I did not join Congress seriously untill since they came down here, now and then I paid them a visit of a few days in York Town during the Winter and Spring, notwithstanding this a great part of my time was employed in Public business for people were perpetually coming after me about it the recess I obtained from my State was of real Service to my own affairs and enabled me to arrange and bring them again into some order. I find also that this recess has caused the strongest desire to take place in my mind to get back into my private station again. Ambition had no share in bringing me forward into Public life nor has it any charms to keep me there, the time I have spent in it has been the severest Tax of my life and really I think those who have had so much, shou'd now be relieved and let some fresh hands take the Helm, these notions prompt me to get out of Congress at the next appointment of Delegates, but my Namesake swears I shall not depart. . . . The alliance with France certainly secures our Independance and has procured us temporary advantages but I wish these may be properly followed up and the most made of them, our Money is at present the only stumbling block. I wish you was here to assist on that Subject it is as Intricate as important and we really want light and help.. 509. SAMUEL HOLTEN, DIARY.1 [September 9, 1778.] 9. Congress sit but half the day. In the evening I met a Number of Gentlemen of Congress upon Business at the City Tavern. 510. THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS (HENRY Laurens) 10th September [1778.] Sir I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that your Letters to me of the 8th July and 26th of August have been laid before Congress." The trust reposed in Your Excellency by His Most Christian Majesty in your present Command, is so high an Evidence of Your Excellency's proved abilities, zeal and bravery, as to secure your reputation against those injuries which the ill success of the best laid Plans sometimes brings upon less establish'd Characters. I am to assure you Sir, that Congress, not admitting a doubt of Your Excellency's attachment to the joint interests of Your Sovereign and of 3 See nos. 254, 348, ante. [509]1 Essex Inst. Hist. Colls., LV. 171. [510]1 Library of Congress, President's Letter-Book, II. 73; S. C. Hist. Soc., Laurens Letter-Book, Mar.-Sept., 1778, p. 310; Paris, Arch. Marine, 146: 202 (L. S.). Addressed, "His Excellency the Count d'Estaing, Lieut. General of the Armies of His Most Christian Majesty, Vice Admiral of his Fleets, and Knight of his Orders Boston". The letter-book notes also, "delivered Monsr. Girard". 2 See the Journals, July 11, Sept. 9, 10. Concerning the episode of the Rhode Island expedition, see nos. 485, 486, 489, 490, 504, 506, ante, 511, 515, 518, 519, 532, 578, post. these United States, have readily concluded that Your Excellency has been influenced in all your aims for the general good since Your Excellency's arrival in America by a strict attention to Your Orders, and to the peculiar state of your Squadron under the varying circumstances of time and place. The People of America must indeed regret the failure of the late Expedition against Rhode Island; but certainly they will not omit to do just Credit to the Martial zeal of their Naval Allies, which, in pursuit of an hostile fleet was overborne by the power of a sudden and severe Tempest. From such an unfavorable Casualty they will look forward, in hope of Events more consonant to the wise intentions of His Most Christian Majesty, the Glory of his Fleets, and the security and Interest of the United States. You may be confidant Sir, that every possible aid will be afforded to Your Excellency for the repair of Your Ships. The most immediate and active Measures were taken to furnish Your Squadron with all the supplies which Congress was at first informed were wanted. The true cause why you did not earlier receive them, was the difference between that facility with which ships move from one place to another, and the Embarrassments of a distant land Carriage. The Plan for furnishing Your Excellency's Squadron at Sandy Hook was rendered abortive by its removal to Rhode Island; and the Provisions ordered for this latter place, were afterwards to be transported by land to Boston. The public Officers are now diligently employed in forwarding to that Capital such supplies as Congress have been informed will suffice for the Squadron thirty days, and if more is required to be sent thither, Congress will continue in the exertion of every practicable means to comply with Your Excellency's future Requisitions: but it is to be wished that the delay and expence of so long a land Carriage in victualling the Squadron could be prevented by its change of Harbour as speedily as possible to Chesapeak Bay or that of Delaware. 511. HENRY LAURENS TO RAWLINS LOWNDES.1 10th Septr. [1778.] General Sullivan writes the 3d Inst. that a perfect harmony subsisted between the Count d'Estaing and himself. this points at certain Circumstances which had happened upon the Count's determination to go into Boston the knowledge of which Congress had engaged to keep within doors, therefore I have not spoke of them to Your Excellency or any other friend and I think myself not yet releas'd. I shall inclose certain Resolves of Congress approving the late conduct at Rhode Island, and two of Dunlaps' Advertisers the Resolves may be published. I intimated to the House a Resolve of November last for [511] S. C. Hist. Soc., Laurens Letter-Book, Mar.-Sept., 1778, p. 306. 3 2 See the Journals, Sept. 9. The resolves were printed in the Pennsylvania Packet (Dunlap's "Advertiser "), Sept. 10. Cf. no. 510, ante, and no. 515, post. 8 See the Journals, Nov. 28, 1777. enquiring into the causes of miscarriage of every Expedition etc as a bar to hasty approbation and thanks but my sentiments were lost. I have not time to expatiate on a subject which seems to require attention. On the 5th Inst. a Member of Congress Mr. R. Morris declared in the House in a formal Address to the Chair that the Embargo was not regarded in Maryland, that flour was daily exported thence under, or under the Idea of, Tobacco. The Delegates of Maryland were present. No Contradiction was intimated. No doubts of the facts suggested, and the matter passed over without notice. This is a simple relation of a fact which duty to my Country has prompted.* 512. THE COMMITTEE OF ARRANGEMENT TO THEODERICK BLAND.1 HEAD QUARTERS, September 11th 1778. Dear Sir The Committee of Arrangement request you would transmit to Head Quarters either to the Commander in Chief or them an exact Return of your Regiment, or if possible an arrangement of it pursuant to the new Regulation of Congress; specifying in the Return the particular state from which each Recruit was raised. If any disputes subsist among the Captains or subalterns they are to be settled by a Board to be appointed for that Purpose, and if any such prevail among the Field officers you will please to make a Statet and Report thereof to this Committee, and as no Claims not represented before the Committee make their Report can be admitted without an application to Congress they wish the utmost dispatch. With a Return of the officers Names send the dates of their Commissions. I am in Behalf of the Committee your mo. obed Servant J. BANISTER. inclosed is a Copy of the new Arrangement, prescribed by Congress, for your direction.3 513. SAMUEL HOLTEN, DIARY.1 [September 12, 1778.] 12. The Delegates from Mass'a dined with the minister of France and a number of other members of Congress, the dinner was grand and elegant and in the French taste. * See the Journals, Sept. 11; also nos. 517, 520, 521, 534, 547, 552, 556, post. Cf. nos. 462, 472, 492, ante. [512] Haverford College, Roberts Coll., 722 (addressed to "Col. Theok. Bland or in his absence to the Commanding Officer of his Regimt. of Horse"); Bland Papers (ed. Charles Campbell), I. 102. 2 The committee of arrangement, as first constituted, consisted of two members, Joseph Reed and Francis Dana (see no. 336, ante). Dana obtained leave of absence Aug. 7 and took his departure about Aug. 12. On Aug. 10 Sherman and Banister were added to the committee, and all three (Reed, Banister, and Sherman) were at this time at Washington's headquarters. They probably left Congress Aug. 17, as they are last recorded as voting Aug. 16. Cf. no. 467, ante, and no. 548, post. The arrangement transmitted was presumably that recorded in the Journals under May 27. Letters from the committee to Congress were read Sept. 7, 10, 17; a report was brought in Oct. 9, considered Oct. 12, and adopted Nov. 24. [513]1 Essex Inst. Hist. Colls., LV. 171. Dear Sir, 514. JOSIAH BARTLETT TO WILLIAM WHIPPLE.1 PHILADELPHIA Sept 12th. 1778. The enclosed paper will inform you what the British Commissioners have been sending to Congress and that we have not thought proper to make them any other answer than the Resolve concerning releasing the convention prisioners. The letter to them signed W. H. D. was wrote I suppose by Chief Justice Drayton member from So. Carolina as were the former letters under that signature.2 . . . Sir, 515. HENRY MARCHANT TO JOHN SULLIVAN.1 PHILADELPHIA Sept. 12th, 1778 I have to congratulate you upon the acknowledged Generalship which you displayed in the late Expedition against Rhode Island. . . . ́. I did myself the Honor of bringing into Congress such Resolutions upon that Occasion as I thought were due from the Publick, to Your Zeal, Bravery and good Conduct, and that Display of Fortitude and Spirit which animated the Officers and Troops. Those Resolutions with some small alterations were passed, they are contained in the Paper inclosed." Sir, 516. THE PREsident of ConGRESS (HENRY LAURENS) TO PHILADELPHIA 12th Septr. 1778. His Excellency General Washington having recommended to Congress the appointment of a General of Horse, the House took that subject under consideration the 10th Inst. when you were unanimously elected Brigadier and Commander of the Cavalry in the service of the United States. From the general voice abovementioned you will perceive Sir, the earnest desire of the House, that you will accept a Commission and enter as early as your convenience will admit of upon the duties of the Office and I flatter my self with hopes of congratulating you in a few days, upon this occasion.2 [514]1 Library of Congress, Force Trans., Whipple, p. 555. 2 See the Journals, Aug. 12, 31, Sept. 3 (p. 876), 4, 10. Cf. nos. 469, note 6, 491, ante. The letter of Ferguson, the declaration of Johnstone, and the declaration of Carlisle, Clinton, and Eden, Aug. 26, together with William Henry Drayton's address to the commissioners dated Sept. 4, were printed in the Pennsylvania Packet of Sept. 12. The letters and declarations are in Almon's Remembrancer, 1778-1779, pp. 15-18, Drayton's address at pp. 55-64. Concerning Drayton's earlier addresses to the commissioners, see nos. 411, 421, 462, ante. [515]1 Mass. Hist. Soc., Sullivan Papers, I. 2 See the Journals, Sept. 9. Cf. nos. 504, 510, 511, ante, and nos. 518, 519, post. See also Marchant to Governor Greene, Sept. 6, and to the Rhode Island assembly, Sept. 12, in Staples, R. I. in Cont. Cong., pp. 198, 200. [516] Hist. Soc. of Pa., Cadwalader Papers, I.; Library of Congress, President's Letter-Book, II. 76. 2 See the Journals, Sept. 10, 22; cf. ibid., Nov. 24. Dear Sir 517. HENRY LAURENS TO WILLIAM SMITH.1 12th Septr. [1778.] It has been acknowledged that a Member of Congress did give the Information respecting exportation of flour to the Eastern States, Intending it only for private information of your Governor and Council but that you my good friend opened the Letter and let the contents pass under the Eye of several Merchants and others. pray, between you and I, how stands this Mystery? 2 My dear Sir . 518. SAMUEL ADAMS TO JAMES WARREN.1 PHILADE. Sept. 12 1778 Last Evening a Letter from Governor Trumbull was read in Committee, strongly recommending a Captain for the Ship at Norwich, who, added to great Qualifications, can readily get Men for her. I mentiond Manly as having the Character of a brave and very popular officer; and read those Parts in your Letter to me that related to him; but I am convinced he need not impute his being overlookd to any other Cause than the Decree of the Court Martial, which acquitted him with Honor. 3 The Rhode Island Expedition is at length finishd. Our Cause is not dishonord though we have not succeeded to our Wishes. Congress have approvd of the Retreat, thanked General Sullivan and his brave Troops and applauded the Patriotick Exertions of New England. Major General Hancock was unluckily at Boston and missed the Laurel. In my opinion it would be in a great Degree impolitick at this Juncture to suffer an Odium to be cast on the Count D'Estaing. If there should be a Disposition to do it, I am perswaded Men of Discretion and Influence will [517]1 S. C. Hist. Soc., Laurens Letter-Book, Mar.-Sept., 1778, p. 312. 2 See the Journals, Sept. 2, 11, Oct. 2; also nos. 492, 511, ante, nos. 520, 521, 534, 547, 552, 556, post. Cf. Arch. of Md., XXI. 195, 196, 197, 199, 202, 205, 206. [518] Mass. Hist. Soc., Warren MSS., vol. III.; Writings (ed. Cushing), IV. 58; N. Y. Pub. Lib., Samuel Adams Papers (draft). 2 The ship was the Confederacy and the captain recommended by Governor Trumbull was Seth Harding, who received the appointment Sept. 25. See the Journals (pp. 949, 951), and nos. 537, 539, 540, post. 3 Adams is replying particularly to Warren's letter of Aug. 25 (Warren-Adams Letters, II. 43), and it was a passage from that letter which he read in committee (the draft of Adams's letter reads, "those Parts of your last Letter"). There is much more in Adams's letter concerning Captain Manley (see nos. 440, 496, ante, no. 532, post), and also a passage concerning Captain Landais (see nos. 314, 316, 317, 362, 366, ante). 4 In his letter of Aug. 18 Warren remarks: "Mr. Hancock is returned, seems to be in pretty good Health, is gone on the Expedition against R. Island", etc. (WarrenAdams Letters, II. 41; see Adams's reply, Sept. 1, Writings, IV. 52). In a postscript of Aug. 27 to his letter of Aug. 25 Warren says: General Hancock returned last Evening to this Town. It is reported and believed, I suppose, that he is come to order back the French Squadron ", etc. (Warren-Adams Letters, II. 43). Cf. nos. 396, 409, 410, ante. |