salts, combustibles, metals, or bodies of vegetable or animal 
origin, such as plants, shells, bones, &c,, many of which are petrified and 
have been buried in the earth accidentally. Virginia, especially Au- 
gusta, abounds in these specimens. Our forests alone contain several 
hundred different kinds of wood, and generally they are valuable for the 
manufacture of furniture, for house, ship-building, etc. Who among us 
has seen them, or any considerable number of them brought together, or 
could name or classify them, if they were ? Our soil is rich in minerals, 
coals, iron, salt, gold, copper, gypsum, yet there is no collection of them 
to be seen or studied. 

When a boy, I remember to have seen in the county many relics of the 
red men, such as stone arrow-heads, hatchets, and instruments in the shape 
of an adze, which the barbarians, no doubt, used to fell timber and scoop 
out their canoes. What an interest a cabinet of these curiosities would 
now possess ! I trust it is not too late to secure many of these memorials, 
but, to be successful, no time should be lost. I see, with surprise, no me- 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 2S1 

mentoes of the late civil war but a few rusty blades, and now and again a 
dilapidated scabbard or broken gun-barrel. Let us collect these memen- 
toes, also, of that period in our history : 

" When civil discord first grew high, 
And men fell out, they knew not why." 

My interest in the subject is doubtless the greater from the fact that I 
have visited many celebrated museums in Europe, particularly in Italy, 
which contain innumerable specimens of the three ages into which anti- 
quarians divide the primeval or pagan ages, namely : First, the stone ; 
secondly, the bronze ; and thirdly, the iron ; each betokening a different 
degree of advancement and civilization. And collections also of all suc- 
ceeding ages, with the natural productions, «&c., of every country. 

With the hope that such a want may be supplied in our prosperous and 
growing city, I address you this brief and hurried note, and ask your 
valuable cooperation. I am, Mr. Mayor, 

Very truly yours, 

J. L. PEYTON. 



Col. John Lewis Peyton : 

Dear Sir : I have just read with much interest your letter of the 7th 
inst., in regard to the importance of establishing in Staunton a suitable 
place for the reception and preservation of specimens secured by the anti- 
quarian, geologist, &c., &c. I think it a matter of peculiar interest to the 
citizens of this section of country, where the industrious geologist alone 
could soon supply a cabinet that would not only add to the knowledge, 
but to the wealth of our community. 

I feel, sure, sir, that your experience will enable you to give proper di- 
rection to the project, and that you will find many lovers of science who 
will be glad of an opportunity to give material aid in furtherance of the 
proposed object. 

With the assurances of a hearty cooperation on my part, 

I am yours, truly, 

Staunton, Sept. 8, 1877. WM. L. BALTHIS. 




56 t 



APPEITDICES. 






APPENDICES. 



APPENDIX A. 



THE DESCENDANTS OF THE FOUNDER. 



The following genealogy of the Lewis family, with the prefixed note of 
explanation, was prepared some years since, with much care, by Howe 
Peyton Cochran, Esq., of Charlottesville. It is one of the most complete 
enumerations of the descendants of an ancestor which we have in Virginia 
or the South. 

EXPLANATION. 

John Lewis, the first European settler of Augusta County, Va., is 
marked A. His children AB, AC, and his grandchildren aba, aca, &c., so 
that two letters show that the person before whose name they appear is a 
child of said John Lewis, three letters a grandchild, four letters a great- 
grandchild. If the table were perfectly accurate, and Samuel Lewis had 
been marked a a instead of ab, as was done inadvertently, the letters would 
show a person's descent. For example aebia will be the first child of the 
ninth child of the second child of the fourth child of John 'Lgvj'is propositus, 
e. g., A John Lewis, e William Lewis, b John Lewis, i Margaret Lynn 
Lewis, A John Lewis Cochran. 

To find the relationship between two persons, for example aebi and 
AEFC, the first two letters being the same, they had the same grandparents 
and are first cousins. Again : aebi and addb will make them second cou- 
sins, &c. H. P. C. 



The Lewis family were originally French Huguenots, and left France 
after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, 1685. Three brothers, namely 
William, Samuel and John, fled to England. [See Smiles' History of the 
Huguenots.J Shortly thereafter William removed to the north of Ireland, 
where he married a Miss McClelland. Samuel fixed his residence in 
Wales, while John continued in England. Descendants of each of these 
three brothers are supposed to have settled in Virginia by the late Mrs. 
Agatha Lewis Towles, who mentioned the fact that Samuel Lewis emi- 
grated from Wales to Portugal, and was never again heard of. 



2S6 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 



William Lewis, who settled in Ireland, at his death left issue one son — 
namely : 

Andrew, who m Miss Calhoun and left issue — namely : 

1. John, b 1678. 

2. Samuel, b 1680. 

A. John Lewis (^prcposiius), m Margaret Lynn, d of the Laird of 
Loch Lynn, and left, at his death in Virginia, the following 
issue — namely : 
I. Samuel, b in Ireland 17 16. 



AB. 
AC. 
AD. 
AE. 

AF. 
AG. 
AH, 

AB. 



2. Thomas, b 

3. Andrew, b " 

4. William, b " 

5. Margaret, b" 

6. Anne, b 



AC. 



ACA. 

ACB. 

ACC. 

ACD. 

ACE. 

ACF. 

ACG. 

ACH. 

ACI. 

ACJ. 

ACK. 

ACL. 

ACM. 

AD. 

ADA. 

ADB. 

ADC. 

ADD. 

ADE. 

ADF. 



1718. 
1720. 
1724. 
1726. 
1728. 



7. Charles, b in Virginia 1736. 

Samuel Lewis served with distinction as a captain in the war be- 
tween the English and French colonists. His brothers. Andrew, 
William and Charles, were members of his company, and all four 
were at Braddock's defeat, and three of them wounded. Samuel 
was afterwards conspicuous in the defence of Greenbrier county 
and the border settlements from the Indians. He died unm. 

Thomas Lewis was short-sighted, and therefore did not figure so 
conspicuously as his brothers as an Indian warrior. He was a 
man of much learning and ability, a member of the House of 
Burgesses, and a member of the Virginia Convention of 1776. 
His library was one of the most extensive and well selected in the 
colony. Thomas Lewis m Jane, d of William Strother, of Staf- 
ford county, Va., January 26, 1749, and left the following issue : 
Thomas, b 1749. 
Margaret Ann, b 1751. 
Agatha, b 1753. 
Jane, b 1755. 

Andrew, b 1757. ' 

Thomas, b 1760. 
Mary, b 1762. 
Elizabeth, b 1765. 
Anne, b 1767. 
Frances, b 1769. 
Charles, b 1772. 
Sophia, b 1775. 
William Benjamin, b 1778. 

General Andrew Lewis, " the Hero of the Point," m Elizabeth 

Givens, of Augusta County, in 1749, and left issue — viz.: 

John. 

Thomas. 

Samuel. 

Andrew. 

Anne, 

William. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 



287 



AE. Col. William Lewis, of the Sweet Springs, called the "Civilizer 
of the Border," m Anne Montgomery April 8th, 1754. Her 
father, when a child, was sent to Scotland from Ireland, to avoid 
persecution. There he married Miss Thomson, a relative of the 
famous poet, James Thomson, of Roxburgshire, the author of 
" The Seasons." Col. Wm. Lewis died at the Brick House, near 
the Sweet Springs, 181 1. His wife died at the same place 1808. 
They had the following issue : 

AEA. Margaret, b 1756. 

AEB. John, b 1758. 

AEC. Thomas, b 1761. 

AED. Alexander, b 1763. 

AEE. William L, b 1766. M, C. for Campbell district, 

AEF. Agatha, b 1774. 

AEG. Elizabeth Montgomery, b 1777. 
AEH. Charles W., 1780. 

AF. Margaret Lewis, d unm. 

AG. Anne, d unm. 

AH. Col. Charles Lewis, who was killed October 10, 1774, at the bat- 
tle of Point Pleasant, ni Sarah Murray, a half-sister of Col. Came- 
ron, of Bath county, Va., and left the following issue : 

AHA. Elizabeth, b 1762, died unm. 

AHB, Margaret, b 1765 

AHC. John, b 1766. 

AHD. Mary, b 1768. 

AHE. Thomas, b 1771. 

AHF. Andrew, b 1772. 

AHG. Charles, 1774. 

ACA. John Lewis was a captain in Gen. Andrew Lewis' command in 
1774, and was at the battle of the Point, where he was danger- 
ously wounded. He was subsequently an officer in the war of 
the Revolution, and died 1788, leaving the following issue: 

ADAA. Thomas. 

ADAB. John. 

ADAC. Charles. 

ADAD. EHzabeth, who married Col. John Francisco, of Kentucky. 

Nothing further is known of John Lewis [ada] and his descendants, 
than that they are scattered through West Virginia, Kentucky and 
Alabama. 

acb. Margaret Ann Lewis m McClenahan, of Staunton, Va., by whom 
she left one child. Her husband dying, she afterwards m Col. 
William Bowyer, of Staunton, by whom at her death, in 1834, she 
left five children. Her issue were : 

acba. John McClenahan. 

acbb. William C. Bowyer. 
ACBC. Strother Bowyer. 

acbd. Luke Bowyer. 

acbe. Peter G. Bowyer. 

acbf. Malinda Bowyer. 



288 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 



ACC. Agatha Lewis m first Capt. Frogg, who was killed at the Point, 
Oct. TO, 1774, by whom she left one daughter ; second, she m Col. 
John Stuart, of Greenbrier co., by whom she left four children at 
her death in 1836, aged 83, namely: 

ACCA. Eliz. Frogg, b 1773. 

ACCB. Charles A. Stuart, b 1775. 
Accc. Lewis Stuart, b 1777. 

ACCD. Margaret Stuart, b 1779. 

ACCE. Jane Stuart, b 17 — , who m Maj. Robert Crockett, of Wythe co. 
and left the following issue, namely : L Maria, who m Judge 
James E.Brown, by whom she left issue, namely : L Wm. Brown, 
who died unm ; IL Jane Brown, who died unm ; IIL Fanny Pey- 
ton Brown, who m Col. Joseph F. Kent and left issue at her 
death in 1861 : i. Betty, who m George M. Harrison, a lawyer of 
Staunton, Va., and they have two children : i. Fanny, and 2. Kent ; 
2. John Kent, unm ; 3. Jane Kent m Howe Peyton Cochran ; 4. 
Emma Kent, m Jno. O. Yates ; 5. Alexander Kent, unm. After 
her death. Col. K. m Virginia, d of Hon. John Howe Peyton, 
[aebgi] has issue: i. Joseph; 2. Susan Peyton; 3 Mary. IV. 
Alexander Brown, fourth son of Judge Brown, was a most prom- 
ising young man, who after graduating with distinction at the 
University of Virginia, commenced the law practice in Wythe, 
but died soon after ; 2. Agatha Crockett, m James McGavoc and 
left issue; 3. Charles Crockett, who m Mary Bowyer, of Bote- 
tourt, and left issue ; 4. Stuart Crockett, m Margaret Taylor, of 
Smythe co., and left issue, names unknown ; 5. Frank Crockett, 

m ; 6. Gustavus Crockett, m Eliza Erskine, and left issue ; 

7. Augustine Crockett, died unm. 

ACD. Jane Lewis m Thomas Hughes, and left issue at her death in 1790, 
aged 35, but number and names are unknown. 

ace. Andrew Lewis, died unm in 1810. 

acf. Thomas, died unm in 1847. 

ACG. Mary m John McElhany, and died with issue, 1829, names un- 
known. 

ACH. Elizabeth m Thos. Meriwether Gilmer, of Rockingham co., Va., 

in 1783, and had the following issue: 

Peachy Ridgway Gilmer. 

Mary Meriwether Gilmer. 

Thomas Lewis Gilmer m Nancy Harvie, of Georgia, by whom 

he left six children. 
ACHD. George Rockingham Gilmer was M. C. for Georgia, and Gover- 
nor of that State. He married Eliza Frances, d of Maj. Robt. 

Grattan, of Va., but left no issue. 
ACHE. John Gilmer m first, Lucy Johnson, d of Col. Nicholas Johnson, 

of Louisa CO., Va.; second. Miss Barnett, of Oglethorpe, co., Ga. 

He has eight children and several grandchildren. 

William Benj. Strother Gilmer m Elizabeth Marks, d of Nicho- 
las Marks, of Ga. No issue. 

Charles Lewis Gilmer m first, Nancy Marks ; second, Mrs. Kyle ; 

has six children and some grandchildren. 



ACHA 
ACHE, 
ACHC. 



ACHF. 



ACHG. 



HI8T0KY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 289 

ACHH. Lucy Anne Sophia Gilmer m Benegal S. Bill, of Montgomery, 
Ala. Has five children living and some grandchildren. 

ACHi. James Jackson Gilmer m Elizabeth Jordan, of Jasper co., Ga., and 
has four children. 

ACHj. Walker Gilmer, ^ 

ACHK. Eliza Gilmer, V died young. 

• ACHL. Edward Hampden Gilmer, j 

ACI. Anne Lewis married first. Mr. Douthat; no issue. Second, Mr. 
French, of Ky ; issue unknown. 

ACJ. Frances Lewis m Layton Yancey of Rockingham co„ Va.,and at 

her death, in 1845, left issue, one son, namely : 
ACJA. Col. Wm. B. Yancey. 

ACK. Charles Lewis m Miss Yancey, and at his death, near Port Re- 
public, Rockingham co., Va., in 1832, left issue : 
ACKA. Thomas, 
ACKB. Samuel, 
ACKC. Charles. 

ACKD. Mary, who m Dr. Musco Chambers, of Clinton co., Ohio. 
ACKE. Margaret Strother, who m Rev. C. B. Tippett, of Maryland. 

ACL. Sophia Lewis m John Carthrae, of Rockingham co., Va., and re- 
moved to Missouri ; their issue unknown* 

ACM. William Benjamin Lewis m M. Hite, and at his death, in 1842, 

left issue : 
ACMA. William H. Lewis, who m Elizabeth, d of Capt. John Lewis 

[ahc], of Bath CO.; issue unknown. 
ACMB. Gen. George Lewis m Miss Effinger. 
ACMC. Mary Jane Lewis. 

Now for the issue of Gen. Andrew Lewis : 

ADA. John Lewis m Patsy Love, of Alexandria, Va., and left issue : 
ADAA. Andrew Lewis. 

• ADAB. Samuel Lewis m Miss Whitley, d of Col. Whitley, of Ky.; issue 

unknown. 

ADAC. Charles Lewis m a d of Gen. Abraham Trigg, of Va.; issue un- 
known. 

ADAD. Elizabeth Lewis m first Mr. Luke, of Alexandria, Va.; second, 
Mr. Ball, of Ky.; and third, Mr. Marshall, of Ky.; issue unknown. 

ADB. Thomas Lewis m Miss Evans, of Point Pleasant, Va.; issue un- 
known. 

ADC. Col. Sam'l Lewis, U. S. A., died unm in Greenbrier co., Va. 

ADD. Col. Andrew Lewis, U. S. A., of the Bent Mountain, was b 1759. 
He m Eliza, d of John Madison, of Montgomery co., Va,, and 
left issue : 

ADDA. Charles Lewis, d unm. 

ADDB. Thomas Lewis, a distinguished lawyer, who killed and was killed 
by Mr. McHenry in a duel with rifles at the distance of thirty 

37 t 



290 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 



yards, the first duel at close quarters ever fought with rifles in 

Virginia. He left no issue. 

ADDC. Lewis, ") 1 ^t, J- J 

ADDD. Lewis, 1 ^°^^ ^^^^ y°""g' 

ADDE. Agatha Lewis, b 1778, m Col. Elijah McClanahan, of Botetourt 

CO., Va., end left issue unknown to writer. 

ADE. Anne Lewis m Roland Madison, of Ky., and lefj issue : 

ADEA. John Madison. 

ADEB. Eliza Lewis Madison m Mr. Worthington, of Maryland. 

ADEC. Andrew Lewis Madison died a captain in U. S. A. 

ADED. Roland Madison, jr., who lives, 1873, in Rushville, Indiana. 

ADF. William Lewis, b 1764, m Lucy Madison, by whom he had two 
children. He married Nancy McClenahan, by whom he left the 
the following issue, viz : 

ADFA. Andrew Lewis, 

ADFB. Agatha Lewis, 

ADFC. Sally Lewis m Mr. Fleming, and d in Huntsville, Ala., 1865, s p. 

ADFD. Betty Lewis m Mr. Beale, by whom she had a daughter, who m 
Mr. Norvell, and resides in Huntsville, Ala. 

ADFE. Lucy Madison Lewis m Jno. Bowyer, of Fincastle, Va., and had 
issue, one son, who died young. 

ADFF. William Lewis, who died in Mississippi, leaving six children. 

ADFG. John W. Lewis m Susan Bowyer, of Fincastle, September. 1831 : 
removed to Alabama. He lost two sons in the civil war of 1860- 
1865. He has one son living in Texas, and a daughter married 
to Dr. Wood. Gen. John W. Lewis was a man of considerable 
ability and a member of the Legislature of Alabama and a Gen- 
eral of militia He removed to Texas in 1842. 

ADFH. Charles Lewis, M. D., an successful surgeon, was killed in a ren- 
contre in the streets of Mobile, Ala. 

ADFi. Anne Lewis m Mr. Bradley, and in 1873 lives in San Antonio, 
Texas. Issue unknown. 

ADFJ. Mary Jane Lewis, died young. 

ADFK. Pauline Lewis m Mr. Christian, and d in Tuscumbia, Ala., 1876. 

AEA. Margaret Lewis m James McFarland, and removed to Pittsburg, 
Penn., when it was known as Fort Pitt. She had eleven chil- 
dren, whose names are unknown, except the two first, Margaret 
and James. 

AEB. John Lewis entered the Continental army as Lieutenant and came 
out a Major. He m first Miss Jane Sophonisba Thomson, d 
of Col. Wm. Thomson, of Belleville, S. C, 1788, by whom he 
had two children; second, Mary Preston, d of Col. William 
Preston, of Montgomery co., 1793, by whom he had ten chil- 
dren. He was a man of great firmness, ability and patriotism — a 
personal friend of Washington, with whom he passed the winter 
of 1777 at Valley Forge, and of President Jackson. He resided 
at the Sweet Springs, where he died in 1823 His issue by Mary 
Preston were : 

AEBA. Eugenia Ann, b 1789. 

AEBB. Sophia, b 1790, d young. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 291 

AEBC. Susannah Preston, b 1794. 

AEBD. Mary Sophia, b 1796. 

AEBE. William Lynn, b 1799. 

AEBF. John Lewis, b 1801, d young. 

AEBG. Anne Montgomery, b 1802. 

AEGH. Sarah Elizabeth, b 1806, m Col. John Lewis [adaaa] no issue. 

AEBI. Margaret Lynn, b 1808. 

aebj. John Benjamin, b 1810. 

AEBK. Thomas Preston, b 181 2, died unm in 1871. 

aebl. Pollydora, b 1817. 

AEC. Thomas Lewis, Major U. S. A., (appointed by Washington^, was 
greatly distinguished for gallantry, and was called the modern 
Chevalier Bayard, " sans peur et sans reproche." He killed Dr. 
Bell, of S. C, in a duel, and never enjoyed peace of mind after- 
wards. He died, s p, in 1804. 

AED. Alexander Lewis, b 1763, d 1797, leaving one son. 
AEDA. James Alexander Lewis. 

AEE. Col. Wm. L Lewis m Elizabeth Cabell, of Nelson co., Va. He 
died, s p, at his home, Mount Athos, near Lynchburg, in 1828. 
He was remarkable for his talents and acquirements, aud his 
friends several times sought to make him Governor of Virginia. 

AEF. Agatha Lewis m Col. Oliver Towles, of Campbell co., Va., in 
1794, and at her death in 1843, left issue : 

AEFA. Anne M. Towles, b 1794. 

AEFB. Oliver Montgomery Towles, d unm 1831. 

AEFC. Elizabeth Lewis Towles, b 1801. 

AEFD. Wm. Beverley Towles m Harriet C. W. Johnson ; issue unknown. 

AEFE. Margaret Caroline Towles m E. D. Sims and has three children. 

AEFF. Thomas Henry Towles d unm 1847. 

AEFG. John Towles d unm 1844. 

AEFH. Alfred Lewis Towles m Jane Vaughan, of Missouri, and has two 
children, names unknown. 

AEG. Elizabeth Montgomery Lewis m Col John Trent, of Cumberland 
CO., Va., and at her death, in 1837, left the following- issue: 

AEGA. Eliza Trent. 

AEGB. Ann Trent. 

AEGC. John Trent, M. D., m Miss Friend, and had issue ; names un- 
known. 

AEH. Dr. Charles W. Lewis m Mary B. Irvine, sister of Gen. Callender 
Irvine, of Philadelphia, U. S. Quartermaster and had issue : 

AEHA. Wm. Irvine Lewis, killed in the battle of Alamo, Texas, 1836. 

AEHE. Thomas Alexander Lewis m Miss Stockton, and has two chil- 
dren, Irvine Lewis and Lewis. 

AEHC. Ann Callender Lewis m Maj. de Bonneville, U. S. A., and has 
issue. 

AEHD. Agnes Elizabeth Lewis m Archie Campbell, of Philad'a, and has 
issue ; names unknown. 

AEHE. Mary B. F. Lewis m Sam'l M. Leiper, and has issue ; names un- 
known. 



292 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

AEHF. Armstrong J. Lewis. 
AEHG. Callender Irvine Lewis. 

AHB. Margaret Lewis m Maj. Pryor, and left one child, viz : 
AHBA. Eliza Pryor. 

AHC. Capt. John Lewis, of Bath co., Va., m Rachel Miller, of Augusta 
CO., and left at his death in 1843 the following issue, viz : 

AHCA. Sarah. 

AHCB. Henry Miller m Miss O'Connor, of Georgetown, Ky., and has 
issue 

AHCC. Charles C. 

AHCD. Nancy m Gen. Sam'l H. Lewis [ackb] of Rockingham co., Va. 

AHCE. James m Eliza Dickenson, of Bath co., Va.; issue unknown, 

AHCF. William m Eliza C. Miller, of Augusta co., Va.; issue unknown. 

AHCG. Martha Miller. 

AHCH. John Lewis m Mary J Lewis [acmc], d of Wm. Benjamin Lewis, 
[acm] of Rockingham co.; issue unknown. 

AHCi. Elizabeth m Wm. H. Lewis [acma] and has issue unknown. 

AHCK. Hannah, unm. 

AHCL. Racheal, d unm. 

AHF. Col. Andrew Lewis m Margaret Stuart [accd] in 1802, and at 

his death, in 1833, left the following issue, viz : 
AHFA. Charles Cameron d unm 1836. 
AHFB. Agnes, b 1805. 
AHFC. John b 1807, d 181 1. 
AHFD. Elizabeth, d 181 2. 

ahfe. Mary J, b 181 1, m Charles R. Baldwin in 1833, d 1835. 
AHFF. John Stuart. 
ahfg. Margaret, d 18 19. 
AHFH. Sarah Frances, b 1817, m Dr. Creigh, of Lewisburg, W. Va,; 

issue unknown. 
AHFi. Elizabeth, b 1819. 
AHFj. Andrew, d young. 

AHG. Charles Lewis m Jane Dickinson in 1799, and left issue at his 

death, 1803. 
AHGA. I. John D. 
AHGB. 2. Charles C. 

ACCA. Eliz. Frogg m Maj. Isaac Estill, of Monroe co., and lef!; four 
children. 

ACCA A. Wallace Estill. 

ACCAB. John Estill. 

ACCAC. Estill. 

ACCAD. Estill. 

ACCB, Charles A. Stuart m Miss Robertson, of Augusta County, and 
has the following issue : 

ACCBA, Robertson Stuart m Miss Bradford, of Orange, and has issue. 

ACCBB, John Stuart m Margaret Lewis, [aacca] ; issue unknown. 

ACCBC, Elizabeth Stuart, unm. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 



293 



ACCC. 

ACCCA. 

ACCCB. 

ACCCC. 

ACCCD. 

ACCCE. 



Lewis Stuart m Sarah Lewis [ahca] and has issue : 

1. Rachael. 

2. Jane. 

3. Agnes. 

4. Charley, unm. 



ACCCF. 

acccg. 

ACCCH. 
ACCD. 



ACHA. 



ACHB. 



5. Margaret m James Davis, brother of Gen. Davis, of Miss., 
husband of her sister. 

6. Lewis, ^ 

7. Henry, >- unm. 

8. Andrew, j 

Margaret Stuart m Col. Andrew Lewis, of Point Pleasant 
[AHF],and has following issue — viz.: 
[See AHF ; the descendants of ahf and accd will be the same. Hence 
AHFA same as accda, and so on.] 

Peachy Ridgeway Gilmer m Mary B. Harris, of Georgia, and 
has three living children and two who died ; one of them leav- 
ing two and the other three children. P. R. G. has nine grand- 
children. 

Mary Meriwether Gilmer m ist Warner Taliaferro, by whom she 
has four living children ; one of these has nine, one eight, one 
seven and one eight children. One ol her children died, leav- 
ing one child, who is m and has children. 2d. Powers, by 

whom she has six children. Three of these have married, and 
have issue, and three have none. 

ACKA. Thomas Lewis m Delia Fletcher, and has issue : 
ACKAA. Anne Lewis. 

ACKB. Gen. Sam'l H. Lewis, of Rockingham, m ist Nancy Lewis, 
[ahcu], by whom he had eight children. He married, 2nd, Miss 
Lomax, d of John Tayloe Lomax, LLD., Judge of the Eighth 
Judicial District of Virginia, and author of "A Digest of the 
Laws Respecting Real Estate," 3V0IS. 8vo.,Phila., 1839, by whom 
he had four children. He married, 3d, Mrs. Fry, by whom no 
issue. 

ADKBA. Charles H. Lewis, United States Minister to Portugal, in 1873 
m a d of Judge Lomax, and has issue one daughter. 

ACKBB. John Francis Lewis, United States Senator for Virginia in 1874, 
m Serena, d of Dan'l Shefifey, M. C. for Virginia, and has issue : 

1. Serena m John Ambler Smith, M. C. for Virginia, in 1874. 

2. Daniel Sheffey, who m a d of John Minor Botts, a distin- 
guished M. C. for Virginia, and other minor children. 

ACKBC. Samuel H. Lewis m a Miss Dabney, and has issue ; unknown. 

ACKBD. Elizabeth Rachael Lewis m Rev. J. C Wheat, M. A., and has 

issue. 
ACKBE. Mary, 1 

ACKBF. Anne, > died unm. 

ACKBG. Margaret Lynn, ) 
ACKBH. William Meade Lewis, d unm. 

The above are Gen. S. H. Lewis' children by his first wife. 



29i HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

ACKBi. Charlotte Lewis m Beverly Botts, son of John Minor Botts, and 
has issue. 

ACKBj. Lunsford Lomax Lewis, Judge of the Supreme Court of Ap- 
peals of Virginia, m a d of Hon. J. M. Botts. 
ACKBK. Cornelia Lewis, d unm. « 

ACKBL. Anne, d unm. 

ACKC. Charles Chambers Lewis m Mary Allen, and has the following 

issue : 
ACKCA. Charles Chambers Lewis. 

B. James. 

c. Andrew. 

D. Mary. 

E. Henry Clay. 
H. William. 

ACKCG. George Kemper Lewis. 

ADAA. Andrew Lewis, son of John, m Jane McClenahan, d of Col. 
William Clenahan, of Botetourt county, and left the following 
issue : 

ADAAA. Col. John Lewis, of Kanawha, b 1796, and m ist Miss Donally, 
and left issue ; and 2d Sarah E. Lewis [aebe] by whom he left 
no issue. 

ADAAB. William Lewis. 

adaac. Samuel m Frances Montague ; no issue. 

ADAAD. Emmatine m C. Inglis, and afterward Capehart ; no issue 

of either. 

ADAAE. Sally Neally m James S. Wood, of Botetourt. 

ADAAF. Eliza m Madison Pitzer, of Roanoke. 

ADFA. Dr. Andrew Lewis, son of William, m Maria Walton, and had 
issue : 
I, Frank. 

ADFAA. Dr. Frank William Lewis m Miss McFarland, of Augusta 
County, and left issue : 

1. Rev. Frank Walton Lewis, who m Bettie Cheney. 

2. Mary Louise, who m Rev. Frank H Gaines, and one son, 

Lewis McF. 

ADFAB. Lucy Lewis m George W. Shanks, of Roanoke. 

ADFAC. Mary Lewis m Hon. Henry A. Edmonson, of Montgomery, 
long a M C. for Virginia. Four children — 

1 . Maria. 

2. Ellen. 

3. Andrew Lewis. 

4. Henry. 

ADFB Agatha Lewis m Mr. Adams, of Mississippi, and has issue : 

ADFBA. I. Hon. George Adams, United States Judge for Mississippi. 

ADFBB. 2. William Lewis Adams died unm in Texas, in 1844. 

C. 3. Lucy Adams, died young. 

D. 4. George Madison Lynch Adams, died young in Mississippi. 
5. Mary Adams m Samuel A. Maverick, of S. C, and moved to 

Texas in 1838, and has issue. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 295 

6. Andrew Lewis Adams, M. D., living in Mexico. 

7. Robert Strother Adams, died in Ala., 1857. 

8. Elizabeth Givens Adams m B. J. Clow, of Lavaca, Texas, and 

has four daughters. 

AEBA. Eugenia Ann Lewis m William Sabb Thompson, of S. C, in 

1809, and had issue, 

AEBAA. William Russell Thompson, ") 

AEBAB. John Paul Thompson, >- died unm. 

AEBAC. John Lewis Thompson. ) 

AEBC. Susannah Preston Lewis m Capt. Henry Massie, of Nelson 

county, and has issue as follows : 

AEBCA. Sarah Cocke, b 181 1, m Rev. Frank Stanley, of N. C; no issue. 

AEBCB. Mary Preston, b 1813. 

AEBCC. Henry, jr., b 1816. 

AEBCD. Eugenia Sophia, b 1819. 

AEBCE. Thomas Eugene, M. D., b 1822. 

AEBCF. Susan Lewis, died young. 

AEBD. Mary Sophia Lewis m James Littlepage Woodville, and left 

issue at her death, in 1836, one son: 
AEBDA. James Lewis Woodville, M. D., b 1820, m Mary, d of Cary 
Breckenridge. of Botetourt. 

AEBB. Col. William Lynn Lewis m ist Ann E Stuart, of S. C, in 1821, 

and had issue 4 children ; 2d Harriet, d of Col. William R. 
Thompson, and by her had one son ; 3d Letitia Preston, d 
of John Floyd, Governor of Virginia, by whom he had 5 
children. 

AEBEA. Mary Ellen Lewis m W. H. Colcock, and had three children. 

She died in Florida : 

1. Elizabeth. 

2. Thomas. 

3. Anna Stuart. 

AEBEB. Ann Sabb Lewis m Goddard Bailey, and has a son and daugh- 

ter 

C. James Stuart Lewis, M. D., b 1854, and has issue. 

D. Clara, died young. 

E. John St Julian, died in his 20th year. 

F- Susan Massie m Mr. Fredericks, of S, C , and has three daugh- 
ters unm. 

AEBEG. Letitia Preston m Thomas Lewis Cocke, and left one daughter. 
AEBEH. William Lynn Lewis m Florence Dooley, and has three chil- 
dren 
AEBEi. Charles Lewis, unm. 

AEBG. Anne Montgomery Lewis, was the 2d wife of Hon. John Howe 
Peyton, an eminent lawyer, orator and statesman of Virginia, 
and left at her death, which occurred at Montgomery Hall, 
near Staunton, in July, 1850, the following: issue — namely: 

AEBGA Susan Madison Peyton, b 1822, m Col John Brown Baldwin, of 



296 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

Staunton, a distinguished lawyer and member of the Con- 
federate Congress, and during the civil war colonel of the 
52d Virginia Regiment. Col. B. at his death, in 1873, left 
no issue. 
AEBGB. John Lewis Peyton, b 1824, m Henrietta E. C, d of Col. John 
C. Washington, of N. C, and has issue, one son, namely : 
AEBGBA. I. Lawrence Washington Howe Peyton. 

c. Anne Eugenia Peyton, d unm. 

D. Mary Preston Peyton m R. A. Gray, of Rockingham, and has 
issue: i. Susan Baldwin; 2. Robert; 3. Isabella; 4. Howe Pey- 
ton ; 5. Preston. 

E. Lucy Garnet Peyton m Judge Jno. N, Hendren, and has issue : 
I. Anne Montgomery; 2. Lucy Peyton ; 3. Samuel. 

F. Elizabeth Trent Peyton m Wm Boys Telfair, of Ohio, and has 
issue: i. Susan; 2. William P. ; 3. Baldwin. 

G. Margaret Lynn Peyton m Geo. M. Cochran, Jr., of Staunton, 
and has issue: i. Susan; 2. Maria; 3. George; 4. Anne Mont- 
gomery; 5. John Baldwin; 6. Margaret; 7. Peyton. 

H. Yelverton Howe Peyton, unm, a resident of Texas. 

I. Virginia Frances Peyton m Col. Jos. F. Kent, of Wythe co., Va., 
and has issue: i. Joseph; 2. Susan Peyton ; 3. Mary Preston. 

J. Cornelia Peyton m Dr. Thomas Brown, of Abingdon, Va., and 
at Dr. Brown's death, in 1874, had issue, two sons : i. John 
Baldwin ; 2. Howe Peyton Brown. She m, second, Wm, Hast- 
ings Greene, of Augusta, and had issue, but they have no living 
children. 

AEBi. Margaret Lynn Lewis m John Cochran, a merchant of Char- 
lottesville, and has issue : 

AEBIA. John L. Cochran, b 1827 at Montgomery Hall, in Augusta, m 
Mrs. Mary Massie, of Ohio, widow of Waler Massie ; and widow 
also of Dr. Thos. E. Massie [aebce], and has a daughter and 
son, infants. 

aebib. James Cochran, b 1830, m Elizabeth Brooke, grand-daughter of 
Joseph Smith, of Folly, and has issue: i. Anne; 2. John L. ; 
3, Joseph ; 4. James. 

aebic. Henry King Cochran, M. D., unm. 

aebid. Howe Peyton Cochran, m Nannie, d. of Gen. Edward C. Car- 
rington, of Halifax, and has one son, an infant. He m, second, 
Virginia, d of Col. J. F. Kent, and has no issue. 

aebie. George M. Cochran, died 1838, unm. 

AEBiF. William Cochran, died unm. 

aebig. Mary Preston Lewis Cochran, b 1840, m John M. Preston, of 
Smythe co , Va., and has five children, all infants. 

AEBiH. George M. Cochran, unm. 

AEBii. Magdalen Cochran d 1863, unm. 

AEBij. Preston McDowell Cochran d 1849, in infancy. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 297 

AEBj. Dr. John B. Lewis, of the Sweet Springs, m Mrs. Caroline Smith, 
d of Col. Wm. Russell Thomson, of South Carolina, 1831, and 
has issue : 
AEBjA. Eugenia A. Lewis unm. 
AEBjB. Dr. John Lewis, of Charlottesville, Va., m Miss Parrott. 

c. Anne Stuart, m J. M. Preston White, Judge of the Texian Court 
of Appeals, and has issue. 

D. William Thompson, unm. 

E. Charles Montgomery, d unm. 

^'^I'^'^'S' . I twins, din infancy. 

G. Mary Preston, j ■' 

AEBL. Pollydora E. Lewis m Maj. Jno. W. Gosse, of Albemarle, and at 

her death, in 1871, left the following issue : 
AEBLA. Mary Preston, d 1865. 

AEBLB. Jane Walker, m Joseph Carter, and resides in Missouri. 
AEBLC. William, d 1863. 
AEBLD, Lynn Lewis. 
AEBLE. John Preston. 
AEBLF. Susan Massie. 
AEBLG. Anne Montgomery Peyton. 
AEBLH. Charles Thompson- 
AEBLI. Eugenia Byrd. 
AEBLJ. Lawrence. 

AEDA. James A Lewis, of Kanawha, m Prudence Frazier in 1816, and 

at his death left the following issue : 
AEDAA. William A. 

B. Susan Massie m Wm. Frazier, and has issue — nine children, viz : 
James L., Wm. A., Emma L., W. Howard, Edward, Susan, 
Harry, Mattie, and John W. 

1. Emma L. m Richard P. Bell, of Augusta co., and has issue : i. 
Jannette ; 2. Wm. Frazier ; 3. R. P Bell 

2. Susan M. m W. P Tams, and has issue, a son, W. F. Tarns. 

3. Harry m Miss Turpin, of Maryland 
AEDEC. James Frederick Lewis 

AEDBD. Prudentia, d unm. 

AEDBE. Edward Lewis 

AEDBF. John Lewis 

AEFA. Anne Maria Towles m Dr Landon Rives, of Cincinnati, Ohio, 
a brother of W. C Rives, U S. Senator for Va , and author of 
the " History and Times of James Madison " 

AEFAA. Margaret Rives m King, of Cincinnati. 

AEFAB Landon Rives, M, D., m Letitia Gamble, d of Gen. E. Watts, 
of Roanoke, and at his death left no issue. Dr. Rives' widow 
m, secondly, Dr Sorrell, of Georgia, and has no issue 

AEFAC. Nannie Rives m Longworth, of Cincinnati, Ohio. 

AEFAD. Edward Rives, unm. 

AEFC. Elizabeth Lewis Towles m John Blair Dabney, of Va., and has 
the following issue, viz : 
AEFCA. John Dabney m Miss Langhorne, and has issue. 

38 t 



298 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

B. Maria m Wm. Carrlngton, and has issue, 
c. Susan m Taylor, and has issue. 

D. EHzabeth m Peter Saunders. 

E. Kate, unm. 

F. Charles, unm 

G. Chiswell m d of Col. Ed. Fontaine. 
H. Agatha, died unm* 

AEGA Eliza Trent m W. Swoope, of Augusta co., and left issue : 

B. Maria A. m Gen. E. C. Carrington, and has issue : i E. C. 

Carrington, jr., m, and has one child ; 2. Campbell. 
c. Swoope, m Geo. W. Hull, of Highland co,, Va. 

D. Frank Swoope. 

E. Washington Swoope. 

F. Boiling Swoope. 

AEGB. Anne Trent m Judge John Robertson, of Richmond, Va., and 
left issue : 
AEGBA. Powhatan. 

B. Elizabeth, who m Barkesdale, and has issue. 

c. Boiling, d unm. 

D. Ann. 

E. Gay. 

AEBA. Eliza Pryor m Wm. Wagner, and has the following issue ; 
B. Margaret. 
c. Hannah, m John Mitchel, and has issue. 

D. William. 

E. Cameron, 

F. Mary Francis. 

G. Milly. 
H. Allen. 

I. Emily, 

J. Agnes. 
K. Charles 

L, Ann Eliza 

AHCA. Sarah Lewis m Lewis Stuart [accc] For the descendants vide 
[accc] 

ahcc. Charles C. Lewis m Sabina Creigh, and has issue : 
ahcca. Margaret Lewis m John Stuart, [accbb] of Greenbrier county, 
Va. 

B. Rachael Lewis m Col, Charles Arbuckle, of Greenbrier. 

C. John Lewis, unm, 

D. Nancy Lewis m Gen. S. H. Lewis. For her descendants, see 

first eight children of Gen. L. [acbb.] 

AHCG. Martha Lewis m James A. Cochran, of Augusta county, and 

left the following issue : 
AHCGB. John Lewis Cochran removed to Texas, m and has issue 

c. Col, James Cochran m Nannie, d of Benjamin Crawford, of 
Staunton, and has issue two children : 
I. Benjamin. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 299 

2. Nannie. 

D. Magdalen m John B Cochran, of Ky. 

E. Rachael m William Van Lear, of Augusta county, and his issue. 

F. Henrietta, d unm. 

G. Elizabeth, d unm. 

H. Robert m Miss Francisco, of Bath county, Va., and has issue 
I. Samuel, d unm. 
J. Virginia, unm. 

AHFB Agnes Lewis m John L. Sehon in 1823, and left the following 
issue : 
I. Fanny, 
2 Margaret Lynn, who m Valentine Horton, and has issue. 

3. Andrew Lewis. 

4. John Leicester. 

5. Sarah Eliz. 
6 Stuart. 

7. Columbus. 

8. Edmund. 

9. Agnes. 

AHFF John Stuart Lewis m Mary F. Stribling, in 1837, and has 
issue : 

1 Fanny. 

2 Sarah. 

3 Matilda. 

4 Agnes 

AHFi. Elizabeth Lewis m B. S. Thompson, in 1841, and has the follow- 
ing issue : 

1. Charles 

2. Margaret Lynn. 

3. John. 

AHGA. John D. Lewis m ist Miss Shrewsbury, and had the following 
issue : 

1. Joel Shrewsbury. 

2. Sally. 

He m 2d Miss Dickenson, and had the following issue : 

1. Charles. 

2. . 

3. . 

He m 3d Miss Daniel ; issue unknown. 

AHGB, Charles C. Lewis m Eliza Steinberger in 1826, and had the ibl- 
lowing issue : 

A. Maria, d 1847. 

B. Caroline, d 1831. 
c. Peter S. 

D. Sarah. 

E. Charles C, d 1842. 

ACCAD. Agatha Estill m Henry Erskine, of Greenbrier, and had issue 
as follows : 



300 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 



A. Elizabeth Erskine m Gustavas Crockett. 

Margaret Lewis Erskine m Charles S. Gay, of Richmond, 
Va., who removed to Augusta county, and had issue : 

1. Charles Gay, killed in the battle of Malvern Hi^l. 

2. Fanny m Richard M. Catlett, a lawyer o; Staunton. 

3. Elizabeth. 

4. Erskine, unm. 

5. Agatha. 

6. William. 

7. Carrie, m W. M. Allen, of Staunton. 

B. Jane Erskine m William Boyd, a lawyer of Buchanan, in Bot- 

etourt county, Va., and has issue : 

1. Henry. 

2. Alice Boys. 

3. William. 

4. Andrew. 

D. Margaret, William Lewis and John Robertson, children of 
Charles S. Gay and wife, died young. 



ACCCA. 



Rachael Stuart m 
dren — viz : 

1. Runnels. 

2. Charles. 

3. Sarah. 

4. Mary. 
'^. Alfred. 



Gen. Davis, of Miss., and had seven chil- 



ACCCB. 



6 and 7. Unknown. 

Jane Stuart m Sam'l Price, of Lewisburg, W. Va., formerly 
Lieut.-Gov. of Virginia, and in 1876 United States Senator 
for West Virginia, and a'. her death, in 1873, left issue: 

1. Margaret Price. 

2. Mary. 

3. John. 

4. Sally. 

5. Jennie. 

6. Lewis. 

c. Agnes Stuart m Charles L. Peyton, son of C. Peyton, and a 
great nephew of President Jefferson, of Greenbrier county. 
West Virginia, and has issue as follows — viz.: 

1. Thomas Peyton. 

2. Elizabeth Peyton. 

3. Lewis Peyton. 

4. Charles Peyton. 

5. Harry Peyton. 

6 Caroline Peyton. 

ADAAA. Col. John Lewis, of Kanawha, left the following issue by his 
first wife : he had none by his second, S. E. Lewis [aebh] : 

1. Andrew. 

2. Margery, who m Kenna, of Cincinnati, O., and left one 

son, Hon. John E. Kenna, M. C. for West Virginia in 1876. 

3. John W. Lewis. 

4. James Lewis. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 301 

ADAAB. William Lewis m Miss Tosh, of Botetourt county, and left five 
sons : 

1. Andrew, d unm. 

2. William. 

3. Thomas. 

4. John. 

5. Charles. 

ADAAE. Sally Neally Lewis m J. F. Wood, of Buchanan, and had this 

issue : 

1. Andrew Lewis. 

2. Maj. John Bowyer Wood, U. S. Army. 

3. Edwin N. Wood, M. D., m his cousin, Miss Wood, and after 

her death Eva Allen. 

4. Palemon 

5. Frank Wood. 

ADAAF. Eliza Lewis m Madison Pitzer, of Roanoke, by whom she has 

issue as follows : 

1. Andrew Lewis. 

2. Sarah, who m Rev. James McFarland, of Kentucky. 

3. Patsy, who m Prof. Wells, of Roanoke College, Salem, Va. 

4. Emeline, who m C. C. Thompkins. 

5. James 

6. George M. 

AEBCB. Mary Preston Massie m John Hampden Pleasants, and at her 

death, in 1837, left issue two children: 

1. James, who m Caroline T Massie, [aebccb] and has no issue. 

2. Ann Eliza, who m Douglas Gordon, and has issue. 

AEBCC. Henry Massie, jr., m Susan E. Smith, only d of Thomas Bolton 

Smith, of S. C., and has issue ; 

1. Henry Lewis. 

2. Caroline m James Pleasants [aebcba ] 

3. Sarah Lewis, unm. 

4. Thomas Bolton, dead. 

5. William Russell Thompson. 

6. Susan Derby, dead 

7. Charles, dead 

8. Eugene Carter, unm. 

D. Eugenia Sophia Massie m Col. Samuel Gatewood, and left 
issue : 

1. Susan m W. Taliaferro. 

2. Mary m Samuel Goode. 

3. William. 

4. Andrew Cameron. 

5. William Bras. 

6. Fillmore Stanley, dead. 

albce. Dr. Thomas E. Massie m the widow of Waller Massie, of Ohio, 
and at his death, in 1863, left three children : 

1. Frank 

2. Eugenie, 
T,. Nita. 



302 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 



THE M DOWELL FAMILY. 



Though the founder of this family settled on Burden's grant, the whole 
of which lies in the present county of Rockbridge, it is intimately con- 
nected with many of our people The McDowells and Lewises were re- 
latives and lived near each other, previous to 1732, in Ireland. They 
intermarried so extensively with the McCues, Prestons, Pattons, Cochrans, 
Moffetts, Bells, Alexanders, &c., of our county, that we take pleasure in 
inserting the following brief account prepared by our esteemed friend, 
Judge John H. McCue: 

"Ephraim McDowell came to this country and settled in Pennsylvania 
previous to 1735, and between 1735 and 1740, with his son, John, who had 
married Magdalene Woods, in Pennsylvania, came to the home of his re- 
lative, John Lewis, the Founder. There they met with Burden, and be- 
came settlers on his grant near Fairfield, in what is now Rockbridge. 
John McDowell was Burden's Surveyor. His wife's mother was a Camp- 
bell, of the house of the Duke of Argyle. McDowell and eight of his men 
were killed near Balcony Falls by the Indians on the 25th of December, 
1742. John McDowell, oldest child of Ephraim, had two sons, Samuel 
and James, and one daughter, Sarah, ist. Samuel was the ancestor of 
the Reids and Moores of Rockbridge, &c. 2d. James married Eliz. Mc- 
Clung, and their son, Col. James McDowell, dec'd, of Cherry Grove, near 
Fairfield, was the father of the late Governor James McDowell, of Mrs. 
Thos. H. Benton, and of Mrs. Wm. Taylor. Their mother was Sarah 
Preston, a descendant of the original John Preston, who, at the May term 
of the County Court of Augusta, 1746, proved the importation, at his own 
expense, of himself and family from Ireland to Virginia. [See ante, p. 56.] 

"The third child of John McDowell and Magdalene Woods was Sarah. 
She married Col. George Moffett, of Augusta county, the same who drove 
the Indians from Kerr's Creek, and was ambuscaded and repulsed by 
them on the Falling Spring farm, in Alleghany county. Col Moffett (not 
Mofit/tt, as generally printed,) was distinguished in Indian warfare, at 
Guilford, Cowpens, King's Mountain, and fought from the beginning to 
the close of the Revolutionary war. Col. Moffett and wife, Sarah Mc- 
Dowell, had nine children : ist. John, died young ; 2d. Margaret, married 
her cousin. Gen. Joseph McDowell, of North Carolina, one of the heroes 
of King's Mountain, and their son. Gen. Joseph Jefferson McDowell, of 
Hillsboro, Ohio, who died a few years since, married Sallie McCue, daughter 
of Rev. John McCue, of Long Meadows, Augusta county, Va., who is still 
living, the only surviving child of her eminent father ; 3d. Jas. McDowell 
Moffett married Hannah Miller (daughter of the founder of Miller's Iron- 
works on Mossy Creek, the first west of the Blue Ridge ) One of their 
daughters, Hannah Winters Moffett, married John McCue, of the Long 
Meadow, Augusta county, Va., father and mother of Mrs. Col. D. S. Bell, 
of Augusta county, Va, : Judge J. H. McCue, Staunton ; Mrs. Dr. C. Alex- 
ander, Staunton ; Mrs. W. B. Dorman, Texas ; Mrs. Decatur Hedges, of 
W. Va. ; Jas M. McCue, W. Va. ; Wm. A. McCue and Miss Hannah W. 
McCue, both of Augusta co., Va. The said John McCue was long Presiding 
Justice of Augusta, and for a number of years represented the county in the 
Legislature. The fourth child of Col. Moffett, and wife, Sarah, was George, 
who married Miss Gilkeson, and removed to Fayette, Ky. 5th. William, 
married a Miss McChesney, and a Jones. 6th. Mary married Dr. Joseph 
McDowell, of North Carolina, and after his death, she married, secondly, 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 303 

Col. Jno. Carson, of North Carolina, member of Congress ; their son, Sam'l 
P. Carson, was also a member of Congress from that State. 7th. The 
seventh child of Col George Moffett and wife, Sarah McDowell, was 
Magdalene, who married James Cochran, of Staunton Their children 
were, so far as I am informed, the late John Cochran, of Charlottesville; 
Geo. M. Cochran, of Staunton ; the late Mrs. Benj. Crawford ; the late J . 
Addison Cochran; the descendants of these, are many of them, among the 
most distinguished professional and business men of the country. 8th 
Martha, who married Capt. Robert Kirk, of the U S Navy 9th. Eliza- 
beth, who married James Miller, of Mossy Creek," 



THE PRESTON FAMILY. 



The following account of the Preston family, one of the earliest which 
settled in Augusta, is from the pen of an unknown writer in the Brooklyn 
" Eagle :" 

Coney Island, September i, 1879. 

Dear Eagle : — Charles W. Woolley, of Cincinnati, has been visiting 
New York, and a glimpse of him here brings up many reminiscences of 
the Tilden contest for the presidency, and of the impeachment trial of 
President Andrew Johnson. " Richileu " remembers being one of a din- 
ner party given at Walker's, in Washington, at which the unlucky num- 
ber thirteen was present, among whom were General Hancock, General 
Preston, of Louisville, and other celebrities. Benjamin F. Butler got it 
it into his head that some treasonable designs were at the bottom of the 
dishes of that elegant entertainment, and Mr, Woolley was suspected of 
knowing all about it. Butler had him summoned as a witness, and on his 
refusing to answer some questions, had him arrested. Poor Miss Vinnie 
Ream, who had a studio in a cryptic corner of the basement of the Capi- 
tol, was suspected as no better than a Copperhead, and her studio was 
taken from her and prepared as a prison cell for the contumacious Wool- 
ley. William Preston, of Kentucky, one of the guests at that dinner, is a 
near relative of Mr. Woolley, as is also his wife. He has been a Con- 
gressman from that State, a lieutenant-colonel in the Mexican war, United 
States Minister to the Court of Spain, and a major-general in the Confed- 
erate army. He married his relative, Miss Margaret H. Wickliffe, daugh- 
ter of Robert Wickliffe, of Lexington, who is an aunt of Mr. Woolley. 
Randal Lee Gibson, member of Congress from Louisiana, is also a rela- 
tive of Mr Woolley; and thinking of Woolley and Gibson and Preston, 
" Richelieu" got turning over American genealogies, and thought it might 
not be uninteresting to your readers to trace the progress of one family in 
America from its emigration till the present time. 

The paterfamilias or original emigrant was John Preston, who was buried 
in Tinkling Spring Cemetery. He was a native of county Derry, Ireland, 
and married Miss Elizabeth Patton, of county Donegal. They had five 
children, all born before emigration. They came to America in 1740, and 
purchased large possessions in Virginia. To show what a host of heroic 
men and beautiful women came from this one emigrant, the honors they 
held, the intermarriages they made, and the prominent influence exerted 
by them in every department of American society, I propose to group to- 
gether a few of his descendants under the heads children, grandchildren, 
great-grandchildren, and great great-grandchildren. 



304 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

HIS CHILDREN. 

William married Miss Susanna Smith. He was a member of the Vir- 
ginia House of Burgesses, and a zealous patriot in the Revolution. 

Letitia married Col. Robert Breckinridge, of Virginia, and after her 
husband's death, emigrated to Kentucky. 

Margaret married Rev. John Brown, a graduate of Princeton College, 
and a prominent Presbyterian minister in Virginia and Kentucky, 

Ann married Francis Smith, of Virginia, and went to Kentucky, where 
one of her daughters married James Blair, Attorney-General of Kentucky, 
and father of Francis P. Blair, Sr. 

Mary married John Howard, of Virginia, one of whose sons was a mem- 
ber of Congress from Kentucky and Governor of Missouri Territory. 

HIS GRANDCHILDREN. 

John Breckinridge, a Senator in Congress, and Attorney-General in Jef- 
ferson's Cabinet. 

James Breckinridge, a member of Congress from Virginia. 

Elizabeth Breckinridge married Col. Samuel Meredith, a nephew of 
Patrick Henry. 

John Brown represented Kentucky in the Virginia Legislature ; was 
first (and thrice elected) Senator of the United States from Kentucky, and 
married to the daughter of the Rev. Dr. John Mason. 

James Brown, the first Secretary of State of Kentucky ; many years 
Senator of the United States from Louisiana ; United States Minister to 
France ; married to the sister of Mrs. Henry Clay. 

John Preston, member of the Legislature of Virginia, and many years 
Treasurer of that State. 

Francis Preston, a member of the Senate of Virginia, a Congressman 
from that State, and a brigadier-general in the war of 1812 ; married to a 
daughter of Gen. William Campbell, the hero of King's Mountain, and a 
niece of Patrick Henry. 

William Preston, a captain in Gen. Wayne's army 

James Patton, President, a member of the Virginia Senate, colonel in the 
U. S. Army, and Governor of Virginia. 

Letitia Preston married to John Floyd, Governor of Virginia, and moth- 
er of another Governor (John B. Floyd) of Virginia. 

Thomas Lewis Preston, a member of the Virginia Legislature ; a major 
in the war of 181 2; married to a daughter of Edmund Randolph, who 
was a delegate to the Continental Congress, a member of the convention 
that framed the United States constitution. Governor of Virginia, and 
Attorney- General and Secretary of State of the United States in Washing- 
ton's Cabinet. 

John Smith, married to the first white child born in Kentucky. 

Margaret Howard, married to Robert -Wickliffe, of Kentucky. 

Letitia Breckinridge, married to Peter B. Porter, of Niagara Falls, Sec- 
retary of V\'ar in John Quincy Adams' Cabinet, a major-general in the war 
of 1812, and the only man who ever refused the office of General-in-Chief 
of the United States army. 

HIS GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN. 

Joseph Cabell Breckinridge, of the Kentucky House of Representatives 
and Secretary of State of Kentucky. 



HISTOKT OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 305 

John Breckinridge, a professor in Princeton College, and married to a 
daughter of its President, Dr. Miller. 

Robert J. Breckenridge, a distinguished theologian. 

William L. Breckinridge, president of Danville College. 

John B. Preston, many years a member of the Kentucky Legislature. 

William C. Preston, president of South Carolina, United States Senator 
from South Carolina, and among the foremost orators and statesmen of 
the United States. 

John S. Preston, member of the South Carolina Legislature, brigadier- 
general in the Confederate army ; married a daughter of Major-General 
Wade Hampton, Sr , then the most wealthy planter of the United states. 

Margaret B. Preston married General Wade Hampton, Jr., Governor of 
South Carolina, now United States Senator. 

Elizabeth McDowell married Senator Thomas Hart Benton, the distin- 
guished Senator of Missouri. 

James McDowell, member of Congress and Governor of Virginia. 

Henrietta Preston, married Albert Sidney Johnson, the great general of 
the Confer erate army. 

William Preston, member of Congress from Kentucky, lieutenant-colo- 
nel in the Mexican war. United States minister to Spain, and major-gene- 
ral in the Confederate army. 

William Ballard Preston, Secretary of the Navy in President Taylor's 
Cabinet, and senator in the Confederate Congress. 

John B. Floyd, Governor of Virginia, Secretary of War in Buchanan's 
Cabinet, and general in the Confederate army. 

Nickettie Floyd married John W. Johnston, United States Senator from 
Virginia. 

John Thomas L. Preston, colonel in the Confederate army, and professor 
in the Virginia Military Institute. 

Francis P. Blair, Sr., the veteran editor of General Jackson's 
organ. 

Thomas F. Marshall, the congressman and eloquent orator of Kentucky. 

Alexander K. Marshall, also member of Congress from Kentucky. 

Agatha Marshall married Chancellor Caleb Logan, of Kentucky. 

Edward C Marshall, member of Congress from California. 

Mary W. Parker, married to Thomas L. Crittenden, Secretary of State 
of Kentucky. 

His two great-granddaughters, both daughters of Francis Preston — Su- 
san S. and Sally Buchanan Preston — married their two cousins, James 
McDowell and John B. Floyd, both Governors of Virginia, one of them a 
Cabinet minister, and both members of Congress. 

Lavallette Floyd married Professor Holmes, of the University of Vir- 
ginia. 

HIS GREAT-GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN. 

Peter A. Porter was colonel in the Union army, and fell in the battle of 
Cold Harbor. 

John C. Breckinridge, member of Congress and United States senator 
from Kentucky, Vice-President of the United States, receiving eight hun- 
dred and forty-eight thousand votes. He was also Major-General and 
Secretary of War in the Confederate States. 

Samuel M. Breckinridge, a lawyer and judge in St. Louis. 

Margaret M. Breckinridge, devoted to hospital and other charities in 
the late war. 

39* 



306 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

William E. P. Breckinridge, colonel in the Confederate army, married 
to a granddaughter of Henry Clay. 

Benjamin Gratz Brown, senator in Congress from Missouri, and Demo- 
cratic candidate for Vice-President on the ticket with Horace Greeley, re- 
ceiving two million, eight hundred and thirty-five thousand votes. 

John Mason Brown, a colonel of cavalry in the United States army, and 
a prominent lawyer of Lexington, Ky. 

Edward Cabell Carrington was a captain in the Mexican war, member 
of the Virginia Legislature, brigadier-general in the Union army, and 
United States attorney for the District of Columbia. 

William Campbell Preston Carrington, a Confederate officer, who fell 
in battle at Baker's creek, near Vicksburg. 

Susan Taylor married John B. Weller, member of Congress from Ohio, 
senator of the United States from California, Governor of California, and 
United States minister to Mexico. 

Jessie Benton married Maj-Gen. John C. Fremont, Republican candidate 
for President and Governor of Arizona. 

Sarah Benton married Richard T. Jacob, Lieutenant-Governor of Ken- 
tucky. 

Susan V. Benton married Baron Souldree Boilleau, French minister to 
Peru. 

Sally C. P. McDowell married Francis Thomas, Governor of Maryland. 

William Preston Johnston, colonel in the Confederate army, confidential 
aide to President Jefferson Davis, and professor in Washington College, 
Virginia. 

Randall Lee Gibson, brigadier-general in the Confederate service, now 
member of Congress from Louisiana. 

Hart Gibson, member of the Kentucky Legislature. William Preston 
Gibson, member of the Louisiana Legislature. 

Six brothers of these Gibsons, sons of John Preston's granddaughter, 
Louisiana Hart, named respectively Randall Lee, William Preston, 
Hart, Claude, Tobias and McKinley Gibson, were all distinguished 
officers in the Confederate army. William Preston and Claude Gibson 
gave up their lives for the Southern cause. 

Mary Massie married John Hampden Pleasants, the well-known Vir- 
ginia journalist, killed in a duel by Thos. Ritchie — 1846. 

Ann M. Lewis married the celebrated lawyer, John Howe Peyton. His 
son, John Lewis Peyton, the well-known author of '' The American Crisis," 
&c., ''Over the AUeghanies and Across the Prairies," &c., " The Adven- 
tures of My Grandfather," and other popular works, published in Eng- 
land, was accredited Confederate States agent to England and France 
during the civil war ; he married Henrietta, daughter of Col. J. C. Wash- 
ington, and niece of Gov. William A. Graham, of North Carolina, and has 
issue a son, Lawrence W. H. Peyton. Mr. Peyton's eldest daughter mar- 
ried the late lamented Col. John B. Baldwin, M. C, etc. 

Three of his great-great-grandchildren, brothers, named Cochran, were 
officers in the Confederate service. 

Montgomery Blair. Postmaster- General in Lincoln's Cabinet. 

James Blair married a daughter of Gen. Thomas Jessup, of the United 
States army. 

Francis P. Blair. Jr., member of Congress and United States senator 
from Missouri, major-general in the Union army and Democratic candi- 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 307 

date for Vice-President on the ticket with Horatio Seymour, receiving two 
million, seven hundred thousand votes. 

Elizabeth Blair married Admiral Lee, of the United States navy. 

Ellen Preston married James W. Sheffey. 

Mary Sheffey married Prof. W. E. Peters, of the University of Virginia, 
who was educated in Germany. Prof. Peters married secondly the only 
sister of his first wife. 

Mary T. Payne married Professor Neville, of the University of Ken- 
tucky. 

Mary W. Packer married Tod Robinson, Judge of the Supreme Court 
of California. 

Alexander Packer Crittenden is a prominent lawyer in San Francisco. 

Thomas T. Crittenden, a brigadier-general in the United States army 
and member of Congress from Missouri. 

Robert W. WooUey, secretary of United States legation to Spain, and 
Charles W. Woolley, who provoked these reminiscences. 

LATER GENERATIONS. 

Of the children of his great-great-grandchildren I cannot fully speak. Ten 
years ago several, of them were making for themselves positions in society. 
In 1870 his great-great-grandson, John C. Breckinridge, h?d seven chil- 
dren, the eldest of whom, Cabell Breckinridge, was married to a daughter 
of Hon R. W. Johnson, of Arkansas. His great-great-grandson, B. Gratz 
Brown, had six children. His great-great-granddaughter, Jessie Benton, 
had three children, the second of whom, Charles Fremont, was a midship- 
man in the United States navy. His great-great-granddaughter, Sarah 
Benton, had a daughter married, and a son, Richard Jacob, jr., a lieuten- 
ant in the navy. His great-great-granddaughter, Mary Massie, wife of 
John Hampden Pleasants, hail a son, James Pleasants, a lawyer in Rich- 
mond, Va., who had married his cousin, Caroline Massie. and a daughter, 
Ann Eliza Pleasants, who had married Douglas H. Gordon, of Baltimore, 
and has four children, who were grandchildren of this great-great-grand- 
child of this John Preston. His great-grandson, Montgomery Blair, has 
fiive children, one of whom had married Gen. Comstock, of the United 
States army. His great-great-grandson, Francis P. Blair, Jr., had six chil- 
dren, one of whom, Andrew A. Blair, was an ensign in the United States 
navy. 

It is not improbable that at present there are hundreds of grand and 
great-grandchildren, who, in the not distant future, will sustain the charac- 
ter of this great American family for brains, bravery and beauty in the 
sixth and seventh generations. But enough for to-night of American 
genealogies. Richelieu. 



THE CAMPBELL FAMILY. 

John Campbell emigrated to America from Ireland in 1726, and first 
settled in Lancaster, Pa. In 1733 he came south to Augusta — then 
Orange county, and settled near Bellefont. He left two sons, Patrick and 
David. Patrick left a son Charles, whose son William was born near 
Staunton 1744, and was the hero of King's Mountain. David Campbell, 
the youngest son of the original settler, married Mary Hamilton, and left 
thirteen children. In 1765, John, the eldest son of David Campbell and 
Mary Hamilton, explored the southwest, and purchased lands on the head- 



308 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

waters of the Holston, where, soon after, the family settled itself One of 
the daughters, Mary, man-ied Wm. Lochart ; a second, Margaret, married 
David Campbell. All the Campbells supported the Founder in his early 
plans, and shared in the hardships and dangers of the Indian wars. John 
Campbell, the eldest son of David, born in Augusta, 1741, was a lieuten- 
ant in Wm. Campbell's company, in Col. Christian's regiment, under Gen. 
Lewis, in 1774. He commanded a company in the battle of Long Island 
Flats of Holston, in July, 1776, defeating the Indians under their famous 
chief. Dragon Canoe. He also commanded a company in October, 1776, 
in Col. Christian's expedition against the Cherokee towns. In 1778, he 
was appointed clerk of Washington county. He died in 1825, in his 85th 
year. His younger brother was Col. Arthur Campbell. David, the fourth 
brother of those who came to Holston, was educated for the bar. He re- 
moved to Tennessee, and was one of the Judges of the Supreme Court. 
He died in 1812. Robert, the next brother, born in Augusta, 1752, was a 
volunteer under Lewis in 1774, was in all the battles with his brother, and 
an ensign at King's Mountain. He was an active, energetic and useful 
man. He died 1831, aged 77. Patrick, the youngest brother, was also in 
the battle of King's Mountain. He married and left a large family, and 
died in his 80th year. Such is a brief sketch of the five brothers, sons of 
David Campbell, and grandsons of Jno. C, the original Irish emigrant. 
The father of Gen. Wm. Campbell was Charles Campbell, who died in 
Augusta. Wm. C, with his mother and sisters, then removed to Hols- 
ton. Elizabeth, the eldest sister, married Jno. Taylor, from whom Judge 
Allen Taylor and the Taylors of Montgomery county are descended. 
Jane, the second sister, married Thos. Tate ; Margaret, the third sister, 
married Arthur Campbell ; the fourth sister, Ann, married Richard Pas- 
ton. All left families of high respectability. 

Another branch of the Campbell family also settled in Augusta. Dun- 
can Campbell, of Invergrary, Argyleshire, Scotland, married in 1612 Mary 
McCoy, and the same year emigrated to Ulster county, Ireland, and died 
there, leaving descendants, who about 1726 emigrated to Pennsylvania, 
and in 1738 they removed to Augusta county, Virginia. Charles Camp- 
bell, a descendant in the fifth degree of the original Duncan, settled in 
Augusta, near the present Fort Defiance, about four miles northeast of 
Fort Lewis, and married Mary Trotter, his brother, William Campbell, 
marrying about the same time Elizabeth Wilson, a sister of Rev. Wm. 
Wilson, pastor of the Old Stone Church. William Campbell and family 
removed to Bourbon co., Ky., in 1790, and in 1800 removed to Brown 
CO., Ohio, where his son, Charles, married Elizabeth Tweed. Charles 
Campbell and Mary Trotter, left a son, John Campbell, who settled in 
Lawrence co., Ohio, in 1833, and left issue. 

Among our biographical notices will be found sketches of two eminent 
members of this family, which is allied by marriage with the Lewis', Pres- 
tons, Peytons, Tates, Taylors, and other early and leading families. 



THE STUART FAMILY. 

The Stuarts are of Scotch origin. During the reign of James I, they 
removed to Ireland, where Archibald Stuart married Janet Brown, a sister 
of Rev. Jno. Brown, the ancestor of the Browns of Rockbridge and Lou- 
isiana. In 1727, A. Stuart emigrated to Pennsylvania, after the birth of 
two children, Thomas and Eleanor. In 1738, he removed to Augusta, 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 309 

and settled on Pratt's farm, near Waynesboro, where he died 1761. He 
left issue: i. Thomas; 2. Eleanor; 3. Alexander; 4. Benjamin; all of 
whom left large families. Archibald Stuart was joined in Augusta some 
years after 1738 by two brothers, John and David, who came from Ire- 
land, and both of whom married in Augusta and left descendants — the de- 
scendants of the one being the Stuarts of Ohio and Illinois, and of the 
other, the Stuarts of S. C. 

Thomas Stuart, who was a man of mark, married Elizabeth Moore, and 
had issue nine children : i. Jane, died unm. ; 2. John, died s. p. ; James, 
who removed to Tenn., married Miss Montgomery, and left descendants ; 
4. 'i homas, U, S. A ; 5. Robert, married Miss Roland, of Botetourt; 6. 
Judy, died unm. ; 7. Mary, married James Mofifett, of Augusta, and they 
had issue ten children, viz : i. John Moffett, who married Eliz. Tate ; 2. 
Betsy, who married J. McClanahan ; 3. Robert S., married H. Guthrie; 
4. Thomas, died young ; 5. Jane, married Dr. J. K. Moore ; 6. Wm., mar- 
ried Jane Robertson ; 7. Eleanor, married J. C. Moore; 8. Mary, married 
Alex. T. Barclay ; 9. Thomas S., died unm. ; 10. Julia, married W. H. 
Paxton. 

Julia, daughter of Thomas Stuart, married Capt. Wm. Lyle, and left 
issue: Elizabeth, who married Capt. Wm, Paxton, and they left five chil- 
dren. 

Eleanor Stuart, daughter of the original emigrant, married Ed. Hall, 
who emigrated from Ireland to Augusta 1736, and they left issue : six 
sons and four daughters. 

Major Alex. Stuart, second son was born in Pennsylvania, 1733. He 
was a man of uncommon intellect and energy, and patented large tracts of 
land in the western counties. He was Major during the Revolution in 
Col. Samuel McDowell's regiment, and commanded the regiment at the 
battle of Guilford, where he was dangerously wounded. He was an ar- 
dent friend of education, and contributed largely of his private means to 
the endowment of Liberty Hall Academy, now W. & L. University. 
Major Stuart married first Mary Patterson, of South river, Augusta co., 
by whom he left issue : i. Judge Archibald Stuart, of Staunton ; 2. Robert, 
of Rockbridge ; and five daughters : Frances, Jane, Mary, Elizabeth, and 
Eleanor. He married secondly Mary Moore, by whom he left four chil- 
dren : James, Priscilla, Alexander and Benjamin. He married thirdly 
Anna Reid, whose maiden name was Miller, but left no issue by her at 
his death in his goth year. 

Judge Archibald Stuart was born 1757, was educated at Liberty Hall 
and William and Mary College. In 1781 he joined Gen. Greene's force 
in N. C, was appointed by him Aid, and he took part in the battle of Guil- 
ford. After the war he studied law under the great Jefferson, and returned 
to Rockbridge. He was now elected under peculiarly flattering circum- 
stances delegate to the Legislature from Botetourt, and after a service of 
three years, removed to Staunton. He rose so rapidly in popular esteem 
that he was elected in 1788 as the colleague of Zach. Johnston to represent 
the county in the Convention to ratify the Constitution of the U. S. In 
1791 he m Eleanor Briscoe, d of Col. Gerard Briscoe, of Md. Shortly 
after this event, he was elected to the Senate of Va.,and was subsequently 
chosen its President. In 1799, he was elected Judge of the General Court 
of Va., assigned to the Augusta district, and served until 1831. During 
his career he enjoyed the friendship of such men as Henry, Jefferson, 
Marshall, Madison, and Monroe. Judge Stuart was distinguished as a 



310 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

land lawyer, and as a Judge, for his discriminating judgment, and enjoyed 
the confidence, respect and esteem of the eminent Bar which practiced at 
his Court, among whom were (Chapman Johnson, Daniel Sheffey, John H. 
Peyton, B. G Baldwin, P. P. Barbour, W. C. Rives, and others. Judge 
Stuart was tall of stature and dignified in appearance, an able lawyer and 
upright judge. At his death, in 1832, he left four sons: i. Thomas Jef- 
ferson ; 2. Archibald P. ; 3. Gerard Briscoe ; 4. Alex. H. H. Stuart. 

Thomas J. m Martha Dabney, and left ivSsue : Col. W. D. Stuart, a gal- 
lant and meritorious officer, killed in the battle of Gettysburg. Briscoe 
died unm. A. P. Stuart m Josephine Xaupi, by whom he left a large 
family, two of whom served in the C. S. A. 

Gerard B. Stuart was never married. He has served as J. P. and in the 
Legislature, and is a man of ability and great purity of character. 

A. H H. Stuart m Frances, eldest d of Gen. B. G. Baldwin, and they 
have living issue: one son, Archibald G , and five daughters: i. Fanny 
Peyton, m Prof J. M. P. Atkinson; 2. Mary, who m Dr. Hunter Mc- 
Guire; 3. Susan Baldwin, m Rev. R. A. Gibson; 4.. Margaret, m A. F. 
Robertson. 

Robert Stuart, the second son of Maj. Alex. Stuart, m Elizabeth Mc- 
Clung, by whom he left numerous offspring. 

Frances Stuart m Lyle, by whom she left one daughter, Isabella^ 

who m John McDowell, of Staunton, and one son, who died unm. 

Jane Stuart m Alex. Walker, of Rockbridge, and they left five children, 
who removed to West Va. and Indiana. 

Mary P. Stuart m Alex, Hall, of Augusta, and they left issue : Eliza- 
beth died unm. Eleanor m Thos. Walker ; they removed to Monroe 
county, and left a large family. 

James Stuart, eldest son of Maj. S. by his second wife, m Miss Stocktony 
of Pittsylvania, and left issue 

Priscilla Stuart m Benj. Hall, and removed to Missouri. 

Judge Alex. Stuart, youngest son of Maj S., m first Ann Dabney, and 
left issue : two children — Hon. Arch. Stuart, of Patrick, and a daughter, 
Ann He m secondly Mary Gassaway ; no issue. He married thirdly 
Jane, a sister of Chapman Johnson. He was a man of fine talents and ge- 
nial temper, and was greatly regretted at his death, which occurred in 
Staunton in 1832. 

Hon. Arch. Stuart, of Patrick, was an officer in the war of 1812 — a dis- 
tinguished lawyer and eloquent orator He m Elizabeth Pannill, by whom 
he left issue; i. Ann, m J. N. Pierce, of Wythe; 2 Bettinia, m Rev. N. 
Chevalier; 3. Mary T., m Dr. Headin, of Floyd ; 4. David P., died unm.; 
5. Wm. A., m Mary, d, of Dale Carter, by whom he had several chil- 
dren. Mrs. S. died in 1862, and W. A. Stuart m Mrs. Alex. S. Brown, by 
whom he has a large family. 6. John D. Stuart, M. D., m Anne E. Kent, 
and has five children. 7. James E. B. Stuart graduated at West Point 
1854, and was commissioned second lieutenant of cavalry; wounded 
in battle with Cheyenne Indians, 1858; was at capture of John Brown 
in 1859; promoted i860 to captaincy in United States Army; in 1861 re- 
signed and joined Confederate side, and was made Lieut.-Col. ist Va. 
Cavalry, and rose rapidly to be Major-General, and was placed in com- 
mand of all the cavalry of the army of Northern Va. Enjoyed the friend- 
ship and confidence of Lee, Jackson, and J. E. Johnston, and won the de- 
votion of his men. This enterprising and distinguished officer — the Murat 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 311 

•of the Confederacy — was killed at the age of 29, May, 1864, at the battle 
of Yellow Tavern. He was the youngest Major-General since the days of 
Napoleon. He was the idol of the army and of the people of Va. He m 
Flora, d of Gen. Philip St. George Cooke, U. S, A., by whom he left two 
children: i. J. E. B., and 2. Virginia, 8. Columbia, m Peter W. Hairs- 
ton and they have issue. 9. Virginia, d unm. 10. Victoria, m N. A. 
Boyden, of N. C. 

Annie D. m first W. L. McDowell ; second, Judge Ewell Brown 

Dr. Chapman J. Stuart m Margaret, d of Judge B. G. Baldwin, and they 
left issue, one daughter, Mary J, who m Capt. W. L. Clark. 

Benjamin Stuart m and left three sons and one daughter by his first 
wife By his second, Miss Henderson, he left two children ; one died 
early ; the other, Mary, m Samuel H. Steele. 

John m Miss Coalter, and removed to Illinois, where their children now 
live 

Nancy m John Alexander, and had seven children, namely : i. Andrew, 
m Susan Hunter; 2 Archibald, d young ; 3. James, m Miss Sheiry; 4. 
Eleanor, m Robt. M. White ; 5. Martha, m Jos. Scott, M. D. ; 6. Dr. Cyrus 
Alexander, who m Sarah, d of John McCue ; 7. Catharine, m W. Hunter. 



THE BELL FAMILY. 

Joseph Bell came from Lancaster, Penn., to Augusta, about 1740. He 
was one of several brothers born in Penn., whose father emigrated from 
the north of Ireland to America some years previously. He settled near 
the Founder, on the present Valley turnpike, on the farm now owned by 
Jacob Warwick. The other brothers of Joseph Bell settled in Ohio, Ky., 
and Tenn., and have left descendants in those States ; among them was 
the late Hon. John Bell, of Tenn., a candidate for the Presidency in i860 
— the Whig ticket being ' Bell and Everett." 

Joseph Bell m Elizabeth Henderson, of Augusta, and had issue: i. Wil- 
liam ; 2. Susan, who m Jno. Wayt, s p ; Elizabeth, who m Dr. John Johns- 
ton, of Roanoke, and they left a large family ; 4. James Bell, who m three 
times — 1st, Sarah Allen, by whom he left issue, Wm. A Bell, and Marga- 
ret, who m J* Wayf He married second Sarah Crawford, d of George 
Crawford, and left no issue He m third Margaret, d of Wm. Craig, a re- 
lative of Rev. John Craig, first minister of Augusta Church, by whom he 
left issue ; i. John J. Bell ; 2. Col. David S. Bell ; 3. Mrs J. C Arbuckle, 
of Greenbrier ; 4. J. Wayt Bell ; 5. Mrs. Chesley Kinney; 6. Maj. Hen- 
derson M. Bell ; 7. Mrs. Frank M. Young, of Staunton ; all of whom have 
families except Mrs. Arbuckle. 

Joseph Bell and Wm. Craig were of the original settiers of Augusta, and 
engaged in building the Old Stone Church, which was erected in 1740. 

The late James Bell, Esq , of Prospect Hill, was a magistrate of Augusta 
from 1796 to a short period before his death, which occurred in 1856, 
and as such, succeeded to the High Sheriffalty as the oldest magistrate. 
At the adoption of the Constitution of 1850, was but one term removed 
from the succession. He was long a consistent and influential member of 
the Augusta Church, President of the County Court for many years, and 
served in the Legislature as delegate for Augusta. He was a man of vig- 
orous intellect, great enterprise and industry, and accumulated a large 
estate. 



312 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

THE COCHRAN FAMILY. 

The first of this family who settled in Augusta about 1745 was John 
Cochran, who came to Penn., and thence to Augusta. He settled in 
Staunton as a merchant, and worshiped at the Old Stone Church. He 
married Susannah DonneUy, likewise of Covenanter stock, and from the 
north of Ireland. They left issue : James and Robert, and several daugh- 
ters. He died on his estate, near the Stone Church, now owned by the 
heirs of Thomas W. McCue, deceased. 

James Cochran, the elder son of the original John, m Magdalen, a d of 
Col. George Moffett, of Revolutionary fame. At his death, which oc- 
curred in Staunton in 1836, he left issue: i. John Cochran, of Charlottes- 
ville ; 2. George M. Cochran, of Augusta ; 3. James A., of Loch Willow, 
Augusta ; 4. Magdalen, wife of Benj. Crawford. It is not necessary to fol- 
low out the descendants of James Cochran's children, as they appear in 
other pedigrees in this volume. 

Robert Cochran removed to Ky., m , and left issue : one 

son, John Cochran, who m Ann Buskirk, and has issue: Jno. B. Cochran, 
a lawyer of Colorado, who m in Va his cousin, Magdalen, a d of Jas. A. 
Cochran, of Loch Willow. 2. Thomas Cochran, who died circa 1876, 
Judge of the Louisville (Ky.J Chancery Court. 3. Robert, an officer of 
the Chancery Court of Louisville, Ky., and daughters, 

John Cochran, the emigrant, was a man of great spirit and enterprise, 
and though he died young, left a handsome inheritance to his children. 
His son, the late Jas. Cochran, Esq , was distinguished for the soundness 
of his judgment, the acuteness of his intellect, and the persistency with 
which he pursued his plans. He accumulated a large estate, was long a 
magistrate of the county, and died beloved and respected by all. 



THE TATE FAMILY. 

The Tates came from the north of Ireland to Penn., and thence to Au- 
gusta about 1745. The first emigrant left four sons, James, William, John 
and Robert. The descendants of the first brothers married among the 
Van Lears, Ewings, Mofietts and Finleys, of Augusta and Rockbridge. 
Capt. James Tate, the eldest brother, was killed at the battle of Guilford. 
He was married, and his family removed to Ky and Missouri. He now 
has a great-grandson, Rev John C. Tate, a Presbyterian minister in Ken- 
tucky. William Tate's descendants are settled in Southwestern Va., one 
of whom is Dr. Thos. Tate, long a State Senator, and afterv/ards a Fed- 
eral civil servant, and the head of one of the bureaux in Washington. 
John Tate represented Augusta in 1798 in the Legislature, and voted 
against Madison's celebrated resolutions. 

Robert Tate m Margaret, d of John McClung and Alexander, his 

wife, and they left issue : i. James ; 2. John ; 3. William ; 4 Elizabeth, who 
m Col Allen and went to Michigan; 5. Polly, m Sam'l Wallace, of Chris- 
tian's Creek, Augusta co. ; 6. Eleanor, m Sam'l Patterson, of Rockbridge ; 
7. Phoebe, m Sam'l Wilson, of Rockbridge ; 8. Rebecca, m Reid Alexander, 
of Rockbridge ; 9. Isabella, m John B, Christian, of Augusta ; 10. Sally, 
died unm. 

James Tate m first Miss Baxter, sister of Dr. Geo. Baxter, and by her 
had George, Robert, John and Margaret. He m second Mrs. Beale, of 
Botetourt, whose maiden name was Poage, and by her left several children, 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 313 

the only one of whom survived him was Col. Wm. P. Tate, of Augusta, 
who m first Miss Kayser, of Alleghany, by whom he left two daughters, 
Isabella and Margaret. He married second Sarah Christian, and by her 
left issue : one daughter, Cornelia Tate. His widow m Rev. W. T. Rich- 
ardson, editor of the " Central Presbyterian," Richmond. 

John Tate m Nancy, d and only child of Wm. Mofifett, of Augusta, and 
left issue : i. Wm. M. Tate ; 2. Robt. McC. ; 3. John McC. ; 4. James M. ; 
5. Margaret, who m Dr. Steele, of Illinois ; 6 Elizabeth, m Jos. Hite, of 
Illinois ; 7. Rebecca, who m Blackburn, of Illinois. 

VVm. M. Tate m Elizabeth McClung, of Rockbridge, removed to In- 
diana, and left two children, a son and daughter. Wm. M. Tate, eldest 
son of John Tate, m first Mattie Frazier, and second Kate, d of Dr. A. 
Waddell, and has issue by both wives. 

This family, like others of the Covenanter stock, was noted for its piety, 
industry and public spirit, was associated with the early efforts of the 
Founder to improve the country, and is allied by marriage with some of 
the principal families of the county. 



THE CHRISTIAN FAMILY. 

A. G. Christian has kindly furnished the following brief memorandum 
as to his family. It is made up, principally, from extracts from the family 
Bible of the late John Christian, of Augusta, who was an elder and clerk 
of the session in Tinkling Spring and afterwards in Bethel church : 

"The Christians long inhabited the Isle of Man. where they were the 
Dempsters (/. e. Judges) in the island. The name was originally McChris- 
tian. After 1600 the Mc was dropped, and the name was thence spelled 
Christian The same family names prevailed then as now — namely : John, 
Robert, William, James, Isabella, &c. John Christian, of Uncrigg Castle, 
married Isabella Percy, daughter of the Duke of Northumberland, of Aln- 
wick Castle, and she became famous for her charities, talents and worth. 
The name was retained long in the family Hutchinson's history of Cum- 
berland county, England, vol. 2, p 148, gives a genealogical table of the 
Christians from the year A. D. 900 They inhabited Cumberland and 
Westmoreland counties, England, and for centuries lived in the Isle of 
Man. The name was first written simply Christian in 1630, by Judge Wil- 
liam Christian. The family seat was " Uncrigg," or Uwncrig Castle. 
Another seat was Ronaldsway. Scott's " Peveril of the Peak " has in 
the appendix to some additions a note giving some history of the Christian 
family, 

John Christian married Rachael Brownlee on June 21, 1779, and left the 
following issue: Robert, b September 20, 1781 ; John Brownlee, b Sep- 
tember I, 1784; Isabella, b December 12, 1786; Sarah, b November 7, 
1790; William, b August 21, 1793; James and Israel (twins), b July 21, 
1765; Archibald Scott, b October ist, 1797; Ebenezer, b December 7th, 
1801. 

Gilbert Christian married Margaret Richardson in Ireland. Their chil- 
dren, who came to America, were : Robert, John, William and Mary. 
They all settled on Christian's creek about 1733, and took deeds from 
Beverly (grantee of Crown) about 1736, recorded in Orange county, Va. 
Robert married Isabella Tiffins, while a recruiting officer in the Indian war, 
at Winchester, Va. (Their children are the list above.) John Christian 
and William had large families. Most of their descendants went to Ken- 

40 * 



314 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

tucky and Tennessee. Mary married, first, John Mofifett, and they left 
issue ; after the death of John Moffett she married James Trimble, and 
from this marriage sprung the late Governor of Ohio, Allen Trimble." 



THE CRAWFORD FAMILY. 

The first of this family, who emigrated from Ireland to Pennsylvania, 
was Patrick Crawford. He removed from Pennsylvania to Augusta about 
1750, and settled on the farm now occupied by Col John H. Crafford. He 
m and left three sons — i. William; 2. James; 3 John. William m Nancy 
Smith, a d of Abraham Smith, and left issue — i. Benjamin Crafford; 2. 
George; 3. James; 4. John; 5. William, and six daughters James died 
unm ; John m Mary Allen, and they left issue — i. John; 2 George; 3, 
James, and four daughters, namely : i. Mrs. E. G. Moorman ; 2. Mrs. 
Col. Franklin McCue ; 3. Mrs Wm. English, and Mrs Stuarl; McClung. 
I. Benj. Crawford m Magdalen, a d of James Cochran, and they left issue: 
I. Elizabeth; 2. James; 3. Nancy, who m Col. James Cochran, of Cul- 
pepper, and they have two children — i. Benjamin C; 2. Patsy. 4. Ad- 
dison, of Bath, unm, and 5. Benjamin Lewis, M. D., who died in Texas, 
1878, unm. James, eldest son of B. C, m Cornelia, a d of Wm. G. Mil- 
ler, of Rockingham, and they have issue one son, viz.: William B. i. 
James fthe second son of Patrick Crawford, the emigrant,) m Miss Mc- 
Clung, of Greenbrier, and left issue — i. John H.; 2. Dr. Wm. M. Craw- 
ford, of Mt. Sidney ; 3. Edward C; 4. James A.; 5. Marshall ; 6. Mrs. 
Bettie Taylor, who has no issue ; 7. Mrs. Minor ; 8. Mrs. David Hanger. 
Col. John H. Crawford m Mrs. Zirkle, whose maiden name was Rice, of 
Shenandoah, and they have issue one son — a minor. Dr. Wm. M. Craw- 
ford m Miss McChesney, of Rockbridge, and they have a large family, 
Edward Crawford m a d of Wm. Crawford, of the Stone Church, and 
they have a son and daughter James A. m in Texas, and their descen- 
dants are unknown. Marshall Crawford m a d of Alex. Crawfo^'d, of 
Crawford's Springs, Augusta, and they have issue one daughter. Mrs. 
Minor has a large family, and also her sister, Mrs. David Hanger. Wm. 
Crawford, fifth son of Patrick, m ist Margaret, d of James Bouland, and 
he left issue at his death, in 1881 — i. James ; 2. Sarah ; 3. Ann, unm ; 4. 
George ; 5. Benjamin, unm. James m Mary, d of Wm. Miller, and they 
have three children. Sarah m E. C Crawford, and they have two chil- 
dren. 4. George m Lillie, a d of Isaac Parkins, and g d of Col. Samuel 
C. Harnsberger. William C. m secondly Sarah, a sister of his first wife, 
but left no issue by her. Col. James Crawford, a former lawyer of Staun- 
ton, was connected with this family through the Bells. He m first a Miss 
Stribling, and left issue — i. Erasmus S.; 2. James; 3. Magnus W., and 
4. Mrs. Manifee, who has a large family. Magnus m Miss Simms, of Or- 
ange, and they have a large family. Col. James Crawford m secondly 
Peggy, a d of Col. Wm. Bell, of Lewis creek, and left issue at his death, 
in 1858 — I. William Bell: 2. John; 3 Taliaferro, died unm; 4. Mrs. 
Margaret Burrell, of Lewisburg, and they have issue; 5. Sarah, who m J. 
Wayt Bell, and they left issue one son — Taliaferro ; 6. Fanny, who m 
John S. Churchman, and they have issue ; 7. Mrs. H. P. Dickerson, who 
has a family ; and one daughter who died unm. 

Patrick Crawford was a man of sound sense, great energy and perse- 
vering industry, and accumulated a good estate. His descendants have 
intermarried with the principal families of the county, and have long been 
among our leading men of business. 



HISTOKY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 315 

The late Benjamin Crawford was long a successful Staunton merchant, a 
bank officer and justice of the peace, in which capacities he was well 
known by the writer, who served with him in a bank directory and as a 
member of the county court. Mr. Crawford's powers were useful rather 
than brilliant ; his success the result of patience and perseverance. With 
a- warmer imagination he would probably have been misled by speculative 
theory like so many of his contemporaries. His industry and his temper- 
ance were the sources of his early success, and they nurtured in him the 
spirit of that independence which was the leading characteristic of his 
life. 

THE m'CUE family. 

We are indebted to Judge John H. McCue for the following very brief 
account of his grandfather, Rev. John McCue, and his descendants : 

" Rev. John McCue's father emigrated from the north of Ireland, and 
was of the Covenanter stock. Resettled in Lancaster co., Penn'a ; from 
thence in a few years he removed to Nelson co., Va., circa 1737. He left 
a large family, the eldest of whom. Rev. Jno McCue, graduated A. B. at 
Washington College previous to its charter in 1782, and studied divinity 
under Rev. Jas. Waddell, whom he succeeded as pastor of Tinkling 
Spring. He founded the first Presbyterian church west of the AUegha- 
nies in Lewisburg, Greenbrier co., and was succeeded at Lewisburg by 

Rev. Mcllhany, D.D. Rev. Jno. McCue was pastor of the Staunton 

church in 1791, and in the same year took charge of Tinkling Spring. 
He married a daughter of James Allen, of Augusta, and among his de- 
scendants are the Bells, Wayts, Crawfords, Hydes, Kaysers and Francis- 
coes of Augusta, and the Trimbells of Ohio. Rev. John McCue left five 
sons, James A., John, William M. D., Franklin and Cyrus, and five daugh- 
ters, Mrs. Alex'r Barry, Mrs. Gen. Jos. McDowell of N. C, Mrs. Jas. Mil- 
ler, Mrs. Jos, Matthews, and Mrs. John Porterfield. The Rev. Jno. Mc- 
Cue was distinguished for his piety, strength of character and intellect, 
learning and eloquence. His grandson. Judge J. H. McCue, possesses an 
MS. volume of his sermons characterized by learning, deep research and 
profound thought." 

John McCue, Esq. — The writer cannot permit this occasion to 
pass without paying a slight tribute of respect to the memory of one 
of the best and purest men he ever knew. It was his good fortune 
to have known from boyhood the late John McCue, of the Long Mead- 
ows — to have spent some time now and again under his hospitable roof, 
to serve with him on the County Court, and to enjoy his friendship 
during the early years of his life. He soon learned to esteem and 
admire him for his sterling worth and many good qualities, and the more 
he knew of him in after years, the higher was his estimate of his talents 
and his character. From the sacred calling of his father, the reader will 
not be surprised to learn that more care was taken to secure his moral 
and religious principles than to instruct him in professional or general 
literature, for both of which, however, he exhibited a decided and early 
liking. His parents sought to make him good rather than great While 
yet a boy he expressed a wish to engage in agricultural pursuits, a desire 
heightened by his ardent love for natural scenery and a taste for the se- 
clusion of the country. After he acquired the extensive and valuable 
estate on the " Long Meadows," he removed there, and there the princi- 



316 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

pal part of his useful and honorable life was spent, and there he died. 
His social, intellectual, and moral qualities need not be described. To 
sum up all in a few words : He was a man of vigorous intellect, generous 
soul, and varied information. Though a Whig by conviction, and decided 
in his politics, he never was a partizan, and while serving in the General 
Assembly, of which he was often a popular and influential member, was a 
laborious and conscientious worker rather than a frequent and ambitious 
speaker. No man had a higher sense of honor, and he enjoyed the con- 
fidence and respect of both parties, wielded much influence, and served to 
the entire satisfaction of his constituents. In private life, Mr. McCue ex- 
hibited an active benevolence and the same Christian piety which marked 
his public career. His heart overflowed with benevolence and kindly 
feelings, and this precious quality rendered him even more delightful in 
the social circle than his strong, bright intellect. His conversation was 
eagerly sought by the good and wise, who derived both pleasure and 
profit from his varied stores of original thought and acquired information. 
To a large extent he lived for others. In all his acts he showed a forget- 
fulness of self, and in the last scene of his life exhibited the firmness of the 
■philosopher united to the piety of the Christian, Mr. McCue not only 
paid homage to the Great Source of all good and precious gifts, whether 
intellectual or material, but made religion his favorite theme — not a reli- 
gion of mental abstraction, but one of practical efficacy en every feeling of 
the heart and every action of the life. It was ever his aim to promote 
glory to God in the highest by advancing " Peace on earth and good will 
towards men." In his neighborhood and among the congregation of 
Tinkling Spring, his memory is not only cherished as that of a good and 
wise man, but venerated as that of a public and private benefactor. 



THE HANGER FAMILY. 



The first of this family who settled in Augusta, 1750, was Peter Hanger, 
an emigrant from Penn., whose family had previously setded there, having 
•crossed the ocean from Germany. He married in Penn , and at his death, 
in 1801, on the farm now owned by the city of Staunton, in connection 
with the water-works, left issue, a large family, one of whom was Peter 

Hanger, of the Willow Spout, who m Zink, and they left issue: i. 

Peter ; 2. Dr. John ; 3. Wm. S. ; 4. David, who died in Missouri ; 5. Mrs. 
Jacob Baylor; 6. Mrs. S. M. Woodward ; 7. Mrs. Hannah Allen. 

Peter Hanger settled on an estate near Waynesboro, and m Martha, a d 
of George Crawford, by whom he left issue : i. George C.; 2. Catharine, 
who m J H. Evans ; 3 Peter ; 4. Nancy, who m Col. Alex. R. Robert- 
son ; 5. John ; 6. H. Miller ; 7. William ; 8. Marshall Hanger, long a dele- 
gate from Augusta county to the General Assembly of Virginia, and for 
years Speaker of the Lower House ; 9. Dr. David W ; 10. Edgar, who 
died young; 11. Norman, unm. 

This family, one of the earliest seated in the county, was noted for its 
spirit and enterprise, and actively seconded the eflbrts of the Founder in 
subduing the country, introducing improvements, and advancing the pub- 
lic interests. Another brother, George Hanger, settled on the Middle 
River, and left numerous descendants. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 317 



THE MATHEWS FAMILY. 

The Mathews family came originally from Ireland, and setded in Au- 
gusta about the year 1739. They took up the land about four miles from 
the present village of Churchville, and twelve from Staunton, now owned 
and occupied by Valentine Hupman. The members of the family were: 
I. William ; 2. Richard ; 3. James ; 4. John ; 5. Sampson. 

William Mathews m , and left issue : i. Richard ; 2. John ; 

3. Isaac ; 4. Kate, died unm. ; 5. Mary, m Rankin, of Ky. ; 6. Marga- 
ret, m Fred Hanger ; 7. Jane, died unm ; and 8. Elizabeth, b 1774, m Ab- 
ner Gaines, b 1766, of Orange co., Va., about 1789. They removed to 
Kentucky and left issue; i. James Mathews Gaines, b 1793 ; 2. John P., b 
1795 ; 3- Wm. H., b 1797 ; 4. Mary W., b 1800; s. Richard M., b 1802; 
6. Benj. F., b 1804 ; 7. Augusta W., b 1805 ; 8. Arch'd K., b 1808 ; 9. Ab- 
ner, b 1810; 10. Elizabeth, b 1812; 11, Mildred Pollard, b 1815 ; 12. Har- 
riet B., b 1818. 

James M m Elvira Toussey, and they left one child, now living. 

John P. removed to Oregon and became Governor of the Territory. 
He m Eliza Kinkead, of Ky., and had a large family. 

Wm. H. m first Miss Early, a relative ol Gen. Jubal A Early, and had 
five children. He m second Miss Belden, of Arkansas, and has seven 
children. 

Mary W. m Craig Bush, and they left five children. 

Richard m Eliza Hutchins, of Miss., and they left three children. 

Benjamin P. also m a Miss Kinkead, of Ky., and they have issue living 
in Florida. 

Augustus m Miss Daniel, of Richmond, Ky., and they left a large family. 

Archibald m first Miss Dudley, of Georgetown, and they left issue. 
He m second the sister of his first wife, and they have issue : a large family. 

Abner died unm. 

Elizabeth m Lewis Hubbell, of N. Y., and left issue living in Boone 
CO., Ky. 

Mildred m Anthony H. Davies, of Chicot co , Arkansas, and they have 
issue, eight children, namely : i. Anthony, d; 2. Fanny Walker: 3. Walter; 

4. Mildred ; 5. Robert Geddes Davies ; 6. Anthony ; 7. Abner ; 8. Joseph 
Davies. 

Governor George Mathews, of Georgia, and Sampson Mathews, of 
Staunton, one of whose daughters m Sam'l Clark, another Gen. Sam'l 
Blackburn, were of this family, but no list of their descendants in Va. or 
the South could be procured. 



THE PORTERFIELD FAMILY. 

The first of this family emigrated from England early in the i8th cen- 
tury, and settled in Penn. Thence two of his sons removed to Va. and 
settled in Jefferson, namely : Robert and Charles. A third son removed 
to the West and became a citizen of Ky. Both Robert and Charles were 
officers during the war of the Revolution, and Charles died unm., from 
wounds received during the war. After the war, about 1782, Col. Rob- 
ert Porterfield removed to Augusta and settled on South river, on a farm 
which he called " Soldiers' Retreat." He m Rebecca Farrar, of Amelia 
CO., by whom he had issue : i. Charles, who died unm. ; 2. Polly ; 3. John ; 
4. Rebecca. Polly m Lewis Wayland, of Augusta, and left a large family, 



318 HISTOEY OF AUGUSTA COUNTT. 

who have removed to Ky. John Porterfield m Betsy McCue, a sister of 
John and Col. Franklin McCue, and had only one child, Robert Porter- 
field, who m a daughter of John Wayt, and left one son, Robert Porter- 
field, of Lewisburg, Greenbrier co., W Va., who m Miss McClung, of 
Greenbrier and they have three children, namely : Mattie, Herbert and An- 
nie. Rebecca Porterfield m William Kinney, Esq., of Staunton, and they 
left issue, nine children, viz: i. Mary, m Alfred Chapman, of Orange, and 
they have a large family ; 2. Jane, who m E. M. Taylor, of N. Y., and they 
have eight children ; 3. Robert Porterfield, who m Isabella, d of L. L. Ste- 
venson, and they have a large family ; 4 Rebecca, who m S. A. Richard- 
son, of Mass., and they have three children ; 5. William Kinney, M. D., 
who died unm. ; 6. Annie Maria, who m Maj. H. M. Bell, a lawyer of 
Staunton, and they have three children: i. Richard P.; 2, Annie; and 3. 
Henderson M., jr. ; 7. Eliza, unm. ; 8. Charles N., who died unm. ; 9. John 
C, d unm. 

Gen. Porterfield had two sisters : i. Rebecca, who died unm. ; 2. Eleanor, 
who m Mr. Heath, Attorney-Gen. of Ky., and they left no issue. He was 
a man of high character, strong sense and martial spirit. 



THE WAYT FAMILY. 

The first of this family who emigrated from England to Va. was George 
Wayt, who setded in Orange county, circa 1750. He had three sons, 
namely : i, John ; 2 William ; 3. James. John, the eldest son, removed to 
Augusta about 1790, and m Susan, a d of Joseph Bell, by whom he left no 
issue. He was a distinguished Mason, merchant, and Mayor of the town. 
He was an eminently good and pious man, being an Elder in the Staunton 
Presbyterian Church. William Wayt m Miss Hodges, of Caroline coun- 
ty, and left one son, John Wayt, and three daughters. John Wayt re- 
moved to Augusta in 181 1. He married twice : first, Margaret A. Bell, 
d of James Bell, by whom he left issue, one daughter, who m Robt. J. 
Porterfield, by whom she left issue, one son. She m secondly Johnston 
E. Bell, of Lewisburg, and left three children, one son and two daughters. 
John Wayt m second Sarah A. Bell, d. of Maj. Wm. Bell, of Lewis creek, 
and left issue at his death in Staunton in 1877, three children : i. Dr. 
Newton Wayt ; 2. J. Howard Wayt ; 3. Mattie, who m Thos. A. Bledsoe, 
Cashier Nat. V. Bank, Slaunton, and they have issue, two daughters, S. 
Bell and Mary Lou Bledsoe. 

Dr. Newton Wayt m Julia B., a d of Wade H. Heiskell, and has Issue, 
two sons and one daughter, viz : i. Baldwin ; 2. Hampton; 3. Mattie. J. 
Howard Wayt is unmarried. 

John Wayt, was long a magistrate of the county, an elder in the 
churches in Waynesboro and Staunton, and was for years a leading mer- 
chant and banker. He had a strong mind, great industry and enterprise. 
He enjoyed the confidence, respect and esteem of the community, and 
died beloved and regretted by the entire public. 



THE W^ADDELL FAMILY. 

The first person of this name, of whom we have any knowledge, is John 
Waddell, rector of the University of St. Andrew's, Scotland, in 1527, pre- 
vious to the Reformation. 

The Waddells afterwards became staunch Covenanters, Protestants of 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 319 

the strictest sect The whole family seems to have participated in the bat- 
tle of Bothwell Bridge, June 22d, 1679. No less than four of them were 
taken prisoners there, viz : William and Robert Waddell, of Monkland 
Parish ; Walter Waddell, of Sprunston, and Alexander Waddell, of Castle- 
town. The sufferings of the prisoners in Grayfriars Churchyard, Edin- 
turg, is a matter of history. Some of them died under the harsh treat- 
ment they received ; others made their escape ; others were set free on 
signing a declaration never to take arms against the King ; and about two 
hundred and fifty were banished to the Island of Barbadoes. These were 
taken away by a merchant of Leith, named Paterson, who contracted with 
the government to transport the banished men, the four Waddells being 
among them. After leaving port a storm arose, and the vessel being 
driven around the Orkney Islands, was wrecked at a place called the Mule- 
head of Darness. By Paterson's order, the prisoners were shut up be- 
neath the hatches, and two hundred of them were drowned. AH the 
Waddells perished, except William. The fifty prisoners who escaped 
found their way to the north of Ireland and settled there, the government 
interfering with them no further. 

It is believed that William Waddell was the grandfather of the Rev. 
James Waddell, DD., widely known as the Blind Preacher. The father 
of Dr. Waddell was named Thomas, and came to America from County 
Down, Ireland, in 1739. He settled in the southeastern part of Pennsyl- 
vania, near the Delaware line. He had three sons, William, Robert and 
James, and a daughter named Sally. William and Robert moved at an 
early day to VVestern Pennsylvania, where Robert reared a large family of 
children. William and Sally never married. 

James Waddell was an infant when the family came to America. His 
father was a plain man, and the son at first looked forward to nothing bet- 
ter than a life of manual labor. But while a small boy, he and his older 
brothers chased a hare into a hollow tree, and thrusting his left hand into 
the hollow to seize the game, it was nearly severed by his brother's axe. 
The parts adhered, but the hand was permanently disabled. This "acci- 
<ient " led to his being sent to the school of the Rev. Dr. Finley, afterwards 
President of Princeton College, then one of the most celebrated schools in 
the country. He rose to be an assistant teacher, and among his pupils 
was the eminent Dr. Benjamin Rush. 

About the year 1758, he started, on horseback, to go to Charleston, 
South Carolina, where he expected to spend his life in teaching. Passing 
through Virginia, he encountered, in Hanover county, the Rev. Samuel 
Davies, who prevailed upon him to remain here. At first, he taught for 
some time in Louisa county, in association with the Rev. Mr. Todd. Be- 
coming a minister, he located in Lancaster county, where he married Mary 
Gordon, daughter of Col. James Gordon. When the Revolutionary war 
began, he removed to Augusta county, and lived during the war on a large 
farm which he purchased and called Spring Hill. This farm is on South 
River, some miles above Waynesboro, and part of it was lately owned by 
Mr, Zachariah McChesney. During his residence here he preached at 
Tinkling Spring and Staunton. After the war he removed to the place 
where he died, near Gordonsville, his dwelling being in Louisa county, 
but the farm in the three counties of Louisa, Orange and Albemarle. 



320 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. . 

THE PEYTON FAMILY. 

The Peyton family is of high antiquity in the mother country. Accord- 
ing to Camden, Du Moulin, and other historians and antiquarians, the 
founder was William de Malet, one of the great barons who accompanied 
William I to the conquest of England, and obtained from that monarch 
many grants of manors and lordships as a recompense for his military- 
services. Among these lordships were Sibton and Peyton Halls, in Nor- 
folk, from the latter of which, Reginald, a nephew of William de Malet, 
assumed the surname of Peyton, in accordance with the usage of the times. 

The name is also one of the earliest connected with the colony of Va. 
Sir Henry Peyton was knighted by James I, and was gentleman of the 
Privy Chamber of Prince Henry, 1610, was a member of the London 
Company to whom King James, May 23d, 1609, granted a charter " to 
deduce a colony and make habitation in that part of America commonly 
called Va." Sir Henry Peyton was the fourth son of the Right Hon. Sir 
Thomas Peyton, M. P. for Dunwich in 1557, and Customer of Plymouth, 
by his wife. Lady Cecilia Bouchier, daughter of John, second Earl of 
Bath. He m Lady Mary, d of Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset. 
His nephew, son of his brother, Robert, namely : John Peyton, is sup- 
posed to have been the first who made the voyage to Va., circa 1622, 
when in his 26th year, and to have settled in the colony 1644. He m 
Ellen Pakington, of London, and left two sons : 

L Henry Peyton, of Acquia, Westmoreland county, Va. ; 

IL Valentine Peyton, of Nominy, Westmoreland county, Va., a colonel 
in the British army. 

The descendants of the two are scattered through Va. and the South 
and West. From Valentine was descended the gallant and patriotic Col. 
Harry Peyton, of Revolutionary fame, who, when he heard that his last 
son, Yelverton, had been killed at the siege of Charleston, S. C , 1780, by 
a cannon ball from the enemy's fleet, exclaimed : " Would to God I had 
another to put in his place."* Frances Peyton was a daughter of Col. 
Harry P., and m the late Judge John Brown, of the Staunton Circuit, and 
left issue : 

L Judge Jas, E. Brown, of Wytheville, uncle by marriage of Gen. J. E. 
B. Stuart. 

n, Martha Steele, who m Judge B. G. Baldwin, father of Col. J. B. 
Baldwin, Mrs. A. H. H. Stuart, Mrs. James M. Ranson. and Mrs. Chap- 
man J. Stuart. 

HL Margaret Brown m William S. Eskridge, and left issue : Mrs. John 
Towles, of La., and Mrs. R. T. W. Duke, of Albemarle. 

From the elder brother, Henry Peyton, of Acquia, was descended Hon. 
Balie Peyton, of Tenn., a distinguished lawyer, soldier and statesman. 
He served as M. C. for Tenn., 1833-37, ^s colonel of 5th Louisiana regi- 
ment in the Mexican war, 1845-48, and was Minister Plenipotentiary to 
Chili, 1848-1852; Hon Jos Peyton, M. C. for Tenn. ; Hon. Francis Pey- 
ton, an influential and patriotic member of the H. of D. of Va. from 1777 
to 1785 — also a member of the Convention of 1776 to frame a Constitution 
for Va. ; Hon, E. G. Peyton, late Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of 
Miss. ; Col. Robert L. Y. Peyton, late Confederate States Senator for Mis- 
souri; Hon. Samuel O. Peyton, M. C for Ky., and others. 

*Yelverton Peyton, when shot, fell into the arms of the late Gen. Ro. Porterfield, of Augusta, who was 
standing by his side. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 321 

Another branch of the original stock of Peytons settled in Va, circa 
1665, namely: Robert Peyton, a grandson of Sir Edward Peyton, Baronet 
of Isleham co., of Camb. He took up large tracts of land in Gloucester, 
and made his home at Isleham, in the present county of Matthews. From 
these early settlers have sprung a numerous progeny settled in almost 
every part of the U. S., from N. Y. to Georgia and from Minnesota to 
Texas and California. The earliest Peyton connected with Augusta was 
Henry J. Peyton, who came up from Prince William to Winchester, and 
thence to Augusta about 1796. In 1802 he was appointed Clerk of the 
Chancery Court of this district, and served with great satisfaction to the 
public until 1814. The second who came to the county was John Howe 
Peyton, of Montgomery Hall, who settled in Staunton in 1809, on receiv- 
ing the appointment of Attorney for the Commonwealth. He was the son 
of John R. Peyton, of Stony Hill, Stafford, who was known and acknowl- 
edged in his day as a man of gifted intellect and penetrating good sense. 
He lived in the seclusion of the country, devoted to rural pursuits and the 
cultivation of social happiness. He died in 1798, in his 45th year, and 
now sleeps under the solemn trees of Stony Hill Cemetery side by side 
with his fathers. " He was one of many thousand such that die betimes, 
whose story is a fragment, known to few." His father, John Peyton, was a 
man who combined within himself every noble and generous quality, of 
whom one of his contemporaries said : " It would require no common 
pencil to depict the undeviating rectitude of his conduct, the unshaken 
constancy of his friendship, the unwearied activity of his benevolence and 
invariable warmth of his affections, the untarnished purity of his habits, 
and the unabated fervor of his piety." John H. Peyton inherited in a re- 
markable manner these moral qualities, and was, says Mr. Bezer Blundell, 
F. S. A. : "A wise and good man, eminent alike for his learning and ability 
as a jurist, and for the purity of his private morals. Trained in the best 
principles, and early imbued with a veneration for the noblest characters 
of antiquity, Mr. Jno. H. Peyton did not seek public favor by courting the 
populace, or his reputation might have been more extended. His virtue 
was of another complexion. Content with his profession, and with his 
own consciousness of rectitude, he always sought to be in reality what he 
appeared, and might have changed his family motto, ' Patior-Potior,' for 
that of the late Lord Somers : ' Esse quam videri.' He was noticeable, 
also, as a fine specimen, doub tless much over the average, of the upper 
class of our Colonial gentry, at a period when Virginia flourished first 
under the direct influence of monarchy, and subsequently as a republic, 
but a republic whose institutions were tempered, and so to speak, toned 
down by traditionary influences, which still refined, though they no longer 
controlled them." John H Peyton m first Susan Madison, d of Wm. 
Strother Madison, a relative of Bishop Madison, by whom he left issue, 
one son, the late Col. Wm. M. Peyton, of Roanoke, who m Sally, a d of 
Judge Allen Taylor, by whom he left issue a large family, of whom there 
are now living : Mrs. Walter Preston, of Abingdon, whose eldest daughter m 
Judge Geo. W. Ward ; 2. Capt. Wm. M. Peyton, of Kanawha, W. Va., who 
m Miss Mann, of Gloucester co., Va., and has a large family . 3. Sally, who 
m T. C Reed, and left one child, Betty, who m Dr. Wm Berkeley, of 
Roanoke, a relative of Lord Botetourt, once Gov. of the colony; 4. Ber- 

nadine, who m Lewellyn, Esq., of Albemarle, who has a large family. 

Col. Wm M. Peyton died in 1868 deeply regretted by a numerous circle 
of friends throughout the State and country. He was a man of ability and 

41 * 



322 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

learning, a ripe scholar, possessing all the essentials of a great writer. ^ His 
mind was broad, his power of dramatic description remarkable, and in his 
analysis of character, elaborate and distinct. With his clear, vivid and 
eloquent style, and love of literature, he would doubdess have risen to the 
first distinction as a writer, but for a physical malady (vertigo), causing 
partial paralysis, which early interfered with his labors, and finally put an 
end to his life. He served at different times in the General Assembly and 
in other public positions, and was universally respected for the purity of 
his life, the activity of his benevolence, and the rectitude of his conduct. 
John H. Peyton m secondly Ann Montgomery, d of Maj. John Lewis, of 
the Sweet Springs, by whom he left issue at his death at Montgomery 
Hall in 1847. 

I. John Lewis Peyton, who m Henrietta E. C, d of Col. J. C. Wash- 
ington, of N. C, by whom he has issue: one son, Lawrence W. H. 

n. Yelverton, unm, a resident of Texas. 

HL Susan Madison m Col J. B Baldwin; no issue. 

IV. Ann Montgomery, d unm. 

V. Mary Preston m Robt. Gray, and has issue: i. Robert; 2, Peyton; 
3 Preston ; 4. Susan ; 5 Isabella. 

VI. Lucy Garnett m Judge Jno. N. Hendren, and has issue : one son, 
Samuel, and two daughters, Annie M. and Lucy Peyton. 

VII. Elizabeth, m Wm. Boys Telfair, of Ohio, and they have issue : i. 
William ; 2. John ; 3. Susan. 

VIII. Margaret Lynn m Capt. Geo M, Cochran, of Staunton, and they 
have issue : i. Susan ; 2. Maria ; 3. George ; 4. Ann ; 5. John ; 6. Margaret ; 
7. Peyton. 

IX. Virginia, m Col. Jos. F. Kent, of Wythe, and they have issue: i. 
Joseph F. ; 2. Susan ; 3. Mary. 

X. Cornelia m first Dr. Thos Brown, and at his death he left issue : two 
sons, I. Baldwin; and 2. Peyton. Mrs. Brown m secondly Wm. H. 
Greene, of Augusta, but they have no living issue. 



THE BALDWIN FAMILY. 

Dr. Cornelius Baldwin (the great-grandson of John Baldwin, who set- 
tled at Milford, Conn., in 1638-9,) was born in Elizabeth City, N. J., in 
1751 ; served as an army surgeon during the Revolution, and at the end 
of the war setded at Winchester, Va. He married, about 1784, Mary, the 
youngest daughter of Col. Gerard Briscoe, of " Cloverdale," near Win- 
chester. Colonel Briscoe was from Montgomery county, Md.; his wife, 
Mary Baker, was born in Annapolis ; they had only two children — viz.: 
Elizabeth Briscoe, who married Judge Hugh Holmes, and Eleanor Bris- 
coe, who married Judge Archibald Stuart, of Staunton, (the father and 
mother of Hon. A. H. H. Stuart.) 

Dr. Cornelius Baldwin's children by his first wife, Mary Briscoe (she 
was born 1767, died September 26, 1808, j were ten — viz.: 

I. Margaret, b 1785, d 1826. 

II. Eliza C, b 1787, d December 11, 1844. 

III. Briscoe Gerard, b January 17, 1789, d May 18, 1853. 

IV. Cornelius E., b 1791, d about 1828. 

V. Robert T., b 1793, d 1863. 

VI. Archibald Stuart, b 1797, d 1873. 

VII. Hugh Holmes; d young. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 323 

VIII. Mary Briscoe, b November i8, 1800; living in 1878. 

IX. William Daniel, b 1803, d 1830. 

X. Alexander G., b 1805, d in 1835, at Fort Towson, Arkansas. He 
was educated at West Point, and died a lieutenant in the U. S. A.; un- 
married 

Dr. Cornelius Baldwin married secondly, in May, 181 3, Mildred, d of 
Dr. Throgmorton, of Clarke county, Va. She d in September, 1816, leav- 
ing issue. 

XI. Cornelia, who married the Rev. William H. Mitchell, of Washing- 
ton, D. C. 

Dr Cornelius Baldwin married thirdly, in 1819, Miss Susan Prichard. 

No issue. 

Margaret Baldwin married, in 1803, Judge William Daniel, Sr., of 
Lynchburg, bin Cumberland in 1770, d in Lynchburg November 20, 1839. 
He first entered the State Legislature in 1798-99; served in both of its 
branches with distinguished ability ; was transferred to the Bench, and con- 
tinued to his death a member of the General Court of Virginia. His chil- 
dren were : 

I. Mary C. B., b 1804, d at "Union Hill" in 1843 ; married, in 1825, 
Mayo Cabell, Esq., of " Union Hill." 

II. William, Jr., judge, b in Cumberland 1808, died at Nelson court- 
house in 1873 ; married first, in 1843, Sarah A., (d in 1846) d of John W. 
Warwick, of Lynchburg. Their eldest child is John VV. Daniel. Judge 
Wm. Daniel, Jr., married secondly Miss Elizabeth, d of Governor William 
H. Cabell, president of the Virginia Court of Appeals 

III. Eliza, b 1810, d in 1831 ; married, in 1831 , William J. Lewis, M. C. 
for Lynchburg District. No issue. 

IV. Elvira Augusta, b 1817. d June 29, 1862; married, in 1836, Col. 
Charles Ellet, Jr., of Philadelphia. 

V. Martha, married Judge Wood Bouldin, of the Virginia Court of 

Appeals. 

Eliza Cook Baldwin married, in 1810, Capt. Joseph C. Baldwin, who 
descended from Nathaniel Baldwin, who setded at Milford, Conn., in 

1638-9. 

1 Cornelius Clarke, b 181 1 ; established the Lexington "Gazette" in 
1836; married first, in 1837, Margaret, d of Hugh Paxton ; secondly, in 
1858, Miss Sue A. Sale. 

II. Elizabeth Holmes, b 1813, d 1844; married, 1832, William H. Gar- 
ber, Esq , of Staunton Among their children are Judge John Garber, 
formerly of the Supreme Court of Nevada, Virginia Garber, who married 
Gen. Reuben Davis, of Mississippi, M. C, &c , and Maj Alexander M. 
Garber. 

HI. Joseph Glover, born at Friendly Grove, one mile south of Winches- 
ter, January 21, 1815 ; received his elementary education in Staunton, being 
a class-mate of the writer, who at that early day discovered his intellectual 
superiority, and predicted for him a brilliant future; married, in 1839, Miss 
Sidney, d of Judge Jno. White, of Talledega, Ala. In 1835 he edited the 
" Buchanan Advocate ;" removed to De Kalb county, Miss , in 1836, and to 
to Gainesville, Ala , in 1838, where he practiced law for twelve years in part- 
nership with J. Bliss, Esq.; represented Sumpter county in the Legislature 
in 1843-4; removed to Livingston, Ala , in 1850 ; wrote " The Flush Times 
of Alabama and Mississippi " in 1853, and " Party Leaders " in 1854 ; re- 
moved to California in 1854 ; was a judge of the Supreme Court from October 



324 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

1858, to January, 1862, when he resumed the practice of law in San Fran- 
cisco; he cl September 30, 1864. His eldest son, Judge Alex. White Bald- 
win, b in 1840, killed in a railroad collision near San Francisco in November, 
1868 ; educated at the University of Virginia ; a practicing lawyer at 
eighteen ; a prosecuting attorney at nineteen ; a leader of the Nevada Bar 
at twenty-one ; a United States District Judge at twenty-five ; one of the 
most brilliant and promising young men of his day in America. His ( J. 
G. Baldwin's ) oldest daughter, Kate Baldwin, married Hon. John B. Fen- 
ton, of California. 

IV. Cyrus Briscoe, b 1819, d June 25, 1862, in C. S. A.; married, first, 
Miss Gates ; second, a d of Judge Vandegrefif, of Gainesville. Ala. 

V. Cornelia, married, in 1859, Hon. Edward Stanley, M. C, of North 
Carolina. He moved to San Francisco, where he died without issue July, 
1872. 

Gen. B. G. Baldwin married, 1812, Martha Steele (b September 12th, 
1791, died January, 1870,) d of Chancellor John Brown and his wife Fanny 
Peyton (d of Col. Henry Peyton, a distinguished patriot and soldier of 
1776.) Gen. B. G. Baldwin was educated at William and Mary College ; 
studied law ; frequently a member of the Legislature ; a member of the 
State Constitutional Convention of 1829 ; appointed a judge of the Court 
of Appeals 1842. His children were : 

J. Frances Cornelia, married August i, 1833, Hon. A. H. H. Stuart. 

n. Mary Eleanor, married July 1, 1841, Col. James M. Ranson. 

III. John Brown, b near Staunton January 11, 1820, d September 30, 
1873 ; Speaker of the House of Delegates of Virginia ; Inspector-General 
of the State forces ; colonel of the Fifty-second regiment Virginia volun- 
teers, C. S. A.; member Confederate Congress, and filled most acceptably 
other positions of honor and trust. He married in 1842, Sirsan M., d of 
Hon. John H. Peyton, an eminent lawyer of Staunton, Va. No issue. 

IV. Margaret, married Dr. Chapman Johnson Stuart. 

V. Col. Briscoe G., and VI. James William. Briscoe v/as chief of ord- 
nance C. S. A. of Northern Virginia. James was drowned in James river, 
at Richmond, Va., October, 1876. 

Dr Cornelius E. Baldwin married Nelly, daughter of Major Isaac Hite, 
of Belle Grove, near Middletown, whose wife was the sister of President 
Madison. Mr. Madison left each of Dr. Baldwin's three daughters a hand- 
some legacy. Issue : 

J. Eleanor, married Lewis Davidson ; moved to Missouri. 

II. Mary B.,a missionary of the Protestant Episcopal Church at Athens, 
Greece; d in 1877 at Jaffa, Syria. 

III. Dr. Hite, formerly a surgeon U. S. N. 

IV. James. 

V. Dr. Robert T., a surgeon C. S. N. 

VI. Ann, married Mr. Hay, of Missouri, U. S. consul at Jaffa. He d 
leaving one child, John Baldwin Hay, now (1878) United States consul- 
general at Constantinople, Turkey. Mrs. Hay has charge of a mission 
school at Jaffa. 

Dr. Robert T. Baldwin, a surgeon in the U. S. A. in the war of 181 2 ; 
married first, Sally Mackey (no issue ); second, Portia Hopkins, and had 
issue : 

I. Cornelia, married J. Peyton Clarke. 

II. Mary Briscoe, married Rev. J M. P. Atkinson, D. D., president of 
Hampden-Sidney College. 



BISTORT OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 325 

III. Dr. Robert. 

IV. Ludwell. 

V. John, d 1877. 

Dr. Archibald Stuart Baldwin married Kitty Mackey, sister to his brother 
Robert's first wife. Issue : 

I. Mary, married Mr. Tidball, a lawyer ; moved to California. 

II. Margaret, married Robert Whitehead, a lawyer of Nelson county, 
Va. 

III. Catherine, married Dr. Sigismund Neil. 

IV. Dr. Robert F., superintendent State Lunatic Asylum, Staunton, 
Va.; a colonel and surgeon in C. S. A.; d 1879 

V. Dr. John, married a d of Hon. Richard W. Barton, M. C. from Vir- 
ginia, &c He d in 1862. 

VI. Dr. Cornelius, married a d of Marshall Jones, of New Or- 
leans. 

VII. Sallie. 

VIII. Fannie. 

Mary Briscoe Baldwin married William W. Donaghe. Issue: 

I. Margaret, D., married Rev. Robert White, D. D. 

II. Dr. Briscoe B., married Miss Brooke. 

III. Mary A., unm. 

IV. Annie, married H. Jouette Gray. 

V. William W., married Lucy Callaghan. 

William Daniel Baldwin married Margaret, d of John C. Sowers. He 
d aged twenty-seven, leaving only one child, Mary Julia Baldwin. 



THE KOINER FAMILY. 

Maj. Absolom Koiner has kindly furnished the following brief account 
of his family : 

"The Koiner family, one of the most numerous in the county,with branch- 
es of it settled in nearly all of the states south and west of New England, is 
of German origin, and has been traced as far back as the year 1650, on the 
Parish records of Winterlingen, Wurtenburg, where a portion of the family 
still remains. The family name from 1650 to the 29th of January, 1720, 
when Michael Koinath, the progenitor of the American family was born, 
was variously spelled, viz : Koinath, Kaeinath, Konot, Koynat, Keinot, 
Keinath, Keinodt, Kainath, and Michael's birth is registered Koinath. — 
Michael emigrated to America between 1740 — 45, and settled in Lancaster 
county. Pa. The records of the Lutheran church at New Holland, in said 
county, contains "the marriage of Michael Keinet or Keined, son of Con- 
rad Keinet, of Wurtenburg, to Margaret Diller, daughter of Casper Diller 
on the 2ist of February, 1749." The Dillers are a numerous family to this 
day, and are chiefly Lutherans. Tradition has it, that Michael Koiner 
made repeated trading voyages across the Atlantic, and on his last voyage 
a sister accompanied him to America. Caught in a storm, he was com- 
pelled to throw his goods (firearms) overboard, and his sister was swept 
into the sea. On his return to Pennsylvania he engaged in smithing trade 
to restore his lost fortunes. He was a man of medium size, of great ener- 
gy and firmness. He was one of the first to clear away the brush wood, 
and build at Millerstown, Pa., where his son Casper was born, and proba- 
bly others. Subsequently he moved west of the Susquehanna river into 



326 HISTOEY OF AUGTISTA COUNTT. 

that part of Cumberland county which is now FrankHn county, and settled 
on the Yellow-breaches creek. He here became the owner of land. He 
had ten sons and three daughters, namely, according to seniority: i, — 
George Adam ; 2, Conrad; 3, George Michael; 4, Mary; 5, Ehzabeth ; 
6, Casper ; 7, Catharine; 8, John; 9, Martin ; 10, Jacob ; 11, Christian; 
12, Philip; and 13, Frederick. The daughter's names, after marriage, 
were Mary Hedabaugh, Elizabeth Balsley, wife of Christian ; Catharine 
Slagle, wife of Jacob. The families of the first and last named daughters 
have gone to the west. His sons, George Adam and Casper, came to Au- 
gusta county, Va. , first. About the year 1787 their father came and pur- 
chased farms ; the first, a tract of 300 acres for ;i^335, conveyed to him on 
the 22nd Aug.. 1787, as Michael Coynant, of Cumberland county. Pa. 

On 25th September, 1790. there was conveyed to him 200 acres by Hef- 
flepower. On the 21st October, 1790, 303 acres, on South River, by Arch- 
ibald Bowling, for ^400. The latter is the farm on which he settled and 
lived for about six years preceding his death. This farm has been in his 
family to the present, and is now owned and occupied by Casper B. Koin- 
er, his great-grandson. Michael, the patriarch, died 7th of November, 
1796. His wife's age was 79 years. Both were buried at Koiner's, now 
Trinity church, near the South River. He and his family primarily be- 
longed to the Lutheran branch of the Protestant church. All the family 
of the progenitor came to Virginia except his son Conrad, who remained 
in Pennsylvania, and reared a numerous family there. His sons George 
Adam, Casper, Martin, Philip, Frederic and George Michael remained and 
died in Augusta county, Va. The rest, who came from Pennsylvania, 
subsequently emigrated to other states, — ^John, at an early day, to Ohio, 
and founded a prosperous family ; Christian to West Virginia, and Jacob 
not remembered. 

"The farms of these early setlers have, with great uniformity, remained 
in the hands of their posterity, to wit : The farm of George Adam is still 
in the possession of his grandson, George K. Keiser ; that of Casper in the 
possession of his son, Simon ; that of Martin, on the Glades, in the posses- 
sion of a daughter descendant of the Bell family ; that of Philip in the pos- 
session of his son, David VV. ; and that of George Michael in the posses- 
sion of his son, Michael A. 

"The oldest three sons were soldiers in the Revolutionary war, and Phil- 
ip, one of the younger, was an officer in the war of 1812, with others of the 
second generation* 

"Casper, one of the first to emigrate from Pennsylvania to Virginia, was 
the father of the most numerous and prosperous family. He had nine sons 
and two daughters, viz : i, Jacob; 2, Michael ; 3, John ; 4, Philip ; 5, Da- 
vid; 6, Samuel; 7, Martin; 8, Simon ; and 9, Benjamin. The daughters 
were, i, Mary, the wife of George Koiner; and 2 Susan, the wife of Dr. 
Samuel G. Henkel. Each of these, with scarcely an exception, had large 
and prosperous families, who are mainly still residents of Augusta county. 
With a few exceptions, only, agriculture has engaged their attention, at- 
tended with uniform development and success." 



GEN. R. H. LEE. 

The following interesting letter to the late Major Robert Grattan, refer- 
ring to a company of horse composed almost exclusively of Augusta men 
who marched to Western Pennsylvania to aid in suppressing the whiskey 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 327 

insurrection, will be read with interest by all, more especially by the de- 
scendants of those patriotic men : 

Harrisonburg, Va., September 23, 1882 : 
Col. John L. Peyton : 

Dear Sir, — Enclosed you will find the letter I spoke to you of. I am 
sorry I could not send it to you sooner. You see it is addressed to Capt. 
Grattan, who was my grandfather, and was generally known in after years 
as Major Robert Grattan. The company of cavalry which he commanded 
was composed of volunteers principally from Augusta county, and I have 
heard my father say that his father had often spoken to him of the splen- 
did physique of the men. Among them were Millers, Turks. Bells, &c. 
My grandfather was the smallest man of the company, and he stood six 
feet in his stockings. The letter of Gen. Lee is wholly in his own hand- 
writing, as you observe, and is quite complimentary in its terms. 

Very truly yours, 

GEO. G. GRATTAN. 



Headquarters, Nov. 17, 1794. 
Sir — Pittsburg. 

As soon as you can make it convenient, after joining your troops, you 
will please to move by the way of Morgantown to Staunton. Being fur- 
nished with means to subsist your men and horses, you will of course take 
your own measures for that purpose. I prefer your taking a route to 
Morgantown from McFarland's, on the west side of the Monongehala 
river, if any can be found convenient. You will deposit your tents, &c , 
agreeably to general orders, at Winchester. The arms you will retain, 
provided you hold yourself responsible to the United States for them. If 
so, favor me with a letter to this effect, enclosing a return of the arms. 

I cannot conclude this letter without making my acknowledgments to 
you, your officers and soldiers in their cheerful and manly demeanor dur- 
ing the expedition. To me they have given great satisfaction ; to them- 
selves they have done great honor. I wish you and them a happy meet- 
ing with your friends, and shall always take pleasure in manifesting, by 
every means in my power, the high esteem I entertain of the merit of your 
troop. Sincerely, RICH'D H LEE. 

Capt. Grattan. 



LIST of deeds. 

The following is a list of deeds of land made by William Beverly on 
his manor, the number of acres and the name of the person to whom sold 
between the years 1738 and 1744: 

John Lewis, 2,071 acres, February 20, 1738 ; William Cathey, 446 acres, 
September 28, 1738; Samuel Givens, 311 acres, September 27, 1738; 
George Hutcheson, 380 acres, February 20, 1738; George Hutcheson, 530 
acres, February 21, 1738; George Hutcheson, 667 acres, February 20, 
1738 ; Thomas Black, 599 acres, June 4, 1739 : James Caldwell, 600 acres, 
February 20, 1738 ; George Robinson, 892 acres, February 20, 1738; Jas. 
Davis, 57oacres, February 20, 1738; Dan. Mahahan, 510 acres, February 
20, 1738; P. Campbell, 1,546 acres, February 20, 1738; Th. Henderson, 
391 acres, February 20, 1738; John Wilson, 340 acres, June 5, 1739; Wm. 
Smith, 135 acres, June 5, 1739; John Trimmel, 447 acres, June 5, 1739; 
John Anderson, 747 acres, June 5, 1738 ; Samuel Guy, 324 acres, June 5, 
1738; John Davison, 785 acres, June 5, 173S; Samuel Davison, 253 



328 HISTOKT OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

James McClure, 408 acres, June 5, 1738 ; Andrew McClure, 370 acres, 
February 20, 1738; Fra. McClure, 196 acres, June 5, 1739; John Wilson, 
200 acres, June 5, 1739; Joseph Tees, 465 acres, June 5, 1739; Martha 
Mitchell, 279 acres, October i, 1739 ; George Home, 375 acres, October 
I, 1739; John Moffett. 396 acres, February 29, 1739; John Robert and 
William C. Weysties, 1,614 acres. February 29, 1739 ; and the following 
between this time end 1744: John Mills, 650 acres; James Desper, 576 
acres; Robt. Turk, 1,313 acres ; William Sedgerwood, 387 acres; James 
Carr, 473 acres ; Finley McClure, 441 acres ; Robt. King, 750 acres ; Al- 
exander Breckenridge, 245 acres; Samuel Hughes, 440 acres ; Th. Kirk- 
patrick, 296 acres ; James Fulton, 637 acres ; Sarah Ramsey, 390 acres ; 
William Johnston, 100 acres; Robert Page, 202 acres; Pat. Martin, 321 
acres ; John Searight, 413 acres ; Wm. Wright, 413 acres ; John Hutche- 
son, 292 acres; David Edmiston, 350 acres; John Hart, 400 acres; James 
Risk, 800 acres ; Pat. Cook, 590 acres ; Robt. Campbell, 350 acres; Nat. 
Patterson, 201 acres ; James Robinson, 395 acres ; Moses Thompson, 
1,040 acres; Moses Thompson, 410 acres; William Vance, 400 acres ; 
Joseph Reid, 454 acres; George Caldwell, 405 acres; R. McDonald, 141 
acres ; D. Byrne, 567 acres ; George Anderson, 41 1 acres ; Robert Patter- 
son, 331 acres ; John Pickens, 764 acres ; Robert Crockett, 322 acres ; Jas. 
Lesley, 226 acres ; D. Campbell, 466 acres ; Robert McClenehan, 331 
acres ; John McCutchen, 920 acres ; James Patton, 474 acres ; William 
Hutcheson, 372 acres; Robert Young. 373 acres; Pat. Hays. 600 acres ; 
John Breckenridge, 684 acres ; William Robinson, 403 acres ; Sam. Doag, 
647 acres ; Joseph Reed, 100 acres ; Fr. Beaty. 588 acres; Ar. Hambre- 
ton, 515 acres ; J. McUUuck, 230 acres ; Robt. Black, 201 acres ; Andrew 
Russell, 496 acres; William Skillim, 635 acres; George and Robert 
Breckenridge, 761 acres; Jacob Lockart. 436 acres; John Craig. 335 
acres ; Robert Cunningham, 483 acres ; Alex. Campbell, 559 acres ; Wm. 
Thompson, 94 acres. 

LONGITUDE AND LATITUDE OF POINTS IN STAUNTON. 

" The Virginias " for September contains the following, which will not 
only prove interesting to hundreds oi our readers, but may be of value to 
some : 

We are indebted to Supt. J. E. Hilgard for the exact latitudes and lon- 
gitudes of points in the city of Staunton, Va , determined by observations 
of Assistant A. T. Mosman, of the United States Coast and Geodetic 

Survey : 

N. Latitude. W. Longitude. 

Astronomical station, Sears Hill 38° 08^ 46°. 54 79° 04"^ 19^''. 08 

N. mer. monument, Lushbaugh Hill 38 09 39. 84 79 04 19. 08 

Stand-pipe at reservoir 38 09 12. 89 79 04 44. 52 

Station City-view Hill 38 08 49. 99 79 03 29. 91 

S mer. monument, Gaymont 38 07 57. 53 79 04 19. 09 

Baptist churah spire 38 08 56. 63 79 04 36. 16 

Court-house, ball on belfry 38 08 55. 89 79 04 20. 72 

First Presbyterian church, rod on spire 38 09 01. 89 79 04 17. 46 

Western Lunatic Asylum, steam chimney 38 08 40. 39 70 03 57. 25 

Lutheran church, tower ornament 38 08 58. 21 79 04 25. 29 

Second Presbyterian church, S. E. corner tower. ...38 09 01. 30 70 04 30. 48 

Episcopal church, N. E. corner tower 38 08 56. 33 79 04 31. 43 

Betsy Bell Mountain 38 08 14 79 03 21 

Mary Grey Mountain 38 07 51 89 02 55 



HISTOKT OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 329 

Some one will ask of what use is it to have so many accurate determina- 
tions of points in one city. We answer that by using these absolutely 
determined and intervisible points for reference a competent civil engineer 
can make a survey of lots, etc., that can be restored at any time even if 
all local evidence of its corners are destroyed, and by like references an 
accurate map, impossible without the aid of such geodetic determina- 
tions, can be made of the city and its surroundings. The 9-sheet map of 
Virginia makes the position of Staunton — Lat 38° 08^ 30^' ; Long. 79° 
63'^ ; Gray's atlas makes it Lat 38° 09^' ; Long. 79° 04^\ 




42 * 



BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



Both justice and decency require that we should bestow on our forefathers an honorable 
remembrance. — Thucydides. 



BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



HON. THOMAS LEWIS. 

Thomas Lewis, the eldest son of the Founder, was born in Donegal, 
Ireland, April 27th, 17 18, and died in Augusta, January 31st, 1790. He 
was a man of strong and cultivated mind, of spirit and enterprise, and 
during the colonial period and the Revolutionary war rendered important 
services to the country. In 1746, he was appointed colonial surveyor of 
Augusta, and much of Washington's great wealth was acquired by sur- 
veys of land under his authority and in common with him. He and Col. 
John Wilson represented the county in the House of Burgesses almost unin- 
terruptedly irom 1745 to 1767, and they voted, in 1765, for Patrick Henry's 
celebrated resolutions declaring that this " general assembly have the only 
exclusive right and power to lay taxes and impositions upon the inhabi- 
tants of this colony ; that any efforts in an opposite direction are illegal, 
unconstitutional and unjust, and have a manifest tendency to destroy Brit- 
ish as well as American freedom." In 1775, he was unanimously elected 
delegate to the Colonial Congress, and was one of the first to enroll his 
name among the " Sons of Liberty." He was commissioner of the old 
confederacy of the thirteen colonies, in 1778, to treat with the Indian tribes 
who had been defeated at the battle of Point Pleasant, and successfully 
concluded his negotiations, thus setting free from the defence of the west- 
ern border thousands of our best troops who hastened to join the stand- 
ard of Washington and fight for the independence of their country. He 
was a member of the convention which ratified the Constitution of the 
United States, and by a vote so nearly divided that the patriot yet rejoices 
at his country's escape from the anarchy which would have been the con- 
sequence of a different result. He urged with eloquence and ability the 
adoption of the Constitution and voted for its ratification. After the 
Revolution. Washington made him a visit at Lewiston, in Rockingham, 
and there arranged their land claims. Gov. Gilmer says in his Sketches 
of Upper Georgia, p. 548: *• My father, then a youth of nineteen, return- 
ing from my Grandfather Lewis', where he had been visiting my mother, 
met Washington fording the Shenandoah river in the dusk of the evening. 



334 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

Washington asked him how he should go to Mr. Lewis'. My father, tak- 
ing him for some big Dutchman of the neighborhood, who was poking 
fun at him on account of his frequent visits to the Lewis family, answered, 
" follow your nose." 

It is a noticeable fact in a country of such rapid changes as ours that his 
descendants still own and reside upon his estate of Lewiston, near Port Re- 
public, in the present county of Rockingham. His great-gxandson, Hon. 
John F. Lewis, is the present Lieut-Governor of Virginia; another great- 
grandson, Hon. L. L Lewis, is Judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals 
of Virginia, and a great-great-grandson, D. S. Lewis, United States At- 
torney for the Western District of Virginia. 

Gen. Samuel H. Lewis, a grandson, in a letter of date April 6th, 1855, 
addressed to Hon. Samuel Price, of Lewisburg, W. Va., thus speaks of 
him : '' The defective sight of Thomas Lewis prevented him from joining 
his gallant brothers in the field. With the aid of glasses, which he always 
used, he was hardly able to tell an Indian from a white man at the distance 
of twenty paces." The letter alluded to above says further : " I have heard 
that he was six feet in height, robust but not inclined to corpulency ; his 
eyes and hair were dark ; his complexion fair. I have heard him spoken 
of as a handsome, fine-looking man. The caste of his profile I cannot 
describe, but I do not think it was Roman or aquiline, as I have heard it 
said that my elder brother, Thomas, resembled him m features. He was 
exceedingly near-sighted and was under the necessity of losing glasses 
habitually. There is no family portrait extant of him that I know of He 
was of a grave and serious temper ; strict, perhaps rigid, in his notions of 
moral and religious duty. Though a supporter of and a regular attendant 
upon the services of the Established Church, he was not a communicant. 
He was possessed of a liberal education, and was probably oneof the best 
mathematicians of his day in the State. He had a literary taste, and 
when not engaged in business or occupied with company, was generally 
to be found in his library. His collection of books was very extensive 
and valuable, embracing many of the most important works then extant 
in history, biography, moral philosophy, political economy, national law, 
theology and poetry. In his theological department were Tillotson, Bar- . 
row, South, ' the Boyle Lecturer,' and other standard works of the English 
church. He was born in Donegal county, Ireland, on the 27th of April, 
1718, and died at his residence, in Rockingham county, on the Shenan- 
doah river, three miles from Port Republic, on the 31st day of January, 
1 790. In his will he fixed the place on his own estate where he wished to 
be buried, and desired that the burial service might be read from the Book 
of Common Prayer by his friend. Peachy Gilmer. He died of a cancer 
in the face. He was, as I have always understood, the eldest son of John 
Lewis. He married on the 26th of January, 1749, Jane, the daughter of 



HISTOEY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 335 

William Strother, Esq., of Stafford county, whose estate, opposite to Fred- 
ericksburg, joined the residence of the father of Gen. Was!:ington, with 
whom (G. W.) she was a school-mate, and nearly of the same age. She 
died in September, 1820. Thomas and Jane Lewis brought up a family of 
thirteen children." 



GEN. ANDREW LEWIS, BORN I720, IN IRELAND, DIED 1781, IN VA. 

The following sketch of this distinguished soldier is from the pen of 
Fred' k Johnston, of Salem: 

"Those who have seen the equestrian statue of George Washington near 
the Capitol of Virginia in Richmond, must have observed among the no- 
ble figures placed below and around that of the Father of his Country one 
marked with the name of Andrew Lewis, the hero of Point Pleasant- His 
strikingly majestic form and figure never fail to remind me when I look at 
it, (as I have often done, and each time with increasing admiration) of the 
memorable remark made by the Governor of the Colony of New York, 
when General Lewis was a commissioner on behalf of Virginia at the treaty 
of Fort Stanwix, in New York, in 1768, that "the earth seemed to tremble 
under him as he walked along," He it was who is the subject of this 
"sketch." 

Andrew, the second son of John Lewis, resided on the Roanoke, in Bo- 
tetourt county, as did his brother Charles. The will of Andrew Lewis, 
which is on record in the county court of Botetourt — dated in 1780, and 
admitted to record in February', 1782, showing that he died between those 
periods — devises to his son William two thousand acres of land lying on 
Roanoke river. This embraces the fine body of lands lying west of Salem 
for many years owned by Dr. John Johnston, on which there is a magnifi- 
cent spring, which, in years gone by, furnished the water power for a man- 
ufacturing mill, that has long since disappeared. It also embraces the very 
valuable farm know as "Dropmore," containing one thousand acres bought 
from Capt. William Lewis by Nathaniel Burwell, and was sold in the 
1869 for $100,000 — one hundred dollars an acre — probably the largest sale 
of the same quantity of land that was ever made in Virginia. As will be 
more particularly stated hereafter. Gen. Andrew Lewis, who owned this 
land at the time of his death in 1781, was buried on an eminence overlook- 
ing the beautiful valley of Roanoke river, spreading out for six miles above 
and below the spot where the grave is now marked, from which spot I 
hope his dust will be removed at an early day to the public cemetery 
near by. 

Some of the decendants of Gen. Lewis are now living in Roanoke coun- 
ty. Col. Thomas Lewis and his brother Andrew, and great-grand-chil- 
dren — also Maj. Andrew L. Pitzer, and other children of ^Tadison Pitzer, 
who married Eliza Lewis . daughter of Capt. Andrew Lewis — also the chil- 
dren of Col. Elijah McClanahan. who married Agatha Lewis, daughter of 
Col Andrew Lewis, of Bent Mountain. Mrs. Colin Bass, now residing in 
Salem, is one of those children. Capt. Andrew Lewis married Jane Mc- 
Clanahan, a sister of Col. Elijah and James McClanahan, and at the close 
of his life resided on the farm now owned by Capt, Robert B. Moorman, 
half a mile west of Big Lick Depot, 



336 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

Col. Andrew Lewis, of Bent Mountain, formerly in Montgomery county, 
now in Roanoke, was one of the sons of Gen. Andrew Lewis, who died 
about the year 1844, at an advanced age — about 84. My personal recol- 
lections of Col. Lewis are very distinct, having often seen him in my boy- 
hood, at my father's house, and at his own house on Bent mountain.where 
he owned an immense body of lands that were valuable for pasturage and 
raising fine cattle in former days, and where, like Alexander Selkirk, he 
reigned as "monarch of all he surveyed," for a great number of years. I 
also met with him a few times in the latter part of his life, after religion 
(which he embraced when near eighty years old) had softened some of the 
rough points of his character. Like all the Lewises, he was a man of com- 
manding figure and appearance, reminding one of the description given by 
Stuart in his "Historical Memoir" of General Andrew Lewis: — "He was 
upwards of six feet high, of uncommon strength and agility, and his form 
of the most exact symmetry. He had a stern countenance, and was of a 
reserved and distant deportment, which rendered his presence more awful 
than engaging." 

Col. Andrew Lewis was twice married — first to a daughter of Thomas 
Madison, by whom he had three children, one, Charles, who died un- 
married, and Thomas, who was killed by McHenry in a duel fought with 
rifles, which was fatal to both parties. This event created great interest 
at the time of its occurrence, not only on account of the high standing and 
character of the parties, but of its tragical termination. The only daughter 
of Col. Lewis by this marriage was Agatha, who married Col. Elijah Mc- 
Clanahan and left a large number of descendants. By his second mar- 
riage with Miss Bryant, he had one daughter, Kitty, who married Joseph 
King, and is still living on Bent Mountain with her son, Joseph R. King. 

Doctor Andrew Lewis was another member of the Lewis family, who 
lived and died in Botetourt. He was a son of Capt. Wm. Lewis, who was 
twice married — first to a daughter of Thomas Madison, and afterwards to 
Nancy McClanahan. sister of Col. Elijah McClanahan. Dr. Lewis rose to 
great eminence in his profession — married Maria Walton, who is now liv- 
ing near Salem, and had three children — two daughters and one son. — 
One of the daughters, Lucy, married George W. Shanks ; the other, Ma- 
ry, married Henry A. Edmundson. The son, Dr. Wm. W. Lewis, mar- 
ried a daughter of Rev. Dr. McFarland.and left a daughter and son, Frank 
Lewis, who is now at the Seminary, preparing for the ministry, being the 
only one of the Lewis name (so far as I know) who has devoted himself to 
that calling. Having thus traced the Botetourt branches of the Lewis fami- 
ly from their ancestor, John Lewis, of Augusta county, I will now return 
to my first plan of presenting a sketch of Andrew Lewis, commonly known 
and referred to as the "hero of Point Pleasant," which is gathered in part 
from " Howe's Historical Collections," page 204, on Botetourt county — 
but venturing to suggest a correction in one or two particulars, which will 
be pointed out — also Charles Campbell's " Introduction to the History of 
the Colony of the Old Dominion " — from the same author's larger work, 
"History of the Colony and Ancient Dominion of Virginia," and from 
Foote's "Sketches of Virginia," 2d series, all of which are works of high 
authority. 

(i.) Howe, on page 204 as above, states that "General Andrew Lewis 
resided on the Roanoke river, in this county. He was one of the six sons 
[should be five sons and one daughter] of that John Lewis who, with 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 337 

Mackey and Sailing, had been foremost in settling Augusta county, and 
the most distinguished of a family who behaved so bravely in defending 
the infant settlements against the Indians. In Braddock's war he was in a 
company in which were all the brothers, the eldest, Samuel Lewis, being 
the captain. On page 182 — Augusta county — the same author speaks of 
but four sons of John Lewis, of whom Thomas is said to be the eldest. 
Here is obviously a mistake, and an apparent contradiction, since Samuel 
and Thomas cannot both have been the eldest son. In a note on page 
589 of Campbell's larger works, the following statement is made : " Thos. 
Lewis, eldest son of John Lewis, owing to a defective vision, was not ac- 
tively engaged in the Indian wars. He married a Miss Strother, of Staf- 
ford. The second son, Samuel, died without issue. William, of the 
Sweet Springs, was distinguished in the frontier wars, and was an officer 
in the Revolutionary war. The fifth son, Col. Charles Lewis, fell at Point 
Pleasant." I think it may fairly be concluded that Howe is mistaken in 
his statement that John Lewis had six sons, and that Sam was the eldest. 
He only gives the names of four, including Samuel, and omitting Charles. 
The statement of Charles Campbell is no doubt the correct one. Howe 
proceeds : " This corps distinguished themselves at Braddock's defeat. 
They, with some other of the Virginia troops, were in the advance, and 
first attacked the enemy. Severed from the rest of the army, they cut 
their way through the enemy to their companions, with the loss of many 
men. The conduct of Andrew Lewis at Grant's defeat, in his attack on 
Fort du Quesne, acquired for him the highest reputation for prudence and 
courage. He was at this time a major. Both Lewis and Grant were made 
prisoners. While they were prisoners. Grant addressed a letter to Gen. 
Forbes, attributing their defeat to Lewis. This letter being inspected by 
the French, who knew the falsehood of the charge, they handed it to 
1-ewis, who waited on Grant and challenged him. Upon his refusing to 
fight, I.ewis spit in his face in the presence of the French officers, and then 
left him to reflect on his baseness. Major Lewis was with Washington 
July 4th, 1754, at the capitulation of Fort Necessity, when by the articles 
agreed upon the garrison was to retire and return without molestation to 
the inhabited parts of the country ; and the French commander promised 
that no embarrassment should be interposed either by his own men or the 
savages. While some of the soldiers of each army were intermixed, an 
Irishman, exasperated by an Indian near him, "cursed the copper-colored 
scoundrel," and raised his musket. Lewis, who had been twice wounded 
in the engagement, and was then hobbling on a staff, raised the Irishman's 
gun as he was in the act of firing, and thus not only saved the life of the 
Indian, but probably prevented a general massacre of the Virginia troops. 
He was the commander and general of the Virginia troops at the battle of 
Point Pleasant, fought the loth of May, 1774. [This should be the loth 
of October, as stated by all the historians except Howe.] In this cam- 
paign the Indians were driven west of the Ohio. Washington, in whose 
regiment Lewis had once been a major, formed so high an opinion of his 
bravery and military skill that at the commencement of the Revolutionary 
War he was induced to recommend him to Congress as one of the major- 
generals of the American army — a recommendation which was slighted in 
order to make room for Gen. Stephens. It is also said that when Wash- 
ington was commissioned as commander-in-chief he expressed a wish that 
the appointment had been given to Gen. Lewis. 

43 J 



338 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

Upon this slight in the appointment of Stephens, Washington wrote a 
letter to Gen. Lewis, which is published in his correspondence, expressive 
of his regret at the course pursued by Congress, and promised that he 
should be promoted to the first vacancy. At his solicitation, Lewis ac- 
cepted the commission of Brigadier-General, and was soon after ordered 
to the command of a detachment of the army stationed near ^VilHamsburg. 
He commanded the Virginia troops when Lord Dunmorewas driven from 
Gwynn's Island, in 1776, and announced his orders for attacking the enemy 
by putting a match to the first gun, which was an eighteen-pounder. 

Gen. Lewis resigned his command in 1 781, to return home, being seized 
ill with a fever. He died on his way, in Bedford county, about forty (more 
correctly twenty-two) miles, from his own house on the Roanoke, lamented 
by all acquainted with his meritorious services and superior qualities." 

HIS WILL. 

The following is the full text of the last will and testament of General 
Lewis, an interesting document in itself, and bearing evidence to the won- 
derful success of this emigrant Irish boy, who during his brief career in Vir- 
ginia, when more than half of his life was spent in the public service, ac- 
quired and devised to his children over 30,000 acres of land : 

" In the name of God, Amen. I, Andrew Lewis, of the county and par- 
ish of Botetourt, make this my last will and testament. I resign my soul 
to its Creator in all humble hopes of its future happiness, as in the disposal of 
a being infinitely good. As to my body, I leave it to be buried at the dis- 
cretion of my executors hereinafter named. And as to my worldly estate, I 
dispose of it in the following manner and form : 

First. I give to my beloved wife two negro men and two negro women 
for her lifetime, with a right to work one-third part of the farm I live on, 
called and known by the name of Birchfield. Also such part of the stock, 
not exceeding the sixth part, as she may find it necessary for her support 
for life. 

To my son John I give the tract of land on which he lives, containing 
470 acres. Also a tract of land on both sides of Greenbrier river, at the 
mouth of Ewing's creek, containing 480 acres. Also 1,000 acres on Sink- 
ing creek, in the Kentucky county, part of my 5,000 tract, and that he 
take 1,000 acres in a body, at either end of this tract, as may best please him. 

To my son Samuel I give all my lands near Staunton, in Augusta 
county, there being three distmct tracts, to-wit : the Stone House tract, 
containing 740 acres, and a tract joining the lower end thereof, on which 
I lived, containing 680 acres, and the third, joining the southeast side of 
the two above named tracts containing 185 acres, deeded to me by Robert 
Beverly. Also a tract of land in Greenbrier county, on the Sink-hole 
lands, containing 1,200 acres. I also give him my gold watch. 

To my son Thomas I give the tract of land joining the upper end of 
the tract I live on, known by the name of Burks, or Old Place, containing 
283 acres, and on the north side of Roanoke river. Also a tract of land 
on the north side of Greenbrier river, near to Weaver's Nob, and known 
by the name of Richland, containing 1,170 acres. Also a tract in Green- 
brier county, on which John Cook lives, containing 500 acres, and known 
by the name of Falling Spring tract. Also a tract containing 200 acres, 
joining the southwest end of the Warm Spring tract, and on both sides of 
the Warm Spring branch. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUIITY. 339 

To my son Andrew I give the following tracts of land, to-wit : the mill 
tract, on which he lives, containing 269 acres, formerly Thomas Tash's. 
Also a tract of land joining the lower end of the above, containing 100 
acres, and known by Burk's Spring. Also two tracts adjoining the south- 
east side of the above tract, one containing 116 acres, the other 63 acres. 
Also a tract of land in Greenbrier county, on the south side of Greenbrier 
river, opposite to the mouth of Muddy creek, containing 780 acres. Also 
a tract of land in the same county, on the branches of Indian creek, known 
by the name of Fork Survey containing 400 acres. 

To my son William I give the following tracts of land, to-wit : the tract 
on which I live, called Birchfield, containing 112 acres, and a tract joining 
the north side thereof, containing 625 acres. Also the Red Spring Mead- 
ow tract, containing 800 acres or thereabouts. Also a tract containing 400 
acres, on the head of Back creek, a branch of Dunlap's creek, and about 
five miles from the Sweet Springs. 

To my daughter Ann, I give, to be sold for her use, the following tracts 
of land, to-wit : 250 acres on Wolf creek, a branch of Roanoke, and on 
the north side of the river? and a tract of land on the head branches of 
Peters' creek, containing 190 acres. Also a tract of land adjoining the 
northeast end thereof, about 100 or ic6 acres, patented in the name of 
Robert Breckenridge, and by his will Col. Preston is to make me a title. 
Also my part of the land surveyed in partnership between Breckenridge, 
Preston and myself, and patented as the last-mentioned tract, and the title 
made in the samem.anner by Col. Preston to the lands lying between Peter 
Evans' and Tinker's creek. Also 280 acres between the Warm and Hot 
Springs, on which Jeremiah Edwards lives. Also all my rights held b y 
my brother Thomas and myself in two small surveys, containing the Hot 
Springs. Also a tract of land on the Hot Springs branch, called Cedar 
Run, and joining the end of Thomas Fitzpatrick's, containing 175 acres. 

To my three grandsons, Andrew, Samuel and Charles, sons of John 
Lewis, I give all my part of the Pocotated tract [intended for Pocotalico, 
no doubt, but incorrectly spelled in transcribing,] of land, which part, I 
think, is 2,100 acres, and the whole patented in the name of John Fry, 
Adam Stephen, Andrew Lewis, Peter Hogg, John Savage, Thos. Butler, 

Wright, and John Daniel Wilper. All the residue of my lands, 

to-wit: 1,000 acres, part of the 2,000 on Sinking creek, in Kentucky co., 
and the 3,000 tract on Elkhorn, and the 9,000 acres in the forks of the 
rivers Ohio and the Great Kanawha, and a 100 acre tract on Rockcastle 
creek, near the 9,000, together with 750 entered by warrants, on the Cole 
river and the Kanawha, be equally divided, having respect to the situation 
and quality of the land, between my sons, Thomas, Andrew and William. 

Any money, negroes, and stock I may die possessed of, after my wife 
has set apart what is devised her, and even that part after her decease, and 
after my daughter Ann has made choice of a negro wench, or girl, and 
man, to be equally divided between my sons, Samuel, Thomas and An- 
drew, and William and my daughter Ann. 

My wearing apparel I give to my son Andrew, and after Samuel, Thomas 
and Ann has each taken a bed and furniture, all the remainder of the house 
and kitchen furniture be considered the property of William, his mother 
having a right to retain the use of such of them as may be absolutely nec- 
essary whilst she lives. In case any of my sons and daughter die before 
her, or without lawful issue, the part of the estate willed to such deceased 
to be equally divided between the survivors above mentioned. It's my 



340 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

desire that my brother Thomas, Col William Preston, and my three sons, 
Samuel, Thomas and Andrew, and I hereby appoint them executors of 
this my last will and testament, and that each of ihem, with my brother 
William and sister Margaret, as well as my other children, wear a mourn- 
ing ring, to be purchased at the expense of the estate before a division. 

I hereby revoke all former wills by me made, ratifying and confirming 
this, and no other, to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I 
have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal, this 23d day of Jan'y, 1780. 
Signed, sealed and delivered by the testator in the presence of us as his 
last will and testament, and on the day and year above mentioned. 

ANDREW LEWIS, [L. S.] 

James Neily, 

William Armstrong, 

William Neily. 

Proved and admitted to probate on the 14th day of February, 1782, by 
the County Court of Botetourt. W. H. ALLEN, D. C. 



colonel v^illiam lewis. 

Col. Wm. Lewis, the Founder's third son, was born in Ireland about 1724. 
He was remarkably handsome in the face, perfectly well formed in per- 
son, tall, robust and vigorous. Fond of books, his great delight from boy- 
hood was the study of literature and philosophy. He thus shunned public 
employments, and never would have left his retirement but for the stirring 
times in which he lived. On reaching a proper age, he was entered at a 
school in Eastern Virginia — the school of Rev. James Waddell, D. D. — 
and after acquiring a liberal education, proceeded to Philadelphia, where 
he graduated as a doctor of medicine. It was during his sojourn in that 
city that he formed the acquaintance and won the heart of Ann Mont- 
gomery, of Delaware who afterwards became his wife. Returning to 
Virginia, he would gladly have spent his days in the quiet pursuits of his 
profession, but the war of i7S3-'54 coming on, he volunteered for service, 
and was severely wounded at the battle of Braddock's defeat. Returning 
to Augusta, he resumed the practice, and soon became conspicuous for his 
large intelligence, his professional skill and his influence in the community. 
In this field he sought to promote good fellowship, to inspire a feeling of 
compassion among the whites for the aborigines, and to protect the In- 
dians from the injustice of unscrupulous and greedy traders. He urged 
the erection of schools and churches, and was remarkable for his high re- 
gard for all things relating to education and religion. Here his life would 
have been spent but for the Revolution. Imbued with a sense of our 
wrongs, and a determination to resist the tyranny of Great Britain, he 
abandoned a second time his peaceful employments in 1776, and accepted 
a commission as colonel in the old continental line. He was an elder in 
the Presbyterian church, and his compassionate kindness and many acts 
of charity drew the eyes of the people upon him, so that he was commonly 



HI8T0KT OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 34:1 

spoken of as the Civilizer of the Border. He served in the army until 
1 78 1, when he returned to his family in Augusta, Gov. Gilmer, in his 
sketches, thus speaks of him on page 58 : " William Lewis, though as 
powerful in person and brave in spirit as either of his brothers, was less 
disposed to seek fame by the sacrifice of human life. He was an elder in 
the Presbyterian church of the old Covenanter sort. His son Thomas was 
an officer in Wayne's army of high reputation for soldierly conduct. Soon 
after Tom's return home from the service, he saw some wild ducks on a 
Sunday morning on the Sweet Spring creek. Taking a fowling piece in 
his hand, he crept along a zig-zag fence until within shooting distance, and 
was about firing when he felt the sharp pang of a birch applied to his 
back. Turning suddenly, he saw the uplifted hand of his father, who ex- 
claimed, ' I'll teach you not to profane the Sabbath here.' " It is not sur- 
prising that the old man was styled the Civilizer of the Border. In a book 
published in Richmond by C. H. Wynne, in 1858, entitled " Recollections, 
&c., of Lynchburg, by the oldest inhabitant," on pages 316-318, there is an 
account of the Lewis'. The author says " William Lewis owned a 
princely estate where Staunton now stands (this should doubtless read near 
Staunton,) and he with his brothers, Andrew, Thomas, Charles and Sam- 
uel, were in the battle of Braddock's defeat. They received their early 
instruction from the venerable Dr. Waddell, the blind preacher. The 
names of these distinguished men are all well known in history, so that 
only a slight mention of them here is necessary, it being only designed to 
make a brief record of some of the incidents connected with the family of 
Mrs. Agatha Towles " (ne6 Lewis.) William Lewis removed from Au- 
gusta to the Sweet Spring, circa 1790, where he died in 1812, revered as a 
patriarch and honored and beloved as a man and citizen. 

His son, Hon. William I. Lewis, represented Campbell County District 
in the United States Congress from 181 5 to 1817, and his son, Major John 
Lewis, a distinguished officer of the Revolution, spent the winter of 1777 
at Valley Forge with Washington, between whom and Lewis a warm per- 
sonal friendship existed, and was in many of the battles of the Revolution. 
Major Lewis died in 1823. He was a man of lofty character and indomi- 
table spirit. 



COL. CHARLES LEWIS, 

the fourth son of the Founder, was killed at the battle of the Point, Octo- 
ber 10, 1774. " He was esteemed," says Howe, p. 183, "the most skillful 
of all the leaders of the border warfare, and was as much beloved for his 
noble and amiable qualities as he was admired for his military talents." 

Hon. Alex. H. H. Stuart, M. C. for the Augusta District from 1841 to 
1843, and during President Fillmore's administration Secretary of the In- 
terior, i850-'53, has communicated in the following letter some interesting 



342 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

particulars as to Col. Charles Lewis, who, it seems, was the " Idol of the 

Army": 

Staunton, October i8th, 1882. 
Col. John L. Peyton : 

Dear Sir, — I regret very much that I cannot give you any detailed ac- 
count of Col. Charles Lewis, who was killed at the battle of Point Pleasant 
in 1774. I remember being present at a conversation, about 1830, between 
my father and the late Andrew Reid (father of Col. Samuel McD. Reid) 
in regard to him. Mr. Reid had served under Col, Lewis in 1774, and was 
actively engaged in the battle of Point Pleasant, Col, Charles Lewis was 
a younger brother of Gen, Andrew Lewis, Gen. Andrew Lewis was rep- 
resented to have been a man of reserved manners and great dignity of 
character, — somewhat of the order of George Washington. His vigorous 
intellect, unquestionable courage and solid virtues inspired unlimited con- 
fidence in all who knew him, but there was nothing showy or attractive 
about him. Charles Lewis, on the other hand, was represented by Mr. 
Reid as being a man of brilliant talents, of most engaging manners, and, 
as Mr. Reid expressed it, "the idol of the whole army." My father, who 
was a much younger man than Mr, Reid, and had no personal acquaint- 
ance with Col, Charles Lewis, but was familiar with his character, as de- 
scribed by his cotemporaries, concurred with Mr. Reid in the high esti- 
mate which he had formed of his abilities and noble qualities, and they 
agreed in expressing the belief that if he had not been prematurely cut off 
he would have been a conspicuous figure in our Revolutionary war. Mr. 
Reid said the death of Col. Charles Lewis threw gloom over the whole 
army. Respectfully yours, &c,, 

ALEX. H. H. STUART. 



COL. ARTHUR CAMPBELL. 



Arthur Campbell was born in Augusta County in 1742, When fifteen 
years old, he volunteered as a militiaman, to perform duty in protecting 
the frontier from incursions of the Indians. He was stationed in a fort on 
the Cowpasture river, near where the road crosses leading from Staunton 
to the Warm Springs. While engaged in this service, he was captured by 
the Indians, who loaded him with their packs, and marched seven days 
into the forests with his captors, who were from Lakes Erie and Michigan, 
and were on their return, Campbell, at the end of seven days, was so 
exhausted that he was unable to travel, and was treated by the Indians 
with great severity. An old chief, taking compassion on him, protected 
him from further injury, and on reaching the Lakes adopted Campbell, in 
whose family the young man remained during his three years' captivity. 

During this time, Campbell made himself familiar with the Indian lan- 
guage their manners and customs, and soon acquired the confidence of 
the old chief, who took him on all his hunting excursions. During these 
they rambled over Michigan and the northern parts of Ohio, Indiana and 
Illinois. In 1749, a British force marched towards the Upper Lakes, of 
which the Indians were informed by their scouts. Campbell formed the 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 343 

bold resolution of escaping to this force. While out on one of their 
hunting excursions, Campbell left the Indians, and after a fortnight's tramp 
through the pathless wilds reached the British. The British commander 
was much interested in Campbell's account of his captivity and escape, and 
with his intelligence, and engaged him to pilot the army, which he did 
with success. Shortly after he returned to Augusta, after an absence of 
more than three years. For his services in piloting the army he received 
a grant of i,ooo acres of land near Louisville, Kentucky. 

In 1772, his father, David Campbell, and family, removed to the " Royal 
Oak," on Holstein river, and in 1776, Arthur Campbell was appointed 
major in the Fincastle militia, and elected to the General Assembly. He was 
also a member of the convention for forming the Constitution. When 
Washington county was formed he was commissioned colonel comman- 
dant, and during the time he was in commission commanded several ex- 
peditions, particularly that against the Cherokees. 

He was tall, of a dignified air, an extensive reader and good talker. He 
married a sister of Gen. William Campbell, and left issue at his death, in 
1816, in Knox county, Kentucky. 



GEN. WILLIAM CAMPBELL. 



William Campbell was born in Augusta County about the year 1745, 
and was of Scotch origin. He received a liberal education, and early dis- 
played a taste and genius for military science. He was of well-propor- 
tioned and commanding figure, being over six feet high, and of grave and 
dignified demeanor. In 1775, he joined the first regular troops raised in 
Virginia, having been commissioned a captain in the first regiment. In 
1776, he resigned, owing to the danger to which his family and friends 
were exposed from Indian hostilities, and returned to Washington county, 
where he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the county militia, and 
the year following to the colonelcy on the resignation of Col. Evan Shelby, 
se'r. In this rank he continued until after the battles of King's Mountain 
and Guilford, when he was appointed by the Legislature of Virginia to 
the rank of Brigadier-General, and was ordered to join LaFayette in op- 
posing the British in 1781. After the defeat of the British General Fur- 
guson, Cornwallis imbibed a personal resentment, and had the temerity to 
threaten Gen. Campbell with death if he fell into his hands. To these 
threats Gen. Campbell responded by declaring that if Cornwallis fell into 
the hands of the Americans he would meet the fate of Ferguson. This, 
soon after, at the battle of Guilford, had nearly been the case, for had all 
the militia behaved with the firmness as did the wing commanded by Gen. 
Campbell, the British army must have met with total defeat. 

On forming the army in Virginia, in 1781, under LaFayette, Gen. Camp- 



344 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA CODNTT. 

bell became a favorite of Lafayette, who gave him command of the brigade 
of light infantry and riflemen. A few weeks before the siege of York- 
town, illness caused him to retire to the country house of a friend, and 
there, in the thirty-sixth year of his age, he expired. 

To military genius he united moral and social virtues and an exemplary 
life. His military career was short but brilliant. With an inferior force of 
undisciplined militia, he marched in a few days near two hundred miles, 
over rugged mountains, in search of the enemy, who were commanded by 
experienced officers, and who had chosen at King's Mountain his field for 
battle. It was a strong position, more in the nature of a fortification than 
an open field. The assault on the British was impetuous and irresistible^ • 
and their victory glorious. It caused the retreat of the British army, and 
broke up their plan of an invasion of Virginia in that year. It also reani- 
mated the friends of Liberty in the southern states, and was the prelude 
to the final triumph the following year at Yorktown. 

The Virginia Legislature voted him a sword, horse and pistols for his 
conduct at King's Mountain, and named a county in his honor. Congress 
passed in his favor highly complimentary resolutions. 

At the time of his death, LaFayette issued an order regretting the de- 
cease of " an officer whose services must have endeared him to every citi- 
zen and soldier," as one who had " acquired a glory in the affairs of 
King's Mountain and Guilford which will do his memory everlastmg honor 
and ensure him a high rank among the defenders of Liberty in America." 



COL. W^ILLIAM FLEMING. 

William Fleming was a native of Scotland, and, while in his minority, 
emigrated to Virginia. He was represented as of noble blood, and had 
received a liberal education, which he sought to utilize on a broader field 
than that of his Caledonian home. Of a bold and adventurous spirit, he 
wandered from the early seats of colonization in Virginia to the mountains 
of Augusta, and was so much pleased with the beauty of the country, its 
fertility, and the hospitable manners and customs of the people, that he 
determined to take up his residence among them. He accordingly settled 
in that part of Augusta now known as Botetourt, and on the James river, 
about 1760. He took up large grants of public lands, which, enhancing 
in value, soon made him a man of fortune. He was a man of fine phy- 
sique, vigorous constitution, enterprising spirit, and fond of athletic sports, 
in which he excelled, and of social tastes, which made him popular. When 
the war of 1774 was impending, he raised, under the orders of Gen. An- 
drew Lewis, a regiment, which he commanded at the battle of Point 
Pleasant, where he received a wound, from which he only partially recov- 
ered, and which hastened his death. 

Col. Fleming married and left a family. One of his daughters, Anne, 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 345 

married Rev. George A. Barter, D. D., Rector, in 1798, of Liberty Hall 
Academy, Professor of Mathematics, Natural Philosophy and Astronomy, 
and minister of New Monmouth and Lexington churches, and, in 1831, 
Professor of Theology in Union Theological Seminary. 

On page 363 of Howe's History of Virginia, Col. Fleming is mentioned 
as having been Governor of Virginia during the Revolutionary war. This 
must be an error. Patrick Henry was Governor from 1776 to 1779 ; then 
Thomas Jefferson to 17S1 ; then Thomas Nelson to November, 1781 ; then 
Benjamin Harrison to 1784, when Henry was again elected Governor.* 

OLD LETTER. 

Through the kindness of Mr. D. W. Bernard, in whose possession the 

original now is, we have been furnished with the following letter, written 

by the mother of the great Patrick Henry to Mrs. Fleming, wife of Col. 

Fleming. It is a quaint old document, which we are satisfied will possess 

for our readers an especial interest : 

15TH Oct'Rj 1774. 
Dear Madam : 

Kind Providence preserved me and all with me safe to our home in 
Hanover. Here people have been very sickly, but hope the sickly season 
is nigh over. My dear Annie has been ailing two or three days with a 
fever ; the dear children are very well. 

My son Patrick has been gone to Philadelphia near seven weeks. The 
affairs of Congress are kept with great secresy — nobody being allowed to 
be present- I assure you we have our lowland troubles and fears with 
respect to Great Britain. Perhaps our good God may bring good to us 
out of these many evils which threaten us, not only from the mountains 
but from the seas. 1 cannot forget to thank my dear Mrs. Fleming for the 
great kindness that you showed us when in Botetourt, and assure you that 
I remember Col. Fleming and you with much esteem and best wishes, and 
I shall take it very kind if you will let me hear from you. 

My daughter, Betty, joins me in kind love to yourself and Miss Rosie, 
and especially to your dear good mother when you see her. 

I am, dear madam, 

Your humble serv't, 

SARAH HENRY. 

rev. JAMES MADISON, D. D. 

James Madison was born, August 27, 1749, in that part of Augusta 
County now embraced within the limits of Rockingham, and near the pre- 
sent town of Port Republic. He obtained his early education in Mary- 
land, and then at William and Mary College, where he matriculated 1768. 
He was distinguished at college for his diligence and attainments, and re- 
ceived a gold medal, presented by Lord Botetourt, in 1772. He studied 
law, and was admitted to the Bar, but soon abandoned it to study for the 



*Col. F. was for a brief period acting Governor. 

Pubs. 



44 t 



346 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

ministry. In 1773, he was chosen Professor of Mathematics in WilUam 
and Mary, and in 1775, proceeded to England, was admitted to holy 
orders, and was Hcensed by the Bishop of London for the colony of Vir- 
ginia. On his return to Virginia he resumed his situation in William and 
Mary, and in 1777, became president of the college. He now returned to 
England to qualify himself more thoroughly for his position, and remained 
abroad till 1778. Returning home, he entered upon his college du- 
ties with zeal. In 1784, he retired from the mathematical department, and 
became Professor of Natural and Moral Philosophy, International Law, etc., 
and retained those positions, with the presidency, until his death, August, 
1815. 

In 1785, the University of Pennsylvania conferred upon him the degree 
of Doctor of Divinity. 

Notwithstanding the Episcopal Church had been in existence for more 
than a century and a half in Virginia, she never had a Resident-Bishop 
until 1785 — being nominally a part of the Diocese of London. Her first 
Convention was held in May, 1785, when Bishop Madison presided. 

At the period when Bishop Madison entered on his office, the Episcopal 
Church in Virginia was in a state of extreme depression — the clergy being 
few in number, and many suffering from poverty, and the Bishop expressed 
the fear, at this convention, "that the great dereliction sustained by our 
church hath arisen, in no small degree, from the want of that fervent Chris- 
tian zeal which her many pious and zealous pastors ought more generally 
to have inspired." 

The Bishop made his first visitation in 1792. At this time he seems to 
have been intensely interested on uniting all sincere Christians : " There is 
no one," he says, " but must cordially wish for such a union, provided it 
did not require a sacrifice of those points which are deemed essential by 
our church ; from them we have no power to retreat." At the New York 
convention of 1792, he opposed the use of "Articles " altogether, on the 
"principles of the confessional," and other like books. 

His preaching was popular, and his character commanded respect, but 
his influence did little to revive the languishing interests of the church in 
Virginia. 

His published works are a thanksgiving sermon, 1781 ; a letter to J. 
Morse, 1795 ; an addresss to the Episcopal Church in 1790 ; k eulogy on 
Washington, 1800; a discourse at the funeral of Mrs. Ann Semple, sister 
of President Tyler ; a large map of Virginia, and several papers in Bar- 
ton's journal. 

Bishop Madison married, in 1779, Sarah Tate, one of the bright belles 
who adorned the society of Williamsburg. They left two children : James 
Catesby Madison, of Roanoke county, Va., and Susan, who married R. 
G. Scott, of Richmond. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 347 

MAJ. SAMUEL m'cULLOCH 

was born on Short creek, Augusta, now northwestern West Virginia, about 
1752. At a very early age he distinguished himself as a bold and effi- 
cient borderer. As an Indian hunter, he had few superiors. He seemed 
to track the wily red man with a sagacity as remarkable as his efforts were 
successful. From early boyhood, he was almost constantly engaged in 
excursions against the enemy, or scouting for the security of the settle- 
ments. It was mainly to these energetic operations that the frontier was 
so often saved from savage depredation, and by cutting off their retreat, 
attacking their hunting camps, and annoying them in various other ways, 
he rendered himself an extraordinary object of fear and hatred. For 
these acts they marked him, and vowed vengeance against his name. In 
consideration of his services, he was commissioned major in 1775, and in 
1777 he performed a remarkable feat. The circumstances connected with 
this achievement are as follows : During the siege of Wheeling, the In- 
dians drove Major McCulloch to the summit of a lofty hill which over- 
hangs the present city. Knowing their relentless hostility toward himself, 
he strained every muscle of his noble steed to gain the summit, and then 
escaped along the brow in the direction of Van Meter's fort. At length 
he attained the top, and galloping ahead of his pursuers, rejoiced at his 
lucky escape. As he gained a point on the hill near where a road passes, 
what should he suddenly encounter but a considerable body of Indians, 
who were just returning from a plundering excursion among the settle- 
ments. In an instant he comprehended the extent of his danger. Escape 
seemed out of the question, either m the direction of Short creek or back 
to the bottom. A fierce and revengeful foe completely hemmed him in, 
cutting off every chance of escape. What was to be done ? — Fall into 
their hands and share the most refined torture ? That thought was agony, 
and in an instant the bold soldier, preferring death among the rocks and 
brambles, determined to plunge over the precipice before him — full three 
hundred feet high and almost perpendicular. Without a moment's hesi- 
tation, for the savages were pressing upon him, he firmly adjusted himself 
in the saddle, grasped securely the bridle in his left hand, and supporting 
his rifle in the right, pushed his unfaltering horse over. A plunge, a crash 
— crackling timber and tumbling rocks, were all that the wondering sav- 
ages could see or hear. They looked, chagrined and bewildered, one at 
another, — and while they inwardly regretted that the fire had been spared 
its victim, they could not but greatly rejoice that their most inveterate enemy 
was at length beyond the power of doing further injury. But, lo ! ere a 
single savage had recovered from his amazement, what should they see 
but the invulnerable major, on his white steed, galloping across the penin- 
sula. Such was the feat of Major McCulloch, certainly one of the most 
daring and successful ever attempted. The place has become memorable 



348 HieTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

as " McCuUoch's Leap," and will remain so long as the hill stands and the 
recollections of the past have a place in the hearts of the people. 

It is to us a matter of reu^ret that more of the stirring incidents in this 
man's life have not been collected and preserved. We have heard of many- 
daring feats of personal prowess, but they come to us in such a mixed and 
unsatisfactory form as to render their publication unsafe. 

We come now to the most painful duty of the biographer — the catas- 
trophe — the death of his hero. Towards the latter end of July, 1782, in- 
dications of Indians having been noticed by some of the settlers, Major 
McCuUoch and his brother John mounted their horses and left Van Metre's 
fort, to ascertain the correctness of the report. They crossed Short creek, 
and continued in the direction of Wheeling, but inclining towards the 
river. They scouted closely but, cautiously ; and, not discovering any such 
"signs" as had been stated, descended to the bottom, at a point on the 
farm now owned by Alfred P. Woods, about two miles above Wheeling. 
They then passed up the river to the mouth of Short Creek, and thence 
up Girty's Point in the direction of Van Metre's. Not discovering any 
indications of the enemy, the brothers were riding leisurely along (July 30, 
1782,) and when a short distance beyond the "Point," a deadly discharge 
of rifles took place, killing Major McCulloch instantly. His brother es- 
caped, but his horse was killed. Immediately mounting that of his 
brother, he made off to give the alarm. As yet no enemy had been seen ; 
but, turning in his saddle after riding fifty yards, he said the path was 
filled with Indians, and one fellow in the act of scalping the unfortunate 
major. Quick as thought the rifle of John was at his shoulder, and in an 
instant more the savage was rolling in the agonies of death. John es- 
caped to the fort unhurt, with the exception of a slight hip wound. 

On the following day a party of men from Van Metre's went out and 
gathered up the mutilated remains of Major McCulloch. The savages 
had disemboweled him, but the viscera all remained except the heart. 
Some years subsequent to this melancholy affair an Indian, who had been 
one of the party on this occasion, told some whites that the heart of Maj. 
McCulloch had been divided and eaten by the party. This was done, 
said he, that " We be bold, like Major McCulloch." On another occasion 
an Indian, in speaking of the incident, said, " The whites (meaning John 
McCulloch) had killed a great captain, but they (the Indians) had killed a 
greater one." 

Before closing this notice, it may, perhaps, be well enough to advert 
again to the question of identity, for the two brothers have been associated 
with these deeds. In the first place, then, it seems generally conceded 
that the person who accomplished the feat was Major McCulloch, and the 
year of its occurrence 1777. Well, Samuel McCulloch was commissioned 
major in 1775, John not until 1795. Let the reader decide which must 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 349 

have been the man. In 177 5- 6-' j, etc., Samuel McCulloch was one of 
the most active and distinguished borderers in Virginia, — the pride of the 
settlements and a terror to the savages. John was born in 1759, and there- 
fore, in 1777, was only eighteen years of age, — quite too young a man to 
have rendered himself so odious to the fierce old Shawanese warriors. 
But there need be no necessity for depending upon doubtful conjecture or 
uncertain data. Without one single exception, all the older citizens agree 
in saying that it was Major Samuel. The late Col. Wood said so unhesi- 
tatingly and stated positively, that Major John never claimed the credit, al- 
though he (W.) often talked to him of the exploit. 

Major John McCulloch was, perhaps, quite as brave and true as his 
brother. He did ample service in our long struggle for independence, and 
a more devoted patriot could not be found. He filled many important 
posts of honor and trust, and was greatly respected. The early records of 
Ohio county show that he acted a conspicuous part on the bench and 
otherwise. 

The death of Maj. Samuel McCulloch occurred at the most unfortunate 
period of our history. It was in the Summer of that year (1782)30 mem- 
orable in the annals of the west The united tribes of the north and 
west were meditating an attack upon the frontier posts of Virginia, and 
many feared that some of the weaker ones might yield. Amid such peril- 
ous scenes as these, the death of such a man could not but be greatly de- 
plored. 

Major McCulloch married a Miss Mitchell, and had only enjoyed the 
wedded life six months at the time of his death. 



COL. EBENEZER ZANE. 

Ebenezer Zane was born October, 1747, in Augusta, now Berkeley Co., 
W. Va. The family is of Danish origin, but at an early day removed to 
England and thence in the 17th century to America. One branch settled 
in N. Jersey, the other in Va. The subject of this notice sprung from the 
latter branch. In 1770, he wandered to the west with his brothers Silas 
and Jonathan, and made his home on the site of the present town of Wheel- 
ing. In 1772 his family and a few friends removed from Berkeley to his 
new abode on the Ohio. There was not at the time a permanent Anglo- 
Saxon settlement from the source to the mouth of the Ohio. The little 
band at Wheeling stood alone in the immense solitude. Zane and his as- 
sociates soon opened a "clearing" and grew a crop of corn. In 1773 many 
families joined the settlement. Mr. Zane married a sister of the daring 
borderer, McCulloch, by whom he had eleven children. Zane's intercourse 
v/ith the Indians was marked by mildness and honorable dealing — hence 
his hamlet escaped the fury of the savages until 1777. All three brothers 
were men of enterprise, prudence and sound judgment, and the Wheeling 



350 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

settlement was mainly due to them for its security and preservation during 
the revolution. 

He was conspicuous during the seige of Fort Henry, and brought him- 
self so prominently before the public that he received various marks of dis- 
tinction from the Colonial State and Federal governments. He was a dis- 
bursing officer under Dunmore, and enjoyed under the Commonwealth nu- 
merous civil and military distinctions. He always preferred, however, 
the peace and quietude of his own hom.e to the bustle and pomp of public 
place. He was as generous as brave ; strictly honorable to all men, and 
most jealous of his own rights. He possessed, in an eminent degree, the 
constituents of a true gentleman — the disposition to render unto all their dues, 
the quick, delicate, accurate perception of others' rights and others' claims. 
His temperament was nervous-bilious — quick, impetuous, and hard to re- 
strain when excited. He was, in short, a plain blunt man, rude of speech, 
but true of heart, knowing nothing of the formalities of social life and care- 
ing about little else than his family, his friends and his country. 

The personal appearance of Col. Zane was somewhat remarkable : dark 
complexion, piercing black eyes, huge brows, and prominent nose — not 
very tall, but uncommonly active and athletic, he was a match for almost 
any man in the settlement, and many are the incidents, in wood and field, 
told of his prowess and his strength. He was a devoted hunter and spent 
much of his time in the woods. But few men could out-shoot, and fewer 
still out-run Zane. In illustration of his skill with the rifle, we will give 
an incident : About the year 1781, some of the whites in the fort observed 
an Indian on the island going through certain personal movements for the 
especial benefit of those within the fort. Colonel Zane's attention having 
been drawn to the indelicate performances, declared he would spoil the 
sport, and charging his rifle with an additional ball, patiently waited for 
the chap to re-appear. In a moment his naked body was seen emerging 
from behind a large sycamore, and commencing anew his performances, 
Col. Zane drew upon him a practised aim and the next instant the native 
harlequin was seen to go through a peculiar gyration, believed not to have 
been "on the bills." 

Col. Zane was a man of true courage, as is exemplified by his almost 
single-handed defence of his own dwelling, in the fall of 1782, 

The government of the United States, duly appreciating his capacity, 
energy and influence, employed him by an act of Congress, May, 1796, to 
open a road from Wheeling to Limestone, (Maysville.) This duty he per- 
formed in the following year, assisted by his brother Jonathan, and son-in- 
law, John Mclntyre, aided by an Indian guide, Tomepomehala, whose 
knowledge of the country enabled him to render valuable suggestions. The 
road was marked through under the eye of Colonel Zane and then com- 
mitted to his assistants to cut out. As a compensation for opening this 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 351 

road, Congress granted Col. Zane the privilege of locating military war- 
rants upon three sections of land ; the first to be at the crossing of the 
Muskingum, the second at Hock-hocking, and the third at Scioto. Col. 
Zane thought of crossing the Muskingum at Duncan's falls, but foreseeing 
the great value of the hydraulic power created by the falls, determined to 
cross at the point where Zanesville has since been established, and thus 
secure this important power. The second section was located where Lan- 
caster now stands, and the third on the east side of the Scioto opposite 
Chillicothe. The first he gave, principally, to his two assistants for services 
rendered. In addition to these fine possessions, Col. Zane acquired large 
bodies of land throughout Western Virginia, by locating patents for those 
persons whose fear of the Indians deterred them undertaking personally so 
hazardous an enterprise. 

After a life full of adventure and vicissitudes, the subject of our notice 
died of jaundice, in 1811, at the age of sixty four. 



LEWIS WETZEL. 

A singular custom with this borderer was to take an Autumn hunt in 
the Indian country. On one occasion he penetrated to the Muskingum, 
and fell upon a camp of four Indians. He waited till midnight, and then 
glided into the camp, his rifle in one hand, a tomahawk in the other. He 
rested his gun against a tree, and drawing his knife, approached the four 
sleeping warriors. Quick as thought he cleft the skull of one, in an instant 
a second was slain, the third, rising, shared the fate of his comrades, the 
fourth darted into the darkness and escaped, although Wetzel pursued 
some distance, uttering horrid yells. 

During one of his scouts, he took shelter, on a stormy night, in a de- 
serted cabin. He climbed into the loft to sleep, and had been there only 
a short time when six savages entered, lit a fire, and commenced prepar- 
ing a meal. Soon after supper, the Indians fell asleep. Wetzel crawled 
down quietly, and going out, hid himself behind a log. In the morning 
one of the savages stepped forth. Wetzel, who had his finger on the trig- 
ger, shot him dead, and taking to his heels, escaped. When twenty-five, 
he entered the service of Gen. Harmer, commanding at Marietta. While 
thus engaged, he killed a friendly chief He was arrested and confined in 
the fort. He requested the general to give him up to the savages, of 
whom there were a large number present, and let him and them fight it 
out with their knives — he against all. This the general refused to do, but 
allowed him to walk about the grounds, handcuffed, for the benefit of his 
health. Wetzel took advantage of this, and escaped. He made his way 
to the Ohio, swam the river, though his hands were in heavy iron hand- 
cuffs, went to the cabin of a friend, and was released. A large reward was 
offered by Gen. Harmer for his arrest, but the settlers became incensed at 



352 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

the idea of hanging a white man for killing an Indian, when they were killing 
the whites every day. Wetzel was afterwards recaptured, but set at liberty. 
During the career of this man of indomitable courage, energy and skill 
he killed twenty-seven Indian warriors. He died in 1808. He was five 
feet ten inches high, erect, broad across the shoulders, deep chest, and 
limbs denoting great nmscular strength. His complexion was dark, eyes 
black, wild and rolling. His black hair was luxuriant, and when combed 
out fell below his knees— a rare scalp for the savages could they have 
secured it. He loved his friends and hated his enemies He was a rude, 
blunt man of few words. His name and fame will long survive among the 
backwoodsmen. 



ANDREW POE. 

Andrew Poe, one of the most formidable warriors of the border, was 
born about 1760, near Frederick, Md., and removed to northwest Virginia 
about 1774. He was shrewd, active and courageous, a thorough back- 
woodsman in every sense of the word. He was tall, muscular and erect, 
and determined to hold his own against the savages. In 1781, a party of 
six Indians crossed the Ohio near Poe's residence, and committed many 
depredations. Capt. Poe, with seven companions, pursued the barbarians, 
who were soon found to be under command of " Big Foot," one of the 
most daring, skillful and athletic of all the western warriors. Like Saul of 
old. Big Foot, who was nearly seven feet high, towered a head above 
his peers. Poe was delighted with the prospect of testing his strength 
with such a foe, and urged on the pursuit. Poe separated from his men 
in search of the savages near the river (Ohio) and soon came upon Big 
Foot, who was resting under the shade of a willow, talking to a single 
companion, another warrior. Poe engaged them both in gladatorial con- 
test. During the struggle, Big Foot's companion staggered under a blow 
into the river, and Poe released himself from the giant grasp of Big Foot. 
Before the giant could interpose, Poe shot Big Foot's companion, and en- 
gaged in a fist fight with the giant, during which both rolled into the river, 
and each attempted to drown the other. Carried out into the current be- 
yond their depth, each was compelled to relax his hold and swim for his 
life. Big Foot, on reaching the shore, was shot by Poe's brother, who 
came up while they were in the water and comprehended the situation. 
Big Foot's death was a severe blow to his tribe, and enhanced Poe's fame 
prodigiously. Poe, during his whole life, was an active and useful fron- 
tiersman and Indian fighter, and at his death, in 1840, left numerous de- 
scendants. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 353 

CAPT. SAMUEL BRADY. 

Samuel Brady, called the "Marion of the West," was bom at Shippens- 
burg, Pa., 1756, and was the son of Jno. Brady who was made a captain 
in the Colonial army for his services in the old French and Indian war. 
In 1776 Samuel joined the army, was commissioned Lieutenant and 
marched to Boston. He continued with the army and was in all the prin- 
cipal battles until after that of Monmouth, when he was ordered to the 
west and joined Gen. Broadhead. Broadhead employed Brady as a spy 
o ascertain the strength, resources &c. of the savages. Disguised as sava- 
ges, Brady, Williamson and Wetzel reached the Indian towns on the upper 
Sandusky. They entered the Indian village at night and made a thorough 
reconnoissance, and then retreated, traveling all night. In the morning 
they discovered the savages in pursuit, but finally escaped, having killed 
one of the enemy. Satisfied with the information brought by Brady and 
his companions, Broadhead's army moved onward. During all the Indian 
wars up to 1794, Brady took an active part and no braver or bolder man 
ever drew a sword or fired a rifle. He married a daughter of Capt. Van 
Swearengen, of Ohio county, and left descendants. 



JESSE HUGHES. 

One of the most active, daring and successful Indian hunters in the 
mountain region of Virginia was Jesse Hughes — sometimes styled the 
Wetzel of his portion of the State. He was born on the headwaters of the 
Monongahela, Va., about 1768, and early became skilled in the use of the 
rifle and tomahawk. He was a man of iron constitution, and could endure 
extraordinary privations and fatigue. Many anecdotes are told of his en- 
counters with the red men and of the invaluable services he rendered to 
the white settlements on the Monongahela. Jesse Hughes was more than 
a match at any time for the mosr wary savage in the forest. In his ability 
to anticipate all their artifices, he had few equals and no superiors. He was 
a great favorite, and no scouting party could be complete unless Jesse 
Hughes had something to do with it. 



REV. JAMES WADDELL, D. D. 

James Waddell was born in Ulster, Ireland, July, 1739, of Scotch paren- 
tage. Shortly after this event, his parents emigrated to America, and set- 
tled, in the Autumn of 1739, in Pennsylvania. Here he remained until 
1753, during which period the foundation of a liberal education was laid at 
the " log college " of a Dr. Finley, at Nottingham. His proficiency in 
the ancient languages caused him, while yet a lad under fifteen, to be se- 
lected as a tutor in the school, and afterwards in that of Dr. Robt. Smith. 
While a member of Dr. Finley 's school, he embraced religion, and " a 

45 1 



354 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

constraint was on him to preach the Gospel." When nineteen years of 
age he left Pennsylvania for South Carolina to open a school, and passing 
through Virginia, made the acquaintance of Rev. Samuel Davies, of Han- 
over. They soon became devoted friends, and Waddell abandoned his 
purpose of going south, and became a teacher in the school of Rev. John 
Todd, of Louisa, and here commenced the studies preparatory for the 
sacred ministry. In 1760, he offered himself to Hanover Presbytery as a 
candidate for the Gospel ministry, then meeting at the Stone church, in 
Augusta, and was licensed and appointed to preach the Gospel as a candi- 
date for the holy ministry, January, 1761. His ministerial talents were so 
remarkable that during this year he received numerous calls, among them 
one from Brown's meeting-house (Hebron), and another from Jenning's 
Gap, Augusta. All of these he declined. In June, 1 762, he was regularly 
ordained, and accepted a call from Lancaster and Northumberland coun- 
ties. Colonel James Gordon, a wealthy and influential merchant, whose 
daughter he subsequently married, was the principal Presbyterian in 
the community to which Mr. Waddell now removed, and to which 
he devoted the most active part of his ministerial life. He, in 
fact, continued here until 1778, when, on account of ill health and the 
inroads of the Revolutionary war, he removed to Augusta. There was 
much persecution of Dissenters in those colonial days, and Mr. W. was 
assailed from the pulpit and by the press, Rev. William Gisberne, of 
Richmond county and parish, making himself conspicuous by calling Mr. 
W., in one of his sermons, " a pickpocket, dark lantern, moonlight 
preacher and enthusiast," at the same time raising a hue and cry for the 
arrest of " the new light, instigated by folly, impudence, and the devil, 
and bringing him to the whipping post " (Foote. p. 373.) Mr. Waddell 
vindicated himself from these scurrilous attacks in a dignified and truly 
Christian letter, of date July 21st, 1768, addressed to his calumniator, in 
which he advised him, above all things, to abstain from bitter invectives 
and scurrilous language against others, and bidding him farewell, assured 
him, with grim humor, that in all things wherein he, Mr. Gisberne, thought 
him his enemy, he, Mr. Waddell, was his friend and most humble servant. 
In April, 1774, Mr. Waddell was called to Timber Ridge, which call he 
declined. In 1778, he removed to his estate of Spring Hill, near Waynes- 
boro, Augusta, where he resided seven years, acting continuously as min- 
ister of Tinkling Spring and sometimes at Staunton. During this time he 
animated the soldiers by his patriotic addresses, urging them to go forth 
in defence of their native or adopted land. To the forces of Campbell, 
McDowell and Mofifett. assembled at Midway before marching to North 
Carolina to oppose Lord Cornwallis, he preached stirring sermons on the 
great principles of the Gospel, and bade them a pastor's affectionate fare- 
well. In 1785, he returned to his plantation of Belle Grove, in Louisa, 



HISTOKT OF ATTGUSTA COUNTY. 355 

where he resided until his death, in 1805. He was first buried at Hope- 
well farm, his former residence, but in 1 881 his remains were removed to 
the memorial church, which bears his name, near Rapidan Station, on the 
Virginia Midland railroad. His preaching places were Hopewell, near 
Gordonsville, the D. S. meeting-house, about five miles from Charlottes- 
ville, at the Brick church, near Orange Courthouse, and occasionally at 
other points. Here he opened his classical school, in which so many- 
Augusta boys were educated, and which acquired such a deservedly high 
and extended reputation. The great affliction of Dr. W.'s life was his 
blindness, caused by cataract. He suffered also from a nervous complaint, 
which for some years previous to his blindness deprived him of the use of 
the pen. He was devoted to books, and after his loss of sight, his wife 
and other members of the family spent hours daily reading to him. His 
heavy bodily afflictions did not impair his spirits. He was always not 
only composed, but cheerful, happy and resigned. His powers of conver- 
sation were extraordinary, and his sermons rather in the style of a conver- 
sation than declamation. His voice was melodious, his gestures simple 
and dignified, and his eloquence irresistible. In 1798, he visited Mary- 
land, and submitted to an operation for cataract. It was successful, and 
the blessed light of heaven was restored to him for a brief period. The 
cataract, however, returned, but the good man stood at his post, like the 
true minister of Christ, and preached Him crucified faithfully " unto 
death." 

The great lawyer and statesman, William Wirt, thus describes Mr. 
Waddell in the " British Spy," His description immortalizes the writer 
and his hero : 

"It was one Sunday, as I traveled through the county of Orange, that 
my eye was caught by a cluster of horses tied near a ruinous, old, wooden 
house, in the forest, not far from the roadside. Having frequently seen 
such objects before in traveling through these States, I had no difficulty in 
understanding that this was a place of religious worship 

"Devotion should have stopped, to join in the duties of the congregation ; 
but I must confess, that curiosity to hear the preacher of such a wilderness, 
was not the least of my motives. On entering, I was struck with the pre- 
ternatural appearance ; he was a tall and very spare old man ; his head, 
which was covered with a white linen cap, his shriveled hands, and his 
voice, were ail shaking under the influence of a palsy ; and few minutes 
ascertained to me that he was perfectly blind. 

"The first emotions which touched my breast, were those of mingled pity 
and veneration. But ah ! how soon were all my feelings changed. The 
lips of Plato were never more worthy of a prognostic swarm of bees, than 
were the lips of this holy man ! It was a day of the administration of the 
sacrament ; and his subject of course, was the passion of our Saviour. I 
had heard the subject handled a thousand times — I had thought it exhaust- 
ed long ago. Little did I suppose, that in the wild woods of America, I 
was to meet with a man whose eloquence would give to this topic a new 
and more sublime pathos, than I had ever before witnessed. 



356 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

" As he descended from the pulpit, to distribute the mystic symbols, 
there was a peculiar, a more than human solemnity in his air and manner 
which made my blood run cold, and my whole frame shiver. 

"He then drew a picture of the sufferings of our Saviour ; his trial before 
Pilate ; his ascent up Calvary ; his crucifixion, and his death. I knew the 
whole history ; but never, till then, had I heard the circumstanaes so select- 
ed, so arranged, so coloured ! It was all new : and I seemed to have heard 
it for the first time in my life. His enunciation was so deliberate, that his 
voice trembled on every syllable ; every heart in the assembly trembled in 
unison. His peculiar phases had that force of description that the original 
scene appeared to be, at that moment, acting before our eyes. We saw 
the very faces of the Jews : the staring frightful distortions of malice and 
rage. We saw the buffet ; my soul kindled with a flame of indignation ; 
and my hands were involuntarily and convulsively clenched. 

"But when he came to touch on the patience, the forgiving meekness of 
our Saviour ; when he drew, to the life, his blessed eyes streaming in tears 
to heaven ; his voice breathing to God, a soft and gentle prayer of pardon 
on his enemies, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do' — 
the voice of the preacher, which had all along faltered, grew fainter and 
fainter, until his utterance being entirely obstructed by the force of his 
feelings, he raised his handkerchief to his eyes, and burst into a loud and 
irrepressible flood of grief The effect is inconceivable. The whole house 
resounded with the mingled groans, and sobs, and shrieks of the congre- 
gation. 

"It was some time before the tumult had subsided, so far as to permit 
him to proceed. Indeed, judging by the usual, but fallacious standard of 
my own weakness, I began to be very uneasy for the situation of the 
preacher. For I could not conceive how he would be able to let his audi- 
ence down from the height to which he had wound them, without impair- 
ing the solemnity and dignity of his subject, or perhaps shocking them by 
the abruptness of the fall. But — no ; the descent was as beautiful and sub- 
lime, as the elevation had been rapid and enthusiastic. 

"The first sentence which broke the awful silence, was a quotation from 
Rousseau, — 'Socrates died like a philosopher, but Jesus Christ like a God !' 

"I despair of giving you any idea of the effect produced by this short 
sentence, unless you could perfectly conceive the whole manner of the man, 
as well as the peculiar crisis in the discourse. Never before did I complete- 
ly understand what Demosthenes meant by laying stress on delivery. 
You are to bring before you the venerable figure of the preacher ; his 
blindness constantly recalling to your recollection old Homer, Ossian and 
Milton, and associating with his performance the melancholy grandeur of 
their geniuses ; you are to imagine that you hear his slow, solemn, well ac- 
cented enunciation, his voice of affecting trembling melody ; you are to re- 
member the pitch of passion and enthusiasm to which the congregation 
were raised ; and then the few minutes of portentous, death-like silence 
which reigned throughout the house ; the preacher removing the white hand- 
kerchief from his aged face, (even yet wet with the recent torrent of his tears,) 
and slowly stretching forth the palsied hand which holds it, begins the sen- 
tence, — 'Socrates died like a philosopher' — then pausing, raising his other 
hand, pressing them both clasped together, with warmth and energy to his 
breast, lifting his 'sightless balls' to heaven, and pouring his whole soul 
into his tremulous voice — 'but Jesus Christ — like a God !' If he had been 
indeed and in truth an angel of light, the effect could scarcely have been 
more divine. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 357 

^'Whatever I had been able to conceive of the sublimity of Massillon, or 
the force of Bourdaloue, had fallen far short of the power which I felt from 
the delivery of this simple sentence. The blood, which just before had 
rushed in a hurricane upon my brain, and in the violence and agony of my 
feelings, had held my whole system in suspense, now ran back into my 
heart, with a sensation which I cannot describe — a kind of shuddering, 
delicious horror ! The paroxysm of blended piety and indignation to 
which I had been transported, subsided into the deepest self-abasement, 
humility and adoration. I had just been lacerated and dissolved by sym- 
pathy for our Saviour as a fellow-creature ; but now, with fear and trem- 
bling. I adored him as — ' a God !' 

" If this description give you the impression that this incomparable 
minister had anything of shallow, theatrical trick in his manner, it does 
him great injustice. I have never seen, in any orator, such a union of 
simplicity and majesty. He has not a gesture, an attitude or an accent, to 
which he does not seem forced, by the sentiment which he is expressing. 
His mind is too serious, too earnest, too solicitous, and, at the same time, 
too dignified to stoop to artifice. Although as far removed from ostenta- 
tion as a man can be, yet it is clear from the train, the style and substance 
of his thoughts, that he is not only a very polite scholar, but a man of ex- 
tensive and profound erudition. I was forcibly struck with a short yet 
beautiful character which he drew of our learned and amiable countryman. 
Sir Robert Boyle. He spoke of him as if ' his noble mind had, even be- 
fore death, divested herself of all influence from his frail tabernacle of 
flesh', and called him. in his peculiarly emphatic and impressive manner, 
' a pure intelligence : the link between men and angels.' 

" This man has been before my imagination almost ever since. A thou- 
sand times, as I rode along, I dropped the reins of my bridle, stretched 
forth my hand, and tried to imitate his quotation from Rousseau ; a thou- 
sand times 1 abandoned the attempt in despair, and felt persuaded that 
his peculiar manner and power arose from an energy of soul, which nature 
could give, but which no human being could justly copy. In short, he 
seems to be altogether a being of a former age, or of a totally different 
nature from the rest of men. 

"Guess my surprise when, on my arrival at Richmond, and mentioning 
the name of this man, I found not one person who had ever before heard 
of James Waddell ! Is it not strange that such a genius as this, so accom- 
plished a scholar, so divine an orator, should be permitted to languish and 
die in obscurity, within eighty miles of the metropolis of Virginia ?" 



HON. DANIEL SHEFFEY. 



Daniel Sheffey was born at Frederick, Md., in 1770. He was bred a 
shoemaker in his father's shop. His educational was inconsiderable, but 
possessing an ardent desire for knowledge, he passed his leisure in read- 
ing, and became particularly fond of astronomy and mathematics. Arriv- 
ing at manhood, he travelled on foot, with his " kit" on his back, to Win- 
chester. From thence he walked through the Valley of Virginia, earning 
sufficient money by his trade to pay his expenses, until he arrived in 
Wythe county. Here he commenced his trade as a shomaker. The novelty 



358 HISTOKT OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

and originality of his character, and the flashes of genius which enlivened 
his conversation, often compelled his new friends to look on the eccentric 
youth as a wonder. Becoming popular, he studied law in the office of 
Alex. Smyth, and was admitted to the Bar, and obtained business. After 
some years he located in Staunton, where he enjoyed a lucrative practice. 
He often represented Augusta in the House of Delegates, and in 1811, 
was elected to Congress. His speech in favor of a renewal of the charter 
of the first United States Bank was a masterly combination of sound 
judgment and conclusive facts ; for three hours profound silence reigned, 
and all were astonished at his talents. He opposed the war of 1812. On 
one occasion he gave John Randolph, whose bitter sarcasm few could 
withstand, a severe retort. In commenting on a speech of Mr. Sheffey, 
he said, " the shoemaker ought not to go beyond his last." In an instant,. 
Mr. Sheffey retorted, " If that gentleman had ever been on the shoe- 
maker's bench, he never would have left it." 

Mr. Sheffey was a plain man; his accent German, his pronunciation not 
agreeable, yet the most refined audience always paid him profound atten- 
tion. He died in Staunton in 1830, leaving no son, but five daughters, one 
of whom married Rev. E. Boyden, of Albemarle, and they have a large 
family ; a second, Oliver P. Baldwin, of Cleveland, Ohio, and they have 
numerous children, a third, Serena, married Hon. John F. Lewis, 
and they have a number of children — the eldest son of J. F. Lewis, Hon. 

D. S. Lewis, being United States Attorney for the Western District of 
Virginia in 1882, and a daughter, who married Mr. Davis, of Lewisburg, 
West Virginia. The remaining daughters of Hon. D, Sheffey are Ann 

E. and Mrs. Celestine Hanson, widow of the late Capt. Hanson, U. S. A. 



HON. JOHN HOWE PEYTON, 

was born in Stafford county, Virginia, April 3d, 1778, of colonial descen- 
dants of the ancient English Peytons of Isleham. After completing his 
preliminary studies at Fredericksburg, he proceeded, in 1794, to the Uni- 
versity of New Jersey (Princeton), where he graduated M. A. in 1797 
with distinguished honors, taking the lead in all his classes. — 
Returning to Virginia, he studied law under Judge Bushrod Washington, 
one of the Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, and was 
admitted to the Bar in 1799. He immediately obtained a considerable 
practice, to which he devoted himself with laborious assiduity. In 1806, he 
was elected the representative for Stafford to the House of Delegates of Vir- 
ginia, and was regarded from the first as a brilliant debater, and at the end 
of the session it was conceded that he had no superior in the Common- 
wealth as a parliamentary orator. Popular in the House, he was more so 
in society, from his agreeable and instructive conversation and many ac- 



mSTOEY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 359 

complishments. During the years he continued a member of the General 
Assembly, he was a leading spirit, and his labors were crowned with uni- 
form success. He was the author of the celebrated report and resolutions 
on the subject of a tribunal for settling disputes between the State and 
Federal judiciary, adopted by the Senate and House, January 26th, 18 10. 
This report and resolutions terminated the matter of a proposal from the 
State of Pennsylvania to amend the Constitution of the United States. In 
this document it was declared that " a tribunal is already provided by the 
Constitution of the United States — viz.: the Supreme Court — more emi- 
nently qualified, from their habits and duties, from the mode of their se- 
lection, and from the tenure of their offices to decide the disputes afore- 
said in an enlightened manner than any other tribunal which could be 
created " * • and that " the creation of a tribunal such as is proposed 
by Pennsylvania, so far as we are able to form an idea of it, from the de- 
scription given in the resolutions of the Legislature of the State, would, in 
the opinion of the committee, tend rather to invite than prevent collisions 
between the Federal and State courts." 

In i8o8-'9, so widespread was his legal reputation, he was appointed 
public prosecutor for the Augusta district, and removed to Staunton. 
He now gave his entire energies to the law, and the distinguishing 
peculiarities of his intellect made themselves more manifest. It was 
observed that in all of his investigations his philosophical mind rose 
above the technicalities of the common law to the consideration of general 
principles, and he was never more eloquent than when expatiating upon 
those principles which lie at the foundation of all duty and are equally 
applicable to all its forms. He was not unmindful of other duties which 
devolve upon the citizen, and in 1812, when war was declared against 
Great Britain by the United States, was commissioned a major of volun- 
teers and marched with the Augusta troops to Camp Holly, and served until 
the end of the war, in 1815, when he resumed the practice, and was elected 
mayor of the city of Staunton. He was at the same time appointed 
Deputy United States, or Federal, Attorney for the Western District of 
Virginia. His success at the Bar, and he was now considered one of the 
most learned and ablest Virginia lawyers, and the ablest criminal lawyer 
and public prosecutor Virginia had ever known, did not engross his intel- 
lectual activity. He contributed to the reviews papers rich in lessons of 
truth, wisdom and faith ; on literary, social and political subjects, and 
maintained a correspondence with President Jefferson, Gov. Randolph, 
Chief Justice Marshall, James Monroe, James Madison, John Tyler, and 
other eminent men of the time. 

In 1824, when he had attained the height of his fame, his friends urged 
him to accept a position on the General Court of Virginia, but as this 
would have required his removal to another district, he peremptorily de- 



360 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

clined. In 1 836, he was elected Senator for the Augusta and Rockbridge 
district, and in 1840, was reelected. In the Senate, he occupied a 
commanding position of influence, and gave a general support to the 
Whig party. He opposed the annexation of Texas, a revenue tariff, and 
a war with England on the question of the Oregon boundary line. In the 
course of an exhaustive speech on the subject, he said: 'In regard to 
Oregon, while our title to the whole of that vast region, extending west- 
ward from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, and from the 42° of 
north latitude to 54° 4o\ was certainly as good as that of any other nation, 
and probably better, we had ourselves, on repeated occasions, virtually 
admitted that it was not so complete and unqualified as to preclude all 
other claims to any portion of it; and that, therefore, a war for Oregon, 
unless an attempt be made to wrest it forcibly from our possession, would 
be not only a blunder but a crime." 

The annexation of Texas he opposed on many grounds : i. America 
was already, in 1840, too vast to be national and too rich to be democratic, 
and any extension of her borders would only increase the evils ; 2. He 
objected to a clause in the Constitution of Texas which refused to the 
Legislature power to pass laws for the emancipation of slaves. No one 
had a deeper or more inextinguishable thirst to promote human liberty 
and happiness. All his ambition for personal, professional or literary suc- 
cess was controlled by this master passion of his nature ; 3. He was op- 
posed to the American Government assuming the debt of Texas, and 4. 
Because he thought annexation would lead to useless wars as to boundary, 
&c. On the question of the tariff, he held that direct protection was a 
legitimate object of legislation and he opposed any tariff which gave 
merely incidental protection. He derived his doctrine on the question 
both from the justice and necessity of the case, and from the explicit 
avowal of those who framed the Constitution, and of those who sat in the 
first Congress under it, that it was designed and desired to lay duties for 
the encouragement and protection of domestic manufactures, and he 
would allow no arguments of expediency to induce him to abandon his 
ground and to fall in with the friends of a tariff for revenue giving inciden- 
tal protection. This phraseology he denounced as a device of dema- 
gogues who were willing to conceal or abandon their principles in order 
to secure success. 

He expressed the opinion that the independence of the American conti- 
nent from the control, political and physical, of European nations, was of 
paramount importance, and had any European government aided Spain in 
her efforts to subdue her revolted American colonies, seeking to secure 
their independence and establish republican governments, he favored 
armed intervention by the United States. In other words, he was a sup- 
porter of the " Monroe Doctrine." He opposed nullification and seces- 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 361 

sion, favored a United States bank, believing that the success of the thir- 
teen colonies was due largely to the financial facilities afforded by the 
" Bank of North America," at Philadelphia, and that two banks, char- 
tered by the United States Government — the first in 1791 and the second 
in 1816 — enabled America to pay off the Revolutionary debt, and to pass 
through the war of 1812-1815, and to restore, in 1816, mercantile credit. 
He advocated popular education, by means of State aid, and a generous 
system of internal improvements. On all of these questions his speeches 
were able and eloquent, exhibiting a soundness of view, an extent of re- 
search, a manliness of principle, an accuracy of learning, and a vigor of 
style never surpassed in Virginia. 

In 1840, he was appointed by President Harrison a visitor to the United 
States Military Academy at West Point, and wrote the interesting and in- 
structive report of the Board of Visitors for that year. In 1 844, owing to 
impaired health, arising from a fall from his horse while hunting on Isle- 
ham, one of his estates in Alleghany, he resigned his seat in the Senate, 
the office of Public Prosecutor, and all public employments. 

In person, he was tall and handsome, with large piercing blue eyes, and 
a countenance of majestic benevolence. Very attentive to his attire, he 
dressed usually in blue broad cloth with gold buttons. He enjoyed among 
his contemporaries the reputation of being a metaphysician, a logician, 
and a political economist of the first order ; a profound and comprehen- 
sive lawyer and general scholar ; a man of massive intellect without affec- 
tation, and of genius without conceit. He kept up a large establishment 
at Montgomery Hall, and dispensed a generous hospitality, contributed 
liberally to all public works, was open as day to melting charity, and left 
at his death, April 3rd, 1847, the reputation of being a perfect gentleman 
and one of the best of men. 

We follow this outline by interesting sketches, giving more in detail the 
leading characteristics of Mr. Peyton's mind and heart. These sketches 
were written by sundving contemporaries, who, from intimacy in daily life, 
had the best opportunities to know him as a man, a lawyer, statesman and 
citizen. The first is by Prof. J. T. L. Preston, V. M. I. : 

The late John H. Peyton, Esq., of Staunton, Va., was one of the finest 
specimens that we have ever known of the complete lawyer. During the 
prime of life he pursued his profession with a laborious assiduity rarely 
equalled, and though as age advanced upon him he remitted his efforts, 
he did not discontinue his practice until a short time before his death, 
which occurred April 3, 1847, in the 69th year of his age. None of his 
contemporaries secured a more ample reward in either reputation or pe- 
cuniary emolument. 

We have spoken of Mr. Peyton as a complete lawyer. Law, as a 
practical profession, has several departments, and it is not unusual to see 
a lawyer distinguished in some of them, with a compensating deficiency in 
others. Some practitioners are successful collectors ; some are much es- 
teemed as judicious advisers in matters not strictly legal ; some are favorite 

46 t 



362 HisTOEr OF augusta county. 

advocates, with a subdivision into those who are influential with the court, 
and those who are persuasive before a jury ; some are designated good 
judges of law, or, in other words, safe counsellors, and of some the forte 
is Common Law Practice, while others are distinguished as chancery law- 
yers. The organization of the courts in Virginia, and the nature of the 
business, at least in the interior, requires every lawyer to enter upon the 
whole of this miscellaneous practice ; and it is not to be wondered at that 
some, even good lawyers, are not equally strong in every part. Mr. Pey- 
ton knew every part of his profession thoroughly. He had studied dili- 
gently as a student ; he had known the expectant struggles of the young 
practitioner ; he had practised under the old system before the reorganiza- 
tion of the judiciary, and afterwards under the new ; he had met in contest 
the strongest men in each department of the profession, and he had made 
himself a champion in all. We may add that some lawyers who exhibit 
the highest skill in securing the rights of the clients, are foolishly ignorant 
of their own ; in other words, they let slip the fair, well earned profits of 
their profession — not so with Mr. Peyton. He knew the value of his pro- 
fessional services ; he gave them to the fullest extent to those who applied 
for them, and then he insisted upon just remuneration. We notice this 
point, not at random, but to present a feature belonging to the character 
of the complete lawyer. 

The characteristic of Mr. Peyton's life was efficiency. This efficiency 
had for its elements native vigor of intellect, great resoluteness of charac- 
ter and courageous self-confidence, ample and thorough acquirements and 
the quickness, precision and dexterity of action that belong only to those 
who have been taught by a varied experience to understand thoroughly 
human nature. In conversation Mr. Peyton was ready, entertaining and 
instructive. But conversation was not ^xx^ forte, though he was fond of it. 
He was not fluent, his manner was sometimes too direct for the highest 
style of polished social intercourse of a general nature, and besides he had 
a remarkable way of indulging in a strain of covert satirical banter, when 
his words would be so much at variance with the expression of his coun- 
tenance, and particularly with the expression of his mouth, that the hearer 
was often in an uncomfortable state of uncertainty how to take him. His 
person was large, and his bearing dignified but not graceful. His manner 
was unaffected, but not without formality, nor was it perfectly conciliatory. 
Some styled him aristocratic, while none could deny that his self respect 
and confident energy gave an imperious cast to his demeanor. We have 
oftener than once thought applicable to him, in a general way, those lines 
of Terence : 

" Ellum, confidens, catus, 
Cum faciem videas, videtur esse quantivis preti, 
Tristis severitas inest in voltu, atque in verbis fides." 

His voice was true and clear, and capable of sufficient variety, but with- 
out a single musical intonation, and a little sharper than you would expect 
to hear from a man of his size and form. If it is asked what was the style 
of his speaking, it may be replied — just what might be expected to belong 
to such a man as he has been described, that is to say, never was the 
speaker a more complete reflection of the man than in his case. We can- 
not believe that any one who knew him was ever surprised when they 
heard him speak ; what he said was just what they would expect him to 
say. This is often the case with speakers and writers, but not always. En- 
ergy, reality and efficiency were his characteristics as a man, and equally 



HISTOKT OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 363 

SO as a speaker. Distinctness of conception lay at the foundation of his 
excellence. Some great speakers, some even preeminently great speak- 
ers, not unfrequently hurl unforged thunderbolts. They feel the madden- 
ing impulse of the god, but give forth their utteranee before the true pro- 
phetic fury comes on. 

Mr. Peyton's mind was no sybil's cave, whence came forth wind driven 
leaves inscribed with mighty thoughts disposed by chance,, but a spacious 
castle, from whose wide open portal issued men at arms, orderly arrayed. 
He had hardly opened his case, when the hearer was aware that he had 
thought over the whole of it, had a given course to pursue, and would 
close when he came to the end of it. This distinctness of conception com- 
prehended the subject as a whole, and shed its light upon each detail be- 
longing to it. This ensured the most perfect method in all that he said. — 
Before he began to speak he had determined in his own mind, not only 
the order of the different parts of his discourse, but also their relative im- 
portance in producing the general impression. Hence he was never led 
away by the tempting character of any peculiar topic, to expatiate upon it 
unduly ; he did not take up matter irrelevant to the case because it might 
touch himself personally ; he never spoke for those behind the bar, nor did 
he neglect to secure the fruits of victory in order to pursue an adversary 
to utter discomfiture. He spoke as a lawyer, he spoke for the verdict, and 
expected to gain it by showing that he was entitled to it. Some speakers 
hope to accomplish their object by single, or at least, successive impulses 
— now a clinching argumentative question, now a burst of brilliant declama- 
tion, and now a piece of keen wit, or a rough personality. Such speakers 
forget, or do not know, that a jury may admire, may be diverted, and even 
moved, without being won. He that gains the verdict must mould, and 
sway, and lead, and this is to be effected by continued persistent pressure, 
rather than by tours de force. This Mr. Peyton knew well, and observed 
it with perfect self-command. His hearers came away satisfied with the 
whole, rather than treasuring up remarkable points and passages. Let it 
not be supposed, however, that he was a cold speaker, who treated men 
as mere intellectual machines, to be set in motion by the pulleys, screws 
and levers of logic. Far from it ; he understood human nature well, and 
knew the motive power of the feelings ; but then he knew, too, that the 
way to excite the most effective sympathy is not to make a loud outcry, but 
to make a forcible exhibition of real suffering — that the best way to rouse 
our indignation against fraud, deceit, or oppression, is not to exhort us to 
hate it, but to show its hatefulness. One of his most distinguished cotem- 
poraries upon the same circuit was celebrated for his powers as a criminal 
advocate ; his manner was obviously upon the pathetic order, and perhaps 
a trifle too declamatory. We have seen them in the same cause, and have 
thought that if the eloquence of Gen. Briscoe G. Baldwin flushed the coun- 
tenance quicker, the earnestness of Mr. Peyton stirred the heart deeper. 
Of the oratory of a class of speakers by no means rare (not, however, in- 
cluding in this class the distinguished jurist above alluded to,) it has been 
well said, "declamation roars while passion sleeps ;" of speaking justly 
characterized by this line, Mr. Peyton's was the precise reverse. With 
him thought became passionate before the expression became glowing, as 
the wave swells before it crests itself with foam. 

Mr. Peyton's language was forcible, pure and idiomatic. It served well 
the vehicle of his thoughts, but contributed nothing to them. There is a 



364 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

real and legitimate advantage belonging to the masterly use of words, o f 
which many great speakers know well how to avail themselves. 

Mr. Peyton attempted nothing of the sort. His diction was thorough- 
ly English, with a marked preference for the Anglo-Saxon branch of the 
language, and his sentences came out in the most natural order with unu- 
sual clearness and vigor, but not unfrequently with plainness that bordered 
upon homliness. His style, however, was always that of speaking as dis- 
tinguished from mere conversation — a distinction which some of our mod- 
ern speakers forget, when in order to appear at their ease, they treat with 
no little disregard not only the rules of rhetoric, but the rules of grammar 
as well, and use words and phrases which are (to take a word from the vo- 
cabulary we are condemning) nothing better than slang. On the contrary 
there was in Mr. Peyton's style the fruit of early studies and high-bred 
association, a classical tinge, extremely pleasant to the scholar, though 
perhaps not appreciable by those for whom he generally spoke. It must 
not be supposed, from what has been said of his excellent method, that 
he resembled in this respect some of our able but greatly tedious lawyers, 
who take up in regular succession every possible point in the case, how- 
ever minute, and worry us by officially offering help where none is need- 
ed — so far from it he showed his consummate skill as well in what he omit- 
ted as in what he handled, and, as a general thing, his speeches were shor- 
ter in duration, and yet fuller of matter than those of his opponent. His 
use of figurative language was easy and natural, and not stinted ; but his 
figures were always introduced as illustrations and not as arguments. It 
is not unusual to meet with a speaker who is unable to enounce distincdy 
the general principle he wishes to use, throw out an illustration to enable 
himself to pick out the principle from it, or at least to give his hearers a 
chance to do it for themselves ; not so with Mr. Peyton. He held up the 
torch of illustration, not to throw a light forward to guide himself in his 
own investigations, but to enable those following the more readily to tread 
the road along with him. He had a very noticeable fondness for re- 
curring to the primary fundamental principles of morals, and doubtless he 
was restrained, by his practical judiciousness, from indulging this disposi- 
tion to the full. One of his favorite books was Lord Bacon's Essays, and 
under other circumstances he might himself have been a distinguished 
moral essayist. 

As may well be supposed, his general strain was grave. The high idea 
he entertained of the dignity of his profession, and the earnestness with 
which he gave himself to it, alike precluded either levity or carelessness. 
However, he was fully able, quite ready upon occasion, to avail himself of 
a keen wit, that was all the more effective because it was dry and sarcas- 
tic. It occurs to us to mention an instance well known to his circuit, not il- 
lustrative of his severity but his pleasantry. In a criminal prosecution, he, 
as prosecuting attorney, was opposed by two gentlemen of ability, whose 
pathos had been so great as to draw abundant tears from their own eyes. 
One of them, a gentleman, who has since filled a distinguished national 
position (Hon. A. H. H. Stuart, Secretary of Interior of the United States, 
1850-3), was noted for the facility with which he could cover over his 
brilliant eloquence with the liquid varnish of his tears. On this occasion 
he had been singularly lachrymose, and supported by his colleague in the 
same way, the sensation produced was very considerable. Mr. Peyton 
commenced his reply by regretting the disadvantage the commonwealth 
labored under in being represented by him who was a very poor hand at 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 365 

crying, and certainly was not able to cry against two at a time. The ludi- 
crousness of the expression completely neutralized the pathos of his oppo- 
nents. H e was not averse either to a bit of farce now and then, as is shown 
by a story told of him. In a remote part of the circuit a lawyer wished to 
adorn a moving passage of a part of a speech he was just rising to make, 
with an apposite example, and applied to Mr. Peyton, setting beside of 
him, to help him to the name of the man in the Bible who would have his 
pound of flesh. With imperturbable gravity he answered Absalom ! The 
effect of thus confounding Shakespeare and Scripture may be imagined. 

We have said that Mr. Peyton was thoroughly furnished in every part of 
his profession ; in one department his qualifications were peculiar and un- 
surpassed. Without disparagement to others, it may be said, we think, 
that he was the best commonwealth's attorney in the State of Virginia. He 
was the lawyer of the commonwealth, and he treated the commonwealth 
as a client, and labored for her with the same industry, zeal, and fidelity 
that he manifested in behalf of any other client. The oft-quoted merciful 
maxim of the common law, "better that ninety and nine guilty men should 
escape than one innocent man suffer," he interpreted as a caution to re- 
spect the rights of the innocent, and not as an injunction to clear the guil- 
ty, and he labored to reduce the percentage of rogues unwhipt of justice 
as low as possible With a clearness and force rarely equaled would he point 
out the necessity of punishing the guilty in order that the innocent might be 
safe, thus exhibiting the absolute consistency of strict justice with true mer- 
cy. So simply and earnestly would he do this, that he not only bound the 
consciences of the jury, but also made them feel that they were individual- 
ly interested in the faithful execution of the laws. Here his clear percep- 
tion of the moral principles upon which rests the penal code, and his fond- 
ness for recurring to general principles, stood him in great stead. It was 
delightful to hear him expatiate upon this theme, for upon no other was he 
more truly eloquent. 

Mr. Peyton served at different times in both branches of the legislature, 
but we speak not of him as a politician. Our purpose has been solely to ex- 
hibit some of the qualities which made him an eminent member and orna- 
ment of the legal profession. 

The following interesting sketch is from the pen of William Frazier, 
Esq., who was for ten years intimately associated in business intercourse 
with Mr. Peyton. It was originally published in the " Valley Virginian," 
and was thus introduced by the editor : 

"Our readers will find Mr. Frazier's recollections of John Howe Peyton, 
on our first page, a most interesting article. All will derive pleasure from 
its perusal, but more especially the few surviving cotemporaries in our 
midst of that great lawyer. To the young, the article possesses a pecu- 
liar value. The distinguished men who have passed from the stage of 
life, and whose names are as " familiar as household words " to the old, or 
even middle aged, are to the young only historical personages ; they re- 
quire to be informed of what their fathers remember. Other sketches or 
recollections of Mr. Peyton are being prepared by a few of his professional 
brethren who survive, and who remember him when in the vigor of his 
intellect and the fullness of his fame. These, in all probability, will be in- 



366 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

eluded in a volume of memoirs, where it is proposed to preserve in a per- 
manent form the story of his useful and honorable life. 

"We have heard that Miss Sarah L. Randolph, author of the life of 
Stonewall Jackson, contemplates a work embracing the lives of many, if 
not all, eminent Virginia lawyers. It is a much needed work, and we 
wish her every success in her praiseworthy undertaking." 

" My personal acquaintance with Mr. Peyton," says Mr. Frazier, "com- 
menced in October, 1834, when I entered upon the practice of my profes- 
sion at the Staunton Bar. 

He was then, as I learn from his biography, in his fifty-seventh year, 
and from that circumstance only it might be inferred he had passed his 
climatric. Certainly nothing in his physical appearance or his forensic 
display betokened a decay of power, bodily or mental. 

Yet having amassed a handsome fortune, he established himself in a 
beautiful home, and surrounded by a large and interesting family, he felt 
himself entitled to some relaxation from the arduous demands of his pro- 
fession — or, at least, from its drudgery. He accordingly relegated to 
younger members of the bar all minor causes, and to his junior associates 
the preparation in pays of his chancery causes, in the matter of taking 
depositions and the like vacation duties. 

But for ten years following the date of my introduction to him, there 
was hardly an important or celebrated cause tried at the Staunton Bar, 
whether in the State Courts or the United States Court, without the aid and 
illumination of his splendid intellect ; whilst also in Albemarle, Rock- 
bridge and Bath counties he largely participated in the like weighty 
causes. 

In the Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia his reputation through- 
out the State enlarged the theatre of his professional service much beyond 
that of his local circuit. 

I wish it were in my power to give a just and discriminating analysis o 
his processes in the investigation and conduct of a great cause, or even a 
fair description of his style of forensic argument. 

This much may be safely said : that he seized, by apparent intuition, 
upon the strong and dominating points in a case, not infrequently finding 
these, or some of them, buried out of sight from a scrutiny less searching 
than his, beneath a mass of irrelevant or conflicting testimony. 

Having thus entrenched himself in one or a few strong positions, his 
array of the facts was so masterly, his presentation of them so luminous, 
and his arguments from them so logical, that he rarely failed to carry the 
tribunal with him safely and irresistibly to his conclusions. 

Discarding thus the minor points and less material phases of the cause 
from his examination and discussion, or dismissing them in a few rapid, 
searching sentences, his debate was conspicuous for its compactness and 
logical order. Accordingly, his speeches ordinarily did not exceed one 
hour, and even in the most complex and voluminous causes they rarely 
went beyond two hours. I can recall but one occasion in which he con- 
sumed nearly three hours. 

His style was fluent, but not of that fluency which comes of redundant 
words and phrases, for I have never listened to one so terse and vigorous. 
I think it can be said there was hardly a superfluous word — and every 
sentence bore upon the conclusion aimed at. It was, therefore, never a 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 367 

weariness to hear this great advocate, and the promiscuous audience fol- 
lowed his argument, his sarcasm or his invective, with as much apparent 
interest as did court and jury. 

It has been written of him that he was equally versed and at home in 
ever)'- department of the profession (unless admiralty and rnaritime law be 
excepted), but I think it was as a common lawyer that he excelled, and 
that it was in the common law he found his chief delight. He was per- 
fectly conversant with the principles of the Feudal law and immemorial 
usages of England as expounded by Littleton, Coke, Bacon, and all the 
fathers and great interpreters of English jurisprudence. Having come t& 
the Bar while special pleading was yet a legal science and carefully prac- 
tised system, and before popular and not too well informed legislatures 
sought to "simplify" the practice of the law by Statutes of Jeofails, he 
was, without doubt, one of the most practised and expert special pleaders 
of his time. His naturally astute and logical mind, finding its expression 
through the channels of a terse and luminous style, caused his pleadings 
in all their stages to be master-pieces of art. 

His fame as a prosecutor of the pleas of the Commonwealth has never 
been surpassed, if equalled, in Virginia. On this field he achieved 
triumphs of the most brilliant kind. His pride in his profession, and the 
great principles of right and justice underlying it, no less than his inborn 
contempt for chicanery and fraud, not to speak of crime in its grosser 
forms, combined to make him a ' terror to evil-doers.' Some critics, even 
among the profession, sometimes were disposed to censure him as too 
harsh and unrelenting towards the prisoner at the bar. But if every cir- 
cuit throughout our land possessed at this day so able, fearless and con- 
scientious a prosecutor as did the Augusta and the surrounding circuit at 
that happier day in our history, perhaps we might find less cause to de- 
plore the depreciation of the public morals, which so painfully invest the 
present era. 

It would be a halting and very defective sketch of this eminent jurist 
which failed to speak of his striking originality. Negatively speaking, 
there was little or no common-place and hum-drum in his forensic argu- 
ments, his debates in the Senate or his addresses from the hustings to his 
constituents. In a positive sense his speeches, at least on great occasions 
and when his powers were thoroughly roused, rarely failed to be marked 
by some flash of genius. I recall a conversation just after the close of a 
protracted and laborious June term of the Augusta Circuit Court, in which 
the late Judge Lucas P. Thompson and Gen. Briscoe G. Baldwin bore the 
leading parts. The last-named was paying generous tribute to Mr. Pey- 
ton's force and originality. Judge Thompson remarked, in substance, 
that he had never seen Mr. Peyton go through a cause deeply interesting 
and moving him in which he did not utter some view or sentiment illumi- 
nated by genius, or, at the least, some illustration marked by a bold origi- 
nality ; and he instanced two causes, tried at the late term — one a civil suit 
and a very heavy will case, in which he made a novel and scorching appli- 
cation of a familiar fable of ^sop. I forbear to give its details, because 
both the critic and his subject have passed from earth. 

In the same cause three signatures were to be identified and proved — 
that of the testator and also of the two attesting witnesses — all three hav- 
ing died since their attestation. Many witnesses were calkd to prove the 
genuineness of the three names. Opposing counsel sought to badger the 
witnesses by urging them to specify what peculiar marks there were in the 



368 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

handwriting and signatures, whereby they could speak so positively as to 
their identity and genuineness. This of course, for the most part, they 
could not do, and in the argument of the cause before' the jury the same 
counsel strove to throw discredit and contempt upon those.witnesses (all 
men of good character) for their failure and inability so to describe the 
quality and peculiar marks in the calligraphy of the' signers as to show 
they were familiar with their handwriting. In his reply^to those sallies of 
his opponent, Mr. Peyton swept away the whole airy fabric by a single 
happy illustration : 

"Gentlemen," he said, " you have often been assembled in crowds upon 
some public or festive occasion. Your hats have been thrown pell-mell in 
a mass with perhaps a hundred other hats, all having a general resem- 
blance. Suppose you had attempted to describe your hat to a friend or 
servant, so that he might go and pick it out for you. It has as many 
points for accurate description as a written signature — its color, height of 
crown, width of brim, its band, lining, &c. Do you think that friend or 
servant could by any possibility have picked out your hat for you ? And 
yet when you went yourself, the moment your eye would light upon it you 
instantly recognize it amongst a hundred or five hundred other hats. 
Familiarity with it has stamped its picture on your mind, and the moment 
you see it, the hat fills and fits the picture on your mind as perfectly as the 
same hat fits your head." 

The jury were evidently won, and gave full credence to the ridiculed 
witnesses. 

The other instance during the same term (cited by Judge Thompson,) 
occurred in the celebrated prosecution of Naaman Roberts for forgery — in 
forging the name of Col. Adam Dickinson to a bond for six hundred dol- 
lars. 

The body of the bond was confessedly the handwriting of the prisoner 
at the bar. That was admitted. The signature was a tolerably successful 
attempt at imitating the peculiar handwriting of Adam Dickinson. But 
no expert could look at the whole paper and fail to see a general resem- 
blance between the body of the instrument and the signature, raising a 
strong conviction in the mind that both proceeded from the same hand. 

The defense strongly insisted upon excluding the body of the instru- 
ment from the view of the witness, by covering it with paper or turning it 
down, and so confining the view to the signature only — upon the familiar 
doctrine of the law of evidence forbidding a comparison of various hand- 
writings of the party as a ground for an opinion upon the identity or gen- 
uineness of the disputed writing. And this point was ably and elaborately 
argued by the prisoner's counsel. 

The learned prosecutor met it thus : 

"Gentlemen, this is one entire instrument, not two or more brought into 
comparison. Let me ask each one of you, when you meet your friend, or 
when you meet a stranger, in seeking to identify him, what do you look 
at ? Not his nose, though that is the most prominent feature of the hu- 
man face ; not at his mouth, his chin, his cheek ; no, you look him 
straight in the eye, so aptly called ' the window of the soul.' You look 
him in the eye, but at the same time you see his whole hce.^ Now, put a 
mask on that face, leaving only the eyes visible, as the learned counsel 
would have you mask the face of this bond, leaving to your view only the 
fatal signature. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 369 

" If that human face, so masked, was the face of your bosom friend, 
could you for a moment identify him, even though permitted to look in at 
those windows of his soul ? No ; he would be as strange to you as this 
accursed bond has ever been strange to that worthy gentleman, Colonel 
Adam Dickinson, but a glance at whose face traces the guilty authorship 
direct to the prisoner at the bar." 

This most striking illustration seemed to thrill the whole audience, as it 
virtually carried the jury, 

Mr. Peyton never was a politician. His taste and predilection lay not 
in that direction. But no man was better informed of the course of pub- 
lic affairs, or had a keener insight into the character or motives of public 
men. Once, and so far as I knew, once only, did he participate in the de- 
bates of a Presidential canvass. It was the memorable one of 1840, and 
the speech was delivered from the Albemarle hustings. His analysis of 
the political character of Martin Van Buren, and his delineation of his 
public career from his desertion of De Witt Clinton down to his obsequi- 
ous ingratiation with Andrew Jackson, was incisive and masterly, and all 
the more powerful and impressive because pronounced in a judicial rather 
than a partisan temper. Competent judges, long familiar with the very 
able harangues and debates on that rostrum, declared it one of the ablest 
that had been listened to by any Albemarle audience. 

Of his services in the Virginia Senate, I need only say, what every one 
would naturally expect, they were most valuable from that enlightened 
conservatism in the prevention of crude and vicious legislation. In the 
last session of his first term in the Senate, a vigorous effort was made for 
the passage of a stay -law rather than an increase of taxation. 

It hardly needs to be said that he opposed the former and sustained the 
latter measure with all the vigor of his honest and manly nature. Nor 
could he ever have looked with any patience upon that brood of enact- 
ments since his day — the stay of executions, homestead exemptions, limi- 
tations upon sales of property, et id omne genus, professedly passed in the 
interest of the poor and the laboring man, yet in fact more detrimental to 
that class than to any other, and most damaging to the credit of the state 
abroad. 

Let me say, in conclusion, that the person and figure of Mr. Peyton 
were fine and commanding. His carriage was always erect, his head well 
poised on his shoulders, while his ample chest gave token of great vitality. 
On rising to address court or jury, there was something more than com- 
monly impressive in his personal presence, and whether clad in " Virginia 
home-spun " or English blue broadcloth with gold buttons (and I have 
often seen him in both), whenever you saw him button his coat across his 
breast and slowly raise his spectacles to rest them on the lofty crown, you 
might confidently expect an intellectual treat of no mean order. 

There never was a broader contrast presented in the same person than 
that between Howe Peyton the lawyer, the public prosecutor, or even the 
senatorial candidate amongst the people, and the same individual in his 
own home. Here, in the midst of his family, or surrounded by friends, 
all the rigor of his manner relaxed, and he was the model of an affec- 
tionate husband and father, and the most genial of companions. He was 
" given to hospitality," and there was perhaps no mansion in all this fa- 
vored region where it was more generously and elegantly dispensed, 
through many years, than at " Montgomery Hall." 

47 t 



370 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

The following are Judge Jno. H. McCue's recollections : 

One of the truest tests of the greatness of a man is very often the im- 
pression, as I think, which, without intending, he makes upon the minds 
of the young with whom he may come in contact. There are few of us 
who do not remember having met, in our earlier days, with men whose 
presence filled us with respect and awe, before even, perhaps, we had 
learned their names and reputations, and who, in after years, seemed to 
stand out from amid our youthful recollections, apart and distinct from the 
memories of other men — men who, unconsciously, stamp their individuality 
not only upon our minds, but who often serve, though we may not per- 
ceive it, as models upon which our own conduct is, or ought to be, 
moulded, and the impress of whose attributes and virtues serve as stan- 
dards by which we judge of other men. 

The impressions I have of John Howe Peyton are those which I formed 
when a youth, but they were such as to stamp him not only as an able 
and good man, but as a great man in the truest acceptation of the term. 

When a boy at the school in Waynesboro, Augusta county, of the Rev. 
James C. Wilson, D. D,, a famous criminal trial was progressing in the 
Circuit Superior Court at Staunton. Mr. Peyton was the prosecutor, and 
was regarded as the ablest prosecuting attorney then or who had ever 
been in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Everybody was talking of this 
trial, in which, for various reasons, not necessary to be here detailed, the 
community was deeply interested. Shortly after, as I remember, while 
every one was still speaking of the trial, I saw standing in the porch of the 
hotel at Waynesboro, a gentleman of splendid form, broad shoulders and 
extended chest, with a magnificent head which was carried erect, and 
which might be aptly compared to that of Daniel Webster. His eyes were 
large and bright, his features straight, finely chiseled, forming a face of 
Grecian lineaments, and expression. I did not then know who he 
he was. The idea formed on my youthful mind was that he must be a 
great and famous man. I inquired respecting him, and was told that he 
was Mr. Howe Peyton, the famous lawyer and prosecutor. I had often 
heard my father speak of Mr. Peyton as one of the great lawyers of Vir- 
ginia, then having her Johnson, Wickham, Tazewell, Baldwin, Sheffey, 
Wirt, Leigh, Tucker, Stannard, and other eminent men, who were his 
cotemporaries. I had . never seen Mr. Peyton until now. There was 
something, however, in the noble and dignified appearance and bearing of 
the man now standing before me that at once arrested attention and 
impressed the beholder. The opinion formed by me of his greatness was 
afterwards, upon a better acquaintance, fully justified. 

I knew little of Mr. Peyton personally until after I entered the Univer- 
sity of Virginia, with his son, John Lewis Peyton, in 1842, both of us 
members of the law class under the late Henry St. George Tucker. Mr. 
Peyton, at that time Commonwealth's Attorney in Albemarle, and in the 
other counties composing the circuit of Judge Thompson, when in Char- 
lottesville attending the court, sojourned at the residence of his brother- 
in-law, John Cochran, Esq., now (1879) surviving in his eighty-sixth year. 
Upon these occasions, at his request, his son and myself spent much time 
with him. Mr. Peyton manifested a deep interest, naturally, in the pro- 
gress of his son, and in my own, because of his warm and intimate friend- 
ship for my father. It was during the frequent conversations which it 
pleased him to hold with us, that I learned to appreciate the great powers 



HISTOET OF AUGUSTA COUKfTT. 371 

of his mind, not perhaps so much as to its capacity but more especially as 
to the wonderful faculty he possessed of simplyfying and rendering clear 
the most abstruse subjects. And in this perhaps, as much as in anything 
else, lay the secret of his success as a lawyer. He could take, for instance, 
the most difficult and complicated point of law, and in a few well-chosen, 
pithy sentences, place it clearly and forcibly before the minds of his hear- 
ers. As an illustration. I remember, shortly after we had commenced, the 
study of law in the junior department, he made special inquiry as to our 
progress, examined us upon what we had gone over, and inquired the sub- 
ject of our next lecture. We replied that it was " Uses and Trusts," 
frankly confessing that although we had read the text we still felt ignorant 
of the subject. He then said, ' Listen to me, boys,' and went into a dis- 
sertation upon that intricate and difficult subject, and in a conversation of 
perhaps two hours, gave us a history, accurate in chronology, minute in 
detail, profound and clear, as an exposition of the whole science, and this 
without reference to book or note, thus indicating the profoundest learn- 
ing, and rendering the subject so clear to our minds that when we went 
to the review the whole field seemed to be laid open before us. In this 
simple way he demonstrated not only his power before courts and juries, 
but likewise the rare ability he possessed to impart to others, in the plain- 
est and most comprehensive manner, what he knew and what had hereto- 
fore seemed to them insuperably difficult. 

It was one of the noticeable traits of his character that he was ever 
anxious to impart information and knowledge to the young. He rarely 
lost an opportunity of instructing, and this, in such an easy, unaffected 
conversational style that it captivated the attention, while it instructed the 
mind. In the many conversations with his son and myself, during this 
and the next succeeding term at the University, it seemed to be his con- 
stant desire to communicate to us historic and philosophic knowledge, and 
to lead us insensibly into the deep delights of history and literature. In 
this connection, I must say that after a longer and more extended acquain- 
tance with Mr. Peyton, I learned to regard him as a man of the profound- 
est learning, not only in the great principles and science of the common 
law, but also in general history and literature ; and he expressed himself 
with more precision, condensation, vigor and beauty of language than any 
man I^have ever known. I never heard Mr. Peyton speak at the bar or 
on the hustings. From what I know and have heard of him, his concep- 
tion of a great subject and mode of expression were as clear, distinct and 
demonstrative as that of Edmund Burke. Judge Tucker, who had known 
him so well and for over forty years, once said to me : "I regard Mr. Pey- 
ton as one of the profoundest and most learned of lawyers." 

During one of my summer vacations I visited his son, J. L» Peyton, at 
Montgomery Hall. I had formed an intimate friendship with him which 
yet continues. On this visit I was a witness and subject of the splendid 
hospitality of Mr. Peyton and his amiable and accomplished wife. One 
morning, shortly after sun rise, John Lewis Peyton and myself, leaving our 
chamber, strolled into the park-like grounds, admiring the venerable and 
wide-spreading oaks and beautiful scenery. On the porch in front of his 
office, which contained his law library, and many works on literature and 
the sciences, was the dignified figure of Mr. Peyton, seated in his accus- 
tomed arm chair, book in hand, and a long pipe in his mouth. [He was 
much addicted to the use of the Virginian weed.] On our approach he rose, 



372 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY, 

and politely exchanging with us the morning salutations, bade us be seated. 
He then said : "I am looking over, for a second time, the first volume of 
Allison's history of Europe. Though it has faults of style, and is marred 
by political prejudices, it is the most remarkable historical work of the 
century." 

The book was closed, his finger between the leaves. In this attitude he 
proceeded, as was a habit with him, upon a disquisition as to the value 
and importance of historical study. "It instructed," said he, "the young 
whose destiny it might be in time to guard the rights or secure the wel- 
fare of the community." He declared in general terms that the object of 
history, the great object, was to make men wiser in themselves and better 
members of society. By recalling the past it opened up a wider field for 
observation and reflection than any personal experience could do, and thus 
prepared a man to act and advise in present contingencies. He continued 
in this vein, illustrating his views by reference to ancient, medieval and 
modern history, displaying a soundness of view, an extent of research, a 
manliness of principle, an accuracy of learning, and a vigor of style, sur- 
passing anything I have ever heard. 

There have been few truly great men who were not noted for their 
courtesy and hospitality. Both of these traits Mr. Peyton possessed in a 
high degree. His manner to his son and myself was most courteous and 
ever of such a nature as to impress us with the idea, if possible, that we 
were men entering upon the great theatre of life, with the prospect before 
us of attaining eminence in our profession, of rendering ourselves useful 
to the State, and of service to society at large. There was something in 
the appearance and manner of the man, when you first came into his pre- 
sence and under his influence, before he had uttered anything more than 
the ordinary salutations, that convinced you at once that you were in no 
ordinary presence, and upon closer intimacy that you felt that you were under 
the influence and power of a great man — a master spirit. In public, in his 
intercourse with men generally, as I have seen him, there was a hauteur^ a 
dignity and ever a majesty, that repelled rather than attracted men. At his 
own fireside, that feeling was entirely dispelled, and the boy even was 
drawn to him, listened to and talked with him, as though he were his equal. 
Such were the warm sympathies, the tender feelings, the affectionate na- 
ture of this, to the world, reserved and haughty man. 

Mr. Peyton, as a Legislator and Senator, representing Rockbridge and 
Augusta, made his mark as one of the leading statesman of Virginia, 
stamping his genius and learning upon the statute laws of the State, estab- 
lishing lor himself such a reputation as would have placed him, had he 
been a member of the Senate of the United States by the side of Webster, 
Clay and Calhoun, But his love for home and family, devotion to his 
profession, and natural fondness for rural pursuits, suppressed all desire 
for public life and extended reputation. He was fond of horses, dogs, and 
all the occupations of the country gentleman. Had he desired and enter- 
ed public life, his reputation would have been national, and he a noted 
character in history. It is well here to say, that Mr. Peyton had been 
thoroughly trained, not only in the classical and mathematical schools of 
the country in early youth, but was also a grrduate, with the degree of 
Master of Arts, of Princeton College, where his great abilities were early 
and fully manifested and recognized by the erudite and eminent men under 
whose charge that institution of learning was then conducted. 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 373 

Mr. Peyton — then a young man — was a member of the Lower T louse 
of Legislature of Virginia in iSo8, 1809 and 1810, from the ("ounty of 
Stafford, and wrote and offered a serious of resolutions, as chairman of a 
committee, raised upon certain resolutions adopted by the Legislature of 
the State of Pennsylvania, and communicated by the Governor of that 
State to Governor Tyler (afterwards President of the United States) 
with reference to an amendment to the Constitution, so as to prevent a 
collision between the State Governments and the Government of the 
Union, as to their judicial departments, which preamble and resolutions, 
drawn by Mr. Peyton, were adopted unanimously by both branches of the 
Legislature. This important State paper can be seen in the works of 
Daniel Webster, Vol. Ill, pages 352, 353 and 354. So able and important 
were these resolutions at the time, as to attract the attention of the leading 
statesmen of the country, and guide the other States in the adoption of 
similar resolutions, thus overthrowing the effort of Pennsylvania to estab- 
lish a separate and distinct judicial department as arbiter between the Fed- 
^eral and iState Governments. 

In the great discussion between Daniel Webster and General Hayne, of 
South Carolina, Mr. Webster, in his second speech in reply to Mr. Hayne, 
referred to and quoted the preamble and resolution spoken of, as so con- 
clusive of that question as to admit of no further discussion. 

Mr. Webster was so much struck with Mr. Peytons's resolutions that he 
wished to know something of their author. Meeting Daniel Sheffey, long 
one of the representatives in the Lower House of Congress from Virginia, 
the following conversation, in substance, occurred. Mr. W. asked : 

"Do you know a gentleman in Virginia by the name of Peyton, the au- 
thor of some resolutions in the House of Delegates in 1810, on the subject 
of a conflict between the Government of the Union and the State Govern- 
ments ?" 

"Yes," replied Mr. Sheffey, "he lives in Staunton, and is the leader of 
the bar in the circuit." 

"I am not surprised to learn it," rejoined Mr. Webster. 

"No," said Sheffey. "He is a sound lawyer, who unites to a vigorous 
judgment and sterling ability, intense study and vast learning." 

"Is he a speaker," said Mr. Webster. 

"Not in a popular sense," said Sheffey. "He is not a florid speaker, in- 
dulges in no meretricious display of rhetoric, but thoroughly armed in the 
strength of his knowledge, research and cultivated ability, without any 
effort to show it, he possesses gigantic power, and by it has risen to the head 
of the profession. And he is not only a great but a good man." 

"It is a misfortune to your people and the country that such a man 
should not have been sent to Washington long ago." said Mr. Webster. 
'"He would have maintained Virginia's proud intellectual supremacy, and 
by the soundness of his views enhanced her influence." 

At the death of Judge Stuart, in 1830, the vacancy occasioned by the 
death of that able jurist (father of Hon. Alexander H. H. Stuart,) Lucas 
P. Thompson, of Amherst county, then a young man who had distin- 
guished himself in the Constitutional Convention of 1829 and 1830, be- 
came a candidate for the office of Judge. Mr. Peyton was also brought 
forward by his friends. Thompson had made himself popular on the ba- 
sis question, and was regarded as one of the most rising men of his con- 
temporaries. He was the junior of Mr. Peyton. My father, at that time, 
was a member of the House of Delegates from Augusta county. The 



374 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

contest for Judge came off. My father, the ardent advocate of Mr Pey- 
ton, was sustained in his opinion of him by some of the ablest jurists of Vir- 
ginia, amongst them was Benjamin Watkins Leigh, who said to him that 
"Mr. Peyton was the greatest lawyer west of the Blue Ridge." The then 
Senator for this district, a personal enemy without just cause, however, of Mr. 
Peyton, exerted all his popularity and power in favor of Thompson, and on 
his election boasted that he had accomplished a long cherished wish, that of 
defeating an ambition of Mr. Peyton. But he signally failed. It is well 
known that Mr. P. did not wish the office of Judge, much preferred to re- 
tain the greatly more lucrative and equally honorable situation of public pros- 
ecutor and his large law practice, as well because of the more active character 
of his duties as^prosecutor, as in the interest of a large and growing family. 

Major James Garland, now Judge of the Hustings Court of Lynchburg, 
himself a great lawyer and statesmen, about the time I went to the bar of 
Nelson county, said in a conversation with me: 'T was a member of the 
Legislature that elected Thompson. But for the course of the Senator 
from Augusta and Rockbridge, your father would have succeeded in the 
election of John Howe Peyton, than whom there is no greater lawyer in 
the Commonwealth." 

Mr. Frazier has so well described him as a common lawyer, and the 
most eminent prosecutor that Virginia has ever had, that I forbear to say 
anything further with reference to that matter. That is a part of the his- 
tory of the jurisprudence of this State. I will add, that I have seen hi? 
Coke Littleton, (studied by him as a student of law)with the marginal 
pages filled with annotations and references, indicating the application and 
devotion he felt for his profession. I am told that he had a grim way of 
preventing such as had not the ability, from entering into the profes- 
sion of the law. In his labrary there was a rare old edition of Littleton on 
Tenures. He considered this book as the basis of the laws of real prop- 
erty in England, and he thought that it should be first read without Coke's 
Commentary. When a young man desired to study law under him, whom 
he knew to have no capacity to succeed, he placed this work in his hands, 
asking him to read it again and again and strive to understand it without 
recourse to the commentary, and return for examination, after a fortnight 
or three weeks' perusal, of such part as he had mastered. It rarely hap- 
pened that the young man did not hand him back the book at the end qt 
a short time, announcing his purpose of seeking a livelihood in some other 
field. Thus he was instrumental in keeping some from the profession who 
by entering into the law would have derived no profit to themselves nor 
reflected credit upon the profession. And on the other hand when he dis- 
covered merit in a young man no one was more prompt, active and gen- 
erous in encouraging it. 

His conversation with his son and myself above referred to, on Uses 
and Trusts, exemplified the fact that he had not forgotten in his maturer 
what he had learned in his younger years. I have been told that Mr. Pey- 
ton had acquired the habit of reading, or at least looking over, Blackstone 
once a year, and it was rarely the case that he referred to precedents and 
decisions of the courts, whicla has become the bane of the profession of this 
day, but for authority he went down to the deep foundations of the law, 
treating and regarding it as a fixed and accurate science, not depending 
upon the opinion of this jurist or that, and thus arriving at just conclu- 
sions alike convincing to judge and jury. There have been many men 
whom the accident of applause or fortune have made great, but few who 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 375 

were great in themselves. Amongst the latter, Mr. Peyton stands in the 
front rank. As a man, he was true, honest, noble and generous ; despising 
the low, vulgar and ignoble and valuing only the pure and elevated ; seek- 
ing, by genuine courtesy and kindness, to wm all hearts, and by stern in- 
tegrity to retain the golden opinions he had gained. As a father and hus- 
band he was active and earnest in his endeavor to fill the picture of a true man ; 
as a lawyer, he stood second to none, and by the breadth of his learning 
and knowledge, his clear and comprehensive manner, and his earnest and 
determined performance of duty as public prosecutor, he has won a posi- 
tion such as few lawyers have ever attained. As a statesman, the high 
praise which his generation gave him, the deep respect in which 
he was held by the eminent men of his time, and the undying record 
which history bears to his genius and achievements, mark him as one of 
the great men of Virginia, who may be proud of her son, while she can 
justly regret that he should have sought privacy and retirement in prefer- 
ence to national glory. Modest, sincere, learned and determined, Vir- 
ginia has had few to equal — none to surpass him. As in the past, he 
moulded and controlled the opinions and actions of the times, so in the 
future may he ever serve as a model for the true and the good, and prove 
an incentive to the ambitious. May the young learn to emulate his life 
and example, while the old revere and respect his memory. 

Sketches of Mr. Peyton have been written by Hon. Geo. W. Thomp- 
son, of Wheeling ; Col. D. S. Young, Joseph A. Waddell and others, but 
space will not admit of their introduction here. They all concur in rep- 
resenting him as a man of extraordinary moral and intellectual endow- 
ments. Judge Alex. Rives says of him : " There was no one at the bar, 
with whom I was associated, for whom I cherish the same admiration, re- 
spect and esteem." In the same appreciative terms, Prof Minor, of the 
University of Virginia, the late J. D. Davidson, of Lexington, and numer- 
ous others have written recently to the author. 



JUDGE BRISCOE G. BALDWIN. 

We are indebted to Hon. Alex. H. H. Stuart for the following brief 
sketch of this distinguished lawyer : 

Briscoe Gerard Baldwin was the eldest son of Dr. Cornelius Baldwin 
and his wife Mary, who was a daughter of Col. Gerard Briscoe, of Frede- 
rick county, Va. Dr. Cornelius Baldwin was a native of New Jersey, a 
surgeon in the Revolutionary army, and a member of the Cincinnati 
Society. 

After the close of the war he settled, as a practising physician, in Win- 
chester, Va,, where he married and continued to reside until his death, 
which occurred about 1820. 

Briscoe G. Baldwin was born in Winchester, Va., on the i8th day of 
January, 1789. He received a rudimentary education in a private school, 
and subsequently was prepared for college at the Winchester Academy. 
In 1806, he entered William and Mary College, where he was the fellow- 
student of John Tyler, William S. Archer and others, who afterwards held 
distinguished public positions. 



376 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

At the early age of eighteen he had exhibited so many evidences of 
talent that he was chosen to deliver the oration at the bi-centennial cele- 
bration of the settlement of Jamestown, in 1607. 

After his return from William and Mary College, by invitation of the 
late Judge William Daniel, sen., who had married his eldest sister, he 
went to Cumberland county, where Judge Daniel then resided, and 
studied law under his direction and advice. He made such rapid pro- 
gress in his professional studies that he was licensed to practice before he 
had attained the age of twenty-one. He then returned to Winchester, 
and remained some months, devoting himself to the study of his profes- 
sion and general literature. 

In 1809, he removed to Staunton, and entered on the practice of his pro- 
fession, which he continued to pursue, with diligence and success, until 
1842, when he was elected a member of the Supreme Court of Appeals 
of Virginia, a position which he continued to hold until his death, on i8th 
May, 1852. 

In 1 81 1, he intermarried with Martha Steele, youngest daughter of 
Chancellor John Brown, of Staunton, and sister of Judge Jas. E. Brown, 
of Wythe. She was a lady of extraordinary intellectual endowments, — 
full of vivacity and wit, and of singularly attractive manners and colloquial 
powers. 

Judge Baldwin devoted himself exclusively to his profession and polite 
literature. He had no taste for political life, and although eminently qual- 
ified for almost any public trust, and one of the most popular men of his 
day, he never sought to obtain any political office. He represented the 
County of Augusta in i8i8-'20, and in i84i-'2, in the General Assembly 
of Virginia. On the first occasion he was elected, during his absence from 
home, by a spontaneous uprising of the people, who did not wait to ask 
his consent to serve. In 1841, at the earnest solicitation of the best men 
of the county, he consented to be voted for ?s one of their delegates, and 
was chosen almost by acclamation. Within a few weeks after he took 
his seat in the Legislature, he was elected to fill a place on the bench of 
the Court of Appeals of Virginia. 

In 1829, Judge Baldwin was chosen by the people of the Senatorial 
District, of which Augusta was then a part, as the colleague of Chapman 
Johnson, Gen. William McCoy and Samuel McD. Moore, in the memora- 
ble convention of 1829-30. 

At the Bar, Judge Baldwin proved himself to be not only an able law- 
yer and skillful special pleader, but one of the most eloquent advocates of 
his day. Half a century ago, the bar of Staunton was one of the ablest 
in the Commonwealth. The four most distinguished members of it were 
Chapman Johnson, Daniel Sheffey, John H. Peyton and Briscoe G. Bald- 
win. In every important civil cause these gentlemen were arrayed — two 
and two— against each other, and it was an intellectual treat, of a high or- 
der, to witness the forensic contests of these giants in their profession. 
And it may be added that it was refreshing to observ^e the high-toned 
courtesy and absence of every thing like personalities which characterized 
their forensic tilts. 

Judge Baldwin possessed high and varied intellectual powers, which had 
been developed by careful and thorough culture. He was not only a 
learned lawyer, but an accomplished scholar. In the midst of his profes- 
sional labors he always found time to keep abreast of the literature of the 



HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 377 

day. He was familiar with the EngHsh classics, and often illustrated his 
speeches by quotations from Shakspeare, Milton, Pope, and other standard 
poets. 

To great vigor of intellect he united quick and keen perceptions, a rich 
and poetic imagination and tender sensibilities, which always brought him 
into close sympathy with the suffering and oppressed. Hence, as an ad- 
vocate, he was not only a powerful reasoner but a polished rhetorician, and 
a ready and adroit debater, — master of every weapon useful in assault or 
defence. His great efforts at the bar often displayed wonderful versatility 
of talent. While he would instruct and convince his audience by his logic, 
he would often delight them by brilliant sallies of wit, keen repartee, pun- 
gent sarcasm, scorching denunciation of fraud and injustice, splendid dec- 
lamation and melting pathos. 

One of the most remarkable triumphs achieved by Judge Baldwin at 
the bar is recorded in 9 Leigh, p. 434. In that case Judge Baldwin had 
advised and taken an appeal from the decree of the Circuit Court of 
Augusta. He felt so much confidence in the merits of his client's cause 
that when the case was called he submitted it, on the petition, without ar- 
gument. To his surprise and dismay, in a few days, the court, by four to 
one, decided the case against him. His modesty restrained him. for seve- 
ral days, from asking a rehearing of the case, so as to afford him an oppor- 
tunity of presenting an argument to the court. Finally, his sense of duty 
to his client triumphed over his personal scruples, and he asked the privi- 
lege of being heard, which was granted. He prepared himself for the 
discussion with great care, and at the appointed time he delivered an argu- 
ment of so much force and vigor as to satisfy the court that they had 
made an erroneous decision, and they reversed their previous judgment 
by a vote of four to one. 

But it was during his ten years service on the Bench of the Court of 
Appeals that Judge Baldwin's talents and learning were most conspicu- 
ously displayed. 

Shortly after he took his seat on the Bench, he determined that when- 
ever a cause came before the court in which questions were presented in 
regard to which the law was obscure or in doubt from conflicting decis- 
ions, he would endeavor to sift the matter to the bottom and to educe from 
the mass of unsatisfactory and often clashing opinions of the courts the 
true principles which should govern in all such cases. He did not live 
long enough to carry this beneficent purpose into effect, except to a limited 
extent. But all who have read his able and lucid opinions, in which he 
expounded the law on the questions of " Fraud per se," "Adverse Pos- 
session," " What Decrees are Final," and others to which I need not 
refer, must admit that the courts, as well as the bar, are under deep obli- 
gations to him for his comprehensive, clear and exhaustive treatment of 
those subjects. If his life and health had continued ten years longer, he 
would doubtless have erected for himself, by his luminous expositions of 
intricate questions of law, a monument more durable than marble or 
bronze. 

In all his private relations — as a citizen, a neighbor, a friend, a husband, 
a father — his character was without spot or blemish, and few men ever lived 
who were more generally esteemed and beloved, or who died more uni- 
versally regretted. 

48 t 



-378 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

HON. CHAPMAN JOHNSON. 

We are under obligations to Mrs. A. F. Gifford, the accomplished 
daughter and only surviving child of the late Chapman Johnson, for the 
following brief account of her distinguished father : 

"Chapman Johnson was the son of Thomas Johnson and Jane Chapman, 
both of English descent, born on his father's estate, in Louisa county, 
Va., on the 15th March, 1779. 

He was educated at William and Mary College, in Williamsburg, Va., 
and included the law course in his studies while there, continuing that spe- 
cial study, and beginning his practice at the bar, in Augusta county, about 
the year 1804. During frequent visits to Richmond, while a student at 
Williamsburg, he made the acquaintance of Mary Ann Nicolson, 
orphan daughter of George and Margaret Nicolson, of Richmond, and 
ward of her uncle, Charles Copeland. This lady became his wife in 1806, 
when, at the age of twenty-seven, he came to reside in Staunton. Soon 
after his marriage he purchased the brick building close by the court- 
house, where he lived until the year 1824. Having been sent to the Leg- 
islature in i822-'23, and impatient of separation from his family, he re- 
moved to Richmond to live in 1824, his children having all been born in 
Staunton, except the youngest, Carter Page, who was born in Richmond. 

His strong attachment to the mountain district led him to purchase 
property near Staunton, — one of the farms, " Bearwallow," becoming his 
family summer-home from that time. And thus his old friendships and 
associations were kept up as long as he lived. 

He died in Richmond on the 12th of July, 1849, after several years of 
failing health, his widow surviving him ten years, and dying at the home 
of her son-in-law, at Blackheath, near Richmond, in May, i860. They 
left four children : George Nicolson, the oldest; William Boswell, Mary 
Ann, and Carter Page. George Nicolson married Margaret, daughter of 
Adam and Betsy Menzies, of Kentucky, and died in Richmond in March, 
1855, leaving a wife and five children: Mary Ann, Marguerite Howard, 
Chapman, Arthur Nicolson, and Caroline Gifford, all living but Arthur 
Nicolson, who died about twelve years ago at their present home in Cov- 
ington, Ky. William Boswell married Margaret Sarah, daughter of John 
B. Breckinridge, of Staunton, Va., and died on 31st May, 1879. His 
-widow died in June, 1880. They left three children : Carter Page, William 
Boswell, and Nathalie, all living. Carter Page married Anne Love Forest, 
daughter of Jane and Richard Forest, of Washington City ; was lost in 
the steamer Arctic on 27th September, 1894 ; his wife died in April, 1852. 
They left two children : Jane Forest and Chapman Love, both living. 
Mary Ann married Adolphus Frederic Gifford, of London, Eng.; they 
liad no children. He was lost at sea in January, 1862. His widow is the 
only survivor of the four children of Chapman Johnson. 

With regard to Mr. Johnson's social habits, he was too hard-working 
and studious a lawyer to find much leisure for the pleasures of society, but 
whenever opportunity offered, proved himself highly appreciative of social 
intercourse with his many warm friends, and enjoyed his seasons of Sum- 
mer relaxation, as long as health lasted, with the mirthful elasticity of 
youth. While justly admired for the dignity, courtesy, ease and polish of 
the true gentleman, on every public occasion, it was in domestic life and 



HI8T0ET OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 379 

around his own fireside that his social qualities were chiefly dlspTayed, and 
the peculiar graces of both mind and heart revealed. 

Mr. Johnson was a sincere believer in the religion of Christ, his faith 
being manifested in the unfeigned humility, integrity and benevolence of 
his daily life, as in his moderation, self-control and strict observance of the 
"Golden Rule." He was earnestly attached to the Episcopal Church, and 
a regular and earnest attendant of the old Monumental Church, under 
Bishop Moore's preaching, and, in the latter years of his life, became a 
member and communicant of that church. His mind was logical and ar- 
gumentative — not only comprehending the prominent points of a subject 
with ease, but gifted in power to impart the clear and full understanding of 
a case to his listeners. His style, as a speaker, was clear, strong, forcible 
and earnest, his manner gaining in enthusiasm and his voice in energy and 
strength as his oratory grew in eloquence." 

Mr. Johnson served in the Virginia Senate and in the State Convention 

of 1829 as delegate for the Augusta District and with distinguished 

ability. 

COL. JOHN B. BALDW^IN. 

The following sketch of this able and distmguished man is from the pen 
of J. A. Waddell, Esq. : 

" John Brown Baldwin was the eldest son of the late Judge Briscoe G. 
Baldwin, and was born at Spring Farm, near Staunton, on the nth day of 
January, 1820. After passing through a course of instruction at several 
primary schools, he entered the Staunton Academy, where he was pre- 
pared for college. At an early age he developed a remarkable talent and 
fondness for mathematical studies ; but, strange to say, considering the dis- 
tinguished position he afterwards attained as a public speaker, he betrayed 
during boyhood no special facility. in the acquisition of languages. At the 
age of sixteen, he entered the University of Virginia, where he prosecuted 
his studies for three consecutive years^ During that time he acquired a 
high standing for masculine talent and all the qualities which win the con- 
fidence and affection of associates. 

When his collegiate course closed, he returned to Staunton and studied 
law for two years under his father, then a lawyer in full practice. At the 
age of twenty-one, he began his professional career as the partner of Hon. 
A. H. H. Stuart. The partnership continued for nearly three years ; he 
then commenced the practice on his own responsibility. At that time 
the Bar of Staunton was distinguished for ability and learning, and it 
required no small amount of talent and industry to ensure success in the 
face of such formidable competition. But he was not dismayed by the 
difficulties which stood in his way. Conscious of his own powers, he 
determined to command success, and nobly did he accomplish his pur- 
pose. 

On the 20th of September, 1842, he intermarried with Susan Madison 
Peyton, eldest daughter of the eminent lawyer, John Howe Peyton, Esq. 
It is not the purpose of the writer to intrude into the privacy of domestic 
life and relate what there occurred; but having enjoyed the privi- 
lege of mingling freely in the scene, he cannot forbear saying that it was 
one of the] utmost felicity. From the time the young couple went to 



380 HISTORY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

housekeeping in a modest dwelling, near the court-house, until the life of 
the husband ended in an elegant mansion adorned with all that wealth 
and taste could provide, their home was a Vale of Tempe, disturbed by 
no rude wind, and familiar access to it was a source of exquisite enjoyment 
to the guest. The cheerful greeting, the unaffected kindness, the high 
converse and sparkling wit, can never be forgotten by any who ever en- 
tered there. 

The first circumstance that called forth the talent of Col. Baldwin as a 
debater, and attracted to him a large share of public attention, was his 
participation in the heated political contest of 1844. The late Greene B. 
Samuels, of Shenandoah, was the Democratic nominee for the Electoral 
College, and Mr. Stuart, of Augusta, was the representative of the Whig 
party. The latter having been called by public business to New York, in 
the midst of the canvass, Col. Baldwin took his place. He was then only 
twenty-four years of age, and at first some fear was entertained that he 
might not contend successfully with his able and experienced antagonist. 
But, after the first meeting, all apprehension vanished, and men of all par- 
ties admitted that the youthful champion was competent for any encoun- 
ter. 

As soon as he attained the age prescribed by the Constitution, he was 
elected by the people of Augusta a member of the House of Delegates. 
In the Legislature, although one of the youngest members, he distin- 
guished himself as a debater, and gave ample assurance of future emi- 
nence. During the session the question of calling a convention to frame 
a new Constitution was agitated, and this brought up the issue whether 
representation in the convention should be upon the " mixed " or the 
" white basis " — that is, whether persons and property, or persons alone, 
should be taken into account in adjusting the basis of representation. Col. 
Baldwin took a decided and prominent stand in favor of the former, which 
was the basis of representation in the Legislature under the existing Con- 
stitution, and contended that any departure from it by the General Assem- 
bly would be unconstitutional and revolutionary. He firmly maintained 
his opinions, although he well knew they were unpopular among his con- 
stituents. This was his first public display of that high moral courage and 
determination not to sacrifice right to expediency which marked his whole 
future career. 

Having, as he anticipated, been defeated for the Legislature at the next 
election, he turned his attention with renewed energy to his profession, and 
never afterwards exhibited a desire to return to public life. When he sub- 
sequently held representative trusts in the Convention of 1 861, in the Con- 
federate Congress, and in the Legislature of i865-'7, they were not sought 
by him, but were conferred by the unsolicited suffrages of the people, who 
had learned to appreciate his talents and moral worth. He acted for sev- 
eral years as captain of the Staunton Light Infantry, a volunteer military 
company, and subsequently as colonel of the 5 2d regiment, C. S. A. 

In 1859, having already acquired a reputation throughout the State as a 
leading lawyer, a vacancy occurring on the bench of the Court of Appeals 
by the death of Judge Samuels, without his agency he was brought before 
the people by his friends for the position. His successful competitor was 
Judge William J. Robertson, of Charlottesville, and it may be mentioned 
as a fact creditable to both that the rivalry on that occasion disturbed in no 
degree the life -long and warm friendship which subsisted between the two 
candidates. 



HISTOEY OF AUGUSTA COUNTY, 381 

While not seeking office, Col. Baldwin was a man of very pronounced 
political opinions. He was decided in all his convictions, and earnest, as 
well as able and eloquent, in maintaining them. He, therefore, took an ac- 
tive part in the political contests of i848-'52-'56 and '60. When the 
question of secession began to agitate the public mind, in i860, he came 
forth as one of the most ardent supporters of the Union, and commenced 
the canvass on the Bell and Everett side in a speech at the club-house in 
Richmond city. In the great contest of that year, he supported with 
burning zeal and matchless ability the Union ticket. His clarion voice 
rang throughout the State, and he probably contributed more than any 
other man to turn the scale in Virginia in favor of conciliation and peace 
between the jarring sections. 

Referring to his club-house speech, the Richmond " Whig " of the next 
day said : 

" For over two hours and a-half did the able and distinguished speaker 
hold that vast concourse of persons spell-bound by the magic of iaultless 
argument and overpowering eloquence. It was a masterly and extraor- 
dinary effort, and places Col. Baldwin in the front rank of the debaters, 
not only of Virginia, but of the entire Union. It was an effort that would 
have done honor to any deliberative body on earth. Indeed, the delivery 
of such a speech in the Senate of the United States would have created a 
profound impression there, and produced a sensation throughout the 
country. It was a lofty, noble, magnificent effort — a grand and glorious 
display of high mental power. His unanswerable logic, his wit, his humor, 
his eloquence— who in all that vast audience but was instructed, elevated, 
delighted and carried away by his matchless reasoning and the irresistible 
force of his argument ! We are sure that no speech has been delivered 
here for years which was listened to with more rapt attention, and which 
produced a more powerful and lasting impression upon a Richmond audi- 
ence. To attempt even a faint oudine of Col. Baldwin's speech on Friday 
evening would be simply folly on our part, and we therefore forbear." 

The State Convention of 1861 being called, Col. Baldwin was elected 
one of the three representatives of Augusta county. His earnest appeals 
there in behalf of the Union, and his anxious efforts to avert the civil war, 
are familiar facts. Every reader will recall the transcendant ability which 
he displayed in his memorable reply to the speeches of two distinguished 
gentlemen who were regarded as leaders of the secession party. By com- 
mon consent that speech was pronounced the ablest and most eloquent 
that was delivered in the Convention. The writer happens to know, but 
not from Col. Baldwin himself, that years afterwards, while he was sojourn- 
ing in a distant city, a gentleman previously unknown to him, sought him 
out to thank him for the pleasure he had enjoyed in listening to that 
speech. 

It has been stated that Col. Baldwin finally voted for the ordinance of 
secession. This is a mistake. He voted against it, and resisted every ap- 
peal to change his vote, stating that his negative vote was the true record 
of his opinions. But after the ordinance had been ratified by the people, 
he signed it as an act of representative duty. During the session of the 
Convention he was delegated by a portion of the Union members as their 
commissioner to Washington. He proceeded to the city, and after an in- 
terview with President Lincoln, returned to Richmond gready disappointed 
and grieved. At one period of the session, when the fact burst upon him 
that secession and war w-ere inevitable, he retired with a colleague from 



382 HfSTOET GF AFGUSTA COUNTY. 

the hail to his chamber, and his sturdy frame was convulsed with an emo»- 
tion which nothing could relieve but a flood of tears. Let it not be sup- 
posed that there was any unmanly weakness in this. As well upbraid the 
Hebrew prophet for weeping over the calamities of his people. It merely- 
betrayed the suffering of a great soul, as with the vision of a "seer" he 
looked over the field of deadly strife, and saw in the back ground the 
ruined homesteads and desolated firesides of his native land. The die 
was cast, however ; the path of duty was plain to him ; his p>osition was 
taken, and thenceforth, with brave and cheerful front, he carried himself 
throughout the war. As he himself expressed it, he felt that it only re- 
mained for Virginia to show to the world how gallantly a people could 
meet an issue they had exhausted every honorable effort to avoid. 

After the war began, Col. Baldwin resigned his seat in the Convention 
and accepted the office of Inspector-General of the Virginia forces, which 
was tendered to him by Governor Letcher. In that position he rendered 
signal service to the State. When the troops of Virginia had been or- 
ganized and turned over to the Confederate States, he was appointed col- 
onel of the 52d Virginia Regiment of Infantry, raised at Staunton, and' 
went with his command to West Virginia. He continued in active and 
arduous service at the Alleghany outposts until illness completely pros- 
trated him, and before he had recovered, was elected to the Confederate 
Congress from the Augusta District. The illness referred to was caused 
by a physical ailment from which he never recovered, which repeatedly 
subjected him to intense suffering, and finally terminated his life. 

While a thorough organizer and disciplinarian. Col. B. carried into the 
field the same personal characteristics of courtesy and kindliness to those 
in subordinate relations which contributed so much to his popularity m 
civil life. The sturdy yeomen of West Augusta, whom he commanded, 
recognized in him, too, the high soldierly qualities of a worthy leader. 
His connection with the regiment was severed with mutual regret. In- 
deed, we hazard nothing in saying that no officer in the army was more 
universally admired and respected, alike by superiors and inferiors in 
rank. 

As most of the sessions of the Confederate Congress were secret, the 
public had no opportunity of hearing or seeing reports of the speeches of 
its members ; but we have the concurrent testimony of all who were 
present;, that Col. Baldwin was regarded as one of the ablest debaters in 
that body so distinguished for talent and statesmanship. His speech in 
opposition to the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus has often been 
described as one of the noblest defences of the principles of liberty ever 
pronounced in this country. 

During the recesses of Congress, Col. Baldwin acted as Colonel of a 
regimfent of Reserves raised in his county, and repeatedly led out his com- 
mand to repel the enemy. 

Upon the surrender of Gen Lee, when it was manifest that a further con- 
tinuance of the contest would be fruitless of good. Col. Baldwin was one 
of the first to counsel the acceptance of the situation and a restoration of 
peace to the country. He took an active part in the meeting held in 
Staunton, on the 8th of May, 1865, which had for its objects the preser- 
vation of order and the reinstatement of the Government. This, it is be- 
lieved, was the first meeting of the kind ever held in the Southern States, 
but it was soon followed by similar meetings elsewhere. 



HISTORY Ol" AUGUSTA COUNTY. 883 

In October, 1865, members of the General Assembly under the restored 
Government, were elected. Ccl. Baldwin was absent from home for some 
weeks, and did not return until a few days before the election ; but without 
having announced himself a candidate, he was elected a member of the 
House of Delegates. At the convening of the Legislature in December, 
he was elected Speaker of the House. Almost every page of the journal 
of that body bears the impress of his talent and patriotism. Nothing was 
too great and nothing too small to receive his careful consideration. On 
questions of internal improvement he exhibited wonderful sagacity. He 
was particularly interested in the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, and aid- 
ed materially