1. JM should have dated this entry 9 June. On that day, with the concurrence of the four Virginia delegates, Congress decided to keep John Adams as the only minister plenipotentiary authorized to negotiate a peace treaty with Great Britain (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XX, 619). Earlier that day, with the approval of JM and Jones but over the adverse votes of Bland and Meriwether Smith of the Virginia delegation, Congress adopted Witherspoon’s motion to instruct Adams further to the effect that, if Great Britain should hesitate to acknowledge “our independence” as a preliminary to the peace negotiations, he was “at liberty to agree to a truce, or to make such other concessions as may not affect the substance of what we contend for; and provided that Great Britain be not left in possession of any part of the thirteen United States” (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XX, 618–19).

2. For the committee, see Notes from Secret Journal, 28 May 1781, and n. 1.

3. On Saturday, 9 June, Congress instructed the committee to communicate confidentially to La Luzerne the substance of John Adams’ instructions on negotiating a peace. The following Monday the committee moved three amendments embodying the outcome of their conference with the French minister. The first two of these amendments were inconsequential alterations of phraseology, but the third emphasized to John Adams that in the negotiations he must pay great deference to the French ministers and “ultimately to govern yourself by their advice and opinion” (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XX, 619, 625–27). JM tabulates the vote on this third motion, but he neglects to record the affirmative vote of Nicholas Eveleigh with the rest of the South Carolina delegation.

4. Except for Joseph Montgomery of Pennsylvania and Daniel Carroll of Maryland, the names of the delegates mentioned here are spelled out in n. 4 of Notes from Secret Journal, 6 June 1781.

5. Before “on” JM should have inserted “June 15.” On 11 June, after Congress agreed to the amendments mentioned in n. 3, above, the committee to confer with La Luzerne asked for a reconsideration of the decision of 9 June not to join other ministers plenipotentiary with John Adams in the expected peace negotiations. La Luzerne no doubt had let the committee know of Vergennes’ and King Louis XVI’s distrust of Adams. Without a recorded vote, Congress not only agreed to reconsider but decided that there should be three peace negotiators rather than Adams alone. Before adjourning on 11 June, six persons had been nominated. Among these was Thomas Jefferson, whose name was presented by Meriwether Smith (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XX, 627–28). On 13 June Congress elected John Jay of New York to join Adams (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XX, 638). The next day, after Congress decided to increase Adams’ associates to four, Theodorick Bland nominated Henry Laurens of South Carolina. Thereupon, by ballot Congress elected Benjamin Franklin, Laurens, and Jefferson (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XX, 648). Distrusting Benjamin Franklin, whom they considered too subservient to France, the Adams partisans in Congress moved on 15 June to strike out from the instructions the third amendment, summarized in n. 3, above (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XX, 650). It is the vote on this motion which JM records in his note. Once again, as the vote indicates, Bland sided with the Adams-Lee faction.

6. With the exceptions of Thomas McKean and Thomas Rodney of Delaware, George Partridge and Samuel Osgood of Massachusetts, and Richard Potts of Maryland, the last three of whom had entered Congress on 12 June (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XX, 628–29), and Nicholas Eveleigh of South Carolina, the names of the delegates voting are given in n. 4, above, or in n. 4 of Notes from Secret Journal, 6 June 1781. On page 52 of his diary (LC) Rodney credited himself with increasing the number of peace commissioners from three to five by having “Doctr. Franklin & Mr. Laurence [Laurens]” appointed.