Item 9: Excerpts Copied by Zebulon Butler of a Letter to [Edward] Hand, (removed to legal box #1), 1779 March 23-28
Item — Box: 10, Folder: 9
Dates
- Created: 1779 March 23-28
Creator
- Butler, Zebulon, 1731-1795 (Person)
Disclaimer for Name and Subject Authorities
Some of the name and subject authority tags have been assigned by educated guessing and estimation of persons and subjects by region, age, profession, and familial relationships. They have been thoroughly researched by using primary and secondary sources available digitally, and named in each description, or in some cases linked directly to the person tag.
Access:
All series and subseries within this collection are open for research, with the exception of a few files within the Academia series that are restricted. The Academia series contains financial and sensitive institutional records from Wilkes College, and financial report records from Princeton University that will remain restricted for 80 years upon creation.
Extent
1 items
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Type of Material:
Letter/Excerpt
Condition Note:
Fair. Slight discoloration and tearing along the page.
Measurements:
9 ⅞ in. x 8 in. (closed); 16 in. x 9 ⅞ in. (open)
Description:
The following items depict copied extracts, ranging from March 23rd through the 28th of 1779, by Zebulon Butler, a lieutenant colonel during the American Revolutionary War, to Edward Hand, a brigadier general. In the excerpts, Butler is writing of an attack on the settlement by their enemy. He mentions that they stole cattle, horses, and burnt store houses of grain and hay. The item also describes that the attack led to soldiers being wounded, and continues on describing the situation in further detail as it was discovered. He notes that he has sent word of the attack to General George Washington but has not yet heard back from him. In a final note, Butler mentions that the enemy has been estimated at 300 men.
Founders.gov has digitized letters between Butler, Hand, and Washington concerning conflicts during the period.
Location:
Wyoming, PA (Garrison)
Transcription:
I Time the Enemy were Driveing (sic) off Cattel (sic) [Cattle] and Horses
at that time they got fifty one ^Head of Horn Cattel (sic) [Cattle] and ten Horses
Burnt three Barns Partly full of Hay and Grain and
two Dwelling Houses we Lost no men killed or Taken
we had two Wounded but tis [it is] hoped not Mortally
24 & 25. March being Extreemly (sic) [Extremely] Stormy we heard not much about them
26. we Discovered Large Smokes Rising about four Miles below Down the River on the Other side Where we head (sic) [had] A guard in A Block House to Guard A mill.
27. two men from the Block House in form all is well Except three Barns Partly filled with Grains and hay and two Houses with some Quantity of Provisions were Burnt at the time they were Burning our Peopel (sic) [people] Discovered A Considerable number Runing (sic) about but none has been seen this Day yet it is now 12 O’Clock— I have Sent this Same Account to Gen[era]l Washington and the Board of Warr (sic) [War]
28th Nothing Happen[e]d since the Above Acc[oun]t only we Believe we Now Discover their Smokes— from our Last Discoveries I Rather think thee Enemy were Near 300
[Back of paper] There is a deal of scrawled words and counties near the top righthand side of the parchment.
May and Ca Gar Garris Garr’d [Guarded(?)] Wyoming And your your Ex a and E m
The words Garrison and may appear half finished and overlapping following these words.
Coppy Letter to Gen[era]l Hand March 23rd 1779
24 & 25. March being Extreemly (sic) [Extremely] Stormy we heard not much about them
26. we Discovered Large Smokes Rising about four Miles below Down the River on the Other side Where we head (sic) [had] A guard in A Block House to Guard A mill.
27. two men from the Block House in form all is well Except three Barns Partly filled with Grains and hay and two Houses with some Quantity of Provisions were Burnt at the time they were Burning our Peopel (sic) [people] Discovered A Considerable number Runing (sic) about but none has been seen this Day yet it is now 12 O’Clock— I have Sent this Same Account to Gen[era]l Washington and the Board of Warr (sic) [War]
28th Nothing Happen[e]d since the Above Acc[oun]t only we Believe we Now Discover their Smokes— from our Last Discoveries I Rather think thee Enemy were Near 300
[Back of paper] There is a deal of scrawled words and counties near the top righthand side of the parchment.
May and Ca Gar Garris Garr’d [Guarded(?)] Wyoming And your your Ex a and E m
The words Garrison and may appear half finished and overlapping following these words.
Coppy Letter to Gen[era]l Hand March 23rd 1779
Creator
- Butler, Zebulon, 1731-1795 (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Wilkes University Archives Repository
Contact:
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu