FOOTNOTES
[1] Pennsylvania Archives, ser. 8, vol. 5, Morris to the House, Dec. 19, 1754.
[2] Robert Orme's Journal, in Winthrop Sargent, The history of an expedition against Fort DuQuesne, p. 288, Philadelphia, 1855.
[3] Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography, p. 166, New York, 1939.
[4] Pennsylvania Archives, ser. 1, vol. 2, pp. 295-96. Franklin suggested that St. Clair, with a body of troops, would probably enter Pennsylvania and take what he wanted, if it could not be obtained otherwise.
[5] Ibid., ser. 1, vol. 2, Morris to Peters, May 30, 1755.
[6] Ibid., Shippen to Morris, June 13, 1755.
[7] The modern spelling is given above. A number of spellings were common in 1755, among them Conegogee, Connecochieg, and Cannokagig.
[8] This is the modern spelling. Among those used in 1755 were Yoxhio Geni and Ohiogany.
[9] Pennsylvania Archives, ser. 1, vol. 2, Shippen to Allen, June 30, 1755. Also, Orme's Journal, in Sargent, op. cit. (footnote 2) p. 329.
[10] Originally spelled Conestogoe. The first known reference to a Conestoga wagon appears under date of 1717 in James Logan's "Account Book, 1712-1719," the manuscript original of which is in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. It is likely that the reference was only to a wagon from Conestogoe, and not to a definite type of vehicle.
[11] The term seems to have been in common use by 1750 since a tavern in Philadelphia, called "The Sign of the Conestogoe Waggon," was mentioned in an advertisement in the Pennsylvania Gazette, February 5, 1750, but another advertisement, (ibid., February 12, 1750), in referring to what was apparently the same establishment, uses the term "Dutch Waggon."
[12] It is not certain at this time whether English or German styles influenced the Conestoga wagon most. Judging from some early English wagons still in existence, it would appear that some of these lines were followed. Even today some farmers, and those who have been close to the wagon and its use, frequently refer to the Conestoga type as "English wagons."
[13] Strakes are sections of wagon tire, equal in number to the felloes of a wheel. On early vehicles the tires were put on in sections and spiked in place. Later, one endless tire was "sweated" on, by being heated, fitted on the wheel, and cooled in place.
[14] Found in 1953 by the Field Corps for Historical Research, these strakes are obviously from rear wheels. Though dimensions were by no means standardized, front wheels were always smaller, so that in turning the wagon the tires would be less likely to rub the sides of the wagon box.
[15] Strakes were spiked onto the wheel with large square headed nails, as indicated in figure 3, and a brake shoe would have been rapidly torn to pieces by rubbing against them.
[16] Pennsylvania Archives, ser. 1, vol. 2, pp. 295-96.
[17] Ibid., ser. 1, vol. 2, Shippen to Morris, February 17, 1756; and ser. 4, vol. 2, Denny to Amherst, March 3, 1759.
[18] Ibid., ser. 1, vol. 2, Morris to Braddock, June 4, 1755.
[19] Orme's Journal, in Sargent, op. cit. (footnote 2), pp. 331-32. English wagons were equipped with pairs of shafts, similar to those of a spring wagon or buggy of recent times. Wagon shafts were, however, much heavier than the latter.
[20] Pennsylvania Archives, ser. 4, vol. 2, Morris to Braddock, June 12, 1755.
[21] R. Moore, The universal assistant, p. 205, New York, n. d. The weight of corn is given at 56 pounds per bushel, and oats at 32 pounds per bushel.
[22] One light wagon of about 1800 had smaller wheels, the front being 37 inches and the rear 49 inches in diameter.
[23] Pennsylvania Archives, ser. 1, vol. 3, advertisement of General Stanwix for wagons, May 4, 1759.
[24] Ibid.
[25] Will H. Lowdermilk, Edward Braddock's orderly books, Cumberland, 1880, p. 25.
[26] Seaman's Journal, in Sargent, op. cit. (footnote 2), p. 380.
[27] Lewis Burd Walker, ed., The settlement of the waggoners' accounts, 1899.
[28] Pennsylvania Archives, ser. 1, vol. 2, Shirley to Morris, June 7, 1755.
[29] Walker, op. cit. (footnote 27), p. 20. Of the 146 wagons, one was apparently unserviceable by the time it reached Wills Creek. Its owner was paid only for his services and the use of his team.
[30] Orme's Journal, in Sargent, op. cit. (footnote 2), p. 321.
[31] Ibid., p. 312.
[32] Ibid., p. 323. There is some question here whether the incident reported occurred near Wills Creek, or on June 15 in the Allegheny Mountains. Orme reports two such incidents with identical figures and nearly identical language. Perhaps he was confusing the two places.
[33] Ibid., p. 334. When wagons were damaged on the march, and repair was impossible, the load was divided among the other wagons and the unserviceable wagon abandoned.
[34] Ibid., p. 324 (see also Seaman's Journal, in Sargent, op. cit. (footnote 2), p. 381). A detachment of 30 seamen and several officers had been detached from the fleet and assigned to the expedition to offer assistance in rigging cordages, in the event that the erection of bridges would be necessary.
[35] Ibid., p. 313.
[36] Ibid., p. 334 (see also Seaman's Journal, in Sargent, op. cit. (footnote 2), p. 383). At times it was necessary for half the troops to ground their arms and assist in moving the wagons up or down grades.
[37] Douglas S. Freeman, George Washington, vol. 1, p. 140, New York, 1949. Washington had written his brother John on June 14 and given his opinion that they should "retrench the wagons and increase the number of bat horses."
[38] Sargent, op. cit. (footnote 2), p. 203. Wagons apparently carried only artillery stores and other ammunition with the advance detachment. All provisions were carried on pack horses.
[39] Orme's Journal, in Sargent, op. cit. (footnote 2), p. 336.
[40] Ibid., p. 332. Orme said the condition of the army was such that they could not reject any horses, a situation that was used to advantage by many contractors. He refers to the horses as "The offcasts of Indian traders, and scarce able to stand under one hundred weight." By contract they were to have carried twice that load.
[41] Ibid., pp. 342-346. On June 26, due to the "extreme badness of the road," the army covered 4 miles; on June 27, 6 miles; June 28, 5 miles; and on June 30 passage over a mountain reduced the day's march to 2 miles.
[42] Walker, op. cit. (footnote 27). It is interesting to note in the Waggoners' Accounts which of the teamsters apparently took a horse and "scamper'd." On the accounts of a number of them is entered the remark "to a horse returned," indicating that they were first credited for the loss of wagon and team, but the value of one horse was deducted in the final settlement, the one horse having arrived safely back at Wills Creek, in company, no doubt, with its anxious driver.
[43] A true picture is not presented here, since the accounts, except for a few cases, do not contain either the number of days for which the owners were paid or the dates of service. Only the amounts paid are given, which, if broken down at 15 shillings per day, at first would appear to indicate the last date of service. However, since it is not known which, if any, of these wagons went to Winchester before the march, no accurate conclusions can be reached. There can be little doubt that the few wagons that reached Wills Creek late in July were among the 30.
[44] Walker, op. cit. (footnote 27), p. 24. Douglas was not reimbursed for the loss of his wagon and was paid for an additional 55 days of service at a slightly reduced rate, due to the loss of one horse.
[45] Freeman, op. cit. (footnote 37), vol. 2, p. 89.
[46] Ibid., p. 90. As wagons had been shuttled back in April, it was also necessary for Dunbar to shuttle horses, drawing up the first of his wagons one day and returning with his few horses on the following day to bring up the balance of the wagons.