USA > Virginia > A history of the valley of Virginia, 3rd ed > Part 6
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* Mr. Thomas Barrett, an aged and respectable citizen of Frederick county related this tradition to the author.
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INDIAN SETTLEMENTS.
bers, and the accumulation of considerable property and the improve- ments, before Indian hostilities commenced.
It has already been stated that it was twenty-three years from the first settlement, before the Indians committed any acts of outrage on the white people. During this period many pretty good dwelling houses were erected. Joist Hite had built a stone house on the Opequon, which house is now standing, and has a very ancient appearance ;* but there are no marks upon it by which to ascertain the time. In 1751, James Wilson erected a stone house which is still standing, and now the residence of Mr. Adam Kern, adjoin- ing, or near the village of Kernstown.
Jacob Chrisman also built a pretty large stone house in the year 1751, now the residence of Mr. Abraham Stickley, about two miles south of Stephensburg. Geo. Bowman and Paul Froman each of them built stone houses, about the same period. The late Col. John Hite, in the year 1753, built a stone house now the dwelling house of Mrs. Barton. This building was considered by far the finest dwelling house west of the Blue Ridge .; Lewis Stephens, in the year 1756, built a stone house, the ruins of which are now to be seen at the old iron works of the late Gen. Isaac Zane. It will hereafter be seen that these several stone buildings became of great importance to the people of the several neighborhoods, as places of protection and security against the attacks of the Indians.
The subject of the early settlement of the Valley will be resumed in my next chapter.
* On the wall plate of a framed barn built by Hite, the figures 1747 are plainly marked, and now to be seen.
There is a tradition in this neighborhood that Col. Hite quarried every stone in this building with his own hands.
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FIRST SETTLEMENT OF THE VALLEY.
CHAPTER IV.
FIRST SETTLEMENT OF THE VALLEY .- ( Continued) .
Tradition relates that a man by the name of John Vanmeter, from New York, some years previous to the first settlement of the Valley, discovered the fine country on the Wappatomaka. This man was a kind of wandering Indian trader, became well acquainted with the Delawares, and once accompanied a war party who marched to the south for the purpose of invading the Catawbas. The Ca- tawbas, however, anticipated them, met them very near the spot where Pendleton courthouse now stands, and encountered and de- feated them with immense slaughter. Vanmeter was engaged on the side of the Delawares in this battle. When Vanmeter returned to New York, he advised his sons, that if they ever migrated to Virginia, by all means to secure a part of the South Branch Bottom, and described the lands immediately above what is called "The Trough," as the finest body of land which he had ever discovered in all his travels. One of his sons, Isaac Vanmeter, in conformity with his father's advice came to Virginia about the year 1736 or 1737, and made what was called a tomahawk improvement on the lands now owned by Isaac Vanmeter, Esq., immediately above the Trough, where Fort Pleasant was afterwards erected. After this improvement Mr. Vanmeter returned to New Jersey, came out again in 1740, and found a man by the name of Coburn settled on his land. Mr. Van- meter bought out Coburn, and again returned to New Jersey ; and in the year 1744 removed with his family and settled on the land .* Previous to Vanmeter's final removal to Virginia, several immi- grants from Pennsylvania, chiefly Irish, had settled on the South Branch. Howard, Coburn, Walker and Rutledge, were the first settlers on the Wappatomaka. t
William Miller and Abraham Hite were also among the early settlers. When the Indian wars broke out, Miller sold out his right to 500 acres of land, and all his stock of horses and cattle in the woods, for twenty-five pounds, ¿ and removed to the South Fork of the Shenandoah, a few miles above Front Royal. The 500 acres of land sold by Miller lie within about two miles of Moorefield, and one acre of it would now command more money than the whole tract, includ- ing his stock was sold for.
* Isaac Vanmeter, Esq,, of Hardy, detailed this tradition to the author.
+ Communicated by William Heath, Esq.
# Isaac Vanmeter, Esq., stated this fact to the author.
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FIRST SETTLEMENT OF THE VALLEY.
Casey, Pancake, Forman, and a number of others, had settled on the Wappatomaka, previous to Vanmeter's final removal.
In the year 1740, the late Isaac Hite, Esq., one of the sons of Joist Hite, settled on the North Branch of the Shenadoalı, in the county of Frederick, on the beautiful farm called "Long Meadows." This fine estate is now owned by Maj. Isaac Hite, the only son of Isaac Hite, deceased .*
About the same year, John Lindsey and James Lindsey, brothers, removed and settled on the Long Marsh, between the Bullskin and Berryville, in the county of Frederick ; Isaac Larue removed from New Jersey in 1743, and settled on the same marsh. About the same period, Christopher Beeler removed and settled within two or three miles from Larue; about the year' 1744, James Hampton and two sons came from the eastern shore of Maryland, settled on Buck Marsh, near Berryville, and lived the greater part of the year in a hollow sycamore tree. They enclosed a piece of land and made a crop preparatory to the removal of the family.t
In 1743 Joseph Carter removed from Bucks County, Pennsyl- vania, and settled on Opequon, about five miles east of Winchester. Very near Mr. Carter's residence, on the west side of the creek, was a beautiful grove of forest timber, immediately opposite which a fine limestone spring issued from the east bank of the creek. This grove was at the time of Mr. Carter's first settlement, a favorite camping ground of the Indians, where numerous collections, sometimes two or three hundred at a time, would assemble, and remain for several weeks together. Mr. Carter was a shoemaker, and on one occasion two Indians called at his shop just as he had finished and hung up a pair of shoes, which one of the Indians seeing secretly slipped under his blanket, and attempted to make off. Carter detected him, and took the shoes from him. His companion manifested the utmost in- dignation at the theft, and gave Carter to understand that the culprit would be severely dealt with. As soon as the Indians returned to the encampment, information was given to the chiefs, and the unfor- tunate thief was so severely chastised, that Mr. Carter, from mo- tives of humanity, interposed, and begged that the punishment might cease.Į
Maj. Isaac Hite informed the author that numerous parties of Indians, in passing and repassing, frequently called at his grand- father's house, on Opequon, and that but one instance of theft was ever committed. On that occasion a pretty considerable party had
* Maj. Isaac Hite, of Frederick county, communicated this information to the author.
+ Col. John B. Larue and William Castleman, Esq., gave the author tu- information.
# The late Mr. James Carter gave the author this tradition, which he re- ceived from his father, who was a boy of twelve or thirteen years old at the time, and an eye-witness of the fact. Opposite to this camping ground, on a high hill east of the creek, is a large Indian grave.
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FIRST SETTLEMENT OF THE VALLEY
called, and on their leaving the house some articles of inconsiderable value was missing. A messenger was sent after them, and informa- tion of the theft given to the chiefs. Search was immediately made, the article found in the possession of one of them and restored to its owner. These facts go far to show their high sense of honesty and summary justice. It has indeed been stated to the author, that their traveling parties would, if they needed provisions and could not otherwise procure them, kill fat hogs or fat cattle in the woods in order to supply themselves with food. This they did not con- sider stealing. Every animal running at large they considered lawful game.
The Indians charge the white people with teaching them the knowledge of theft and several other vices. In the winter of 1815- 16, the author spent some weeks in the state of Georgia, where he fell in with Col. Barnett, one of the commissioners for running the boundary line of Indian lands which had shortly before been ceded to the United States. Some conversation took place on the subject of the Indians and Indian character, in which Col. B. remarked, that in one of his excursions through the Indian country, he met with a very aged Cherokee chief, who spoke and understood the English language pretty well. The Colonel had several conversations with this aged inan, in one of which he congratulated him upon the pros- pect of his people naving their condition greatly improved, there being every reason to believe that in the course of a few years they would become acquainted with the arts of civil life-would be better clothed, better fed, and erect better and more comfortable habita- tions-and what was of still greater importance, they would become acquainted with the doctrines and principles of the Christian relig- ion. This venerable old man listened with the most profound and respectful attention until the Colonel had concluded, and then with a significant shake of his head and much emphasis replied : that he doubted the benefits to the red people pointed out by the colonel ; that before their fathers were acquainted with the whites, the red people needed but little, and that little the Great Spirit gave them, the forest supplying them with food and raiment ; that before their fathers were acquainted with the white people, the red people never got drunk, because they had nothing to make them drunk, and never committed theft, because they had no temptation to do so. It was true, that when parties were out hunting, and one party was unsuc- cessful and found the game of the more successful party hung up, if they needed provision they took it; and this was not stealing, it was the law and custom of the tribes. If they went to war they des- troyed each other's property ; this was done to weaken their enemy. Red people never swore, because they had no words to express an oath. Red people would not cheat, because they had no temptation to commit fraud ; they never told falsehoods, because they had 110 temptation to tell lies. And as to religion, you go to your churches, sing loud, pray loud, and make great noise. The red people meet
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FIRST SETTLEMENT OF THE VALLEY
once a year, at the feast of new corn, extinguish all their fires, and kindle up a new one, the smoke of which ascends to the Great Spirit as a greatful sacrifice. Now what better is your religion than ours ? The white people have taught us to get drunk, to steal, to lie, to cheat, and to swear ; and if the knowledge of these vices, as you pro- fess to hold them, and punish by your laws, is beneficial to the red people, we are benefitted by our acquaintance with you ; if not, we are greatly injured by that acquaintance.
To say the least of this untutored old man, his opinions, relig- ion excepted, were but too well founded, and convey a severe rebuke upon the character of those who boast of the superior advantages of the lights of education and a knowledge of the religion of the Holy Redeemer.
From this digression the author will again turn his attention to the early history of our county.
About the year 1763, the first settlements were made at or near the head of Bullskin. Two families, by the name of Riley and Alle- mong, first commenced the settlement of this immediate neighbor- hood. At this period timber was so scarce that the settlers were compelled to cut small saplings to enclose their fields .* The prairie produced grass five or six feet high ; t and even our mountains and hills were covered with the sustenance of quadrupeds of every species. The pea vine grew abundantly on the hilly and mountainous lands, than which no species of vegetable production afforded finer and richer pasturage.
From this state of the country, many of our first settlers turned their attention to raising large herds of horses, cattle, hogs, &c. Many of them became expert, hardy and adventurous hunters, and spent much of their time and depended chiefly for support and money-making on the sale of skins and furs .¿ Moses Russell, Esq., informed the author that hilly lands about his residence, near the base of the North Mountain, in the southwest corner of Frederick, and which now present to the eye the appearance of great poverty of soil, within his recollection were covered with a fine growth of pea vine, and that stock of every description grew abundantly fat in the summer season.
Isaac Larue, who settled on the Long Marsh in 1743, as has been stated, soon became celebrated for his numerous herds of horses
* Messrs. Christian Allemong and George Riley both stated this fact to author.
+ Mr. George Riley an aged and respectable citizen, stated to the author that the grass on the Bullskin barrens grew so tall, that he had frequently the drawn it before him when on horseback, and tied it before him.
# The late Henry Fry, one of the early settlers on Capon river, upwards of forty years ago informed the author, that he purchased the tract of land on which he first setted, on Capon River, for which he engaged to pay either {200 or {250, the author does on recollect which sum, and that he made every dollar of the money by sale of skins and furs, the game being killed or caught with his own hands.
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FIRST SETTLEMENT OF THE VALLEY.
and cattle. The author was told by Col. J. B. Larue, who is the owner of part of his grandfather's fine landed estate, that his grand- father frequently owned between ninety and one hundred head of horses, but it so happened that he never could get his stock to count a hundred.
The Hites, Frys, Vanmeters, and many others, raised vast stocks of horses, cattle, hogs, &c. Tradition relates that Lord Fair- fax, happening one day in Winchester to see a large drove of unusu- ally fine hogs passing through the town, inquired from whence they came. Being informed that they were from the mountains west of Winchester, he remarked that when a new county should be laid off in that direction it ought to be called Hampshire, after a county in England celebrated for its production of fine hogs; and this, it is said, gave name to the present county of Hampshire.
The author will only add to this chapter, that, from the first settlement of the Valley, to the breaking out of the war, on the part of the French and Indians, against our ancestors, in the year 1754, our country rapidly increased in numbers and in the acquisi- tion of property, without interruption from the natives, a period of twenty-two years.
In my next chapter I shall give a brief account of the religion, habits, and customs, of the primitive settlers.
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RELIGION, HABITS AND CUSTOMS
CHAPTER V.
RELIGION, HABITS AND CUSTOMS OF THE PRIMITIVE SETTLERS.
A large majority of our first immigrants were from Pennsylvania, composed of native Germans or German extraction. There were, however, a number directly from Germany, several from Maryland and New Jersey, and a few from New York. These immigrants brought with them the religion, habits and customs, of their ances- tors. They were composed generally of three religious sects, viz : Lutherans, Menonists * and Calvinists, with a few Tunkers. They generally settled in neighborhoods pretty much together.
The territory now composing the county of Page, Powell's Fort, and Woodstock Valley, between the West Fort Mountain and North Mountain, extending from the neighborhood of Stephensburg for a considerable distance in the county of Rockingham, was almost ex- clusively settled by Germans. They were very tenacious in the preservation of their language, religion, customs and habits. In what is now Page county they were almost exclusively of the Men- onist persuasion ; but few Lutherans or Calvanists settled among them. In other sections of the territory above described, there was a mixture of Lutherans and Calvanists. The Menonists were re- markable for their strict adherence to all the moral and religious observances required by their sect. Their children were early instructed in the principles and ceremonies of their religion, habits and customs. They were generally farmers, and took great care of their stock of different kinds. With few exceptions, they strictly inhibited their children from joining in the dance or other juvenile amusements common to other religious sects of the Germans.
In their marriages much ceremony was observed and great preparations made. Fatted calves, lambs, poultry, the finest of . bread, butter, milk, honey, domestic sugar, wine, if it could be had ; with every article necessary for a sumptuous feast in their plain way, were prepared in abundance. Previous to the performance of the ceremony, (the clergyman attending at the place appointed for the marriage), four of the most respectable young females and four of the most respectable young men were selected as waiters upon the bride and groom. The several waiters were decorated with badges, to indicate their offices. The groomsmen, as they were termed, were invariably furnished with fine white aprons,
* Simon Meno was one of the earliest German reformers and the founder of this sect.
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OF THE PRIMITIVE SETTLERS.
beautifully embroidered. It was deemed a high honor to wear the apron. The duty of the waiters consisted in not only waiting on the bride and groom, but they were required, after the marriage cere- mony was performed, to serve up the wedding dinner, and to guard and protect the bride while at dinner from having her shoe stolen from her foot. The custom of stealing the bride's shoe, it is said, afforded the most heartfelt amusement to the wedding guests. To succeed in it, the greatest dexterity was used by the younger part of the company, while equal vigilance was manifested by the waiters to defend her against the theft ; and if they failed, they were in honor bound to pay a penalty for the redemption of the shoe. This pen- alty was a bottle of wine or one dollar, which was commonly the price of a bottle of wine ; and as a punishment to the bride, she was not permitted to dance until the shoe was restored. The successful thief, on getting hold of the shoe, held it up in great triumph to the view of the whole assemblage, which was generally pretty numerous. The custom was continued among the Germans from generation to generation, until since the war of the revolution. The author has conversed with many individuals, still living, who were eye- witnesses of it.
Throwing the stocking was another custom among the Ger- mans .* When the bride and groom were bedded, the young people were admitted into the room. A stocking, rolled into a ball, was given to the young females, who, one after the other, would go to the foot of the bed, stand with their backs towards it, and throw the stocking over their shoulders at the bride's head ; and the first that succeeded in touching her cap or head was the next to be married. The young men then threw the stocking at the groom's head, in like manner, with the like motive. Hence the utmost eagerness and dexterity were used in throwing the stocking. This practice, as well as that of stealing the bride's shoe, was common to all the Germans.
Among the Lutherans and Calvinists, dancing with other amuse- ments was common, at their wedding parties particularly. Dancing and rejoicings were sometimes kept up for weeks together. i
The peaceable and orderly deportment of this hardy and indus- trious race of people, together with their perfect submission to the restraints of the civil authority, has always been proverbial. They form at this day a most valuable part of our community.
Among our early settlers, a number of Irish Presbyterians re- moved from Pennsylvania, and settled along Back Creek, the North Mountain and Opequon. A few Scotch and English families were among them.
* Throwing the stocking was not exclusively a German custom. It is celebrated by an Irish poet, in his "Irish Wedding." It is not improbable but it was common to the Celtic nations also.
+ Christian Miller, an aged and respectable man near Woodstock, related this custom the author.
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RELIGION, HABITS AND CUSTOMS
The ancesters of the Glasses, Allens, Vances, Kerfotts, &c., were among the earliest settlers on the upper waters of the Opequon. The ancestors of the Whites, Russells, &c., settled near the North Mountain. There were a mixture of Irish and Germans at Cedar Creek and its vicinity ; the Frys, Newells, Blackburns,* Wilsons, &c., were among the number. The Irish, like the Germans, brought with them the religion, customs and habits, of their ancestors. The Irish wedding was always an occasion of great liilarity, jollity and mirth. Among other scenes attending it, running for the bottle was much practiced. It was usual for the wedding parties to ride to the residence of the clergyman to have the ceremony performed. In their absence the father, or the next friend prepared, at the bride's residence, a bottle of the best spirits that could be obtained, around the neck of which a white ribbon was tied. Returning from the clergyman's, when within one or two miles of the home of the bride, some three or four young men prepared to run for the bottle. Taking an even start, their horses were put at full speed, dashing over mud, rocks, stumps, and disregarding all im- pediments. The race, in fact, was run with as much eagerness and desire to win, as is ever manifested on the turf, by our sporting characters. The father or next friend of the bride, expecting the racers, stood with the bottle in his hand, ready to deliver it to the successful competitor. On receiving it, he forthwith returned to meet the bride and groom. When met, the bottle was first pre- sented to the bride, who must taste it at least, next to the groom, and then handed round to the company, every one of whom was re- quired to swig it.
The Quakers differed from all other sects in their marriage cere- mony. The parties having agreed upon the match, notice was given to the elders or overseers of the meeting, and a strict enquiry followed whether there had been any previous engagements by either of the parties or other individuals. If nothing of the kind appeared, the intended marriage was made known publicly ; and if approved by all parties, the couple passed meeting. The ceremony was repeated several times ; when, if no lawful impediment appeared, a day was appointed for the marriage, which took place at the meeting-house in presence of the congregation. A writing, drawn up between the parties, purporting to be the marriage agreement, witnessed by as many of the bystanders as thought proper to subscribe their names, concluded the ceremony. They had no priest or clergyman to per- form the rite of matrimony, and the whole proceeding was con- ducted with the utmost solemnity and decorum. This mode of mar- riage is still kept up, with but little variation.
Previous to the war of the revolution, it was the practice to publish the bands of matrimony, between the parties intending to marry, three successive Sabbath days in the church or meeting-
* Gen. Samuel Blackburn, it is said, descended from this family.
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house ; after which, if no lawful impediment appeared, it was law- ful for a licensed minister of the parish or county to join the parties in wedlock. It is probable that this practice, which was anciently used in the English churches, gave rise to the custom, in the Quaker society, of passing meeting. The peaceable and general moral deportinent of the Quakers is too generally known to require parti- cular notice in this work.
The Baptists were not among our early immigrants. About fourteen or fifteen families of that persuasion migrated from the state of New Jersey, and settled probably in 1742 or 1743 in the vicinity of what is now called Gerardstown, in the county of Berkeley .*
Mr. Semple, in his history of the Virginia Baptists, states that in the year 1754, Mr. Stearns, a preacher of this sect, with several others, removed from New England. "They halted first at Ope- quon, in Berkeley County, Virginia, where he formed a Baptist church under the care of the Rev. John Gerard." This was probably the first Baptist church founded west of the Blue Ridge in our State.
It is said that the spot where Tuscarora meeting-house now stands, in the county of Berkeley, is the first place where the gospel was publicly preached and divine service performed west of the Blue Ridge .; This was and still remains a Presbyterian edifice.
It is not within the plan of this work to give a general history of the rise and progress of the various religious societies of our country. It may not, however, be uninteresting to the general reader to have a brief sketch of the difficulties and persecutions which the Quakers and Baptists had to encounter in their first at- tempts to propagate their doctrines and principles in Virginia.
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