He is traveling from Hartford, Connecticut to Litchfield, Connecticut and from there to Fishkill, New York, stopping on the way at Colonel Andrew Morehouse’s Tavern. A fascinating glimpse into the logistics of travel and communication in those days and the conduct of war in a remote continent with little infrastructure and an emerging concept of governance and self.
The 19th I left Litchfield between nine and ten in the morning, and pursued my journey through the mountains, partly on foot and partly on horseback; for having got into the habit of travelling from morning till night without stopping, I from time to time took pity on my horses, and spared them in those deserts which seemed formed for the roebuck rather than for carriages and laden horses. The name of the first town I came to, proclaims it to be of recent origin; it is called Washington. A new county being formed in the woods of Connecticut the state has bestowed on it this respectable name, the memory of which will indisputably exist much longer than the town intended to perpetuate it. There is another county of Washington in Virginia, belonging to the Protector of America; but its great distance from this new city prevents all possible inconvenience arising from the identity of name.(1)
This capital of a rising county has a Meetinghouse, and seven or eight houses collected; it is in a beautiful situation, and the cultivation appears rich and well managed; a rivulet, which runs at the bottom of the valley renders the meadows more fruitful than they generally are in mountainous countries.(2)
From hence to Litchfield, they reckon, reckon, seventeen miles: I had ten miles to go to reach Moorhouse's tavern, where I intended sleeping, but not taking the shortest road, I travelled at least twelve, and always among the mountains. That which I took brought me to a pretty considerable hamlet, called New Milford-Bordering Skirt, or the confines of Milford county, and from thence into so deep and wild a valley, that I thought myself completely lost, until an opening in the wood made me perceive, first a meadow surrounded by fences, then a house, and soon after another, and at length a charming valley, with several considerable farms, covered with cattle. I soon crossed this spot, which belongs to the county of Kent, as well as the rivulet which flows through the middle of it, and after travelling three miles farther in the mountains, I reached the banks, of the Housatonick, or the river of Stratford. It is unnecessary to remark that the first is the genuine name, that is, the name given it by the savages, the ancient inhabitants of the country. This river is not navigable, and is easily forded near Bull's iron works. We then turn to the left and pass along its banks; but if one is sensible to the beauties of Nature, if on seeing the, paintings of Vernet and Robert, one has learnt to admire its models, it is impossible not to be lost in admiration at the view of the charming landscape, formed by the combination of the forges, of the fall of water which seems to work them, and of the variegated prospect of trees and rocks, with which this picturesque scene is embellished. At the distance of a mile we again pass the same river on a wooden bridge; we soon meet with another called Ten-mile river, which falls into this, and which we follow for two or three miles, and then come in sight of several handsome houses, forming a part of the district called The Oblong. It is a long narrow strip of land, ceded by Connecticut to the state of New York, in exchange for some other territory. The inn I was going to is in the Oblong, but two miles farther on. It is kept by Colonel Moorhouse for nothing is more common in America than to see an inn-keeper a Colonel: they are in general militia Colonels, chosen by the militia themselves, who seldom fail to entrust the command to the most esteemed, and most creditable citizens.(3)
I pressed forward my horses, and hurried on to get the start of a traveler on horseback, who had joined me on the road, and who would have had the same right with myself to the lodgings, had we arrived together. I had the satisfaction, however, ta see him pursue his journey; but soon learnt, with concern, that the little inn where I proposed to pass; that night, was occupied by thirteen farmers, and two hundred and fifty oxen coming from New Hampshire. The oxen were the least inconvenient part of the company, as they were left to graze in a meadow hard by without even a dog to guard them; but the farmers, their horses and dogs, were in possession of the inn. They were conveying to the army a part of the contingent of provisions furnished by New Hampshire. This contingent is a fort of tax divided amongst all the inhabitants on some of whom the imposition amounts to one hundred and fifty, on others to one hundred, or eighty pounds of meat, according to their abilities; so that they agree amongst themselves to furnish a larger, or smaller sized ox, no matter which, as each animal is weighed. Their conveyance to the army is then entrusted to some farmers and drovers. The farmers are allowed about a dollar a day, and their expenses, as well as those of the cattle, are paid them on their return, according to the receipts they are obliged to produce from the inn-keepers where they have halted. The usual price is from three-pence to five-pence English per night for each ox, and in proportion at noon.
I informed myself of these particulars whilst my people were endeavouring to find me lodgings; but all the rooms, and all the beds were occupied by these farmers, and I was in the greatest distress, when a tall, fat man, the principal person amongst them, being informed who I was, came to me, and assured me, that neither he, nor his companions would ever suffer a French General Officer to want a bed, and that they would rather sleep on the floor; adding, that they were accustomed to it, and that it would be attended with no inconvenience. In reply I told them, I was a military man, and as much accustomed as themselves to make the earth my bed. We had long debates on this point of politesse ; theirs was rustic, but more cordial and affecting than the best turned compliments. The result was, that I had a two-bedded room for myself and my Aides de Camp. But our acquaintance did not terminate there: after: parting from each other, I to take some repose, they to continue drinking their grog and cyder, they came into my room. I was then employed in tracing my route by the map of the country; this map excited their curiosity. They saw there with surprising and satisfaction the places they had passed through. They asked me if they were known in Europe, and if it was there I had bought my maps. On my assuring them that we knew America as well as the countries adjoining to us, they seemed much pleased ; but their joy was without bounds, when they saw New Hampshire, their country, on the map. They called their companions, who were in the next room; and mine was soon filled with the strongest and most robust men I had hitherto seen in America. On my appearing struck with their size and stature, they told me that the inhabitants of New Hampshire were strong and vigorous, for which there were many reasons; that the air was excellent, their sole occupation was agriculture, and above all that their blood was unmixed: this country being inhabited by ancient families who had emigrated from England. We parted good friends, touching, or rather shaking hands in the English fashion, and they assured me that they were very happy to have an opportunity, to shake hands with a French General.(4)
The horse which carried my portmanteau, not travelling so fast as me, did not come up till the next morning, so that it was ten o'clock on the 20th of December, before I could set out. Three miles from Moorhouse's is a very high hill; we then descend, but not quite so much as we ascended; the road here is over elevated ground, leaving large mountains on the left: the country is well cultivated, affording the prospect of several pretty farms, with some mills; and notwithftanding the war, Hopel township is building, inhabited chiefly by Dutch people, as well as the greatest part of the state of New York, which formerly belonged to the republic of Holland, who exchanged it for Surinam. My intention was to sleep five miles on this side of Fishkill, at Colonel Griffin's tavern. I found him cutting and preparing wood for fences: he assured me his house was full, which was easy to be believed, for it was very small. I continued my journey therefore, and reached Fishkill about four o'clock. This town, in which there are not more than fifty houses in the space of two miles, has been long the principal depot of the American army. It is there they have placed their magazines, their hospitals, their workshops, &c. but all these form a town of themselves composed of handsome large barracks, built in the wood at the foot of the mountains; for the Americans, like the Romans in many respects, have hardly any other winter quarters, than wooden towns, or barricaded camps, which may be compared the hiemalia of the Romans.
(1) Other states have likewise commemorated the virtues of this great man in the same manner.
(2) Two years after, the Author returned by this place, where he had only seen a few houses, and a single inn. The number was almost doubled, arid there were three very good and well accommodated inns. He has remarked the fame progress through almost all the interior parts of the country, from the bay of Chesapeak to Piscataqua, that is, through a space of fix hundred miles. This progress is owing, in great measure, even to the misfortunes of the war. The English "being masters of the sea, made, or had it in their power to make, what they called depredatory expeditions. Marks of these horrid expeditions were everywhere to be met with in travelling within fifty miles of the coasts or rivers. In one of them it was agitated by the Generals Garth, Tyron, and their officers, to burn the beautiful .and popular town of Newhaven in Connecticut, with its handsome college, &c. The latter General was for it, but happily, more humane and wiser spirits, prevailed in the council. But this, term, too shameful to be adopted into the vocabulary of war, denoted only a small part of the ravages they actually committed; murder and conflagrations were perpetually the incidents which occurred. Hence it happened that the citizens who were the most easy in their circumstances, that is to say, those who, uniting commerce with agriculture, had their plantations near the coasts, or the mouths of rivers, abandoned them for more tranquil habitations in the interior part of the country. The little capital they transported with them was employed in clearing our new settlements, which soon became prosperous. On the other hand, communications by sea becoming impracticable, it was necessary to make use of conveyances through the country: the roads in consequence were made better, and were more frequented; inns multiplied, as well as the establishment of all workmen useful for travelers, such as wheelwrights, blacksmiths, &c. So that, besides liberty and independence, the United States will derive this advantage from the war, that commerce and population will be greatly increased, and that lands, which had long remained barren have been so successfully cultivated, as to prevent them from being again abandoned. ----- The Translator had the opportunity of making the same remarks, not only in a journey from Virginia to New Hampshire, but in many of the interior parts of the continent.
(3) At Leeshurgh in Virginia, in my way to visit. General Gates, I staid three days at the house of an Englishman, a native of Bristol, a man of five foot high, who united, in his own person, the office of Colonel, Justice of the Peace, Parish Clerk, and Inn-Keeper; nor was he deficient in any of these functions.
Translator.
(4) The Translator, who as a disinterested, and determined friend, to the rights of mankind, and to the principles of the English Constitution, could not but wish success to America in her glorious struggle as a native of England had many similar occasions for interesting reflections on the vicissitude of human affairs, and of the wickedness of those who too frequently direct them. But in no instance was this more striking than in Virginia, where he saw the French array encamped on the very spot, from whence Braddock set out on his unfortunate expedition against the French, five and twenty years before. The traces of his encampment were still evident. In this expedition he was not only well seconded by the Provincials, but had their advice been followed, his success would have been very different. It is worth observing too, that no less than four of the most distinguished of the American Generals were with him on the expedition. General Washington was his Aide de Camp, and after dissuading him as much as possible from forming his army in the European manner, (the mistake which proved fatal to him) received him when mortally wounded in his arms; General Lee was in a detached party from the main body of the army; General Gates served in the army and General Stephens was shot through the body in the engagement: Lee and Gates were Englishmen, and Stephens a Scotchman; all the four were now become inhabitants of Virginia, On the anniversary oi that unfortunate day, the Translator dined in the back part of the country at General Gates's, with General Stephens, from whom he had many curious particulars; nor was the wonderful revolution in the affairs and minds of men, the subject of less anxious discussion with them, than with the Translator. At the time he is speaking of; indeed, during their whole stay, nothing could be more cordial and sincere than the kind reception given to the French by the Virginians. Translator.
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