han the thing is worth, such advantages are taken by the people
of the Public wants...."[5] Two weeks later Edward Shippen, explaining
the teamsters side of the argument, told how they had to pay ferriage at
the Susquehannah and make the return trip with empty wagons.[6] It would
be well to mention here that not all of the wagons were to accompany the
expedition; many were to transport supplies only to Conococheague[7] or
to Wills Creek, and it was the owners of these wagons who, since they
did not feel bound by the same terms offered the 150 accompanying the
expedition, most often took advantage of the situation. In addition,
wagons were needed to supply Colonel James Burd and his party, who were
building the Pennsylvania road from Shippensburg to the forks of the
Youghiogheny,[8] where it was to meet with Braddock's road. When word
came back to the settlements that Indians had killed several of Burd's
wagoners, recruiting became still more difficult. The alarm became so
great that the road builders threatened to leave if protection was not
sent them. Accordingly, Captain Hogg was sent with his company from
Braddock's army to cover them.[9]

[Illustration: Figure 2.--STRAKES BEFORE BEING COMPLETELY UNEARTHED.
Strakes are sections of wagon tire, equal in number to the felloes of
the wheel.]

[Illustration: Figure 3.--SIX STRAKES ARRANGED IN A CIRCLE, as they
would encompass a 12-spoke wheel. In the center are two extra strakes,
two hub bands, and a hub boxing (the smaller ring).]

The farm wagons used in these operations were often referred to as
Conestoga wagons.[10] This term was apparently in general use at least
as early as 1750, when the term "Dutch Wagon" was also used in referring
to this particular type of vehicle.[11] The Conestoga, deriving its
name from the Conestoga valley near Lancaster, was apparently a
Pennsylvania adaptation of the English wagon.[12] Unfortunately there
are no existing specimens of early wagons of whose age we can be
certain, and the few wagon fragments that have been unearthed are
insufficient to justify any conclusions. A number of strakes[13] were
found in Edmund's Swamp (figs. 2-5), on the route of the Forbes
expedition in 1758. These indicate a wheel diameter of 64 inches and a
tire 2 inches wide.[14] The 2-inch tires are undoubtedly relics of a
farmer's wagon, since the various military vehicles had tires no less
than 3 inches and often on the heavier types 4 inches wide. The use