Virginia Delegates to Edmund Randolph, 12 February 1787

Virginia Delegates to Edmund Randolph

N York. Feby. 12th. 1787.

Sir.

We have the honor of acknowledging the receipt of your letter of the 21st. Jany., & beg leave to assure you of our entire concurrence in your proposition of a weekly correspondence.

With respect to the expences of the late expedition agt. the Indians, we shall act according to circumstances though from present appearances we have very little hopes of getting them placed to the account of the Continent.1

We have the pleasure to acquaint you that from information recd. to day from Genl. Lincoln, there is every reason to conclude the rebellion in Massachusetz bay is on the point of being extinguished: the party under Shay (the ring leader) is dispersed. The Genl. has taken one hundred & fifty prisoners, & is pursuing the fugitives.2

As there is now a Congress, we shall attend particularly to your request respecting the Arms,3 & give you information thereon in our next. We have the honor to be with the highest respect yr. Excys. Most Obed Servts.

Willm. Grayson.

Js. Madison Jr

RC (TxU). In Grayson’s hand and signed by Grayson and JM.

1. In his letter of 21 Jan. 1787 to the delegates (Executive Letter Book description begins Executive Letter Book, 1786–1788, manuscript in Virginia State Library. description ends , pp. 45–46) Randolph enclosed a letter to the president of Congress (ibid., p. 47) requesting that Virginia be credited for the expenses of an expedition against the Indians in Kentucky during the summer of 1786. The letter was read on 28 July 1787 and referred to a committee on 30 July. The committee reported unfavorably to Virginia on 2 Aug., but Grayson and Carrington were able to bring about a reversal of the committee’s action (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XXXIII, 430 n. 2, 441, 449–50).

2. See JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XXXII, 39. General Lincoln’s report of 4 Feb. 1787 to the secretary at war is in PCC.

3. The Virginia legislature had directed the governor to provide military stores for the Kentucky district. Randolph hoped to procure the arms and ammunition from Congress at no cost or by purchase on liberal terms (JCSV description begins H. R. McIlwaine et al., eds., Journals of the Council of the State of Virginia (4 vols. to date; Richmond, 1931——). description ends , IV, 5; Randolph to Virginia Delegates, 7 Dec. 1786 [Executive Letter Book description begins Executive Letter Book, 1786–1788, manuscript in Virginia State Library. description ends , pp. 18–19]).

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Source Project: Madison Papers
Title: Virginia Delegates to Edmund Randolph, 12 February 1787
Author: Virginia Delegates
Recipient: Randolph, Edmund
Date: 12 February 1787

Reference

Cite as: “Virginia Delegates to Edmund Randolph, 12 February 1787,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-09-02-0137. [Original source: The Papers of James Madison, vol. 9, 9 April 1786 – 24 May 1787 and supplement 1781–1784, ed. Robert A. Rutland and William M. E. Rachal. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1975, p. 266.]

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