571From George Washington to James Otis, Sr., 7 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
By the General Return made me for last Week, I find there are great Number of Soldiers and non-commissd Officers, who absent themselves from Duty, the greatest Part of which I have Reason to believe, are at their respective Homes, in different Parts of the Country; some employ’d by their Officers on their Farms, & others drawing Pay from the Publick, while they are working on their own...
572From George Washington to Joseph Palmer, 7 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
Your favour of yesterday came duely to my hands—as I did not consider local appointments, as having any operation upon the general one, I had partly engaged (at least in my own mind) the Office of Quartermaster Genl before your favour was presented to me. In truth Sir, I think it sound policy to bestow Offices indiscriminately among Gentleme⟨n⟩ of the different Governments; for as all bear a...
573To George Washington from Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 7 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
Fessenden is not returned hither—Your Letter to Majr General Schuyler was forwarded ⅌ Express the 1st instant —enclosed is Copy of a Letter from Colo. Saltonstal received yesterday —I Ordered him as Colo. of the third, Colo. Saml Coit of the 8th —and Lt Colo. Saml Abbot of the 20th Regiment in this Colony forthwith to raise so many Men of their Regiments as could speedily be got in readiness...
574The Pennsylvania Committee of Safety to a Commissioner and Three Assessors of Bucks County, 8 August 1775: résumé (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Pennsylvania State Library, Harrisburg <August 8, 1775: In answer to your letter of July 29 the committee directs you to provide 300 stand of arms and accoutrements as voted by the Assembly. We will provide you with patterns, which you will take care to have followed in the manufacture; we will settle your accounts and have the treasurer pay you. If any opposition develops, inform us and...
575From Benjamin Franklin to Philip Schuyler, 8 August 1775 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Massachusetts Historical Society Your Letter to the President of the Congress, arrived here just now by an Express from Albany, and is brought to me, the Congress being adjourn’d and all the Members out of town but my self. I have taken the Liberty of looking into it, to see if it required any Service from hence in our Power to render. I wish we had more Powder to send you as you desire:...
576General Orders, 8 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
As the number of absent Sick by the last returns, are astonishingly great; it is ordered that the Names of each man (absent under that pretence) be given in by the Commanding Officer of each Regiment, and signed by him; setting forth the Town which each particular soldier is gone to, that the Committee thereof may be applied to, to inspect into the Nature of their Complaints, and make report...
577To George Washington from Lieutenant Colonel Loammi Baldwin, 8 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
This covers the Observation of yesterday & today —I would Inform your Excellency that—A considerable number of the Kings Troops removed from Bunker Hill & pitched their Tents Towards the point near where the Battle was Fought at Charlestown and Cannon Hauld downe & Placed there, I have Seen a Large number of Men & Horses transported from Boston to Charlestown yesterday and to Day, am fully of...
578To George Washington from Nicholas Cooke, 8 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
Last Evening Col. Porter delivered me your Letter of the 4th instant, to which I have paid all the Attention the Importance of it demands. This Colony the last Fall, not confiding entirely in the precarious Supply of Powder that might be expected from the Merchants, imported a considerable Quantity, though not so large as was ordered. The supplying the Inhabitants, who were in a Manner utterly...
579From George Washington to the New York Provincial Congress, 8 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
It mus⟨t give great Concern to any⟩ considerate Mind that when ⟨this whole Continent at⟩ a vast Expence of Blood & Treasure ⟨is endeavouring to⟩ establish its Liberties on the most se⟨cure and Solid Founda⟩tions not only by a laudable Oppositi⟨on of Force to Force⟩ but denying itself the usual Advantages ⟨of Trade, there⟩ are Men among us so basely sordid as to ⟨Counteract⟩ all our Exertions...
580To George Washington from James Otis, Sr., 8 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
The letter of August 7th which your Excellency was pleased to direct to me, has been Communicated to the General Court. they Intirely concur in opinion with your Excelly, that the Soldiers and Non-Commissioned officers, absenting themselves from their duty, must be of the most ruinous Consequences to the public, and are determined to exert all their powers to Compel such as have no impediment...
581To George Washington from Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 8 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
I received your favour of the 4th instant,—Observe the contents—The new Levies will come into camp in a short Space—save that on the present Emergency, so large a fleet appearing on our Coasts—I have Ordered Colo. Webb to leave one Captain with his Company at New-Haven for the present—In Addition to one quarter part of the Trained Soldiers of five of our Regiments lying on the Sea Coasts and...
582To John Adams from James Warren, 9 August 1775 (Adams Papers)
I have very Accidentally heard of this Opportunity by Mr. Brown and have so short Notice of it that I can do little more than Acknowledge the Receipt of your favour of the 26th. July, which I Received the day before Yesterday when my Mind was tortured with Anxiety and distress. The Arrival of powder in this manner is certainly as Wonderful an Interposition of Providence in our favour as used...
583General Orders, 9 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
The Commanding Officer of each Regiment, or Corps, is to send a Return at Orderly time, to morrow to the Adjutant General, of the number of Tents or boards, which are wanted to cover the men, that they may be provided as soon as possible. They are also to give in the Names of such of their men, who neither have received Blankets, or who lost them in the engagement, on Bunkers-hill. As there...
584Instructions to John Goddard, 9 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
Df , in Joseph Reed’s writing, DLC:GW ; Varick transcript , DLC:GW . The draft includes the heading “Instructions for the Waggon Master Genl.” Neither the draft nor the Varick transcript has a dateline, but it is probable that these instructions were given to Goddard about the time of his appointment as wagon master general. See General Orders, this date .
585From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 9 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
From some late Intelligence out of Boston & sundry corroborating Circumstances, there is great Reason to suspect, that the Ministerial Troop intend either to make a Diversion to the Southward, or wholly to remove—If they should do either, it is most probable New York is the Place of their Destination; I therefore think it most Adviseable, that the Troop of your Colony who have not yet march’d,...
586Abigail Adams to John Adams, 10 August 1775 (Adams Papers)
Tis with a sad Heart I take my pen to write to you because I must be the bearer of what will greatly afflict and distress you. Yet I wish you to be prepaired for the Event. Your Brother Elihu lies very dangerously sick with a Dysentery. He has been very bad for more than a week, his life is despaired of. Er’e I close this Letter I fear I shall write you that he is no more. We are all in great...
587The Pennsylvania Committee of Safety to the Albany Committee, 10 August 1775: résumé (Franklin Papers)
Copy: New York Public Library <Philadelphia, August 10, 1775: You will receive herewith 2400 pounds of gunpowder, to be forwarded to General Schuyler at the earliest opportunity. We have heard that a great and “superfluous” quantity of lead, an article much needed here, was captured at Ticonderoga. If you have it, and can load a parcel of it on the returning wagon, we shall be obliged and...
588From Benjamin Franklin to Philip Schuyler, 10 August 1775 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New York Public Library I did myself the Honour of Writing to you by the Return of your Express on the 8th Instant. Immediately after dispatching him, it occurr’d to me to endeavour the obtaining from our Committee of Safety a Permission to send you what Powder remain’d in our Hands; which tho’ it was thought scarcely safe for our selves to part with it, they, upon my Application and...
589General Orders, 10 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
It is a matter of exceeding great Concern to the General, to find, that at a time when the united efforts of America are exerting in defence of the common Rights and Liberties of mankind, that there should be in an Army constituted for so noble a purpose, such repeated Instances of Officers, who lost to every sense of honour and virtue, are seeking by dirty and base means, the promotion of...
590To George Washington from the Officers of Colonel Samuel Gerrish’s Regiment, 10 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellencies’ humble petitioners, We, the Subscribers, Officers of the Regiment, Commanded by Colonell Samuell Gerrish, Esqr.: formerly in the Massachusetts Colony Service, now in the Continental, humbly beg Leave to inform your Excellency, that the most, and even more than 2 thirds of us, have been here in actual Service, since the Beginning of the Campaign, and been to a vast Deal of...
591From George Washington to Peter Van Brugh Livingston, 10 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
Your Fa⟨vor of the 2d Inst. is⟩ duly received, but it is out of ⟨my Power to Comply⟩ with the Request it contains, of f⟨orwarding Com⟩missions. All those I have yet rece⟨ived from the⟩ Honble Continental Congress, are far short ⟨of the Number⟩ required in this Army: for which Rea⟨son when⟩ at New York, & by Letter from this, I direct⟨ed Genl⟩ Schuyler to apply to the Congress at Phila. ⟨for⟩...
592To George Washington from the Marblehead Committee of Safety, 10 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
on the 8th Instant, Lambert Bromitt and Benjamin Silsby the Persons that accompany this Letter put in here from Boston, as they say on accot of the Weather, as they have been Conversing wth some of the Inhabitants of this place, we have Reason to Suspect they may carry some Inteligence wch might be determental to the cause of America, We have Examined them, & finding their Intention was to...
593To George Washington from Captain Levi Spaulding’s Company, 10 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
The subscribers commend “the conduct and undaunted courage of William Lee” at the Battle of Bunker Hill. “He not only fought well himself but give good advice to the men, to place themselves in right order and to stand their ground well, the said William Lee belonging to Capt. Spauldin’s company in Colo. Reed’s Regiment, and is the first or orderly sergeant of Capt. Spaulding’s company and as...
594To George Washington from Major General Artemas Ward, 10 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
“Capt. Baldwin, the Bearer hereof, has been for three Months past engaged as an Engineer in the Service of the united Colonies. he was upon Bunker’s Hill, & behaved very well thro’ the Engagment. . . . He has no Birth in the Army, If any Vacancy presents, & he can be advanced I doubt not he will do Honor to his Office.” LS , DLC:GW . Although Jeduthan Baldwin (1732–1788) of Brookfield, Mass.,...
595To George Washington from Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Ward, 10 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
“A Return of the Names of some of the Officers and Gentlemen in Genl Wards Regimt who Distinguish’d themselves by Valour and Courage in the Days of Engagement:” Capt. Seth Washburn, Capt. Samuel Wood, Lt. Loring Lincoln, and Lt. Joseph Livermore, all at Bunker Hill; “Mr Thomas Davison a Volunteer in the Service, and Lieutenant in the Malitia,” at Hog Island, Bunker Hill, and Light House...
596John Thomas to James Warren, 11 August 1775 (Adams Papers)
I receiv’d yours of the 7th Instant, and Consider’d the Contents. To comply with every part, so as to make it Inteligable so far as fully to explain every part of the duty of each of those Officers you Mention, wou’d take a small Volume, but will Endeavour to give you some General Account of their Duty—as to their Qualifications you will be able to Judge of it. The duty of a Quartermaster...
597General Orders, 11 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
Complaints having been made by the Inhabitants to the East of Watertown, that their Gardens are robb’d, their Fields laid waste, and Fences destroyed; Any Person who shall for the future be detected in such flagitious, wicked practices, will be punished without mercy. The Commander in Chief has been pleased to appoint Stephen Moylan Esqr. to be Muster Master General to the Army of the United...
598To George Washington from Lieutenant Colonel Loammi Baldwin, 11 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellency will excuse my not sending the Observations Yesterday, as the Docter had one of the Express Horses to Cambridge for medicine for the Sick, which prevented it; for as there was nothing extraordinary in the Observations, I thought it of less consequence that they should not be sent to headquarters, than that we should be left without any Horse to go on Express in case any thing...
599To George Washington from Nicholas Cooke, 11 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
Since my last to you Mr Ward One of the Delegates hath returned from the Congress. He informs me that some of the Bermudians had been at Philadelphia soliciting for Liberty to import Provisions for the Use of the Island. They gave Information of the Powder mentioned in your Letter to me, and were of Opinion it might be easily obtained. They were told by the Delegates that every Vessel they...
600From George Washington to Lieutenant General Thomas Gage, 11 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
I understand that the Officers engaged in the Cause of Liberty, and their Country, who by the Fortune of War, have fallen into your Hands have been thrown indiscriminately, into a common Gaol appropriated for Felons—That no Consideration has been had for those of the most respectable Rank, when languishing with Wounds and Sickness. That some have been even amputated, in this unworthy...