who had been a prisoner of the Senecas, and had lately made his escape, on being asked "how many Daies Journey" it was from the four forts of the Seneca Indians to the Pascattaway fort, replied that he was "three Moones comeing from thence." 67

In May, 1781, Jacob Young, the Dutch interpreter, reported to the Council of Maryland that more than two hundred Seneca Indians were 66 now upon their voyage downe to the Pascattoway Indians" and that "they have to their guide the King of the Mattawomans, and intend by presents to endeavour to draw the Pascattoways with them, but if they cannot to destroy them where they light of them." Jacob Young declared that he had his information about the Senecas "from some Delaware Indians that spoke with them up Susquehannoh River," and that he considered the time opportune "to treat with those Northern Indians at the Pascattoway ffort in Zachiah Swamp," where they would shortly arrive. 68

As the Senecas were in need of a guide, we suspect that the road which they followed through Maryland was in reality an old Susquehannough trail.

After the defeat of the Susquehannoughs at their Potomac fort in the year 1675 by the Virginia and Maryland Militia, they returned to their old fort on Susquehanna River, which, in 1676, was described as "about sixty miles above Palmer's Island," " 69 that is, above the island now called Watson's Island, at the mouth of the Susquehanna. In the month of June, 1678, a rumor was circulated in Maryland, that the Senecas "by Instigation of the Remaineing pt of the Susquesahannoughs now amongst them are designed to come downe and make warr upon the Pascattoway Indians toward the Latter End of this Summer, wch the sd Pascattoway Indians doe verily beleive and suspect." The Council, at a meeting held June 13th, 1678, decided that Jacob Young be Empowered to goe to the Old

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Susquehannoh ffort and to treate with the great men of the Sinnequos Nations touching the said Rumo?.” 70

We now return to the subject of Anthony Demondidier's residence in 1680. The lands which Demondidier then owned lay in a sort of cul de sac. An Indian road which came down into Maryland from the North, and went southward to some place on the Potomac, would, if it crossed the Main Falls of Potapsco, have crossed that stream at some ford, and we know that the lowest fording-place on the river was somewhere near Relay or Avalon. If such a road had followed down the divide between Gwinn's Falls and Patapsco Falls, and had crossed at even the lowest ford, it would not conceivably have passed very near to the known site of Anthony Demondidier's lands. On the other hand, a road which ran to the eastward of Gwinn's Falls, until it reached one of the two lowest fords on that stream, and there forded and then struck across country to a ford on Patapsco Falls, would have passed within a mile and a quarter, or less, of these lands. It is quite probable that in the year 1680 there were no plantations on Gwinn's Falls higher up than that of Demondidier. We have elsewhere observed the fact that Richard Gwinn cleared a plantation on the tract called “New Towne," at the mouth of Gwinn's Run, where the second ford on Gwinn's Falls was situated; but Gwinn did not die before 1692, and this plantation may not have been made until a few years before his death.

Our theory with regard to the Seneca (or Susquehannough) road is that it was identical with the Old Indian Road which we traced from a point in the vicinity of Westminister, on Little Pipe Creek, across the North Branch of Patapsco Falls to the neighborhood of Woodensburg, and from there to the old western boundary of Back River Upper Hundred, probably in the neighborhood of the Dover Road. According to our theory, the road ran southward from the head of the Worthington Valley, past the site of the Garrison, to one of the two lowest fords on Gwinn's Falls, and we would even go so far as to identify it

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with the Old Garrison Road, the course of which, from the Garrison to the second ford of Gwinn's Falls, we have just been following

The author has elsewhere shown how a road known as the Old Conestoga Road, 71 which antedated the settlement of the country through which it ran, and has always been reputed to be of Indian origin, extended from Conejohola on the Susquehanna, in the neighborhood of the sites of the Susquehannough forts, to Opequon in Virginia, crossing on its way Great Pipe and Little Pipe Creeks, Monocacy and Potomac Rivers. The “ Old Indian Road” was certainly a branch of this road or intersected it somewhere in the Pipe Creek watershed. This puts us in a position to suppose, with a fair degree of conviction, what was the probable route taken by the Susquehannoughs and the Senecas in making their inroads and war expeditons down into Maryland.

There exists some foundation for the belief that the Seneca road crossed the Patapsco not far below Ellicott City. We have

TI “ The Old Indian Road," Part III, Maryland Historical Magazine, December, 1920, 364 et seq. An early allusion to the Conestoga Road, which was not mentioned in this article on The Old Indian Road,” will be found in a letter of Dr. Charles Carroll to Isaac Webster of Bush River, a copy of which is preserved in an old Carroll letter-book. This letter is dated August 12th, 1731, and reads in part as follows: “I observe what you mention relating to the Welsh People expected into Pennsylvania. I have now ten thousand acres of Warrant located on the Creeks called Conawago Codorus and their Draughts on Susquehanna and I am informed that I can get very near that quantity of good land thereabouts.

“I believe that selling it to them at twenty or twenty five pounds p hunda can't be thought too dear & two year for Payment at the later, & what time after it remains unpaid they to pay interest.

“Now for your encouragement I will allow you one-fifth Part of the neat proceeds on the said Land if you will make sale thereof & take the trouble yourself to survey and shew it to the People.

“As you are acquainted with the People up that way you may enquire the Quality of the land on the Drafts of the said Creeks & on the Road that leads from Conastoga to pipe Creek & where you are best advised I would execute the said warrants which are now in Phil Jones's hands. You may make it worth your while to act herein my own Business not admitting me to go that Distance at present or I would soon do it effectually."

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lately shown that a road existed early in the eighteenth century between a ford in the neighborhood of that place and one of the lowest fords of Gwinn's Falls. A friend of the author's, the late Mr. Vachel Baseman Bennet, a native of the Fourth District of Baltimore County, had fairly clear traditions with regard to the Old Indian Road, one of which was that it went to the Potomac, near Washington, by way of Ellicott City.72 The late Mr. Edward Spencer has said that it went to the Potomac at Pascattaway. These traditions could hardly have referred to that Old Indian Road which crossed the Patapsco near Woodstock and is identical with the Old Court Road. Much more important is the testimony of Dr. Bennett Bernard Browne, who informs the author that a plat, now lost, of his father's place,“ Chew's Vineyard,” showed a road called “The Indian Road,” which crossed Patapsco Falls at a ford known as Waterloo Ford, a mile below Ellicott City, followed up the valley of Little Bonny Branch, and from the head of the valley ran in a south-westerly direction towards Gambrill. Dr. Browne testifies that he has seen on his father's plat the words The Indian Road” used to describe such a road. This road

in all probability, the old Seneca or Susquehannough trail, which led off into Southern Maryland. The settled Indian population of Baltimore County in historic times was so small that there could hardly have existed any considerable number of Indian highways to puzzle and confuse the historian. Those which did exist, which had either been created after the founding of Maryland, under the influence of the new conditions which the coming of the English made, or had survived from a prehistoric past, must have come into the county from remote places and passed to destinations which were far away.

THE LIFE OF THOMAS JOHNSON

EDWARD S. DELAPLAINE

PART EIGHTH

CHAPTER XIII

BRIGADIER-GENERAL OF THE MARYLAND MILITIA

On the 2nd of December, 1775, announcement was made on the floor of Congress 31 that Delegate Johnson had left for home. The work of the “Secret Committee,” headed by Benjamin Franklin, was in capable hands. Johnson knew this. . And moreover he was anxious to attend the approaching session of the Provincial Convention. So, when the Convention opened at Annapolis on December 7, Mr. Johnson was in his seat.

Among the new tasks assigned to Johnson during December, 1775, were: (1)“ to devise the best ways and means to promote the manufacture of salt-petre;” (2) “ to draw the form of commissions for the officers of the militia of this province;" (3) “to consider and report the most effectual method of establishing a gun lock manufactory, and the expense thereof;" and (4) “ to consider what alterations and amendments are necessary in the regulation of the militia of this province, and report their opinion thereon.”

The advent of the year 1776 saw Maryland in the midst of preparations for war. On Saturday, January 6, the deputies, assembled in the city on the Severn, were ready to name the superior officers of the Maryland Militia. The following minute is included in the proceedings of that day:

“ The convention elected by ballot the following persons field officers for the militia: Mr. Henry Hooper brigadier-general