USA > Virginia > Augusta County > Augusta County > Annals of Augusta County, Virginia, with reminiscences illustrative of the vicissitudes of its pioneer settlers (A Supplement) > Part 15
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your obedient humble servants."-[Signed by all the members of Congress from Virginia.]
The former colonial system having disappeared, all the func- tions of government were assumed and exercised by the Conven- tion, in which Messrs. Lewis and McDowell sat as delegates from Augusta. The executive authority was entrusted to a committee of safety, consisting of eleven members-Pendleton, Mason and others-appointed by the Convention. To provide local govern- ments until public affairs could be settled, the Convention passed an ordinance in July, 1775, requiring the qualified voters of each county to elect a county committee, to act as a sort of executive authority in the county for carrying into effect the measures of the Continental Congress and the Colonial Convention .- [ Hen- ing, Volume VIII, page 57.]
Silas Hart, an old justice of the peace, whose residence was within the present county of Rockingham, was chairman of the Augusta county committee. On October 3d this committee met at Staunton, and, pursuant to summons, Alexander Miller ap- peared before them to answer charges. Miller was an Irish Presbyterian preacher, who had been deposed from the ministry, and was accused of having denounced as rebellion, etc., the popular opposition to the measures of the British Government. He was solemnly tried and pronounced guilty. His punishment anticipated the recent policy in Ireland called "boycotting." The committee subjected the offender to no restraint, and advised no violence toward him. They only recommended that "the good people of this county and colony have no further dealings or intercourse with said Miller until he convinces his countrymen of having repented for his past folly."-[ American Archives, Vol. III, page 939.]
The Annals of the county during the war of the Revolution are quite meager. This Valley was remote from the scenes of combat, and only once was there an alarm of invasion. The domestic life of the people and the business of the court were generally undisturbed during the war. Public business was trans- acted and writs were issued in the name of the Commonwealth of Virginia, instead of the king of Great Britain, and there was little other change. The abolition of the religious establishment in the course of time marked the most important departure from the old order of things. So far from danger was this region
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considered, that the Continental Congress, by resolution of Sep- tember 8, 1776, advised the Executive Council of Pennsylvania to send disaffected Quakers arrested in Philadelphia, to Staunton for safe-keeping. A number of Quakers, a druggist, and a dancing-master were soon afterwards brought to Winchester and detained there eight or nine months ; but we have no account of any persons of the same class having been in Staunton. Several hundred Hessians, captured at Trenton, were, however, detained here for a considerable time, and there is a tradition that some of these were employed by Peter Hanger to build the older part of the dwelling still standing on Spring Farm, adjacent to the city water-works.29
How invaluable would be a diary written, even crudely, by a resident of the county during the war, telling about the raising of troops, the departure of individuals and companies for the army, the rumors which agitated the community, and the simple events of common life! But nothing of the kind exists. We have, however, some extracts from the diary of a young Presby- terian minister who made two visits to the county in 1775- There is not much in them, and no reference whatever to public events; but the mere mention of a few people living in the
county at that time is somewhat interesting. The minister referred to was the Rev. John McMillan, of Western Pennsyl- vania, afterwards the Rev. Dr. McMillan, the founder of Jefferson College; and a portion of his diary is found in a book called " Old Redstone" (Presbytery), by the Rev. Dr. Joseph Smith.
Young McMillan came from Pennsylvania, on his second visit, in November, 1775. He says:
" Monday .- Passed through Stephensburgh, Stoverstown, and Millerstown-crossed Shenandoah, and after travelling forty- eight miles, we came to a Dutchman's, where we tarried all night.
" Tuesday .- We rode this day thirty-five miles-crossed the North river, and lodged at Widow Watson's.
29 The Hessian fly, from which the farmers of the country suffered so severely for many years, is commonly believed to have been imported by the Hessian troops in their straw bedding, and hence the name. It appeared on Long Island during the Revolutionary war, and quite num- erously in Virginia in 1796. It was, however, prevalent in the American Colonies long prior to the period of the Revolution.
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" Wednesday .- About noon, came to Staunton; where, it be- ing court time, I met with a number of my old acquaintances, who professed great joy to see me. I stayed in town till towards evening, and then rode to John Trimble's. This day I travelled about twenty-two miles.
" Thursday .- Continued at Mr. Trimble's.
" Friday .- Went to John Moffett's.
[ John Moffett was buried in the North Mountain grave-yard. His grave is marked by a sandstone, but all the inscription, ex- cept the name, has worn out. ]
"Saturday .- Returned to Mr. Trimble's; and, in the evening, Benjamin Brown brought me a pair of shoes, for which I paid him 8s. (Very cheap shoes.)
" Sabbath (the fourth in November. )-Preached at the North Mountain, and lodged with Matthew Thompson.
"Monday .- This day I rode in company with John Thompson about sixteen miles to see my uncle on Back creek ; found them all well.
"Tuesday .- This morning proving very stormy, we thought it most convenient to return again to the settlements, and, accord- ingly, I took leave of my relations, and though it snowed exces- sively, we set to the road, and in the evening came again to Matthew Thompson's.
"Wednesday .- Went to Hugh Torbet's ; from thence to Alexander Mitchell's, where I tarried all night.
" Thursday .- Came to Joseph Blair's.
" Friday (Ist. December.)-Rode to John Moffett's in the evening. Got a tooth pulled by Wendal Bright. Tarried here until Sabbath.
" Sabbath (the first in December.)-Preached at the stone meeting-house, and in the evening rode in to Staunton in com- pany with Mrs. Reed. Lodged at Mr. Reed's.
[Mrs. Reed afterwards, while a widow, became the second wife of Colonel George Mathews, from whom she was divorced. She lived to extreme old age in the low frame house which form- erly stood on the south side of Beverley street, between Augusta and Water streets. A few persons still living remember her. She was generally called "Aunt Reed."]
"Monday .- I left town. Called at Mr. Trimble's and lodged with Mr. Moffett.
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"Wednesday .- This day I moved my camp to William Mc- Pheeters's.
"Thursday and Friday .- Continued at the same place, spend- ing my time chiefly in study."
On New Year's day, 1776, he preached at Peter Hanger's to a large assembly, and next day set out down the Valley.
The Rev. James Waddell came to Augusta from Lancaster county about the year 1776, and bought the Springhill farm on South River, originally owned by Colonel James Patton. The deed of James and William Thompson, Patton's son-in-law and grandson, describes the tract as 1,308 acres, and states the price as £1,000 ($3,33373). Dr. Waddell resided at Springhill, and preached at Tinkling Spring and occasionally in Staunton, while he remained in the county. One of the subscription papers cir- culated in Tinkling Spring congregation, for raising the pastor's salary, has escaped destruction, and is interesting as showing in some degree the state of the times. The subscribers promised to pay the Rev. James Waddell "the sum of one hundred pounds, current and lawful money of Virginia, for the whole of his labours for one year ; " payment to be made "in clean mer- chantable wheat at three shillings (fifty cents) per bushel, or in corn or rye of like quality at two shillings per bushel, or in other commodities he may want at said rates." James Bell, Sr., promised to pay £3, os. 9d. (about $10), the largest subscription on the list. Other subscribers were John Ramsey, Thomas Turk, John Ramsey, Jr., William Black, William Guthrie, John Col- lins, John Caldwell, Benjamin Stuart, Robert Thompson, A. Thompson, Thomas Stuart, and Walter Davis. The subscrip- tion for 1783 was {40 in cash for half the minister's time, the other half to be bestowed in Staunton .- [ Foote's Sketches, First Series, page 376.]
In the early part of 1776, the county committee of Augusta adopted a memorial to the Convention, of which we have no ac- count except in the journal of that body. The purport of the paper, presented to the Convention on the 10th of May, is thus awkwardly stated in the journal: "A representation from the committee of the county of Augusta was presented to the Con- vention and read, setting forth the present unhappy situation of the country, and from the ministerial measures of revenge now pursuing, representing the necessity of making the confederacy
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of the united colonies the most perfect, independent and lasting, and of framing an equal, free and liberal government, that may bear the test of all future ages." This is said to be the first expression of the policy of establishing an independent State government and permanent confederation of States, which the parliamentary journals of America contain. It is curious, how- ever, to observe how carefully "the representation" throws the blame of the measures complained of upon the British ministers, still seeking apparently to avoid censuring the king. The feel- ing of loyalty to the sovereign was hard to give up.
In October, 1776, the " several companies of militia and free- holders of Augusta " forwarded to the representatives of the county in the Legislature their "sentiments" on the subject of religious liberty. They demanded that "all religious denomi- nations within the Dominion be forthwith put in full possession of. equal liberty, without preference or pre-eminence," &c. The paper was signed by John Magill, James Allen, George Moffett, Alexander St. Clair, John Poage, John Davis, Alexander Long, William McPheeters, Elijah McClanahan, Alexander Thompson, Archibald Alexander, Robert Wilson, James Walker, Charles Campbell, Walter Cunningham, and others .- [American Ar- chives, Fifth Series, Volume II, page 815.]
It is impossible to obtain any list or particular account of troops furnished by Augusta county during the Revolutionary war, and the names of only a few comparatively of the soldiers have escaped oblivion. As a general fact, we know that most of the younger men of the county were in the military service. One of them, William McCutchen, of Bethel neighborhood, who survived to a good old age, served three " tours" in the army. The first and longest was in New Jersey, when he was so young that the recruiting officer doubted about admitting him into the ranks. The second term of service was on the invasion of Virginia by Cornwallis, and the third was at Yorktown. Dismissed to return home from the Jerseys, after his time of ser- vice had expired, he received his wages in Continental money. "Soon after leaving camp, a landlord, supposed not favorable to the cause, refused him and his companion a meal of victuals for less than five dollars apiece in paper currency. The next land- lord demanded two-and-a-half dollars. They determined to travel as far as possible in a day, and to eat but one meal. In
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all the places along the road where they called for refreshments they were asked, 'Can you pay for it?' and 'In what can you pay for it?' In Winchester, where they purchased their last meal, the landlord took but half price of them, as they were soldiers-the first time any allowance was made in their favor- and charged only a dollar and a half. A week's wages would not pay their expenses, traveling on foot, a single day." -- [Foote's Sketches, Second Series, page 2c6.] The paper cur- rency depreciated so greatly that it was finally called in, and funded at the rate of one for a thousand. - [Hening's introduc- tion to Volume II.]
The regular army was recruited by bounties, by volunteers, and by drafts from the militia. For the assistance of North and South Carolina, as well as to repel the invasion of Virginia, the whole body of the militia might be called out, as provided by act of the Legislature.
The general officers were appointed by the Continental Con gress ; and early in the war Andrew Lewis was appointed a brigadier-general. It is said that Washington recommended Andrew Lewis for the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Con- tinental armies. He commanded at Williamsburg early in 1776, and in July drove Dunmore from Gwynn's Island. It seems there was no opportunity for the display of the military talent universally attributed to him. He died during the war, in 1781.80
From various ordinances of Convention and acts of Assembly, printed in Hening's Statutes at Large, we learn how the State raised her quota of troops, and incidentally what troops, or com- panies, Augusta furnished. We, therefore, give a synopsis of the ordinances and acts referred to.
The Convention, which managed affairs in Virginia from the time the old system of government disappeared till the adoption of the first Constitution of the State, in 1776, passed an ordi- nance July 17, 1775, for raising two regiments of regulars and for organizing the militia. The first regiment was to consist of
30 General Lewis's wife was a Miss Givens, of Augusta. His sons were John, Samuel, Thomas, Andrew and William. John was captain of a Botetourt company at the battle of Point Pleasant. Samuel was a lieutenant-colonel in 1781. The death of General Lewis occurred at Colonel Buford's, eastern base of the Blue Ridge. He was buried on his estate called "Dropmore," near Salem, Roanoke county.
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544 rank and file, with a colonel, lieutenant-colonel, major, 8 captains, 16 lieutenants, and 8 ensigns ; and the second of 476 rank and file, with seven companies and corresponding officers. The field officers were appointed by the Convention-Patrick Henry to command the first regiment, and Colonel Woodford the second. The companies were to consist of 68 men each, to he enlisted in districts, and to serve one year. The companies raised in the district composed of Augusta, &c., to be "expert riflemen." The company officers were appointed by the mem- bers of the Convention from the district.
The whole State was divided into military districts, and the militia were ordered to be embodied as minute-men. The coun- ties of Buckingham, Amherst, Albemarle and Augusta constituted one district. Each district was to raise a battalion of 500 men, rank and file, from the age of 16 to that of 50, to be divided into ten companies of 50 men each. The officers were to be ap- . pointed by committees, selected by the various county commit- tees. The battalion was required to be kept in training at some convenient place for twelve days, twice a year; and the several companies to be mustered four days in each month, except De- cember, January and February, in their respective counties.
Every man so enlisted was required to "furnish himself with a good rifle, if to be had, otherwise with a tomahawk, common firelock. bayonet, pouch, or cartouch box, and three charges of powder and ball." Upon affidavit that the minute-man was not able to furnish his arms, &c., they were to be supplied at public expense. The officers were required to equip themselves, and officers and men were liable to a fine for failure in this respect.
In December, 1775, the Convention passed another ordinance for raising additional troops. It provided for augmenting the two regiments already raised, by the addition of two companies to the first, and three to the second; and also for raising six addi- tional regiments, of ten companies each, and sixty-eight men to a company. One of the new regiments was to be made up of Germans and others, as the county committee of Augusta, West Angusta, Frederick, &c., should judge expedient. Captains and other company officers were to be appointed by the committees of the counties in which companies were raised, respectively. Two captains, two first and two second lieutenants, &c., were assigned to Angusta, and it was expected that their companies
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would be raised in the county The men were to be enlisted for two years from April 10, 1776.
Arms, &c., for the new companies were to be furnished by the public; but until muskets could be procured, the men were to bring the best guns they had-riflemen to bring rifles and toma- hawks. For smooth-bore guns and for rifles and tomahawks, private property, rent would be allowed at the rate of 20s. a year. Each soldier was allowed, out of his pay, "a hunting shirt, pair of leggins, and binding for his hat" (!) Pay of colonels, 17s. 6d. per day ; captains, 6s. and privates, Is. 4d.
The same ordinance provided for raising a Ninth regiment of seven companies, sixty-eight men to a company, for the protec- tion of Accomac and Northampton counties. It was evidently contemplated that the Ninth regiment should be recruited in the counties named. By a subsequent ordinance, the Ninth was aug- mented by the addition of three companies, so as to make it equal with other regiments.
The same ordinance, of December, 1775, also provided that the committee of Augusta county should appoint officers to com- mand a company of fifty men, to be stationed at the mouth of the Little Kanawha.
The State Constitution was adopted by the Convention June 29, 1776. The counties of " East Augusta and Dunmore " con- stituted a district for the election of a State senator. The name Dunmore was afterwards changed to " Shenando." West Au- gusta constituted another senatorial district.
The Legislature elected under the State Constitution met for the first time October 7, 1776, and soon thereafter passed an act for raising six additional battalions " on the continental establish- ment," and assigning two captains, &c., to Augusta.
Other acts for recruiting the army will be mentioned as we proceed.
Thus we find that a number of company officers were assigned to Augusta, with the expectation, of course, that the men should be enlisted in the county. The companies were no doubt raised, yet there is no record or tradition in regard to their assembling and marching off, nor even of the names of most of the officers. Our local archives furnish little information on the subject, and we have applied in vain at Richmond and Washington for the names of officers.
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The act of the first Legislature after the adoption of the Con- stitution, referred to above, prescribed that the militia officers of each county, assembled in court-martial, should elect the com- pany officers assigned to their county. The court-martial of Augusta militia met at the courthouse, December 3, 1776, to dis- charge that duty. Present, Colonels Abraham Smith and Alex- ander Thompson, and Captains David Bell, John Stevenson, James Ewing, Daniel Smith, Peachy Gilmer, John Young, David Laird, George Moffett, Alexander Robertson, William Ander- son, and others.
The court proceeded to choose by ballot officers " to raise two companies of regulars according to act of assembly," and the following were chosen : First company-John Syme, Captain ; Charles Cameron, First Lieutenant ; William Christian, Second Lieutenant ; and James Hamilton, Ensign. Second company- David Laird (a member of the court-martial), Captain ; Andrew Anderson, First Lieutenant ; William Smith, Second Lieuten- ant ; and Michael Troutt, Ensign. The Lieutenant Anderson mentioned was no doubt the person known after the war as Colonel Anderson, who often represented the county in the House of Delegates.
At a court-martial held February 1, 1777, it was reported that Captain Syme had recruited twenty-eight men, Lieutenant Cam- eron, twenty, Lieutenant Christian, twelve, and Ensign Ham- ilton, ten, making seventy rank and file. There was no report from Captain Laird and Lieutenant Anderson, but it was believed they had nearly completed their respective numbers. Lieutenant Smith had enlisted seventeen men and Ensign Evans, ten. The last named appears to have been substituted for Ensign Troutt.
Governor Gilmer tells us that John, Andrew, and Thomas Lewis, sons of Thomas Lewis were officers in the Revolutionary army. He also mentions a Captain Hughes and a Captain Mc- Elhany, of the Continental army, both of whom married daugh- ters of Thomas Lewis, and also Layton Yancey, another officer, who married another daughter. John Lewis, son of William, commanded a company at the battle of Monmouth. Robert Gamble, of Augusta, says Governor Gilmer, was an officer in the army very early in the war, and continued to serve to its close. He was always with the main army, and under the imme- diate command of Washington.
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These and others whose names have not reached us were no doubt the officers of the various companies raised in the county. We shall have occasion hereafter to speak of Mof- fett, Tate, Doak, Stuart, Fulton, and others who served as offi- cers in the field when the militia was called out at different times. Robert Doak, then a young man, was ensign of Captain Tate's company at the battle of Guilford.
But Augusta furnished at the outset at least two officers of higher rank than captain. Alexander McClanahan was ap- pointed by the Convention, in 1775, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Seventh regiment, of which William Dangerfield was Colonel, and William Nelson, Major. Colonel McClanahan was at the battle of Great Bridge, near Norfolk, December 9, 1775, in which every British grenadier was killed, without loss to the Virginians. He served under General Andrew Lewis, at Wil- liamsburg, in 1776, and was commissioned Colonel of the Seventh October 7, 1776. At that time General Woodford's brigade was composed of the Third, Seventh, Eleventh, and Fifteenth Virginia regiments.31
George Mathews was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the Ninth regiment, of which Thomas Fleming was Colonel, and M! Donavon, Major. This regiment was at first stationed on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, for the protection of Accomac and Northampton counties, but was afterwards a part of the main army under Washington. The date of his commission as Colonel is February 10, 1777. He commanded the regiment at the battle of Germantown, in which he and all his men were captured by the British.
Colonel McClanahan appears to have retired from the army before the close of the war, but in a "list of general and field officers of the late army of the United States who continued in service to the end of the war," George Mathews appears as the fourteenth name in the list of colonels.
By the erection of Botetourt county, in 1769, and the legal recognition of the district of West Augusta, in 1776, the county of Augusta was shorn of much the larger part of her original
81 Colonel McClanahan's children were two daughters, Mrs. Abney and Mrs. Austin, and a son, John, who died unmarried. His wife was a Miss Shelton, a sister of Patrick Henry's first wife.
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territory. She was thus reduced to her present territory, with parts of the present counties of Rockbridge, Bath and Alleghany, and all of Rockingham, Highland and Pendleton.
The district of West Augusta appears to have been evolved, rather than created by law. Its existence was first recognized by the Legislature during the session which began October 7, 1776, when an act was passed "for ascertaining the boundary between the county of Augusta and the district of West Au- gusta." The boundary of the district is thus described : " Be- ginning on the Alleghany mountain, between the heads of Po- towmack, Cheat and Green Brier rivers, thence along the ridge of mountains which divides the waters of Cheat river from those of Green Brier and that branch of the Monongahela river, called Tyger's valley river, to the Monongahela river; thence up the said river and the west fork thereof to Bingerman's creek, on the north side of the said west fork; thence up the said creek to the head thereof; thence in a direct course to the head of Middle Island creek, a branch of the Ohio; and thence to the Ohio, including all the waters of the said creek in the aforesaid district of West Augusta ; all that territory lying to the northward of the aforesaid, and to the westward of the States of Pennsylvania and Maryland, shall be decreed, and is hereby declared, to be within the district of West Augusta."
The act proceeded to divide the district into the three counties of Ohio, Yohogania and Monongalia. The greater part of Yohogania fell within the territory of Pennsylvania, when the boundary line between that State and Virginia was established ; and the residue was, by act of 1785, added to Ohio county, and Yohogania became extinct.
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