Bouquet's expedition against the Ohio Indians in 1764 / by William Smith ; introduced, edited, and annotated by Martin West.

"Provost William Smith of the College of Philadelphia wrote a history of these events in 1765 titled Bouquet's expedition against the Ohio Indians in 1764. Subsequent editions and printings appeared in London, Amsterdam, Dublin, and Paris until 1778, making this book the most widely circulated and read work on warfare and diplomacy in the Ohio country to emerge following the Seven Years' War. The literary reputation and impact of Bouquet's Expedition surpassed all similar contemporary works published on either side of the Atlantic and is probably the most prominent description of an Indian captivity narrative available from the eighteenth century. The dramatic return of the captives described by Smith inspired Conrad Richter's 1953 novel The Light in the Forest and the Walt Disney movie of the same name in 1958. This fully annotated edition of Smith's remarkable book, drawn from all the 1765--1778 versions, includes a new introduction with essays on Smith and his contributors and sources, such as Bouquet, Benjamin Franklin, and Edmund Burke, in addition to a new history of the publication. Numerous eighteenth-century images, sketches, drawings, engravings, and paintings are reproduced, and for the first time Benjamin West's two original drawings of Ohio leaders negotiating with Bouquet and the return of the captives are featured"--Publisher's website.