Illegal settlement on the western frontier
Document 1797Pickering informs McHenry about a letter he received from Kentucky on a possible forced settlement at the Muscle Shoals. 1000 men were said to be ready to proceed, but Pickering firmly believes that this is an exaggeration and does not consider the letter to be of much consequence.
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Trenton Oct. 25. 1797.
Dr Sir,
The inclosed letter from Kentucky I received last evening, covering one from Walter Evans to James Harris, relative to Cox's project of a forced settlement at the Muscle Shoals. The 1000 men mentioned as ready to proceed must be a monstrous exaggeration: such villains always exaggerate, to encourage & fortify their deluded partisans, and with such decoys to lure others into their snares.
I do not consider the letter of much consequence: but it may afford some evidence against the writer this friend addressed, should the scheme be prosecuted.
I am respectfully yours
Timothy Pickering
James McHenry Esq:
[Free
T. Pickering]
James Mc Henry Esqt
Philadelphia
[endorsement, partially illegible: undecipherable, Oct. 25. 1797 / undecipherable / undecipherable / To]
Type
Letter Signed
Description
Pickering informs McHenry about a letter he received from Kentucky on a possible forced settlement at the Muscle Shoals. 1000 men were said to be ready to proceed, but Pickering firmly believes that this is an exaggeration and does not consider the letter to be of much consequence.
Date
10/28/1797
Author
Recipient
Sent from
Trenton
Repository
Collection
Document number
1797102840101
Page start
1
Notable persons
James McHenry
Timothy Pickering
Walter Evans
James Farris
Coxe
Indians
Notable locations
Philadelphia
Trenton
Kentucky
Muscle Shoals