Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-10-11
RocKBRIDeE COUNT Y
Historic Sketch of Formation
Cornsta1k's Death


county and State.
was sorry to see that your CON-
positor made me, in my laet letter
to you, GILL four of the seven cell
ebrated war Governors of the
North, Generals, instead of Gov
ernors, and / trust that this
typographical error will net dis
turb the repose of the dust Of those
political celebrities.
During my stay in your county
and State, 1 learned many inter-
esting facts connected with the
early history of your county, some
of which / will here relate fer the
benefit of THE GAZETTE readers.
The session Of the Legislature
of Virginia that convened in Oct
ober, I777, in the city of Williams
burg, then the capital of Virginia,
before adjournment passed the act
by which part of the territory Ct
Augusta and Botetourt counties be-
came new county and was called
Rockbridge. This name was given
on account of the Natural Bridge,
which is nothing mole nor less
than e rock-bridge; and this is
the only real rock-bridge known
to the writer in the Stat" of Vir-
ginia. Very few of tie counties
of either Virginia or West Vir-
ginia are named for natural OBJ
iects, the great majority of them
LAYING been called for public men,
either civil or military, and the
name always indicating scme pre-
ference.
Now, why the Virginia Legis
lature should have seen tit t.
form the new county of Rock
bridge at this particular session
depended on the occurrence Of
an event which had preceded the
election of the members OF the
House of Burgesses for the yea
of 1777-8, and although the
locality at which this event die
oeeu-, at that day, was very re
mote from Rockbridge county, anC
still more so from Williamsburg
still from the first evidence, Thu
event did lead to the formation o
Rockbridge county in the year o
1777-8. y
The great battle Of Poinl
Pleasant had been fought ant
won on the 10th day of October
INA. At this battle the Shawne
Indians had been defeated ant
routed, for the first tine, by Oh
white people of Virginia. Thi
battle was the closing scene of tn
"Cunsmore War;; prior to thi
time the Shawnee Indians ha'
Numbered and murdered the whit
people of Virginia mercilesSIy an
Unfortunately. and then woul'
retreat to their Ohio homes. The,
would come without a moment
notice upon an unsrspectln
family or neighbOrhood, and wit
almost lightning rapidity woul'
commence the butchery Of old ar
Young alike. Stealth and cruelt
were the watchwords of th
Shawnee Indians, and the crue
murders that these inhuna
wretches committed on the whit
people of Virginia are almos
without number; and now Will
all this was going on, there wa
one Indian, a chief and a
acknowledged leader, and wa
always on these forays. He wa
never spoken of only as sold"
the memory of the pioneer mus
have not run to the time when h
was a Young n an. Corrstalk
never referred to by any OF III
histories only as an old mar.
Corrstalk was known to hav
been at the two massacres that ha
occurred on Kerr's Creek prior
this time. The settlements CT whit
people in what was afterward
called the Great Levels of Greer
brier and Muddy Creek, were ex
terminated by ConstalK in tn
year of 1893. The name "Corr
stalk" with pioneers, was
~ nonyrn for everything that wt
cruel and inhun an. Little chile
rem feared and dreaded his nam
as they could fear nothing els
on earth. The refractory whit
child that was old enough
understand the English lang uae
had but to be threatened with tn
name Of COrnstalk.
Cornstalk was in command Of tn
Indian forces at the battle OF Poir
Pleasant; he made desperal
fight, as the results of the bait
, showed. After this decisive battl
; a reace ives concluded between tn
! white people and Indians and v
see or hear nothing more OF Corr
stalk until the spring of III
when he turns up at the fort
J Point Pleasant. His story to eau
l Mathew Arbuckle was, that h
/ tribe Of Indianc were going to joi
r the British forces in TIE Hevoll
3 tionary War, that was then OF
: and that he would have to 90 wit
l his people. So suspicious hecan
I his talk and actions that the Goa
l.k 80 kba fort cant IN m