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416. WILLIAM WHIPPLE TO JOHN LANGDON.1

My Dear Sir,

PHILADELPHIA 24th. March 1777

We have been in great want of arms to put in the hands of the new levies and were this day considering of means to obtain them, when in the midst of debate on that subject, news were brought us that 11,000 stand and a number of locks was that minute arrived; this is the most lucky circumstance that could have happened. This vessel is from Nantz and had a long passage. She brings no public news nor have I yet heard of any private.2

Dear Sir,

417. JOHN ADAMS TO JAMES WARREN.1

PHILADELPHIA, March 24, 1777.

This Morning a Vessell has arrived in this City with 6800 stand of excellent Arms and 1500 Gun Locks, belonging to Congress, and 1500 more private Property. These last We have ordered to be bought.

This News you may depend on. The Letters were brought into Congress, in the Midst of a Debate concerning a Resolution to impower the General to procure Arms wherever he could find them.*

Thus it is. On how many Occasions when We have been unable to see any Way to help ourselves has Providence sent Us an unexpected Relief! Thus it has been, and thus it will be. I am, etc.,

Sir,

JOHN ADAMS

418. THE COMMITTEE OF SECRET CORRESPONDENCE TO THE
COMMISSIONERS IN PARIS.1

PHILADELPHIA March 25, 1777

We are commanded by Congress to transmit Copies of their Resolve of the 13 instant to all the Gentlemen abroad that hold correspondance with any of their Committees The Necessity of such a resolution and due attention to it, is fully evinced by the heavy expence america has been put to by many Gentlemen received into their Service, who have found it impossible to render themselves usefull for want of the Language and we think this the most likely means to save others the charge and trouble of a long voyage, as well as the mortification of being disapointed in their expectations.

[416]1 Library of Congress, Force Trans., Whipple, p. 315; Harvard Univ. Lib., Sparks Coll., no. 52, vol. II., p. 1781.

2 See the Journals, Mar. 24; cf. nos. 417, 421, post.

[417]1 Warren-Adams Letters, 1. 306.

2 See the Journals (p. 197); cf. no. 416, ante. See also Robert Morris to John Jay, Apr. 1, Correspondence of Jay, I. 125.

[418] Am. Phil. Soc., Franklin Papers, vol. V. (11.), no. 122.

You will therefore serve all such and oblige us by discouraging their coming to America for Military employments

[Addressed :] To

We are Sir

2

Your Obed. Servants

By order of the Committee of Secret Correspondence

The Honorable Doctr Benjn Franklin

Silas Deane and Arthur Lee Esqrs.

Paris

Dear Sir

ROBT MORRIS

419. ELBRIDGE GERRY TO JOSEPH TRUMBULL.1

PHILADELPHIA March 26. 1777

I am favoured wth yours of the 10th. and as far as Time will permit Shall reply to the several Matters therein hinted.

With respect to General Arnold, he is considered by Congress as a brave and deserving Officer, and had it been possible to have proceeded in the line of Succession in appointing officers would undoubtedly have been promoted. This cannot be done with°. giving great Dissatisfaction to the States that had no officers in the army in the beginning of the War; who claim a Right to their proportion, agreable to the Number of Men wch. they furnish for the Service, of Major and Brig. Generals. The principles of appointmt. are therefore reduced to three Heads, and a Regard will be had to each of these, "the present Rank of the officers, their Merit, and the proportion already mentioned ", and upon the two first I think General Arnold will meet a timely promotion.2

I am informed that upon a report of the Board of War upon your Brother's Letter, Congress discovered a Resentment at the disrespectful Freedom expressed therein, and would not consent to give him a Comm. of an earlier Date. I think he had a Right to his Claim, but cannot altogether approve of the Stile in which he addressed the Legislative authority of the Continent. It is the fixed Determination of Congress to preserve the civil above the military, and the authority of that will not be surrendered, should it be necessary to disband the army in preserving the same. Your Friends will endeavour to reconcile the Matter, and if Meas

2 See the Journals, Mar. 13, 14, 19, and nos. 136, 360A, 407, 410, ante, 489, 501, note 2, post. [419]1 Conn. State Lib., Joseph Trumbull Papers, no. 72.

2 See Washington to Richard Henry Lee, Mar. 6 (Writings, ed. Sparks, IV. 251), Arnold to Washington, Mar. 26 (Letters to Washington, ed. Sparks, I. 359), and Washington to Arnold, Apr. 3 (Writings, ed. Sparks, IV. 377). Arnold was elected major-general May 2, 1777, in recognition of his conduct at Danbury. See the Journals, May 2, Aug. 8, Nov. 12, 29, and nos. 476, 497, 582, 583, 585, 607, post. In accordance with instructions of Congress, Nov. 29, Washington sent to Arnold, Jan. 20, 1778, a new commission. See Washington's Writings (ed. Ford), VI. 289, (ed. Sparks), V. 215. According to Heitman, Historical Register, Arnold's commission bore date of Feb. 17, 1777. Concerning the principles of promotion, see nos. 363-365, 372, 376, 392, ante.

ures should be adopted by your Brother to explain and set it right, which by revising his Letter might to him appear expedient, I think they will be able to obtain their Wishes."

Your proposals relative to a Q. M. G. cannot be attended to at present, as General Mifflin is desired to retain the office. When he can be spared, an attention will be paid to the Gentleman whom you mention.

I am glad to hear of your Success in procuring Supplies, and wish that Measures may be immediately pursued to provide Gardens for Supplying the army daily with Vegetables, and also to procure large Quantities of Vinegar. Without these the Soldiery will be sickly and dispirited and the Service injured, if not ruined-pray attend to them as Matters of the last Importance-few Men can subsist upon Bread, Meat, and Water. Your Application for Cash was immediately attended to, as the Treasury had recovered from the Inconveniences wch. resulted from the adjournmt. to Baltimore."

Your application to Congress relative to your Salary shall be considered by the Treasury this week and reported to Congress as soon [as] determined.".

Colo Trumbull.

Sir:

420. WILLIAM ELLERY TO THE GOVERNOR OF RHODE ISLAND (NICHOLAS COOKE).1

PHILADELPHIA March 30th, 1777.

Agreeable to the Directions in your Letter, by Messrs. Greene and Howell I have exerted myself to the utmost of my Power and have been happy enough, by the kind Offices of the President and others in Consequence of my Application, to procure a very great Part of the Ballance due to the State of Rhode Island, etc. which I wish may go safe to our Treasury. The Commrs. will inform you into the unhappy Cause of their Detention; they will also acquaint you with the monie they paid Messrs. Purviances out off the monie received from the Treasurer in Baltimore, and when it was expected that Capt. Coffin would sail, and with every Article of Intelligence. If the Monies paid by them to the Purivances should not amount to the Ballance of their Account, I shall improve that Circumstance to obtain a Resolve for an additional Sum, and take the Money along with me, if I can, when I return to our State..

3

See nos. 123, 124, 331, 415, ante, 466, 496, post.

4 Cf. nos. 145, 162, 166, 266, ante, 450, post.

5 See the Journals, Mar. 15.

6 See the Journals, June 10 (p. 448) and 16. Cf. no. 175, ante.

[420]1 R. I. Arch., Letters to the Governors, 1777, p. 51; Staples, R. I. in Cont. Cong., p. 123.

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2 See nos. 394, 405, ante; also no. 538, post. The unhappy cause of their detention was probably the interval between the adjournment of Congress from Baltimore and its reassembling in Philadelphia.

3 Capt. Charles Coffin. See the Journals, Apr. 16.

Dear Sir,

2

421. JOHN ADAMS TO JAMES WARREN.1

PHILADELPHIA, March 31, 1777

We have this day received Letters from Europe, of an interesting Nature. We are under Injunctions of Silence concerning one very important Point: and indeed I don't know how far I am at Liberty concerning some others: but thus much I may venture to communicate: That We have an offer of three Millions of Livres in Specie, without Interest, and to be paid when We shall be settled in Peace and Independence; that all Europe wish Us well, excepting only Portugal and Russia; that all the Ports of France and Spain and Italy and all the Ports in the Mediterranean, excepting Portugal, are open to our Privateers and Merchant Ships. That there is no danger of our wanting Arms or Ammunition for the future-between six and seven hundred Barrells of Powder having arrived in Maryland, and indeed, We had plenty of Powder before. In short, my Friend, altho We have many grievous Things to bear, and shall have more; yet there is nothing wanting but Patience. Patience and Perseverance, will carry Us through this mighty Enterprize-an Enterprize that is and will be an Astonishment to vulgar Minds all over the World, in this and in future Generations. An Enterprize however, which, Faithfullness to our Ancestors who have sett Us Examples of Resistance to Tyranny, Faithfullness to the present and future Generations, whose Freedom depend upon it laid us under every moral and religious obligation to undertake. Our Accounts from Europe are that great Preparations are making for War and that every Thing tends to that Object, but when or where, or how Hostilities will commence is yet unknown. France and Spain, will act in concert and with perfect Amity, neither will take any Step without the other.

The American Ministers abroad, advise Us to exert ourselves in every Respect, as if We were to receive no Assistance from abroad. This is certainly good Advice and if We have Wisdom enough to follow it, a Division by a War in Europe will be a more effectual Relief to us." I am, etc.

[421]1 Warren-Adams Letters, I. 307.

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2 They were probably Arthur Lee's letter of Jan. 3 (practically identical with that of Dec. 31), Franklin's letter of Jan. 4, and that of Franklin, Deane, and Lee, dated Jan. 17 (Wharton, Rev. Dipl. Corr., II. 242, 244. 248). A paragraph which appeared in the Pennsylvania Packet, Apr. 8, and in the Pennsylvania Gazette, Apr. 9, suggests all three of these letters: By the last advices from France we learn that Arthur Lee, Esq. who is appointed by the United States to act in concert with Dr. Franklin, was arrived at that court, where he with the Doctor were received and treated with all respect shewn to European Ambassadors, and that they have already negotiated a loan of two million livres, for and on account of the United States." Cf. no. 422, 423, post; also Samuel Adams to his wife, Apr. 1 (Writings, III. 367), and Richard Henry Lee to Patrick Henry, Apr. 7 (Letters, I. 268).

3 Cf. no. 409, ante.

Sir

422. ROGER SHERMAN TO JONATHAN TRUMBULL, JR.1 PHILADELPHIA April 1, 1777

I received your favour of the 20th Ultimo. am sorry to hear that the recruiting service goes on so slow in Connecticut at this time when we ought to have an Army in the Field sufficient to subdue the Enemy. General Gates is ordered to Tycondaroga. he sets out to morrow. It is not determined what other General officers are to be sent there. General St Clair is talked of for one.2 Congress has this Day passed some resolutions for regulating the payment of the army which are ordered to be published in the News Papers. The Pay of the Assistant Paymasters in the Northern Department was this Day augmented to forty Dollars per month and 3 rations per Day. The Pay of the Regimental Paymasters is the same—that was fixed last Saturday the 29th Ult. We have Letters from our Ambassadors at Foreign Courts as late as the 27th of January. The accounts are favourable beyond our expectation. they have been offered the loan of large sums of money without Interest to be repaid when these States shall be settled in Peace. It was not certainly known whether a war would soon take place between France and Great Britain, tho' very probable.*. . .

5

I shall move to have a further supply of Money immediately sent to Albany. I should think it advisable for you to return there as soon as your affairs will admit.

Sir,

423. ROGER SHERMAN TO JOSEPH TRUMBULL.1

PHILADELPHIA April 2d. 1777.

I suppose the President has informed you what was done in Virginia relative to the purchase of Flour and Indian Corn. William Aylet Esqr.

[422]1 Conn. Hist. Soc., Papers of Jonathan Trumbull, jr., vol. II., no. 77.

2 See the Journals, Mar. 25, Apr. 1, 29. The resolve ordering St. Clair to Ticonderoga was passed the same day on which this letter was written.

3 See the Journals, Mar. 29, Apr. 1; cf. no. 412, ante.

4 "Letters from France of the 21st January bring many pleasing intelligences. Some part must not yet be communicated. Two millions of livres are in bank in Paris, ready to answer our drafts. France and Spain are exceedingly friendly to us." Thomas Burke to Governor Caswell, Apr. 1, 1777, N. C. State Recs., XI. 437. Cf. no. 421, note 2, ante, 436, 439, 470, 473, post. Burke and Sherman appear to have in mind particularly the letter of Franklin, Deane, and Lee, dated Jan. 17, with a postscript of January 22 (Wharton, Rev. Dipl. Corr., II. 248). What letters from the commissioners had been received by the committee of secret correspondence cannot be determined from the Journals; Feb. 2 nothing later than Deane's letter of Oct. I had been received (see the committee to the commissioners, Wharton, Rev. Dipl. Corr., II. 258). The Journals mention, Feb. 24 (erased entry), letters from Deane dated Oct. 8 and 25, and on Mar. 19 one from Franklin dated Dec. 8. The next record in the Journals is June 3, mentioning letters of Nov. 27 and Feb. 6, brought by Du Coudray, although a letter of May 2 (no. 473, post) from the committee of foreign affairs, successor of the committee of secret correspondence, mentions the receipt, "about the middle of April", of letters of Feb. 6 and 8. See, further, the Journals, June 3, 30, Aug. 1, 2, 3. Sherman's letter to Joseph Trumbull, Apr. 2 (no. 423), post, contains a fuller statement of foreign

news.

5 See the Journals, Apr. 8.

[423]1 Conn. Hist. Soc., Joseph Trumbull Papers.

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