Good information, Harold.  

Your facts once again confirm my view that a 18th- or 19th-Century westward
moving family was likely to advance at no more than 8-10 miles per day,
especially if that family or group included any weak or old adults or young
children.  In fact, if there were two and more wagons (as there usually
were) it is likely that the movement would be even a tad slower, since it is
hard to imagine a group of wagons that had identical needs for rest and such
as water, for the care of any sick folks or to tend to the needs of the
animals.  I found it interesting that Civil War supply officers presumed
that a horse or a mule moving across unfamiliar land would throw at least
one shoe every 20 - 25 days.  In such events, re-shoeing of an animal then
was NOT accomplished by phoning the friendly neighborhood Ferrier !.

Thank you. Merry Xmas to you and yours, my friend.   

(********************
-----Original Message-----
From: 
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 9:42 PM
To: 
Subject: Re: [DRAKE] FW: [VA-SOUTHSIDE] Slow Goin'

Paul and others, I forgot to include the info that the figure of 16 miles
per day was for a man walking alone.  It did not give  any consideration for
women and children.  Our ancestors traveling  from Virginia westward used a
lot of oxen, which travel slower that  horses.  This would also slow the
travel down.  Some of my ancestors  traveling from Campbell County, VA to
Ross County, Ohio traveled with two oxen,  a cow and a horse.  Based on the
small amount of info I have found, this  was a family group of about 16
adults, and an unknown number of children.   

I know that there was at least one 5 year old, and a severely crippled old
man  who made it all the way to Ohio (from VA).  This trip took over 6
weeks, but I  do not know which route they took.  The most popular family
story seems to  be that they went south from Campbell County, VA, through
Greenbrier County, VA,  and into Kentucky, then back up to Ohio.  However, I
have never been able  to prove that.  It seems to me that a much shorter
route would have been  across VA into what is now W VA, and crossed the
river at Point Pleasant where  there was a ferry boat.  Remains of the old
ferry can still be seen  today.  According to local history in Point
Pleasant, W VA and Gallipolis,  Ohio, the ferry was a very popular crossing
place.
 
Harold
 
Harold



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