USA > Virginia > Culpeper County > Culpeper County > Genealogical and historical notes on Culpeper County, Virginia > Part 7
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HISTORICAL EXCURSIONS,
THE KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE. SIC JUVAT TRANSCENDERE MONTES.
Governor Spotswood's expedition over the great mountains, as une called it, is one of the most romantic passages in the history of Virginia. Indeed, it has been happily chosen as the theme of a romance by Dr. Caruthers, entitled "The Knights of the Horseshoe." a traditionary tale of the cocked hat gentry in the Old Dominion. The author seems to have used due diligence in gathering the fugitive traditions of this adventure which lingered dimly in the minds of his generation. The popular idea of this expedition seems to have been derived from the "traditionary tale," as the author fitly calls it. One is reluctant to unmask a popular idol by substituting facts for fancies and showing the his- torical basis upon which it stands. Until the publication of John Fontaine's journal, the facts known about this expedition were but few. Robert Beverly, one of the party, in liis Preface to the History of Virginia, 1722, merely said, "I was with the present Governor at the head-spring of both of these rivers (York and Rappahannock), and their fountains are in the highest ridge of moun- tains." The Rev. Hugh Jones, Chaplain to the House of Burgesses, in his Present State of Virginia (1724), says :- "Governor Spotswood when he under- took the great discovery of a passage over ;the; mountains, attended with a sufficient guard of pioneers and gentlemen, with a supply of provisions, passed these mountains and ent his Majesty's name upon a rock upon the highest of
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them, naming it Mt. George, and in complaisance to him the gentlemen called the mountain next to it Mt. Alexander. For this expedition they were obliged to provide a great quantity of horseshoes, things seldom used in the eastern part of Virginia, where there are no stones. Upon which account the Gov- ernor, upon his return, presented each of his companions with a golden horse- shoe, some of which I have seen covered with valuable stones resembling heads of nails, with the inscription on one side, 'Sie juvat transcendere Mon- tes.' This he intended to encourage gentlemen to venture backward and make discoveries and settlements; any gentleman being entitled to wear this golden shoe who could prove that he had drunk his Majesty's health on Mt. George."
It has always been assumed that Gov. Spotswood communicated an ac- count of his expedition to the home government, and it tends to confirm this assertion that Chalmers in his "Annals" says the British Government penuri- ously refused to pay the cost of golden horseshoes. But nothing has yet been produced from Spotswood on this subject. The present writer has recently gone through the Spotswood manuscripts recovered from England, whither they had been carried by Feathershaugh, and which are now the property of the Historical Society of Virginia. We only discovered one allusion to the sub- ject in these papers. In a letter to the Board of Trade, 1718, Spotswood says: -"The chief aim of my expedition over the great mountains in 1716 was to satisfy myself whether it was practicable to come at the lakes. Having found an easy passage over that great ridge of mountains hitherto deemed unpassa- ble, I discovered from the relations of Indians which frequent these parts, that from the pass where I was it was but three days' march to a great nation of Indians, living on a river which discharges itself into Lake Erie; and that from the west side of the small mountain that I saw that lake is very vis- ible. The mountains on the other side of the great ridge being smaller than those I passed, shows how easy a matter it is to gain possession of these lakes." To account for these crude notions of the geography of the country it must be remembered that all west of Germanna was at that time a vast unexplored wilderness, covered by a dence forest, never trodden by the foot of the white man, except the flying rangers who hovered upon the frontiers of population to watch the Indians.
John Fontaine, son of Rev. James Fontaine (Huguenot), and brother of the Rev. Peter Fontaine and of the Rev. James Fontaine, clergymen of the Church of England in Virginia, was an ensign in the British army. He came to Vir- ginia in 1713, for the purpose of exploring the country and choosing lands for the settlement of the family when they should come over. He made the ac. quaintance of Gov. Spotswood at Williamsburg, and under his auspices visited the new settlement at Germanna, and accompanied Spotswood to his Indian school at Christanna, on the Meherrin River, and also on his expedition over the great mountains. He kept a journal of his daily doings, which furnishes the only authentic account we have of this stirring adventure. His plain, un- varnished tale dispels the mist which the popular fancy had peopled with hos- tile Indians haunting the march, assassins stealing into camp at dead of night, and committing murder, perpetrating massacres, and doing battle in the mountain passes. The recent publication of this journal rescues the facts from traditionary perversions and restores them to their true historical proportions. From him (an eye-witness) we learn that Gov. Spotswood came from Williams- burg by way of Chelsea (King William) and Robert Beverly's (Middlesex), where the Governor left his chaise, and bringing Beverly along came on horse- back to Germanna, where, on the 26th August, 1718, they were mnet by other
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gentlemen, four Meherrin Indians, and two small companies of rangers. The names of the gentlemen of the party, deduced in part from the camps which were called after them, were: Gov. Spotswood, John Fontaine, Robert Beverly, the historian; Col. Robertson, Dr. Robertson, Taylor Todd, Mason, Captains, Clonder, and Smith, and Brooke, the ancestor of the late Judge Brooke. Campbell says ;- "The whole company was about fifty persons. They had a large number of riding and pack-horses, an abundant supply of provisions, and an extraordinary variety of liquors."
There have been divers opinions about the route which this gay company of young bloods pursued, and the gap at which they passed the mountains. The starting point (Germanna) is fixed, and the terminus, we think, by the light of Fontaine's Journal, is just as certain. We have seen that Beverly (of the party) says "he was with Governor Spotswood at the head-springs of the York and Rappahannock Rivers." We shall presently see that Fontaine says "we passed froin the head-waters of the Rappahannock to the head-waters of the James in a few hours." Now as Swift Run Gap is the only "pass" which the head-waters of York, James, and Rappahannock rivers approximate, and as Swift Run, a branch of the James, flows down the eastern gorge of the gap from a spring whose present site, description, and relations to another spring flowing down the western declivity correspond with Fontaine's account of them we are shut up to the conclusion that Swift Run Gap is the historical pass. As to the intermediate course between these fixed points nothing is certainly known, except the first stages, viz. Expedition (Big Russell) Run, Mine Run, Mountain Run (the last two still retaining the names given them by these cav- aliers), and Rapidan River at or near Somerville's Ford. So far the route seems plain. Our theory is that, encountering Clarke's Mountain at this point, they crossed the river, which demonstrably then ran nearer the mountain than now, and proceeding up the flats until they had flanked the mountain, recrossed to the highlands, and passing through Jones', Holladay's, Bresee's, &c., encamped beyond Barnett's Ford, at a point where they had a fine view of the Appalachian Mountains, as they called them. Persons may well differ as to the precise line of travel, and maintain their theories by plau- sible arguments. All the points cannot now be settled with absolute certain- ty, and are not material; the main point being the general course of travel be- tween Germanna and Swift Run Gap. The theory of the map is that they continued their journey on the south side of the Rapidan through the beauti- ful bottoms of the forks of Poplar, Blue and Marsh Runs, striking and cross- ing the river again where it is very small. That they returned this way is con- firmed by the fact that when they reached a certain point on the Rapidan, Mr. Beverly was so pleased with the land that he said he would take out a patent for it. Mr. B. Johnson Barbour's title to his beautiful river-farm goes back to Beverly's patent. A map was kindly and gratuitous- ly constructed for us by Capt. Joseph J. Halsey, a lawyer, versed in the lore of old land patents and surveys, and a competent topographer, after a pa- tient study of all the materials we could gather. The sketches of the country about Germanna were made by Rev. J. C. Willis, of Indiantown, from his own surveys, and an outline map of Mr. Brooking of the upper part of the route, and upon Capt. Halsey's own surveys, supplemented by his knowledge of the country, and aided by the suggestions of Mr. Stevens of Stannardsville, and other persons of the vicinage. Messrs. Halsey, Willis and Brooking are all practical surveyors, and represent the beginning, middle and end of the route.
But we must not detain the reader longer from Fontaine's Journal, from which he can deduce his own conclusions. Those who have never read it will
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find it a lively picture of the first company of gentlemen whose trumpet first waked the echoes of our hill, and lifted the blue veil which hid from the eyes of the white man the fair face of nature in the Valley of Virginia.
JOURNAL OF MR. FONTAINE.
August 27th .- Got our tents in order and our horses shod.
29th .- In the morning got all things in readiness, and about one we left the German-town, to set out on our intended journey. At five in the after- noon the Governor gave orders to encamp near a small river three miles from Germanna, which we call Expedition Run, and here we lay all night. The first encampment was called Beverly Camp, in honor of one of the gentlemen of our party. We made great fires, and supped, and drank good punch. By ten of the clock I had taken all of my ounce of Jesuit's bark, but my head was much out of order.
80th .- In the morning about seven of the clock the trumpet sounded to awake all the company, and we got up. One Austin Smith, one of the gentle- men with us, having a fever, returned home. We had lain upon the ground under cover of our tents, and we found by the pains in our bones that we had not had good beds to lie upon. At nine in the morning we sent our servants and baggage forward, and we remained because two of the Governor's horses had strayed. At half-past two we got the horses, at three we mounted, and at half an hour after four we came up with our baggage at a small river three miles on the way, which we call Mine River, because there was an appearance of a silver mine by it. We made about three miles more, and came to another small river, which is at the foot of a small mountain, so we encamped here and called it Mountain Run, and onr camp we called Todd's Camp. We had good pastarage for our horses, and venison in abundance for ourselves, which we roasted before the fire on wooden forks, and so we went to bed in our tents. We made six miles this day.
31st .- At eight in the morning we set out from Mountain Run, and after going five miles we came upon the upper part of Rappahannock River. One of the gentlemen and I, we kept out on one side of the company about a mile, to have the better hunting. I saw a deer and shot him from my horse, but the horse threw me a terrible fall and ran away, we ran after him, and with a great deal of 'difficulty got him again ; but we could not find the deer I had shot, and we lost ourselves, and it was two hours before we could come upon the track of our company. About five miles farther we crossed the same river again, and two miles farther we met with a large bear, which one of our com- pany shot and I got the skin. We killed several deer, and about two miles from the place where we killed the bear we encamped, upon the Rappahan- nock River. From our encampment we could see the Appalachian Hills very plain. We made large fires, pitched our tents, and cut boughs to lie upon, had good liquor, and at ten we went to sleep. We always kept a sentry at the Governor's door. We called this Smith's Camp. Made this day fourteen miles.
1st .- September .- At eight we mounted our horses and made the first five miles of our way through a very pleasant plain, which lies where Rappahan nock River forks. I saw there the largest timber, the finest and deepest inould, and the best grass that I ever did see. We had some of our bag- gage put out of order and our company dismounted by hornets stinging the horses. This was some hindrance and did a little damage, but afforded a great deal of diversion. We killed three bears this day, which exercised the horses as well as the men. We saw two foxes, but did not pursue them ; we
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killed several deer. About five of the clock we came to a run of water at the foot of a hill where we pitched onr tents. We called the encampment Dr. Robinson's Camp, and the river Blind Run. We had good pasturage for our horses and every one was cook for himself. We made our beds with bushes as before. This day we made thirteen miles.
2d .- At nine we were all on horseback, and after riding about five miles we crossed the Rappahannock River almost at the head, where it is very small. We had a rugged way ; we passed over a great many small runs of water, some of which were very deep and others very miry. Several of our company were dismounted some were down with their horses, and some thrown off. We saw a bear running down a tree, but it being Sunday we did not endeavor to kill anything. . We encamped at five by a small river we called White Oak River; and called our camp Taylor's Camp.
3d .- About eight we were on horseback, and about ten we came to a thick- et so tightly laced together that we had a great deal of trouble to get through. Our baggage was injured, our clothes torn all to rags, and the saddles and hol- sters also torn. About five of the clock we encamped almost at the head of James River, just below the great mountain. We called this camp Col. Rob- ertson's camp. We made all this day but eight miles.
4th .- We had two of our men sick with the measles and one of our horses poisoned with a rattle-snake. We took the heaviest of our baggage, our tired horses, and the sick men, and made as convenient a lodge for them as we could, and left people to guard them and hunt for them. We had finished this work by twelve, and so we set out. The sides of the mountains were so full of vines and briers that we were forced to clear most of the way before us. We crossed one of the small mountains on this side the Appalachian, and from the top of it we had a fine view of the plains below. We were obliged to walk up the most of the way, there being abundance of loose stones on the side of the hill. I killed a large rattlesnake here, and the other people killed three more. We made about four miles, and so came to the side of James River where a man may jump over it, and there we pitched our tents. As the people were light- ing the fire there came out of a large log of wood a prodigious snake, which they killed, so this eamp was called Rattlesnake Camp, but otherwise it was called Brooke's Camp.
5th .- A fair day. At five we were mounted. We were obliged to have axe- men to clear the way in some places. We followed the windings of James River, observing that it came from the very top of the mountains. We killed two rattlesnakes during our ascent. In some places it was very steep. in oth- ers it was so that we could ride up. About one of the clock we got to the top of the mountains; about four miles and a half and we came to the very head- spring of James River, where it runs no bigger than a man's arm from under a big stone. We drank King George's health and all the royal family's at the very top of the Appalachian mountains. About a musket-shot from the spring there is another, which rises and runs down to the other side. It goes west- ward, and we thought we could go down that way, but we met with such pro- digious precipices that we were obliged to return to the top again. We found some trees which had been formerly marked, I suppose by the Northern In- dians, and following these trees we found a good, safe descent. Several of the company were for returning, but the Governor persuaded them to continue on. About five we were down on the other side, and continued our way until seven. miles further, when we came to a large river, by the side of which we encamp- ed. We made this day fourteen miles. I, being somewhat more curious than the rest. went on a high rock on the top of the mountain to see fine prospects,
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and I lost my gun. We saw when we were over the mountain the footing of elk and buffaloes and their beds. We saw a vine which bore a sort of wild cu- cumber, and a shrub with a fruit like unto a currant. We ate very good wild grapes. We called this place Spotswood's Camp, after our Governor.
6th .- We crossed the river, which we called Euphrates. It is very deep; the main course of the water is north; it is fourscore yards wide in the narrow- est part. We drank some healths on the other side and returned, after which I went swimming in it. We could not find any fordable place except the one by which we crossed, and it was deep in several places. I got some grasshop- pers and fished, and another and I we catched a dish of fish, some perch and a kind of fish they called chub. The others went a-hunting, and killed deer and turkeys. The Governor had graving irons, but could not grave anything, the stone was so hard. I graved my name on a tree by the river side, and the Gov- ernor buried a bottle with a paper enclosed, on which he writ that he took possession of this place in the name and for King George First of England. We had a good dinner,and after it we got the men together and loaded all their arms, and we drank the King's health in champagne and fired a volley, the Princess's health in Burgundy and fired a volley, and all the rest ofithe royal family in claret and a volley. We drank the Governor's health and fired an- other volley. We had several sorts of liquors, viz., Virginia red wine and white wine, Irish usquebaugh, brandy, shrub, two sorts of rum, champagne, canary, cherry punch, water, cider, &c. I sent two of the rangers to look for my gun which I dropped in the mountain; they found it and brought it to me at night, and I gave them a pistol for their trouble. We called the highest mountain Mount George, and the one we crossed over Mount Spotswood.
7th .- At seven in the morning we mounted our horses and parted with the. rangers, who were to go farther on, and we returned homewards. We repass- ed the mountains, and at five in the afternoon we came to Hospital Camp, where we left our sick men and heavy baggage, and we found all things well and safe. We encamped here and called it Captain Clonder's Camp.
8th .- At nine we were all on horseback. We saw several bears and deer. and killed some wild turkey. We encamped at the side of a run and called the place Mason's Camp We had good forage for our horses, and we lay as usual. Made twenty miles this day.
9th .- We set out at nine of the clock, and before twelve we saw several bears, and killed three. One of them attacked one of our men that was riding after him and narrowly missed him ; he tore his things that he had behind him from off his horse, and would have destroyed him had he not had imme- diate help from the other men and our dogs. Some of the dogs suffered severe- ly in this engagement. At two we crossed one of the branches of the Rappa- hannock River; and at five we encamped on the side of the Rapid Ann, on a tract of land that Mr. Beverly hath design to take up. We made this day twenty-three miles, and called this Captain Smith's Camp. We ate part of one of the bears, which tasted very well, and would be good and might pass for veal if one did not know what it was. We were very merry, and diverted ourselves with our adventures.
10th .- At eight we were on horseback, and about ten, as we were going up a small hill, Mr. Beverly and his horse fell down, and they both rolled to the bottom; but there were no bones broken on either side. At twelve as we were crossing a run of water, Mr. Clonder fell in, so we called this place Clonder's Run. At one we arrived at a large spring, where we dined and drank a bowl of punch. We called this Fontaine's Spring. About two we got on horse- back, and at four we reached Germanna.
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Spotswood instituted what he called the Tramontane Order, in commem- oration of the expedition, each gentleman being entitled to wear the golden horseshoe who could prove that he had drunk his Majesty's health on Mt. George. The golden horse-shoes decended as heirlooms in several families. Judge Brooke, in his autobiography, speaks of one in the possession of Ed- mund Brooke, whose ancestor was of the party. This gentleman died in Georgetown, D. C., and we had hoped to find the relic in his daughter's pos- session, but it had been lost. Campbell speaks of the late Mrs. Bott, of Peters- burg, a descendant of Spotswood, having seen the miniature horseshoe be- longing to Spotswood, and that it was small enough to be worn on a watch- chain. Spotswood probably had more than one of them, as we find it said in the Byrd manuscripts that when Spotswood made a treaty with the five na- tions of Indians at Albany, in 1722, in which they bound themselves not to pass the Potomac or the Blue Ridge, the Governor told the Indians that they must take particular notice of their speaker, and gave him a golden horse- shoe which he wore at his breast, and bade the interpreter tell him that there was an inscription on it which signified that it would help him to pass the mountains, and that when any of their people should come to Virginia they must bring that with them. These things are like dreams to us now. With a population which has not only transcended the Blue Ridge, but the Alle- ghany and Rocky Mountains, and reached the Golden Gate of California, it is hard to realize that only 160 years ago Germanna was a frontier post, and the great West an unknown world, except to the wild Indian, whose tribes have melted away before the pale faces like snow before the sun, and whose barque, like that of the crew of the fabled phantom ship, " rides on and on, and an- chored ne'er shall be."
GERMANNA.
Salve Posteritas! Posteritas Germano-politana.
The German people is a potent element in American civilization. The number of Germantowns in the United States is curious and suggestive. The oldest of these is the one in Pennsylvania, which was the scene of the battle of Germantown in the old Revolution, in which so many of the men of St. Mark's figured. It was established in 1683, under the auspices of Pastorius, to provide, as he said, a " pellace " or refuge from the judgements impending over the old world, and to Christianize the naked-going savages. He compos- ed a noble Latin ode on the occasion, beginning-
Salve Posteritas ! Posteritas Germano-politana,
which Whittier has put beautifully into English verse thus :
Hail to Posterity ! Hail, future men of Germanopolis! Let the young generation, yet to be,
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Look kindly upon this: Think how our fathers left their native land- Dear German land ! O sacred hearts and homes !- And where the wild beast roams, In patience planned
New forest homes, beyond the mighty sea,
There undisturbed and free,
To live as brothers of one family,
What pains and cares befel, What trials and what fears, Remember, and whenever we have done well, Follow our footsteps. men of coming years. Where we have failed to do Aught, or wiselv live Be warned by us, the better way pursue,
And knowing we were human, even as you, Pity us and forgive. Farewell, Posterity !
Farewell, dear Germany! Forevermore farewell !
(See Memorial Thomas Potts, Jr., by Mrs. James.)
Our Germanna was settled under the auspices of Governor Spotswood in 1714, on a peninsula of 400 acres of land on the banks of the Rapidan. These Germans came directly from Oldlensburg, or were a remnant of a settlement planted under the anspices of the Baron de Graffenried in North Carolina, many of whom were massacred by the Tuscarora Indians, as related by Gov- ernor Spotswood in a letter of October 1711, which is published in Perry's Collections from the archives of Fulham and Lambeth. Spotswood, says he had demanded the release of De Graffenried, the Chief of the Palatines and Swiss, who had been taken prisoner, and was, he feared, reserved for torture by fire. That these Germans might have been the survivors of the massacre in North Carolina is a mere conjecture, suggested by the fact that De Graffen- ried was the leader of both parties. I have just found in the Spotswood MSS. the following paragraph in a letter of Governor Spotswood to the Commis- sioners of Trade in England, dated May 1714 :- " I continue to settle our trib- utary Indians, and in order to supply that part which was to have been cover- ed by the Tuscarora Indians, I have placed there a number of Protestant Ger- mans, built them a fort, furnished it with two pieces of cannon and some am- munition, which will awe the straggling parties of Northern Indians and be a good barrier to all that part of the country. These Germans were invited over some years ago by the Baron De Graffenreid, who had her Majesty's let- ter to the Governor to furnish them with land after their arrival. They are generally such as have been employed in their own country in mines, and say they are satisfied; there are divers kinds of minerals where they are settled, and even a good appearance of silver ; but it is impossible to know whether those mines will turn to account without digging some depth-a liberty I shall not give them until I hear from your Lordships."
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