Journal of Major George Washington, Wednesday, October 31, 1753

I WAS commissioned and appointed by the Honourable Robert Dinwiddie, Esq; Governor, &c. of Virginia, to visit and deliver a Letter to the Commandant of the French Forces on the Ohio, and set out on the intended. Journey the same Day; the next, I arrived at Fredericksburg, and engaged Mr. Jacob Vanbraam, to be my French Interpreter; and proceeded with him to Alexandria, where we provided Necessaries; from thence we went to Winchester, and got Baggage, Horses, &c. and from thence we pursued the new Road to Wills-Creek, where we arrived the 14th of November.

Here I engaged Mr. Gist to pilot us out, and also hired four others as Servitors, Barnaby Currin, and John MacQuire, Indian Traders, Henry Steward, and William Jenkins, and in Company with those Persons, left the Inhabitants the Day following.

The excessive Rains and vast Quantity of Snow that had fallen, prevented our reaching Mr. Frazier's an Indian Trader, at the Mouth of Turtle-Creek, on Monongahela, till Thursday the 22d. We were informed here; that Expresses were sent a few Days ago to the Traders down the River, to acquaint them with the French General's Death, and the Return of the major Part of the French Army into Winter Quarters.

The Waters were quite impassable, without swimming our Horses; which obliged us to get the Loan of a Canoe from Frazier, and to send Barnaby Currin, and Henry Steward, down Monongahela, with our Baggage, to meet us at the Forks of Ohio, about 10 Miles, to cross Aligany.

As I got down before the Canoe, I spent some Time in viewing the Rivers, and the Land in the Fork, which I think extremely well situated for a Fort, as it has the absolute Command of both Rivers. The Land at the Point is 20 or 25 Feet above the common Surface of the Water, and a considerable Bottom of flat, well-timbered Land all around it, very convenient for Building: The Rivers are each a Quarter of a Mile, or more, across, and run here very near at right Angles: Aligany bearing N. E. and Monongahela S. E. the former of these two is a very rapid and swift running Water, the other deep and still, without any perceptible Fall.

About two Miles from this, on the South East Side of the River, at the Place where the Ohio Company intended to erect a Fort, lives Shingiss, King of the Delawares; we call'd upon him, to invite him to Council at the LoggsTown.

As I had taken a good deal of Notice Yesterday of the Situation at the Forks, my Curiosity led me to examine this more particularly, and I think it greatly inferior, either for Defence or Advantages; especially the latter; for a Fort at the Forks would be equally well situated on Ohio, and have the entire Command of Monongahela, which runs up to our Settlements and is extremely well design'd for Water Carriage, as it is of a deep still Nature; besides, a Fort at the Fork might be built at a much less Expence, than at the other Place.

Nature has well contrived the lower Place, for Water Defence; but the Hill whereon it must stand being about a Quarter Quarter of a Mile in Length, and then descending gradually on the Land Side, will render it difficult and very expensive, making a sufficient Fortification there. The whole Flat upon the Hill must be taken in, or the Side next the Descent made extremely high; or else the Hill cut away: Otherwise, the Enemy may raise Batteries within that Distance without being expos'd to a single Shot from the Fort.

Shingiss attended us to the Loggs-Town, where we arrived between Sun-setting and Dark, the 25th Day after I left Williamsburg: We travelled over some extreme good, and bad Land, to get to this Place.

As soon as I came into Town, I went to Monacatoocha (as the Half-King was out at his hunting Cabbin on little Beaver Creek, about 15 Miles off) and inform'd him by John Davison my Indian Interpreter, that I was sent a Messenger to the French General; and was ordered to call upon the Sachems of the Six Nations, to acquaint them with it. I gave him a String of Wampum, and a Twist of Tobacco, and defired him to fend for the Half-King, which he promised to do by a Runner in the Morning, and for other Sachems.—I invited him and the other great Men present to my Tent, where they stay'd about an Hour and return'd.

According to the best Observations I could make, Mr. Gist's new Settlement (which we pass'd by) bears about W. N. W. 70 Miles from Wills-Creek; Shanapins, or the Forks N. by W. or N. N. W. about 50 Miles from that; and from thence to the Loggs-Town, the Course is nearly West about 18 or 20 Miles; so that the whole Distance, as we went and computed it, is at least 135 ог 140 Miles from our back Inhabitants.

SOURCE: George Washington, The Journal of Major George Washington Sent by the Hon. Robert Dinwiddie, Esq.; His Majesty’s Lieutenant-Governor, and Commander in Chief of Virginia, to the Commandant of the French Forces on Ohio, pp. 3-5.