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 45
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The White Sulphur Spring is situated some 6 or 8 miles from the height of the Alleghany, on the western declivity, in an extensive valley beautifully embosomed with hills and mountains. It was known to the Indians as one of the most important licki of the deer and the elk. As early as 1772, a woman was brought here on a litter 10 miles, whose disease had balled all medical skill. A tree was felled, and a trough dug and filled with the mineral water, which was heated by putting hot stones into it. Ir this the patient was bathed, while, at the same time, she drank freeiv of the fountain In a few weeks she went from her bark cabin perfectly restored, The fame of this cure attracted many sick persons to the spring, and they soon commenced throwing up rude og cabins. But the dreariness of the mountains, the badness of the roads, and the poverty of the accommodations, repelled all but the desperate from these health-giving waters till 1818, when they fell into the hands of Mr. Calwell, the present enterprising owner. From that thne the place has continued rapidly to improve. Mr. Calwell's estate includes from ten to twelve thousand acres, much of which is fine interval soil. All the buildings, for one or two miles around the spring, belong to him. Nature has dene every thing to make this an enchanting spot. The valley opens about half a mile in breadth, winding in length from east to west, with graceful undulations, beyond the eye's reach. The fountain issues from the foot of a gentle slope, terminating in the low interval upon a small and beautiful river. The ground ascends from the spring east- ward, rising to a considerable eminence on the left, and spreading east and south into a wide and beautiful lawn. The lawn and walks cover perhaps fifty acres. A few rods from the spring, at the right, are the hotel, the dining-hall, the ball-room : all the rest of the ground is occupied mainly with cabins. These are rows of contiguous buildings, one story high, mostly of wood, some of brick, and a few of hewed logs white-washed. The framed cabins are all painted white. Directly to the right of the spring, and very near it, is Spring-row ; farther eastward, with a continuous piazza shaded with vines, is Virginia row ; at right-angles with this, crossing the lawn in the middle, is South Caro- lina row : heading the eastern extremity of the lawn is Bachelor's row ; on the north a de of the town. beginning nearest the spring, are Alabama, Louisiana, Paradise, and Baltimore row --- the last of which is the most elegant in the place Without the encia sure, southward from the fountain, is Broadway ; and a little west from this. on the Guyandot road, is Wolf row. The appearance of these cabins, painted, decorated, looking forthe from the green foliage, and tastefully arranged, is beautiful and imposing.
I have an analysis of the spring by Professor Rogers, the distinguished state geolo. rist. but am not permitted to communicate the proportions, as he wishes to reserve that fraction of interest for his forthcoming work. The solid matter procured by evaporation from 100 cubic inches, weighs 63.54 grains, composed of sulphate of lime, sulphate of
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VIEW AT THE WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS OF GREENBRIER.
The above new, recken near Martin's hotel, shows only a portion of the erections at this, one of the most popular watering places in the Southern States. Virginia Row is shown in front, Baltimore Row beyond, and Greenbrier Mountain in the distance,
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magnesia, sulphate of soda, carbonate of lime, carbonate of magnesia, chloride of mag- neviem. chloride of sodium, chloride of calcium, peroxide of iron, phosphate of Hate, sul phate and hydrate of sodium, organic matter, precipitated sulphur, iodine. The gassous matter consists of sulphurated hydrogen, carbobic acid, nitrogen, and oxygen. It is obvious, from this analysis, that the water must exert a very positive agency upon ine system. Its remedial virtues extend chiefly to discases of the liver, kidneys, alimentary canal, and to scrofula, rheumatism, and neuralgia.
The fountain is covered with a stately Doric dome, sustained by twelve large pillars, and surmounted with a colossal statue of Hygeia, looking towards the rising sun.
The Blue Sulphur Spring, in this county, is also quite popu- lar. The improvements are extensive, and the location one of much natural beauty. The water tastes like that of the White Sulphur. Subjoined is the analysis :
ANALYSIS .--- Solid ingredients in the Blue Sulphur Water .- Sulphate of lime ; sul- phate of magnesia ; sulphate of soda ; carbonate of lime ; carbonate of magnesia ; chlo- ride of magnesium ; chloride of sodium ; chloride of calcium ; hydro-sulphate of sodium and magnesium ; oxide of iron, existing as proto-sulphate ; iodine, sulphur, organic mat- ters. Gaseous ingredients .- Sulphurated hydrogen; carbonic acid ; oxygen ; nitrogen.
The spring is a very bold one, furnishing fifteen gallons of water to a minute ; there is a great deal of red, white, and black, and other deposites from the water.
GREENE.
GREENE was formed in 1838, from the western part of Orange, and named after Gen. Nathaniel Greene, of the revolution. It is 15 miles long, and 10 wide. The Blue Ridge runs on its western line. It is watered by branches of the Rivanna and the Rapid Ann. Its surface is mountainous and broken, and the soil in the valleys fertile. The principal products are tobacco, Indian corn, and wheat. A small quantity of cotton is produced. Population in 1840, whites 2,447, slaves 1,740, free colored 45; total, 4,832.
Stanardsville, the county-seat, is in the western part, 95 miles northwesterly from Richmond, and 18 miles w. of Orange C. H. The village is pleasantly situated, and contains about 35 dwellings.
GREENSVILLE.
GREENSVILLE was formed in 1784, from Brunswick. It is 28 miles long, with a variable breadth of from 8 to 24 miles. The Notto- way River runs on its x. boundary, and the Meherrin through it centrally. On the first-named stream anciently dwelt the Notto- way Indians ; on the last. the Meherrins and Tutelops, " who were connected with the Indians of Carolina, probably with the Claw. anocs.". Large quantities of cotton are raised in this county. Population in 1810, whites 1,928, slaves 4,102, free colored 130; total 6.366.
Hicksford, the county-seat, lies 62 miles south of Richmond, on 37
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the line of the great southern rail-road, which here crosses the Me herrin by a bridge 390 feet long; supported by stopy piers. Besides the public buildings, it contains from 12 to 20 dwellings, and seve- ral stores and hotels.
In the march of Cornwallis into Virginia, after the battle of Guilford Court House, a company of militia under a Captain Robinson were made prisoners on the Meherrin, below Hicksford, without firing a shot, by a body of cavalry under Lieut .- Col. Simcoe, who had been detached from Petersburg by Arnold, to gain information of Cornwallis. 'The whole party, the captors and captured, repaired to an adjacent tavern, where, in a conference among the British officers, it was announced to the priseners that they were to be paroled. " Pray, gentlemen," demanded one of them, in great consternation, " what kind of a death is that ?"
HALIFAX.
HALIFAX was formed in 1752, from Lunenburg. Its length is 33 miles, and mean breadth 23 miles. The Roanoke runs on its N. and NE. boundary, and the Dan and its branches flow through it centrally. The soil is fertile, and large quantities of excellent to- bacco, corn, and cats, are raised. Population in 1840, whites 11,145. slaves 14.216, free colored 575; total, 25,936.
Banister, or Halifax C. H., lies 127 miles southwestorly from Richmond. It is a long, scattering village, well elevated by a gradual ascent of three quarters of a mile from Banister River; it contains a population of about 300, Brooklyn. Meadsville, Scotts .. burg, and Barksdale, contain each a few dwellings.
HAMPSHIRE.
HAMPSHIRE was established in 1754, from Frederick and Augusta. Its mean length is about 33 miles, and mean breadth 30 miles. A large proportion of the county is mountainous, and much of the high mountain-land is untillable. The principal streams are the South- and the North Branch of Potomac. the Potomac, and the Great Cacapon. On all of these there are extensive and fertile low grounds. Near the Maryland line are immense fields of bitumi. nous coal, and deposites of iron ore in various parts of the county. Population, whites 10,703, slaves 1,403, free colored 189; total 12.295.
Romney. the county-sent, is situated in the heart of the county. on the South Branch of Potomac, 188 miles sw. of Richmond, and 39 miles from Winchester. It is a small village, yet one of con- siderable business, and has a branch of the Bank of the Valley, several stores, and about 350 inhabitants. It was established by law in 1762. and laid off by Lord Fairfax, its founder, into streets and half-acre lots. The Parkersburg turnpike passes through it.
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Frankfort, Springfield, Cold Stream Mill, and Paddytown, are small villages.
The Ice Mountain.
The Ice Mountain of Hampshire is one of the greatest namal curiosities in Virginia, It rises from the eastern bank of the North River, a branch of the Capon, and is distant 26 miles wiv. from Winchester, and 16 miles E. of Romney, It is in height 400 or 500 feet.
The west side of the mountain, for about a quarter of a mile, is covered with a mass of loose stone of a light color, which reaches down to the bank of the river. Thus part of the mountain is represented in the accompanying engraving. By removing the trose stone, pure crystal ice can always be found in the warmest days of summer. It has been discovered even as late as the 15th of September; but never in October, although it may exist throughout the entire year, and be found, if the rocks wore excavated to & sufficient depth. "The body of rocks where the ice is found is subject to the tall rays of the run from nine o'clock in the morning until sunset. The sun does not have the effet of melting the ice as much as continued rains. At the base of the mountain is a spring of water colder by many degrees than spring water generally is. " Very wear this spring," says Kercheval, " the owner of the property has removed the stone, and erected a small log dairy, for the preservation of his milk, bater, and fresh meats. When die author saw this little building, which was late in the month of Aprit, the openings be- tween the logs, (on the side next the cavity from which the stone had been taken out,) for eighteen inches or two feet from the floor, were completely filled with ice, and about one-half the floor was covered with ice several inches thick. Mr. Deevers, who is the owner of the property, informed the author that milk, butter, or fresh meats of every kind, are perfectly safe from injury for almost any length of the, in the hottest weather If a fly venture in, he is immediately stiffened with the cold and becomes torpid. If a sunke in his randles happens in pass over the rocks covering the ice, he soon lowas all motion, aad dios. Christopher Heiskell, Esq., informed the author that several instancee had occurred of the snakes being found dead among the rocks covering the ice. An intelligent wrang tady at the same time stated that she had seen instances of this character. In trods, it was upen her first suggesting the fact, that the author war ld to make inquiry of Mr. Heiskell. And Mr. Deevers stated that he had several times reinoved torpid files from his dairy inte a more temperate atmosphere, when they soon recovered life and motion, and dew off."
Mr. C. B. Hayden, in a recent number of Silliman's Journal,
...
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HANOVER COUNTY.
thas accounts for the phenomenon of the preservation of ice in this mountain :
The solution, ) conceive, is to be found in the large and unusual collection of rocks, which from their porous homogeneous texture are extremely poor conductors of heat, One side of the mountain consists of a massive wall many hundred feet in thickness, and boaped up against this as an abutment, is a mass of rocks containing several thousand cubic feet. As the mountain has a general direction from NE. to sw., the falos heap con- faining the ice has a Nw. exposure. The cavernous nature of this heap would admit the free entrance of atmospheric waters, which during the winter would form ice in the interior of the mass. The ice thus situated would be proterind non external heat by the sug- rounding rocks, as ice in a refrigerator is isolated and protected from the external tem- perature, by the non-conducting sides of the refrigerator. The Ice Mountain only requires for the explanation of its phenomenon, the application of the familiar principle upon which is constructed the common refrigerator, which temporarily effects what the Ice Mountain permanently does-a temperature independent of external causes. The Ice Mountain is, in fact, a huge sandstone refrigerator, whose increased and unusual effects beyond those of the ordinary refrigerator, are due to the increased and unusual collection of poor conducting materials which form its sides.
There are several other curiosities of nature in this county. They are Caudy's Castle, the Tea-Table, and the Hanging Rocks.
Caudy's Castle was so named from having been the retreat of an early settler when revered by the Indians. It is a fragment of a mountain in the shape of a half cone. with a very narrow base, which rises from the banks of the Capon to the height of about 500 feet, and presents a sullune and majestic appearance. The Tee-Table is abent 10 miles below Caudy's Castle, in a deep ragged glen, three or four miles east of the Capon. This table is of solid rock, and presents the form of a man's hat standing on its crowa. It is about 4 feet in height and the same in diameter. From the top issues a clear stream of water, which flows over the brim on all sides, and forms a fountain of exquisite beanty. The Hanging Rocks are about 4 miles north of Romney. There the Wappatomka River has cut its way through a mountain of about 500 feet in height. The boldness of the rocks, and the wildness of the scene, excite awe in the beholder.
A bloody battle, says tradition, was once fought at the Hanging Rocks, between con- tending parties of the Catawba and Delaware Indians, and it is believed that several hundred of the latter were slaughtered. Indeed, the signs now to be seen at this place exhibit striking evidences of the fact. There is a row of Indian graves between the rock and public road, along the margin of the river, of from 60 to 70 yards in length. It is believed that but very few of the Delawares escaped.
HANOVER.
HANOVER was formed in 1720, from New Kent. Its length is 45 miles ; main width, 14 miles. It is watered by the Pamunkey, the Chickahominy, and their branches. The surface is generally level, and the soil of every extreme, from the best river alluvion to barren sand. Inexhaustible beds of marl exist in the county, and are extensively used in agriculture, now in an improving condition. The Fredericksburg and Richmond rail-road runs s. and s, through the central part. The Lovisa rail road commouces at the " June- tion" ou the line of the above-mentioned rail-road, 24 nales s. of' Richmond, and runs through the western part of Hanover. Pop,, whites 6,262, slaves 8,394, free colored 312; total, 14.969.
Hanover C. H. is 20 miles N. of Richmond. Hanover town. on the Pamunkey, in the r. part of the county, was settled before Rich-
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HANOVER COUNTY.
mond, and anciently called Page's Warehouse. It once had a large population, and was a place of considerable bosiness, oven within the memory of those living. At one time there were 1050 hogsheads of tobacco annually exported from it. Then the Pa- munkey was navigable for sloops and schooners, since which the channel has much filled up. When the Assembly of the state were agitating the subject of removing the caphol from Williams-
Birthplace of Henry Clay.
burg, they came within a few votes of deciding upon Hanover Town instead of Richmond. The site is now a cultivated field. and shows but a few traces of its having been a town, Newcastle, which is 4 or 5 miles lower down on the Pamunkey, was also, at the same time, a considerable village. It now consists of a single house. It is the spot where Patrick Henry assembled his volunteers at the time Dunmore took the gunpowder from the magazine at Wil- liamsburg. This section of the county is a beautiful agricultural tract, on which there was once much tobacco raised.
Patrick Henry, Henry Clay, and Col. Baylor, were all natives of Hanover county, The latter was at one time aid to Washington. His regiment of light dragoons, which were from Virginia, while sleeping in a barn near the line of New Jersey and New York, were surprised, Sept. 28th, 1778, and nearly all of them cruelly massacred. Col. Baylor was dangerously wounded, and made prisoner. He was noted for his bravery. The birthplace of Henry Clay is in a poor piny region. called the Slashes of Hanover, about 3 miles from the court-house, on the turnpike to Richmond.
The Rev. SAMUEL DAVIES, " the father* of the Presbyterian church in Virginia," was + We take this expression, " father of the Presbyterian church in Virginia," from a. periodical. Mr. Davies was not so, strictly speaking : but he did more than any other person in disseminating the doctrines of, and making converts to this church, at an early day. The father of the Presbyterian church in America was the Rev. Francis Makemic. He was a Scotch-Irish Presbyterian, " from the neighborhood of Rampelton, in Donegal, in th . north of Ireland, and was first introduced to the presbytery in January. 16. 0." Reil's History of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, from which the above is derived, also says : " He settled in Accomne county, on the eastern shore of Virginia, where he died in 1701. He was the first Presbyterian minister who settled in America, and with a
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HANOVER COUNTY.
born in Delaware, in 1721, in humble circumstances. In 1748, he accepted a call from the Presbyterians of this neighborhood to settle among them. He gained great credit for his knowledge, address, and diequence, in an argument which he had with Peyton Randolph, the king's attorney-general, on the subject of the rights of Protestant dissenters from the established church in Virginia. When he wenn a England in 1753, be obtained from the king and council a declaration, under authority, that the provisions of the act of tolera- tion did extend to Virginia. The Old Fork Church in which he preached is, or was lately, standing on the South Anna Branch, near Ground Squirrel Bridge, in this county.
The home of Mr. Davies was in this county, about 12 miles from Richmond ; but his occasional labors were greatly extended over a considerable part of the colony ; and he acquired an influence greater, probably, than any other preacher of the gospel in Virgi- nia ever possessed It was the influence of fervent piety and zeal, directed by a mind of uncommon compass and force. He took no little pains to instruct the negroes, and to this day the descendants of his negro converts manifest the happy effects of the pious instructions of their parents.
In 1753, Mr. Davies accompanied the Rev. Gilbert Tennent on a mission to England, to solicit donations for the College of New Jersey, at Princeton, where he met with a success that astonished himself. He preached frequently, and with great applause. The following anecdote is related of him : The king, (George II.,) being curious to hear a preacher from the wilds of America, attended on one occasion, when he was so much struck with his commanding eloquence that he expressed his astonishment loud enough to be heard half-way over the house. Davies observing that the king was attracting more attention than himself, paused, and looking his majesty full in the face, guve lum, in an emphatic tone, the following rebuke : " When the lion roareth, let the beasts of the forcei tremble , and when the Lord speaketh, let the kings of the earth keep silence." The king shrunk back in his seat and remained quict during the remainder of his dis- course ; and the next day sent for Mr. Davies, and gave him fifty guineas for the college, observing at the same time to his courtiers : " he is an honest man ! an honest man !"
Shortly after the return of Mr. Davies, in 1755, the presbytery of Hanover was erected, and he was appointed to open the presbytery, which was directed to meet in Hanover, on the 3d of December of that year. The limits of the presbytery originally compre. bended the whole of Virginia, and a considerable part, if not the whole, of North Caro- lina. Through this extensive region there were scattered numerous settlements of Pro- testant dissenters, besides many who had originally belonged to the established chnich, but had chosen to leave it and to join the dissenters. Of this whole disseating interest, Mr. Davies was the animating soul. He made his influence to be Kult everywhere ; he transfused his own spirit into the bosoms of his associates, and roused them by the force of his example. His popularity in Virginia was almost unbounded ; so that he was in- vited and urged to preach in almost all the settled portions of the colony.
But he did not content himself merely with the discharge of pastoral duties. The country was alarined and agitated to the highest degree, by the French and Indian war. At this time he delivered several patriotic sermons, one of which, under the title of " Religion and Patriotism the constituents of a good soldier," was addressed in Hanover to Capt. Overton's company of independent soldiers. In it he uttered the prophetic re- mark respecting Washington. (Sec p. 99.) On another occasion he preached a ser- mon " to the militia of Hanover county, in Virginia, at a general muster, May 8th, 1759, with a view to raise a company for Capt. Samuel Meredith." At its close, a company was made up in a few minutes, and many more offered their names than the lair al- lowed, As Mr. Davies left the unster-ground for the tavern, to get his horse, the whole corps followed him, pressing around to catch every word that fell from his lips. Ob- serving their desire, he again addressed them from the tavern porch until he was ex- hausted with speaking.
The celebrated Patrick Henry has spoken in terms of enthusiasm of Mr. Davies. It has been supposed that he first kindled the fire, and afforded the model of Henry's elocu- tion, as he lived from his 11th to his 22d year in the neighborhood where the patriotic sermons of Mir. Davies were delivered, which produced as powerful effec s as those as. cribed to the orations of Demosthenes.
In 1759, Mr. Davies accepted the appointment of president of New Jersey College,
lew other brethren from UIster, constituted the first regular presbytery that was organ- ized in the new world." Hodge's History of the Presbyterian Church in America, states that he settled in Accomac anterior to 1790, when his name first appears upon the county records, and that he died in 1798 .- UI. IL.
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at Princeton, The services he rendered as president of that institution were very im- portant. President Davies died on the 4th of February, 1762, having remained in of- fice abont eighteen months. He was abont fourteen years in public life, and died in the thirty-seventh year of his age. He possessed the advantages of superior genins ; and was munch distinguished as a laborious scholar. He dreaded to preach without proper preparation. When pressed to speak extemporaneously he sometimes replied : " It is a dreadful thing to talk nousens in the range of the Lord." He declared that " every discourse of his which he thought worthy of the name of a sermon, cost him four days hard study in the preparation." It was by this combination of talent and diligence that he became the most eloquent and accomplished pulpit-orator that our country ever pro- duced, and he was more successful as a preacher than almost any other individual of his day. Since his death, his sermons have passed through numerous editions, both in this country and Britain, and probably there are no sermons in the language more ex- tensivcly read or more deservedly popular .*
The Marquis de Chastellux, an officer attached to the French army in America in the revolutionary war, has in his travels left us some interesting notices respecting this county. He says :
As you approach Newcastle, the country becomes more gay. This little capital of a small district contains 25 or 30 houses, some of which are pretty enough. We continued our journey to Hanover court-house. We arrived before sunset, and alighted at a tol- erably handsome inn, a very large saloon, and a covered portico, are destined to receive the company who assemble every three months at the court-house, either on private or public affairs ... . The county of Hanover, as well as that of New Kent, had still reason to remember the passage of the English. Mr. Tilghman, our landlord, though he la- mented his misfortune in having lodged and boarded Lord Cornwallis and his retinge, without his lordship's having made the least recompense, could not yet help laughing at the fright which the unexpected arrival of Tarleton spread amongst a considerable num- ber of gentlemen, who had come to hear the news, and were assembled in the court- house. A negro on horseback came full gallop to let them know that Tarleton was not above three miles off. The resolution of retreating was soon taken; but the alarm was so sudden, and the confusion so great, that every one mounted the first horse he could find, so that few of those curious gentlemen returned upon their own horses. The Eng- lish who came from Westover had passed the Chickahominy at Button's Bridge, and directed their march towards the South Anna, which Lafayette had put between them and himself.
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