1. This must refer to Nelson’s letter of 26 July (q.v.). Either Nelson dated the recipient’s copy differently from the draft, or Jones misread or forgot the date of the earlier letter.

2. Probably the motion was made on 9 August, for on that day the JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XXI, 848, shows that “A Motion was made by Mr. Jones, seconded by Mr. Madison the delegates of Virginia: Ordered, That it be referred to a committee of three: The members, Mr. [Elias] Boudinot, Mr. [James] Duane, Mr. [Oliver] Ellsworth.” Although Boudinot’s report on 14 August recommended that eight passports be issued to Nelson, Congress adopted a resolution offered by Jones on that day that “sixteen passports be granted to be employed by the governour of Virginia in protecting such number of vessels as shall be sufficient to import fifty thousand bushels of Salt for the use of Virginia.” Whether this was the original motion of 9 August or a substitute offered on 14 August for Boudinot’s motion is not known. Salt was declared to be “absolutely and essentially necessary for that State, as the army there, without salt meat, must experience the greatest sufferings” (NA: PCC, No. 17, under date of 9 August; No. 20, II, 264; No. 177, “Register of Passports,” pp. 12, 13; JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XXI, 870–73). President Thomas McKean sent the passports to Nelson on 15 August 1781 (Burnett, Letters description begins Edmund C. Burnett, ed., Letters of Members of the Continental Congress (8 vols.; Washington, 1921–36). description ends , VI, 185–86).

3. See JM to Pendleton, 31 July 1781, n. 6. Remaining at Dobbs Ferry until 19 August, Washington had his headquarters for a week thereafter three miles from nearby Kings Ferry. As early as 20 August he and Rochambeau began to move their troops toward Virginia as the first steps in the campaign that was to culminate in the triumph at Yorktown (Fitzpatrick, Writings of Washington description begins John C. Fitzpatrick, ed., The Writings of George Washington, from the Original Sources, 1745–1799 (39 vols.; Washington, 1931–44). description ends , XXIII, 20, 25, 49).

4. See Pendleton to JM, 23 July 1781, n. 11. This information probably came from William Carmichael’s letters of 2 and 11 June 1781, which were read in Congress on 13 August. The latter of these dispatches has not been found (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds., Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774–1789 (34 vols.; Washington, 1904–37). description ends , XXI, 856; Wharton, Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence description begins Francis Wharton, ed., The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States (6 vols.; Washington, 1889). description ends , IV, 466–67). Attacked in July 1781 and besieged by the French and Spanish throughout the fall and winter, the British garrison at Minorca finally surrendered on the following 5 February. On 19 May 1781, largely because his demands for economy were resented by privileged and speculative interests, Jacques Necker (1732–1804) was dismissed as director general of the finances of France.

5. See Virginia Delegates to Jefferson, 29 May, editorial note; JM’s Expense Account, 20 June, n. 4; and Jameson to JM, 10 August 1781, and n. 1. “The Agent” was David Ross. Nelson apologized to the delegates in a letter of 5 October 1781 (q.v.), because the agent still had “not established some Means of supplying” them.