Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-04-16
situation. poor as it was.

less lived IN peace; but thelr Irah-
guilty was rot Of long contlDu'
ance. Those most atrocious mur-
ders of tho peaceable inoffensive
Indians at Captina aud Yellow
creek, brought on the war of lord
Dunmore in the spring of the year
IVA. Our little settlement then
broke mp. The women aud chill
dren were removed to Morris's fort,
in Sandy creek glade, some dis
tance 10 the east of Uniontown.
The fort consisted of an assem-
blags of small novels, situated on
the margin o! large and no1ious
marsh, the eflluvia of which gave
most of the women and children
the fever and ague. The men were
compelled by necessity to return
home, risking the tomahawk and
scalping knife of the Indians, to
raise corn to keep their families
from starvation the succeeding
winter. Those sufferings, dangers
and losses, we're the tribute we had
to pay to that thirst for blood
which actuated those veteran mur-
derers who brought the war upon
us! The memory Of the sufferers
in this war, as well as that of their
descendants, still looks back upon
them with regret and abhorrence,
and the page Of history will con
sign their names to posteIity with
the full weight of infsmy they
deserve.
A correct and detailed view of
the origin of societies, and their
progress from one condition or
point of wealth, science and civil
ization, to another, is always highly
interesting, even when received
through the dusky medium Of his
tory, ofteDtimes but poorly and
partially written ; but when this
retrospect Of things past and gone
Is drawn from the recollectiOns of
experience. the impressions which
it makes on the heart are of the
most Vivid, deep and lasting kind.
The following history of the
state Of society, manners and
customs of our forefathers, is to
be drawn from the latter source
and it is given to the world with
the recollection that many Of my
contemporaries, still living, have,
as well as myself, witnessed all the
scenes and events herein described,
and whose memories would speed
ily detect and expose any errors
the work may contain.
The municipal, as well as ecclesl-
asrical institutions Of society,
whether good or bad, in cOnse'
queDce of their long continued use,
give corresponding cast to the
public character of society whose
conduct they direct, and the moro
so because in the lapse Of time the
observance OF them becomes a
matter of conscience.
This observation applies in full
force 90 that influence OF our early
land laws which allowed four hun
dred acres and no more to a settle
ment right. Many Of our first
settlers seemed 10 regard this
amount Of the surface of the eaTtl
as the allotment of Divine ProNi
dence for one family, and believed
that any attempttO get more woul(
be sinful. Most of hem, therefore
contentpd themselves with tha
amount, although they might have
evaded the law, which allowed bu
one settlement right to any ont
individual, by taking out the it'll
napers in the names OF others, |,
be afterwards transferred to them
as if by purchase. Some few indeed
pursued this practice, but 1t wa
held in detestatiOn.
Ny father, like many others, be
lieved, that having secured HI
legal allotment, the rest OF tn
country belonged of right 10 thos
who chose to settle in it. Their
was a piece of vacant land adjoir
ing his tract, amounting to aboo
two hundred acres. TO this traC
of land he had the pre-emptio
right, and accordingly secured
by warrant bat his conscieDC
, would not permit him to retain
in his family he therefore gave
to an apprentice lad whom he ha
! raised in bis house. This lad sol
it to an uncle Of mine for a co
and calf, and q wool hat.
Owing 10 the equal distributio
, of real property directed by OF
! landlavs, and the sterling iDtegrit
of our forefathers in their Obse
/ vance of them, we have no di
) tricts OF "sOld land" as it is calle'
, that is, large tracts of land in ii
hands Of individuals or companiC
! who neither sell nor improve then
I as is the case in Lower Canada an
| the northwestern part Of Penn
r sylvanIa. These unsettled tract
make huge blanks In the populi
r ton of the country wherever the
g exist.
b The division lines between thos
whose lands adjoined, were gene
.. ally made in an amicabls mannC
/. by the parties concerned, befoT
8 any survey Of them was made. /
b doing this they were guided mainl