[Cover docket: 1799 — Kaskaskias — Copy. Petitioned Jones' letter exposition of French designs Collot.] [Right margin, written sideways: for H. Jones N.º 22 / 10 January 1799.] Kaskashia, 10^th January 1799 Sir, (Presuming on the Acquaintance which I had the honor of forming, in a small degree, with you in Philadelphia in 1784, I take the Liberty of addressing you on Behalf of the antient Inhabitants of the Illinois Country, and to beg your Support in favor of a petition (a Copy whereof is inclosed) from them to Congress: The original of which is this day forwarded to the Governor of the Territory, in order that he may cause it to be presented. As there are, too few of the members of Congress acquainted with the local Circumstances of the Country, it may not be thought unacceptable, that I should give a short Sketch, to enable you to judge more fully of the Justice of the petition and the Claims the Petitioners have to the Benevolence of the United States. This Place which in 1779 was in a very flourishing Condition and annually exported some hundreds of Barrels of Flour, to New Orleans can now from the many misfortunes the Inhabitants have met with, scarcely raise a Sufficiency for their own Consumption — From that Period (1779) the Village has been gradually on the decline and, I am sorry to say, that this was first occasioned by the many Injuries the Inhabitants received from the Troops under the Command of Gen. G. Clark: — These Troops from their first Arrival until the Latter End of 1782, had very little Provisions but what were furnished them on the Credit of the State of Virginia, at first voluntarily, but afterwards taken by force — There are Instances where a [undecipherable: probable reading poor] mans only [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] even were cut down in his [undecipherable], through in the Corn fields and where a Family suffering that Cold in the most inclement Seasons, had the only Load of Wood they possessed, taken away from their Doors by the Soldiers for the use of the Garrison — Certificates and other vouchers were issued, and for the property so obtained, which however [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] of some of the holders were [undecipherable], while others sold them to persons going to Virginia who either [undecipherable] or denied having received the money for [payment?], so that [undecipherable] or Instances has a single person who really [undecipherable] the property received any Compensation — The Inhabitants sent several Petitions to Congress complaining of the above [undecipherable: probable reading respecting] the Troops, one of which dated [15] may 1781 or [undecipherable] and was as I am informed presented and will on reference to it prove what I have just stated — To these Petitions they never received any Answers — The Consequences were serious and joined to other Circumstances, which it is not necessary to mention, They are become very poor, so much so that too many, whose whole property is not sufficient to pay the Debts which they, in their Petition pray to be exonerated from. The [undecipherable] which were likely to have [undecipherable] in this Country too years ago, may have made deep impressions on the minds of many Gentlemen — However as far as I am able, these Impressions, I shall endeavour to remove, that [undecipherable] I believe not one person, if they had attended to the fate of this petition were complicated in that transaction — I have taken some pains to enquire into the Condition of the whole and from every circumstance there remains no doubt in my mind, but that it was raised and fomented by the French General Collot who hoped that this Country some short time before [undecipherable] the views were consonant with the general ones of the [undecipherable] of his nation, by one of whom (Adel) I am not convinced he was sent, as well for the purpose of poisoning the minds of the people as for turning them back to the established Government. Among some Americans lately arrived from Kentucky and who [undecipherable] a [undecipherable] of Land in the Country, he found a [undecipherable] who [undecipherable] to be [undecipherable] insidious Discourses and firmly believed every [undecipherable] he made, however improbable, he assured them that a French Army would in a given time [undecipherable]; That Louisiana was to be given to them and that they would take the American [undecipherable]; That every man who would join the [undecipherable] was to have certain Quantities of Land, and that those who could not were to be driven out of the Country. General Collot informed me that the French were to have Louisiana from Spain, at the General peace, and that the Grand object of the Directory was to transport the greatest part of their disbanded Armies to that Country, to [undecipherable] a certain portion of Land to cultivate and to [undecipherable] of these, who from their numbers might, when [undecipherable], become dangerous. I am happy to be able to inform you, that by far the greatest part of the Inhabitants of the Illinois and in the number every respectable Characters in it are firmly attached to the present Government and Administration and none more so than Sir Your most obedient humble Servant John Rice Jones