Populations in June & July 1759
So how big were some of the cities in the NY, PA, MD, VA regions? On 9 July 1759 Andrew Burnaby (born 16 August 1732 – died 9 March 1812) traveled to NYC. He had come from Winchester. He leaves from there towards Annapolis, then travels through PA to NYC. He wrote, "Travels Through the Middle Settlements in North America, In the Years 1759 and 1760, which was published in 1775, and again in an enlarged form in 1798."
New York City
2-3000 houses
16-17000 inhabitants
On Wednesday the 9th of July, I crossed over to Staten Island, in the province of New York ; and travelled upon it about nine miles to the point which is opposite New York city . . . .This city is situated upon the point of a small island, lying open to the bay on one side, and of the others included between the North and Eaft rivers ; and commands a fine prospect of water, the Jerseys, Long Island, Staten Island, and feveral others, which lie scattered in the bay. It contains between two and three thoufand houfes, and 16 or 17,000 inhabitants, is tolerably well built, and has several good houses. The streets are paved, and very clean, but in general narrow ; there are two or three, indeed, which are spatious and airy, particularly the Broad-Way.Source
Winchester VA
200 Houses
May 31, 1759
Winchester is a small town of about two hundred houses.
It is the place of general rendezvous of the Virginian troops, which is the reason of its late rapid increase, and flourifliing cSlidition.
The country about it, ebefore the reduction of Fort du Quesne, was greatly expected to the ravages of the Indians, who daily committed most hocfid cruelties : even the town would have been in danger, h^ not colonel Washington, in order to cover and protect it, erected a fort upon an eminence at^qpe end of it, which proved of the utmost utility ; for although the Indians were frequently in sight of the town, they never dared to approach within reach of the fort.
Description of Fort Loudoun
It is a regular square fortification, with four bastions, mounting twenty-four cannon ; the length of each curtain, if I am not mistaken, is about eighty yards. Within, there are barracks for 450 men. If The materials of which it is conctructed, are logs filled up with earth : the soldiers attempted to surround it with a dry ditch ; but the rock was so extremely hard and impenetrable, that they wefe obliged to desist.
It is still unfinished; and, I fear, going to ruin ; for the assembly, who seldom look a great way before them, after having spent about 9000 lbs.currency upon it, cannot be prevailed upon to give another thousand towards finishing it, because we are in possession of Pittsburg ; and, as they suppose, quite secure on this account ; yet it is certain, that, in case of another Indian war on this page 45
side, which is by no means improbable, considering our general of that people, it would be of the utmost advantage and security.
Winchester's water
There is a peculiarity in the water at Winchester in the water at Winchester owing, I was told to soil's being of a limy quality, which is frequently productive of severe gripings, especially in strangers; but it is generally supposed, on the other hand, to be specific against some other diseases.
*Professor Haller, in his to the German tradition of this book, supposes that the water at Winchester may be impregnated with Vitriolic Magnesia, Sal Amarum.
Source
The rest is clearly unedited. Will modify later.
Otherwise, read from this link:
Compiled by Jim Moyer 7/5/2023, updated 7/16/2023, update 308pm 7/16/23
Mt Vernon
At colonel Washington's I disposed of my horses, and,
having borrowed his curricle and servant, I took leave of
'Mount Vernon the nth of June.
That Servant was a "Negro Boy."
to go over the mountains with me
j^^e %wer fettlements. However, % the politeneft ^
i^|th^ comnlander of the place, the honourable colonel
"%%and of another gentleman* of my acquaintance, I
;gbt a^er thefe difficulties; for the former, ^while I con-
^ 'Uinued at Winchefler, accommodated me with his own
)^ apartments ia the fort, ordering 'his ferVants to attend and
i.> wait upon me: and the latter fent a negroe boy with me
as far as colonel Wafliington's, eighty miles diftant from
; thi§ place. On the 4th of June, therefore,- I was en-
^-^V^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ Winchefter, and I travelled that night
: ''' about eighteen miles, to Sni,ker's f ferry upon the She-
nando. . »
The next morning I repaffed
V/illiam's Gap, and proceeded pn my jourj Annapolis MD
150 houses
I arrived at Annapolis, four miles
diflant, about nine in the morning.
napolis is thp capital of Maryland ; it is a fmall neat
town, confiding hf about a h^indred dnd fifty houfes,
fitaated on a peninfula upon Severn river.page 51
.
Pennsylvania
has maybe 9000 wagons
The prefent ftate of Penfylvania is undoubtedly very
flourishing. The country is well cultivated, and there
are not less than 9000 waggons employed in it, page 68
.
.
.
research notes
More observations on the Winchester area
May 31.[1759] I paffed over the Pignut and Blue Ridges '
and, croffing the Shenando, arrived, after a long day'l
journey of above fifty miles, at Winchefter*.
The Pignut ridge is a continuation of the fouth-weft
mountains. It is no where very high ; and at the gap
where I paffed, the afcent is fo extremely eafy, owing to
the winding of the road between the mountains, that I
was fcarcely fenfible of it.
The trad of country lying between this ridge and the
coaft, ,s fuppofed, and with fome appearance of proba-
bility, to have been gained from the ocean. The fitua-
tion is extremely low, and the ground every where
broken into fmall hills, nearly of the fame elevation,
with deep intermediate gullies, as if it were the effcd of
fome fudden retiring of the waters. The foil is princi-
pally of fand; and there are few, if any petbles, within
a hundred miles of the fhore ; for which reafon the Vir-
ginians in thefe parts never fhoe their horfes. Incredible
quantities of what are called fcallop-fhells, are found alfo
near the furface of the ground ; and many of the hills arc
mtirely formed of them. Thefe phenomena, with others
lefs obvious to cdTnmon obferyation, feem to indicate,
that the Atlantic, either gradually, or bj fome fudden
* GreeMray Court, the feat of the ve-
nerable Lord Fairfax, is fituatcd a few
miles on ||^ left of the road, about half
way between the Apalachian mountains
S iL
and Winchefter. His Lordftip being ab.
fent, I was prevented from paying my re-
fpefts to him.-Sce Appendix, N« 4.
BLUE-RIDGE. NORTH-RIDGE.
43
revolution in nature, has retired, and loft a confiderable
part of that dominion which formerly belonged to it.
The Blue-ridge is much higher than the 'Irignut :
though even thefe mountains are not to be compared
with the Alleghenny. To th^fouthward, I was told,
they are more lofty ; and but little, if at all, inferior to
them. The pafs, at Aftiby's Gap, from the foot of the
mountain on the eaftern fide to the Shenando, which
runs at the foot on the weftern, is about four miles. The
afcent is no where Very fteep ; though the mountains are, '
upon the whole, I think, higher than any I have ever
feen in England. When I got to the top, I was inex-
preffibjy delighted with the fcene which opened before
me. Immediately under the mountain, which was co-
vered with chamoedaphnes in full bloom, was a mpft
beautiful river : beyond this an extenfive plain, diverfi-
fled with every pleafing objedl that nature can exhibit ;
and, at the diftance of fifty miles, another ridge of ftill .
more lofty mountains, called the Great, or North-ridge *,
which inclofed and terminated the whole.
The river Shenando rifes a great way to the fouthward
from under this Great North-ridge. It runs through
Augufta county, and falls into the Potowmac fomewhere
in Frederic. At^the place where I ferried over, it is only
about a hundred yards wide ; and indeed it is no where,
• All thefe ridges coufift of fingle mountiiiiis joined together, and run parallel to
each other.
^-2~ 1 /Relieve,
7
i*''^.'^.
44 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA.
I believe, very broad. It is exceedingly romantic and
beautiful, forming great variety of falls, and is fo tranf-
parent, that you may fee the fmallcft pebble at the depth
of eight or ten feet. There is plenty of trout and other
fifh in it ; but it is not navigable, except for, rafts. In
fuddert frefhesit rifes above forty or fifty feet. • The low
grounds upon the banks of this river are very rich and
fertile ; they are chiefly fettled by Germans, who gain a
comfortable livelihood by raifing ftock for the troops, and
fending butter down into the Jower parts of the country.
I could not but refled with pleafure on the fituation of.
thefe people.; and think if there is fuch, a thing as hap-
pinefs in this life, that they enjoy it. Far from the buftiS
of the world, they live in the moft delightful climate,
and richeft foil imaginable ; they are every where fur-
rounded with beautiful profpeds and fylvan fcenes •
lofty mountains, tranfparent ftreams, falls of water, rich
vallics, and majeftic woods ; the whole interfperfed with
an infinite variety of flowering fhrubs, conftitute the
landfcape furrounding them: they are fubjed to few
difeafes ; are genenilly robuft ; and live in perfed li-
berty : they are ignorant of want, and acquainted ^ith
but few vices. Their inexperience of the elegancv/s of
life, precludes any renrret that they pofl*efs not the means
, of enjoying them: but they poflfefs what many princes
.^ would give half their dominions for, health, content,
^ and tranquillity of mind.*.
. "Winchefter —
J
%\,
#
»'■
If ....
ICA.
mtic and
(o tranf-
the depth
md other
afts. In
The low-
rich and
lo gain a
3ops, and
country,
jation of.
5 as hap-
le buMe
cHmate,
lere fur-
fcenes ;
ter, rich
fed with
:ute the
to few
rfed li-
ed ^ith
ncyts of
E means
princes
:ontent,
WINCHESTER.
45
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