USA > Virginia > Frederick County > Frederick County > Shenandoah Valley Pioneers and Their Descendants: A History of Frederick County, Virginia. > Part 47
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102
the author uses circumstantial evidence to off-set same. He felt it his duty to test this claim, and if possible, establish this early date, and thus show to the World that Gov. Spottswood and his chival- rous knights, were not the first to discover the world West of the Blue Ridge Mountains. He addressed a letter to the Hon. W. S. Laidley, a prominent lawyer of Charleston, W. Va., with whom the writer had enjoyed friendly relations for several years. Knowing Mr. Laidley had spent much effort for years as an antiquarian, he felt that he might possess some information that would be desirable to embrace in this work. A prompt reply announcing that he was a member of the Historical Society, the correctness of whose statements I had questioned, as found in the papers prepared by Dr. Hale, their President, was gratifying. Mr. Laidley stated that he was also prepared to assist the writer in reconciling the differences arising from the "Tombstone In- cident." Later on, Mr. Laidley furnished the fol- lowing statement : "The stone was secured by Dr. Hale and is now in the rooms of the Historical Society. The reason it was obtained is, that it was being walked over by cattle and pigs; and to preserve it, it was secured." He adds: "There may have been a church yard some years ago. but it is not the church yard at Duffield at this date. There may have been some dates that were once legible on said stone, but they are not so now. When the Doctor wrote his piece, he had not seen the stone; he knows now that he never saw a report of the stone that had even the name of the woman correctly reported; and we have never seen anyone who ever saw the stone when said dates were legible. The stone says, "Hier Ruet Catrina Beirlin," and says she was born 1687, with considerable doubt on the 6 and 8; then fol- lows a verse, expressive of the faith of the woman in Jesus; after which there is supposed to be a place for the date of her death, and it has been said to have been "1707," but it is not there now. The final figure 7 is to be seen, but no more figures in front of it; and that from the best in- spection that can be had, this date may have been 1747 or 1757 or 1767, but could be no other, be- cause by the manner in which the letters and figures are made, the end of every line has a deep dot, hole or depression, by which we may determine figures or letters where we cannot see the lines; and just before the final 7, there is a dot or hole which makes some figure, not a round one, but one which ended as a four, or five, or a six, might, and which no other could; and that no jury, after hearing the evidence of witnesses competent to testify, would render a verdict for 1707 as the date of the woman's death." Mr. Laidley adds, "We cannot believe that this woman lived and died at this place at that time, or there
266
CARTMELL'S HISTORY
must have been others there with her, and many of them also. To have had monuments there, there must have been considerable civilization, and considerable settlement, with quite a town and quite a people. It was unknown to any one in Virginia, and the Assembly in 1722, by its treaty with the Indians, authorized them to kill all the whites found West of the mountains."
The reader doubtless will agree with the author, that had there been such a hamlet or neighbor- hood as Mr. Laidley mentions, that it must neces- sarily have been at that point when the treaty was made. Then it is more than likely the ferocious savages exterminated the entire settle- ment; but it is not likely that a town or settle- ment of this class was so totally destroyed and nothing left to tell the awful story of their existence and total destruction, except this tomb- stone marking the grave of a woman who had died 15 years before their utter annihilation. There certainly would have been some recital around the camp-fires of the Indians who must have glutted themselves in such a massacre, for it is a well known fact that the Redman always delighted to transmit to posterity eloquent ac- counts of his bloody deeds, but never those of his reverses and lost battles. No, we must agree with all the circumstances, and accept the view taken by Mr. Laidley, that the West Virginia Historical Society did not prove its claims; and we must conclude that there is nothing but ima- gination in the 1707 date. Later on, other matter will be introduced in treating other subjects, that will prove beyond a doubt that the Colonial gov- ernment was compelled, as a measure of protec- tion to the Colonists East of the Blue Ridge, to make such treaty in 1722, as was so rigidly en- forced, as to preclude the possibility for white men to enter the forbidden ground. Then we have the unvarnished statement of Samuel Kerch- eval, in his valuable historic collection. He says : "From the most authentic information which the author has been able to obtain, Hite and his party were the first immigrants who settled West of the Blue Ridge, and they were soon followed by others, viz, Jacob Stover, who came in 1733, Allen, Moore, White, and others, in 1734; Richard W. Morgan obtained his grant in 1734, Thomas Shepherd, Van Swearingen, Ed. Lucas, John Lemen, Robert Buckle, Robert Harper, and others, were among the first settlers on the Potomac. Kercheval says, "I devoted much time and re- search to the question of the settlement of the Valley, and placed the first in 1732." There is one incident connected with the Tombstone referred to, that should be mentioned in this connection, So as to avoid confusion to the reader when he chances to see and read the inscription on a tomb- stone near Duffield Station on the B. & O. R. R.,
Jefferson County, W. Va. This stone was erected by Dr. J. P. Hale, President of the West Virginia Historical Society, in the Spring of 1900. This was to replace the original, then in the possession and keeping of said Society. The inscription on the old stone was in German, and required many words to express the sentiment animating those who first erected it. Efforts were made by two prominent German scholars many years ago, to produce a correct translation. They differed as to the name, date of birth, and language of the stanzas. Dr. Hale in a letter dated August 23rd, 1900, which was published at the time, says he corresponded with the Rev. Dr. John Scott, and obtained from him a translated copy of the old inscription, which differs as to name and date of birth; Dr. Scott giving the name for the first time simply "Katrina Beirlin," "Born 1686." Dr. Hale accounts for the difference in date, because the stone might not have been perfectly seen; and adds that "a photograph was taken of the old stone when removed, and the photograph brought out the figures plain enough to show the 1686, and that the entire inscription can now be made out except the last line, "Died in 1707." This was near the bottom of the stone, more ex- posed to the damp, and may have been in softer stone; and is now nearly obliterated, only the terminal figure 7 of the date being distinct." This explanation sounds strange when we recall the lapse of time from 1707 to 1887-180 years; the statement of Dr. Scott being, that they found a German inscription plainly preserved in 1887; yet we have Dr. Hale's statement referred to above-in his public letter of August 23rd, 1900 -that there was nothing on the last line but the figure 7. Some will say, if the figures were so well preserved in 1887, how could they have been effaced by dampness in 13 years, the time being 1900 when Dr. Hale says the 1707 could not be drawn out by a photograph?
The writer has been tedious in his long drawn- out statement concerning this matter, his excuse being that it has been done at the request of many persons who have differed in their view of the case; and knowing that it is a question that will be mentioned by others who will succeed us, thinks it best to give all readers the benefit of his careful research and study of all matter that could be found to throw any light upon the strange old monument. His conclusion is that there never has been a time within the last 100 years, when any translator of the German could have made an absolute correct writing from that rough old sandstone, showing all the figures, language and dates. No two persons who have tried within the last 50 years, have produced the same results. And reader, go into any of the old churchyards and examine the rude old sand-
267
JOIST HITE, THE PIONEER
stones with their inscriptions in English, and you will be astonished at the formation of the old figures. Many dates can only be settled by conjecture. While there is unmistakable evidence that quite a number of families came into the Valley with the "Heydhdt" emigration or soon thereafter followed, and became squatters, claim- ing what was called the Tomahawk Right; and then waited for title to issue from the Colonial government; many of this class were compelled to purchase from Hite, Fairfax, Ross and others, who had proceeded in an intelligent way to se- cure title for immense tracts of land. Then later on, they sold their surveys of the sub-divisions, to the families as they made their selection.
It must be borne in mind that although Hite was the first legal settler in the northern part of the Shenandoah Valley, he was not the first to secure an order from the Colonial government to make survey, and locate families West of the Blue Ridge. In many conveyances from Hite for land in that section, the description locates the grant; and mentions the Isaac VanMeter grant which he purchased, and from which many of the farms lying along the South side of the Opecquon embracing the vicinity of both Steph- ens City and Middletown, were taken. One grant, so often mentioned by magazine writers, called the "King Carter Tract," deserves atten- tion here because of the date given for its entry, 1729. This kind of history is very misleading, and gives endless trouble to the student of his- tory. The claim is, that this grant was for 50,000 acres and embraced the large area on the West side of the Shenandoah River, composing all the Southern part of Clarke County. Col. Robert Carter was a large land owner in that section at an early day, but he obtained all his holdings through the Culpeper or Fairfax grant, and not through the medium of Colonial government grants ; and it should not be accepted as a fact that "King Carter's grant" was classed with those granted to emigrant families desiring to settle on the West side of the Great Mountains. The confusion naturally occurs-Col. Robert Carter had Royal grants from the Crown for large tracts of land, but these grants embraced sections al- together Fast of the Blue Ridge but as is well known to many, Carter represented the Culpeper grant at one time, and was a faithful agent, for we find him as early as 1728, entering caveats in the Court of the Governor and his Council, in the interests of the Proprietors of the Northern Neck, to stay the issue of patent grants to many persons applying for orders for surveys, some of whom had already invaded the Fairfax pro- prietary. Col. Carter was rewarded for his ser- vice by receiving a lease from the Fairfax estate for many thousand acres of land, to run 100 years,
"and renewable forever." (Fuller mention of this sketch of Col. Carter). The lease was not ob- tained until litigation was instituted, to ascertain the rights of a company composed of Russell, Chew et als. This company had filed an applica- tion for order June 6, 1728, to survey 50,000 acres, and locate families between the Great Mountain and the Sherando River. This evidently was in- tended to take the section on the South and East side of the river in the vicinity of Front Royal. This company was granted 10,000 acres by the decision of the Court; and during the sessions of the Council, 1733-4, William Russel and Larkin Chew received their grant; (See MS. files, Land Office, Richmond, Va.). We must not suppose that Hite had no rivals in his early efforts to make settlement of the Valley; for we find an order in Manuscript Journal of the Council, dated June 17, 1730, giving permission to Jacob Stover to survey two tracts of land of 5,000 acres each, not heretofore granted to settlers, that may be found West of the Great Mountains; one tract of 5,000 to be surveyed and laid off on both sides of the South Fork of the "Shenando river; one tract of 5,000 to be surveyed and laid off on the South side of the North fork of the Shenando river." The old Spottsylvania County records show that Jacob Stover received grants for the two tracts named in his order; both grants dated Dec. 15, 1733, and as they bear an earlier date than any other in the Shenandoah Valley, a brief description is here given of both tracts: Tract No. 1, On the West side of the Great Mountains, beginning, etc., on the Sherando River, at the foot of the Great Mountains, thence, etc., to the foot of Naked Mountain at the upper end of large island in the river, as per survey filed of 5,000 acres of unclaimed land,"-2nd tract, "Lies on the west side of the Great Mountains, on the South fork of the Sherando river, beginning, etc., above the mouth of Hawk-bill's Creek over against a high mountain, as per survey filed for 5,000 acres of unclaimed land." One of these tracts embraced the region where Strasburg now stands, known for many years as Stover's Town, and included what is now called Massasnutten section. The other certainly embraced much of the country ex- tending up into what is known as the Luray Val- ley. Some writers claim that a large German settlement had been seated in the Massaniting region for several years previous to the date of Jacob Stover's application; and that Adam Miller and others contested the application of Jacob Stover. It will be observed, however, that the language used in the Stover grants expressly states that it was unclaimed land. According to Kercheval, Stover was compelled to adopt dan- gerous methods in order to secure his grant, being required to seat the requisite number of
268
CARTMELL'S HISTORY
families. It seems strange that if Adam Miller and his neighbors were on this tract, that Stover would have taken such desperate chances to se- cure his grant. Kercheval says that when his petition was presented to the King, he had the requisite number of persons on the land, he having given human names to every horse, cow, hog and dog he owned," which he represented as heads of families; and some may wonder why Adam Miller and his associates did not interpose some objection. We find Miller with a petition dated 1733, urging the Council "to take up a claim that he and 51 other inhabitants at Massanitting are anxious to present in a complaint that Jacob Stover, having secured a grant for the land on which they had settled, refused, or was unable to make them good deeds." The magazine articles and traditionary history relating to this Mueller (or Miller) settlement, reveal much of interest, and entitled to consideration. A careful study proves that Stover had associates in his effort to settle the country South of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River; and this study reveals a class of persons entirely distinct from the Hite immigration which crossed the Cohongoroota, entering the Valley from the North. Gov. Gooch in a proclamation issued 13th of March, 1742, recognizes Adam Miller as a citizen of the She- rando Country, and accepts proof that he had so resided in that section for 15 years; and upon such evidence he was naturalized, by subscribing the oaths of renunciation and allegiance; and if he was there, we must take it for granted that others had joined him.
The author has in his experience in the study of the early settlements, found much to enlighten as well as to confuse the student; and this inci- dent is prominent in this class. The document referred to as the Gov. Gooch paper, has been carefully preserved in printed form by the Wil- liam & Mary College Quarterly, Vol. IX, No. 2. pp. 132-33. But whence came this Miller and Stover party? We will endeavor to show this fully in sketches of families, etc. At this point, however, the author will mention that if any reader so desires, he will find in the State Library at Richmond a paper signed by the settlers at the Massasanutten, referred to above; which being in the form of a petition addressed to Gov. Gooch complaining of the injustice shown them by Jacob Stover, who represented himself as owner of vast tracts in the Massaniting country, and had induced them to settle on the land, but was not the legal owner, etc., which petition unfortunately is not dated. But we must conclude that it was pre- sented by the signers prior to its entry in the Calendar of State Papers, which was dated 1733. The petitioners state that they had four years previously purchased 5,000 acres of land from
Stover, and had seated their families. This im- plies that Stover and those families were on the ground in the vicinity of Strasburg and Massanit- ting region in 1729. The following named persons are the signers :
Adam Mueller, Abraham Strickler, Mathias Selzer, Philip Lang (Long), Paul Lung (Long), Micheal Rinehart, Hans Rood, Micheal Kaufman,
It will be observed by some readers, that the names of all signers became prominent in that part of the Valley in the development of old Fred- erick County; and it may also be observed that all their descendants were inclined to remain South of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River for more than 100 years.
The author knows that traditions have been kept in several families, which indicate rivalry between the two immigrations of the Opecquon and Massa- nutting; and the river flowing from the upper Valley passing Strasburg and the Massanutten, is mentioned frequently as the dividing line be- tween the sections.
We find another competitor for Hite to contend with, appearing in the same year with the Van- Meter brothers, John and Isaac, before the Gov- ernor and Council, with a petition to allow cer- tain families to enter and survey tracts of land on the Opecquon Creek in the country West of the Sherando River. This petition was signed by Alexander Ross and others, whose names will ap- pear later on. The order was made on the 28th of Oct., 1730, granting Alexander Ross and his joint petitioners the right to survey and lay out contiguous tracts not exceeding 100,000 acres. from such waste land not embraced in any order heretofore made for the seating of families on the West side of the Great Mountain. This is the most general and liberal order made by the Council; and only required families to be seated on well defined surveys, but not limited as to time, and when so seated, the proper deeds of conveyances should issue. Much confusion has arisen about deeds, grants, etc. Very often writ- ers have confounded Acts of the Council. The first act of Council was an order entered upon the petition filed; the next act being a grant to the principal petitioners-one or more- proof being shown that families had been seated. The next act would be for deeds to be made to such fam- ilies for the tracts upon which they were actually seated, same as found in the grant to the principal. This helps to explain why references are s ) often found in the first deeds for land in the new coun- try West of the Blue Ridge, many such deeds
269
JOIST HITE, THE PIONEER
being recorded in Spottsylvania County until 1735, then in Orange County, until 1743, when they first appear in Frederick County Court re- cords. For the reason stated, some writers have been led into error in their statements that grants were issued to Stover, Hite, Carter, Ross and others, by the dates of the order for survey, the order reading, "An order of survey is granted, etc." But it must be remembered, that the sur- veys had to be filed in the Governor's office before the grant was issued for the petitioner to hold the tract; and also that many orders granting the right to survey large tracts and seat families thereon were never further heard from.
Alexander Ross and his settlers were slow in securing their grant for the large tracts. The first appears Nov. 22, 1734, for 2,373 acres. This tract lies North of Winchester. Ross sold and . conveyed from this tract 214 acres to Joseph Bryan, one of his original petitioners. This is the first deed from Ross recorded in Frederick County, executed April 13, 1744. The description, as shown in the record, will repay some des- cendants of the parties and show where their an- cestors made their first homes. The 2,373 acre tract referred to was part of the 40,000 acre tract
Ross surveyed and laid off and sub-divided into tracts or homes for the Quaker families drifting from Pennsylvania, Delaware, and other points North in 1734. This immense body of land was the country extending from the Opecquon to and including the Apple Pie Ridge section, extend- ing his survey North along the Opecquon. Of course, Ross found obstacles in the form of what is generally known as the Joist Hite grant. Hite had obtained his order through John Van- Meter in 1730, to make similar surveys for the families that followed him, and Ross found not only monuments describing the boundaries of Hite's sub-divisions, but found families already seated and building their cabins. Some such sur- veys Ross disregarded, which ended in caveats from the Hite settlers. Ross lost out on this. However, he found a vast territory unclaimed, though his surveys never aggregated the 100,000 acres he expected to find North of the North branch of the Sherando River. It may be added here, that pending the controversy, Ross lost many of the Quaker families, some of whom took titles from Hite and became so firmly seated, that for more than a century the land remained in the family names.
CHAPTER XLIX
Daniel Morgan, Colonial Soldier, Revolutionary War Hero and Citizen
Although much has been said of General Mor- gan in other pages of this volume, as a hero of the Revolutionary War period, the writer has been urged to embody in this work all matter discovered by him in a study of this remarkable man. It must be admitted that much has been found relating to Morgan's life that has never hitherto been published. Interest may attach to some incidents gathered from the mass of notes collected by the author. Several books and his- torical sketches have been written relating to his military life. This need not be repeated here. It may interest some readers to learn something of the birth and parentage of the man of so many parts.
In numerous tracings through every avenue of- fering a clue, we discover that Daniel Morgan's parents lived in New Jersey in 1752. The Mor- gans, several in number, were known as Welsh Iron Workers; and were induced to emigrate to America at the instance of Allen and Turner, founders and owners of the celebrated Union Fur- nace Iron Works and Plantations in West Jersey and Pennsylvania. Some evidence of their resi- dence at Durham, Penna. The history of Bucks County, Penna., contains many statements relating to this family, pointing out the birth-place of Dan- iel Morgan ; and identifies the youth of that period and section with the Daniel Morgan who appeared in Virginia as Captain of Militia, in 1771. This was the young Morgan who appeared in Court May 3, 1758, at Winchester, Va., to answer the charge of assault and battery. Tradition fixes an earlier date, that of 1755, and that his parents lived near what is now the village of Nineveh, Warren County; and that young Morgan was with Brad- dock's Army at its defeat.
Howe in his statements relating to this ex- pedition, gives quite a sensational account of young Morgan being court-martialed for "drub- bing an English Officer." Morgan was sentenced to receive five hundred lashes. After receiving four hundred and fifty, Morgan fainted, and es- caped the other fifty. The author finds many conflicting statements connected with this tradi- tion. Once he was informed that Morgan re- ceived this punishment in South-West Virginia ; and that "the oak tree that served the purpose of a whipping-post, was carefully guarded, and is now in good condition."
There seems to be no necessity for belief of this incident, to give notoriety to the young man. Old court proceedings give evidence of his pres- ence at Winchester, attending court, during the time of Braddock's War. The old records also reveal the fact that he rendered service with the Minute Men several times during the Indian in- cursions on Great Cacapon and South Branch; and had his allowance for services certified. This has been more fully mentioned elsewhere. The New Jersey and Pennsylvania historical notes show that Daniel and his parents disappeared from that section in 1754; one writer stating that doubtless the parents had died, and Daniel alone sought a place in Virginia.
The young man was not averse to rough amusements; and more than once was haled be- fore the Court, for "assault and the disturber of the Peace on public occasions." His experience gradually wrought a change in his life; for after ten years thus spent, we find him listed with taxable property and taking his place among a better class. The court appointed him Overseer of a road in 1766. This seemed to stimulate him. The following year, he received a premium for raising 728 pounds of hemp; and gives a list of horses, cattle, etc., for taxation. Sept. 10, 1773, the Justices entered this order in the proceedings of that term: "It is ordered that Daniel Morgan carry Timothy Ragan, a felon who broke the jail at Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and deliver him to the Sheriff of said county, and bring in his account of expenses, at laying of the County levy." In October, he was allowed £6 2.8 for same.
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.