To George Washington from John Hancock, 23 February 1777

From John Hancock

Baltimore Feby 23d 1777.

Sir,

I have the Honour to enclose you sundry Resolves of Congress, to which I have only Time to refer your Attention, nor indeed, is any Thing further necessary as they are so very explicit.1

I have forwarded Commissions to the Majors General, and shall forward, by the next Opportunity, Commissions for the Brigadiers General.2

As I am empowered to adjourn the Congress from Baltimore to Philada on next Tuesday, and shall set out myself on Wednesday, I must request you will please to direct your Letters to me at Philada the Powers of the Committee of Congress in that Place expiring on our Arrival there.3

I have wrote to Genl Gates requesting him to resume the Office of Adjutant Genl nor have I any Doubt of his Compliance.4 I have the Honour to be, with the greatest Esteem & Respect Sir your most obedt & very hble Servt

John Hancock Presidt

LS, DLC:GW; LB, DNA:PCC, item 12A. On this date Hancock sent this letter unsealed to Robert Morris for his perusal with directions to forward it to GW by express (see Hancock to Morris, 23 Feb. 1777, in Smith, Letters of Delegates description begins Paul H. Smith et al., eds. Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774–1789. 26 vols. Washington, D.C., 1976–2000. description ends , 6:350–51), which Morris did on 26 Feb. (see the Continental Congress Executive Committee to GW, that date).

1. Hancock enclosed the Continental Congress’s resolutions on military affairs of 5, 7, 13–14, and 19–22 Feb. (see JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 7:90, 98, 114, 119, 133, 135–36, 140–42, and notes 2 and 4 below).

2. The Continental Congress on 18 Feb. 1777 resolved to add three major generals to the Continental army (see the Continental Congress Executive Committee to GW, 21 Feb., and note 1, and ibid., 131–32) but increased the number to five on the following day when nominating the officers (ibid., 133). The officers chosen for promotion were Lord Stirling, Thomas Mifflin, Arthur St. Clair, Adam Stephen, and Benjamin Lincoln. The brigadier generals appointed by Congress in resolutions of 21 and 22 Feb. were Enoch Poor, John Glover, John Patterson, Anthony Wayne, James Mitchell Varnum, John Philip De Haas, George Weedon, Peter Muhlenberg, John Cadwalader, and William Woodford (see Congress’s resolutions of 21 and 22 Feb. 1777, ibid., 141–42, and GW to William Woodford, 3 Mar. 1777).

3. An adjournment of the Continental Congress from Baltimore to Philadelphia was moved for and postponed on 8 Feb. (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 7:103) and reconsidered on 17 Feb., when it resolved to adjourn on Tuesday 25 Feb. (ibid., 7:103, 127). Congress did not adjourn until 27 Feb., however, and it reconvened in Philadelphia on 12 Mar. (ibid., 164, 169).

4. The Continental Congress’s resolution directing Hancock to write Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates concerning the office of adjutant general was passed on 20 Feb. 1777 (see ibid., 136), and on 23 Feb. Hancock wrote Gates to inform him of Congress’s earnest desire “to solicit you to reassume the Office of Adjutant General, with your present Rank and Pay” (NHi: Gates Papers; see also Smith, Letters of Delegates description begins Paul H. Smith et al., eds. Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774–1789. 26 vols. Washington, D.C., 1976–2000. description ends , 6:350). Before Hancock’s letter reached him, however, Gates received word of Congress’s intentions from GW, to which he responded in complete surprise (see GW to Gates, 3 Mar., and Gates to GW, 7 Mar. 1777). On 25 Mar. Congress ordered Gates to Ticonderoga to command the army there after Gates hesitated resuming the office of adjutant general (see JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 7:202).

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Source Project: Washington Papers
Title: To George Washington from John Hancock, 23 February 1777
Author: Hancock, John
Recipient: Washington, George
Date: 23 February 1777

Reference

Cite as: “To George Washington from John Hancock, 23 February 1777,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-08-02-0456. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 8, 6 January 1777 – 27 March 1777, ed. Frank E. Grizzard, Jr. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1998, pp. 426–427.]

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