To George Washington from John Hancock, 27 August 1777
From John Hancock
Philada August 27th 1777.
Sir,
I have the Honour to transmit you the enclosed Resolves which Congress have passed at this critical Period, with a View to have the disaffected in the States of Pennsylvania and Delaware immediately apprehended and secured. I shall forward Copies of them to those States with the utmost Expedition, that a Measure of such Consequence may be carried into Execution as soon as possible.1
I have only Time to refer your Attention to the Resolves, and have the Honour to be with the greatest Respect Sir, your most obed. & very hble Servt
John Hancock Presidt
LS, DLC:GW; LB, DNA:PCC, item 12A. The postscript of the LS, which is in Hancock’s writing, is not included on the letter-book copy.
1. The enclosed congressional resolutions of 26 Aug. include, in addition to the ones mentioned by Hancock, a resolution recommending that Pennsylvania lend GW two brass 12–pound cannon and a resolution requesting that the Pennsylvania supreme executive council “order all the leaden spouts in Philadelphia to be taken down for the use of the laboratory” (DLC:GW; see also , 8:677–79, and Hancock to Delaware and Pennsylvania, 27 Aug., in , 7:560–61).
2. This enclosure apparently was Horatio Gates’s second letter to GW of 22 Aug. (see GW to Hancock, 29 Aug.).
3. For documents regarding Gen. Samuel Holden Parsons’s abortive raid of 22 Aug. on a Loyalist outpost on Long Island, see , 108–10.