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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC02437.10410 |
| From Archive Folder | The Henry Knox Papers [0002] 1744-1748 |
| Title | William Burns' declaration regarding the Muscongus settlement |
| Date | 26 February 1747 |
| Author | Burns, William (fl. 1747) |
| Additional authors | Wendell, Jacob (fl. 1746-1747) |
| Document Type | Land transaction document |
| Content Description | Burns discusses his settlement on Samuel Waldo's Muscongus Patent (also known as the Waldo or Lincolnshire Patent, land in present-day Maine). Discusses improvements Burns made to a stone house, and mentions his black cattle. Burns was given command of a company of soldiers by Governor [William] Shirley, after which he and his family moved to a settlement of 40 or 50 "Protestant Familys from Germany" on the Madomock [Medomak] River. Notes that several German settlers, at Colonel Samuel Waldo's urging, joined the expedition against Cape Breton in [1745]. Asserts "That about the Middle of July 1745 The Indians who might easily Perceive the Settlement greatly weakened, began Hostilitys at St Georges, and about the first of Augt following they killed & scalped one of the Germans at Madomack River which and the frequent appearance of numbers of the Indians occasioned all the Inhabitants of that River... to betake themselves to Garrisons..." Subsequently, all neighboring settlements in the area were abandoned due to Native American attacks. Discusses effects of the of the war between Britain and France on colonists, as well as the Siege of Louisbourg, Canada. Signed 26 February 1746/7 by Jacob Wendell, Justice of the Peace. Wendell attests to the veracity of Burns' declaration. |
| Subjects | Muscongus Patent Waldo Patent Immigration and Migration Building Construction Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Military History Militia Religion Canada French and Indian War Global History and Civics Foreign Affairs France American Indian History Death Atrocity Fortification Refugees Wartime Pillaging and Destruction Religion |
| People | Burns, William (fl. 1747) Wendell, Jacob (fl. 1746-1747) Shirley, William (1694-1771) |
| Place written | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Theme | Merchants & Commerce; Agriculture; Native Americans; French & Indian Wars; Religion |
| Sub-collection | The Henry Knox Papers |
| Additional Information | Dated 1746/7, 1747 reflecting the present-day calendar. All dates are listed as noted within this document, except for those in brackets, which reflect the present-day calendar. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859 |