CLARK TO BROWN, JANUARY 20, 1789



Indians may be inserted with great propriety, an 'tis important to
preserve them  they must necessarily throw great light upon
the Subject.                                           
                               Sir Yr. Mo Hblc Servt.
                                                  J. BROWN
GENL G. R. CLARK


                            LouISVILLE, Jan. 20th, 1789 [sic].'
DEAR SIR:
  Your favor of the 5th July, came safe to hand.    ....
The requisition you make, Sir, by your letter, is such, that a
compliance will be, in some degree, destroying a resolution that
I have long concluded on, that of burying the rise and progress
of the War in this quarter in oblivion; which is in my power,
as all light cast on it by another person, must be faint in-
deed. Great part of the most material papers are either lost,
or made use of as waste paper, and finding my nature such that
it was impossible for me to be void of some affection for the
people I had suffered so much for, in the establishment of their
interests, that I have frequently destroyed papers that were of such
a nature that the reading of them would in some measure cool that
spark that still remained, and tend to aggravate the crime of the
people-that by having nothing about me that might frequently
fall in my way and renew my ideas, and by attempting, if possible,
to forget the various transactions that have happened, I might
again reconcile myself to live in a country that I was always fond
of, and with people whose prosperity I have, until lately, studied
with delight. For the want of these helps alluded to, it would
require time and recollection to collect materials necessary to
compose a true narrative of this department. Some papers I can
collect, and will immediately set about this business, and as soon
as finished, enclose them to you, probably in four or five months.
I shall take no other pains than that of stating facts, and occur-
rences, c. If this is to make its appearance in the world, there



'This letter, and the two others from Clark which follow, were printed in The
Commonwealth, Frankfort, Ky., July 25, 1838. Draper MSS., 27CC29.



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