Ohio History Journal

WINTHROP SARGENT*

 

 

BY B. H. PERSHING, PROFESSOR, WITTENBERG COLLEGE.

The fate which history metes out to various men is

not always the same. Some are recognized by the age in

which they live as men of eminence and worth who have

rendered a real service to their generation. This promi-

nence they retain even at the hands of the most critical

of historians. Others are spoken of for some years as

illustrious among men but when the day comes that they

must pass the test of the historical critic they cease to

be considered as outstanding characters. Over the

careers of others, again, there falls a curtain of oblivion

until a later age recognizes that they have been instru-

mental in placing the foundations on which the present

is builded. To this third class belongs Winthrop Sar-

gent, the Secretary of the Old Northwest Territory in

the critical years from 1787 to 1798 and, owing to the

frequent absences of Governor Arthur St. Clair, the

Acting Governor for much of this time. This term of

service was followed by three years as governor at an

equally important time in the history of Mississippi Ter-

ritory. These years presented many opportunities to

shape the history of the rapidly growing Western

States. This paper is concerned with the way in which

Sargent responded to these opportunities.

The ancestors of Winthrop Sargent are to be found

among those Englishmen who migrated to New Eng-

land in the seventeenth century. Before 1678 William

 

* An address before the annual meeting of the Ohio State Archaeolog-

ical and Historical Society, October 6, 1926.

(583)

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(584)

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Winthrop Sargent            585

Sargent appears as a resident of Gloucester, Massachu-

setts. The father of fourteen children, his descendants

in America all are to be traced through his fifth son,

Epes Sargent, who lived for many years a prominent

and successful merchant in Salem. His oldest son, also

named Epes Sargent, likewise followed the career of a

merchant and at the time of the Revolution became a

Loyalist. His fifth son was Winthrop Sargent III

(1727-1793) who served as an officer at Louisburg in

the war against France. During the Revolution he ren-

dered valuable service as a member of the Committee of

Public Safety and as a member of the convention which

formed the state constitution in 1780. In 1788 he was

elected to the General Court of the state. His oldest son,

though not the oldest child, was Winthrop Sargent IV

who was born at Gloucester, Massachusetts, May 1

1753.1

The education of Winthrop Sargent was received at

Harvard College from which he was graduated in 1771.

Before the Revolution he traveled in Europe and in the

West Indies. Returning to America he joined the army

of Washington, July 7, 1775. His ignorance of military

affairs led him to refuse the command of a company

when it was offered to him. Until the end of 1775 he

served as an unattached volunteer. Early in 1776 he

accepted a commission as Captain Lieutenant in the ar-

tillery with which branch of the service he was con-

nected until the end of the war. The day after the evac-

uation of Boston he was ordered to New York and took

an active part in that unfortunate campaign. After the

retreat across New Jersey he participated in the engage-

1 Sargent, Early Sargents of New England, 1-8, 48, 49.

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586     Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

ments at Trenton and Princeton, serving in the later

battle under General St. Clair, with whom he was so

closely to be connected in after years in the Territory

Northwest of the Ohio River. The remainder of the

winter was given to the recruiting service around Bos-

ton. Howe's invasion of Pennsylvania found him at

the battle of Brandywine. At Valley Forge he shared

the sufferings which were the common lot of the Conti-

nental soldiers. Illness prevented his being present at

the opening of the battle of Monmouth Courthouse, but

he reached the field in time to take some part in the en-

gagement. The next year he was attached as an artil-

lery officer in the command of Major General Howe and

remained with this division until the close of the war.

Most of this time was spent on garrison duty at West

Point. By resolution of Congress the rank of Major was

conferred on him in 1783. At the close of that year he

left the army, broken in health and having nothing ex-

cept his sword and six months' pay of Morris notes in

his pocket.

Sargent now faced the same situation that had to be

met by many who had been officers in the Continental

army. Their wealth gone, their credit likewise ex-

hausted, they were forced to seek some employment that

would enable then to build up their shattered fortunes

and maintain their respectability. While engaged on

this problem Sargent took part in the organization of

the Order of the Cincinnati. He was present at a meet-

ing of the Order at Philadelphia in May, 1784, when im-

portant policies of the infant society were determined,

but from his own Journal of the proceedings he does not

appear to have taken a prominent part in the delibera-

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Winthrop Sargent              587

tions although appearing as one of the delegates from

Massachusetts. With him as delegates from that state

appear the names of Henry Knox, Rufus Putnam and

William Hull.² His friend, Major George Turner of

Philadelphia, urged him in 1785 to join in investments

in Georgia land which promised soon to place him on his

feet financially.³ This same year he contemplated of-

fering his services to the King of Holland and received

from George Washington a letter speaking in the high-

est terms of his military ability. The prospects of service

in his native land led him to abandon this project.⁴

A letter from a friend in New York in February, 1786,

suggested that if the states rejected the pending amend--

ment giving to Congress commercial powers there would

be need for many consuls in Europe and advised that

Sargent apply for an appointment.⁵ In the meantime

the Land Ordinance of 1785 which provided for the sur-

vey of the public domain had been passed. Thomas

Hutchins had been appointed Geographer of the United

States. Through Henry Knox, who was always his

faithful friend, Sargent presented an application for a

position as surveyor of Western lands. The appoint-

ments from the several states, however, had already

been made and Sargent could not be added to the list.

The only chance of employment could come if the sur-

veyor from one of the states declined the office and Sar-

gent could secure the position. This happened in the

case of Edward Dawse, chosen for New Hampshire,

 

2 Sargent, Journal of the Meeting of the Cincinnati, 16.

3 Sargent Papers. Unless otherwise stated these are in the Library

of the Massachusetts Historical Society.

4 Rowland, ed., Executive Journals, 9.

5 C. Freeman to Sargent. Sargent Papers.

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588     Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

who refused to serve. To fill the vacancy thus created

Congress elected Winthrop Sargent on July 7, 1786.

Sargent had anticipated the appointment and had

started west before this day on the journey which was

to bring him into intimate contact with the Western

country. He recorded the events of those days in a

Diary which was faithfully kept from the 18th day of

June when he left Boston until December 21st when he

returned to Newport, Rhode Island.⁶ With the ex-

ception of the Journal of John Mathews, a New Eng-

land school-teacher who served under Sargent, it is the

only detailed account of the survey of the Seven Ranges.

Many of the surveyors had preceded him to the scene of

their labors. Sargent joined them in their encampment

near the mouth of the Little Beaver Creek on July 15,

1786. Here he met with old Revolutionary comrades

such as Colonel Harmar, Major Doughty and Major

Wyllys, who were on their way to the mouth of the Mus-

kingum. Around the campfire that night they fought

again the battles of the Revolution. Their thoughts,

however, also turned to the future and to the state which

it was hoped would be erected in this Western Country.

Something of the thought of Sargent may be gleaned

from this entry in his Diary: "We talked over and an-

ticipated an establishment in this country, where the

veteran soldier and the honest man should find a retreat

from ingratitude -- nevermore to visit the Atlantic

shores but in their children, and like Goths and Vandals

to deluge a people more vicious and villainous than even

the Pretorian Bands of Ancient Rome." As the equip-

ment for the surveyors had not yet arrived he accom-

6 Sargent Papers.

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Winthrop Sargent            589

panied his Revolutionary friends to Fort Harmar. As

they floated down the Ohio he landed now and then to

inspect the country more closely. He saw oaks five feet

in diameter and walnuts four. Other valuable trees

abounded on every hand. At Zane's Island he saw on

July 22 corn which had been planted on May 1 and was

then twelve feet high. Such were the splendid impres-

sions which he received and carried back to New Eng-

land to influence many to purchase shares in the Ohio

Company. From Fort Harmar he returned to camp

and after a visit to Pittsburgh he was ready to begin

work on August 30. To Sargent the work of the sur-

veyors was one in which they should incur every risk,

serving the nation in the same spirit as on the field of

battle. In the drawing of the ranges Sargent drew the

fifth as his assignment. At various times reports of the

Indians were received but he kept at work. An escort

was provided but was believed by him to be more of a

hindrance than a help. It had been the expectation of

Hutchins that only four ranges could be completed that

year. Sargent was anxious to complete his range so

that it would add to the amount of land which Congress

could place on the market. On the 14th of November,

however, the increasing cold and the menace of the In-

dians forced him to quit work after sixty miles of the

range had been run. He at once returned to the Eastern

states. When the work of the surveyors was resumed

the next year Sargent contemplated again going west

but the Board of Treasury did not believe it was neces-

sary for him to do so.⁷ The developing business of the

Ohio Company also required his attention. To a con-

7 Hutchins to Sargent, June 25, 1787. Sargent Papers.

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590     Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

sideration of his relations with that company we next

turn.

The story of the steps which led up to the formation

of the Ohio Company has been told many times and need

not be repeated here. It can be taken up with the meet-

ing of delegates from eight Massachusetts counties in

the old Bunch of Grapes Tavern in Boston on March 1,

1786. The delegates from Suffolk County were Win-

throp Sargent and John Mills.⁸ The group organized

by electing General Rufus Putnam as chairman and

Major Sargent as clerk.⁹ A committee appointed to

draw up Articles of Association included these tempo-

rary officers. This committee reported on the third day

of March and their report was adopted.¹⁰ On the next

day Major Sargent was included on a committee se-

lected to receive subscriptions until a Board of Directors

should be chosen. This took place on March 8, 1787,

when Rufus Putnam, Samuel Parsons and Manasseh

Cutler were selected. On this same day Major Sargent

was chosen as permanent Secretary.11 With the in-

crease of his duties in other fields the work was largely

executed by deputies and in 1795 the Rev. Daniel Story

was made the Secretary of the Company after he had

acted in this capacity for some time. The Records of

the Company show that Major Sargent took an active

part in the proceedings in those important years when

the settlement was being made at Marietta. He was

very active in selling shares in the Company. In the

list of purchasers in the copy of the Articles of Associa-

8 Hulbert, ed., Records of the Ohio Company in Marietta Historical

Collections, I, 4.

9 Ibid, 5.

¹⁰ Ibid, 11.

11 Ibid, 12.

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Winthrop Sargent             591

tion belonging to him appear the names of Arthur St.

Clair, Edward Carrington, Henry Knox, Richard Platt,

William Duer, Alexander Hamilton and Melanchthon

Smith.12 Sargent sought to interest Robert Morris in

the sale of shares in Philadelphia but received little en-

couragement.13

At the meeting on March 8, 1787, the directors were

instructed to enter into negotiations with Congress for

the purchase of lands. The scene now shifted to New

York where during the summer months of 1787 the Rev-

erend Manasseh Cutler held the center of the stage. The

services of Sargent, however, were by no means incon-

siderable. Much confidence was placed in him by Put-

nam and Cutler who wrote to him from Boston on May

30 suggesting that he work independently of Parsons

who was suspected of favoring a location other than

that on the Muskingum.14 Cutler later joined Sargent

in New York and the purchase of the lands as well as the

selection of the first territorial officers was arranged for.

In his Journal Cutler noted under date of July 22, "In

these maneuvers I am much beholden to the assistance

of Colonel Duer and Major Sargent."¹⁵ The mention

of the former brings to mind the Scioto Associates with

whom the Ohio Company thus became involved. The

part which Sargent took in the negotiations has not been

made clear from the investigations which have been

made. When the connections became known they were

very unpopular and brought on Cutler and Sargent

much criticism as a letter to Sargent from Richard Platt,

 

12 Sargent Papers.

13 Sargent to Morris, May 12, 1786, Sargent Papers.

14 Sargent Papers.

15 Cutler and Cutler, Journals, I, 297.

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592      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

the treasurer of the Company, in 1788 indicates.16 It is

hoped that further investigations will clear up the part

of Sargent in this affair as well as in the transaction of

the business of the Ohio company proper before Con-

gress.

The famous Ordinance of 1787 had provided for a

civil government in the Territory Northwest of the Ohio

River. The purchase of the land desired by the Ohio

Company was not to be separated from the appointment

of officials for the new government. The movement to

elect General Parsons met with such opposition that

Cutler as early as July 23 was led to indicate his willing-

ness to support General St. Clair for the position as

Governor, provided that Parsons would be made one of

the judges and Sargent elected Secretary.¹⁷ That Sar-

gent was eager to secure the position is indicated in a

letter to him from Rufus King on August 5. Major

George Turner was also a candidate. The actual elec-

tion took place on October 5. On this occasion King

again wrote to Sargent saying, "I hope you will be in

some measure gratified in the appointment of Secre-

tary."18

When the first group of settlers under the leadership

of General Putnam landed at the mouth of the Mus-

kingum on April 7, 1788, Sargent was not included. Ac-

cording to the Journal of General Joseph Buell, then

stationed at Fort Harmar, he reached Marietta in com-

pany with Judge Parsons and others on May 28.19 This

arrival was followed by his absence from the new set-

 

16 Platt to Sargent, Nov. 13, 1788, Sargent Papers.

17 Cutler and Cutler, op. cit., 298.

18 King to Sargent, Sargent Papers.

19 Hildreth, Pioneer History, 161.

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Winthrop Sargent             593

tlement so that he was not present to welcome Governor

St. Clair on July 9. On July 15 he returned. The peo-

ple were convened on July 17. Secretary Sargent read

the Ordinance of government and the appointments to

office. Major Denny noted in his Journal that the peo-

ple were well pleased. The garrison from Fort Harmar

had been invited over for this important occasion which

marked the inauguration of civil government in the

state in which we now reside.²⁰

Until the fall of 1790 Sargent made his home in

Marietta. While living there he was united in marriage

to Miss Rowena Tupper, the daughter of General Ben-

jamin Tupper. The ceremony was performed on Feb-

ruary 9, 1789, by Judge Putnam, who was attired for

the occasion in full judicial robes. The original mar-

riage license, signed by Arthur St. Clair, is still to be

seen in the library of Marietta College. Mrs. Sargent

died in September, 1790. With the removal of the seat

of government to Cincinnati Sargent took up his resi-

dence at that place. Here he erected a fine house. Its

location and appearance are described by Judge Burnet

in these words: "On the north side of Fourth Street,

immediately behind the Fort, Colonel Sargent, Secretary

of the Territory, had a convenient frame house, and a

spacious garden, cultivated with taste and care."²¹ His

correspondence with his friends is filled with inquiries

which he was constantly making to secure desired vege-

tables and trees for his grounds.

The interest in the activities of Major Sargent as a

civil officer before 1798 arises from the provision of

 

20 Military Journal.

21 Notes, 34.

Vol. XXXV -- 38.

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594     Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

Congress by which he became Acting Governor when-

ever General St. Clair was absent from the territory. A

memorandum found among the Sargent Papers in Bos-

ton indicates that up to May 16, 1798, the Secretary had

been called on to act as Governor on ten different oc-

casions which totaled five years, six months and nine-

teen days or more than half of the time.²² This was

a severe drain on his financial resources. The salary of

the governor had been fixed at $1,500 and that of the

Secretary at $750. Although on several occasions Sar-

gent brought the matter to the attention of the President,

he was never able to secure any adjustment by which he

should receive any added remuneration while acting as

governor and subject to the increased expense which the

office entailed. It should be added that Sargent himself

made several trips across the mountains to the East as,

for example, in October, 1793, when he visited Wash-

ington at Mount Vernon. During these years he re-

tained many business interests in the East, their man-

agement being entrusted to Samuel Hodgdon of Phila-

delphia.

Much of this time was spent in travel which from

the very nature of the country could not be otherwise

than arduous. It was passed among a people with whom

Sargent had little sympathy. His description of the in-

habitants of Cincinnati in February, 1793, will illustrate

this. Writing to St. Clair he said, "The people gener-

ally are made up from that class of men who have es-

caped to the frontier as to a place where, independent

of every civic obligation, they may range uncontroverted.

Licentiousness is their characteristic and the magistrate

22 Undated memorandum in Sargent Papers.

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Winthrop Sargent             595

who should dare to enforce the laws which are adopted

must of course become the object of their highest dis-

pleasure."²³

By the Ordinance of 1787 the law-making power

had been invested with the governor and judges. With

the legislation enacted in 1788 Sargent had nothing to

do except to transcribe copies of the laws. This was

necessary as no printing-press had been as yet set up.

It was a difficult and laborious task. The pressure of

other duties made it impossible to do this satisfactorily

and much discontent arose because the people could not

know the laws in force. During the absence of the Gov-

ernor in July, 1790, Sargent met with Judge Turner

and Judge Symmes at Vincennes and passed several acts

including one to prevent the sale of spirituous liquor to

the Indians and another to control gambling. These

acts were criticized as they were legislation de novo and

not adoptions from laws already in force in the states.

Again in 1792 the Secretary met with the same judges

as a law-making body. No further legislation took place

until 1795 when St. Clair was present. During the

summer of 1798, St. Clair again being in the East, Sar-

gent met with Judges Symmes, Gilman and Meigs. The

laws then adopted were taken from those in force in

Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Massachusetts and Connecti-

cut. Of the legislation of these years Judge Burnet has

this to say: "The statutes which had been adopted from

time to time by the Governor and Judges formed a mis-

erable apology for a code of state laws. Many subjects

of interest were not embraced in them, and most of those

which were, were in a crude imperfect state."²⁴ That

23 St. Clair Papers, Ohio State Library.

24 Notes, 40.

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Sargent was anxious to accomplish more in the field of

legislation than was secured is plain from a letter to St.

Clair in Philadelphia on January 19, 1793, in which he

charged Judge Symmes with "virtually denying my au-

thority by absenting himself from the Territory when

I had requested his presence for the express purpose of

adopting laws."²⁵

The relations between Sargent and Symmes were

far from being pleasant. Without going into the de-

tails of this controversy it may be said that Sargent be-

lieved that the Judge sympathized too strongly with the

boisterous elements on the Ohio frontier. In the letter

just quoted he went so far as to term the head of the

Miami Associates "a bad member of society." This

sharp criticism was provoked by the attitude of Symmes

during certain disorders in Cincinnati at that time. To

the Judge they were only the natural and legitimate ex-

pressions of the frontier spirit while to Sargent they

were exhibitions of a contempt for law and order. The

frequent absences of Symmes from the territory which

made impossible the convening of the courts and the ad-

ministration of justice were also the occasions of severe

criticisms.²⁶

A fine piece of service was performed by Sargent

in adjusting the land claims of the inhabitants at Vin-

cennes. St. Clair and Sargent went to the Illinois coun-

try in February, 1790. The county of St. Clair was

erected with Cahokia as the county seat. In June St.

Clair left the Territory after having directed Sargent to

go to Vincennes and there establish another county.

 

25 Sargent Papers, Marietta College Library.

26 Symmes to Sargent, Jan. 7, 1793. Sargent Papers.

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Winthrop Sargent            597

This was done and Knox County was formed on June

20. Land claims at Vincennes were in an almost hope-

less condition. To add to the inevitable difficulties in-

volved in a succession of grants under the French, Eng-

lish and Virginians there had been fraud and forgery in

a number of cases. A resolution of Congress of August

29, 1788, provided for an adjustment. This task fell to

Sargent and was performed in the summer of 1790.

The satisfaction which the inhabitants felt over the

methods he followed is shown by the resolution which

was adopted when he was about to depart. It read,

"The citizens of the town of Vincennes approach you,

sir, to express their full approbation of the measures

you have been pleased to pursue in regard to their gov-

ernment and the adjustment of their claims, as inhabi-

tants of the Territory over which you at present pre-

side." To this Sargent replied in well-chosen words ex-

pressing his pleasure at being able to serve them in such

an important matter as the establishment of civil gov-

ernment in their midst.27

The part of Sargent in the erection of Wayne Coun-

ty has provoked much criticism. What took place may

be briefly stated. In 1796 General Wayne was ordered

to proceed to Detroit and take possession of that post

when the British evacuated it. St. Clair at that time

was in the East but about to return to his government.

In this state of affairs Sargent, believing that the civil

government ought to be represented on such an impor-

tant occasion, went to Detroit. From Pittsburgh on

August 3 St. Clair wrote to Sargent expressing his re-

gret that the Acting Governor had gone to Detroit at

27 Copy of The Executive Journal in the Ohio State Library.

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598      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

that time. No order had been received from the Federal

Government to extend the civil authority to that quarter.

Furthermore, as St. Clair would enter the Territory the

next day Sargent would automatically cease to be Gov-

ernor and any of his acts would be void. It was his in-

tention to visit the Illinois country and return east by

way of Detroit.28 While this and other letters were be-

ing written Sargent reached Detroit and erected Wayne

County. The Governor was further irritated by not

finding the public seal and records of the Territory at

Cincinnati when he reached that place.29 However, in a

letter of December 1 St. Clair disclaimed any intention

to censure or to reprimand Sargent as is charged by

some writers.30 If the statement that Sargent acted

without authority is based on the absence of any direct

command from the President to establish county gov-

ernment at Detroit it is correct.31 Otherwise it is not.

In general, the relations between St. Clair and Sar-

gent were very cordial. The contrast between the two

has been stated in these words, "Although they differed

widely in temperament and character -- the one being

ostentatious, reserved and formal; the other plain and

simple in his dress, open and frank in his manners, and

accessible to persons of every rank -- yet they had been

friends on the tented field and in civil life, and Sargent,

admiring the talents and courage of his chief had al-

ways been faithful to his interests. On the other hand,

St. Clair stood loyally by his friend, although sometimes

he felt keenly his want of tact and prudence.32 When in

 

28 Smith, St. Clair Papers, II, 404.

29 Ibid.

30 Ibid, 413.

31 Catlin, The Story of Detroit, 101.

32 Smith, op. cit. 207.

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Winthrop Sargent            599

1792 St. Clair was of the opinion that if anything pre-

sented itself in the East he would not continue as Gov-

ernor he wrote to Sargent suggesting that he take some

steps eventually to succeed him.33

The expedition under General St. Clair against the

Indians which culminated so disastrously in the defeat

and rout of the army on November 4, 1791, need be dis-

cussed only from the standpoint of the services of Major

Sargent. St. Clair had appointed him colonel of all the

militia in the territory April 29, 1791. Before this time

the Acting Governor had been active in perfecting

means of defense against the Indians who had been

threatening after the return of the expedition under

General Harmar. Steps were taken to have the militia

of Western Pennsylvania ready in case of need. When

St. Clair was appointed to command the new expedition

against the Indians Sargent was made Adjutant Gen-

eral. In this capacity he was active as he ever was in

the discharge of a public duty. The fact that both St.

Clair and Butler, the second in command, were inca-

pacitated by ill health greatly increased his responsi-

bilities. Of the eagerness of Sargent to remedy this un-

fortunate situation, Major Denny wrote in his Journal,

"The adjutant general, Colonel Sargent, an old Revolu-

tionary officer, however, was constantly on the alert; he

took upon himself the burden of everything and a very

troublesome task he had."³⁴ This verdict of an eye-wit-

ness is reechoed by Roosevelt who, referring to Colonel

Sargent, says, "Without him the expedition would prob-

ably have failed in ignominy even before the Indians

 

33 Sargent Papers.

34 Military Journal, 170.

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were reached, and he showed not only cool courage but

ability of a good order; yet in the actual arrangement

of the battle he was, of course, unable to remedy the

blunders of his superiors."³⁵ The official report of the

commanding general spoke in the highest terms of his

work. "I have had," reported St. Clair, "particular

obligations to many of them [the officers] but to none

more than to Colonel Sargent. He has discharged the

various duties of his office with zeal, with exactness and

with intelligence, and on all occasions, afforded me every

assistance in his power.^"36 Sargent himself was among

the wounded. He took part in covering the retreat to

Fort Washington. In February, 1792, he accompanied

General Wilkinson on the expedition to the battlefield

to bury the dead and to recover any artillery which

might have remained on the field. He then resigned his

commission as Adjutant General and refused a reap-

pointment to serve under Wayne. Soon after the defeat

St. Clair went East to meet the Congressional committee

appointed to investigate the disaster. As Acting Gov-

ernor Sargent took the necessary steps to strengthen the

frontier posts against the Indians who had been encour-

aged by their successes to commit new depredations.

In 1798 Mississippi Territory was created by Con-

gress. The nomination of Sargent as Governor was

made by President Adams on May 2 and confirmed by

the Senate. The nomination was accepted by Sargent

although he was in broken health and doubted the advis-

ability of a removal to a southern post. In Mississippi

he became involved in trouble with certain political fac-

 

35 Winning of the West, IV, 34.

36 American State Papers. VII, 138.

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Winthrop Sargent              601

tions. The dissatisfaction which was felt by some was

carried to Washington and resulted in Sargent's removal

by President Jefferson in 1801. Soon after going to

Mississippi Sargent had married a Southern lady, Mrs.

Maria McIntosh Williams, a young widow possessed of

some wealth. Consequently, after his dismissal he con-

tinued to make his residence on his Southern plantation

at Gloucester. Here he lived, taking an active interest

in agriculture, until his death, Jan. 3, 1820. To the end

of his days he continued to adhere to the Federalist

party which had honored him by appointing him to the

high stations which he had occupied.37

That the man whose career in the Old Northwest

Territory we have thus briefly sketched was a man of

many abilities and varied accomplishments, a brave sol-

dier on the field of battle, conscientious and untiring in

the discharge of his duties as a civil officer and not open

to charges against his personal integrity is conceded by

all writers who have touched on his work. Even so re-

lentless a critic as Claiborne in his History of Missis-

sippi agrees with such a statement.38 That his tempera-

ment and attitudes of thought were such as to make him

unable to understand the man on the frontier and to

make him undeservedly unpopular seems equally clear.

His contribution in laying the foundations of the west-

ern states in which he labored was not without its signifi-

cance and history should accord him a place among the

builders of the West.

 

37 Timothy Pickering to Sargent, Feb. 18, 1815. Sargent Papers.

Library of Congress.

38 Mississippi, 204.

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602       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

SOURCES.

Sargent Letters and Papers in the Library of the Massachu-

setts Historical Society at Boston, the Library of Congress, the

Library of Marietta College and the Ohio State Library at Co-

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Sargent, Winthrop, A Journal of the General Meeting of the

Order of the Cincinnati in 1784. Philadelphia, 1858.

Sargent, Winthrop, Diary during the Campaign of 1791.

1851. Also printed in the Ohio Archaeological and Historical So-

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Burnet, Jacob, Notes on the Northwestern Territory, Cin-

cinnati, 1847.

Hildreth, S. P., Pioneer History, 1848. Contains the Journal

of Joseph Buell. Manuscript in Marietta College Library.

Denny, Ebenezer, Military Journal, Philadelphia, 1859.

Smith, W. H., The St. Clair Papers, 1882.

Proceedings of the Government of the Territory of the

United States Northwest of the Ohio River. Copy covering the

period from Jan. 15, 1789 to June 20, 1795, in Ohio State

Library. Copy approved by Secretary of State Hamilton Fish,

June 10, 1873.

American State Papers, Military Affairs, Volume I, 1832.

Cutler and Cutler, Life, Journals and Correspondence of Rev.

Manasseh Cutler, Cincinnati, 1888.

Hulbert, A. B., The Records of the Original Proceedings of

the Ohio Company, Volumes I and II of the Marietta Historical

Commission Publications, 1917.

Rowland, Dunbar, Executive Journals, Sargent and Clai-

borne, Mississippi Territorial Archives, Volume I, 1905.

AUTHORITIES.

Catlin, The Story of Detroit, 1922.

Claiborne, J. F. H., Mississippi as a Province, Territory and

State, Jackson, 1880.

Roosevelt, Theodore, The Winning of the West, ed. 1900.

Sargent, Winthrop, Early Sargents of New England, 1922.

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