John Dodge - Narrative of Mr. John Dodge during his Captivity at Detroit

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 1 Almon's Remembrancer , 1779. and passed through at least three editions in America. 2 2 First edition, Philadelphia, 1779, and second edition, Danvers, Massachusetts, 1780; also printed in Connecticut Gazette and Universal Intelligencer , February 2, 1780.

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 3 Virginia State Papers , 1, 321. 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 4 Dodge Genealogy , page 137. American Ancestry , 6, 192. The sketch in The Magazine of Western History , 4, 282, contains many errors. 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 5 Wayne County Records , B. 9, 91. 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 6 If this date is correct it would appear that Dodge was in Detroit before he was brought there as a captive. 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 7 Manuscript, British Museum. 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 8 For a history of the Montour family see Egle's Notes and Queries , 3rd series, 1, 118. John Montour was arrested and confined in Detroit in 1778. See Michigan Historical Society Collections , 9, 434. There is no record of Dodge's appearance before Congress, but he wrote a letter on the subject, to Congress, as follows:

Honorable Congress

as I have Ben one of the grateest Suferers that is now in the united States of Ameraca Both in Person and Property

I have Sufferd Every thing But Death Robd Plundered of Every far thing that I was master of But loock upon it as an honour that I have Suffard in so just a Cause as we are now Engagd in and very happy that I have made my Escape from the Enemi after Being Prisener two years and nine months I think it my Duty as I am now in the Service of the united States to Enform your honnours of the Proceedings and Carriings on in the Department whare I am – it Both greaves and Shagrans me to the hart to Se matters so Ill Conduckted as theay are in this Department – it is very natural for Every one that has the Cause of his Contry at hart to Enquire into the reason of our grevences – is not one the farmers Being Drove of thair Plantation on our fronteers By the Saveges – Could theay remaind on thair Plantations theay Could have Ben very Sarvesable in Suppliing our main army in Provisions in Stead of that the Poor mifortonate Peopel are obleged to retreet into the thick Setled Contry and I may Say live almost upon the Charrity of the Contry which of consequence must Distress the hole Contry for Provisions we will Enquire why those Saveges are our Enemies theay are Bribd By the British to take up the hachet against us whare is thair rendevous Detroit a place Stockaded in with Cedar Pickets and Eighty Soldiers to gard it But it is Strong Enough to keep a large Quantity of goods in so the British Can and Do give near a millian Presents to Bribe the Saveges to fall upon our fronteers and Distress our hole Contry – But we will Suppose that Place to Be Esily taken which it raly is if matters ware Conducted as theay ought to Be – But we will Say that the Publick has Ben at grate Expence for two years Past and thare is nothing Done I may Say nothing thare is a fort Bult at Bever Criek and one at tuskerowayes which if theay are not rainforst with men and Provisions very Spedily we have no reason to think But theay will fall into the hands of the Enemi in the Spring now had one of those forts Ben Bult at Preskeele or Kichoga or any whare on the lake side the men might have Ben Employed this winter in Boulding of Boats or gundelows So that in the Spring we Could Command the lakes which if we Dont we Cant keep Detroit if we take it or if the winter had Seveir we Could have gone on the ice and taken Detroit and vessels to and with half the men that it would have taken at any other Season of the year for the vessels would Be all froze up But in Stead of that theay are Bult in an Endian Contry whare that all Supplies may Be very Esily Cut of and give the Saveges Susspicon that we are a going to Conker them and not our Enemi the English and very good right theay have after thare has Ben such threats throw out to them as thare has we hant the reason But to Expect then all against us Before general McIntosh marcht from Bever Criek the governer of Detroit Put up a few of the lower Sort of Saveges By Bribing them to Send word to the general that theay would meet him at Shuger Criek and give him Battel at the Same time thare was more than four to one Sent him word that theay would not Enterfeir or misleit him on his march as he had told them that he would go to Detroit the general marcht to the Place But thare was not one that apeard against him he then gave word that all those Saveges that Did not Come in within twelve Days time and join him that he would loock upon them as Enemies and use them as Such and that he would Destroy thair hole Contry