e drank the King's health in
champagne and fired a volley, and the Princess's health in
Burgundy and fired a volley, and all the rest of the Royal
family in claret and a volley. We drank the Governor's health
and fired a volley.

"We had several sorts of liquors, viz Virginian red wine and
white Irish usquebaugh, brandy, shrub, two sorts of rum,
champagne, canary, cherry punch water and cider."

It was thirty-six days after leaving Williamsburg that the party finally
reached the mountain and scaled Swift Run Gap and for the first time a
group of Englishmen looked down into the fertile valley beyond.

The Governor was a romantic person, as well as practical, so he wanted
to have something tangible by which all of his party might remember
their thrilling trip. He asked some of his men what they thought of the
idea and someone suggested, no doubt in fun, that they call themselves
the "Knights of the Golden Horseshoe".

Anyway, historians relate that when he returned to Williamsburg, he
promptly wrote a letter to His Majesty and told him of the wonderful
country "beyond the mountains". He also asked for a grant for the Order
of the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe. In due time a proclamation
arrived from England creating The Order of the Golden Horseshoe and also
fifty tiny golden horseshoes inscribed in Latin "_Sic jurat transcerde
mantes_". There was a seal and a signature and the title of Knight was
conferred upon the Governor.

The King also had his own sense of humor and included with all the rest,
the bill for the golden horseshoes! And we are told the sporting
Governor paid for them out of his own pocket without any regrets.

Let us start our journey from this historic spot and drive along the
recently built Skyline Drive. As we go we may look down upon the first
settlers' homes, around which are built the thrifty towns of today.

Adam Miller and His Neighbors

Among the earliest settlers in the valley were young Germans, Adam
Mueller and his wife and his sister. Adam, as was his family, was born
in Germany. Like many others, he had left because of religious
persecution, devastating wars and social unrest. His first home in the
new country was in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Adam Miller (as his name was soon after spelled) journeyed to
Williamsburg, Virginia. There, he told someone, he wanted to make his
home. It was not long after the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe h