Deputy Commissary General (who is a very honest discreet man) is directed to purchase and store sufficient quantities of those articles and have them ready to deliver to your order 2 the highest price he had given for Corn when he wrote was half a Dollar per Bushel. Much depends upon your employing none but persons of Strict Integrity, and great prudence and discretion in your department otherwise the greatest Frauds and peculation may take place. your Credit, and I fear the public Interest has suffered much from your employing a Gentleman in this place to purchase provisions. there are great Complaints against him that he gives very exorbitant prices and that the prices of articles have been much increased by his indiscretion I have no personal knowledge of these things but they are publicly talked of by persons of the best Credit. Congress did not think proper to displace him because he is your Deputy and you accountable for his conduct, but the President was twice directed by Congress to inform you of the complaints. Mr Wharton is the person. Enclosed is a Copy of an Advertisement Posted up by one of his Deputies. It is said that last winter Mr Wharton made public declaration in this City that he was employed to purchased a large Quantity of Rum for the Army and the highest price would be given, and that he gave like notice to the people in the Country as to the purchase of Pork and Beef and other provisions. I don't know on what terms you employ people but sure I am it will not do to employ them to purchase on Commissions unless you limit the prices: For the greater prices they give the more will be their profits, which is such a temptation as an honest man would not wish to be led into.* A Gentleman at Baltimore has made proposals for supplying the army by Contract at a certain price per ration not to risque more than his own time and trouble. He has also proposed another plan by which all the provisions for the Army and those purchased for exportation either by the public or private merchants should go through the same hands, so that they may govern the prices by not interfering one with another. a Copy of both are Enclosed I wish to have your opinion on them and whether you would be willing to undertake in either way. I am one of a Committee to whom it is referred. Mr Smith of Baltimore and Mr Gerry are the other two we thought it not best to do any thing upon it 'till we knew your thoughts on the Subject. I wish you would write to me whether you think either of those ways preferable to the present mode. P. S. General Schuyler about 2 months ago transmitted to Congress the Copy of a letter published in Gain's New York Paper, said to be 2 See the Journals, Mar. 29. 8 The enclosure referred to is a copy of an advertisement of George Eichelberger. * See no. 324, ante, and the Journals, Jan. 29, Mar. 14, Apr. 18, 26, June 26. 5 The Baltimore gentleman was William Buchanan. See the Journals, Feb. 20. He was elected deputy commissary-general of purchases June 18, and commissarygeneral of purchases Aug. 5, after the resignation of Joseph Trumbull. Cf. nos. 145, 162, 164, 165, 172, 175, 239, ante. The proposals for victualling the army are found with this letter. Written by you to Colo. Williams, and requested that Justice might be done to his Character, but no answer was returned he has lately repeated his Complaint, Complaining that Congress has not done him that Justice in the affair which they might and ought to have done, on which the President was desired to Inform him that it was improper for Congress to interfere in Disputes between officers in the Army, but that they ought to be settled agreable to the Rules of the Army-withal administring a Gentle reproof to him for the indecent Stile in which he wrote to Congress on that as well as some other Occasions. I am sorry your Letter was intercepted (if you wrote such a one)-though I think the authority of Gains Paper is not sufficient proof to support any charge whatever." Sir, R. S. 424. THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS (JOHN HANCOCK) TO THE GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND (THOMAS JOHNSON, JR.).1 PHILADELPHIA April 2d 1777 You will perceive from the inclosed Copy of a Letter from General Washington that the Information it contains is of the most serious Nature, and that our Enemies are meditating an Invasion of the State of Maryland. In this Situation of Affairs, I am earnestly to request you will take such Measures, as will have a Tendency to Defeat their designs, should any Attempts be made in Consequence of this Intelligence The inclosed Resolve of Congress respecting the removal of the public Stores to the places therein mentioned, I am to request you will pay the utmost Attention to, and give orders for removing the same as soon as possible.2 Sir 425. WILLIAM ELLERY TO THE GOVERNOR OF RHODE ISLAND PHILADELPHIA, Apl 6th, 1777. Inclosed is a Resolve of Congress respecting your granting Commissions, which I transmit because in the Multiplicity of the Presidents Business it may be forgot by him. I laid the Paragraph of your Letter which related to that point before Congress immediately upon the Receipt of your Letter. Congress did nothing in the Matter which amounted to an Acquiescence. A Day or Two ago a Letter from the President of So. Carolina was read in Congress representing that for the Want of Commissions Instructions etc. he had issued Commissions, and 6 See no. 287, note 4, ante; also the Journals, Mar. 12, 15. Schuyler's second letter referred to is that of Feb. 4. See no. 410, ante. [424]1 Md. Hist. Soc., Red Book, VI. 26 (copy); Arch. of Md., XVI. 196. 2 See the Journals, Apr. 2. Cf. Pa. Arch., first ser., V. 289. Washington's letter of Mar. 31 is ibid., V. 290, and Arch. of Md., XVI. 197. Cf. ibid., XVI. 206. [425]1 R. I. Arch., Letters to the Governors, 1777, p. 59; Staples, R. I. in Cont. Cong., p. 124; Hist. Mag., XVIII. 47. desiring that a Resolve might pass which might give Validity to his Commissions. This brought to my Mind your granting Commissions, and induced me to move the Resolve which is now inclosed. If Cont'l Commissions should be wanted you will send for them in Time. . . . . 426. JOHN ADAMS TO MRS. ADAMS.1 PHILADELPHIA, 6 April, 1777. You have had many rumors propagated among you which I suppose you know not how to account for. One was, that Congress, the last summer, had tied the hands of General Washington, and would not let him fight, particularly on the White plains. This report was totally groundless. Another was, that at last, Congress untied the General, and then he instantly fought and conquered at Trenton. This also was without foundation, for as his hands were never tied, so they were not untied. Indeed, within a few days past, a question has been asked Congress, to the surprise, I believe, of every member there, whether the General was bound by the advice of a council of war? No member of Congress, that I know of, ever harbored or conceived such a thought. "Taking the advice of a council of war" are the words of the General's instructions, but this meant only, that councils of war should be called and their opinions and reasons demanded, but the General, like all other commanders of armies, was to pursue his own judgment after all." Another report, which has been industriously circulated, is, that the General has been made by Congress, dictator. But this is as false as the other stories. Congress, it is true, upon removing to Baltimore, gave the General power to raise fifteen battalions, in addition to those which were ordered to be raised before, and to appoint the officers, and also, to raise three thousand horse, and to appoint their officers, and also, to take necessaries for his army, at an appraised value. But no more. Congress never thought of making him dictator, or of giving him a sovereignty. I wish I could find a correspondent, who was idle enough to attend to every report, and write it to me. Such false news, uncontradicted, does more or less harm. Such a collection of lies would be a curiosity for posterity. The report you mention in your last, that the British administration had proposed to Congress a treaty and terms, is false, and without a color. On the contrary, it is now more than ever past a doubt, that their fixed determination is, conquest and unconditional subjugation. But there will be many words and blows too, before they will accomplish their wishes. Poor, abandoned, infatuated nation! Infatuation is one of the causes to which great historians ascribe many events, and if it ever produced any effect, it has produced this war against America. 2 See the Journals, Apr. 4, 5. [426]1 Familiar Letters, p. 255. 2 See the Journals, Mar. 24. The question was propounded to Congress by Washington through General Greene. See ibid., Mar. 21. 3 See the Journals, Dec. 12, 27, 1776. Cf. nos. 268, 275-277, 284, ante. The number of additional battalions authorized, Dec. 27, was sixteen, not fifteen. My Friend, 427. JOHN ADAMS TO JAMES WARREN.1 PHILADELPHIA, April 6, 1777 The Business of the naval and marine Department will I hope be soon put in a better Train than it has been. A Board of Assistants has been appointed here consisting of three Gentlemen, not Members of Congress, whose whole Time is devoted to the Service, Mr. Hopkinson, Coll. Nixon and Mr. John Wharton are the Men. The first is a Gentleman of Letters, the second an able Merchant, the third an eminent shipwright.2 There is a Talk off appointing a similar Board at Boston and a Commissioner at every considerable Port in N. England. Who would be proper Persons for those Places? They should be well acquainted with Navigation. They should be well informed in Trade. They should be Men of Character and Credit." The Marine Committee have lately recd. Letters from Captn Thompson, McNeal and several others, pointing out Defects, Abuses and Mismanagements, and proposing Plans of Improvement, Redress and Reformation. These will do good. This is the Way to have things go right; for Officers to correspond constantly with Congress and communicate their Sentiments freely.5. [427]1 Warren-Adams Letters, I. 312. 2 See the Journals, Nov. 6, 13, 18, 1776. See also C. O. Paullin, The Navy of the American Revolution, pp. 96-101. * See the Journals, Apr. 19, May 3, 6, and nos. 449, 457, 459, 480, 485, post. Another letter from Adams to Warren, written in the evening of the same day (Warren-Adams Letters, I. 310), discusses marine affairs, and should be read in connection with this letter. Following is the significant part of it: "Complaints are frequently brought here from Boston and from Providence concerning the Continental Agents and other Officers. I am sorry for this, but cannot help it. At Providence I fear, by what I have lately heard, there has been a System of Selfishness, and at Boston of Incapacity. I had the Honour of belonging to the first Naval Committee, which set all our maritime agoing; and they did it with a Vigour, Assiduity and Dispatch, which precluded all Censure and Complaint: But I went home last December was twelve Month, and Advantage was taken of that Opportunity, one or two other Members being absent at the same Time-Coll. Lee went home, and Gadsden and Langdon and Deane was left out-to choose a new Committee. Since which there has been nothing but Languor, Censure and Complaint. Upon my Return they did me the Honour to put me upon the Board of War, which takes up my whole Time, every Morning and Evening, and renders it totally impossible for me to look into the marine Department, which if I had Leisure to do, ignorant as I am of every Rope in the Ship, I would perish if I did not put that Department in a respectable order. There is nothing wanting but some one Person whose Vigour, Punctuality, and Constancy, should draw the Committee together every morning and Evening, direct their Attention to the Object, and keep it fixed there. . . . . The Fracas between Manley and McNeal had reached this Place before your Letter, hope it will do good." (Cf. Warren-Adams Letters, I. 304, 311, 312, 317, 319, 329, 350, 372; also no. 624, post.) Adams appears thus early to have fallen into some errors of recollection as regards the marine committee. Similar errors found in his autobiographical statements, written many years later, have been pointed out in the preceding volume of these Letters (see vol. I., no. 316, note 3, and no. 390, note 2), where the principal stages in the development of the marine committee are mentioned. Adams was probably a member of the committee appointed Oct. 5, 1775, "to prepare a plan for intercepting two vessels", but he was not a member of the committee appointed Oct. 13 to execute the plan. When, however, the plan was enlarged, Oct. 30, and the membership of the committee was increased from three to seven, Adams became a member of this enlarged naval committee. This was not, however, the permanent or standing marine committee. The latter was 428. WILLIAM WHIPPLE TO JOSIAH BARTLETT.1 My Dear Sir, PHILADELPHIA 7th Apl 1777 N. York I expect will give an Infinity of trouble, a long letter was laid this morning before Congress from that Convention respecting the N. Hampshire Grants. a deputation is also arrived from the Green Mountain Boys, but their matters are not yet laid before Congress2 I sho'd not much care if the Devil had them all What advantage could have arisen from a compliance with Genl. Lee's Request? Genl Howe certainly would not agree to the conference unless he Expected to reap some advantage by it he surely wod not permit an interview that cod possibly opperate to his disadvantage. if he has powers to treat with America as Independent States, the door is always open for him. we know very well he has no new powers, nor nothing to offer but Pardon on submission at the same time that we cod receive no possible Benefit by complying with the Request, the Enemy wod profit much by it. A Packet wod be immediately dispatched, and all the Courts in Europe amus'd with our negociations and the strongest assurences given that peace wod soon take place in America. this was the use made of the Conference last faul by which means the stores that are now arriving, have been delayed at least 4 months. The insidious designs were so very evident that there was not a single advocate for the measure. I am very glad I am like to be relieved and hope it will be by the Gentn. you mention since you are determined not to spend another summer in Phila3-I hope they will be here by the middle of may. Please to present my Respects to all Friends and be ass[ured] you have the best wishes of Your very affecte Friend and Humle Sert 429. BENJAMIN RUSH, DIARY.1 WM. WHIPPLE The declaration of independance was said to have divided and weakened the colonies. The contrary of this was the case. Nothing but the created Dec. 14. (In the appendix to the Journals, vol. VI., the committee of Dec. 11 is erroneously given as the standing marine committee.) Of this committee Adams was not a member, for he had taken his leave Dec. 9. Adams seems to have confused the creation of the new committee, Dec. 14, with the filling of vacancies, Mar. 6, 1776. Moreover, he is in error in suggesting that he was absent when these vacancies were filled; he had returned to Congress Feb. 9. John Langdon was a member with Adams of the earlier naval committee (he was appointed Oct. 13, 1775), but was not a member of the standing marine committee. [428] Dartmouth College Lib., Bartlett Corr., vol. I., 1774-1778. 2 A petition from the inhabitants of the New Hampshire Grants was presented to Congress Apr. 8. See also the Journals, June 23, 25, 28, 30, and nos. 431, 445, 453, 464, 465, 524, 526, 532, 533, post. Concerning the New York letters, see the Journals, Apr. 7, and cf. no. 406, ante, and nos. 431, 445, 453, 464, 465, 524, 526, 532, 534, post. See nos. 366, 367, 371, 376, 386, 390, 395, 403, 404, 407, ante. [429]1 Library Company of Philadelphia, Ridgway Branch, Rush MSS. |