The Midland Trail

• I. General Description and Characteristics

  • The Midland Trail runs east and west, connecting the "paw-paw to the pine". It is officially designated as road number 3 and is described as cutting the State of West Virginia into two parts.
  • It is characterized as a "restless place," akin to Broadway, with people constantly moving to and fro.
  • This highway spans approximately 180 miles across West Virginia. About 100 miles of its length traverse highlands, offering a "rarefied atmosphere" that is particularly pleasant during the summer.
  • The name "Midland Trail" was given to the old stage road after it underwent significant improvements, being broadened and surfaced to resemble a "city avenue" over various terrains.
  • Driving the Midland Trail necessitates keeping one's "eye on the road every moment of the time," which limits the driver to "fleeting glances" of the scenery.

• II. Historical Significance and Evolution

  • Early Historical Importance: The Midland Trail has been a "potent factor in the history of the United States". It follows the historic path of the "minute men of the deadly flintlock gun," a journey that once took thirty days but can now be completed in under a day.
  • Revolutionary War Link: General Andrew Lewis led his army along this route, delivering "the first blow for the independence of the colonies". Specifically, Colonel William Fleming's command marched on the Midland Trail from Lewisburg to Charleston in September 1774, a twelve-day journey to the mouth of Elk River.
  • Development of Transportation Routes: The trail evolved from an Indian path, potentially used by buffalo, into a formalized road like the James River & Kanawha Turnpike. A proposed canal across the mountains along this line was eventually superseded by the economic necessity of the steam railway. The C. & O. Railway, by following stream grades, influenced the state's development, leading to the growth of cities like Huntington and Charleston due to the demand for West Virginia's natural resources, especially coal.
  • Resurgence: The advent of pneumatic rubber tires in the "day of the new kind of wheel" revitalized the old trail, bringing it back into prominent use.

• III. Geological Theories and the Concept of "West Virginia as Atlantis"

  • Ancient Origins: Geologists indicate that this region represents the "oldest part of the nation since the continent rose from its last submergence". The Midland Trail traverses a "great peneplain," which is described as a plain.
  • West Virginia as Atlantis: Andrew Price advances the theory that West Virginia is the legendary Atlantis. He posits that during the Carboniferous age, the entire Western Hemisphere was submerged except for an "emerald isle" with boundaries similar to modern West Virginia, where lush vegetation formed vast coal deposits.
  • Erosion and Transformation: This land, initially a massive rock towering "forty or fifty thousand feet" above water, was gradually reduced by erosion to its current peneplain form. While appearing rugged, geologists recognize it as an eroded plain.
  • Source of the Theory: Price credits Dr. I. C. White, a "greatest of all geologists," for providing the insight that "nearly all the mountains of West Virginia were formed by erosion," which helped him develop his "mountains in the air" concept.
  • The erosional runoff from this plateau significantly contributed to the fertile lands of the Mississippi Valley.
  • Observing Atlantis: Price suggests that the Midland Trail offers the best vantage point to observe "Atlantis".

• IV. Key Locations and Features along the Midland Trail

  • Hawk's Nest: A "frightful place" on a cliff overlooking the New River canyon, through which the Midland Trail passes. The railroad town of Hawk's Nest also exists below the cliff.
  • Lewisburg: A pivotal intersection where the Midland Trail and the Seneca Trail cross. In 1774, Lewisburg served as the gathering point for the first army assembled to defy the British king's authority regarding western settlements. It was a notable town with six stores, a newspaper, three churches, an academy, and where the Supreme Court of Appeals regularly convened.
  • Charleston: The mouth of Elk River at Charleston was reached by Colonel William Fleming's army in September 1774. Camp 12, an early encampment in upper Charleston, used "Charlestown" as its countersign, reflecting the city's original name. The city was named in honor of Charles Clendenin.
  • St. Albans (Mouth of Coal River): The Midland Trail turns over a mountain here, diverging from the pioneer army's river route. George Washington had a 2,000-acre survey in this area.
  • Winfield: The county seat of Putnam County, located on the Great Kanawha River, known as a steamboat stop. A salvaged steamboat bell adorns its courthouse.
  • Guyandotte: Situated at the mouth of the Guyan River, Guyandotte was a significant inland port on the Ohio River, once rivaling Wheeling. The Midland Trail (State Highway No. 3) connects to Guyandotte from the mouth of Coal River. C. P. Huntington's selection of Cabell County, near Guyandotte, as a central point for his railroad led to the growth of Huntington, eventually encompassing Guyandotte.
  • Burning Springs: A survey co-owned by General Washington and Andrew Lewis was located here, a few miles above Charleston on the Kanawha River.
  • Kanawha Falls / Cedar Grove: In 1671, explorers Thomas Batts and Robert Fallam reached the Kanawha Falls, marking trees for King Charles II and claiming the territory. Cedar Grove, formerly Kelly's Station, is located at the mouth of Kelly's Creek and was the head of navigation for the Kanawha River. A fort was built there around 1774 by Captain William Morris.

• V. Notable Figures and Historical Episodes Associated with the Midland Trail

  • Andrew Price: President of the West Virginia Historical Society and author of "Plain Tales of Mountain Trails," which includes descriptions of the Midland Trail. He toured the trail in 1926 under a "roving commission".
  • William Price: An ancestor of Andrew Price, he was a weaver imprisoned for debt in Virginia in 1749. He escaped to the Big Levels of Greenbrier and later received a land grant after the Revolution.
  • Chief Cornstalk: A prominent Shawnee leader who conducted raids in the Greenbrier settlements, including a massacre near Lewisburg and Kerrs Creek in 1763. He made a peace treaty with Virginia after Dunmore's War in 1774 but was later killed at Fort Point Pleasant in 1777.
  • Hannah Dennis: A pioneer heroine captured by Cornstalk's party in 1761. She adapted to tribal customs, became a "sort of queen," and eventually escaped from Chillicothe, traveling back via the Midland Trail.
  • Siege of Fort Donnelly (1778): Shawnee Indians attacked Fort Donnelly in Greenbrier County to avenge Cornstalk's death. The fort, defended by 21 men, successfully repelled an attack by at least 200 Indians, notably aided by a slave named Dick Pointer.
  • General George Mathews: A distinguished soldier and officer under George Washington during the Revolutionary War, he fought in Dunmore's War and served as Governor of Georgia. He was involved in the "Yazoo Fraud" land scandal and a later mission to seize Florida for the United States.
  • John Field: A surveyor whose party was attacked by Indians at Kelly's Creek. He escaped and later joined Andrew Lewis's forces for the Point Pleasant campaign, where he was killed.
  • Battle of Point Pleasant (1774): Andrew Price asserts this as the "first battle of the Revolution," a view supported by Theodore Roosevelt's "Winning of the West". This war was fought "for the good of America" and facilitated land acquisition and national independence. Soldiers at Fort Gower issued resolutions asserting American liberty.

• VI. Civil War Activities on the Midland Trail

  • The Midland Trail was consistently utilized by both Union and Confederate armies throughout the Civil War.
  • Major Engagements: Battles on the Midland Trail included White Sulphur Springs, two battles at Lewisburg, Sewell Mountain, Carnifax Ferry, Cotton Hill, two battles at Fayetteville, Charleston (Sept. 13, 1862), Scary, Hurricane Bridge, three battles in Lincoln County (Sandy Lick, Curry Farm, Coon Creek), Winfield, Pore's Hill, and Guyandotte.
  • Confederate Commanders: Henry A. Wise and John B. Floyd were rival Confederate commanders in the Kanawha Valley. Wise's successes included the Battle of Scary. Floyd had served as President Buchanan's Secretary of War.
  • Indirect Fire Innovation: Milton W. Humphries, a gunner in Bryan's Battery, developed the science of indirect fire (or defilade fire) while serving in the Kanawha Valley. He first applied this technique at the second battle of Fayetteville in 1863, firing cannons at unseen targets using maps.
  • Charleston in the War: Confederate forces under General Loring occupied Charleston in 1862, bombarding the city on September 13. Federal General Lightburn evacuated his army. Loring later retreated to Lewisburg, and Federal forces reoccupied Charleston, holding it for the remainder of the war.
  • General George Crook: A Union general, known as the "Gray Fox," gained significant advancement after his victory at Lewisburg in 1862. He was noted for his disciplined "hard-boiled army" that had trained over winter. Crook later became a major general and commanded the Department of West Virginia, recognized for his fairness and understanding of Indian character.
  • Battle of White Sulphur Springs (1863): A two-day battle where Confederates built a road barricade. Union General Averell suffered his only defeat in 23 engagements during his command of the Fourth Separate Brigade, losing around 150 men killed.
  • Battle of Lewisburg (1862): This engagement saw General Crook's forces defeat General Henry Heth's army. It was described as a dramatic battle in a mountain town, combining various forms of combat.
  • Tuckwiler Hill Engagements: There were at least two, possibly three, battles fought at or near Tuckwiler Hill. Confederates won the first battle (May 1, 1862), and Federals won the second (May 12, 1862).
  • Tuning Company: A group of outlaws led by the Tuning (or Chewning) brothers, who plagued the region for years during the war. Al and Fred Tuning were killed in 1864, and Jack was imprisoned.

• VII. Mineral Waters along the Trail

  • West Virginia boasts an exceptionally rich area of mineral springs, noted for their volume and variety.
  • The Encyclopedia Britannica recognized 11 local springs among the 30 best in the U.S. and Canada.
  • Categories of Springs: These include thermal or indifferent springs (Healing, Warm, Hot Springs), calcareous and earthy springs (Sweet Springs, Berkeley Springs), and sulphur springs (White Sulphur Springs, Salt Sulphur Springs). Iron springs are also found (Rawley, Sweet Chalybeate, Rockbridge Alum).
  • Geological Explanation: The high concentration of mineral springs is attributed to the intense fissuring (faulting) of Devonian and Silurian rock formations due to the Appalachian upheavals, resulting in what are termed "Accordion Mountains".
  • Thermal springs originate from deep subterranean reservoirs, maintaining consistent temperature and volume regardless of seasons.
  • White Sulphur Springs: Historically, it was a significant deer lick. A tradition from 1772 tells of a terminally ill woman cured by bathing in and drinking its sulphur water. Located west of the Allegheny divide, it yields a considerable amount of solid matter upon evaporation.

The Seneca Trail

• I. General Description and Characteristics

  • The Seneca Trail is the primary north-south highway in West Virginia, running through "trough-like valleys" along the state's eastern border.
  • It derives its name from the historic warpath of the Seneca Indians.
  • This warpath was established after the 1722 Treaty of Albany, which confirmed the Allegheny Mountain as the boundary between Indian and white settlement lands.
  • The Seneca tribe, the most powerful of the Six Nations, used this well-traveled road for movement from the St. Lawrence waters to northern Georgia.
  • The old warpath remains visible in many places, often paralleling or occupying the same space as the modern highway.
  • The trail passes through the "Big Lime" geological region of Pocahontas County.

• II. Connection to the Wilderness Road and Western Expansion

  • Opening the Seneca Trail is expected to foster closer ties between the Greenbrier Valley and southwestern Virginia counties (Tazewell, Russell, Grayson, Washington), as well as connecting to the famed Wilderness Road leading into Kentucky.
  • Pioneers, feeling constrained by older settlements, moved westward, finding routes through Kentucky to bypass hostile Indian territories to the north and south.
  • Fincastle County was carved out of Botetourt County to encompass this rapidly growing western territory, including parts of present-day West Virginia, Southwest Virginia, and all of Kentucky.

• III. Noted Locations and Features along the Seneca Trail

  • Abbs Valley: Located at the head of the Bluestone River in Tazewell County, it was the site of the Moore family's settlement and subsequent massacre and capture by Shawnee Indians in 1784 and 1786. Mary Moore, one of the captives, notably kept a New Testament throughout her three-year captivity.
  • Droop Mountain: Recognized as the site of the "biggest battle ever fought in West Virginia," occurring in November 1863. The Federal forces ultimately prevailed, despite Confederate efforts to block roads and launch surprise attacks.
  • Marlins Bottom (now Marlinton): This area, initially settled by Jacob Marlin and Stephen Sewell, became the thriving town of Marlinton, established on land surveyed by Andrew Lewis. It was a strategically important crossing point on the Greenbrier River.
  • Flint Pits at Mill Point: These quarries contain high-quality flint nodules, locally termed "nigger-heads". They were extensively worked by Native Americans for centuries to produce tools and weapons. Flint was a "highest form of wealth" for primitive man, essential for cutting tools and weapons.
  • Camp Northwest: A significant Confederate headquarters and supply depot during the Civil War, situated on the Warm Springs and Marlins Bottom turnpike. It was destroyed by Federal forces in August 1863.
  • Travelers Repose (Bartow): An important point on the Staunton and Parkersburg Turnpike, serving as a stage road. It was the site of three Civil War battles in 1861.
  • Cheat Mountain: This area, characterized by its wild and dense evergreen forests, was a focal point for Civil War operations where lowlander armies faced immense challenges. Federal forces maintained Camp Cheat Mountain Summit (White's Top), while Confederates were at Camp Baldwin.
  • Philippi: This town was the site of the first battle of the Civil War, fought on June 3, 1861. Confederate forces under Colonel Porterfield were attacked by Union troops led by Colonel B. F. Kelly and Colonel Dumont.
  • Carrick's Ford: A decisive battle on July 13, 1861, where Confederate General Garnett was killed.

• IV. Notable Figures and Historical Episodes Associated with the Seneca Trail

  • West Virginia Historical Society: This organization was formed by a bill passed in the 1925 Legislature, known as Senate Bill No. 376. It is a corporate body charged with preserving and publishing the natural scenery, historic places, objects, and history of West Virginia. The Governor appoints 55 members, one from each county, for indefinite terms, based on their involvement in history preservation. The Society holds the power to acquire and preserve real and personal estate up to one million dollars and to publish state history. It also advises local municipalities on preserving and marking historic sites.
  • Governor Ephraim F. Pierpoint: He was the first governor of the reorganized government of Virginia, established in Wheeling to counteract the secessionist government in Richmond. His government's recognition by Washington was crucial for the eventual formation of West Virginia.
  • Robert E. Lee: In the summer of 1861, Lee commanded Confederate forces in the Greenbrier Valley. His attempts to outflank Federal positions on Cheat Mountain were hampered by his troops getting lost in the dense wilderness. His main activities in 1861 were concentrated in West Virginia. He did not become commander-in-chief of all Confederate forces until 1865.
  • General George Crook: The "Gray Fox" gained a strong reputation and rapid military advancement following his victory at Lewisburg. He later served as a major general, notably fighting Indians in the West.
  • Ambrose Bierce: A Union soldier who participated in the Cheat Mountain campaign in 1861. He documented the grim realities of war, including the disturbing sight of hogs consuming the faces of dead soldiers.
  • Meshach Browning: Author of "Forty-four Years of a Hunter's Life," he was a renowned hunter whose activities largely took place in Garrett County, Maryland, and Preston County, West Virginia. He is reported to have killed thousands of deer and hundreds of bears and panthers. His book also provides an account of the Siege of Fort Henry in 1777.
  • English Colony at Mingo: This community of English gentlemen fostered friendly relations and participated in sports like marathon races and soccer matches with the local mountaineers.
  • Westsylvania: Proposed in August 1776 by "the Irish on the western waters" (Backwoodsmen) as a "fourteenth colony". Its extensive proposed boundaries included most of West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, and parts of Pennsylvania. Virginia opposed its formation, instead creating the District of West Augusta to confirm settlers' land titles. The author suggests that the failure to establish Westsylvania directly contributed to the Civil War.
  • Backwoodsmen (Scotch-Irish): Described as a unique "supermanhood" race, these daring and resolute settlers moved into the mountains. They were self-sufficient, producing their own necessities, and developed a distinctive "wammus" (hunter's dress). They were highly skilled in Indian warfare and employed a "precise and deadly" long rifled gun.