Accomack County Virginia USGenWeb Archives History - Books .....Accomac County History From Historical Collections Of Virginia By Henry Howe 1845
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Alice Warner http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00015.html#0003503 March 21, 2008, 5:14 pm

Book Title: Historical Collections Of Virginia By Henry Howe, 1845

Accomac County p. 163-164

[[Keep in mind this was written in 1845]]

This is the northernmost of the two counties forming the "eastern shore of
Virginia,"which is cut off from the rest of the state by Chesapeake Bay. Accomac
was formed from Northampton co., in 1872. The term Accawmacke -- as it was
anciently spelt -- is derived from a tribe of Indians who once inhabited this
region. It is about 48 miles long and 10 wide; its surface is level, and the
soil, though generally light, is in many parts fertile. It produces well, wheat,
corn, cotton, oats, &c., and an abundance of table vegetables. Pop 1830, 19,656;
1840, whites 9,518, slaves 4,630, free colored 2,848; total 17,096.

Accomac C.H., or Drummondstown, in the heart of the county, 212 miles E of
Richmond, contains about 40 dwellings. Horntown, Modest-town, and Pungoteague,
are small villages.

Upon the Atlantic coast are numerous islands, stretching along the whole length
of the "eastern shore." The two northernmost are Chincoteague and Assateague.
The first is about 8 miles long, and contains nearly a hundred families. About
one-third of their bread-corn is raised upon the island; the sea and wrecks
furnish the remainder of their subsistence. Assateague, though many times
larger, has but few inhabitants, and is unfit for the cultivation of corn. Its
rich bent-growing lands are subject to inundation from the spring tides. The
scenery around Chincoteague is in many places inexpressibly sublime, and the
view of the ocean and the surrounding cluster of islands, from the elevated
sand-hills of Assateague, is enchanting. The Farmer's Register, from which this
article is abridged, says that the Hebrides of Scotland, so profitable to their
proprietors, do not possess a hundredth part of the advantages of these Atlantic
 islands for all the purposes of comfortable living and extensive stock-raising;
yet, for want of enterprise, they are neglected. These islands are flat, sandy,
and soft, producing abundance of excellent grass.

Some thirty years since, an immense number of wild horses were raised upon these
islands, with no other care than to brand and castrate the colts. Their winter
subsistence was supplied abundantly by nature. The tall, heavy rich grass of the
flatlands affording them green food nearly the whole of the winter, the tops of
which alone were killed by the frosts, mild as usual so near the ocean. It was
customary to have annual gatherings in June, to drive these wild horses into
pens, where they were seized by islanders accustomed to such adventures, who
pushed fearlessly in among them. On being broken, more docile, and tractable
animals could not be found. The horses have been gradually diminishing, until on
one island they are nearly extinct, and the rustic splendor, the crowds, and the
wild festivity of the Assateague /i/horse-pennings/i/, are among the things that
were. 

The multitudes of both sexes that formerly attended these occasions of festal
mirth were astonishing. The adjoining islands were literally emptied of their
simple and frolic-loving inhabitants, and the peninsula itself contributed to
swell the crowd. For fifty miles above and below the point of meeting, all the
beauty and fashion of a certain order of the female population, who had funds or
favorites to command a passage, were sure to be there. All who loved wild
adventure, whose hearts danced at the prospect of a distant water excursion ,
and a scene of no ordinary revel, where the ocean rolled his billows almost to
their feet; all who had a new gown to show, or a pretty face to exhibit, who
could dance well or sing; belles that sighed for beaux, or beaux that wanted
sweethearts; all who loved to kiss or be kissed, to caress or be caressed; all,
in short, whose hearts delighted in romance without knowing its name, hurried
away to this anxiously-expected scene of extravagant jollity, on the narrow
thread of beach that the ocean seemed every moment to usurp. The imagination can
scarcely conceive the extravagant enthusiasm with which this exciting sport was
anticipated and enjoyed. It was a frantic carnival, without its debauchery. The
young of both sexes had their imaginations inflamed by the poetical narratives
of their mothers and maiden aunts, who in their more juvenile days were wont to
grace those sylvan fetes of the mad flight of wild horses careering away along a
narrow, naked level sand-beach, at the top of their speed, with manes and tails
waving in the wind, before a company of mounted men upon the fleetest steeds,
shouting and hallooing in the wildest notes of triumph, and forcing the animals
into the angular pen of pine logs prepared to enclose them. And then the
deafening peals of loud huzzas from the thousand half-frenzied spectators,
crowding into a solid mass around the enclosure, to behold the beautiful wild
horse in all his native vigor, subdued by man, panting in the toils, and furious
with heat, rage, and fright; or hear the clamorous triumphs of the adventurous
riders, each of whom had performed more than one miracle of equestrian skill on
that day of glorious daring; and the less discordant neighing of colts that had
lost their mothers, and mothers that had lost their colts, in the melee of the
sweeping drive, with the maddened snorts and whinnying of the whole gang -- all,
all together formed a scene of unrivalled noise, uproar, and excitement, which
few can imagine who had not witnessed it, and none can adequately describe.

But the play of spirits ended not here. The booths were soon filled, and loads
of substantial provision were opened, and fish and water-fowl, secured for the
occasion, were fried and barbecued by hundreds, for appetites whetted to
marvellous keenness by early rising, a scanty breakfast, exercise, and sea air.
The runlets of water, and the jugs of more exhilarating liquor, were lightened
of their burdens. Then softer joys succeeded; and music and dance, with love and
courtship, held their undisputed empire until deep in the night, when all sought
shelter and repose on board of their boats, moored by the shore, or among their
island friends, who gladly entertained them with characteristic hospitality.
Many a winter's evening tale did the incidents of those merry-making occasions
supply, and many a peaceful young bosom, of retired rural beauty, was assailed
with other emotions than the rough sports of an Assateague horse-penning
inspired; and from one anniversary of this half-savage festivity to another, all
was talk of the joy and transports of the past, and anticipations of the future.

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