West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-08-26
FORT MORRIS IN SANDY CREEK
GLADES, VA. (NOW w. VAD

loren f. Morton. Winchester. VaD
The colonial American had restless
energy as well as the pioneering haDit.
lie could no more he restrained from
pressing onward and yet onward to-
ward the setting sun than King Can
ute. seated ON the beach. could order
,H' rising tide to refrain from wetting
mis- royal robe
t"' mo- than a century the people
OF the Atlantic scaboard considered
the America east of the Appalachians
to be a land broad enough for them
selves Meanwhile the French. with
their different type of civilization. were
taking active measures to make the
western country their own.
But during the middle half of the
eighteenth century there was new
and very large wave of immigration
largely Scotch-Irish and German. but
OF these elements. with the aid OF ven
turesome Americans from the coast
was evolved the American Highlander
This hardy, virile, resolute stock
hooded the Allegheny valleys and then
pressed even beyond The French
were ousted, and their Indian allies
round their own contest with the
Americans TO be n losing battle.
Yet the British government sought
to keep the white population east of
the Allegheny divide. BY a royal pro-
clamation in 1863. settlement to the
west was forbidden, in order that the
rich western acres might be no more
than game preserve for fur-bearing
animals. But this short-sigbted
scheme never had a chance from the
first. and the proclamation was a dead
letter. The call of the west was not
to be silenced by the policy OF gov
ernment which could not look beyond
the chance Of commercial profit for IT'S
favored friends The parting between
eastern and western waters ceased IN
separate an English and a French
America II did not now become q
boundary between an agricultural sea
board and n richer interior peopled
by few Indians and controlled bv
foreign corporation OF aristocrats af-
ter the manner OF the Hudson Bav
company Nor was Il to become a
border between a white east and
white west, which would tend TO
create in America a Europe OF small
Independent, Jealous nationalities.
II might seem as though we are de-
voting undue space to Introductory
considerations. But some localities
are Of peculiar geographical and his
toric importance. The region Of the
Sandy Creek Glades is one OF these
II lies in the narrow neck between the
head Of boat navigation on the Poto-
mac and navigable waters I'm the Mo
nongahela Physical geography has
made this neck a most important ave
nue. OF travel and trade. first by com
mon road, then by turnpike. and final
ly by railroad
The year 1863 was time of rather
considerable emigration TO the Allie
ghany highlands Five years earlier
the hostile Indians had been forced 10
sue for peace, and the American Revo-
luton had not yet become a settled
fact. 10 seemed favorable time TO
make new homes in a virgin soil.
IL was only two years earlier that
the famous Mason and Dixon line had
been run between Pennsylvania and
Virginia. I'm doing so. the surveyors
cut lane twenty-four feet wide
through the wilderness. This path.
crossing the Braddock road. gave easy
access to the attractive upland which
took the name Of Sandy Creek GIades
I'm 1863 we find that David Frazee set
tied near the state line and to the east
of the Sandy. AZ substantially the same
time Jacob Judy located on the fine
plain TO the west OF the stream and
near Kantner's cross roads
A year later-t77O we find Richard
Morris living on the ground where
little later old Fort Morris was built
He had near neighbors in Anthony and
Joshua Worley and the two Worrals.
Samuel, ST. and Samuel, Jr. Prob