day of February, 1815, I set out, and travelled nearly the same road as
before, to the head of the Alleghany river; what they call the head of
navigation. This place is called Olean Point,[14] and was much altered
in appearance since my former visit here; instead of a few log huts as
before, there were forty or {33} fifty shanties, or temporary log
houses, built up, and completely filled with men, women and children,
household furniture thrown up in piles; and a great number of horses,
waggons, sleighs, &c., &c. These people were emigrants from the eastern
States, principally from the State of Maine,[15] and bound to different
States down the Ohio river. Two gentlemen undertook to take a number of
these people, and found it to be about twelve hundred, of all ages and
sexes. They had a large number of flat-bottomed boats built for their
conveyance; these were boarded up at the sides, and roofs over them,
with chimneys suitable for cooking, and were secure from the weather.
There were also many rafts of boards and shingles, timber and saw logs,
which would find a ready market at different places on the Ohio river.
There are many saw-mills on the streams above this place, where these
articles are manufactured from the fine timber which grows in vast
quantities in this vicinity. The river at this time had risen full bank,
and I should suppose was navigable for vessels of fifty tons burden; but
was frozen over to the depth of ten or twelve inches; this was the cause
of so many people being assembled here at this time, as many of them had
been here two months waiting an opportunity to descend the river. I
waited about ten days, which brought it nearly to the close of March. On
Saturday night sat up late, heard some cracking of the ice, several of
us observing that we should soon be on our way; went to bed. Next
morning at daylight found the river nearly clear, and at eight o’clock
it was completely so. The place now presented a curious sight; the men
conveying their goods on board the boats and rafts, the women scolding,
and children crying, some clothed, and some half clothed, all in haste,
filled with anxiety, as if a few minutes were lost their passage would
be lost also. By ten o’clock the whole river for one mile appeared to be
one solid body of boats and rafts. What, but just before, appeared a
considerable village, now remained but a few solitary huts with their
occupants. Myself with the adventurers now drifted on rapidly with the
current, and in six days we were in the Ohio river, and should have been
much sooner had it been safe to have run in {34} the night. We found
this river had risen in the same proportion as the Alleghany; and
several houses at which I had stopped the July before, and which then
stood thirty or forty feet above the surface of the water, were now so
completely surrounded with water that we could float up to the doors;
and on my arrival at Cincinnati I was told that the water had risen
sixty feet above low water mark. Small boats would run just below the
city, and come up in back water into the streets. Much damage was done
in many places by this extraordinary freshet.
In this part of the country I remained for a considerable time, part of
which I spent in this state, and part in Kentucky; but was soon attacked
with fever and ague again. This complaint seemed to be quite attached to
me, and no effort which I could make was sufficient to remove it while I
remained on the banks of this river. I imputed the severity of this
complaint to the heavy fogs which were experienced at this place; and
determined to leave it, and go either to the North or South.
Having concluded on the latter, I took passage on board a boat to
Shipping’s Port,[16] just below the Falls of the Ohio. Here I went on
board a barge of eighty tons burthen, bound to New-Orleans. There were
but a few steam boats traversing these waters at this time, for which
reason these large boats of burden were built principally for conveying
merchandize up the river; although they commonly went with full freight
of country produce down. They are built with two masts, and sails, which
are of little service, the stream being so crooked that many times the
sails are hoisted with a fair wind, and in running a few miles the bend
will be so great as to bring the wind ahead. In going down we stopped at
many places on the Illinois and Tennessee side. Getting into the
Mississippi river, our first stop at any town was at New Madrid.[17] We
made the boat fast to the shore, and about twelve o’clock at night was
awaked by a noise which appeared like a cable drawing over the boat’s
side. I started and went on deck; found all quiet. My fear was that the
boat had struck adrift, and was running over a log; but on inquiry found
it was an earthquake. Next morning got under way, and the water having
become {35} low, the sawyers made their appearance plentifully, some
several feet out of the water. These sawyers are large trees, washed
from the shore, which drift down till the roots or branches, reaching
the bottom, fasten into the mud and become as firm as when standing in
the forest. Should a boat be so unfortunate as to strike one of these,
it would in all probability prove fatal; therefore every precaution is
necessary to avoid them. We had run but a few days when our boat rubbed
on one of these logs, which lay so far under water as to escape our
notice. Coming to the rudder, it lifted it from its hinges, and took it
overboard. We immediately pulled for the shore, made fast, and sent the
boat in search of it; luckily about one mile below we found it and
returned. We then proceeded on, and in two days after the same accident
occurred again. Diligent search was made, but without effect. We then
went on shore, cut down a small tree, and made a steering oar, about
sixty feet long. The stern of the boat was so high, it was with
difficulty this could be managed. In turning round points of land, we
had many narrow escapes. Our usual custom was to get to the shore and
make fast before night. At one time we concluded to drop anchor in the
river, which we did; and next morning attempting to raise it, found it
fast below. After working till ten o’clock, found there was no
possibility of raising it, and cut away. This was unfortunate for us, as
we had formerly occasion for it, and more so afterwards. Several nights
on this trip, we made fast to the shore near the cane brakes. These grow
here very thick, and many miles in extent; at this season of the year
they are dry; when setting fire to them they will crack, making a noise
like soldiers’ musketry; which caused great amusement for the passengers
and crew. We arrived at Natchez,[18] Mississippi, and stopped there a
part of two days. Immediately on leaving the place, found we had left
one man on shore. We hailed a man standing there, and requested him to
bring this man on board, who had just come in sight. They jumped into a
boat, and when come within two hundred yards of us the man fell
overboard, which was the last we saw of him.
{36} The river now becoming much straiter than we had found it before
for three hundred miles, made the trip easier and safer, and on the
eighth day of January, 1817, we arrived at New-Orleans.
During my stay I remained the principal part of the time on board this
barge. The weather some part of the time was cool, and three nights the
ground froze quite hard. Oranges and other fruits froze on the trees. By
accounts from Natchez we learned that the snow had fallen six inches
deep; a circumstance never known before by the oldest person resident
there.
The poor negroes, I was informed, suffered much, and many of them died.
Having tarried till my business was closed, I determined to return by
land; and finding a number of persons, who were going on the same route,
I provided myself with a knapsack, a blanket, a tin quart pot and
necessary provisions, and on the 23d day of February shouldered my
knapsack and set out on my journey. I travelled three miles to the
northward to Lake Pontchartrain;[19] there found a vessel in the
afternoon ready to cross the lake, being about thirty miles. The wind
being light, the next day at twelve o’clock we met the opposite shore;
went to a tavern, took dinner, and found eight men travelling the same
way, mostly strangers to each other, and but one who had travelled the
road before. After collecting our forces, we went on, and travelled
about fifteen miles that afternoon. The country being flat, we had to
wade in water and mud a considerable part of the way, and in many places
knee deep. This we found to be attended with bad consequences, as many
of us took cold thereby. At night we stopped at a small house, the
occupants of which gave us leave to sleep on the floor. We wrapped our
blankets around us, with our wet clothes on, placed our feet to the
fire, and so remained through the night.
The next morning our joints were so stiff we were hardly able to walk;
yet we travelled on about two hours, when we stopped by the way-side,
struck up a fire, cooked some victuals, refreshed ourselves, and marched
on; the same we did several times during the day; and at night found we
had gained forty miles. We again refreshed ourselves with food, and went
to our repose {37} for the night, it being the custom among these
travellers to start very early, as much as two hours before day. Not
being accustomed to this way of travelling, myself as well as several
more wished to alter this course, and wait till a later hour for
starting; but the major part refused our proposal, saying they wanted to
get home as quick as possible.
No one wishing to be left alone, in the morning we all followed our
leader; and went fifteen miles without refreshment of any kind. My feet
had now become very sore in consequence of travelling through mud and
water, and I was much exhausted with fatigue. We stopped, I ate and
drank with the rest of my comrades, but felt quite unwell. After sitting
half an hour, felt unable to travel; they endeavored to encourage me,
but I found it impossible to keep pace with them. I was sorry to be left
alone, nevertheless observed to them, I did not wish to detain any one,
and requested them to pursue their journey. I got from them all the
information possible for the journey, bid them farewell, and we parted.
At this time I was only one hundred miles from New-Orleans, and nine
hundred miles to complete my journey to the Ohio river, and to add to my
misfortune, five hundred of this lay through an Indian country, with but
few white men on the road, and their friendship not to be relied on so
much as the natives.
When my companions left me, I was at a very friendly man’s house, who
condoled my misfortune. Here I tarried about three hours, when, having
determined to pursue my journey, I took leave of these friendly people,
and commenced my lonely journey, moving but slowly along; and soon found
I had entered the boundaries of the Choctaw nation.[20] I had no
difficulty in finding the way, as a few years before this, a road had
been cut through the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations to the Tennessee
river;[21] and as young trees and brush had grown up in this road, the
trees were marked to assist the traveller. By strictly observing these
marked trees I felt secure, and proceeded slowly along, sometimes ten,
and sometimes fifteen miles in a day.
At night I generally found an Indian hut, where they {38} would receive
me very friendly in their way, and throw down skins for me to sleep on.
Seven days had now elapsed, and my health not in the least recruited,
when, as I was walking on very deliberately, thinking of the decrease of
my provision, and the distance I had yet to travel, I was overtaken by a
white man, who asked me from whence I came, and where bound, at the same
time observing that I looked sick, which probably must be the cause of
my being alone; I answered it was. He then said, “I live but one mile
from this, go with me.” I did so, and found his wife and several
children in a small log hut, by whom I was received very kindly.
This favor could not have come more opportunely, as I was both fatigued
and sick. This man was from North Carolina; and his motive for thus
exiling himself and family to this part of the country was not my
business to inquire; I have only to say, that they look suspicious. With
this family I remained two days, and no brother, who had been long
absent, could have been treated with more kindness and affection.
I gave him a narrative of my life, which he and the family listened to
with great attention; he also narrated his great adventures in hunting.
The principal food which this cabin afforded, was dried venison and
bread; the venison, for want of salt to preserve it, is cut in slices,
dried and smoked, which makes what they call jerk.