134. THOMAS NELSON, JR., TO JOHN PAGE.1 My Dear Page: PHILADA Sepr 18th [17th?]2 1776 The Congress determined yesterday that Commissioners should be appointed, to audit the Continental Accounts, in the Southern departmen[t] and they are to proceed to day to the appointment of them. The Virginia Accounts, that were tran[s]mitted to us some time ago, are to be referrd to them, but in the mean time the State is to have Money advanced to it upon account. 135. THE NORTH CAROLINA DELEGATES TO THE NORTH CAROLINA COUNCIL OF SAFETY.1 Gentlemen We wrote the honourable the Council of Safety by Mr. Hayward who left this sometime since. We then inclosed you a Resolve of the Continental Congress directing Brigadier General Moore with two of the Continental battalions which were raised in the State of North Carolina to proceed to New York with all possible expedition. A further Revision of that subject together with some private information by letters of the present state of our Country have induced your delegates to obtain an alteration of that Resolve: from which it will appear that the movement of our Troops is now left to the discretion of your honourable Body.'. . . We need say nothing to you who have so well considered and digested the matters to induce you to compleat to their full number the Continental Battalions which have been raised in our State. The inclosed system agreed upon by Congress for the modelling a new Army holds forth such encouragement that we flatter ourselves you will find no difficulty in carrying into execution that part of the plan which has been allotted to your share. The Bounty proposed is liberal and aided with the stimulus which every honest American does or ought to feel effectually to establish the liberties of America upon a pure and solid basis we hope to have an opportunity soon to congratulate you, that it has obtained for you an additional force which will effectually baffle the future efforts of our Enemies. You will observe that in addition to the six Regiments already raised by you, you are impowered to raise three more. Should you think yourselves inadequate to so large a number you will as early as possible represent such your incapacity to Congress who will no doubt make such alteration as will suit your circumstances, tho' we hope that you will find no difficulty in complying with this Resolve to the full as you will no doubt be often called upon hereafter to aid the weakness of South Carolina and [134]1 N. Y. Pub. Lib., Emmet Coll., no. 1636, Declaration of Independence. 2 The contents indicate Sept. 17 as the proper date. See note 3, below. 8 See the Journals, Sept. 16 (p. 761). The appointment of the commissioners was set for Sept. 17, but did not take place until Nov. 6. [135] N. C. Hist. Comm.; N. C. Col. Recs., X. 804. 2 The letter, dated Sept. 3, is in N. C. Col. Recs., X. 790. Cf. no. 131, ante. 8 See the Journals, Sept. 3, 16. 4 See the Journals, Sept. 16. Cf. nos. 121, 124, 128, ante, nos. 142-145, 147, 148, post. Georgia, and the calling forth the militia is so expensive and burdensome that it ought as much as possible to be avoided. We shall write you very fully by Mr Hewes who leaves this in a few days. In the mean time we beg leave to subscribe ourselves with all possible respect Gentlemen, Your most Obed Humble Svts, PHILADELPHIA Sept 18 1776. WM HOOPER The Honourable The Council of Safety of North Carolina. Sir: 136. THE COMMITTEE OF SECRET CORRESPONDENCE TO 2 PHILADELPHIA, September 21, 1776. Your several letters of the 4th, 15th, and 26th August, to this Committee, have been duly received, with the several enclosures, and the whole have been laid before Congress. We can therefore communicate that satisfaction which we dare say it must afford you to know, that you have so far obtained the approbation of that august body. It is not necessary that we should enter into minute replies to the contents of your letters; therefore, we shall only notice such parts as seem to require it. Captain Wickes's behaviour meets the approbation of his country, and fortune seems to have had an eye to his merit when she conducted his three prizes safely in. You made a very proper use of his engagement by your question to the General, and it is extremely satisfactory that our prizes may be carried into and protected in the French ports; but hitherto the Congress have not thought proper to entrust blank commissions beyond seas, neither can their resolve for bringing prizes into some of these States for condemnation, be dispensed with. These matters are now under consideration of a committee, and should any alteration take place, you shall be informed of it.". . . 5 The letter, written Sept. 18 (?), 19, 24, and 26, and signed by Hooper and Penn, is in N. C. Col. Recs., X. 810. It is largely concerning military matters. A more intimate letter, from Hooper to Samuel Johnston, dated Sept. 26, is ibid., X. 815. The same letter, dated Sept. 27, is in Jones, Defence of North Carolina, p. 321. [136]1 Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., II. 425. 2 The Journals contain no mention of this correspondence. It is probable however that the letter laid before Congress by the committee of secret correspondence Aug. 21 was Bingham's letter of Aug. 4. Bingham had been sent to Martinique by the secret committee in June (see no. 97, note 2, ante) and resided there as the agent of Congress until near the close of the war, serving particularly as a medium of communication with France. Beginning in October, 1776, considerable correspondence with him is found in the collected Revolutionary correspondence. An important body of his correspondence has recently been acquired by the Library of Congress. A sketch of him is in Appleton, Cyclo. of Am. Biog. 3 Captain Lambert Wickes. Concerning his operations, see Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., I. 14, 180, 249, 609, 706, 742, 759, II. 323, 425, 429, 1211, 1213, 1215. 4 The governor-general of Martinique was the Comte d'Argout. See no. 501, post. 5 The committee was appointed Aug. 21, but it does not appear to have made a report. Another committee, with somewhat different scope, was appointed Oct. 17. 6 We recommended the French officers that came with Captain Wickes to Congress, and the Board of War have provided for them to their satisfaction. On this subject your remarks have been very proper; officers unacquainted with our language cannot be useful; therefore we do not wish to encourage such to come amongst us; at the same time, men of merit and abilities will always meet with suitable encouragement. You must therefore pursue the line you set out in; give general discouragement to those that apply, and recommend none but such as the General will pledge his word for, and you may even intimate to him, that if too many come over, the Congress will not know what to do with them. . . Sir 137. MARINE COMMITTEE TO THOMAS CUSHING.1 7 September 21, 1776. In consequence of a letter from the President of Massachusetts Bay, dated the 13th instant, to the President of the Congress, which was by Congress referred to this Committee, we have determined to comply with the wishes of your Assembly by ordering the frigate commanded by Captain McNeill, and that by Captain Thompson, of New Hampshire, to be fitted immediately and proceed on a cruise on your coast, in hopes of taking the Millford frigate, or driving her or any other enemy away from those seas. We therefore authorize you to accept the proffered assistance of the said Assembly, or any Committee they appoint to assist in fitting, equipping, arming and manning that frigate. You are also to accept their offer of twenty-four nine-pounders cannon, and to coöperate with them in getting the ship to sea with the utmost expedition; and we agree to reimburse the State of Massachusetts Bay for all just and necessary expenses they incur in effecting this business. 138. EDWARD RUTLEDGE TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON.1 My dr. Livingston PHILADA. Sepr. 23d. 1776. I have been so much upon the Wing that for some Weeks past it has been impossible for me to put Pen to Paper. The Hurry is however past away in a Degree and I snatch a Moment's Leisure to request that you or 5 See the Journals, Sept. 14, 19; also a letter from the board of war to Washington, Sept. 20, in Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., II. 407. 6 Cf. no. 49, ante, and no. 360A, post. See also the Journals, Mar. 13, 14, 19, 1777, and nos. 407, 410, 418, post. The continuation of this letter, written Oct. 1, relates principally to the question of expected help from France in the West Indies. See also the committee to Bingham, Oct. 1, in Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., II. 822, and nos. 153, 153A, 178-180, 224, post. [137]1 Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., II. 427. 2 See the Journals, Sept. 20. 3 Cf. the committee's letter to John Langdon, Sept. 21, Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., II. 429; also the letters to Captains Hector McNeill, Thomas Thompson, and Benjamin Bradford, ibid., II. 428. [138] Furnished by courtesy of Mr. Johnston L. Redmond of New York; N. Y. Pub. Lib., Bancroft Coll., Livingston Papers, I. 213 (copy). Addressed, "To Robert R. Livingston Esquire, at the Congress of New York, to be forwarded to him wherever he may be in New York." Jay or both of you will immediately on receipt of this set off for this Place. Little less than the Salvation of your Colony may depend on your Presence.2 I could tell you a great deal, had I Time, or were it not possible that this might fall into Hands inimical to us and our Cause. If I have Leisure I shall write to Jay to desire his Attendee, if not make my Love to him, tell him how I esteem him, and how much I long to see him; By a Letter received this Day from Schuyler he informs us that he is no longer a Major Genl in our Service, but that he will attend his Duty in Congress in a Fortnight from the Date of his Letter. I wish he was now here. You know as well as I do, that the Rascals who took much Liberty with the Character of that Gentleman would not venture to look him in the Face. I admire his Wisdom; it was the only Step which he could take to recover and establish his Reputation. If it is in your way to write him let him know how agreeable his Presence will be in Congress to all who wish well to our Affairs. Let me repeat it; you cannot render as much Service to your Country in any other way whatever as by coming to us immediately and bringing with you Jay and Schuyler. I shall go from hence for Carolina within a Month. I wish to see Matters put upon a better Foot than they now are, and to contribute as far as my Abilities can carry me, towards rendering your Country free and happy. Don't take my Silence amiss, but let me hear from you soon. God bless you. Yrs Sincy. and affectionately. E. RUTLEDGE. 139. THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS (JOHN HANCOCK) TO THE Gentlemen, PHILADA. Sept. 24th, 1776. 2 You will perceive by the inclosed Resolves, which I have the honor to forward, in obedience to the Commands of Congress, that they have 2 This has reference no doubt to the Confederation. See no. 155, post; but cf. no. 85, ante. Schuyler's letter, conveying his resignation, dated Sept. 14 (read in Congress Sept. 23), is in Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., II. 333. Cf. nos. 144, 145, 148, 149, 155, 162, 163, 184, 195, post. 4 Upon receipt of Rutledge's letter, Livingston wrote to Schuyler, Oct. 2, transmitting Rutledge's message, and adding: "Our resolutions a copy of which I shewd you are committed by Congress to Gentlemen that will do you justice for two of them at least I will answer. The Committee are Rutledge Hooper McKean (N. Y. Pub. Lib., Schuyler Papers, no. 1249). See no. 149, post. [139] N. H. State Papers, VIII. 351; Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., II. 489; Mass. Hist. Soc., Hancock Letter-Book, VI. 38; id. to Massachusetts, Mass. Arch., CXCV. 269; id. to New York, N. Y. State Lib., Minutes of the Committee of Safety, VI. 645; Jour. N. Y. Prov. Cong., I. 653; Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 209; id. to Maryland, Md. Hist. Soc., Red Book, VI. 53; id. to North Carolina, N. C. Col. Recs., X. 807. This is a circular letter to the several states. To some of the states, particularly Maryland and North Carolina, a considerably compressed form was sent. A similar letter, bearing the same date, was written to Washington. It is in the Library of Congress, Letters to Washington, LXXXIX. 320, and is printed in Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., II. 488. 2 The resolves relative to the army, Sept. 16. Concerning the action of Maryland in the matter, see the proceedings of the convention of Oct. 4 and 9, Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 116, 120, also no. 192, note 3, post. come to a determination to augment our Army, and to engage the Troops to serve during the War. As an Inducement to enlist on these Terms, the Congress have agreed to give, besides a Bounty of twenty dollars, a Hundred Acres of Land to each soldier; and in Case he should fall in Battle, they have resolved that his children, or other Representatives, shall succeed to such Land. The many ill consequences arising from a short and limited Inlistment of Troops, are too obvious to be mentioned. In general, give me leave to observe, that to make men well acquainted with the duties of a soldier, requires Time; and to bring them under proper subordination and Discipline, not only requires time, but has always been a work of much difficulty. We have had frequent experience that men of a few days standing, will not look forward; but as the time of their discharge approaches, grow careless of their arms, ammunition etc. and impatient of all Restraint. The Consequence of which is, the latter Part of the time for which the soldier engaged, is spent in undoing what the greatest Pains have been taken to inculcate at first. Need I add to this, that the Fall of the late General Montgomery before Quebeck is undoubtedly to be ascribed to the limited time for which the Troops were engaged, whose Impatience to return home, compelled him to make the attack, contrary to the conviction of his own Judgment. This Fact alone furnishes a striking Argument of the Danger and Impropriety of sending Troops into the field, under any Restriction as to the Time of their Inlistment. The noblest enterprise may be left unfinished by Troops in such a Predicament or abandoned at the very moment success must have crowned the attempt. The heavy and enormous expences consequent upon calling for the Militia, the Delay attending their Motions, and the Difficulty of keeping them in the Camp, render it extremely improper to place our whole dependence upon them. Experience hath uniformly convinced us of this, some of the Militia having actually deserted the Camp, at the very moment their services were most wanted. In the mean time the strength of the British Army which is great is rendered much more formidable by the Superior Order and Regularity which prevail in it. Under these circumstances, and in this Situation of our affairs, it is evident that the Only Means left us of preserving our Liberties, is the Measure which the Congress have now adopted, and which I am ordered most earnestly to recommend to you, to carry into immediate effect. Without a well disciplined Army, we can never expect success agst veteran Troops; and it is totally impossible we should have a well disciplined Army, unless our Troops are engaged to serve during the war. To attain therefore this most desirable End, I am to request you will at once, and without a moments delay, bend all your attention to raise your Quota of the American army. The Times call for the greatest Dispatch and Vigour of Conduct. When the bloody_Standard of Tyranny is erected in a land of Liberty, no good man, no Friend of his Country, can Cf. the report on the miscarriages in Canada, the Journals, July 30. See also nos. 135, ante, 142-145, 147, 148, post. |