To George Washington from Samuel Huntington, 16 September 1780

From Samuel Huntington

Philadelphia September 16. 1780

Sir,

By the two Acts of Congress of the 15. Instant herewith enclosed, your Excellency will be informed that the late Brigadier General Smallwood is appointed a Major General in the Continental Army, & Mr Abraham Skinner Commissary General of Prisoners.1

As also the Measures Congress have adopted to supply the Army with Beef.2

Expresses are sent off to all the distant States, urging in the strongest Terms an immediate & punctual Compliance with the requisitions for Beeves.3

Congress are determined to use every possible Means in their Power to prevent any future Distress in the Army for Want of Provision. It is supposed from the best Computation, if the quantity of Beef called for by these resolutions should be furnished, it will be more than sufficient for the daily Consumption of the Army, in which Case the Surplus, of the most suitable quality will be barrelled for future Use.4 I have the Honor to be with the highest respect your Excellency’s most obedient Servant

Sam. Huntington President

LS, DLC:GW; LB, DNA:PCC, item 15. GW replied to Huntington on 1 October.

1. The enclosed acts, passed on 15 Sept., are in DLC:GW (see also JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 18:828).

2. Huntington enclosed orders and resolutions related to the procurement of beef adopted on 15 Sept. after Congress “took into consideration the report of the Committee on the letter of the 20th August and subsequent letters from General Washington.” Demands were placed on Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Delaware, and New Jersey (DLC:GW; see also JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 18:828–30, 843, and Ephraim Blaine to GW, 12 Sept., n.2).

3. For example, see Huntington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 15 Sept., in Smith, Letters of Delegates description begins Paul H. Smith et al., eds. Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774–1789. 26 vols. Washington, D.C., 1976–2000. description ends , 16:67.

4. For the computation, see JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 18:826.

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Source Project: Washington Papers
Title: To George Washington from Samuel Huntington, 16 September 1780
Author: Huntington, Samuel
Recipient: Washington, George
Date: 16 September 1780

Reference

Cite as: “To George Washington from Samuel Huntington, 16 September 1780,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-28-02-0152. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 28, 28 August–27 October 1780, ed. William M. Ferraro and Jeffrey L. Zvengrowski. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2020, pp. 211–212.]

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