To George Washington from John Sullivan, 12 November 1780
From John Sullivan
Philadelphia Novembr 12th 1780
Dear General
You will (I doubt not) forgive my Neglect in not writing you when I assure you that I have had nothing to communicate which Could give you pleasure or avoid giving you pain—& that I was unwilling to add to the pressure which your mind has been so Long Accustomed to—to Enumerate the Evils which have flown from party Spirit from inattention and from other Sources would fill a volume in Folio. we are now strugling to Extricate ourselves from those Difficulties into which our Folly or our prejudices have thrown us perhaps we may succeed—some advances have been made toward a reformation. many more will shortly be attempted the Army is arranged I hope agreable to your Excellencys wish, the officers have half pay for Life;1 The states are Called upon for men & Specific Supplies2 Loans are Demanded3 the Several Departments are Aranging;4 the expensive Naval & other Boards will be Demolished œconomy introduced and I trust Speceie will relieve paper Bills from the Task of Deceiving mankind & yield to every man his Just Demand. Party Spirit Though not Annihilated is Compelled to hide its head and Jealosy of the Army which has Long obstructed Salutary measures dare not appear in publick I know it is Late for a reformation to Commence but I hope not too Late5—I Lament Exceedingly the Distresses of our Army and will Chearfully Contribute Every thing in my power to relieve them or to Lighten that Burthen which I know Your Execy must feel provided I could have the honor of a Line from you pointing out the Evils and the mode you would have adopted for redress.
I feel very sensibly for the Southern States and fear Either a Conquest by force or a Defection which will bring about a base Submission. we are Informed that Clinton is about to Embark with great part of his Army for virginia6 should this Event take place I fear the Loss of the four Southern States will be the Consequence.
To prevent this I beg Leave to Submit to your Excellenceys consideration whether it would not be prudent to order the French Fleet to Boston where they may Lay in Safety & call the French Army to head Quarters? will not this cause Sir Henry to Tremble for new york & Diminish the force if not Totally prevent the Blow meditated against the Southern states? These are only hints which arise from my Zeal to Save the Southern states & which however unmilitary & Injudicious they may appear I flatter myself your Excellencey will readily pardon.7 I have the Honor to be with the most unfeigned8 Esteem Dear General Your Excellenceys most obedient Servant
Jno. Sullivan
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. For the new arrangement of the Continental army and pension benefits for officers, see General Orders, 1 Nov.; see also GW to Samuel Huntington, 11 Oct., and Huntington to GW, 26 Oct., n.1.
2. See Huntington to GW, this date, and n.1 to that document.
3. See Huntington to the Continental Loan Office Commissioners, 13 Nov., in , 16:329, and , 18:1045.
4. The congressional plan for reforming the clothing department had come under a lengthy critique (see James Wilkinson to Huntington, October 1780, in DNA:PCC, item 78, and , 18:932). Ephraim Blaine, commissary general of purchases, struggled to procure provisions while Congress debated the administrative structure of his department (see Blaine to GW, 10 Nov., and , 18:1109–11).
5. Sullivan commented more explicitly on these topics when he wrote New Hampshire council president Meshech Weare from Schuylkill Falls, Pa. (where he had gone to recover from “the Fever which raged in the City”), on 15 Nov.: “A new Army is now Arrainged the States now called upon for Men and Specific Supplies. All Publick Departments are now Arranging upon economical Principles. The several and expensive Navy Boards will be Abolished. The War Office and Treasury Board regulated. A Committee is appointed for arranging our Finances. A Loan from France solicited in the most pressing and Positive Terms: and a regular System will soon take Place. Perhaps it may be thought a late Hour for this reformation, but is it not better late than never? Every Days Experience proves that many of our Distresses arise from a want of Power in Congress to carry any of their Measures into Execution. They send Requisitions to the States, some comply, some do not; and the Consequence of this is too Obvious to need Explanation. Hence it is that our Army is often ready to Perish with Hunger and Cold” (, 16:338–41, quotes on 338; see also Sullivan to Weare, 26 Oct., in , 16:267, and John Laurens to GW, 6 Nov., and n.2 to that document).
6. This intelligence regarding British general Henry Clinton proved erroneous (see GW to Abner Nash, 6 Nov., and n.4 to that document; see also GW to Huntington, 4 Nov.).
8. Sullivan wrote “unfeignedned” for this word.