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Excerpts from the Journal of Robert Hunter,
Jr.,
a Young Merchant of London
Eighteenth-century travelers faced many challenges. The weather, method of
transportation, and road conditions created obstacles on their journeys. Many
travelers wrote diary entries and letters about their travel adventures and
the obstacle they encountered.
Robert Hunter, Jr., was the twenty-year-old son of a Scottish merchant living
in London. In May 1785, Robert set out on a journey of business and adventure
that took him to Canada, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina,
and South Carolina. While in the United States, Robert was to collect overdue
debts to his father's mercantile firm incurred before the signing of the Declaration
of Independence. Robert's father asked him to keep a diary to document the journey
and to train Robert in making accurate observations and creating methodical
reports. Robert's journey from Baltimore, Maryland, to Alexandria, Virginia,
is described below.
Baltimore, Monday, November 14, [1785]
I rose at five, and walked to Vanhorn's, and about half an hour after set off in the stage wagon [for Alexandria] with four—two of them I may call gentlemen. About eight miles on you ferry the Potapsico. This is the worst road I have been yet—nothing but deep gullies and steep hills. It's really a miracle we were not all killed. But fortunately we had a most capital drive.
The morning was excessively cold, and the stars remarkably bright. Orion shone like so many suns. From the Potapsico to Spurrier's Tavern the road is rather better. Here we relished our breakfast, after the confounded jolting of the wagon, at nine o'clock, and set off again soon after. In going to Ricket's you ford the Patuxet. This is a fine road: you ride alternately through cornfields and woods—a pleasing variety. . . . We now drove on to Rose's and crossed the Patuxet over a very dangerous bridge, and then rode through some Indian cornfields and round part of a race ground.
. . .We forded Rock Creek, and the tide being up the wagon almost swam. There is a most tremendous steep hill here, which obliged us all to get out of the stage. . . .
. . .We drove to the ferry at six and were just ten minutes in crossing, in an amazing large scow—so much so that we all remained in the wagon without taking out any of the horses. There is an island opposite to George Town and round the side of it is the best and safest navigation for ships. The river is better than half a mile wide here, and when the canal is finished will be one of the first in the world. It divides Maryland from Virginia. As soon as you cross the Potomac, you enter the state of Virginia, and after two miles of bad road ride along the banks of the river, which a fine moonlight gave an elegant appearance to, on a charming level road. We arrived at Alexandria about half past seven and put [up] at Thomas' Tavern. . . .
Later, on the leg of Robert's trip from Petersburg, Virginia, to Suffolk, Virginia:
[Petersburg], Thursday, June 8, [1786]
Before I have done with this town let me endeavor to give you some description of the place. Petersburg is situated upon the Appomatox, a branch of the James River, twenty-five miles to the southward of Richmond. The town is very unhealthy, being built in the middle of a swamp betwixt two hills. . . .
We were called up this morning at three o'clock and in the stage and off a half an hour after. I was extremely happy to find Mr. Storey was one of the passengers. He yesterday has no intention of going. Mr. Cuthbert was another. They both of them know several of my acquaintances. It was pitch-dark when we first set out and Scotland, the drive, being extremely ill, was under the necessity of being replaced by another, who was not very well acquainted with the road. I confess I did not much relish our situation. However, thank God, we arrived safe at Cabin Point to breakfast. This is about twenty-seven miles from Petersburg. The country is very poor. Great part of the way you ride through the woods. They allowed us half an hour to stop, and immediately set off again with four fresh horses to the Cross Roads, sixteen miles farther, where they changed horses again and drove to Smithfield to dinner. You ferry Pegging Creek to get it. In this last stage you have often a most delightful view of James River, which here is about five miles broad and empties itself into the Chesapeake [Bay] thirty-five miles off.
The road was fine and level this stage but for the last few miles extremely swampy. . . . Mr. Storey and Mr. Cuthbert part with us at Sleepy Hole to go to Portsmouth. Understanding from them that they would most probably there meet with vessels for England, I immediately sat down to write my dear father. They only give me time to let him know I was well.
We set off again with a fresh set of horses a quarter after four and drove to Sleepy Hole. The road is so swampy and muddy in many places that I had very near fallen asleep in getting to it. Here we crossed the Natzamum [Nansemond] River, which, as well as Pegging Creek, empties itself into James River. We waited some time at Kammel's (on the other side of the Nantzamum) for the Edenton stage. . . . Here Mr. Storey (to whom I gave my father's letter to forward) and Mr. Cuthbert got into the Portsmouth stage, and we in one of the Twining's new ones, for Suffolk. They are upon different construction from the northward stages, being much lighter, smaller, and upon excellent springs, which renders the traveling infinitely more agreeable. There are only three seats, which hold six people with the driver, two in each. The road was so extremely bad in many places that we twice were obliged to get out and clap our shoulders to the wheels, to assist a restive horse in drawing the stage up two hills; otherwise we must have remained there all night. Some of the bridges are exceedingly dangerous crossing them, many of them being loose and partly carried away with the late rains. Upon [my word], I think myself extremely fortunate if I get to Charlestown [South Carolina] without any broken bones.
We arrived at Suffolk about half past nine o'clock and put up at Tom Granby's Tavern. . . . After refreshing myself with some supper. . . I retired to my bed at ten, being much fatigued with jolting ninety-one miles today and almost constantly setting in the stage [for]. . . eighteen hours. . . .
Source: Louis B. Wright and Marion Tinling, eds, Quebec to
Carolina in 1785-86, Being the Travel Diary and Observations of Robert Hunter,
Jr., a Young Merchant of London (San Marino, CA: The Huntington Library, 1943),
pp. 186-188 and 259-262.
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