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Service under a Resolution rend [er]ing them incapable of serving in any of the States in any Capacity civil or Military. this Resolution produced humble Petitions from the whole. they are now reinstated and I suppose Business will go forward again.2 a Combination of Surgeons in the Fleet treated in the same manner.3

560A. CHARLES THOMSON, NOTES OF Debates.1

July 26, 1777

Mr. Serg[eant].2 move to send G. G. to Comd. in the North" departmt. Seconded by Mr. Rob.-u Reasons adduced. G. S. is unpopular Milit have not confid in him. G- popular and

Harrison thinks this is delicate gr°. Our Affrs. critical. However unpop. S. may be elsewhere, always understood he was very pop. in his own Country remove him, you disoblige that whole country and risque the entire loss of it. Has no objectn. to an inquiry into the cond. of Sincl- who lost Ti. if S is on enquiry found involved, has no objection. But why remove one off. because another behavd. amiss or is unfortunate

S. Adams. in favr. of motn. with an amendmt. and for the reasns. adducd. knows G. is pop. in East". St. C. M. [?] thinks he is pop. in NY. grnds blf on adrss of Cnvn of N. Y.

Chase. agst it. Ti. lost not thro fault of gnrls, but for wnt men. En's 7000 Sin but 2000-not suff. to dfnd post. these not well armd. It wl. disgr officers with just found. disgr. Congr, who lately sent Sch to that commd.

Wilson. seconds mot. for inqy. opposes the other from motiv policy justice and publ utility. To arg. unpop. A man may be unpop because virt.

Serg[eant]. supports his mot. spoke long-ansr arg. agst pop those drawn from justice policy delicacy. paints the prest. situa. adduced G Sch's letters in proof. A change cant hrt. it may do good.

Dyer. All not qualfd. for all posts. thinks Sch. endowed of m3 val quals. but not distingd. for mility. abilities. he has not talents for

2 See the Journals, May 15, July 23, 24, 28. The letter was evidently not finished until after the action of Congress on the 28th.

3 A memorial from the surgeons of the vessels in Philadelphia was presented to Congress May 15, and referred to the marine committee. No further record is found in the Journals, unless the action of July 16 relates to this memorial. [560 A]1 Library of Congress.

2 Here, and also below, Thomson abbreviates the name to "Serg". Roberdeau is uniformly Rob.-u"; Samuel Adams is set down, below, as "S. Adms"; John Adams appears once (in no. 562A, post) as "J. Ad"; Schuyler usually appears as Sch" (sometimes as "S"); and St. Clair is Sincl" or Sin". "G. G." in the first para

66

graph is General Gates, and "G. S." is General Schuyler.

8 Militia have not confidence in him.

4 Conduct of St. Clair, who lost Ticonderoga.

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Probably for Connecticut and Massachusetts: that is, Gates is popular in

the Eastern States, especially in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

• Grounds belief on address of convention of New York.

7 Enemy's [forces] 7000, St. Clair's but 2000.

8 It will disgrace officers without just foundation.

Many valuable qualities.

governg. an army and therefore unpop. It is no crime not to have talents. It is no supposit. of a crime to remove one who is unfortunate, or unqualified. Pitt recalled many officers last war with impeaching them The quitting Ti. unpop. Smallness of gar". and numb. of Eny not a suff justific. in opin". of people. Abercromby [with]1o 16000 was defeated at same place by 3000. But suppose abil and integry. and admit a genl unfortun. it wd. be proper to change him.

Burke. thot. this inconsid. motn. wd. not have been deemd worthy debate. Evy membr. must kno the Genls have been guilty of no fault. It is fruitless to debate it farther. A majority of the house must see the impropriety of it and that no good and much ill must arise from it and therefore desires the question.

Folsom. 3 regemts. from N. H. well armed declares that from his knowledge and he had great opport. to know Sch is not pop. with either off. or soldiers who served last year; nay wt is worse, he hopes with good grnds, they have not confidence in him

Williams. confirms the want of Sch pop. in Conn.: mentions the joy of the people on Gates appmt. their apprehensions when Sch came to Cong. their grief when replaced.

Marchant. This Congr. depends upon the genl. Opin. of the people without attending to this we cannot support this cause. Has a grt. Opin of the Judgmt. of the people. it is genly. pure, uncorrupt and well founded. Sch unpop in his State and the Neighbg. states This Opin. not lately taken upon. Strongly rivetted ever since last war. Mila. will not serve under him. The Eny can only be opposed by the East: Mil. hence the necessity of recallg. him and placing at the head of the North". a man in wm that Milia. can have confid.

Lovel. is for

Duer. An army of the en" o Ind." at Oswego the frontier of Tryon from whence great part of the mil. come Ti an important frontr. on the other side given up. Three counties [have] revolted.12 A weak army ill provided ill disciplined to defend him. A well appointed victorious arm [y] entered the State. under these circumstances can it be supposed the Mil. wd. turn out. It is therefore owing to circumstances not to want of inf or popy in Sch.13 With regrd to Indns. it is well known success influences them.

Burke. went into the conduct of Sch and G to each other and of Cong. towrds. them. has no objectn. to inquiry but to recalling them. Clarke. for the motion with a small amendment.

J. Adams. gave an accot. of the diff. in the North". depart. and the steps taken to heal those diff: but without effect. As to his unpopu— knows it to be great in the eastern States: thinks he is not so popular 11 as represented even in his own State A late instance proves, when

10 The cipher here is "o"; similarly, in the remarks of Duer, below.

11 Enemy with Indians.

12 Here, and in the remarks of J. Adams, below, the cipher "V" is used.

18 Influence or popularity in Schuyler.

14 The word "great" is erased and "popular" substituted.

another carried an election agst.15 notwithstanding all the pains Cong [have] tken by res. to splice his chrctr. The evil genius of N. D.16

Motion made and seconded to postpone. Question put. carried in the affirmative."7

561. NATHANIEL FOLSOM TO THE PRESIDENT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.1 PHILADELPHIA July 26th. 1777

Sir

I arrived here in good Health the 20th. being stopt two days on the Road by foul wather: I Performed the journey in 12 Days. on my joining the Congress I found them worried with Petitions from a grate Number of French gentlemen for commissions to serve in our army to be made generals and none less then Colonels and that our agents in france and general Washington in the camp were not less troubled with them.2

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The first oppurtunity we had we presented the Petition of Mr. Phillbrook and that of our State to the Consideration of Congress which was referred to the treasury board and this morning we are to have a hearing before them. By what we Can learn from the members and the exhausted state of the Treasury, at this Time we despair of success on the Petition of the State, tho it seems to be the wish of Congress that the same thing which is asked by us might be done with each of the thirteen United States. However if we should fail now we shall embrace the first favourable oppurtunity to try them again and do every thing in our Power to accomplish so desirable an end. I am not without hopes of obtaining a grant for Mr. Phillbrook as at Present I have heard no objection to it.

The Loss of Ticonderoga considerably alarmed Congress as they were informed but a Little Time before by General St. Clair that it wase in a good state of defence an Enquiry into that affair is thought necessary.* By Intelligence from ouer guards near New York we learn that Lord and General Howe sailed from that place with the most of the army on wensday the 23d. Inst: it is generaly thought fore some part of New England I am Sir

with the greatest Respect

Honl. Meshek Wear Esqr.

Yr. most obedt. huml. Servent
NATHL. FOLSOM

15 First written: "when he was outvoted". If this means that Schuyler was defeated in the election of delegates to Congress it is an error. Schuyler was re-elected by the convention of New York May 13 (see the credentials, in the Journals, May 29). 16 Northern Department.

17 See no. 562A, post. There is no intimation in the Journals of the discussion, July 26 and 28, of the question of replacing Schuyler with Gates; but letters of New England delegates (see nos. 553-556, ante) had already suggested that they were laying plans to this end. See also no. 561, post.

[561]1 Me. Hist. Soc., Revolution, no. 2; N. H. State Papers, VIII. 647.

2 See the Journals, July 21; also no. 559, ante.

3 Joseph Philbrick. See the Journals, July 24.

4 See no. 560A, ante, and no. 562A, post.

My dear Sir

562. SAMUEL ADAMS TO PAUL REVERE,1

PHILADE July 28 1777

I receivd your favor of the 26th of June and also one from Colo Crafts 2 of the same Date. I wrote to him by the Return of the Post and desired him to communicate the Contents to you. I conversd with Mr. J. A 3 upon the Subject of your Letter, and we venturd, both of us, to step out of the Line of strict order in a Debate in Congress the other day, to bring your Regiment of Artillery into View. It occasiond a Conversation in the House in which we had a Opportunity of acquainting the Members of the long Standing of that Regiment and the Seniority of its Officers. But still it was considerd as a Regiment raisd by a State and not by the Continent. And though we caused the Merit of it to be well understood and it was acknowledgd in the House, the Difficulty of altering the Regulation you refer to appeard so evidently in the Minds of the Gentlemen, that we waved making any Motion at that time, because we apprehended that the Issue would be unfavorable. Indeed I am of Opinion that Congress will not be induced to make the Alteration you wish for, until it shall become a Continental Regiment. In that Case, I am apt to think there would be no Difficulty with Regard to the Seniority of other Regiments which have been raisd since, over yours. But till that is done, it is feared that an Alteration in this Instance would cause Discontent in other States, where it is said there are Instances similar. A Regiment of Artillery raisd in this State under Command of Colo Procter was lately taken into Continental Service and the Commissions were dated at the time they were raisd. It was upon this Occasion that Colo Crafts Regiment was mentiond; and I suppose that Regiment wd be admitted on the same terms. But I think I foresee an insuperable Obstacle in that Case. If any thing can be done consistently with the general Service, to show Honor, but especially to do Justice to the Regiment of Artillery in Boston, I shall not fail to push it as far as I may have Influence.

562A. CHARLES THOMSON, NOTES OF DEBATES.1

Monday question resumed."

[July 28, 1777.]

Duane. Before this question is decided, all the reso. of Con. the lettrs. from the Genls. should be read Light wanted. A fault some where. enq shd. be made to see whether pt. of the fault is not here. Before any censure is passed on the genls it shod be preceded by a res. that Con have done everything that out to be done. This an unusual attack more alarm as formed by a combination of 4 States. Apprehends arises from resentmt or private views

[562]1 Writings (ed. Cushing), III. 393; N. Y. Pub. Lib., Samuel Adams Papers. 2 Thomas Crafts, colonel of the regiment of which Paul Revere was lieutenantcolonel. See E. H. Goss, Life of Paul Revere, I. 278-282.

3 John Adams.

Col. Thomas Proctor. See the Journals, June 20, July 14, 15, 19.

[562 A]1 Library of Congress.

2 See no. 560A, ante.

J. Ad[ams.] set memb. rit with respect to combination. The 4 St. did not move it and he moved an amt.

Rob[erdea]u disclaimed combination. laments divisions. Has no view to injure any character. But thinks it necessary to recal the 2 off. but is willing it be done in the easiest man and most agreeable to them and th' frds.

Williams. disclaimed combinations. believes the assertions of member from N. Y. that he is not influenced by resentmt or partial, private motives, and thinks he shd. give like credit to others. declares he has no resentmt no private views. Acknowledge 4 States have not conf.* thinks regard shd. be paid to their joint desire of a change in the off[icers].

Gerry. has not heard the argumts. but thinks it proper. Everything in disorder. Can only be put right by change Gates has shewn wt he can do. Collected shattered remains of army last year under every disadvantg. reduced it to order. repulsed the enemy.

Wilson. Against the motion Thinks it unjust. acknowledges fault somewhere. The Genls. part. Sch. not to blame. fault in East. S. Attack of Quebec begins of misf. owing to the troops refusing to continue after time expired This common to troops of all the states The sending 3 reg. from Cambridge opposed by Del. from East states and troops ordered not sent forward in time hence misfort. continued. The levies for this camp". not raised in time nor properly armed cause of present misf. The want of pop: an ill timed object. agst Sch. shod have been urged before he was last sent up.

Sergeant. provoked at being accused of combing. scorns the charge. Speaks and acts his own sentimts reit. his object. ag. Sch. enumerates complnts agst. him is interrupted by Duer, on mentiong Sch's keeping a store of goods at Alb. proceeds repeats wt he has heard thinks it propr. these Accusa. whethe[r] true or false shd. be known. The Opin" of off. and sol. respectg his abil. as genl. The Genl. Answr. Good Qr. Mr. etc."

postponed till to morrow. [July 29] Question resumed.

563. WILLIAM DUER TO PHILIP SCHUYLER.1

My dear Friend:

[PHILADELPHIA] 29th. July 1777.

I have experienced extreme uneasiness in not hearing from you since the loss of Ticonderoga, and hardly know how to account for your silence.

& Officers; that is, Schuyler and St. Clair.

4 Confidence.

5 Eastern States.

• Reiterates his objections against Schuyler.

7 The meaning is, that inquiry of officers and soldiers for their opinions respecting the ability of Schuyler as a general brings the general answer that he is a good quartermaster.

8 If there was a similar discussion of the question on July 29, Thomson failed to record it. The Journals merely show that the inquiry was ordered. See nos. 563-566, 568-572, 574, 579, 580, post.

[56311 N. Y. Pub. Lib., Bancroft Coll., Schuyler Papers, no. 355 (copy).

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