Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1875-08-24
FIRST EDITION.



An OLD VIRGINIA HISTORICAL REMIsIs-
oEScRs or THE PLAcE-1Ts LOCATION ADyAN-
| TAdEH, &c.-THE HOME OF PORTE cnAYoS.
| Correspondence of the Commercial.
| BEnKELEY SPRINGS, West Va, Aug 49,
| After very pleasant ride over the Philada.
| Wilmington Il Baltimore II. H., and Baltimore 4
Ohio II. H., aifording rare views Of beautiful
and picturesque sceuoIy, found myself at Sir
Johns station, on the latter road ready to be
conveyed 10 Berkeley Springs, situated about two
| and half miles distant. Tho hack which
| makes close connection With all trains was
| found to be waiting and soon all were aboard
and in readiness for the start to our destination.
| The road leading to the Springs winds over high
| mountain ridges and III made up of steep decliy-
| tiles, but is in good condition, and
constitutes an agreeable drive. The
| half hour after leaving the Station,
and alightiug from the hack, hero i
am at the famous Berkeley Springs, en-
joying the good cheer provided the magnif-
cent views OF the far out-stretchiDg landscape,
| the cool invigo -ating breezes from the noun
tans, the luxury OF the mineral baths, and lend
| ing willing ear to tho recorded fact and uadi-
tion which couple this romantic spot with some
| of the greatest names in our country'n history.
BERKELEY SPRINGS IS LOCATED
at Bath, the county seat of Morgan county,
West Virginia, town OF about four hundred i'll
habitantn. The surrounding country is noun
famous and the soil lacking in fertility. The in
habtants seem to pay little attention to farming
aud depend for most part for their livelihood
upon the timber growth of the mountains. from
which they obtain cross.ties for the railroad,
tan bark and hoop poles, these staples being
| readily converted into money. The country is
well adapted for grazing purposes, but strange
to say few sheep found to benefit by the lux
uriant mountain pastnrage. The principal i'll
| dustrial establishment Of the town il Il large
tannery, and there is also woollen factory IN
operation about mile distant. There ID one
| newspaper, the Morgan Mercury. The town Is
regularly laid out, and contains a number OF fine
residences, and presents bright and rather
handsome appearance. There are Presbyterian,
Methodist, Episcopal, United Brethren, aud
| Catholic churches within its limits. in which SER
vices are held regularly every Sunday.
| Bath is the
HOME OF GENERAL d. II. srRoTHEB,
{" Porte Crayon,~ author of Virginia Illus,
! trated,' '"A Winter in the South" Personal
Recollections of the War;" and other ad-
mrable Sketches. many of which have
| la rper's Magazine. Tho General for
merry occupied modest frame cottage, all
| illustration OF which some of your readers have
| doubtless seen, but now he lives in a more pre-
| tentious edilice, built of brick, adjoining the
old house, and situated on one of the principal
| streets of the town, short distance above the
| Hotel. 'Porte Crayon" is thoroughly conyers-
| ant with tho numerous interesting historical
| thCJs, alu ellilly VeTsou III tuc ibeeHudiy ioio
relating to Berkeley, and to him am indebted
| for the most part OF what immediately follows.
| The history of Berkeley Springs il intimately
/ connected with the names of tho immortal
| Washington, and other distinguished men of the
| Revolutionary period, and with important events
| in our annals that invest it with peculiar
| interest, especially during the Centennial era,
| when "reminiscences OF colonial iWes are being
revived. The place was originally ca led 'Warm
Springs" by reason of the thermal character of
| tho waters, then Frederick Springs from Fred
erick county, in the limits of which it was COM
prisel previous to 1772, and finally at that date
took the present name from Berkeley county,
| which was then formed '--
| TIE SPRINGS WERE FREoUENrED BY THE INDIANS
| long before the wilderness of the Western
| World was invaded by the white man, and the
| waters arc said to have been highly priced by
them as specific for rheumatism, to which the
Indians, as tradition has it, were subject. Berk-
eley became watering place for white settlers
as early as 1745 and three years afterwards,
George Washington, then youth about sixteen,
who was engaged with nephew OF Baron
Fairfax in surveying lands through THIS region,
made the following entry in his diary
"Slarch lS. 1748 We this day called to gao the
famous warm springs. We camped out in tho
fields this night.
In i755, Braddocks army, on it's fatal expedi-
tion against Fort Duquesne, marched over the
road which passes wthip a few miles of Berkeley
Springs, and Sir Johns Run, tho stream which
gives its name to the nearest station, was named
in honor of captain John Sinclair, chief quarter
master of the British forcos. The property
comprised in the Springs was, sometime prior TO
the Revolution. granted to Thomas, Lord FAIR
fax Baron of Cameron and proprietor OF tue
Northern Neck of virginia. Soon after the com
mencement of the war, LORD FairiaA deeueu
tho Springs with fifty acres OF land adjacent in
trust for the benefit of the public. In october,
177G an act of the Legislature was passed, M
cooperating town at Warm Springs, IN the
county of Berkeley, and providing Tor laying IL
/ .ae.. -, F,r aota Gft
, been represented to that body that 1T wonid "pe
of great utility, by encouraging the purchasers
thereof to build convenient houses for accommo-
, dating numbers of infrm persons who frequent
! these Springs yearly for the recovery OF their
health" Among the incorporators we're Byran
Fairfax, son of Lord Fairfax Samuel Washing
ton, Warner Washington, Philip Pendleton and
other early residents. The lots were, oi
quarter In area, and at sale which
7 took place according to the provisions or
l the above act, General George Washington
General Horatio Gates, Charles Carroll OF Car
rollton, and other distinguished men became
purchasers.
DURING THE REVOLUTION,
, Berkeley was favorite resort for wearied states
mon and disabled officers. and Madame de hei
DIESEL, a German lady, wife of Baron de Heldesei
{, who commanded the Brunswickera IN the Drltist
3 army and who surrendered with Burgoyne AT
Saratoga, and afterwards went to the Springs to
/ recover from the effects OF sunstroke, state'
that sle there made the acquaintance Oh Uener
. al Washington's family and OF Mrs. Carroll aiit
her husband. Iu the spring of 1854, there came
to Berkeley from Shepherdstown, Vrginia,a maj
named James Rumsey. who published i'll the ole
F. MARYLAND "Gazette" the following announce
I ment in the quaint style Of those times;
ToTHE PUBLIC.
q q Warm Springs at Bath county, virginia. jun
18th, 1884 James Rumsey and Robert ihorkinul ,1I !
ton propose opening very comTodious poarulr y
house for the residence of Ladies' aud Gentie1nel
!, who may honour Bath, at the sign of the Liberty
Pole anu Flag. . ,
Eysry possible attention will be paid to rende
y the situation of those VINO nour them Win tlei
!. | commands perfectly agreeable.
. Rumsey aud his partner accordingly TOOL
s. charge of the place, and made several notap
improvements. Rumsey, being OF an inyentiV
turn Of mind, and conceiving the idea OF
% pRoPELLtNG BOATS BY STEAM,
10 constructed model which was practically test
ed in Sir Johns Run, the September following
{ his arrival at Berkeley. The result OF this ex
= permentaI trial we learn from certificate Q
, doneral Washington to the inventor, and whicl
a is as follows ; ,..,
~ II have seen the model of Mr. Rumsey'
70 boat constructed to work against the stream, eN
. amlued the powers upon which it acts, pee
IL eve witness to an actual experiment. in rnnnln
waters of some rapidly, and give it as m
opinion (athough had lutte faith before tina
be has discovered the art OF workin
L. .tsrY.a