nor never will. If Connecticut maintains a Regulation of this kind, they will be the only State in the Union that will do so. 199. THE COMMITTEE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO WILLIAM BINGHAM.1 Sir: YORK, April 16, 1778. It is probable that a commercial board-not members of Congress-will be very soon established; so that the whole time of the conductors may be spent in exertions for the public benefit in that branch of continental business.2 The want of intelligence from our commissioners at Paris makes it improper for us to draw largely on them at present; therefore you must content yourself with the economical bounds of the power which is given to you by the within resolve of Congress of this day. Be assured, that all possible attempts will be made for your relief by remittances of our produce. Our correspondent at The Hague is very regular, but his intelligence is never in season to form the ground of any of our proceedings.3 200. JONATHAN BAYARD SMITH TO THE PRESIDENT OF PENNSYLVANIA (THOMAS WHARTON, JR.)1 Sir YORK TOWN, April 16 1778. Your Excellency will excuse my hinting the necessity of forwarding the accounts of the prisoners taken from the enemy. By a resolution of Congress of February last those accounts were to be recorded before 15 April, or the State omitting were to suffer any losses consequent on the event.2 I believe orders will issue to suspend any further purchases of flour. Large quantities are procured we are told in Maryland. If so a return of the proceedings of our Commissioners and their accounts will be called for.3 Sir, 201. JOHN BANISTER TO GEORGE WASHINGTON.1 YORK 16th April, 1778 It was with the most painful Sensibility that I perused your last letter on the Subject of the present State of the Army, and am equally [199]1 Wharton, Rev. Dipl. Corr., II. 553. 2 One item in the general plan to put the executive business of Congress into hands other than members of Congress which was not carried out. See no. 109, ante, and nos. 274, 471, 505, 602, 603, post. Cf. vol. II., nos. 273, 298. The letters of Bingham acknowledged in the paragraph omitted at the beginning of the letter are in the Library of Congress, Ac. 2233. 3 This letter is signed, "James Lovell, For the Committee of Foreign Affairs ". [200]1 Haverford College, Roberts Coll., 732; Pa. Arch., first ser., VI. 420. 2 See the Journals, Feb. 26; cf. ibid., Mar. 16. 3 See the Journals, Apr. 17. [201]1 Library of Congress, Letters to Washington, XXIII. 35; Letters to Washington (ed. Sparks), II. 107. 2 Banister's reference is no doubt to Washington's letter to Congress Apr. 10, read in Congress Apr. 13. The letter is in Washington's Writings (ed. Ford), VI. 461, (ed. Sparks), V. 311. concerned in reflecting that I do not see effectual Measures taken to ward off the impending Blow. As to the Establishment, I am under no doubt of its being adopted, and put upon a ground of Stability. It's not having taken effect as yet has been owing to a thin Representation. Virginia the Leader in this great Business, for want of the constituent Number to form a Representation, remains a Cypher, without Suffrage, at this Momentous Period. Did I not fear to intrude upon your Hours of essential business I should sometimes write to you for my own information on military Subjects; here being the greatest Ignorance in every Occurrence of that kind mixt with an inactivity that permits affairs of the greatest magnitude to lie dormant and give place to local Trifles. I have said with freedom in few words what has often occurred since I have been here. I wish I had the Capability to apply an instant Remedy for nothing procrastinated will do. However the military establishment will come out soon. God knows what other Regulations may take place. Virginia's drafted Men will come on soon, and I believe may amount to 1700 instead of 2000 voted, as it is highly probable more men desert of those compelled into Service, than if they had entered voluntarily. Colo: Harrison's artillery Regimt. are on their march. Would volunteers, provided they can be had, be of Service to your operations? Certain it is they will not come out in such Numbers as some have conjectured, but I believe a considerable Body, perhaps two Battalions may be induced to venture their persons in this time of danger. Dear Sir, 1 202. HENRY LAURENS TO JAMES DUANE.1 YORK TOWN 17th April 1778. We are now in the Wane of April, you know what is undone done and doing for securing the important Passes of Hudson's, on the possession of which our connexion with the Eastern States so intimately depends. Congress have ordered Gen. Gates to repair immediately to Fish Kill and there to Command the Troops at that Post and the whole Northern department, and have empowered him to call out Militia from N H. M B. C. and N Y. as well as from Rhode Island if the Enemy should evacuate that State.? Here, we are still encamped at Valley forge, reinforcements arrive very gradually. General Lee's opinion is the Enemy may March when they please to Lancaster. I am strongly inclined to add " and be cut off". That gentleman is at present on Parol; Congress had restricted the Commander in Chief to an article, as a Preliminary upon which the progress toward 3 See the Journals, May 18-20, 26, 27, 29, June 4. Concerning the question of half-pay, see no. 174, note 2, ante. Washington's reply to this letter, Apr. 21, is in Writings (ed. Ford), VI. 477, (ed. Sparks), V. 321. It appears to have been a suggestion in this letter to Banister that led Congress to adopt the resolve of Apr. 23 relative to pardoning Tories. Cf. nos. 205, 224, post. [202] N. Y. Hist. Soc., Duane Papers, IV. 413; S. C. Hist. Soc., Laurens LetterBook, Mar.-Sept., 1778, p. 44; N. Y. Pub. Lib., Bancroft Coll., American Papers, III. 179 (copy). 2 See the Journals, Apr. 15; also nos. 168, 185, ante, and no. 204, post. establishment of a general Cartel should depend, that Majr. Gen Lee should be exchanged for Majr. Gen Prescot, but at the General's special request this article is varied and now appears an Instruction. Gen. Lee is exceedingly anxious to be exchanged, intimates that Gen. Howe had assured him he should be, and was equally apprehensive of ill effects following a dogmatic preliminary. Gen. Howe, he was persuaded, would instantly withdraw his Commissioners. I am ignorant of the present state of the business of Exchange, the Commissioners had met at Newton, but there has happened some untoward explanations between the Commander in Chief and York Town and I have had no return to a late Letter signed by Order.3 Gen. Lee assures me the British Officers of his acquaintance generally wish for accommodation and that not a few of them approve of our opposition. my pleasure was heightened by another assurance that our suspension of the Convention of Saratoga is censured by none and applauded by many, excepting the Prolixity of our reasonings upon that occasion. He exploded the Idea of a Change in the Command at Philadelphia. We are now busily engaged on the Report for an half pay establishment. long and warm debates for many a day had led us to the threshold of the Report from the Committee of the Whole. we had Entered fairly the Door, by reading the whole for information, the first Clause for debate, and had received an amendment which was read by the Chair and the question half put, when we were turned out by a New Motion-debates arose upon the point of order, referring to that Motion, an agreement entered upon the journal, which I shall enclose for your information, was also called for and insisted upon in aid of the general reasonings for order, against receiving the new motion. after long and fervorous arguments the Question was put, You Gentlemen who admit this Motion to be in order will signifie it by saying Aye etc.-how say you Sir? I entreat your answer. that you may fully understand this circumstance I should not omit, that the proceedings of the House in debating the Confederation and other Questions were cited as precedents, and replied to, by referring to the special agreement in the present Case and likewise by alledging that the variations which were quoted had been made by "general Consent ". I speak again to a Member of Congress-I have stated the Case with brevity and candor. 20th April. . . . Gen Howe has as far as his own and the Power of his Emissaries have extended sent abroad a spurious draught of a Bill insinuated to be Parlia 3 The letter to Washington recorded in the Journals under Apr. 10, but approved Apr. 14, and so dated. Washington's reply, Apr. 18, was read in Congress Apr. 20. See no. 188, note, 5, ante; also note 6, below. See the Journals, Mar. 26, 28, 31, Apr. 1, 2, 16, 17, 21, 25-27, May 8, 9, 12, 13, 15. Cf. no. 174, note 2, ante. The "new motion" referred to was made Apr. 17 (see the Journals, p. 362). The enclosure to which Laurens refers is found in the N. Y. Hist. Soc., Duane Papers, IV. 417. It is a copy (substantially correct) of the agreement recorded in the Journals Apr. 1 (morning session, last two paragraphs, p. 300), to which Laurens appends the following comment: "If the New Motion was out of order a reference to the above agreement will make the violence of out voting appear to have been more violent. This to a Member of Congress." Cf. nos. 203, 206, 211, 222, 231, 242, 247, 255, 258, 267, 282, 287, post; also the Journals, p. 393, note 3. mentary, importing an intended proposition for reconciling differences and quieting disturbances in the Colonies. Governor Clinton shall be furnished with a Copy, which you will of course see-probably you will have seen one sooner. your Morris and our Drayton have it in hand I make no doubt but that we shall return it decently tarred and feathered." The Commissioners at New Town for establishing a Cartel for Exchange of Prisoners have done as did Balaam and Balak 24 Numb. 25 V. Those on our part have gained great Credit, their conduct and proceedings were spirited, perspicuous, honorable to themselves and their Constituents and must do our Cause service in the Eye of the Enemy. General Howe's dictates to his Agents and their servility are all shabby, and will expose them all to ridicule and contempt-by the bye remember to whom I speak, a certain Club of which you are a Member have very fortunately got out of a scrape. you shall see the whole, except the latter stroke, in Print very speedily. I whispered to a friend, this may be passed to the credit of Providence." See Washington's letter of Apr. 18, and the Journals, Apr. 20-23; also Washington's letters of Apr. 20, 23, 25, 27 (read in Congress Apr. 23, 25, 26, and 29, respectively), and a private letter to Laurens, Apr. 30. The letters are in Writings (ed. Ford), VI. 472, 474, 492, 497, 500, 508, (ed. Sparks), V. 316, 319, 336, 340, 344. Cf. nos. 207, 209, 213-216, 219-221, 223, 225, 227, 230, 271, 273, post. In his letter to Governor Clinton Apr. 20 (Clinton Papers, III. 197) Laurens expresses more emphatically his belief in the spurious character of the bills: "I differ with Gentlemen who suppose the performance originated under authority in England; it appears to me to be destitute of the most essential marks. . . . . I believe it to be of Philadelphia manufacture probably under hints from the other side of the Water and sent abroad like a Sibvl's Letter" See also Laurens's letter to Clinton Apr. 26 (ibid., p. 218). Lord North's speech on his conciliatory motion (Feb. 19), the draft of the bill declaring the intentions of Parliament regarding taxation of the colonies (Feb. 19), the draft of the bill to appoint peace commissioners (Feb 19), and the conciliatory propositions (Feb. 20), together with the resolutions of Congress Apr. 22, were printed in the Pennsylvania Gazette, Apr. 24. A copy is in the Washington Papers. See note 3, above, and nos. 207, 208, 233, post. The "club" was, of course, Congress. See no. 206, post. This paragraph was doubtless written Apr. 21, as the resolutions respecting the cartel and the order that they be published were adopted on that day. Elias Boudinot, at this time commissary-general of prisoners and one of the commissioners appointed by Washington to negotiate the cartel, has left in his Reminiscences an interesting account of these negotiations, incidentally casting light upon the proceedings of Congress, of which he presently became a member. The following passage from these Reminiscences is particularly pertinent at this point: "In the winter of 1778 while laying at the Valley Forge both Armies called loudly for the Exchange of Prisoners. Propositions were accordingly made by the british to which Congress agreed, by giving full powers to appoint Commissioners to meet a like number on the part of the british for the purpose. The General accordingly appointed Coll Hamilton, Coll Harrison, Coll Grayson, and myself-Genl Howe appointed Coll. OHarah, Coll Stevens and Capt. Fitz Patrick and we were to meet at German Town. Previous to the Meeting, as it was a matter quite new to us, we proposed a Meeting of General Officers with Genl Washington, that we might discuss the business before them and know their opinions. About this Time Congress sent a Committee of their Body into the Army to reform it. Genl Washington called this Committee to the Meeting. Genl Washington sat as Chairman. We discussed the Matter over. The Committee of Congress soon discovered their Sentiments, agt an Exchange, and urged it as the Opinion of Congress-That the settling this Cartel should be merely ostensible for the purpose of satisfying the Army and throwing the blame on the british, but true policy required us to avoid an Exchange of Prisoners just at the opening of the Campaign. We absolutely refused to undertake the Business on these principles-if we went, we were determined to make the best Cartel we could for the liberation of our Adieu Good Sir, I wis[h] you all happiness and re[main] with great Respect Your obedient and mo[st] humble Servant The Honorable James Duane Esquire. 203. JAMES LOVELL TO SAMUEL ADAMS.1 Apr: 18th, 1778. My Dear Sir Your favors of Feb: 29 and Mar. 31st came to hand this afternoon.2 Col. Campbel is actually gone into Philadelphia, and I suppose my old 3 Prisoners That we would not be made Instruments in so dishonorable a measure. Genl Washington also resented it, and said his Troops looked up to him as their protector, and that he would not suffer an opportunity to be lost of liberating every Soldier who was then in Captivity let the Consequence be what it might. The Committee were much disgusted and soon left the Army, (where they gave much dissatisfaction) and returned to. Congress. Before the meeting of the Commissioners, General Washington recd a resolution of Congress couched in the most insulting Terms, setting forth that he had appointed Commissioners to settle the Cartel, whom he knew held principles adversary to the true interests of America, etc., etc. On this I applied to the General and desired to be excused from the Service. He refused, ordered us to the Duty, and told us to make the best treaty in our power, and He would ratify it, and take the Risque upon himself. In the month of June after this I went as a delagate to Congress, and the first thing I did was to search the secret Minutes for this Resolution of Congress, determined to have them expunged from the Minutes. Not being able to find it, I applied to President Lawrence, to know where I might find it. He laughed and said that Congress was so ashamed of the Measure that was run upon them by the Committee from the Army, that in two or three days after, they had expunged the whole from their minutes." (From the original Journal, in the John Carter Brown Library. The text is also found in Elias Boudinot: Journal or Historical Recollections of American Events during the Revolutionary War, ed. Frederick Bourquin, p. 43; and in Boudinot, Life of Elias Boudinot, I. 75.) If there actually was a resolution of the character described by Boudinot, it has indeed disappeared completely from the Journals. The language used by Boudinot does, however, closely parallel that of a passage in the letter of Apr. 14 to Washington (see no. 188, ante): "The Duplicity of General Howe, and authentic Information that the Gentlemen appointed by you to negotiate the Cartel, held Opinions repugnant to the Sense of Congress, constrained them in a Matter of such high Moment as forming a General Cartel, to express their Sentiments in an Explicit Manner." The explicit expression here referred to is the resolution of Mar. 30. It may therefore have been this resolution and its results, ending with the quieting resolution of Apr. 21, that gave form and substance to Boudinot's recollections. For some earlier phases of the subject. see nos. 88, 139, ante. Boudinot's resignation as commissary-general of prisoners bears the date Apr. 17 (see the Journals, Apr. 20). Col. Francis Johnston was chosen (May 11) to succeed him, but declined (see the Journals, May 20, 21, 23), and Maj. John Beatty was then elected (May 28). Boudinot did not however quit the office until the end of June (see his correspondence in Life, I. 113-138). He took his seat in Congress July 6 (ibid., P. 152). [203]1 N. Y. Pub. Lib., Samuel Adams Papers. 2 Letters of these dates are not found in Adams's Writings, but there are references in Lovell's letter which are evidently to Adams's letter of Mar. 27, found in Writings, IV. 16. The letter actually sent to Lovell was doubtless written from this draft but given the later date. 3 Lieut.-Col. Archibald Campbell. See Adams's letter of Mar. 27, mentioned above, and his letter to Campbell, Jan. 9, ibid., p. 9; also the Journals, Jan. 13, 16, Mar. 2, 30, Apr. 10. The question of the exchange of Colonel Campbell was a part of the subject-matter of Washington's letters of Mar. 12 and Apr. 4 (see nos. 71, 163, 188, ante). For earlier aspects of the case, see these Letters, vol. II. (index). |
