A new and comprehensive gazetteer of Virginia, and the District of Columbia, Part 2

Author: Martin, Joseph. ed. cn; Brockenbrough, William Henry
Publication date: 1835
Publisher: Charlottesville, J. Martin
Number of Pages: 1278

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USA > Virginia > A new and comprehensive gazetteer of Virginia, and the District of Columbia > Part 2

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Section First .- There is little of Virginia actually level, this term being strictly applicable only to the counties of Accomac and Northampton, on the eastern side of the Chesapeake, and to Princess Anne, Norfolk, and Nansemond on the west; containing an aggregate area of only about 2200 square miles, or less than the thirty-first part of the State.

The shores of the peninsula cast of the Chesapeake, which constitute the two counties of Accomac and Northampton, are low and flat, about 60 miles long, and from 10 to 15 wide, and bounded towards the sea by a string of low sandy islets. The waters o apeake enter the sea between cape Charles and cape Henry, forming a straight of fifteen miles in width. Norfolk, one of the principleports of Virginia, has a good har- bour in the southern part of the bay, near the mouth of James River. The embouchure of the James forms & speacious haven, called Hampton Roads, in which all the navies in the world might ride; this haven was formerly open, but the strong fortifications, castle Calhoun, and fortress Monroc,on the opposite sides of the entrance would now probably render it im- practicable for an adverse fleet to enter .- [Sce Old Point Comfort-Eliza- beth city county.]

Except in depth, extent, and position the Chesapeake does not differ essentially from Pamlico and Albemarle sounds on the south, or Delaware bay on the north. Virginia and Maryland occupy the centre of a physi- cal section, remarkable for its deep and wide rivers; and the tributaries of the Chesapeake seem in this respect to imitate their great reservoir. The Pocomoke, Nantikoke, Choptank, and Chester on the east; and the James, York, Rappahannock, Potomac, Patuxent, and Patapsco on the west, all widen into expansive bays before their final discharge. These minor bays gradually become less deep and wide, as they approach the head of tide water, but they retain the distinctive character of bays as far as the tide penetrates.

West of the Chesapeake, the country gradually rises into hill and dale, though much marshy and flat land skirts the wide mouths of the rivers, and the minor bays which they form. The soil of the section under re- view is strictly alluvial, for though the face of the country, on approaching

OF VIRGINIA.

the primitive ledge which terminates the tides, is diversified by waving hills, yet its structure is of the character styled by geologists ancient allu- vial. The greater part of the substrata are composed of sand and pebbles; large masses of rock in their original position are rare, except at great depths.

Section Second .- The Blue Ridge traverses Virginia for 260 miles, in a direction from S. W. to N. E. and except where passed by the James and Roanoke rivers it is a continuous range. It constitutes a county limit throughout its progress in this state. Falling from this finely delineated chain, is an inclined plain, containing 15,386 square miles, terminated by the head of the Atlantic tides. This beautiful section, if we merely regard the fall of water, has a declivity of about 300 to 500 feet; but the fall of water gives a very inadequate idea of the slope in the arable soil, which towards the Blue Ridge rises in many places, to at least 1000 feet, in the spaces between the rivers. The face of nature though exhibiting little of grandeur, is extremely rich and pleasing in the endless variety of hill, valley and river scenery. In the higher part, besides the magnificent back ground of the Blue Ridge, the more distinct ranges of the Alleghany may be seen towering above it, from the detached ranges in its neigh- borhood; all of which tells that the solid structure of the section is Appa- lachian, and that the outer ridges of that system influence the course of the waters, as may be seen in the Roanoke, James, Rappahannock and Potomac rivers.

This section is as healthy as any portion of the world, the water is ex- cellent and plentiful throughout; the lands fertile, producing in abundance all the staples of the state; easily recovered when exhausted, and always susceptible of high improvement by judicious management; the farms are smaller than in the tide water district; the people are industrious and intelligent, and from' James river to the Potomac perhaps are the best farmers in the state. Mr. Jefferson pronounced that portion of this section which lies under the south west range of mountains, to be the garden spot of America; and General Washington, when written to by Sir John Sinclair to recommend to him some spot for a residence in America, after passing in review the whole union, pronounced a residence some where on the eastern side of the Blue Ridge, between the Potomac and the James, to combine most advantages, and be the most desirable.

Section Third .- The great valley section is in some respects the most remarkable in Virginia ; it extends from the Iron mountains, at the N. E. angle of Tennessee, to the northern bend of the Potomac, at Hancocks- town; its mean length is near 300 miles; the mean distance between the Blue Ridge and Alleghany -about 43. This is a continuation of the Kit- tatinny valley of Pennsylvania, and is a true table-land or mountain pla- teau. The rise to this plateau is abrupt, the difference of the mean eleva- tion on the east, and west sides of the Blue Ridge being from 200 to 300 fect. 'The elevation of Lynchburg is only 500 feet, whilst that of Staunton, near the sources of the Shenandoah is 1,152 feet; Lexington, in Rock- bridge county, 902 feet; Salem, on the Roanoke, in Botetourt county, 1,200 feet; and the Warm Springs, in Bath county, 1,782 feet; and the mean elevation of the farms throughout the section in all probability ex- ceeds 1000 feet. A stratum of limestone of varying breadth, runs nearly parallel with the Blue Ridge, on its western side, which continues to ac- company it in its course through Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jer-

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

sey. The surface of the great valley of Virginia is much broken and di- versified, but every where contains zones of highly productive soil; it abounds, with few exceptions, with the purest and best water, and is so rich in scenery, as to afford an endless variety of beautiful landscape. With re- gard to declivity, the Valley presents some curious phenomena. The northern and nearly one half of the whole surface declines to the N. E., towards the Potomac, and is drained by the Shenandoah, Cacapon, and south branch of Potomac.

South of the sources of the Potomac and Shenandoah, is a middle valley ; which inclines to the east, and is drained by the James and Roanoke: the extreme southern part of the valley inclines to the north west; and is drained by New river, and the great Kenawha. We thus perceive that this table land is partly inclined towards the Atlantic, and partly towards the Ohio; and that the inflected line which separates the sources of the James and Roanoke, which flow into the former, from those of the great Kenawha, flowing into the latter,-crosses the valley obliquely from the Blue Ridge to the Alleghany

Section Fourth .- The extreme length of the Ohio section of Virginia, from the northern boundary of Tenessee, to the northern angle of Brooke county, is nearly 300 miles. The greatest breadth is nearly along the gen- eral course of the great Kenawha, about 135 miles; but both extremes are narrow; the mean width is about 94 miles. The area 28,337 square miles. The surface is for the most part mountainous, and nearly every where broken. The chains of the Appalachian system stretch over it, in a course nearly parallel to that part of the Ohio which bounds Virginia. The soil is even more variable in quality than the surface is in elevation, every grade of sterility and fertility may be found. As the elevation of the water, at the junction of the Ohio and great Kenawha is 533 fect, and that point is only about 40 miles from the mouth of the great Sandy, the lowest point in western Virginia, we may regard all the surface of the Ohio sec- tion as rising above 500 feet. The elevation of Wheeling above the Ocean is 634 feet; and the Ohio, the base of this great inclined plane, and the re- cipient of the waters of western Virginia, rises upwards of 560 feet, nearly to a level with lake Erie. The dividing ridge of the waters of the Ohio and Atlantic, is the apex of the plain before us, and has its highest eleva- tion in the mountains, from which the sources of the James and Roanoke rise on one side, and those of the great Kenawha on the other. Under the heads of Giles, Pochahontas, and Monroe counties, which occupy the highest part of the plain we are surveying, it may be seen, that the mean elevation of the arable soil exceeds 1,600 fect. A similar, if not a higher, mean height might be assigned to the sources of the great Kanawha, from those of the Greenbrier to those of New river. From these elevated vallies the sources of the Ohio flow, like radii from a common centre.

The dif- ferent branches of the Monongahela rise in Lewis and Randolph counties, and flowing north, through Harrison,, Monongalia, and Preston counties, enter Pennsylvania; and uniting their waters, continue north, to meet those of the Alleghany, and form the Ohio, at Pittsburg. The Ohio from Pittsburg sweeps a curve first north-westward, then westward for nearly 100 miles; in a course nearly parallel with the Monongahela, the two streams flowing in opposite directions. From the large curve of the Ohio below Pittsburg, to the influx of the little Kenawha, there is only a narrow inclined plane of about 30 miles width, between the Ohio, and the sources of creeks which

1000 F1

OF VIRGINIA.

flow eastwardly into the Monongahela. Down this plain. flow, Harmans, Cross, Buffalo, Wheeling, Fish, Fishing, Middle Island, and some other creeks of less note. Near the little Kenawha the plain widens, and the de- clivity inclines from W. to N. W: this declination is also maintained in the vallies of the great Kenawha, and great Sandy rivers.

The tributary waters of the extreme southern part of the Ohio section of Virginia, though drained into the same recipient, are borne from the eleva- ted plateau, between the sources of the great Kenawha and Tennessee; and before their discharge make the immense semicircular curve of the latter.

The difference of level between high-water mark on the Ohio river, and the elevation we have noticed, is about a mean of 850 feet; but this eleva- tion is only the first in a series of planes, which rise one above another, until a mean height of between 1800 and 2000 feet, is attained in central Virginia. If we assume latitude 38° 10' as the central latitude, it will at longitude 3º west of Washington city, correspond nearly with the greatest elevation, and estimating 400 feet as an equivalent to a degree of latitude, the counties along the mountainous section of Virginia will have a climate, similar to that in north latitude 43° on the Atlantic coast.

If from the foregoing elements, we embrace the whole of Virginia, we have before us, a large section of the United States; extending over more than 4º of latitude, and 82° of longitude, differing in relative level upwards of 2000 feet, without estimating mountain peaks, or ridges. If we suppose the actually settled parts of the United States, to be 630,000 square miles, Virginia will embrace one ninth part. It is as we have seen traversed from S. W. to N. E. by the Appalachian system of mountains in lateral chains; of these the Blue Ridge is the most distinctly defined, but is only one of six or seven chains that may be traced and identified across the state. One of these chains, though omitted in some maps and broken into frag- ments in others, is in nature little less obvious than the Blue Ridge; and is distinct throughout its course in Virginia. This neglected Appalachian chain stretches at a distance, varying from 15 to 30 miles, southeastwardly from the Blue Ridge. It is known in New Jersey as Schooley's mountain, and though entirely apparent through Pennsylvania, it has received no dis- tinct appellation in that state. In Maryland it is called the Parr Spring Ridge, and is rendered very conspicuous where it is traversed by the Poto- mac, by the fine conical peak called the Sugar Loaf. In Virginia it traverses Loudon, Fauquier, Orange, Albemarle, Nelson, Amherst, Bed- ford, Franklin, and Henry counties. West of the Blue Ridge, the moun- tain chains are also very confusedly delineated on our maps, though they are far from being so in nature; even on, Tanner's large map of the United States, the continuous chains cease with the Alleghany, whilst in fact western Virginia is traversed by three distinct chains, west of this moun- tain ;- indeed the whole state, from the head of tide-water to the Ohio, is formed of a series of mountain chains, and intervening vallies. This struc- ture is obvious to all who examine the map, with a knowledge of the influ- ence of the direction of the hills upon the inflection of the streams. Among the mountain chains however, the Blue Ridge must ever be the most impor- tant, physically and politically. This chain stands. distinct and de- tached from the rest, in a remarkable manner. Its highest points are the Peaks of Otter, in Botetourt county, which may be seen at a great distance ; one of them is remakable for its symmetry, being conical, and terminating in a limestone cube; the upper surface of which is scarcely sufficiently extensive

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

to contain a dozen persons. It has been supposed that these beautiful peaks, are the highest points in the Appalachian system, S. W. of the Delaware, if computed from their base; but the White Top peaks of the Iron mountains, near the North Carolina line are now thought to be still more elevated.

The different portions of the state are strikingly distinguished from each other in their appearance. The tide-water or eastern section, is in general low, level, sandy, and unproductive,-in some parts exhibiting almost as de- solate appearance as the pine barrens of New Jersey. Above the falls of the rivers, the country presents a bolder and more picturesque outline, and the soil if not generally productive, is in most cases capable of improvement; the alluvial lands on river and creek bottoms of this section are very fine; those on James river will compare with any in the world for fertility. The valley section contains a considerable portion of mountainous and sterile land; but no part of the commonwelth presents larger tracts of fertile and well cultivated soil, or better adapted to the cultivation of every species of grain.

West of the Alleghany, a large portion of the country `must for ever remain in its primitive forest; it is generally mountainons and broken, but interspersed with fertile vallies, well calculated to grazing, and raising stock, and occasionally presenting rich bodies of linestone.

From the vast extent of this state and the variety of its surface, we should of course expect a great diversity of climate. In the Atlantic country, east of the mountains, the heat of summer is long and oppressive, the spring short and variable, and the winter extremely mild,-snow seldom lying more than a day after it has fallen. Droughts in summer and autumn are common, and the people are subject to autumnal fevers. On the mountains, the air is cool, and salubrious, and the inhabitants are tall and muscular, with robust forms, and healthy countenances; fires are used during five months in the year; the heat of summer during the day is considerable, but the nights are always cool. On the western side of the mountain the cli- mate is cooler by several degrees, than on the same parallel of latitude on the coast: the valley of the Ohio, is exceedingly hot in summer, while in winter, the river is sometimes frozen for two months at a time, so hard as to be passed on the ice; the autumn is dry, temperate, and healthy, and the weather most delightful.

From the facts which have been stated with regard to the variety of soil, and climate in Virginia; a corresponding variety in the staple productions will at once be suggested. Every vegetable, from cotton to wheat, and the fig to the apple, can be produced in abundance.

When discovered and colonized by Europeans, the region now comprised in Virginia, was one continued dense, and vary partially broken forest. A. few savage tribes were found along the tide-waters, but the interior was scarcely inhabited. It may be remarked that though the soil increases in fer- tility as we advance from the seaboard, yet density of population is in a near ratio to proximity to the place of original settlement, on James river If we make every just allowance for the space actually occupied by moun- tains, and other unproductive tracts, still there would remain at least 50,000 square miles, capable of sustaining a mean distributive population, equal in number to that which occupies any of the best inhabited of its existing coun- ties, (for example, Henrico, including: Richmond, ) such a ratio, would give Virginia more than five millions of inhabitants,-a number far below the population she could support.

OF VIRGINIA.

The principal Towns are, Richmond, the seat of government, situated at the falls of James river, on a site or elevation perhaps not to be surpassed in beauty in the United States, having an extensive view of the river, and an open, well cultivated, and fertile country for many iniles in extent; it con- tains 16,060 inhabitants: Norfolk, on Elizabeth river, which flows into Hamp- ton Roads, had in 1830, a population of 9,816: Petersburg and Fredericks- burg, at the falls of the Appomatox and Rappahannock, the first containing 8,300 inhabitants, and the last 3,308: Lynchburg, on James river, 120 miles above the falls, contains 4,630 inhabitants: Wheeling, on the Ohio, though only the fourth town in size and population, containing 5,211 inhabitants, is perhaps the most flourishing town in the state. Besides these-Winches- ter, Shepperdstown, Martinsburg, Staunton, Lexington and Fincastle, in the valley; Charleston, Abingdon and Brooke in the trans-Alleghany section de- serve to be noticed-Williamsburg in the castern section, and the ancient seat of government, is on the decline, but Charlottesville, near which the state University is located, has rapidly improved.

The principal Rivers flowing into the Chesapeak bay, are, the Potomac, Rappahannock, York and James; all of which are large and navigable. The Shenandoah traces its quiet course down the valley, at the base of the Blue Ridge, and unites with the Potomac at Harper's Ferry. The Roan- oke rises in the mountains, and passing into North Carolina, empties its waters into Albemarle sound. The Monongahela, and great Kena- wha are both tributaries of the Ohio. Besides these, numerous other streams intersect the country in every direction; and render it inferior to few in facilities for transportation by water. The Chesapeake bay, one of the finest on the continent, extends 190 miles from its mouth, into the states of Virginia and Maryland; it is from 7 to 20 miles broad, and generally 9 fathoms deep.

GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY .- If we trace a line from the mouth of Potomac creek, through the Bowling Green and fork of the Pamunky, to Richmond,-thence through Petersburg and Hicksford, to the Roanoke near Weldon,-we shall embrace between it and the ocean, only tertiary, and alluvial formations. The soil contains oxides of iron, shells and marle, bones of sharks, whales, and other fish, carbonated wood, and other vegeta- ble remains. From this line to the Blue Ridge, the formation may be re- garded as essentially primitive; as most of the rocks are of that denomina- tion. In this space however, two belts of transition and secondary forma- tion have been found resting on the primitive rocks. One of these is the sand-stone and coal formation of the counties of Goochland, Powhatan, and Chesterfield; which is supposed to continue through the state, in a direction parallel to its mountains; the other, a narrow stratum of limestone, which has been found at the base of the South West mountains, at various points between the Potomac and James, and which yields in several of its quaries beautiful marble. In this primitive region, various valuable ores and pure metals have been discovered, among them iron ore in masses, and layers,- black lead,-copper, and gold. It is now well ascertained that a formation in which the latter metal is frequently found, commences near the Rappa- hannock in the county of Spottsylvania, and inclining with the mountains from N E. to S. E. runs through Spottsylvania, Louisa, Fluvanna, and Goochland, to James river; and crossing this stream near the Point of fork, passes through Buckingham into North Carolina, and thence on to the . Cherokee lands in Georgia. Many portions of this vein are extremely rich,

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

and the purity is so extraordinary, the ore so near the surface, and the ma- chinery necessary for its collection so cheap, that many individuals have en- gaged in the search. [For a more particular discription, see the several counties mentioned.] The dip of the rocks in this region is usually about 45º.

West of the Blue Ridge, the country may be considered as divided by a line, sometimes corresponding with the Alleghany mountains, but in gen- eral running east of them; and south of the head waters of the Roanoke, stretching along the summits of the Bushy, Clinch, and Garden moun- tains. East of this line, the primitive rocks appear only at the tops of high ridges and mountains; the intervals between, and the sides of the mountains being in general transition, but sometimes secondary formations. Among the rocks of this region, are blue and gray limestone, slate, sandstone, gyp- sum, buhrstone, and conglomerate or pudding stone,-iron ore of the best quality is extensively distributed in this portion of the state, and valuable lead mines are worked in Wythe county, near Austinsville. The dip of the rocks is in this district less than in the primitive, but sometimes rises to 45º.

West of this line described lies the great secondary formation of the state. The line of strata is more or less undulating, but in general nearly horizon- tal. 'T'his portion of the state abounds in mineral wealth. Bituminous coal, and iron ore are found almost every where ;- beds of limestone are ex- tensively distributed, and the caverns which abound in them furnish large quantities of nitre. The salt wells of the great Kenawha and Holston, are even superior to those of Onandagua, in New York; and new springs are every day developing themselves and being brought into operation, on the little Kenawha, and in other places. When greater facilities of transpor- tation shall be given to this district of country, it may be confidently predic- ted that no portion of the United States will present greater rewards to in- dustry and enterprize.

MINERAL WATERS .- The Hydro-sulphurous springs of Virginia have been long celebrated. Perhaps they are surpassed in no portion of the carth for efficacy, in most of the cases which result from diseased action of the liver, or the stomach. They are known by the appellations of the Blue sulphur, White sulphur, Salt and Red sulphur springs, to which have been recently added, the Gray sulphur; and are situated, the two former in Green- brier, at the foot of the western slope of the Alleghany,-and the three last in the county of Monroe. The Blue sulphur holds at least three active me- dicinal qualities in its composition; its tonic quality admirably sustains and husbands the debilitated system, while the alimentary canal and the glandu- lar organs are efficiently operated upon, by its cathartic and deobstruent powers. The White sulphur acts, when taken in doses of two or three glasses at a time, as an alterative, exercising on the system much of the salutary influence, without the evil effects of mercury,-used in larger quantities it becomes actively diaretic and purgative. The Salt sulphur is more remarkable than the White, for the latter property; but not equal to it in the former. The Red sulphur, in addition to the qualities which it has in common with the last mentioned springs, is remarkable for its action on the pulse, which it reduces considerably in a short time: this property ren- ders it highly valuable in pulmonary affections. The Sweet springs are situated on Potts' creek (a branch of James river) about 22 miles cast of the Salt sulphur springs. They are of the class of waters called acidulous, and are valuable as a tonic in cases of debility, and in all the varieties of dyspepsia which are unaccompanied by inflammation. Their temperature is

.₡ 1 、p

OF VIRGINIA.

about 73º. In the same range of mountains in which the Sweet springs are situated, and from 35 to 40 miles to the northeast are the thermal waters, known as the Warm and the Hot springs: The baths of the former are of the temperature of 96º, and are famed for relieving rhumatism, and va- rious other complaints. 'The temperature of the latter, present every va- riety, from 51 to 107º, and are celebrated for their efficacy in cutaneous, rhumatic, dyspeptic, and liver complaints. Dr. Bell, in describing these springs observes,-all that has been performed by the Bristol, Buxton, and Bath waters in England, may be safely claimed as of easy accomplishment by the Virginia waters just enumerated. If to the Hot, Warm and Sweet springs,-We add the white, Salt, Red, and Blue Sulphur,-we may safe- ly challenge any district of country of the same extent in the world to pro- duce the same number and variety of valuable waters,-whether we have regard to their mineral impregnation or temperature, or the time in which they relieve entirely and permanently from a host of distressing maladies. Besides the above waters, there are various others of more or less value in Virginia. The springs at Bath, in Berkely county, have similar properties with the Sweet springs, and a temperature somewhat higher. In Botetourt, Montgomery, and Augusta there are also Hydro-sulphurous waters, similar in character to those in Greenbrier and Monroe, but of less efficacy. [See in the several counties named, a more particular description of these springs.] It is astonishing that these waters should, as long as their value has been known, never have been accurately analyzed; until the summer of 1834, Professor Rogers of William and Mary college analyzed the Warm spring water, the result of which may be seen under the head of Bath county.

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A new and comprehensive gazetteer of Virginia, and the District of Columbia, Part 2

Author: Martin, Joseph. ed. cn; Brockenbrough, William Henry Publication date: 1835 Publisher: Charlottesville, J. Martin Number of Pages: 1278

Author: Martin, Joseph. ed. cn; Brockenbrough, William Henry
Publication date: 1835
Publisher: Charlottesville, J. Martin
Number of Pages: 1278