ILLINOIS HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS



                                  NEW YORK, July 5th 1789.'
 DEAR GEN'-,
 '     I must beg that you will pardon the liberty
 which I am going to take I have a request to make of you and
 as it is one of consequence, I must premise that I am not only
 seconded in makeing it but urged to it by some of the most im-
 portant Characters in the Union-it is-that you will favor the
 World with a Narrative of your Campaigns in the Western
 Country. The United States now find themselves in possession of
 a territory N. W. of the Ohio of vast extent  of immense value
 to which all turn their Eyes as being the only certain fund for the
 discharge of the National Debt  although it is confest by all that
 we owe it to your enterprise  successful exertions, yet the in-
 credible Difficulties  Dangers you incountered,  the gallant
 exploits which led to  secured the acquisition are but partially
  imperfectly known. All wish to know it  you alone are in
 possession of this Information  should you decline to communi-
 cate it the latest Posterity will regret the loss of what would
 constitute the most interesting Pages in the Annals of the Western
 World  would be an ornament to the History of the American
 Revolution. Mr Madison whose literary and Political Character
 now attracts the attention of all America is so much engaged in
 the success of this application that he has desired me to inform
 you, that to lessen the task, if you will furnish the material  it
 is agreeable to you he will carefully attend to the arrangement 
 Style so as to usher it into the world in a Dress suitable to the
 importance of the Subject.
 You cannot be too minute in the details of the Causes  effects,
 of Views and Measures, of occurrances  transactions during
 those successful Campaigns. Circumstances  facts which may
 appear unimportant to you will not be thought so by others.
 Copies of the Letters which passed between you  the Execu-
 tive of Virginia of Treaties with  of speeches to  from the

 I Original in the Draper MSS., 53J80. The significance of this correspond-
 ence between Clark and Brown was first called attention to and partially
printed by Mrs Minnie S. Cook in Va. Mag. of Jist. and Biog., xv., 205.



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