The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1848-05-04


we had halted. The snow clad trees, nodding Oh
the cliffs around us, curtaned in our vision, and
sent back to our ears the hum and gurge of the
little Junata. We sat down to western table
but although abundance ofthe best was before us
failed to meet that look of tdness so characters
tic of eastern ixings. l should like to describe
things as they then appeared to me- but propriety
perhaps forbids. may say however that our fell
low travellers aerward had considerable sport about
" their huge western saSsengers," &c. &c. In few
moments we were on our way again, plunging in
the starlight up and down those long traverse hill
sides, over roads rendered almost dangerous by the
recent rain and fleeing weather. Daylight at last
dawned upon us, and we found ourselves upon high
grounds, which afforded fine prospect far and
wide, over hill and valley and plain. We were
likewise passing over places rich in scenes of the
old Indian war, and of the later border conflicts
We had pointed out to us the landmarks of General
Braddocks military road on which he led his troops
to that fatal spot where he fell and which, even
now, in the minds of the superstitious people living
near, is visited at certain season of the year, dur
ing the still hours of night by grzzed rank after
rank Of fearful FORMS which march with stalking
tread until within certain dark ravinc when
amid wild screeches and unearthly screams they
melt and vanish away. was informed that rusted
fragments Of that bloody battle are even now occa-
Sonally turned up by the plowshare. Bloody Brook,
streamlct baptscd into terrible name by a san
culinary conflict with the savages, was pointed out
to by the roadside. 1t was still wilderness, and
it needed very lively imagination to perceive, in
the gloomy forests around us, some of the daring
transactions of the fearless pioneers of western CT
vization; but not even the yelp of solitary wolf
disturbed our musings of other days.
AT eleven O'Clock the next day, under gentle
snow Storm we draggled along into Pittsburgh
This is famous place. 1t is situated in mex
hauStbe region Of bituminouS coal and Just at the
confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rv-
ers whose united streams here form the Ohio, and
afford very extensive facilities for river navigation
The land on which the city is situated is q long,
narrow strip, bounded by the two streams, and
traversed through the middle by high, bold ridge.
In the carly settlements Of this region the French
saw the advantages of this place and in the vast
plan of connecting their possessions on the Missis-
sipp with those on the St. Lawrence, they strongly
fortified it, and made it chief one of that long line
Of Notifications extending Ctom Quebec to New Or
eans. Its present appearance, at little distance,
IS that of huge coal pit in full blast. 1t is dread
July smoky place. The SCOT seemed to fall about
rs fast and heavily as the snow, so that the inhabt
.nts, ladies and all, look like sem-negroes. The
occasion of this is the vast amount of bihminouS
coal consumed in the foundries, &c. We arrived
there just in season for the Cincinnati steamboat
he New Highlander, No. ?. She is about three
hundred feet in length, but not quite so substantial
~ built as those to which have been accustomed.
They We're taking in the last of the freight, and,
amid hurry of bandboxes, bales of merchandise,
deck Before me lay Pittsburgh, all alive with bu-
5ine,s and overhung with an everlasting cloud of
dense SCOT. Fields of loose ice plunged down the
Allegheny and occupied about one half of the com
bned streams. 1t was no hindrance to us however.
The Ohio here is not far from one third of mile in
width, with current Of five miles per hour. l gaz-
ed on this ar-amed stream, but its poetry had all
fled. Instead of the majestic river flowing with
calm, clear current, which had pictured in my
Imagination, saw stream, wide indeed, and strong
and deep for aught know, but as dirty as any
puddle by the roadside, after shower. 1t is a
yellow unclean looking thing, and its banks plainly
told where its unclcanliness came from. But those
banks! III should ever be called upon to recon-
mend 4 salvc to the sore eyes of any New England
tiller Of the SOIL it would be single sight of the
banks Of the Ohio-so red they look, and mex
haustibly rich in all that charms the vision of the
farmer. Our old broad bottom was soon under way
and down the stream we started-but not from any
pier, or wharf, Or any such thing for they have no
such luxuries in these regions. When they wish to
land or take in passengers, they just jam the old
machine plump on shore; throw out plank two,
and then back off again! However, we were fairly
under way and Il curious company we were-aam-
blers, drunkards, horse-theves, rk-speculators,
and few SOBER decent ones.
We voyaged down the stream without any Incl
dents of much consequence, and at the distance Of
orty-six miles came to the little village of Liverpool
noted for its extensive potteries, and for being the
first town one meets with in Ohio on descending
the river. A few miles below, entered the con-
fines of jefferson County, in which the last blood
was shed in battle between the whites and Indians.
The action took place on n low plain, in dense
forest in the month ofAugust, 1888; and is known
us "Buskirk Battle" The incidents, as l gather
them, are as follows:
During the sutry weather in the latter part of
August, war-party of twenty-eght Indians, from