Item 53: Letter from Roger Sherman to Zebulon Butler (Removed to Legal Box #2), 1784 June 15
Item — Box: 12, Folder: 93
Dates
- 1784 June 15
Creator
- Sherman, Roger, 1721-1793 (Person)
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
From the Collection: 17 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Type of Material:
Letter
Condition Note:
Poor. Paper is very brittle, has separated into several pieces, and shows signs of age.
Measurements:
12 ⅝ in. x 7 ⅝ in.
Description:
The following item is a letter written by American lawyer, Roger Sherman, to Continental officer, Zebulon Butler, dated June 15, 1784. In the letter, Sherman writes about a coming court trial in Annapolis over a petition surrounding the Susquehanna Controversy as proposed by Roger Sherman. Though the letter never explicitly states what the trial is concerning, we can infer from language within and the date of the letter that it is regarding the recently removed Connecituct settlers regaining some of their lands from Pennsylvania settlers. This is most likely referencing the various petitions by Connecticut settlers to the Pennsylvania assembly following the Decree of Trenton’s decision of jurisdiction and following abuse under Alexander Patterson. The Decree of Trenton granted the rights of jurisdiction to Pennsylvania following a three part war called the Yankee Pennamite Wars. These conflicts waged between Connecticut and Pennsylvania were an attempt to resolve a dispute over the land in the upper regions of what is now Pennsylvania after King Charles II granted the land twice, once to Connecticut in 1662, and again to William Penn as he founded Pennsylvania in 1681. While the Decree of Trenton gave Pennsylvania the right to soil, it did not give them the right to title. Yet, under the command of the Pennsylvania Assembly and Patterson, Pennsylvania would forcibly removed “one-hundred and fifty” Connecticut families from their homes. They forced the families to “find their way through the wilderness of the Lackawaxen to the Delaware Valley, a distance of about eighty miles,” without supplies or clothing to sustain them (Gnichtel, The Trenton Decree of 1782). The violence and brutality levied by Patterson’s troops was so severe that it drew attention from neighboring states, and condemnation on the governing bodies of Pennsylvania. That critique ultimately led the Pennsylvania Assembly to remove Patterson from his position within the valley around July 1784, replacing him with colonel John Armstrong.
Following the conclusion of this war, there were many peitions brought forth by Pennsylvania attempting to broker a compromise while those of Connecticut sought reinstation to their lands. This struggle is likely the conflict addressed in the letter, as Zebulon Butler was of the last remaining in his fight for reinstatement following the conclusion of the conflict.
Location:
New Haven
Transcription:
New Haven June 15th 1784
Congress adjourned the 3[r]d Instant and left a
committee of the states, the committee met the 4th
and appointed a chairman & did some other business,
and adjourned to the 26th of this month, the 29th
is the day appointed for the parties to appear in
order to the appointment of a court on your Petition
and the rest of the settlers at Wyoming when it
will be necessary that you should appear or some
Agent properly authorized for the Petitioners, the
committee of the states will sit at Annapolis.
The Petition of your people to be quieted in their
possessions was referred to a committee, who reported
that they ought not to be disturbed in their possessions
until a decision of the cause--and that the appointment
of the court should be postponed ‘till the first
Monday in November next, when Congress will
sit at Trenton.- this report was given in the last
day of the session, and there was not time to act upon
it-but the Committee of the states can pass upon it
if the parties desire it-I think it would give a
better chance to both parties to put it off till Hon[ora]bl[e]
and would give the Pennsylvania Assembly one opportunity
more to consider of measures for quieting the
controversy without a trial— but if a court
should be now appointed tis probable they would allow
a reasonable time for the parties to prepare for trial,
your troubles from the Pennsylvania claimants
will be a good excuse for now being prepared for
trial— — I don’t know whether any assistance will
be afforded from the Assembly of this state or the
Susquehannah (sic) Company. I shall write to Doct[o]r Gray.
I am sir with Esteem and regard
Your humble servant
Roger Sherman
Colo[nel] Zebulon Butler
Back:
P.S. As you are one of the Petitioners I suppose you will be admitted to appear for the whole without any special authority from the others. Roger Sherman
Roger Sherman Esq[ui]r[e]
Back:
P.S. As you are one of the Petitioners I suppose you will be admitted to appear for the whole without any special authority from the others. Roger Sherman
Roger Sherman Esq[ui]r[e]
Creator
- Sherman, Roger, 1721-1793 (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