Dear Sir LIVINGSTON TO JAMES DUANE. MANOR LIVINGSTON, Nov. 3, 1779. Since my return from the Northern Frontiers I have been so engaged in setling the accounts of my Regt that it has been out of my power to give you a brief, account untill now from the time that I took the command untill the 9 Oct. the chief of my time, was employ'd in pressing cattle from the disaffected to supply, the Garrisons, of Fort Ann, and Fort George. Fort Ann was Garrisoned by Capt Sherwood and Sixty Men, from my Regt on Monday night the 9th Oct. he sent me word, that his scouts, had discovered, the tracks of 150 Men, and from their course, he believed they would make an attack that night. I imedeately order all my men out of their beds, and hold my works, man'd during that night, and keep out small parties, to patrole the woods, & Roads round my Works-but discoverd nothing, on the 10th early in the Morning I sent out small parties on the road leading to Fort Ann but they discoverd nothing. at ten oclock of the same day, I saw the smoak arrise in the Quarter of Fort Ann and heard a firing. I then was convinced the Enemy was come and that they must be in force or they would not dare fire Houses, and keep up a firing in a settled country. I did imediately send off a Continental officer (who was acquainted with the country) to allarm the Militia. I then sent out, a good officer & twenty Men (which was one third of Men in my Garrison) to endeavor to make discoverys, and, at the same time to cut off any small parties of the inhabitants that might be going to join the Enemy, he had not march'd more than three Miles, before he fell in with about thirty Indians, and a body of tories, which made him retreat imediately but in good order, soon after that the whig inhabitants came to the fort for protection and by one of them, I learnt that the Enemy connsisted of 600 British, 200 tories, and 150 Indians, & that they had taken Fort Ann, without firing a shot.-I then, thought my situation very critical, I had only 60 Men Rank & file with 10 officers, I did not know what to do. if they came, I knew, that I must fall, and fight I must after one of the Forts had surrenderd without fighting. I do assure you I was much embarsed, and I wrote two letters, to the officer at Fort Ann informing him that if the Enemy shoud attack him I would support him, one of which letters fell into the hands of the Enemy. I have reason to believe, the British troops then March on, and encampt about 5 Miles from me, and sent down the tories & Indians to burn and destroy all round me, and I assure you they gave me a great deal of trouble during the night of the 11. early in the Morning of the 12th they march to fort George, the commanding officer of that port had discovered by his scouts a party of 30 Indians, (which was their advance party) he sent out 50 Men to fight them, but to their great surprise they found themselves surrounded by the whole of the British; immediately on that they attempt to make a retreat but all in vain, they lost 13 Men kill'd, & 10 taken prisoner. They they march'd to the fort, which capitulated on very honorable terms. the Enemy then burnt the fort, and cross'd the lake, so that they was but two days in the country I am now order out with all the Militia, as the Enemy have made their appearance in lake George again, when I return you shall have the rest of my adventures in the Northern World Fort Edward was I am D'Sir with great esteem yours sincerely W. LIVINGSTON (To be Continued.) RECONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS. THE VIEWS OF PRESIDENT JOHNSON. From Doolittle Papers; Contributed by Duane Mowry. [The following is a copy of an unsigned manuscript document found among the private papers and letters of the late ex-Senator James R. Doolittle, of Wisconsin. It is presumed that the document was furnished to the Senator during his service in the United States Senate to be used, and which may have been in fact used, in the discussion of the reconstruction policy of Mr. Johnson. It may have furnished the text of Judge Doolittle's defense of President Johnson's attitude towards the seceding Southern States, as it is well known that the late ex-Senator was on the most intimate personal and confidential relations with Mr. Johnson and his Administration. It is not thought that the "opinions" which follow offer anything historically new. Possibly, they may serve to corroborate some truths of history.] "The President holds that the so-called 'Confederate States' were merely combinations of traitors, who, for the time, overthrew all national and State authority, and established thereon a revolutionary government, but that these revolutionary govts (governments) never were States. That the People constitute the States, and what is meant by the term People is, that portion of the political community, who by their several state constitutions are made electors and invested with political sovereignty, not aliens, not adherents of the rebel power. "The President holds that the rebels are no part of the People, and therefore, their confederate governments may be overthrown and their armies captured or dispersed. Yet so long as there is a hope cherished of revival, either by force or fraud, its adherents are still enemies, mere prisoners of war, and not citizens. "The States then, are the people who never belonged to that revolutionary power, or, having belonged to it, renounced it and renewed their allegiance to the National gov ernment. "It follows, therefore, from the principles of President Johnson's policy, that the People of the Southern States, though long overborne by a power they were unable to resist, lost not their rights as States of this Union; but that these rights, so to speak, were dormant, held in abeyance, and revived in their full force and virtue, so soon as the rebel power was sufficiently destroyed or weakened to admit of their free exercise. "It follows, also, from the President's policy, that whoever obstructs the people in the re-organization of their State governments & attempts to bar the door against their admission as States of this Union, is a revolutionist, playing the role of the original secessionists. "And if by force he should overthrow these States, and defeat the People in the enjoyment of equal rights as members of this free republic, he is a traitor as richly deserving the execration of mankind, as is Jefferson Davis & his coconspirators." Then follows this significant paragraph, which, presumably, is the argument of him who had been quoting the foregoing extracts from the President's position. "In the sense in which I use the term 'people' they never lost their love for the Constitution-the bulk of them were never prepared to adopt the views of Davis & Co., & a conception of Confederate independence would have blasted the hopes of the majority." PAYMENT FOR Negroes. From Mrs. Ruth Marshall to Senator Doolittle. [MILWAUKEE, Wis., Oct. 19th, 1903. [To the Editor of the Publications of the Southern History Association: The letter which follows was carefully enclosed in the envelope in which it was evidently sent to the late ex-Senator Doolittle, of Wisconsin. The case which the letter outlines is not, probably, an isolated one. It has, as one can easily see, many features of real hard ship. But the letter is not submitted for that reason, but rather to present a real condition of affairs succeeding the War of the Rebellion. The story is so simply and truthfully told, and the dear interests of the relator are so candidly set forth, that one cannot fail to be interested from the outset. I do not know what Judge Doolittle did with Mrs. Marshall's "momentous question," nor is it important now. But it would seem that there were equities in her statement of facts that ought to appeal to some higher court than a devastating army, or an unfriendly public opinion. The writer found the letter among the private correspondence of the great commoner from Wisconsin, who represented the Badger State in the United States Senate for twelve years, from 1857 to 1869. Very truly yours, DUANE MOWRY.] CHARLESTON, So. CA., Feb'y 12th /67. To the Honorable James R. Doolittle. Respected Sir: I have presumed to address you on a subject of vital importance to myself, & one which is anxiously thought of by many others. I am deeply interested on the settlement relative to negro bonds. My Husband was a Scotchman, and myself an English Woman, both for many years Citazens of U. S. The year that the unhappy war broke out my Husband died leaving a valuable Estate chiefly in Plantations & Negroes. One lot of Negroes had been purchased but a short time before his death in the year /60, one-third cash, balance in 1, 2 & 3 yrs, with interest from date, bond & mortgage given on the negroes purchased. Ist installment was paid, 2nd also, now this was fully half, but when 3 installment became due, Executor of Est. from whom the negroes had been purchased, refuses to accept Confederate Currency, when it was nearly on a par with gold, & what had I, a widow, a non-combatant & a Foreigner to do with the change of currency? Nothing but to see & submit, but at the same time, said Executor willingly receives interest in Confederate currency, & is willing to continue doing so, thereby deriving a comfortable support from my hard exertions, & thus keeping the debt hanging |