To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 20 May 1778

From Henry Laurens

York Town [Pa.] 20th May 1778.

Sir,

I had this Morning the honour of receiving & presenting to Congress Your Excellency’s favour of the 18th which is Committed to the Committee on the Army.

Inclosed Your Excellency will receive extract of a Letter from General Sullivan of the 3d Instant & an Order of Congress thereon1—Also one branch of the Army arrangement, which Congress Resolved this Morning, for establishing a Provost—the transmission of this detached article arises from an opinion in Congress that the measure ought to be immediately carried into Execution.2

A proposition having been intimated for allowing subsistence Money to Officers in lieu of part of the customary Rations this article & that of pay are reserved as the last points for consideration—the present prospect induces me to beleive the whole intended arrangement will be finished in the course of this Week, possibly to morrow.3 I have the honor to be With the highest Esteem & Respect Sir—Your Excellency’s Obedient & most humble servant.

Henry Laurens.
President of Congress.

Congress have adopted the Stile of the Treaties of Paris, “the United States of North America.”4

ALS, DLC:GW; LB, DNA:PCC, item 13.

1. The extract from Maj. Gen. John Sullivan’s letter to Laurens of 3 May, seeking the assistance of Brig. Gen. John Stark, is in DLC:GW, along with a copy of the congressional resolution of this date on the subject (see also Sullivan’s complete letter in DNA:PCC, item 160; 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 , 11:516; GW to John Stark, 20 and 26 May, and GW to John Sullivan, 20 and 26 May).

2. Secretary of Congress Charles Thomson’s note on the “Establishment of a provost” indicates that the measure was passed in Congress on 20 May (DLC:GW). It does not appear in the 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 for that date, however, but in the general army establishment of 27 May (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 , 11:541).

3. See ibid., 11:538–43.

4. Congress adopted the designation on bills of exchange for the Paris commissioners on 19 May; the word “North” was omitted on 11 July (ibid., 11:513, 683).

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Source Project: Washington Papers
Title: To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 20 May 1778
Author: Laurens, Henry
Recipient: Washington, George
Date: 20 May 1778

Reference

Cite as: “To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 20 May 1778,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-15-02-0172. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 15, May–June 1778, ed. Edward G. Lengel. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2006, pp. 173–174.]

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