2,000 miles. A large number of these boatmen were brought together at New Orleans. Their journey home could not be made in small parties, as they carried large quantities of specie, and the road was infested by robbers. The outlaws and fugitives from justice from the states resorted to this road. Some precautionary arrangements were necessary. The boatmen who preferred returning through the wilderness, organized and selected their officers. These companies sometimes numbered several hundred, and a greater proportion of them were armed. They were provided with mules to carry the specie and provisions, and some spare ones for' the sick. Those who were able purchased mules, or Indian ponies for their use, but few could afford to ride. As the journey was usually performed after the sickly season commenced, and the first 600 or 700 miles was through a flat, unhealthy country, with bad water, the spare mules were early loaded with the sick. There was a general anxiety to hasten through this region of malaria. Officers would give up their horses to the sick, companions would carry them forward as long as their strength enabled them; but although everything was done for their relief, which could be done without retarding the progress of their journey, many died on the way, or were left to the care of the Indian or hunter who had settled on the road. Many who survived an attack of fever, and reached the healthy country of Tennessee, were long recovering sufficient strength to resume their journey home.

One would suppose that men would be reluctant to engage in a service which exposed them to so great suffering and mortality, without extraordinary compensation, but such were the love of adventure, and recklessness of danger which characterized the young of the West, that there was no lack of hands to man the boats, although their number increased from 25 to 50 per cent. yearly. The fact that some of these boatmen would return with 50 Spanish dollars, which was a large sum at that day, was no small incentive to others, who perhaps had never had a dollar of their own.

IV.

To ST. CLAIR'S DEFEAT.

The New Orleans trade gave new life to the country. It furnished specie for paying taxes, and purchasing such necessaries as could not be obtained for barter. Pittsburgh profited greatly by this trade. Although but a small village,. composed principally of log houses, yet it was then, as now, the central point of business for the country west of the mountains. The produce of the country was here exchanged. for goods, chiefly obtained from Philadelphia. This was. also the place of embarkation for all the military and mercantile expeditions, as well as emigrants, for the lower country, and the resort of boat-builders, boatmen and pilots for the river. Being a military post, a considerable amount of Government money was annually expended here. These advantages made it a favorable location for merchants and mechanics, who found a ready demand for their iron, leather, hats, etc. The character of the citizens for sobriety and good morals was such, that farmers in the neighborhood sought to apprentice their sons to the mechanics of Pittsburgh; and these hardy boys from the country rarely became dissipated, but grew up orderly and industrious, thus perpetuating the character for purity of morals, which the place still enjoys. Pittsburgh owes much of this reputation to John Wilkins, a magistrate under whose administration every violation of the law was promptly punished. Even the lawless boatmen stood in awe of him.

The subject of education was sadly neglected both in Pittsburgh and the surrounding country. The first settlers were mostly Scotch and Irish, who, though sober, industrious and enterprising, prompt to relieve the distressed, and generous to assist the needy, yet had little taste for public improvements, and rarely contributed voluntarily for the promotion of any public object. They even paid their road tax grudgingly. They built no bridges, and would leave a tree accidentally fallen across the road, to lie there until it rotted. Their neglect of providing the means of education

for their children was however their great error. While struggling with adversity and combating the Indians, the establishment of schools in many of the frontier settlements was out of the question; but after peace with the Indians had been effected, and provisions became abundant, there was no apology for neglecting the subject of education. Their school houses, when they were induced to build any, were of the cheapest and most uninviting kind, built of logs, open, low and smoky, lighted with one, or at most two windows of greased paper. The schoolmaster was hired at the lowest wages, and generally one who could get no other employment, and whose chief qualification was knowing how to use the rod. From such means of instruction little benefit could be expected. The boys of that day were brought up under circumstances which early inspired them with a wild, adventurous spirit, and gave them a premature ability for usefulness in the field. They very naturally preferred joining the men at their labor to being confined in the house to the study of Dillworth's Spelling Book, or John Rogers' Primer, the only school books I ever saw when a child. The scarcity of books was a great hindrance to those who had a taste for study. If a boy resolved to apply his leisure moments to reading, he was perhaps limited to Young's Night Thoughts, Hervey's Meditations, and Knox's History of the Church of Scotland. In the absence of other means of improvement, debating clubs were formed in some neighborhoods, which boys in their teens would attend, once a week, from a distance of several miles. These meetings were encouraged by the parents, who frequently attended. Some of the members rose to high places in after life, and no doubt much of their success was owing to the stimulus which their minds received from those youthful associations. There was a feeble effort made in Pittsburgh and Washington [Pa.] to provide the means of education, and a successful one at Cannonsburgh, by a few enlightened men, at the head of whom was the Rev. Mr. McMullen. A college was early established, which has continued to be an eminently useful institution.

The General Government made but feeble efforts to pro

tect the frontier settlements on the Ohio until after the adoption of the new Constitution. Only a few companies of regular troops were stationed there. In 1791 the Government, yielding to the pressing importunities of the West, appointed Gen. Harmar to the command of the Western posts, preparatory to a campaign against the Indians. A draft was made on the militia of Western Pennsylvania and Kentucky for 1,200 men, who repaired to Fort Washington, where they were joined by 300 regulars, and marched into the Indian country. The Indians refused battle to the main body, but defeated one detachment of several hundred men on the Scioto, and routed with great slaughter, a still larger detachment on the Au Glaize. A large proportion of the killed were of course militia. Both Kentucky and Western Pennsylvania were filled with mourning. The Indians, elated with their success, renewed their attacks on the frontier with increased force and ferocity. Meetings were called to devise means for defending the settlements. The policy of employing regular officers to command militia was denounced; and petitions were extensively circulated, praying the President to employ militia only in defence of the frontier, and offering to embody immediately a sufficient force to carry the war into the Indian country. The President did not favor the prayer of the petitioners, but increased the regular army on the frontier, and appointed General St. Clair to the command. Energetic measures were adopted to furnish him with arms, stores, etc., for an early campaign, but the difficulties and delays incident to furnishing an army so far removed from military depots, with cannon, ammunition, provisions, and the means of transportation, were so great that much time was lost before General St. Clair was able to move his army from Fort Washington, and then it was said to be in obedience to express orders, and against his own judgment, as he was provided neither with sufficient force, nor the means of transportation. He was attacked and most signally defeated. The killed and mortally wounded were over 700. The cannon, camp equipage and baggage of the army fell into the hands of the Indians. The

disastrous failure of this campaign increased the growing dissatisfaction of the settlers in Western Pennsylvania to the administration of the General Government.

V.

THE WHISKEY INSURRECTION.

The Federal Constitution, which had recently been adopted, was not generally approved of in this section of the country. Many believed that the new government would usurp the power of the states, destroy the liberties of the people, and end in a consolidated aristocracy, if not in a monarchy. It was even alleged by many that the reason why General Washington had refused to entrust the defence of the frontiers to the people themselves, was his desire to increase the regular army, that it might be ultimately used for destroying their liberties. The defeat of Gen. St. Clair's army exposed the whole range of the frontier settlements on the Ohio to the fury of the Indians. The several settlements made the best arrangements in their power for their defence. The Government took measures for recruiting, as soon as possible, the western army. Gen. Wayne, a favorite with the western people, was appointed to the command: but a factious opposition in Congress to the military and financial plans of the Administration, delayed the equipment of the army for nearly two years. While Gen. Wayne was preparing to penetrate the Indian country in the summer of 1794, the attention of the Indians was drawn to their own defence, and the frontiers were relieved from their attacks. But Western Pennsylvania, although relieved from war, seemed to have no relish for peace. Having been some time engaged in resisting the revenue laws, her opposition was now increased to insurrection.

The seeds of party had been early sown and had taken deep root in the western counties. Every act of the General Government which manifested a spirit of conciliation to- . wards the British (who were charged with inciting the In