To John Jay from Egbert Benson, 4 September 1779
From Egbert Benson
Kingston Sept. 4th, 1779—
My Dear Sir:
I have stolen a Moment from the Business of the House to write You by Mr: Phelps, who is dispatched some Hours sooner than I was apprised of or I should have wrote You more fully— He is the Bearer of our peremptory Instructions to the Delegates relative to the Affair of Vermont—1 This Business I must entreat Your utmost Endeavers to dispatch, for You will observe
We are to continue sitting til We receive an Answer— We are now at our Ne plus as I mentioned to You in my last,2 and We are every day growing worse and worse— By a Change in the Legislature several new Members are come in who are, (as I firmly beleive) more attached to Vermont than New York. Others are become fearful— In short from a Variety of Circumstances I am fully convinced that our Proceedings in this Session will decide the Question whether We are to relinquish or to reduce that part by force of Arms that part of the Country— Should the former Alternative happen I foresee the inevitable Ruin of the State— One Proof of this is the following fact, that in April a Tenant in the Manor of Rensselaer and whose Farm is in the second Tier of Lots from the North-Eastern Boundary ^of the Manor^ and of which he has ^been^ in quiet Possession for upwards of thirty Year, was sued in an Action of Trespass for £2000 by Process out of the Court of Vermont & the Trespass was charged to be committed on the above Farm— This is a fact for the Defendant applied to Me for Advice and Direction—
The Army here has only Three Weeks Flour and to save them from starving We have upon the Application of the Commissary General3 compelled the Farmers to thresh out one sixteenth within Eight and the other Sixteenth within Twenty days Of their ^last^ Crop of Wheat of the last [illegible] ^beyond the annual necessary Consumption of their respective Families^ at 20 Dollars per Bushel— Can We have no Compensation for these Exertions and Losses? It would be some if Congress would order a Quantity of Salt into the State—
Mr: Phelps waits and as Lord Chesterfield concludes some of his Letters with the Graces, the Graces, the Graces, so I conclude mine with Vermont, Vermont, Vermont— Yours sincerely—
Egbt: Benson
ALS, NNC (EJ: 5492). Addressed: “His Excellency John Jay Esqr:—/ Philadelphia.” Endorsed.
1. Charles Phelps of Cumberland County delivered the instructions of 27 Aug. 1779, which presented a plan for settling the question of land titles in the New Hampshire Grants. In the event that Congress failed to act on the proposal, the New York legislature directed JJ, “to whom we have in a special manner committed this Business immediately to withdraw and attend us at this Place [Kingston].” “Controversy between New York and New Hampshire respecting the Territory now the State of Vermont,” , 4: 531–1034.
2. See Benson to JJ, 6 July 1779, above.
3. Wadsworth wrote Washington from West Point on 27 Aug. 1779 regarding the shortage of flour in the state and conferred on 31 Aug. with a committee of the assembly that included Benson. Washington enclosed copies of Wadsworth’s letter in a circular to the governors on 28 Aug. that Gov. Clinton presented to the legislature on 1 Sept. Benson introduced the bill on 1 Sept. that was finally adopted as amended by the legislature on 4 Sept. as “An Act for Procuring an immediate Supply of Flour and Peas, for the Use of the Army.” , 5: 218–19, 259; , 16: 188–89; The votes and proceedings of the Assembly of the state of New-York; at their third session . . . begun . . . at Kingston . . . the ninth day of August, 1779 (Fishkill, N.Y.: Samuel Loudon, 1779; , no. 16409), 12–18.