A History of the Valley of Virginia by Samuel Kercheval (1833; 3rd ed. 1902)

43

INDIAN SETTLEMENTS.

Fifth. Consider you are in the province of Virginia, holding what rights you have under that government; and the Virginians have made an agreement with the natives to go as far as the mountains and no farther; and you are over and beyond the mountains, therefore out of that agreement; by which you lie open to the insults and incursions of the Southern Indians, who have destroyed many of the inhabitants of Carolina and Virginia, and even now detroyed more on the like occasion. The English going beyond the bounds of their agreement, eleven of them were killed by the Indians while we were travling in Virginia.

Sixth. If you believe yourselves to be within the bounds of William Penn's patent from King Charles the second, which will be hard for you to prove, you being far southward of his line, yet if done, that will be no consideration with the Indians without a purchase from them, except you will go about it to convince them by fire and sword, contrary to our principles; and if that were done, they would ever be implacable enemies, and the land could never be enjoyed in peace.

Seventh. Please to note that in Pennsylvania no new settlements are made without an agreement with the natives; as witness Lancaster county, lately settled, though that is far within the grant of William Penn's patent from King Charles the second; wherefore you lie open to the insurrections of the Northern as well as Southern Indians; and

Lastly, Thus having shown my good will to you and to your new little settlement, that you might sit every one under your own shady tree, where none might make you afraid, and that you might prosper naturally and spiritually, you and your children; and having a little eased my mind of that weight and concern (in some measure) that lay upon me, I at present desist, and subscribe myself, in the love of our holy Lord Jesus Christ, your real friend,

T. C.

This excellent letter from this good man proves that the Quakers were among our early settlers, and that this class of people were early disposed to do justice to the natives of the country.

Had this humane and just policy of purchasing the Indian lands been first adopted and adhered to, it is highly probable the white people might have gradually obtained possession with the loss of so much blood and treasure.

The ancestors of the Neills, Walkers, Bransons, McKays, Hackneys, Beesons, Luptons, Barretts, Dillons, and others, were among the earliest Quaker immigrants to our Valley. Three Quakers by the name of Fawcett settled at any early period about eight or nine miles south of Winchester, near Zane's old iron works, from whom a pretty numerous progeny has descended. They have, however, chiefly migrated to the west.