MARCH 11th
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ON THIS DAY IN 1748
JOURNEY OVER THE MOUNTAINS BEGINS
“I found it to be nothing but a Little Straw-Matted together without Sheets or anything else but only one thread Bear blanket with double its Weight of Vermin such as Lice Fleas.”
THE DIARIES OF GEORGE WASHINGTON
A Journal of my Journey over the Mountains*began Fryday the 11th of March 1748
Tuesday 15th. We set out early with Intent to Run round ye sd, Land but being taken in a Rain and it Increasing very fast obliged us to return it clearing about one oClock and our time being too Precious to Loose we a second time ventur’d out and Worked hard till Night and then return’d to Penningtons we got our Supper and was lighted into a Room and I not being so good a Woodsman as ye rest of my Company striped myself very orderly and went in to ye Bed as they called it when to my Surprize I found it to be nothing but a Little Straw-Matted together without Sheets or anything else but only one thread Bear blanket with double its Weight of Vermin such as Lice Fleas &c I was glad to get up (as soon as y. Light was carried from us) I put on my Cloths and Lay as my Companions. Had we not been very tired I am sure we should not have slep’d much that night I made a Promise not to Sleep so from that time forward chusing rather to sleep in y. open Air before a fire as will appear hereafter.
George Washington as a young surveyor
Artist: Henry Hintermeister. Wikipedia
APRIL
Saterday April 2d. Last Night was a blowing and Rainy night Our Straw catch’d a Fire yt. [that] we were laying upon and was luckily Preserv’d by one of our Mens awaking when it was in a [blaze] we run of four Lots this Day which Reached below Stumps.**
* Washington had recently turned 16 years old. The group was to survey land beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains for Lord Fairfax; it was his son, George William Fairfax, who accompanied Washington. — Fitzpatrick, et al., DGW
** Washington’s father died when he was 11 years old which curtailed his education. — MVLA6
