A Guide to the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts - George Rogers Clark Papers, Western Expedition Quartermaster Records,1778-1784
A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Accession Number APA 205
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Library of Virginia
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Processed by: Renee M. Savits
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Virginia. Auditor of Public Accounts (1776-1928). George Rogers Clark Papers, Western Expedition Quartermaster Records, 1778-1784. Accession APA 205. State government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
Acquisition Information
Transferred from the Auditor of Public Accounts in 1913.
Biographical Information
George Rogers Clark was born 19 November 1752 in Albemarle County, Virginia, to John Clark (1725-1799) and Ann Rogers Clark (1728-1798). Clark learned surveying from his grandfather in Caroline County, Virginia. He explored down the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers in what is now Kentucky and West Virginia and surveyed farms for settlers arriving in that territory. Clark served as a captain in the Virginia militia during Lord Dunmore's War in 1774, and the next year returned to Kentucky to survey lands for the Ohio Company. When the Revolution began, Clark encouraged Virginia to protect Kentucky from the British and Native Americans. He captured Kaskaskia, Illinois, from the British 4 July 1778 and won the allegiance of French settlers in Vincennes, Indiana. When the British took Vincennes in October 1778, Clark recaptured it 25 February 1779. He was responsible for the defense of the Northwest Territory during the rest of the American Revolution. After Kentucky troops were defeated at Blue Licks, Kentucky, by the Shawnee 19 August 1782, Clark retaliated with an attack on Chillicothe, Ohio, defeating the Shawnee 4 November 1782. After the American Revolution ended, Clark served on the Board of Commissioners which allotted the lands in Kentucky and the Northwest Territory granted by Virginia to its soldiers. He left Kentucky to live on the Indiana frontier but was never fully reimbursed by Virginia for his wartime expenditures. He spent the final decades of his life evading creditors and living in increasing poverty and obscurity. Clark lived the last few years of his life with his sister and her husband outside Louisville, Kentucky, where he died 13 February 1818.
Scope and Content
Western Expedition Quartermaster Records, 1778-1784, contain account books, receipt books, and vouchers detailing the expenses of supplying George Rogers Clark's forces in the Illinois Campaign and the Northwest Territory during the American Revolution. The volumes contain names, dates, and items purchased or received from sellers and from the commissaries at Fort Clark, Fort Patrick Henry, Fort Jefferson, Fort Nelson, and Fort St. Vincent. The volumes often include the names of the Quartermaster and/or D.C. of Issues, namely, Bland Ballard, William Bingeman, Zephaniah Blackford, Isaac Bowman, Martin Carney, Henry Croucher, Patrick Kennedy, John Marney, Jacob Pyeatt, William Shannon, Thomas Vickroy, and George Walls. Items purchased include alcohol, ammunition, axes, beef, coffee, clothing, corn, flour, kettles, rope, salt, sugar, tobacco, and other sundry items.
This is an artificial collection of records concerning George Rogers Clark and the conquest of the Old Northwest during and after the revolutionary war. The records, which are now so intermingled they defy any attempt to separate them, were brought together from two distinct sets of records. The first set contained Clark's original accounts and vouchers, which had been submitted to the auditors of public accounts for settlement in 1779. These records were misplaced by the auditors and when the Board of Western Commissioners sought to settle his accounts in 1783, Clark produced a second set of records consisting of copies of the materials submitted in 1779, in addition to the records he had created since then. The Clark papers, then, consist of the misplaced records (since found) submitted to the auditor, as well as the vouchers submitted to the Board of Western Commissioners. The George Rogers Clark Papers consist of four accessions: APA 204, APA 205, APA 206, and APA 206a and all accessions should be consulted to get all pertinent information.
The collection is listed in chronological order in the finding aid, although the materials were arranged physically by size into different size boxes. Researchers should pay special attention to note the box and folder numbers.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged chronologically.
Contents List
Also contains: An invoice of sundry merchandise received out of the county store at St. Louis and sundry items for the use of the Troops under the command of Col. Gorge Rogers Clark; and an Inventory of merchandise remaining in store at Fort Clarke the 12th April 1779 and then delivered to William Shannon, Esquire Conductor General.
The State of Virginia to Brigadier General G.R. Clark, for sundry payments, expenses and other disbursements by him made in behalf of the said state and Illinois Department.
The State of Virginia to Brigadier General G.R. Clark, for sundry payments, expenses and other disbursements by him made in behalf of the said state and Illinois Department.
Abstract of ammunition and provisions issued to the militia in actual service at the Falls of Ohio by Jacob Pyeatt.
Col. John Montgomery and others with Commonwealth of Virginia.
Account of money advanced sundry persons in the Illinois Department.
Account of provisions issued to the troops at Fort Patrick Henry by William Bingeman, D.C.I. [D.C. Issues]. Also includes copy of a letter, 8 March 1779, from William Shannon to Adam Bingeman, regarding the amount of rations to be issued at the different posts.
Contains copies of Clark's orders and letters written to various recipients including: John Bowman, George R. Clark, Henry Croucher, John Floyd, Patrick Kennedy, J.M.P. LeGras, Joseph Lindsay, John Montgomery, William Peyton, George Slaughter, John Todd, George Wilson, and James Wright.
The Commonwealth of Virginia in account with William Shannon.
Account book of Isaac Bowman, Quartermaster. Account of sales of goods at the Plunder Store after the taking of Fort St. Vincent's, Western Country. Includes an index.
Account of provisions issued to the troops at Fort Clark and elsewhere in the Illinois Country by John Marney, D.C. of Issues. Also includes copy of a letter, 1 April 1779, from William Shannon, Esquire Conductor General, to John Marney, D.C. of Issues, regarding the amount of rations to be issued at the different posts.
An account of quartermaster stores issued in the Illinois and its dependencies by John Reid, Quartermaster of the Illinois Regiment.
Abstract of provisions received and issued to the troops in the Illinois under the command of Col. George R. Clark by Henry Croucher, D.C., as per his papers left with Patrick Kennedy, Assistant Conductor [1779 June 23 - August 31]; and Account of provisions purchased, received, and issued in the Illinois under the direction of Patrick Kennedy, Deputy Conductor to the troops under the command of Colonel George Rogers Clark [1779 Sept. 1 - 1781 May 24]. Also includes copy of the letter, 23 June 1779, from Capt. William Shannon Conductor General, to Henry Croucher, D.C., at Kaskaskais, regarding rations allowed.
A list of fournitures, ligaments, and medicines, which I have made and furnished to the Regiment of the Illinois under the command of Colonel Clark and Mr. Montgomery Lt. Colonel [from Dr. Francis Conard]. At the end of the account is a note from Lt. Col. John Montgomery certifying that he believed Doctor Conard furnished the medicine but that he thought the doctor's medicines were high-priced.
Account of provisions issued to the troops at Fort Patrick Henry by Zephaniah Blackford, D.C. of Issues. Also includes copy of the letter, 1 August 1779, from William Shannon, Esquire Condoctor General, to Zephaniah Blackford, D.C. of Issues, regarding the amount of rations to be issued at the different posts.
Account book and journal of John Todd detailing a trip from Kaskaskia to the Falls of Ohio.
Abstract of disbursements in the Quartermasters Department by Bland Ballard, Q.M., under the direction of Col. George Slaughter at Fort Nelson.
Abstract of provision issued at Fort Nelson by Bland Ballard, Commissary person under the direction of Col. George Slaughter, Commandant. Also includes return of powder, ammunition, tobacco, and forage issued.
Martin Carney's account of issues of ammunition, arms, etc., at Fort Jefferson and the Falls of the Ohio.
Account book of provisions issued at Fort Jefferson by John Dodge. Also includes copies of letters, 1779-1780, between John Dodge and John Todd, George Clark, and John Montgomery.
Affidavit appraising the value of horses.
An account of provisions issued to the troops commanded by Col. G.R. Clark on the expedition against the Shawanese, by Thomas Vickroy, D.C. of Issue. Includes an extract of instructions from Capt. William Shannon, 10 July 1780, appointing Thomas Vickroy Deputy Commander of Issues and instructing him on rations to issue.
Issued by Robert Wickliff [3 volumes].
Receipt book of Thomas Gist.
Account book listing supplies issued by Martin Carney.
George Walls Quartermaster's book.
Account of rum issued.
Account book of forage received and issued by Major George Walls, Quartermaster General, Western Expedition.
Receipt book of Major George Walls, Quartermaster General, Western Expedition [pages 1 - 121].
Receipt book of Major George Walls, Quartermaster General, Western Expedition [pages 122-255].
Sundry articles from Quartermaster's stores, Bland Ballard, Fort Nelson.
Accounts of military stores issued by Martin Carney and Zephaniah Blackford, Fort Nelson.
Abstract of the Commissary's issues, Fort Nelson.
Account book of items issued Capt. Geroge's Company of Artillery, Capt. Girault's Company, and Capt. Bradshear's Company, and Capt. Bailey's Company, Fort Nelson.
An inventory of stores by John Moore. Includes an index at the end of the volume.
George Walls' account against the State of Virginia.
Abstract of provisions purchased and delivered to the issuing commissary by George Walls. Also includes testimony, 17 February 1784, Falls of Ohio, from Robert George, George Wilson, and James Elliot, of burglaries at some of the public stores on 16 February and noticed by Major George Walls.
Receipt book of Major George Walls, Fort Nelson.