To George Washington from John Sullivan, 29 January 1781
From John Sullivan
Philadelphia Jany 29th 1781
Dear General
after my return to this City I had the Honor of your Excellencys favor of the 16th Instant.1
we found that the almost total Dissolution of the Pensylvania Line by Furlough or Discharge was absolutely necessary & a re-incorporation the only remedy that could be applied for as a body they would have been Troublesome if not Dangerous[.]2 they are Trying to Inlist again and I fear too many of the Disorderly ones will get in. Should that be the Case perhaps it might be a wise Measure to keep them always Seperated & Intermixed with other Troops on Detatchments or in Garrison but I See I have already gone too far & I beg Your Excellencys Pardon. I did not Mean to Dictate but only to remind You that there are among them too many unprincipled Irish & English men ungovernable in their Nature & Who are not to be Trusted Long together:3 As the Jersey Line under took to follow their Example having not the Same reasons as they had rece[ive]d both pay & Cloathing I am happy to hear that Your Excey adopted a mode for reducing them which with the former would have been hig[h]ly impolitic & I believe impractacable—I pray That the Flame may not Extend further4—I know it is a Trying time with the Americans in General but above all I Lament The Tryals You are Compelled to go Through. But I am Convinced we Shall Soon be in better Circumstances[.] our Political Disorder has in my opinion Come to a Crisis & the next Campaign we Shall See the Republick rising into Action with new vigor[.] we are now making Some Arrangements which Evidence the Recovery of our Reason. A Minister of Foreign affairs one of Finance a Minister of war & of Marine are to be appointed—Maryland has Acceeded to the association[.] virginia has granted Congress all the Lands west of the Ohio.5 our Plan of Finance is Nearly Through[.]6 we mean to try for a Loan of Coined Specie & Plate from Individuals in which I Doubt not we Shall Succeed as we mean to Convince them that they will be repaid in Specie[.] by this means we Intend Establishing a Bank to Support Paper for though paper Bills may well Enough Represent Silver & Gold That really does Exist Yet when they are used as a Circulating medium to represent Silver & Gold which does not Exist & probably never may this medium is but the Shadow of a Shade7—If this Loan can be obtained & Colo. Laurens Should be Successful in France I am Convinced we Shall be in a very respectable Situation next Year & Even if he is unsuccessful in a much better than we have been for Years Past.8 I promise myself much from our Present & past Distresses[.] I find that Congress & assemblies begin to Rouse from their Slumber & Individuals are now Alarmed for the Publick Safety who have for Years past been Employed in amassing wealth—America has undoubtedly abundant Resources but we Seem to have had neither Efficient Powers or Skill to call them forth. I wish Your Excellency would be So oblidging (when You have Liesure to favor me with another Letter) as to give me yr opinion with respect to Colo. Hamilton as a Financier.9
Your Excellencys Letter with a Flying Seal was Delivered to the President & immediately read in Congress & I think You may rest assured that Every Exertion will be made to prevent Similar Disturbances[.]10 I am happy to find That amidst all the Disorders in the Pensylvania Line they gave Such undeniable Evidence of their attachment to the Cause of their Country Even if it answered no othe⟨r⟩ purpose but that of preventing unfavorable Impressions in Europe—I have the Honor to be very respectfully Dear General Your Excellencys Most obedient Servant
Jno. Sullivan
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. See GW to Sullivan, 16 January.
2. For the Pennsylvania line mutiny and Sullivan’s role in quelling the uprising, see Anthony Wayne to GW, 2 Jan., and the source note to that document, and Continental Congress Committee on the Pennsylvania Line to GW, 9, 10–11, 13, and 15 January.
3. For the start of recruiting to fill the depleted Pennsylvania line, see Wayne to GW, 21 January.
4. For the mutiny in the New Jersey line and its suppression, see Israel Shreve to GW, 20 Jan., and the source note to that document; and Robert Howe to GW, 27 January.
5. On 10 Jan., Congress had established the office of Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and on 7 Feb. the offices of Superintendant of Finance, Secretary at War, and Secretary of Marine (see , 19:43–44, 125–28). For the Virginia legislature’s action and the ratification of the Articles of Confederation by the state of Maryland, see James Duane to GW, this date, n.7.
6. Congress began debating reports on finance on 18 Dec. 1780 and finally concluded on 3 Feb. 1781 with a decision to recommend to the state governments to vest Congress with the power to levy a 5 percent duty on certain imports (see , 18:1157 and 19:71–72, 109–112; see also Samuel Huntington to the States, 8 Feb., in , 16:687–88). Sullivan was a member of the congressional committee set up on 7 Nov. 1780 to devise financial measures (see , 18:1028).
7. This proposal for a loan and a bank was among those financial measures presented on 18 Dec. 1780 and subsequently debated by Congress (see , 18:1157–64, 1183). The bank in the form proposed never became operative. For a similar proposal and GW’s response, see Henry Babcock to GW, 24 Oct. 1780, and n.4 to that document.
8. For Lt. Col. John Laurens’s mission as special minister to the French court, see GW to Laurens, 15 Jan. (first letter).