University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER III.

FIRST SETTLERS WEST OF THE ALLEGHANIES.

Previous to 1749, Western Virginia was untrodden by
the foot of white man, if we except an occasional trader,
who may have ventured upon the heads of some of the tributary
streams which take their rise in the Alleghany Mountains.

Some time during this year, a man laboring under aberration
of intellect, wandered from Frederick county into the
wilderness of the Greenbriar country. Although a supposed
lunatic, there seemed yet enough of "method in his madness,"
to tell his friends, on returning home, that he had discovered
rivers flowing in a contrary direction to those of the
Valley. His description of the country soon induced some to
visit it, among whom were Jacob Martin and Stephen Sewell.
These men settled on the Greenbriar river, where they built
a cabin; but soon disagreeing about some trivial matter,
Sewell left his companion, and took up his abode in a hollow
tree. In the Spring of 1751, when Andrew Lewis visited
the country as agent for the Greenbriar Company, he discovered
the lonely pioneers in the deep seclusion of their
mountain home. Upon inquiry as to the cause of their
estrangement, the gallant Lewis soon reconciled matters, but
only for a brief time, as Sewell shortly afterwards removed
farther into the wilderness, where he fell a victim to Indian
barbarity.

Further attempts to colonize the Greenbriar country were
not made for many years. John Lewis, and his son Andrew,
proceeded with their explorations, until interrupted by the

breaking out of the French war. In 1762, a few families began
to penetrate the region on Muddy creek, and the Big
Levels; but a royal proclamation of the next year, commanded
that all who had settled, or held improvements on
the Western waters, should at once remove, as the claim of
the Indians had not been extinguished; and it was most important
to preserve their friendship, in order to prevent them
coalescing with the French.[10] Those families already in the
enjoyment of their improvements, refused to comply with the
King's mandate, and most of them were cut off by the savages
in 1763-4.[11] From the date of these occurrences, up to 1769,
the Greenbriar country contained not a single white settlement.
In that year, Captain John Stuart, with a number of
others, made improvements, which they continued to hold
despite every effort of the Indians to dispossess them.[12] Seven
years later, (1776) settlements were made on New river. The
lands taken up in this region, being held by what were known
as "corn rights"—whoever planted an acre of corn, acquired
a title to one hundred acres of land.[13]