The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-03-01


in the hunter state, and depended foi
subsistence on hunting. fishing and th.
spontaneous fruits ofthe earth. Wher.
climate permitted, some tribes cult
waited corn, long pototoes, pumpkin,
and squashes. They did Dot know tbs
use Of metals, and all their weapons
and tools were made OF wood and
stone. They alec made rude kind OF
earthen vessels, and their clothing was
OF the skins OF wild beasts. They had
no flocks, herds or domestic animals Of
any kind, the horse and the OK being
natives of Europe and not found in
America.
Their government was a kind OF pa
triarohal Confederacy. The small VIII
lagos or families had a chief who
ruled or controlled il, and their several
bands composing nation had chief
who presided over the whole.
The Powhatan Confederacy in Tide
Water, Virginia, South Of Potomac,
was composed Of thirty tribes or vii.
lagos numbering population Of about
5000, being one to the square mile,
and capable Of putting 2400 warriors in
the field.
The tribes on the headwaters OF the
James, Potomac, and Rappahannock
North Of the falls of these rivers, were
hostile to the Powhatans, and were at.
taohed to the Mannahoacs.
Jefferson says Westward Of all these
tribes beyond the mountains and ex-
tending to the Great Lakes were the
Massawnees, most powerful oonfed-
erscy, who hagrassed unremissiHgly
the Powhatans aud Mannahoaes. These
were probably the ancestors of tribes
known al present by the name of the
Six Nations"
AT the time the territory Of West
Virginia was first known 10 the whites,
all sources OF information agree that
there were no permanent towns within
its boundaries, that it was kind OF
mo Mans Land"
There were probably at all times
small parties and families living in rude
wigwams scattered along all the prin-
cipal rivers of the state, engaged in
hunting, who had their permanent
homes west OF the Ohio.
Their camping places were known
by the first settlers as Fort Fields, and
to this day arrow heads, stone hatchets
bones and mussel shells, charcoal and
pottery, are still turned up by the pillow.
The burrying places were often on
high hills, and the burial seems TO have
been made by covering the body with +
heap Of stones.
Unless the ''old fields" OF Hardy coun
ty were planted by the Indians, il il
supposed that no crops were raised in
West Virginia. This is probably owinl
to the dense forest which al that tins
covered the country and to the grea
labor necessary TO clear off the timber
as the Indian was never known to en-
gage in anything requiring regular and
prolonged hard work.
The flint out of which their weapons
and tools were made is found in Ritchie.
and Pc cahontss counties.
While they constructed no roads.
they had regular routes of travel, which
were beaten into well defined paths by
the passing feet Of many generations Of
pedestrians which were as plain to the
Indian as turnpi ke to the White Man.
As they had no beasts Of burden, the
labor Of moving, where all their effects
had to be carried on their persons, must
have been consi derable, but this work
fell to the lot OF the squaws.
On some of the streams canoes were
used when the depth Of water per.
mitted.
The Catawba War Path, or Warriors
Road, as it was sometimes called, led
from Western New York by way of
Fsyette County, Pa, crossing the Cheat
at the mouth of Grassy Run, through
The Tygart's Valley to the Holston Riv.
er. Over this route the Six Nations
travelled in their wars against the
Southern indiana.
A branch Of this trail bore South
West from Netherlands on Cheat, to
The Monongahela, down Fish Greek to
The Ohio River, thence through Southern
Ohio to Kentucky.
An Eastern trail was up Fish Greek
from Inc Ohio down Indian and up
White Day Creeks and on to the South
Branch Valley. Other trails ran East
rom the Tygart's Valley to the South
Branch, that known as the Seneca be-
ng the principal one.
A trail ran up the Big Kanawha and
reached into North Carolina, and one
ran up the Little Kanawha, thence to
he waters OF the West Fork, up Hack
sr's Greek, through the Buckhannon
country. TO the Tygart's Valley.
TIE settlements that were made on
and near these trails by the whites were
subject TO repeated raids from the In
iians beyond the Ohio, and suffered