Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-09-17
ROckflsh Gap.

A writer in the Waynesboro' Tribune
gives the following account of the ex-
element in the county of Augusta at
the time of Tarleton's approach to Char
lOttesville -
Inasmuch as the history of Rockfish
Gap is in part the history of South Riv-
er, we will narrate what we heard q
few days since from friend, of Tarle-
toms approach in that direction, after
the escape of Gov. Jefferson and the
Legislature from Charlottesville. The
late VIM. Davis, father of Walter and
VIM. Davis, Jr., near Barterbrook, was
a lad of fourteen years of age, and mar
Thinking Spring, on the memorable
Sabbath in June, succeeding the battle
of Guilford. The gentleman to whom
he gave the narrative. says he mention
ed that many of the men in the congre-
grafton, having received the alarm on
Saturday, had armed themselves and
fastened to the Gap on Sunday morn
ing. Yet there was large and excited
congregation, and after Mr.. Waddell
had preached and dismissed the congre-
cation, he retired to the yard, and
mounting style at the same spot at
which, as my narrator mentioned, the
late John McCue and others dismount-
ed, made stirring speech to the con-
gregation. Mr.. D. said he had never
seen or heard drum there but once be-
fore, and that was at muster at the
farm of the late Mrs. Pack, close to the
church, but the drum and fife were both
there, and, after they had been used,
Mr.. Waddell spoke. He urged the
men who had arms Of any kind to hast
with fhayro onG fhncn vrhn hod a
to use their pitchforks and scythes or
any weapon by which the foe could be
driven back. The women he urged to
hasten home and prepare food for not
only their own husbands and sons and
brothers, but where there were men who
had gone, or would go, and had no one
to prepare their rations, to see to it that
they had an abundance. And to have
their boys ready at an early hour the
next morning, with their pack horses,
to carry the provisions, and to rendez-
vous at Waynesboro'. He said that at
an early hour, he, with quite number
of lads, were at Waynesboro', and there
came crowds of boys and pack-horses
from every direction, and were soon on
their way over the mountain. They
crossed the mountain and found the
men lying around what, for years, had
been called the "Grog" Spring, a few
hundred yards from the top. Here they
spent several days, until the alarm SUBJ
sided. To show that human nature is
the same in every age, and the innate
fun and humor will crop out, under the
most grave circumstances, Mr.. Davis
said that many of the men were lying
below the Spring. on beds of leaves
they had improvised, and were asleep.
Some of the. mischievous ones peeled
chestnut bark, and with a succession of
little troughs conveyed the water under
the sleepers, and greatly enjoyed the
fun of seeing them wake up and show
their surprise and in some instances
their anger.
To show what an anxious day that
Sabbath was, we will copy this para
graph from DR.. Foote TN the time
succeeding the battle of Guilford, an
alarm was given on a Saturday that
TarletOn, having surprised Charlottes-
vile, was on his way to Staunton. Mr..
Scott was then hearing class in the
catechism, at Bethel Westinghouse
This he hastily dismissed to go home
and spread the alarm. The succeeding
Sabbath was day of military gather.
ing-from Lexington to the Picked
Mountain-to pre-occupy all the gaps
Of the Blue Ridge with expert rifiemen.
Scott had no preaching that day at
Bethel; Brown had no worship at Prov
idence; Wilson, of Augusta, sent his
people to watch the enemy; Waddell
went to Thinking Spring, but his people
were lining the mountain, on the look
out for the approach of Tarleton; and
Graham in Lexington was parading his
people, and marching with them for
Rockfish Gap. But the Valley was
spared the shedding of blood on that
OCCASION"