123 Voyage down the Ohio (1811)
With the reader’s permission, I will now change the scene to the banks of the Monongahela at Pittsburgh; time, a fine morning in April. The shore is lined with the various kinds of keels, flat bottoms, or arks of all the sizes and forms used in the growing trade of the west and a bustling set of people playing different parts. But no Leviathan steamboats are seen proudly asserting their conquest over the western waters. The object to which our attention will be more immediately attracted is a keel [of] about ten or fifteen tons burden with a sort of deck at each end, affording a cabin sufficiently roomy for two men to lie under by coiling themselves up. Both bow and stern were pointed alike and distinguished only by the bow rope on the one and the long tail of a steering oar on the other. The open space amid ships was occupied by barrels, bales, and castings. The captain, a swarthy, ill looking man of forty inclining to fat, dressed in a leathern doublet, blue broadcloth pantaloons and Suwarrow [pointy-toed Hessian] boots, gave the word to push off which was promptly obeyed. The river was in fine order for navigation. The sky unclouded blue, winter had passed off and recalled his ruffian blasts, yet the forests still appeared naked and leafless. As we glided swiftly along I endeavored to catch some recollection of my first voyage. But excepting Legionville, the camp of General Wayne in 1792, I saw nothing I could remember. In place of the interminable wilderness, cultivated spots, cottages, and farms pleasantly situated frequently attracted our attention. Not thinking it prudent in this part of the river to float during the night, it was resolved to encamp, which was accordingly done and fire kindled in order to prepare our evening meal.
Before the dawn of day the boat was again adrift and before evening we reached the town of Wheeling. The intermediate space between this place and Pittsburgh will long continue to be the wildest and rudest part of the Ohio. The hills are high and steep, the river bottom comparatively narrow, and the river itself rapid and tortuous. From Wheeling the river and its borders undergo an almost instantaneous change. The hills rapidly subside, the flat lands become wider, the current of the river more gentle and regular, and cultivation smiles on its banks. Peace, civilization, and the cheerful sound of the human voice have taken the place of the frightful savage wilderness, of the nightly howling of the wolf, and the mid-day terrors of the Indian scalping knife.
The borders of the river had already put on the livery of Robin Hood before we arrived at Marietta, a pretty town situated on a point at the mouth of the Muskingum and at this time one of the most important on the Ohio. It was a handsome town when I first saw it but it had much improved both in the style and number of its buildings. Some ten or twelve miles below this, we came in sight of the island of Blennerhasset. The island and its embellishments were seen to the greatest advantage. The clean, naked, pebbly beach divided the stream in nearly equal parts and beyond it the elegant mansion, painted white, was half hidden among the trees. The large gateway and the tasteful shrubbery heightened the scene, looking like what the islands of the Ohio may be a century hence. It looked more like a vision of the future than a real landscape in the yet infant west. Such improvements are too far in advance of the state of society. The unfortunate family had left the place where they had passed several years in pursuit of happiness by embellishing nature, having been disappointed in finding it in the taste and polish and refinement of society, at least in accordance with their notions and preconceived opinions. The situation of the accomplished pair was not that of Adam and Eve in Paradise, nor was Burr a Satan as to them. He found them discontented, unpleasant feelings had been experienced by them and disappointment had ensued. The error was in their own minds, in their preconceived notions of the people and country of America, and in their uncongenial habits and ideas.
The next morning we passed Letart’s Falls, having passed several villages during the night and also some considerable streams and among others that one which bears “The name so shocking of Hock-Hock-Hocking.” As this was the Sabbath, the banks chiefly on the Ohio side were alive with people going to or returning from places of worship or seated in groups in their best apparel. On the Virginia side instead of seeing dwellings we saw occasionally houses of more ambitious structure but unfinished and already showing marks of decay, while much of the river bottoms was still unimproved. What a contrast with the uninhabited banks of the beautiful river, when I first saw them! When the howl of the wolf or the hooting of the owl were enough to strike terror into the heart of the voyager, fearing that these might be the telegraphic sounds of Indians preparing to attack him.
It will be expected that I should take some notice of Cincinnati which thirteen years before was covered with the native forest, excepting the space occupied by a rude encampment. I now found it a beautiful little city in the midst of a highly cultivated country. I went up to the market which I found equal in goodness to that of Philadelphia but much cheaper. A turkey may be had for sixteen cents and if thought too high, a goose will be offered into the bargain. The wonderful and almost magical change which had taken place here gave me pleasure, for there were no objects which, as at Gallipolis, were associated with the deep impressions made on my boyish mind. Louisville had also become a handsome town and thus far the curtain of the wilderness may be said to have been lifted up, but further down the Ohio was still the abode of solitude and gloom.
I will describe a phenomenon which we beheld a few days after leaving Louisville but which, I fear, will tax the credulity of the reader. It was not a sea serpent but something almost as difficult to believe. In a part of the river where the vision extended at least ten miles down, after daybreak (weather rainy the night before, and then drizzling) the whole heavens to the edge of the horizon were covered and concealed by a flight of wild pigeons and remained so for upwards of two hours until we reached the lower part of the long view. During the whole of the day immense flocks continued to pass. According to my computation, the principal flock was at least (if we allow a mile a minute to the flight of the pigeon) ten miles in width by one hundred and twenty in length! If each pigeon occupied one foot square, there will be sufficient data to compute the number of the whole. I leave the matter in the hands of the schoolmaster, who may give it as an exercise to his scholars.
The captain stopped at the mouth of the Wabash where he expected to find a boat ready to take part of his freight intended for Vincennes, an old French town up this river. We were detained here three or four days and nights — but such nights and days may I never see again! The mosquitoes fell upon us like a shower of burning coals. It was a joyful moment when we took leave of the Wabash and were again on the bosom of the majestic Ohio, now occupying a broad expanse. The banks lined with unbroken forests, the trees occupying ground perfectly level and their tops as even as a clipped hedge — but such a hedge as might be looked for in the country of the Brobdignags. Our captain now made known his intention to settle at New Madrid and open a store or shop and became all at once exceedingly desirous to save us the trouble of preparing our food, which duty he took entirely on himself. Under this pretense he took possession of the provisions and instead of tea and coffee, thenceforth gave us nothing but insipid cakes of Indian meal fried with a little fat bacon. When we ventured to murmur, he showed us his teeth and his pistols. The remainder of the voyage, which was fortunately not long, proved very uncomfortable. The despicable meanness and low cunning of our commander put an end to all conversation between us and when we reached New Madrid, Greaves and I instantly leaped on shore.
Source: Henry M. Brackenridge, Recollections of Persons and Places in the West (1834), 207-225. https://archive.org/details/toldcontemporari03hartrich/page/458/mode/2up
More information of Blennerhasset Island: https://wvstateparks.com/park/blennerhassett-island-historical-state-park/
