1[Account with Massachusetts as a Delegate to the Continental Congress, April–August 1775.] (Adams Papers)
£ s d To the Hire of two Horses at £10 each 20: 0: 0 To the Hire of a Sulky £8:0s:0d 8: 0: 0 To the Wages of a servant from the 26 of April to the 14th. of August at £3 per Month 10:16:0 10: 16: 0 To Cash paid Mrs. Yard in Philadelphia for Board and Lodging for myself and Servant &c. Pensylvania Currency £38:13s:6d 30: 18: 10 To Cash paid Hannah Hiltzheimer for keeping my Horses
2From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 12 August 1775 (Washington Papers)
I have considered the Papers you left with me yesterday: those of them, which relate to Jones, shew him to be a most malignant, & inveterate Enemy to his Country, & as such I trust he will meet with his Deserts: But I have such various, & important Matters requiring my constant Attention, that I must beg Leave to refer him, & all others under similar Circumstances to the Authority of the...
3[Account with Massachusetts as a Delegate to the Continental Congress, August-December 1775.] (Adams Papers)
1775 Aug. 28th. £ s d pd. at Davis’s at Roxbury for Oats 0: 0: 8 pd. at Watertown for Horses Servant &c 1: 14: 2 pd. at Baldwins for Oats 0: 0: 8 pd. at Buckminsters at Framingham 0: 5: 0
4From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 28 September 1775 (Washington Papers)
The Indian who accompanies Mr Kirtland is an Oneida Chief of considerable Rank in his own Country. He has come on a Visit to the Camp principally to satisfy his Curiosity: But as his Tribe has been very friendly to the Cause of the united Colonies, & his Report to his nation at his Return have important Consequences to the publick Interest, I have studiously endeavoured to make his Visit...
5From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 6 October 1775 (Washington Papers)
On the 29th August I did myself the Honour of addressing you on the Complaint of the Quarter Master respecting Wood for the Army—The Recess of the House of Representatives prevented any Steps being taken upon it: I must now beg Leave to recall your Attention to my Letter of that Date as the Evil is increasing & more alarming as the Winter approaches. Little or no Wood is brought in & it is...
6From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 27 October 1775 (Washington Papers)
Gentlemen: The continued accumulation of price, and the scarcity which prevails throughout the camp, for the several articles of wood, hay, &c., oblige me to address your honourable Houses again upon this subject. The distress of the Army for these necessaries, I fear, will be followed, with the most dreadful effects to the general cause in which we are engaged, unless some speedy and...
7From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 29 November 1775 (Washington Papers)
The necessity of giving Furloughs to the Soldiers of the present, who Inlist into the New Army; (by way of Incouragement, & to afford opportunity of providing necessaries for themselves and Families) was so strongly Impress’d upon me, that I have consented to Fifty of a Regiment’s being absent at a time—this will be a reduction of at least 1500 Men from the strength of our Lines—to this I am...
8From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 16 December 1775 (Washington Papers)
Among many resolves of Congress which were forwarded to me the other day, are the Inclosed. Not being able to discover from the Resolves themselves, or the Letter which accompanied them, whether a Copy had been transmitted to you by the President, or to be handed in by me, I thought it best to err on the safe side, especially as the Q. M. Genl has just inform’d me that he is exceeding scarce...
9From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 29 December 1775 (Washington Papers)
Having never considered the four Independant Companies, which have been doing duty at Braintree, Weymouth & Hingham in the same point of view, as the rest of the army, Altho some Orders may have gone to or for them, Thro the hurry of business, nor Included them in my returns to Congress, according to the Brigade Majors report from Roxbury, I do not think myself Authorized to direct pay for...
10From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 13 January 1776 (Washington Papers)
It is exceedingly painful to me, to give you so much trouble as I have, and am like to do in the support of our Lines, and the Arrangement of the New Army—But my difficulties must, in their consequences, devolve trouble on you. To my very great Surprize I find, that the whole number of Arms which have been stopp’d from the discharg’d Soldiers, amt to no more than 1620, and of that number, no...
11From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 17 January 1776 (Washington Papers)
Your several Resolves in consequence of my Letters of the 10th and 15th Instt have been presented to me by a Committee of your Honble Body —I thank you for the assurances of being zealously disposed to do every thing in your power to facilitate the Recruiting of the American Army; and at the sametime that I assure you, I do not entertain a doubt of the truth of it; I must beg leave to add,...
12From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 10 February 1776 (Washington Papers)
Notwithstanding I have taken every method my Judgement could Suggest to procure a Sufficient Number of Firelocks for the Soldiers of this Army, by Applications to the Assemblies & Conventions of these Governments, as well as by sending Officers out with Money to purchase, I am constrained by necessity to Inform you, that the deficiency is amazingly great, and that there are not nigh enough to...
13From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 21 March 1776 (Washington Papers)
E’re now, I was in hopes of congratulating you on the departure of the Ministerial Troops, not only from your Capitol, but Country. That they still remain in the Harbour after being five days Imbark’d, affords matter for speculation; and collected as their Force now is, of Apprehension—This Circumstance—the security of Boston by a Work on Fort hill, and demolition of the Lines on the Neck —and...
14From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 16 May 1776 (Washington Papers)
The Honourable Continental Congress having come to sundry resolutions respecting the Cannon & Stores in & about Boston, and the mode to be observed for paying the Militias lately called in for the defence of the Lines before Boston, I do myself the honor to Transmit you Copies thereof, lest they may not have come to hand. I wou’d Observe that I think It will be of advantage to you to make your...
15From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 28 June 1776 (Washington Papers)
By certain Advices just received, I am informed that a Fleet consisting of 130 Sail left Hallifax the 9th Instt bound for this Place, and am well assured that General Howe is already arrived at the Hook in the Greyhound —I do therefore in the most pressing manner request, that you would not lose a moments time in sending forward the Militia of your Province, as the Enemy will undoubtedly...
16From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 7 July 1776 (Washington Papers)
New York, 7 July 1776 . Acknowledges the General Court’s letter of 2 July and thanks its members for their “compliance with the requisition of Congress” and “your kind wishes for my success.” LS , in Robert Hanson Harrison’s writing, owned (1973) by the Rare Coin Company of America, Chicago; LB , DLC:GW ; Varick transcript , DLC:GW .
17From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 9 July 1776 (Washington Papers)
You will perceive by the Inclosed Declaration, which I have the honor to Transmit you, that Congress of late have been employed in deliberating on matters of the utmost Importance. Impelled by necessity and a repetition of Injuries unsufferable, without the most distant prospect of releif, they have asserted the claims of the American Colonies to the rights of Humanity and declared them Free...
18From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 11 July 1776 (Washington Papers)
At a crisis like the present, when our Enemies are prosecuting a War with unexampled severity—When they have called upon foreign mercenaries, and have excited Slaves and Savages to arms against us, a regard to our own security & happiness calls upon us to adopt every possible expedient to avert the blow & prevent the meditated ruin. Impressed with this Sentiment, and impelled by necessity, the...
19From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 19 September 1776 (Washington Papers)
I was honored the night before last with your favor of the 13th Inst. and at the same time that I conceive your anxiety to have been great by reason of the vague & uncertain accounts you received respecting the attack on Long Island, give me leave to assure you that the situation of our Affairs and the Important concerns which have surrounded me & which are daily pressing on me, have prevented...
20From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 29 September 1776 (Washington Papers)
Genl Howe having signifyed to me, a desire of making a General Exchange of Prisoners both Officers, and privates, it becomes necessary to have an exact Return of the Numbers in our possession. You will therefore be pleased to have all the Continental prisoners of War, (belonging to the Land Service) in the different Towns in your State, collected and brought together to some convenient place,...
21From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 6 November 1776 (Washington Papers)
The situation of our Affairs is critical and truly alarming; The dissolution of our Army is fast approaching and but little, if any prospect of levying a New one in a reasonable time. A large part of it under the denomination of New Levies, are now on the eve of their departure, and this at a time when the Enemy have a very numerous & formidable force, watching an Opportunity to execute their...
22[Account with Massachusetts as a Delegate to the Continental Congress, January–September 1777.] (Adams Papers)
£ s d 1777. Bought two Horses for my Journey to Baltimore, one of the Honourable Mr. Spooner for £15 another of John Gill for £20—I bought these Horses, because I had none of my own, but one, which I was obliged to leave at home for the Use of my Family, and I thought it would be a Saving to the public to buy a Couple of cheap Horses rather than to hire as I must have done at a dear rate. The...
23Enclosure: Account of Adams’s Expenses: State of Massachusetts Bay to John Adams, 9 January 1777 – 15 January 1778 (Adams Papers)
Dr. £ s d 1777 To Cash Spent from my leaving Home the 9. Jany. 1777 to my Return 27. Novr 1777 exclusive of every Article of Cloathing and exclusive of a Bll flour sent to my family from Baltimore. 312: 14: 0 To Cash paid my servant for Wages and Expences, by Mrs. Adams 7: 16: 8 To Cash due to Mr. Sprout for Board one Week at £4 Pen. currency 3: 4: 0 To Cash due to Mr. Smith for his Account 1: 12:
24From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 11 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
Certain that the British Court would leave nothing unessayed in the course of this Campaign, to establish her unwarrantable claims over the United States and to deprive them of their rights, the Congress were induced upon reconsidering their first vote of Levies, to compose the Army, to determine that 16 Battallions more should be raised in addition to those they had resolved on before; And as...
25From George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 13 March 1777 (Washington Papers)
The prospect of a vigorous attack upon Ticonderogo some time past, founded on a supposition that the Enemy might pass the Lakes on the Ice, induced me to order all the Continental Battalion of your State to march as fast as they were raised to that Post. A reconsideration of their Views, and the well grounded probability that they will draw the greater part of their force from Canada by Water...
Passy, 22 May 1778. printed: JA, Diary and Autobiography Diary and Autobiography of John Adams , ed. L. H. Butterfield and others, Cambridge, 1961; 4 vols. , 4:110 . Citing the usual practice under the law of nations of allowing six months after the commencement of hostilities for subjects of both sides to remove their property, Adams and Franklin requested that, if possible, the General Court...