From Addison the course westward for nearly two miles to John
Augustine's house is well defined, though only here and there does one
find noticeable scars of the road. Before reaching John Augustine's
house one comes to Jasper Augustine's estate, where there was formerly
on Braddock Road an old hotel known as the Old Granny Welsh House, of
which nothing now remains but a few foundation stones. The exact
location of the point at which Braddock Road crosses the National
turnpike west of John Augustine's house is not quite clear; but the line
seems to turn almost due south less than three hundred yards west of his
house, winding round a hill and then passing through a lane to Jacob
Miller's house.[48] A short distance southwest of this house it strikes
north of the north branch of Braddock Run, and about half a mile beyond
comes to the forks of the run. Between these forks, and possibly a short
distance westward, is the ground which formed the seventh encampment,
called Squaw's Fort.[49]
From this point the road follows Braddock Run to its mouth, fording
(without bridging) the Big Crossings of the Youghiogheny at or near the
mouth of Braddock Run, about half a mile above where the National road
now crosses the river.[50] Keeping on down the west bank of the stream,
it begins a sharp ascent of Wolf, or Turkey Garden Hill, at a point
opposite Somerfield, and follows the northern side of this hill for some
distance before entering Jockey Hollow. The slope of the hill is very
steep and the scar distinctly marked; but from Jockey Hollow onward
through the valley of Potter Run there are almost no traces of the road.
After keeping a little way up this run through the valley of Stuck
Hollow, the line turns at almost a right angle to follow the course of a
small run leading to Second River Hill, which is less than two hundred
yards south of the National road. At the beginning of the ascent on the
eastern slope of this hill, just at the entrance to some woods, are
three distinct scars that eventually converge into one road, which runs
down the western slope and a little farther on passes less than ten rods
south of the house of Isaac M. Thomas.[51] A short distance westward
from his house the line runs to the north of the house of A. M. Thomas,
thence into a township road, then on past Charles Umble's residence to
that of B. F. Miller, and a little way from this place enters the woods
on Division Ridge. No other part of the old Braddock Road presents such
difficulties as this section of it over Division Ridge, for the
underbrush is so thick in places that one is compelled to crawl on hands
and knees in order to keep the road. The slopes are very rocky and the
passes are exceedingly difficult, but with plainly marked scars. At the
western foot of this ridge was situated the camp of the Twelve Springs,
which Orme designated as "the camp on the east side the Great
Meadows."[52]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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