From Winthrop Sargent to John Adams, 30 November 1794
From Winthrop Sargent
Cincinnati Northwestern Territory Novr: 30th: 1794—
Sir
In the Belief that it may afford to you some Pleasure, I do myself the honour to enclose to you a Drawing of sundry matters collected from an old Grave in this Country—addressed as you will observe to my Friend Mr Belknab of Boston— The Skull of the Body interred with them mouldered away upon being exposed to the Air, and a Part of the Thigh Bone Seems to me as antique as many which I have viewed after laying three hundred years in the Earth—1
If upon the Receipt of this Packet you should have a few moments of Leisure I shall hope to be indulged with Information of the probable Uses of the different Articles and the Degree of Improvement of the people designing them—which I have in vain sought amongst the learned of this Country.
with highest Respect / I have the honour to be / Sir / your most obedient / humble Servant
Winthrop Sargent
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “The honourable / Vice President of the United States.”
1. Sargent was serving as secretary of the Northwest Territory. The enclosure has not been found, but JA sent his artwork of Native artifacts to Jeremy Belknap, for which see JA’s 24 Jan. 1795 reply to Sargent, below. Sargent gave the artifacts to the American Philosophical Society, and his original drawing is in OHi:Winthrop Sargent Papers (Terry A. Barnhart, “Ancient Metropolis: Prehistoric Cincinnati,” Ohio Valley History, 2:5, 6, 8, 22 [Summer 2017]).