From John Jay to Lewis Morris, 3 February 1777
To Lewis Morris
[Fishkill], 3 Feb 1777
Dr Sr.
I am informed that the Congress have taken the place of a Director general of the Hospital from Dr. Morgan. As he has not recd. a Copy of their Resolution for that purpose, I have promised him to write to you for it.1 Be so kind therefore as to obtain & send it to me without Delay. Let it be certified.
What Reasons may have induced the Congress to th dismiss this Gent[leman] from the service I know ^not^. I suppose they are contained in the ^a^ preamble of to the Resolution, and since therefore I am ^the more^ desirous of seeing it.
I shall in a Day or two write to you more fully.
Present my Compts. to all my Friends,2 I am Dr. Sr yr. Fd. & hble Servt
Dft, NNC (EJ: 8328). Addressed: “Gen. Morris.” For the reply, see Morris to JJ, 15 Feb. 1777, below.
1. Dr. John Morgan (1735–89) succeeded Dr. Benjamin Church as director general of hospitals and physician-in-chief of the army on 17 Oct. 1775. In October 1776 Congress ordered him to “provide and superintend a hospital . . . for the army posted on the east side of Hudson’s river.” On 9 Jan. 1777 it dismissed him as director general and physician-in-chief without explanation. When Congress’s medicine committee reported on Morgan’s dismissal on 9 Aug. 1777, it cited “general complaints of persons of all ranks in the army, and not any particular charges against him, together with the critical state of affairs at that time.” On 12 June 1779 Congress exonerated Morgan’s conduct as director general. , 3: 297; 5: 460, 568–71; 7: 24; 8: 626; 14: 724.
2. Here JJ excised an illegible passage of one and one-third lines.