USA > Virginia > Washington County > Washington County > History of southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870 > Part 11
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Ambition of preferment, the pride of place, too often hin- drances to social intercourse, were unknown among them. Equal- ity of condition rendered them strangers alike to the baneful dis- tinctions of wealth and other adventitious circumstances, a sense of mutual dependence for their common security, linked them in amity and they conducted their several purposes in harmonious con- cert : together they toiled and together they suffered. Such were the pioneers of the Southwest: and the greater part of mankind might now derive advantage from the contemplation of their "hum- ble virtues, their hospitable homes, their spirits potential, noble. proud and free. their self-respect grafted on innocent thoughts. their days of health and nights of sleep, their toils, by dangers dignified, yet guiltless, their hopes of cheerful old age and a quiet grave with cross and garland over its green turf and their grand- children's love for an epitaph."*
The early settlers of this section of Virginia were a strong. stern people, simple in their habits, God-fearing in their practices, imbibing the spirit of freedom, such as is usually found among the
*Dodridge.
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inhabitants of a mountainous country, kind in their disposition towards the well-disposed and unmerciful in their dealings with their enemies. They were upright in all their dealings, fearless advocates of the right and undying lovers of their country.
Dr. Dodridge, an author who wrote from his personal knowl- edge, says that "linsey coats and bed-gowns, were the universal dress of the women in the early times." The weed, now known among us as the "wild nettle," then furnished the material which served to clothe the persons of our sires and dames." It was cut down while yet green and treated much in the same manner in which flax is now treated.
The fibrous bark, with the exception of the shortness of the fibres, seemed to be adapted to the same uses. When this "flax," if I may so term it, was prepared, it was mixed with buffalo hair, and woven into a substantial cloth in which the men and women were clothed. It is a true maxim, "Necessity is the mother of invention."
"The furniture of the table, for several years after the settle- ment of this country, consisted of a few pewter dishes, plates and spoons ; but mostly of wooden bowls, trenchers and noggins. If these last were scarce, gourds and hard-shelled squashes made up the deficiency. Iron pots, knives and forks were brought from the East, with the salt and iron on horseback."
"In our whole display of furniture, the delft, china and silver were unknown. It did not then, as now, require contributions from the four quarters of the globe to furnish the breakfast table, viz., the silver from Mexico, the coffee from the West Indies, the tea from China and the delft or porcelain from Europe or Asia. Yet, a homely fare, unsightly cabins and furniture produced a hardy race, who planted the first footsteps of civilization in the immense regions of the West. Inured to hardship, bravery and labor from their early youth, they sustained with manly fortitude the fatigue of the chase, the campaign and scout, and with 'strong arms turned the wilderness into fruitful fields,' and have left to their descendants the rich inheritance of an immense empire blessed with peace, wealth and prosperity."*
"For a long time after the settlement of this country, the in-
*Bickley.
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habitants in general married young. There was no distinction of rank and very little of fortune. On these accounts the first impres- sion of love resulted in marriage, and a family establishment cost but little labor and nothing else.
"A description of a wedding from beginning to end will serve to show the manners of our forefathers and mark the grade of civi- lization which has succeeded to their rude state of society, in the course of a few years.
"In the first years of the settlement.of a country, a wedding en- gaged the attention of the whole neighborhood, and the frolic was anticipated by young and old with eager expectation. This is not to be wondered at when it is told that a wedding was almost the only gathering which was not accompanied with the labor of reap- ing, log-rolling, building a cabin, or planning some scout or cam- paign. On the morning of the wedding day the groom and his at- tendants assembled at the house of his father for the purpose of reaching the home of his bride by noon, which was the usual time for celebrating the nuptials and which, for certain reasons, must take place before dinner.
"Let the reader imagine an assemblage of people without a store, tailor or mantua-maker within a hundred miles, and an as- semblage of horses without a blacksmith or saddle within an equal distance. The gentlemen dressed in shoepacks, moccasins, leather breeches, leggings, linsey hunting shirts, and all home-made. The ladies dressed in linsey petticoats and linsey or linen bed-gowns, coarse shoes, stockings and handkerchiefs and buckskin gloves, if any. If there were any rings, buckles, buttons or ruffles, they were the relics of olden times; family pieces from parents or grand- parents. The horses were caparisoned with old saddles, old bridles or halters, and pack-saddles with a bag or blanket thrown over them ; a rope or string as often constituted the girth as a piece of leather.
"The march, in double file, was often interrupted by the narrow- ness of our mountain paths, as they were called, for we had no roads, and these difficulties were often increased by the good and sometimes the ill-will of neighbors by felling trees and tying grape- vines across the way. Sometimes an ambuscade was formed by the wayside, and an unexpected discharge of several guns took
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place, so as to cover the wedding party with smoke. Let the reader imagine the scene which followed this discharge; the sudden spring of the horses, the shrieks of the girls and the chivalrous bustle of their partners to save them from falling. Sometimes, in spite of all that could be done to prevent it, some were thrown to the ground. If a wrist, elbow or ankle happened to be sprained, it was tied up with a handkerchief, and little more said or thought about it.
"The ceremony of the marriage preceded the dinner, which was a substantial backwoods feast of beef, pork, fowls, and sometimes venison and bear meat roasted and boiled with plenty of potatoes, cabbage and other vegetables. During the dinner the greatest hilarity prevailed. The table might be a large slab of timber, hewed out with a broad-axe, supported by four sticks, set in auger holes; and the furniture, some old pewter dishes and plates; the rest, wooden bowls and trenchers : a few pewter spoons much bat- tered about the edges were to be seen at some tables. The rest were made of horn. If knives were scarce the deficiency was made up with scalping knives which were carried in sheaths suspended to the belt of the hunting shirt. Every man carried one.
"After dinner the dancing commenced and generally lasted until the next morning. The figures of the dancers were three and four handed reels, or square sets and jigs. The commencement was always a square form, which was followed by what was called jig- ging it off; that is, two of the four would single out for a jig, and were followed by the remaining couple. The jigs were often ac- companied with what was called cutting out, that is, when either of the parties became tired of the dance, on intimation, the place was supplied by some one of the company, without any interrup- tion to the dance. In this way the dance was often continued till the musician was heartily tired of his situation. Toward the lat- ter part of the night, if any of the company through weariness at- tempted to conceal themselves for the purpose of sleeping, they were hunted up, paraded on the floor, and the fiddler ordered to play, 'Hang out till to-morrow morning.'
"About nine or ten o'clock a deputation of young ladies stole off the bride and put her to bed. In doing this it frequently hap- pened that they had to ascend a ladder, instead of a pair of stairs,
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leading from the dining and ball room to a loft, the floor of which was made of clapboards lying loose.
"This ascent, one might think, would put the bride and her attendants to the blush; but the foot of the ladder was commonly behind the door, which was purposely opened for the occasion. and its rounds at the inner ends were well hung with hunting- shirts, dresses and other articles of clothing. The candles being on the opposite side of the house, the exit of the bride was noticed but by few.
"This done, a deputation of young men, in like manner, stole off the groom and placed him snugly by the side of his bride. The dance still continued; and if seats happened to be scarce, as was often the case, every young man when not engaged in the dance, was obliged to offer his lap as a seat for one of the girls: and the offer was sure to be accepted. In the midst of this hilarity the bride and groom were not forgotten. Pretty late in the night some one would remind the company that the new couple must stand in need of some refreshments. Black Betty, which was the name of the bottle, was called for and sent up the ladder; but sometimes Black Betty did not go alone. I have sometimes seen as much bread, beef, pork and cabbage sent along as would afford a good meal for half a dozen hungry men. The young couple were compelled to eat and drink more or less of whatever was offered.
"But to return: it often happened that some neighbors or rela- tions, not being asked to the wedding, took offence, and the mode of revenge adopted by them on such occasions was that of cutting off the manes, foretops, and tails of the horses of the wedding company.
"On returning to the infare, the order of procession and the race for Black Betty was the same as before. The feasting and dancing often lasted several days, at the end of which the whole company were so exhausted with loss of sleep that many days' rest were requisite to fit them to return to their ordinary labors."
HUNTING.
"This constituted one of the greatest amusements, and, in many instances, one of the chief employments of the carly settlers. The various intrigues of a skillful hunter, such as mimicking a turkey,
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owl, wolf, deer, etc., were soon learned, and the eye was taught to catch, at a glance, the faintest impressions left upon the earth by any animal. Marks which would be by any but a hunter overlooked were easily detected. The times and grounds on which elk, deer, etc., fed were soon learned, and then the important lesson of preventing spells or enchantments by enemies was studied, for it is a singular fact that all hunters are more or less superstitious. Frequently, on leaving home, the wife would throw the axe at her husband to give him good luck. If he chanced to fail to kill game, his gun was enchanted or spelled, and some old woman was shot in effigy, then a silver bullet would be run with a needle through it and shot at her picture. To remove these spells, they would sometimes unbreech their rifles, and lay them in a clear running stream for a certain number of days. If this failed, they would borrow patching from some other hunter, which transferred all the bad luck to the lender, etc.
"Game was plenty at the time this country was first settled by the whites, and, acordingly, the woods furnished most of the meat. The elks and buffaloes were generally killed at the licks whither they repaired to salt themselves. Animals were hunted there not merely for their meat, but for their skins and furs. These served to pay for powder, lead, or anything else, being nomi- nally the currency of the country.
"Neither was hunting a mere pastime, devoid of skill, as it now is. The hunter might be considered somewhat of a meteorologist ; he paid particular attention to the winds, rains, snows, and frosts, for almost every change altered the location of the game. He knew the cardinal points of the compass by the thick bark and moss on the north side of a tree, so that during the darkest and most gloomy night he knew which was the north, and so the direction of his home or camp.
"The natural habits of the deer were well studied; and hence he knew at what times they fed, etc. If, in hunting, he found a deer at feed, he stopped, and though he might be open to it, did not seek to obscure himself, but waited till it raised its head and looked at him. He remained motionless till the deer, satisfied that nothing was in sight, again commenced feeding. He then began to advance, if he had the wind of it, and if not, he retreated and
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came up another way, so as to place the deer between himself and the wind. As long as the deer's head was down, he continued to advance till he saw it shake the tail. In a moment he was the same motionless objeet, till again it put down its head. In this way he would soon approach to within sixty yards, when his unerring rifle did the work of death. It is a curious fact that deer never put their heads to the ground, or raise it, without shaking the tail be- fore doing so."*
*Bickley.
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CHAPTER VI. SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA-FINCASTLE COUNTY. 1773-1777.
The House of Burgesses of Virginia in the fall of the year 1772, in answer to the petition of the inhabitants and settlers on the waters of the Holston and New rivers, representing their in- conveniences by reason of the extent of Botetourt county and their remote situation from the courthouse, with the consent of the Governor and Council enacted a law providing that from and after the first day of December, 1772, the said 'county of Bote- tourt should be divided into two distinct counties; that is to say, all that part of said county within a line to run up the east side of New river to the mouth of Culberson creek, thence a direct line to the Catawba road where it crosses the dividing ridge between the north fork of Roanoke and the waters of New river, thence with the top of the ridge to the bend where it turns eastwardly, thence a south course, crossing Little river to the top of the Blue Ridge mountain, shall be established as one distinct county, to be called and known by the name of Fincastle; and all that other part thereof which lies to the east and northeast of said line shall be one other distinct county and retain the name of Botetourt. The act establishing Fincastle did not designate the place of holding the court of the county, but, by order of the Governor of the Colony, the Lead Mines, now in Wythe county, Virginia, was desig- nated as the county seat of the new county .*
Pursuant to a commission from the Governor of the Colony bearing date December 1, 1772, directed to
William Preston,
William Inglis,
William Christian,
John Montgomery,
Stephen Trigg,
Robert Doach,
Walter Crockett,
James McGavock,
Anthony Bledsoe,
James Thompson,
Arthur Campbell, William Russell,
Benjamin Estill, Samuel Crockett,
Alexander McKee,
*8 Hen. Stat., page 600.
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the first County Court for Fincastle county assembled at the Lead Mines, on New river, in the present county of Wythe, on the 5th day of January, 1723. The following members of the court being present :
Arthur Campbell,
James Thompson,
William Preston,
William Inglis.
William Christian,
Stephen Trigg,
Walter Crockett,
James McGavock.
Arthur Campbell and James Thompson administered the oath to William Preston and William Inglis, and they to :
William Christian,
Robert Doach,
Stephen Trigg, Walter Crockett,
James McGavock, James Thompson,
Arthur Campbell.
Subsequently in the year 1223, William Campbell, James Me- Corkle and William Herbert were commissioned and qualified as members of the court. The following officers of the new county qualified on that day :
Sheriff Fincastle county, William Preston.
Deputy Sheriffs :
Daniel Trigg, John Floyd,
James Thompson, Henry Moore.
Surveyor Fincastle County, William Preston.
Deputy Surveyors :
John Floyd, Robert Preston,
Daniel Smith, Robert Doach,
William Russell, James Douglas.
Clerk Fincastle county, John Byrd. Deputy Clerks : William Christian, Stephen Trigg, Richard Madison.
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King's Counsel or Dept. Attorney : John Aylett, Jan. 5th, 1773. Thomas Madison, May 3rd, 1774.
The following attorneys qualified in this court during the exist- ence of the county :
Ephraim Dunlop,
Luke Bowyer,
John May,
John Todd,
Harry Innes,
Charles Simm,
John Aylett,
Gabriel Jones,
Benjamin Lawson,
Thomas Madison.
On the first day of the court many interesting orders were en- tered, several of the number being here copied as entered :
"The Court doth appoint the house adjoining the Court House, where the court is now held, for a prison, which house William Preston, Sheriff, doth protest against as insufficient.
"Ordered that Stephen Trigg send for weights and measures for the use of the said county, as soon as possible and on as low terms as he sells goods to his best customers on."
"Ordered that John Byrd do provide all necessary law books for this county, and that he bring in his charge."
A number of orders were entered by the court on the first day of its existence, in regard to that section of Fincastle county lying upon the waters of the Holston and Clinch rivers.
Leave was given Francis Whitney and William Kennedy to erect mills on the properties on which they lived, on the Holston river and the waters of Holston river.
In this connection it is worthy of notice, that at the time per- mission was given to Kennedy and Whitney to erect their mills, there was but one mill on the waters of the Holston, so far as the records show, to-wit: the mill of Arthur Campbell at Royal Oak.
"It is further ordered by the court that William Edmiston, George Adams, John Beaty, Joseph Drake, David Snodgrass and James Kincannon, or any three of them, being first sworn, do view the nighest and best way from the Town House (now in Smyth County, Va.,) to the Eighteen Mile creek (now Abingdon), and report."
It seems that there was some contention among the settlers on Holston as to the location of this road; for, on the 2nd day of
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March, 1923, the above order was set aside by the court, and on that day it was ordered that John Hays, Benjamin Logan, William Campbell, Arthur Bowen and Thomas Ramsey, or any three of them, being first sworn, do view the several ways proposed for said road and make a report of the conveniences and inconveniences attending the same. The viewers thus appointed made their re- port to the County Court on July 6, 1723, recommending that the lower road be established, which report was confirmed and the road established, and William Campbell, William Edmiston and James Bryan were appointed overseers of the said road.
The above is all the information that the records contain of the controversy in regard to the establishment of this road, but I ap- prehend that the action of the court in establishing the road as they did had considerable bearing in settling the future location of the county seat of Washington county at Abingdon.
Upon the second day of the court it was recommended to his Excellency the Governor that he will be pleased to establish the courthouse for this county at a piece of land commonly called McCall's place, now the property of Ross & Co .. and the lands of Samuel Crockett, in lieu of the Lead Mines, for the several reasons following :
That the said McCall's place and Crockett's lies on the Great Road that passes through the county, and that it is well watered, timbered and level.
That it is more central than the mines, and that it is in the neighborhood of a great deal of good lands and meadows.
That the Lead Mines are near the south line of the county, that there is no spring convenient. the place is very bare of timber and in a neighborhood where there is very little pasture, and it is certainly off the leading road.
From which order Arthur Campbell dissented.
While the records are to some extent indefinite as to the action of the Governor upon this petition, it is clear that the county seat was not removed from the Lead Mines during the existence of the county of Fincastle, as is evident from other records that have a bearing upon this subject.
The County Court on March 2. 1724, entered the following order :
"Ordered that the surveyor lay off the prison bounds, and that
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he include all the houses and some part of the waters." This clearly applied to the Lead Mines.
The act of the Legislature of Virginia establishing Montgomery county directed that the county seat should be Fort Chiswell, and one of the first orders of that court was to appoint commissioners to contract for and superintend the erection of a courthouse.
The above facts, when taken in connection with the circumstance that Fort Chiswell was at no time mentioned in the records of the County Court of Fincastle county, except in the petition above set out, are conclusive in regard to this matter.
On May 2, 1773, the court ordered that Robert Davis, Alexan- der Wylie, Robert Buchanan, and Hugh Gallion, any three of whom being duly sworn, do view the nighest way from James Davis' (at the head spring of the Middle Fork of the Holston) to James Catherine's (near the head spring of the South Fork of the Hol- ston), but the records of Fincastle fail to show that this road was established.
The next order of importance entered by the court was on May 5, 1773, when the court ordered that Isaac Riddle, Wesley White, James Young and James Montgomery do view the nighest and best way from Eleven Mile creek, on Holston, by Jones' place at the crossing place, going to Watauga, and report.
The commissioners made their report on July 6, 1773, and the road was established, and James Montgomery, James Young and Isaac Riddle were appointed overseers.
On March 3, 1773, James McCarthy, Matthew Mounts, John Smith, Thomas Byrd, Nathan Richerson and Peter Lee, or any three of them, being first sworn, were ordered to view the nighest and best way from the Town House on Holston to Castle's Woods on Clinch river, and make report.
The commissioners made their report on July 6, 1773, and the road was partially established, beginning at John Dunkin's in Elk Garden, thence over the mountains to Poor Valley, about five miles to the westward of the old path, and from thence by the Big Lick, through Lyon's Gap to the Town House.
On March 2, 1773, the court directed John Maxwell, Robert Al- lison and Robert Campbell, or any three of them, to view the nighest and best way from Catherine's Mill to Charles Allison's, and so on to Sinclair's Bottom, and report.
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Southwest Virginia. 1746-1786.
On July 6, 1723, the commissioners reported, and the court di- rected a road to be established from Catherine's Mill to Charles Allison's house on the condition that the people on the South Fork, or any others on same road who think it useful, do cut the same themselves.
On the same day the court ordered that William Edmiston, Robert Edmiston, Alexander McNutt, Robert Buchanan, and John Edmiston, any three of whom may act, do view a road from Charles Allison's house down the South Fork to Robert Edmiston's house and report.
On May 5, 1723, the County Court directed Arthur Camp- bell to take a list of the tithables on the Clinch river and on all its forks, as low as the Elk Garden, and on the Wolf Hill creek.
And William Russell to take a list of the tithables from the Elk Garden, on the Clinch, down to the county line.
And Anthony Bledsoe to take a list of the tithables from Cap- tain Campbell's down to the county line, on the North, South, and Middle Forks of Holston river.
And that Captain James Thompson do take a list of the tith- ables in Captain William Campbell's company.
On May 4, 1743, the court directed James Hays, John Hays, Archibald Buchanan, and Robert Davis to view the nighest and best way by Robert Davis' into the leading road from Holston.
At the meeting of the County Court on July 6, 1773, Jonathan Jenning was fined forty shillings for speaking of the court with contempt and saying that they were self-interested and partial.
And on the same day Stephen Trigg, James MeCorkle, Walter Crockett and James McGavock were directed to agree with work- men to repair the second house from the courthouse for a prison in such manner as is necesssary.
And on the 9th day of July, 1223, Joseph Black, Andrew Col- vill. Samuel Ewen, William Blackburn, George Blackburn, Samuel Briggs, Davis Galloway, John Berry, Christopher Acklin, John Keswick, John Vance and Benjamin Logan were directed to clear the nearest and best way from Samuel Brigg's, on Eighteen Mile creek, to James Bryan's, on Eleven Mile creek.
On November 2, 1723, on the petition of a number of the in- habitants, it was ordered that William Priest, Henry Willis, Jo- seph Martin, William Bowen and Joseph Craven, any three of
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