[Moving along the Appalachian Range from Georgia to Maine was accomplished either by trail, or canoe. The Ohio basin was easily situated to exploit by river as soon as the Appalachians were breached. The Cherokee were cousins of the Six Nations of New York, with whom they fought and traded with over vast distances. This had to do with the mixed economy and matriarchal family structure of the Iroquois settlements, which permitted Iroquois warriors to range much further than their Algonquin or Siouan enemies. The land trail basically conformed to the Appalachian Trail now used by hikers. The vastness and density of the woodlands made most long distance foot travel impractical, with the best solution being to canoe upriver to the continental divide, carry the light canoes over the divide, and then canoe downriver to your destination. By the time of the America Civil War 100 years or so later, the forest cover had been almost entirely eliminated in the low lands and piedmont, making European style warfare much more effective.]

On the 1st of July, the regiment began their march for Oswego. The 21st we arrived at Albany, in New York, through Cambridge, Northampton, and Hadfield, in New England. From thence, marching about 20 miles farther, we encamped near the mouth of the Mohawk River, by a town called Schenectady, not far from the Endless Mountains. Here did we like some time, until batteaux (a sort of flat-bottomed boats, very small, and sharp at both ends) could be got to carry our stores and provisions to Oswego; each of which would contain about six barrels of pork, or in proportion thereto. Two men belonged to every batteaux, who made use of strong scutting poles, with iron at the ends, to prevent their being too soon destroyed by the stones in the river (one of the sources of the Ohio), which abounded with many, and large ones, and in some places was so shallow, that the men were forced to wade and drag their batteaux after them. Which, together with some cataracts, or great falls of water, rendered this duty very hard and fatiguing, not being able to travel more than seven or eight English miles a-day, until they came to the great carrying place, at Wood's Creek, where the provisions and batteaux were taken out, and carried about four miles to Alliganey, or Ohio [1] Great River, that runs quite to Oswego, to which place General Shirley got with part of the forces on the Sixth of August; but Colonel Mercer with the remainder, did not arrive until the 31st. Here we found Colonel Schuyler with his regiment of New Jersey provincials, who had arrived there some time before. A short description of a place which has afforded so much occasion for animadversion [2], may not here be altogether disagreeable to those unacquainted with our settlements in that part of the world.

Oswego is situated N. lat. 43 deg. 20 min. near the mouth of the river Onondago, on the south side of the lake Ontario, or Cataraque. There was generally a fort and constant garrison of regular troops kept before our arrival. In the proper seasons, a fair for the Indian trade is kept here: Indians of about twenty different nations have been observed here at a time. The greatest part of the trade between Canada and the Indians of the Great Lakes, and some parts of the Mississippi, pass near this fort; the nearest and safest way of carrying goods upon this lake being along the south side of if.

The distance from Albany to Oswego fort is about 300 miles west; to render which march more comfortable, we met with many good farms and settlements by the way. The Outawaes, a great and powerful nation, living upon the Outawae River which joins the Cataraque river (the outlet of the great lake), deal considerably with the New York trading houses here.

The different nations trading to Oswego are distinguishable by the variety and different fashions of their canoes; the very remote Indians are clothed in skins of various sorts, and have all fire-arms; some come so far north as Port Nelson in Hudson's Bay, N. lat. 57. deg. and some from the Cherokees west of South Carolina, in N. lat. 32. deg. This seems indeed to be a vast extent of inland water carriage, but it is only for canoes and the smallest of craft.

1. Allegany means “beautiful people river” and is the direct source of the Ohio, which means “good-river.” The early military adventures of George Washington and the disastrous defeat of Braddock’s army at Fort Duquesne [later Pittsburg] Pennsylvania took place at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela [mud-slide] rivers where the Ohio starts proper, at the same time that Peter was experiencing his Indian adventures.

2. Criticism or censure