Document 9–2: Mary Dewees, Journal, 1788–1789

Reading the American Past: Printed Page 169

DOCUMENT 9–2

Mary Dewees Moves West to Kentucky

Settlers poured across the Appalachian Mountains into the Ohio Valley to seek a new life in the West. Mary Dewees, her husband, children, and other family members joined the great westward migration in the fall of 1788, leaving home and friends in Philadelphia to settle near Lexington, Kentucky. Mary Dewees kept a journal of the trip, excerpted below, that chronicles the travails and triumphs of westward migration encountered by tens of thousands of other Americans in the new nation.

Journal, 1788–1789

September 27th: 178[8]

Left Philada. about 5 OClock in the afternoon and tore our selves from a number of dear friends that assembled to take a last farewell before we set off for Kentucky, Made our first stage 6 Miles fro[m] the City, being very sick the greatest par[t] of the way. ...

30th:

. . . much better than I was Lost all the fine prospects the first days Owing to my sickness, which was excessive, being Obliged to be led from the waggon to the bed, and from the bed to the waggon.

[October] 2d:

'Tho but a few days since my friends Concluded I Could not reach Kentucky, will you believe me when I tell you I am setting on the Bank of the Susquehanah, and can take my bit of ham and Biscuit with any of them Returning health has made the face of nature gay, Given beauty to the sun and pleasure to the day. ...

Oct 5:

. . . proceeded to the Mountain, which we began to climb about 10 O'Clock sometimes riding some times walking; find the roads much better in places than we expected, 'tho in others excessive stony the length which is ten miles renders it very tedious, Oblidgenly favoured with good weather we have halted on the top of the Mountain to refresh ourselves and horses this afternoon decended the west side find it much worse than the east side the road in places for a mile in length so very stony that you can scarce see the earth between. ...

7th:

Set off for the north mountain which we find so bad we are Obliged to foot it up, and could compair ourselves to nothing but a parcel of goats climbing up some of the Welch Mountains that I have read of. ... find this the most fatiguing days Journey we have had, the roads so very bad and so very steep that the horses seem ready to fall backwards In many places, you would be surprized to see the Children, Jumping and Skipping. some times quite out of sight some times on horse back some times in the waggon, so you see we have variety, 'tho sometimes would very willingly dispence with some of it — Believe me my dear friends the sight of a log house on these Mountains after a fatiguing days Journey affords more real pleasure that all the magnificent buildings your city contains. ...

Oct 8th:

Left the foot of the mountain and crosd scrub hill which is very bad. ... the Children are very hearty and bear fatigue much better than we do, 'tho I think we all do wonderfull, you would be astonished to see the roads we have come some of which seems impassible, Rachael Mostly passes half the day in Spelling and Sally in Singing every house we stop at she enquires if it is not a Kent.y. house and seldom leaves it 'till she informs them she is a Kenty. Lady

9th:

Crost sidling hill and were the greates[t] part of the day in proforming the Journey the roads being so excessive Steep, sidling and Stony that it seemed impossible to get along. we were obligid to walk the greatest part of the way up 'tho not without company there was five waggons with us all the morning to different parts, this night our difficulties began we were Obliged to put up at a Cabin at the foot of the hill perhaps a dozen logs upon one another, with a few slabs fer a roof and the earth for a floor. & a wooden Chimney Constituted this extrodnary, ordinary the people very Kind but amazing dirty, there was between twenty & thirty of us, all lay on the floor, Except Mrs. Rees the Children and your Maria, who by our dress or adress or perhaps boath were favoured with a bed and I assure you we that thought ourselves to escape being fleaed alive. . . .

11th

Set off for the allagany [Allegheny] Mountain which we began to assend in the afternoon, found it as good as any part of our Jouney we assened in the waggon not with out fear and Trembling, I assure you, we got about Six miles and fell in with a french gentleman and his family going to Pittsburgh we all put up at a little hut on the mountain which was so small that we preffered lodging in our waggon to be crouded with french men & Negroes on an erthen floor. ...

14th:

. . . we were overtaken by a family who was going our way, which renders it more agreeable travelling than by ourselves I think by this time we may call ourselves Mountain proof. at the close of the day we arrived at a house and thought it prudent to put up for the night, the people are scotch Irish, exceedingly Kind but Surprizingly dirty, we concluded as the Company that was with us made up 18 (besides the family) to lodge in our waggon which we did It rained very hard in the night but we laid pretty Comfortably. ...

Oct 16

Mr. Dewees and my brother rode about 13 miles to M'Kees ferry to see how the waters are as we are apprehensive they are too low to go down the river the weather still fine —

17th:

Left our little Cabin and proceeded to M'Kees ferry where we staid two days in a little hut not half so good as the little building at the upper end of your garden, and thought our selves happy to meet with so comfartable a dwelling

18th:

Our boat being ready we set off for the river and arrived their at 12 OClock and went on board immediately. ... at 2 O'Clock we push down the river very slowly, intend Stopping at Fort Pitt, where we expect to meet the waggon with the rest of our Goods. our Beat [Boat] resembling Noahs ark not a little. ...

19th:

with the assistance of some people that was coming up in a flat [boat] we got off. The water very low, I am much afraid we shall have a tedious passage our boat is 40 foot long our room 16 by 12 with a Comfortable fireplace, our Bed room partioned off with blankets, and far preferable to the Cabbins we met with after we crossd the Mountains, we are clear of flea[s] which I assure you is a great relief fore we were almost devoured when on shore. ... we are now, Longing for rain as much as we dreaded on the Land for it is impossible to get down untill the water raises. we live entirely Independant, and with that there is a pleasure which Dependants can never be partakers of. we are all very hearty nor have I had the least sign of Sickness Since I came on board. ...

21st:

We are now laying about a mile from Pittsburgh, and have receiv'd several Invitations to come on shore we have declined all, as the trunks with our cloaths is not come up, and we in our travelling dress, not fit to make our appearance in that gay place. ...

24

The town all in arms, a report prevailed that a party of Indians within twenty miles coming to attack the Town The drums beating to arms with the militia collecting from every part of the Town has I assure a very disagreeable appearance. ...

28th:

Mr. Dewees & Mr. Shelby went up to Pitt. am in hopes they will bring some Intelligence of the warriors that went out against the Indians.

29

Still continue at the Island waiting for water, had the pleasure of two ladys Company from the Island, who gave us an Invitation to visit them had a very stormy night and a snow of two or three Inches.

31st.

Still in hopes of the waters raising as we had snow again this Morning and a prospect of rain, this the most tedious part of our Journey as we still continue in one place.

Nov 1:

The weather Clear and cold & no prospect of the water raising am little apprehensive we shall have to winter among the rocks. ...

4th:

To day the two Mr. Williams came to invite us to their house a mile from this place promissing to furnish us with horses and sadles, but we declined accepting their invitation Chusing rather to continue where we are 'till we go down the river.

19th.

. . . proceeded down the Ohio, a very Beatiful river . . . The Country very hilly on boath sides of the river, in places a half a mile wide in other places much narrower, so near we are to the Indian Country and yet think ourselves pretty safe — The wind blowing very hard and being Contrary Obliged us to put on shore 65 Miles below Pittsburgh, the Boat tossing about a good deal occasioned me to feel a little quamish Betsy Rees was so sick she was obliged to go to bed. ...

Nov. 20

. . . saw another Kentucky Boat and passed by Wheeling a place where a Fort was Kept and attacked last war, Tis pleasently situated on a hill. There was a boat and a good Many people waiting to go down the River — an excessive hard gale of wind Obliged us to put to Shore, after the wind abated, we again put out in the Channal and were Obliged again by a fresh gale to put To Shore on the Indian Coast which caused some disagreeable Sensations, as it is not long since the Indians have done some mischief here abouts, after the wind lulled they thought proper to put out again 'tho it still continued to rain very hard which made it very dark & disagreeable, as it was imposible to discern where the rocks and ripples lay; but not withstanding all the Obstructions we have met with; have gone at the rate of fifty miles in the twenty four hours. ...

30th

. . . on the first of Decembr. arrived at Lexington, being escarted there by Mr. Gordon and Lady, who came out to B[ry]ans Station to meet us, we were polit[ely] recev'd and welcomed by Mrs. Coburn we all staid at my Brothers 'till the 11th: Decr. when Betsy Rees left us to begin house Keeping, her house not being ready before.

Jany. 1 178[9].

. . . Since I have been here I have been visited by the genteele people in the place and receivd several Invitations both in town & Country, the Society in this place is very agreeable and I flatter my self I shall see many happy days in this Country Lexington is a Clever little Town with a court house and Jail and some pretty good buildings in it Chief[ly] Log my abode I have not seen yet a description of which you shall have [by] and by.

Jan. 29th

I have this day reached south Elk horn, and am much pleased with it tis a snug little Cabbin about 9 mile from Lexington on a pretty ascent surrounded by Sugar trees, a Beatifull pond a little distance from the house, with an excellent spring not far from the Door — I can assure you I have enjoyed more happiness the few days I have been here than I have experienced these four or five years past. I have my little family together and am in full expectations of seeing better days —

Yours &c

MD

Feby. 11th: 178[9]

From Mary Dewees's journal describing her journey from Philadelphia to Lexington, Kentucky, Sept. 27, 1788–Feb. 11, 1789, Library of Congress.

Questions for Reading and Discussion

  1. Why did Mary Dewees record her experiences in her journal? How did her life on the trail west compare to her previous life in Philadelphia? To what extent did she retain ties to Philadelphia?
  2. What experiences led Dewees to conclude that she and her family were “Mountain proof”?
  3. What did Dewees mean by writing that, “we live entirely Independant, and with that there is a pleasure which Dependants can never be partakers of”? Were she and her family genuinely independent? Why or why not?
  4. Upon arriving at her new home, Dewees “enjoyed more happiness . . . than I have experienced these four or five years past.” What do you think made her happy? What did her happiness suggest about her previous life in Philadelphia?