The History of the City of Fredericksburg, Virginia

by S. J. Quinn

These pioneers remained at Germanna until about 1720, when, owing to some difference with Governor Spotswood, they removed to what is now Fauquier county, then Stafford, later Prince William, and in 1759 the portion they settled became Fauquier. They settled about nine miles south of Warrenton on a small stream called Licking Run and named the place Germantown—thus keeping up the German identity,—which is one mile north of Madison station on the Southern railroad.

Rev. James Kemper, in the paper referred to, says the first year they were in Germantown they “packed all of their provisions from Fredericksburg on their heads and raised their first crop with their hoes, in both of which the women bore a part.” This shows that the village, afterwards called Fredericksburg, was the trading place of the country above the falls at that period.

The names of the twelve men who, with their families, settled Germanna, are John Kemper, John Huffman, Jacob Holtzclaw, Tillman Weaver, John Fishback, Harman Fishback, Harman Utterback, John Joseph Martin, Peter Hitt, Jacob Coons, —— Wayman and —— Hanback. The Rev. Henry Hagen was their minister.

These people were picked men for a special purpose, to do that which no one then in Virginia could do—manufacture iron. Their descendants are scattered all over this country and have filled high positions in the Army and Navy, as well as in State and Church. They did two things worthy of note: They laid the foundation of the German Reformed Church in the United States,[9] and also the iron and steel industry, which now requires billions of dollars to carry on successfully, and both of these were done at Germanna, in Spotsylvania county, Virginia.

It has also been contended that the fort, built near the falls of the Rappahannock river, was constructed on the north side of the river and that the place where Falmouth now stands was the center of the military district.[10] This assertion is not substantiated by any record we have seen, and we are not prepared, in the absence of proof, to accept it.

There are two reasons which may be given which, we think, will show that the site of Falmouth would have been an improper and unsafe location for the fort, both of which would have suggested themselves to the constructors of the fort. One is, that the place is on the bend of the river and is surrounded by high hills, now known as Stafford Heights. From the crest of these hills the fort could have been attacked by the enemy and captured by any small force. And if it had not been captured the elevation would have given the Indians great advantage over the garrison, making their arrows very effective. To have placed the fort on either one of the high hills would have thrown the garrison too far from the river to protect their sail vessels, and in case they had been compelled to give up the fort they could not have reached their vessels in the river, which, in the past, had proved a safer refuge than the poorly constructed forts of that day.

The other reason is, that to have constructed the fort on the north side of the river would have placed the almost impassable Rappahannock between the garrison and their remote friends on the south side, from whom alone they could look for relief in case they had been besieged, or if they had been compelled to retreat.

For these reasons, if for no other, we are satisfied that the fort was not located on the north side of the river, but on the south side and in the vicinity of where Fredericksburg now stands.

But this author, in speaking of the fort, says “not one stone or brick of the fort is left on another, but the terraces on the long hill back of the riverside houses still bear traces of ancient work.” But this does not prove the contention.

It should be remembered that forts were not constructed in those times of stones and bricks, nor even of earthen walls, as they have since been, but of wooden poles or logs, and very temporary at that. John Fontaine gives a minute description of the fort built by the Germans at Germanna in the year 1714, which will help us to understand what a fort was in those days.