11Theodorick 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...
12Samuel Nightingale, Jr., to Virginia Delegates in Congress, 6 December 1780 (Madison Papers)
Printed text (Charles Campbell, ed., Bland Papers , II, 39). From the salutation, Nightingale addressed his letter to Bland and JM, the only delegates from Virginia then in Congress, rather than to Bland alone. The editor of the Bland Papers either decided to print only an extract of the letter or could print no more because the rest of it was missing or illegible. I this day received your...
13Matthias Halsted to Virginia Delegates in Congress, 17 December 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC (Virginia State Library). Halsted’s signature at the close of his statement is followed by an unsigned addendum of five lines in a different and unknown hand. The docketing note on the cover sheet erroneously attributes the statement to “Mathew Halstead.” The Subscriber Matthias Halsted of Elizabeth Town in the State of New Jersey, Who was a Prisoner of War & Confined in the Sugar House...
14Thomas Jefferson to Virginia Delegates in Congress, 18 December 1780 (Madison Papers)
Translation (Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation). Jefferson’s original letter is probably not extant. This French version, translated and copied by a person or persons unknown, was in all likelihood sent from Philadelphia on 2 January 1781 by the Chevalier de La Luzerne in his letter to Chevalier Charles René D. S. Destouches, who commanded the French fleet at Newport, Rhode Island, after...
15Board 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,...
16George Mathews and Christian Febiger to Virginia Delegates in Congress, 28 December 1780 (Madison Papers)
RC ( NA : PCC , No. 78, XVI, 109–10). Addressed to “Colonel Bland, and Mr Maddison. Present” Some doubts arises with us, whether, under the late Acts of Congress for arranging the Army of the United States, the Officers of the State of Virginia that have been, or now are Prisoners of War on Long Island, may be equally intituled to their Rank in that Line, (agreable to their Standing in the...
17Instruction from Virginia General Assembly to Its Delegates in Congress, [2 January] 1781 (Madison Papers)
Printed text ( Journal of the House of Delegates Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia; Begun and Held At the Capitol, in the City of Williamsburg .Beginning in 1780, the portion after the semicolon reads, Begun and Held in the Town of Richmond. In the County of Henrico . The journal for each session has its own title page and is individually paginated. The edition...
18Christian Holmer to Virginia Delegates in Congress, [ca. 3 January] 1781 (Madison Papers)
MS ( NA : PCC , No. 41, IV, 153). The Honourable Gentlemen Delegates from the Common Wealth of Virginia. Your Most Humble Memorialist Shew that he in August last year, Acquainted the Honourable Congress, and Delegates from Virginia his Circumstances and Condition in Health as in Wanting every Thing Nessesary, and beg’d to be help whit a part for which he have Ventered his life Spend in your...
19Thomas Jefferson to Virginia Delegates in Congress, 15 January 1781 (Madison Papers)
FC (Virginia State Library). I called on Mr. Anderson the Writer of the letter to Capt Trot which you were pleased to inclose to me and desired he would explain the foundation on which he had written that letter. His explanation I now inclose you, from which you will be able to collect only thus much that his application on behalf of Mr. Trot was utterly rejected and nothing said which could...
20Thomas Jefferson to Virginia Delegates in Congress, 18 January 1781 (Madison Papers)
RC ( NA : PCC , No. 71, II, 21–26). Docketed “Richmond January 18th 1781 Letter from Govr. Jefferson of Virginia to the Delegates of the State. so much as relates to a supply of ammunition & military stores Referred to the Board of War.” Only the complimentary close and signature are in Jefferson’s hand. A clerk’s copy of this letter is in the Executive Letter Book, Virginia State Library. I...