William Logan's Journal of a Journey to Georgia, 1745

[William Logan, son of James Logan, of Stenton, and president of the Governor's Council, was born 5 mo. 14, 1718, and died October 28, 1776. After finishing his education, he engaged in mercantile pursuits until the death of his father, when he turned his attention to agriculture. He was a member of the City Council 1743-1776; in 1747, became a member of the Governor's Council, took a deep interest in Indian affairs of the Province, and being a strict Quaker, bore no active part in the early years of the Revolution. He married, March 24, 1740, Hannah, daughter of George Emlen, who survived him three months. The original MS. of his journal of a journey made to Georgia on business matters in 1745, in company with his cousin James Pemberton, is in the "Logan Papers," Historical Society of Pennsylvania.]

1745, September 25th on 4th Day of Week. -- Sett Out in Company wh Jemmy Pemberton on a Journey to Georgia accompanied by many of Our Friends to ye Ferry where they left us, & retd again to Philadia except John Fisher, John Smith & my Brother Jemmy, who went wh us to Chester, where we spent the Evening very agreeably had a good Supper & Lodged Well.

26th, Our Friends John Smith & John Fisher & Bro. Jemmy ret from Chester & left us ab' 8 o'clock, when we sett out & dined at New Castle, and at ye Request of Henry Newton wrote to my Father On his Behalf to speak to R. P. to speak to ye Gov', after Dinner sett out & Came to St. Georges in ye Evening it being Rainy
Weather where we lodged Comfortably being very well Entertained by our Land Lord.

27th Sett out after eating Our Breakfast & at Appoquiminy Bridge mett with an Impudent Negro Woman & came down to Dover to dinner at One Phillips's at the sign of ye Kings Arms where we met wh Philip Kearney of Amboy & wrote to my Wife by him; mett with P. Galloway who informed me of Jenny Galloway being brought to Bed of a Daughter, from whose House he was just then come.

After dining on Fryed Pork & drink'g a glass of Wine or two, sett Out & came to Skidmores where we Lodged on a tolerable Good Bed, a very nasty room, cupp'd & Brekfasted the next (28th) Morning on Vile Chocolate which did not Agree with me. Came to Dinner to the Widow Stevenson's, a poor illnatured Woman, who killed some fowls, but every thing was so nasty that One might have picked the Dirt off.

We have had fine roads from beyond Dover, the Country is altogether Flatt very sandy & poorly Watered.

After Dinner sett out again rode through a Forrest abt 15 miles Came abt sunset to John Worthington's at Indian River wh divides Pennsylvania from Maryland. Here We Were very handsomely Entertained, the Old man keeping Every thing Very neat about him. Lodged on Good Beds & in the (29th) Morning after, Breakfasting on Tea in very good ordr but very long a getting, We sett out abt 9 o'clock & having rode through a long miserable poor sandy Forrest, abt 18 miles in which we stop'd & baited our Horses on some Indian corn on ye ground which we brought in a bag wh us on purpose as it would have been too far to have rode our horses without baiting. We had in Company with us from Worthington's a young Man from Lewis Tn one Doctor Woodridge who parted with us ab' 3 Miles from the Wildw __, where we dined, having
bt 1/4 of a mile from her house met wh Joseph Yeates, of Philadelphia, who returned wth us & after eating our Dinner of Cold Pork & Apple Pye, we sett Out again on our Journey in Company with Jos. Yeates.

The land here is something Better but all inclin'g to sand & many Pines growing all along the Road, which still continue the [torn] that I ever saw. We have had no Hay since We left Dover, but Corn Blades wth Oat sheaves on Which our Horses seem to feed very Well.

Came in the Evening to Snow Hill, which lies on Pokomoke River, a Poor Miserable little Town, & lodged at David Morrow's. Were well Entertain'd, considering the Place, There is here a Large new Court House Building. Here we Lodged well had good clean Oats for our Horses & Good Blades.

I forgot to take notice of One thing viz: that through the Counties of Kent & Sussex you see more Mulattos than of any other color. And one thing is also observable in Maryland, that they give Rum to their Children Even at three Years old which they will drink like Water, & I think it a very scandalous practice & told them so.

30th. -- Sett out this Morning Again on our Journey after Breakfasting on Chocolate & bated our Horses at one Nehemiah Holland where we also bought some Indian Corn to carry with us in Ordr to bait again in the woods for there are no public Houses so that Travellers are obliged to impose on Gentlemen, a practice I cannot yet come into. Bated in the woods abt one o'clock & eat some Bisket & Cheese but could get no good Water any where on the Road; the Publick Road running within a Mile & less of the Sea-Side so that the water is Brackish.

There are Trees Marked or Posts sett up with the Distance to any publick Place Every Mile which is Convenient to Travellers as the Road is very lonesome, the People's Houses being Out of sight from the Road. Came about 3 o'clock to Alexandr Stoakleys, a private House, where We dined & bated Our Horses, but paid
her for it, & afterwds came in the Evening abt 7 o'clock to Accomack Court House.

Saw on the Road a Handsome new Church called Ascowaumin built with Brick, 75 feet front & abt 50 Deep.

Have not seen a Wheat Field since I left Dover & very little Tobacco.

Lodged this night at One Bridget Lewis, abt. 1/4 of a mile from the Court House & had good Entertain't.

The Land still continues the Same, being a thin Sandy soil. They have a miserable small breed of Cattle & worse Horses, & Very few sheep.

8 mth. I Sett out this Morning after breakfasting on Tea, carried some Oats with us & abt 11 o'clock bayted our horses in the woods, stoped again about 2 at a man's house, on the Road at one . . . . Smith's, expecting to buy some corn for our Horses, but he being of a Virginia Disposition, would take nothing for them, altho' very poor, & very Drunk, but very generous. Came abt four o'clock to Northampton [Eastville], a small town with abt 8 or 9 Houses, & a Court House & Prison, where we dined at on peaches having eaten nothing since sun-rise. Were very well Entertained, and came abt 7 o'clock to . . . . Burton's, who keeps the Ferry at Cherrystones, a private Housse, where we lodged very comfortably.

October the Second Day. This morning abt 10 o'clock after Brakfasting on Fryed Oysters & Cold roast Beef, & afterwards on Cofee, a thing common in this Country, we ship'd Our Horses & self on board a Small Sloop (having a fair wind but rather too much of it), to cross the Bay, but had rough Weather, the sea running high, was very sick but could not vomit, Cozn Jemmy having the Advantage of me in that Point & Came abt 8 o'clock to the Mouth of Nansemund River.