From Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Huntington, 28 March 1781
To Samuel Huntington
Richmond March 28th. 1781.
Sir
I forward to your Excellency, under cover with this, copies of letters recieved from Major General Greene and Baron Steuben which will give you the latest state of the situation of things with us and in North-Carolina.
[I observe a late resolve of Congress for furnishing a number of arms to the Southern States; and I lately wrote you on the subject of ammunition and cartridge-paper. How much of this State the enemy thus reinforced may think proper to possess themselves of, must depend on their own moderation and caution ’till these supplies arrive.]1 We had hoped to have received by the French Squadron under Mons: Tilly eleven hundred stand of Arms which we had at Rhode-Island, but were disappointed. The necessity of hurrying forward the troops intended for the Southern operations will be doubtless visible from this letter. I have the honor to be with the greatest respect Your Excellency’s most obedient and most humble Servant,
Th: Jefferson
RC (DLC: PCC, No. 71, ii); in a clerk’s hand, signed by TJ; endorsed, in part: “Read April 7. Referred to the board of war.” FC (Vi); at head of text: “To the President of Congress & General Washington”; at the foot of text: “NB In the letter to Genl Washington omit the the [sic] first paragraph.” What was intended by this was, perhaps, that the first two sentences of the second paragraph should be omitted; see note 1, below. Tr (DLC: TJ Papers). Enclosures (DLC: PCC, No. 71, ii): Copies of Nathanael Greene to TJ, 23 Mch.; Steuben to TJ, 26 Mch. 1781, qq.v.; see Washington to TJ, 18 Apr.
1. The passage in brackets (supplied) was omitted in the letter to Washington.