pioneers of the old south-第24章

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Atlantic　to　the　river　James。　Virginia　liked　him；　and　he　liked　Virginia。　A
man　of　energy　and　vision；　he　first　made　himself　at　home　with　all；　and　then
after　his　own　impulses　and　upon　his　own　lines　went　about　to　develop　and　to
better　the　colony。　He　had　his　projects　and　his　hobbies；　mostly　useful；　and
many　sounding　with　a　strong　modern　tone。　Now　and　again　he　quarreled　with
the　Assembly；　and　he　made　it　many　a　cutting　speech。　But　it；　too；　and　all
Virginia　and　the　world　were　growing　modern。　Issues　were　disengaging
themselves　and　were　becoming　distinct。　In　these　early　years　of　the
eighteenth　century；　Whig　and　Tory　in　England　drew　sharply　over　against　each
other。　In　Virginia；　too；　as　in　Maryland；　the　Carolinas；　and　all　the　rest　of
England…in…America；　parties　were　emerging。　The　Virginian　flair　for
political　life　was　thus　early　in　evidence。　To　the　careless　eye　the　colony
might　seem　overwhelmingly　for　King　and　Church。　〃If　New　England　be　called　a
Receptacle　of　Dissenters；　and　an　Amsterdam　of　Religion；　Pennsylvania　the
Nursery　of　Quakers；　Maryland　the　Retirement　of　Roman　Catholicks；　North
Carolina　the　Refuge　of　Runaways　and　South　Carolina　the　Delight　of
Buccaneers　and　Pyrates；　Virginia　may　be　justly　esteemed　the　happy　Retreat
of　true　Britons　and　true　Churchmen　for　the　most　Part。〃　This　〃for　the　most
part〃　paints　the　situation；　for　there　existed　an　opposition；　a　minority；
which　might　grow　to　balance；　and　overbalance。　In　the　meantime　the　House　of
Burgesses　at　Williamsburg　provided　a　School　for　Discussion。

At　the　time　when　Parson　Jones　with　his　shrewd　eyes　was　observing　society　in
the　Old　Dominion；　Williamsburg　was　still　a　small　village；　even　though　it
was　the　capital。　Towns　indeed；　in　any　true　sense；　were　nowhere　to　be　found
in　Virginia。　Yet　Williamsburg　had　a　certain　distinction。　Within　it　there
arose；　beneath　and　between　old　forest　trees；　the　college；　an　admirable
churchBruton　Churchthe　capitol；　the　Governor's　house　or　〃palace；〃　and
many　very　tolerable　dwelling…houses　of　frame　and　brick。　There　were　also
taverns；　a　marketplace；　a　bowling…green；　an　arsenal；　and　presently　a
playhouse。　The　capitol　at　Williamsburg　was　a　commodious　one；　able　to　house
most　of　the　machinery　of　state。　Here　were　the　Council　Chamber；　〃where　the
Governor　and　Council　sit　in　very　great　state；　in　imitation　of　the　King　and
Council；　or　the　Lord　Chancellor　and　House　of　Lords；　〃　and　the　great　room　of
the　House　of　Burgesses；　〃not　unlike　the　House　of　Commons。〃　Here；　at　the
capitol　。　met　the　General　Courts　in　April　and　October；　the　Governor　and
Council　acting　as　judges。　There　were　also　Oyer　and　Terminer　and　Admiralty
Courts。　There　were　offices　and　committee　rooms；　and　on　the　cupola　a　great
clock；　and　near　the　capitol　was　〃a　strong；　sweet　Prison　for　Criminals；　and
on　the　other　side　of　an　open　Court　another　for　Debtors　。　。　。　but　such
Prisoners　are　very　rare；　the　Creditors　being　generally　very　merciful　。　。　。
。　At　the　Capitol；　at　publick　Times；　may　be　seen　a　great　Number　of　handsome；
well…dressed；　compleat　Gentlemen。　And　at　the　Governor's　House　upon
Birth…Nights；　and　at　Balls　and　Assemblies；　I　have　seen　as　fine　an
Appearance；　as　good　Diversion；　and　as　splendid　Entertainments；　in　Governor
Spotswood's　Time；　as　I　have　seen　anywhere　else。〃

It　is　a　far　cry　from　the　Susan　Constant；　the　Goodspeed；　and　the　Discovery；
from　those　first　booths　at　Jamestown；　from　the　Starving　Time；　from
Christopher　Newport　and　Edward…Maria　Wingfield　and　Captain　John　Smith　to
these　days　of　Governor　Spotswood。　And　yet；　considering　the　changes　still　to
come；　a　century　seems　but　a　little　time　and　the　far　cry　not　so　very　far。


Though　the　Virginians　were　in　the　mass　country　folk；　yet　villages　or
hamlets　arose；　clusters　of　houses　pressing　about　the　Court　House　of　each
county。　There　were　now　in　the　colony　over　a　score　of　settled　counties。　The
westernmost　of　these；　the　frontier　counties；　were　so　huge　that　they　ran　at
least　to　the　mountains；　and；　for　all　one　knew　to　the　contrary；　presumably
beyond。　But　〃beyond〃　was　a　mysterious　word　of　unknown　content；　for　no
Virginian　of　that　day　had　gone　beyond。　All　the　way　from　Canada　into　South
Carolina　and　the　Florida　of　that　time　stretched　the　mighty　system。　of　the
Appalachians；　fifteen　hundred　miles　in　length　and　three　hundred　in　breadth。
Here　was　a　barrier　long　and　thick；　with　ridge　after　ridge　of　lifted　and
forested　earth；　with　knife…blade　vales　between；　and　only　here　and　there　a
break　away　and　an　encompassed　treasure　of　broad　and　fertile　valley。　The
Appalachians　made　a　true　Chinese　Wall；　shutting　all　England…in…America；　in
those　early　days；　out　from　the　vast　inland　plateau　of　the　continent；
keeping　upon　the　seaboard　all　England…in…America；　from　the　north　to　the
south。　To　Virginia　these　were　the　mysterious　mountains　just　beyond　which；
at　first；　were　held　to　be　the　South　Sea　and　Cathay。　Now；　men's　knowledge
being　larger　by　a　hundred　years；　it　was　known　that　the　South　Sea　could　not
be　so　near。　The　French　from　Canada；　going　by　way　of　the　St。　Lawrence　and
the　Great　Lakes；　had　penetrated　very　far　beyond　and　had　found　not　the　South
Sea　but　a　mighty　river　flowing　into　the　Gulf　of　Mexico。　What　was　the　real
nature　of　this　world　which　had　been　found　to　lie　over　the　mountains？　More
and　more　Virginians　were　inclined　to　find　out；　foreseeing　that　they　would
need　room　for　their　growing　population。　Continuously　came　in　folk　from　the
Old　Country；　and　continuously　Virginians　were　born。　Maryland　dwelt　to　the
north；　Carolina　to　the　south。　Virginia；　seeking　space；　must　begin　to　grow
westward。

There　were　settlements　from　the　sea　to　the　Falls　of　the　James；　and　upon　the
York；　the　Rappahannock；　and　the　Potomac。　Beyond　these；　in　the　wilderness；
might　be　found　a　few　lonely　cabins；　a　scattered　handful　of　pioneer　folk；
small　blockhouses；　and　small　companies　of　rangers　charged　with　protecting
all　from　Indian　foray。　All　this　country　was　rolling　and　hilly；　but　beyond
it　stood　the　mountains；　a　wall　of　enchantment；　against　the　west。

Alexander　Spotswood；　hardy　Scot；　endowed　with　a　good　temperamental　blend　of
the　imaginative　and　the　active；　was　just　the　man；　the　time　being　ripe；　to
encounter　and　surmount　that　wall。　Fortunately；　too；　the　Virginians　were
horsemen；　man　and　horse　one　piece　almost；　New　World　centaurs。　They　would
follow　the　bridle…tracks　that　pierced　to　the　hilly　country；　and　beyond　that
they　might　yet　make　way　through　the　primeval　forest。　They　would　encounter
dangers；　but　hardly　the　old　perils　of　seacoast　and　foothills。　Different；
indeed；　is　this　adventure　of　the　Governor　of　Virginia　and　his　chosen　band
from　the　old　push　afoot　into　frowning　hostile　woods　by　the　men　of　a　hundred
and　odd　years　before！

Spotswood　rode　westward　with　a　company　drawn　largely　from　the　colonial
gentry；　men　young　in　body　or　in　spirit；　gay　and　adventurous。　The　whole
expedition　was　conceived　and　executed　in　a　key　both　humorous　and　knightly。
These　〃Knights〃*　set　face　toward　the　mountains　in　August；　1716。　They　had
guides　who　knew　the　upcountry；　a　certain　number　of　rangers　used　to　Indian
ways；　and　servants　with　food　and　much　wine　in　their　charge。　So　out　of
settled　Virginia　they　rode；　and　up　the　long；　gradual　lift　of　earth　above
sea…level　into　a　mountainous　wilderness；　where　before　them　the　Aryan　had
not　come。　By　day　they　traveled；　and　bivouacked　at　night。

*　On　the　sandy　roads　of　settled　Virginia　horses　went　unshod；　but　for　the
stony　hills　and　the　ultimate　cliffs　they　must　have　iron　shoes。　After　the
adventure　and　when　the　party　had　returned　to　civilization；　the　Governor；
bethinking　himself　that　there　should　be　some　token　and　memento　of　the
exploit；　had　made　in　London　a　number　of　small　golden　horseshoes；　set　as　pins
to　be　worn　in　the　lace　cravats　of　the　period。　Each　adventurer　to　the　mountains
received　one；　and　the　band　has　kept；　in　Virginian　lore；　the　title　of　the
Knights　of　the　Golden　Horseshoe。


Higher　and　more　rugged　grew　the　mountains。　Some　trick　of　the　light　made
them　show　blue；　so　that　they　presently　came　to　be　called　the　Blue　Ridge；　in
contradistinction　to　the　westward　lying；　gray　Alleghanies。　They　were　like
very　long　ocean　combers；　with　at　intervals　an　abrupt　break；　a　gap；
cliff…guarded；　boulder…strewn；　with　a　narrow　rushing　stream　making　way
between　hemlocks　and　pines；　sycamore；　ash　and　beech；　walnut　and　linden。

Towards　these　blue　mountains　Spotswood　and　his　knights　rode　day　after　day
and　came　at　last　to　the　foot　of　the　steep　slope。　The　long　ridges　were　high；
but　not　so　high　but　that　horse　and　man　might　make　shift　to　scramble　to　the
crest。　Up　they　climbed　and　from　the　heights　they　looked　across　and　down
into　the　Valley　of　Virginia；　twenty　miles　wide；　a　hundred　and　twenty　longa
fertile　garden　spot。　Across　the　shimmering　distances　they　saw　the　gray
Alleghanies；　fresh　barrier　to　a　fresh　west。　Below　them　ran　a　clear　river；
afterwards　to　be　called　the　Shenandoah。　They　gazedthey　predicted
colonists；　future　plantations；　future　towns；　for　that　great　valley；　large
indeed　as　are　some　Old　World　kingdoms。　They　drank　the　health　of　England's
King；　and　named　two　outstanding　peaks　Mount　George　and　Mount　Alexander；
then；　because　their　senses　were　ravished　by　the　Eden　before　them；　they
dubbed　the　river　Euphrates。　They　plunged　and　scrambled　down　the　mountain
side　to　the　Euphrates；　drank　of　it；　bathed　in　it；　rested；　ate；　and　drank
again。　The　deep　green　woods　were　around　them；　above　them　they　could　see　the
hawk；　the　eagle；　and　the　buzzard；　and　at　their　feet　the　bright　fish　of　the
river。

At　last　they　reclimbed　the　Blue　Ridge；　descended　its　eastern　face；　and；
leaving　the　great　wave　of　it　behind　them；　rode　homeward　to　Williamsburg　in
triumph。

We　are　thus；　with　Spotswood　and　his　band；　on　the　threshold　of　expanding
American　vistas。　This　Valley　of　Virginia；　first　a　distant　Beulah　land　for
the　eye　of　the　imagination　only；　presently　became　a　land　of　pioneer　cabins；
far　apartvery　far　apartthen　a　settled　land；　of　farms；　hamlets；　and
market　towns。　Nor　did　the　folk　come　only　from　that　elder　Virginia　of　tidal
waters　and　much　tobacco；　of　〃compleat　gentlemen〃　at　the　capital；　and　of
many　slaves　in　the　fields。　But　downward　from　the　Potomac；　they　came　south
into　this　valley；　from　Pennsylvania　and　Maryland；　many　of　them　Ulster　Scots
who　had　sailed　to　the　western　world。　In　America　they　are　called　the
ScotchIrish；　and　in　the　main　they　brought　stout　hearts；　long　arms；　and
level　heads。　With　these　they　brought　in　as　luggage　the　dogmas　of　Calvin。
They　permeated　the　Valley　of　Virginia；　many　moved　on　south　into　Carolina；
finally；　in　large　part；　they　made　Kentucky　and　Tennessee。　Germans；　too；
came　into　the　valley…down　from　Pennsylvaniaquiet；　thrifty　folk；　driven
thus　far　westward　from　a　war…ravished　Rhine。

Shrewd　practicality　trod　hard　upon　the　heels　of　romantic　fancy　in　the　mind
of　Spotswood。　His　Order　of　the　Knights　of　the　Horseshoe　had　a　fleeting
existence；　but　the　Vision　of　the　West　lived　on。　Frontier　folk　in　growing
numbers　were　encouraged　to　make　their　way　from　tidewater　to　the　foot　of　the
Blue　Ridge。　Spotsylvania　and　King　George　were　names　given　to　new　counties
in　the　Piedmont　in　honor　of　the　Governor　and　the　sovereign。　German
craftsmen；　who　had　been　sent　over　by　Queen　Annevine…dressers　and
ironworkerswere