The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-02-20
General Washington
Journeys Thru Garrett
In the Year of 1884
Notes From His Journal"


Having found it indispensably
necessary to visit my Landed prop
erty West of the Appalachian Noun
tains * I did on the first day of
this month (September) set out on
my journey; one object of my
journey being to obtain information
of the nearest and best communica-
ton between the Eastern and West
ern Waters; and to facilitate as much
as in me lay the Inland Navigation of
the Potomack."
General Washington was accompa-
MED by DR.. James Craik and son Will
liam, and by Bushrod Washington, a
nephew. His equipage, the Journal
continued, "included three servants
and six horses; three valeses, two
tents, bedding, a trunk containing
Silver Cups and Spoons, Canteens,
two kegs of Spirits, Horseshoes, etc.
In my equippage Trunk and Canteens
were Madeira and Port Vie, Cherry
bouce, Oyl Mustard, Vinegar and
Spices of all sorts, Tea and Sugar in
the Camp Kettles. My fishing
lines are in the Canteens."
In addition to the business reasons
given in his diary, Washington doubt
less looked forward with pleasure to
visiting again the country he had
passed through with Christopher Gist
in the winter of 1853, when he carried
the message from the Governor of
Virginia to the French Commander on
the Ohio, and over which he had cam
paigned during the ensuing French
and Indian War. In the late summer
he rode away from well-ordered
Mount Vernon plantation, and stopped
with his brother, Col. Charles Wash
ington, who lived near Berkeley, Va.
The next day he ARRIVED at the
Springs, or Town of Bath, 80 miles. y
Here Mr.. Rumsey exhibited in pri-
vate, under the injunction of Secrecy
his model of a boat for ascending
rapid currents by mechanism. Wash
ington expressed himself as hopeful
of the future utility of Rumsey's boat.
1--WE note that later James Rumsey
used steam as a motive power for his
boat, and shares with John Fitch the
credit Of inventing the steam boat.)
September 9Th the party crossed
the Potomac into Maryland and
lodged with Col. Thomas Cresap at
Oldtown. Extreme heat was followed
by heavy rains, which delayed the
journey day at Cresap's. Obliged to
hasten in order to arrive at his desti-
nation on the day he had advertised
the sale of his lands, Washington and
one servant rode ahead the following
day through Wills Creek (Cumber-
land) and lodged with Tomlinson at
Little Meadows, thirty-five miles.
From Wills Creek he followed the
Braddock road, which he had travelled
with that Generals Inflated army He
complains of "the Road being exceed
ingly bad, especially thru what is
called the Shades of death. Crossing
the Mountains | found tedious and ia
tieguing;" six to nine hours in the
saddle, "and in all parts of the road
that would admit it endeavored to
ride my usual travelling gate of 5
miles an hour. * I met numbers of
Persons and Pack horses going in
with Ginseng; and for Salt and other
articles at the markets below"
September II Washington arrived
at the Great Meadows in Pennsylva-
MIA, where he owned 234 acres, which
included the site of Fort Necessity,
built by him in 1854; he "viewed a
tenament | have there" He dined at
Thomas Gist's on the Monongahela
and arrived at Gilbert Simpsons the
same day. Here the General owned a
grist mill built in 1776; also land on