JOURNAL OF ANDRÉ MICHAUX, 1793-1796 SOURCE: Englished from the original French, appearing in American Philosophical Society Proceedings, 1889, pp. 91-101, 114-140. JOURNAL OF ANDRÉ MICHAUX On the 15th of July 1793, I took leave of Citizen Genet, Minister of the Republic of France to the United States1 and started from Philadelphia on the same date at ten o'clock at night to avoid the great heat, and to travel by Moonlight. The 16th, being in company with humeau and . Leblanc,' we journeyed 40 miles. The 17th, passed by Lancaster and made 35 Miles. The 18th, passed by Carlisle Miles and slept Miles. at Chipesbourg [Shippensburg]. The 19th we slept at Strasbourg Sunday the 20th, we started from Strasbourg, a small town situate at the foot of the Mountains; one of our horses having fallen sick we traveled only 21 Miles; observed Magnolia acuminata, Azalea octandra, Kalmia 1 Edmond Charles Genet (Genest) was born at Versailles about 1765. His father was a diplomat who was interested in English literature, and who welcomed the American coterie in Paris to his home. Henrietta Genet, later Madame Campan, was first lady of honor to Queen Marie Antoinette; her brother was chosen at the early age of twenty-four, secretary — later, chargé d'affaires to the French embassy at St. Petersburg. His dispatches thence were of so republican a tone, that in 1792 he was commissioned minister of the new French republic, to Holland; but late in the same year was chosen for the mission to the United States, where he arrived April 8, 1793. His career in America is well known. After his commission was revoked, Genet became a naturalized American citizen, married a daughter of Governor Clinton of New York, and died at Jamaica, Long Island, in 1834.-ED. 2 Humeau and Le Blanc appear to have been agents of Genet, assisting in this revolutionary movement. Nothing is known of the former. Le Blanc was a citizen of New Orleans, well-affected to the French revolutionary cause. He was to have been made mayor of New Orleans, when that city should fall into the hands of the revolutionists. See American Historical Association Report, 1896, pp. 1049, 1050.- Ed. latifolia, Fagus castanea, Fagus pumila, Pinus 2-folia, 3-folia, Strobus: Abies Canadensis; Quercus castaneaefolia etc. Juglans nigra. The 21st of July started from Wells's tavern, crossed the Juniata river and noticed Rhododendron maxi mum, Hydrangea frutescens, Trillium erectum; slept at Bedford. 21 Miles. The 22nd. Started from Bedford and breakfasted at a place 4 miles distant where the Pittsburg Road divides into two. We took the right hand road; the Rain compelled us to stop and sleep only twelve Miles from Bedford." The 23rd we made 24 Miles and passed the summit of the Alleganys. The 24th we made 25 Miles. Miles. The 25th we passed by Green'sburg and made 31 Miles. The 26th Rain; we made only The 27th, we made 19 Miles and arrived in Pittsburgh. Total 32' Miles from Philadelphia. The 28th visited Mr. H. Brackenridge." в The 29th herborised; recognized on the banks of the Monongahela, Dracocephalum Virginianum, Bignonia radicans, Crotalaria alba? These plants grow on 3 For a description of the left-hand or southern branch of the road, known as "The Old Glade," see Harris's Journal, post.― ED. • Evident error; perhaps 320 was intended.— C. S. S. The distance in reality by this route was somewhat less than this.-ED. 'Hugh H. Brackenridge was at this time the most prominent lawyer in Pittsburg, whither he had come in 1781, after graduating at Princeton and serving as chaplain in the regular army. Brackenridge was a Scotch-Irishman, and a Democrat in politics; therefore he sympathized with the uprising known as the Whiskey Rebellion, and wrote a work in its defense, although his influence had been exercised to moderate its excesses. Gallatin defeated him for Congress in 1794; but later he took his place upon the bench of the state supreme court, and served with great ability until his death in 1816.- ED. • Physostegia Virginiana, Benth.-C. S. S. |