USA > Virginia > A history of the valley of Virginia, 1st ed > Part 5
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" Mr. Steenbergen informed the author, that upon looking into this mound, it was discovered that at the head of each skeleton a stone was deposited; thatthese stones are of varioussizes, supposed to indicate the size of the bu. dy buried.
t Mr. George Grandstaff stated this to the author. Mr. G. is an aged and respectable citizen of Shenandoah county.
#Mr. Anthony Kline related this occurrence to the author. No man who is acquainted with Mr. Kline, will for one moment doubt his assertions. This rifle was of very large caliber, and was covered several feet below the zur- face of the ground, and doubtless left there by an Indian.
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INDIAN SETTLEMENTS.
In the county of Page, on the South fork of Shen- andoah river, there are several Indian burying grounds · and signs of their villages. These signs are also to be seen on the Hawksbill creek. A few miles above Lu- ray, on the west side of the river, there are three large Indian graves, ranged nearly side by side, thirty or for- ty feet in length, twelve or fourteen feet wide, and five or six feet high: around them, in circular form, are a number of single graves. The whole covers an area of little less than a quarter of an acre. They present to the eye a very ancient appearance, and are covered over with pine and other forest growth. The excava- tion of the ground around them is plainly to be seen. The three first mentioned graves are in oblong form, probably contain many hundred of human bodies, and were doubtless the work of ages .*
On the land of Mr. Noah Keyser, near the mouth of the Hawksbill creek, stand the remains of a large mound. This, like that at Mr. Steenbergen's, is con- siderably reduced by plowing, but is yet some 12 or 14 feet high, and is upwards of sixty yards round at the base. It is found to be literally filled with human skeletons, and at every fresh plowing a fresh layer of bones are brought to the surface. The bones are found to be in a calcarious state, with the exception of the teeth, which are generally sound. Several unusu- ally large skeletons have been discovered in this grave. On the lands now the residence of my venerable friend, John Gatewood, Esq.t the signs of an Indian village are yet plaiuly to be seen. There are numerous frag- ments of their pots, cups, arrow points, and other im- plements for domestic use, found from time to time. Convenient to this village there are several pretty large graves.
There is also evidence of an Indian town in Pow- ell's fort, on the lands now owned by Mr. Daniel Munch. From appearances, this too was a pretty considerable
"These graves are on the lands now the residence of the widow Long, and appear never to have been disturbed.
# Mr. G. has departed this life since this was written.
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village. A little above the forks of the Shenandoah, on the east side of the South fork, are the appearances of another settlement, exhibiting the remains of two pretty considerable mounds now entirely reduced by plowing About this place many pipes, tomahawks, axes, hommony pestles, &c. have been found. Some four or five miles below the forks of the river, on the south east side, on the lands now owned by Capt. Dan- iel Oliver, is the site of another Indian village. At this place a considerable variety of articles have been plowed up. Among the number were several whole pots, cups, pipes, axes, tomahawks, hommony pestles, &c. A. beautiful pipe of high finish, made of white flint stone, and several other articles of curious workmanship, all of very hard stone, have been found. Their cups and pots were made of a mixture of clay and shells, of rude workmanship, but of firm texture.
There are many other places on all our water courses. to wit, Stony- creek, Cedar creek, and Opequon, as well as the larger water courses, which exhibit evidences of ancient Indian settlements. The Shawnee tribe, it is well known, were settled about the neighborhood of Winchester. What are called the "Shawnee cabins," and "Shawnee springs," immediately adjoining the town, is well known. It is also equally certain, that this tribe had a considerable village on Babb's marsh, some three or four miles north west of Winchester .*
The Tuscarora Indians resided in the neighbor- hood of Martinsburg, in the county of Berkeley,t on the Tuscarora creek. On the fine farm, now owned by and the residence of Matthew Ranson, Esq. (the former residence of Mr. Benjamin Beeson), are the re- mains of several Indian graves. These, like several others, are now plowed down; but numerous fragments
* Mr. Thomas Barrett, who was born in 1755, stated to the author, that within his recollection the signs of the Indian wigwams were to be seen on Babh's marsh.
1 Mr. John Shobe, a very respectable old citizen of Martinsburg, stated to the author, that Mr. Benjamin Beezon, a highly respectable Quaker, inform- ed him, that the Tuscarora Indians were living on the Tuscarora creek when be (Beeson) first knew the county.
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of human bones are to be found mixed with the clay on the surface. Mr. Ranson informed the author, that at this place the under jaw bone of a human being was plowed up, of enormous size : the teeth were found in a perfect state of preservation.
Near the Shannondale springs, on the lands of Mr. Fairfax, an Indian grave some years since was opened, in which a skeleton of unusual size was discovered .*
Mr. E. Paget informed the author, that on Flint run, a small rivulet of the South river, in the county of She- nandoah, a skeleton was found by his father, the thigh bone of which measured three feet in length, and the under jaw bone of which would pass over any common man's face with ease.
Near the Indian village described on a preceding page, on Capt. Oliver's land, a few years ago, some hands in removing the stone covering an Indian grave, discover- ed a skeleton, whose great size attracted their attention. The stones were carefully taken off without disturbing the frame, when it was discovered, that the body had been laid at full length on the ground, and broad flat stones set round the corpse in the shape of a coffin. Capt. Oliver measured the skeleton as it lay, which was nearly seven feet long.t
In the further progress of this work the author will occasionally advert to the subject of Indian antiqui- ties and traits of the Indian character. This chapter will now be concluded with some general reflections on the seemingly hard fate of this unfortunate race of pco- ple. It appears to the author that no reflecting man can view so many burying places broken up-their bones torn up with the plow-reduced to dust. andscat- tered to the winds, -without feeling some degree of melancholy regret. It is to be lamented for another reason. If those mounds and places of burial had been
*Mr. George Wm. Fairfax gave the author this information.
t Maximinus, a Roman emperor in the third century, "was the son of a Thracian shepherd, and is represented by historians as a man of gigantic stature and Herculean strength. He was fully- eight feet in hight, and per- fectly symmetrical in form. Abridged U. History, vol. i. p. 30.
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INDIAN SETTLEMENTS.
permitted to remain undisturbed, they would have stood as lasting monuments in the history of our country. Many of them were doubtless the work of ages, and future generations would have contemplated them with great interest and curiosity. But these memorials are rapidly disappearing, and the time perhaps will come, when not a trace of them will remain. The author has had the curiosity to open several Indian graves, in one of which he found a pipe, of different form from any hehas ever seen. It is made of a hard black stone, and glazed or rather painted with a substance of a red- dish cast. In all the graves he has examined, the bones are found in a. great state of decay except the tecth, which are generally in a perfect state of preservation.
It is no way wonderful that this unfortunate race of people reluctantly yielded their rightful and just posses- sion of this fine country. It is no way wonderful that they resisted with all their force the intrusion of the white people (who were strangers to them, from a for- eign country,) upon their rightful inheritance. But perhaps this was the fiat of Heaven. When God cre- ated this globe, he probably intended it should sustain the greatest possible number of his creatures. And as the human family, in a state of civil life, increases with vastly more rapidity than a people in a state of nature or savage life, the law of force has been generally re- sorted to, and the weaker compelled to give way to the stronger. That a part of our country has been acquired by this law of force, is undeniable. It is, however, mat- ter of consoling reflection, that there are some honora- ble exceptions to this arbitrary rule. The great and wise William Penn set the example of purchasing the Indian lands. Several respectable individuals of the Quaker society thought it unjust to take possession of this valley without making the Indians some compen. sation for their right. Measures were adopted to effect. this great object. But upon inquiry, no particular tribe could be found who pretended to have any prior claim to the soil. It was considered the common hunting
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INDIAN SETTLEMENTS.
ground of various tribes, and not claimed by any par- ticular nation who had authority to sell.
This information was communicated to the author by two aged and highly respectable men of the Friends' society, Isaac Brown and Lewis Neill, each of them upwards of eighty years of age, and both residents of the county of Frederick.
In confirmation of this statement, a letter written by Thomas Chaulkley to the monthly meeting on Ope- quon, on the 21st of 5th month, 1738, is strong cir- cumstantial evidence; of which letter the following is a copy :
" VIRGINIA, at John Cheagle's, 21st 5th month, 1738. " To friends of the monthly meeting at Opequon.
"Dear friends who inhabit Shenandoah and Ope- quon :- Having a concern for your welfare and pros- perity, both now and hereafter, and also the prosperity of your children, I had a desire to see you; but being in years, and heavy, and much spent and fatigued with my long journeyings in Virginia and Carolina, makes it seem too hard for me to perform a visit in person to you, wherefore I take this way of writing to discharge my . mind of what lies weighty thereon; and
"First. I desire that you be very careful (being far and back inhabitants) to keep a friendly correspondence with the native Indians, giving them no occasion of offense; they being a cruel and merciless enemy, where they think they are wronged or defrauded of their rights ; as woful experience hath taught in Carolina, Virginia and Maryland, and especially in New-Eng- land, &c .; and
"Secondly. As nature hath given them and their fore- fathers the possession of this continent of America (or this wilderness), they had a natural right thereto in jus- tice and equity; and no people, according to the law of nature and justice and our own principle, which is according to the glorious gospel of our dear and holy Jesus Christ, ought to take away or settle on other men's lands or rights without consent, or purchasing
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INDIAN SETTLEMENTS,
the same by agreement of parties concerned; which I suppose in your case is not yet done.
"Thirdly. 'Therefore my counsel and christian ad- vice to you is, my dear friends, that the most reputable among you do with speed endeavor to agree with and purchase your lands of the native Indians or inhabi- tants. Take example of our worthy and honorable late proprietor William Penn; who by his wise and reli- gious care in that relation, hath settled a lasting peace and commerce with the natives, and through his pru- dent management therein hath been instrumental to plant in peace one of the most flourishing provinces in the world.
"Fourthlv. Who would run the risk of the lives of their wives and children for the sparing a little cost and pains ? I am concerned to lay these things before you, - under an uncommon exercise of mind, that your new and flourishing little settlement may not be laid waste, and (if the providence of the Almighty doth not inter- vene,) some of the blood of yourselves, wives or chil- dren. be shed or spilt on the ground.
" Fifthly. Consider you are in the province of Vir- ginia, holding what rights you have under that govern- ment ; and the Virginians have made an agreement with the natives to go as far as the mountains and no farther; and you are over and beyond the mountains, therefore out of that agreement; by which you lie open to the insults and incursions of the Southern Indians, who have destroyed many of the inhabitants of Caro- lina and Virginia, and even now have destroyed more on the like occasion. The English going beyond the bounds of their agreement, eleven of them were killed by the Indians while we were traveling in Virginia.
"Sixthly. If you believe yourselves to be within the bounds of William Penn's patent- from king Charles the second, which will be hard for you to prove, you be- ing far southward of his line, yet if done, that will be no consideration with the Indians without a purchase from them, except you will go about to convince them
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INDIAN SETTLEMENTS.
by fire and sword, contrary to our principles; and if that were done, they would ever be implacable enemies, and the land could never be enjoyed in peace.
"Seventhly. Please to note that in Pennsylvania no new settlements are made without an agreement with the natives ; as witness Lancaster county, lately set- tled, though that is far within the grant of William Penn's patent from king Charles the second .; where- fore you lie open to the insurrections of the Northern as well as Southern Indians : and
". Lastly. Thus having shewn my good will to you and to your new little settlement, that you might sit every one under your own shady tree, where none might make you afraid, and that you might prosper naturally and spiritually, you and your children ; and having a little eased my mind of that weight and con- cern (in some measure) that lay upon me, I at present desist, and subscribe myself, in the love of our holy Lord Jesus Christ, your real friend, T. C."
This excellent letter from this good man proves that the Quakers were among our earliest settlers, and that this class of people were carly disposed to do justice to the natives of the country.
Had this humane and just policy of purchasing the Indian lands been first adopted and adhered to. it is highly probable the white people might have gradually obtained possession without the loss of so much blood and treasure.
'The ancestors of the Neills, Walkers, Bransons, McKays, Hackneys, Becsons, Luptons, Barretts, Dil- lons, &e, were among the earliest Quaker immigrants to,our valley. Three Quakers by the name of Faw- rett settled at an early period about 8 or 9 miles south of Winchester, near Zane's old. iron works, from whom a pretty numerous progeny has descended. . They have, however, chiedy migrated to the west.
Mr. Jefferson, in his Notes on Virginia, says, " That the lands of this country were taken from them (the Indians) by conquest, is not so general a truth as is sup-
3
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FIRST SETTLEMENT OF THE VALLEY.
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 doubtless be found on further search. 'The upper country we know has been acquired altogether by purchase in the most unexceptionable form."
Tradition relates, that several tracts of land were purchased by Quakers from the Indians on Apple-pie ridge, and that the Indians never were known to disturb the people residing on the land so purchased.
CHAPTER III.
First settlement of the valley.
In the year 1732, Joist Hite, with his family, and his sons-in-law, viz. George Bowman, Jacob Chrisman and Paul Froman, with their families, Robert Mckay, Ro- bert Green, William Duff, Peter Stephens, and several others, amounting in the whole to sixteen families, re- moved from Pennsylvania, cutting their road from York, and crossing the Cohongoruton about two miles above Ilarpers-Ferry. Hite settled on Opequon, about five miles south of Winchester, on the great highway from : Winchester to Staunton, now the residence of the high- ly respectable widow of the late Richard Peters Barton, Esq. and also the residence of Richard W. Barton, Esq. Peter Stephens and several others settled at Stephens- - burg, and founded the town; Jacob Chrisman at what is now called Chrisman's spring, about two miles south of Stephensburg; Bowman ou Cedar creek, about six miles farther south ; and Froman on the same creek, S or 9 miles north west of Bowman. Robert McKay settled on Crooked run, 8. or 9 miles south cast of Sts- phensburg. The several other families settled in the
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FIRST SETTLEMENT OF THE VALLEY.
same neighborhood, wherever they could find wood and water most convenient. From the most authentic in- formation which the author has been able to obtain, Ilite and his party were the first immigrants who settled west of the Blue ridge. They were, however, very soon followed by numerous others.
- In 1734,* Benjamin Allen, Riley Moore, and William White, removed from Monoccacy, in Maryland, and settled on the North branch of the Shenandoah, now in the county of Shenandoah, about 12 miles south of Woodstock,
In 1733, Jacob Stover, an enterprising German, ob- tained from the then governor of Virginia, a grant for five thousand acres of land on the South fork of the Gerandot river, on what was called Mesinetto creek.+
Tradition relates a singular and amusing account of Stover and his grant.§ On his application to the execu- tive for his grant, he was refused, unless he could give satisfactory assurance that he would have the land set- tled with the requisite number of families within a given time. Being unable to do this, he forthwith passed over to England, petitioned the king to direct his grant to issue, and in order to insure success, had given human names to every horse, cow, hog and dog he owned, and which he represented as heads of families, ready to mi- grate and settle the land. By this disingenuous trick he succeeded in obtaining directions from the king and council for securing his grant; on obtaining which he immediately sold outhis land in small divisions, at three
" Mr. Steenbergen informed the author that the traditionary account of the first settlement of his farm, together with Alleu's and Moore's, innde it shout JOG years; but Mr. Aaron Moore, grandson of Riley Moore, by refer- ring io the family records, fixes the period pretty correctly. Accordingto Mr. Moore's account, Moore, Allen and White, removed from Maryland in IT34. i This water course was first written Gerando, then Sheraudoah, now E arnaudoah.
; Moinetto is now called Masinutton. There is a considerable sort'ement of highly improved farms. now called "the Masinutton settlement," in the New county of Page, on the west side of the South river, on Stover's au- cient grant.
Ø stover's grant is described as being in the county of Spotsylvania, St. Marks Parish. Of course, Spotsylvania a: that period, i. e. 1733, crossed the Blue ridge,
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FIRST SETTLEMENT OF THE VALLEY.
pounds (equal to ten dollars) per hundred, and went off with the money.
Two men, John and Isaac Vanmeter, obtained a warrant from governor Gooch for locating forty thou- sand acres of land. This warrant was obtained in the year 1730. They sold or transferred part of their war- rant to Joist Hite ; and from this warrant emanated se- veral of Hite's grants, which the author has seen. Of the titles to the lands on which Hite settled, with seve- ral other tracts in the neighborhood of Stephensburg, the originals are founded on this warrant.
In the year 1731, Richard Morgan obtained a grant . for a tract of land in the immediate neighborhood of Shepherdstown, on or near the Cohongoruton. Among the first settlers on this water course and its vicinity, were. Robert Harper (Harpers-Ferry), William Stroop, Thomas and William Forester, Israel Friend, Thomas Shepherd, Thomas Swearengen, Van Swearengen, James Forman, Edward Lucas, Jacob Hite,* John Le- mon, Richard Mercer, Edward Mercer, Jacob Vanme- ter and brothers, Robert Stockton, Robert Buckles, John Tavlor, Samuel Taylor, Richard Morgan, John Wright, . and others.
The first settlers on the Wappatomaka (South Branch) were Coburn, Howard, Walker and Rutledge. This settlement commenced about the year 1734 or 1735. It does not appear that the first immigrants to this fine section of country had the precaution to secure titles to their lands, until Lord Fairfax migrated to Virginia, and opened his office for granting warrants in the Northern Neck. The earliest grant which the author could find in this settlement bears date in 1747. The most of the grants are dated in 1749. This was a most unfortunate omission on the part of these people. It left Fairfax at the discretion of exercising his insatia- ble disposition for the monopoly of wealth ; and instead of granting these lands upon the usual terms allowed to other settlers, he availed himself of the opportunity
* One of Joist Hito's sons.
P
...
.
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FIRST SETTLEMENT OF THE VALLEY,
of laying off in manors, fifty-five thousand acres, in that he called his South Branch manor, and nine thou- sand -acres on Patterson's creek.
This was considered by the settlers an odious and op- pressive act on the part of his lordship, and many of them left the country .* These two great surveys were made in the year 1747. 'To such tenants as remained, his lordship granted leases for-ninety-nine years. reser- ving an annual rent of twenty shillings sterling per hundred acres ; whereas to all other immigrants only two shillings sterling rent per hundred was reserved, with a fee simple title to the tenant. Some further no- tice of Lord Fairfax and his immense grant will be ta- ken in a future chapter.
Tradition relates that a man by the name of John Howard, and his son, previous to the first settlement of our valley, explored the country, and discovered the charming valley of the South Branch, crossed the Al- legany mountains, and on the Ohio killed a very large buffalo bull, skinned him, stretched his hide over ribs of wood, made a kind of boat, and in this frail bar' de- scended the Ohio and Mississippi to New-Orleans, where they were apprehended by the French as suspicious characters, and sent to France ; but nothing criminal appearing against them, they were discharged. From hence they crossed over to England, where Fairfax by some means got to hear of Mr. Howard, sought an in- terview with him, and obtained from him a description of the fertility and immense value of the South Branch, which determined his lordship at once to secure it in manors.t Notwithstanding this selfish monopoly on the part of Fairfax, the great fertility and value of the country induced numerous tenants to take leases, settle, and improve the lands.
Atan early period many immigrants settled on Ca- pon, (anciently called Cacaphon, which is said to be the Indian name,) also on Lost river. Along Back creek,
* William Heath, Esq. of Hardy, gave the author this information.
t Also related by Mr. Heath. *
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FIRST SETTLEMENT OF THE VALLEY.
Cedar creek, and Opequon, pretty numerous settle- ments were made. The two great branches of the Shenandoah, from its forks upwards, were among our earliest settlements.
An enterprising Quaker, by the name of Ross, ob- tained a warrant for surveying forty thousand acres of land. The surveys on this warrant were made along Opequon, north of Winchester, and up to Apple-pie ridge. Pretty numerous immigrants of the Quaker profession removed from Pennsylvania, and settled on Ross's surveys. The reader will have observed in my preceding chapter, that as early as the year 173S, this people had regular monthly mectings established on Opequon .*
The lands on the west side of the Shenandoah, from a little below the forks, were first settled by overscers and slaves, nearly down to the mouth of the Bullskin. A Col. Carter,t of the lower country, had obtained grants for about sixty-three thousand acres of land on this river. His surveys commenced a short distance below the forks of the river, and ran down a little be- low Snickers's ferry, upwards of 20 miles. This fine body of land is now subdivided into a great many most valuable farmns, a considerable part of which are now owned by the highly respectable families of the Bur- wells and Pages. But little of it now remains in the hands of Carter's heirs.
Another survey of thirteen thousand acres was grant- ed to another person, and lies immediately below and adjoining Carter's line, running a considerable distance into the county of Jefferson. 'This fine tract of land, it is said, was sold'under the hammer at Williamsburg, some time previous to the war of the revolution. The owner had been sporting, lost money, and sold the land. to pay his debt of honor. General Washington hap- pened to be present, knew the land, and advised the late
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