To George Washington from George Clinton, 7 June 1779
From George Clinton
Camp Highlands [N.Y.] June 7th 1779
Sir,
It is with infinite Regret I inform your Excellency, that in Consequence of some Violent outrages lately committed in County of Cumberland1 and which the Resolutions of Congress (Copies of which I do myself the Honor to transmit) do not in my opinion tend to remedy the Duty I owe to the State will soon constrain me to quit the Field,2 in Order to convene the Legislature, and to make the necessary Arrangements for vindicating the Authority of this Government3—I had flatter’d myself that in Consequence of my Representation, that Ethan Allen, having the Rank of a Colonel under Congress,4 had with his Associates seized and imprison’d the principal civil and military Officers of this State in the County of Cumberland the Justice and Wisdom of Congress would have adopted such Measures as might have prevented this State from the cruel Necessity they will too probably be reduced to in a short Time of opposing Force, to Force—Your Excellency who knows my Inclinations and Conduct, the Zeal and Exertions of this State in the Common Cause, and their long and patient Forbearance under the Usurpation of its revolted Citizens, will judge with what Anxiety we look forward to the cruel Dilemma to which, by the great Principle of Self Preservation, we may shortly be reduced: And this Anxiety is rendered doubly painful, by the Reflection, that the general Interest of America must necessarily be affected by applying the Resources for maintaining the Authority of this State, which have been so amply and liberally afforded by them, since the Commencement of the war, in Support of the Common Cause—It is become my Duty however to provide in Time for such Operations, as the Legislature may think proper to adopt in Consequence of the Resolutions of Congress, which I have Reason to imagine will be considered, as by no means satisfactory. I have therefore to request that your Excellency will be pleased to give the necessary Directions for returning within the State the six Brass six Pounders together with their apparatus which the State lent for the Use of the Army in 1776—or that, in Case of Loss, you will order them to be replaced as soon as possible—In Order that Timely Measures may be adopted for supplying a sufficient Quantity of Provisions for the Army I think it incumbent upon me to inform your Excellency that the Magazine of Flour, which the Legislature have authorized me to collect may probably be wanted for Operations, which may be deemed necessary to support the Authority of the State and that it is not unlikely I shall not only be prevented from filling up the Continental Battalions by the Drafts from the Militia already made5 but that, by the Attention to the civil, or military Duties I owe particularly to the State in this critical Conjuncture I may not be able to carry into Execution the Measure I suggested to your Excellency, and which you thought proper to approve of, for favoring the Operations on the Western Frontiers: however as I am particularly anxious for the Success of the Enterprize in that Quarter, it is my Determination to abide by my former Intentions, unless restrained by superior Considerations,6 and to continue to give to your Excellency every Aid in my Power, under the present Circumstances of the State, for opposing the Common Enemy.7
Df, NN: Dewitt Clinton-George Clinton Papers. GW responded to Clinton on 13 June.
1. In a letter of 25 May, written at Brattleboro in what is now Vermont, Samuel Minott gave Clinton an account of these outrages against residents “opposing the authority of the State of Vermont” by Ethan Allen, who “treted the People here with the most Insulting language; Assaulted and wounded Several Persons with his sword, without the least provocation, and bids Defiance to the State of New Yorke; declares they will Establish their State by the sword, and fight all who shall attempt to oppose them” ( 4:846–47).
2. In response to the British advance up the Hudson River, Clinton had taken the field to serve in a military capacity, which he explained to Maj. Gen. Alexander McDougall in a letter written at Fishkill, N.Y., on 1 June, 12:30 P.M.: “I am this Moment arived at this Place. The Militia are in full march; one Regt. are already come in & Detachment from others must be near at Hand. . . . I mean to act under you in the Character of a Brigad’r Genl. in the Continental Army unless an Officer superior to you in Command shoud arive in which Case I cannot” ( 5:6).
3. Clinton is referring to resolutions that Congress adopted on 1 June: “Whereas divers applications have been made to Congress on the part of the State of New York and of the State of New Hampshire, relative to disturbances and animosities among inhabitants of a certain district known by the name of ‘the New Hampshire Grants,’ praying their interference for the quieting thereof …
“Resolved, That a committee be appointed to repair to the inhabitants of a certain district known by the name of New Hampshire Grants, and enquire into the reasons why they refuse to continue citizens of the respective states which heretofore exercised jurisdiction over the said district; for that as Congress are in duty bound on the one hand to preserve inviolate the rights of the several states, so on the other they will always be careful to provide that the justice due to the states does not interfere with the justice which may be due to individuals:
“That the said committee confer with the said inhabitants, and that they take every prudent measure to promote an amicable settlement of all differences, and prevent divisions and animosities so prejudicial to the United States.
“Resolved, That the further consideration of this subject be postponed until the said committee shall have made report.
“Ordered, That they report specially and with all convenient speed. . . .
“Resolved, unanimously, That the President inform the governor of the State of New York, that a more early attention would have been paid to the pressing applications of that State, relating to the disturbances mentioned in his several letters, had it not been prevented by matters of the greatest importance; and that Congress will continue to pay equal attention to the rights of that State with those of other states in the union” ( 14:674–75). Congress chose a five-member committee on 2 June and empowered “any three” to act on the grievances involving the inhabitants of the New Hampshire Grants, an area now known as Vermont ( 14:676). For Clinton’s dissatisfaction with these resolutions, see his letters to John Jay and to the New York delegates in Congress, both this date, 5:54–59.
Congress had acted after considering various documents, including a letter from Clinton to Jay, written at Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on 18 May representing that the jurisdictional dispute as “a very serious Crisis” tending rapidly toward “the Decision of the Sword” ( 4:835–36; see also 14:673–74).
4. Congress had adopted a resolution on 14 May 1778 that reads: “That a brevet commission of colonel be granted to Ethan Allen, in reward of his fortitude, firmness and zeal in the cause of his country, manifested during the course of his long and cruel captivity, as well as on former occasions” ( 11:496). In response to representations that Allen was in reduced circumstances, Congress resolved on 24 Sept. 1778 to pay him $75 per month “from the date of his brevet, during the pleasure of Congress, or until he shall be called into actual service” ( 12:947).
5. For these recruitment efforts, see Clinton to GW, 25 April, and Clinton to John Sullivan, 10 May ( 4:806–7); see also Clinton to GW, 18 March.
6. Clinton likely is referring to a proposed operation against Indians and Loyalists at Shandaken, N.Y. (see Clinton to GW, 18 May).
7. New York and New Hampshire had disputed jurisdiction over Vermont for more than a decade, and a movement for independence, led by Allen, heightened tensions throughout the 1770s. For growing animosities after this incident in Cumberland County, which New York had established in 1768, see Minott to Clinton, 8 June; Micah Townshend to Clinton, 9 June; and James Duane to Clinton, 14 June, in 5:63–65, 67–70, 84–85. Following a committee investigation, Congress resolved unanimously on 16 June “That the officers acting under the State of New York, who were lately restrained of their liberty by certain persons of a district called the New Hampshire Grants, ought to be immediately liberated” ( 14:741). This action prompted Clinton, rather reluctantly, to defer calling a special legislative session to address the situation in Vermont until the congressional committee named on 2 June issued a report (see Jay and Duane to Clinton, 16 June [ 13:78–79], and Clinton to the New York delegates, 23 June [DNA:PCC, item 40]; see also Clinton to Jay, 23 June [ 5:93–95]). For that committee’s report suggesting favorable prospects for some accommodation, which Congress considered on 13 July, see 14:823–24; see also Ethan Allen, A Vindication of the Opposition of the Inhabitants of Vermont to the Government of New-York, and of their Right to form into an Independent State ([Dresden, Vt.], 1779). Jurisdictional issues remained contentious until Vermont achieved statehood in 1791.