Item 13: A Copy by Zebulon Butler of His Original Letter to George Washington (removed to black box #1) , 1780 April 2
Item — Box: 10, Folder: 13
Dates
- Created: 1780 April 2
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
Condition Note:
Poor. Vinegar smell, discoloration, and tearing along the page
Measurements:
13 ½ in. x 8 ½ in.
Description:
The following letter, dated April 2, 1780, is written by Zebulon Butler, a lieutenant colonel in the American Revolutionary War, to George Washington, a general during the same and 1st president of the United States. In the letter, Butler is writing to notify the general about a group of soldiers who were captured by neighboring indigenous tribesmen. In the various accounts, Butler records what each person saw while being held captive, as well as the testimony of those they released, such as a woman and her child. He writes that a number of the returning men have brought some of the weapons, both their own and the tomahawks of the tribesmen who captured them. In the conclusion, Butler states that their accounts can be seen for the truth of them, but he leaves the judgement up to Washington ultimately. The reverse of the document notes that this is a copy of the original document.
Location:
Wyoming
Transcription:
Wyoming 2[n]d April 1780
May it Please your Excellency
I arrived at this Post the 22[n]d month inst[ant] after A Tedious Journey and
Obliged to Travel about forty miles of the Last of
it on Foot the Snow being so Deep and yet is too
Deep to get A Horse through the woods am Making
Preparation to Joyn (sic) [Join] as soon as Possabel (sic) [Possible]
I think it my Deuty (sic) [Duty] to inform your Excellency with
the Late Transaction of the Enemy near this Post
on the 27 March on Three men were at work about three
Miles above the Garrison by the River they were taken on
the 28 Early in the morning as A two maen [men] & a Boy were taken Making shugar (sic) [sugar] about
Eight miles down the River one was killed and the other
Taken very Early in the Morning on the 29 Early in the
Morning about twenty miles further Down on Fishing
Creek three men were killed and three Taken on the
Same Day in the afternoon on their Return they came
Across A Party that went out to give Notice to Some
Men that were out making shugar (sic) [sugar] Wounded two of them
but they all saved themselves by taking to A House
^and all with the two wounded are come in ^ the two wounded like to Recover on the 30th
as they were still Returning they took one man his wife
and child who were out making shugar (sic) [sugar] they dismissed
the woman and child who say they were above thirty in numbers
and confirm the account of above mention prisoners
and on the Evening of the same Day the three men
Mentioned of being taken the 27 March came in
with indian guns Tomhacks (sic) [Tomahawks] &c [etcetera] and say that they were
taken as above mentioned and carried about forty miles
up the River and that on the 28th March afternoon they
Met A Party of about thirty Indians one White man and
one of the Indians they know[e]d (sic) and they met two small
Back:
Partys (sic) [Parties] afterward Pushing down the River those Partys (sic) [Parties] told our men that there were five Hundred out and A Large Party coming on after them Brant with A Party Was gone to the Mohawk River A Party to Minisink and A Party to the West Branch of Susq[uehanna].h those three men Early in the morning of the 29 March Arose on their Master killed three Wounded the fourth and two ran which is Confirmed by their bringing in five Indian guns one silver mounted Hanger some Tomhacks (sic) [Tomahwaks] and other Indian affairs. The Party they met on the 28 March afternoon have not Done any Mischief hear yet as it was impossabel (sic) [impossible] for them to be Down so low as when the Above Mentioned was Done we are Looking for them. Every Hour the three men further say that by the Appearance of Shoe Snow Shoe Tracks as far up as they went that there had been Numbers of Indians there for some months from the above Representation Which I have Carefully take and have No Reason to Doubt the Truth of them your Excellency Will be abel (sic) to Judge what is Necessary for the Defence of the Frontiers in these parts and can only say I am with all attention your Excellencys most obt [obedient] Humble serv[an]t Zeb[ulo]n Butler Col[onel]
His Excellency Gen[era]l Washington
Accompanying Note:
Coppy (sic) {Copy] Letter to Gen[era]l Washington 2d April 1780
No. 19
Back:
Partys (sic) [Parties] afterward Pushing down the River those Partys (sic) [Parties] told our men that there were five Hundred out and A Large Party coming on after them Brant with A Party Was gone to the Mohawk River A Party to Minisink and A Party to the West Branch of Susq[uehanna].h those three men Early in the morning of the 29 March Arose on their Master killed three Wounded the fourth and two ran which is Confirmed by their bringing in five Indian guns one silver mounted Hanger some Tomhacks (sic) [Tomahwaks] and other Indian affairs. The Party they met on the 28 March afternoon have not Done any Mischief hear yet as it was impossabel (sic) [impossible] for them to be Down so low as when the Above Mentioned was Done we are Looking for them. Every Hour the three men further say that by the Appearance of Shoe Snow Shoe Tracks as far up as they went that there had been Numbers of Indians there for some months from the above Representation Which I have Carefully take and have No Reason to Doubt the Truth of them your Excellency Will be abel (sic) to Judge what is Necessary for the Defence of the Frontiers in these parts and can only say I am with all attention your Excellencys most obt [obedient] Humble serv[an]t Zeb[ulo]n Butler Col[onel]
His Excellency Gen[era]l Washington
Accompanying Note:
Coppy (sic) {Copy] Letter to Gen[era]l Washington 2d April 1780
No. 19
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