George Washington Papers

To George Washington from Beverley Randolph, 6 July 1789

From Beverley Randolph

Richmond July 6th 1789

Sir,

I do myself the honour to inclose you a letter from the County Lieutenant of Greenbriar County on the subject of Indian affairs.1 I have the honour &c.

Beverley Randolph

LB, Vi: Executive Letter Books.

1This enclosure may have been a letter from George Clendinen, county lieutenant for Greenbrier County, 6 May 1789, to Randolph, although it is possible that Clendinen’s 6 May letter had been sent to GW earlier. See Randolph to GW, 5 June 1789. In his May letter Clendinen informed Randolph that “I have long expected to hear from Your Excellency whether there is any hopes of the Indians westward of the Ohio Treating with the Commissioners appointed for that purpose or Not, However we have very Small expectations that they have, or indeed intend to adhear to any principle of that Nature as according to Custom they have been Imployed this Spring on the frontiers in Stealing horses and Killing where they have had it in their power; Very early last Month I Receiv’d certain information that they Killed four men in the County Of Montgomery, Stole Twenty Some Odd horses from Limestone and the Other day as Capt. Miller an Inhabitant of this County from Kaintucke by the way of Kanawa they Indians followed Him & his party Several Days and took from them two of their horses, I have been Compelled to Send Off for the defence Of Kanawa part of the Rangers and the Scouts allowed for this County, as there was no possibility of prevailing on the Inhabitants to Stand their Ground Unless some Support was given them, for to my Very great Mortification I find that Our frontiers Rather Suspects those that we ought to expect Succour from to be our Enemies than Otherwise; (I Mean the people Newly Settled on the Other Side of the Ohio) This Opinion for my Own part I have Not Credited; and trust that I Shall Never have Reason; Our County at present Is intirely distitute of Lead, as I have No possible Means that I Know Of, getting any from the Lead mines altho I am Inform’d there is A Considerable quantity there which Belongs to this County Yet I can procure No Method of getting It Brought from thence, I have A quantity Of powder and have Inclos’d You A certificat⟨e⟩ Of the Amount, Which Account I trust Will be Audited and also Some Knowledge given me how I shall get Some of the public lead from the Mines, for Indeed I fear that the Necessity is at present as Urgent as It has Hitherto been, But let the Necessity be as It may there appears to be Good Reason to Suspect danger, and must therefore reques⟨t⟩ Your Directions how I Shall Govern Myself” (Vi: Executive Papers).

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