(Continuing with the article of Charles F. Bryan, Jr. in Beyond Germanna entitled, " Away, I'm Bound Away: Virginia and the Westward Movement .") Traveling anywhere from 15 to 20 miles a day, within a few days the McClure's wagon moved onto the Great Road which ran the full length of the Shenandoah Valley into East Tennessee and branched north into Kentucky. On this road they joined an almost continuous stream of humanity, most of whom were heading south and west. They saw large families traveling in two or three wagons. They saw four or five families grouped together on foot or horseback. And they frequently observed men transporting groups of Virginia slaves to be sold for handsome prices in the deep south and beyond.
Many travelers headed toward the Cumberland Gap. A week after leaving home, the McClures entered Tennessee. They worked their way on the Great Wagon Road through Knoxville, onto the Cumberland Plateau, and then into Middle Tennessee and Nashville. Elizabeth recorded seeing the fattest hogs she had ever seen and good-looking farmland. When they approached the Tennessee River, they were astonished to see their first steamboat, the " Vista ". Every night they set up camp with other travelers. All along the route they continued to see groups of slaves who were being transported to new plantations.
Some two weeks into the trip, Elizabeth began to show signs of doubt about this venture. One night around the campfire, James read about the impending war with Mexico and trouble in Texas. The farther west they traveled, the gloomier the news got. Heavy spring rains dampened spirits and James caught a bad cold. Worst of all, however, were the serious bouts of homesickness that afflicted Elizabeth. Within ten days of their departure from Carroll County, Elizabeth recorded her sadness at having left home, "I think about HOME and what they are doing there." The following week near Memphis, she wrote, "I think of home and tears come thick and fast. We have come a long road and we have a long and difficult one yet to go, but I like no place I have found yet."
After going through Memphis and traveling along the Mississippi River toward New Orleans, even James began to have mixed feelings. While Elizabeth was sick, he recorded two entries in her journal. One day he wrote, "Going-going to Texas, I think to do well after awhile and make money aplenty." Yet the following day he noted, "I feel bad, weary, out of spirits, for I fear I cannot like Texas — a long road yet to go."
Once in New Orleans, Elizabeth expressed feelings of the dilemma she and James were in, "I don't know what we had better do. I fear to go to Texas, but dread to go back home — hope we like it." Their concerns were not eased. James became sick again and then Elizabeth caught a bad cold. On the last day of May they finally entered Texas. The people seemed unfriendly, but the mosquitoes, gnats, and oppressive heat were even worse. Elizabeth spilled out her emotions, "I am truly homesick, heartsick. I rue the day we ever thought of Texas. Oh home! How dear thou art! I want to go back to Virginia."
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.