Hamilton’s Itinerarium

Excerpt from Hamilton's Itinerarium: Being a Narrative of a Journey From Annapolis, Maryland Through Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, From May to September, 1744

In preparing the manuscript for the press, the editor has had the efficient aid of two graduate students of Harvard University, Mr. Thomas N. Hoover has made a diligent search into the refer ences to persons; and nearly all the important names have been placed in their proper setting, though some of the abbreviated names and obscure indi viduals resisted all effort to make them yield their identity. Mr. John Kennedy Lacock has followed the route of Hamilton throughout his journey, and has been been able to verify every place that he passed or visited, except some of the taverns which have long since ceased to exist; and the map accom panying this volume is the result of his researches. The editorial foot-notes have purposely been made succinct, the object being to state the full names of persons and places, with no detail except so far as necessary for identification. Hamilton's accuracy as a writer is shown by the fact that in only two or three cases, which are duly pointed out in the foot-notes, has he been detected in any serious mistake.

The subject of this volume is a journey which Dr. Hamilton undertook in 1744, leaving Annapo lis May 30, and travelling overland northward through New Castle, Wilmington, and Chester to Philadelphia. Mr. Hasell, of Barbadoes, whom he had expected to travel with him from An napolis, he found at Philadelphia, where he stayed a week. June I3, he resumed his journey and spent three days on the road to New York, crossing the Delaware near Bristol, and passing through Trenton and Princeton to Perth Amboy and thence, via three ferries, to Staten Island, across the Narrows, and across the East River to New York, that being apparently the surest and most convenient route. After six days in New York, he started, June 21, in a sloop for Albany, together with Rev. John Miln, formerly a clergyman in Albany. The journey up occupied nearly five days; he stayed about a week in and around Albany, and spent three days on the return sloop journey. After five days' stay in New York, July 5 to 10, he started eastward with two Boston merchants, journeying through Long Island to the neighborhood of Montauk Point, thence across the Sound to New London, and thence through Stonington, Newport, Bristol, and Dedham to Boston, the whole journey occupying eight days. At Boston he stayed ten days, and then, July 28, started northward, stopping at Marble head, Salem, Ipswich, and Newbury, to Portsmouth and New Castle, and back by the same route, a week's journey in all. After about two weeks in Boston, he started southward August 18, going through Providence and Bristol to Newport, where he stayed a week. He resumed his travels August 24, passing New London, Saybrook, New Haven, and N orwalk to New York, a week's journey. The second visit in New York occupied two weeks; he left September 13, and after five days' stay in Philadelphia, reached home again September 27, having travelled, as he records it, 1624 miles.

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