- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- Letter [with enclosures], 1814 June 8, Morgan County, Georgia, [to] Peter Early, [Governor of Georgia], Milledgeville / Richard Bridges [and] Dennis McSwain
- Creator:
- Bridges, Richard
- Contributor to Resource:
- McSwain, Dennis
- Date of Original:
- 1814-06-08
- Subject:
- Spies
Creek War, 1813-1814 - Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
- Medium:
- petitions
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- This document is a letter from Richard Bridges and Dennis McSwain to Peter Early, Governor of Georgia (1813-1815), dated June 8, 1814. The two men explain that they were employed by Major James Patton to act as spies along the Georgia frontiers but were never discharged or paid and have had no further contact with Patton. They request payment for their services (relative to the Creek Indian war) and enclose sworn statements signed by their own hands as well as two prepared by James Barton and James Harkness, under whose command they eventually came, at Fort Defiance in Morgan County, Georgia.
Digital image of original manuscript, scanned by the University of Georgia Libraries in 2000, as part of GALILEO, funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. - Local Identifier:
- tcc423
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc423
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc423#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc423/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [title of item], Telamon Cuyler, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, presented in the Digital Library of Georgia
- Extent:
- 4 pages/leaves
- Original Collection:
- Manuscript held by the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, Telamon Cuyler, box 47, folder 03, document 04.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
Morgan County
8th June 1814.
His Excellency Peter Early.
We the under Signed were mounted Spies employed by, and by the direction of Major Patton, who had Command of the posts on our frontier. We Commend. [Commenced] riding on the
5th of January agreeable to contract and orders reported ourselves to Capt. Barton Commandant at the post until the
10th of Febry [February] at which time he left the Fort, his term of service having expired. From that time until the
19th of the same month, we continued to ride not having any person to report ourselves to, at which time Lieutenant Harkness took command to whom we reported ourselves, agreeable to a Copy of his Certificate accompanying this address and after his term of service had expired agreeable to our Certificates to which we affix our names.
I Richard Bridges do Certify that I commenced riding as a mounted Spie [Spy] employed by Major James Patton on the
5th of January 1814 and Continued to ride every day agreeable to orders & Contract until the
20th day of March thereafter both days inclusive.
[Signed] Richard Bridges
I Dennis McSwain Do Certify that in Conformity with a Contract made with Capt. James Barton (as he informed me by the instruction & direction of Major Patton, to ride as a Spie [Spy] over the line of Morgan County with Richard Bridges and rode from the
5th of January 1814until the
5th of March there after, both days inclusive
[Signed] Dennis McSwain
Our orders from Major Patton was to ride
Page: [2]
until further ordered which orders we never have received nor no Certificate or discharge from Major Patton, nor have we seen him since we commenced riding under his Orders we were to receive Seventy five cents pr [per] day We have Still Expected Major Patton [unclear text: up ] to discharge us & place us in a Situation whereby we could get our pay agreeable to Contract, and have been informed that the Major has not made a report of his acting to your Excellency We therefore hope, that if the proceedings of Major Patton was Authorized that your excellency will take such measures as will cause us to be placed in a Situation to get what he [unclear text: engaged ] as we have faithfully discharged our duty And if any thing further is [unclear text: necessary ] for us to do to give Authenticity to our Claims please be so good as to inform us.
We are your Excellencies most
Obedient Humbl. [Humble] Servants
[Signed] Richard Bridges
[Signed] Dennis McSwain
Copy Certificates. Fort Defiance on the Boundry [Boundary] line of Morgan County
I hereby Certify on honor that Richard Bridges and Dennis McSwain mounted Spies employed under the orders of Major James Patton reported themselves to me from the
5 of January 1814 until the
10th of February thereafter, agreeable to my Orders
Signed
[Signed] James Barton
[unclear text: commandant ]
[unclear text: 10 ] Feby [February] 1814.
Page: [3]
June 8, 1814 Copy Certificate.
Fort Defiance on the Boundry [Boundary] Line of Morgan County
19th Febry [February] 1814
I Certify in honor that Richard Bridges and Dennis McSwain (mounted Spies) employed by Major James Patton (as I understood) reported themselves to me at this post (McSwain rode [deleted text: from ] [added text: until ] the
5th of March 1814. And Bridges until the
11th of the same month, both commencing this date under my Command
signed
[Signed] James Harkness
Lieut [Lieutenant] [unclear text: commant ]
Letter
Richard Bridges
Dennis McSwain
dated
8. June 1814
Indian War
Page: [4]
His Excellency Peter Early Milledgeville Georgia [unclear text: For ] Mail