George Washington: Local History Myth and Mystery
By
Larry
Gordon Somers
I
was born and raised on a Somers family farm in the
Williamsburg community of Rockingham County, North Carolina. I
read family histories about my fourth-great grandfather
Captain Peter Summers being a friend of George Washington and
how he led a delegation of Revolutionary War veterans to meet
with the President at Guilford Courthouse during Washington’s
Southern Tour in 1791.
And
somehow I have been living with the
belief that Washington traveled through the Lenox Castle
neighborhood of the Williamsburg community where Mary Lynn and
I now live as he traveled from Iron Works in Rockingham County
to Gatewood in Caswell County on Friday, June 3, 1791.
In
April
of 2019 Dr. Lindley S. Butler, professor emeritus of history
at Rockingham Community College and noted North Carolina
historian, made the keynote address when the Museum and
Archives of Rockingham County dedicated the High Rock Park
just a couple of miles from our home. I came to realize then
that actually no one knows the route that President Washington
took through Rockingham and Caswell counties. Dr. Butler’s
thought provoking and illuminating remarks inspired me to do
some research and try to separate the myths and mysteries from
these beliefs.
I
immediately sought guidance and advice from Rockingham County
Historian Robert Wray Carter, Jr., whose extraordinary
knowledge of the history and people of Rockingham County is
legendary. As we begin to examine the possible routes that
Washington may have taken in his exhaustive travel from Iron
Works to Gatewood, his knowledge of the roads in existence in
1791 is essential to this presentation.
First,
let
us examine any purported relationship between Peter Summers
and George Washington.
Let
me
be clear. Any references to a personal relationship between
the Captain and the President are frankly nothing but pure
myth. There is no history of Peter Summers traveling into
Virginia. The only time Washington was in North Carolina was
on his Southern Tour in 1791 with the exception being 1763
when Washington supervised the surveying of land in the Dismal
Swamp of the northeast of the state. Peter was seven years old
at that time. Peter Summers was a first generation American
whose parents were from Ober Bexbach
in the Palatine region of what is now southwest Germany. That
family spoke a Germanic dialect. Washington spoke English.
Page
1
of 26
Unfortunately
most, if not all, of Peter Summers’ records (along with his
trench “war spear”) and the Summers family history from Ober Bexbach disappeared in 1916.
Neracissa
Summers was the daughter of Ludwig Summers and granddaughter
of Peter Summers. She lived in the Ludwig Summers home
overlooking the Summers mill on Reedy Fork Creek on what is
now NC Hwy 61 near Gibsonville. Ludwig Summers had been
entrusted with keeping a large trunk that had belonged to his
father Peter and his grandfather Jacob. That trunk contained
much of the family history. When Ludwig died in 1871
possession and safekeeping of the trunk fell to Neracissa.
Neracissa
died during the night of December 4, 1916, at the age of 95
years. Members of the family were present when she died.
Following her death that night the families went back to their
homes. When they returned the following morning
the trunk had disappeared.
To
this
day the trunk has never been found.
As
to
meeting with the President at Guilford Courthouse, Peter did
lead a delegation of former Revolutionary War soldiers in the
hopes of seeing President Washington. Washington writes in his
diary “On my approach to this place (Guilford) I was met by a
party of light horse which I prevailed on the Governor
(Martin) to dismiss and to countermand his orders for others
to attend me through the state.” Family histories do say that
Peter was present when the President and the Governor toured
the Guilford Courthouse battlefield.
Washington
did
not like for horsemen to try to lead him into any gathering of
people. The horses kicked up dust and even more importantly
the President liked to get out of the coach in which he
usually rode, mount his white stallion, and lead his entourage
to any gathering.
Washington
so
disliked the dust and escorts that he sometimes resorted to
clever tactics to avoid such inconveniences. On April 15 he
wrote “ Having suffered very much by the dust yesterday-and
finding that parties of horse & a number of other
Gentlemen were intending to attend me part of the way today...
I caused their enquiries respecting the time of my setting
out, to be answered that, I should endeavor to do it before
eight o’clock; but I did it a little after five, by which
means I avoided the inconvenience above mentioned.”
But
despite
the myth about any relationship between my esteemed ancestor
and President Washington, Peter Summers led a remarkable life
that needs no embellishment.
Page
2
of 26
On
May
16, 1771, Peter Summers celebrated his fourteenth birthday
fighting alongside his father, Jacob, at the Battle of
Alamance. Think about that for a minute. Fourteenth birthday.
Peter
was
made a Captain in the First North Carolina Battalion militia
while still a teenager. He was twice wounded in battle and was
included in the 5,266 colonial forces taken prisoner of war
during the Siege of Charleston. That siege lasted from March
29 to May 12, 1780. He was paroled along with other militia
following the colonial defeat with the promise that they would
not take up arms again against the Crown. Of
course that promise and oath were promptly broken by
many of the men.
He
was
not present at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse on March 18,
1781, as he was recovering from a wound most likely suffered
at the skirmish at Weitzel’s Mill very near his home twelve
days earlier. He would later own that very mill where the
remains of several British soldiers were found buried some
years later when a new raceway was being built. For his
services he was awarded one thousand acres of land in the
state of Tennessee.
Peter
Summers
died a proud patriot and devout Christian in 1837. He is
buried at Friedens Lutheran Church near Gibsonville, North
Carolina.
Now,
on
that day in early June of 1791, as to whether President
Washington traveled through the Lenox Castle neighborhood of
the Williamsburg community, we can only examine possible
routes he may have taken from Iron Works to the home of Dudley
Gatewood and analyze what might have been. As difficult as
this may seem, Washington left some important clues to this
mystery in his diary that will help in our study.
Here
are
the possible routes Washington may have taken based primarily
on the Samuel Lewis Map of 1795 or 1796 and the Price Strother
Map of 1806. I will examine each of these possible routes in
greater detail later.
(A)
Iron
Works Road to Gatewood : 30.0 Miles
(Primary
roads
now are Old US Hwy 29/Shady Grove Rd)
(B)
Dix
Ferry Road to Gatewood : 32.0 Miles
(Primary
roads
now are Grooms Rd/Lick Fork Creek Rd/Longbranch
Rd to Anderson Rd/Old US Hwy 29/Shady Grove)
(C)
High
Rock Road to Gatewood Via Quick Road/Dix Ferry : 38.7 Miles
(Primary
roads
now are NC 87/Gilliam/High Rock/NC 150/Ashland/Park
Springs/Quick/Anderson/Old US Hwy 29/Shady Grove)
Page
3
of 26
(D)
High
Rock Road to Gatewood Via Old NC 86 : 38.8 Miles
(Primary
roads
now are NC 87/Gilliam/High Rock/ NC 150/Ashland/Park
Springs/Old NC Hwy 86 through Purley
and Providence)
(E)
High
Rock to Gatewood Via Quick Road/Old Hwy US 29 : 42.1 Miles
(Primary
roads
now are NC 87/Gilliam/High Rock/ NC 150/Ashland/Park
Springs/Quick/Lick Fork Creek/Old US Hwy 29/Shady Grove)
All
of
the mileage is estimated based on the analysis included in
this presentation using current streets and roads that have
been actually measured. Where the roads no longer exist I have estimated mileage based on
current maps and scales using our best thoughts as to where
those roads existed in 1791.
What
is
important is the relationship of the various routes to each
other and why the mileage is crucial to understanding which
routes Washington may have taken. So, here are the details of
the mileage calculations of each of the possible routes.
(A)
Iron
Works to Gatewood : 30.0 Miles
Miles
1. Iron
Works
to Linders Via Monroeton Rd/Irons Works/
US Hwy 158/Richardson Drive 4.6
Note: Iron Works
is located on the Monroeton Road
at Troublesome Creek. Linders was
located at the intersection of Richardson Drive and Coach Road
in Reidsville where the Holy Lutheran Church is now located.
2. Linders to Way
Street via Richardson/Crescent/S.Park/
Pennrose/Parkway/S. Scales/Turner
Drive 1.4
3. Way
Street
to Madison St via SW Market/NW Market 2.1 (NW Market has been
renamed Martin Luther King St)
4. Madison
Street
to Old US Hwy 29 1.1
5. Old
US
Hwy 29 to Shady Grove Rd 14.4
6. Shady
Grove
Rd to NC Hwy 86 4.6
Page 4 of 26
7.
NC
Hwy 86 to Historical Marker on NC Hwy 86 at North Elementary
School
8.
Historical
Marker to (last) Dudley Gatewood house location 9. (Last)
Gatewood house location to original location
TOTAL MILES
Note:
*The
original Gatewood house location is estimated to be 0.5 miles
further towards the Dix Ferry as follows:
The
estimated
distance from the Dix Ferry to the last location of the
Gatewood house off Walters Mill Rd is
2.5 miles by current map scale. In his diary Washington wrote
“...Gatewood’s (was) within two miles of Dix’ Ferry over the
Dan...”
(B)
Dix
Ferry Road To Gatewood : 32.0
Miles
1. Iron
Works
to Linders Via Monroeton Rd/Iron Works/ US Hwy
158/Richardson Drive
2. Linders to Way
Street via Richardson/Crescent/S. Park/ Pennrose/Parkway/S.
Scales/Turner Drive
3. Turner
Drive/Way
St/ to Barnes St
4. Barnes
St
to Holiday Loop
5. Holiday
Loop
to Grooms Rd
6. Grooms
Rd
to Lick Fork Creek Rd
7. Lick
Fork
Creek Rd to Longbranch Rd
8. Longbranch
Rd to dead end
9. Dead
End
of Longbranch Rd to Quick Road
(estimated by scale)
Page 5 of 26
0.3
1.0
0.5 *
30.0
Miles
4.6
1.4
0.3
1.1
0.2
8.1
1.7
1.2 1.1
10.
Quick Rd to Dead
End of Anderson Rd (estimated by map scale)
11.
Anderson Road to
Old US Hwy 29
12.
Old US Hwy 29 to
Shady Grove Rd
13.
Shady Grove Rd
to NC Hwy 86
14.
NC Hwy 86 to
Historical Marker on NC Hwy 86 at North Elementary School
15.
Historical
Marker to Last Gatewood House Location
16.
(Last) Gatewood
House Location to Original Location
TOTAL
MILES
0.8
1.4
3.7 4.6
0.3
1.0
0.5
*
32.0
(C)
High
Rock Road to Gatewood Via Quick Rd/Dix Ferry Rd : 38.7 Miles
Miles
US
Hwy 158/Richardson Drive 4.6
1.
Iron
Works to Linders Via Monroeton Rd/Iron Works/
2.
Linders to Way St via
Richardson/Crescent/S. Park/Pennrose
Parkway/S. Scales/Turner 1.4
3.
Turner/Way
St to Barnes St 0.3 4. Barnes St to Holiday Loop 1.1 5.
Holiday Loop to NC Hwy 87 (Barnes St) 1.3 6. NC Hwy 87 to
(Hills Loop, Perkins Loop) Gilliam Road 2.8 7. Gilliam Road to
High Rock Rd 2.1
8.
High
Rock Rd to Lenox Castle Historical Marker on NC Hwy 150
(Estimate)
Page
6
of 26
2.4
*
9.
Lenox
Castle to Ashland Road
10.
Ashland/Park
Springs Rd to Quick Rd
11.
Quick Rd to Dead
End of Longbranch extended Across
Quick Rd to Dead End of Anderson Rd (estimate by map scale)
12.
Dead End of
Anderson to Old US Hwy 29
13.
Old US Hwy 29 to
Shady Grove Rd
14.
Shady Grove Rd
to NC Hwy 86
15.
NC Hwy 86 to
Historical Marker on NC Hwy 86 at North Elementary School
16.
Historical
Marker to Last Dudley Gatewood House Location
17.
Last Gatewood
House Location to Original Location
TOTAL
MILES
(D)
High
Rock Road to Gatewood Via Old NC Hwy 86 : 38.8 Miles
1. Iron
Works
to Linders Via MonroetonRd/Iron Works/ US Hwy
158/Richardson Drive
2. Linders to Way
St via Richardson/Crescent/S. Park/Pennrose/
Parkway/S. Scales/Turner Drive
3. Turner/Way
St
to Barnes Street
4. Barnes
Street
to Holiday Loop
5. Holliday
Loop
to NC Hwy 87 (Barnes St)
6. NC
Hwy
87 to (Hills Loop, Perkins Loop) Gilliam Road
Page 7 of 26
2.7
5.6
2.9
*
1.4
3.7
4.6
0.3
1.0
0.5
*
38.7
Miles
4.6
1.4
0.3
1.1
1.3
2.8
7.
Gilliam
Rd to High Rock Road 2.1
8.
High
Rock Road to Lenox Castle Historical Marker on NC Hwy 150
(Estimate) 2.4
9.
Lenox
Castle to Ashland Road 2.7
10.
Ashland
Rd to Park Springs Rd to Old NC Hwy 86 (through Purley
and Providence) to Gatewood House Historical Market on NC Hwy
86
at North Elementary School 18.6
11.
Historical
Marker to Original Dudley Gatewood House Location 1.5
TOTAL
MILES
38.8
(E)
High
Rock Rd To Gatewood Via Quick Rd/Old US Hwy 29 : 42.1 Miles
Miles
1.
Iron
Works to Linders Via Monroeton Road/Iron Works/
US Hwy 158/ Richardson Drive 4.6
2.
Linders to Way St via
Richardson/Crescent/S. Park/Pennrose/
Parkway/S. Scales/Turner Drive 1.4
3.
Turner/Way
St to Barnes Street 0.3 4. Barnes St to Holiday Loop 1.2 5.
Holiday Loop to NC Hwy 87 (Barnes St) 1.3 6. NC Hwy 87 to
(Hills Loop, Perkins Loop) Gilliam Road 2.8 7. Gilliam Road to
High Rock Road 2.1 8. High Rock Rd to Lenox Castle Historical
Marker on NC Hwy 150
(Estimate)
2.4
9. Lenox Castle to Ashland Road 2.7
Page
8
of 26
10.
Ashland/Park
Springs Road to Quick Road 5.6
11.
Quick Road to
Lick Fork Creek Road 4.4
12.
Lick Fork Creek
Road to Old US Hwy 29 0.1
13.
Old US Hwy 29 to
Shady Grove Road 6.8
14.
Shady Grove Road
to NC Hwy 86 4.6
15.
NC Hwy 86 to
Historical Marker on NC Hwy 86 at North
Elementary
School 0.3
16.
Historical
Marker to Last Dudley Gatewood House Location 1.0
17.
Last Gatewood
House Location to Original Location 0.5
TOTAL
MILES
42.1
Washington
wrote
in his diary “Took my leave of the Governor, whose intention
was to have attended me to the line, but for my request that
he would not and about four o’clock I proceeded on my journey,
breakfasted at Troublesome Iron Works, called fifteen but at
least is seventeen miles from Guilford, partly in the rain
and, from my information, or for want of it, was obliged to
travel twelve miles further than I intended to-day, to one
Gatewood’s within two miles of Dix Ferry over the Dan, at
least thirty miles from the Iron Works.”
So
Washington traveled twelve miles further than he intended with
two of those miles being from Guilford to Iron Works and ten
more miles being from Iron Works to Gatewood. When he refers
to Gatewood’s as being at least thirty miles from Iron Works
he most likely means the distance via the Dix Ferry Road
(calculated by current road mileage adjusted for abandoned
roads to be 31.4 miles) based on his travels that day compared
to whatever maps or directions he had available; or someone
could have told him it was thirty miles.
The
mileage
from Guilford to Iron Works is almost certainly based on the
route General Nathaniel Greene took following the Battle of
Guilford Courthouse. It has been only in recent years that a
map was discovered that one of the soldiers from Greene’s army
made along the route.
Page
9
of 26
Washington
would
have had access to General Greene’s maps and information
concerning the region. And equally important he would have
whatever information Governor Martin would have given to him
as we will examine later in this presentation.
How
accurate
was Washington in his mileage calculations? He based his
mileage estimates based on time. He knew from many years in
the saddle as a surveyor and later as a military officer that
a horse’s normal gait was five miles per hour. Hence, he
simply keep tract of the time of a
trip and converted it into miles adjusting for any stops along
the way.
In
its
January of 1932 edition, the National Geographic magazine’s
feature article was entitled “The Travels of George Washington
– Dramatic Episodes in His Career as the First Geographer of
the United States.” The author of this comprehensive article
was William Joseph Showalter.
Showalter
wrote
“The accuracy with which Washington on horseback gauged
distances well may excite our wonder. Often
he tells in his notes how far he traveled on a given day. In
many places where a staff member of the National Geographic
Magazine was able to check these distances with speedometer
readings, they corresponded remarkably with Washington’s
mileage record.”
Let
us
now begin to examine each of the possible following routes and
see which one(s) was or were the most likely that Washington
traveled on June 3, 1791. Of course
some of these conclusions may be speculative in nature so the
reader will have to exercise prudent judgment as to the
reasonableness of the analysis.
(A)
Iron
Works to Gatewood : 30.0 Miles
This
would
have been the shortest route but obviously it was not the one
he traveled. It would have meant that Washington traveled zero
miles further than he intended. Also
it just barely meets his observation that Gatewood’s was
“...at least thirty miles from the Iron Works.” Most likely
Washington had maps, information, or as previously noted, he
had been told that it was thirty miles from Iron Works to the
Dudley Gatewood home.
Why
this
route was not chosen may be one of the real mysteries of the
day. Most of this route is present day US Hwy Business 29 and
follows the top of a ridge. There are no creeks to cross and
it was the shortest way to
Gatewood.
Page
10
of 26
A
logical explanation as to why the route was not taken could be
simply that Washington did not take the Iron Works to Linders road at all. Instead he
followed another of General Greene’s routes down the Flat Rock
road and the Mizpah Church road. We will examine these options
later.
Or
maybe
he just missed the turn shortly after leaving Linders.
Perhaps
this
is why Washington wrote “...from my information, or want of
it, was obliged to travel twelve miles further than I intended
to-day...”.
(B)
Dix
Ferry Road to Gatewood : 32.0 Miles
This
would
have been the most likely normal route from Iron Works to
Gatewood but obviously it was not the chosen one because,
again, it would have meant that Washington traveled virtually
no miles further than planned.
But
there
could be another more practical reason he did not take the Dix
Ferry Road. Here another clue appears in Washington’s diary
“...I proceeded on my journey...partly in the rain...”.
The
Dix
Ferry road proceeded down Grooms road to Longbranch
road. Today Longbranch dead ends
about 1.1 miles from the Quick road. In 1791 it would have
proceeded to Quick Road and across it about another 0.8 miles
to the Anderson road. The Longbranch
dead ended before proceeding to the Quick road and was
abandoned for a very practicable reason. It may have been
impassible during much of the year.
The
Longbranch to Quick road would
have passed very near to the confluence of Lick Fork Creek and
Hogans Creek. That area today is a
low lying marsh. And in 1791 I
suspect it was the same. Travel over that section of the Dix
Ferry road would have been nearly impossible during the summer
months except during extended dry periods. And the road from
the marsh up to Quick Rd is very steep making difficult and
dangerous footing for horses. Washington spent a lifetime
taking exceptional care of his horses. He would not have
wanted to expose them to such dangers.
Washington
had
spent nights with Governor Martin at Salem and Guilford
Courthouse and a full day traveling with him from Salem to the
Guilford Battlefield. There can be little doubt that the
President and the Governor discussed the routes Washington
might take on June 3. Governor Martin, being a long-time
resident of the area, and others would have been quite
familiar with the Dix Ferry road terrain and its possible
condition.
Page
11
of 26
I
should here interject some personal observations. During my
rockhounding days more than four decades ago, Charlie “Red” Setliff , who grew up nearby this area
in the Mayfield community, and I went searching for gold in
what is now the abandoned parts of the Longbranch
and Anderson roads. There was supposed to be an old gold mine
somewhere behind the former Ruffin High School but the only
things we found were insect bites, blisters, and bruises. The
abandoned part of the Anderson road is hilly and has some
small branches and streams . The terrain is very rough but
somewhat more suitable for travel than the abandoned part of Longbranch.
As
I
shall discuss in more detail later, I am most familiar with
the area around the Quick Road bridge over Hogans Creek.
Of course
there is another reason Washington did not take the Dix Ferry
Road from Iron Works. He wrote he traveled twelve miles
further than he intended (including two miles further from
Guilford to Iron Works) “...from my information, or for want
of it...” This leaves the possibility that rather than
avoiding the Dix Ferry Road due to terrain issues he simply
missed the turn off shortly after leaving Linders and proceeded by a detour
route via High Rock.
For
these
reasons I have concluded that the Dix Ferry Road was not an
option for Washington with the possible exception of the long
since abandoned Anderson road portion.
(C)
High
Rock Road to Gatewood Via Quick Rd/Dix Ferry Rd : 38.7 Miles
This
is
the shortest of the three routes from High Rock to Gatewood
and this is a good time to review several matters along this
route.
In
1791
Lenox Castle was known as Rockingham Springs. And the route
from
High Rock to Rockingham Springs was well known to both General
Greene and Governor Martin. On June 24, 1790, Governor Martin
had convened a meeting of the North Carolina Council of State
at Rockingham Springs and one of the items on the agenda of
that meeting was writing a letter to President Washington
expressing their well wishes. So, Washington could have been
familiar with Rockingham Springs as well.
Page
12
of 26
The
route
from High Rock to Rockingham Springs is basically unchanged
today from High Rock to NC Hwy 87. However
in 1791 High Rock Rd continued straight across NC Hwy 87
through farms owned at one time by Annie Belle Dawson McKinney
and her husband Albert R. “Bud” McKinney and a farm owned by
my grandparents Ira Lawrence Somers and Lillie May Dawson
Somers, sister of Annie. Annie had inherited her farm as a
child from her aunt Jerusha
Dawson Robertson.
The
two
farms are now owned by Rodney C. Ross and Melvin Lee
Blackwell. Very near the boundary line of these farms is a
small stream believed to have once been known as Robertson
branch. That branch is spring fed and, along with other
springs, provides water for a pond on the now Blackwell farm.
The
road
then joined what is now Citty
Store road at the Blackwell home at 516 Citty
Store Rd.
Citty Store
road then ends at Somers Loop. My Somers grandparents also
owned the farm at that intersection and Mary Lynn and I now
live on part of that farm. The High Rock road then kept
straight at the intersection of now Citty
Store Rd and Somers Loop across to what is now NC Hwy 150. The
road then went behind what is now the Ira Lee Somers home at
3060 NC Hwy 150, the Monroe (Bud) Hemperly
and Beverly Somers Hemperly home
(3072), the Donald L. Brown home (3114) and the William Dewey
Brown and Hannah Stadler Brown home place at 3130 NC Hwy 150
and then joins NC Hwy 150 at the Lenox Castle historical
marker at 3230 NC Hwy 150. I estimate the original High Rock
road from Gilliam Rd to the historical marker for Lenox Castle
on NC Hwy 150 to be 2.4 miles.
All
three
of the High Rock Rd routes to Gatewood require crossing Hogans Creek. When I first began this
study I was concerned about
problems related to crossing creeks as, of course, there were
no bridges over Hogans Creek at
that time. But that should have been no concern.
Roads
crossed
creeks where the terrain and water levels would allow for safe
passage for wagons or coaches. Such crossings could be
dangerous to animals and people alike if the water levels were
too high or the hills too steep.
Page
13
of 26
And
to
this I will add another personal observation. My cousin Gerald
Lynn “Jerry” Williamson and I spent the first three years of
our lives living with our mothers, Geneva Morefield Clayton
Williamson and Ada Helen Clayton Somers at grandpa George Lee
Clayton’s home less that one half mile south of Hogans Creek on the Quick Road.
Jerry’s
sister
Patricia Ann “Pat” and my brother Danny George joined us in
1944. Our fathers, Lynn Banks Williamson and Gordon Lawrence
Somers were serving in the US Army during World War II until
December, 1944. Grandpa Clayton was sharecropping that farm on
the Quick Road where we spent many happy times swimming in Hogans Creek during our childhood
years.
The
water
levels at the bridge over Hogans
Creek were never more that a foot
or so deep when we where children
and have changed very little over the past seventy plus years.
I suspect the water levels in 1791 were much the same. Hence
the lack of any bridge was no issue for travels.
Now,
Washington
wrote that “... Gatewood’s (was)...at least thirty miles from
the Iron works.” And we have deducted that he traveled ten
miles further than he intended from Iron Works to Gatewood.
Meaning he traveled at least forty miles from Iron Works to
Gatewood. This route is 38.7 miles and probably too short to
qualify as the route Washington took. One of my favorite
sayings is “Possible But Not
Probable”. And this is how I would judge this route.
(D)
High
Rock to Gatewood Via Old NC 86 : 38.8 Miles
This
route
also falls in the “Possible But
Not Probable” category. And it’s an intriguing possibility.
In
1791
the Caswell County seat and courthouse was in Leasburg. It was
not until a year later that Person County was formed from
Caswell and the seat of government and courthouse for Caswell
was relocated to present day Yanceyville, a more central
location for the county.
Also,
in
1791, people from the northwestern parts of Caswell County
would have traveled to Leasburg primarily via Old NC Hwy 86.
At its northern most location Old Hwy NC 86 joined the Old Dix
Ferry Road near present day North Elementary School.
Page
14
of 26
The
map
of George Washington’s travels included with the 1932 National
Geographic article is both interesting and confusing with
regards to the President’s travels from Iron Works to
Gatewood. It shows his route as being to the east of any of
the routes herein identified and passing just west of Leasburg
and heading north to Halifax Old Town. Most importantly it
does not show any stop at Gatewood nor does it recognize that
Washington wrote that he “Left Mr. Gatewood’s about half after
six o’clock and between his house and the Ferry passed the
line which divides the state of Virginia and North Carolina
and...lodged at Halifax old Town”. This would have been an
impossible day’s trip of well over seventy miles.
Apparently
those who made the map knew virtually nothing about
Washington’s route from Iron Works to Gatewood or his
overnight stay there. Hopefully with this study we now have a
better idea of the President’s route.
Again,
the
day’s journey from Iron Works to Gatewood was more than forty
miles. This route is about 38.8 miles. It falls in the
Possible But Not Probable
category.
(E)
High
Rock Road to Gatewood Via Quick Rd/Old US Hwy 29 : 42.1
Miles
Finally we
have a route that meets the “at least” forty miles measure.
And it makes a lot sense.
If
Washington
had avoided or missed the Dix Ferry Road from Linders by way of present
day Grooms, Lick Fork Creek, and Longbranch roads as previously
discussed, it seems probable he would have continued to avoid
the Dix Ferry road as it crossed the Quick Rd and continued on
via the present day Anderson Road.
From
where
the Dix Ferry Road intersected with the Quick Road it was only
about 1.5 miles to Old US Hwy 29.
In
his
magnificent book “When the Past Refused to Die – A History of
Caswell County, North Carolina 1777-1977” noted Professor
William S. Powell
of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill wrote in
1982 that
“Washington’s journal indicates that he was not well informed
concerning the route he was to follow and he was obliged to
ride twelve miles farther than he had intended. It must have
been late in the day when he arrived at “One Gatewoods’ within two miles of Dix’
ferry...”
Page
15
of 26
Let’s
see
how this route would have matched up with the famous
historian’s comment that “It must have been late in the
day...”
Apparently
Washington traveled between fifty-nine and sixty miles on June
3, about twice as many miles as he would have normally
traveled in a day’s journey. Of course, he would not have had
to make any social or official visits along the way. That’s
seventeen miles from Guilford to Iron Works, more than thirty
miles he calculated the distance from Iron Works to Gatewood
plus ten additional miles unaccounted for on the Iron Works to
Gatewood route.
According
to
the Showwalter article in the
National Geographic magazine “ He (Washington) modestly says
his habitual gait on horseback was five miles an hour”.
Allowing for his coach to travel four and a half miles per
hour, which was normal for the times, that means he spent
about thirteen and one half hours
in route and allowing another one and a half hours or so for
breakfast at Iron Works and to water his horses and take care
of any necessaries along the way resulting in a days trip of nearly fifteen hours.
From
Guilford
he wrote “...about four o’clock I proceeded on my journey...”
This means he would have arrived at Gatewood by somewhere
around six forty five o’clock in
the afternoon. That would be only about forty
five minutes before sunset At 7:31 p.m. Eastern
Standard time (no Daylight Savings time in those days). He
would most definitely have arrived “...late in the day...”
That
was
a very long day’s journey for sure, and obviously most tiring.
Maybe that is why Washington wrote that he “Left Mr.
Gatewood’s about half after six o’clock ...” instead of his
normal four o’clock morning departure. Or maybe the ferry
wasn’t available until after he left Gatewood’s.
Before
concluding,
we must examine another possibility. Let us assume that
Washington did not travel from Iron Works to Linders. Instead he chose to follow
another of General Greene’s routes from Iron Works to High
Rock via the Flat Rock/Mizpah Church roads.
These
routes
would have been Iron Works on Monroeton
Rd/US Hwy 158/Flat Rock/Old Hwy US 29/Mizpah Church/Cooks
Florist/Freeway Drive to Barnes Street (NC Hwy 87). This
distance measures 11.7 miles.
A
second route would be Iron Works on Monroeton
Rd/US Hwy 158/Flat Rock/Old Hwy US 29/Mizpah Church/NC Hwy 87
/ Gilliam Road/High Rock Rd. This distance measures 14.5
miles.
Page
16
of 26
(A)(1)
Iron
Works to Gatewood Alternate Via Flat Rock/Mizpah Church Rds
1.
Iron
Works to US Hwy 158/Flat Rock/Mizpah Church/ Cooks
Florist/Freeway Drive/Barnes Street (NC Hwy87)
2.
Barnes
Street to Grooms/Holiday Loop/Barnes/Turner to Way St
3.
Way
Street to Original Gatewood House Location
TOTAL
MILES
11.7
Miles
2.7
24.0
38.4
(B)(1)
Dix
Ferry Rd to Gatewood Alternate Via Flat Rock/Mizpah Church Rds
1.
Iron
Works to US Hwy 158/Flat Rock/Mizpah Church/ Cooks
Florist/Freeway Drive/Barnes Street (NC Hwy 87)
2.
Barnes
Street to Grooms Rd
3.
Grooms
Rd to Original Gatewood House Location
11.7
Miles
1.1
24.0
TOTAL
MILES
(C)(1) High Rock Rd to Gatewood Alternate Via Flat
Rock/Mizpah Church Rds
1.
Iron
Works to US Hwy 158/Flat Rock/US Hwy 29 Business/ Mizpah
Church/NC Hwy 87/Gilliam Rd/High Rock Rd
2.
High
Rock to Original Gatewood House Location
TOTAL
MILES
(D)(1)
High
Rock Road to Gatewood/Old NC Hwy 86 Alternate Via Flat
Rock/Mizpah Church Roads
1.
Iron
Works to US Hwy 158/Flat Rock/US Hwy Business 29/ Mizpah
Church/NC Hwy 87/Gilliam Rd/High Rock Rd
2.
High
Rock Rd to Original Gatewood House Location
37.2
14.5
Miles
25.1
39.6
14.5
Miles
25.2
39.7
TOTAL
MILES
Page
17
of 26
(E)(1)
High
Rock Road to Gatewood/Quick Rd/Old Hwy US 29 Alternate Via
Flat Rock/Mizpah Church Roads
1. Iron
Works
to US Hwy 158/Flat Rock/US Hwy Business 29/ Mizpah Church/NC
Hwy 87/Gilliam Rd/High Rock Rd
2. High
Rock
Rd to Original Gatewood House Location
TOTAL
MILES
COMPARISON
OF
ORIGINAL ROUTES TO ALTERNATE ROUTES
14.5
Miles
28.4
42.9
(A)
Original Route (A)(1) Alternate
(B)
Original Route (B)(1) Alternate
(C)
Original Route (C)(1) Alternate
(D)
Original Route (D)(1) Alternate
(E)
Original Route (E)(1) Alternate
30.0
Miles 38.4
32.0
37.2
38.7
39.6
38.8
39.7
42.1
42.9
A
logical conclusion is that of all the possible routes
Washington could have taken on June 3, 1971, the most probable
routes would have been the High Rock to Lenox Castle routes.
The alternate High Rock Route would have taken a few minutes
longer than the original route and would have meant that he
would have traveled a little less than a mile farther.
Traveling either route he would have arrived at Gatewood’s
about forty-five minutes before sunset.
Page
18
of 26
Conclusion
–
Iron Works to Gatewood
Again,
of
all the possible routes Washington could have taken on June 3,
1791, the most probable routes would have been from Iron Works
to Linders to High Rock to Lenox
Castle (Route (E); or from Iron Works to High Rock to Lenox
Castle by way of the Flat Rock Road and the Mizpah Church Road
(Route (E)(1).) From Lenox Castle (Rockingham Springs) he
would have traveled down NC Hwy 150 to Ashland and taken the
Ashland/Park Springs Road to Quick Road. From Quick Road he
would have traveled to Lick Fork Creek Road over to Old US Hwy
29. From Old US Hwy 29 he would then travel to the Shady Grove
Road to Old US Hwy 86 down to the Dix Ferry Road to Dudley
Gatewood’s home.
The
distance
of these routes would have been about forty-two or forty-three
miles. Of course, he had already traveled seventeen miles from
Guilford to Iron Works.
And
yes,
he would have traveled through the Lenox Castle neighborhood
of the Williamsburg Community. So maybe I didn’t just dream
this up after all.
Most
certainly,
we might never be able to prove this hypothesis unless more
information becomes available. Therein lies the challenge to
future historians.
Alas,
until
such time in the future the actual route can be verified the
President’s journey through Rockingham and Caswell counties
must remain a mystery.
But
for
me, I think I will continue to believe that President
Washington traveled through our part of Rockingham County.
As
Marguerite
Holt, former President of the Museum & Archives of
Rockingham County is fond of saying “And who’s to say any
different”.
Yes
indeed.
Larry
G.
Somers
321 Somers Loop
Reidsville, North Carolina 27320
Page
19
of 26
ADDENDUM
When
I
began this quest, I had no idea where it might lead, what the
possible routes might be or what the conclusion, if any, might
be. If fact, I didn’t even know where the Dudley Gatewood
house had been located. That is a story that needs to be told.
During
the
1970’s my brother Danny and our cousins James William (Jimmy)
Cobb and Joseph Elwood (Joe) Cobb delivered liquid propane gas
to a tobacco barn located behind the Gatewood house. The barn
and house were on a farm owned by George Rosser Carter who
lived nearby on NC Hwy 86.
They
each
tried to tell me where they remembered the house was located
and Jimmy drove me down to Gatewood and indicated to me where
he remembered it was located across an open field.
I
wrote down the address nearby as 533 Walters Mill Road and
called the telephone number at that address. A very nice lady
who identified herself as Marie Gilliam was willing to help me
locate the exact location of the Gatewood house. She verified
it was exactly where my cousin Jimmy had pointed out. It was
located between the Gilliam home and the home of her next door neighbor Peggy Martin, a
retired employee of Rockingham Community College. There is an
open field and a distance of several hundred yards between the
Gilliam and Martin homes. The Gatewood house was located in a
grove of trees about one hundred yards or so north of Walters
Mill Road.
But
then
things really got complicated.
I
found this article in the December 12, 1924 edition of The
Bee, Danville, Virginia, newspaper titled “Too Valuable To Be Lost”.
It
reads
as follows “Relics of the administration of George Washington
are too valuable to be allowed to escape preservation and for
that reason one may hope with all earnestness that the house
in which the patriot was sheltered near Danville 133 years
ago, will be fortified against the ravages of time. The
historic event amounts almost to a discovery for comparatively
few living in Caswell county the passing visit of Washington
in these parts in 1791 remained virtually unknown until
recently proof of the visit was revealed in Washington’s own
diary. While it is true that the historical value of the
house is somewhat depreciated by reason of the fact that the
dwelling today is not where it was when Washington spent the
night in it, there is sufficient atmosphere which warrants
its preservation, especially since in the rebuilding of the
Dudley Gatewood home the room which Washington stayed in was
carefully reproduced with its original material. (Bold
lettering is by the author).
Page
20
of 26
Article
continues
as “The structure now is perilously near ruin but it is not
too far gone to be made proof against the unfailing aggression
of time. Perhaps now that the authenticity of the Washington
visit has been substantiated, Mr. E. W. Carter, the present
owner, will take such steps as are necessary to preserve it.
The American Daughters of the Revolution, of Danville, who are
already interested in the Gatewood Home, are planning to place
a permanent marker on the dwelling. Doubtless they would like
to acquire the property, but it could not be expected that the
local organization could undertake perpetuation on such a
scale as this, even if the present owner were willing to
dispose of it. It would, however, be a pity in view of the
established antiquity of the old homestead to be lost
entirely.”
So the
location of the Gatewood house about a hundred yards or so
north of the Walters Mill road was not where Washington
actually slept. It was the right house but the wrong location.
By my calculations, the original location was at least a half
of a mile down the Dix Ferry Rd nearer the ferry from its last
location.
The
historical
marker on NC Hwy 86 says the Dudley Gatewood home “...stood 1
mi. N.E.” of the marker. I do not know whether this makes reference to the final location
of the home or its original location. If it refers to the
original location the sign might more accurately say 2 miles.
But I defer to the judgment of the good people of Caswell
County as to the proper wording.
Sadly the
old house was sold and torn down and much of the timbers and
wood moved to Hillsborough about 1978. The rebuilt portions of
the house are now in a restaurant in Boone Village off
Business I 85 and I 40.
Regardless
of
which route Washington took from Iron Works to Gatewood, there
would have been precious few people through this “backcountry”
that might have witnessed the procession. That is a real
shame, not only because there are apparently no oral histories
that can be verified but also because they would have been
treated to a spectacle to behold.
Washington
rode
in the “presidential limousine” of the day. It was a white
coach drawn by what were probably four dark chestnut brown
horses. The coach was adorned with ivory and gilt trim with
the Washington coat of arms decorating the quarter panels.
There
was
a second wagon to carry the baggage of the entourage.
Washington was accompanied by his private secretary, Major
William Jackson, his personal valet, and as many as a four or
five coachmen and assistants. Washington’s white stallion
“Prescot” was available for the President to mount when
arriving at any gathering of people in towns or villages.
Page
21
of 26
The
coachmen
and assistants were all decked out in bright red dress and
provided a most impressive appearance.
Even
if
there were people along the route to see Washington, very few
would have recognized who he was. He was tall, standing six
foot three or more, had light brown hair and unlike most of
his contemporaries never wore a wig. He did, however, powder
his hair white on formal occasions.
Finally,
I
conclude by examining speculation that Washington “got lost
and went up in Virginia” on his way to Gatewood. I have not
included the mileage calculations in the primary analysis
because I believe if Washington had traveled into Virginia on
June 3 he would have noted such in his diary as he wrote the
following day that he “...passed the line which divides the
state of Virginia and North Carolina...”
Crossing
that
state line was a noteworthy event. It meant he had no official
functions left and was on his final leg home. There is no
mention of crossing the state line in Washington’s dairy of
June 3.
Nevertheless,
here
are the mileage numbers for the possible routes if the
President “got lost and went up in Virginia”.
(B)
Took
Wrong Turn at Old Hwy US 29 and Shady Grove Road And Doubled
Back
to
Shady Grove Road
Miles
1.
Intersection
of Old Hwy US 29 and Shady Grove Road to
Virginia state line on Old Hwy US 29 2.0
2.
Virginia
state line on Old Hwy US 29 back to Shady Grove Rd 2.0
TOTAL
MILES
4.0
This
route
assumes Washington got “lost” and continued down the Old
Hwy US 29 to the Virginia state line. Upon realizing his mistake he then
turned around and headed back to the Shady Grove Road to
continue on to Gatewood. Turning around a coach or wagon drawn
by four horses would have been difficult. The roads were
narrow and would have been tree lined with very few open
spaces.
Page
22
of 26
(C)
Took
Wrong Turn at Old Hwy US 29 and Shady Grove Road and
Continued Up Old US 29 to VA Hwy 86 and South to Gatewood
Miles
1. Intersection
of
Old Hwy US 29 and Shady Grove Road
to dead end of Old Hwy US 29 at Corning Drive in VA 2.2
2. Corning
Drive
to West Main Street 0.3
3. West
Main
Street through Schoolfield and
Ballou Park
to VA/NC Hwy 86 4.3
4. VA/NC
Hwy
86 to Historical Marker on NC 86 3.7
5. Historical
Marker
to Original Gatewood House Location 1.5
TOTAL
MILES
12.0
This
route
assumes that Washington got “lost” and continued down Old Hwy
US 29 until it intersected with VA/NC 86 and then turned South
on VA/NC 86 until reaching the Dix Ferry Rd before continuing
to the Dudley Gatewood House.
In
order
for this route to be plausible, one would have to conclude
that Washington was willing to travel nearly seven miles into
Virginia when he most certainly would have known that the
Dudley Gatewood house was in North Carolina.
Let
us
now compare the effect of “getting lost” on all of the
identified routes. When we consider lost route C the
net effect is 5.6 miles (12.0 miles less the 6.4 miles from
the intersection of Old Hwy US 29 and Shady Grove Road down Shady Grove Road to Gatewood.)
Route
A(B)
A(1)(B)
A(C)
A(1)(C)
Miles
Additional
“Lost” Miles
30.0
4.0
38.4
4.0
30.0
5.6
38.4 5.6
Page
23
of 26
Total
Miles
34.0
42.4
35.6
44.0
Route
Miles
B(B) 32.0 B(1)(B) 37.2
B(C) 32.0 B(1)(C) 37.2
C(B)
38.7 C(1)(B) 39.6 C(C)
38.7 C(1)(C) 39.6
D(B)
38.8
D(1)(B)
39.7
D(C)
38.8
D(1)(C)
39.7
Additional
Miles
4.0
4.0
5.6
5.6
4.0
4.0
5.6
5.6
NA*
NA*
NA*
NA*
Total
Miles
36.0
41.2
37.6
42.8
42.7
43.6
44.3
45.2
38.8
39.7
38.8
39.7
*
Additional miles are not applicable since this route never
travels
down
Old
Hwy NC 29.
E(B)
42.1 4.0 46.1 E(1)(B) 42.9
4.0 46.9 E(C) 42.1 5.6 47.7 E(1)(C) 42.9 5.6
48.5
Page
24
of 26
Here
is
the mileage and projected time of arrival at Gatewood’s for
all of the possible routes.
Route
A
B
A(B) A(C)
(B)(B)
B(1)
B(C) A(1)
C
D
D(B) D(C)
D(1)(B)
D(1)(C)
C(1) D(1) B(1)(B)
E
A(1)(B) C(B) B(1)(C) E(1) C(1)(B) A(1)(C) C(C) C(1)(C) E(B)
E(1)(B) E(C) E(1)(C)
Iron
Works
to Gatewood’s
30.0
32.0
34.0 35.6
36.0
37.2
37.6 38.4
38.7
38.8
38.8
38.8
38.8
38.8
39.6
39.7
41.2 42.1 42.4
42.7
42.8
42.9 43.6 44.0 44.3 45.2 46.1 46.9 47.7 48.5
Page
25
of 26
Projected
ETA
4:00
PM
4:30 4:50
5:10
5:15
5:30
5:35
5:50
5:55 5:55
5:55
5:55
5:55 5:55
6:05
6:05
6:25 6:40 6:45
6:50
6:50
6:50
7:00
7:00
7:05 7:20
7:30
7:40
7:50
8:05
Short
Description
Iron
Works
Dix Ferry Road Iron Works/VA
Iron
Works/VA
Dix Ferry/VA
Dix Ferry/Flat Rock Dix Ferry/VA
Iron Works/Flat Rock
High
Rock/Quick/Dix
Ferry High Rock/ Old NC 86
VA Route Not Applicable
VA Route Not Applicable
VA
Route
Not Applicable VA Route Note Applicable
High
Rock/Flat
Rock High Rock/Old NC 86
Dix
Ferry/Flat
Rock/VA High Rock/Quick
Iron
Works/Flat
Rock/VA High Rock/Quick/VA
Dix
Ferry/Flat
Rock/VA High Rock/Flat Rock/Quick High Rock/Flat Rock/VA
Iron Works/Flat Rock/VA High Rock/VA
High Rock/Flat Rock/VA High Rock/Quick/VA
High
Rock/Flat
Rock/VA High Rock/Quick/VA
Total
Miles
47.0
49.0
51.0 52.6
53.0
54.2
54.6 55.4
55.7
55.8
55.8
55.8
55.8
55.8
56.6
56.7
58.2 59.1 59.4
59.7
59.8
59.9
60.6
61.0
61.3 62.2
63.1
63.9
64.7 65.5
High
Rock/Flat
Rock/VA Note: Sunset was at 7:31 PM.
About
the
Author
Larry
G.
Somers graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill with BSBA and MBA degrees. His “Grow Vinifera in North Carolina – But
Where-Hope for the Tobacco State” article published in the Vinifera Wine Growers Journal in 1986
pioneered efforts to grow vinifera wine grapes in North
Carolina. He formerly served on the Reidsville City Board of
Education and Reidsville City Council. He has written several
opinion editorials in local newspapers about issues of local
interest.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The
author
would like to express his appreciation to the following people
whose help was instrumental in researching and writing this
paper:
Dr.
Lindley
S. Butler. Professor emeritus of history at Rockingham
Community College and noted North Carolina historian and
author.
Robert
Wray
Carter, Jr. Rockingham County Historian and author.
Peter
T.
“P.T.” Deutermann. Retired United
States Navy Captain and writer of mystery, suspense and
thriller novels.
Cassandra
Britt
Farrell. Senior Map Archivist of the Library of Virginia in
Richmond.
Rick
Frederick.
Long time member, Archivist and
Webmaster of the Caswell County Historical Association.
Charles
D.
Rodenbough. Author and long-time
member of the Rockingham County Historical Society.
Marguerite
Harris
Holt and my wife, Mary Lynn Bowen Somers, former teachers
whose edit skills were sorely needed.
My
brother
Danny George Somers and our cousins Jimmy and Joe Cobb.
And
last,
but most certainly not least, my nearly ninety-eight years old
mother Helen Clayton Somers whose memory is still much better
than mine.
Page
26
of 26