USA > Virginia > Culpeper County > Culpeper County > A history of St. Mark's Parish, Culpeper County, Virginia, with notes of old churches and old families, and illustrations of the manners and customs of the olden time > Part 7
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
There have been divers opinions about the route which this gay company of young bloods pursued, and the gap at which they passed the mountains. The starting point (Germanna) is fixed, and the ter- minus, we think, by the light of Fontaine's Journal, is just as certain. We have seen that Beverly (of the party) says " he was with Governor Spotswood at the
87
KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE.
head-springs of the York and Rappahannock Rivers." We shall presently see that Fontaine says " we passed from the head-waters of the Rappahannock to the head-waters of the James in a few hours." Now as Swift Run Gap is the only "pass" which the head- waters of York, James, and Rappahannock rivers approximate, and as Swift Run, a branch of the James, flows down the eastern gorge of the gap from a spring whose present site, description, and relations to another spring flowing down the western declivity correspond with Fontaine's account of them, we are shut up to the conclusion that Swift Run Gap is the historical pass. As to the intermediate course between these fixed points nothing is certainly known, except the first stages, viz. Expedition (Big Russell) Run, Mine Run, Mountain Run (the last two still retaining the names given them by these cava- liers), and Rappahannock River at or near Somer- ville's Ford. So far the route seems plain. Our theory, as seen by the map, is that, encountering Clarke's Mountain at this point, they crossed the river, which demonstrably then ran nearer the moun- tain than now, and proceeding up the flats until they had flanked the mountain, recrossed to the highlands, and passing through Joncs', Holladay's, Bresee's, &c., encamped beyond Barnett's Ford, at a point where they had a fine view of the Appalachian Mountains, as they called them. Persons may well differ as to the precise line of travel, and maintain their theories by plausible arguments. All the points cannot now be settled with absolute certainty, and are not mate- rial; the main point being the general course of travel between Germanna and Swift Run Gap. The theory of the map is that they continued their
88
HISTORICAL EXCURSIONS.
journey on the south side of the Rapidan through the beautiful bottoms of the forks of Poplar, Blue and Marsh Runs, striking and crossing the river again where it is very small. That they returned this way is confirmed by the fact that when they reached a certain point on the Rapidan, Mr. Beverly was so pleased with the land that he said he would take out a patent for it. Mr. B. Johnson Barbour's title to his beautiful river-farm goes back to Beverly's patent. The accompanying map was kindly and gratuitously constructed for us by Capt. Joseph J. Halsey, a lawyer, versed in the lore of old land patents and surveys, and a competent topographer, after a patient study of all the materials we could gather. The map is based upon sketches of the country about Germanna made by Rev. J. C. Willis, of Indiantown, from his own surveys, and an outline map of Mr. Brooking of the upper part of the route, and upon Capt. Halsey's own surveys, supplemented by his knowledge of the country, and aided by the suggestions of Mr. Stevens of Stannardsville, and other persons of the vicinage. Messrs. Halsey, Willis, and Brooking are all practical surveyors, and represent the beginning, middle and end of the route.
But we must not detain the reader longer from Fontaine's Journal, from which he can deduce his own conclusions. Those who have never read it will find it a lively picture of the first company of gentle- men whose trumpet first waked the echoes of our hills, and lifted the blue veil which hid from the eyes of the white man the fair face of nature in the Valley of Virginia.
7
8)
KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE.
JOURNAL OF MR. FONTAINE.
August 27th .- Got our tents in order and our horses shod.
29th .- In the morning we got all things in readi- ness, and about one we left the German-town, to set out on our intended journey. At five in the after- noon the Governor gave orders to encamp near a small river three miles from Germanna, which we call Expedition Run, and here we lay all night. The first encampment was called Beverly Camp, in honor of one of the gentlemen of our party. We made great fires, and supped, and drank good punch. By ten of the clock I had taken all of my ounce of Jesuit's bark, but my head was much out of order.
30th .- In the morning about seven of the clock the trumpet sonnded to awake all the company, and we got up. One Austin Smith, one of the gentlemen with us, having a fever, returned home. We had lain upon the ground under cover of our tents, and we found by the pains in our bones that we had not had good beds to lie upon. At nine in the morning we sent our servants and baggage forward, and we remained because two of the Governor's horses bad strayed. At half-past two we got the horses, at three we mounted, and at half an hour after four we came up with our baggage at a small river three miles on the way, which we call Mine River, because there was an appearance of a silver mine by it. We made about three miles more, and came to another small river, which is at the foot of a small mountain, so we encamped here and called it Mountain Run, and our camp we called Todd's Camp. We had good pasturage for our horses, and venison in abund-
90
HISTORICAL EXCURSIONS.
ance for ourselves, which we roasted before the fire on wooden forks, and so we went to bed in our tents. We made six miles this day.
31st .- At eight in the morning we set out from Mountain Run, and after going five miles we came upon the upper part of Rappahannock River. One of the gentlemen and I, we kept out on one side of the company about a mile, to have the better hunt- ing. I saw a deer and shot him from my horse, but the horse threw me a terrible fall and ran away, we ran after him, and with a great deal of difficulty got him again ; but we could not find the deer I had shot, and we lost ourselves, and it was two hours before we could come upon the track of our company. About five miles farther we crossed the same river again, and two miles farther we met with a large bear, which one of our company shot and I got the skin. We killed several deer, and about two miles from the place where we killed the bear we encamped, upon the Rappahannock River. From our encampment we could see the Appalachian Hills very plain. We made large fires, pitched our tents, and cut boughs to lie upon, had good liquor, and at ten we went to sleep. We always kept a sentry at the Governor's door. We called this Smith's Camp. Made this day fourteen miles.
1st September .- At eight we mounted our horses and made the first five miles of our way through a very pleasant plain, which lies where Rappahannock River forks. I saw there the largest timber, the finest and deepest mould, and the best grass that I ever did see. We had some of our baggage put out of order and our company dismounted by hornets stinging the horses. This was some hindrance and
91
KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE.
did a little damage, but afforded a great deal of diversion. We killed three bears this day, which exercised the horses as well as the men. We saw two foxes, but did not pursue them; we killed several deer. About five of the clock we came to a run of water at the foot of a hill where we pitched our tents. We called the encampment Dr. Robin- son's Camp, and the river Blind Run. We had good pasturage for our horses, and every one was cook for himself. We made our beds with bushes as before. This day we made thirteen miles.
2d .- At nine we were all on horseback, and after riding about five miles we crossed the Rappahannock River almost at the head, where it is very small. We had a rugged way ; we passed over a great many small runs of water, some of which were very deep and others very miry. Several of our company were dismounted, some were down with their horses, and some thrown off. We saw a bear running down a tree, but it being Sunday we did not endeavor to kill anything. We encamped at five by a small river we called White Oak River, and called our camp Taylor's Camp.
3d .- About eight we were on horseback, and about ten we came to a thicket so tightly laced together that we had a great deal of trouble to get through. Our baggage was injured, our clothes torn all to rags, and the saddles and holsters also torn. About five of the clock we encamped almost at the head of James River, just below the great mountains. We called this camp Col. Robertson's camp. We made all this day but eight miles.
4th .- We had two of our men sick with the measles and one of our horses poisoned with a rattle-
92
HISTORICAL EXCURSIONS.
snake. We took the heaviest of our baggage, our tired horses, and the sick men, and made as conve- nient a lodge for them as we could, and left people to guard them and to hunt for them. We had finished this work by twelve, and so we set out. The sides of the mountains were so full of vines and briers that we were forced to clear most of the way before us. We crossed one of the small mountains on this side the Appalachian, and from the top of it we had a fine view of the plains below. We were obliged to walk up the most of the way, there being abundance of loose stones on the side of the hill. I killed a large rattlesnake here, and the other people killed three more. We made about four miles, and so came to the side of James River where a man may jump over it, and there we pitched our tents. As the people were lighting the fire there came out of a large log of wood a prodigious snake, which they killed, so this camp was called Rattlesnake Camp, but otherwise it was called Brooke's Camp.
5th .- A fair day. At five we were mounted. We were obliged to have axemen to clear the way in some places. We followed the windings of James River, observing that it came from the very top of the mountains. We killed two rattlesnakes during our ascent. In some places it was very steep, in others it was so that we could ride up. About one of the clock we got to the top of the mountain; about four miles and a half and we came to the very. head-spring of James River, where it runs no bigger than a man's arm from under a big stone. We drank King George's health and all the royal family's at the very top of the Appalachian mountains. About a musket-shot from the spring there is another,
93
KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE.
which rises and runs down to the other side. It goes westward, and we thought we could go down that way, but we met with such prodigious preci- pices that we were obliged to return to the top again. We found some trees which had been formerly marked, I suppose by the Northern Indians, and following these trees we found a good, safe descent. Several of the company were for returning, but the Governor persuaded them to continue on. About five we were down on the other side, and continued our way until about seven miles further, when we came to a large river, by the side of which we encamped. We made this day fourteen miles. I, being somewhat more curious than the rest, went on a high rock on the top of the mountain to see fine prospects, and I lost my gun. We saw when we were over the mountain the footing of elk and buffa- loes and their beds. We saw a vine which bore a sort of wild cucumber, and a shrub with a fruit like unto a currant. We ate very good wild grapes. We called this place Spotswood's Camp, after our Gov- ernor.
6th .- We crossed the river, which we called Euphrates. It is very deep; the main course of the water is north; it is fourscore yards wide in the narrowest part. We drank some healths on the other side and returned, after which I went a-swim- ming in it. We could not find any fordable place except the one by which we crossed, and it was deep in several places. I got some grasshoppers and fished, and another and I we catched a dish of fish, some perch and a kind of fish they called chub. The others went a-hunting, and killed deer and turkeys. The Governor had graving irons, but could
-
94
HISTORICAL EXCURSIONS.
not grave anything, the stone was so hard. I graved my name on a tree by the river side, and the Gov- ernor buried a bottle with a paper enclosed, on which he writ that he took possession of this place in the name and for King George First of England. We had a good dinner, and after it we got the men together and loaded all their arms, and we drank the King's health in champagne and fired a volley, the Princess's health in Burgundy and fired a volley, and all the rest of the royal family in claret and a volley. We drank the Governor's health and fired another volley. We had several sorts of liquors, viz., Virginia red wine and white wine, Irish usquebaugh, brandy, shrub, two sorts of rum, cham- pagne, canary, cherry punch, water, cider, &c. I sent two of the rangers to look for my gun which I dropped in the mountain ; they found it and brought it to me at night, and I gave them a pistol for their trouble, We called the highest mountain Mount George, and the one we crossed over Mount Spots- wood.
7th .- At seven in the morning we mounted our horses and parted with the rangers, who were to go farther on, and we returned homewards. We re- passed the mountains, and at five in the afternoon we came to Hospital Camp, where we left our sick men and heavy baggage, and we found all things well and safe. We encamped here and called it Captain Clonder's Camp.
8th .- At nine we were all on horseback. We saw several bears and deer, and killed some wild turkeys. We encamped at the side of a run and called the place Mason's Camp. We had good forage for our horses, and we lay as usual. Made twenty miles this day.
/
95
KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE.
9th .- We set out at nine of the clock, and before twelve we saw several bears, and killed threc. One of them attacked one of our men that was riding after him and narrowly missed him; he tore his things that he had behind him from off the horse, and would have destroyed him had he not had immediate help from the other men and our dogs. Some of the dogs suffered severely in this engage- ment. At two we crossed one of the branches of the Rappahannock River, and at five we encamped on the side of the Rapid Ann, on a tract of land that Mr. Beverly hath design to take up. We made this day twenty-three miles, and called this Captain Smith's Camp. We ate part of one of the bears, which tasted very well, and would be good and might pass for veal if one did not know what it was. We were very merry, and diverted ourselves with our adventures.
10th .- At eight we were on horseback, and about ten, as we were going up a small hill, Mr. Beverly and his horse fell down, and they both rolled to the bottom ; but there were no bones broken on either side. At twelve as we were crossing a run of water, Mr. Clonder fell in, so we called this place Clonder's Run. At one we arrived at a large spring, where we dined and drank a bowl of punch. We called this Fontaine's Spring. About two we got on horse- back, and at four we reached Germanna.
Spotswood instituted what he called the Tramon- tane Order, in commemoration of the expedition, each gentleman being entitled to wear the golden horseshoe who could prove that he had drunk his Majesty's health on Mt. George. The golden horse-
96
HISTORICAL EXCURSIONS.
shoes descended as heirlooms in several families. Judge Brooke, in his autobiography, speaks of one in the possession of Edmund Brooke, whose ancestor was of the party. This gentleman died in George- town, D. C., and we had hoped to find the relic in his daughter's possession, but it had been lost. Camp- bell speaks of the late Mrs. Bott, of Petersburg, a descendant of Spotswood, having seen the miniature horseshoe belonging to Spotswood, and that it was small enough to be worn on a watch-chain. . Spots- wood probably had more than one of them, as we find it said in the Byrd manuscripts that when Spotswood made a treaty with the five nations of Indians at Albany, in 1722, in which they bound themselves not to pass the Potomac or the Blue Ridge, the Governor told the Indians that they must take particular notice of their speaker, and gave him a golden horseshoe which he wore at his breast, and bade the interpreter tell him that there was an in- scription on it which signified that it would help him to pass the mountains, and that when any of their people should come to Virginia they must bring that with them. These things are like dreams to us now. With a population which has not only transcended the Blue Ridge, but the Alleghany and the Rocky Mountains, and reached the Golden Gate of California, it is hard to realize that only 160 years ago Germanna was a frontier post, and the great West an unknown world, except to the wild Indian, whose tribes have melted away before the pale faces like snow before the sun, and whose barque, like that of the crew of the fabled phantom ship, "rides on and on, and anchored ne'er shall be."
97
GERMANNA.
GERMANNA.
Salve Posteritas ! Posteritas Germano-politana.
The German people is a political element in American civilization. The number of Germantowns in the United States is curious and suggestive. The oldest of these is the one in Pennsylvania, which was the scene of the battle of Germantown in the old Revolution, in which so many of the men of St. Mark's figured. It was established in 1683, under the anspices of Pastorius, to provide, as he said, a "pellaee " or refuge from the judgments impending over the old world, and to Christianize the naked-going savages. He composed a noble Latin ode on the occasion, beginning-
Salve Posteritas ! Posteritas Germano-politana,
which Whittier has put beautifully into English verse, thus :
Hail to Posterity ! Hail, future men of Germanopolis! Let the young generation, yet to be, Look kindly upon this; Think how our fathers left their native land-
Dear German land ! O sacred hearts and homes !- And where the wild beast roams, In patience planned New forest homes, beyond the mighty sea, There undisturbed and free, To live as brothers of one family. What pains and cares befel, What trials and what fears,
Remember, and whenever we have doue well,
Follow our footsteps, men of coming years. I
98
HISTORICAL EXCURSIONS.
Where we have failed to do Aught, or wisely live, Be warned by us, the better way pursue, And knowing we were buman, even as you, Pity us and forgive. Farewell, Posterity ! Farewell, dear Germany ! Forevermore farewell !
See Memorial Thomas Potts, Jr., by Mrs. James.)
Our Germanna was settled under the auspices of Governor Spotswood in 1714, on a peninsula of 400 acres of land on the banks of the Rapidan. These Germans came directly from Oldensburg, or were a remnant of a settlement planted under the auspices of the Baron de Graffenreid in North Carolina, many of whom were massacred by the Tuscarora Indians, as related by Governor Spotswood in a letter of October 1711, which is published in Perry's Collec- tions from the archives of Fulham and Lambeth. Spotswood says he had demanded the release of De Graffenreid, the Chief of the Palatines and Swiss, who had been taken prisoner, and was, he feared, reserved for torture by fire. That these Germans might have been the survivors of the massacro in North Carolina is a mere conjecture, suggested by the fact that De Graffenreid was the leader of both parties. I have just found in the Spotswood MSS. the following paragraph in a letter of Governor Spotswood to the Commissioners of Trade in Eng- land, dated May 1714 :- "I continue to settle our tributary Indians, and in order to supply that part which was to have been covered by the Tuscarora Indians, I have placed there a number of Protestant 'Germans, built them a fort, furnished it with two pieces of cannon and some ammunition, which will
99
GERMANNA.
awe the straggling parties of Northern Indians and be a good barrier to all that part of the country. These Germans were invited over some years ago by the Baron De Graffenreid, who had her Majesty's letter to the Governor to furnish them with land after their arrival. They are generally such as have been employed in their own country in mines, and say they are satisfied there are divers kinds of minerals where they arc settled, and even a good appearance of silver; but it is impossible to know whether those mines will turn to account without digging some depth - a liberty I shall not give them until I hear from your Lordships."
These Germans landed at Tappahannock, and a dispute arose between them and the captain of the ship in which they sailed, about the money for their passage. The captain refused to deliver their effects until his demand was satisfied. Governor Spotswood being present, proposed that if the Germans would settle on his land and remain long enough to instruet some of his young men in mechanical trades, he would pay the bill. They consented, and hence the settlement at Germanna. In 1714, John Fontaine and John Clayton of Williamsburg visited Germanna, and described it as follows :- " We went to the German minister's house (they say), and finding nothing to eat, lived upon our own provisions and lay upon straw. Our beds not being easy, we got up at break of day, and in a hard rain walked about the town, which is palisaded with stakes stuck in the ground close to each other, and of substance to resist musket-shot. There are but nine families, and nine houses all in a line; and before every house, twenty. feet distant, they have sheds for their hogs and their
100
HISTORICAL EXCURSIONS.
hens ; so that hog-stys on one side and dwellings on the other make a street. The place paled in is a pentagon, regularly laid out; and in the centre is a bloek-house with five sides, answering to the five sides of the great enclosure. There are loop-holes in it, from which you may see all the inside of the enclo- sure. This is intended for a retreat in case of their not being able to defend the palisades from the Indians. They use the block-house for Divine ser- vice. They go to prayers once a day and have two services Sunday. We went to hear them perform their service, which is done in their own language, which we did not understand, but they seem very devout and sing the psalms very well. This settle- ment is (1714) thirty miles from any inhabitant. They live very miserably. For want of provisions we were obliged to go. We got from the minister a bit of smoked beef and cabbage, and gave him thirty shillings and took our leave. In less than three hours on our way we saw nineteen deer; and we lodged at Mr. Smith's, at the Falls of the Rappa- hannock."
We must now let the Germans speak for themselves. In the archives of the English society for propagat- ing the Gospel in foreign parts is the following memorial :- " The case of thirty-two Protestant German families settled in Virginia humbly sheweth, that twelve Protestant German families, consisting of about fifty persons, arrived April 1714, in Virginia, and were there settled near Rappahannock River. That in 1717, twenty Protestant German families, consisting of about four-score persons, came and settled down near their countrymen. And many more Germans and Swiss are likely to come. For
101
GERMANNA.
the ministries of religion there will be a necessity for a small church and for a minister, who shall catechise and perform Divine offices among them in the German tongue, which is the only language they do yet understand. That there came indeed over with the first twelve German families a minister, named Henry Haeger-a very sober, honest man, about seventy-five years old; but he being likely soon to be past service, we have empowered Mr. J. C. Zollicoffer, of St. Gall, Switzerland, to go to Europe and obtain subscriptions from pious Christians towards building a church, and bringing over with him a young Ger- man minister to assist Mr. Haeger, and to succeed him when he shall die; to get him ordained in Eng- land by the Right Rev. Bishop of London, and to bring over with him the Liturgy of the Church of England, translated into High Dutch, which they are desirous to use in publie worship. But this set- tlement consisting of only mean (poor) persons, utterly unable to build a church and support an assistant minister, they humbly implore the counten- anee, &c., of the Bishop of London and other Bishops, and the venerable society for propagating the Gospel in foreign parts, that they would take the ease under their pious consideration and grant their usual allow- ance for the support of a minister, and if it may be so, subscribe something towards the building of their church, and they shall ever pray that the Lord may reward their beneficence here and hereafter." The above petition was sent in 1719.
In the year 1720 Spotsylvania was cut off from Essex, and the Parish of St. George, coterminous with the county, was erected in 1721. Governor Spotswood fixed the seat of justice at Germanna,
102
HISTORICAL EXCURSIONS.
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.