Baggage came to us we cleaned ourselves (to get Rid of the Game we had catched the Night before) and took a Review of the Town and thence return'd to our Lodgings where we had a good Dinner prepar'd for us Wine and Rum Punch in Plenty and a good Feather Bed with clean Sheets which was a very agreeable regale

Thursday 17th Rain'd till Ten oClock and then clearing we reached as far as Major Campbells1 one of there Burgesses about 25 Miles from Town nothing Remarkable this day nor Night but that we had a Tolerable good Bed [to] lay on.

Fryday 18th We Travell'd up about 35 Miles to Thomas Barwicks1 on Potomack where we found the River so excessively high by Reason of the Great Rains that had fallen up about the Allegany Mountains they told us which was then bringing down the melted Snow and that it would not be fordable for several Days it was then above Sixx foot Higher than usual and was rising we agreed to stay till Monday we this day call'd to see the Fam'd Warm Springs 20 we camped out in the field this Night Nothing Remarkable happen'd till Sonday the 20th.

Sonday 20th finding the River not much abted we in the Evening Swam our horses over and carried them to Charles Polks in Maryland for Pasturage till the next Morning

Monday 21st We went over in a Canoe and travell'd up Maryland side all the Day in a Continued Rain to Collo Cresaps right against the Mouth of the South Branch about 40

21

18 Maj. Andrew Campbell; his last service as burgess from Frederick County had been in 1745.

19 Berwicks or Barwicks above Harpers Ferry.

"Warm Springs, now Bath or Berkeley Springs, Morgan County, W. Va.

"Col. Thomas Cresap, one of the famous American frontiersmen. Finally settled at what came to be known as Old Town, on the Maryland side of the Potomac, just above the junction of the North Branch and South Branch.

Miles from Polks I believe the worst Road that ever was trod

by Man or Beast

Tuesday 22d Continued Rain and the Freshes kept us at Cresaps.

Wednesday 23d Rain'd till about two oClock and Clear'd when we were agreeably surpris'd at the sight of thirty odd Indians coming from War with only one Scalp We had some Liquor with us of which we gave them Part it elevating there Spirits put them in the Humour of Dauncing of whom we had a War Daunce there manner of Dauncing is as follows Viz They clear a Large Circle and make a Great Fire in the middle then seats themselves around it the Speaker makes a grand speech telling them in what Manner they are to Daunce after he has finished the best Dauncer jumps up as one awaked out of a Sleep and runs and Jumps about the Ring in a most comical Manner he is followed by the Rest then begins there Musicians to Play the Musick is a Pot half [full] of Water with a Deerskin Streched over it as tight as it can and a goard with some Shott in it to Rattle and a Piece of an horses Tail tied to it to make it look fine the one keeps Rattling and the other Drumming all the while the others is Dauncing

Fryday 25th Nothing Remarkable on thursday but only being with the Indians all day so shall slip it this day left Cresaps and went up to the mouth of Patersons Creek and there swam our Horses over got over ourselves in a Canoe and traveld up the following Part of the Day to Abram Johnstones 15 Miles from the Mouth where we camped

Saturday 26 Travelld up the Creek to Solomon Hedges Esqr one of his Majestys Justices of the Peace for the County of Frederick where we camped when we came to Supper there was neither a Cloth upon the Table nor a knife to eat with but as good luck would have it we had knives of [our] own.

Sunday 27th Travell'd over to the South Branch attended with the Esqr22 to Henry Vanmetriss2 in order to go about Intended Work of Lots

Monday 28th Travell'd up the Branch about 30 Miles to Mr. James Rutlidges Horse Jockey and about 70 Miles from the Mouth

Tuesday 29th This Morning went out and Survey'd five Hundred Acres of Land and went down to one Michael Stumps on the So Fork of the Branch on our way Shot two Wild Turkies.

Thursday 31st Early this Morning one of our Men went out with the Gun and soon Returned with two Wild Turkies we then went to our Business run of three lots and returned to our Camping place at Stumps

March 31st Lot 4th. this Lot survey'd myself Beginning at a Pine by a Rock ...

APRIL

Fryday April the 1st This Morning Shot twice at Wild Turkies but kill'd none run of three Lots and returned to Camp

Saterday 2d Last Night was a blowing and Rainy night Our Straw catch'd a Fire yt. we were laying upon and was luckily Preserv'd by one of our Mens awaking when it was in a [blaze] we run of four Lots this Day which Reached below Stumps..

Sunday 3d Last Night was a much more blostering night than the former we had our Tent carried Quite of with the Wind and was obliged to Lie the Latter part of the night without covering there came several Persons to see us this day one of our Men Shot a Wild Turkie

go

Monday 4th this morning Mr. Fairfax left us with Intent to down to the Mouth of the Branch we did two Lots and was

"Solomon Hedges.

23 Henry Van Metre or Meter.

attended by a great Company of People Men Women and Children that attended us through the Woods as we went showing there Antick tricks I really think they seemed to be as Ignorant a Set of People as the Indians they would never speak English but when spoken to they speak all Dutch" this day our Tent was blown down by the Violentness of the Wind

Wednesday 6th Last Night was so Intolerable smoky that we were obliged all hands to leave the Tent to the Mercy of the Wind and Fire this day was attended by our afored Company untill about 12 0Clock when we finish'd we travell'd down the Branch to Henry Vanmetris's on our Journey was catched in avery heavy Rain we got under a Straw House untill the Worst of it was over and then continued our Journey

I

Thursday 7th Rain'd Successively all Last Night this Morning one of our men Killed a Wild Turkie that weight 20 Pounds we went and Sudvey'd 15 Hundred Acres of Land and Return'd to Vanmetris's about 1 oClock about two I heard that Mr Fairfax was come up and at 1 Peter Casseys about 2 Miles of in the same Old Field I then took my Horse and went up to see him we eat our Dinners and Walked down to Vanmetris's we stayed about two Hours and Walked back again and slept in Casseys House which was the first Night I had slept in a House since I came to the Branch

Fryday 8th we breakfasted at Casseys and Rode down to Vanmetris's to get all our Company together which when we had accomplished we Rode down below the Trough in order to Lay of Lots there we laid of one this day The Trough is [a] couple of Ledges of Mountain Impassable running side and side together for above 7 or 8 Miles and the River down between them you must Ride Round the back of the Mountain

"German emigrants who had come up the Shenandoah Valley from Pennsylvania.

for to get below them we Camped this Night in the Woods near a Wild Meadow where was a Large Stack of Hay after we had Pitched our Tent and made a very Large Fire we pull'd out our Knapsack in order to Recruit ourselves every [one] was hisown Cook our Spits was Forked Sticks our Plates was a Large Chip as for Dishes we had none

Saterday 9th Set the Surveyor to work whilst Mr Fairfax and myself stayed at the Tent our Provisions being all exhausted and the Person that was to bring us a Recruit disappointing us we were oblige to go without untill we could get some from the Neighbours which was not till about 4 or 5 oClock in the Evening we then took our Leaves of the Rest of our Company Road Down to John Colins in order to set off next Day homewards

Sunday 10th We took our farewell of the Branch and travell'd over Hills and Mountains to 1 Coddys on Great Cacapehon about 40 Miles

Monday 11th We Travell'd from Coddys down to Frederick Town where we Reached about 12 0Clock we dined in Town and then went to Capt. Hites and Lodged

Tuesday 12th We set of from Capt. Hites in order to go over Wms. Gap about 20 Miles and after Riding about 20 Miles we had 20 to go for we had lost ourselves and got up as High as Ashbys Bent we did get over Wms. Gap that Night" and as low as Wm. Wests 26 in Fairfax County 18 Miles from the Top

Crossing the Blue Ridge at Williams (now Snickers) Gap, they followed the Shenandoah Hunting Path south to West's ordinary at the head of the Bull Run Mountain; thence they struck southeast by a forest trail which ultimately became the Colchester Road, and so reached Belvoir and Mount Vernon. His diaries show that Washington pursued this same route many times thereafter.

"West's ordinary, kept successively for three generations by William, Charles, and Thomas West, and after the Revolution known as Lacys, is a landmark still standing at the head of the Bull Run Mountain, near the modern village of Aldie, in what was Fairfax County in 1748, but 10 years later became Loudoun. It is indicated by name on the 1755 edition of the Fry and Jefferson map, as well as on Thomas Jefferson's map of 1787.