The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1931-08-20

At Hanging Rocks, four miles from
Romney, there is a cliff rising 300
: feet above the South Branch of the
Potomac. Near this cliff was fought
, fierce battle between the Catawba
and the Delaware Indians.
} The big building that you see as you
: enter Romney from the east is the
: West Virginia State School for the
, Deaf and Blind. 1t is not a perma-
; nent home for deaf or blind children,
but school at which the afflicted are
prepared to earn living.
In the history of this institution is
. evidence that Romney has always
: been center of culture and learning.
! One of the buildings was once occu-
pied by the Romney Classical Insti-
tute. Ten men of Romney founded in
1919 the Literary Society of Romney
They raised money to establish clas-
steal library, erect a building and
founded a school. The building was
erected in 1916 and at the beginning
of the War between the States there
were 5000 volumes in the library.
Most of the members of the society
Joined the Confederate forces and
when they returned after the war they
; made an attempt to reorganize. When
the State of West Virginia decided to
establish school for the deaf and
blind, the society offered its buildings
free if the State would locate the
school at Romney. The offer was ac-
cepted.
4 Romney was the home of one of
West Virginia's early governors,
John ]. Jacobs. 1t is at present the
home of one of West Virginia's recent
governors-J. j. Cornwell.
The town lies in a rich agricultural
district watered by the South Branch
of the Potomac. For hundred miles
or more, from source to mouth, this
stream is bordered by fertile fields,
making the valley center of industry
and prosperity. 1t didn't take the
early settlers west of the Blue Ridge
long to discover this paradise and nat
urally this valley had people and
farms long before the more mountain
Gus sections to the west. Likewise, it
had a road to Winchester long before
the building of the Northwestern
, Turnpike.
, There was a road from Winchester
. to Morgantown, by way of Romney,
as early as 1856.
Between the years of 1881 and 1896
Bishop Francis Asbury, Of the Metho-
dist Episcopal church, made long trips
on horseback through what is now
West Virginia and has left US in his
writings word picture of some of
the conditions at that time.
Writing on June Z, 1871, he says:
~ set out for the South Branch of the
Potomac country of mountains and
natural curiosities. We found some
difficulty in crossing Great Capon
; River; three men very kindly carried
, us over in a canoe, and afterwards
; rode our horses over the stream, with
out fee or reward"
Speaking of one of the national curl
osities, he says: 81 had view of a
hanging rock that appears like cas-
tie wall, about three hundred feet
high, and it looks as if it had been
built with square slate stones; at first
glance a traveller would be ready to
fear it would fall on him."
Crossing the mountains was diff
cult eve had hard work crossing
the Fork Mountain, being sometimes
obliged to walk where it was too steep
to ride" And further: "After a
twenty mile ride we came to Clarks-
burg, and man and beast so outdone
that it took US ten hours to accom-
plish it."
In the early part of the War be-
tween the States, the Federals occu-
pied Romney with 5000 men, based
on Grafton. Stonewall Jackson, the
famous strategist, was in charge Of
the Confederate forces at Winchester,
and he decided that it was not wise
to allow the Federals to remain at
Romney, although the time was in the
middle of a severe winter and it was
not likely that they would make any
move until spring. And while he was
about it, he decided to force them out
of all the surrounding country. Colo
mel Henderson, in his Stonewall Jack
son and the American Civil War, de-
scribes what took place.
On January 1, 1862, nine thousand
Confederates marched from Winches-
ter towards the Potomac. Jackson's
first detectives were the villages of
Bath (now Berkeley Springs) and
Hancock. By dispensing the Federal
garrisons he would prevent support
being sent to Romney; by cutting the
telegraph along the railroad he would
sever communication between Banks
at Frederick and Rosecrans in West
Virginia.
Under cold gray skies the column
scaled the mountain ridges; on the
winter wind came a fierce storm of
snow and hail. Delayed by the steep
grades and slippery roads, it was not
until the next morning that the wag-
ons came up. The bivouac was as
cherries as the march. Without ra-
. lions and without covering the men
lay shivering around the camp fires.
At the next nightfall the Confeder-
ates had not yet reached the outskirts
of Bath. Once more they had to
; bivouac in the open; tents, rations and
blankets were far behind with the sup
ply train. A binding snowstorm adj
ded to the discomfort.
But Jackson pressed on over bad
roads and with inexperienced officers
and made the attack. The Federals
crossed the river hastily, leaving be-
hind their cozy winter quarters. That
night Jackson's men had food and
warmth in plenty.
The next day Jackson shelled Han
cock, but withdrew without forcing a
surrender. While the batteries had