To George Washington from Jacob Johnson, 23 April 1793
From Jacob Johnson
Philadelpa April 23 1793
Sir
When I wrote Your Excellency a History of my Sufferings and Losses I had no tho’t or Expectation of Seeing Philadelphia1—By the Hand of God upon me I am now in the City—Could wish were it consistent—And by Your Excellenies Permission to be favord with a Short Interview2—To give Your Excellency Some further Relation of my Personal Sufferings and Dangers While Essaying to defend the Susqueha Frontiers—and Propegate the glorious Gospel among the Six Nations of Indns.3 Your Excellencies Devoted Servt For Jesus Sake
Jacob Johnson
Minister of Christ at Wilksbarre
Now in Philada At the House of the Revd James Sproat D.D.
ALS, DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters.
1. For Johnson’s appeal to GW and information on his petition to Congress, see Johnson to GW, 7 Mar. 1793, and notes 1–3.
2. GW met briefly with Johnson on this, date according to Johnson’s second letter to GW of this date, which reads: “Before I leave this City—I do Hereby Leave a Tribute of Gratitude to Your Excellency, for the Opportunity Indulged me of Passing a Few Words, Relative to my Sufferings, & Losses in the Late distressing Wars.
“As also the Form & manner, Your Excellency was pleasd to prescribe me of prefering my Memorial to Congress.
“And altho’ it does not appertain to Your Excellencies High Office . . . To lay any Private Memorial before that High Court—Yet I doubt not Your Excellency will use Your Influence . . . in a Due Form and Manner.” (DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters).
3. As of 30 April, Johnson was still in Philadelphia, on which date he wrote GW again: “Being detaind in this City far beyond my expectation—Have prepard a memorial to lay before Congress at their next Session—Am now Returning (by the will of God) tomorrow on my way to Wilkesbarre—Humbly ask forgivness for troubleing your Excellency with my repeated Scrowls—This will probably be the last of the kind—’Till these heavns and Earth be no more. No more indelugd in wars disolations an deaths—The New Heav’ns are near coming down full of Glory—A new Earth opening to view wherin dwells Righteousness universal Peace and unfadeing Joyes—Jesus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is rolling his Chariot Wheels Swiftly on the way to Set up his Kingdom—Set on his white Throne—And reign over all the Earth—Oh then great and Dear Sier we Shall all (that Love his appearing) be Kings and Priests to God and reign with Christ a Thousand Years—The great Supreme will go on to gain a universal Conquest over all his Enemies—Death it Selfe (the last Enemy) Shall be no more—Wars forever cease—The olive Leaf be evry where a Sign of Peace—A grand—glorious—universal & final Triumph over Sin Death and Hell—and all the remaining Enemies of Christs Kingdom—Amen” (DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters).