Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-12-11

came extremely dissatisfied with
his purchase, considering it as
money thrown away. Washington
hearing of his uneasness, immedi-
ately waited on him, and told him
he would take the purchase of his
hands, and pay him his money
again, but advised him by all
means to hold it, assuring him that
it would one day or other be the
foundation of an independent for
tune for his children upon which
Wormley became better reconclled,
and consented TO hold on. And
truly, as Washington predicted, 1t
would have become a splendid es-
tste in the hands of two or three
OF his children, had they known
how to preserve it. But it passed
into other hands, and now consti-
tutes the splendid farms of the late
firm of Castleman & Mccormick,
Heroine l.. Opie, ESQ.,, the honor
able Judge Richard Z. Parker, and
several others. In truth, all the
country about the larger water
courses and mountains was settled
before the fine country about Bull.
skin, Long marsh, Spot run, &c.
Much the greater part of the
country between what is called the
Little North mountain and the
Shenandoah river, at the first set
tling of the Valley was one vast
prairie, (a) and like the rich prai-
ries of the west, afforded the finest
possible pasturage for wild ami
mails. The country abounded in
the larger kinds Of game. The
buffalo, elk, deer, bear, panther,
wildcat, wolf, fox, beaver, otter,
all other kinds of animals, wild
fowl, &c, common to forest conn-
tries, were abundantly plenty. The
country now the county of Shenan-
doah, between the Fort mountain
and North mountain, WAS also set
tied at an early period. The counties
of Rockingham and Augusta also
were settled at an early time. The
settlement of tho upper part of our
Valley will be more particularly
noticed, and from the subject of a
second volume hereafter, should
the public demand it.
From the best evidence the au-
thor has been able to collect, and
for this purpose he has examined
many ancient grants Of lands,
family records, &c, as well as the
oral tradition of our ancient citi-
zens, the settlement Of our Valley
progressed without interruption
from the native Indians for a pc
riOd of about twenty.three years.
In the year 1854, the Indians sud.
denly disappeared, and crossed the
AIlegany. The year preceding en-
( issaries from the west of the Al
legany came among the Valley
Indians and invited them to move
ofr(b) This occurrence excited
suspicion among the white people
that a storm was brewing in the
west, which it was essential to pre-.
pare to meet.
Tradition relates, that the In
dians did not object to the Pennsyl-
vanians settling the country. From
the high character Of William
Penn, (the founder Of Pennsyl-
vania, the poor simple natives be-
lieved that all Penn's men were
honest, virtuOus, humane and
benevolent, and partOOk Of the
qualities of the illustrious founder
of their government. But fatal
experience soon taught them q
very different lesson. They soon
found to their cost that Pennsyl-
vanians were not much better than
others.
Tradition also informs us that
the natives held in utter .abhOrence
the Virginians, whom they desig-
mated "Long Knife" and were
warmly opposed to their settling in
the valley.
The author will conclude this
chapter with some general remarks
in relation to the circumstances
under which the first settlement
of the valley commenced. Tradi
ton informs us, and the oral
Statements Of severa, aged indi-
viduals OF respectable character
confirm the fact that the Indians
and white people resided in the
same neighborhood for several
years after the first settlement
commenced, and that the Indians
were entirely peaceable and friend
ly. This statement must in the
nature of things be true; because
if it had been otherwise, the white
people could not have succeeded
in effectiDg the settlement Had
the natives resisted the first at
tempts to settle, the whites could
not have succeeded without the
aid of pretty considerable army
to awe the Indians into submission.
1t was truly fortunate for our ances.
tors that this quiescent spirit OF the
Indians afforded the opportunity Of
acquiring considerable strength AZ
to numbers, and the accumulation
of considerable property aud i'm
provements, before Indian hostil-
itiea commenced.