The period of time covered by these events is 75 years. Of the two paragraphs devoted to Spotswood, one of the paragraphs, the longer one, expands upon Spotswood's trip across the Blue Ridge Mountains. Why did he make the trip? We learn it was because of his love of adventure and a desire to penetrate the country beyond the Blue Ridge, which had been supposed for a long time to present a barrier forever impassable to men. The history claims that Spotswood presented his companions with small golden horseshoes set with gems. From this arose the “Knights of the Golden Horseshoe”.
When you study the background of this trip in some detail, you realize that the primary purpose of the trip was to scout for land to take up. After the trip, he followed through with a claim on 40,000 acres of land that stretched almost from Germanna to beyond the present day Culpeper Court House.
The author of the history leaves you with the impression that Spotswood was the first white man in the Shenandoah Valley. The author ignores the adventurers who had previously visited and drawn maps, which were in the records in London.
The claim about the golden horseshoes is dubious. It is true that Hugh Jones said something to this effect, but then he repeated a lot of things which he learned by hearsay and not by personal investigation. He does sometimes get a little mixed up in what he writes. It might be asked, "Who could bestow the title of Knight?" That was a Royal prerogative, which even Lt. Governors could not do.
In short, the author of the history picked up some activities, the very existence of which are even dubious. Then, he used these to write a history of Spotswood, which becomes one-fifth of a 75 year history of Virginia.
(25 Sep 02)
