After crossing the Juniata, we pursued our road through a broken country, very hilly, with the river almost always in sight, sometimes on one hand and sometimes on the other, as its bends approached or receded from the road, and sometimes directly under us at the foot of terrifick precipices, down one of which, about twenty years ago, a wagon was carried by the horses, falling 3 or 400 feet perpendicular—The wagonner and horses were killed, and the wagon was dashed to pieces.
At three miles and a half from the ford, we stopped to feed our horses at a small log tavern, where was a large family, with three or four very pretty girls, who forfeited the admiration they would otherwise have commanded, by being covered with the itch, which made me cautious how I ordered any thing to eat or drink, although I could have done justice to a good breakfast.
The same kind of country continues to Bedford, {45} the road leading through two remarkable defiles between the mountains, which as well as the river sometimes approach and sometimes recede, the country gradually improving both in population and quality of soil as we advanced.
At three miles from where we fed our horses, we passed through a village of a dozen houses, called Bloody run, in memory of a massacre by the Indians of about 250 militia, while escorting a convoy of provisions to the western frontier, soon after Braddock’s defeat near Pittsburgh.[18]
Three miles further, we passed a hamlet of three or four houses, called Snake-spring, from an immense number of snakes discovered there in a hole and killed: And in four miles more, at 11 o’clock, we entered Bedford, crossing two bridges half a mile from the town, one over Crooked creek, and the other over the west or Raystown branch, which uniting a little below, form the Juniata.
We put up at Fleming’s and fed the horses while I breakfasted. When ready to proceed, I mounted, but found my mare so lame, that I was obliged to remain behind, while my companions endeavoured to get her along by driving her before them.
FOOTNOTES:
[18] Jones, History of Juniata Valley (Philadelphia, 1856) gives a different origin for the term “Bloody Run.” He derives it from the attempt of the inhabitants, in the spring of 1765, to arrest a convoy that was being sent by the Pennsylvania authorities to Pittsburg with presents for the Indians. An English officer reporting the action, said that the creek “ran with blood.” For the effect of this affair on the pacification of the Indians, see New York Colonial Documents, vii, p. 716. For the history of Bedford, see Post’s Journals, vol. i of this series, p. 240, note 81.—Ed.
CHAPTER VI
Bedford—Travellers and travelling—Whiskey preferred to victuals and necessaries—Obliging disposition of inhabitants—A musical and social judge—Departure in the stage—The Allegheny mountains—Somerset—Good inn—A murder—visit to the gaol.