1Report of Committee on Letter of Arthur Lee, [1 December] 1780 (Madison Papers)
MS ( NA : PCC , No. 19, III, 511). The report is in the hand of Thomas Bee of South Carolina. The Committee to whom were referred the Letter from Arthur Lee Esqr. &c submit the following report. Arthur Lee Esqr. having deposited with the President of Congress a Picture of the King of France set with Diamonds presented to him by the Minister of that Monarch on his taking leave of the Court of...
2Theodorick Bland, for Virginia Delegates in Congress[?], to Thomas Jefferson, 22 November 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC (Virginia State Library). This letter is signed only by Bland and is in his hand. In his first two paragraphs and part of the third, however, his “we,” “us,” and “our” show that he clearly writes for JM, his sole Virginia colleague in Congress, as well as for himself. Although the balance of the letter expresses a point of view at variance with JM’s, it is included here because JM’s later...
3From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, [ca. 5 October] 1780 (Madison Papers)
Draft (New-York Historical Society). Although this undated, unsigned, and mutilated manuscript was written by Theodorick Bland, Jr., and endorsed “Rough drt of letter, from Col. Theok Bland Jr to Govr. Jefferson,” its message is phrased as coming from all the Virginia delegates. Whether the letter bore JM’s signature, along with Bland’s and John Walker’s, cannot be known since the recipient’s...
4Board of Admiralty to James Nicholson, 22 May 1780 (Madison Papers)
FC ( NA : PCC , Marine Committee Letter Book, fol. 288). The Board are favoured with your letter of the 3d instant acknowledging the receipt of theirs of the 17th ultimo, wherein the[y] expressly directed you to proceed with the Trumbull on A short Cruize so as to return to the Delaware by the latter end of June in Order to join the Confederacy Saratoga & Deane for the execution of a...
5Board of Admiralty to Jonathan Trumbull, 30 May 1780 (Madison Papers)
FC ( NA : PCC , Marine Committee Letter Book, fol. 289). Pursuant to the Resolutions of Congress passed the 27th inst. relative to the Navy which will be transmitted to your Excellency by their Secretary, I am directed by the Board to Solicit every assistance in your power, by furnishing money and otherwise towards preparing the frigate Bourbon for launching and compleating her for Sea. As...
6Board of Admiralty to Abraham Whipple, 24 March 1780 (Madison Papers)
FC ( NA : PCC , Marine Committee Letter Book, fol. 271). We wrote you the 26th february in answer to your letter of the 7th January, since which we are favoured with yours of the 14th february. In your letter of the 7th. January you request that a quantity of Bread and flour may be sent you from hence, this is not in our power at present to accomplish and if it were the dificulty of Procuring...
7Report of Board of Admiralty, 29 March 1780 (Madison Papers)
MS ( NA : PCC , No. 37, fol. 211). The Board of Admiralty beg leave to lay the enclosed Papers before Congress, and to receive their Instruction thereon. By Mr Langdons letter and estimate it will appear that to compleat the 74 gun Ship building under his agency he requires an immediate supply of Money. That his funds are totally exhausted and by letters of a late date from the Commissioners...
8Board of Admiralty to Messrs. Hewes, Smith, and Allen, 7 April 1780 (Madison Papers)
FC ( NA : PCC , Marine Committee Letter Book, fols. 275–76). We received by the last Post your letters of the 1st. January and the 6th of March last, giving us an Account that on the 25th of December some villans with false keys had entered the ware House where the public Canvass was stored and carried away the whole except three Bolts—that they likewise carried away a large Quantity of Salt...
9Board of Admiralty to John M. Nesbitt and John Nixon, 12 April 1780 (Madison Papers)
FC ( NA : PCC , Marine Committee Letter Book, fol. 278). Congress having impowered and directed this Board to call upon the Several Agents for A settlement of their respective Accounts relative to the Continental Prizes you are therefore requested to furnish the Board with an Account of the disposition of all such Prizes under your Agency. I am Gentlemen Your Obedt Hble sert By Order...
10Board of Admiralty to James Nicholson, 17 April 1780 (Madison Papers)
FC ( NA : PCC , Marine Committee Letter Book, fol. 280). The Board were this day favoured with your letter of the 27th Ultimo by which they find the frigate Trumbull is compleatly rigged, wooded, & Watered with 120 Men on board officers included, and that she only waited for some additional provision & Cannon which you have no doubt will be on board in three weeks. As the Continental Ship...
11Board of Admiralty to John Bradford, 12 May 1780 (Madison Papers)
FC ( NA : PCC , Marine Committee Letter Book, fols. 284–85). The foregoing is a Copy of our last since which we have not been favoured with any of yours. Within these few days your Packet relative to the Lord Sandwich packet Boat was handed to us by Lieutenant Brown which was immediately lodged with the Secretary of Congress and Council retained in the Cause when determined by the Court of...
12Board of Admiralty to Nathaniel Shaw, Jr., 22 May 1780 (Madison Papers)
FC ( NA : PCC , Marine Committee Letter Book, fol. 287). By letter from the Board dated the 9th instant you were directed to reserve the Continental Moiety of the prize Wines until farther Orders and to send the fruit by water to this place. but from the present scarcity of money here, and the urgent necessity for the same in Order to fit out and man two Ships of war now in this port we are...
13Report and Resolution of Board of Admiralty, 26 May 1780 (Madison Papers)
FC ( NA : PCC , No. 37, fol. 247). The board beg leave to represent to Congress, That the Hull of the seventy four gun ship now building at Portsmouth in New Hampshire might, if money could be procured for that purpose, be completely finished the ensuing summer, and in that case, if the expected fleet of our ally could furnish out the stores necessary for her equipment, she might cooperate...
14Report of Board of Admiralty, [12 April] 1780 (Madison Papers)
MS ( NA : PCC , No. 37, fol. 223). The Board of Admiralty beg leave to represent to Congress that the Continental ship Saratoga has been lately launched at this place, and may be speedily fitted for Sea, if the board had Money for that purpose. As the Saratoga in all probability will be a very fast Sailing Vessel, and considerable advantages may arise to the public from her being Speedily...
15Report of Board of Admiralty, 10 April 1780 (Madison Papers)
MS ( NA : PCC , No. 37, fol. 221). The Board of Admiralty beg leave to inform Congress that they are about to order the Mercury a Continental packet from Boston to this Port, and as that vessel is a very fast Sailer they are of opinion that it would be expedient to bring round in her some of Sugar belonging to the Public at that place, and request that they may be Authorized to order 20 hhds...
16Board of Admiralty to John Langdon, 14 April 1780 (Madison Papers)
FC ( NA : PCC , Marine Committee Letter Book, fol. 279). We have been favoured with your letters of the 5th and 18th Ulto., wherein you inform us that unless you are supplied with Money either from the Navy Board or Admiralty, it will not be in your power to Ship the Masts &c for Martinico. We are sorry to say that such is still the low state of the Treasury; that it will be impossible for us...
17Board of Admiralty to Seth Harding, 2 May 1780 (Madison Papers)
FC ( NA : PCC , Marine Committee Letter Book, fol. 281). The Board are favoured with your letter of the 28th Ultimo informing them of the arrival of the frigate Confederacy. As the Masts & Spars wanted for the Confederacy can be furnished here, you are directed immediately to proceed up with the Ship to this place where the most speedy measures will be taken for fitting her out again with all...
18Board of Admiralty to Nathaniel Shaw, Jr., 9 May 1780 (Madison Papers)
FC ( NA : PCC , Marine Committee Letter Book, fol. 283). The Board have this day received your letter of the 26th ultimo announcing the arrival of a Polacca laden with Wine & fruits, Prize to the Deane frigate Captain Nicholson. You are directed to cause the Cargo to be divided and the Continental Moiety reserved until the farther orders of this Board; but should the fruit from its present...
19Board of Admiralty to Commissioners of the Navy Board at Boston, 12 May 1780 (Madison Papers)
FC ( NA : PCC , Marine Committee Letter Book, fol. 285). We are favoured with your letter of the 18th. ultimo acknowledging the receipt of ours dated the 7th & 31 March[.] we have since wrote you of the 7th & 11th ultimo which we presume were not then received. We observe you intend to send the Box with types and papers to the Treasury Board, and that your next will inform us with the result...
20Virginia Board of Trade to Virginia Delegates in Congress, [ca. 1 April 1780]—Note on Missing Letter (Madison Papers)
Letter not found. 1 April 1780 . Under this date, on page 30 of a bound manuscript volume entitled “Board of Trade Minute Book, 27 November 1779–7 April 1780,” in the Virginia State Library, is recorded: “Ordered that a Letter be written to the Hons. The Delegates from Virginia in Congress, requesting them to aid Mr. Moss.” John Moss, an agent of Virginia for equipping its continental line,...
21Board of War to Virginia Delegates in Congress and Motion of Delegates, [22 December] 1780 (Madison Papers)
Printed text ( Journals of the Continental Congress , XVIII, 1181–82). The letter of 21 December from the Board of War has not been found, but it is summarized in the Journals , preceding the motion made the next day. For the possible context of this item, see Matthias Halsted to Virginia Delegates, 17 December 1780 , and n. 2. The delegates for Virginia laid before Congress a letter, of 21,...
22Motion on Instructions to George Washington, [1 January] 1781 (Madison Papers)
Printed text ( Journals of the Continental Congress , XIX, 2). That so much of the letter from Mr. Adams as relates to the probable operations of the enemy against the southern states be transmitted to the Commander in Chief; and that he be informed that it is the desire of Congress that he should immediately make such a distribution of the forces under his command, including those of our...
23Motion regarding Virginia Currency, [11 October] 1780 (Madison Papers)
Printed text ( Journals of the Continental Congress , XVIII, 916). On motion of Mr. [James] Madison, seconded by Mr. [Theodorick] Bland, Ordered , That the letter, of 27 September, from Governor Jefferson, with the copies of the acts of the legislature of Virginia enclosed therewith, be referred to the Board of Treasury, to enable them to ascertain and insert in the bills to be emitted by the...
24Seal for the Admiralty of the United States, [4 May] 1780 (Madison Papers)
Printed text ( Journals of the Continental Congress , XVI, 412). The Board of Admiralty reported the device of a seal for the Admiralty of the United States: the arms, thirteen bars mutually supporting each other, alternate red and white, in a blue field, and surmounting an anchor proper. The crest a ship under sail. The motto Sustentans et Sustentatus . The legend U. S. A. Sigil. Naval....
25Election to Board of Admiralty, [22 March] 1780 (Madison Papers)
Printed text ( Journals of the Continental Congress , XVI, 277). Resolved , That a member be elected for the Board of Admiralty, in the room of Mr. [James] Forbes, who by reason of sickness cannot attend. Congress proceeded to an election, and the ballots being taken, Mr. [James] Madison was elected. All brackets are in printed text. Forbes (b. ca . 1731) of Charles City County, Md., died on...
26Motion on Seniority in Army, [1 January] 1781 (Madison Papers)
Copy ( NA : PCC , No. 41, II, 174). Copy of resolution signed “Extract from the Minut[es,] Geo. Bond Depy Secy.” Resolved , That in the new arrangement of the Army it is the sense of Congress, that the Officers of the continental lines, who have been exchanged since the said arrangement or are now in captivity ought to be considered and arranged according to their respective ranks in the same...
27Motion of Virginia Delegates on Kentucky, [24 August] 1780 (Madison Papers)
Printed text ( Journals of the Continental Congress , XVII, 763–64). A petition from a number of the inhabitants of Kentucke was read; on which A motion was made by the delegates of Virginia, that this petition, together with that read yesterday, from a number of inhabitants of the said country, be transmitted to the governor of Virginia; which on the question, passed in the negative. The...
28Motion in Congress, [11 September] 1780 (Madison Papers)
Printed text ( Journals of the Continental Congress , XVIII, 818–19). Motion seconded by Samuel Adams. Ordered , That the Committee of Foreign Affairs cause to be printed at the expence of the United States 1200 copies of a correct translation of a memorial published by the Court of France, entitled “Observations sur le memoire justificatif de la cour de Londres;” and distribute the same to...
29Notes on Speech regarding Vermont Lands, 6 October 1780 (Madison Papers)
MS (New-York Historical Society). In James Duane’s hand. Mr. Maddison . Expressed his surprize that the Motion shoud be represented as unfair or indirect. That he intended it to bring the true Question before Congress; for that if the District in Question was comprehended within the Jurisdiction of one or more of the United States, it must necessarily follow, that the Inhabitants coud have no...
30William Ellery and JM to the Committee of Congress at Washington’s Headquarters, 5 May 1780 (Madison Papers)
Printed text (John Sanderson, ed., Biography of the Signers to the Declaration of Independence [2d ed.; 5 vols.; Philadelphia, 1828], I, 388–89). Nothing is said there of its source except that it had “fallen into our hands.” References to the existence of the letter are made in Brant, Madison Irving Brant, James Madison (6 vols.; Indianapolis and New York, 1941–61). , I, 90; Burnett, Letters...