Port Tobacco, Maryland. Hired a horse and crossed Nanjemoy
Creek. Got to Port Tobacco in the evening. This is a small town situated at the
head of a Creek of the same name. The County Courts are held here and a
Warehouse for the inspection of Tobacco. Several Scotch Factors are settled
here.
SOURCE: Nicholas Cresswell, The Journal of Nicholas Cresswell 1774—1777, pp. 19-20
Marlbro, Maryland. Left Port Tobacco in company with Mr.
John Creig, a Scotch Merchant, Doctor Gustavus Richard Brown, and Captn. Knox.
Dined at Piscataway, a small town 16 miles from Port Tobacco. Our victuals
badly drest, and sour. Madeira Wine at 7/6 per Bottle. From Piscataway to
Marlbro 16 miles. Saw the quarter of a Negro man chained to a Tree for
murdering his overseer. Land in general appears barren and thinly inhabited,
some places sandy and others a sort of stiff clay, but plenty of fine Orchards,
and I observe they generally plant a Peach Orchard on the worst land. They had
a frost on the 9th. of May, which has killed a great number of Trees, the woods
for a mile together seem dead and withered.
SOURCE: Nicholas Cresswell, The Journal of Nicholas Cresswell 1774—1777, p. 20
Got to Port Tobacco with great difficulty. Captn. Knox insists on me applying to Doctor Brown. I have taken his advice and he told me it is a Fever with some cussed physical name. He has given me some slops and I am now going to bed very ill.
SOURCE: Nicholas Cresswell, The Journal of Nicholas Cresswell 1774—1777, p. 22
