The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-01-25
For the VALLEY VmGINIAN.
Augusta County, Va. One Hundred
Years Ago.
NUMBER /:


That portion of the Valley ~of Virginia on
which establishments were begun one hum
dred and thirty years ago, was at that time
one continued forest, everspreading a lime
stone soil of great fertility, and intersected
by rivers atfording extensive bottoms of the
most productive alluvial land. Indeed few
rivers of equal size are bor6lered with as wide
and fertile levels of this formation of earth,
as those which water this section of country.
The Roanoke, particularly, affords large bod
les of it, capable Of producing in great album
dance hemp, tobacco, and the different kinds
OF grain. Every species of vegetable grow
with great luxuriance, and that kind Of
grain which the European cmigrant most
wanted. Its forests felled by untiring labor,
were quickly reduced to profitable cultva-
ton, and the weeds which spontaneously
spraEg from the earth, were soon succeeded
by the various crops adapted to the wants of
man and beast, which laid the foundation of
prosperity and wealth.
In the infancy of these establishments,
their only market was at Williamsburg.
Thither the early settlers sent their stock,
beef, butter and poultry, and received in ex-
change salt, iron, and some of the luxuries
Of life. In the progress of time, as the coun-
try of the Blue Ridge became more improv-
ed, other markets were opened to them, and
the facilities of communication were gradu-
ally increased; and their successors have not
only derived great advantages from these
! Improvements, but the present generation
now behold the country first settled by John
| Lewis and his contemporaries, q great thor
oughfarc for the produce of the many Wes-
tern Estates, and links Of communication
from the Chesapeake Bay to the Gulf of
Mexico.
| John Lewis was Il native and citizen of
Ireland, descended from family of Hugue-
nots, who took refuge in that kingdom from
the prosecutions that followed the assassi-
nation Of Henry w., of France. His rank
was that Of an Esquire, and he inherited a
| handsome estate which he increased by indus
try and frugality, until he became the lessee
Of contiguous property, of considerable
value. He married Margaret Lynn, daugh-
ter of the lairel of Loeb Lynn, who was a
descendent OF the chieftains of once pow
eIfal caan in the Scottish Highlanders. By
this marriage he had four sons, three of
them, Thomas, Andrew and William, born
in Irelaad, and Charles, the ehild of his old
age, born a few months after their settle
| ment IL their mountain home in Augusta. =.
The emigration of John Lewis to Virginia
was the result of one of those bloody ARRAYS,
which at that time so often occurred to dis
turb the peace, and destroy the happiness Of
the Irish families. The owner OF the fee out
OF which the lease hold of Lewis was carved,
a nobleman of profigate habits and ungov-
ernable passions, seeing the prosperity of
his lessee, and repenting the bargain he had
made, under pretense Of entering for an al
legged breach of condition, attempted by the
aid of band of ruffians, to take possession
of the premises. 10 this end, he surround
\ ed the house of Lewis with his ruffians. and
called upon him to evacuate the premises
without delay, a demand which was Instant
ly refused by Lewis; though surprised, with a
sick brother, his wife and infant children in
the house, and with no aid except a few
faithful domestics, scarce equal to one-fourth
of the assailants, he resolved to maintain
his rights. The enraged noblemap COM
menced the affray by discharging his gun ill.,
to the house, by which the invalid brother
was killed and his wife severely wounded.
Upon this Lewis rushed from the house, at
tended byIhis domestics and soon dispersed
the assailslnts, but not until the pr0fligate
landlord and his steward had persisted by
the hand of John Lewis. Sympathizine
friends advised Lewis to fly the country, q
measure rendered necessary by the higl
standing of his late antagonist, the desper-
ate character of his surviving assailants, and
the want Of evidence by which he could have
established the facts OF the case. He there
fore embarked on board vessel bound fol
America, attended by his family and bant
of about thirty OF his faithful tenantry. In
due time the emigrants landed on the shores