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William Priest - Travels in the United States of America
few military men I have discoursed with, are of another opinion; they tell me the rifle-men of the western
army were recruited from Kentucky, and other remote settlements, and are all experienced
back-woods-men, who have been great part of their lives in the habits of Indian fighting; that the
general is forming a body of cavalry, on principles entirely new, from which much is expected; in short,
that Wayne will oblige the Indians to bury the hatchet on his own terms. The Indian war is not
popular. It has met with much opposition both in the General Assemblies of the States, and in Congress.
The devastation that has (even within the present century) taken place among the brave and independent
aborigines of this continent, is really shocking to humanity[Footnote: The Cherokees are by no means the
formidable body of warriors they were 40 years ago. The original possessors of the vast tract of land
which forms North Carolina, are reduced to a single family; and several tribes of the eastern Indians
actually exterminated.].
I spent the evening at the Pioli, with a surgeon of the american army lately from the scene of action; he
gave me a disgusting account of the misunderstanding that subsists between the american citizens on the
frontiers, and their neighbours in Upper Canada. It seems the Canadians are accused of assisting the
indians in the decisive action against St. Clare.
As many of the descendants of the original french settlers have indian blood in their veins, the charge is
not improbable, as far as relates to a few individuals, but that they received either the connivance,
or protection of government, (as the Americans assert) is totally without foundation.
I never take up a western newspaper that does not teem with the most illiberal abuse of the british
government. It would therefore be impossible to exonorate certain american citizens from their share
of provocation, and a wish to blow up the hardly-extinguished embers of the late war. This temper is
kept alive by french agents, who use every means of inflaming the public mind, by the most flagrant
exaggerations of the late captures, &c.: and so successful have they been in their misrepresentations, that
a war with England would at this time be very popular.
Aug. 30th. - You can conceive nothing more beautifully romantic, than the appearance of the
country during the latter part of this day's journey. The hills, bold, rounding, and lofty, are covered with
wood to their very summit. In the midst of this wild scenery is the mighty Susquana, above a
mile wide, dashing over rocks and precipices, seventy or eighty miles distant from the flow of the tide. A
similar body of running water, perfectly clear and transparent, with so many hundred cascades as
beautify the Susquana, is perhaps no where else to be met with. Unfortunately these very beauties render
the navigation of this noble river impracticable.
Aug. 31st. - Arrived at Lancaster, a prettily situate town, of about nine hundred houses. It is
reckoned the largest inland town south of New England, and indeed the only large town without some
kind of navigation; to remedy this inconvenience as much as possible, a turnpike road (very superiour to
any thing of the kind in America, and which will cost three thousand dollars per mile,) is forming from
Philadelphia, through Lancaster, to the Susquana. I before told you this river, owing to the rocks and
falls, was not navigable; but I forgot to inform you, that the inhabitants of the back country contrive to
waft the produce of their plantations down the river on floats, during the floods, in spring and fall; which
will be conveyed by means of this new road to Philadelphia, whence it will be exported to the west
indian or european markets.
The only manufactory in Lancaster is one of rifles; they have contracted to supply the continental army
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