Running Mad for Kentucky by Eslinger Ellen;

Author:Eslinger, Ellen; [Eslinger, Ellen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Published: 2021-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Thursday, May 8: nothing extraordinary—my people catching fish and cooking and eating our chief business. I took a ramble this afternoon, up a very high mountain from whence I could look up and down the rivers a long distance, and see every house in Pittsburgh, distinctly so as to count them. one Fredrick Bossman unfortunately fell out of a scow in plain sight of my window this afternoon, and was drowned—

Portrait by Christian Gullager of John May in his military uniform. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society.

Friday, May 9: large numbers of people raking and grappling after Poor Fredrick. all kinds of supersticious incantations and old traditions are recalld and used to find him—(he being Dutch). among others the following was much believed in by the Waglopers [?]—they took a shirt which the drowned man last pulid off, put a loaf of good new bread wt 4 lbs into the shirt and tied it up at both ends—then carried it in a boat to near the place where he fell in, and put it afloat on the water—having previously put a line and togle to it—this they said would swim till it came over him and then sink—the bundle swam some time and then disappeared, but unfortunately for the concerned the line was not long enough, and when the loaf had fill’d with water and sunk the togle disappeard—by this means they lost their experiment not having another shirt charg’d with the same extraordinary virtues—this day I deliverd our horses to a Mr. Kirkendall (a miller near Elizabeths town) to keep, at the rate of 6 s[hillings] pr month. there we left our saddles bridles and mule straps—taking with me only portmants and holsters and pistols—we have had fish for dinner every day since our arrival—and tho there are seven stout hearty men of us—we have never been able to eat more than one fish at a meal4—

there are a number of Indians on the other side of the river—many of them are often over at Pittsburgh. I can not say that I am fond of them for, they are frightfully ugly, and a pack of thieves and beggars. one of their chiefs died day before yesterday. these Indians are pretty cross and some almost infernals. they killed a white man 3 days ago—I can obtain no news of General [Rufus] Putnam—only that he went down the river the 3d of April, and some say he arrived safe at Muskingum.5 just now I receivd undoubted information that 3 large Kentucky boats, were captured by the Indians near the great Miamies, about 2th of March. In one of these was a Mr Pervience of Baltimore, to whom I have letters of recommendation from Gentlemen in Bal[timor]e.6 this misfortune makes some of my men put on a serious face. however the first opportunity I mean to embark, and not come so far for nothing.

Saturday, May 10th. last night and this day very rainy, from the eastward nothing remarkable, only the rivers rising rapidly.

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