George Washington Papers

To George Washington from Brigadier General John Glover, 10 April 1778

From Brigadier General John Glover

Marblehead [Mass.] 10th apl 1778

Sir

your Excellencys letter of 18th Ulto1 I recd the 8th instant; the business I was Charged with, is not yet finished, oweing to many circumstan[c]es attending the accots; and the mode of payment, Resolved by congress, which I fully mentioned, in my letter, of the 29th March.

General Burgoyne, left Cambridge for newport the 5th instant; when he gave me a bill on his paymaster, for the amount of his Account, in which he engages to pay, in hard money, for the provisions, and in paper ditto, for all the other supplies. the paymaster (went on with him) accepted to pay the bill at his return.2 at General Burgoynes requist, I have engaged to lay the accots before the General Court, with his objections, to Charges for articals stolen, & damages, don to barns, graine, &ca: when he expects large deductions will be maide; If so I am to refund the amount to General Phillips; the Court haveing adjornd for two weeks (on Account of the Small pox being in Boston) has prevented my laying the Accots before them, it is to meet the 14th at Jamaciar plains, when if my helth will permitt, I shall waite on them, & hope to get the matter through in a few days; and then pay off the accots & get clear of the Jobb, which has ben a very Troublesom one.3 In my last I rote your Excellency of my ill state of helth, which still remains;4 the means Im now Useing hope will help me; I Shall not Delay a moment to Joine the army, as Soon as I find myself able. I am Sir. with great esteem, your Excellency; Most Obedt Humbl. Sevt

John Glover

ALS, DLC:GW. The letter is docketed in part, “no answer required.”

2David Geddes (1751–1811), formerly a Montreal clerk, became an assistant paymaster with Gen. John Burgoyne’s army in May 1777 and after the surrender served as deputy paymaster general for the captured troops, 1777–81.

3On 13 Mar., the day before the physicians of Boston determined that “there was no rational Probability . . . that the Spread of the Small-Pox could be prevented” and authorized inoculations, the Massachusetts general court was prorogued until 1 April (Continental Journal and Weekly Advertiser [Boston], 19 Mar.); the legislature was in session at Boston from 1 April on. Glover petitioned the general court on 14 April for directions about settling the account, and the legislature responded with two resolutions advising him to pay accounts that were proven and appeared to him just (Mass. House of Rep. Journal description begins A Journal of the Honourable House of Representatives of the State of Massachusetts-Bay in New-England. Boston, 1777–78. (Microfilm Collection of Early State Records.) description ends , May 1777–May 1778 sess., 224, 226; “Mass. Council Journal,” description begins In Journals, Minutes, and Proceedings, State of Massachusetts Bay, 1775–1780. (Microfilm Collection of Early State Records.) description ends Aug. 1777–Oct. 1778 sess., 434–35). Glover inserted an advertisement, dated 18 April, in the Boston and Hartford newspapers giving notice “that constant Attendance will be given at my House in Marblehead, from the 27th of April to the 10th Day of May, where all concerned in supplying General Burgoyne’s Troops on their March from Saratoga to Cambridge (and have not yet been paid), are desired to come and settle their Accounts, when the Money will be paid” (Boston-Gazette, and Country Journal, 20 April). Glover reported his progress in this matter to GW in a letter of 15 May.

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