McDaniel writes her cousin describing her journey via river steamboat to Tennessee where she became a teacher at the Clarksville Academy:

 

“My dear cousin,

… we prolonged our trip by going up to Cincinnati, instead of proceeding immediately homeward we took passage on a fine boat at St. Louis, and as she was going directly to the above place, we concluded to keep on up the Ohio. The boat was very much crowded, but we had quite a pleasant trip. The boat stopped at all the little, as well as large places, so we had an opportunity of seeing everything, when we arrived at Louisville we found the river so low that it was impossible for the boat to pass over the falls (which are just below the city) and the canal, from the rise and subsequent fall of the river, was full of sand, so that we had to wait all day for it to be cleaned out. We took a hack and went through the city, and spent the time pleasantly, in looking round, at all the curiosities, we visited a handsome greenhouse, where flowers are raised for sale – about eight o’clock, the boat bell rang, and we learned to great delight that the canal was ready to receive us, so we started; few of the ladies had ever seen a canal, and all were eager to commence the passage. Well the boat began to puff away, and all rushed out on the guards, when just as we got midway the first lock, we stuck fast in the gate, in consequence of the mud, which had not been well taken away, and there we staid, until after puffing and blowing for about two hours we got loose. The boat was so large that we almost touched the wall, on either side, every few moments she would dash up against it, giving us some pretty severe jolts, and then such shrieks and cries as would assail our ear, from the lips of some affrighted passenger, we at last found ourselves, without accident at Louisville; here for knew nothing more of that night for I went to bed just then – a week from the Sunday we left Jourseyville we landed in Cincinnati. We staid here several days, and were much pleased with the appearance of the place, it a good many times as large as St. Louis, and dicedely more handsome. The museum pleased me more than anything I saw it is indeed worth visiting, we spent the whole afternoon there, and then had to give but a hasty glance at many interesting curiosities. My friend Emily Faxon is in Cincinnati, visiting some relatives, this you know added greatly to the pleasure of my stay there. Amanda went with us all the way; we are all delighted with her, she is so amiable, and lively. Dr Mc Clure speaks in warmest terms of her, perhaps he is captivated, by the way he says I must send you his best respects, with the request that you will send him a nice roll, all covered over with sauce… when you see Mrs. Jones, tell her how much we were pleased with Amanda, ….  Tell her that she must let A go to school here, Mr. Douglass’s school (the Academy) is prospering finely, he is getting scholars from a great distance, a gentleman from Miss. Brought up three daughters the other day, to be educated here., he said the academy had a fine reputation down there – you will be surprised to hear that I have become assistant, in the school, but I am only pro tem Mrs. Douglas being sick, I consented to take her place for a few weeks, to accommodate them, I don’t like the occupation much… There has been (and is still going on) a great revival of religion here, both in the Presbyterian and Methodist church. I don’t know how many conversions there have been, but about seventy members have been added to the latter church … we lost a valuable member of the community last week, a young man named  Gabey, who had been living here but a few years but was very highly esteemed he was a moral man  but not a Christian, was a mason, son of Temperance, member of the Temple of Honor, and an Odd Fellow. I don’t think that anyone who attended his funeral could ever speak against secret societies, he had not a relative nearer than many hundred miles, and yet the church was crowded with his brethren of those orders, who with becoming sorrow and solemnity, paid the last tribute of affection to the deceased stranger … I must close now, for it is very late at night, and if I don’t go to bed soon I shall not feel like getting up in time to go to school tomorrow …”