Ephraim Blaine to George Washington, 21 March 1781
From Ephraim Blaine
New Burgh [N.Y.] 21st March 1781
sir
All my public transactions in the year 1776, with Mr Buchanan in 1777. Mr Wadsworth in 1778.9 and since under my own direction remain unsettled, those Gentlemen quiting public service and ingageing in private business has caused great delay in the settlement of their Accts—indeed the necessary exertions have not been used to bring their deputies to an immediate settlement—I have long since made application to Congress for their special order to the treasury board to admit of my Accts whenever ready1—this has been done and the time fixed was this month—I wish not to delay this necessary business—and beg to have your Excellency’s permission to attend thereto—shou’d I continue in the Service, which I believe will not be the case without many alterations in the departmt, and Power given me to purchase and means of payment, whenever the states failed in furnishing the necessary supplies for the support of the army, there is no time I can be better spared than before the Campaign Opens, shou’d your Excellency order any General movement of the army, I shall be ready to attend at a moments warning, my assistant and Colo. St[e]warts deputy will give constant attendance and make the Necessary reports to your Excellency the State of the magazines and their information of supplies—shou’d Circumstances Occasion my quiting the service nothing would give me greater pleasure than an assurance of your Excellency’s approbation for my past conduct—and shou’d my future aid or assistance render my Cou⟨ntry⟩ and your Excellency any service y⟨ou⟩ have only to command.2 I have the ⟨honor⟩ to be with great respect, your Excellen⟨cy’s,⟩ Most Obdt a⟨nd⟩ Most Hble Servant
Eph. Blaine ⟨C.G.P.⟩
ALS, DLC:GW; copy, DLC:GW. Blaine wrote and signed the copy. Mutilated material on the ALS is supplied in angle brackets from the copy.
1. Blaine had addressed his dealings with William Buchanan and Jeremiah Wadsworth, former commissaries general of purchases, in a letter to Samuel Huntington, president of Congress, written from Newburgh on 25 Feb. to urge action: “I shall have the princaple part of my Accts ready by the 20th of March or first of apl—and as those gentlemen do not appear to be ready for a final settlement and my Accounts are daily increasing—I must beg and request a Special order of Congress to give them a preference with the auditors or Chamber of Accts to have them properly adjusted” (DNA:PCC, item 165; see also , 17:716 and 19:250).
Blaine again wrote Huntington from Newburgh on 8 March that he had been “very pressing to obtain the returns and Accounts” of his “deputies and assistants in order to have them finally Adjusted” (DNA:PCC, item 78). Settling his accounts while he served as deputy to Buchanan and Wadsworth persisted as a problem, and Blaine asked Congress to be discharged from the responsibility (see Blaine to Huntington, 9 April, found at Blaine to GW, 23 March, n.2).
With the matter still unresolved, Blaine wrote Robert Morris, superintendent of finance, from Philadelphia on 19 Feb. 1782: “Final Settlements of all public Accounts are Necessary. … The sundry Systems of the Commisariate and the Manner in which the Business was transacted Obliged me to Employ a Considerable number of People, some of which have not been so faithfull in the trust reposed in them. Others who have been Attentive, done their duty and rendered satisfactory Accounts and have considerable Ballances due, for a final Settlement of which They are very importunate. I wish some measure may be immediately Adopted to give them assurances of this, and future Payment. I assure you Sir my situation is very disagreable. I am liable to insults every Day from Numbers who have Claims against the department, and are continually making Application for Money. I have received and Expended large Sums under the direction of Mr. Buchanan, Millions under Collo. Wadsworth and a considerable sum since my appointment of Commissary General and the delay of Settlement has prevented my obtaining credit for one Dollar” (, 4:267–69, quotes on 268). On 27 Feb., Congress authorized the appointment of commissioners for the settlement of the accounts of the staff departments (see , 22:102–4). Many accounts, including those involving Wadsworth, remained unsettled until well after the war (see , 189–93).
2. Blaine resigned as commissary general of purchases in July 1782.