USA > Virginia > A history of the valley of Virginia, 3rd ed > Part 41
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The men who committed the murder were apprehended and or- dered to jail, but their neighbors raised a party of men, and rescued the prisoners, and set them at liberty. They were never brought to trial for the offense. The father of my informant was one of the party who effected the rescue.
APP'S VALLEY.
This Valley is situated in the County of Tazewell, and took its name from Absolom Looney, a hunter, who is supposed to have been the first white man that explored it. It is about ten miles long, and generally about fifty rods wide. There is no streain of water run- ning along it, nor across it. The branches that come down the mountain hollows, and the springs, all sink at the edge of the flat land and rise in a large spring at the lower end of the valley. When first visited by the white man, it was overgrown by the crab-apple, plum, and thorn, and covered with the most luxuriant herbage; af- fording the finest range for stock, and abundant with game.
In the autumn of 1775, Capt. James Moore removed with his family from Rockbridge county to the Valley, having cleared some land the preceding spring, and raised a crop of corn. A short time afterwards, his brother-in-law, Robert Poage, settled near to him in the same Valley. The place was exceedingly secluded, and these two families were ten or twelve miles from any other settlement of whites. As this has been a favorite hunting ground of the Indians, they often visited it. Indeed, there was scarcely a year in which these families were not compelled to leave the Valley and take shel- ter in a Fort in the Bluestone settlement.
In the spring of 1782, the Indians attacked the house of Robert Poage at night. They burst the door open, but finding that there
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were several men in the house, (there happened to be three besides Mr. Poage), they did not attempt to enter the house, but after watch- ing it for some time, went off ; and the next morning killed a young man by the name of Richards, who had been living for a time at Capt. Moore's. He had gone out early in the morning to put some deer- skins to soak in a pond about a quarter of a mile from the house ; and whilst engaged at the pond, he was shot and immediately scalp- ed. At this time the families Forted again in the Bluestone settle- ment ; and soon afterwards Mr. Poage removed to Georgia.
In September, 1784, the Indians again excited great alarm. The first that was known of their being in that part of the country, was the capture of James, one of Moore's sons. After breakfast, his father sent him to bring a horse from a waste plantation about two miles from where he lived. Accustomed to go about alone, and being out often after night, he was a fearless lad. But on this occa- sion, he had scarcely got out of sight of his father's house, before a most distressing panic came over him. At the time he determined to return, but feared his father's displeasure. When he got near the field where the horses were, three Indians sprang out from be- hind a log near his path and captured him at once. They then en- deavored to catch some of the horses, but failing in this, they started with their captive to the Shawnee towns, situated on the head waters of Mad River, in Ohio. This journey occupied twenty days. Soon after reaching the towns, James was sold by the Indians who had captured him to his sister, for an old horse. By her he was sent with a party of the tribes on a winter hunt, in which he suffered great hardships from hunger and exposure. In the following spring, at a great dance held at a town near to the one in which he lives, he was purchased by a French trader for fifty dollars, paid in goods. The Frenchman was induced to purchase him, from seeing in the cap- tive lad striking likeness to one of his own sons. By Mr. Ariome and
his wife James was treated as a son. At the time when he was sold by the Indians, James got an opportunity to communicate with his father, through a trader from Kentucky, intelligence of his release from the Indians, and that he had gone to the neighborhood of De- triot. The intelligence gave rise to hopes of seeing him again, hopes which but two of the family realized. And when they met him, it was at a place and in circumstances very different from what they had anticipated.
In 1785, the Valley was again visited by the Indians. On the morning of the 14th of July, a party of between thirty and forty, led to the place by one of those who had captured James, attacked and destroyed Mr. Moore's family. At that time when it was broken up Capt. Moore's family consisted of his wife, (who before marriage was a Miss Poage, of Rockbridge county), seven children, an old English servant by the name of Simpson, Martha Evans, who was assisting Mrs. Moore, and two men hired laborers. On that morning these men had gone out to reap wheat ; and Mr. Moore was
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engaged about breakfast time in salting some horses that come up from the range, and was some distance from the house. The In- dians who had been watching in a grain field about two hundred yards from the house, raised a war whoop, and rushed on. Capt. Moore ran towards the house, but seeing that the door was closed, and that the Indians would reach it as soon as he could, he ran across the small lot in which the house stood, but when he got on the fence he stopped and was shot with seven balls. He then ran about fifty yards and fell. The Indians told one of the captives afterwards, that he might have escaped if he had not halted on the fence. Mrs. Moore and Martha Evans barred the door on the first alarm. The old Englishman, Simpson, was also in the house, and there were five or six rifles. Martha Evans took three of them upstairs to Simpson and called to him shoot. He was in a bed ; and on lifting the clothes, she saw that he had been shot in the side of the head, and was dying. There were two large fierce dogs that fought the Indians at the door until they were shot down. The door was soon cut down with tomahawks. Three children were killed before the house was forced, two at the place where Mr. Moore was salting the horses, and one in the yard near the house. The prisoners were Mrs. Moore, John, Polly, Jane and an infant, and Martha Evans. Whilst the Indians were cutting down the door, Martha and Polly lifted a loose plank in the floor and got under it, taking the infant with them. It, however, began to cry, and Polly unwilling to set it out alone, went out with it. Martha remained concealed until after the house had been plundered and set on fire, and whilst the attention of the Indians was taken up in dividing the spoil, she slipped out at a back way and secreted herself under a log which lay across a branch not far from the house. A short time before they left the place, a straggling Indian seated himself on the log and began to work with the lock of his gun. She supposing that he saw her, and was going to shoot her, came out and gave herself up.
After plundering the house of everything they choose to take, and setting the buildings on fire, the Indians started for their towns, which stood near the place on which the town of Chillicothe now stands. John was sick and unable to travel, and was killed with the tomahawk on the first day ; and the infant becoming fretful, was killed on the second or third day.
The men who were in the harvest field at the time when the In- dians attacked the house, immediately took to flight and went with speed to the Bluestone settlement ; and in the evening a party of seven or eight men came to the place ; but seeing the indications of a large party of Indians, after burying the three children and mak- ing a little search for the body of Capt. Moore, but without success, they returned, an express was sent to Col. Cloyde, of Montgomery county, a distance of sixty or seventy miles. He reached the place with a company of thirty-five or forty men, on the fourth day after the disaster. They made no attempt to follow the Indians. After
50
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searching for some time they found the body of Capt. Moore, and wrapping it in a saddle blanket, they buried it at the spot where he fell. His death was much regretted. He wasa christian, a patriot, and a brave man. In the memorable battle of Guliford, he commanded one of the companies of the Virginia riflemen with great credit.
A short time after the Indians reached their towns with the captives, a party of Cherokees halted there on their return from an attack on some of the settlements in Pennsylvania, in which they had been unsuccessful, and had lost some of their party. They laid a plan to avenge their, loss, by murdering these captives. To accomplish this, they commenced a drunken frolic, taking care to get the Shawnees dead drunk, but to keep in some measure sober themselves. They then accomplished their purpose, when those to whom the captives belonged were unable to protect them. Mrs. Moore and Jane were massacred. Polly Moore and Martha Evans escaped through the timely care of the squaws belong to the famil- ies into which they had been adopted. When the drinking com- menced they suspected the design ; and secretly got these two off, and carefully secreted them in a thicket, two or three milesfrom the towns, until the Cherokees were gone. When they were brought back. Polly was shown, in a pile of ashes, the half burnt bones of her mother and sister. Whether they had been put to the torture, or whether they had been tomahawked, and then burnt, she never ascertained certainly. The former is more probable. With an In- dian hoe she dug a hole, and gathered the bones out of the ashes as well as she could ; and having covered them, rolled a stone over them. She was at the time in the tenth year of her age, an orphan, and an orphan among savages. Her comforts were her fellow cap- tive and a copy of the New Testament, which she had. Her par- ents were pious. They had taught her to love and value the Bible. When the Indians were setting fire to the furniture which they had taken from her father's house, and which they had gathered into a pile in the yard, she saw a copy of the New Testament in it, and stepped up to the pile and took it, and put it under arm. This she carefully preserved, and the old chief into whose family she had been adopted, often called her to him to read, al- though he could not understand a word of what he heard. He was kind to her.
In the latter part of the following autumn, a detachment of American troops attacked and destroyed the Indian towns; and burn- ing up their whole stock of winter provisions, reduced them to a state of extreme want. As soon as they could, the Indians set off for Detroit. In their journey they encountered great hardships. The country was an unbroken wilderness, and snow often knee deep, the weather cold, and the game very scarce. Their principal food was the harkberry. They cut the trees down, gathered the berries, and after breaking them in their mortars, made broth of
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them. In the hardships of this journey, the captives had their full share. Sometime, about the middle of the winter, they reached De- troit ; and early in March, Martha was sold, and about the same time Polly was sold, in a drinking spell, for a keg of rum, to a man by the name of Stogwell, an American by birth, but an unprincipaled man, a tory, and unfeeling wretch. While living with him, her suf- fering were greater than while with the Indians.
In one of Mr. Ariome's trading excursions, James, who was with him, met with a Shawnee Indian whom he had known while a captive, who informed him of the ruin of his father's family ; and late in the winter after Polly had been purchased by Stogwell, he learned where she was. The following spring Stogwell removed to the neighborhood in which Mr. Ariome lived : and James and his sister met. The writer of this narrative, when he was a lad, has often heard them talk over the scenes of that meeting. What their feelings were, the reader must conjecture. James lodged a com- plaint against Stogwell for the cruel treatment of his sister, with Col. McKee, the Indian agent at Detriot ; and endeavored to obtain her release. In this he was unsuccessful, but it was decided that as soon as an opportunity should offer for her return to Virginia, she should be given up without any ransom ; but Stogwell, from motives of policy, became less severe in his treatment. Martha Evans was also living in the same neighborhood, with a kind, inde- pendent farmer. These three were often together ; and the subject of returning to their homes was often talked over. But seri- ous difficulties were in the way. In the meantime, the God whose provience had protected them thus far, was preparing the way for them.
The father of Martha Evans lived in the Walker's Creek, set- tlement, in the County of Giles. After the peace which followed Wayne's expedition, Thomas Evans, his son, determined to find and release his sister, or perish in the attempt. He was an active, ath- letic young man, a first-rate woodsman, cool, fearless and generous. He prepared for his expedition by furnishing himself with a good rifle, a full supply of ammunition, a suit of buckskin, and a suffici- ent sum of money in specie ; and set out to seek his sister amongst the savages of the western wilderness. The enterprise was full of hazards, but nothing daunted him. After various perils and unsuc- cessful attempts to get any tidings of her, he at length heard she was near Detroit, and made his way thither. In the early part of October, 1797, he set out on his return to Virginia with his sister and James and Polly Moore. The two Moore's got a passage in a trading boat down the lakes, about two hundred miles, to the Mora- vian towns. There Mr. Evans and his sister met them with three horses. Fortunately for them, a party of these friendly Indians were just starting out on a winter hunt. With them they traversed the hunting ground of several tribes less friendly, and were protect- ed in some situations which seemed full of danger. They reached
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the neighborhood of Pittsburg, in the beginning of winter, and re- mained with an ancle of Thomas Evans until spring. In the early part of spring they reached Rockbridge county, where the Moore's met with their younger brother, Joseph, who at the time of the breaking up of his father's family was in Rockbridge, at his grand- father Poage's.
After some years, the Evans family moved to the west. James Moore resides on the tract of land owned by his father. Joseph re- sides in the same neighborhood ] Each of them has raised a large family, and each has been for many years a professing Christian. Polly became a member of the church at an early period, and in 1798 was married to the Rev. Samuel Brown, for many years pastor of New Providence church. Few have lived more generally beloved by a large circle of acquaintances. She closed her eventful life in the month of April, 1824, in the joyful triumphs of Christian faith. Her remains rest beside those of her husband in the graveyard of New Providence church. She became the mother of eleven childen ; of these, one died in infancy and one in early youth. The nine who sur- vive are all professors of religion. Of her seven sons, five are min- isters of the gospel in the Presbyterian church ; one is a farmer, and the youngest at this time, 1837, is at college. [Prepared for Ker- cheval's History of the Valley, by J. M. Brown].
The author heard from Poage of Rockbridge county, a connec- tion of the young prisoner, some additional circumstances in rela- tion to the intended cruel treatment of the prisoner, by the savages. Soon after reaching their village, they held a council, and determin- ed that James should run the gauntlet. They, as was their usual practice, placed themselves in two lines, with their scourges, and or- dered the prisoner to run between them. James started and when the first struck him, he wheeled around and made furious battle on the fellow. All the Indians immediately gathered around him, pat- ting and caressing him, and pronounced him a good warrior.
The Rev. Mr. Brown, the author of the foregoing narrative, stated to the author that he has no recollection of hearing this anec- dote ; but as Mr. Poage is a much older man than Mr. Brown, and a man of highly respectable character, and who certainly would have no motive to induce him to misrepresent any of the facts connected with this interesting story, the author has thought proper to give it to the reader, without holding himself responsible for its truth.
WEYER'S CAVE, IN AUGUSTA COUNTY.
The reader will find a particular description of this grand work of nature in the appendix, written by a gentleman of scientific ac- quirements, and is a most graphic account of it. The author of it resides in Staunton. The writer saw and explored this cave in the year 1836.
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APPENDIX.
NATURAL BRIDGE, IN ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY.
Mr. Jefferson has given a most graphical and beautiful descrip- tion of this stupendous work of nature. The author deems it hardly necessary to attempt any additional description, except in one or two instance. The author saw this place for the first time in the month of June, 1819. He again called to see it in the month of August, 1836. When he first saw it, he was alone, and had crossed it before he knew he was near it. He inquired at a house very near to it, and was informed by one of the inmates that he had just crossed it, who then directed me the way to get to it. Descending into a deep glen, I had to dismount my horse and walk up the mar- gin of a fine stream of beautiful clear water, until I approached with- in seventy or eighty yards of the arch, the view being obstruc.ed by a point of rocks, until within that distance. Passing the rocks, the most grand, sublime, and I may add, awful sight that I had ever looked upon, burst suddenly in full view. It was a very clear day, the sun rather past meridian, and not a speck of cloud or anything to obstruct the sight. The author was so struck with the grandeur and majesty of the scene, as to become for several minutes, terrified and nailed to the spot, and incapable to move forward. After re- covering in some degree from this, I may truly say, agonizing men- tal state of excitement, the author approached the arch with trem- bling and trepidation.
After some moments, he became more composed, and wrote the following lines :
O ! though eternal architect Divine, All beautiful thy works do shine ! Permit me thus to sing ; Who can this towering arch explore, And not thy sovereign power adore, Eternal King ?
Awed, at first sight, my blood was chill'd, My trembling limbs and nerves all thrill'd Beneath this splendid pile. My mind, howe'er, was soon on flame
To adore the great builders name, Viewing the heavenly smile.
Did'st thou, O God ! this arch uprear, To make us trembling mortals stare, And humbly own thy name ? Or did'st thou build it for thy pleasure,
To prove thy power without measure, And spread eternal fame ?
Whate'er the motive or the plan, It far exceeds the art of man ; The grandeur of the scheme Shows that the builder lives on high, Beyond that Blue, ethereal sky, And wields a hand supreme.
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At the author's second visit to this place, he discovered on viewing the arch attentively, the image of a very large eagle, as if it was in full flight, with the image of a lion in chase of it. This sight is near the eastern edge of the arch. The author, however, had heard of these images before he saw them.
There is a story told in the neighborhood, in connection with this most wonderful work of nature, of a very extraordinary per- formance of one of the young students of Lexington college. Some years ago, several of the students rode out to view the bridge. One of them seeing the name of Washington inscribed in the face of the rock, observed to one of his companions that he would place his name above Washington's. He ascended the rock, and effected his object ; when looking at the yawning gulf beneath, he was afraid to attempt the descent, and requested his friends not to speak to him ; then commenced climbing up the wall. Some of the young men ran round on the bridge, and placed themselves in a position to assist him, if he should get within their reach. The young man actually succeeded in getting so near them, that they seized him and drew him up; * but the moment he was on the bridge, from the great bodily exertion, and extreme mental excitement, he fainted, and lay some moments before he recovered.
This individual in the year 1836, was residing in the village of Wythe courthouse. The author intended to visit him and converse with him on the subject, but was told by a friend that he conversed on the subject with great reluctance. Of course, the author declined his intended visit.
SALT POND, IN GILES COUNTY.
This is a most beautiful work of nature. There are three moun- tains + of considerable magnitude, which meet at this place, the several mountains at their terminations forms a considerable chasm ; this affords a receptacle for the water. It presents to the beholder the appearance of a minature lake of pure transparent water, and is about one mile in length, and generally from one-quarter to a half mile in width. From its head to its termination, it lies nearly a northeast course. It is obstructed at its terinination with vast piles of huge rock, over which it is discharged. When this place was first known, the water found passage through the fissures of the rocks. In the year 1804, the remarkable wet spring and summer, which is doubtless recollected by every elderly person, it is supposed the vast quantity of leaves and other rubbish that washed into it, closed up the fissures of the rocks; immediately after which it commenced rising. An elder gentleman residing, in 1836, on New
* From the base to the top of the arch, is two hundred feet perpendicu- lar height.
{ Peter's Mountain, the Salt Pond Mountain, and Baldnob Mountain.
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River, a few miles from it, Col. Snydow, informed the author that it had risen fully twenty-five feet since the year 1804. It is said to produce but few fish, there having been a few fine trout caught in it ; but vast numbers of the water lizard exist in it. Col. Suydow informed the writer that when this place was first known to the white people, vast numbers of buffalos, elks and deers resorted to it, and drank freely of its waters ; from which circumstance it acquired the name of "Salt Pond." The author tasted the water, but could not discover that it had any saltish flavor.
Col. Snydow also informed the writer, that previous to the ris- ing of the water, a very large spring raised at the head, and sup- plied the lake with water ; but since its rise, that spring has disap- peared, and it is now fed by numerous small springs around its head.
The author recollects seeing, (in a description of this place, published in a northern magazine, some years ago), the opinion ex- pressed that this wonderful work of nature had been formed within the memory of man ; but this is doubtless a mistake. Messrs. Sny- dow and Lybrook both stated to the writer that it existed when the country was first discovered. Col. Snydow particularly, stated that he could recollect it upwards of sixty years, and that it had not increased in length within that period but had risen as above described.
Near this pool of water stands a wild cherry, which these gen- tlemen described to be ninety feet high to the first limb, perfectly straight, and not less than five feet in diameter.
THE ROYAL OAK.
This grand and majestic tree is within about one mile of Union, a very sprightly village, the seat of justice for Monroe county. It is of vast height, and is said to be eight feet in diameter. It has acquired the name from its immense size ; towering over every other tree in the forest in that section of country.
SOPIS KNOB.
This is a part of the mountain contiguous to the village, Union ; and is the residence of Alexander Calder, Esq., who has erected a splendid brick dwelling house near the summit of the mountain. It is two miles from the village to Mr. Calder's house, a continued as- cent from the village to the house, and considerably steep in places. Of course Mr. Calder's house stands on most elevated ground. Mr. Calder is a resident of Charleston, South Carolina, and has improved this place for his summer residence. The author rode to Mr. Cal- der's house for the purpose of viewing the splendid works of nature and art combined at this extraordinary place.
Col. Andrew Beirne, the representative in Congress, resides near Union, in Montgomery county, is said to be a man of great wealth,
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and has erected a splendid brick dwelling house and other fine im- provements, on an extensive farm.
Col. Beirne informed the author that a tract of country for more than one hundred miles between Greenbrier county and the Ken- awha, was inhabited ; that it is very mohntainous, but contains a large proportion of fertile lands.
This gentleman also expressed the opinion that it is one of the healthiest regions, both for man and beast, in all North America.
VALUABLE MINERALS.
Our mountains abound in valuable minerals. We have three manganese mines within about twenty miles of Winchester. The price of the article is, however, so much reduced of late years, that there is but little of it taken to the market. The author is informed that a rich copper mine has lately been discovered, and a company formed for working it. It is said it yields well. Several lead mines are said to have been discovered, but as yet, they have not been very productive. There have been several coal mines opened, of the an- thracite kind, one of which yields well. It is probable that on fur- ther research, sufficient quantities may be found to supply this sec- tion of country.
The people of our Valley have abundant cause to be humbly thankful to the Great Author of our existence for the blessings he has in his wisdom and benevolence provided for their happiness.
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THE END.
T NDEX.
PAGE.
Attack on Rice's Fort ..
22'
Attack on Doddridge's Fort.
23I
Adam Poe.
240 312
Bacon's Rebellion
Breaking Out of the Indian War.
12 65
Crawford's Campaign.
219
Coshocton Campaign
233 235 261
Captivity of Mrs. Brown
Caravans
Civilization
Culture of Silk
Churches.
Cow with Six Legs
Cave in Berkeley County
Cook's Fort
Dedication
3 109 I87
Doddridge's Notes
Death of Cornstalk
200
Dress.
Establishment of the Towns
First Settlement of Virginia.
First Settlement of the Valley.
Faulkner's Report.
Face of the Country
Fine Arts ..
Fire Hunting.
Grey Sulphur Springs
House Furniture and Diet
Hunting ..
House Warming.
Hybridous
Harper's Ferry
House Cave.
377 378
Harrison's Cave
Indian Wars
34
297 364 37I 365 375 385
Dunmore's War
256 178
7 45 160
312 364 388 349 252 263 270 365 371
Appendix
INDEX.
403
Indian Settlements
37
Indian Incursions
69
Indian Summer.
217
Jacob's Account of Dunmore's War.
118 238
Lewis Wetzel.
Lewisburg
Mode of Living of the Primitive Settlers
McIntosh's Campaign
207
Mechanic Arts.
Medicine
Morals
Medicinal Springs.
330
Natural Bridge.
397 156 317
Natural Curiosities
New Creek Gap.
375
Origin of the Indians in America.
5
Origin of Methodists in the Valley.
62
Prospect Rock.
374 56
Religion and Customs, &c.
Revolution.
Regurgitary Spring
Royal Oak.
Settlement of the Country
Sports
Staunton
Salt Pond.
Sopsis Knob
Valuable Minerals.
140
War of 1763
193
Wappatomaca Campaign
202
Working
272
Witchcraft
287
Weyer's Cave.
336
Winchester
361
Washington's Masonic Cave.
373
363 151 204
Moravian Campaign.
274 278 291
Northern Neck of Virginia
295 384 399 247 283 362 398 399 400
War of the Revolution
1951
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