Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-08
COL.WM. BYRD'S
History Of the Dividing Line Between
Virginia and North Carolina.
JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF EDEN
Interesting Story Of the Early Indian Tribes,
Animals, Vegetation, Minerals, and
Eivsrs and Creeks of Virginia.


and North Carolina, and a Journey TO the
Land Of Eden. written from i72s to liSG by
Colonel William Byrd, OF Westover, pos
CESS a vast store Of early historical infor-
nation for the people of this section or
Virginia, and more especially those who
live in this State in counties bordering on
North Carolina. The Indian tribes, the
Wild animals, the original vegetable
growth Of this section. the minerals. the
rivers, and creeks are particularly noted
by him. The names OF many Of the hrst
white settlers are also given.
The streams tributary to the Nottoway,
Roanoke, and Dan rivers were nearly all
named by him. and there is significance
In all their names. l will mention some
Of them and other matters of incidental
interest 10 a large number of your read
ers.
THE DIVIDING LINE.
After his return from the surveying ex-
petition Colonel Byrd wrote: we ex-
tended the line within the shadow OF the
Chariky mountains. where we were Obliged
TO set up our pillars like Hercules, and
return home. We had now, upon the
whole. been out about sixteen weeks. and
had travelled at least 600 miles, going and
returning, and no small part OF that dis
tance on foot Below, towards the seaside,
our course lay through marshes, swamps,
and great waters: and above. over steep
hills. cragsy rocks. and thlckets hardly
penctrable Notwithstanding this variety
OF hardships we may say without vanity
that we faithfully obeyed the kings Or
ders, and performed the business enec-
| tually. Nor can we by any means re-
proach ourselves Of having put the crown
| To any exorbitant expense In this dihcuit
affair. the whole charge, from beginning
| TO end, amounting to no nOre than tl,OOJ.
But let 10 one concerned In this pain
| full expedition complain OF the scantlness
| Of his pay, so long as his Majesty has
been grsciously pleased to add TO our re-
ward the honor of his royal appreciation,
| and to declare, Notwithstanding the de-
sertion OF the Carolina commissioners,
| that the line by US run shall hereafter
stand as the true boundary betwixt the
! governments OF Virginia and North Caro-
| lima"
THEIR DESCENDANTS.
There are many descendants OF the
! men engaged in running this line nov
!
/ erd Fitz-Wiliams, and William Dan
! bridge were the commissioners Tor
| Virginia: Christopher Gale, John Love-
wick, and William Little were commits
! sioners for Carolina Alexander lrVln
/ and William Mayo were surveyors ior
/ Virginia. Edward Noseley and Samuel
! Swan were surveyors for North Carolina.
Rev. Peter Fountain, chaplain,
The names of the men employed on the
! part OF Virginia TO assist the comilis-
sioners we're Peter Jones, Thomas jones'
| Thomas Short, Robert Hix, Jonn Evans
| Stephen Evans, John Ellis, Thomas VIII
son, John Ellis, -.Jr, George Lllrnan
| Charles Kimbal, George Hamilton, Thomas
| Jones, Jr, James Patillo. Richard
| Smith. Abraham Jones, Edward Powell
! William Pool. William Calvert, James
Whitlock, and Thomas Page.
4 GREAT SUCCESS.
VITA these men he accomplished his
F; work, and says: "If any of our peopie
| wanted one single meal during the wnolt
| expedition it was entirely owing to thel'
! own imprudent management NOT oH'
man of our whole company had any
violent distemper or bad accident befal
hsn from one end of the line to the other
AS for the misfortunes Of sticking IN the
1
they were rather subjects Of mrth than
complaint. Many uncommon incidents oc
Cured 10 prosper our Undertaking.
had a dry spring before We went OUT
and the preceding winter. and even al
! wear or two before, had been much drlei
! than ordinary. This made not only the
| Dismal, but likewise most or the Suilhen
| grounds near the seaside, just mar.
| enough TO bear us, which otherwise mao
heen quite impossible. In the sixteen
| weeks we were never caught IN the ram
except once, nor was our progress inter
| runted by bad weather above three oi
| four DAYS at most Besides all TINS We
| were surprised by no Indian enemy, pu'
ALI of us brought our scalps back saie
| upon our heads. a.,
| The hunters in the party suppheu al
| abundance OF deer, wild turkeys. bear
and buffaIo meat. The pack and baggage
horses carried the bread and rockahomi
| ny. ,.o.,
| After leaving the swamps and cross
ING the Chowan. he came upon the Me
| herrin river, named, he says, after th'
| most false and treacherous tribes or IN
| dams 10 the English
| Fountain creek, now in GreenesVli'
| county. so called from the disaster OF al
| unfortunate Indian trader, who had peer
drowned in 1t, and. like lscariot' lex
his name to that fatal stream.
STREAM OF SWEET WATER.
The Roanoke river, an indian name nc
first struck In what Is now Meckiehoure
| county. OF this river he saws III d
| forty-nine poles wide. and rolls down
| crystal stream Of very sweet water lhso
much that when there comes TO De
| great monarch in this part or the "oliu
| he will CAUSE all the water ior ms y" i
| table TO be brought from koahohe, a.
| the great kings OF Persia ala thelrs iloiH
the Nile and Choaspis, because the Wa
tore of those rivers were light and no
| ant to corrupt" His horses crossed tne
Roanoke AT a ford called Monl-seep, which
| signifies in Indian jargon, shallow water
| Nat-Bush creek was named for the MANY
| hazel trees growing about ~ o,
| About three miles above ms ne crosSeu
another large creek, which the lnuians
called Massamonl. signiyinS In tneir
| language Paint creek, because OF the
great quantity OF red ochre found III ps
| banks.
Beyond this we passed another WAFER
with difficulty called Yapetsco' or Beaver
creek. The beavers had ptlit u"ii'
across 1t, and hence the lame.
The next stream emptying into the
Roanoke crossed was Ohimpa-meni' slS
nifying Jumping creek. from the Irequeh'
jumping of fish during the spring season.
ut is now called Grassy creek ana runs
a few miles below Clarksyille. Na)
THE FIRST BUFFALOES.
He next came up with the bufaloes.
| the first time any signs of these animals
had been seen. The stream near by he
named Buffalo This nov flows near
vuffalo Iithfa SDrtngS.
The next creek was called Tewahomihy
or Tuskayooda, because one of that ma
ton had been killed thereabouts ana MS
body thrown into the creek. 1t Is now
known as Aaron's creek, and diVides
Halifax from Mecklenburg.
On the north side of Roanoke Alien
creek was named after Colonel Alien
met with near by. and had taken up some
land near its mouth.
The next was called Butchers crees
from John Butcher, wis lived on It,
Bluestone creek. named from the colol
of the stones which paved the bottom
and were so smooth that they Will proba
bly, burn into lime Bluestone Castle wa
on a height near this stream. about tw'
! and a half miles from the junction or IN
Dan and Staunton rivers. at Ciarksviiie
Wing creek. so called from I'M
great number Of these fowls that thei