Pathways For Commerce and Conquest:

Pathways For Commerce and Conquest:. Ships of the Land. , As roadways developed from Indian paths, European soldiers and settlers depended on wagons to carry provisions and supplies to the frontier. Wagons usually traveled in convoys which were divided into groups of about ten wagons each, headed by a "Waggon Maistre." , Though wagons could carry larger, heavier loads than pack horses, they were often not as convenient. Wagon transportation was slow and laborious. As Colonel Henry Bouquet wrote to General John Forbes on June 20, 1758, "A wagon cannot go from Loudon to Littleton in less than a day and a half, and two days from Littleton to Juniata and it caries [sic] only 1500 pounds. Eight pack horses will carry 1600 pounds and would easily make the same journey in two days." , Wagons often used military roads that " . . . became overgrown with brush and were very soon impassable . . . " They were covered with sharp stones and other debris, which easily damaged the wagon's wheels. Thus wagons were in constant need of repair and maintenance., (Caption):, The Conestoga wagon is believed to be one of the earliest wagons used for transport on the frontier. , Courtesy Arthur Riest, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.