feel for the salvation of thirteen plantations 1700 Miles long and at a distance of a Thousand Leagues. with submission I think our Treaties have been prematurely offered. proposals should have commenced on the other side or if on ours not plumply by a Schedule of all we would yield... .... 15th Mr. Penn and Mr. Chew have been introduced by motion in Congress from a member as willing now to give their parole. the mode was objected to and after seven hours one day and four another wasted in debate a Letter from the former and a Memorial from the other Gentleman conceived in terms which after a gross affront, "I despise the Authority", would not have been admitted as satisfactory by a private Gentleman, have gained their point. Congress accepts their parol without concurrence of the Executive Council whose authority derived if not from a certain Law from recommendation of Congress had been contemned. private conversation between a Member of Congress and Secretary of Council is received for good evidence and is even entered upon the Journal altho contradicted by other Members who had conversed with Members of the Council.1 judge Sir from this Specimen, of our ability to keep the mighty Machine in its proper direction. My Colleagues see and own the justness of my Complaints and are as anxious to get away. what am I to do. I will do everything in my power for the Service of the particular State which I represent nor do I apprehend (from the giving and granting Spirit of the times) I shall meet difficulty in obtaining every proper consideration towards my Constituents but alas Sir what will this avail, unless by wiser management than I have yet been witness to, we conserve the whole System. Some of these intimations appear to me to be important and to merit the consideration of every man embarked in the great cause of American Liberty. Your Excellency will excuse what are not so and courteously accept the whole intended as a mark of Esteem and respect with which I have the honour to be etc. Dear Sir 587. NATHANIEL FOLSOM TO JOSIAH BARTLETT.1 PHILADELPHIA agust the 12th. 1777. I Recd. your Kind feavover of the first Instant in which you have Represented the Effect and Consequence that have taken Place with the People at Large by the Loss of that important fortrise tyconderoga, and I find them the Same that wase Expected by all the Newengland Dellegates, and mad use of in thaire arguements in Congress for the Recalling of the Generals Schyler and Sat Clare and for an inquirey in to thaire conduct for three Days togather abought Eighteen Days agoe, which wase most voilently aposed by the New york and Some of the Southern members, but at last Carried by a Large majorety, and a Committe appointed 13 See note 10, above; also the Journals, Aug. 13, 14, 28. Cf. no. 567, note 2, ante, nos. 619, 627, 630, 633, 634, post. [587]1 Dartmouth College Lib., Bartlett Corr., vol. I., 1774-1778. in Congress to report the mode of inquerey. General Gates is apinted to take the Comand in the northern Department and went off Last Thursday.2... Hows fleet waire Seen Last thursday forty five miles Southward of the Capes of the Deleware which ware the Last Congress heard of them his differant menovers have Puseld. us all Genl. Washington is now at Coroels feray with the bigest half of the armey waiteing the moshon of the Enemy. the Congres wood be Glad mr. how wood Come up the Deleware all most to a man because it Give you an oppertunety to Scurge those Sons of murder in the north. the wather here is Excedeing Hot the Post is waiteing. I am with Grate Respect your Humle. Servent NATHL, FOLSOM to Coll. Josiah Bartlet 588. CHARLES CARROLL OF CARROLLTON TO BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.' DOUHOREGAN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY 12th. August 1777 Dear Sir, P. S. In reading over my letter I find I have omitted some things, which you may be desirous to know; probably you will be informed of them by others, but lest you should not, I shall mention such as I think will be most interesting; indeed to a person 3000 miles off the most trifling circumstances are interesting. We have not yet confederated, but almost every member of Congress is anxious for a Confederacy, being sensible, that a Confederacy formed on a rational plan will certainly add much weight and consequence to the united States collectively and give great Security to each individually, and a credit also to our paper money: but I despair of such a confederacy, as ought, and would take place, if little and partial interests could be laid aside: very few, and immaterial, alterations will be made in the report of the Committee of the whole house; this is only my opinion, for we have made but very little progress in the house in that important affair; immediate and more pressing exigencies having 2 See no. 578, ante, and nos. 598, 609, 611, post. John Adams wrote to his wife Aug. 11 (Familiar Letters, p. 289): "We have given New England men what they will think a complete triumph in the removal of Generals from the northward and sending Gates there. hope every part of New England will now exert itself to its utmost efforts." Cornelius Harnett wrote to Governor Caswell Aug. II: "Gen. Gates is gone to take command of our army in the Northern Department, and we have great expectation from that Gentleman's military abilities that an immediate change will take place, as the New England people have a high esteem for him." N. C. State Recs, XI. 569. See also his letter to William Wilkinson, same date, ibid., XI. 748. The omitted passage relates to the letters recently received from the commissioners in Paris. See nos. 572, 576, 578, 586, ante. 3 See nos. 561, 578, ante. 4 Coryell's Ferry, on the Delaware River above Philadelphia. Washington's headquarters at this time were at Neshaminy Camp, in Bucks County, Pa., about twenty miles north of Philadelphia. [588] Am. Phil. Soc., Franklin Papers, vol. VI., (II.), no. 188; Rowland, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, I. 206. from time to time postponed the consideration of it to this day, when, I am informed, it is to be again resumed. If this war should be of any considerable duration, we shall want men to recruit our armies: could we engage 5 or 6 thousand men, Germans, Swiss, or the irish Brigade? I have mentioned this matter to several members of Congress, but they did not seem to relish the introduction of foreign mercenaries; I own it ought to be avoided, if possible.3. . . . This postscript is longer than my letter; excuse the length of both, and believe me to be Dr. Sir yr. affectionate hume. Servt. CH. CARROLL of Carrollton 2 The Journals do not record that Aug. 12 was set for considering the Confederation. On Aug. 16 consideration of the Articles was assigned for Monday, the 18th, but it does not appear in the Journals that they were taken up on that day, in fact not until Oct. 7. See nos. 528, note 2, 537, 556, 558, ante, and nos. 616, 631, 649, 659, 671, 679, post. Silas Deane wrote to the committee of secret correspondence Nov. 28, 1776: "I have been offered troops from Germany on the following general terms, viz: Officers to recruit as for the service of France and embark for St. Domingo from Dunkirk, and by altering their route land in the American States. The same has been proposed from Switzerland, to which I could give no encouragement, but submit it to your consideration in Congress whether, if you can establish a credit, as I have before hinted, it would not be well to purchase at Leghorn five or six stout frigates which might at once transport some companies of Swiss and a quantity of stores, and the whole be defended by the Swiss soldiers on their passage? Or, if you prefer Germans, which I really do not, the vessels might go from Dunkirk." Wharton, Rev. Dipl. Corr., II. 196. Dec. 3 he wrote to John Jay: "You may, if you judge proper, have any number of German and Swiss troops; they have been offered me, but you know I have no proposals to treat." Ibid., II. 212. Deane's letters are also in Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 882, 1051. Cf. the Journals, Oct. 18, 1777. William Lee, writing to Charles Thomson, Nov. 24, 1777, concerning the enlistment of German troops by Great Britain, declared: "It would certainly add to their difficulty and embarrass the British ministry if there were only an appearance of beating up for men for the American States in some of the free towns in Germany, where all the world by custom is permitted to recruit and enlist men. Something of this sort might be attempted, sufficient to give a great alarm and create a diversion in your favor at a very little expense, if prudently managed." Wharton, Rev. Dipl. Corr., II. 426. The committee of foreign affairs replied, May 14, 1778: "The turn of affairs in Europe will make it needless for us to attempt the finesse of recruiting in Germany, which you hint at, and which would have a good effect in case of necessity." Ibid., II. 578. Antedating Deane's first mention of the matter by more than a year is the suggestion of the unknown writer of a letter, Aug. 10, 1775, an extract of which is found in Force, Am. Arch., fourth ser., III. 74. The emphasis of this writer is, however, upon the spirit of liberty among the Germans as the basis of recruiting, rather than the mercenary spirit. Some items relating to this subject are found among the Franklin Papers in the American Philosophical Society and the University of Pennsylvania: a memoir of Dec., 1776, respecting the hiring of German troops (Univ. of Pa., X. 15, XII. 46); proposals by Maj. H. E. Lutterloh to raise a corps of troops in Germany for use in America, written to Franklin from Paris, Jan. 8, 21, 1777 (Am. Phil. Soc., LX. 50, 51, LXII. 74, 75) ; a letter from Chaumont to Franklin, Jan. 27, 1780, concerning the proposal of a German prince to furnish a regiment of soldiers for the American service (Univ. of Pa., IV. 12); and a proposal of Jean Guillaume Backhaus to Franklin, written from Hannover, Feb. 7, 1783, to recruit a regiment of Germans for service in America, mainly from among those who will return from British service (Am. Phil. Soc., XXVII. 90). To the latter proposal Franklin replied that he had no authority to set on foot negotiations to that end, etc. See Hays, Calendar of the Franklin Papers, I. 199, III. 17, IV. 426, 484. Cf. a letter of Benjamin Rush to Richard Henry Lee, Dec. 20, 1776, in Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 1308. Sir, 589. THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS (JOHN HANCOCK) TO HORATIO GATES.1 PHILADA. August 14th. 1777 From the Want of Discipline, and other Disorders, too apt to prevail in a retreating Army, the Congress have been induced to pass a Resolve, empowering you to remedy those Evils as far as possible, and have for this Purpose, authorized you, for the limited Time of four Months, to suspend any Officers for Misconduct; not doubting that before the Expiration of that Period, you will be able to introduce that Order and Subordination, so necessary in the military Line. You will be pleased to forward to Congress, with as much Dispatch as possible, the Names of those you may suspend, with the Reasons of their Suspension." 590. HENRY LAURENS TO WILLIAM THOMSON.1 17th August 1777 Your application for leave to arm half your Regiment with smooth bores and by bayonets lies before the board of War, where a multiplicity of business may keep back a report many days in the mean time I am well assured Congress will have no objections to your arming agreeable to your desire provided His Excellency the president shall judge the variation to be for the good of the Service. Make your application there or possibly with propriety to the General Commanding in the Sothern department. from thence also you must expect to be Supplied with Arms. there has been I am informed great waste made in this quarter and there is now an universal Cry for Muskets for the Militia. 591. HENRY LAURENS TO THE PRESIDENT OF SOUTH CAROLINA (JOHN RUTLEDGE).1 17th August 1777 Dear Sir Congress have now before them a plan for borrowing ten Millions Dollars. I hope the Carolina Delegates will oppose the mode much [589] N. Y. Hist. Soc., Gates Papers, IX.; Mass. Hist. Soc., Hancock Letter-Book, VI. 246 (copy); Library of Congress, Papers Cont. Cong., no. 58, pt. II., p. 240. 2 See the Journals, Aug. 14. [590]1 S. C. Hist. Soc., Laurens Letter-Book, 1776-1778, p. 134. 2 The Journals contain no record concerning Thomson's application. Possibly it was made only to the board of war, and not referred to Congress. William Thomson was at this time colonel of a South Carolina regiment. See the Journals, July 20, Sept. 15. This letter was addressed to him at Amelia. There is a sketch of him in Joseph Johnson, Traditions of the Revolution, pp. 90-96. A briefer account is in Appleton, Cyclo. Am. Biog. Many of his letters and other materials relating to his career are found in A. S. Salley, jr., History of Orangeburg County, 1704-1782. See also Haltigan, The Irish in the American Revolution, p. 405, where it is stated that he was a brother to Charles Thomson, secretary of Congress. Cf. Harley, Life of Charles Thomson, p. 20. In the index to the Journals Col. William Thomson is confused with Brig.-Gen. William Thompson. 3 The president of South Carolina is meant. [591] S. C. Hist. Soc., Laurens Letter-Book, 1776-1778, p. 134. favoured by particular persons and succeed the Interest of all the States is concerned.2 592. HENRY MARCHANT TO THE GOVERNOR OF RHODE ISLAND (NICHOLAS COOKE).1 PHILADELPHIA, August 17th, 1777. Honored Sir, Congress this Day received the Resolutions of the Committee of the Eastern States, transmitted to them by the Honb Stephen Hopkins, Esq., President of that Committee; those Resolutions have been read, but not yet considered.2 I now Sir enclose you a Resolve of Congress of the 15th Instant, requesting you to transmit to Congress Accounts of all Monies advanced and Expenses incurred by Prisoners of War etc. The Resolve points out to You the Necessity of an immediate Attention thereto. An Expectation of a general Exchange of Prisoners soon to take Place occasioned that Resolve, as without those Accounts an Exchange cannot well be made. Sir, 593. THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS (JOHN HANCOCK) TO PHILADA. August 17th. 1777. Sunday Morning. The Complaints of the Want of Men to the Northward, are so great and urgent, that Congress, with a view of affording them some Assistance, have come to the inclosed resolve; by which you will perceive, it is their Desire that Five Hundred Riflemen, under the Command of an active Officer, should be immediately sent into that Department, to oppose the Incursions of the Indians.2 Your Favour of the 16th. Inst. I was last night honoured with containing sundry Inclosures, which shall be communicated to Congress to morrow. The Plan you have adopted and recommended for the Defence of 2 The report of the committee on ways and means, which was brought in on June 11, was taken up in committee of the whole Aug. 16. See, further, the Journals, Aug. 18, 19, 28-30, Sept 1-3, 9, 10, Oct. 6, Nov. 22 (pp. 953-958), Dec. 2, 3. Cf. nos. 594-597, 607, 618, 620, 627, 636, post. [592]1 R. I. Arch., Letters to the Governors, 1777-1778, p. 5; Staples, R. I. in Cont. Cong., p. 147. 2 See the Journals, Aug. 18. Apparently the date of Marchant's letter is erroneous. August 17 was Sunday. See, further, the Journals, Sept. 10, Oct. 27, Nov. 13, 22, 26, 27; also nos. 723, 736, post. [593] Library of Congress, Letters to Washington, XC. 270; Letters to Washington (ed. Sparks), I. 424. 2 This action was taken in consequence of the letters from Col. George Morgan and General Hand, at Fort Pitt. See the Journals, Aug. 16. See also a letter of July 24 from General Hand to Thomas Wharton, president of the executive council of Pennsylvania, with sundry enclosures, Pa. Arch., first ser., V. 443-448. Further action was taken Aug. 20 (see also the Journals, Aug. 18). |