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_ _ _ _ To Fayette town in Fayett County, formerly called Red Stone fort, fine land & good road most part level 26 farms on the road to Monogahany river, going a road newly made & no person or boat being in sight or within call concluded it was fordable when got 1/3 over, was obliged to swim the horses upwards of 200 yards the River being 400 yards wide, rising a short hill came to the Town _ consisting of 20 odd Log houses, built within 2 years _ _ _ _ _ _
July 10 [in left margin]
To Union town, lately called Beaston, Borough town to Fayette county has a house Goal a Court Prisbetarian & Methodist Church & 120 houses mostly Log & built within 2 years. the land easy hills with some stone, soil good, having Red Stone Creek running through the town on which are grist mills, here Lived Col Mc.Lean who gave me the plan & measurement of Youghioga= =ny falls _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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_ _ _ To [Jake's?] publick house _ the first 2 miles good land 3 farms on the road, when came again to Laurell hill. 3 miles up the hill poor land is [Fosdicks?] public house, poor fair, a little above the house is the - summit of the hill, on which hill several tracts of land, some of them for miles, the woods have taken fire, from fires left by Wagons
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439 [in the right margin]
or droves of horses that encampt thereon to graze or encamp for the night which hath killed all the trees as far as the conflagration went & which afforded an extensive view of Fayette County in Virginia & of Washington County in Pensylvania those Counties being on the line or River that divides the two states; altho the Counties have many hills it appeared through a good accro= =matich glass, like a plain, with little spots every here & there appeard like portions of plowed land arrising from the steams & branches of trees (of that colour) that had been girded & there by killd, when they ploughd & row the land; leaving the trees standing to rot & fall, by which cattle & men are subject to accident, yet this is the custom on the otherside of the Susquhanah to save trouble _ it is said one or more of those fires happen every spring & continue burning until put out by rain - the road to Fosrichs very stony & rocky, from Fosrichs to Ink's much better road, but poor land, Laurel hill ends half a mile before you come to Inks'. (here left the main road with Mr Inks as a guide to the Youghagany falls - - -
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- - - - - To Youghagany falls, the first 2 miles over bad rocky road & soil, then came to a glade or great meadow narrow but of a great length, which having
447 [in the right margin]
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crossed, then mounted a stony or rather a rocky hill bad soil & 6 miles further came to John [Askreens?] farm, to whom I had a letter from Col McLean, who as being the best guide, desired he would go with me. I however took them both, as it was through high hills & rocky presipices (leaving my coat neck cloth & incumbrances) at 2 miles distance; we however climing over rocks trees Logs & hills, Lost our way, altho he had been there two years before, we at length after three hours fatigue arrived at some distance below the falls, but in full sight, when it appeared to me through a good glass as on the opposite side
[Bottom half of the page has a map of the area]
Road from Fort Pitt to the little Meadows
Youghiagani River
Salt works carried on during the war.
Falls
about 66 feet falls to the mouth of great meadows ru
Great Meadow run
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The contra plan as given by Col Mc.Lean, who is a Gentleman of fortune & Character & employed to survey that & a line between the States. -- The above was a hasty sketch taken in a hurry after much fatigue.
[written vertically on the left side of the page: Youghanani falls 49 1/2 feet
And within 100 yards below the fall. Here is 20 1/2 foot falls the whole
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The great falls of 49 1/2 feet, came down from level rocks, falling perpendicular, in one intire sheet, with such violence as raised a mist of great heigth, like a thick fog or vapour & with a noise heard long before the mountain can be seen, dashing & foaming against innumerable large rocks that one chiefly on the west side of the River. on the East side there is little or no obstruction judge the River to be near 150 yards wide where dried my linnen returned to Mr Arskeens & from thence through an obscure path to the Red Lyon, Salters tavern, a mile beyond the big meadow, - - - - - - - -
Mr Braddock after being wounded was brought 108 miles near Inks' & was buried 2 1/2 miles beyond Inks' in the middle of the road, to be conceald from the Indians
July 12 _ _ _ _ To Halls farm, easy hills & strong good level & meadow land. Mr Hall is young man with a wife & 7 Children, during the War, he bought 600 acres of land for which he gave 3000£ paper money worth at that time about 50£ Cash. he has only himself a Son of 12 years & a Servant that work, has a forge is his own Carpenter, Smith, &c. has 21 head of Cattle, 17 sheep, 8 horses & mares, 37 hogs & pigs, spins linnen & wollen for his family, in want of Iron & Salt only, This small farm of grain pasture, barn & Log house in good order. from Laurel hill common to Allagany Mountains _ _ _ _
NB So cold. that for the first time wore a great Coat since left Philadelphia.