"The Black is arrived"
"The Black is arrived."
That's what Sir John St Clair writes a letter from Carlisle PA on 22 June 1758 to Colonel George Washington at Fort Loudoun Winchester VA.
Who is he?
A Black man.
He is a deserter from the French.
He's smart, and he has information.
He has arrived at Carlisle PA 22 June 1758.
First he came to Fort Loudoun Winchester VA 14 June 1758.
Then he was escorted to Fort Loudoun PA.
From there he arrived at Carlisle PA.
Prior to that arrival at Carlisle PA, Colonel George Washington wrote a letter on 14 June 1758 to Sir John St Clair of his coming:
". . . you will find a Letter from Mr Strother, concerning the French Negro I wrote to him for, at your desire; this Negro, I find to be a shrewd Sensible Fellow; and may be useful if he did not come into the Inhabitants for the ⟨erasure⟩ discoveries, rather than his escape from our Enemi⟨es.⟩ . . .
he is very well acquainted with the Ohio, and its de⟨pendent⟩ parts, but has been longer from Fort Du-quesne than I at first understood him. He will set out from this [meaning Fort Loudoun Winchester VA] to morrow, with a Waggon I shall send towards Fort Loudoun Pensylvania, and I shall desire he may be forwarded to you from thence [meaning Carlisle PA where Sir John St Clair sits] ."
Founders Online notes:
This was probably Anthony Strother (1710–1765) of Fredericksburg. The “French Negro” may have been the man referred to in an
“Account of cash paid by Edmond Atkin Esqr. for Sundry Disbursements on the Indians.” Atkin noted that on 13 Aug. 1757 he
“pd Subsistance of the French Negro. Deserter, from Fort DuQuesne, brought down to the Govr at Williamsburg, he claiming his Freedom named Frank” (P.R.O., W.O. 34/47, f. 165).
That's where the story goes silent.
Nothing more is mentioned about this man.
Nothing more is mentioned of what he had to tell.
That's it.
That's our lead story.
Compiled, authored by Jim Moyer 6/12/2022, updated 6/14/2022
There's More.
Always.
Skip around.
Read bits and pieces.
This is a world where . . .
This is a world where Spanish coins such as doubloons and pistoles (same as a doubloon) , are used in this English world.
So too
is the Spanish language used
in this English world
where Negro
is the word
for black
in Spanish.
This is a world where
Blacks, Indians, women,
indentured servants and slaves of all stripes
and non propertied White Trash were all 2nd class non-voters beneath the propertied White Man.
This is a world where even our Founding Father, George Washington procured slaves while at Fort Loudoun in Winchester VA.
The sins of our fathers, still dominates our headlines today.
What began that phrase?
Exodus 20:5 “
You shall not bow down to them
or serve them,
for I the Lord your God am a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers
on the children
to the third and the fourth generation
of those who hate me.”
This is a world where even if one were not particularly religious, most were biblically literate, meaning they all knew the stories and teachings of the Bible.
And by the way, we always must fit in a "by the way."
That song just sounds boring and typical to those non-religious, but that song has an interesting pedigree, a story in and of itself. See that here. But this hymn and others older than it were what the people of this day heard.
Let us return back to the phrase Sins of the Fathers.
What else was said about Sins of the Fathers?
Should the "the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation " ?
John 9:1-3 “As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
Deuteronomy 24:16 says “Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin” and that “The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself” (Ez 18:20).
We give you a heavy dose of Bible here for historical reasons.
Much of what informed ideas of fairness came from that Bible.
Even the non-practicing were Bible literate and knew its stories and teachings back then.
What we know mostly today comes from those who knew that Bible and converted a lot of concepts of fairness and beliefs of the essential corrupt and sinful nature of mankind to aspire to something more fair and kind.
Also our Founding Fathers took a lot of lessons not just from the Bible but also from a particular play that was immensely popular for more than a 100 years, "Cato, A tragedy."
From there they gleaned a lot of hard lessons to avoid from both the Greek Democracy and the Roman Republic and its Empire. Their Hitler of their day was "Julius Ceasar."
And as always every age has its hypocritical blind spots.
Source for Bible quotes:
For the history behind the song, "I love to tell the old, old story":
Our Colonel George Washington loved the play called "Cato, A Tragedy." While at Fort Loudoun he wrote letters referring to it. And while on the Forbes Expedition, he wrote . . .
And so fast forward way into the future.
How will the future look at not only that time but our present time?
Will it be kinder to us? Or should it be?
This different "Other," whether they be Republican, Democrat, Gay, LGBTQx, environmentalists, hunters, conservatives, progressives, all creeds, all colors, all genders -- all have a point of view that can offend the other.
Are we ever all equal? Are all sides morally equivalent?
No.
But process is more important than the Answer.
Conclusions about "The Other" will always remain a Tyranny.
But giving "The Other" due process?
Will we ever know if we are doing that?
Compiled, authored by Jim Moyer 6/12/2022
Sources referenced above:
Story of Sir John St Clair known as The Hussar:
Colonel George Washington wrote a letter on 14 June 1758 to Sir John St Clair:
About Edmond Atkin who paid the French Negro subsistence:
About Doubloons and Pistoles
GW buying slaves while at Fort Loudoun Winchester VA:
Source for Bible quotes:
For the story behind the song, "I love to tell the old, old story"
.
Research Notes
Bible quotes
To George Washington from John Kidd, 21 June 1758
From John Kidd Conogocheague [Md.] 21st June 1758 Sir I have made Inquiry Concerning the 200 Hatchets Mention’d in your’s but has got no Information Concerning them.1 I am Sir Yr most obedt hble servt Jno. Kidd
ALS, DLC:GW. Written in GW’s hand below the text is a list of things received from Carlisle, Pennsylvania. See GW to St. Clair, 23 June, n.5.
John Kidd, an ensign in Capt. John Dagworthy’s Maryland forces since October 1757, was in command at Conococheague. He resigned his commission before the end of this month.
1. GW’s letter to Kidd has not been found. For the whereabouts of the hatchets, see St. Clair to GW, 22 June.
Source:
To George Washington from John St. Clair, 22 June 1758
From John St. Clair Carlile [Pa.] the 22d June 1758 Sir I am extremely sorry that a great Quantity of Powder Horns for the second Virginia Regiment
The Black is arrived
From George Washington to John St. Clair, 14 June 1758
To John St. Clair To Sir Jno. St clair—Baronet[Fort Loudoun 14 June 1758]
Dear Sir
. . .
. . . you will find a Letter from Mr Strother, concerning the French Negro I wrote to him for, at your desire; this Negro I find to be a shrewd Sensible Fellow; and may be useful if he did not come into the Inhabitants for the ⟨erasure⟩ discoveries, rather than his escape from our Enemi⟨es.⟩4 he is very well acquainted with the Ohio, and its de⟨pendent⟩ parts, but has been longer from Fort Du-quesne than I at first understood him. He will set out from this to morrow, with a Waggon I shall send towards Fort Loudoun Pensylvania, and I shall desire he may be forwarded to you from thence.
This was probably Anthony Strother (1710–1765) of Fredericksburg. The “French Negro” may have been the man referred to in an “Account of cash paid by Edmond Atkin Esqr. for Sundry Disbursements on the Indians.” Atkin noted that on 13 Aug. 1757 he “pd Subsistance of the French Negro. Deserter, from Fort DuQuesne, brought down to the Govr at Williamsburg, he claiming his Freedom named Frank” (P.R.O., W.O. 34/47, f. 165). On 22 June St. Clair wrote GW that the “Black is arrived.” GW inserted in place of the erasure, “purpose of,” when correcting his original letter book.
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