FACSIMILE REPRINT
_Sixty-three copies printed sixty being for sale_
NARRATIVE
OF
MR. JOHN DODGE
DURING HIS CAPTIVITY
AT DETROIT
REPRODUCED IN FACSIMILE FROM THE
SECOND EDITION OF 1780
WITH AN INTRODUCTORY NOTE
BY
CLARENCE MONROE BURTON
[Illustration]
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA
THE TORCH PRESS
NINETEEN HUNDRED NINE
THE DODGE NARRATIVE
The narrative of John Dodge is one of the records of frontier life
during the period of the American Revolution that displays the intense
feeling of hatred and unfairness evinced by the British soldiers to the
American rebels. It was written and published during the time of the
greatest excitement in the West--the scene of the Narrative--and is
historically valuable because of being contemporary with the events in
question.
It was considered of great importance at the time of its first
appearance, having been at once reprinted in England[1] and passed
through at least three editions in America.[2]
In other writings published in England in 1779, appear the first public
notice of the cruelties and gross irregularities in the administration
of justice in Detroit under the rule of Lieutenant Governor Henry
Hamilton, and the presentment of Hamilton by the grand jury of Montreal
for murder in the execution of a Frenchman convicted of stealing. From
the Narrative were taken the charges made against Hamilton, when he was
a prisoner in Williamsburg, in consequence of which he was confined in
irons and barely escaped a more serious, and perhaps even a capital
punishment.[3] But little at the present time can be ascertained of
Dodge. He was born in Connecticut, July 12, 1751, and was the son of
John Dodge and his wife, Lydia Rogers.[4] John Dodge, the father, was a
Baptist minister by profession and a blacksmith by trade. His son John
was one of a numerous family of children. His brother Israel, who was
with him in the West, was nine years his junior, having been born
September 3, 1760. Before John had reached his nineteenth year he had
wandered into the northern part of the Ohio district and had entered
into business as a trader in Sandusky. He was familiar with the Indian
language used in his neighborhood and frequently acted as interpreter.
Many of the events of his life from this time, are contained in his
Narrative and it is needless to repeat them here, but mention might be
made of other acts of his and records pertaining to him, of which he
makes no mention. On the fourth day of April, 1776, Dodge, with William
Tucker, purchased a house and lot in Detroit, from Joseph Poupard
Lafleur, for 3,000 livres, and a few days later Tucker agreed to repay
Dodge whatever sums he had paid for this house if Dodge "went down the
country," as he then contemplated.[5] Dodge did not go "down the
country," but remained in Detroit and sold his interest in the land to
William Tucker July 6, 1777. In this deed Dodge is described as "a
trader of Detroit," and it is stated that he bought the house and lot
of Lafleur June 7, 1774.[6] His Narrative does not agree with the
records in all cases, for he says he was confined in jail from January
to July, 1776, in daily expectation of death, while the records show
that he purchased this house and lot during this period. The story of
the rescue of a prisoner from the Indians, related in his Narrative, is
contained in the report of the Virginia Council of June 16, 1779.
Sometimes at liberty, engaged in trading, and sometimes confined in jail
as a rebel, he remained in Detroit and Mackinac till May, 1778, when he
was sent down to Quebec, at which place he arrived on the first day of
June.
In the reports of rebel prisoners at Quebec in June and July, 1778, are
three entries referring to Dodge as follows: "John Dodge, 24 years old,
from Connecticut, a trader settled at Detroit for seven years, sent down
by Lieutenant Governor Hamilton. His commercial effects at Detroit.
Taken up on suspicion of having been in arms with the rebels."[7] He
remained in Quebec until the ninth day of the following October when he
escaped, going first to Boston and subsequently to General Washington.
Dodge does not state where or when he met Washington, but as the General
was in attendance at Congress from December 21, 1778, until some time in
the following January, he probably met him at Philadelphia. Dodge says
he visited Congress "having some matters relating to Canada worthy their
hearing." This related to the "certain expedition" referred to by
Washington in his letter of December 29th, a proposition to invade
Canada. Dodge was at Fort Pitt in the early part of January, 1779, and
from that port wrote a letter to John Montour.[8] There is no record of
Dodge's appearance before Congress, but he wrote a letter on the
subject, to Congress, as follows: