Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1896-09-24


formation we seeks disappointed by
the fact that those records are lost.
In 1882 the Presbytery of Donegal
was erected out of the Presbytery Of
New Castle; and gradually the inter-
ests of our Church in Virginia came
under the oversight of the new pres
bytery. And here We meet with an
other very suggestive fact, viz: that
in the early records of Donegal the
name Potomack occurs as an establish
ed place of divine worship. The pre-
sumption seems a very reasonable one,
that we have here another name for
"Potomoke or, rather, a different
but correct spelling of the same name.
The striking similarity of the two
words, their close resemblance in
sound, the fact that the one is not used
in the records till the other disap-
pears; indeed, all the circumstances
known to us strongly force upon us
the conviction that P0t0mack and P0-
t0moke are one and the same place.
The slight difference in photography
is nothing against it, for, lst, the cor
rect spelling Of geographical names
was not, at that time, fixed %, even
after the correct spelling had been de-
termined, persons not familiar with
the word, or to whom it was known
only by sound, would be likely to de-
part from the fixed orthography. Even
in these records, the word Potomoke
is once written Patomoke. The word
Potomack appears in six different
forms, exclusive of the two now in
question. The name of one of the old
est churches in the Shenandoah Val
ley, Opequon, is spelled in the presby-
terial records not less than twenty
four different ways, while the pro-
nunciation remains the same in all.
Now, as it is scarcely possible that
people who displayed such persistent
zeal in obtaining Gospel ordinances as
did the people of Potomoke should al
low them, when once enjoyed, to pass
quickly from their possession and as
we can find no trace whatever of that
early church, unless we find it in the
record to which we now refer; and as
all the facts in the case encourage us
to look for it there, we are compelled
to conclude, not only that "the people
of Potomoke in Va" and "the people
of Va. were the same people, but also
that the church which was organized
among them by the Rev. Daniel Nc
Gill in 1920, and which awakened so
much interest and received so much
attention for several years in the high
est court of the Church, and was then
transferred to the Presbytery Of New
Castle, is the same which, at a later
date, reappears as the Church Of Po-
tomack in the records Of Donegal.
But the important question still re-
mains, Where was Potomack? ? That
it was a place, distinct from the river
of that name, is evident, not only from
the fact that in the minutes of presby-
terry it is mentioned Just as other
churches are, but also from the fact
that in early official documents, other
than ecclesiastical, there is a place Of
that name distinctly mentioned ; {. g.
Governor Spottswood, in a letter to
the Council of Trade" dated July
Goth, 17l2, speaks of "the return Of
Baron De Grafenreid from Potomack,
and in his letter clearly distinguishes
between place and the river of that
name. Now can we locate that place.
The records of Donegal Presbytery en-
able us to do this approximately. The
frequent association of Potomack with
Opequon, Bullskin and Tuscarora as
church to be supplied at the same
time with them, and by the same mis-
sionary, makes it evident that it was
within easy reach of these well-knowr
churches and, therefore, somewhere il
the northern end Of the valley Of Vir,
ginia. But Governor SpottswoOd' let
ter is still more definite. De Grafen.
reid had been sent to discover the
head waters of the Potomack He die
not reach his destination; yet in hi
efforts to do so he passed beyond Har
pers Ferry and up toward "the heaC
springs of that river, to settlement
known as "Potomack." Now the test
imony of these two witnesses, tCgeth
er with all the facts we have been abl
to gather that bear upon the case a
all, seem to point with singular clear
ness to the present village of SheP
herdstown, in West Virginia, as tn
site of the place We are trying to 10
cate: for
I. Every mention of Potomack il
the minutes of presbytery is attende,
with circumstances which show tha