The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 1 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 1 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
manner as to do honor to my country.
I am, with the greatest respect, your humble servant,
G. R. CLARKE.
P. S. I understand there is a considerable quantity of cannon
ball at Pittsburg. We are much in want of four and six pound
ball. I hope you will immediately order some down.
IN COUNCIL, June 18, 1779.
The board proceeded to the consideration of the letters
of Colonel Clarke, and other papers relating to Henry
Hamilton, Esq., who has acted for some years past as
Lieutenant Governor of the settlement at and about Detroit,
and commandant of the British garrison there, under Sir
Guy Carleton, as Governor-in-chief; Philip Dejean justice
of the peace for Detroit, and William Lamothe, captain
of volunteers, prisoners of war, taken in the county of
Illinois.
They find, that Governor Hamilton has executed the task of
inciting the Indians to perpetrate their accustomed cruelties
on the citizens of the United States, without distinction of
age, sex, or condition, with an eagerness and avidity which
evince, that the general nature of his charge harmonized with
his particular disposition. They should have been satisfied,
from the other testimony adduced, that these enormities
were committed by savages acting under his commission; but
the number of proclamations which, at different times, were
left in houses, the inhabitants of which were killed or
carried away by the Indians, one of which proclamations is in
possession of the board, under the hand and seal of Governor
Hamilton, puts this fact beyond a doubt. At the time of his
captivity, it appears, he had sent considerable bodies of
Indians against the frontier settlements of these States, and
had actually appointed a great council of Indians, to meet
him at Tennessee, to concert the operations of this present
campaign. They find that his treatment of our citizens and
soldiers, taken and carried within the limits of his command,
has been cruel and inhuman; that in the case of John Dodge, a
citizen of these States, which has been particularly stated
to this board, he loaded him with irons, threw him into a
dungeon, without bedding, without straw, without fire, in
the dead of winter and severe climate of Detroit; that, in
that state, he wasted him with incessant expectations of
death: that when the rigors of his situation had brought him
so low, that death seemed likely to withdraw him from their
power, he was taken out and somewhat attended to, until a
little mended, and before he had recovered ability to walk,
was again returned to his dungeon, in which a hole was cut,
seven inches square only, for the admission of air, and
the same load of irons again put on him: that appearing, a
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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