Appalachian Mountains Passes

In researching Mtn. Passes and general items that could have evidence of travel routes in the 1700's. I got to think of the Jenny Wiley and Mary Ingles Story. Much to my surprise the two were both captured the same day, probably within 50- 75 miles of each other. The two stories have many common facts. In looking at the things common to both stories, the most common thing I found was the area of capture being near the New River pass. I don't figure the Indians changed their travel routes/patterns that much because of white folks moving into an area. But it made it easy for them to find some free slave labor. Capture them and if they wont work we'll scalp them.

Swift in some of the journals said they went out by way of the Sandy to New River then to Yadkin Valley. The time/days travel on that route was the shortest of any/all of the journals that made mention of time.
 

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Ken S. said:
Who Ever Wrote that part of Wiki must not have realized there was a river that runs from N. Carolina to Gauley Bridge, W. Virginia. Here is a couple of links with Info about the 2 major ways west in the time frame of Swift.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braddock_Road_(Braddock_expedition)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilderness_Road

From the way wiki describes the Wilderness road, it wasn't much more than a foot path through Cumberland Gap at Ky. Tenn. border.
Click to expand...

Wiki is a quick and easy way to get an explanation of something, but it should never be considered the last word on any research project. What you read today could be changed tomorrow.
 

Ken S. said:
In researching Mtn. Passes and general items that could have evidence of travel routes in the 1700's. I got to think of the Jenny Wiley and Mary Ingles Story. Much to my surprise the two were both captured the same day, probably within 50- 75 miles of each other. The two stories have many common facts. In looking at the things common to both stories, the most common thing I found was the area of capture being near the New River pass. I don't figure the Indians changed their travel routes/patterns that much because of white folks moving into an area. But it made it easy for them to find some free slave labor. Capture them and if they wont work we'll scalp them.

Swift in some of the journals said they went out by way of the Sandy to New River then to Yadkin Valley. The time/days travel on that route was the shortest of any/all of the journals that made mention of time.
Click to expand...

Depending on which journal you read...
 

KY Hiker said:
Wiki is a quick and easy way to get an explanation of something, but it should never be considered the last word on any research project. What you read today could be changed tomorrow.
Click to expand...

I find wiki no less reliable than Youtube
 

They did not go through Cumberland Gap, they would have gone through Pound Gap or Shelby Gap.
 

franklin said:
They did not go through Cumberland Gap, they would have gone through Pound Gap or Shelby Gap.
Click to expand...

Several versions of the journal I have read mention one instance of them leaving through the 'great gap'. There is also the reference of Swift leaving his journal with a Mrs. Renfro near Pineville, KY. But that probably was on his return trip some 15 years later.

Has anyone ever given any thought to the times mentioned surrounding the legend. Never seems to add up to me...
First, typically his last trip to the mines was 1769.
Secondly, Swift is said to return (blind and/or from imprisonment or having to serve on a British ship) 15 years later to relocated the mine(s).
15+1769=1784 ... BUT I always read the date of 1791 as when he returns to look for the mines or when he is helped when lost in the Red River Gorge.
Typically he is said to have died around 1800 in various places. So my question is, where was Swift from 1784 thru 1791, THAT is 7-8 years of nothing.... I find it odd to say the least, was he (as an old man) searching that whole time. I find that unlikely... what is interesting to me is that 7-8 year window would be the EXACT time the Swift of Prather's research would have been a 20 something adult and could have 'worked' the mines!
 

Then much like now things change. He spent those years looking for the mine. After all people have spent 250 years looking for it and not found it. Why wouldn't he spend 7-8 years. People have spent life times since looking for it.
 

You may have failed to see my point, but that is alright. Keep in mind the date of the Filson land entry and the date of Col. Harrod's disappearance. Both of which are associated with Swift's mines.

https://wiki.rootsweb.com/wiki/index.php/Kentucky_Land_Records

J. Filson R. Breckenridge Land entry date May 17, 1788

John Filson 1747 – Oct 1, 1788

James Harrod 1746 – 1792 (His body was never found)

The War of Independence 1775 - 1783

So, Filson made a land entry in May and by October he is dead. (Some say he just disappeared because no body was found)
 

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Great post I would love to go there some day
 

Didn't really miss the point. In those day people kind of dropped like flies. Indians didn't care the age a scalp was a scalp as long as it had white skin .
 

Ken S. said:
In researching Mtn. Passes and general items that could have evidence of travel routes in the 1700's. I got to think of the Jenny Wiley and Mary Ingles Story. Much to my surprise the two were both captured the same day, probably within 50- 75 miles of each other. The two stories have many common facts. In looking at the things common to both stories, the most common thing I found was the area of capture being near the New River pass. I don't figure the Indians changed their travel routes/patterns that much because of white folks moving into an area. But it made it easy for them to find some free slave labor. Capture them and if they wont work we'll scalp them.

Swift in some of the journals said they went out by way of the Sandy to New River then to Yadkin Valley. The time/days travel on that route was the shortest of any/all of the journals that made mention of time.
Click to expand...

Futher research shows there was some time between captures but the location stayed the same.
 

KY Hiker said:
Several versions of the journal I have read mention one instance of them leaving through the 'great gap'. There is also the reference of Swift leaving his journal with a Mrs. Renfro near Pineville, KY. But that probably was on his return trip some 15 years later.

Has anyone ever given any thought to the times mentioned surrounding the legend. Never seems to add up to me...
First, typically his last trip to the mines was 1769.
Secondly, Swift is said to return (blind and/or from imprisonment or having to serve on a British ship) 15 years later to relocated the mine(s).
15+1769=1784 ... BUT I always read the date of 1791 as when he returns to look for the mines or when he is helped when lost in the Red River Gorge.
Typically he is said to have died around 1800 in various places. So my question is, where was Swift from 1784 thru 1791, THAT is 7-8 years of nothing.... I find it odd to say the least, was he (as an old man) searching that whole time. I find that unlikely... what is interesting to me is that 7-8 year window would be the EXACT time the Swift of Prather's research would have been a 20 something adult and could have 'worked' the mines!
Click to expand...

The (great gap) could have been Flat Gap or any number of gaps between where he was and where he wanted to be . The map He left with Mrs . I figure was when he was searching and couldn't find the mine at the later date. I also figure the later date was when he spent most of the time at Camp Station looking for the mine. Travel routes had improved over the 15 years and the party over shot the area where the mines were actually at. The Revolution had taken place between the time they were mining and 15 years later when they returned to look for the mines, and had change the landscape of the area. All of the trails had been improved and lengthened is the reason I believe they passed the area of the mines and never did find them.
 

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The River that passes through the Blueridge/Allegany Mountains is easily seen on the map that's linked in Interesting Map of 1776 thread.
 

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