Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-04-30

four five mountains and many rivers, round the
southwestern of Pennsylvana to reach Wheeling
in Virginia Gen. Washington at that time anticipating
opposition and perhaps failure of their application to
the Pennsylvania Legislature, says: Son part the
application will appear attentive and respectful, and If
rejected theirs place them in the wrong and excite
reiterated applications which he thought would GER
tany succeed in the end But this reasonable hope has
yet been realized The politicians of Pennsylvania
have not yet been inspired with patriotism enough to
meet this just expectation Of the Father Of his Country
From these documents you will further discover that
as Gen. Washington relieved from the COM
mand Of the army in l7S3 and before the Indian hos
es had ceased he Immediately returned to this favor
lite plan uniting the East and filed with the dea
Of its Importance he mounted his horse and at hazard
of his life actually explored in person, all the present
routes for connecting the Eastern and Western States
through New York. Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virgil
nia and after his return in 1854 in letter to the Mar
quis Of Chasteeux, he says: ~ have lately made a
through the Lakes George and Champlan far
Point then, returning Schenectady proceeded
the Mohawk river to Fort Schuyler crossed over the
Wood creek which empties into the Oneida Lake. and a
fords the water communication with Ontario ! then
raversed the country to the head Of he Esstern branch
az thS Eusauehanne7 Ana sp6a the Lake Otswego and
the portage between that Lake and the Mohawk river
Canooharie. Prompted by this actual observation, /
could not have taken conemplative and extensive
view of the vast inland navigation of the United States
and could not but be struck with the immense diffusion and
importance of it, and with the goodness Of that Prov
dence which has dealt his fayors to with profuse
improve them shall not rest contented until have
explored the Western country and trayersed those lines
(or great part of them which have given bounds to
new empire"
country consider this of the most srikng-tha
that early day. without fee reward he should have
hazarded his life amid hostile Indians and his health
sleeping in the open woods in countries then totally unn
habited is act of patriotic sefdevotion which we at
this day, can scarcely believe possible.
Among the manuscript reports of Gen. Washington on
this subject also found the following comparison of
veral routes explored by him:
Distance from Detroit to the several Atlantic
ports:
scFrom Detroit, by the route through Fort Pitt and
Fort Cumberland
"To Alexandria or Washington city,. 607 miles
Richmond do
Phlladephia .........,......l45 do
Albany ...............545 do
New York. lO3 do
also found among his papers map, made out by Gen.
Washington himself indicating the route for what he calls
a portage" between the waters of the Potomac and
Youghogheny, the very ground with slight variations
which the national road afterwards constructed
for the of making which he applied to the Vir-
gnia and Maryland Legislatures the Western people be-
ing then able he said to furnish little or no aid In
making these locations and maps* it appears he employ
ed surveyors and hands whom he paid from his own
pocket. Among them find the names of Samuel Hama
way and Dr. James Craig, the latter of whom acknow-
ledges the receipt of el2 Is 3d. being his part of the
expense and who in of his letters says gene
raj account of the expenses must be deferred until have
the pleasure of seeing you These gentlemen made de-
tailed reports of these operations to Gen. Washington,
which you will find in the appendix to my report to
which refer you for these and other details equally in
terestng of which you avail yourself you please,
in the interesting work you about issuing You can
find them nowhere else. The original manuscripts re-
Gen. Mason father Of the present Senator from
ne'A' '' ''' is'p' A. STEWART.
COL JOHN PIcKRLL, Baltimore.
An copy Of this map made out by Gen. Washing
ton himself you viii find published in my report No. 22s be-
fore referred to.