Dear Cousins, We are coming to the point as we journey along the Backcountry, to see the meeting and merging once again of one developing culture with another. In this case it is the emergent Backcountry meeting the more established and genteel eastern/plantation-bred Virginians in the form of George Washington, Dr. Thomas Walker, Peter Jefferson and his son Thomas, the Meriwethers, and so on. The desire for land was the great common ground. (heh) It is so interesting to see young Washington's impressions leap from his journal. He is at once repelled and yet interested in learning and fitting in during his journey over the mountains. He doesn't complain, but obviously finds it hard to tolerate the "lice and vermin" in the bed provided at Isaac Pennington's, but only vows to be more prepared in the future. He comments on the "Dutch" who follow them and speak no English. These are very valuable comments to help us understand the diverse elements in the locality, and how they united. He remarks upon the difficulty of travel over the poor roads, and provides details about the prominent people in the neighborhoods who we see are not prominent because of wealth, but because of the needed services they provide in the community. The next crossroads we come to will be exploring the huge grants of land that followed the Hopewell and Sherrando settlements. To understand these, I suggest checking out the Library of Virginia's Pages "Exploring the West from Monticello." http://www.lib.virginia.edu/exhibits/lewis_clark/home.html In the portion titled, "Albemarle Adventurers," you will find the foundations of the Virginia Land Companies, the players from the establishment who joined the Backcountry (if you were wondering why the Albemarle and Hanover county names suddenly start appearing in Augusta County, the Southside, and SW Virginia -- and their derivitive counties. In our next explorative era we will follow George Washington again as he and Christopher Gist go a-spying against the French, the building of Forts along the Virginia and Pennsylvania frontier, the drumbeats of the Seven Years' War, or French and Indian War, which really continued as an Indian war until about 1800. Gist, Washington, General Braddock, Daniel Boone, all come together in this period. Also, Beej, a General Burton! Christopher Gist also was hired by the Ohio Land Company to explore the north and western lands for development and settlement. Afterward he was supported by George Washington as an Indian agent, and in this capacity in 1758 he contracted smallpox and died somewhere along the Winchester road. The next pages at the website will reflect these people and processes. Please let me know your own ancestors who may be of interest to others in these periods and localities. Note that we have progressed into the Potomac Perimeter with little fanfare......!! Love, Your Cousin, Carolyn Carolyn McDaniel cmacdee@centurytel.net ========================================= --- Visit American Crossroads --- http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~amxroads Carolyn McDaniel cmacdee@centurytel.net ========================================= --- Visit American Crossroads --- http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~amxroads