Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-22
Plenty Of Whisky at Fort Pitt.

y
than century ago, and at other posts of
the Revolutionary army.
Plenty Of Whisky at Fort Pitt.
In 1779 Daniel Broadhead was the COM
mandant of Fort Pitt, and from the juno
tion of the Allegheny and Monongahela
rivers he supplied the other outposts which
defended the homes of settlers in this Sec
tion of the country with provisions, cloth
ing, etc. To one of the captains at such q
garrison he sent the following:
Headquarters, Pittsburg, Oct. o, l779.
Sir,-l am sorry to hear your garrison is
without beef, & wish had known it soon
or, because l can now readily supply any
garrison in the department. By the bearer
you will receive quantity of salt pork and
Immediately after the arrival of Captain
Clark at headquarters you will receive ten
or a dozen head of beef cattle.
Your most obedient servant,
D. Broadhead,
Col. Commanding W. D.
Directed: Capt. Morgan.
P. ST. have ordered you two keggs of
whisky for your garrison.
There was probably plenty of whisky at
Fort Pitt about this time, for on the same
date Colonel Broadhead wrote the following
also:
Headquarters, Pittsburg, Oct. %, E7s.
Dear Sir,
am glad to hear you are safely returned
and sincerely wish you had found some of
the trespassers on the Indians land, that
proper example might have been made.
Whiskey to Fort Mcintosh, out of which you
will draw as much as may be necessary for
the men of the 9th Penn'a Regt, the whole of
which except the Armourer Koonty you arc
to march up to Headquarters, etc.
Your obed't serv't
D. Broadhead.
Directed. Capt. Clarke.
Says Whisky Was Expensive.
A few days later the supply of liquor at
Fort Pitt undoubtedly began to run short,
for the next letter reads:
Headquarters. Pittsburg. Oct. eth, IT'D.
Dear sir,
have received your favor of the 24th
inst. am glad to hear you are at length
got to Fort Armstrong, & I should be happy
it was in my power to contribute to the re-
lief of your men, but the means are not yet
como up the country.
have wrote to the President Of the State
for Blankets and daily expect his answer.
whiskey and fifteen pairs of shoes. Whis-
key being an expensive article, you will not
issue it except in rainy weather, & to guards
and Fatigues. approve of the building Of
the Gentry Boxes, as they will in some meas
ure shelter the poor soldiers from the
weather which will soon be unfavorable.
Your captain returned me As men, I shall
be glad to know from you where the Men
are, which it appears not to have been re-
turned. lam most obed't serv't,
Danr Broadhead.
Jno. Jameson.
That whole letter indicates the hardships
the volunteers had to suffer in the ALLIE
gheny Valley, and that Colonel Broadhead
meant two kegs of whisky for 45 men to be
purely a stimulant, but it was dangerous
experiment to try. That the troops used it
as beverage instead of a stimulant against
the weather is evidenced by the letter which
Colonel Broadhead wrote to Captain Thomas
Campbell in the month following. He
wrote:
Headquarters, Pittsburg. Nov. Goth, 1779
Sir-Your letter of this date have lust
received. think it entirely unnecessary to
order any pack-horses to your station at
present, as the season is now arrived in
which the River never fails to rise suf-
fciently for transporting provisions or any
thing else between your post and Fort Arm
strong.
Iexpected the two keggs Of Liquor which
sent you on the 4th inst would have lasted
your men considerably longer, nor can
comply with your requisitions for further
supply at present, as l expect to have oc-
casion to make use of the stock on hand in
q matter of more absolute necessity.
have the honour to be your
Obed't serv't
Daniel Broadhead