Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-07-03
THE SCOTCH-IRISH OF THE VALLEY OF
VIRGINIA.

AS TAR as we know, 1t was not till the
year 1716 that Europeans entered or
looked into this favored region
Strange it is that for more than a hun
bred years after the settlement of
jamestown, white people of ordinary
sense and enterprise loitered in the
swamps and sandy plains of lower Vir
glnla. without discovering and settling
this Valley. There were no white set
Elements along or near the eastern base
of the Blue Ridge, and the mountain
range (much higher on the eastern than
the western side) doomed up before the
few adventurous hunters or explorers
as frightful barrier. In the quaint
language of the day the mountain was
deemed "unpassable." What lay west
of the range nobody knew, and every
body seemed afraid to come to see.
There are indications that the noun
tains were to the more ignorant low
landcrs objects of superstitious dread,
being inhabited, they supposed, by
"Gorgons, and hydras, and chimeras Dire
At length Governor Spotswood's curl
osity got the better of him. HI had an
idea that the great lakes lay only a lit
tie way beyond that Blue Ridge. The
French, hereditary enemies of the Eng
lish, held the lake country, and the
governor wanted to ''satisfye" himself
whether it Twas practicable to come at
the lakes" by crossing the ridge. Being
a brave soldier, he determined to enter
upon the hazardous enterprise, and
take a look at Lake Erie from the top
of the mountain. Accordingly, with
his staff of nine gentlemen, company
of rangers, and four Meherrin Indians,
I,
on the 5th of September, 1716, scaled
the mountains at low place called
Swift Run Gap, entering the Valley in
to what is now the county of Rocking
ham. The party crossed the Shenan
doah river, which they called Eu-
pirates, and took possession of tn G
country for King George the First OF
England. The most remarkable thing
about this famous expedition, however
is the quantity and variety of liquors
the party brought along. As a part OF
the ceremony of taking possession, be
sides firing volleys, they drank the
health of the king, all the royal family
and the governor, in champagne, bur
gundy and claret, and had besides Vir-
ginia red and white wines, Irish usque-
baugh, brandy, shrub, rum, canary
cherry punch, cider, etc. The historian
of this expedition says ct cetera-what
more could there have been?
No wonder the party were disinclined
to explore the country further after
such rotations. Some Indians whom
he met made the governor understand
that if he would 60 to the top of west.
ern mountain in sight he could see
Lake Erie. Indians, you will observe,
were not only great liars, but had wit
enough to be fond of misleading and
quizzing white people. Satisfied with
the information thus received, the gov
ernor rode back to Williamsburg He
made no attempt to settle the country
he had discovered, and apparently dis
missed it from his thoughts. Fortu
nately, or perhaps we should say prov
identially, the country was reserved
for the homes of sturdier and better
class of people than the governor could
have introduced here.
Years pass by, at least ten, when we
find, in 1926, several families of German
people settled on the Shenandoah river
not far from Swift Run Gap. They
came from Pennsylvania and that is
nearly all we know about them. Being
off the track of the main immigration
when it set in, comparatively remote
from other settlers with whom they did
not mingle, and speaking different
language, they were for many years I'M
noticed and almost unknown. But six
years later, in 1882, people of another
race began to pour into the Valley.
In 1871, or thereabout, a man named
Joist Hite purchased from the paten-
tees the grant of large tract of land
in lower Valley, near the Potomac, and
proceeded to introduce settlers from
Pennsylvania The newcomers were.
however, soon confronted with the
claim of Lord Fairfax, that Hite's grant
was included i'll his grant of the North
ern Neck" and that consequently no
deed from Hite could convey good
title. The immigrants were discour-
aged they could not go back and could
not safely remain where they were.
Many of them therefore, pushed ON up
the Valley to a region where no iordiy
patentee claimed title, and where even
no Indians dwelt or had wigwams.
John Lewis was the leader of the
pioneer band. They could bring little
with them-Only some bedding and
clothing, few necessary implements,
seed corn and the Bible. Thus equip
ped, their goods and effects on pack
horses came men, women and children,
There was of course, no road, 0 ly the
trails of Indians and buffaloes.
1t is a question why Lewis came so
far from the Potomac, more than q
hundred miles, before he settled down.
He passed over rich alluvial lands, and
came to the rocky and hilly region near
the site of Staunton. Perhaps there
was scarcity of forests and springs of
water in the region traversed, and tim
Der and fountains were indispensab le
But probably another consideration
urged him forward. He had lately had
a bloody feud with lordling in Ire
land, and wished to be clear beyond the
domain of Lord Fairfax.
In the wake of John Lewis came
wave after wave of people of the same
race. They climbed the hills, waded
the streams, and crept through the
forests. Like an invading army they
subsisted off the country" Game was
bundant-bears, deer, turkeys, and
some buffaloes and elks. For many
years there was no lack of fresh meat,
and that the first corners had to eat
without bread for at least twelve
They located at their will and
pleasure on che public domain, built
cabins, cleared land and planted corn
1.-The land was all before them where to
choose
Their place of rest, and Providence their
guide"
When an individual with his family
came to grove of timber and a gush
ing fountain, we may imagine him say
ing, This is my rest and here will |
dwell" Hardly had they provided
shelter for their families. when they
began to erect log meeting houses in
which to assemble for the worship of
God, with school houses hard by. They
believed in God and the Bible. and had
a high regard for the school master,
plain and unlettered as most of them
were The majority of them were farm
ers and mechanics. A few had been
There was not sprig of
nor so-called cavalier amongst
them. One of them whose immediate
were highly distinguished,
was probably householder; another
whose posterity have graced the pull
pit, the bar, and the halls of congress,
was a ship carpenter; and third,
whose descendants have been equally
distinguished, was a weaver.
X \ X
So far, and for more than twenty
wears after the arrival of the first set