laid before Congress, and to transmit you a resolution of Congress passed this day.2 Sir 8 I am Sir Your obedient humble servant, CHA. THOMSON 3 PHILADELPHIA Decr 12 1776.2 243. SAMUEL ADAMS et al. TO GEORGE WASHINGTON.1 We are this Moment informd by a Gentleman who is Brother of Collo. Griffin and has lately been at New York, that a Body of ten thousand of the Troops are actually arrivd at Rhode Island.* As Congress is now adjournd to Baltimore in Maryland, and the President and the Board of War are not in Town, we think it our Duty to send you this Intelligence; and as there is no General Officer in that Department, we refer it to your Consideration whether the Service does not absolutely require that one be immediately sent, to take the Command of Troops to be raisd there, to repel the Progress of the Enemy If Major General Green or Gates, who are greatly belovd in that Part of America, with a suitable Number of Brigadiers, could be spared for this Service, it might be attended with another advantage, that of facilitating the new Inlistments We intreat your Attention to this important Matter and are with very great Respect Your Excellcys very humble Servants SAMUEL ADAMS His Excellency Genl. Washington ELBRIDGE GERRY WILLIAM ELLERY WM. WHIPPLE 2 Accompanying this letter (on the same sheet) is the resolution calling upon General Washington to contradict in general orders the " scandalous report" that Congress was about to disperse. Washington wrote, Dec. 12, disapproving the resolution and declining to publish it. The letter was read in Congress Dec. 20, and referred to a committee, which reported on the following day a resolution (which was adopted) approving Washington's course. Both resolutions were then erased from the Journals. Cf. no. 241, ante. See also nos. 244, 254, post. Washington's letters of Dec. 10 and 12 are in Writings (ed. Ford), V. 76 n., 82; Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 1152, 1182. The resolution printed in connection with Thomson's letter in Am. Arch. is, erroneously, that of Dec. II appointing a day of fasting, etc. On Dec. 12 it again devolved upon Secretary Thomson to write in Hancock's stead to Washington, "the President still being necessarily engaged with his family". Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 1179. [243] Harvard Univ. Lib., Sparks MSS., no. 49, vol. II., p. 200 (original, in the writing of Samuel Adams). 2 In a letter of this date to James Warren (Warren-Adams Letters, I. 279), Samuel Adams says: "Mr. P[aine] has this day left the Congress having leave after laboring in the service Sixteen Months without Cessation.” 8 Col. Samuel Griffin, who was appointed by General Putnam, Dec. 14, adjutantgeneral of the troops in and about the city of Philadelphia. See Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 1214. * See Robert Morris to the President of Congress, Dec. 13, 16, Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 1198, 1239. See also ibid., III. 1129-1131, and passim (index, Rhode Island); also Governor Cooke to William Ellery, Dec. 22, Staples, R. I. in Cont. Cong., p. 108. My Dear 244. OLIVER WOLCOTT TO MRS. WOLCOTT.1 PHILEDELPHIA 13th Decr. 1776 the Congress upon the advice of Genl. Putnam and Mifflin who are now here to provide for the Protection of the Places as well as from the Resultt of their own opinion have adjourned themselves, to Baltimore in Maryland, a Place about 110 miles from this City, as it was judged that the Council of America ought not to Sit in a Place liable to be interrupted, by the rude Disorder of Arms, so that I am this Moment going forward for that Place. Whether the Enemy will succeed in their cruel Designs against this City must be left to time to Discover. Congress have ordered the Genll. to Defend it to the last extremity and God grant that he may be successfull in his Exertions. . . No Gentlemen from Connecticut are arrived since I last Wrote to you upon this Head. Majr. Elisha Sheldon is here and well; and is appointed by Congress to raise a Regiment of Horse in Connecticut.*. Sir 245. ROBERT MORRIS TO THE PRESIDENT OFf Congress (JOHN HANCOCK).1 PHILADA Decemr. 16th. 1776. The sudden departure of the Congress from this place seems to be a matter of much speculation and People who judge by events, think they have been too precipitate. be that as it may, many things are thrown into great confusion by it, and I find ample employment in applying remedies wherever I can. The unfinished business of the Marine and Secret Committees, I intended to confine myself to, but I hear so many complaints and see so much confusion from other quarters that I am obliged to advise in things not committed to me. Circumstanced as our affairs now are I conceive it better to take Liberty's and assume some powers than to let the general interest suffer. . . . I suppose Congress will not determine on a hasty return to this place nor do I think it adviseable, untill the Enemy are actually gone into Winter Quarters, for a severe Frost may in a few hours enable them to cross Delaware above the Falls, so that if they remain in that neighbour [244]1 Conn. Hist. Soc., Oliver Wolcott Papers, vol. II., no. 28. 2 See the resolution for adjournment, Dec. 12, and the erased resolution, Dec. II. In a letter to his wife Dec. 11 Wolcott wrote: "If the Enemy should drive us out of this City (which I do not really expect) you will soon hear to what Place I shall go." (Conn. Hist. Soc., Wolcott Papers, II. 27.) Cf. nos. 241, 242, ante. See also nos. 245, 247-249, 253, 254, 257, 259-263, 280, 298, 302-304, 306, post. 8 Dec. 5. See no. 222, note 2, ante, and no. 260, post. 4 See the Journals, Dec. 12, and Washington's letter of Dec. 11, Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 1166. Cf. ibid., fourth ser., VI. 880, fifth ser., II. 1171, III. 272, 457, 497, 1244, 1246. [245]1 Library of Congress, Papers Cont. Cong., no. 137, App., folio 10; Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 1239. hood you would here be subject to perpetual alarms. at the same time if may be depended on, that great inconveniences will arise daily in every department during your absence. to remedy this as much as possible I think a Committee should be sent here with such powers as Congress may Judge proper, in order that they may regulate the business of the Continent necessary to be done here." There is the greatest scene of confusion in the management of the Continental Horses, Wagons, and Expresses that ever was exhibited. it was bad enough before Congress departed but it is ten times worse now and Jacob Hiltziemer a very honest man will run mad soon if not properly assisted or relieved in this department. in short the Committee you send should have full powers to do whatever may be necessary to put every department on a Systematic footing. Mr. Clymer, Mr. Walton and myself will bestir ourselves and advise or assist in such things as we think absolutely necessary untill you appoint a Committee and as the Board of War did not leave any orders for their Secy we have desired him to stay and assist us until he receives Orders. We hope the Board will excuse us for taking this liberty as Mr. Peters will be usefull here. The Committee must have the command of money to answer various purposes as the calls for it are loud, large and constant. Should the Enemy retire to Brunswick or New York it may and I believe will be best for Congress to return as soon as that is certain. 2 Morris remained in Philadelphia more than a month after the dispersion of Congress. For a few days he attended to continental business largely on his own responsibility but partly also as a member of certain committees. On Dec. 21, at his suggestion, Congress appointed him and George Clymer and George Walton a committee to execute the necessary business of Congress in Philadelphia. Besides the letters of Morris and of the committee printed below, see the letters to Hancock, Washington, and others, Dec. 13-30, in Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 1198, 1213, 1239, 1254, 1330, 1331, 1370, 1427, 1471, 1485, and Jan. 1, et seq.; in Sparks, Letters to Washington, I. See also nos. 254, 255, post. In a letter of Jan. 10, 1777 (Library of Congress, Pap. Cont. Cong., no. 133, folio 42), the committee in Philadelphia took up the subject of the continental stables more explicitly: 66 We mentioned some time ago the waste and destruction that was going forward in the Continental Stables here. The more we enquire into that Matter the more ruinous we find it, and the business is now in such a state of Confusion that we hardly know how to remedy it. Our Opinion is that no such thing as a Continental Stable should ever have existed. Generall Mifflin when he proposed it and established it we well know mean't to save mony, but the experiment will prove destructive to the last degree. The Horses after being worked to the Bone, become neglected because it is nobodys business to take care of them. the Feed is stolen wasted and destroyed, because nobody can tell who is intitled to it, and who is not. every Officer in the service crams his Horses into the Public Stables and calls him Continental. every Team that is hired and ought to find their own feed, say they are Continental and demand it as a right from the Public. Mr. Hiltzheimer does all he can to prevent waste imposition and abuses, but they threaten his life and to burn his stables "We sent him a Gaurd [sic] and they were as bad as the waggoners. enclosed you have a Copy of the return he has made and of his note to us. In short if the Present Campaign was closed we should think it would be best to sell all the Continental Horses and waggons shut up the stables and encourage private people to provide the public with them on hire by good prices, for then the Horses would be taken care of and the feed not be wasted, and these are now very material objects." This letter is endorsed: "Rec'd 14 Jany 1777." See also the Journals of that date, p. 37 n. Congress took action upon the matter Jan. 18. 4 See no 255, post. 246. ROBERT MORRIS TO THE COMMITTEE OF SECRET CORRESPONDENCE.1 PHILADELPHIA, December 16th, 1776. Gentlemen: You have enclosed the letters from Mr. Bingham and Mr. Deane; the latter complaining, as I have long expected he would, for want of advices and remittances. In short, if the Congress mean to succeed in this contest, they must pay good executive men to do their business as it ought to be, and not lavish millions away by their own mismanagement. I say mismanagement, because no man living can attend the daily deliberations of Congress and do executive parts of business at the same time. I do aver there will be more money lost, totally lost, in horses, wagons, cattle, etc., etc. for want of sufficient number of proper persons to look after them, than would have paid all the salaries Payne ever did or ever will grumble at. Mr. Deane has had a hard situation. I foretold it long since; and unless you employ some man of talents to collect materials and keep the Commissioners abroad constantly informed of what is passing here, you never will have that consequence, nor your agents that dignity, they ought to have.* I should be glad you would return me these letters, or copies of them, and I will reply from hence. They have been with me but a few minutes, and I will not keep the express any longer, as I expect you are hungry as hawks after news from France. I cannot keep a copy of this; but in haste remain, 247. RICHARD HENRY LEE TO PATRICK HENRY.1 BALTIMORE, December 18th, 1776. The movements of the enemy's army in the Jerseys, by which the neighborhood of Philadelphia had become the seat of war, determined Congress to adjourn from thence to this town, where publick business will be entered on the 20 instant, unless a sufficient number of members should be assembled to begin sooner. At this place the publick business can be conducted with more deliberation and undisturbed attention, than could be the case in a city subject to perpetual alarm, and that had necessarily been made a place of arms. The propriety of this measure was strongly enforced by the continental Generals Putnam and Mifflin, who commanded in Philadelphia, and who gave it as their opinion, that, although they did not consider the town as liable to fall into the enemy's [246]1 Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 1241. 2 Bingham's letter has not been found. That of Silas Deane, dated Oct. 1, is in Wharton, Rev. Dipl. Corr., II. 153; Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., II. 809. 3 Cf. no. 185, ante, 253, 258, 272, 273, 279, 298, post. 4 Cf. no. 253, post. [247] Letters of Richard Henry Lee (ed. Ballagh), I. 229; Henry, Life of Patrick Henry, III. 33. hands but by surprise, yet that possibility rendered it improper for Congress to continue there.2. 248. BENJAMIN RUMSEY TO [DANIEL OF ST. THOMAS JENIFER?].1 Sir Engaged in the Commission and the Business thereof in which we met with great Difficulties and Interruption 2 I never attended Congress till this Day Week and should not then as the Business remained unfinished had I not heard Mr. Tilghman and Mr. Carroll had gone Home and left the Province unrepresented. When I got into Congress where I came determined to stay 'till the last Extremity altho exceeding inconvenient to me I found that Congress had two or three Days before that determined by the Advice of their Generals to remove from thence to Baltimore Upon a presumption that the Enemy being possessed of the Jersey above by marching Parties opposite the City might make a push in the Night in Conjunction with the Tories and seise [sic] the Persons of the Congress and this might have been done with great Facility as the City Militia had all marched to join General Washington... JOPPA 19th. Decr. 1776 249. SAMUEL ADAMS TO MRS. ADAMS.1 BALTIMORE IN MARYLAND My dear Betsy The Day before yesterday I arrivd in this Place which is One hundred Miles from Philadelphia. The Congress had resolvd to adjourn here when it should become absolutely necessary and not before. This sudden Removal may perhaps be wonderd at by some of my Friends, but was not without the advice of Generals Putnam and Mifflin, who were at Philadelphia to take Measures for its Preservation from the Enemy. For my own part, I had been used to Alarms in my own Country, and did not see the Necessity of removing so soon, but I suppose I misjudgd because it was otherwise ruled. It must be confessed that deliberative Bodies should not sit in Places of Confusion. This was heightned by an unaccountable Backwardness in the People of the Jerseys and Pennsylvania to defend 2 See no. 244, note 2, ante. Cf. no. 280, post. [248]1 Md. Hist. Soc., Gilmor Papers, vol. III., div. 3. 2 See nos. 191, note 3, 205, 219-221, 226, ante. 8 See no. 244, note 2, ante. [249] N. Y. Pub. Lib., Samuel Adams Papers; Writings of Samuel Adams (ed. Cushing), III. 327. |