Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1915-06-03
The Germans In Northern Virginia
BY JOHN W. wAYLAND, PHI. D.

Between the Blue Ridge and the Ale
ghany mountains, in Northern Virginia,
there are ten fertile counties, with an ag-
gregate OF 1900 square miles in area and
ITO, 600 souls in population, in which there
are at least 10000 persons of German
stock.
The ten counties referred to are Angus
ia, Rockingham, Page, Shenandoah, War
rem, Frederick, Clarke, Jefferson, Berke-
ley and Morgan. The last three named
are now part OF West Virginia, but they
form the lower section of the Shenandoah
Valley filling the obtuse angle made by
the Shenandoah river and the Potomac at
and above Harper's Ferry. Adjacent
sections of West Virginia and Maryland
are also more or less strongly impregnated
with the same stock, the majority of whose
ancestors came across the Potomac from
Pennsylvania during the eighteenth GEN.
fury. Because the Blue Ridge walled off
the English in East Virginia, and because
the Shenandoah Valley opened wide to-
ward Pennsylvania, which overflowed
with Germans, the racial makeup of the
majority OF these valley counties is mark
edly different from that OF other sections
of Virginia
The southwest half OF Augusta and all
OF the next county, Rockbridge, with sur
rounding districts, ARE prevailingly Scotch
Irish; then come three more counties,
Botetourt, Roanoke, and Franklin, in
which the German element is strong, pos
sibly predominant. But this sketch shall
be limited to the ten counties first named
the Shenandoah Valley.
AS already indicated, majority OF the
people in the valley as whole are OF
| German stock !; in certain sections at least
three-fourthS are of German ancestry
and many OF the most prominent families
bear German names. Some OF these family
names that have been conspicuous in
Northern Virginia for hundred years or
more are the following Bedinger, Bow
man, Conrad, Spengler, Pltman, Baker,
Hte, Slower, Funk, StickleY, Painter,
Neff, Huffman, Snyder, Henkel, Mauck,
Strickler, Ruffner, ZirkIe, Koontz, Miller,
Roller, Keezel, Pennybacker, Nicholas,
Pence, Bear, Bumgardner, Keister and
Koiner.
These Germans OF the Shenandoah VAL
ley have won distinction in all fields OF
achievement. Daniel Sheffey Jacob
Swoope and Henry Bedinger were MEM
bers of the national House of RepreSen-
tatives; Isaac S. Pennybacker and H. h.
Riddleberger were United States Senators.
In Virginia politics Jacob Rinker, AbSalom
Koiner, Marshall Hanger, George B. Kee-
zell and Holmes Conrad have figured
largely. The last named, Holmes Conrad,
is a man of national distinction. In war
Gen. ]. p. c. Muhlenburg, Maj Joseph
Bowman, Col. Abram Bowman, Col. John
Hite, Col. Philip Spenger and Col. Jno.
Francis Neff were leading spirits. Muh-
lenberg was the first commander OF the
famous German regiment, raised largely,
perhaps mainly, in the Valley OF Virginia
early in the Revolution. Col. Abram
Bowman succeeded Muhlenberg in COM
mand ofthis regiment. Maj. Joseph Bow
man was second in command TO Geo.
Rogers Clark in the conquest OF the north
west in 177S-9 and Bowman's men were
chiefly from the German sections OF North
ern Virginia, now represented by the
counties OF Frederick and Shenandoah
particularly. Col. Neff fell at Second
Manassas, in 1862, leading the 33d Viz
ginia Infantry, one of the regiments ofthe
immortal Stonewall Brigade brigade
made up at least by half of those same
Valley of Virginia Germans.
Lewis Wetzel, the famous Indian fight
er OF the Ohio valley, was a native OF
Rockingham county, Va.
In literature these Germans are repre-
sented by DR.. Henry Ruffner, Aldlne Kief-
fer, F. V. N. Painter and DanSke Dam
bridge; in education by Henry Tutwiler,
w. H. Ruffner, Daniel c. Flory and Chas.
g. Maphis. Henry Tutwiler was the first
master OF arts graduated from the Uni
versity OF Virginia, having been class
mate OF Edgar Allan Poe. Later he went
to Alabama, where he became the lead
ing educator OF the State, and where his
daughter Julia S. Tutwiler has long been
the leader in the education OF women.
w. H. Ruffner was the first State super
J intendent of public instruction in Virginia
/ following reconstruction, and held the
office IL years. Daniel c. Flory founded
Bridgewater College, and Charles q.
Maphis is prominent educator OF Vir-
ginia today.
AT least four OF the institutions for high
er learning now in the Valley Of Virginia
-Massanutten Academy at Woodstock,
Shenandoah Collegiate Institute at Day.
ton, Brandon Institute at Basic City, and
Bndgewater CoIlege-are the foundations
of German religious sects or individual
Germans and Roanoke College, another
German church school, is supported,
strongly by the Lutherans of the valley.
Shenandoah county contains more
Lutherans than any other county in the
State; Rockingham more Mennonltes
than any other county in the State, and
almost as many Dunkers as any county
in the United States. The United Breth-
rem, formerly known as the German
Methodists, have large membership in
Rockingham, Shenandoah, and adjacent
districts. The German Reformed Church
is also widely represented in the valley.
Many OF the Methodists and Presbyterians
are Of German lineage.
Oyereighty towns and villages in north