The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-01-18
For the VALLEY VIRGINIAN
Augusta County, Va. One Hundred
Years Ago.
CHAPTER ID.

John Lewis, after obtaining leave from
Gov Gooch, to locate 100000 ceres of land
in separate parcels on the waters of the
Shenandoah and James rivers, would go
out in search of good land to locate. while
MAackey would devote his time to. hunting
buffaloes. The result was, the former amass-
eda large estate, while the latter lived and
died in comparative poverty.
In the yea: 1871, Lewis being in Williams
burg, m ct with Benjamin Burden, who had
arrived in the country as.agent of Lord Fair
fax, proprietor OF the Northern Neck, whom
he prevailed upon toaccompany him home
Burden remained at Lewis the greater part OF
the summer, and or his return to Williams
burg, took with him a buffalo calf, which,
while hunting with Saml. and Andrew Lew
is, sons OF John Lewis, they caught and
tanned. He presented this calf to Governor
Gooch, who thereupon entered on his Jour-
nal an order authorizing Burden to locate
conditionally, any quantity of land not ex-
ceeding 100000 acres on any of the waters
west of the Blue Ridge. The conditions
were that he should interfere with no pre-
vious grants, that he should settle one hun
dred families in ten years within its limits,
and should have one thousand acres adjoin-
ing each cabin which he should cause to be
built, with liberty to purchase any greater
quantity adjoining, at the rate of fifty pounds
per 1000 acres.
In order to effect compliance with these
conditions, Burden visited England in 1877,
and on his return to Virginia brought with
him upwards of one hundred families OF adj
venturers to settle upon this 100000 acre
grant. Among the number were Jno. Pat
terson, son-in-law of Burden, who settled on
the Catawba, above Pattonsburg. The daugll-
ter Of John Patton subsequently became the
wife of Col. W. Preston, and the mother of
James Patton Preston, who was elected
Governor in 1916.
Next or the list was Ephriam Mcdowell,
who settled at Phnbe's Falls; John, the son
OF Ephriam, who Sc tiled at Fairfield; Hugh
Telford, who settled at the Falling Springs,
on the forks of James river; Paul Whitley,
who settled on Cedar Creek, where the
ssReed Mill'' was erected; Archibald Alex
ander, who settled Oh the North River, op-
posite Lexington; Andrew Moore, who set
tied near Alexander; Sampson Archer, who
settled at Glmer's Springs. east Of the
Bridge Tavern, and Capt. John Matthews,
(whe married Betsey, the daughter of Samp-
son Archery settled near where Major Mat
thew lived, below the Natural Bridge.
Among others who came to Virginia at
this time WIGS an Irish girl, named Polly
Mulholin. On her arrival she was hired to
James Bell to pay her passage across the At
lantic, and with Bell she remained during
the period her servitude was to continue. At
its expiration she attired herself in the habit
of a man, and with limiting shirt and moca-
sins, visited Burdens grant for the purpose
OF making improvements and acquiring tt
tie to land. Here she erected cabins. by
virtue of which she held one hundred acres
adjoining each. When Benjamin Burden,
the son, came on to make deeds to those who
held cabin rights, he was astonished to see
so many in the name OF Mulhollin. Investi
CATION led to the discovery of the mystery to
the great mirth Of the other claimants. She
resumed her christian name and female
dress, and many Of her respectable descend
ants still reside within the limits of Burdens
grant.
The greater part OF those who yentnred on
a wilderness life, were Scotch Presbyterian
disenters, class of religionsts. of all Others,
perhaps, tie most remarkable for rigid NOR
ality, which gave the infant colony 4 moral
and devotional character rarely possessed by
similar establishments. They were also men
of industry and enterprise. Hunting, which
too frequently occupies the time of those
who make the forest their dwelling place,
and abstracts the attention fIom the more
important pursuits, was to them recreation,
not the business of life. 10 improve their
by converting the woods into fer
tile plains, and the wilderness into produc-
tive meadows was their chief object. In the
attainment Of this they were Immediately
successful, and their individual crcumstan-
ces became prosperous, and the country