To George Washington from James Duane, 30 May 1780
From James Duane
Philadelphia 30th May 1780
My dear General
Congress are much affected at the Wants and distresses of the Army another Committee is appointed on your Excellency’s late Representation to the Board of War,1 & a Letter from Commy Blane.2 It is now found that the Supplies already demanded from the States are incompetent and in some Instances anticipated. It is to be lamented that we were not furnished with better Estimates at first; but we must endeavour to correct the Error; and to face every difficulty with firmness: and to remedy it as speedily & effectually as possible.3 We have no Authentic Intelligence from Charles Town: Reports thro’ Mr Lawrence (the late President) are to this Effect That our Horse under Cols. White & Washington (who escaped by plunging thro’ a dangerous passage) have again sustained a considerable Loss:4 a random Conjecture5 makes it twenty Men & An equal number of Horses, that Fort Moultrie which had before been evacuated to 50 men, surrendered on a formidable Appearance of 1500 of the Enemy and is in their possession:6 That there have been two Attacks on our Lines and the Enemy in both repulsed with great Loss.7 Those Reports appear to me to be slightly founded: Thus much is however certain that on the 16t. of this Month there was no decisive Event which had reached Wilmington; & that we have reason to expect that a vigorous and obstinate Defence is resolved on. In the mean time the severe Season of that Climate swiftly approaches when the Enemy will no longer be able to operate; and when we may expect the Arrival of the Fleet and Troops of our Ally!8 I have seized a Moment in Congress to give you this imperfect Intelligence; and beg you will pardon my Inexactness: assuring you that with the greatest Respect and Attachment, I have the Honour to be—Dear Sir—your Excellency’s most Affectionate obedient & very humle Servant
Jas Duane
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. See GW to Board of War, 27 May, and the source note to that document; see also , 17:471.
2. Duane probably is referring to Ephraim Blaine’s letter of 25 May to the Board of War. Writing from Philadelphia, Blaine lamented having little assistance from the states. Referencing Congress’s 25 Feb. resolution requisitioning supplies from the states, he accused that body of having “made their Estimate far short of the quantity requisite for the yearly support of the Army and its dependencies” (DLC: Ephraim Blaine Letterbook; see also Samuel Huntington to GW, 29 Feb., n.2, and Blaine to GW, 27 May).
3. Congress passed a resolution on 1 June as a means of “facilitating extra supplies” from the states (, 17:480; see also GW to Huntington, 27–28 May).
4. Henry Laurens, former president of Congress, had written South Carolina’s delegates from Wilmington, N.C., on 14 May. His letter on operations in the southern department mentions the engagement of 6 May at Lenud’s (Lanneau’s) Ferry, S.C., where lieutenant colonels Anthony Walton White and William Washington escaped by swimming the Santee River (, 15:293–96). For details on this engagement, see Abraham Buford to GW, 6–8 May, and n.3 to that document.
5. Duane inadvertently wrote “Conjectures.”
6. About 200 men surrendered Fort Moultrie, S.C., to the British on 7 May (see , 106).
7. For these erroneous reports, see Joseph Jones to GW, 23 May, and n.5 to that document; see also William Heath to GW, 28 May, and n.6 to that document.
8. Duane is referring to the anticipated arrival of a naval squadron and expeditionary army from France.