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The early hiway here

Started by Don P, September 18, 2022, 07:20:14 AM

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Don P

The newsletter from DHR had an interesting article this time on Batteaux, the semi trucks of the early settlers, plying the local rivers.

DHR – Virginia Department of Historic Resources » History on the James, Batteaux From the 18th to the 21st Centuries

moodnacreek

I didn't know batteaux had been that large. In the northeast river log drives they where used to carry men to clean up log jams behind the drive and perhaps 24 '.

Don P

I cannot imagine moving that sized boat through the upper reaches of the New here, much less the gorge. I can only guess large boats would have been short haulers in wide stretches between big rapids. But, I also know Iron and shot left here on the river during the Revolution. The Kanawha is much changed, that is after the New and Gauley have met in WV. From there to the Ohio and Mississippi it would be pretty clear sailing. Washington surveyed a path for the James through the mountains. It has milder gradients but the railroads made that crossing easier than a series of locks. Our country developed just a little too late or slow to get a real canal system.

There is a piece of the old James River canal, pretty close to the I-95 bridge over the James in Richmond. Like the next early capitol to the south, Raleigh is on the fall line of the Neuse. I've heard that the economics of early inland transportation were so bad early on, if something was produced more than ~30 miles inland from those fall line towns, it was cheaper to ship it from England than to try to pack it in from those outlying settlements.

Stephen1

amazing what they built using a lot less machinery than what we have now. 
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Tom King

Some years ago, a friend near here that I went to school with, and was in Scouts with, built a bateau and took Boy Scouts on trips down the James in the Bateau.  I can't remember when they started doing that, or how many years they did it, but he still has the Bateau sitting out in front of his shop.

rusticretreater

After the defeat of the British at Fort Ticonderoga, Gen Henry Knox, head of Artillery then completed one of the great feats of the Revolutionary War by moving the fort's armament,  fifty-nine artillery pieces (forty-three heavy brass and iron guns, six cohorn mortars, eight siege mortars, and two howitzers) in the dead of winter from upstate New York, across Lake George loaded onto a scow, a pettiauger, and batteaux, and sailed south to Fort George at the head of the lake. Then overland on sleds to Dorchester Heights surrounding Boston.  Total weight of the guns and mortars was 119,900 pounds, and the convoy included 2,300 pounds of lead and a barrel of the excellent Ticonderoga flints.

According to historical records, the ships made of green wood in the dead of winter were barely sea worthy and much has been made of the engenuity of the colonials in raising some sunken cannon from the bottom of the icy depths when several batteaux sank.

Placed in the dead of night, the British woke up to find the city of Boston under the Colonials guns on Dorchester Heights and evacuated the city.  March 1776
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Don P

Ox Knox, a mountain of a man. It would have ended right there if not for the timely arrival of those guns.
Everyone has seen the picture of Washington crossing the Delaware.
What really happened was Washington was grabbing a gunnel while 300+ lb Knox boarded the little boat with Washington yelling "Knox, sit your fat butt down before you sink us!"  :D And we snuck up on the redcoats anyway.

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