Named for a Colonial governor and created in 1770 from Augusta County, Botetourt County lies in the southern end of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. At the time of its establishment, Botetourt's boundaries stretched westward from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes. This area now encompasses 23 counties in Virginia as well as portions of West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Located at the fork of the Great Valley Road and the Wilderness Road, Botetourt served as the last outpost for many settlers moving into the western territories. Settled predominantly by Scots-Irish, German, and English immigrants, the county still reflects the influences of these strong cultures, and many original family names remain prominent. Botetourt is known for its agricultural production, as well as its natural resources: over the centuries, visitors have been drawn to the area's scenic beauty, healing springs, and trout-filled streams. This volume contains images of the towns, farms, homes, industries, people, events, and institutions that have contributed to the rich tapestry of the county's history.

This is the definitive work on Americans taken prisoner during the Revolutionary War. The bulk of the book is devoted to personal accounts, many of them moving, of the conditions endured by U.S. prisoners at the hands of the British, as preserved in journals or diaries kept by physicians, ships' captains, and the prisoners themselves. Of greater genealogical interest is the alphabetical list of 8,000 men who were imprisoned on the British vessel The Old Jersey, which the author copied from the papers of the British War Department and incorporated in the appendix to the work. Also included is a Muster Roll of Captain Abraham Shepherd's Company of Virginia Riflemen and a section on soldiers of the Pennsylvania Flying Camp who perished in prison, 1776-1777.

The second volume in the Arcadia series about Botetourt County. The author revisits places in the first book, focusing on the people who lived and worked there.

Created in celebration of Botetourt County's 250th anniversary, Ed McCoy's collection of essays looks back across more than twenty-five decades to examine the county's history through its people, places, organizations, churches, businesses, and events.From the days before Europeans began exploring west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, these stories look at the forces that created Botetourt County, and the influences of its citizens upon the world around them. Commissioned by the Botetourt County Historical Society, Inc., "Chronicles" was funded by matching donations from generous members of the community, who are proud and grateful to live in Botetourt County today.