Logan's Lament, Logan's Elm
"Logan's Lament":
None of the rest of the story is mentioned in Wikipedia, but wikipedia is a great launching place to start research.
"I appeal to any white man to say, if ever he entered Logan's cabin hungry, and he gave him not meat; if ever he came cold and naked, and he clothed him not. During the course of the last long and bloody war, Logan remained idle in his cabin, an advocate for peace. Such was my love for the whites, that my countrymen pointed as they passed, and said, Logan is the friend of the white men. I have even thought to live with you but for the injuries of one man. Col. Cresap, the last spring, in cold blood, and unprovoked, murdered all the relations of Logan, not sparing even my women and children. There runs not a drop of my blood in the veins of any living creature. This has called on me for revenge. I have sought it: I have killed many: I have fully glutted my vengeance. For my country, I rejoice at the beams of peace. But do not harbour a thought that mine is the joy of fear. Logan never felt fear. He will not turn on his heel to save his life. Who is there to mourn for Logan? Not one."
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Thomas Jefferson was attacked by Luther Martin in the Baltimore press for publishing this speech. Martin claimed such a speech was not verified to be true.
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Thomas Jefferson wrote to a Gibson. Why? Gibson was the one who heard and interpreted the speech. He gave his interpretation to Lord Dunmore. He had a witness in General Daniel Morgan who can verify Gibson was the one who translated the Logan Speech and gave it to Lord Dunmore. Gibson does not mention one tree, but rather 'a copse of woods." Gibson said Cresap was not a Colonel but rather a Captain. Logan had Cresap's rank wrong. Also, it turns out Greathouse was the one who murdered Logan's family, not Cresap, although Cresap was involved on other attacks. Jefferson met Dunmore and Jefferson wrote it down in his notes.
Jefferson writes, "The speech was published in the Virginia gazette of that time: (I have it myself in the volume of gazettes of that year:) and though it was the translation made by the common Interpreter, and2 in a style by no means elegant, yet it was so admired,3 that it flew thro’ all the public papers of the continent, and thro’ the magazines and other periodical publications of Great Britain; and those who were boys at that day will now attest that the speech of Logan used to be given them as a school-exercise for repetition."
"It was not till about 13. or 14. years after the newspaper publications that the Notes on Virginia [which contained the words quoted above] were published in America," writes Jefferson.
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BTW, Luther Martin was a lawyer who defended successfully the charge of treason on Aaron Burr for working with the Spanish to create a new country. This notorious court trial was held in Richmond. Pres Jefferson was personally involved to influence that trial, but Marshall, the head of the Supreme Court and the longest serving one and who established the court as the final review of the constitution known as the Right of Judicial Review, favored the Aaron Burr defense.
Logan's dad was Shikellamy, a good friend to Conrad Weiser.
This has personal significance for me. My Dad would walk us out of the forest to the farm fields at night from our cabin in the Blue Mountains of Berks Co Pa along the Appalachian Trail.
We would see over 100 lit up eyes of the Deer in dark on those farm fields.
Behind them was a big hump peak of the Blue Mountains where the Shikelamy Boy Scout camp resided.
Our Dad painted this picture.
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Sources:
From Thomas Jefferson to John Henry, 31 December 1797
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Yellow Creek Massacre
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Luther Martin lawyer
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Pictures in order:
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Weakened by Dutch Elm disease, the tree died from storm damage in 1964. Its measurements were 104 feet tall, with a circumference of 23 feet, and a crown spread of 154 feet.
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Compiled and researched by Jim Moyer 6/7/2020 ,updated 01 Feb 2024
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