USA > Virginia > Highland County > Highland County > A history of Highland County, Virginia > Part 9
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35
In consequence of the lawsuits the order books are exceedingly voluminous. The writing is in a very small hand and the lines are near together. In general the entries are neatly and carefully made, and when a coarse-pointed quill was used the writing may be read with ease. But when done with a fine pointed quill the writing becomes almost microscopic. Instead of covering his pages with an unreadable scrawl, the copyist took time to begin a long entry with a highly ornamented initial letter. Indexing was done with extreme economy of space, there being sometimes
97
History of Highland County
eight lines to the inch. The ink was generally very permanent and the paper is not corroded, as is the case when a steel pen is used.
A will usually began with a piously worded preamable, which may be taken to mean that at heart the settlers were more religious than in much of their practice. The following, from the will of John Bodkin in 1791 is a favorable specimen.
In the name of God, I, John Bodkin, being through the abundant mercy of God though weak in body yet of a sound mind, perfect understanding and memory, do constitute this my last will and testament and desire it to be received by all as such: Imprimis, I most humbly bequeath my soul to God my Maker, beseeching His most gracious acceptance of it through the all-sufficient merits and mediation of my most compassionate Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who gave himself to be an atonement for my sins and is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them, and who I trust will not reject me, a returning penitent sinner, when I come to him for mercy. In this hope and confidence I render up my soul with comfort, humbly beseeching the most blessed and glorious Trinity, one God most holy, most merciful and gracious, to prepare me for the time of my dissolution, and then to take to himself into that peace and rest and incomparable felicity which he has prepared for those that love and fear his holy name: Blessed be God.
In land conveyances before the Revolution, there was followed the English practice of drawing a double instrument ; a deed of lease followed at once by a deed of release, so that deeds are re- corded in pairs in the deed-book. The deed of lease was valid "from the day before the sale for one whole year to be completed and ended, yielding and paying therefor the rent of one pepper- corn on Lady-day next (March 25), if the same shall be lawfully demanded, to the intent and purpose that by virtue of these pres- ents and of the statute for transferring uses into possession, the said (purchaser) may be in actual possession of these premises, and be thereby enabled to accept and take a grant and release of the possession and inheritances thereof." The consideration named in this paper was five shillings (83 cents). The deed of re- lease, which was the real and effective instrument, was dated one day later, and mention is sometimes made of the purchaser receiv- ing from the seller a twig in token of possession. The Revolu- tion swept away this clumsy practice of giving two deeds in a sin- gle transaction.
$98
History of Highland County
The man who could prove that he had met the cost of his pas- sage from Europe could enter fifty acres of the public domain and have it surveyed by the county surveyor. Later on he received a patent for the land. It is alleged that the Governor did not read the patents he signed and that his secretary did not compare them with the originals. It is also alleged that the grant of fifty acres to each actual settler was evaded or perverted, and that the clerk in the Secretary's office would sell such right for the modest "graft" of one to five shillings.
Prior to 1784, there was no recording of marriages unless by the officiating minister. Prior to 1747 there was no clergyman of the Church of England west of the Blue Ridge, and until 1760 no church edifice. Marriages performed by other persons were illegal in the eye of the Virginia law. This worked a hardship until a more liberal rule came into force, by which a dispensation from the Governor could enable a minister to officiate who was not an Episcopalian.
Indentured white servants were not rare in the Augusta colony. The general influence of the system was not good, since it led to black slavery and also fostered immorality. The female servant who became the mother of a bastard was made to serve an extra year. Servants often ran away, and if captured, they were forced to serve extra time as an offset to the cost of recovery, this being adjudicated by the county court. Wallace Estill made a claim of this sort in 1756, specifying twelve days as spent in the recovery.
James McAvoy and thirteen other youths were kidnapped from Ireland and brought to Virginia. Several of the boys were recovered by their parents. McAvoy was sold to Robert Carlile, and by him resold to a man in the Valley. While in the service of the latter he married Frances Pritt, but returned to the Bull- pasture before his time was out. His owner came and took him back. At length his wife went to where he was, carrying her child, and the morning after her arrival she said she would have to go back. Pritt's master offered his servant a horse to take his wife a distance, but she refused the help, and the pair walked slowly out of the settlement. Presently the wife tucked her cloak into her belt, took her child, and said to her companion, "Now put down your foot." He did put down his foot and continued doing
99
History of Highland County
so until after walking all day and the following night, they reach- ed the Bullpasture. McAvoy was not again disturbed, and later on became a resident of Bath.
Negroes were for some years rare in the mountains. The first one known to be in Highland was a young woman purchased for Ann Jane Usher by her guardian about 1750.
Mention has been made of the abundance of game. The set- tler often shot deer from the door of his house. In his trip to and from Cumberland Gap in 1749, during which journey of eighteen weeks he passed through Bath, Dr. Thomas Walker re- lates that the party killed thirteen buffaloes, eight elk, fifty-three bears, twenty deer, four geese, about one hundred and fifty tur- keys, and a considerable quantity of other small game.
When the pioneer went to court he took his long-barreled flintlock rifle, and if possible a wolf head, the latter being a form of currency. The bounty on a wolf at this time was one pound ($3.33). In 1763 Benjamin Estill turned in thirty-six assigned wolf heads, these being worth $120, the equivalent of twice that sum at the present day. The hemp certificate was also a form of money, being receivable for taxes.
Although some of the pioneers brought along a considerable stock of gold and silver coin, it is not easy to see how money in the wilderness could reproduce itself otherwise than very slowly. There was little to take to the remote markets except cattle and furs, and the market for the former could not have been quick. Nevertheless, land sold at a relatively high price and the goods for sale at a "public vandue" found buyers.
The account book of a Staunton merchant who sent goods to Richmond from 1766 to 1775 shows that the leading items were hemp, butter, beeswax, ginseng, cheese, and deerskins, the latter being worth in 1774 an average of $1.05. The shipment of flour for the nine years was only thirteen barrels, and in 1767 the price per barrel was $5. This was relatively a high figure. Cornbread was the staff of life.
100
History of Highland County
CHAPTER X
THE DUNMORE WAR AND THE REVOLUTION
Battle of Point Pleasant - Letters Describing It - The Revolution - Resolu - tions by Augusta People - Augusta Men in the War - Slight Outward Change under Independence.
F ROM 1764 until 1774 there was once more nominal peace with the Indians. But the persistent pressure of the whites led to some mutual outrages, and war broke out in the summer of the last named year. Governor Dunmore led a force down the Ohio from Wheeling, while General Andrew Lewis with the militia of the Valley reinforced by a few troops from Bedford and Cul- peper, marched down the Great Kanawha, reaching Point Pleasant early in October.
In the army of Lewis, 1,100 strong, were four companies from the present counties of Bath, Highland, and Pendleton. The cap- tains commanding them were John Dickenson of Bath, Andrew Lockridge and Samuel Wilson of Highland, and John Skidmore of Pendleton. In these companies were 22, 26, 27, and 32 men respectively. It would be interesting to present a full roster of these companies. Considering the population at that time, this region was well represented in the expedition.
The Virginia forces being divided, the Indians attemped to surprise and overwhelm Lewis, intending then to dispose of the governor and his army. Had they succeeded, the effect on the border settlement would have been like another Braddock's de- feat. The influence on the Revolution, which broke out the follow- ing year, would have been serious indeed. The battle at Point Pleasant was well contested on both sides. The fighting was al- most hand to hand, the lines being seldom more than twenty yards apart, and sometimes no more than six. The Virginians lost 75 men killed and 140 wounded, the more slightly injured not appar- ently being included. The numbers and losses of the Indians are unknown, but were probably somewhat smaller in both particulars.
101
History of Highland County
At the close of the day the result was thought by some of the whites as no better than a drawn battle. Yet the Indians were dis- heartened, and agreed to a peace which lasted until they were stirred up by the British in 1778. The army of Lewis returned in November.
A number of Highland men were undoubtedly killed or wound- ed, but with the exception of Captain Wilson, who was killed, we are ignorant of their names. Captain Skidmore was wounded. The estate of Captain Wilson showed personal property to the value of nearly $1,000.
The subjoined extracts were written on the spot by men who were in the battle. They not only furnish accounts of the first great battle in which Highland men were engaged, but they give some idea of the epistolary writing of that period.
From Col. William Fleming's Orderly Book :
Monday October the 10th (1774).
This morning before sunrise two men came running into Camp & gave information That a considerable body of Indians were incampt about 2 miles up the Ohio a small distance from it, who made a very formidable appearance. This important intelligence was quickly confirmed by two or three more. The drums by order immediately beat to Arms & 150 men were ordered to be paraded out of each line & march against the enemy in two Columns. The right column headed by Colo. Chas. Lewis with Captains Dickinson, Harrison, and Skidmore. The left Column commanded by Colo. Fleming with Captains Shelby Russell Love & Buford. Thus disposed they marched pretty briskly about 150 or 200 yards apart up the river about half a mile when on a Sudden the Enemy lurking behind Bushes & Trees gave the Augusta Line a heavy fire which was briskly followed by a second & third & returned again by our men with much bravery & Courage. The attack was attended with the death of some of our bravest officers & men also with the deaths of a great number of the Enemy. Nor were the Enemy less tardy in their attack upon the left Column; for immediately after the fire upon the right line succeeded a heavy one on the left & a return from us with spirit & resolution. As the disposition in which the men were first placed would never promise success against an Indian Enemy the men were forced to quit their ranks & fly to trees in doing this the Enemy made a small advance and forced our men of both lines to retreat the distance of perhaps one or two hundred yards under heavy fires attended with dismal Yells & Screams from the Enemy. About this time we were succoured with a detachment from the Camp commanded by Captains Mathews McDowell & others of the Augusta line and some time afterwards by all
102
History of Highland County
the Captains of each line except Capt McClenahan of Augusta who was upon guard & Captain Lewis of Botetourt who was ordered to form a line round the Camp for its defence. With the reinforcement from the Camp our men found their strength much increased & making a fierce onset forced the Enemy from their Stations & caused them to retreat by degrees about a mile giving them many brisk fires & hitting many of the leading men as was imagined. we at last with difficulty dislodged them from a fine long ridge leading from a Small slash (swamp) near the river towards the hills & being discontinued by a small wet bottom again rose & was continued to the hills half a mile or more from the river. This advantageous post was gained about 1 o'Clock all the efforts of the enemy to regain it proved fruit- less. Tho' they would summon all the force they could raise & make many pushes to break the line; the advantage of the place & the steadiness of the men defied their most furious Essays. About 3 or 4 o'Clock the Enemy growing quite dispirited & all the attempts of their warriors to rally them proving vain they carried off their dead & wounded, giving us now & then a shot to prevent a pursuit; so that about an hour by sun we were in full possession on the field of Battle. Victory having now declared in our favour We had orders to return in slow pace to our Camp carefully searching for the dead & wounded & to bring them in, as also the Scalps of the Enemy. The day being by this time far advanced with [out] any written orders double guards were ordered to be mounted. Parole Victory.
Killed of the Augusta Line in the action on the 10th of Octr. 1774 Colo. Chas. Lewis, Capt. Saml Willson and Lieuts. Hugh Allen, & 18 Privates. 2 Capts. 2 Lieuts. & 51 Private wounded.
Extract from letter by W. Ingles.
Our Guards Properly Posted at a Distance from the camp as usual little Expecting to be attacked by any Party of Enemy as we looked upon them to be so much inferiour to us in Numbers. but they takeing the advan- tage of the Night the [y] crossed the Ohio on Rafts & Posted themselves within one mile of our camp where the lay till morning with an intent as we Suppose to force our Camp had not Providence in a Partickular manner Interposed in our behalf the ware discovered by Some of our hunting Partys that hapned to turn out that Morning verry Early and one of Our men was fired upon by them & Kild and one of them was Kild in his place that fireing alarmed the whole Camp and two Detachments was Sent out of a hundred & fifty each the one Commanded by Colo. Charles Lewis of Augustia the other by Colo. William Fleming the soon fell in with the Enemy & a hot Engagement Ensued which Lasted three hours Very doubtfull the Enemy being much Suppirour in Number to the first Detachments Disputed the Ground with the greatest obstinacy often Runing up to the Very Muzels of our gunes where the as often fell Victims to thire Rage Sev- eral more Detachments being Sent from the Camp they were obliged to Give Ground which the Disputed inch by inch till at Length the Posted them-
103
History of Highland County
selves on an advantagus pccse of Ground where the Continued at Shooting now & then untill night putt an End to that Tragical scen & left many a brave fellow Wallirring in his Gore we had the Satisfaction of carring of all our wounded & kild with Very litle Lose of Sculps we Sculped 20 (17) of them on the Field several the have sculped thimselves thirc wounded the Carryed of in the Night after the Battle and several of them the Draged into. the River (Our) Loss of Men is very considerable
From letter of Col. Wm. Christian.
From what I can gather here I cannot describe the bravery of the enemy in the battle. It exceeded every mans expectations. They had men planted on each river to kill our men as they would swim over, making no doubt I think of gaining a complete victory. Those over the Ohio in the time of battle called to the men to "drive the white dogs in" Their Chiefs ran continually along the line exhorting the men to "lye close" and "shoot well," "fight and be strong." At first our men retreated a good ways and until new forces were sent out on which the enemy beat back slowly and killed and wounded our men at every advance. Our people at last formed a line, so did the enemy, they made may attempts to break our lines, at length our men made a stand, on which the enemy challenged them to come up and began to shoot. Our men could have forced them away precipitately, but not without great loss, and so concluded to maintain their ground all along the line. Which they did until Sundown, when the enemy were supposed' to be all gone. Our people then moved backward scalping the enemy, and bringing in the dead and wounded
The enemy came over on rafts about six miles up Ohio & set at the. same place. They encamped within two miles of this place the night before the battle and killed some of our beeves. They damd our men often for Sons of Bitches, said "Don't you whistle now" (making sport of the fife) and made very merry about a treaty.
The war of the Revolution began only half a year after the battle of Point Pleasant. In a former chapter we spoke of the attitude in that conflict of the Scotch-Irish settlers in America. Being almost wholly of that stock, it goes without further state- ment that the pioneers of Highland were zealous supporters of the American cause.
The war was fought by the Americans to gain industrial free- dom and to maintain their rights as British citizens. They acknowledged themselves to be subjects of the king of England, but held that they could rightfully be taxed only by their own legislatures. If this claim were given up, the door was at once open to injustice and oppression. The colonies were rapidly grow-
104
History of Highland County
ing, and in consequence it was the more intolerable that they should be expected to keep out of manufacturing, trade only with England, and be content to exchange the raw products of their fields and forests with the finished products of her workshops. The claims of the Americans did not necessarily lead to independ- ence. This step was resorted to and accomplished because of the blind obstinacy of the British king. Canada, Australia, and South Africa remain British because the home government learned wisdom from the lesson of 1783.
The temper of the Augusta people will appear in the following instructions, drawn up at Staunton, February 22, 1775, and given to their delegates to the House of Burgesses :
"The people of Augusta are impressed with just sentiments of loyalty to his majesty, King George, whose title to the crown of Great Britain rests on no other foundation than the liberty of all his subjects. We have respect for the parent state, which respect is founded on religion, on law, and on the genuine principles of the British 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 conscience 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 by whom we are not repre- sented, and in whom we are not represented, and in whose decisions, there- fore, we have no voice. We are determined to maintain unimpaired that liberty which is the gift of Heaven to the subjects of Britain's empire, and will most cordially join our countrymen in such measures as may be necessary to secure and perpetuate the ancient, just, and legal rights of this colony and all British subjects."
The above paper shows that the frontiersmen of Augusta knew how to use their mother tongue with clearness and force. It breathes a conviction that their claims were just and a resolution to defend these claims to the utmost. It also asserts a national difference between America and the British Isles.
A memorial from the county committee, presented to the state convention, May 16, 1776, is thus mentioned by the latter :
"A representation from the committee of the county of Augusta was presented to the Convention and read, setting forth the present unhappy condition of the country, and from the ministerial measures of revenge now
105
History of Highland County
pursuing, representing the necessity of making a confederacy of the United States, the most perfect, independent, and lasting, and of framing an equal, free, and liberal government, that may bear the trial of all future ages."
This memorial is said by Hugh J. Grigsby to be the first ex- pression of the policy of establishing an independent state govern- ment and permanent confederation of states which the parlia- mentary journals of America contain. It is worthy of a most careful reading.
We can readily understand that the men who could formulate papers like the above would back them up in a practical manner. In a burst of savage fury the British government closed the port of Boston to foreign commerce. Augusta sent 137 barrels of flour toward the relief of the people of the northern city. It was far less easy to send this flour than in these days of railroad trains.
The Augustans also backed up their words with bullets. Men who at that time or later were residents of Highland served in Washington's army. They also helped to guard the western front- ier against the Indian allies of the British. Highland volunteers under Captain David Gwin marched to the support of General Greene in 1781 and took part in the battle of Guilford. There a large majority of the Virginia militia fought so well that Greene wished he could have known of it beforehand. He had reason for his doubts, because the American militia had often behaved badly in battle. But on the field of Guilford the raw Virginians helped very much in making the nominal victory of Cornwallis a crush- ing defeat in reality. He lost a third of his men and had to get out of North Carolina in hot haste.
The companies raised in Augusta were expected to consist of expert riflemen. Each man was to "furnish himself with a good rifle, if to be had, otherwise with a tomahawk, common fire- lock, bayonet, pouch or cartouch box, and three charges of powder and ball." On affidavit that the rifleman could not supply him- self as above, he was to be supplied at public expense. For fur- nishing his equipment he was allowed a rental of one pound ($3.33) a year. His daily pay was to be 21 cents. Out of this was an allowance for "hunting shirt, pair of leggings, and binding for his hat."
Seemingly enormous bounties were offered toward the close
106
History of Highland County
of the war. But the paper currency issued by Congress deprecia- ted like that of the Confederacy eighty years later. "Worthless as a continental bill" was a byword for many a year.
The people of the valley and mountains had the families of their indigent soldiers to support and were required to pay burden- some taxes. These, however, could be commuted in farm produce and in deerskins.
Yet only seven months after Guilford the end of the long struggle was in sight, and the next year prices had fallen to their natural level. The war had never been popular with the English people. Even before the surrender of Cornwallis, William Pitt on the floor of Parliament had pronounced it the "most accursed, wicked, barbarous, cruel, unnatural, unjust, and diabolical of wars."
The last Augusta court under King George was held May 1, 1776. The first one under American independence was held July 16th of the same year. In matters of local government the change to the new order of things was for some years little more than nominal. The native governor lived in state like his British predecessor and signed land patents just as he had done. The man signing a bond was no longer "indebted to the king," but to "his excellency, the governor." The general assembly was noth- ing more than the House of Burgesses under a new name. There was still a governor's council of eight members. The Virginia constitution of 1776 was no more than a restatement of the source of Virginia law. The structure of society was in fact no more democratic and no less aristocratic than it was before.
107
History of Highland County
CHAPTER XI
UNDER PENDLETON AND BATH
Subdividing of Augusta - Formation of Pendleton and Bath - The Green- brier District - Highland Men as Local Officers - Growth of the High- land Area - The Turnpike.
A UGUSTA has indeed been a mother of counties. Extending at the first 240 miles along the Blue Ridge, and thence west- ward to the Mississippi, its growth in population soon made it unwieldy. County after county was lopped off in every direction except the east. The subdivision began with Botetourt in 1769, and continued so rapidly that in 1790, Augusta was reduced to its present size.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.