Item 23: Letter from William Stuart to Zebulon Butler, 1780 October 17

Item — Box: 10, Folder: 23

Staff Only

Letter from William Stuart to Zebulon Butler, 1780 October 17

Dates

Created: 1780 October 17

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

Additional Description

Type of Material:

Letter.

Condition Note:

Fair. Slight discoloration and minor tearing along the edges of the page.

Measurements:

13 ½ in. x 8 ¼ in.

Description:

This letter, dated October 17, 1780, is written by William Stuart to Zebulon Butler, a lieutenant colonel during the American Revolutionary War. In the letter, Stewart is writing about an impending arrival of provisions that are being sent up the river. Stuart writes that he has sent on recent shipments of flour and mead. He mentions that all of the flour they have stored cannot be fully ground because the mills need the necessary water to do so, and it appears that there has been a recent drought. Stewart mentions that there is enough flour to hold them through the winter, but that he first has to find the means to grind it. Once he has secured that business, he hopes to make his way up to Wyoming, which Butler has previously requested he do. Stewart also writes that there were not enough men to spare from the boat to send cattle along, but that he hopes to have the manpower soon. He further requests that Butler send on four or five men to meet him at Juniata from Wyoming to aid him. This item is connected to other letters that Butler and Stewart have written respectively, found in 10.19. Item 19: Letter from Zebulon Butler to [William] Stewart, 1780 August 1, 10.21. Item 21: Letter from Zebulon Butler to “Board of War,” 1780 August 17.

Location:

Juniata, PA

Transcription:

Janiata (sic) [Juniata] 17th October 1780 Sir/ Yours of the 22[n]d sept[ember] and 8th of Oct[ober] Com (sic) [came] to hand, I did my Endevers (sic) [Endeavours] to Burches (sic) [Purchase] Cattle for Centifycats (sic) [certificates?] Befour (sic)[before], I Recd your Letter and, Since But find it Will not Do without money all the meat that I gat (sic) [got] for the Boatmen I must, Pay the money or give my not for all I gat (sic) [got], I have Been with som (sic) [some] of the Boa^tmen about the Liquor the[y] (sic) say the[y] (sic) Will swar (sic) [swear] the[y] (sic) did Not tack (sic) [take] it, I Cannot gate (sic) [get] aney (sic) [any] Liquor for to send you at this time, yours of the 8th Oct[ober]: mentions that you areEnt Entirely out of flour and meat, Since I sent off the Last Boat I went to the Cooper and got B‘lls [Barrels] mead and got them to the mill and got seven B’ll [Barrels] full ground and Brought Back with me, I tould (sic) [told] the miller to grind all the Wheat he had in two or three Days for the Boat, Would Bee (sic) [be] for it when I went of the states Back he had not one Bush[el] [Bushel] ground, I ground all he had and Seventeen Bush[el]s [Bushels] of his on and one B’ll [Bushel] of Reg[iment](?) flour to make up the Lods (sic) [loads] I have so much trobel (sic) to gat (sic) [get] what littel (sic) [little] flour I send you I am Weary of it. I have sent you nineteen B’ll[Bushels] of flour if the wate[r]s (sic) Do not Rise I cannot say when there will Be more flour Redey (sic) [ready] the mills that the Reminder of the Wheat is at Cannot grind for want of water. I want the Tides Down much I hop[e] (sic) the water will soon Rise, there was no men to spear (sic) [spare] from the Boats to Drive up Cattle on I should sent (sic) [send] up the Cattle the others left, you writ[e] (sic) you want to see me— I Dar[e] (sic) say you Do not want to see me more then I Want to Be there But I think if I was not here We Will not gat (sic) [get] one B’ll [Barrels] of flour I am in hop[e]s (sic) to gat (sic) [get] What flour Will Do us this winter in a short time if the water should Rise. I am sir your Hum[ble] Ser[van]t William Stuart

NB [nota bene] Sir/ plese (sic) [please] to send one Small Boat and 4 or 5 men for to go to the mills, With flour cask, ) and Liquor Barrels I want at the Barracks Down and som[e] (sic) of the Beast(?) of the flour Casket and 12 oxen hid[e]s of the Larges[t] one I can not gat (sic) [get] hands here to tack (sic) [take] the Bar[r]els (sic) to mill onely (sic) [only] as I pay think with my on (sic) [own] money. W S

Zeb Buttler Col[onel] Capt[ain] Back:

Publick (sic) [public] Servis (sic) [Service] Zeb[ulo]n Buttler (sic) [Butler] Col[one]l Com[man]d[er] at Wyoming

p[e]r } Express }

W[illia]m Stewart 17. Oct[obe]r 1780