Item 14: Letter from Zebulon Butler to [Horatio Gates,] “President of the Board of War” , 1780 April 5.
Item — Box: 10, Folder: 14
Dates
- Created: 1780 April 5.
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.
General Condition:
Wyoming, PA
Measurements:
13 ¼ in. x 8 ¼ in.
Description:
This letter, dated April 5, 1780, is written by Zebulon Butler, a lieutenant colonel in the American Revolutionary War, to Horatio Gates, the President of the Board of War. In the letter, Butler describes the killing and capture of individuals by neighboring indigenous tribes in the region. He begins the letter by referencing his last, a letter found in 10.08b Item 8b, where a number of the inhabitants had been captured off the river while making sugar over March 21-29. In this letter, Butler continues to delve into how the tensions between the inhabitants and the indigenous community have devolved, mentioning that more people have been killed and their guns have been carried off. However, Butler also notes how the inhabitants have brought some of the materials and weapons of the indigenous community back with them, such as tomahawks, wampum, and knives. The reverse of the document notes that this is a copy of the original document.
Location:
Wyoming, PA
Harmful Language Tag:
This item contains language that may be harmful to the indigenous community. The language is a product of the period it was written in.
Transcription:
Wyoming 5 April 1780
Sir
Since my Letter of the 30th Inst[ant] the men
Mentioned of being taken on the 28:29
30th of March have Come in they were
^ three Men and two boys taken and Carried off s[ai]d Lotts and the men were killed as Mentioned
as mentioned in my other Letter and the men were and in
the Night of the first of Inst[ant] they our men arose
on their Masters being only Ten in Number
of the Indians our men—---
Killed three Wounded Several more
and took Possision (sic) [Possession] of Ten Guns Some
Tomhaks (sic) [Tomahawks] has about thirty Blankets Mokersom(?)
&c [etcetera] and the Indians that Ran off had
Only their brick clouts on as is their Usual
Way of Steeping our men brought of Every
Articel (sic) [article] that was Left by the Indians
but have left some of them on the Rode (sic) [road]
but have Brought in Six Indian Guns
Tomhok (sic) [Tomahawk] Scalping knives Wompum (sic) [wampum] &c [etcetera]
which leaves No Doubt of the Truth
of their Report they Likewise Report that
the Indians told them that they Expect
Back:
to meet A large party Comeing (sic)[coming] Down on the Fonteers (sic) [Frontiers] this is just by A Gentleman Travilling (sic) [traveling] to Philadelphia Without expense to the Publick hope it will Reach you Soon I am sir your Humbel (sic) [humble] Serv[an]t Zeb Butler Colonel President Board War
Second Page, Back: Coppy (sic) [copy] Letter Bord (sic) [Board] War 5 April 1780
Back:
to meet A large party Comeing (sic)[coming] Down on the Fonteers (sic) [Frontiers] this is just by A Gentleman Travilling (sic) [traveling] to Philadelphia Without expense to the Publick hope it will Reach you Soon I am sir your Humbel (sic) [humble] Serv[an]t Zeb Butler Colonel President Board War
Second Page, Back: Coppy (sic) [copy] Letter Bord (sic) [Board] War 5 April 1780
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