Elias Boudinot.

Elected: Nov. 20, 1777.
Did not attend in 1777.

Abraham Clark.

NEW JERSEY.

Elected: June 22, 1776 (for one year, unless a new appointment be made before that time); Nov. 30, 1776 (for one year, unless a new appointment shall be made before the expiration of that time); Nov. 20, 1777 (until Dec. 1, 1778, unless a new appointment shall sooner take place).

Attended: (See vol. I.); July 5-11, 1776; July 29 (or earlier) to
Aug. 17 (or later), 1776; Oct. 28 (?) to Nov. 9 (?), 1776;
Dec. 3, 1776, to Apr. 14, 1777; May 29 (or earlier) to Sept. 18 (?),
1777; Dec. 11-31, 1777.

Clark states in his letter of July 14 (no. 17): “I continued at Phila. till thursday
last when I returned homeward." He was appointed on a committee July
29 (he may have returned to Congress earlier), and he took part in the debates
July 30 (John Adams's Notes of Debates, the Journals, VI. 1079). He prob-
ably remained in Congress until the latter part of August, for he indicates in
his letter to Dayton Oct. 26 (no. 184) that he was present at the time of the
resolution concerning Wooster, Aug. 17. In the same letter he says (passage
not included in no. 184): "It is long since I received a letter from you.
... The last I received was by Mr. Caldwell. I had just then returned from
Philadelphia much indisposed, and was elected into the assembly; which,
though very infirm, I attended for about ten days, and returned home sick,
where I have remained ever since." If he carried out the programme indi-
cated in the beginning of the extract given at no. 184, he attended from Oct.
28 to Nov. 9, but the Journals do not record his presence during this period.
According to the Journals he attended Dec. 3 with the new credentials. It is
of course possible that he had been in attendance for some days prior thereto
under the previous credentials, and his letter of Mar. 7, 1777 (no. 397), suggests
that this was the case; for he says: "I have not seen any of my family since
Novr." In the same letter he says: ... shall leave tomorrow, If I can
leave Delegates to represent our State in my Absence, otherwise stay till I
can, as I am not sure there is any but myself in town." If he took his depart-
ure at the time indicated his absence was brief, for he was given a committee
appointment Mar. 14, and frequently thereafter until Apr. 11. (His presence
Mar. 31 is attested by a letter to Gov. Livingston, signed by both Clark_and
Sergeant; extract copied from the original, then in possession of Mr. Stan.
V. Henkels). Apr. 14 he obtained leave of absence "to visit his family".
He was still absent May 22 (see no. 511) but had doubtless returned by
May 29, as he was given a committee appointment that day. The Journals
occasionally record his presence until July 2, when there is a gap until Aug.
23. He is recorded as voting as late as Sept. II (he evidently did not imme-
diately follow Congress to Lancaster and York Town) but shortly took
his seat in the New Jersey assembly. He again appeared in Congress Dec. II,
with the new credentials of appointment.

Jonathan Elmer.

66

Elected: Nov. 30, 1776; Nov. 20, 1777.

Attended: Jan. 3 (or earlier) to Feb. 14, 1777; Apr. 7 (? or earlier)
to Sept. 18 (?), 1777; Oct. 14 (or earlier) to Nov. 21, 1777.
There is no mention in the Journals of Elmer's attendance prior to Jan. 3, 1777,
when he was appointed on a committee. Some time during the month of
January he signed the resolution of secrecy (see vol. I., no. 363, n. 2), for his
name follows that of Charles Carroll (Barrister) and precedes that of
Mann Page, who did not attend until Jan. 30. Elmer obtained leave of
absence Feb. 14, and from that time until Aug. 8 there are only scattering
evidences of his attendance. Apr. 7 the medical committee, of which he was
a member, was authorized to appoint any of its members to inspect the medi-
cal departments, and he may have been present at that time. More definitely
suggesting his presence is an order, Apr. 11, for payment of a bill. Apr. 18
he was appointed on a committee consisting of one from each state, indicating
at least the probability of his presence. That he was in attendance in May

and June when the Schuyler and Vermont affairs were under discussion is evidenced by nos. 511 and 539. During the summer he was evidently occupied for some time, as a member of the medical committee, in visiting the hospitals, the expense bill for which was paid Aug. 13 (see the Journals). His name is in the first record of yeas and nays, Aug. 8, and those of Aug. 13, 22, 25, 27, and Sept. 16, but is missing from those of Sept. 9, 10, 11. This may mean that he was absent from Aug. 28 to Sept. 15, inclusive. His name is likewise missing from the votes of Oct. 3, 7, and 9, but appears in that of Oct. 14. This would indicate that he did not follow Congress immediately to Lancaster and York Town, but resumed his seat between Oct. 9 and 14. In a letter to Governor Livingston, Nov. 20 (N. J. Rev. Corr., p. 109) he says: "My expenses for the 7 weeks I have attended Congress in this place, for supporting myself and one horse, amounts to £65." If the "7 weeks" be taken strictly, it would include practically the whole time since the removal to York Town. The date of his retirement (cf. no. 742) is fixed by the letter of Nov. 20, referred to above: “As my term of delegation expires in a few days and business of importance requires my attendance elsewhere, I propose leaving Congress tomorrow. The state of New Jersey will then be unrepresented."

John Hart.

Elected: June 22, 1776.

Attended: (See vol. I.); July to Aug. —, 1776; Oct. 25 (or earlier) to Nov. 5 (or later), 1776.

Hart's attendance is recorded only twice in the Journals, namely, Oct. 25 and Nov. 5 (committee appointments). That he attended in July is, however, attested by his signature to the resolution of secrecy (see vol. I., no. 363, n. 3); for it immediately precedes that of Benjamin Rush, who appended to his signature the date July 22, 1777. Immediately preceding the signature of Hart are those of Clark and Walton, which must have been appended early in July, and probably July 1. That he was in Congress Aug. 6 is learned from a letter of Abraham Clark of that date, wherein Clark says: "Dr. Witherspoon, Mr. Hart, and myself quarter together" (Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., I. 785; Hazleton, Declaration of Independence, p. 226). He was shortly afterward chosen speaker of the New Jersey assembly. In the index to the Journals (Library of Congress edition) there is a confusion between John Hart and John De Hart, the few entries properly appertaining to the former being assigned to the latter.

Francis Hopkinson.

Elected: June 22, 1776.

Attended: (See vol. I.); July 5 to Nov. 18 (?), 1776.

The Journals do not record the attendance of Hopkinson between July 17 and Sept. 27, but John Adams notes a motion by him July 25 (Notes of Debates, the Journals, VI. 1077), and there is a letter from him, dated at Philadelphia, July 23, in which he asks for a copy of the minutes prescribing what number of delegates shall represent the province in Congress. "I am told you have made one Delegate sufficient for this Purpose; but as I have no good Authority for this Opinion and was the other Day the only Member from Jersey attending in Congress, I was in great Doubt as to the Propriety of giving my Vote' (New Eng. Hist. and Geneal. Reg., XXX. 314). Also there are letters of the marine committee in August signed by him (see, for instance, letters of Aug. 6 and 16, Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., I. 784, 977), and a report presented to Congress Aug. 16 bears a notation by him (see the Journals, p. 662). He was in Congress as late as Nov. 5 and 6, and possibly as late as Nov. 18, when he was made naval agent.

Nathaniel Scudder.

Elected: Nov. 20, 1777.
Did not attend in 1777.

Jonathan Dickinson Sergeant.

Elected: (See vol. I.); Nov. 30, 1776.

Attended: (See vol. I.); Dec. 20 (?), 1776, to Feb. 25, 1777; Mar. 19 (or earlier) to Apr. 2, 1777; Apr. 12 (?) to May 8 (or later), 1777; June 12 (or earlier)-14 (or later), 1777; July 1 (or earlier) to Sept. 2 (or later), 1777.

With the exception of two dates, Feb. 25 and Apr. 2, when he was granted leave of absence, the chronology of Sergeant's attendance is left in considerable uncertainty. He states in a letter addressed to John Hart as speaker of the assembly, Feb. 6, 1777: "Pursuant to the appointment of the Legislature of New Jersey, I have attended the Congress, as one of the Delegates, from their first sitting at Baltimore to this time" (N. J. Rev. Corr., p. 25). The Journals do not however record his presence earlier than Jan. 2. In the same letter he asks that another be appointed in his place, that he may attend to the management of his private concerns, but adds: "I shall however attend till a person can be appointed to succeed me." He appears to have contented himself with an absence from Feb. 25 to about the middle of March. The Journals record his presence Mar. 19, he signed a letter Mar. 31 (see under Clark), but obtained leave of absence Apr. 2 "to visit his family". A committee of which he was a member made a report Apr. 12, but it does not follow that he was present. He was given committee appointments Apr. 25 and May 8, and the Journals also show that he was in attendance June 12 to 14; but that he was absent the latter part of May and the latter part of June seems clear from the statements of Duer (no. 511) and Lovell (no. 539). The Journals again record his presence July 1 and 2, but do not mention him again until Aug. 8, when he appears among the yeas and nays. Until Sept. 2 (see no. 621) his attendance was consecutive. He does not appear among the yeas and nays Sept. 9.

Richard Stockton.

Elected: June 22, 1776; Nov. 30, 1776.

Attended: (See vol. I.); July 5 to Sept. 28, 1776; Nov. 23 (?), 1776.
As a member of the committee on the flying camp, appointed July 15, Stockton
was in New Jersey for a few days, engaged in the service for which the
committee was appointed. This is shown by a letter from him to Jefferson,
written from Trenton, July 19 (Library of Congress, Jefferson Papers).
The matter was brought before the New Jersey convention July 17 (doubtless
by Stockton; see Force, Am. Arch., fourth ser., VI. 1647-1650). Stockton
probably returned to Congress when the business of his mission had been
accomplished. He must have been present Aug. 6, for he despatched resolu-
tions of that day to the New Jersey convention (see ibid., p. 1659), and he
was appointed on a committee Aug. 9. Sept. 26 Stockton and Clymer were
appointed to go to Ticonderoga, and took their departure Monday Sept. 30
(see Hancock to Gates, Sept. 27, ibid., fifth ser., II. 562; cf. no. 148:
tomorrow or next day", i. e., Saturday or Sunday). The committee
returned between Nov. 18 and 23 (see the Journals for those dates; in Force,
Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 784, is a letter from the committee to the President
of Congress, with the date Nov. 20, but evidently the letter of Nov. 10 men-
tioned in the Journals, Nov. 18; cf. Calendar of the Emmet Collection, no.
1581). About Nov. 20 Stockton was in New Jersey on his way to Congress
(see, for instance, a letter from Witherspoon to him, written from Princeton,
Nov. 21, Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 788). Both Stockton and Clymer
were appointed on a committee Nov. 23, and all the members of this com-
mittee except Stockton signed a document dated Nov. 24 (see the Journals
under Nov. 23, p. 975 n.). Stockton appears to have returned at once to New
Jersey, and was shortly afterward (Nov. 30) taken prisoner by the British
(see Sanderson, Signers, III.101; also nos. 291, 347).

John Witherspoon.

1

Elected: June 22, 1776; Nov. 30, 1776; Nov. 20, 1777.

Attended: (See vol. I.); July 5 to Nov. 18 (?), 1776; Dec. 9 (or

earlier), 1776, to Feb. 26, 1777; Mar. 14 (?) to May 15 (or later), 1777; Aug. 5 (or earlier) to Oct. 30, 1777; Dec. 18-31, 1777. Although Witherspoon's attendance in Congress July, August, and September (frequently, if not consecutively), is well attested, strangely enough the Journals make no record of his presence until Oct. 2 (a committee appointment). The evidences of his presence in Congress when the votes on independence were taken are mentioned in vol. I. His presence in Philadelphia July 12 is evidenced by a note to Benjamin Harrison of that date (Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., I. 172; see also Samuel Adams to Richard Henry Lee, July 15, ibid., p. 347); and John Adams records remarks made by him in debates July 26, 30, and Aug. 1 (Journals, VI. 1078, 1079, 1082). Clark's

letter of Aug. I (no. 52) also mentions Witherspoon's presence, and his letter of Aug. 6 (cited under Hart) says: "Dr. Witherspoon, Mr. Hart, and myself quarter together". An absence in early August is however indicated by a letter of Francis Lewis to Mrs. Gates Aug. 13: "I expect the doctor in town this day" (Am. Arch., fifth ser., I. 945). In a letter to Mrs. Gates Aug. 27 (ibid., p. 1180) he indicates that Witherspoon was then in Princeton. His presence in early September is presumably evidenced by his speech September 5, or thereabouts (no. 108). He may have been occasionally absent during this period. From Oct. 2, 1776, to Feb. 26, 1777, his attendance, with only brief absences, is fairly well attested by the Journals and letters of himself or of a committee of which he was a member. His letter of Oct. 30 (no. 188), for instance, although written from Princeton, definitely suggests that he was in Congress Oct. 23, for in an omitted passage he speaks of General Maxwell as "just appointed a Brigadier-General". That he was in Congress again before Nov. 8, but was then leaving for Princeton, is indicated by a resolution of that date (Journals). He must also have been in attendance Nov. 18, for the memorial of Ebenezer Hazard, read in Congress that day, was presented through him (see Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 681). Moreover, his letter to Stockton, written from Princeton Nov. 21 (ibid., p. 788) indicates that he had just come from Philadelphia and would probably return thither within a few days: "I have left some little affairs to finish in Philadelphia, for which I may perhaps be in a day or two next week, but cannot be certain." His appointment Nov. 22 on a committee (Paca, Witherspoon, and Ross) to confer with General Washington must therefore have been in his absence. As the committee is said to have left Philadelphia Monday Nov. 25 (see under Paca), Witherspoon probably joined the other members of the committee somewhere in New Jersey. Congress received a letter from the committee Nov. 27, but its mission was probably brought to a speedy conclusion by the movement of the army (see the order for payment of expenses, in the Journals, Jan. 18, 1777), although the date of their return is uncertain (see under Paca). Witherspoon's presence is not again recorded until Dec. 9, and he was in attendance at Baltimore at least as early as Dec. 23. He obtained leave of absence Feb. 25, 1777, but was in Congress Feb. 26 (see no. 384). He rejoined Congress in Philadelphia about Mar. 14 (see nos. 403, and 347, n. 6), and appears to have remained at least until after May 15 (Benjamin Rumsey mentions his presence May 1, Arch. of Md., XVI. 236; and he received a committee appointment May 15). No record of his attendance is found thereafter until Aug. 5, when he was appointed on a committee. He probably attended consecutively from that time to Oct. 30. He is recorded as voting on that day, but not on Oct. 31. Moreover, Elmer's letter of Nov. 18 (no. 742) shows that Witherspoon had left before Nov. 7. His next appearance in the Journals is Dec. 18.

John Alsop.

NEW YORK.

Elected: (See vol. I.); Apr. 22, 1775 (without expressed limitation of term).

Attended: (See vol. I.); July 5-15 (or later), 1776.

There is no record in the Journals of Alsop's attendance after July 4; but his letter of resignation July 16 (no. 21) shows that he was in attendance the preceding day. Indeed, the statement of Philip Livingston (no. 79) gives the impression that Alsop had attended even some time subsequent to that date. George Clinton.

Elected: (See vol. I.); Apr. 22, 1775.

Attended: (See vol. I.); July 5- (?), 1776.

Clinton appears unquestionably to have been in Congress July 4, and it is presumed that he must have remained for at least a day or two thereafter. However, it is evident that he could not have tarried many days, for on the 12th Washington addresses a letter to him at New Windsor (Writings, IV. 242; Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., I. 227); and on the 15th Clinton himself writes from Fort Montgomery (ibid., p. 354).

James Duane.

Elected: (See vol. I.); Apr. 22, 1775; May 13, 1777; Oct. 3, 1777.
Attended: (See vol. I.); Apr. 16 to Dec. 4 (later ?), 1777.

None of the New York credentials place any limitation upon the term of elec-
tion. Accordingly the delegates might hold their seats until superseded. For
the election of Oct. 3, see the Journals under Nov. 14.

The first record of Duane's attendance found in the Journals is a committee appointment Apr. 19, but his arrival Apr. 16 is mentioned by Duer (no. 445). Dec. 3 he was given leave of absence, yet was placed on a committee Dec. 4. He had evidently taken his departure before Dec. 8 (see no. 769). He was in fact sent on a secret mission to General Starke (see nos. 777, 778, 789).

William Duer.

Elected: Mar. 29, 1777; May 13, 1777; Oct. 3, 1777.

Attended: Apr. 7 to Sept. 8, 1777; Sept. 17 to Nov. 9, 1777; Nov. 19 to
Dec. 31, 1777.

Duer's signature to the resolution of secrecy (see vol. I., no. 363, n. 2) is accom-
panied by the date June 5, 1777. He was doubtless absent for a brief period
beginning Sept. 9, as his name does not appear among the yeas and nays
Sept. 9, 10, 11, 16. He was probably present Sept. 17 and 18 (see the Journals,
p. 751 n.), that is, the last days before the adjournment to Lancaster; and he
is again recorded as voting Oct. 3. He was also absent for about a week from
Nov. 10, for his name does not appear in the Journals between Nov. 9 and
19, and Duane mentions, about Nov. 22 (no. 750), that Duer had been absent
a few days "for the benefit of health". In his letter of Nov. 9 (no. 731)
Duer indicated a purpose of taking leave about Nov. 25; but the Journals
show that he was in attendance until the end of the year.

William Floyd.

Elected: (See vol. I.); Apr. 22, 1775.

Attended: (See vol. I.); July 5 to Oct. 7 (or later), 1776; Nov. 18 (?) to Dec. 12, 1776.

There is no mention of Floyd in the Journals between July 6 and Sept. 25, but there is sufficient evidence that he remained in attendance throughout this period. For instance, letters of Aug. 10 and Sept. 24 (Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., I. 884, III. 208) bear his signature. Moreover, in a letter written from Harlem, Oct. 15, he says: "I am now going to try to get off some of my effects from the island if it is possible, and shall be absent from Congress for a few days. I beg you would excuse me, as it is the first time I have absented myself, but it happens at a time when no important matter was like to come before us" (ibid., II. 1066). He had left Philadelphia about Oct. 8, for he was in Congress Oct. 7 (see no. 163), and he wrote the New York committee of safety from Harlem Oct. 11 (see Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., III. 244). His absence appears to have been in part on behalf of the committee on clothing, of which he was a member (see the committee's letter of Oct. 7, ibid., II. 925, III. 248, and the citations given above). He evidently had not returned to Congress Nov. 4, for he did not sign a letter of that date from the clothing committee (Library of Congress, Papers Cont. Cong., no. 58, f. 409). He is next mentioned in the Journals Nov. 29, but it is probable that he was the delegate expected Nov. 18 (see no. 215). Lewis mentions, Dec. 27 (no. 268), that both Floyd and Philip Livingston "departed for the Northward" upon the adjournment of Congress from Philadelphia. Floyd does not appear to have attended at any time in 1777 (cf. no. 441, n. 2).

John Jay.

Elected: (See vol. I.); Apr. 22, 1775.

Attended: (See vol. I.); did not attend again until 1778. Francis Lewis.

Elected: Apr. 22, 1775; Oct. 3, 1777.

Attended: (See vol. I.); July 5 to Sept. 2 (?), 1776; Sept. 20 (or earlier), 1776, to Apr. 17, 1777; Dec. 5-31, 1777.

The Journals contain but few evidences of Lewis's attendance prior to Sept. 20, when he was appointed on a committee, but a letter from William Palfrey to him, July 31 (Force, Am. Arch., fifth ser., I. 696), presumes his presence in Congress, and letters of the marine committee, Aug. 6, 16, and 22 (ibid.,