he gave up by Letter to Congress, not wishing as he said to embarrass their affairs. Mr Duer who presented this Letter assur'd us he did not wish or desire Command, but gave us to understand, his chief motive for going into our Service was to be near you, to see Service, and to give him an Eclat at home, where he expected he would soon return. these you may depend on it were the Reasons that induced Congress to Comply with his request, and that he could not have obtain'd the Commissn. on any other terms 3 The other Day he surprised every body by a letter of his, requesting Commissions for his Officers, and Insinuating at the same time that he should expect a Command as soon as you should think him fit for one depend on it Congress never meant that he should have one, nor will not countenance him in his applications. I had it not in my power yesterday to get their opinions on the subject, but will do it soon. PHILAD Augst. 20 1777. Sir, 604. ROGER SHERMAN TO HORATIO GATES.1 HARTFORD August 20th. 1777 My son who was Pay Master in Colo. Warner's Regiment writes to me that he has been Cashiered, by a Court Martial, for Innoculating a Man not belonging to the Army, who brought the Infectious matter to him, and promised immediately to go to a place about 30 Miles distant from the Army where innoculation was allowed under the Inspection of a Committee that he did it inadvertantly without any ill design. as he has always been a friend to the American cause he seems much grieved to leave the Service under a Censure, and tho' the Emoluments of that office are not worth seeking for, Yet for the sake of his reputation he wishes to be restored. I never heard but that he has been faithful in his public trust. he served some time as an Assistant Paymaster in Canada where he went as a Volunteer. I understand that Application has been made to Congress by him and some officers in his behalf but Colo. Dyer writes me that it was said in Congress that the Application ought to be made to the Officer who Dismissed him, or the State who appointed him so they did not enter into the consideration of the Matter. As the officers of that Regiment were 3 Lafayette was commissioned a major-general July 31. See no. 565, ante. 4 See the Journals, Aug. 13, 25. Lafayette's letter to Congress, to which Harrison refers, was dated Aug. 13, and was read in Congress the same day. It is printed in Tower, Lafayette in the Revolution, I. 184, where it is also given in facsimile. In the close of the letter Lafayette says: "I wish to serve near the person of General Washington till such time as he may think proper to entrust me with a division of the Army. "It is now as an american that I'l mention every day to Congress the officers who came over with me, whose interests are for me as my own, and the consideration which they deserve by their merits their ranks, their state and reputation in france." [604] N. Y. Hist. Soc., Gates Papers, IX. 2 William Sherman, jr., was appointed by Congress paymaster of Col. Seth Warner's regiment, July 6, 1776. There is no record in the Journals concerning his court-martial or reinstatement. That he was reinstated appears from an entry in the Journals, July 16, 1779, where it is recorded that he had offered to resign. According to Heitman's Historical Register, he retired from the service Jan. 1, 1781. appointed by Congress being from different States, he has no where to apply but to the Commander of the Department. If you on consideration of the Case shall think fit to afford him relief it will oblige him, and be gratefully acknowledge by Your Obedient humble Servant The Honorable Major General Gates. Dear Sir 605. HENRY LAURENS TO JOHN LEWIS GERVAIS.1 21st. August 1777 This Morning I will move Congress to believe the danger real and to take some measure to hem the assailants within a narrow Circle if unhappily they should get footing..... 606. JOHN ADAMS TO MRS. ADAMS.1 PHILADELPHIA, Thursday, 21 August, 1777. 10 o'clock at night. Just come in from Congress. We have within this hour received letters of General Schuyler and Lincoln, giving an account of the battle of Bennington, wherein General Stark has acquired great glory, and so have his militia. The particulars are to be out in a hand-bill to-morrow morning. I will enclose you one.2 Sir 607. JAMES LOVELL TO OLIVER WOLCOTT.1 PHILADA. Augst. 21st. 1777 This gratefully acknowledges the receipt of Yr. favour of the 31st. Ult: from Litchfield. The probable "slow pilgrimage" of every written testi [605] S. C. Hist. Soc., Laurens Letter-Book, 1776-1778, p. 138. 2 The danger apprehended was from the British fleet which was supposed to be aiming for southern ports. Cf. no. 600, note 3, ante, and no. 607, post. A committee on South Carolina and Georgia was appointed Aug. 21, and on Aug. 28 North Carolina was added to their charge. Cf. nos. 584, 586, ante. No definite report from the committee of Aug. 21 appears to have been made. A new committee on the state of Georgia was appointed Jan. 15, 1778, and made an elaborate report Feb. 13. [606]1 Familiar Letters, p. 294. 2 The information came in a letter from General Schuyler, dated Aug. 18. The letter is printed in Caleb Stark, Memoir and Official Correspondence of General John Stark, p. 129. Strangely enough the Journals make no mention of the character or contents of the letter. See also the Journals, Aug. 22, erased entry. A letter of Schuyler to Washington, dated Aug. 19, embodying a letter of General Lincoln, dated Aug. 18, giving an account of Stark's victory, is in Letters to Washington (ed. Sparks), I. 425. A letter from Stark to the New Hampshire council, dated Aug. 18, giving an account of his victory, is in N. H. State Papers, VIII. 670, and in the Memoir of Stark, p. 126. Stark also gave an account of the battle in a letter to General Gates, Aug. 23, ibid., p. 129. Cf. no. 599, ante, and nos. 607, 609, 615, 619, 622, post. Concerning the handbill see nos. 612, 621, post. [607]1 Conn. Hist. Soc., Oliver Wolcott Papers, vol. I., no. 29. mony of my esteem towards you makes it useless to endeavour to convey any novelty respecting matters to the east and north of my present situation; and the known similarity of our ideas of the leaders old and new in the fatal Department annuls every call for my comments or reflexions upon their conduct. If the final decision in regard to Arnold's claim should draw any strictures from you, I shall not be backward to answer them in turn. It may be fresh to you that Genl Starks from N Hampsh refuses to act with continental troops but upon his own terms; I believe the state gave some option whether to join the regular army or not; all, beyond that, is his own freak.3 We think we have reason to conclude that Howe is gone to surprize the Ports in North and South Carolina and Georgia,-That he means to garison the places proper :-to block the harbours, and to return to this or N-Yk. In the mean time our main strength will lay midway, instead of reinforcing Gates and putnam to destroy Bourgoin and the last mentioned Capital; which are easy conquests in the absence of Genl. Howe's body of forces.* As to indoor matters they are like unto like. Our agents will pay the interest of our borrowings at the Loan Offices for 5,000,000 Dollars or more. Some of us therefore think that, by informing the public they shall either receive 6 pr[cent] here, or bills of Exchange upon our Commissioners at 5, mercantile men would be induced to lend. Others are for making new tickets carrying upon their face 5 pr Ct in France so as to make them negotiable, supposing they would be bought abroad at par or a small discount. But even if this was probable, which it is not in my opinion, the consequence would be giving foreigners a demand upon us at some certain future Period for millions. These we could not oblidge like our own people to wait till we could sink our tickets by taxes in a course of years. You will guess who are for turning things into rapid mercantile courses with a motto of the devil take the hindmost. In both schemes attention is paid to present exigencies; For, Taxes are indubitably our only wise plan for a continuance; and every day we omit to tax we pass a precious opportunity. One of the schemes is built upon certainty; the other upon chance with the highest probability of ill consequences. The principal of the Tickets is to be paid here upon our plighted faith. If they do not obtain currency in Europe we shall be disgraced immediately; for, the face of the paper shows our views and expectations. If they do pass freely, we shall have a sad afterreconing. If fresh encouragement to lenders, by bills of Exchange for their interest as it becomes due, does not give an immediate spring to our Loan business, we must emit directly, till a tax can supply. We should consider that we have only gone two years into our annual income; we can bear much more; and our circulation is most amazingly extended, so as not to leave the depreciation a charge against the quantity of Bills by any means so strong as the pre 2 See nos. 582, 583, 585, 586, ante; cf. no. 671, post. 3 See nos. 599, 606, ante, nos. 609, 615, post. 4 See no. 605, ante, and the addition to this letter, Aug. 22. valent opinion. Other causes have a more powerful influence. If Silas and his york connexions could have a good opening to transfer their whole property to the other side of the water it is not impossible that they would gladly do it." Sir 22d Augst Since scratching an attendant half Sheet we have had several sorts of intelligence that may produce changes very considerable in our domestic plans. In the first place there has been a proper council of war and determination as things then stood.' We have in the next place information that on the 15th the Enemy's fleet was at the Capes of Virginia. The Genl and Council had thought Sth Carolina or the eastern States the Object of Howe's pursuit. I still believe that Virginia is visited thro meer necessity, if the present appearance of the ships is any thing more than an allarm.8. Starks and his militia have made even Genl Chase willing to overlook a foolish rashness about rank. The Bennington affair may spur up to general vigour in the northern Department. Schyler has been petitioned by the Genl Officers to tarry and influence the Militia, and he has consented to do it.10 If he is not a valliant man, he certainly knows how to use the world; he is far from a foolish man. He advises to send other indian Commissioners because Mr Woolcot etc. are so far off. I will give you the extract. This also is not foolish. 4 oClock P. M. yesterday and this day we adjourned to dine." We were particularly induced to it, now, by an Express declaring the fleet high in the Bay of Chesepeak. It appears we must at length fight it between Head of Elk and Philadelphia. I have not got the Extract hinted at, but it is not material. Cf. nos. 591, 594-597, ante, no. 627, post. 6 The reference is to Silas Deane. 25th 7 See the Journals, Aug. 21, 22, and Washington's letter, Aug. 21, in Writings (ed. Ford), VI. 45, (ed. Sparks), V. 38. 8 See the Journals, Aug. 22 (p. 665, note 2). The passage here omitted relates to the movements of the fleet since July 5. See no. 610, post. Cf. Arch. of Md., XVI. 336, 338-342, 344; Pa. Arch., first ser., V. 544. 9 See no. 606, note 2, ante. Genl Chase" is Samuel Chase, member of Congress. The "Genl" is of course used sarcastically. In the vote of Oct. 4 for making Stark a brigadier-general of the United States, Chase was the only member in opposition. 10 See the Journals, Aug. 21. Schuyler's letter, dated Aug. 15, is in Lossing, Life of Schuyler, II. 301. See also ibid., p. 309. Cf. no. 611, post. 11 The Journals, Aug. 21, 22, do not show at what time adjournment for dinner was taken, but the reassembling was at five o'clock. The dating of Hancock's letter, Aug. 22, post, indicates that on that day Congress did not adjourn before half past one. Congress shifted frequently between one session a day and two. There were a few more trials at double sessions, then, on Oct. 1, two sessions were made the rule (see the Journals). Nov. 19, however, it was resolved to return to the practice of one session a day, but Dec. 16 the two-session day was once more adopted. Sir, 608. THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS (JOHN HANCOCK) TO PHILADA. August 21st. 1777. Upon the Resignation of Mr. Philips as Commissary of Hydes, the Congress have been pleased to appoint Mr. George Ewing in his Place, who is ordered to carry into Execution the Plan you have proposed; which I make no Doubt he will do with Application and Success. 609. THE NEW HAMPSHIRE DELEGATES TO THE PRESIDENT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE (MESHECH WEARE).1 PHILADELPHIA, August 22d, 1777. 2 Sir, The inclosed is a copy of General Lincoln's letter to General Schuyler and the Resolution of Congress on receiving it, which was the 19th Instant. Some of the southern Gentlemen made themselves very warm on the occasion, threw out many illiberal reflections on General Stark, and some on the Legislative authority of the State of New Hampshire, which made your delegates sit very uneasy in their chairs even to give them time to go through, but in our turn we informed Congress that we had no information from the State of New Hampshire to inform us what the reasons were that induced them to give such orders to General Stark; but that we had Recd a letter from the Honbl. Josiah Bartlett, a member of the Council of that State and lately a member of Congress, which had given us some of their reasons, and were such in our opinion as were conclusive, and would justify the conduct of that State in the eyes of the whole world: That, in the first place, the Militia of that State had lost all confidence in the General Officers who had the command at Tyconderoga when it was evacuated and given up to our enemies; that they would not turn out nor be commanded by such officers; that the preservation of the lives of the inhabitants on our frontiers and the cause in which we were all engaged made such orders at that critical time absolutely necessary; that we were not about to justify General Stark for making a demand of rank in the army at that critical time, but we well knew he had a great deal to say for himself on that head, and that he had been in almost all the engagements to the northward, and distinguished himself, while others were advanced over his head. Yesterday a motion was made by Maryland and seconded that a Resolve of Congress might be passed to censure his conduct in refusing to submit to the Rules and Regulations of [608]1 Library of Congress, Letters to Washington, XVII. 260. 2 George Ewing was elected commissary of hides in place of Peter Philips, Aug. 5. A resolution to the effect that Ewing had full authority to carry out Washington's plans was presented by the board of war Aug. 19, but the record in the Journals would indicate that the resolution was laid on the table, and there is no record of its having been taken up again. The letter of Washington alluded to is dated Aug. 16, and was read in Congress Aug. 18. [609]1 N. H. State Papers, VIII. 663. 2 See nos. 599, 606, 607, ante, no. 615, post. |