CHAPTER III

DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION BY THE ENGLISH OF THE OHIO COUNTRY

As early as 1642 the Assembly of Virginia encouraged exploration to the westward of the plantations. In that year an act was passed granting trading privileges to Walter Austin, Rice Hoe, Joseph Johnson and Walter Chiles, who had petitioned in 1641 "for leave and encouragement to undertake the discovery of a new river or unknowne land bearing west southerly from Appomattake river." So far as is known, no exploration was made under this permission. But here is the first mention of that new river which later became the object of rangers and explorers for thirty years. Some mention of such a river may have been made by men who were infatuated with the American forests and ranged through them from the very first settlement on the Atlantic Coast.

This new river flowed through the untrodden wilderness directly across the course of any Western exploration from the English settlements.

The sources of the Staunton are in Montgomery County, Virginia. From its head waters the New River is distant but a few miles, and its valley at that point is narrow. From the sources of the Staunton to those of the Holston and the Clinch, with the narrow valley of the New River intervening, the distance is less than fifty miles. The head springs of the Great Sandy, a little north of the Clinch, are in close proximity. The James River is at no great distance, while the Shenandoah runs down to the Potomac from a point but little more distant. The New is here a great river, descending through a valley which extends far into North Carolina-to the sources of the Catawba and the Yadkin.

Following the general courses of these streams, there converged upon the New River Indian trails, great ways, warpaths and trading courses from almost every part of the United States east of the Mississippi. Some of these had doubtless been in use for centuries when Jamestown was founded. Some of them marked the direction of ancient conquest. Along their unending windings had migrated and retreated broken, defeated and overthrown peoples, exiled from homelands which they had occupied for ages. And following these came time-worn, prehistoric great war roads came the paleface when impelled to the conquest of the continent. The first efforts of the English to explore westward from the seaboard were made in this direction. Had the expedition continued to advance, it would have arrived at New River, where William Ingles established his historic ferry. The exploration was under the direction of Ralph Lane, governor of Sir Walter Raleigh's colony, and undertaken in March, 1586. The party ascended the river to the site of the City of Halifax. They seem, in fact, to have gone on a perilous mission. They were reduced to such extremes by Indian hostility and consequent hunger that "they ate their two mastiff dogs boiled with sassafras leaves, and were compelled to return.”

1 Henning, Statutes at Large, Vol. I, page 262.

After the expedition of Lane, little effort was made for many years to explore to the west of the seaboard settlement. Individual hunters and traders, or perhaps small parties of these, may have entered the mountainous country, then agitated by fierce wars between the native Indian tribes, but these parties made no systematic exploration or permanent settlement, and they left no account of their wanderings.

These wilderness rangers gained some knowledge of western geography and, no doubt, questioned the Indians whom they encountered as to what lay beyond the great hills, for in 1648 some such man wrote this:

"And the Indians have of late acquainted our Governour, that within five dayes journey to the westward and by South, there is a great high mountaine, and at the foot thereof, great Rivers that run into a great Sea; and that there are men that come hither in ships (but not the same as ours be), they weare apparell and have reed Caps on their heads, and ride on Beasts like our Horses, but have much longer eares and other circumstances they declare for the certainty of these things.

"That Sir William was here upon preparing fifty horse and fifty Foot, to go and discover this thing himself in person, and take all needful provision in that case requisite along with him; he was ready to go when these last ships set sail for England in April last; and we hoped to give a good accompt of it by the next ships, God giving a blessing to the enterprize, which will mightily advance and enrich this Country; for it must needs prove a passage to the South Sea (as we call it) and also some part of China and the East Indies."

In 1650 the Assembly was petitioned by Edward Blend for permission to discover and settle to the southward. This petition was granted. On the 27th of August of that year "The Right Honorable Sir W. Berkly, Kt. being Governor and Captaine Generall of Virginia, Edw. Bland, Merch. Abraham Wood, Capt. Elias Ponnant and Sackford Brewster, Gent., foure Men, and one Indian named Pyancha, an Appamattuck for our Guide, with two servants, foure Horses and Provision, advanced from Fort Henry, lying on Appamattuck River at the fals, being a branch of James River, intending a South westerne Discovery." They came the same day to a Nottaway town, on Nottaway Creek, and at their approach the Indians fled into the woods and concealed themselves. Later they were induced to return, "and shewed us what curtesie they could." On the way and at the town they had found the country "rich levell, well timbered, watered, and very convenient for Hogs and Cattle." The chief of the town was absent, and the chief of another town, one Oyeocker, invited them to his village and led them there, arriving, it seems, on the 28th. And on the night of this day they came to a second town, where they halted. During the night the chief of the first town arrived in a very bad humor and intimated to the guide that he would soon be killed. He used all his powers to prevent a further penetration of the Indian country, representing that the dangers they would meet would be serious. Notwithstanding this. warning, the party continued on its way, coming this day to Maharineck, through a pleasing and fertile country. Here the Englishmen were entertained by Indian dances and ceremonies, and food was provided for themselves and their horses. The following day was spent at this town, and the Indians revealed that other tribes had prejudiced them against the English, and had done the same in still other tribes, especially the Tuscaroras.

The Town of Maharineck was two miles from the river of the same name, which the English crossed on their departure on the 31st. On a stream which they called Woodford River they found land which produced two crops of corn every year, and very fine timber. Later in

the day they passed over the "Chickahamine" River, which, a little below, was a mile wide. Pine barrens were found there, beyond which the site of a battle between some of the tribes of that country was found, an account of which battle was given by the guides. They came to a river which was named by them Blandina River. Sturgeon were taken at the falls of this river. An island in this stream was named Charles Island and another was named, by Captain Wood, Berkeley Island. The land opposite Charles Island was named Bland's Discovery, and that over against Berkeley Island was named Wood's Journey. Pennant's Bay and Brewster's Point were also discovered and named. The Indians told wonderful stories of the up-country, and of heaps of salt in the rivers. Copper was seen, silver spoken of, and the probability of gold in that country discussed.

On the 2d of September the English arrived at a town on Woodford River and tarried for the night. There they had intelligence of Indian intrigue and jealousy and opposition to their presence. On the 3d of September the guide said they might encounter violence from the Indians if they should return by the way they had gone out. Fine land was passed that day.

On the 4th of September the explorers got back to Fort Henry. Because of the attitude of the Indians in the country they had passed through they had slept with guards set and arms at hand. The journal of the expedition was published under the title of The Discovery of New Brittaine, and addressed or dedicated "To The Honorable Sir John Danvers, Knight: Great Favourer of the Westerne Plantations, and a Member of the Parliament of England." While in this day this exploration would be counted of little consequence, in that day it was believed to be a notable achievement. The expedition had reached the forks of the Roanoke, in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, and no evidence was found of any former exploration into that region. By following up the Staunton, the New River would have been discovered. While this exploration was in the direction of the waters of the Ohio, it stopped short of finding them. Later the Staunton became a muchfollowed stream in reaching the West.

In the year 1653 the Assembly of Virginia enacted a general law conferring authority upon any persons "to discover the Mountains, Provided they go with a considerable partie and strength, both of men and amunition." If any persons availed themselves of the privileges of this enactment they have left no record of the fact. Exploration and discovery languished. Not until 1669 do we find any explorer with sufficient interest in his work to leave a record of his transactions. In that year John Lederer, a German surgeon, under a commission from Governor Berkeley, undertook an expedition of discovery to the west of the English settlements, and reached a point in the present County of Madison. The weather was cold and he encountered much snow in his ascent of the Blue Ridge. After reaching an elevation from which he could see the great ranges to the westward and the Atlantic Ocean to the southeastward, he returned to the settlements.

In the year 1670 Lederer made two journeys of exploration into the wilderness. He set out on the first of these on the 20th of May. He took with him Maj. William Harris and twenty other white men, and five Indians. They were mounted. They reached the vicinity of the site of Lynchburg, when they separated, Lederer and one Susquehanna Indian turning south, and the others returning home. Lederer crossed the Roanoke and entered the present State of North Carolina, after which he returned to his home in Virginia.

The second expedition of this year was commenced on the 20th of August. Colonel Catlett, together with nine whites and five Indians, accompanied Lederer. The direction pursued on this journey was more

to the west than that taken on the two preceding trips. In the present County of Rappahannock they reached the Blue Ridge on the 26th of August. From the top of the Blue Ridge at this point they beheld the mountain ranges rising rank above rank to the west and towering up to the sky. The cold was becoming severe, and the endless chains of mountains to be scaled and passed so discouraged the explorers that they returned. Little practical benefit was derived from the explorations and discoveries of Lederer. They seem to have dispelled the idea that it was but a few days' journey from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Up to this time we have no record that any Englishman had penetrated to the waters of the great valley of the Mississippi.

In 1645 the Assembly of Virginia provided for the erection of forts for the protection of the colony from attacks by the Indians. All the Virginia settlements were yet in the Tidewater region. The rivers of Virginia flowing across the Piedmont usually descend to tidewater by a fall, or a series of rapids. Of the country beyond the line of these falls little was actually known when provision for these forts was made. The people had seen hordes of Indians come down from the great forests back of the settlements to make war on them and knew that desolation lay in their path. In addition to the three forts set up by the act of 1645, a fourth was provided in March, 1646. This was to be set up at the falls of the Appomattox. It was named Fort Henry and was to be garrisoned by forty-five men. Placed in command there was Capt. Abraham Wood. In October, 1646, the Assembly transferred the fort to Captain Wood, "unto whome is granted sixe hundred acres of land for him and his heirs forever; with all houses and edifices belonging to the said Forte, with all boats and amunition att present belonging to the said Forte, Provided that he the said Capt. Wood do maintayne and keepe ten men constantly upon the said place for the terme of three yeares."

This "Fort Henry" remained the property of Wood to his death, and in 1748 its site was incorporated as Petersburg, the present Virginia city of that name. Nothing is known of the ancestry of Wood. It appears that he was twenty-eight years old in 1638. Information has been gathered and published covering forty-two years of his life, but of his death nothing has been found. He secured grants for more than 6,000 acres of land and was much engaged in public affairs. It is said of him that "He attained eminence as a landowner, politician. soldier, trader and explorer. His position in each of these lines of endeavor was as high as the colony afforded, and the first adequate presentation of his life reveals him as, with the possible exceptions of Bacon and Berkeley, the most interesting and commanding figure of contemporary Virginia." 2

Captain Wood was one of the expedition to discover, in 1650, the country then named New Brittain, as we have seen. In 1652 he was granted by the Assembly of Virginia permission to explore the regions where "no English ever have bin and discovered," and he and his associates were to have the profits arising from trade in these new countries for fourteen years.3 No account of activity under this grant has been found.

In 1671 Wood was a major-general. In that year he despatched an expedition "for the finding out the ebbing and flowing of the Waters on the other side of the Mountains in order to the discovery of the South Sea." Those who went on this expedition were Thomas Batts, Thomas

2 The First Explorations of the Trans-Alleghany Region by Virginians, 1650-1674, by C. W. Alvord and Lee Bidgood, page 36. This is by far the best work on this subject.

3 Ibid., page 102. Hening, Statutes at Large, Vol. I, page 376.

Woods and Robert Fallam. Penecute, one of the principal men of the Appomattox Indians and whose name is generally written Perceute, and one Jack Weason were of the party. With five horses they left the Appomattox town near Fort Henry, on Friday, September 1, 1671, and on that day traveled, as they supposed, forty miles due west from the old trail known as the Okeneeche Path. They made forty-five miles on the second, and camped at sunset, their course having been north of west.4 On the third day they changed their course to south of west to correct the error of the second, and "traveled forty miles good." At three o'clock a large swamp had been encountered and a river running into the Roanoke had been waded twice, the horses being led over.

On the 4th of September the party arrived at a village of the Saponi Indians, but made no halt there. It must have been the easternmost town of this people, for towards night the explorers "came to the Soponys west." At that town they were greeted with the firing of guns and demonstrations of welcome. Food was furnished, and the night was passed there. A Soponi was employed as guide to take them to the Totero towns by a way which was shorter than the traveled trail. As the party was ready to mount on the morning of the 5th-about seven o'clock-guns were fired on the side of the river opposite the Indian town. This firing was by a party of seven Appomattox Indians sent on to overtake them by General Wood. A jaded horse belonging to Thomas Wood was sent back from this point "by a Portugal, belonging to Major General Wood, whom we found here." Twenty-five miles was made this day, which brought them to a "town of the Hanathaskies" on an island in the "Sapany River"-the Staunton River. They were late getting under way on the 6th, for Thomas Wood was "dangerously sick of the Flux." He was left at the town, as was the horse he had ridden, and which belonged to Major-General Wood. The horse, too, was ailing. The party went into camp after making some twenty miles. At ten o'clock at night their horses strayed. On the 7th they traveled west over hilly and stony ground, and at three o'clock came in sight of the mountains. Twenty-five miles were made that day.

The explorers got under way by sunrise on the 8th and traveled all day by a course north of west. A little past noon a tree was found on which had been written with a piece of charcoal the letters or initials —M. A. N. I.5 They reached the foot of the mountains about four o'clock and crossed before camping. They were on the Staunton, which they crossed twice that day. On the 9th they were "stirring with the Sun," traveled west, striking the Staunton near its head, and crossed a second mountain. About three o'clock they reached the Totero town. It was a swamp between a small stream and the Staunton, and was "circled about with mountains." Perceute, the Appomattox guide, was there taken sick of a fever and ague, and the party tarried at the Totero village until the 12th. They had arrived there Saturday night and remained over till Tuesday. They determined to leave their horses there and go on foot the remainder of the journey. A Totero guide was secured, and one of the Appomattox Indians was left sick at the Totero town. On this day, the 12th, they followed the trail west over several high mountains and camped near the head of the Staunton, or Roanoke, as they called it, "at the foot of a great mountain." Perceute was very ill that night, having been "taken with his fit."

4 These distances were only estimated, and, as such estimates are likely to be, were too high. Twenty-five miles was a good day's travel in the wilderness.

5 This is an incident confirming a former statement that the names of the first to penetrate the wilderness are unknown. They are lost. These first wildernessbreakers were about their own business and made no records which have come down to us. It was the merest accident which preserved the memory of John Findlay and his journeys to trade in Southeastern Kentucky. If he had not met Boone no knowledge would have remained of him.