61To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 8 July 1778 (Washington Papers)
I beg leave to refer to a private Letter of yesterday by Gray, in which I acknowledged the receipt of Your Excellency’s Letters to Congress of the 28th & 29th Ulto & 1st Inst. I should have added the 21st Ulto which came to hand the 2d Inst. With some difficulty a Congress was collected yesterday, Your Excellency’s Letters were immediately taken under consideration & the House unanimously...
62To Benjamin Franklin from Henry Laurens, 30 April 1782 (Franklin Papers)
L : Historical Society of Pennsylvania; copies: Library of Congress, South Carolina Historical Society; transcript: National Archives I writ to you on the 7th. Inst: by Mr Oswald, since which, that is to say, on the 28th. I was honored by the receipt of your letter of the 12th. inclosing a copy of the Commission for treating for Peace, by the hands of Mr Young. The Recognizance exacted from me...
63To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 16 September 1778 (Washington Papers)
I had the honor of addressing Your Excellency under the 12th Inst. by Dodd, and have in the mean time receiv’d & presented to Congress Your Excellency’s favors of the 11th and 12th. In answer to the latter, I am directed to intimate, “That Congress highly approve of laying up Magazines of forage and Provisions at such places as Your Excellency shall judge proper for prosecuting an Expedition...
64To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 20 May 1778 (Washington Papers)
I had this Morning the honour of receiving & presenting to Congress Your Excellency’s favour of the 18th which is Committed to the Committee on the Army. Inclosed Your Excellency will receive extract of a Letter from General Sullivan of the 3d Instant & an Order of Congress thereon —Also one branch of the Army arrangement, which Congress Resolved this Morning, for establishing a Provost—the...
65To John Adams from Henry Laurens, 12 November 1782 (Adams Papers)
An untoward Circumstance had hurried me from Bath, where I had been about a Month in the progress of health; I was waiting the Determination of this Court, whether I might, upon terms consistent with my honor, return & continue in the same pursuit during the Winter Months, or be obliged at all hazards to withdraw immediately from the Kingdom. In this dilemma, I had this afternoon the honor of...
66To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 30 March 1778 (Washington Papers)
I had the honor of writing to Your Excellency Yesterday by Genl duportail. At reading the Journal this Morning Congress reconsidered the Act of the 28th for authorizing Count Pulaski to raise a seperate Corps & expunged the words “Prisoners &” which stood in the last Sentence & your Excellency will receive within the present Inclosure a Copy of the Act as now amended. I likewise inclose an Act...
67To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 20 August 1778 (Washington Papers)
My last to Your Excellency went by Dunn dated the 13th since which I have had the honor of receiving and presenting to Congress Your Excellency’s second of the 13th and one of the 16th Inst. I have at present nothing to trouble Your Excellency with but an Act of Congress of the 17th for exonerating the Commanding Officers on Hudsons’ river from any censure for the loss of the Posts in the...
68To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 3 May 1778 (Washington Papers)
Soon after I had dispatched my Letter of this Morning by McKlosky—the Secretary sent in the Inclosed Act of Congress dated 2d Inst. for raising two Regiments for the protection of the Western frontier & for authorizing your Excellency to appoint a proper Officer to the Command of Fort Pitt—a Copy of the Letter mentioned in the Act will also be inclosed. I likewise transmit about 100 Copies of...
69To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 1 November 1778 (Washington Papers)
With this Your Excellency will receive my Letter of the 30th which has been two days in the hands of Colonel Gimat; this Gentleman being detained by some prospect of receiving an Act of Congress in his favor in a day or two, I judge it best to forward the public Dispatches by an Express Messenger. Yesterday I had the honor of presenting to Congress your Excellencys’ several Letters of the...
70To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 6 June 1778 (Washington Papers)
Referring to my Letter of yesterday’s date forwarded by the hands of Messenger Davis I proceed to inform Your Excellency that having laid before Congress the Letters from Lord Viscount Howe & Sir H. Clinton I have received instructions from the House to return the necessary replies. Accordingly, Your Excellency will find within this Inclosure a packet directed to His Lordship & another to Sir...
71To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 27 November 1778 (Washington Papers)
When I was writing to Your Excellency yesterday Morning I had some doubts whether General Heath’s Letter of the 2nd November referred to in the first article had been an original to Congress or a Copy derived through Your Excellency’s hands, this was at too early an hour for obtaining information from the Secretary’s Office where the Paper was lodged and the tenor of the Resolve contributed to...
72To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 5 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
I had the honour of addressing you yesterday in a Letter which from unavoidable delay will accompany this. I now forward two Extracts from the Minutes of Congress both dated the 4th Inst.—One containing an Order founded upon a Report from the Marine Committee relative to the Continental Frigates & other Navigation at & near Borden Town submitted to your Excellency for approbation & in that...
73To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 21 February 1778 (Washington Papers)
I had the honour of writing to your Excellency the 19th by Barry —Under the present Cover Your Excellency will be pleased to receive—An Act of Congress of the 19th for seperating the Troops included in the Convention of Saratoga & for other purposes. of the present date for appointing by Your Excellency’s Order a Major Genl to releive Major Genl Spencer in the Comand of the Troops at Rhode...
74To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 15 March 1778 (Washington Papers)
Last Night Sharp arrived with your Excellency’s several Letters under the 7th 8th & 12th Inst. containing the sundry papers referred to, which shall all be presented to Congress to Morrow. I return Sharp immediately with the inclosed Letter which had been lying a day for want of a proper Messenger, & as there appears to be a degree of solicitude that the Marquis delafayette & Baron de Kalb...
75To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 10 July 1778 (Washington Papers)
I had the honor of writing to Your Excellency by Major Putnam the 8th Inst. Congress while sitting before Noon received intelligence of the following import. Mr Blair McLenahan said he had seen a Capt. Selby or Selwin off Chincoteague who had fallen in with the French Fleet Eastward of Bermuda—the Admiral had taken him on board & enjoined him to pilot the ffleet to this Coast, the ffleet...
76To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 20 December 1777 (Washington Papers)
The 17th Inst. I troubled Your Excellency by the hand of Messenger Jones. Under this Cover Your Excellency will receive two Acts of Congress of Yesterday’s date respectively—one for regulating & restricting the terms of payment for past unliquidated & future supplies of provisions & other necessaries for British Prisoners. The other requesting Your Excellency to inform Congress the intended...
77To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 7–9 October 1779 (Washington Papers)
The day before yesterday I was made very happy by the receipt of Your Excellency’s Letter of the 29th Ulto. I had been for some time wishing for a good occasion to pay my respects, nor had subjects been wanting, but such as appeared to me worthy of Your Excellency’s attention were of so serious a cast, as to awe me into silence in more than one attempt, nor dare I even upon the present opening...
78To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 7 February 1778 (Washington Papers)
I had the honour of presenting in due course Your Excellency’s favours of 31st Ulto & 3d Inst. to Congress—the former, which introduced Genl Foreman’s Memorial on Salt Works remains unconsidered & no day appointed. the latter was sent immediately to the Board of Treasury. I have at present no other Commands from Congress but to transmit—An Act of the 5th Inst. adopting a plan for filling the...
79To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 8–9 April 1778 (Washington Papers)
I had the honour of writing to Your Excellency the 4th by Jones, since which I have presented to Congress Your Excellency’s favors of the 1st 3d & 4th. Upon reading the first I took occasion to intimate to Mister Duer the distressed situation of his friend General Scuyler as described by the General himself in a late Letter of 15th March & this Morning suggested again to the House the demands...
80To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 27 January 1778 (Washington Papers)
I had the honour of writing to your Excellency the 25th by Messenger Jones. Inclosed under Cover with this Your Excellency will receive an Act of Congress of the 21st Inst. relative to the treatment of prisoners of War, prefaced by a recital of an Act of the 19th formerly transmitted—also a number of Copies to be disposed of as Your Excellency shall judge proper. I have the honour to be &ca....
81To John Adams from Henry Laurens, 27 August 1782 (Adams Papers)
Soon after I had dispatched a Letter to you this Morning, under the 25th. Inst. I was honor’d by yours of the 18th. but too late for an answer by this days Mail. You inclosed Copy of an old Letter from Mr. Valltravers, which had without doubt been sent to you merely for information that I had given no answer to the original which had cost 5/. in London. The Copy bears the heaviest part of nine...
82To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 8 May 1782 (Washington Papers)
William Woodley Esqr. of the British Horse in America is now going to New York, should this Gentleman in the course of his enterprizes happen to be captured in our side of the water, suffer this to introduce him to Your Excellency’s notice and favor; and especially I req uest that Mr Woodley may be supplied with such sums of Money for his support in captivity as shall be requsite, and that...
83To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 13–15 November 1777 (Washington Papers)
Since my last of the 7th I have had the honour of reporting to Congress Your Excellency’s favors of the 8th & 10th Currt. The Chairman of the Treasury Board in answer to my pressing intreaty for dispatch to replenish your Military Chest has desired me to inform your Excellency—“that from the removal of the Office from Baltimore & philadelphia the Money department has been greatly obstructed...
84To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 10 October 1778 (Washington Papers)
An accident which has very seldom happened to me in the course of thirty Years business, has deprived me of the honor of making an earlier & puts it out of my power even now of making a more proper acknowledgement of three of Your Excellency’s favors which I remember to have been indebted for antecedent to the receipt of this of the 3d Inst. which now lies before me. those, in removing my...
85To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 28 August 1778 (Washington Papers)
I am indebted for Your Excellency’s favors of the 20th and 25th, the former receiv’d three days since, and the latter while I was in Congress this Morning; this takes my immediate attention—I feel convinc’d that had Your Excellency named a sum in Gold and apply’d for it to Congress, an order for the Amount would have pass’d without hesitation—but from circumstances which I have more than a few...
86To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 15 November 1778 (Washington Papers)
I had the honor of writing to Your Excellency Yesterday by Messenger Freeman. Your Excellency will receive inclosed herewith Copy of a Letter dated Sunbury 9th Instant from Colonel Hartley to the Board of War, which Congress have directed to transmit & to signify that it is the desire of the House Your Excellency “will take such Measures relative to the subject matter thereof as you shall...
87To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 21 May 1778 (Washington Papers)
I dispatched Barry this Morning with a Letter which I had the honour of writing to Your Excellency last Night. The present is for the sole purpose of transmitting the Inclosed Act of Congress of this date to enable Your Excellency to answer General Sir William Howe’s late proposition for Exchange of prisoners. I have the honor to be With the greatest Esteem & Regard Sir Your Excellency’s Most...
88To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 16 October 1778 (Washington Papers)
I had the honor of writing to Your Excellency the 13th Instant by Messenger Freeman. Inclosed Your Excellency will be pleased to receive an Act of Congress of yesterdays’ date for removing from Massachusetts Bay to Charlotte[s]ville in Virginia the Troops of the Convention of Saratoga unless Sir Henry Clinton shall have complied with one of the requisitions of Congress in their Act of the 11th...
89To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 27 April 1778 (Washington Papers)
The News papers which I received from Your Excellency in company with the honour of Your Excellency’s Letter of the 18th afford me sometimes amusement in intervals from the necessary duties of my present station. I am particularly indebted to Your Excellency for the notice which is included in the kindness of this favor. Your Excellency is too well acquainted with the Integrity of your own...
90Henry Laurens to the American Peace Commissioners, 17 June 1783 (Adams Papers)
I had the honor of addressing you the 10 th. immediately after my landing at Dover— As early as possible after my arrival here I obtained an Interview with M r. Secretary Fox, who was pleased to read to me part of his latest Dispatches to M r. Hartley which he supposed would reach Paris on the 14 th. tis probable therefore that before this time, as much of the Contents as is proper for your...