The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-07-20
DUNKARDS Who LIVE
IN VALLEYOF VIRGINIA.
Adhere Closely to the Tenets OF
Faith Of Their Fathers
they WERE NOT PIONEERS.
eu, Peopled the Rich Valley Of the shen-
andoah After ii Had Been Freed by
the Revolution "A Gentle
and Humble People.
they WERE NOT PIONEERS

rev az tho many religious sects VINO
came to this country to aNoio PEI ,;ons
have chung so closely TO .hei. -,n "a
.ra nolit,cal beliefs as the Dunkaius' a,
sI% ~. s,,rrounded as they are by me
4 .,hanres incident to progress, 'he "a o
,nior,ty hold 10 the even tenor Oh .,is ...
go, SIN aahering nsldiy 10 ens'
.,a@r.archal style of living, leadlns .i,e
s,,,,ie and industrious lives of their lo:1
fathers and worshipping 'heir sou w.
humility and without os1etitati ., ,-u-
.rhe prnkards were not among the ear ~
oct settlers Of the Valley of virginia, .iie
e5,ance guard of Dunkard imn''gra 40, no,i
$50, IN make It's appearance about i.u'.
=, vas after the Revolutionary War '.ia'
rho steady tide of immigration SET IL
ONE-HALT POPULATION.
To-day they constitute aoou. % 20 % onir-
of the population Oh the co IT, All Of
f,.al,am. Shenandoah and rage.
th,e sect are of German descent ana origin y
Iii, came from that portion OF me os
,nan F,mpire which had peeii ID. -.
and devastated by the thirty yeais ~
fhc terrible sufrerings which thes ul1
<ent in the Fatherland dur1hS ..i n,' $3.50
kne,iod caused them to look VIII NJ .,i y.
49,. ~, ,ts every phase. and when
cho,. loft the old country and setheo III 'ie
s,,,+;.s Of Eastern Maryland ana eiiii-
,,,,I,-ania they sIacame non-coln IL.
md have remained as suci. " -. -
taking no part from military 49, -,
,.;ev in any Of the numerous =.
(which this country mas 'eeli T;. that
$... from MARYLAND and PennsyiNaiiia ~.
-,.ese neonle ;mmisratcd to Virginia Non
,,,,>,+,n.s IN time of war. they are aiso
,onnnsed to litigation in every io' ~, AZ
I,,ho, trespa ssed upon vii! pr"seeu.
t1,.rculties arising from any s,I,-ae
S..nd,nr. are settled amongst iheit'e'' -
In their church courts ga o+ Doom
E.armerlv these people did not zen.
- ,,acess.-y that their ministers pe tiioi
,t,i educated to enable them 10 lahe
...,,a of \ church. but they We're SIM
rl,. selected from The body Oh 'he 1ot'-
cregation. They believe IN tle In
1nuoion and celebrate the Lo'u s,,l.
psr, literally. eatins the nreau, nc
she feet etc Until recent years me
1our,r,rds did not believe In noerdi
-a,.c.+;on of Gods children. considering
yhem sufficiently well educated II .hes
ba5 mastered the rudlments Oh 1eauiiis,
nnelling, and arithmetic.
Within the last twenty years. ho"sNei
,hey are imbibing more liberal eauca-
80, .,;ews and are establishing high
Schools and colleges One located at the
,,ra++v little town of Brdgewater, IN
Rncki,eham county. is in fourishills
condition and for nearly twenty Sedi
has been well patronized.
This remarkable people seem 10 cai
nothing about sport OF any hil,u CIV, nn
dsenlv resent anything like trespass on
-bair lands by the .'huntin" fraternity. ana
,nnir large and jealousy protected iaho
interest in this community nave Inter
fered YER, materially with the many
cross country riders in these parts me
xelline pack on a heart high scent nav
ing very little fascination ioi tiee
i,llers OF the soil.
PECULIAR DRESS
The Dunkards still adhere to then Pc
ru,iar mode of dress-whlch is OIL the
SIMPLEST as they are opposed 10 any
n3trayaeance in dress or decoration Oh
The person in any way. Inc women
both old and young, wear clothes Oh iiie
p,ainest pattern, but always OF soou
material and in many instances OF Yer!
Zine quality The short poke bonnets.
which they wear upon the street OF
road. are supplemented by lace caps OF
ha,,,tiful material when they attend
church. The men still adhere to the
broad brim felt hat, generally cultivate
full flowing beard and wear clothes
If the plainest cut but always OF good
.oaterial These people are honest so
her and Industrious. and work their Ter
file farms themselves, rarely employing
much outside labor. They are hilers OF
the soil. almost to man and seem 10
take very little interest in the various
business callings which the people OF
all sides of them are engaged IN 1helr
farms rarely exceed from one Hundreu
and fifty to two hundred acres, but are
highly improved and in state of thor
ough tillage.
The Dunkards are opposed to secession
md were non corrohators during the CIV
Il War. but rendered great assistance to
the Confederacy by supplying it with
large quantities Of wheat, corn. hay.
beef. etc Their success in farming
makes them the thriftiest people In
Virginia to-day. They are Very hos
nitahle and kind to both friend and
stranger.
EFFECT OF TINE.
The hand of time and the rapid march
of progress have brought about fond
ness for a life of greater variety ana
more enjoyment among the younger set,
and In spite of opposition on the part
of the older people, innovation in dress
and manner are creeping in. but the
Dunkards as a class are to-day a people
with all the habits of character modes of
living, and religious beilefS, OF their
German ancestors
(Note) The earliest German settlers OF
the valley were not Dunkards. but be-
lo1ged to the German reformed, or Iuth-
elan clement. and began TO settle here
about the time the Scotch-1rish arrived
IN l1s2. These Germans, unlike the Dun
kards We're fighters. and took active
part IN the various wars with the Indian
tribes to the east of the valley, and dur
ing the war Of the Revolution the Eighth
Virginia Regiment Of the Continental
Line commanded by Colonel Peter N1uh-
lenburg, was almost entirely composed
Of German reformed and Lutheran Ter.
mans. many of whom could not speak
English. They are volunteers and saw
hard service in Northern and Southern,
companies.