be agitated that it ought to be treated with the greatest Solemnity: full Representation. this address to a State, made an impression w would not have been felt, if it had been directed to the president. Ika the business it had been the subject of my meditation and contemplatin through several painful and Sleepless nights and Days. believe me dear friend I have been obliged to pause here a minute to wipe awar falling tear which in my present low and weak State of bodily he rose irrisistibly with my reflections upon the great affair which I allude: and to which my duty has already required me to affix my signaturesignature which will probably be brought before the Tribunal of the whe Civilized World. possibly I may find my self at liberty to be more plicit to His Excellency the President-but to return. the summon 2mated my Soul, which is more vigorous in my present condition th the Body-" South Carolina shall not be quite unrepresented I will t carried into Congress." I was carried,-two whole days trenching de upon each Night were passed in a Committee of the whole. late Saturday Night the business was so far matured as to enable me to d patch a special Messenger immediately to Major General Heath at Be ton. these exertions have thrown me back I cannot tell how far, but am in a condition which would meet more compassion were you prese from you than it seems to do from my self. I attend Congress from the motive premised and while I can bear to be carried and to sit here, State shall not be totally Absent. the great business is not yet complete: on our part. God only knows what will be the final end of it.

I have laboured hard very hard to advance it to its present State, corscious that I am doing eminent service to my country. if my Country Men shall be of opinion with a few in this House who appear to me to be timerous dunces, I shall be very unhappy, but I shall ever enjoy that i satisfaction which attends good designs. whether it shall be determined by the World to be good or bad, the Act is great and great good or Evil will follow as its consequences.

there are other matters of very momentous concern on the tapis which duty requires me to attend to, without regarding my own Ease and being here since 'tis the desire of Congress, I may as well sit president as any other Character. a good seat near a warm fire must compensate for additional labour.

30th. January 1778.

A whole Month has rolled over since I threw my thoughts upon the preceeding pages. I have just passed my Eye over them again and determined imperfect as they are to submit them to your candor. I could add a long and affecting paragraph on the Subject of Non Representation. I could tell you truly, the House has been reduced to nine States represented in Units-that we have sometimes been stagnant from a want of Members-and oftener running whole days into weeks of unmatured conversations from a want of able Members. . .

* Laurens alludes to the debate concerning the Saratoga Convention. See nos. 786, 791, ante.

L

94. FRANCIS LIGHTFOOT LEE TO THE PRESIDENT OF PENNSYLVANIA.1 WAR OFFICE Decr. 30th 1777

Sir,

Congress have received such unexpected and distressing Acounts from he General relative to the Situation of the Army that they have appointed a Committee to fall upon immediate Methods for supplying them with Provisions. They are so much in Want of an instant Supply owing to Delays and Embarassments in the Commissary's Department and other unexpected Causes that however plenty we shall have them in future, at present at least a Removal out of this State must be the immediate Consequence of even a short Continuance of their present Circumstances. An instant Supply must be procured from this State for the Support of the Army until the Supplies expected from the neighbouring States arrive. As it may give Umbrage to the Inhabitants the Committee deplore the Necessity they are under of sending Officers with Parties to collect such Cattle, Flour and Grain as the Army wants without the least Delay as the Crisis is too alarming to admit of the Business being postponed on any Consideration. It will be improper to communicate the real Situation of the Army, but with the utmost Prudence and Caution. Your Excellency will therefore judge in what Manner the Concurrence of this State is to be procured as their vigorous Exertions are necessary in Co-operation with those of the Comittee who will at least 'till they see the Business properly conducted as doubtless it will be by the Government of this State be obliged to give orders for the taking conveying and driving all Cattle, Hogs, Pork, Flour and Grain fit for their Consumption to the Army the Persons employed for this Purpose giving Certificates to the owners expressing as nearly as possible the Weight and Quality of them and agreeing to pay for them at such Prices as shall be settled by the Convention of Comittees from the several States who are to meet at New Haven the 15th of Jany. next agreeable to a Resolution of Congress of the 22d Novr last.

I have the Honour to be
With great Respect,

Your very obed Servt

FRANCIS LIGHTFOOT LEE, for the Committee."

[P. S.] The Committee request you will be pleased to inform them whether the Proclamation ordering the Inhabitants of York and Cumberland Counties to thresh out their Grain has been issued.

His Excellency President Wharton

[794]1 Library of J. Pierpont Morgan, Declaration of Independence, II.; Pa. Arch., first ser., VI. 147; Va. Hist. Soc., Lee Trans., V. 95.

2 The committee for which Lee is acting is that committee consisting of the board of war and three additional members, appointed Dec. 29, on Washington's letters of Dec. 22 and 23. Cf. the Journals, Dec. 26, and nos. 790, 792, ante, no. 795, post. A letter of similar purport to this and the next following, addressed to Governor Clinton, is in Cal. of N. Y. Hist. MSS.: Revolutionery Papers, II. 308.

795. FRANCIS LIGHTFOOT LEE TO THE GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND WAR OFFICE Decr. 31st 1777

Sir, Congress have received the most alarming Accounts from Gener Washington of the Distress of the Army for Want of Provisions... A Comittee is appointed by Congress to take effectual Means i preventing so fatal a Blow as the Dispersion or Dissolution of our Am would be to our Liberties. They have been obliged from the Neces of the Case to give Orders for siezing all the Provisions in the Vic of the Camp in this State which will afford a small but temporary Sup They have written to the adjacent States and earnestly besought the immediate Assistance. Much Dependance is placed in your Exertions: this important Crisis and the Comittee need but state the Facts to indr you immediately to take measures for the remedying the Evil. I be Leave to suggest to you whether an immediate Seisure of all Cattle, Hog Pork and Salt in the State of Maryland is not indispensibly necessary Certificates given payable by Congress to the Possessors. You are t best Judge of proper Measures to be taken within your State and theref the Comittee will not trouble you with their Ideas of the Plan to executed for procuring the Articles wanted. They are confident you w be as speedy as the Nature of the Case will admitt convinced that i mediate Supplies can only be had from the nearest States and the Comite have taken Steps for obtaining Relief in future from those more remote

The Comittee rely strongly on the Exertions of Maryland and Virgin in laying up Magazines for future Supply as well as obtaining presen Relief. They have the most flattering Ideas of receiving that Assistance from those of which they have been unhappily dissappointed from othe States, and must depend on them for their principal Supply. I have the Honour to be with great Respect

Your very obedt Servt

FRANCIS LIGHTFOOT LEE

for the Committee

His Excellency Govr Johnson
State of Maryland Annapolis

[795] Md. Hist. Soc., Red Book, XIV. 27. 2 Cf. no. 794, ante.

graphical references are entered but once; they refer to the first mention, in the notes, of
the work or collection referred to.

Archives of Maryland, 2n.

Argout, Comte d', and French officers,
Armand Tufin, Charles, commission, I
Arms and ammunition, disappearance

ported, 404; flints, 27; for Connecticut
for Maryland, 343, 350; for milita
452; for New York campaign,
Virginia regiment, 302; French
(1776), 110; importation from F
timely arrival, 310, 352n., 591, 55
pressment in Philadelphia campaign
improperly withheld from Washington.
Rhode Island and taking, 227; van
452; see also Cannon; Powder; Suppl
| Army, see British army; Continental ar
Arnold, —, collection of curiosities, 359
Arnold, Benedict, allegations against, 365

United States before 1781, 292; Washing-
ton's proclamation on New Jersey neutrals, Articles of War, and state rights, 275-281;