The Western Journey (1792)

BY GILBERT IMLAY

THE routes from the different Atlantic States to this country are various, as may be supposed. From the northern States it is through the upper parts of Pennsylvania to Pittsburg, and then down the river Ohio. The distance from Philadelphia to Pittsburg is nearly three hundred miles. From Lancaster about two hundred and thirty. The route through Redstone and by Pittsburg, both from Maryland and Virginia, is the most eligible, provided you have much baggage;

except you go from the southern and back counties of Virginia; then your best and most expeditious way is through the Wilderness. From Baltimore passing Old Town upon the Potowmac, and by Cumberland Fort, Braddock’s road to Redstone Old Fort on the Mononga-hala, is about two hundred and forty miles; and from Alexandria to the same place by Winchester Old Town, and then the same route across the mountain is about two hundred and twenty miles. This last must be the most eligible for all Europeans who may wish to travel to this country, as the distance by land is shorter, the roads better, and the accommodations good; i.e. they are very good to Old Town which is one hundred and forty miles from Alexandria, and from thence to Redstone comfortable, and plentifully supplied with provisions of all sorts: the road over the mountain is rather rough, but no where in the least dangerous.

Travellers or emigrants take different methods of transporting their baggage, goods, or furniture, from the places they may be at to the Ohio, according to circumstances, or their object in coining to the country. For instance, if a man is travelling only for curiosity, or has no family or goods to remove, his best way would be to purchase horses, and take his route through the Wilderness; but provided he has a family or goods of any sort to remove, his best way, then, would be to purchase a waggon and team of horses to carry his property to Redstone Old Fort, or to Pittsburg, according as he may come from the northern or southern States. A good waggon will cost at Philadelphia about 10l. (I shall reckon every thing in sterling money for your greater convenience) and the horses about 12l. each; they would cost something more both at Baltimore and Alexandria. The waggon may be covered with canvas, and, if it is the choice of the people, they may sleep in it at nights with the greatest safety. But if they should dislike that, there are inns of accommodation the whole distance on the different roads. To allow the horses a plenty of hay and corn would cost about 1s. per diem, each horse; supposing you purchase your forage in the most œconomical manner, i. e. of the farmers, as you pass along, from time to time as you may want it, and carry it in your waggon; and not of innkeepers, who must have their profits. The provisions for the family I would purchase in the same manner; and by having two or three camp kettles, and stopping every evening when the weather is fine upon the brink of some rivulet, and by kindling a fire they may soon dress their food. There is no impediment to these kind of things, it is common and may be done with the greatest security; and I would recommend all persons who wish to avoid expence as much as possible to adopt this plan. True, the charges at inns on those roads are remarkably reasonable, but I have mentioned those particulars as there are many unfortunate people in the world, to whom the saving of every shilling is an object, and as this manner of journeying is so far from being disagreeable, that in a fine season it is extremely pleasant.

Provisions in those countries are very cheap, beef, mutton, and pork, are something less than 2d. per lb.; dunghill fowls are from 4d. to 6d. each; duck, 8d.; geese and turkeys, 1s. 3d.; butter, 5d.; cheese, I will say nothing about, as there is very little good until you arrive in Kentucky. Flour is about 12s. 6d. per cwt.

The best way is to carry their tea and coffee from the place they may set out at; good green tea will be from 4s. 6d. to 6s. per lb.; souchong from 3s. to 5s.; coffee will cost from 1s. 3d. to 1s. 6d. per lb.; loaf sugar from

to But I would not recommend their canting much sugar, for as the back country is approached, the maple sugar is in abundance, and may be bought from 4d. to 6d. per lb. Such are the expences to be incurred travelling to this country by Redstone and Pittsburg.

The distance which one of those waggons may travel one day with another is little short of twenty miles. So that it will be a journey from Alexandria to Redstone Old Fort of eleven or twelve days, from Baltimore a day or two longer, and from Philadelphia to Pittsburg I should suppose it would require nearly twenty days; as the roads are not so good as from the two former places.

From these prices the expence of removing a family, from either of the sea ports I have mentioned to the Ohio, may be computed with tolerable exactitude.

The best time for setting out for this country from any of the Atlantic ports, is the latter end of either September or April. The autumn is perhaps the most eligible of the two; as it is most likely that the roads across the mountain will be drier, and provisions and forage are then both more plentiful and cheap than in the spring.

If this mode should not suit the convenience of the party, by reason of their not wanting a waggon or horses when they arrive in this country, they may have their goods brought out to Redstone Old Fort from Alexandria for 15s. per cwt. and in like proportion from Baltimore and Philadelphia.

At Redstone Old Fort, or Pittsburg, they can either buy a boat, which will cost them about 5s. per ton, or freight their goods to Kentucky for about 1s. per cwt. There is no regular business of this sort; but as there are always boats coming down the river, 1s. per cwt. is the common charge for freight. But more frequently when there is boat room to spare, it is given to such as are not able to purchase a boat, or have not a knowledge of the navigation. However, that is a business which requires no skill, and there are always numbers of people coming down, who will readily conduct a boat for the sake of a passage.

The distance from Philadelphia by land to Kentucky is between seven and eight hundred miles; from Baltimore nearly seven hundred; nearly six hundred from Alexandria; and upwards of five hundred from Richmond. The roads and accommodations are tolerably good to the borders of the Wilderness; through which it is hardly possible for a carriage to pass, great part of the way being over high and steep hills, upon the banks of the rivers and along defiles, which in some places seem to threaten you at every step with danger. This is the only route the people coming from the upper parts of Virginia and North Carolina can take at present to get into the country; the gap of Cumberland mountain being the only place it can be passed without the greatest difficulty. The opening the Tenasee will afford a convenient communication with the Mississippi. The Wilderness, which was formerly two hundred miles through, without a single habitation, is reduced from the settlement of Powel’s Valley, to nearly one half of that distance; and it is to be expected that in a few years more that the remainder of the distance will afford settlements for the accommodation of people travelling that route; when a good road may be made quite to Kentucky. The canals I have spoken of which are cutting on the Potowmac, and the removal of the obstructions in Cheat river, will render the passage from Alexandria, or the federal city to the Ohio, both cheap and easy.

G[ilbert] Imlay, (London, 1792), 141–148.