Thomas Jefferson Papers
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Notes and Plans for Western Defense, [23 July 1779 and after]

Notes and Plans for Western Defense

[23 July 1779 and after]

Plan for regimenting & stationing the two Western battalions.

Joseph Crocket & James Knox
  Lt. Colonels commandants
} appointed by the Council
George Walls, Robert Powell. Majors.
William Cherry, Samuel Gill. Captains.
Thomas Walls, Peter Moore. Ensigns.
no. of men supposed they will raise Officers to be recommended by the feild officers of the respective countries Destination.
Yohogania. a Captain. a Lieutenant.
40. Monongalia. a Captain. a Lieutenant.
12. Ohio. an Ensign.
Kentuckey a Lieutenant.
41. Hampshire a Captain. a Lieutenant.
44. Berkeley a Captain. a Lieutenant.
41. Frederick. a Captain. a Lieutenant.
37. Shenandoah. a Captain. an Ensign.
21. Rockingham. a Lieutenant. an Ensign
25. Rockbridge. a Captain.
31. Botetourt. a Captain. an Ensign.
76. Loudoun. a Captain a Lieutenant. two Ensigns.
45. Fauquier. a Captain. a Lieutenant. an Ensign.
69. Culpepper. a Captain. a Lieutenant. two Ensigns.
24. Orange. a Lieutenant an Ensign.
506
NORTH
WESTERN
POSTS
32. Fairfax a Captain. for such stations on
Northwestern frontier
as shall be recommended
by Col. Matthews, Abr. Hite
& Duval, who are to
meet at Shenandoah
C. H. Aug. 31. one
of the captains &
both ensigns appointed
by council
to be of this division.
31. Prince Willm. a Captain.
28. Louisa. a Lieutenant. an Ensign.
22. Goochland. a Lieutenant.
12. Fluvanna. a Lieutenant.
36. Albemarle a Captain. an Ensign.
61. Augusta. a Captain. a Lieutenant. an Ensign.
244 | 22. Greenbriar a Lieutenant.
SOUTH
WESTERN
POSTS
38. Washington. a Captain. an Ensign. for such stations on
South Western frontier
as shall be recommended
by Genl. Lewis, Colo. Fleming
& Wm. Christian,
who are to meet at Botett. C.
H. Aug. 31. one of
the captains appointed
by council
to be of this division.
25. Montgomery. a Lieutenant. an Ensign.
32. Henry. a Captain. an Ensign.
29. Pittsylvania. a Captain. an Ensign.
61. Bedford. a Captain. a Lieutenant. an Ensign.
24. Amherst. a Lieutenant.
25. Buckingham. a Lieutenant.
253 | 19 Cumberland. a Lieutenant.
497 

Plan for regimenting and stationing one of the Western battalions

Stations on the Ohio No. of men
proposed
from what
counties
Officers from each county No. supposed
each county
will raise
Actual
strength
of the post
Feild officers
to be stationed.
Fish creek 75. Fairfax a Captain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 } 32. } 75  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * an Ensign . .
Prince William a Captain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31. }  
Fluvanna . . . . . . . a Lieutenant . . . . . . . 12 43
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *an Ensign . . . .
Little Kanhaway. 75. Augusta a Captain. a Lieutenant. an Ensign . . . 61. } 75.  
    Louisa. . . . . . . . a Lieutenant. . . . . . . . . . . 14
Fort Randolph. 100. Albemarle a Captain. . . . . . . . an Ensign. 36. } 58. } 94 Lieut. Col.
Commdt.
Crocket.
Green Briar . . . . . . . a Lieutenant. . . . . . . . 22
. . . . . . . *a Captain.       } 36
Goochland.   a Lieutenant.   22.
Louisa.     an Ensign. 14
Guiandot1 50. . . . . . . . *a Captain . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   } 50.   50.  
Sioto Bedford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.
  Cumberland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7.
Buckingham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a Captain.  7.
Montgomery.  7. a Lieutenant an Ensign 25.
Big Sandy river
Great Salt lick
50. Bedford a Captain. a Lieutenant an Ensign 50. 50.  
Licking creek
Kentucky
100. Henry. a Captain. a Captain. an Ensign. 32. } 50. } 103 a Major.
Buckingham . . . . . . . a Lieutenant . . . . . . . 18.
Pittsylvania a Captain. . . . . . . . an Ensign 29. } 53.
Amherst. . . . . . . . a Lieutenant. . . . . . . . 24
Martin’s cabbin            
in Powel’s valley 50. Washington a Captain. . . . . . . . an Ensign 38. } 50 50.
 
Falls of the Ohio.
Cumberland. . . . . . . . a Lieutenant. . . . . . . . 12
Pittsburgh Big Buffalo lick  390.
to Logstown.  18. Large islands  410.
Beaver cr.  29 ¼ Little Miamis.  492.
Little do.  42. Licking cr.  500.
Yellow cr.  52. Gr. Miamis  527 ½
Mingstown  71 ¼ Elephant’ bones  560 ½
Two creeks (Weeling).  72 ¼ Kentucke riv.  604 ½
Long creek (Fishg cr.) 123 ½ Falls of the Ohio  682
end of do. 139 Low country begins  837 ¾
Muskingham riv. 168. Beginng of 5 islands  960.
L. Kanhawa riv. 182. ¾ Wabache  999 ¾
Hockhocking riv. 186. Big rock & cavern 1062 ½
Gr. Kanhaway 266 ¼ Shawanis riv. 1094. ¾
Yandsto 308. Cherokee riv. 1107.
B. Sandy cr. 321. Fort Mansiack 1118
Sioto 366. Mouth of Ohio 1164.

Lindsay says an intermediate post at Lawrence’s creek 54 miles below Sioto and about 75 above Licking creek would be most essential. the principal war path crosses there from the Shawanese Wiandots & Northern Indians in general, and it is the only way a waggon road can be got from Kentucke up the Ohio.

A state of the Western posts & garrisons recommended by Col. Fleming

Augusta Tyger’s valley. on the headwaters of 60 | Augusta 61 Cheat & the waters of little | Canhaway. | Head of Green bryar - - - 40 | Greenbriar. Fort Randolph. on Ohio at mouth | Gr. Kanhaway 200. | Kelly’s on the Gr. Kanhaway 20. } | m. abov. mouth of Elk. } | Greenbriar 22 Little meadows. on waters of Gr. } | briar abt 30. or 40. mi. from } 100 | warm springs, more to Northward } | Sinks on Gr. Kanhaway opposite } | mouth Bluestone. } | Montgomery Head of Guyandot } | Montgomery 25 Culbertson’s bottom. at mouth of } 100 | Bluestone } | Washington Sandy river } | Washington 38 Powel’s valley. it is the valley } 100 | betw. Kentucke & Clinch } | or } | Blackmore’s. is on Clinch 60. mi. | above it’s mouth.2 |

Two tabular MSS and 2 pages of MS notes (DLC); entirely in TJ’s hand; undated. In Vi there are 2 other pages of notes and estimates by TJ relative to the raising and stationing of the western battalions; these were written partly on the verso of TJ’s amendment to the draft Orders for Defense of the Western Frontier, preceding, and partly on the verso of his draft letter to William Preston, 7 Aug. 1779. Since, with the exception noted below, the notes in Vi include no matter not found in the present Notes and Plans, they are omitted here.

The data here compiled with TJ’s customary care obviously implement the Order of Council of 23 July 1779 and are therefore printed under this date. However, substantial portions of them must have been set down during the fall after TJ had received advice from Fleming and Lewis; see their letter to him of 31 Aug. 1779.

1This place, like “Big Sandy river” and “Licking creek” below, was enclosed by TJ in rectangular lines in the MS. The significance of the asterisks in this table is not clear, but they may represent the commissions that had been taken up.

2At the end of the fragmentary notes in Vi, mentioned in the descriptive note above, TJ wrote: “I am to direct the feild officers of each county for the 1st. Western battalion to recommend officers in proportion to the men they furnish as nearly as can be, so as to make up a compleat set of captains and subalterns for one battalion.”

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