University of Virginia Library

"Tradition informs us that the ground on the edge of the present site of Winchester,
was occupied by a large and powerful tribe of Indians, called the Shawnees, or Shawanees,
and some springs at that point are called the Shawnee Springs at this day. The
earliest accounts of the settlement of Winchester state that there were two houses on its
present location as early as 1738, situated near the town run; but its establishment as a
town commenced in Feb., 1752, in the 25th year of the reign of George II., when the
General Assembly passed an `act for the establishment of the town of Winchester.'
In 1758 it was enlarged in consideration of an additional quantity of land being laid off
in lots by Col. James Wood, now called in the plot of the town, Wood's addition. Trustees
were then appointed, consisting of Lord Fairfax, Col. Martin, and others; vide
Henning's Statutes at Large, vol. 7, p. 135. Additions to the town were also made by
Lord Fairfax. Col. Wood is therefore entitled to the honor of being the founder. Winchester
is mentioned by General Washington as being one of the points in his route, in
his celebrated mission, by order of Governor Dinwiddie, to the French authorities on the
Ohio. He came from Alexandria to Winchester, where he procured baggage horses, &c.
This was in November, 1753.

"In the French and Indian warfare that succeeded, Washington fixed his head-quarters
at Winchester, which was then a frontier settlement, the North mountain,
a few miles west of Winchester, being the boundary. From the fear occasioned by the
attacks of the French and Indians, this place was almost the only settlement west of
the Blue Ridge, which range of mountains was, as late as 1756, the northwestern frontier.
At that period, public stores, to a large amount, were deposited at Winchester for
the frontier settlement. After the distinguished action at Great Meadows, July 4, 1754,
Washington returned with his regiment to Winchester to recruit; soon after which, he
was joined by a few companies from Maryland and North Carolina; after which reinforcement
they were ordered, by the lieutenant-governor, to march immediately over the
Alleghany to drive the French from Fort Duquesne, or build one in its vicinity. After
the disastrous defeat of Braddock, Washington, with the remains of the brave Virginia
troops, retreated to Westchester. Upon the invasion of the frontiers by the French and
Indians, Washington, then on his way to Williamsburg, the seat of government, was
overtaken by an express, below Fredericksburg, with the intelligence that the French
and Indians had broken in upon the frontier settlements, and were murdering and capturing
women and children, burning houses, destroying crops, &c., and that the troops
stationed among them were insufficient for their protection. He immediately hastened
back to Winchester, where the utmost confusion and alarm prevailed. His attempts to
raise the militia were unsuccessful. He sent urgent orders to the county lieutenants,
east of the Blue Ridge, to hasten their militia to Winchester; but before these orders
could be executed, the enemy, which had done so much injury, and caused so much
alarm, had recrossed the Alleghany mountain. Col. Washington, after repeated ineffectual
efforts to arouse the government to act on the offensive, and adopt a more efficient
system of warfare, by sending a force sufficient to destroy Fort Duquesne, at length
prevailed, and Gen. Forbes was ordered to undertake the campaign for its reduction. On
the 24th of May, 1758, orders were issued to Washington's regiment to rendezvous at
Winchester, and be in readiness to march in 15 days. June 24, the Virginia troops, in
pursuance to the orders they had received, moved in detachments from Winchester to
Fort Cumberland, where they assembled early in July. Upon the reduction of Fort Duquesne—when
its name was changed to Pitt, in honor of the then British Minister—
Col. Washington, after furnishing 200 men from his regiment to garrison the fort, marched
the rest back to Winchester, whence he soon proceeded to Williamsburg to take his seat
in the House of Delegates, of which he had been elected a member by the county of
Frederick, while at Fort Cumberland. During these contests a fort was built at Winchester,
the remains of which are still visible at the north end of the principal street.
In Henning's Statutes, vol. 7, page 33, we find the 16th clause of a law passed March,
1756, which refers to this fort, and the appropriation for its erection, in these words:
`And whereas, it is now judged necessary that a fort should be immediately erected in
the town of Winchester, county of Frederick, for the protection of the adjacent inhabitants
against the barbarities daily committed by the French and their Indian allies; be
it therefore enacted, that the governor, or commander-in-chief of the colony for the time
being, is hereby empowered and desired to order a fort to be built with all possible dispatch,
in the aforesaid town of Winchester; and that his honor give such orders and
instructions for the immediate effecting and garrisoning the same, as he shall think
necessary for the purpose aforesaid.' The act also appropriates the sum of £1000 for
carrying the above provision into effect. This fort was called Fort Loudon, in honor of
the British general, Lord Loudon, who had been appointed to the command of the
British troops in America."

The annexed sketch is a representation of the
remains of Fort Loudon, engraved from a drawing
in the possession of the "Virginia Historical and
Philosophical Society." "It appears to have been a
field-work, or redoubt, having four bastions, whose
flanks and faces were each 25 feet, with curtains 96
feet." The dotted lines represent the present course
of Loudon street. It is stated in the History of the
Valley, upon authority entitled to the highest respect,
the gentleman furnishing the information referred to
having been informed by Washington's officers, that
Washington marked out the site of this fort and
superintended its erection; that he bought a lot in
Winchester, had a blacksmith shop erected on it, and
brought from Mount Vernon his own blacksmith to

make the necessary iron-work for the fort. The very spot is pointed out where Washington's
own residence was situated. It is stated that his chamber was above the gateway
of the fort, in a situation commanding a view of the principal street of the town.
This fort covered an area of half an acre, and there is still much of its embankments
and mounds remaining. There is also a well, from which water now rises to the surface,
sunk through the solid rock 103 feet. The labor of throwing up this fort, and sinking
this well, was said to have been performed by Washington's regiment. The fort contained
a strong garrison; and it is stated, by one of the oldest inhabitants of Winchester,
to have mounted six 18 pounders, six 12 pounders, six 6 pounders, 4 swivels, and 2 howitzers;
and to this day grape-shot and cannon-balls are found there. These cannon
were removed from Winchester early in the war of the revolution. This fort was said
to have been once reconnoitred by a French officer, but never was attacked by the enemy.

There were a large number of Hessian and German prisoners confined at Winchester
in the war of the revolution. In 1780, barracks were erected for them 4 miles west of
the town. In 1781, their numbers had increased to 1600.

Major Peter Helphistine, of Winchester, was a native of Germany, and a patriot
of the American revolution. He was a major in the 8th Virginia regiment, commanded
by Col. Muhlenberg. This corps was composed of young men of German extraction,
and frequently called the German regiment. In a campaign at the south, he contracted
a disease from exposure, returned, and died in Winchester, and now lies buried in the
Lutheran grave-yard.

Gen. Daniel Roberdeau, an officer of the revolution, also lies buried in one of the
grave-yards in Winchester. His monument states his death as having taken place Jan.
5, 1795, at the age of 68 years. He was from the Isle of France, and a Huguenot. His
descendants are scattered over Virginia. He first settled in Pennsylvania, where he
built a fort at Wyoming, at his own expense, which was destroyed by the Indians. He
was a follower of Whitefield, and a modest and estimable man.

Lord Fairfax was buried under the old Episcopal church, which was on the public
square. The land on which it stood was given by him to the society, for the construction
of the church. This structure, which was of stone, was taken down about 12 or
14 years since. The bones of Fairfax were removed, and placed under the new Episcopal
church. In this house there is a monumental slab to his memory. At the time of
his disinterment, a large mass of silver was found, which was the mounting to his coffin.
There is now in Winchester an old building used as a stable, which was once a tavern,
in which it is said Fairfax occasionally held levees. His permanent residence was at
Greenway Court, 13 miles SE. of Winchester. (See p. 235.)

It is not long since a gentleman was travelling in one of the counties of Virginia, and
about the close of the day stopped at a public house to obtain refreshment, and spend
the night. He had been there but a short time, before an old man alighted from his gig,
with the apparent intention of becoming his fellow-guest at the same house. As the old
man drove up, he observed that both the shafts of his gig were broken, and that they
were held together by withes formed from the bark of a hickory sapling. Our traveller
observed further, that he was plainly clad, that his knee-buckles were loosened, and that
something like negligence pervaded his dress. Conceiving him to be one of the honest
yeomanry of our land, the courtesies of strangers passed between them, and they entered
the tavern. It was about the same time that an addition of three or four young gentlemen
was made to their number—most, if not all of them, of the legal profession. As
soon as they became conveniently accommodated, the conversation was turned by the
latter upon an eloquent harangue which had that day been displayed at the bar. It was
replied by the other, that he had witnessed, the same day, a degree of eloquence no doubt
equal, but that it was from the pulpit. Something like a sarcastic rejoinder was made
to the eloquence of the pulpit; and a warm and able altercation ensued, in which the
merits of the Christian religion became the subject of discussion. From six o'clock until

eleven, the young champions wielded the sword of argument, adducing with ingenuity
and ability, every thing that could be said pro and con. During this protracted period,
the old gentleman listened with all the meekness and modesty of a child; as if he was
adding new information to the stores of his own mind; or perhaps he was observing,
with philosophic eye, the faculties of the youthful mind, and how new energies are
evolved by repeated action; or, perhaps, with patriotic emotion, he was reflecting upon
the future destinies of his country, and on the rising generation upon whom these future
destinies must devolve; or, most probably, with a sentiment of moral and religious feeling,
he was collecting an argument which—characteristic of himself—no art would be
"able to elude, and no force resist." Our traveller remained a spectator, and took no
part in what was said.

At last one of the young men, remarking that it was impossible to combat with long
and established prejudices, wheeled around, and with some familiarity exclaimed, "Well,
my old gentleman, what think you of these things?" If, said the traveller, a streak of
vivid lightning had at that moment crossed the room, their amazement could not have
been greater than it was with what followed. The most eloquent and unanswerable
appeal was made for nearly an hour, by the old gentleman, that he ever heard or read.
So perfect was his recollection, that every argument urged against the Christian religion
was met in the order in which it was advanced. Hume's sophistry on the subject
of miracles was, if possible, more perfectly answered than it had already been done by
Campbell. And in the whole lecture there was so much simplicity and energy, pathos
and sublimity, that not another word was uttered. An attempt to describe it, said the
traveller, would be an attempt to paint the sunbeams. It was now a matter of curiosity
and inquiry who the old gentleman was. The traveller concluded it was the preacher
from whom the pulpit eloquence was heard—but no—it was the Chief Justice of the
United States.

Major-General DANIEL MORGAN
departed this life
On July the 6th, 1802,
In the 67th year of his Age.
Patriotism and valor were the
prominent Features of his character,
And
the honorable services he rendered
to his country
during the Revolutionary war,
crowned him with Glory, and will
remain in the Hearts of his
Countrymen
a Perpetual Monument
to his
Memory.

This "thunderbolt of war," this "brave Morgan, who never knew fear," was, in
camp, often wicked and very profane, but never a disbeliever in religion. He testified
that himself. In his latter years General Morgan professed religion, and united himself
with the Presbyterian church in this place, under the pastoral care of the Rev. Mr.
(now Dr.) Hill, who preached in this house some forty years, and may now be occasionally
heard on London street. His last days were passed in this town; and while sinking to
the grave, he related to his minister the experience of his soul. "People thought," said
he, "that Daniel Morgan never prayed;"—"People said old Morgan never was afraid;"
—"People did not know." He then proceeded to relate in his blunt manner, among
many other things, that the night they stormed Quebec, while waiting in the darkness
and storm with his men paraded, for the word to advance, he felt unhappy; the enterprise
appeared more than perilous; it seemed to him that nothing less than a miracle
could bring them off safe from an encounter at such an amazing disadvantage. He
stepped aside and kneeled by the side of a munition of war—and then most fervently
prayed that the Lord God Almighty would be his shield and defence, for nothing less
than an almighty arm could protect him. He continued on his knees till the word
passed along the line. He fully believed that his safety during that night of peril was
from the interposition of God. Again, he said, about the battle of the Cowpens, which
covered him with so much glory as a leader and a soldier—he had felt afraid to fight
Tarleton with his numerous army flushed with success—and that he retreated as long
as he could—till his men complained—and he could go no further. Drawing up his
army in three lines, on the hill side; contemplating the scene—in the distance the glitter
of the advancing enemy—he trembled for the fate of the day. Going to the woods
in the rear, he kneeled in an old tree-top, and poured out a prayer to God for his army,
and for himself, and for his country. With relieved spirits he returned to the lines, and
in his rough manner cheered them for the fight; as he passed along, they answered him
bravely. The terrible carnage that followed the deadly aim of his lines decided the victory.
In a few moments Tarleton fled. "Ah," said he, "people said old Morgan never
feared;"—"they thought old Morgan never prayed, they did not know;"—"old Morgan
was often miserably afraid." And if he had not been, in the circumstances of amazing
responsibility in which he was placed, how could he have been brave?

The last of his riflemen are gone: the brave and hardy gallants of this valley, that
waded to Canada and stormed Quebec, are all gone—gone, too, are Morgan's sharpshooters
of Saratoga. For a long time two, that shared his captivity in Canada, were
seen in this village, wasting away to shadows of their youth, celebrating with enthusiasm
the night of their battle, as the year rolled round—Peter Lauck and John Schultz.
But they have answered the roll-call of death, and have joined their leader; the hardy
Lauck wondering that Schultz, the feeblest of the band, whom he had so often carried
through the snows of Canada, should outlive him. There is interest round the last of
such a corps.