The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography

The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. XI, No. 2 (Oct., 1903), page 118

we came to Colonel Crissop,* at night, pretty well tired out. He received us very courteously. He asked at once whether the Brethren had received his letter which he had sent to them through his son. He referred to several tracts of land which the Brethren might buy. Several other people were with him, a gentleman from Maryland and a servant from Virginia, to whom he gave all kind of good information about Bethlehem, and also about the conversion of the Indians. On November 1st, Colonel Crissop told us yet many things about the good sections of land that could be had. He also showed us on a map where the Six Nations live. We traveled from Mr. Crissop over the North Branch, and in the afternoon came to Urban Kraemer. As he was not at home, we crossed the South Branch and came to the place of a Hollander, Peter Peterson, where we stayed over night. On November 2nd, as on the "Elders' Festival" [an important Moravian festival] we intended to remain quietly at one place for the whole day, but as we found no good place to lodge, we traveled the whole day up along the South Branch, thinking meanwhile of our dear Bethlehem. Leaving the mountains on our right-hand, we passed the place where the Mohawk and Catawba Indians fought a battle.† * Colonel Thomas Cresap, who came to Maryland from England in 1686, then aged fifteen years, and died at the age of 106. He was active in the French and Indian wars, and was the father of Captain Michael Cresap, the alleged slayer of the Indian Logan and his family. This long accepted story is vigorously controverted by M. Louise Stevenson in the April number, 1903, of the West Virginia Historical Magazine, pp. 144-162. Cresap Town in Alleghany county, Maryland, represents no doubt the place of his settlement and is named after him. † Kercheval, in his History of the Valley, mentions two Indian battles as having been fought in this locality. One engagement occurred, according to this authority, at Slim Bottom, about one and one-half miles from the mouth of the South Branch of the Potomac; the other, at Hanging Rocks on the same stream where the river passes through the mountains. Both of these places are within the limits of the present county of Hampshire. The latter seems to be referred to in this diary. For the road passes from Cresap Town southeast over the Patterson Creek (which is mentioned in other diaries) to Springfield and from there it crosses the South Branch of the Potomack at Hanging Rocks.