The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-07-14
More highly Entertaining "reminiscences
By "GEaldiathtr."
CONTESTS OF HALF A CENTURY PAST.
The ihori Ia Unite Eastern Virginia with
the People of the Mountains In
PRODUCTION OF Railroads and the
Telegraph -Four Great Men.


government. ana tEc manner IN "i'cH
these battles were Won or lost, alternate
ly. hy the two great parties. in when
tno fathers and grandiathcrs Of the pres
,nt gCnerauon were the impass'0ned
Yarl pants. j propose now 10 drop the
curtain OF memory on those national
occurrences OF conflict. except as we may
catch Ca glimpse now and then through
The shifting scenes OF Airginias local
political drama. And as rapidly AS may
be. 4 viii outline 20 the present genera
lion toe causes and incidents or loiH-
cal strife amongst ourselves over mat
tors of peculiarly state concern. ana re-
,ive. possibly. an interest in the nseS
OF men o. whose PATRIOTISM WISDOM
rcsisht. ana siaicsmansn'p, ihe '.a'llS
OF Justice may never DE July "'SV'"'
I'd Dy their rosief.i}
As properly Introductory ana preiim-
fra.r, d, fh. rrnnosol discussion IN these
"reminiscences eff the part the mountain
e.r tonuIafi0n OF Virginia took IN al
z.au..u,- virginia 10 The high position she
ard AMONGST her sister States zap 90 the
time She was TJtnicssiy dismcm't4'N,
a. brief aills on 10 several cpoch5 anu
events long autccedcnt 10 my personal
-,...ilr.I IONS is necessary. Almost up 10
fhc breaking ont Of the Revolution oil
17-s the Iiue Ridge and Unaka noun
raius. extending from the Potomac al
IIaiD,rs Ferry. far into Georgia where
Atlanta is now a proud state capital
stood as "a sort Of Chinese wan between
tho M.h civilization OF me Atlantic
slope and the aboriginal larharism Of
the almost limitcs5 West only here
and There had this great mountain bar
Iier been broken over boy few daring
spirits and "a thin fringe OF Caucaslon
population planted on the waters Of The
Shenandoah, from source 10 MOUTH on
1ho parent tributaries of the james ana
New rivers and the uppermost prones
~ the HOist0n Under Auhlcnberg Low
IL and Morgan. as leaders, the young men
OF the Shenandoah joined Washington at
the sound Of the first tocsin of war IN
IT'S. The men Of the HOlston had their
hands FUN TO hold back the murderous
allies OF England-the Cherokee, Choc-
INV. Chicasaw. ana Seminole savages-
from their own cabin homes.
When the British had ovcrrun Geor-
gia aud the Carolnas after the war had
lasted mere than six years. and the
etoutcst hearts OF the East and North
east began % quail with apprehension
OF the final result. and only Washington
could keep up their waning hopes the
mountainccrs OF the Holston volunteered.
without orders save from their local
commanders. Campbell. LEVER. and
Shelley. 10 cross fifty miles Of tracklcss
mountains covered with snow. In re-
q0nse TO an appeal Tor help that had
been brought to them by Col. Mellow
Ell. Of North Carolina, who. at the head
Of 90 ragged PATRIOTS. had been ruthless
~ driven by the raiders under Ferguson,
OF Lord CoruwaiHss army into their
only refuge. the mountain wilderness.
leaving only Marion and his daring troop
srs In the sWamps of South Carolina TO
uphold the cause Of independence. and
az Kings Mountain these hardy noun
taineers killed Ferguson and captured
Che survivors Of his command thus
forcing CORVALLIS 10 fan back and
move 20 Yorktown IN Virginia. after re-
ceiVing such a blow az Guilford, y. c.,
that tho tide of success was AZ last
turned iu favor OF the Americans, des-
rined soon TO reach IT'S food by the
surrender OF CORVALLIS az Yorktown.
Hut am not writing the history Of the
Revolution. iu thus simply laying a toun-
dalton. dating back % that cvenuul pc
rod. uron which TO base claim That
iu all their history the mountaineer eie-
ment Of Nlreinia's population have done
their fuu proportion ln advancing the
political and material interests OF our
grand old Commonwealth
in al our wars they cheerfuly per-
formed their whole duty. ana In peace
they have ncen. If not pi1n .e.s. 40 least
most efficient coadjutors i'm creating the
wealth of the old Dominion. Means or
transportation at an early day became
au absorbing question with them
TOUR GEfAr MIN.
Before the application of steam on land
and water. q few great men Of the east
eln part OF tho State. headed by Wash
lowed in the succeeding generation by
Joseph g.. Cahcn. the friend OF Jefferson,
and Wtudham Robertson. aided 10y the
science and skill Of the great frcnch ei'-
glrftr Dhndicus Cg0zet. driven 10 Nlr~
g.nIl lv the downfall OF Napoleon, ana
Of his professional compeer Charles IL
lett all OF whom foresaw the necessi-
~ OF uniting Eastern Virginia with the
hardy. brave. and cntcrprising people or
the mountains. Mr.. Caben IN his Old
age / knew ina my early manhood slight
is. whilst ho was rector of the tniver-
sity. Ie was then confessedly the most
accomplished man i'm the state, ana IN
his life time welded a vaast influence
over the public mind of the country.
Governor Robertson, I had the honor
II knowing slightly. Mr.. Elicit and Col
Cr0zet. I knew most intimately FOR ten
years before the late war between the
States broke out in 1851
These four great men. above al others
81 their day and generation, represent
"a Washlnet0n's conception OF uniting
thc waters OF the Chesapeake with the
Ohio and great West. All Of them were
enthusiasts advocates OF a water line
mail about 1881. Wyndham Robertson
became a convert 10 the superiority OF
railroads over canals for long lines or
transportation between distant inland
communities and the seaboard
A year later Col. Crozet adopted Mr..
H0berts0ns views. but Col hiiett heid
out long afterwards for the James River
and kanaWha canal TO the hana"Aa
river go boz maintained on the summit OF
the Allegheny mountains, by vast reser-
volrs % catch and hold the winter rains
and SHOWS Tor use I'm summer. Their
3olie and influence won the state 10 the
support OF the scheme.
The only formidable opposition came
from qldcwater Virginia. The great
ocean that lay between them and all the
civilized world beyond their own conn-
try rolled its waves upon their shores
and hy bays and cstuaries extended its
inviting arms almost 10 the very por-
r.tis OF their dwellings. bidding them 10
trade with an nations at the lowest rate
Of tribute cxactcd by any system OF
transportation on earth. They. almost
as unit. fought IN the Legislature
against appropriations 60 open up cost
ly lines OF transportation, % DE con-
ftuctcd as they contendcd. largely al
their expense hy Increased taxation OF
land and negroes for the exclusive henc-
~ OF less fortunate portions OF the Com
mplwealth. But. an the same. the canal
WAS fostercd from the public treasury
for over century from first 70 last.