USA > Pennsylvania > Early history of western Pennsylvania, and of the West, and of western expeditions and campaigns, from MDCCLIV to MDCCCXXXIII > Part 88
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90
17th .- Dr. Craik and myself, with Capt. Crawford and others, ar- rived at Fort Pitt, distance from the crossing, forty-three and a half measured miles. In riding this distance we passed over a great deal of exceedingly fine land, chiefly white oak, especially from Sewickly creek to Turtle creek, but the whole broken; resembling, as I think all the lands in this country do, the Loudon lands. We lodged in what is called the town, distant about three hundred yards from the fort, at one Semplie's, who keeps a very good house of public entertainment.
The houses which are built of logs, and ranged in streets, are on the Monongahela, and I suppose may be about twenty in number, and in- habited by Indian traders. The fort is built on the point near the rivers Allegheny and Monongahela, but not so near the pitch of it as Fort Du Quesne stood. It is five sided and regular, two of which near the land are of brick ; the other stockade. A moat encompasses it. The gar- rison consists of two companies of Royal Irish, commanded by Capt. Edmondson.
18th .- Dined in the fort with Col. Croghan, and the officers of the garrison ; supped there also, meeting with great civility from the gen- tlemen, and engaged to dine next day with Col. Croghan, at his seat, about four miles up the Allegheny.
19th .- Received a message from Col. Croghan, that the White Mingo and other chiefs of the Six Nations, had something to say to me, and desiring that I would be at his house at about eleven, where they were to meet. I went up and received a speech, with a string of wampum, from the White Mingo, to the following effect.
" That as I was a person whom some of them remembered to have seen, when I was sent on an embassy to the French, and most of them had heard of, they were come to bid me welcome to this country, and to desire that the people of Virginia would consider them as friends and brothers, linked together in one chair ; and that I would inform the governor, that it was their wish to live in peace and harmony with the white people, and that though there had been some unhappy differences between them and the people upon our frontiers, they were all made up, and they hoped forgotten ; and concluded with saying, that their broth- ers of Virginia did not come among them and trade, as the inhabitants of the other provinces did, from whence they were afraid that we did not look upon them with as friendly an eye as they could wish."
To this I answered, after thanking them for their friendly welcome, " that all the injuries and affronts that had passed on either side, were now totally forgotten, and that I was sure nothing was more wished and desired by the people of Virginia, than to live in the strictest friendship with them ; that the Virginians were a people not so much engaged in [394 ]
WASHINGTON'S JOURNAL-1770.
trade as the Pennsylvanians, which was the reason of their not being so frequently among them ; but that it was possible they might for the time to come have stricter connections with them, and that I would acquaint the government with their desires."
After dining at Col. Croghan's we returned to Pittsburg, Col. Cro- ghan with us, who intended to accompany us part of the way down the river, having engaged an Indian called Pheasant, and one Joseph Nich- olson, an interpreter, to attend us the whole voyage ; also a young Indian warrior.
20th .- We embarked in a large canoe, with sufficient store of pro- visions and necessaries, and the following persons, besides Dr. Craik and myself, to wit: Capt. Crawford, Joseph Nicholson, Robert Bell, William Harrison, Charles Morgan and Daniel Rendon, a boy of Capt. Crawford's, and the Indians, who were in a canoe by themselves. - From Fort Pitt we sent our horses and boys back to Capt. Crawford's, with orders to meet us there again on the 14th day of November.
Col. Croghan, Lieut. Hamilton, and Mr. Magee, set out with us. At two o'clock we dined at Mr. Magee's, and encamped ten miles below, and four above Logstown. We passed several large Islands, which ap- peared to be very good, as the bottoms also did on each side of the river alternately ; the hills on one side being opposite the bottoms on the other, which seem generally to be about three or four hundred yards wide, and vice versa.
21st .- Left our encampment about six o'clock, and breakfasted at Logstown, where we parted with Colonel Croghan and company about nine o'clock. At eleven we came to the mouth of the Big Beaver Creek, opposite to which is a good situation for a house, and above it, on the same side, that is the west, there appears to be a fine body of land. About five miles lower down, on the east side, comes in Raccoon Creek, at the mouth of which, and up it, appears to be a body of good land also. All the land between this creek and the Monongahela, and for fifteen miles back, is claimed by Colonel Croghan, under a purchase from the Indians, which sale he says is confirmed by his Majesty. On this creek, where the branches thereof interlock with the waters of Shuitee's Creek, there is, according to Colonel Croghan's account, a body of fine, rich, level land. This tract he wants to sell, and offers it at five pounds sterling per hundred acres, with an exemption of quit- rents for twenty years ; after which, to be subject to the payment of four shillings and two-pence sterling per hundred acres ; provided he can sell it in ten thousand acre lots. At present, the unsettled state of this country renders any purchase dangerous. From Raccoon Creek to Lit- tle Beaver Creek, appears to me to be little short of ten miles, and about three miles below this, we encamped ; after hiding a barrel of biscuit on an island, to lighten our canoe.
22nd .- As it began to snow about midnight, and continued pretty steadily, it was about half-past seven before we left the encampment. At the distance of about eight miles, we came to the mouth of Yellow Creek, opposite, or rather below which, appears to be a long bottom of very good land, and the ascent to the hills apparently gradual. 'There is another pretty large bottom of very good land about two or three
[395]
APPENDIX-NO. XXXVIII.
miles above this. About eleven or twelve miles from this, and just above what is called the Long Island, which, though so distinguished, is not very remarkable for length, breadth, or goodness, comes in on the east side of the river, a small creek, or run, the name of which I could not learn ; and a mile or two below the island, on the west side, comes in Big Stoney Creek, not larger in appearance than the other, on neither of which does there seem to be any large bottoms or bodies of good land. About seven miles from the last-mentioned creek, twenty-eight from our last encampment, ard about seventy five from Pittsburgh, we came to the Mingo Town, situated on the west side of the river, a little above Cross Creeks. This place contains about twenty cabins, and seventy inhabitants, of the Six Nations.
Had we set off early, and kept constantly at it, we might have reached lower than this place to-day ; as the water in many places ran very swift, in general more so than yesterday. The river from Fort Pitt to Logstown, has some ugly rifts and shoals, which we found somewhat difficult to pass, whether from our inexperience of the channel, or not, I cannot undertake to say. From Logstown to the mouth of Little Beaver Creek, is much the same kind of water; that is, rapid in some places, gliding gently along in others, and quite still in many. The water from Little Beaver Creek to Mingo Town, in general, is swifter than we found it the preceding day, and without any shallows ; there being some one part or another always deep, which is a natural consequence, as the river in all the distance from Fort Pitt to this town, has not widened at all, nor do the bottoms appear to be any larger. The hills which come close to the river opposite to each bottom are steep; and on the side in view, in many places, rocky and cragged ; but said to abound in good land on the tops. These are not a range of hills, but broken and cut in two, as if there were frequent water courses running through, which, however, we did not perceive to be the case. The river abounds in wild geese, and several kinds of ducks, but in no great quantity. We killed five wild turkeys to-day. Upon our arrival at the Mingo Town, we re .. ceived the very disagreeable news of two traders being killed at a town called the Grape-Vine Town, thirty-eight miles below this ; which caused us to hesitate whether we should proceed, or wait for further intelligence.
23rd. - Several imperfect accounts coming in, agreeing that only one person was killed, and the Indians not supposing it to be done by their people, we resolved to pursue our passage, till we could get a more dis- tinct account of this transaction. Accordingly, about two o'clock we set out with the two Indians, who were to accompany us in our canoe, and after about four miles came to the mouth of a creek on the east side. The Cross Creeks, as they are called, are not large ; that on the east side is the biggest. At the Mingo Town we found and left more than sixty warriors, of the Six Nations, going to the Cherokee country, to proceed to war against the Catabas.
About ten miles below the town, we came to two other cross creeks ; that on the west is the larger, and called by Nicholson(1) French Creek.
(1) Joseph Nicholson, the Interpreter, who accompanied Washington. [396]
WASHINGTON'S JOURNAL-1770.
About three miles, or a little more, below this, at the lower point of some islands, which stand contiguous to each other, we were told by the Indians, that three men from Virginia had marked the land from hence all the way to Red Stone; that there was a body of exceedingly fine land lying about this place, and up opposite to the Mingo Town, as also down to the mouth of Fishing Creek. At this place we encamped.
24th .- We left our encampment before sunrise, and about six miles below it, we came to the mouth of a small creek, coming in from the eastward, called by the Indians Split-Island creek, from its running in against an Island. On this creek there is the appearance of good land. Six miles below this again, we came to another creek on the west side, called by Nicholson, Wheeling ; and about a mile lower down appears to be another small water coming in on the east side, which I remark, because of the scarcity of them, and to show how badly furnished this country is with mill-seats. Two or three miles below this is another run on the west side, up which is a near way by land to Mingo town ; and about four miles lower, comes in another on the east, at which place is a path leading to the settlement at Redstone. About a mile and a half below this comes in Pipe creek, so called by the Indians from a stone which is found here, out of which they make pipes. Opposite to this, that is, on the east side, is a bottom of exceedingly rich land ; but as it seems to be low, I am apprehensive that it is subject to be over- flowed. This bottom ends where the effects of a hurricane appear, by the destruction and havoc among the trees. Two or three miles below the Pipe creek, is a pretty large creek on the west side, called by Nich- olson, Fox-Grape-Vine, by others Captina creek, on which, eight miles up, is the town called Grape-Vine Town ; and at the mouth of it is the place where it was said the trader was killed. 'To this place we came about three o'clock in the afternoon, and finding no body there, we agreed to encamp, that Nicholson and one of the Indians might go up to town, and inquire into the truth of the report concerning the murder.
25th .- About seven o'clock, Nicholson and the Indian returned ; they found no body at the town but two old women, the men being a hunting ; from these they learned that the trader was not murdered, but drowned in attempting to cross the Ohio ; and that only one boy, belonging to the traders, was in these parts ; the trader, his father, being gone for horses to take home their skins. About half an hour after seven, we set out from our encampment, around which, and up the creek is a body of fine land.
In our passage down to this place, we saw innumerable quantities of turkeys, and many deer watering and browsing on the shore side, some of which we killed. Neither yesterday nor the day before did we pass any rifts, or very rapid water, the river gliding gently along ; nor did we perceive any alteration in the general face of the country, except that the bottoms seemed to be getting a little longer and wider, as the bends of river grew larger.
About five miles from the Vine creek, comes in a very large creek to the eastward, called by the Indians Cut creek, from a town or tribe of Indians, which they say was cut off entirely in a very bloody battle be- tween them and the Six Nations. This creek empties just at the lower
[397]
APPENDIX-NO. XXXVIII.
end of an island, and is seventy or eighty yards wide ; and I fancy it is the creek commonly called Wheeling, by the people of Redstone. It extends, according to the Indian's account, a great way, and interlocks with the branches of Split-Island creek, abounding in very fine bottoms, and exceeding good land. Just below this, on the west side, comes in a small run ; and about five miles below it, on the west side also, another creek empties, called by the Indians, Broken-Timber creek ; so named from the timber that is destroyed on it by a hurricane ; on the head of this, was a town of the Delawares, which is now deserted. Two miles lower down, on the same side, is another creek, smaller than the last, and bearing, according to the Indians, the same name. Opposite to these two creeks, on the east side, appears to be a large bottom of good land. About two miles below the last mentioned creek, on the east side, at the end of the bottom before mentioned, comes in a small creek. Seven miles from this is Muddy creek, on the east side of the river, a pretty large creek, which heads with some of the waters of the Monongahela, according to the Indian's account, and is bordered by bottoms of very good land ; but in general, the hills are steep, and the country broken. At the mouth of this creek, is the largest flat I have seen upon the river ; the bottom extending two or three miles up the river above it, and a mile below ; though it does not seem to be of the richest kind. About half way in the Long Reach we encamped, opposite to the begining of a large bottom, on the east side of the river. At this place we threw out some lines, and found a catfish of the size of our largest river catfish, hooked to one of them in the morning, though it was of the smallest kind here. We found no rifts in this day's passage, but pretty swift water in some places, and still in others. We found the bottoms increased in size, both as to length and breadth, and the river more choked up with fallen trees, and the bottom of the river next to the shores, rather more muddy, but in general stony, as it has been all the way down.
26th .- Left our encampment at half an hour after six o'clock, and passed a small run on the West side, about four miles lower. At the lower end of Long Reach, and for some distance up it on the East side, is a large bottom, but low and covered with beech near the river shore, which is no indication of good land. The Long Reach is a straight course of the river for about eighteen or twenty miles, which appears the more extraordinary, as the Ohio in general is remarkably crooked. There are several islands in this Reach, some containing one hundred or more acres of land; but all I apprehend liable to be overflowed.
At the end of this reach we found Martin and Lindsay, two traders, and from them learnt that the person drowned was one Philips. attempt- ing, in company with Rogers, another Indian trader, to swim the river with their horses at an improper place, Rogers himself narrowly escap- ing. Five miles lower down comes in a large creek from the East, right against an island of good land, at least a mile or two in length. At the North of this creek, the name of which I could not learn, except that it was called by some Ball's creek, from one Ball that hunts on it, is a bot- tom of good land, though rather too much mixed with beech.
Opposite to this island the Indians showed us a buffalo path, the tracks of which we saw. Five or six miles below the last mentioned creek we [398]
WASHINGTON'S JOURNAL-1770.
came to the Three Islands. Below these islands is a large body of flat land, with a water course running through it on the East side, and the hills back neither so high nor steep in appearance as they are up the . river. On the other hand, the bottoms do not appear rich, though much lower and wider. The bottom last mentioned is upon a straight reach of the river, I suppose six or eight miles in length. About twelve miles below the Three Islands we encamped, just above the mouth of the creek, which appears pretty large at the mouth and just above an island. All the lands from a little below the creek which I have distinguished by the name of Ball's creek, appear to be level, with some hillocks inter- mixed, as far as we could see into the country. We met with no rifts to-day, but some pretty strong water ; upon the whole tolerably gentle. The sides of the river were a good deal incommoded with old trees, which impeded our passage a little. This day proved clear and pleas- ant, the only day since the 18th that it has not rained or snowed, or threatened the one or the other.
27th .- Left our encampment a quarter before seven, and after passing the creek near which we lay, and another of much the same size, and on the same side : also an island about two miles in length, but not wide, we came to the mouth of Muskingum, distant from our encampment about four miles. This river is about one hundred and fifty yards wide at the mouth ; it runs out in a gentle current and clear stream, and is navigable a great way into the country for canoes. From Muskingum to the Little Kenhawa is about thirteen miles. This is about as wide at the mouth as the Muskingum, but the water much deeper. It runs up towards the inhabitants of Monongahela, and according to the Indians account, forks about forty or fifty miles from the mouth, and the ridge between the two prongs leads directly to the setttlement. To this fork and above, the water is navigable for canoes. On the upper side of this river there appears to be a bottom of exceedingly rich land, and the country from hence quite up to the Three Islands level and in appear- ance fine. 'T'he Ohio running around it in the form of a horse shoe, forms a neck of flat land, which added to that running up the second Long Reach aforementioned, cannot contain less than fifty thousand acres in view.
About six or seven miles below the mouth of Little Kenhawa, we came to a small creek on the west side, which the Indians called Little Hockhocking ; but before we did this, we passed another small creek on the same side near the mouth of that river, and a cluster of islands after- wards. The lands for two or three miles below the mouth of the Little Kenhawa, on both sides of the Ohio, appear broken and indifferent ; but opposite to the Little Hockhocking there is a bottom of good land, through which there runs a small water course. I suppose there may be, of this bottom and flat land together, two or three thousand acres. The lower end of this bottom is opposite to a small island, of which I dare say, little is to be seen when the river is high. About eight miles below Little Hockhocking we encamped, opposite the mouth of Great Hockhocking, which, though so called, is not a large water ; though the Indians say canoes go up it for forty or fifty miles. Since we left the Little Kenhawa the lands appear neither so level nor so good. The
[399]
APPENDIX -- NO. XXXVIII.
bends of the river and bottoms are longer, but not so rich as on the upper part of the river.
28th .- Left our encampment about seven o'clock. Two miles below a small run comes in, on the east side, through a piece of land that has a very good appearance, the bottom beginning above our encampment. and continuing in appearance wide for four miles down, where we found Kiyashuta and his hunting party encamped. Here we were under the necessity of paying our compliments, as this person was one of the Six Nation Chiefs, and the head of those upon this river.
In the person of Kiyashuta I found an old acquaintance, he being one of the Indians that went with me to the French, in 1753. He expressed a satisfaction at seeing me, and treated me with great kindness, giving us a quarter of very fine buffalo. He insisted upon our spending that night with him, and, in order to retard us as little as possible, moved his camp down the river just below the mouth of a creek, the name of which I could not learn. At this place we encamped. After much counselling over night, they all came to my fire the next morning with great for- mality ; when Kiyashuta, rehearsing what had passed between me and the Sachems at Col. Croghan's, thanked me for saying that peace and friendship with them was the wish of the people of Virginia, and for recommending it to the traders to deal with them upon a fair and equita- ble footing ; and then again expressed their desire of having a trade opened with Virginia, and that the Governor thereof might not only be made acquainted therewith, but with their friendly disposition towards the white people. This I promised to do.
29th .- The tedious ceremony, which the Indians observe in their counsellings and speeches, detained us till nine o'clock. Opposite to the creek, just below which we encamped, is a pretty long bottom, and I believe tolerably wide; but about eight or nine miles below the afore- mentioned creek, and just below a pavement of rocks on the west side, comes in a creek, with fallen timber at the mouth, on which the Indians say there are wide bottoms and good land. The river bottoms above, for some distance, are very good, and continue so for near half a mile below the creek. The pavement of rocks is only to be seen at low water. About a mile below the mouth of the creek there is another pavement of rocks on the east side, in a kind of sedgy ground. On this creek are many buffaloes, according to the Indians' account.
Six miles below this comes in a small creek on the west side, at the end of a small naked island, and just above another pavement of rocks. This creek comes through a bottom of fine land, and opposite to it, on the east side of the river, appears to be a large body of fine land also. At this place begins what they call the Great Bend. Two miles below, on the east side, comes in another creek, just below an island, on the upper point of which are some dead standing trees, and a parcel of white-bodied sycamore; in the mouth of this creek lies a sycamore blown down by the wind. From hence an east line may be run three or four miles ; thence a north line till it strikes the river, which I ap- prehend would include about three or four thousand acres of valuable land. At the mouth of this creek is the warrior's path to the Cherokee
[ 400 ]
WASHINGTON'S JOURNAL-1770.
country. For two miles and a half below this the Ohio runs a north- east course, and finishes what they call the Great Bend.
30th. - We set out about fifty minutes past seven, the weather being windy and cloudy, after a night of rain. After about two miles, we came to the head of a bottom, in the shape of a horse-shoe, which I judge to be about six miles round ; the beginning of the bottom appeared to be very good land, but the lower part did not seem so friendly. The upper part of the bottom we encamped on, was exceedingly good, but the lower part rather thin land, covered with beech. In it is some clear meadow land, and a pond or lake. This bottom begins just below the rapid at the point of the Great Bend. The river from this place narrows very considerably, and for five or six miles is scarcely more than one hundred and fifty or two hundred yards over. The water yesterday, except the rapid at the Great Bend, and some swift places about the islands, was quite dead, and as easily passed one way as the other; the land in general appeared level and good.
About ten miles below our encampment, and a little lower down than the bottom described to lie in the shape of a horse-shoe, comes in a small creek on the west side, and opposite to this on the east, begins a body of flat land, which the Indians tell us runs quite across the fork to the falls in the Kenhawa, and must at least be three days' walk across ; if so, the flat land contained therein, must be very considerable. A mile or two below this, we landed, and after getting a little distance from the river, we came, without rising, to a pretty lively kind of land, grown up with hickory and oak of different kinds, intermingled with walnut. We also found many shallow ponds, the sides of which, abounding with grass, invited innumerable quantities of wild fowl, among which I saw a couple of birds in size between a swan and a goose, and in color some- what between the two, being darker than the young swan, and of a more sooty color. The cry of these birds was as singular as the birds them- selves ; I never heard any noise resembling it before. About five miles below this, we encamped in a bottom of good land, which holds tole- rably flat and rich for some distance.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.