Conestoga Wagons in Braddock's Campaign, 1755 Part 2

[Footnote 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 a.s.signed to the expedition to offer a.s.sistance in rigging cordages, in the event that the erection of bridges would be necessary.]

[Footnote 35: _Ibid._, p. 313.]

[Footnote 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 a.s.sist in moving the wagons up or down grades.]

[Footnote 37: Douglas S. Freeman, _George Was.h.i.+ngton_, vol. 1, p. 140, New York, 1949. Was.h.i.+ngton 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."]

[Footnote 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.]

[Footnote 39: Orme's Journal, in Sargent, _op. cit._ (footnote 2), p.

336.]

[Footnote 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.]

[Footnote 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 pa.s.sage over a mountain reduced the day's march to 2 miles.]

[Footnote 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.]

[Footnote 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 s.h.i.+llings 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.]

[Footnote 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.]

[Footnote 45: Freeman, _op. cit._ (footnote 37), vol. 2, p. 89.]

[Footnote 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.]