Instructions to Brig. Gen. Rufus Putnam

Item

Type

Letterbook

Title

Instructions to Brig. Gen. Rufus Putnam

Description

The Secretary at War instructs General Rufus Putnam as follows: "Your first great object upon meeting the Indians will be to convince them that the United States requires none of their lands." Knox authorizes Putnam to allow the Indians to keep U.S. Army officers as hostages in order to secure the agreement of the Chiefs to travel to Philadelphia.

year created

1792

month created

05

day created

22

author

recipient

in collection

in image

notable person/group

Henry Knox
John Heckewelder
Hendrick Aupaumut
Stockbridge Indians
Moravians
Wyandots
Delawares
Major Hamtramck
Wabash Indians
General Wilkinson
General Wayne
chiefs of the Five Nations of Indians
general council of hostile Indians
committee of Congress
Wabash Indians
General Washington
lawless violent white people
enemies of the General Government
Creeks
Cherokees
Choctaws
Chickasaws
Senecas
Cayugas
Oneidas
Stockbridge tribe
Onondagas
Tuscaroras
Colonel Proctor
Capt. Hendricks
Brigadier General Wilkinson
Major Hamtramck

notable location

Miami River of Lake Erie
Fort Harmar
fort at Detroit
Connecticut
frontiers
Fort Washington

notable item/thing

truce
peace
treaty of Fort Stanwix
treaty of Fort McIntosh
treaty with the Shawanese
treaty with the Six Nations
boundaries claimed by the United States
map
Indian lands
reservations
ten new states
causes of war
treaty of Fort Harmar
compensation
peaceable demeanor
horses
association of several separate States
General Government
annual allowance
bread and meat

document number

1792052200001

page start

1

number of pages

15

transcription

"An Indian war is destructive to the interests of humanity and an event from which neither dignity or profit can be reaped."

Item sets

Document instances

In image In source Location in source
[view document] (16 pages) JBE01 (16 pages) Collection: Manuscript Collection. May 22, 1792
[view document] (0 pages) [no image] Publication: The Memoirs of Rufus Putnam [unknown]
[view document] (0 pages) [no image] Publication: American State Papers, Indian Aff [unknown]

Document names

Type Name Location Notes
Author Henry Knox [unknown] [n/a]
Recipient Rufus Putnam [unknown] [n/a]