From John Jay to Alexander McDougall, 27 March 1776
To Alexander McDougall
Philadelphia 27 March 1776
Dear Sir
As Mr. Willet leaves this Place in the Morning, I shall commit these few Lines to his Care, and tho they contain nothing important will nevertheless tend to manifest my constant Attention to the Province as well as to the Person for whom they are designed. I am sorry no Provision has been made for Mr Willet, from every thing I can learn, he has Merit, and I hope when we shall be informed of the Arrangement. in Canada, that a Place will be found for him.1
How do your People like the Design of privateering—In the year 1757 they had thirty nine Sail & no less than 4060 Men employed in that Business—I feel so much for the Honor of our calumniated Colony, that it would give me Pleasure to see them distinguished by vigorous Exertion—Indeed had it not been for the Slanders of some of our own Citizens Fame would have done us Justice—however she has been detected in so many dirty Misrepresentations to vilify New York that I can assure you the Province stands well with the Congress & has at least its due Weight—It gives me great Satisfaction that your military Appointment will probably admit of your continuing in the City, where I cant but think your Presence extremely necessary—and the more so as many among you observe no medium, and are either all Flame or all Frost.
It is said Boyd has not fulfilled his Contract and has only delivered six or seven Musquets. I suspect all is not right in this Business, and that there are more Reasons for the Delay than ostensible ones.2 If so he ought to feel the Indignation of the Public—
That no Salt Petre is making in the Province is a sad Tale—I wish we could contradict it—A Work at public Expence should be erected, if it were only for the Honor of the Colony—3 I hear you have emitted more Money—4 Will you never think of Taxes? The Ice must be broken, the sooner it is begun & more insensibly performed the better. I Tremble for this Delay—There is much Money in the Province, the Produce of the Country retains its Price & a moderate Tax would be born without Murmur especially & its Payment can be enforced and the Necessity obvious
The Tories at Boston are left to the Mercy of their incensed Countrymen.5 I hope our wise ones will draw proper Inferences from this Circumstance, and not seek for Protection from those who never think of their Friends longer that Interest may dictate Attention—Mr. Willet is waiting Adieu I am yr Fd.
John Jay
Coll McDougall
ALS, NHi: McDougall (EJ: 742). Endorsed.
1. Marinus Willett (1740–1830), a captain in the 1st New York Regiment during the Canadian expedition in 1775, served as lieutenant colonel in the Continental army from 21 Nov. 1776 to 1 July 1780.
2. Robert Boyd, a gunsmith and forge operator at New Windsor, contracted with the New York Provincial Congress to manufacture muskets in June 1775. Boyd was to be allowed six months to fulfill his contract, and in February 1776, the New York Congress wrote Boyd to request him to forward all such guns as he had made and to press completion of the contract. In his reply of 23 Feb., Boyd agreed to deliver the arms for which he had been paid but indicated that he would not proceed under the contract because of his difficulty in obtaining workmen. , 1: 41, 51, 294, 328.
3. By a resolution of 23 Feb. 1776 the Continental Congress recommended that local authorities erect works for the manufacture of saltpeter at public expense. New York’s Congress responded on 16 Mar. by directing the Committee of Safety to negotiate with suitable persons for this purpose. On 17 Apr. the committee resolved that county committees be appointed to supervise the manufacture and purchase of saltpeter in the province. , 4: 170; , 1: 366, 409–10.
4. On 5 Mar. the New York Provincial Congress voted to emit $137,500 in bills of credit. , 1: 338.
5. American forces entered Boston on 17 Mar. 1776, one day after the British garrison withdrew at the conclusion of an eleven-month siege.