USA > West Virginia > Hampshire County > History of Hampshire County, West Virginia : from its earliest settlement to the present > Part 39
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If a capping of Carboniferous rocks should be found on some mountain of Hampshire, there might be a vein of coal discovered in it. But it is unlikely that such a cap- ping will be found, and if found it will be exceedingly small. It would be only a limited patch of such rock not yet entirely worn away; and the places to look for such are on the tops of the highest mountains. But the writer has made a tolerably thorough examination of the moun- tains of the county, and has been unable to discover one pebble that can be assigned to the Carboniferous age. The strata in places are much folded and broken, and the intelligent observer will examine the troughs of protected synclines as well as the tops of anticlines for remnants of coal-bearing rocks. But the probability is that the search will be forever in vain in the future as it has been in vain in the past.
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LANDSCAPES PAST AND PRESENT.
Lest there be a misapprehension, it is proper to state that the presence of rocks of the Carboniferous age is by no means a proof of the presence of coal. There are places where these rocks lie undisturbed, and yet they may be bored through from top to bottom without encountering veins of coal worth working. Coal was not formed every- where over the earth's surface during the Carboniferous age. Some portions were too deep under water; in others perhaps the conditions were not favorable to the growth of rank vegetation. In most cases the important beds of coal are believed to have been formed on low coastal plains, similar to the Dismal swamp in Virginia. Deep water and high and dry land were not favorable to the accumulation of vegetable remains in vast quantities.
Starting from the summit of the Alleghanies, west of Romney, and traveling eastward to the Chesapeake bay, it is found that the surface rocks become older the further east, with local and slight exceptions. Rocks of the Car- boniferous age are never met with after leaving the Allegha- nies. First, the Devonian is the prevailing formation. Further east, in the valley of Virginia, the principal rock is the Silurian. Further east the Cambrian, Algonkian and the Archæan are encountered. It is like going down stairs, beginning with the highest and newest, the Carbon- iferous, on the Alleghanies, and stepping first down to the Devonian in Hampshire, then to the still older Silurian in the valley of Virginia, and descending to yet older and older formations until the Chesapeake bay is reached. The deduction from this fact is this: These enormous platforms, or formations, or ages, or by whatever term we designate them, are wearing back toward the Alleghanies. The Devonian once extended further east than at present. It overlapped the underlying Silurian further toward the east than now. Its eastern edge is wearing off, thus un- covering more and more of the older rocks beneath. The same may be said of the rocks of the Carboniferous age.
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HISTORY OF. HAMPSHIRE.
They once extended further east, overlapping the subja- cent Devonian strata. But they have been wearing away until the eastern edge has retreated and uncovered wide areas of Devonian rocks which they once covered. This much can be affirmed with certainty; but when we en- deavor to be more specific, and to state just how far east the Devonian once overlapped the Silurian, and how far east the Carboniferous overlapped the Devonian, we are brought to a halt. It is not probable that Devonian rocks ever existed east of the Blue Ridge. It is believed that the region east of that mountain was land at the time the De- vonian rocks were being formed in the bottom of the sea which then covered the Alleghanies. In fact, the sand and mud of which our rocks were formed were washed into the sea from land east of the Blue Ridge. What is said of the Devonian rocks is equally true of the Carboniferous. They once extended out across Hampshire toward the east; but what this eastern limit was cannot now be definitely determined.
CHAPTER XLIV,
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INDUSTRIAL AFFAIRS,
BY H. L. SWISHER.
The manufacture of iron was among the first industries carried on in this county. Working in this metal engaged the attention of the people of this state and Virginia for many years until richer ores, discovered on the shores of Lake Michigan, displaced our own and the furnaces in this section then fell into ruins. At the present time little atten- tion isgiven to manufactures of any kind within this county's limits, the energies of the people being devoted almost exclusively to agriculture. Brief notice will be taken of some of the industries that have had a more or less per- manent foothold in the county.
Hampshire Furnace .- When the Baptist church at Three Churches was torn down a few years ago some one was curious enough to examine the old stove to see where it was made. It bore the mark of The Hampshire Furnace Company. This company's employes, who delved in the most useful metal, are long since dead but they have left monuments in the useful work of their hands which serve to call them to mind. Early in this century or late in the last century Edward McCarty built the Hampshire furnace on Middle ridge, about twelve miles south of Rom- ney. The forge for the furnace was near Keyser. The business carried on by this furnace must have been quite extensive. In the circuit clerk's office at Romney there are several ponderous ledgers filled with accounts of busi- ness transactions of the company. These account books cover the years 1816-1817, which goes to show that at that
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HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE.
time the establishment was flourishing. The time came, however, when too fierce competition compelled the Hamp- shire furnace to close down and now its former site is marked only by a few ruins.
Bloomery Furnace .- The ruins of this furnace together with the houses in which the employes lived, are yet to be seen and are in a fair state of preservation. The land on which the furnace stands was formerly the prop- erty of a man named Naylor. The first furnace was built and operated about 1833 by a Mr. Pastly. A few years later it passed into the hands of Passmoor. He put a man named Cornwell in charge and he ran the furnace until 1846. Large quantities of iron manufactured at this furnace, were transported to market over the Capon river on rafts and flat boats. S. A. Pancost purchased the prop- erty in 1846 and operated it until 1857, when upon his death his heirs continued to run it in company with others under the firm name of Pancost and MeGee. John Withers was superintendent for several years up to 1875. About this time the furnace closed down and has never been in operation since. The furnace and land are still the prop- erty of the heirs of Pancost and McGee, of Philadelphia.
Old Mills and Woolen Factories .- Robert Sherrard built a stone mill at Bloomery in 1800. A woolen factory was built about the same time by him at Bloomery. Both are still in operation. The mill at Forks of Capon was built early in this century by Major John Largent. It is still in operation. There was a merchant mill built in Fox's Hollow by William Fox, father of Colonel Vause Fox, about the year 1818. This mill had the reputation of making the best flour made in the county. Timothy Starkey was the first miller, Jacob Doman next and then Barton Smoot, who was succeeded by Mahlon Lewis. Large quantities of flour were shipped from this mill to Georgetown by boat. Boats for this purpose were built in a yard near where Franklin Herriott now lives. This
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INDUSTRIAL AFFAIRS.
mill is still in operation. The Abernathy mill, one mile from Springfield, now owned by Charles Milleson, was built by James Abernathy during the first quarter of the present century. It is still in operation. The Parker mill, further up the river, was built even earlier. Barnes' mills on Capon were built about 1813. Hammack's mills stood on North river about five miles above Blue's Hanging Rocks. There was a woolen factory and two flouring mills. The woolen mill is yet in operation. These milfs were erected at a very early date. The Painter mill stood on North river about five miles above Hammack's mills. It was built more than seventy years ago.
North River mills are among the oldest in the county. The lower one owned by Robert Kidwell, and formerly known as Snapp's mill, is still running. Other old mills are the Maux mill, near Rio; the Poston mill, on North river, on the land of Mrs. Stuckey, and the Ginevan mill, near the mouth of Little Capon.
Tanneries .- There is an old tanyard in Fox's Hol- low, not now used, which was established in 1816 by Colonel Vause Fox. Colonel Fox was an expert tanner, having learned the trade under William Jenkins of Baltimore. The yard never changed hands while he lived, though it was leased for a short time. Upon his death, his son, David Fox, took up the business and followed it until the Civil war. Since that time it has not been in operation. There was another tanyard on Dillon's run at a very early date. Archibald Linthicum was proprietor. Samuel Gard had a tannery at Capon Bridge before 1820. The work of tan- ning in these old yards was very tedious, but the quality of leather was much better than that produced by modern processes.
Distilleries .- The work of making spirituous liquors was at one time carried on much more extensively in Hampshire than it now is. Almost every neighborhood had a distillery to which the farmers could take their grain
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HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE.
and have it converted into whiskey, or their fruits and get brandy in exchange.
Near the present site of Springfield there stood an old stone still before the beginning of the present century. There was another on the land owned by James Burkett, built at an early day. It was operated by Thomas Burkett. . Near the Rouzee property, on Town hill, James Mekans operated a still before 1835. Besides these there were many others in different parts of the county, but nearly all have now fallen into disuse.
Sundry Enterprises. There was a pottery on North river, near the Hardy line, at an early date. A very superior grade of ware is said to have been manufactured there. During the first quarter of this century and up to 1840 there were numerous up-and-down saw mills in the county. The lumber turned out by them was very rough, yet it was a marked step in advance in the preparation of building material. At the Tar-kiln spring, near Ham- mack's mills, on North river, large quantities of tar were formerly burned for the market. From an old advertise- meņi we learn that J. W. NeNell had a tin, stove, copper and sheet-iron manufactory in Romney in 1850.
Thus we see, while the people of this county have never engaged extensively in manufacture, various industries have nevertheless flourished from time to time.
CHAPTER XLV.
SOUVENIRS AND CURIOSITIES.
BY HU MAXWELL.
In compiling the history of the county a number of inter- ^ esting objects and relics were met with which are given a chapter to themselves because they do not belong any- where else.
Souvenirs of Lord Fairfax .- Captain C. S. White of Romney, has in his possession a number of valuable souvenirs of Lord Fairfax, among them being a pair of andirons with heavy brass heads, artistically wrought. A fender, also Lord Fairfax's, is in the collection. These are a portion of the furniture with which the great land- owner expected to equip his palatial residence, which he expected to build somewhere in the wilds of America, but which he never built, and perhaps never decided upon a site for it. The house in which he resided near White Post, in Clarke county, Virginia, was a small affair, and in no way corresponded with the fine furniture which he pos- sessed. The larger house, called Greenway court, near by, was never occupied by Lord Fairfax in person, but by his steward. It is probable that the andirons saw service in that house.
Antique Table .- Robert White was the owner of a richly inlaid table, made of different kinds of wood. Un- der the framework of the table he pasted a small slip of paper and on it wrote his name and the date, 1789. The table is now in the possession of his gradson, Captain C. S. White of Romney, and although more than a century has passed, the name and the date are as plain as if they had
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HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE.
been there but a year. The table is kept with care, as a venerable relic of a former century. It is of interest to note that the handwriting of Robert White has a strong resemblance to that of his son, John Baker White, and his grandson, C. S. White, the characteristic chirography descending through the family more than one hundred years.
AAn Old Sugar Bowl .- A sugar bowl which came from Switzerland, and is believed to have been imported into that country from China more than two hundred years ago, is among the family relics in possession of Captain C. . S. White, of Romney. While the origin of the old piece of decorated China is lost in years, the bowl is known to have been in the family for two centuries. The lid is missing, and a number of cracks have made their appearance in the bowl, yet the paintings on it are as bright and perfect as when they were placed there by some devoted follower of Confucius perhaps before a white man had set foot upon the soil of West Virginia.
Silver Mug from Holland .- John Blue, of Rom- ney, possesses a solid silver mug six inches high, which dates back to the time when Holland's fleet claimed the mastery of the seas, more than three hundred years ago. The mug was made in Holland, and the almost effaced carv- ing upon it shows that the decorative art was by no means in its infancy then. The weight of the relic is evidence that it was made for use as well as for show; and the worn and polished exterior is proof that it has seen use. One of Mr. Blue's ancestors ate his mush and milk out of it in the infancy of Hampshire county. He requested that the mug should always belong to "John Blue," and from that time till the present it has always been the property of a person of that name.
A Centenarian Pitcher .- A china pitcher, dating back more than a century, is now the property of Dr. J. M. Miller, of Romney. It is not known whence it origin-
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SOUVENIRS AND CURIOSITIES.
ally came nor when it was manufactured. The first owner for it whose name is now known was Mrs. Sperry, of Hardy county, who was Mrs. Miller's great grand- mother. It descended to Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson, of North river, who lived to see her ninety-sixth year. She was a daughter of Mrs. Sperry and the wife of Elisha Thompson, once a member of the Hampshire court. Its next owner was Mrs. Mary Coffman, daughter of Mrs. Thompson and mother of Mrs. Miller, who lived on North river. From Mrs. Coffman it descended to Mrs. Miller.
Commodore Decatur's Salt-Cellar .- A blue glass salt-cellar, which was once the property of Commo- dore Decatur, is now in the possession of Mrs. G. L. Hern- don, of Romney. It belonged to the commodore's table set, and without doubt it was on board his ship during the exciting times through which he passed. It descended to Mrs. Herndon who is grand niece of Commodore Decatur. The salt-cellar was once handsomely decorated with painted flowers, but they have all now faded, and the memento is a plain, blue glass salt-cellar.
Famous Miniatures .- Miss Lizzie Bonney, of Romney, is the owner of a locket in which are two small pictures, quaint and old-fashioned, but very handsome. The pictures were painted in the West Indies about one hundrd years ago, but the exact date and the name of the artist are not now known. The pictures are the miniatures of Miss Seroxa and Miss Mary Decatur, daughters of Commodore Decatur, the famous naval officer who ren- dered valuable service to his country in the early years of the republic. The locket with its pictures were inherited by Miss Bonney who is a grand niece of Commodore Decatur.
A T'eteran Gander .- James McCool, who lives twenty-eight miles from Romney, in Bloomery district, has a gander which has lived to a surprising age, and at this date is hale and tough. Forty-five years ago Mr.
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HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE.
McCool moved to the farm where he still resides, and he found the gander on the farm. He does not know how old he was then; but he has lived until the present time; and age has not yet dimmed the fire of his eye, nor toned down his warlike propensities.
An Old Fort .- Twenty-one miles from Romney, in Brushy hollow, Capon district, is the ruins of an old log house built by a man named Kisner, as a defense against Indians. It contains port-holes. It was no doubt built prior to 1765, because Hampshire was never invaded by Indians after that year. The land now belongs to William Haines.
An Historic Pen .- Captain David Pugh of Capon district, is the possessor of a quill pen with which Vir- ginia's ordinance of secession was signed. It was never used afterwards, and the dried ink is still on it.
Curious Whiskey Jug .- Mrs. M. A. Herndon of Romney, has a peculiar whiskey jag which has been in the family for generations. It came from Massachusetts. It is a ring, about twenty-seven inches in circumference, as if a gun barrel were bent into a circle. It is hollow, and holds a quart. It is made of pottery, resembling porce- lain. It is said the jug was made to evade an early Massa- chusetts law which forbade selling whiskey by liquid or dry measure. It was supposed this would prevent selling whiskey altogether, but the law was evaded by selling liquor by the yard. A man with a circular jug, measuring three-fourth of a vard around, would call for three-quar- ters of a yard of whiskey, and the jugful just made it.
Turner. Ishbyj's Letter .- The following letter from Turner Ashby has never been published. It was dated at Martinsburg, February 10, 1862, and is now in the posses- sion of Miss Lou McCarty of Romney:
"CAPTAIN SHEETZ: You will send Captain Shan's com- pany, or Captain Harper's, as you think best, to Lock- hart's, with instructions to report to General Jackson that
.
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SOUVENIRS AND. CURIOSITIES.
they are there; at the same time, to let me know it. I want the reports of your three companies sent down by return messenger. I wish you to take the earliest opportunity of seeing how many men of your command will re-enter. When any man re-enlists, you will have him mustered in; and, if he desires, give him a furlough of not more than thirty days, at this time; when, upon presenting this fur- lough or certificate to my quartermaster, he will pay him fifty dollars. These furloughs can be granted at the rate of one-third of the men fit for duty, but to none who do not re-enlist. I am having the proper papers struck off, when I will send them to you. In the meantime you can get the law; do all you can toward reorganizing. Once a week send a report to me as far as Winchester, when it will be brought on, and state how many men have re-enlisted.
"Respectfully,
"TURNER ASHBY."
C Stonewall Jackson's Letter .- The following let- ter from Stonewall Jackson is now in possession of Miss Lou McCarty, of Romney. It is dated at Winchester, May 27, 1862:
"R. K. SHEETZ: Your letter of yesterday has been re- ceived. The loss of your noble son is deeply felt by me. Tears come to my eyes when I think of his death. In imagination I see him before me still. You have my sym- pathy and prayers. In his death not only you and I, but also his country, has sustained a loss. Apart from his worth as an officer, I was greatly impressed with the beauty of his character. In regard to the horse of which you speak, I suppose that it is the same one that was cap- tured by your son with an Ohio lieutenant-colonel at Mc- Dowell. As your son's horse was lame, I directed the cap- tured horse to be turned over to him at that time. He be- longs to the Confederate States, and I will be obliged to you, if you will turn him over to Major J. A. Harman,
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HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE.
chief quartermaster of this district. Accept my thankful appreciation of your kind expressions.
"Very truly yours, "T. J. JACKSON."
General Lee's Letter .- The original of the follow- ing letter from General Lee is in possession of Miss Mary Gibson, of Romney. It is dated at Richmond, April 30, 1861, and is addressed to Major John P. Wilson:
"MAJOR: You will muster into the service of the state such volunteer companies, not to exceed ten, of infantry or artillery, as may offer their services in compliance with the call of the governor, with which you will be furnished a copy. Take command of them and proceed to the site of old Fort Powhattan, or such point in its vicinity on James river as will be selected for a battery by Colonel Andrew Talcott. Its construction will be assigned to Captain Cocke, with whom you are directed to cooperate in the completion and defense of the works. You will report the number of companies mustered into service, their arms and condition. You are requested to endeavor to give pro- tection to the inhabitants and encourage a feeling of se- curity.
"Respectfully, "R. E. LEE."
1
Hampshire's Part
. . IN THE ' '
Civil War,
BY HU MAXWELL.
CHAPTER LXVI
BEGINNING OF THE STRIFE.
The great Civil war, which attracted the attention of the world for four years, was felt in Hampshire during the whole time. The county was never free from soldiers from the day the ordinance of secession was passed by the Richmond convention until peace was restored. At that time Hampshire included the present territory of Mineral; and the federal forces were stationed at Keyser, then called New Creek, and at Piedmont, carly in June, 1861; and on the eleventh of that month General Lew Wallace, more re- nowned in literature than in war, led a force against and captured Romney. Up to that time the confederates had not been idle in the county. The militia had obeyed the call of Governor Letcher of Virginia, had been under arms, and were ready for battle. Companies were being organ- ized for service in the regular army of the Southern Con- federacy; for the Virginia forces had already been placed at the service of the confederate states. The people of Hampshire were mostly sympathizers with the south, and they expressed their sympathy.by taking up arms. Half the men in Hampshire were in the confederate army. The exact number cannot now be obtained, but it can be stated in round numbers at twelve hundred. In the vicinity of New Creek and Piedmont there was a strong union senti- ment, and the federal army received a considerable num- ber of soldiers from there.
To write an accurate and full history of the war in Hamp- shire county is no light task. Few documents exist; there is almost nothing to be had on the subject, except from the
-
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HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE.
memory of the living. A third of a century has passed since the war closed, and the best memory fades with the lapse of years. Therefore, the greatest caution has been necessary in compiling data, lest errors should creep in. Conflicting accounts of the same occurrence are not un- usual from persons who saw it. In such cases the his- torian must exhaust every available resource to ascertain the truth and reconcile the different versions, In the his- tory, or more properly, the chronicle, of the war in Hamp- shire contained in this book, the aim of the author has been to present facts with as much accuracy as the available data will permit. There are gaps in the narrative which perhaps can never be filled. But the knowledge that much has been preserved from oblivion is ample reward for the months of labor spent in collecting and arranging the ma- terial. In this connection it is proper to state that valuable assistance was rendered by old soldiers, and. by others, whose memories were the only store houses of the facts, or who possessed documents on the subject, Among such were Judge William H. Maloney, of McNeill's company; Lieutenant John Blue, of the Hampshire militia, and after- wards of the regular service; Captain Isaac Kuykendall, G. H. Houser, Lieutenant Philip Snarr, of Hardy county; B. F. McDonald, of Bloomery; John O. Thompson, editor of the Keyser Echo; V. M. Poling, circuit clerk; John O. Casler's book "Four years in the Stonewall Brigade;" Amos Robinson, of Grassy Lick; John Pancake, Colonel Alexander Monroe, Captain C. S. White, county clerk, and others. Special mention should be made of the valuable assistance obtained from the diaries of George W. Wash- ington, one of the foremost citizens of the county. These books, eleven manuscript volumes, were placed at the dis- posal of the writer by Robert Washington. That journal was kept with remarkable regularity every day from 1833 to 1876; and while nearly the whole of it relates to individ-
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BEGINNING OF THE STRIFE.
ual and neighborhood affairs, yet many a date of war events has been fixed by a reference to that journal.
Committee of Safety .- Early in the spring of 1861 the people of Hampshire county foresaw trouble. The signs of the time portended evil, and no one could tell just what would come to pass. The vote at Richmond on the ordinance of secession left no doubt that a conflict was at hand; and the people of Hampshire, nearly all of whom favored sesession, thought it the part of prudence to look out for themselves to the best of their ability. Accord- ingly, after much discussion, a meeting of citizens was held in Romney, April 27, 1861, and after a long and heated discussion, resolutions were passed, calling upon the people to prepare for the worst; and, in order that the movement might have tangible results, it was decided that a committee of safety ought to be appointed whose duty it would be to look out for the public good in any way that might become necessary. That far the movement had taken the same course as similar movements in other counties of the state; but in Hampshire something more was done. The county prepared for war, not only with men and arms, but also with money. This part of the proceeding was peculiar, for counties did not usually raise money by taxation for war purposes, but left that to the state or the general government. A second meeting of the committee of safety was held May S, and a third on May 13. At this meeting money was subscribed to pay troops. It cannot be ascertained now how much was raised, as the records are fragmentary; but one gentleman paid on that day one hundred dollars "to equip volunteers, "and five days later the same gentlemen paid one hundred more for the same purpose. If all contributed in the same proportion the sum must have been considerable. A full list of the members of the committee of that date is not now obtaina- ble, but it is found on the court records as it existed a few days later. It appears that, up to that time, funds to meet
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