Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-04-30

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bers.
About the same time, 1882, Joist
Hite, with Others, amounting to six
teen families in all, removed from
Pennsylvania, cutting their road
from York, and crossing the Poto-
mae about two miles above Harper's
Ferry. settled on the Opequon about
five miles south OF Winchester.
About tie same time an enter
prising Quaker by the name Of Ross,
obtained a warrant fer surveying
10000 acres of land. Tie surveys
on this warrant were made along
the stream north of Winchester.
Pretty numerous Immigrants of the
Quaker profession, removed from
Pennsylvania, snd settled on Ross
surveys, and as early as 1888 this
people had regular monthly meetings
on the Opequon.
Also at this early period many
immigrants settled on the Cacapon
and its tributary, Lost river, and
on both banks of the Potomac,
around the mouth OF these tributary
streams.
Between l743 and 1854 settlers
from Bucks county, Penna., Scotch.
Irish Presbyterians, fourteen or fif-
teen families from New Jersey, and
some Baptists from New England,
were stretched along the Opequon
from Winchester to the Potomac.
There were two Presbyterian meet
ing houses, one on the Tuscarora
creek, near what is now Martins
burg, and one at Falling Waters,
both erected about the same time.
Winchester, which in 1888 COM
prised two log cabins, was in 1852
by an act of assembly established a
town cat the Court House of Fred
erick county"
In the Cumberland valley, in l754,
we find several towns, and quite
thickly settled district, between the
Susquehanna and Potomac, but the
largest part of the population, as
shown by the list of taxables, we're
west of the streams already referred
to, upon the slate lands.
AS early as 1876, by order Of the
court at Lancaster, a road was laid
out leading from Harris Ferry to
the Potomac, known as the "great
road" and while no mention is made
of road in the Shenandoah valley,
Kefcheval says "At the time OF
the first settlement in the Shenan-
doah valley, war path travelled by
the northern and southern Indians,
from the Potomac, passed lit
tie west of Winchester, southwark
ly. The path forked few miles
north of Winchester, diverging more
to the east, crossed the Opequon and
led on to the forks OF the Shenan.
doah, while the other crossed over
the North mountain and valley
thence over first mountain to the
South river valley.
The settlers saw numerous wal
parties passing and repsssing through
the valley, particularly the Dele
wares and Catawbas. 1t must have
crossed the Potomac at the mouth
of the Conococheague, for in 1886 8
battle occurred between these tribes
at the mouth of the Conococheague
on Friends land, in which but one
Delaware escaped, and he took refuge
IN Friends house. As the roads
generally followed the Indian trails
the road when built probably fol.
lowed this path. In 1854, however,
ferries were in existence, Watkins
at the mouth of the Conococheague,
and Williams, near the mouth of the
Opequon.
When Washington, in 1854, met
his defeat at the Great Meadows, a
road or path, seems to have existed
from Winchester to the forks of the
Cscapon, thence along that stream
to its junction with the Potomac,
when it crossed over to the Mary
lard side, and followed its northern
bank TO Wills creek, then trading
post of the Ohio company.
The independent companies OF
Foot, commanded by Clark and
Rutherford, ordered from New York
by Governor Dinwiddie, were march
ed from Hampton Roads to Wills
creek, September lst, 1854, where
they were Joined by Captain Demer-
les Independent company from
South Carolina, and on the 18th
commenced erecting the works.
These troops passed through Win
chester.
On the lst Of January, 1855, Sir
John st. Clair, deputy quartermas-
ter general, arrived in America and
at once found active employment in
acquainting himself with the nature
and scene of his future duties. Hay--
ing procured from the governors OF
Virginia and Pennsylvania, and from
other sources all the maps and infor-
nation that we're obtainable respect
ing the county through which the
expedition was to pass, he proceed
ed, in company with Governor
Sharpe. of Maryland, upon tour OF
inspection to Wills Greek. On the
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