1. Pickering had arrived in Philadelphia on 24 February. He wrote Samuel Huntington, president of Congress, from that place on 30 March: “It gives me pain to mention, what is already but too well known—the distresses of my department for want of money. Representations on this head have come from every quarter: All agreeing that unless money be furnished, public business will either cease altogether, or where partially continued, it will be with the greatest difficulty and disadvantage. beg leave to lay before Congress extracts of some letters on this Subject. …

“These facts and observations I thought it necessary to lay before Congress. Whether any & what remedies can speedily be provided I pretend not to determine: yet without some relief, especially for the people in those States which have long been the Seat of war, much pub⟨lic⟩ mischief must arise. …

“To this long letter, I beg leave only to add. That I have continued here with an expectation that my information might be of some use, in framing those œconomical arrangements which I have had the honour to lay before Congress—To obtain those additional allowances for some officers in my department which their services & stations require—To propose those amendments in the systems already established, and those additional provisions, which are herein suggested—And above all to procure money for the purposes mentioned in my estimates for a part of the services of the ensuing campaign. But in regard to the latter, I must return hopeless. The Board of Treasury, to whom it was referred to find the ways & means of supplying the money demanded, have not the least prospect of furnishing a single shilling. Of consequence no material provision can be made of the articles necessary to enable the army to take the field. Many of them require time in preparing: but without money they cannot be begun.

“I should have been happy to have exhibited a more pleasing picture of the state of the department: but it is requisite that Congress should be acquainted with facts. Those I have mentioned are only specimens of distresses and evils which, in a greate⟨r⟩ or less degree, prevail universally” (DNA:PCC, item 192). Congress read Pickering’s letter on 31 March and referred it “to a committee of three” (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 19:337). For an earlier appeal to Congress from Pickering, see his letter to Huntington, 3 March, in DNA:PCC, item 192; see also JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 19:233, and Pickering to Rebecca White Pickering, 20 March, in Pickering and Upham, Life of Pickering description begins Octavius Pickering and Charles W. Upham. The Life of Timothy Pickering. 4 vols. Boston, 1867–73. description ends , 1:285.

2. See Circular to New England State Executives, 17 April.

Pickering wrote Huntington from Newburgh on 21 April: “Totally despairing of receiving from the treasury of the United States a sum of money in any degree adequate to the necessary provision of camp equipage for the ensuing campaign, I have applied to the eastern states, representing the absolute necessity of their supplying their own quotas of troops with tents and knapsacks. The commander in chief enforced the applications by letters of his own. But I omitted camp kettles, because both the materials and manufacturers are wanting in those states; and I hoped to obtain money sufficient at least to procure that and a few other of the most essential articles. Four thousand camp kettles is the smallest number that should be provided in the first instance. They cannot possibly be obtained without money. An estimate of their cost will be laid before Congress by Colo. Miles deputy quarter master for pensylvania who has in vain attempted to procure them without money. … The rolled iron for camp kettles must be obtained of those iron-masters to whom the United States are already so largely indebted. Farther credit is not to be expected. …

“I do not mean to be continually wounding the ears of Congress with tales of public poverty and distress. These already are but too well known; and ’till there is some prospect of obtaining relief, I shall not think it necessary to repeat them. Permit me, sir, only to say, once for all, that if camp equipage, forage, and the other supplies in my department shall fail—if transportation shall cease—if the necessary officers, artificers, watermen & labourers shall abandon the service—in a word, if the business of the department shall absolutely stop—the blame I hope will not be thrown on me. If any other man can, without money, carry on the extensive business of this department, I wish most sincerely he would take my place. I confess myself incapable of doing it” (DNA:PCC, item 78; see also Pickering to GW, 25 April, and notes 6, 8, and 9). Congress read Pickering’s letter on 1 May and referred it to the Board of War (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 20:465).

3. Pickering quotes from Article IX, section 5, of the Articles of Confederation (see 1 Stat. description begins Richard Peters, ed. The Public Statutes at Large of the United States of America, from the Organization of the Government in 1789, to March 3, 1845 . . .. 8 vols. Boston, 1845-67. description ends , 7–8).

4. Pickering enclosed tables with estimates of camp equipage required from New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Pickering signed each table at Newburgh on 14 April. The estimates listed specific tents and camp equipment needed for officers, staff, and enlisted men in each line. The estimate for Massachusetts contained separate categories for its artillery and infantry regiments and for general officers, aides, and guards (DLC:GW).