Prisoner Held In Quebec

For background information, see earlier post.

NARRATIVE

OF

MR. JOHN DODGE

DURING HIS CAPTIVITY

AT DETROIT

 The story of the rescue of a prisoner from the Indians, related in his Narrative, is contained in the report of the Virginia Council of June 16, 1779. Sometimes at liberty, engaged in trading, and sometimes confined in jail as a rebel, he remained in Detroit and Mackinac till May, 1778, when he was sent down to Quebec, at which place he arrived on the first day of June.

In the reports of rebel prisoners at Quebec in June and July, 1778, are three entries referring to Dodge as follows: "John Dodge, 24 years old, from Connecticut, a trader settled at Detroit for seven years, sent down by Lieutenant Governor Hamilton. His commercial effects at Detroit. Taken up on suspicion of having been in arms with the rebels." He remained in Quebec until the ninth day of the following October when he escaped, going first to Boston and subsequently to General Washington. Dodge does not state where or when he met Washington, but as the General was in attendance at Congress from December 21, 1778, until some time in the following January, he probably met him at Philadelphia. Dodge says he visited Congress "having some matters relating to Canada worthy their hearing." This related to the "certain expedition" referred to by Washington in his letter of December 29th, a proposition to invade Canada. Dodge was at Fort Pitt in the early part of January, 1779, and from that port wrote a letter to John Montour. There is no record of Dodge's appearance before Congress, but he wrote a letter on the subject, to Congress... .

John Dodge - Last Name In Excerpt Of List Of POWS

C. C. Clay In Letters

Letters from Alabama on various subjects:....  By Anne Newport Royall.

David Humphreys, Commissioner

Life and Times of David Humphreys: Soldier--statesman--poet, "belov'd of Washington,", Volume 2:

"The President sent on August 22, a message to Congress on this subject [of treaty violations]. As the three treaties recently made by Georgia with the Creek nation were not being observed, it was necessary for the government to ascertain reasons why their validity was disputed. He was of the opinion that a commission should be appointed... ."

"After this Conference he appointed three Commissioners for treating with the "Indians South of the Ohio," Gen. Lincoln of Massachusetts, one of his trusted officers in the Revolution and recently Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, Col. Humphreys, his former aide-de-camp, and the Hon. Cyrus Griffin of Virginia, the last President of the Continental Congress.... ."

Secretary Of War Alger

From The Spanish-American War, by Russell Alexander Alger:

The statements in this volume are based upon either my own knowledge or upon the official reports, verbal and written, made during my incumbency of the office of Secretary of War. The descriptions of the fights of Las Guasimas, Caney, San Juan, and Manila are based upon official documents conversation with participants and letters from officers high in authority received since the war. A personal visit to the battlefield of San Juan in the spring of 1899 has been of much service, making that field of operations somewhat familiar to me.

Boone And Ammunition

From DANIEL BOONE by John Bakeless (1939):

Mentioned in the Daniel Boone book was a CLENDENIN, which was the name of Fannie (Clendenin) Trousdale's first husband*. The book refers to a Colonel William [or George] Clendenin who complained (on May 26, 1792) that Daniel Boone, in his capacity as "quartermaster" for the Kanawha County (now WVa) militia, failed to deliver powder and he (Clendenin, who was also a representative in the Assembly) had to buy it at his own expense.

*(Mary) Fannie Clendennin's 1st husband was a Lieutenant from North Carolina who moved to Tennessee; don't know if there was any relationship to the West Virginia Clendennins.  I'm her descendant from her 2nd marriage

More about the West Virginia Clendennins:

Source

From this source:

While this disaster was occurring, Boone was again sitting in the legislature at Richmond, where he represented Kanawha County from October 17th to December 20th. It was voted to send ammunition for the militia on the Monongahela and the Kanawha, who were to be called out for the defense of the frontier.
Before leaving Richmond, Boone wrote as follows to the governor:

"Monday 13th Dec 1791
" Sir as sum purson Must Carry out the armantstion [ammunition] to Red Stone [Brownsville, Pa.,] if your Exclency should have thought me a proper purson I would undertake it on conditions I have the apintment to vitel the company at Kanhowway [Kanawha] so that I Could take Down the flowre as I paste that place I am your Excelenceys most obedent omble servant   "Da l Boone." 

Five days later the contract was awarded to him; and we find among his papers receipts, obtained at several places on his way home, for the lead and flints which he was to deliver to the various military centers.
But the following May, Colonel George Clendennin sharply complains to the governor that the ammunition and rations which Boone was to have supplied to Captain Caperton's rangers had not yet been delivered, and that Clendennin was forced to purchase these supplies from others. It does not appear from the records how this matter was settled; but as there seems to have been no official inquiry, the non-delivery was probably the result of a misunderstanding.

The Great Conspiracy

From the preface of The Great Conspiracy by John A. Logan:

"...tracing the history of the Great Conspiracy, from its obscure birth in the brooding brains of a few ambitious men of the earliest days of our Republic, through the subsequent years of its devolution, down to the evil days of Nullification, and to the bitter and bloody period of armed Rebellion... ."

Doctor Ross's Dinner With Lincoln

Source

Dr. Alexander Milton Ross, who worked with the abolitionist John Brown, also wrote about a dinner he attended with President Lincoln:

"Assembled at the President's table were several prominent gentlemen, to whom Mr. Lincoln introduced me [Dr. Ross] as " a red-hot abolitionist from Canada." One of the guests, a prominent member of Congress (severely injured...) remarked, in a slurring manner, that he wished all the...[blacks]..of the United States would emigrate to Canada, as we Canadians were so fond of them. Mr. Lincoln said : " It would be all the better for the [blacks]...that's certain."

"Yes," I [Dr. Ross] replied, a little warmly, "it would be all the better...for, under our flag...[a black person]...is entitled to, and freely accorded every right and privilege enjoyed by native Canadians."

"Mr. Lincoln, in a jocular way, said to the member of Congress, " If you are not careful, you will bring on a war with Canada. I think we have got a big enough job on hand now." [Source]

Unprepared For War

From The Spanish-American War, by Russell Alexander Alger [Secretary of War]:

See an anecdote regarding the Spanish-American War's tribulations here.

First Governor Of Maryland, The Life Of Thomas Johnson

Since there is no free version of the book The life of Thomas Johnson: member of the Continental congress, first governor of the state of Maryland, and associate justice of the United States Supreme court online yet, other sources were used to identify some of the details in the life of Thomas Johnson.

Source Of Thomas Johnson Portrait

Wikipedia stated that "Thomas Johnson (November 4, 1732 – October 26, 1819) was an American jurist with a distinguished political career."

The Supreme Court Historical Society stated that:

"He was educated at home and studied law in the office of the Clerk of the Provincial Court in Annapolis, and later with an Annapolis attorney. He was admitted to the Maryland bar in 1760. Johnson began his public career in 1762 as a delegate to the Maryland Provincial Assembly."

"On August 5, 1791, President George Washington nominated Johnson to the Supreme Court of the United States. The Senate confirmed the appointment on September 19, 1791. Citing the rigors of circuit riding, Johnson resigned from the Supreme Court on January 16, 1793."

See the images of the Thomas Johnson letters held at the Frederick County Public Libraries here.

The Frederick News Post published an article entitled Thomas Johnson: Patriot, politician lost in history, November 11, 2007.  An excerpt:

"...Johnson was a progressive thinker and favored a book of the day that promoted the progressive education of women."

Thomas Johnson's descendant, Confederate General Bradley T. Johnson's speeches, An Address By Confederate General Bradley T. Johnson and The Confederate Soldier Address By Gen. Bradley T. Johnson, featured at Detour Through History.