Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-12-15
For the Herald.l
Scraps Of Woodstock History
From Early days 10 the
Present Fine.
BY JOHN C. Off,

found only the traces of campfres left
by rowing bands. The wars between
the Northern and Southern tribes had
made it too unsafe for a dwelling place,
and it was only used as hunting
ground or highway Cor their war
parties. The first settlers were terribly
harrassed by these predatory bodies,
being, at times, almost extermlnated,
so that for a long time the whites held
but slight and insecure foothold IN this
fairest portion Of America.
Woodstock is little on the "swingcd
cat" order-better than it looks. Like
many of the Vallay and Virginia towns
it is an old place, its origin dating back
to the year 1901. In March of that year
it was established by law, Jacob Miller
having laid out twelve hundred acres in
building lois, and for a number of years
il was called Millerstadt or Millerstowp
after its founder. The time and causes
for the change of name have been lost.
The irst settlers were a race Of sturdy
Germans, many Of them from Pennsyl-
vania, and it has not been long since
that language was frequently heard on
! its streets. Woodstock lncreasedrapid-
lynn population during the first years
and was place OF considerable note
during the war Of the Revolution, send
ind out many brave and hardy men to
battle for the cause Of American liberty.
A number Of these served under Green
in bis Southern campaign, while others
figured in the North as part Of Gen.
Dan. Morgan's famous corps OF Virs
cipia rihemen. But before the Revolt
ton the men Of Woodstock did their iull
share towards the defence of the North
western frontier Of the Stale against the
savage inroads of the Indians and
French. Many Of them became Cele e
brated scouts AID bard fighters durug
those stirring ana bloody times. A
detachment Of these men. under Col.
Campbell, took part in the desperate
aud decisive battle Of Point Pleasant,
where the Valley forces to the number
Of about one thousand m1n under Gen.
Andrew Lewis. Of Augusta Co., met
and signally defeated the combined
Indian nations of the Northeast under
The lead of Cornslalk. tie great war
chief of the six nations. This was in
reality the first battle Of the Revolution.
Lord Dunmore, the then Royal Cover
nor Of Virginia, was playing treacher'
GUS part ards the people OF the State
and was uuQuestionablY stirring up the
vast birds ofIudlans to take up the
the hatcbet as allies Of Great Briton in
the struggle then commencing between
the mother country and the colonies.
Such heiug the case, and the proof is
too strong to admit OF doubt, the first
patriot blood shed in that great struggle
flowed from Valley mems veins al
Point Pleasant. Thence on tbe banks
of the Ohio and Kanawa, on that balmy
October morning, the sharp crack Of
the Virginia rife opened the ball and
ushered in The grapdest contest for hu-
man liberty the world has ever known.
We do not wish TO rob New FL gland Of
single leaf from her laurels. but stern
Justice asserts her ghis, and the blood
at Lexington was not the first ofrung
on the altar Of Liberty. The guns at
Point Pleasant fired the shot that
echoed reund the world" and the rifles
ofthe men Of Woodstock, lent their notes
to swell the hymn Of Liberty as it rolled
upon the breeze that swept along the
Ohio Valley.
At the battle Of Kings Mountain, in
North Carolina, in which the British
and Tories were utterly crushed and
their power forever broken in the South
one ofthe commanders Of the American
forces was the Col. Campbell, of Wood,
stock, above mentioned. He vas chief
in command on that memorable day,
aud fell IN the moment Of victory. He
was a gallant and skilllul officer whose
death was felt to be a great loss TO tie
cause and country. A part Of the
dwelling Of Gen. Peter Muhlenberg, the
fighting preacher Of the Revolution, i
It'll standing IN Woodstock. and /: was
in church that stood on what i, now
known Is the Episcopal graveyard that
he preached his great Har sermon, al
tie conclusion OF - hich he threw Of his
robes and stood before his congregation
in the full uniform Of a colonel OF the
American army. His appeal to the
people in behalf Of their suffering coun-
Try was responded 10 fully aud prompt.
~. In a short time he organized his
famous German or 8lh Continental reg
iment IN the ranks Of which marched
nearly every citizen Of the town able TO
carry a muske;. Tins regiment per-
formed. probably, as much hard service
as any in the armr, its commander rising
10 the rank OF Brlgadier General. win,
ming aud rciaioing the co1fdesce and
esteem Of Washington in high degree ,
Washington was at one time a guest of
Muhlcnberg at bis home in Woodstock.
Many Of the names familiar to US nov
in the town and smrou ding country
were just as well known then on the
rolls of the Continental army. There
are still existing few dislolnled frag-