1To Alexander Hamilton from John Armstrong, [17 September 1791] (Hamilton Papers)
Permit me Sir to intrude so fancy to call your attention for a moment on a subject that to me is very interesting. In a report I made to Gel. Knox the 21st of February last a copy of which I am told was sent to your Office, I stated some facts relative to the Conduct of the late contractors, and having since learnt that they have by some means procured certificates contradicting this report, I...
2To George Washington from John Armstrong, 3 November–20 December 1767 (Washington Papers)
With particular pleasure I acknowlege the receit of your favour of the 21st Septr but know not when it may meet with a Safe conveyance, I shall detain the letter a little, and if none appear, shall risque it by the way of Winchester or Philada. Your Information that part of the Lands on the Yaughyaughghany & Monongahela formerly conceiv’d to lie within the bounds of yr Governmt is now likely...
3To George Washington from John Armstrong, 24 January 1770 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from John Armstrong, 24 Jan. 1770. On 20 Mar. GW wrote to Armstrong: “Your obliging favour of the 24th of Jany came to my hands.”
4To George Washington from John Armstrong, 17 August 1773 (Washington Papers)
Such is the uncertainty of human affairs, that I have again the unexpected occasion of giving you a letter on Some business, which if it is to be done at all, it seems must be transacted in your Government. Sundry Gentlemen who had formerly held Military Commissions in the Pay of Pennsylvania & Serv’d in conjunction with the Establish’d Troops, have lately fallen upon a method of asking their...
5To George Washington from John Armstrong, 24 December 1773 (Washington Papers)
Your favours of the 28th Sepr from Annapolis, and that of the 10th Octobr from your Own House, I now most gratefully acknowledge, and shou’d have done it Sooner, had any promising conveyance occur’d. I have communicated your Sentiments and representation of the matter in question to sundry Gentlemen in Pennsylvania belonging to our reduc’d Tribe, who are all thankfully Sensible of that obvious...
6To George Washington from Brigadier General John Armstrong, 1 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
You will scarcely expect a Letter from me dated at this place so far out of the line of yr Excellencys Orders —On my traversing a considerable part of the State of Pennsylvania as high as Carlisle I found that not only the inclemancy of the weather prevented my being able to draw out the Militia Battalions so fully as cou’d have been wished, but the numbers that were gone to Camp especially...
7To George Washington from Brigadier General John Armstrong, 22 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
On my return from Baltimore & travelling the West⟨ern⟩ part of the County of York, I am favoured with your Excellencys Letter of the 19th Ulto —and Sorry to find that so few of the Pennsylvania Militia who were actually on foot ever reached to head Quarters & also for the Short Stay of those who did—when I spoke of 20,000 it was including the bones of the Old Army & her few new recruits. The...
8To George Washington from Brigadier General John Armstrong, 8 April 1777 (Washington Papers)
The bearer Mr Saml Kersley is One under the Nomination of a Captain in the minute I left yr Excely an assiduous & every way well disposed Young man—who after laying out what money he had of his Own in recruiting & coming to this City to be replenished (for which I thought my Certificate expressly grounded on your Authority wou’d have been Sufficient) Congress will not grant nor admit a...
9To George Washington from Brigadier General John Armstrong, 20–21 June 1777 (Washington Papers)
I shall not incroach on your time with disscribeing that Circle of feeble Service wherein I have been engaged since I had the pleasure of Seeing you, ’tis enough to say it has been of the mottled kind. When the Supream Council of this State appointed me to the Command of their Militia, various motives compelled me to accept even under the latent mortification of knowing I had nothing to render...
10To George Washington from Maj. Gen. John Armstrong, 17 September 1777 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: from Maj. Gen. John Armstrong, Sr., 17 Sept. 1777. Armstrong wrote GW at 8:00 P.M. , 18 Sept.: “I wrote you last Night at this hour.”
11To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 25 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
Without such an acquaintance of the Enemies lines as wou’d discover to you where they are more or less accessible I can not well approve of an attack upon them, nor can I conceive the opposite numbers at Philada under Six thousand or upward—And question whether an attack can be Succesful if the lines are not penetrated in so Short a Space of time (perhaps some Seven or at most ten minutes) as...
12To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 1 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
I beg leave to recommend, that as early as it may be Safe to make such movement, the Army may pass Over the Scuilkill & take for Some time a position on that Side. With respect to Winter Quarters for the Army—The longer I consider the measure pointed out in the back Villiages of this State, the more inadmissable that Step appears to be, as by the large lattitude thereby given the Enemy thro’...
13To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 4 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
In regard to the Advisability of a Winters Campaign, I answer —In keeping the Field, the hardships on both officers and privates are manifestly great, nor is there an alternative presenting your Excy with less inconvenience, at best you have but a choice of difficulties of which Hutting in the field is in my Opinion the least of the two, and most in Character for the Army. The only Semblance...
14To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 19 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
This day or tomorrow I design moving Over to the Bethlehem or rather the Eastown Road & near the Shamany & Shou’d have moved Sooner, had the weather & Other impediments permitted —the removal of Sick Soldiers & fragments of Continental Stores, with the Scarcity of Waggons to procure Our provisions have Stood in the way. Coll Pickering writes me that two or three hundred Arms, Tents &c. were...
15To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 23 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
Yesterday, prior to your Excellens. favour which came to hand last night, I had dispatch’d an Express to the Council of this State in regard to a Continued Succession of the Militia thro’ the Winter—this I had in effect done by a former letter, but Yesterday have been explicit. About 200 fine Cattle are gone forward to you, with these I have Sent a Guard & thro the hurry of business forgot to...
16To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 23 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
I received your Excellys Favour this Afternoon & shall as far as in my Power endeavour to obey your Commands. Upon conferring with Persons who have the best Opportunities of knowing the Circumstances of the Country between this & Philada I am of Opinion that instead of there being a Surplus beyond the Wants of the Inhabitants they will have great Difficulty to reach the Spring with the little...
17To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 26 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
I cannot yet learn whether the Enemy are return’d to Philada—a person from thence, tells me the Citizens were extreamly alarm’d at the little Noise of the evening before last & it was thought the Ravagers wou’d return as of yesterday —As to persons passing in & out of Town, I see that may be done in oppo[si]tion to all we can do to prevent it, nor can every degree of Marketing be fully Stoped,...
18To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 29 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
I lately wrote yr Excely of four prisoners confined in this Guard for Carrying Provisions on different roads toward the Philada Market, and that I wou’d Send them to you for tryal —Upon Examining the prisoners & farther reflexion, I thought it unnecessary to trouble you with them, especially as in my Opinion none of them stood in the Shoes of a proper Victim—I have therefore I believe...
19To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 30 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
My last letter to the Council of this State was wrote in consequence of yr Excellencys desire, that the militia shou’d be maintain’d thro’ this winter in the same numbers & succession as they have been in the cource of the Campaign; which requisition I urged with some Argument drawn from the exposed Situation of this Side the Scuylkill & the inexpedience of dividing the Continental Army. On...
20To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 5 February 1778 (Washington Papers)
My unacquaintance at coming to this place, with the Complexion of Congress & exertions of that body for the approaching Campaign has prevented me the pleasure of writing you sooner; and the little I yet know far short as it must be of your better intelligence, can only serve as a farther expression of that line of duty I have long determined to pursue. My apprehensions are Still painful with...
21To George Washington from Major General John Armstrong, 10 March 1778 (Washington Papers)
The intelligence gain’d by a Miss Myer, respecting a Certain John Robinson who has undertaken Secretly to conduct a body of Tories from this part of the Country to Genl Howe, has been sent me by the Board of War, with a request to endeavour to take him &c. Robinson is but little known to the Whigs in these parts; I have however Sent out an Officer with instructions which may probably have...
22To George Washington from John Armstrong, 3 December 1778 (Washington Papers)
By so good a conveyance as that of Coll Irwin I can not wave the pleasure of a line to your Excellency, tho’ destitute of news or any thing of an interesting nature. I hope before this time yr winter quarters or retirement, is some way determined—Towns according to the present exorbitant prices of things, are in my opinion very unfavourable to our Soldiery. The Subalterns of your Army often...
23To George Washington from John Armstrong, 10 May 1779 (Washington Papers)
Necessarily as now you must be led to consider on the One hand, the various distributions of your Army, I mean the Seneca or Northern Expedition—Some force at Fort Pitt, together wth the representation of Governor Green on behalf of the Providence Plantations & adjacent Country which Stands exposed to the contrasted force of the Enemy at Rhode Island —And on the Other, the intelligence of Mr...
24To George Washington from John Armstrong, 25–29 June 1779 (Washington Papers)
I am for Some time possessed of your Excellencys favour of the 18th Ulto and perfectly convinced of the truth & importance of the contents, but have & shall punctually observe that degree of reserve, which is equally just as it can be agreeable to your wishes. You are not mistaken when on a late amplification of certain powers, you immagin Congress had an eye to something particular or out of...
25To George Washington from John Armstrong, 7 July 1779 (Washington Papers)
Major Nichols having been Nominated by the Board of War as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Pennsylvania line, and afterward disappointed of that rank by the judgment of a Board of Officers, has I find for some time past been indulgeing in himself that Spirit of resignation but too general in our Army at present—His better reflexion however has led him to observe that Several other Officers in the...
26To George Washington from John Armstrong, 12 January 1780 (Washington Papers)
The present distressing Asspect of our publick affairs compels me to add to your Excellencys present trouble the reading of the following lines—about this time I hoped to have heard of your being in Philada and fully intended writing at some greater length than the haste of the bearer will now admit. I need not take up the train much less the causes of our present most critical & dangerous...
27To George Washington from John Armstrong, 31 August 1780 (Washington Papers)
Since my return to Congress in the latter end of May, few Weeks have passed in which I did not intend the pleasure of writing you—Yet can the fault of Omission I now acknowledge be imputed to no other cause than the progressive langure and infirmity produced by an attention to business often perplexing in it Self, and a tedious debate with the dissolving heat of this City. At present I know of...
28To George Washington from John Armstrong, 25 January 1785 (Washington Papers)
My last to your Excellency was of the congratulatory Sort, written on the joyfull & acceptable subject of our Peace —and whatever time has elapsed since that period, you have had a Silent Share of the best wishes that either my leisure or reflexion, enabled me to bestow; and altho’ they are founded in publick considerations never to be forgotten, they have comparatively left the lofty Scenes...
29To George Washington from John Armstrong, 2 March 1787 (Washington Papers)
Amongst many others, I consider myself your Excellencys debtor—and that the small Annuity of a letter is the least discharge I can offer. how this acknowledgment has been made in the two preceding years, memory is now too weak to inform me, and having enuff to do with the trivial Originals, I do not pretend to keep Coppys—but whether my last reached you or not, will be known by the liberty I...
30To George Washington from John Armstrong, 5 June 1787 (Washington Papers)
My last letter addressed to your Excellency at Mount Vernon, intimated some expectation as well as desire, of being in Philada about this time —being frequently urged by the Trustees of Dickinson College, to make a farther attempt to obtain benifactions in the City—together with this, the prospect of seeing you once more, had greatly induced me to go; but on the receit of several letters from...
31To George Washington from John Armstrong, 20 February 1788 (Washington Papers)
As a Citizen of the united States, I always consider my Self your debtor, and the annual tribute of a Short letter, the smallest remittance we can well conceive. It is perhaps more than a year past since I took the liberty of telling you, that however attatched to retirement & rural life, you must suffer a little more interruption to domestick enjoyments & give some more attention to the...
32To George Washington from John Armstrong, 27 January 1789 (Washington Papers)
Your very Obligeing letter of the 25th of April last came only to hand, and yeilded much Satisfaction to several Gentlemen of the Federal cast occasionally at this place, to find your decided opinion that Virginia would adopt the Constitution; and I cannot suppress my Obligation to acknowledge the receit of that letter, otherwise ’tis matter of doubt whether any part of your time ought to be...
33To George Washington from John Armstrong, 2 February 1790 (Washington Papers)
Notwithstanding how frequently your person and Office possess my thoughts, I have studiously avoided expressing them on paper lest I should add to that attention already so amply and so much better employed. Nevertheless I must now beg leave to present my Congratulations to your Excellency on the pleasing appearance of our publick concerns, evinced by the apparent satisfaction of the populace,...
34To George Washington from John Armstrong, 29 December 1790 (Washington Papers)
The design of my Subject being in some sense premature, you may possibly consider it as the effect of doatage, but however that may be, I cannot with ease longer deny myself the pleasure of addressing a few lines more to your Excellency—by which I only mean to convey my private wishes & give this farther testimony, that nothing on your part, nor age & growing infirmities upon mine, hath yet...
35To George Washington from John Armstrong, 14 March 1792 (Washington Papers)
Whatever may have been the constructions of others respecting the designs of Government, in marching an Armed force into the West; I shall in the present state of things reduce all other conjectures into the idea of Peace, viewing it with it’s natural consequences not only as the primary Object of the publick measures, but that whereby the farther concerns of the Union in that country may with...
36To George Washington from John Armstrong, 25 November 1793 (Washington Papers)
Please to accept my sincere Congratulations on the reputed State of your good health & safe return to our Afflicted Capitol, or the invirons thereof. The design of this letter which ought to have been much sooner addressed, is to tender my Cordial thanks & acknowledgments of your Excellencys friendly rememberance of my son in the appointment proposed to him—of which thro’ an accidental delay...
37To George Washington from John Armstrong, 8 March 1781 (Washington Papers)
Five Sabel months have passed over Since I last had the pleasure of writing yr Excellency & then unable to finish a letter of moderate length, of which indispossion I am fully recovered, but having passed the Sixty third of my age, find little capacity for active life except in the dreams of an intoxicated immagination, which ought to be corrected & the thoughts turned upward; permit me Sir to...
38To George Washington from John Armstrong, 27 December 1781 (Washington Papers)
It was a choice too long deferred writing Yr Excellency on the very important Capture of the Earl Cornwallis and the Troops under his command—an event (more especially at this Cr i sis) worthy of God & honourable to man, having laid ample foundation of gratitude to both; and taken in connexion with other considerations perhaps presents the first probable ray of Peace that hath yet been...
39To George Washington from John Armstrong, 29 June 1782 (Washington Papers)
Altho’ this warm weather leaves me but little inclination to write, I could not entirely decline the present opportunity—The little news afforded from the Western part of our Country happens at present not to be good—the Volunteers commanded by Coll Crawford who lately formed an Expedition against Sandusky, have retreated & are returned with some loss; among the missing Coll Crawford is said...
40To George Washington from John Armstrong, 22 April 1783 (Washington Papers)
In March, I was honored with the receit of your Excellencys letter of the 10th of January—and the interveneing intelligence has at once prevented my earlier acknowledgments, and the use of observation, the then important contents being now beyond Suspence. At lenth, not only the emblem, the Olive branch; but the Salutary thing it self Peace and independance hath reached this militant and weary...
41To James Madison from John Armstrong, 2 [June] 1804 (Madison Papers)
I yesterday had the honor of receiving your letter of the 27th. Ult. and after giving to the proposition it contained, all the consideration my present circumstances admit of, I have determined to accept it. I am perfectly sensible of the many advantages that may be derived as well to myself, as the public, from the visit you suggest, and shall accordingly set out for Washington in a few days....
42To James Madison from John Armstrong, 15 July 1804 (Madison Papers)
I arrived in this city two days ago and have taken a passage in a ship destined to Nantz, which will sail on the 1st. of August or sooner, should I be ready to embark. My letters of credence, instructions, &c &c with a draft on the treasury for three thousand dollars, may be forwarded as early as possible, and addressed to me at this place. The public papers have already announced the death of...
43To James Madison from John Armstrong, 6 August 1804 (Madison Papers)
On my arrival here with my family a few days past I had the honor of receiving your letters of the 20th. & 25th. of July, with two others from Mr Wagner of later date, enclosing the documents necessary to my mission. It would have given me much pleasure to have conformed to your wishes with regard to the ballance of my out:fit, but as I do not want money here, and as there may be some risk in...
44To James Madison from John Armstrong, 29 August 1804 (Madison Papers)
The delay in our sailing, which, under various pretences, has been kept up from the 15th. ’till this morning, has afforded an oppertunity of receiving your letter of the 21st. with its inclosures. In another respect We may have lost nothing by it; the winds for three weeks past have been uniformly from the East, and must have produced a tedious and unpleasant passage, without insuring to us an...
45To James Madison from John Armstrong, 31 August 1804 (Madison Papers)
Having occasion for five hundred dollars more than the amount of your late draft on the Treasury in my favor, I have been furnished with that sum by Gen. Theodorus Bailey of this city, and to reimburse him, have drawn a bill upon you, payable at sight, for the amount. I am Sir, with great respect, Your Obedient hum. servt. RC ( DNA : RG 59, DD , France, vol. 10). Docketed by Wagner as received...
46To James Madison from John Armstrong, 14 October 1804 (Madison Papers)
Having this moment heard that the Jane is about to sail for Boston early to:morrow, I avail myself of the conveyance she offers, to inform you of our safe arrival at this post in thirty eight days from that on which we left NYork, and to transmit a small package of the latest papers of the place, with a copy of the new civil code of the Country. Of Mr. Livingston I have heard nothing,...
47To James Madison from John Armstrong, 20 October 1804 (Madison Papers)
I wrote a few lines to you on the 14th. instant by the Jane (a small vessel bound to Boston) barely announcing My arrival at this place and enclosing a few public papers and a copy of the new civil code of France. Of this work their jurists speak highly, whatever they may think. Wishing to come at the character of Gen. T., which has been much a subject of Conversation here, and which cannot be...
48To James Madison from John Armstrong, 12 November 1804 (Madison Papers)
I arrived in this city on the 29th. ulto, and found here M[e]ssrs Livingston and Munroe; the one, on the point of setting out for Italy; the other, about to prosecute his journey to Spain. On an intimation from Mr Livingston of my arrival, I had an immediate interview with Mr Talleyrand, and, in a day or two, received from him a notice, that “the next diplomatic audience had been assigned for...
49To James Madison from John Armstrong, 24 December 1804 (Madison Papers)
A few days after the date of my last letter (the 12 Nov) I was admitted to a private audience of the Emperor. During this interview, I presented my credentials, & with them, a short complimentary address on the recent elevation of his Majesty. I am not sure that in this first step, I shall have given all the satisfaction I could wish. On your side of the Atlantic it may be supposed that I have...
50To James Madison from John Armstrong, 25 December 1804 (Madison Papers)
Enclosed is my account with the United States, for the six months which have elapsed since my appointment. I have, within a few days, made a small payment to Mr Appleton, our Commercial Agent at Calais, and have allowed him 5 pr. cent on his disbursements; not that I found any authority in the law to do so, nor in the usage of my predecessor, but because the thing appeared to me highly...