Benjamin Harrison to Virginia Delegates, 2 November 1782

Benjamin Harrison to Virginia Delegates

FC (Virginia State Library). In the hand of Thomas Lyttleton Savage. Addressed to “The Virginia Delegates in Congress.” On 14 October 1782 Savage had succeeded William Tatham as assistant clerk of the Council of State (Journals of the Council of State description begins H. R. McIlwaine et al., eds., Journals of the Council of the State of Virginia (3 vols. to date; Richmond, 1931——). description ends , III, 156).

In Council 2d: Novem: 1782.

Gentlemen

I received your favor of the 22d: Ulto: with it’s enclosures,1 if Mr: Nathan had not formerly put a Stop to a similar proposition of his for a reference his balance would have been long since paid. Mr: Madison I suppose can remember his Conduct on that Occasion, however to refresh his Memory the whole proceedings of our Delegates in this Business which I find are in the Council Office shall be sent by the next Post.2 True it is that Nathan has Goverr. Jeffersons acceptance of the Bills in his possession, and that from the Tenor of them it appears they were to be discharged in hard Money but we have every reason to think it never was intended by Gen: Clarke that they should be paid in it as he expressly tells us that all his Bills drawn [on] the Treasurer or Governor of the State were for paper Money, and to be accounted for and paid in it according to a Scale of depreciation which he sent us;3 Mr. Nathan’s transactions may be very fair for what I know but so many frauds have been practis’d in that Quarter that I am led to doubt every Thing, tis for this reason that Commisione[r]s are gone into that country to investigate the Truth and make a report on every Transaction,4 amongst them Nathans will be taken up, Gen: Clarke is also order’d here in the Spring to settle and clear up his conduct at which Time the troublesome Business will be finally settled,5 and paid as soon after as the Assembly shall please to provide funds, for which purpose I shall lay these demands before them.6 By a flag Ship just arrived with Prisoners from Charles Town, I learn that two fleets of transports were arrived there to take of[f] the Garrison, and that it was expected the Town would be evacuated by the 15th: of this Month.7

We have not yet a sufficient number of Members in the assembly to proceed to Business.8 I am &c

B. H.

1. Q.v., and nn. 3, 5.

2. See Nathan to Virginia Delegates, 17 October 1782, and n. 1; Papers of Madison description begins William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison (5 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). description ends , III, 22, n. 4; 65, and n. 4. The expression “for a reference” means that in the memorial Simon Nathan had signified his willingness “to refer” his financial claim against Virginia to arbitrators or “to submit to any other equitable Mode of Decision.” Harrison seems to have waited until 11 January 1783 before sending copies of the “proceedings” to the delegates (Harrison to Virginia Delegates, 11 January 1783; McIlwaine, Official Letters description begins H. R. McIlwaine, ed., Official Letters of the Governors of the State of Virginia (3 vols.; Richmond, 1926–29). description ends , III, 424–25).

3. See Papers of Madison description begins William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison (5 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). description ends , III, 21, n. 1; 22, n. 3; 346, n. 14. For the “Scale of depreciation” as applied to Nathan’s claims, see Journal of the House of Delegates description begins 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 used is the one in which the journals for 1777–1786 are brought together in two volumes, with each journal published in Richmond in 1827 or 1828, and often called the “Thomas W. White reprint.” description ends , May 1783, p. 73.

4. See Papers of Madison description begins William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison (5 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). description ends , III, 345, n. 5; IV, 378, n. 5. The “Commissioners” were Thomas Marshall, chairman, William Fleming, Samuel McDowell, and Caleb Wallace (Papers of Madison description begins William T. Hutchinson, William M. E. Rachal, et al., eds., The Papers of James Madison (5 vols. to date; Chicago, 1962——). description ends , I, 60, n. 3; 154, n. 6; 228, n. 1; III, 139–40, ed. n.). See also “Journal of Western Commissioners, November 1, 1782–July 1, 1783,” in James A. James, ed., George Rogers Clark Papers, 1781–1784, pp. 290–402; William D. Hoyt, “Colonel William Fleming, Commissioner To Settle and Examine the Public Accounts in the Western Country, 1782–1783,” Americana, XXXVI (1942), 175–210.

5. In a dispatch of 14 October 1782, Harrison reprimanded George Rogers Clark for disregarding orders of the Governor in Council and for letting “several months” go by without reporting on “the situation of the part of the Country committed to your care.” After directing Clark to submit to the commissioners to settle western accounts vouchers “of your Military expenditures in every Department,” Harrison added, “I shall expect your attendance here for a final Settlement of them” (McIlwaine, Official Letters description begins H. R. McIlwaine, ed., Official Letters of the Governors of the State of Virginia (3 vols.; Richmond, 1926–29). description ends , III, 340–42). In his dispatch of 4 November to the western commissioners, Harrison remarked, “Nathan is so extremely pressing that I think he is conscious of the unjustness of his demand and hopes to worry me into payment before your report reaches me” (ibid., III, 368).

6. In the October 1782 session of the Virginia General Assembly, a resolution of the House of Delegates to pay 15,000 livres to Nathan in settlement of a part of his claims was tabled in the Senate (Journal of the House of Delegates description begins 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 used is the one in which the journals for 1777–1786 are brought together in two volumes, with each journal published in Richmond in 1827 or 1828, and often called the “Thomas W. White reprint.” description ends , October 1782, pp. 34–35, 44, 47, 85). See also Boyd, Papers of Jefferson description begins Julian P. Boyd et al., eds., The Papers of Thomas Jefferson (17 vols. to date; Princeton, N.J., 1950——). description ends , VI, 324 n. On 13 November 1782 the Council of State directed the treasurer of Virginia to deliver 65,879 pounds of tobacco “to Mr. Thomas Smith, Agent of Mr. Simon Nathan, Merchant of Philadelphia, in part of the said Nathans claim against the state” (Journals of the Council of State description begins H. R. McIlwaine et al., eds., Journals of the Council of the State of Virginia (3 vols. to date; Richmond, 1931——). description ends , III, 174; McIlwaine, Official Letters description begins H. R. McIlwaine, ed., Official Letters of the Governors of the State of Virginia (3 vols.; Richmond, 1926–29). description ends , III, 377).

7. The “flag Ship” was the “Lord Mulgrave,” bringing “95 french Prisoners” from Charleston. She was stranded on Willoughby’s Point at Norfolk shortly after her arrival on 27 October (McIlwaine, Official Letters description begins H. R. McIlwaine, ed., Official Letters of the Governors of the State of Virginia (3 vols.; Richmond, 1926–29). description ends , III, 363; Virginia Gazette description begins Virginia Gazette, or, the American Advertiser (Richmond, James Hayes, 1781–86). description ends , 2 November 1782). For the evacuation of Charleston, S.C., see JM to Pendleton, 3 September 1782, n. 4.

8. See JM to Randolph, 16–17 September 1782, n. 14.

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Source Project: Madison Papers
Title: Benjamin Harrison to Virginia Delegates, 2 November 1782
Author: Harrison, Benjamin
Recipient: Virginia Delegates
Date: 2 November 1782

Reference

Cite as: “Benjamin Harrison to Virginia Delegates, 2 November 1782,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-05-02-0100. [Original source: The Papers of James Madison, vol. 5, 1 August 1782 – 31 December 1782, ed. William T. Hutchinson and William M. E. Rachal. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1967, pp. 228–230.]

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