USA > Virginia > Historical collections of Virginia : containing a collection of the most interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, anecdotes, &c. relating to its history and antiquities ; together with geographical and statistical descriptions ; to which is appended, an historical and descriptive sketch of the District of Columbia. > Part 44
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.Again, Book II., p. 142, Smith says :
." At Werowecomoco, ou the north side of the river Pamannkee, [York. ] was his (Powhatan's] resi- dence when I was delivered him prisoner, somse 14 myles from Jamies Towne where, for the most part, he was resident."
Stith, as quoted by Burk's History of Virginia, Vol. I., p. 111, describes its position as follows :
" Werowocomoco lay on the north side of York river, in Gloucester county, nearly opposite to the mouth of Queen's creek, and about 25 miles below the fork of the river."
Upon a short visit made to that part of Gloucester county a year or two ago, I was satisfied that Shelly, the seat of Mrs. Mann Fage, is the famous Werowocomoco. Shelly is on the north bank of the York River, in the county of Gloucester, said to be about 25 miles from West Point at the head of the river, and is nearly opposite the mouth of Queen's creek, lying somewhat above. It is true the word "nearly" is indefinite, and it might be supposed that Werewocomoco, perhaps, lay a little below the point opposite the mouth of Queen's creek instead of a little above. But the marshy, vozy character of the bank of the York below Shelly, rendering it apparently uninhabitable, seems to forbid the supposition. Werowocomoco, then, it may be taken for granted, was either at Shelly, or at some point above Shelly. But as Shelly is nearly opposite the mouth of Queen's creek, it is obvious that the further you proceed up the river, the les: appropriate will become the expression " nearly opposite."
Carter's creek, emptying into the York at Shelly, forms a safe harbor for canoes. Smith, in a passage already quoted, mentions that Werowocomoco is 14 miles from Jamestown. In Book HI., p. 194, he says, that " he went over land to Werowocomoco some 12 miles ; there he passed the river of Pamaunkee in a salvage canow." Now, as it was 14 miles from Jamestown to Werowecomoco. and 12 to the point on the south bank of the York where Smith embarked in a canoe, it follows that Werowocomoco was only two miles from that point ; and Shelly, I take it, is just about two miles from where it is probable Smith went into the canoe on that occasion.
Shelly adjoins Rosewell, (formerly the seat of John Page, Esq., sometime governor of Virginia,) and was originally part of the Rosewell plantation; and I learned from Mrs. Page, of shelly, that Gov. Page always held Shelly to be the ancient Werowoco- moco, and accordingly he, at first, gave it that name, but afterwards, on account of the inconvenient length of the word, dropped it, and adopted the title of Shelly, on account of the extraordinary accumulation of shells found there. The enormous beds of oyster- shells deposited there, particularly just in front of the Shelly-house, indiente it to have been a place of great resort among the natives. The situation is highly picturesque and beautiful ; and looking, as it does, on the lovely and majestic York, it would was, if all others, to have been the befitting residence of the lordly Powhatan
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983
GOOCHLAND COUNTY.
CHARLES MIAN THRUXTON, who was born in this county in 1738, was a descendant of the old English cavaliers ; and his ancestors were among the first sellers of Gloucester. Mr. Thruston was educated at William and Mary. When 90 years of age, he seted as a lieutenant of provinciale, in the campaign which resulted in the evacuation of Fort Duquesne. He afterwards studied for the ministry, and was chosen: rector of a parish in his native county. In 1769 be removed to Frederick county, where he continued in the practice of his profession until the commencement of hostilities with the mother country. He had been among the most prominent in repelling the attempt to introduce.the Stamp Act in Virginia, and he now embarked in the common cause with an unconquerable zeal. He exerted himself to procure arms and ammunition, and addressed the people at public gatherings by the most spirit-stirring and eloquent ha- rangues. Not content with this, parson Thruston threw aside the gown, and seizing the sword, raived a volunteer company, composed of the elite of the young men of the county ; and he being chosen captain, they marched to join Washington in New Jersey. Ile made a bold and vigorous attack on a strong Hessian picket neat Amboy. In this action his arm was shattered by a musket-ball, and he was carried, fainting with the loss of blood, from the field. He was afterwards promoted to the rank of colonel ; bat as the regiment to which he was appointed could not be raised, he became a supernu- merary, and was obliged to retire from the service. He never resumed his pastoral func- tions. He held various public offices, among which was that of presiding judge of the court of Frederick county. and member of the legislature. In 1809, the wants of a nu. merous family occasioned him to remove to the west, where he died in 1812, aged $3. . The battle of New Orleans was fought upon the place of his burial. The ruthless in- vader perished upon the tomb of the coldien person, who had employed ter que, non, and sword in the cause of American freedom, and perilled fortune and life under the star. spangled banner. The venerable Judge Thruston, of Washington, over whose bead the snows of 80 winters have passed, and left an intellect unscathed and vigorous, is a son pf the warrior-parson of Gloucester.
GOOCHILAND.
GOOCHLAND Was formed in 1727, from Henrico, and named from a colonial governor of Virginia. It lies on the north side of James River, and is 30 miles long, with an average width of 10 miles, The surface is undulating, and in some places broken ; the soil is various, and much of it exhausted, though naturally good ; that on the James is of great fertility. It is drained by several small streams, several of which afford water-power.
The county produces large crops of tobacco, corn, and oats. Bituminons coal of an excellent quality is extensively mined, and also small quantities of gold. Pop., whites 3.570. slaves 5,500, free colored 690; total 9,760.
There are no villages in the county of any note. The Court- House, which is 30 miles west of Richmond, and I mile s. of James River, contains a few dwellings only.
Gen. NATHANIEL MASSDA, one of the carly pioneers of Kentucky, and a man of indefatigable energy, was a native of this county. He was at the head of a band of adventurous spirits who formed. in 1791, the earliest settlement in the Virginia military district, and the fourth in Ohio, at what is row the town of Manchester.
The late Gov. JAMES PLEASANTS, who died in this county in 1826, was a man highly valued both in public and private life.
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284
GREENBRIER COUNTY.
GRAYSON.
GRAYSON was formed in 1793, from Wythe, and named after a distinguished niember of the Virginia convention that ratified the federal constitution. This is a wild aud thinly-settied mountainous tract, lying on the North Carolina line, at the southeastern corner of western Virginie. It is drainel by the New River and its branches. Its limits were reduced in 1842 by the formation of Carrol county. Pop. in 1840, whites 8,542, slaves 492, free colored 53; total, 9,087.
Grayson C. H. lics 261 miles sw. of Richmond, and contains a few dwellings only.
GREENBRIER.
GREENBRIER was formed in 1777, from Botetourt and Montgomery, and named from its principal stream. Its mean length is 46 miles, incan breadth 323, and arca 1409 square miles. The surface is broken, and part of it mountainous. The mountains are infested with reptiles, such as the rattlesnake, copperhead, blacksnake, &c. ; there are some deer, wild turkeys, pheasants, wolves, wild-cats, panthers, bears, and a variety of small game. The horses raised in this region are distinguished for durability. The land ou Green- brier River, which runs contrafly through the county, is very fer- tile ; the mean elevation of the farms above the ocean is at least 1,500 feet. There was manufactured in this county in 1840, 114,932 pounds of maplo sugar. Pop., whites 7,287, slaves 1,214, free colored 194; total, 8,695.
Frankfort, 10 miles NE. of Lewisburg, contains a Methodist church and about 50 dwellings. In March, 1669, Col. John Stu- art, Robert MeCienachan, Thomas Renick, and Wm. Hamilton, settled here. They, as well as all those that immediately followed, were from Augusta county. This was the first permanent setile- ment in the county.
Lewisburg, the seat of justice for the county, lies on the James River and Kanawha turnpike ; 214 miles west of Richmond, 263 from Washington ; about 150 from Guyandotte, on the Ohio River. 9 miles w. of the White Sulphur, and 13 from the Blue Sulphur Springs. This town was established by law in October, 1782. and the act appointed the following, gentlemen trustees, viz. : Samuel Lewis, James Reid. Samuel Brown. Andrew Donnelly, John Stu- art, Archer Mathews, Win. Ward, and Thomas Edgar. It contains 6 mercantile stores, 1 newspaper printing office, I Baptist. 1 Pres- byterian, and 1 Methodist church. I academy, and a population of about 800. It is a flourishing village, the most important in this whole region, and the place where the western brunch of the court of appeals hold their sittings.
285
GREENBRIER COUNTY.
Lewisburg stands on the site of the old Savannah Fort, and is the place where the army of Gen. Lewis rendezvoused in 1771, pre- vious to the bottle of Point Pleasant. They constructed the first road ever made from here to Point Pleasant on the Ohio, distant about 160 miles. The old fort at this place stood about 100 yards BE, of the site of the present court-house, on land now (1913) le .. longing to Mr. Thomas B. Reynold, and the widow of MY, Wo. Mathews. It was erected about the year 1770.
The first church --- a Presbyterian-erected at Lewisburg, was about the year 1795, It is a stone edifice, aud is now occupied by that denomination. Previously. the same society had a log church, about a mile and a half sw. of the village, near the present residence of Mr. Chas, Rogers. Their first clergyman was'the Rev John M'Cue. There were then some Baptists in the county ; their clergyman was the Rev. John Alderson. Lewisburg derived its name from the Lewis family. In olden time it was called " the Savannah," being a kind of a prairie.
The following details respecting the early settlement of the county, the difficulties with the Indians, &c., are from Stuart's " Memoir of the Indian Wars and other Occurrences :"
About the year 1149, a person, who was a citizen of the bounty of Fredudich, and subject to paroxysms of lunacy, when influenced by such fits, usually made excursions into the wilderness, and in his rambles westwardly, fell in on the waters of Greenbrier River. . At that time, the country on the western waters was but little known to the English inhabitants of the then colonies of America, being claimed by the French, who had commenced settlements on the Ohio and its waters, west of the Alleghany moun- tains. The lunatic being surprised to find waters running a different coarse from any he had before known, returned with the intelligence of has discovery, which did almond with game. This soon excited the enterprise of others. Two men from New England, of the name of Jacob, Martin and Stephen Sewell, took up a residence upon Greenbrier River ; but soon disagreeing in sentiment, a quarrel occasioned their separation, and Sewell, for the sake of peace, quit their cabin, and made his abode in a large hollow tree. In this situation they were found by the late General Andrew Lewis, in the year 1751. Mr. Lewis was appointed agent for a company of grantees, who obtained from the gov- ernoi and council of Virginia, an order for one hundred thousand acres of land lying on the waters of Greenbrier River ; and did, this year, proceed to make surveys to complete the quantity of said granted lands ; and finding Marlin and Sewell living in the Light borhood of each other, inquired what could induce thein to live separate in a wilderness so distant from the habitations of any other hand beings. They informed him that difference of opinion Lad occasioned their separation, and that they had since enjoyed more tranquillity and a better understanding ; for Sewell said, that each morning when they arose and Marlin came out of the great house and he froin his hollow tree, they s. luted each other, saying, Good-morning, Mr. Marlin, and Good-morning, Mr. Sewell, so that a good understanding then existed between them ; but it did not last long, for Sew- ell removed about forty miles further west, to a creek that still bears his name, There the Indians found him and killed himn.
Previous to the year 1755, Mr. Lewis had completed for the grantees, under the order of council, upwards of fifty thousand acres ;- and the war then commencing between England and France, nothing further was done in the business until the year 1761, when his majesty issued his proclamation commanding all his subjects within the bounds of the colony of Virginia, who were living, or who had made settlements on the western waters, to remove from them, as the lands were claimed by the Indians, and good policy required that a praccable understanding should be preserved with them, to prevent hos- tilities on their part. The order of council was never afterwards carried into effect, or his majesty's consent obtained to confirm it.
At the commencement of the revolution, when the state of Virginia began to assuine independence, and held a convention in 1726, some efforts were made to have the order of council established under the new order of things then beginning to take place. But it was not confirmed ; and commissioners were appointed, in 1777, to grant certificates to each individual who had made settlements on the western waters, in the state of
GREENBRIER COUNTY.
Virginia, previous to the year 1768 and since, with preference according to the time of improvements ; which certificates gave the holder a right to four hundred acres for his settlement clain, and the pre-emption of one thousand more, if so much were found clear of prior clobus, and the bolder chose to accept it. The following year, 1778, Greenbrier was s parated from Botetourt county, and the county took its name from the river, which was s .. named by old Colonel John Lewis, father to the late General, and one of the grantees under the order of content, who, in company with his son Andrew, exploring the country in 1751, entangled himself in a bunch of green briers on the river, and declared he would ever after call the river Greenbrier River.
After peace was confirmed between England and France, in the year 1761, the Ip- dians commenced hostilities, in 1763, when all the inhabitants in Greenbrier were totally cut off by a party of Indians, headed by the Cornstalk warrior. The chief settlements were on Muddy creek. These Indians, in number about sixty, introduced themselves into the people's botes under the mask of friendship, and every civility was offered them by the people, providing thon vietuals and accommodations for their entertainment, when, on a sudden, they killed the men, and made prisoners of the women and chil- drea. From torneo they passed over into the Levels, where some families were collected at the house of Archibald Clendenin, (where the Hon. Balard Smith now lives.) There were between nity and one hundred persons, men, women, and children. There the Indians were entertained, as at Muddy creck, in the most Hospitable manner. Clendenin having just arrived from a hunt, with three fat elks, they were plentitully feasted. Ina the mean time, an old women, with a sore leg, was showing her distress to an Indian, end inquiring if he could administer to ber relief; he said he thought he could : and drawing as tomahawk, instantly killed her and all the men almost, that were in the house. Conrad Yolkom only escaped, by bring some distance from the house, when the outories of the women and children alarmed him. He fled to Jackson's River and alarmed the people, who were unwilling to believe him, until the approach of the Indians convinced them. All ded before them; and they pursued on to Carr's creek. in Ren- bridge county, where wany familles were killed and taken by them. At Clendenit's a scene of mush otuchy was performed ; and a negro woman, who was endeavoring to escapo, billed her own "but, who was pursuing her crying. Just she might be dissoce ral by its eries. Mrs. Wendentu did not fail to abuse the Indians with textes of reproach, calling them cowards &c, although the tomahawk was drawn over her head, with threats of instant death, and the scalp of her husband lashed about her jaws. The prisoners were all taken over to Muddy creek, and a party of Indians retained them there till the return of the others from Carr's creek, when the whole were taken off together. On the day they started from the foot of Keency's Knob, going over the mountain, Mrs. Clendenin gave her infant child to a prisoner woman to carry, as the prisoners were in the centre of the line, with the Indians in front and rear, and she escaped into a thicksi, and concealed herself until they all passed by. The erics of the child scon me te the Indians inquire for the mother, who was missing ; and one of them said he would soon bring the cow to her calf. Taking the child by the heels he beat.its brains out against a tive, and throwing it down in the path, all marched over it, till its guts were all trampled out with the horses. She told me she returned that night, in the dark, to her own house, a distance of more than ten miles, and covered. her husband's corpse with rails, which lay in the yard, where he was killed in endeavoring to escape over the fence, with one of his children in his arms ; and then she went into a corn field, where great fear came upon her, and she imagined she saw a man standing by her, within a few steps, The Indians continued the war till 1761, and with much dopre- dation on the frontier inhabitants, making incursions as far as within a few miles of Staunton.
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An end was put to the war in the fall of that year by the treaty which Cel. Boquet held with the Indians, near Muskingum. In the spring of IT;4, another Indian war-known as Dunmore's war --- broke out. In the fall of that year, a portion of the army under Gen. Lewis, destined to act against the Indians, assembled at Camp Union; (now Lewisburg.) and from thence marched on through the wilderness to the mouth of the Great Kanawha, where they met and defeated the Indians under their famous leader, the brave and generous Cornstalk. For an account of this action, the battle of Point Pleasant, seo Mason county.
287
GREENBRIER COUNTY.
In 1778, an attack was made by about 200 Indians, upon Don- nally's Fort. This fort stood about 100 yards E. of the present residence of Mr. Anthony Rader, on Rader's ruu, 10 miles.N. of Lewisburg. It was a double log-house, with a chimney in the centre, and was surrounded by a stockade of split logs. The house was destroyed abont the year 1825. at which time many ballets were found in the timbers. Dick Pointer, the old negro who acted so gallantly in its defence, died only a few years since. The state had purchased his freedom in reward for his services. Ho was buried with the honors of war. The account of the attack on Donnally's Fort is here given from the memoir of Mr. Stuart :
Intelligence having been conveyed to Col. Donnally of the approach of the Indians, be lost no time to collect in all his nearest neighbors that night, and sent a servant, to my house to inform me. Before day about twenty men, including Hammond and Prior, were collected at Donnally's, and they had the advantage of a stockade fort around and adjoining the house. There was a number of women and children, making in all about sixty persons in the house. On the next day they kept a good look-out, in momentary expectation of the enemy.
Colonel Samuel Lewis was at my house when Donnally's servant came with the intel. ligence ; and we lost no time in alarming the people, and to collect as many men for defence as we could get at Camp Union all the west day. But all wow boy , sothe By- ing with their families to the inward settlements. and others securing their property, so that in the course of the day, we had not collected near one hundred men. On the fol- lowing day we sent out two scouts to Donnally's, very early in the morning, who soon returned with intelligence that the fort was attacked. The scouts had got within cac mile, and heard the guus firing briskly. We determined to give all the aid we could to the besieged, and every man who was willing to go was paraded. They amounted to sixty-eight in all, including Colonel Lewis, Captain Arbaeble, and myself, We diew near Donually's house about two o'clock, P. M., but heard no firing. For the sake of expedition we had left the road for a nearer way, which led to the back side of the house, and thus escaped falling into an ambuscade, placed on the road some distance from the house, which might have been fatal to us, being greatly inferior to the enemy in num- bers. We soon discovered Indians, behind trees in a rye-field, looking earnestly at the house. Charles Gatliff and I fired upon them, when we saw others running in the rye, near where they stood. We all ran directly to the fort. The people, on heating the guns on the back side of the house, supposed that it was another party of Indians, and all were at the port-holes ready to fire upon us ; but some discovering that we were their friends, opened the gate, and we all got in -safe. One man ouly was shot through his clothes.
When we got into the fort, we found that there were only four men killed. Two of them who were coming to the fort, fell into the midst of the Indians, and were killed. A servant of Donnally's was killed early in the morning on the first attack ; and coe man was killed in a bastion in the fort. The Indians had commenced their attack about daylight in the morning, when the people were all in bed, except Philip Hammond and an old negro. The house formed one part of the fort, and was double, the kitchen making one end of the bouse, and there Hammond and the negro were. A hogshead of water was placed against the door. "The enemy had laid down their guns at a sta- ble, about fifty yards from the house, and made their attacks with tomahawks and war- clubs. Hammond and the negro held the door till they were splitting it with their toma- hawks : they suddenly let the door open, and Hammond killed the Indian on the threshold, who was splitting the door. The negro had a musket charged with swan. shot, and was jumping about in the floor asking Hammond where he should shoot ? Hammond bade him fire away among them ; for the yard was crowded as thick as they could stand. Dick fired away, and I believe, with good effect ; for a war-club lay in the yard with a swan-shot in it. Dick is now upwards of eighty years old, has long been abandoned by his master, as also his wife, as aged as himself, and they have made out to support their miserable existence, many years past, by their own endeavors. This is the negro, to whom our Assembly, at its last session, refused to grant a small paseo to support the short remainder of his wretched days, which must soon end, although his humble petition was supported by certificates of the most respectable men in the
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288
GREENDRIER COUNTY.
county, of his meritorious service on this occasion, which saved the lives of many citle zens then in the house.
The firing of Hammond and Dick awakened the people in the other end of the house, and up stairs, where the chief of the men were lying. They soon fired out of the win- dows on the Indians so briskly, that when we got to the fort, seventeen of them lay dead in the yard, one of whom was a boy about fifteen or sixteen years old. His body was so torn by the bullets that a man might have run his arm through bim, yet he lived almost all day, and made a most lamentable cry. The Indians called to him to go into the house.
After dark, a fellow drew near to the fort and called out in English that he wanted to make peace. We invited him in to consult on the terins, but he declined our civility. They departed that night, afrer dragging right of their slain out of the yard; but we never afterwards found where they baried them They visited Greenbrier but twice afterwards, and then in very small parties, one of which killed a man and his wife, of the name of Munday, and wounded Capt. Samuel McClung. The last person killed was Thomas Griffith ; his son was taken, but going down the Kenawha, they were pursucd, one of the Indians was killed, and the boy was relieved, which ended our wars 2u Greenbrier with the Indians, in the year 1780
The WHITE SULPHUR SPRING of Greenbrier, the most celebrated of all the watering places of Virginia, is 9 miles easterly from Lewisburg, about 170 from the Ohio River at Point Pleasant, 242 en. of Washington City and 205 w. of Richmond. It is thus described by a late visitor :
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