The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-01-16
Anecdotes oua ReS\cst>ons
BY ALEXANDER S. WlTHERs.

In the year 1856, settlements wee
also made on New river and On Ilol-
stein. Among the daring sdventurers
who effected them. were Evan Shelby,
William Campbell, William Preston
and Daniel Boone, all of whom became
distinguished characters in subsequent
history. Thomas Walden, who was
afterwards killed on Clinch river, and
from whom the mountain dividing
Clinch aud Powell rivers derived its
name, was likewise one Of them. The
lands ken up by them, were held as
corn rights each acquiring title
to one hundred acres Of the adjoining
land;for every acre planted in corn.
Nearly co.emporaneous with these
establishments, was that of Gallopilis,
on the northwestern bank ofthe Ohio
and below Point Pleasant, at the
mouth Of the Great Kanawha. This
was made BY party of Jesuits. BY
whom the In llan5 were melted to make
mcursions, and commit the most
enormous barbarities en- the then
frontiers. This place and the mouth
OF Grea, Sandy were the chief points
of rendezvous for the Ohio Indians.
From the fsrmer Of these places they
would aseeed the Kanawha and
Greenbrier rivers, and from thence
crossing the mountains enter into
Augusta; or sitter having assembled
the kanaS ha, 60 up the New river,
from which thcy would pass over to
the James and Roanoke. From the
mouth Of Great Sandy they would as.
cend that river, and by the way of
,Bluestone fall over on the Roanoke
and New river. From those two
points, expeditions we're frequently
made by the Indians, which brought
desolation and death into the infant
settlements Of the southwest and
retarded their growth very much. In
the spring of 1857, nearly the whole
Roanoke settlements were destroyed
bys party ofShawanees, who had thus
made their way to It.
Thasportion Of the valley Of yir.
ginia in which establishments were
thus begun to be made, was at that time
one continued forest; overspreading
a limestone soil of great fertility; and
intersected by rivers atfording extern
sive bottoms of the most productive
alluvlal land. Indeed few rivers of
equal size, are bordered with as wide
and fertile levels Of this formation Of
earth,as those which water that section
Of country; the Roanoke particularly
affords large bodies Of it, capable of
producing i'll great abundance hemp,
tobacco and the different kinds Of
grain usually grown. In the country.
generally, every species ofvegetableto
which the climate was congenia, grew
with great luSuriancy; while the
calcareous nature Of the soil, adapted
it finely to the production of that kind
Of grain, to which European emigrans,
were mostly used.
The natural advantages Of the coun
try were highly improved by the
perseVerlng industry pits inhabitants
Its forests, felled by uptiring labor,
were Spontaneously sprang from the
earth, were soon succeeded by the
various grasses calculated to furnish
the most nutritious food for the lowing
herds with which their farmers were
early stocked; these yielded present
profit, and laid the sure foundation Of
future wealth. Some Of the most
extensive and successful graziers of
Virginia, now inhabit that country, and
reap the rich reward CT their manage.
ment and industry, In the improved
snd mure contiguous market of
Richmond.
In the infancy Of these establish
ments, their only 'narke: was a,
Williamsburg. Thither the carly
settlers packed their butter and
monthly end received in excLon,e e,h