To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 1 January 1778

From Henry Laurens

York [Pa.] 1st Jany 1778.

Sir

I presume that before this can reach your Excellency, you will have received from a Committee of Congress consisting of the Board of War & three other Members, to whom your Excellency’s Letter of the 22d Decemr was committed, an account of the measures adopted & put in operation for better supplying the Army with provision.1

This Evening your Excellency’s Letter of the 26th Decemr was brought into Congress & reported; & will have the desired effect.

My present duty is to convey to your Excellency three Acts of Congress, which will accompany this. Vizt

Decemr 30th a Resolve for granting one months extraordy pay to the Officers & Soldiers now in Camp; for a new adjustment of the Officers Rations &c.

Decemr 31st a Resolve, for promoting a speedy reformation in discipline & œconomy in the Army.

Jany 1st for preventing imposition in the payment of extra-Pay granted the 30th Decem. I have the honour to be with great Respect.2

P.S. your Excellency will receive in three packets by the present conveyance 150, Blank Commissions.

LB, DNA:PCC, item 13. A note on the manuscript indicates that the letter was sent “by Barry” at 2:00 P.M.

1. On 29 Dec. 1777 Congress resolved that GW’s letters of 22 and 23 Dec. to Laurens detailing the wants of the army be referred to a committee composed of the Board of War and Cornelius Harnett, Elbridge Gerry, and Abraham Clark “and that the said committee be fully empowered to take the necessary measures for supplying the army with provisions and other necessaries” (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 9:1065). Over the next few days, the committee began organizing parties to confiscate provisions and wrote to state governors urging their cooperation (see Smith, Letters of Delegates description begins Paul H. Smith et al., eds. Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774–1789. 26 vols. Washington, D.C., 1976–2000. description ends , 8:499–502, 507–9, 608–9). The committee’s letter to GW has not been found, though GW informed Laurens on 5 Jan. that he had received it on 3 January.

2. The resolves are in JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 9:1067–68, 1073, 10:8.

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Source Project: Washington Papers
Title: To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 1 January 1778
Author: Laurens, Henry
Recipient: Washington, George
Date: 1 January 1778

Reference

Cite as: “To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 1 January 1778,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-13-02-0089. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 13, 26 December 1777 – 28 February 1778, ed. Edward G. Lengel. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2003, pp. 106–107.]

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