Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-04-30

made their appearance. On his re-
turn Sir John descended Wills creek
and the Potomac, 200 miles in an open
canoe, till he reached Annapolis,
whence be returned to Williamsburg
to await Braddock's arrival. He
employed number Of men to pre-
pare fat bottomed boats or batteaux
in which the stoves, etc., were to be
| transported to Fort Cumberland,
and also laid out camp for the
army at Watkins Ferry, (mouth of
the Conococbeague, } although no use
WAS ever made of it.
From his maps, as we'll as personal
observation, Sir John was we'll aware
that no roads existed between the
mouth of the Conococheague and
Fort Cumberland on the Maryland
side of the Potomac. Under date
of 18th of February, 1855, Govern
or Morris informed him in letter
from Philadelphia, "There is an
open wagon road from this town to
the mouth of the Conococheague,
which / am told is very good one,
by which any quantity of provisions
may be carried, and along which the
northern forces may march and join
the Europeans at Winchester, with
only three small ferries, but there is
no wagon road from Carlisle, west
through the mountains, but only
horse path by which the Indian trad.
ers used to carry their goods ana
skins to and from the Ohio, while
the trade remained open.
From the fact of laying out
camp for the army at Watkins Fer
Try, and the information received
from Governor Morris, as well as
his own personal observation, be
doubtless intended to move the army
stores by the Potomac, and march
the troops to Watkins Ferry, thence
| by Winchester to Fort Cumberland
and be supplied by provisions from
Pennsylvania, by the "great road to
the Potomac
General Braddock arrived at
Hampton, Virgins, Feb. 20, 1855,
and the first transports containing
troops on the I'd of March, while the
last company of the 4Sth regiment
did not land until the middle of that
month.
These regiments, two in number,
the 44th, Colonel Sir Peter Halket,
and the 48th, Colonel Thomas Dun
bar, embarked 500 strong each, and
were to be recruited in America TO a
complement of seven hundred.
The four hundred men who were
to gil up the ranks of these regi
ments, were looked for, by the min
istry, to come from Pennsylvania
but this expectation was never full
/ | flied flied Pic complement Of these
regiments was completed by enlist
ment in Virginia.
While the assembly would not
agree to any plan to raise provln-
cial force in Pennsylvania to oper-
ate under Braddock, the men of
Pennsylvania we're enlisting by hum
dreds under the banners Of Shirley
and Pepperell, or carrying their
services to Virginia or New
York. If any Pennsylyanians were
in Braddock's expedition as soldiers,
they must have enlisted in Virginia,
as no mention of them is made from
any sou rec.
On the 28th Of February, General
Braddock requested Governor Nor
ris to establish post with good
horses at convenient distances be-
tween Philadelphia and Winchester,
for forwarding dispatches, and to
open road from Carlisle, west, to
intersect the road on which he was
to march from Fort Cumberland 10
Fort Duquesne. In pursuance with
the generals request, Governor Nor
ris on the 18th of March appointed
road viewers, to lay out road from
the great road leading through Car
Isle and Shippensburg, to the
Youghiegheny, and from that road
to the camp at Wills Greek.
On the same day he notified Gem
eral Braddock that he had ordered
survey from place called Carlisle
to Turkey Foot. The road COM
missioners reported on the 10th Of
April: "We we're very fortunate in
finding a good road all the way.
From Parnell's Knob or McDowell's
Mill, to where we stopped, is about
sixty-nine miles,"
On the l4th of April council
was held at Alexandria, at which
were present Gen. Braddock, Gov.
Shirley, Lieut.. Gov. Delaney, Lieut.
Gov. Dinwiddie, Lieut. Gov. Sharpe
and Lieut.-Gov. Morris, when the
plan of campaign was settled.
A four-fold blow was to be struck
against the French. Shirley was to
lead the forces against Niagara, Col.
VIM. johnson against Crown Point,
Lieut.-Col. Monekton against AGA
dia, while Braddock himself was to
lead the exped ition against Fort
Duquesne.
Already on the 9th of April, Sir
Peter Halket with six companies of
the 44th had marched to Winches-
I