its full Complement, have passed the enclosed Resolves, authorizing you to grant Warrants to such Officers as you shall think proper, provided there are no Commissioners from the State to which such Officers belong."

As it is of the greatest Consequence that the Militia now in Service should not leave the Camp at this Crisis, it is the Desire of Congress that you will take such Steps as you shall judge best for attaining this End; and that in particular, you should for that Purpose write to such of the States as have any Militia in the Government of New York, requesting their Assistance in the Business.

The Commissions for such Officers as you shall please to appoint by Warrant, in Consequence of the enclosed Resolves, shall be forwarded as soon as possible.

The Resolves herewith transmitted, I am to inform you, do not extend to the Maryland troops, as the Commissioners from that State are on their Way to Head Quarters to appoint Officers agreeably to the former Resolves of Congress. You will therefore be pleased to suspend any appointment of Officers for that State, until you shall hear further from Congress, or until the Arrival of those Gentlemen shall make it un

3 Some resolutions of the Maryland convention relative to raising the state's quota of troops were presented to Congress Oct. 23 and referred to a committee. The committee made its report Oct. 30, and the conclusions of Congress thereon were transmitted to the convention by President Hancock Nov. 4 (Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 508). For the origin and purpose of the Maryland commission, see the proceedings of the Maryland convention, Oct. 4, 9, in the Journal of the Maryland Convention, pp. 265, 272-274; Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 116, 120. The commissioners were Benjamin Rumsey, James Lloyd Chamberlaine, Thomas Contee, and John Hanson, jr. Á letter from Rumsey to James Tilghman, Oct. 24 (Md. Hist. Soc., Red Book, IV. 44; Arch. of Md., XII. 397), throws light on the earlier proceedings of Congress on the matter. The letter is addressed: "To The Honble James Tilghman Esquire In his absence To any other of the Council of Safety of the Province of Maryland": "I arrived here on Saturday Evening last but my Colleagues did not all arrive before last Monday. On Tuesday we laid the Resolves of Convention before the Congress and on Wednesday about one OClock two of their Members informed Us that the Mode proposed by our Convention of substituting the Gift of ten Dollars in Lieu of the hundred Acres of Land would prove in the Opinion of Congress extremely prejudicial to the united States as it would subject them all to the same Advance, an Expence in their Apprehension too great to be borne and wch. to use their own Expressions would break the Back of all North America they represented that Land might be bought for three Dollars per hundred that the Soldiery had already extorted from the State greater Wages than could well be borne. They further requested to know if We would proceed to attempt the Inlistment of the Men with the twenty Dollars Bounty without promising the ten Dollars which Congress were not inclinable to grant at present but had appointed a Committee to draw up a Letter to the Convention of Maryld on the Subject of their Resolves setting forth their Reasons for not furnishing Us with Money and dissuading them from that Mode of raising Men.

"We informed the Gentlemen our Province had no Land solely, that an Expectation was formed by the People of our State that what was conquered from an Enemy at the joint Expence of Blood and Treasure of the whole should become their joint property but as Claims had been set up opposite to our Ideas of natural Justice it became a wise people rather to prepare for the worst by giving ten Dollars now than trust to the mercy of a few Venders from whom they would be obliged to purchase (having pledged their Honour) at any price, the Case of all Monopolies; that we had limited Orders from our Convention a special Authority under which We must act and not deviate; that if their Letter to our Convention could be wrote in any reasonable Time we would await the Event and return or advance as we should be by them ordered. They also observed that the State of Maryland shewed a Disposition to seperate by their

The enclosed Commission of Brigadier General you will please to have delivered to Genl Smallwood.

[P. S.] I send some commissions, and shall send others immediately. Mr Harrison's Letters to 3rd Inst. are come to hand.*

Dear Sir,

192. ROBERT MORRIS TO GEORGE READ.1

PHILADELPHIA, November 6th, 1776.

You will not wonder that I should be obliged to answer your favor of the 5th instant in a great hurry, after detaining the bearer some time before I could even sit down to write.

It seems there is some foundation for the report you heard, although not strictly true. I was not in Congress when Dr. Rush brought the account from the Council of Safety, but am told, he moved for some Continental troops being ordered down, which was opposed by several members upon the very principles you would wish, and finally the motion was rejected; but as a Virginia regiment was ordered up from the Eastern Shore, they were directed to halt at Dover for the further orders of Congress, on the supposition that your government would apply for them if they should think it necessary.2

2

This I believe to be the true state of facts, and as my sentiments are totally with you, I am ready to obey your commands, or do anything you desire, if in my power; being very sincerely, dear sir, your obedient servant,

ROBERT MORRIS.

Resolves from the united States, that the Resolves ran in the Stile of We would not. We remarked in Reply that the Terms made use of were ought not and the two Reasons that appeared in the Resolves themselves were first that the Mode of Calculation was unequal and the second that it was not of our power to comply not having the Lands solely and exclusively and yet notwithstanding Injustice was done Us and We had not the Lands etc We had as a State resolved to raise the Men requested by Congress which together with our former Zeal in the Cause evinced our Attachment to it and ought in our Opinion to have excused us from such an Imputation. Thus ended the Discourse and it is now Thursday Evening and no Lre. wrote that We know of I shall wait upon a Gentleman of the Congress to Morrow for the Lre. to go by the Post and We intend to write to the Convention.

"When I set off from Annapolis I asked G. Duvall for the Commissions transmitted to Convention by Congress, he answered there were None sent they were to be got at Philada. When We came here our old Friend the Honble Jno. Hancock would have sent us back to get them but he was overruled in this and We should have got others. I beg if we are continued in Office that We may not have Favours of that Sort to askAnd that you will take Care they shall be sent up by the next post.

See the council to the commissioners, Nov. 1, 8, Arch. of Md., XII. 416, 423. The subject was again considered by the Maryland convention Nov. 8, 9, 10 (Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 174, 177-178, 179), and on Nov. 13 Congress was induced to modify its action. See nos. 205, 216, 219-221, 226, 248, post. For an elaborate treatment of the whole subject of Maryland's attitude on the land question, see H. B. Adams, Maryland's Influence upon Land Cessions to the United States (Johns Hopkins Univ. Studies, ser. III., no. 1), and Shosuke Sato, History of the Land Question in the United States (ibid., ser. IV., nos. 7-9). Cf. vol. III. of these Letters, under June 22, 1778. R. H. Harrison, Washington's secretary.

[192]1 Read, Life of Read, p. 213.

2 See nos. 168, 189, ante; also the letter of George Read (dated at Newcastle, Nov. 5, Life of Read, p. 212) to which this is a reply. The letter is also in Henkels, Catalogue, no. 1183, with the date Nov. 4. In regard to Read's attitude toward Henry Fisher, cf. the letter of James Sykes, Apr. 10, 1777, post.

193. WILLIAM WILLIAMS TO JONATHAN TRUMBULL, JR.1 PHILADELPHIA Nov 6, 1776

Dear Sir

Contrary to my Expectations and Wishes I am yet detained here but expect Mr Shermans return every day and hour and then I propose to set homeward; Mr Huntington is also gone home unwell. . . . . the present occasion of my writing is to mention an affair yesterd. under Consider". viz a Petn. of one Majr Cady setting forth that he with a Body of men marched to Canada after the fall of G Montgomery and that He has never been able to obtain any Pay by reason that Gen. Schuyler forbid it, he knows not why and the Men greatly disaffected and prejudiced agst the Service, and praying to be allowed their Wages etc. (I suppose in the same situation wh Col Warner) much Dispute was about it and finally all that cd be obtained was to refer it to the Comisrs. of Accos at Albany to examine and make Report. it was suggested the probable reason was, His men went into Inoculation contrary to order etc. and that was alledged as a sufficient Reason to cut them off etc., and that Crime if one in the Circumstances, was treated with impolitic Severity I think to say no more. I am greatly concerned that it will have a very ill Effect and disaffect Men to the Northern Service. the distressing feelings of the Men under the certain prospect of taking and dying with that Disease etc. in my opinion pleads strongly in their Excuse, and in such Cases allowances ought to be made and Faults winked at, especially when the Men are so much wanted etc. things appear in a very different light to me than to some here etc.

I know not the Man in the present Case nor where He is from, but for the reasons hinted at etc. I earnestly wish you to interpose every good Office in your Power with the Genl and the Comisrs. and whoever can influence in the affair that the Man may be incouraged and paid, and the same with Respect to Col Warner, but know not where nor in what Situa

[193] Conn. Hist. Soc., Papers of Jonathan Trumbull, jr., vol. II., no. 15.

2 A letter from Oliver Wolcott to his wife, Nov. 12, indicates that Williams probably left Congress that day. But see no. 215, post.

3 See the Journals, Nov. 6. Jeremiah Cady was a major in Paterson's Massachusetts regiment, April-December, 1775, and commanded a battalion in the Canadian campaign, January-June, 1776. Schuyler wrote to Jonathan Trumbull, jr., Dec. 12:

46

The Commissioners having certified that Nothing appears before them why Major Cady's Detachment should not be paid you will therefore proceed to pay them, any Order of mine to the contrary notwithstanding.

"Two Month's advance pay was intended as a Bounty and is not to be stopped from them. They must also be allowed as the others were that came from Canada discharged on the sixth of May, as an equivalent for pay and provisions to bring them Home." Conn. Hist. Soc., Papers of Jonathan Trumbull, jr., II. 49.

* Petitions from Col. Seth Warner, dated Sept. 10 and Oct. 4, are in Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., II. 273, 884. See the Journals, Sept. 10, 11, 12, Oct. 15. In a letter to Trumbull, Nov. 27, Schuyler says:

"I have received a Letter from Mr Sherman the Delegate on the Subject of Colonel Warner's Regiment, and altho' that is far from being authority to me to grant a Warrant on, yet as I greatly apprehend that we shall not have Troops in Time to relieve the Garrisons to the Northward, I will venture to give Colonel Warner eight thousand Dollars for the recruiting Service, on his delivering to you the Copies of the Resolves of Congress empowering him to raise a Regiment." Conn. Hist. Soc., Papers of Jonathan Trumbull, jr., II. 37. See also, nos. 330, 532, post.

tion he is in now. It seems to me of great importance, even tho they deserved nothing that they shod not be discouraged at this Juncture.

My dear Sir,

194. SAMUEL ADAMS TO JAMES WARREN.'

PHILADA., Nov. 6, 1776.2

Congress could not account for the Delay of the Assemblies to send Committees to the Camp agreeable to their Recommendation, but by your Letter I am led to believe that the answer of our Assembly was among those Letters which were lately stolen from an Express on the Road. The Necessity of immediate Application to the important Business of inlisting a new Army inducd Congress to direct the Commander in Chief to give orders for that Purpose even though the Committees should not have arrivd..

4

Nov. 9th. Mr. Partridge arrivd in this City the last Evening, having been dispatched by your Committee at Genl. Washington's Head Quarters, who have consulted with the General concerning the Augmentation made by our Assembly of the Pay of the Troops to be raisd by our State. The General advisd them to lay the Matter before Congress. We intend to bring it on this day. I have strong Doubts whether it will succeed here. Men must be prevaild upon to inlist at some Rate or other, and I think it must be confessd that our State have shewn a laudable Zeal for the publick Service. But if the other States which are to have Troops in the Army should not consent to give the same Encouragement, it may cause great Uneasiness among them. I am the more ready to believe it will not be well receivd in Congress because a proposal made not long ago by the Maryland Convention for them to offer to their Men Ten Dollars in Lieu of the 100 Acres of Land was rejected."

Nov. II. On Saturday last Congress considerd the Business on which Mr. Partridge is here. A Comte. was appointed who have this day reported against your Resolution and the Report is agreed to, but as the Resolution must be known to the Soldiers, it has greatly embarrassd us. A Motion was made to limit the Duration of the Inlistments, which after Debate was postpond and is to be determind tomorrow. If the present Encouragement offerd by Congress is continued only for a limited Time of three or four years, it certainly would be very great. I will inform you further of this Affair tomorrow.

Nov. 12th. The Motion I yesterday mentiond has been this Day considered and Congress have resolvd upon an Alternative; that is, so far to reconsider their former Resolution as to admit of Inlistments for

[194]1 Warren-Adams Letters, I. 275.

2 Adams had returned to Congress Oct. 24. See his letter to Samuel Mather, Oct. 26, in Writings (ed. Cushing), III. 316.

3 See the Journals, Oct. 8, Nov. 4.

4 George Partridge, bearer of the letter of Timothy Danielson read in Congress

Nov. 9. See nos. 197, 201, post.

5 See no. 192, note 3, ante.

three years with the Bounty of 20 Dollars and the Suit of Cloaths annually, or during the War, with the Addition of the 100 Acres of Land; and our Committee is desired not to offer the further Encouragement of 20/ You will have a Copy of this Resolution sent to you by the President. Would it not be proper to send immediate Instructions to your Committees at the several Camps to settle the Affair of Officers, and exert themselves in the most important Business of procuring a new Army? I am affectionately yours,

Dear Sir

195. EDWARD RUTLEDGE TO PHILIP SCHUYLER.1

S. A.

November 6th: 1776

The Part which I have taken in Congress relative to your Character and Conduct, has I trust, been such as the Measures which you have adopted, and the Principles by which they were directed will fully justify." That you have sustain'd for a length of Time an uncommon Load of Calumny is alas! too true; but tho' your Friends were much mortified to find that they were unable effectually to oppose the Torrent, yet they felt some Consolation in reflecting that the Day would come when you would appear in your true Character; I mean in the Character of a firm and disinterested Patriot. I congratulate you upon the Prospect of its Approach, and wish that I could hold my Seat in Congress until I could see you in Philadelphia, and contribute my Assistance to do Justice to your Reputation: But a Desire of returning to my native Home from which I have been absent for more than Eighteen Months will deprive me of that Satisfaction. You however will suffer nothing from my Absence, as I am convinced you will receive ample Justice from those whose Duty it is to administer it.

My dear Sir:

196. WILLIAM WHIPPLE TO JOHN LANGDON.1

PHILADELPHIA, 7th November, 1776.

I have just received your favour of the 21st ultimo. Your giving up to Captain Plance his small adventure is, in my opinion, very right; but by some hints that have been dropped, am inclined to think that some gentlemen suppose you have exceeded your power. Captain Bowden, I find, has preferred a petition, which is referred to a committee. I have a letter from Colonel Wentworth on the subject, which I shall answer in a day or two. I heartily wish there may be some method adopted whereby that gentleman may be relieved, but must confess am

• See the Journals, Nov. 9, II, 12, and nos. 197, 199, 201, 205, post. [195]1 Harvard Univ. Lib., Sparks MSS., no. 49, vol. II., p. 192 (original).

2 See nos. 138, 155, ante. In a letter to Jay, Nov. 24 (Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 825), Rutledge enlarges upon his suggestions relative to the course to be pursued by Schuyler and by the New York delegates.

[196]1 Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 554; Letters by Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, and Others, p. 51.