Quiet Days

Tuesday was a travel day.  I left Moms and traveled to Louisville KY with just a couple of stops along the way.  But mostly it was just quiet driving time to Kentucky.  If you own a GPS, set it to SHORTEST route.  This will take you on some of the secondary highways of America which are awesome.  I'm so tired of the dry and sterile Interstates.

Coming into Louisville is a real experience.  I love bridges and crossing the Great Ohio River is a real experience.

The Ohio River holds a lot of significence for the historian in me.  The Ohio was a major 'Interstate' in the 1700's and 1800's.

Noteables like Lewis and Clark, as well as my own ancestors traveled this river. 

My several times great grandfather, Dr. Antoine Saugrain was actually attacked and injured on the Ohio River in the early 1790's when he had been commissioned to travel the 'wilderness' from Pittsburgh to Louisville. President Jefferson wanted to know what the prospects were for settling this area following the Revolutionary War.

Just west of Cincinnati, his flat boat and companions were shot at and captured.  One of the men was able to get away.  One was scalped in front of Saugrain and Saugrain himself was captured after being shot through the hand and through the flesh of his neck.  He was finally able to escape and swam away in the Ohio River, in March. 

Eventually Saugrain caught up with the man who had escaped and although greatly injured, made their way by walking or floating to the 'shores opposite Louisville'.  He remained there a few weeks while regaining his health, before riding by horseback, back to Washington.

If you would be at all interested pls click  http://saugrain.blogspot.com/2010/12/from-dr-saugrains-note-books-1788-by.html