[66] Veech, _The Monongahela of Old_, 61. Only a small part of the
foundation of this mill is now to be seen.
[67] Jacob's Swamp. This is not to be confused with the swampy land
along Jacob's Creek.
[68] It is only fair to say, however, that there is much difference
of opinion in regard to the location of this camp. On July 3 Orme
records, "The swamp being repaired, we marched about six miles to the
Salt Lick Creek." Many of the later maps and later accounts of the
period identify Jacob's Creek with Salt Lick Creek (see Sargent's
_History_, 346; Veech's _Monongahela of Old_, 61; Scull's map, 1770,
etc.); but there is no real authority for holding that the Salt Lick
Creek mentioned by Orme is Jacob's Creek. A small tributary of the
Youghiogheny, now known as Indian Creek, was, it is true, formerly
called Salt Lick Creek, whence came the name of Salt Lick township;
but the well-known salt licks and Painter's Salt Works were located
along the banks of Sewickley Creek near Hunkers. Here salt wells used
to be drilled to a depth of about five hundred feet; and to these
wells stock was driven from miles around, and people came from far and
near to boil down the salt water in order to secure salt for domestic
use. In the absence, therefore, of any authoritative evidence that the
Salt Lick Creek mentioned by Orme is Jacob's Creek, it seems to the
writer that the most probable location of Salt Lick Camp is on the
Edward Stoner farm, about two miles east from the fording of Sewickley
Creek. Among other indications that point to this farm as a favorable
place for encampment one notes the fact that a short distance west
of the Stoner house, under a large oak tree, there was formerly an
excellent spring (now filled up), and that there is also a run near
by. Mr. Stoner showed me a one-pound cannon ball which he found in a
stump less than a quarter of a mile from the road, and said that other
bullets had been picked up on the farm.
[69] Eugene Warden, Esq., of Mount Pleasant, Pa., has aided the writer
very materially in the location of the road through Westmoreland
County by calling his attention to the following document, which
establishes definitely the fording of Jacob's Creek and the course of
the road to Sewickley Creek.
"The Commissioner of Westmoreland County, pursuant to the directions
of an Act of Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, entitled
'An Act for laying out competent Districts for the appointment of
Justices of the Peace, passed April 4, 1803,' laid out the said county
into the following districts, to wit:...."
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