1. The enclosure included three congressional resolutions. In the first, Congress requested the states to “explicitly and without the least delay, to inform Congress how far they may rely upon their furnishing the several Supplies of Men, Money & provisions called for by Congress or their Committee at Head Quarters.” In the second resolution, Congress requested that the “supreme executive Magistrate” in each state “immediately” inform Congress what measures had been taken to comply with requisitions for troops, provisions, and money. In the third resolution, Congress called on state executives to correspond weekly with the Committee at Headquarters regarding efforts to comply with requisitions (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 , 17:539–40).

2. The enclosed “Extract from the minutes” included a summary of a letter, read in Congress on 23 June, from Lincoln with his request that an “enquiry may be immediately made into the causes of the loss of Charles town which has been announced to Congress; and into his conduct as principal officer at that post when it was given up.” Congress then resolved: “That the commander in chief be directed as soon as circumstances shall admit to cause an enquiry to be made into the loss of Charles town in South Carolina and into the conduct of the said Major Genl Lincoln late commanding Officer in the southern department, & cause the proceedings of the Court of enquiry to be laid before Congress” (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 , 17:551–52).

Lincoln wrote GW from Philadelphia on this date: “The loss of Charles town and the army committed to my care are events so important in themselves and may be so interesting in their consequences to the united States that duty to your Excellency & a regard to my own reputation would lead me now to give you a minute detail of the various circumstances which led here to—but as Congress has directed a Court of enquery into my Conduct during my command southward your Excelly will see that there might be objections to such a measure.

“I must beg sir if possible that a court may be soon appointed for this purpose as I wish to return to my family in New England from which I have been long absent—I have had the pleasure of spending a little time with Genl Schuyler to whom I beg to refer you for a General state of matters. … P.S. Had I been able to have procured a copy of the resolve I would have done my self the honor to have sent it” (ALS, DLC:GW; see also n.4 below).

3. Huntington enclosed an extract from one of the two letters that Lincoln wrote Congress from Philadelphia on 22 June: “A general exchange of prisoners being so manifestly the interest of both parties & Genl Clinton having expressed his desire that it might take place, I am induced to beleive if a proposition was now made of this kind it would be attended to on the part of Britain” (DLC:GW).

4. The postscript is in Huntington’s writing. GW replied to Huntington on 10 July that the military situation and Lincoln’s parole prevented an inquiry into the loss of Charleston. He also recommended against a general prisoner exchange that included privates (DNA:PCC, item 152).