Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-03-27
The Wild Irish Of the Valley

The author of an old work entitled,
European Settlements in America"
speaks of the population of Virginia in
1750-54, IS growing every day more
numerous by the migration of the Irish,
who, not succeeding so well in Penn
sylvania as the more industrious and
frugal Germans, sell their lands in that
province to the latter, and take up new
ground in the remote counties of Vir-
GINA, Maryland, and North Carolina"
"'These," he adds, ''are chiefly Presby-
terians from the North of Ireland, who
in America are generally called the
Scotch-Irish."
Mr.. Jefferson, at an early day, wrote
OF 1.-The wild Irish who had gotten pos
session of the Valley between the Blue
Ridge end the North Mountain, form
| ing barrier over which none ventured
to leap, and could still less venture to
settle among" Mr.. Jefferson lived to
see the day that those wild Irish of the
Valley, or Scotch Irish, as they were
more commonly called, became among
the very best citizens of Virginia.
Though the noble Cavaliers had had
possession of the territory within which
the first permanent settlement, in the
original English colonies, was made at
| Jdl1GSLOWu, IOOO, lllc DluS OIuSC Adu
been so late as 1731 the western bounda-
ry of settlement. 1t. Gov. Spottswood,
had, however, in TIA, marched the
knights of the Golden Horseshoe to the
top of the Blue Ridge, took peep over,
and then marched them back again.
For this brilliant achievement the Gov
ernor became famous as the modern
Hannibal. The British Board of Trade
had sent Capt. John Smith up the
Chickahominy to discover the Pacific
Ocean, and for more than hundred
years thereafter it remained the general
belief that the Alleghanies were impas-
sible.
The old Virginians were great peo-
pie; their descendants are first-rate
| people to this day, but it was reserved
for those wild Irish from the North Of
Ireland to become the indomitable pic
neers for opening out large portion OF
this great valley, and to make it among
E the most productive sections of thu
; State, though Mr.. Jefferson did onc'
make the mistake that they formed a bar
! rier lover which one ventured to leap
, and could less venture to settle among
e They made wilderness fruitful ant
: thrifty, and they kept it so. From 173
q forward, settlers gradully penetrated tn
. | mountains norm Oh the JdlIleS hlVt
: and found homes in the rich valleys be
j yond, until 1751-52 the furthermos
e wave of population had reached the has
D of the Alleghanies, where for time i
: was stayed.
}. In this connection the part played b.
/ the pioneers of this morn immediat
If section may be briefly stated. The Ger
i mans always having laudable banker
ing for fat lands had flocked in through
the head of the Valley from Pennsylva
/, MIA an8 seated themselves comfortabl
Il in the rich valley of the Shenandoah,
o along with mixture of English an
g Scotch-Irish from Fairfax's Northerl
Neck. The wild Irish who were t
), come after them had to lock out for pas
. lures higher up, towards the waters O
= the James. Marlin the peddler, an
+ Sailing the weaver had been peregrinat
= ing up that way in advance. The
u peregrinated back to Williamsburg, i
+ the course of time, to tell of the wonder
\ full land OF promise they had SEEM
g Lexington Gazette.