Page 63 - History of Rockingham Co
P. 63
A HISTORY OF
of the narrative gives so many realistic touches relating to
the Rockingham of that day, that it is quoted herewith ver-
batim:
We inquired about the way, but could not get good information.
After traveling three and a half miles, we found two passable roads. Bro.
Gottlob and Nathanael preceded us on the left hand road. They met a
woman, who informed them about the way. Then they came back to us
Weagain and we took the road to the right. traveled ten miles without
finding water. It was late already and we were compelled to travel five
Wemiles during the dark night. had to climb two mountains, which
compelled us to push the wagon along or we could not have proceeded,
for our horses were completely fagged out. Two of the brethren had to
go ahead to show us the road, and thus we arrived late at Thom. Harris's
plantation. Here we bought feed for our horses and pitched our tent a
short distance from the house. The people were very friendly. They
lodge strangers very willingly.
The "two mountains" above mentioned were probably
spurs of Chestnut Ridge; and "Thom Harris" was probably
no other than Thomas Harrison, founder of Harrisonburg. It
is Hkely that Harrison had already (1753) erected his stone
mansion house, now occupied by Gen. John E. Roller as a
law office, and, according to the present lay-out of the town,
situated on Bruce Street, just west of Main; and that the
wayfaring brethren pitched their tent beside the big spring
that was for so many years a familiar rendezvous at the west
side of Court Square. Harrisonburg still has the habit of
being hospitable to strangers.
We follow the brethren a few miles further, as they go
on toward ' 'Augusti Court House, a little town of some
twenty houses, surrounded by mountains on all sides."
On October 23 we started at daybreak [from Thomas Harrison's].
We had bought a small barrel of milk to use for dinner, but it broke and
we lost all. Two miles farther we bought some meat, and then traveled
six miles farther to North River, where we ate our dinner. This creek is
half as large as the Lecha [Lehigh], but it is impassable at high water,
nor is a canoe in the neighborhood. 13
The brethren had thus come in their journey to the
12. Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, October, 1904, pp..
144-147.
—50-
of the narrative gives so many realistic touches relating to
the Rockingham of that day, that it is quoted herewith ver-
batim:
We inquired about the way, but could not get good information.
After traveling three and a half miles, we found two passable roads. Bro.
Gottlob and Nathanael preceded us on the left hand road. They met a
woman, who informed them about the way. Then they came back to us
Weagain and we took the road to the right. traveled ten miles without
finding water. It was late already and we were compelled to travel five
Wemiles during the dark night. had to climb two mountains, which
compelled us to push the wagon along or we could not have proceeded,
for our horses were completely fagged out. Two of the brethren had to
go ahead to show us the road, and thus we arrived late at Thom. Harris's
plantation. Here we bought feed for our horses and pitched our tent a
short distance from the house. The people were very friendly. They
lodge strangers very willingly.
The "two mountains" above mentioned were probably
spurs of Chestnut Ridge; and "Thom Harris" was probably
no other than Thomas Harrison, founder of Harrisonburg. It
is Hkely that Harrison had already (1753) erected his stone
mansion house, now occupied by Gen. John E. Roller as a
law office, and, according to the present lay-out of the town,
situated on Bruce Street, just west of Main; and that the
wayfaring brethren pitched their tent beside the big spring
that was for so many years a familiar rendezvous at the west
side of Court Square. Harrisonburg still has the habit of
being hospitable to strangers.
We follow the brethren a few miles further, as they go
on toward ' 'Augusti Court House, a little town of some
twenty houses, surrounded by mountains on all sides."
On October 23 we started at daybreak [from Thomas Harrison's].
We had bought a small barrel of milk to use for dinner, but it broke and
we lost all. Two miles farther we bought some meat, and then traveled
six miles farther to North River, where we ate our dinner. This creek is
half as large as the Lecha [Lehigh], but it is impassable at high water,
nor is a canoe in the neighborhood. 13
The brethren had thus come in their journey to the
12. Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, October, 1904, pp..
144-147.
—50-
