1Virginia Delegates to Thomas Nelson, 24 July 1781 (Madison Papers)
Copy (Virginia State Library). Written by Joseph Jones and enclosed in the delegates’ letter of 31 July to Nelson ( q.v. ). Probably the recipient’s copy, which was intercepted by the British, was also written by Jones. The information in the letter and also much of the wording are identical with Jones’s letter of the same day, probably to Edmund Pendleton ( Burnett, Letters Edmund C. Burnett,...
2Virginia Delegates to Thomas Nelson, 31 July 1781 (Madison Papers)
RC (Haverford College Library). Written by Joseph Jones. The cover is missing, but the contents of the letter, especially the designation of the recipient as “your Excellency,” permit no doubt as to whom the dispatch was addressed. The Rider being robid of the Mail a few miles on this side of Wilmington prevented your Excellency from receiving our Letter of last week a copy of which we now...
3Virginia Delegates to Thomas Nelson, 7 August 1781 (Madison Papers)
Printed excerpts (Parke-Bernet Catalogue No. 54 [25–26 October 1938], item 167; Burnett, Letters Edmund C. Burnett, ed., Letters of Members of the Continental Congress (8 vols.; Washington, 1921–36). , VI, 170). The letter was written by Joseph Jones and signed by Jones, JM, Theodorick Bland, and Edmund Randolph. The excerpts below amount to somewhat more than half the letter, since the...
4Virginia Delegates to Thomas Nelson, 14 August 1781 (Madison Papers)
RC (Virginia State Library). Written by Joseph Jones. The letter is obviously a communication from all the delegates, even though the signatures of JM, Edmund Randolph, and Meriwether Smith do not appear. We have your favor of the 27th. ulto. The Delegates moved in Congress for a resolution to furnish our State with some passports for Vessells to import Salt only from Bermuda and load with...
5Virginia Delegates to Thomas Nelson, 20 August 1781 (Madison Papers)
RC (New York Public Library). Entirely in JM’s hand, except for the signatures of the other delegates. Addressed to “His Excellency Thomas Nelson Esqr. Governor of Virginia[,] By Mr Nicholson.” Probably it was delivered by George Nicolson, returning from Philadelphia, where he had been sent by the commercial agent of Virginia to purchase matériel for state troops. See Agreement with Cowell, 27...
6Virginia Delegates to Thomas Nelson, 21 August 1781 (Madison Papers)
RC (Virginia State Library). Written by Meriwether Smith, except for the other signatures. Addressed to “His Excellency Thomas Nelson Esqr. Govr. of Viga. at Richmond.” We had the Honour, Yesterday, of writing to your Excellency by Mr. Nicolson; since which no Intelligence of Importance hath transpired. By some Accident or other the Mail from Virginia did not arrive yesterday; and we are not...
7Virginia Delegates to Thomas Nelson, 28 August 1781 (Madison Papers)
RC (Historical Society of Pennsylvania). Written by Joseph Jones except for the other signatures. With this letter the Virginia delegates began numbering their dispatches to Nelson at the top. This was “No. 7.” We were yesterday favored with your Excellency’s two letters of the 10th. & 17th. instant. Our plan of writing weekly by the post has we assure you been in no instance departed from. As...
8Virginia Delegates to Thomas Nelson, 4 September 1781 (Madison Papers)
RC (Virginia State Library). Entirely in JM’s hand, except for Jones’s and Bland’s signatures. Docketed: “Delegates Sept. 4. recd 13th.” and “Genl Washington with a part of the American Army and the Count de Rochambeau with the whole of the French thus far on their way to Virginia.” “No. 8.” is written at the top of the letter. Yesterday’s post brought us no letter from your Excellency. We...
9Virginia Delegates to Thomas Nelson, 11 September 1781 (Madison Papers)
RC (Virginia State Library). In JM’s hand, except for the signatures of Jones, Bland, and Randolph. “No. 9.” is written at the top. Another post has arrived without our being favored with a line from your Excellency. A letter has been received by the President of this State from Governor Livingston containing intelligence that General Clinton is preparing to embark a large body of troops at N....
10Virginia Delegates to Thomas Nelson, 18 September 1781 (Madison Papers)
RC (Virginia State Library). Written and franked by Theodorick Bland. Addressed to “His Excelly. Thos. Nelson Esqr. Govr. of Virginia.” “No. 10” is written at the top of the letter. It was opened in Richmond by the Council of State during the absence of Nelson and then forwarded to him in “Camp before York.” The delegates would not number their future letters. We have been honord with Yr....
11Virginia Delegates to Thomas Nelson, 25 September 1781 (Madison Papers)
RC (Virginia State Library). Written by Theodorick Bland, who also signed for JM. Received in Nelson’s absence but, although obviously opened, apparently not acknowledged by the addressee or the lieutenant governor. Yesterdays post arrived without any letter from your Excelly. to us. We cannot help observing to your Excelly. that the Operations of the fleet and army are of so important a...
12Virginia Delegates to Thomas Nelson, 9 October 1781 (Madison Papers)
RC (Virginia State Library). Written by Edmund Randolph and signed by him and JM. Docketed: “From the Delegates. Octr. 9. ‘81[.] Letter from Mess. Madison & Randolph: asking Weekly information of the progress of our Army and detailing the effort in Congress to enquire into the title of Virginia New York & Connecticut to the lands respectively ceded by these States.” When your excellency...
13Virginia Delegates to Thomas Nelson, 16 October 1781 (Madison Papers)
RC (Historical Society of Pennsylvania). In Edmund Randolph’s hand, except for the signatures of JM and Joseph Jones. Your excellency’s favor of the 5th. instant gives us great reason to flatter ourselves upon the present prospect in Virginia Intelligence from New-York announces a fixed purpose in Sir Henry Clinton to force his way into the Chesapeake, with a fleet of 26 certainly, and...
14Virginia Delegates to Thomas Nelson, 23 October 1781 (Madison Papers)
RC (Historical Society of Pennsylvania). Written and franked by Edmund Randolph, signed by JM and Joseph Jones. Addressed, “Public service His excellency The governor of Virginia Richmond.” The committee, to whom was referred the cession of Virginia, have been industrious in the audience of counsel, and investigation of the claims of the several great land companies. We refused to attend their...
15Virginia Delegates to Thomas Nelson, 7 November 1781 (Madison Papers)
RC (Virginia State Library). Written by Edmund Randolph. JM’s name was signed by Joseph Jones. For the present week, we have nothing particular to communicate; the State of the discussion of the cession of Virginia not yet being prepared. We shall therefore postpone any farther observations on this head, intending to accompany our next information with an account of the quota of money,...
16Virginia Delegates to Thomas Nelson, 20 November 1781 (Madison Papers)
RC (Virginia State Library). Written by Joseph Jones. Docketed, “Virga Delegates Letter Dated Nov 20th 1781 recd. Nov. 29th. 81.” Our Letter of the 17th. by Capt. Irish contains those communications, which would otherwise have been the subject of this weeks correspondence. We have now to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. Andrews’s Letter of the 9th. conveying to us the disagreeable information of...