The Journal of Samuel Vaughan, June - September 1787

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Fort Pitt

Stockado

[top of page has a drawing of the Fort Pitt stockade, including features identified as "Bridge" to the fort entrance; "Ditch"; "130 feet"; "Curtain 150 ft."; "Shorter angle 55"; "Brick Barracks gone to ruin"' and "Storehouses gone to ruin."]

The above fort is fifteen feet thick of stone faced with brick. the ditch about the same breadth, between that & Monogahany river are two small Redoubts 1 1/2 brick thick, which as usual was made a Job of & cnt Governm 100,000 £ Sterling - Near the fort is a distillery well constructed, with a still of 1500 galls. a late work by Maj. Craige but much too large to answer _ Breed of horses not much attended to from 14 to 16 hands, all from 20 to 30 £

July 5. Crossed the Monagahany river & mounted the Coal hill opposite the town, in which they have a coal, inclining to that of kernel but not so hard or good, there is much coal in the neighbourhood at the summet are several farms good land. great variety of trees, & plants - also prickly goosberries, some currents, black berries hops, ginsang

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crossed, then mounted a stony or rather a rocky hill bad soil & 6 miles further came to John [Askreens?] farm, to whom I had a letter from Col McLean, who as being the best guide, desired he would go with me. I however took them both, as it was through high hills & rocky presipices (leaving my coat neck cloth & incumbrances) at 2 miles distance; we however climing over rocks trees Logs & hills, Lost our way, altho he had been there two years before, we at length after three hours fatigue arrived at some distance below the falls, but in full sight, when it appeared to me through a good glass as on the opposite side

[Bottom half of the page has a map of the area]

Road from Fort Pitt to the little Meadows

Youghiagani River

Salt works carried on during the war.

Falls

about 66 feet falls to the mouth of great meadows ru

Great Meadow run

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477 [written in the right margin]

_ _ _ _ _ To Simpkins tavern or liberty tree. four miles to Youghagani River crossed the river 140 yards over, then rose Allagany mountain steep & long hill, good land tho part stony. then waving stoney land, large timber trees, then level, strong land, small trees, 4 farms hitherto 4 or 5 mile farther, rose Winding hill (from the traverse of the Road) which is high & steep & the summit of the Allagany Mountains, then 2 miles waving land, some part stony some part level alternatety, when came to Simpkins', here it is too cold for Indian corn _ _ _ _ _ _ _

11 [in the right margin]

488 [in the right margin]

In the last stage my horse startled at a Rattle Snake that lay in the path coiled up as usual_ thus [drawing of a coiled snake] the body very thick, the neck very slender & with a small head, it kept continually rattling, by pelting it with stone, disabled it from striking when by stones & sticks soon killed it. A man had lately been bit above the knee his leg & thigh, swelled almost as thick as his body & in 24 hours of the very same colour as the Snake & spotted, [yea?] cured by an old Indian.

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_ _ _ _ _ To Little Meadows, or Tomlinsons farm & tavern. (In three miles crossed a Creek) five miles good level land_ a small part stony. several runs of meadow land in sight, then descended a steep stony hill 1/2 a mile, the stones blue & hard, bedded in a light freestone sand, the lower part of the hill with a few small stones, at the foot of the hill a farm. at 6 miles, mounted a high hill good land. the road a traverse at the foot of the hill by a spring met three Light Waggons, with Families &c from the Jersies going to Kentucke taking a repast. ascended a small stony hill, then waving & level land at 9 miles distance a spring & small farm. soon crossed the small branch of little Youghagana River 60 yards over, then ascended a small stony hill, then for 2 miles fine level or waving land, here & there a few stones lay at Tomlinson. his farm is too cold for Indian corn or tobacco, _ _ _ _

July 13 [in left margin]

[side?] NB page 31

_ _ _ _ _ To Tickles farm + tavern after a descent of a mile & a half good land but stony, came to a Creek _ a small rising, longer descent when came to waving good land at 5 1/2 miles near a spring, is the half way house & here begins Savage mountain. a small gradual rising

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500 [written in the right margin]

& descent then a spring from whence a rising for a mill _ all good land 1/4 of a mile hilly & very stony, then a gradual descent when come into a fine bottom where is a small farm, here and savage mountain the residue hard stones in white freestone sand & then in Brick mould, in a Bottom where is Tickles & another farm, the former raises Tobacco & Indian corn has 25 head Cattle & wheat weigh 67 lb the bushel _ on each side of Tickles are many farms & 500 familes . . . 11

The methodists preach every day in diferent places. Men Women & children going 7 or 8 miles on week days, neglecting their Families & farms, & which is the only religeous sect in the back country through which I passed

- - - - - - - - To Gwins farm & tavern, crossed a spring a Creek then 3 miles, waving land, some past stony, some a red soil like New Jersey, generally descend. then [2 1/2?] stony still descending some part clear of stone, crossed Braddocks Run, a River 60 yards over when came to Gwins in a bottom __ 6

Braddocks run is a rocky hill 60 or 70 feet high, a kind of Slate the highest rock hitherto seen. here was to be seen several large tracts of land, on which the trees had been burned by accidental fires as before related

517 [written in right margin]

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522 [written in the right margin]

river & at 8 miles distance ascended a hill of fullers earth & Slate, then easey good land to Old town consisting of 30 odd old log house. the methodist parson however has lately built a good stone house of two storey. but 6 sorry farms on Maryland side _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

15 [written in the right margin]

NB In the little meadows - when cleared, timothy + clover comes up. they take up + fodder Cattle 5 mo. in the year, sometimes 7 mo. Snow generally 5 mo. Rivers froze as long. less subject to gusts & thunder more moderate than in the low lands. Fogs seldom & soon dispersed. there are innumerable springs throughout the mountains

[word obscured in crease] 14 [written in the left margin]

_ _ _ _ _ _ To 15 mile Creek & a whisky House. The first 4 1/2 miles good level road, when crossed old town Creek on which a grist mill, in 1/2 a mile _ ascended a steep high mountain on the summit a mile of level road then went over a number of hills some parts stony. for 15 miles poor land, for the most part Pine with other trees, generally small, most part surrounded on every side with chains of mountains in every _ direction. the stratas about 45' degrees, crossed 15 mile Creek & 5 miles further came to a poor farm & Whisky house, where Lodged _

20 [written in the right margin]

_____ To the Warm Springs, in Berkly County. Soon fell in again

55 [written in the right margin]

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[Page contains a color map, features of which are identified with letters and a key. A scale in feet is drawn vertically on the right side of the map. The key is written vertically on the left side of the page]

b - 5 Dressing Rooms with seats round. c - 3 Seats for Company, two up the hill, to each an assent of 5 Steps, shaded by Trees. d - the drinking spring or Fountain. bb - two Piazzas with seats. cc - three alcoves with Ditto. e - The Parade. f - a large Bath for swiming g - a Bath for Poor People h - warm spring flowing from the last mount. i - Islands formed by the warm Spring

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Streets & eight at right Angles, there is at present 172 houses, of which 164 have been built within the last four years, a play house well constructed, an assembly & tea room, a house for the poor a Methodist Church building & Mr Wolley of Liverpool having bought a Double large framed house, hath this spring built adjoining thereto a dining room 54 by 24, five Card rooms adjoining & a drawing room 18 by 24 over which an assembly room 72 feet by 24 & 14 feet high, & a tea room 33 feet by 25, with piazzas on both side the house all compleatly framed & well fitted, which is to be called the Bell Inn, there are several other taverns three of them good framed houses of 2 stories, with piazzas & seats round to both stories & on bothsides & the best calculated for America of any I have seen. The town is situated in a vale & partly on the side of the East & west Mountain. the Lots differing in Elevation. at the South end of the town on the west hill there is a range of Rocks & amile above there is a remarkable cold callebiate spring. the warm springs flow in great abundance from the base of the western mountain, forming three romantick Islands & when all accu milated forms a large body of water which runs diagonally through the

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the hills on each side with beautiful varying woods, renders the whole truly picturesque romantick and orginal, the climate is temperate provisions cheap & plenty, except greens which are scarce, a charming retreat in hot or unhealthy weather. tho too much used for disipation & gambling. The water is pure & light, without any apparent medical quality, tho found in many cases beneficial: to try their effect I for 3 days drank 3 quarts each day & that only. it cased a swiming in my head, went quickly of an opening quality [illegible] by urine & I thought it created an appetite; it is scarcely so warm as milk from the Cow said to be 57 degrees Farenheit thermomThere were 4 methodist preachers (two for health) service 3 times on Sunday & once or twice on week days, which are well attended by the lower sort to the neglect on week days of their business & families. There was 14 or 15 Stores & shops many well furnished with goods, for which I should think there was little encourage =ment; when I left it there was not above 30 persons of note arrived, but it was early in the Season.

I went through curiosity twice to the methodists, the first was a sensible man of literary ability, the other an illiterate ranting enthusiast. after being heartily tired for an hour & half I thought to withdraw unnoticed his eye caught me, he said I could not hear the word of God & never should enter the Kingdom of Heaven

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July 18 [written in the left margin]

____ To Farmer Fabls. _ ascended the Eastern mountain, of no great heigth on the summit for the first mile or two, vines & shumacks, the land then better & good road, but without a spring for 5 miles when came to a small creek, then ascended another hill when had a good road, some part stony. 3 mile further came to a spring on which M. Throgmorton was settling a farm, who told me I had taken the longest road, from thence 4 or 5 miles good road & 2 small farms, a mile further _ crossed a Creek, where was a farm the next 7 miles. several springs. indifferent land. 4 farms & 7 Irish settlements, who only raised provisions for their own families; mountains on each side in all directions ____

______ To Mill Creek. _ to Tester =rora Creek 4 miles on which a saw & grist mill which crossed to Martinborough a Borough town, a Court house goal & 250 houses, a good road, & soil, 14 farms, the next twelve miles good road, level country _ several farms, when came to Capt Slaughters, farm tavern & grist Mill _ side [vide?] NB page 38.

There met Mr Sims late Judge & member of Congress from New Jersey, an inteligent man just returning from Kentucke, who informed me, that 18 miles below the fall of Cannaway River + within two miles of Morriss