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William Priest - Travels in the United States of America
lightning, so extravagantly described by Lee, in Oedipus: -
"Call you these peals of thunder, but the yawn or bellowing clouds? by Jove, they seem to me the world's
last groans, and those large sheets of flame it's last blaze!"
I have often traversed the woods by myself at night, and sometimes during such scenes; and
though I was conscious that all round me proceeded from natural causes, I could not at these times
entirely forget,
"All that the priest and all the nurse had taught."
Farewell. - Believe me
Yours very sincerely, &c.,
* * * * *
Philadelphia, August 10th, 1794.
DEAR SIR,
Having a few weeks vacation at the theatre, we agreed upon a scheme to give three concerts at Lancaster,
a town in Pennsylvania, about seventy miles west of this city. Our band was small, but select; and our
singers Darley, and miss Broadhurst. We crossed the Scuylkill about two miles below the Falls.
The country, which, from the Atlantic to this spot, is nearly a level, now abruptly swells into hills, and
rises as you advance westerly, till you reach the Allegany mountains, the great back bone of
America, as the Indians call that chain of mountains. There is then a considerable descent; but that the
country rises afterward for many hundred miles is certain from the course of the rivers. No traveller has
penetrated so far west, in these latitudes, as to find a river which did not ultimately run into the Atlantic
Ocean,
We slept about a mile from the Pioli. I took a walk to reconnoitre the field of battle, with one
who was present at that horrid affair.
General Wayne was here completely surprised, but had his revenge at Stoney Point.
After St. Claire's defeat, he was appointed by Congress to the command of the continental army in the
present indian war. The fatal surprise at the Pioli has been an excellent lesson for him; since his present
appointment he has established the most rigid discipline: this is of the utmost consequence in any army;
but particularly so in that he commands, as they have to contend with the most subtle and
desperate foe on earth, flushed with their late victory over St. Claire. - In a former indian war, an army
lay with it's rear and flanks well secured; a river three quarters of a mile broad in its front, and no enemy
within fifty miles. A body of Indians, being informed by their scouts of the situation of this army, made a
forced march, crossed the river in the night, on rafts hastily constructed, completely surprised the camp
before sun-rise in the morning, butchered all before them, and made their retreat good with their scalps
and plunder, before the enemy recovered from the general consternation. The system of military tactics
Wayne has introduced is admirably adapted to the perilous service, in which he is engaged. He fights the
Indians in their own way, and scalps are now taken on both sides. - There is expected to be warm work
this campaign; and it is generally imagined Wayne will meet with the fate of Braddock and St. Clare. A
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