Day 42 of Jacob's Journey: Rolling on a River

Flatboat image via GeorgiaInfo  September 5, 1819 Pioneer is one hog-happy steed today: he'll no longer be hauling my heavy duff and supplies all over the Eastern United States. That's because we're now drifting towards the setting sun on a flatboat along the Ohio River to our final destination, Cincinnati!   We picked up the boat in Marietta, Ohio. Before we boarded I visited my cousin Joseph in town to get the wire looms he'd been holding for me. Those will help me get my factory off the ground. He and his kindly wife Mabel gave me a change of clean clothing, some grub for the road...er, water, and some extra home items for when I find the right homestead, such as a lantern, a woolen blanket and dining items. We packaged everything we could into a trunk and transported it by wagon down to the dock, Pioneer in tow.   There are two men sharing the journey with me: Samuel "Stogie" Blackwell, an aspiring drifter with an affinity for cigars, and Benjamin Hurt, a young  ginger haired blacksmith joining his brother's farm in the new city. And of course, the captain, William "Billy" Smith, a crusty ol' coot who communicates mostly in grunts.   I'm told it should take us about 2 weeks to arrive in Cincinnati. Onward bound to boomtown!