4 tention we are obliged to give the Army is a very great Addition to it. Could your Congress be sensible of our Assiduity, and the Chearfulness with which we submit to the Trouble and a great Expense of Time and Money for the publick good, it would of itself be an Irrefragable Argument of the publick Spirit which reigns here. The Continent calls for aid to the Army in wood, Hay, Blankets, Men, etc., are of themselves sufficient to Employ us the length of our usual Sessions. we have, however, been so long used to Climbing Mountains that we go on with a perseverance that demands Admiration. I am sensible the Circumstances you mention must give you pain. they are, indeed, not just. you must, however, Extend your Charity and make Allowances to some of the Authors. I really believe the great perplexities they have been Involved in have prevented their seeing things in their true Light. The principle thing peculiar to ourselves that we have been Engaged in is a Militia Bill, which with much difficulty is now nearly Compleated. It is too lengthy and would be too tedious to give you a perticular Account of. it may suffice to say that all poles from sixteen to fifty, with the usual Exceptions, are to form the Train Band, and the Alarm much as usual. it provides for three Major Generals in the Colony, and a Brigadier in every County where are more than one Regiment, who, with the Field Officers of the Regiments are to be chosen by either House with the Concurrence of the other, and Commissioned by the Council. A ship is arrived at Falmouth which left England the beginning of November. by her we have the Addresses of both Houses in the usual state, some Additions to the Minority. Parliament and Administration going on the same way as usual, etc., etc., which are things of no great Consequence. The passengers relate some Interesting Facts: that the People begin to feel and stirr themselves; that 1800 Troops sailed for Boston were drove back by hard gales of wind in a shattered Condition; that 13,000 Sheep and Hoggs were shipd and sailed for Boston drove back and lost, which are to be ranked in that Train of Events Providence has ordered for the Salvation of this Country. you are to have the Papers from the General and so I shall add no more, but Improve the Little Time left me to Enquire whether your Congress should not by this time have a fixed Constitution that we may know and Consider as permanent; whether it is not time that you should form your Alliances as the has his. what is become of your Fleet. what is the destination of the French Armament in the West Indies, and whether you cant Improve so favourable a Circumstance to our Advantage, etc., etc. if we are not yet ripe for wise, prudent and Spirited measures when shall we be. but I must leave these Enquiries and Expect that if Consistent with your Engagements and Honour you will tell me more than I ask for. Our Good Friend, Mr. J. Adams, will set out in a week or ten days. I wish him with you, as I think this must be an Important Crisis and I hope will produce great Events. I am with the greatest Sincerity your Friend [No signature.] We are Improveing the Manufactory of Saltpetre with great rapidity. we Expect in three weeks Newberry Port alone will make 100 lbs. per day. Powder Mills are also Building. No News from Canada later than 5 Dec. when the Armies were Joined, reinforced by Canadians and in good Health and Spirits, and all Appearances favourable. 17th. we are now called on for more men to come in till the 1st of April, seven Regiments to consist of 728 each, Connecticut for four, N. Hampshire for two, in all thirteen, all which will but Compleat the Army to your Establishment. from which you may Judge of the present Situation of it. Two Prizes Carried in Yesterday to Newberry Port by a small Privateer, one a Ship from London with Coal and Porter, the other a Brigantine from Ireland with Provisions. JAMES WARREN TO SAMUEL ADAMS 1 -- WATERTOWN, Jany. 31, 1776 MY DEAR SIR, - I have little more Time than to Express my Obligations to you for your several Favours since my last. if you conceive the pleasure with which I receive and read your Letters I am sure your Benevolence would prompt you to continue writing even if the proportion of your Letters to mine, I mean in Number, should be as six to one. Our Valuable Friends, Mr. J. Adams, and Gerry, left us last Thursday, and I hope will be with you soon, from them you will learn the State of things here, Civil and Military, more Compleatly than I could give it you in a Volume. I shall therefore give you no Trouble about matters that had taken place before they left us, and very little has happened since. Manly last week took two Ships from Whitehaven, with Coal, Beer, Potatoes, and some other small Articles. a Tender came to their relief with a Force superiour to Manley's, but he Bravely Beat Him off and Triumphantly Carried them into Plymouth. Advices from Canada, I suppose, you have as soon as we. I am glad to hear our Friends were all well before Quebec on the 14th Instant. Our Militia, I believe, will Come in agreable to the summons of the Court. we hear from some Towns that more are Inlisted than their Quota, and I hope will Join the Army at the 1 From the Samuel Adams Papers in the New York Public Library. Time Expected. The Regiments for Canada are raising fast. Coll. [John] Fellows raised a Regiment in Berkshire by Gen. Schuyler's Orders, and these are gone. I hope that wont Interfere with [Elisha] Porters getting his Regiment. I hear he goes on well. We yesterday proceeded to the Choice of Officers of Militia. Coll. Hancock was Unanimously Chose by the House the first Major General. I am glad to hear of the Arrival of so fine a parcel of Saltpetre at Philadelphia. I wish to hear more News of that kind. what the Movements of the Troops in Boston will be next I cant say. some things look as if they Intended to decamp from Boston, and I suppose move South if they do. I am glad General Lee is gone to York. I am glad you have done Lovel so much honour and justice.1 the General sent in the proposal Yesterday. I will read the Pamphlet you recommend as soon as I can get it and will then give you my Opinion of it. I am Obliged to Conclude and have only time to wish you all Happiness and am with respects to our Friends yours etc. J. W. JAMES WARREN TO SAMUEL ADAMS 2 WATERTOWN, Feby. 14th, 1776 MY DEAR SIR, I have neglected writeing to you by several Opportunities, prevented by various reasons, among others by the hurry attending the Close of a Sessions. we have been about riseing for a Week past, but new matters Continually pressing upon us has delayed it to this day. the design is to be up this Evening, but I suspect the same Cause will delay us one day longer. I have just left the House, being very unwell. I Intend to set out for Home in the Morning, if I feel any ways fit for a journey. I have Endeavoured to get the Pamphlet you mentioned, but have not succeeded. I have not had the pleasure of seeing Mrs. Adams and cant learn what the Title is. however, I Conjecture it may be Common Sense, which I have seen, and am (I dare say you will believe) among the many Admirers of it and therefore shant blame you on Account of its differing from my Sentiments. the Sentiments, the principles, and the whole Book are prodigiously admired here by the best Judges. Doctor Winthrop and Major Hawley are charmed with it. we three should certainly vote for a declaration of Independence without delay, being fully Convinced of the Advantage and necessity of it. what can prevail with the Congress to hesitate, when will the Time and Circumstances more proper arrive; can they ever; I dread the postponeing I Journals of the Continental Congress, IV. 32. 2 From the Samuel Adams Papers in the New York Public Library. this step and I dread [it] the more because I find the House of Lords have got before them your Petition. if they accept your offers and close with you on your own Terms, how are you to get clear of it. and if you cant where shall we be and what shall we do next; then certainly we shall not be in so good a Situation for such a Measure as now. besides Spring is almost arrived, when we shall want every aid and every Advantage. therefore Guard against the Embarrassments that may be the Consequence of Treating and proposals of reconciliation by takeing a Step in its nature, and I hope in your Intention, as unalterable as the Laws of the Meeds, etc. I wish I could give you any thing pleasing, or even new, but there is a perfect dearth of News here. no military Operations on our side have yet taken place. the General is yet in want of powder sufficient to Enable him to Undertake any thing of Consequence. last Night a detachment of the Enemy got on Dorchester Hill, Burnt several Buildings, and took four or five prisoners, and then retreated without any loss. I cant Ascertain the perticulars of this Affair, which tho' not great is somewhat Mortifying. no prizes lately taken. we have ordered a Committee to furnish you with our Journals and Acts as fast as they are printed, by which you will be able to form some Judgment how we spend our Time. the Reinforcement of the Army by our Militia is more than equal to my Expectations and I believe equal to the call for them. I hope to hear from you soon. where is your fleet. my regards to Mr. J. Adams and Gerry, and Coll. Hancock. I shall write to Mr. Adams by first Opportunity. I cant add more this Evening but that I am your Friend. [No signature.] I am directed by the House to desire our delegates to furnish us with three or four sets of the printed Journals of your August Body. I have lost the Vote or would Inclose it. We have not surmounted all our difficulties in forming the Militia by Compleating the Bill. the House chose Coll. Hancock the first, your Humble Servant the Second and Coll. [Azor] Orne the third Major Generals. the Board nonconcurred the second, because they think, as they say, the Choice militates with a Clause in the Act, forgetting it did as much so with the Choice of several of their Honours, as military Officers, Brigadiers, etc. the Vote by means of the nonconcurrence is again before us. I am unable to say what the House will do with it. Orne refuses. Coll. Hancock is objected to as being unable to attend, etc. it lays for the present and will till next Session. Thompson for Cumberland is among the Brigadiers and concurred, and gives much uneasiness in that County, and I suppose some others will in others. I am glad to be out of the List, but the Council have done it in a manner as ungracious and Indelicate as Bernard or Hutchinson would have done; for which reason I have serious thoughts of quiting my civil commission and [illegible] an Independent [illegible] Saltpetre comes in finely and we have given Encouragement to Build two more powder mills. JAMES WARREN to Samuel Adams 1 PLYMO., Feby. 28th, 1776 MY DEAR SIR, - I have been at Home near a fortnight and dureing the whole time have been very Ill and am so yet. I can only Inclose you a Letter from London which came this Evening to my hands in the Shattered Condition you will find it, having narrowly Escaped the flames to which it was Committed with a large Number of others to Escape the Inspection of the Pirates in the Channel and was saved with one other for the General and one for Doctor Franklin by the Assiduity of Mr. Furnace who was a Passenger on Board and who Informs me that thirtynine Commissioners are comeing out to treat with the several Colonies, three to each. they are to disown your Authority. this policy is as flimsy as the rest of their Conduct. do take Care that they all give the same Answer that is, refer them to you. Adeu. J. W. JAMES WARREN to Samuel ADAMS 2 WATERTOWN, May 2, 1776 MY DEAR SIR, -No Abatement of Affection or Inclination to Correspond with my much Esteemed Friend, but want of Health, and Consequently Spirits, Joined to the few Occurrences that take place here of late, are the true reasons that I have wrote so seldom to you. I am much obliged to you for your agreable favour of April 16.3 I perfectly agree with you in the sentiments there Expressed. it is really surpriseing to me that a matter of so great Consequence should be delayed so long. G. Britain is Engageing Hessians, Hanoverians and all the powers of Earth and Hell they can against us, and we delay the only measure that would determine any one Power to Act a part favourable to us. it may be said that your late Resolves with regard to armed Vessels and Trade may be considered as such. it is true they seem to be connected with a declaration of Independence, [but] seem rather a consequence than a prior Step. I From the Samuel Adams Papers in the New York Public Library. 2 Ibid. 3 Vol. 1. 224, supra. |