PUBLIC "-//Library of Virginia//TEXT (US::Vi::vi00582::A Guide to the Patrick Henry Letters, 1777-1780)//EN" "vi00582.xml" A Guide to the Patrick Henry Letters, 1777-1780 Henry, Patrick, Letters, 1777-1780 20745 Trenton Hizer Library of Virginia © 2006 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.

Conditions of Use

Machine-readable finding aid derived from MARC record, created by Trenton Hizer, 25 April 2006 Description is in English 2013-11-21 Converted to schema conforming EAD by dtd2schema.vh.xsl. A Guide to the Patrick Henry Letters, 1777-1780 A Collection in the Library of Virginia 20745 Trenton Hizer

Library of Virginia 2006 Trenton Hizer Library of Virginia Descriptive Summary The Library of Virginia Patrick Henry Letters, 1777-1780 20745 10 leaves English Patrick Henry Administrative Information Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Patrick Henry Letters, 1777-1780. Accession 20745. Personal Papers Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Loaned for copying by Ellen Bagby, Richmond, Virginia, May 1934.

Alternative Form Available

All letters except 28 May 1778 are published in Official Letters of the Governors of the State of Virginia, vol. I, pp. 117-118, 131-132, 168, 243-245, 303, 350; letters dated 10 March 1777, 29 March 1777, and 19 February 1778 are in William Wirt's Patrick Henry, vol. III, pp. 44, 53, 544; letter dated 1 January 1779 [1780] is in the Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 3, pp 258-259.

Biographical Information

Patrick Henry was born 29 May 1736 in Hanover County, Virginia, to John and Sara Winston Henry. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and Virginia Convention, governor of Virginia 1776-1779, 1784- 1786, and delegate to the Virginia Constitution Ratification Convention, 1788. He was married to Sarah Shelton and Dorothea Dandridge. He died 6 June 1799 at his home on Red Hill Plantation, Charlotte County, Virginia.

Scope and Content

Letters, 1777-1780, of Patrick Henry (1736-1799), Governor of Virginia, to Colonel William Preston (1729-1783) of Montgomery County, Virginia, and to Colonel John Smith (1750-1836) of Frederick County, Virginia, concerning the protection of Virginia's frontiers, including Kentucky; supplies and horses for the Virginia militia; the murder of Shawnee Indians, possibly by tories and concerns of reprisals; and efforts to coordinate frontier defense with the Continental Army. Also includes letter, 1 January 1779 [1780] erroneously attributed to Henry, but written by his successor as governor, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) to Colonel George Rogers Clark (1752-1818) containing instructions for military plans against the British at Detroit and the Indians in the Northwest Territory. There are two copies of this last letter.

Adjunct Descriptive Data Location of Originals

Originals of letters dated 10 March 1777, 29 March 1777, 28 May 1778, 6 August 1778, and 1 January 1779 [1780] are owned by the Virginia Historical Society. The location of letters dated 3 July 1777 and 19 February 1778 is not known.

Contents List Letter, 10 March 1777, from Henry to Colonel William Preston (1729-1783) of Montgomery County, Virginia, ordering him to take fifty men and in conjunction with fifty men from Botetourt County, Virginia, protect the citizens of Kentucky or escort them to safety. Letter, 29 March 1777, from Henry to Preston concerning supplies and horses for the defense of Kentucky. Letter, 3 July 1777, from Henry to Colonel John Smith (1750-1836) of Frederick County, Virginia, ordering fifty men to be sent to serve in the force for protection of Virginia's frontiers. Letter, 19 February 1778, from Henry to Preston concerning the murder of Shawnee Indians which Henry believes was committed by Tories to draw support away from American troops and ordering Preston to undertake steps for protection from possible retaliation. Letter, letter,28 May 1778, from Henry to Smith concerning raising troops for defense of the frontiers as requested by General Edward Hand (1744-1802) of the Continental Army and includes Smith's reply. Letter, 6 August 1778, from Henry to Smith ordering him to raise troops for defense of the frontiers as needed by General Lachlan McIntosh (1725-1806) of the Continental Army. Letter, 1 January 1779 [1780], from Governor Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) of Virginia to Colonel George Rogers Clark (1752-1818) containing instructions for military plans against the British at Detroit and the Indians in the Northwest Territory. There are two copies of this last letter, which had been erroneously attributed to Henry.