Benjamin Van Cleve

We can glean from the Memoirs of Benjamin Van Cleve what a trip from Pennsylvania to Mason County would have been like at that time. Benjamin wrote of a trip from Philadelphia to Fort Washington in 1792. We pick up his trip after he reached Washington, Pennsylvania.

August 3rd. I came to Washington [Pennsylvania] and lodged at John Dodd's.

August 4th. I came to Pittsburgh and delivered my dispatches to General Wayne. I put up at Mr. Tannehill's. Lieut. Harrison, with whom I had been sometime acquainted and who was afterward Governor of Indiana Territory, put up here at the same time. I stayed here until the 7th. I must confess that I was guilty of a great misconduct in going so far out of my way to see my friends when I might have been at Pittsburgh two days sooner. I was slightly reprimanded by General Wayne for being so long on the road. I had no excuse and received it conscious that I deserved it.

August 7th. I left Pittsburgh with two boats under the command of Ensign Hunter with a sergeant and corporal and 21 privates. New recruits enlisted in Morristown and New Brunswick. We had Dennis Ferris for our pilot. The Ensign's boat had a quantity of cannon balls, two pieces of artillery and a few boxes of shoes on board. The other boat was loaded with oats and corn. We thought we would be more at liberty and the pilot and myself, having the Corporal and six men with us, took charge of the boat of grain. We came past Chartiers Creek [now Chartiers Run] and lay near Ulrich's. The river was very low and we were unable to drift at night, so that we made about fifteen miles a day.

August 11th. Arrived at Wheeling. We had but just landed when four of our soldiers deserted. I turned with a party and we searched for them until night without effect.

August 12th. Sunday. We left Wheeling and arrived at Marietta on the 17th. I lodged on shore with an old acquaintance, a Mr. Buell.

August 18th. I passed the Little Kenawha and lay opposite Bellpre. The river being so low, we often ran on shoals and sand bars. I was exceedingly fond of swimming, and being the best hand in getting the boat off, was generally foremost at it. Amongst the soldiers in our boat was one whose name was Adam Hill, a rope maker, recruited at Morristown, exceedingly fond of drink. We had from Pittsburgh a passenger by the name of Findley and we had a keg which we had to fill every few days with whiskey. We kept the soldiers in our boat generally mellow and Adam was entirely devoted to me and would sometimes sing for us half a day together. I had brought from Philadelphia about twenty-five volumes of books, which I read mostly if not all through on our passage, so that the time did not pass heavily. The Ensign and his lady interchanged visits with us and we treated them with sweetened whiskey on these occasions when they visited us. But the extreme heat and tediousness of the passage induce Mrs. Hunter to stay at Marietta.

August 19th. Sunday. We passed Little and Big Hockhockings and lay at Bellville.

August 21st. We came over L'Tart Falls and lay a little below. We met here a number of canoes from Kentucky

August 23rd. We Passed the Great Kenawha and lay at Gallipolis (the French station). The Great Kenawha was raised considerably so that we can make better progress in sailing.

August 24th. Did not get our boat fast to-day. Lay a little above Guiandot.

August 25th. The pilot ran ahead in a canoe with Mr. Swearin and myself to take a hunt and was to wait at the mouth of Guiandot for us. We wounded a deer and was so long searching for it, and without getting it at last, the boats passed us and the canoe went on and when we arrived at the river they were several miles ahead. We had to cross Guiandot at the mouth which was pretty full and run until we overtook them. Discovered some fresh Indian tracks below Guiandot. We passed this day Great and Little Guiandot and Big Sandy and lay a little below.

August 26th. Came fifteen miles below Sioto [River].

August 27th. Came to Three Islands [present-day Manchester, Ohio].

August 28th. Passed Limestone [present-day Maysville] and lay at Charlestown.

August 29th. Passed Eagle Creek, Lees Creek, White Oak, and Bracken and Locust at dark and drifted all night. [Bracken Creek is 426.4 miles from Pittsburgh and Locust Creek is 432.8 miles from Pittsburgh].