|
View the H-OIEAHC Discussion Logs by month
View the Prior Message in H-OIEAHC's November 2013 logs by: [date] [author] [thread] View the Next Message in H-OIEAHC's November 2013 logs by: [date] [author] [thread]
Dear Friends and Fellow Historians, This is a PS to my earlier post on this subject. The first mention I could find of Lord Dunmore proposing to arm slaves is in a letter from him to the Earl of Dartmouth, dated Williamsburg, 1 May 1774 (not 1772), found on Davies, K. G., ed, Documents of the American Revolution, 1770-1783, (Colonial Office Series), Volume 9, Transcripts, 1775, January to June, (Shannon: Irish University Press, 1975), 107-110, "My Lord, the series of dangerous measures pursued by the people of this colony against the government, which they have now entirely overturned..." On page 109 it continues: "... that otherwise I shall be forced and it is my fixed purpose to arm all my own Negroes and receive all others that will come to me whom I shall declare free..." "... I have dispatched a small vessel to Boston to General Gage ... requesting that one small body of men ... and if I obtain 2 or 300 men who might be entrenched ... " And on page 110 "If the servants of the Crown should be of the opinion that the authority of government ought to be enforced here, I am persuaded that if His Majesty should think proper to add a small body of troops to be sent here a quantity of arms, ammunition and other requisites for the service, I could raise such a force from among Indians, Negroes and other persons as would soon reduce the refractory people of this colony to obedience." Attributed to C.O. 5/1353, fo 137. I hope this helps. Best Regards, Glenn Williams --
 Humanities & Social Sciences Online 
|