Shenandoah Valley Pioneers and Their Descendants: A History of Frederick County, Virginia., Part 14

Author: Cartmell, T. K. (Thomas Kemp), 1838-1920
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: [Winchester, Va.] : [Printed by the Eddy Press Corp.]
Number of Pages: 607

USA > Virginia > Frederick County > Frederick County > Shenandoah Valley Pioneers and Their Descendants: A History of Frederick County, Virginia. > Part 14

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

There were two forts on Lost River, one on the land afterwards owned by Jeremiah Inskeep called "Riddles Fort" where a man name Ches- ter was killed; the other was Warden's Fort, where William Warden and a Mr. Taft were killed and the fort burned. So it appears the little forts were not always an assurance of safety. In 1756 the Indians made a brutal at- tack upon a party of harvesters near Petersburg, West Virginia, when Jonathan Welton, and a man named Delay were killed after a desperate encounter. Jobe Welton received a fearful wound from a tomahawk, severing several ribs. He was left as dead, but later reached the little fort. Three of the whites were butchered; a Mr. Kuykendall escaped by remaining in the camp. In 1758, a band of Indians surprised Fort Seybert, located near the site of Franklin in Pendleton County. The bloodthirsty Killbuck was the Chief; he demanded surrender. Sey- bert, after a parley with the savage, agreed to surrender on terms that all would be spared. The savages violated every promise, and mur- dered all except a young man named James Dyer, who made a miraculous escape, and re- turned to live on South Fork, where the writer saw some of his descendants several years since.

In the study of Indian wars and the forts need- ed to protect the settlers, the writer was aston- ished to find the remains of an old Fort on Pat- terson's Creek near the present site of Frank- fort, known as Ashby's fort; and he was im- pressed with the coincidence that in the Civil War, Dick Ashby, one of the Ashby brothers, was killed in its vicinity. Capt. John Ashby owned the property and a great many traditions belong to this fort. Near it Charles Keller was killed. His descendants were numerous in Hampshire County a few years ago, and possess-

ed much historical matter. Logan, the renowned Indian warrior, killed Benj. Bowman in a hand- to-hand encounter near this fort, and took his companion, Humphrey Worsted prisoner. Thomas Higgins, one of the first settlers on the Cohon- goroota, erected his cabins near Bath Springs; but was driven out by Indians, and settled near Gerardstown; and there his home was looted by Indians and three of his sons were taken away prisoners. Nothing was ever heard from them; and it is likely they perished at some unknown point. Two men of this name were living on the upper Cohongoroota in the early part of the Eighteenth Century; they were related to this family. There is a tradition that one of the sons was seen at Wheeling after the Dunmore War; and some have thought the two referred to, were the sons, but nothing has been found by the writer to verify this.

The Maj. White Fort was on the West side of Hogue Creek about seven miles from Win- chester. This place was known for more than a century as the White Homestead. Dr. White, son-in-law of Wm. Hogue, had settled there as one of the first settlers. In 1763 Maj. Robt. White, son of the Doctor, lived there, and for the safety of the many families who had settled along the Big North Mountain, he had erected a small fort and stockade around his residence. At the July term of that year, the Major ap- peared in person before the Justices. He was then a Justice himself-and startled his brethren by announcing that Indians had appeared in his neighborhood the day previous, but disappeared without molesting anyone; and that he also had been informed that a large band was marauding the settlements on Great Ca-Capon. The Court was moved to convene and take steps to protect the settlements. No action was taken, and the Major returned to take charge of the situation himself. He warned the families, and went along the mountain for fully six miles as far as Owen Thomas's home, and advised all to come to his Fort. As this raid involved families and neighborhood so near to Winchester, it is well to give the narrative as related by Maj. John White a son of the owner of the Fort property. Some little confusion as to dates appears. One statement gives July, 1763, as the time; another June, 1764. This may have occurred by two raids, having been made, for we have evidence that Indians raided that settlement twice. Some of the families took no heed to the warning. Owen Thomas being one, saying he could not leave his harvest, and then rode to his neighbor Jacob Keckley, who had several sons, to propose that they arm themselves and work together at their harvest. He was shot dead on this trip. This was certainly the next day after Major

CARTMELL'S HISTORY

White had visited the Justices. In June, 1764, Maj. White went again to warn the people that they had better come to the Fort; that he was reliably informed that a large band was on the war path. Now the narrative becomes intensely interesting to many people who live in Frederick County to-day, and especially in that section. This warning was heeded, but the families mov- ed slowly. Mrs. Thomas, the widow, Mrs. Jones, and a man named Clowser started with their families, but stopped at the house of a man nam- ed Lloyd, two miles from the fort, and spent the night, the next morning at an early hour they resumed their journey, and before they were out of sight of the house, the Indians attacked them, and killed, wounded or took away as prisoners twenty-three persons. A young son of Owen Thomas who had been killed in the previous raid, ran back into the house and hid himself, and es- caped detection, although the Indians brought his mother and sister back into the house bound, and kept them there while they fried bacon and ate breakfast. They then set fire to the house and moved off. The boy managed to escape from the fire and the Indians, although he rambled about for two days before he found any person to whom he could tell his direful story. The families had fled to the Fort, Lloyd and several of his children, David Jones and wife, two old people, some of the Thomas family also, Henry Clowser and two of his sons were killed; Mrs. Clowser and four of her daughters taken away captives. The youngest child about two years old, was horribly butchered while crossing the North Mountain, the band heading for the South Branch. They halted one night near Furman's fort; the men at the fort fired upon them. The next morning they moved away, and while cross- ing the river, which was dangerous fording, Mrs. Thomas escaped, and lived for many years, to tell her neighbors thrilling stories. The wounded who were left near Major White's were gathered up after the departure of the In -. dians and carried to the Fort, where they were cared for. Out of the seven so found, only one survived. This was Hester Lloyd, who had two scalps taken from her. A Dr. McDonald at- tended her; he trepanned her head and she re- covered, and lived many years. Kercheval says that Gen. Smith, Maj. R. D. Glass, Mrs. Susan Glass, Mrs. Shultz, and Mrs. Snapp severally stated to him that they frequently saw this woman after she recovered from her wound. Mrs. Thomas's daughter and Mrs. Clowser and her three small daughters were taken to the In- dian town, and after an absence of about six months were released from captivity and all re- turned home safely. There is something in Ker- cheval's narrative about the three Miss Clowsers,

who were prisoners at the same time. They were aged respective 10, 7 and 5 years. After their return they grew up in their old neighbor- hood; were married, and raised families of chil- dren, and they were all three widows when Ker- cheval knew them, and lived not more than five or six miles apart; two of them were Mrs. Shultz and Mrs. Snapp, who lived about one and a half miles from his residence, and a third, Mrs. Frye, not exceeding six miles. Such his- tory must be accepted as entirely reliable. De- scendants of all these families reside in Frederick County at this writing. Major White reported a list of those killed and obtained assistance from the Court to relieve the wants of the wounded and helpless.

The writer finds the name of Thomas appear- ing in some traditionary history that is confusing in one respect. He is given the name of Evan, Owan, and Ellis Thomas, evidently confounding him with some other than the man Maj. White reported as being killed in the first raid.

In 1764, William Furman and Nimrod Ashby left the Furman fort near the Hanging Rock be- low Romney and crossed the country to hunt deer in the Jersey Mountain. They were overtaken by a band of Delawares, and both were killed. This was the band which had been in Frederick County, and penetrated as far as Cedar Creek. On their way through Hampshire County, they Killed Oliver Kremer, and took his wife prison- er. The band divided; one undertook the settle- ments under the base of the North Mountain, and the others started for Cedar Creek. The latter neighborhood was saved by a singular in- cident : A woman who was fleeing from the white settlement, ran South for about eight or nine miles, and thus kept in advance of the In- dians. She met two brothers named Fawcett, near their homes, and told them what had hap- pened. They gave the warning to others, and the families hastened to Stephen's Fort, where Old Forge was afterwards started by Zane. The Indians found the people prepared, and turned away and joined the other party, after plunder- ing some vacant houses. It has often puzzled many persons to find a reason why the Indians did not burn every house. It might be, the vari- ous tribes expected to gather enough strength and combination to some day utterly destroy the whites, and then they would occupy the deserted houses.

In 1765, a roving band attacked a settlement on Narrow Passage Creek, not far from Woodstock, killing an old man named Geo. Sigler. In 1766, they tried the Narrow Passage settlement again, this time killing two men named Sheetz and Taylor. The same year, the Powell's Fort was visited, but passing on, they went to the residence

GLEANINGS FROM OLD COURTS

of John Gatewood on South River and there murdered a Menonist preacher named John Roads, and also his wife and three sons. The other children were made captives. The Court made an allowance for these children. This is supposed to have been the last massacre East of the North Mountain. Many more well estab- lished incidents of Indian warfare and sufferings of the early settlers could be given, but want of space forbids further notice. Some names of the settlers who were conspicuous, that have not been mentioned, may receive notice in other

pages. We must close this chapter of such stirring events, so that we may introduce to the reader the old settlers in their new role, as en- listed soldiers, to fight battles with the Indian and his French allies. In the next chapter it will be seen that the fearful visitations to Freder- ick County related in the foregoing chapter, were during the French and Indian War, and the massacres were committed by roving bands of savages, who, skulked regular war-fare, and chose one of murder and pillage.

CHAPTER XV

The Indian and French War

The reader will remember that it was in 1752 that Governor Dinwiddie arrived in Virginia to assume control of the infant colony that had for some time been threatened with invasion from the French, who claimed all territory wheresoever the French standard was planted. France had at that time a line of forts from New Orleans to Quebec. In this line was the famous Fort du Quesne on the Ohio River, the site of the City of Pittsburg. Of course, all the forts were garrisoned, and communication kept open along the whole line.

The French made their first appearance in North America in 1534, forty years after the landing of Columbus with his Spaniards. En- tering the St. Lawrence River, Jacques Cartier, commanding the expedition, laid claim to all the territory for France. In 1608 Quebec was found- ed by the French. Large immigrations encourag- ed advances through the country to the West and South as far as the Great Waters-meaning the Gulf of Mexico on the South and the Pacific Ocean on the West-so far as they knew. In June, 1673, the upper Mississippi was discovered by Marquette, a Monk of the Franciscan order. Six years later, La Salle made other explora- tions by way of the Great Lakes. Entering a river on Lake Michigan, he finally sailed down the Illinois River and erected a fort at a point where Peoria now stands, calling it Creve Coeur, signifying "broken heart," his difficulties had been so hopeless. In 1682, La Salle pushed his expedition to the Gulf, by way of the Mississippi River, claiming all territory on either side. He named the vast claim Louisiana, after his royal master Louis XIV. The garrisons and all French officers and soldiers from the St. Lawrence to the Gulf, adopted every measure needed to make friends with the Indian tribes. They taught them that the French would protect their rights and drive out their natural enemy, the British. The French were well informed of the frequent conflicts between the colonists and the Indians, all of which went to show oppression and cruelty on the part of the British invader, who had no regard or respect for the rights of the Abo- rigines. The Indians had shown some evidences of open hostility, and were ready to form the alliance proposed by the French. Then it was

that the Indian villages and towns were gradual- ly moved towards the French lines, having learn- ed of the approach of a friendly power from the West. They were always careful, however, to not abandon their villages entirely; always send- ing bands of warriors to the hunting grounds beyond the great mountains. The lowland tribes had friendly relations with the colonists, and never voluntarily left the tidewater section. The great valley lying West of the mountain range called the Blue Ridge, extending through from Georgia, the edge of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, was regarded by colonists and the savage tribes as the hunting grounds of the natives, extending through the Seventeenth and far into the Eighteenth Cen- turies.

There had been many treaties between the Virginia colonists and the Indians, both at home and abroad, that the whites were to make no encroachments on the rights reserved for the use of any tribe who chose to hunt or range in this territory. Some of the agreements and stip- ulations were very severe, to-wit: If any strange Indian was found hunting or roaming in the country East of the Great Mountains, "he could be killed or captured and sold as a slave:" and if any white man was found in the section West of the Big Mountains, he should not appeal to the Colony of Virginia for redress in case he suffered at the hands of the Indians. So it can be safely stated, that no white settlers ever ventured to enter the forbidden country until about 1728, being about twelve years after Gov- ernor Spottswood announced to the world that the great hitherto unknown country was now open for settlement.

It must be understood that all the tribes had some kind of understanding between themselves; that certain regions with imaginary lines, were claimed by the individual tribes as their domain, until some breach occurred between them when bloody encounters often destroyed such rights; and in several instances were exterminated. As the more powerful increased in strength, it was but natural that they should dominate in royal fashion in their respective sections. The author has with much difficulty discovered who the tribes were, of interest to this section; and where

THE INDIAN AND FRENCH WAR

they were located. The following list is given to preserve their history. Consulting the best authorities on the Aborigines, we find these tribes had a common language; and while their dia- Jects differed somewhat, yet they could communi- cate with each other. The tribes here mentioned made regular forays from about 1710 to 1734, with their bands of hunters, into what was then known as the Indian Country, which embraced every- thing West of what was called the Big Moun- tains-the Blue Ridge Range.

I. The Shawanese (Shawnee), the most pow- erful and warlike of all, claimed all the hunting ground between the Blue Ridge and the Alle- ganies, and as far South and West as the Mis- sissippi. They had three large villages in this section : one near where Winchester now stands, one on the North River, now Shenandoah Coun- ty, and one on the South Branch below the present site of Moorefield. The Shawanese were ever ready for bloodshed; but they allowed other tribes to visit them, demanding tribute from them in their expeditions. The Valley country was regarded as the battle ground for many visiting tribes. All writers agree that the French movement along the western boundary, resulted in relief to the colonists. This tribe (Shawanese) gave untold trouble to the first settlers, while they moved their villages towards the West, as the white immigration rapidly in- creased after 1736. The outlying settlements suffered from many attacks; the settlers finding it necessary to erect numerous small forts and stockades. Sometime prior to 1753, the French kept in close touch with all the tribes; and par- ticularly did this apply to the Shawanese. The prospect of bloody wars on the colonists, sup- ported by their French neighbors, attracted their attention towards a new settlement on the Ohio River.

Kercheval says: "In the spring of 1754, the Indians suddenly and unexpectedly moved off, and entirely left the Valley."

II. The next tribe was the "Tuscaroras." Their villages were near the Cohongoroota- now Berkley County. The Creek and Church bear the name of this tribe to this day.

III. The Senedos, who occupied the village on the river in Shenandoah County, was an off- shoot from the Shawanese, one of the young chiefs having colonized at that point. In 1732 the Cherokees from the South exterminated them.

IV. The Catawbas, were South Carolina In- dians, having several villages on the Catawba River.

The Delawares, had their villages on the Sus- quehanna River, Pennsylvania.

VI. The Susquenoughs, who have been con- founded with the Susquehanna River tribes, was a large and friendly tribe. They were first found along the Chesapeake Bay; but the warlike Cen- ela tribe drove them from the tidewater section. They finally settled along the Upper Potomac. Many evidences of their villages are to be seen at this day.

VII. The Cenelas, also moved westward; and they too started villages on the upper Potomac. VIII. The Pascataway tribe, remained on the head waters of the Chesapeake.

IX. The Cherokees, who had villages on the Tennessee River, and in certain sections of Caro- lina, Georgia and Alabama, were noted for their great stature, in complexion resembling the white race. This tribe made annual forays to the up- per Valley. They were part of the Six Nations of the South, having for their central tribe the "Muscogulges;" the Seminoles, Chickasaws, Choctaws and Creeks forming the Nation, as the organization was called.

The nine tribes mentioned were regular visit- ors to the Valley country up to 1740, as also were hunters from the five Nations (often called the Six Nations in treaties), who had their vil- lages scattered along the rivers and lakes of middle and Western New York: The Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas and Senecas. As previously mentioned, the Indians who claimed the right to hunt in the territory West of the Blue Ridge, had a language common to all the tribes. The French have several interesting his- tories, descriptive of the French expeditions in North America prior to the Revolutionary War. From studies of these histories, much has been learned concerning the Indian, both as to his traits and dialect-the latter being styled by the French writers as the "Algonquin" language, who assert that it was in common use by all Indians between the Carolinas and Massachusetts.

We have well written traditions, entitled to credit for accuracy, that confirm the above state- ment; and many proofs that the colonists, having learned the language from Powhatan, had but little difficulty in understanding the language of the other tribes. The reader will readily see that when the white settlers began to assert and main- tain their rights under grants from the Colonial government, they found numerous bands of rov- ing Indians to contend with; and consequently many collisions occurred, resulting in death to the settlers and also to many Indians. For al- though the savages were stubborn and vengeful. and yielded slowly to the encroachments upon their favorite hunting grounds, the old pioneers had come into the promised land to stay; and every new arrival of immigrant trains pressed farther West; so the old denizens of the wild

CARTMELL'S HISTORY

regions had many wrongs to redress. They be- lieved they were the natural and lawful owners of the soil, and the British had no right to wrest it from them by right of discovery or settlement of her people-though they might by conquest have a claim. But the Indian had now become fully aroused, and was ready to meet the issue. And thus was inaugurated the first Indian war. Supported by the French, a bloody and cruel war continued from 1754 until 1766. At no time during the twelve years, could the border set- tlers feel safe from massacre. Many occurred; whole settlements were driven back from the Allegany region whither many had penetrated; whole families frequently disappeared forever,- the victims of the tomahawk and scalping knife. The Colonial government took prompt action; raised an army, and placed at its head Col. Fry and Lt. Col. Washington. We gather from the Washington notes, that this army numbered three hundred good and tried frontiersmen. The march was made from the village of Winchester, through the mountains to what was then known and is still, as Great Meadows. Near this point, Lt. Col. Washington opened the war in earnest, by surrounding an encampment of the French, kill- ing the commanding officer and several others and capturing the remainder of the force. Capt. Fry having died shortly after this capture, Wash- ington made Great Meadows his base; built what he called Fort Necessity, and then advanced with his main force toward the French Fort Du- quesne. Ramsey, in his biography of Washing- ton, gives a complete and graphic account of this first failure of Washington to accomplish a victory. His retreat to Fort Necessity before the advancing French, the attack on his garri- son and capitulation to the French commander, securing terms for the safe return of "his army to the inhabited parts of Virginia" are historical facts too well known to require further mention.

This movement against the French, produced a sensation. The French and their Indian allies grew desperate. The British government in 1755, hastened Genl. Braddock with two regi- ments of regulars across the ocean and on to the struggling colonists. Braddock arrived at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, Feb. 20, 1755. Genl. Craighill in his exhaustive work on the movements of Genl. Braddock, says: "Two regi- ments of British troops arrived at Hampton Roads about the same time, and were sent at once to Alexandria, and there quartered. Sir John St. Clair arrived about six weeks before Braddock, and assumed the office of Quarter- master General and Engineer of Roads, and made a reconnoissance of the country as far West as Cumberland. in company with Gov. Sharpe of Maryland. Fort Cumberland, then

called Fort Mt. Pleasant, had been built in 1754; and they found it occupied by the Virginia, Maryland and South Carolina troops. The Penn- sylvania troops that had been promised, failed to put in their appearance. St. Clair returned to Williamsburg by way of Winchester, travel- ing over and inspecting the road that Col. Wash- ington had previously opened from Winchester to Wills Creek and Forks of Capon; and hav- ing had a conference with Washington, proceeded to Williamsburg to meet Genl. Braddock. (See the Washington letters and Diary). The gov- ernors of the several colonies were in convention at Alexandria early in April, and tendered Brad- dock and his staff a noted reception, and- doubtless, offered some good advice. Winchester was selected as the base of operations, and the point for letters to be sent to the General. Ten days after the convention, Braddock was at Frederick, Maryland, and there had interviews with Washington and Franklin; and it was there that Washington (who had previously resigned his commission as Colonel) was offered a place on the General's staff; though Sparks says "Braddock marched into the interior and was joined by Washington at Winchester, when the latter assumed the duties and station of aide." The Washington letters state that he rode from Winchester and overtook the General at Freder- ickton May 5, 1755, and then returned to Win- chester. Sargeant's History says : "By St. Clair's advice, the army was to start from Alexandria in two divisions: one regiment and a portion of the stores to Winchester, Virginia, whence a new road was nearly completed to Fort Cumber- land; and the other regiment with the remainder, by way of Frederick, Maryland.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Shenandoah Valley Pioneers and Their Descendants: A History of Frederick County, Virginia., Part 14

Author: Cartmell, T. K. (Thomas Kemp), 1838-1920 Publication date: 1909 Publisher: [Winchester, Va.] : [Printed by the Eddy Press Corp.] Number of Pages: 607

Author: Cartmell, T. K. (Thomas Kemp), 1838-1920
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: [Winchester, Va.] : [Printed by the Eddy Press Corp.]
Number of Pages: 607