1To Alexander Hamilton from Colonel Ephraim Blaine, 19 February 1781 (Hamilton Papers)
Newburgh, New York, February 19, 1781. Requests Hamilton to inform Washington that “the provisions necessary for the detachment will move this Evening.” ALS , George Washington Papers, Library of Congress. Blaine was commissary general of purchases.
2To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 10 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
Pursuant to your Excellencys order of the 21st Ulto I proceeded to Jerseys to procure flour or Wheat for bread for the army and also directed part thereof for the purpose of Loading Waggons orderd by the Commissary General to the Eastward, for Salt: being disapointed in a quantity of flour I expected at Easton for that purpose. Mr Robert Willson my assistant purchaser at Hacketts town...
3To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 9 January 1778 (Washington Papers)
Upon my return from the south Branch of Potomack where I made Contracts for a Considerable Quantity of pork, I received orders from the Board of War to seize every Kind of provisions and spiritous liquors necessary for the Army, have been in this County and Berks this ten days & hope to procure six hundred head of Fatt cattle and a Considerable Quantity of Whisky, but Forestallers are giving...
4To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 4 February 1778 (Washington Papers)
A Few Queries for the Consideration of His Excellency General Washington, & the Honorable the Committee of Congress now sitting at Moore Hall. 1st As this is the Season for procuring the Stall’d Beef, and a time we shall be Necessiated to Issue Pork, would allowing the Soldiery 1½ lb. Bread or Flour & ¾ lb. Beef or Pork be a sufficient ration untill there is an appearence of a more Plentiful...
5To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 28 February 1778 (Washington Papers)
On my Arrival at the Head of Elke, thought it prudent to look out if a place more remote, and secure from the Enemy, could not be found upon the Head of Chesepeak Bay to store what Provision might come from the Eastern shore & the Southward, I proceeded from thence to Johnstons Ferry, at the Head of the Tide on this side the River Susquehannah, no conveniency of Wharfe or Store Houses,...
6To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 16 March 1779 (Washington Papers)
Your Order to the Commissary General I receiv’d respecting the Magazines at Fort Pitt and Sunbury —and immediately gave the necessary Orders to my Assistants West of Susquehannah River for that purpose—Every Assistance shall be granted the Western Department with Provisions and have the pleasure to inform you that I hope it will be considerable, and that it will be in my power nearly to comply...
7To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 16 January 1780 (Washington Papers)
Last Wedensday I accepted the Appointment of Commissa[r]y Genl of purchases and previous thereto had every assurence from Congress of their utmost exertions in furnishing Money and recommending such Measures to the Executive Authorities of the United States as will not fail in enabling me to procure Ample supplies for the army —I am Promised Instructions and money the 21st Instant at which...
8To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 25 February 1780 (Washington Papers)
I have not meet with the success I had reason to expect in Conectticutt the Governor and Assembly have not taken up the recommendation of Congress in Nominating or appointing a deputy Commissary to execute the purchases of their state —doubting it wou’d be Giving them Exstroardonary trouble and the disapointment their agent might meet with in not receiving money to discharge his purchases and...
9To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 10 April 1780 (Washington Papers)
It has not been in my Power to obtain a single Shilling of Mony from the Treasury-board; my people are so much Indebted, that their Credit is quite exhausted with the Country—my first Object was to procure Mony, to enable Mr Champion to keep up a supply of Beef-Cattle, his Son has been several Days here on that Business, this day I have obtained Orders on the Eastern States for a considerable...
10To George Washington from Charles Stewart and Ephraim Blaine, 9 May 1780 (Washington Papers)
Since the return presented Your Excellency by Chas Stewart, on the fourth Instant, Seven hundred Barrls of Flour and Indian Meal, has been received at this Magazine, and only Eleven Barrells of Beef and pork, and thirty head of Cattle from Lancaster. It is truely distressing to Us, to inform Your Excelly, that the supply of Meat, will be totaly exhausted, on friday next at farthest, The Flour...
11To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 18 May 1780 (Washington Papers)
One Hundred and forty barrels of the salt Provisions mentioned in my last return has been delivered at the Magazine the residue I look for daily which is all I have any expectations of, and when that is used , the supplies of meat will depend on Colo. Champion I gave him very pointed instructions in February last and has wrote him Frequently since, to arrange Matters in such a manner as wou’d...
12To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 21 May 1780 (Washington Papers)
The Executive and Legis[la]tive authority of this state are dissatisfied with my representation to your Excellency, and insist that the State cannot produce any beef of consequence, I have assured them it can and pointed out the places where —upon which they have permited me to purchase from those Persons in the best manner I can, and given me Orders upon the County Treasurers for money to pay...
13To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 27 May 1780 (Washington Papers)
I have used every Endeavour since I left Camp to procure and forward Provisions, and have met with some success —the Merchants of this City have lent me two hundred Barrels of Beef and Pork, I have purchased one hundred barrels, and taken Sixty Head of Cattle from the Graziers below this City, hope to make up two hundd more in this and Lancaster County—two hundred Barrels of Pork came from...
14To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 19 July 1780 (Washington Papers)
The prospects of future supplies for your Army and the manner in which they are to be procured is a matter of the utmost Consequence, and gives me great Uneasiness, which I think my duty to represent to your Excellency in Order if possible to remidy the same before it may be too late. Sundry of the States have Complyed with the requisitions of Congress and appointed their Agents and...
15To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 15 August 1780 (Washington Papers)
I have been several Weeks much distressed about the resources of Provisions and the manner of procuring & forwarding them, under those Circumstances I have with great Concern seen your Army Increasing, and no decisive measure taken by many of the States to support them, I have but very little hope of a Temporary and Seasonable supply to Answer your Excellency’s Expectation. The Continental...
16To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 12 September 1780 (Washington Papers)
I have laid the wants of your Army before Congress and pointed out the uncertainty of State Supplies and assured them without the most peremptory demand upon the States for a speedy and full compliance with their requistion, & the most vigourous Exertions of the States in executing the Army cannot be fed, and from the repeated want of Supplies I had not the least hope of being able to lay up...
17To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 10 November 1780 (Washington Papers)
Sickness, disappointments in the Business of my Department and want of Money has been the Cause of my delaying so long in this City—I have considerable prospects respecting Supplies & am convinced Congress are disposed to have every thing done in their power. I have been adopting every possible measure to lay up small Magazines of Flour and Beef to prevent the like distresses the Army...
18To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 9 March 1781 (Washington Papers)
I know it is your Excellency’s wish and the desire of Congress that no more posts should be established but such as might be necessary for the deposits of state supplies upon a line of communication from the Eastern to the southern states as pointed out by your Excellency. any aditional points are attended with a very considerable expense, and consume large quantities of our best Provisions....
19To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 21 March 1781 (Washington Papers)
All my public transactions in the year 1776, with Mr Buchanan in 1777. Mr Wadsworth in 1778.9 and since under my own direction remain unsettled, those Gentlemen quiting public service and ingageing in private business has caused great delay in the settlement of their Accts—indeed the necessary exertions have not been used to bring their deputies to an immediate settlement—I have long since...
20To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 23 March 1781 (Washington Papers)
The information I have received from Philadelphia is very alarming and gives me great concearn, Mr Hazelwood state agent for the City has informed my assistant that he has directions from Council to send no more Provisions to the grand army untill further Orders—the Convention Troops being on their march from Virginia to Quarter in some part of that state. I have not received Colo. Hays return...
21To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 13 April 1781 (Washington Papers)
I am order’d by Congress to proceed immediately as far as Dover in the Delaware State, and Accomack upon the Eastern Shore of Virginia, in order to secure and remove all public Stores upon the peninsula between the two Bay’s—indeed Congress would have done right to Order a seizure of all salt Provisions Flour and Forage in that Country, as two thirds of it will go to the Enemy—they have a...
22To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 14 May 1781 (Washington Papers)
I have return’d some days from Maryld: and the Delaware State and find the Supplies procured for Public use very triffling and that the State Contractors have done but little—I could not obtain permission to seize private property, indeed the Governor & Council had not the power of giving it, altho a very large quantity of Flour and an immensity of Indian Corn might have been procured—the...
23To George Washington from Ephraim Blaine, 14 July 1781 (Washington Papers)
Inclosed you have an Invoice of sundry Articles for the use of your Excellency’s Table loaded in five Waggons and put under the particular Care of the Waggon Conductor, All the Stores are of the best quality, the Wine is properly cased and, all the other Articles put up carefully—beg your Excellency to Order some person to examine and see that the Stores are properly deliver’d before the...
24To George Washington from Charles Stewart, 26 September 1781 (Washington Papers)
Governor Nelsons plan for swiming the Cattle across the River has failed, but he adopted another and sent Col. Wills with a party of Militia with Orders to slaughter the Cattle and bring the Beef over in Boats—this will answer, some of the Beef is already at the landing, and we hope will continue to come as fast as wanting until the Drove on the west side are exhausted—Governor Nelson has also...
25To George Washington from Charles Stewart, 27 September 1781 (Washington Papers)
The Rum on hand and on the Way from Elk, with twenty five Hhds to be sent by Mr Morris, & fifty Hhds to be sent from the State of Maryland, will last twenty two days allowing ten pr Ct for wastage in Boating Carting &c.—therefore suppose the whole to arrive, which is by no means certain, the Troops will want about the 18th of October. but it appears to us that during the Seige double allowance...