The next Day (December 29) we continued traveling till quite dark, and got to the river about two miles above Shannapins (an Indian village several miles north of Pittsburgh on the Allegheny); we expected to have found the river frozen, but it was not, only about 50 yards from each shore; the Ice I suppose had broke up above, for it was driving in vast quantities.

There was no way for getting over but on a raft, which we set about, with but one poor hatchet, and got finished just after sun-setting, after a whole days work; we got it launched, and on board of it, and set off; but before we were half way over, we were jammed in the Ice in such a manner that we expected every moment our raft to sink, and ourselves to perish; I put out my setting pole to try to stop the raft, the ice might pass by, when the rapidity of the stream threw it with so much violence against the pole, that it jerked me out into ten feet water, but I fortunately saved myself by catching hold of one of the raft logs; notwithstanding all our efforts we could not get the raft to either shore, but were obliged, as we were near an Island, to quit our raft and make to it.

The cold was so extremely severe, that Mr. Gist, (Washington's guide), had all his fingers, and some of his toes frozen, and the water was shut up so hard, that we found no difficulty in getting off the Island, on the Ice, in the morning, and went to Mr. Frazier's.

From, The Journal of Major George Washington: An Account of his First Official Mission, Made as Emissary from the Governor of Virginia to the Commandant of the French Forces on the Ohio, October 1753-January 1754. pp. 21-22.