1. Col. David Shepherd’s letter to Brodhead has not been identified, but Brodhead’s reply, written at Pittsburgh on 10 Oct., reads: “I have received your oblidging favor of yesterdays Date.

“The Contents give me the utmost pain because I fear the imprudence or design of the Trespassers will involve the innocent in new Calamities.

“I shall take the most prudent steps to prevent any ill consequences arising from such folly or villainy and in the mean time will endeavour to make an example of some to terrify the rest.

“It would give me an additional uneasiness should the inhabitants of your County forfeit my esteem by so rash an undertaking as you represent against the laws of the State of which they profess themselves Members and the repeated Genl Orders issued at Fort McIntosh of its prevention.

“I hope however that every good Member of Soci[ety] will discountenance a practice so base & impoli[tic] and the incorrigible may depend on meeting the severest Military Punishment where the civil magistrate fails to execute the Laws he is sworn to administer. I shall rely on your exertions to prevent a trespass so big with Danger to the peaceable Inhabitants and request you will call on the Magistrates of your County to put an immediate Stop to the Evil by bringing to Justice the violators of the Laws of your Country and the Laws of Nations” (Kellogg, Frontier Retreat, description begins Louise Phelps Kellogg, ed. Frontier Retreat on the Upper Ohio, 1779–1781. Madison, Wis., 1917. description ends 96–97).

Reuben Cox had settled on the Ohio River about 1772. One of his sons—Isaac, George, Gabriel, or Joseph—probably was involved with the reported trespass on Indian lands (see Kellogg, Frontier Advance, description begins Louise Phelps Kellogg, ed. Frontier Advance on the Upper Ohio, 1778-1779. Madison, Wis., 1916. description ends 303, and Kellogg, Frontier Retreat, description begins Louise Phelps Kellogg, ed. Frontier Retreat on the Upper Ohio, 1779–1781. Madison, Wis., 1917. description ends 415).

2. For a summary of Brodhead’s letter to Capt. John Clark on 11 Oct., see Kellogg, Frontier Retreat, description begins Louise Phelps Kellogg, ed. Frontier Retreat on the Upper Ohio, 1779–1781. Madison, Wis., 1917. description ends 97.

3. Clark’s letter to Brodhead has not been identified, but a reply from Brodhead to Clark, written at Pittsburgh on 22 Oct., in part reads: “I am glad to hear you are safely returned and I sincerely wish you had found some of the trespassers on the Indian’s land, that a proper example might have been made” (Pa. Archives, description begins Samuel Hazard et al., eds. Pennsylvania Archives. 9 ser., 138 vols. Philadelphia and Harrisburg, 1852–1949. description ends 1st ser., 12:174).

4. Brodhead’s message to the “Delaware Council at Coochocking [Coshocton]” originated at Pittsburgh on 11 Oct. and reads: “I informed you by Caleylemont [John Killbuck] that I did not know whether you had not changed your minds about the strong houses you wanted me to build at your Towns because your young men who were to have gone with mine went home—I am still ready to do what you requested but want to hear from you again & to see the Men that were to go with mine, & then perhaps I will go & see my friends at Coochocking & have the work well done for them.

“Brothers: I have heard that some foolish white men have gone over the River near wheeling & cut trees & built little Cabbins on your lands I dont know whether it is true but I send one hundred men this day to see & if it is true they will pull down those Cabbins & bring the offenders to me & you may depend I will punish them so severely that they will never venture to behave so again.

“Brothers: You may depend on my taking care that no injustice shall happen to you & I desire you will not be uneasy on account of what I have heard” (Kellogg, Frontier Retreat, description begins Louise Phelps Kellogg, ed. Frontier Retreat on the Upper Ohio, 1779–1781. Madison, Wis., 1917. description ends 97; see also n.5 below).

Brodhead explained more about the trespassers and his own actions in a letter to John Jay written on this date: “Since I did myself the honor to address you by a former letter some of the Inhabitants from Youghagenia and Ohio Counties have been hardy enough to cross the Ohio River and make small improvements on the Indian lands from the River Muskinggum to Fort McIntosh and thirty miles up some of the Branches of the Ohio River. As soon as I received information of the trespass I Detached a party of Sixty men under Command of Capt. Clarke, to apprehend the Trespassers and destroy their huts, which they have in a great measure effected, and likewise dispatched a runner to the Chiefs of the Delawares at Cooshocking to prevent their attacking the innocent Inhabitants, but as yet have received no answer from them. Capt. Clarke informs me that the Trespassers had returned and that the trespass appeared to have been committed upwards of a month ago.

“It is hard to determine what effect this imprudent conduct may have on the minds of the Delaware Chiefs and Warriors, but I hope a favorable answer to the speech I sent them. I presume a line from your Excellency to the Governor and Council of Virg’a will tend to prevent a future trespass and the murder of many innocent families on this frontier” (Pa. Archives, description begins Samuel Hazard et al., eds. Pennsylvania Archives. 9 ser., 138 vols. Philadelphia and Harrisburg, 1852–1949. description ends 1st ser., 12:176). Congress read Brodhead’s letter on 8 Nov. and resolved to request a proper response from the governor of Virginia (JCC, description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends 15:1249; see also Samuel Huntington to Thomas Jefferson, 9 Nov., in Smith, Letters of Delegates, description begins Paul H. Smith et al., eds. Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774–1789. 26 vols. Washington, D.C., 1976–2000. description ends 14:167–68).

For Brodhead’s further efforts to deter encroachment on Indian lands, see his letters to Richard Taylor, 11 and 21 Nov., in Pa. Archives, description begins Samuel Hazard et al., eds. Pennsylvania Archives. 9 ser., 138 vols. Philadelphia and Harrisburg, 1852–1949. description ends 1st ser., 12:182–83, 188.

5. In a communication to Brodhead given at Salem, Ohio country, on 13 Jan. 1781, Delaware chiefs reviewed the issue of fortifications at Coshocton: “All the Councellors have earnes[t]ly consulted one another concerning what You told me two Years ago, namely: That You would build a Fort at Cooshockung. A Year ago I told You to come and build me strong Houses, but it was not done on account of some of the Councellors being against it. Brother Now We are all of one Mind, we have considered the Matter well, and therefore desire You to get ready and build a Fort at Cooshockung, and we further desire You to send 300 Men along to Live in that Fort” (Kellogg, Frontier Retreat, description begins Louise Phelps Kellogg, ed. Frontier Retreat on the Upper Ohio, 1779–1781. Madison, Wis., 1917. description ends 315; see also n.4 above). Brodhead replied to the Delaware chiefs from Fort Pitt on 4 Feb. 1781: “When I offered to build a fort for the protection of your women & Children I was ready to do it & nothing should have prevented me from building strong houses for you a year ago if you had been willing to have it done But I have told the Head warrior of the American Army that you were coming to live at Cuscusky [Kuskuski] & he thinks it will be so wherefore I cannot now comply with your request in building a Fort at Coochocking until I have sent your speech to him & to the Great Council of this Island & received directions from them & then you shall hear me” (Kellogg, Frontier Retreat, description begins Louise Phelps Kellogg, ed. Frontier Retreat on the Upper Ohio, 1779–1781. Madison, Wis., 1917. description ends 328–29). For the Board of War’s view that “building a Fort at Cohocking and sending thereto three hundred men” was “impracticable” for financial reasons, see JCC, description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends 19:279–82.

6. Col. George Rogers Clark’s intention to lead an expedition against Detroit in later 1779 never came to fruition (see James, Clark Papers, description begins James Alton James, ed. George Rogers Clark Papers, 1771–1781. Springfield, Ill., 1912. In Collections of the Illinois State Historical Library, vol. 8. Virginia Series, vol. 3. description ends cvi–cx, 299–302; see also Thomas Jefferson to GW, 10 Feb. 1780, MH).

7. Brodhead likely is referring to Chillecothe on the Miami River, a Shawnee town about twenty-five miles northwest of one with the same name on the headwaters of the Little Miami River.

8. In his reply to Brodhead on 21 Nov., GW stated that plans for an expedition against Detroit forced postponement of any leave.