Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-04-16
CHAPTER XVI.

SETTLEMENT OF THE COUNTRY.
Having thus given to the reader,
in the preceding pages, a connect
ed history of the wars with the In
dians, from the earliest settlement
of the country until the treaty OF
peace made by Gen. Wayne in
1894, | will 90 back to the year
1872, and trace the various steps
by which our settlements advanced
to their present vigorous state OF
existence.
The settlements on this side of
the mountains commenced along
the Monongahela, and between
that river and the Laurel ridge, III
the wear 1872. In the succeeding
year they reached the Ohio river.
The greater number Of the first
settlers came from the upper parts
of the then colonies of Maryland
and Virginia. Braddock's traIl' as
it was called, was the ronte by
which the greater number of them
crossed the mountains. a less
number of them came by the way
of Bedford and Fort Ligonier, the
military road from Eastern Penn
sylvania to Pittsburg. They effect
ed their removals on horses furnish
ed with pack saddles. This was
the more easily done, as but few OF
these early adventurers into the
wilderness were encumbered with
much baggage.
Land was the object which in
vited the greater number OF these
people to cross the mountain for
as the saying then was, "it was TO
be had here for taking up" That
is. building a cabin and raising a
crop of grain, however small, oi
any kind, entitled the occupant to
four huudred acres OF land, and a
-emption right to one thousand
acres more adjoining, to be secured
by land office warrant. This
right was to take effect if there
happened to be SO much vacant
land, or any part thereof, adjoining
the tract secured by the settlement
right.
At an early period the govern
ment of Virginia appointed three
commissioners to give certificates
of settlement rights. These ccrtih'
Gates, together with the surveyors
plat, we're sent to the land office of
the state, where they laid Six
months, to await any cavea1 "hicn
might be offered. II none was
offered the patent then issued.
There was, at an early period OF
our settlements, an inferior kind OF
land title, denominated q "toma'
hawk right" which was made by
deadening a few trees near the
head of spring, aud marking the
bark of some one or more OF them
with the initials of the name of the
person who made the improvement,
| remember having seen a number
of those "tomahawk rights" when
a boy. For a long time many OF
them bore the names Of those who
made them. | have no knOwled ge
of the efficacy Of the tomahawk
improvement, of whether it con
ferred any right whatever, unless
followed by an actual settlement
These rights, however, were often
bought and sold. Those who wished
TO make settlements on their IA
vorite tracks of land, bought up
the tomahawk Improvements, rather
than enter into quarrels with those
who made them. Other improvers
of the land with a view to actual
settlement, and who happened tc
be stout veteran fellows, took q
very different course from that o
purchasing the tomahawk rights
When annoyed by the clalmant'
under those rights, they deliber
ately cut a few good hickories, an(
gave them what was called in those
days "a laced jacket" that IS,
sound whipping.
Some of the early settlers too
the precaution to come over tb'
mountains in the spring (leavIni
their families behind), to raise
crop of corn, and then return ant
bring them out in the fall. This
should think was the better way
Others, especially those who's
families we're small, brought then
in the spring. My father took tn
latter course. His family was bu
small, and he brought them al
with him. The Indian meal whicI
he brought over the mountain wa
| expended six weeks too soOn, 8
that for that length of time we hat
to live without bread. The lea
venisOn and the breast of the will
turkeys we were taught to ca
bread, and the flesh Of the bea
was denominated meat. This arti
fee did not succeed very well ; 70
after living in this way som
' time we became sickly, the stomac
seeming to be always empty an'
tormented with a sense of hunger
I remember how narrowly the Chi
dren watched the growth of th
potatoe tops, pumpkin and squas
vines, hoping from day to day t
get something to answer in tn
place of bread. How deliciou
was the taste of the young potatOe