To George Washington from Henry Laurens, 16 September 1778
From Henry Laurens
[Philadelphia] 16th Septr [1778]
Sir
I had the honor of addressing Your Excellency under the 12th Inst. by Dodd, and have in the mean time receiv’d & presented to Congress Your Excellency’s favors of the 11th and 12th.1 In answer to the latter, I am directed to intimate, “That Congress highly approve of laying up Magazines of forage and Provisions at such places as Your Excellency shall judge proper for prosecuting an Expedition into Canada in the Winter, if the motions of the Enemy shall render the measure expedient.” And Your Excellency is “desired to make every preperation of Cloathing, Snow Shoes, and other articles for this purpose which you shall deem necessary.”2 I have the honor to be &c.
LB, DNA:PCC, item 13. The heading of this letter on the manuscript includes the notation: “by Isaac Titsworth.”
1. Laurens apparently is referring to GW’s two official letters to him of 12 September (letters 1 & 2). No letter from GW to Henry Laurens of 11 Sept. has been found.
2. GW’s second letter to Henry Laurens of 12 Sept., concerning a proposed plan for invading Canada, was read by Congress on 15 Sept. and was referred to the committee appointed to confer with the minister of France (, 12:914). The resolution quoted by Laurens in this letter was reported by the committee on this date and was approved by Congress the same day (, 12:919). Although the entry reads “and new shoes” instead of “snow shoes,” the copy of the resolution in PCC, item 36, reads “snow shoes.” That copy also includes the following note written by the secretary of Congress, Charles Thomson: “To be entered on a secret Journal & the house under an injunction of secr[ec]y. Sept. 16. 1778.”