The Great Dismal Swamp | Part 2: Colonists Investigate the Dismal

William Byrd II was one of the first Colonists to record the first sight of the Great Dismal Swamp on March 13, 1728. While marking the boundary between Virginia and North Carolina, Byrd noted:

“Our work ended within a quarter of a mile of the Dismal, where the ground began to be already full of sunken holes and slashes… It is hardly credible how little the bordering inhabitants were acquainted with this mighty swamp, notwithstanding they had lived their whole lives within smell of it.”

He later added that its smell was like “a horrible desert…having vapours which infest the air and cause ague and other distempers to the neighboring    inhabitants.”

Byrd, like George Washington later, proposed draining the Dismal Swamp and advocated timber extraction, agriculture, and the construction of a canal. His plans stayed conceptual but set the stage for later efforts by George Washington and others.

George Washington first visited the Dismal in May 1763. He described the swamp as “a glorious paradise.” Although he appreciated the swamp’s natural beauty, he believed people should drain, log, and convert it into farmland. His view shaped those of the Dismal Swamp Company and the canal builders who followed. Washington’s enthusiasm waned over time because of the immense challenges involved.

Daniel O. Sayers, a contemporary anthropologist and historical archaeologist at American University, confirmed Byrd’s and Washington’s assessment. He claims that water moccasins and rattlesnakes fill the swamp, and mosquitoes are so thick they can blur a person’s outline standing twelve feet away. While it’s beautiful, it’s dangerous because it’s easy to get lost in the maze of islands and waterways. The depth of the waters can be deceptive and impossible to escape. It can also be a serious fire hazard. A peat layer, thought to be 10 feet thick, covers the swamp. Dry peat is flammable and burns beneath the surface, making it difficult to reach. Fires can last for months.