Samuel Huntington to George Washington, 2 June 1781
From Samuel Huntington
Philadelphia June 2. 1781
Sir,
By the enclosed Order of Congress of the 29th Ulto, I am directed to lay before your Excellency the Letter of the 9th Ulto signed A. Fowler &c. with the other Papers referred to, which are herewith enclosed.1
Col. Broadhead is now in this City. The Complaints of the Inhabitants in the Vicinity of Pittsburgh respecting his Conduct are very great, and his with Respect to them are not small.2 It seems necessary that due Enquiry be speedily made respecting those Matters and in such Manner as that Justice may be done.3 I have the Honor to be, with very great Regard Your Excellency’s Most obedient & most humble Servant
Sam. Huntington President
LS, DLC:GW; LB, DNA:PCC, item 16.
1. Huntington enclosed a congressional order issued on 29 May that transmitted “the letter of the 9th signed by A. Fowler and others at Pitsburgh” to GW, “with the other papers respecting the conduct of the commanding Officer of that post” (DLC:GW; see also , 20:571–72). Another enclosure was a letter from Continental army auditor Alexander Fowler and five others to Huntington written at Pittsburgh on 9 May: “Aware that Colonel Brodhead may attempt to injure our reputations, for thus doing our duty to ourselves and our Country, by detecting Publick Abuses, and Praying for a redress of Greivances by the removal of a Man from this Command, whom we cannot but consider as a Publick Nusance. We beg leave to declare to your Excellency, that our motives are pure and Disinterested, and that we have no View but one in this Remonstrance—The prosperity of this Country, and the happiness of the Community. Therefore should Colonel Brodhead attempt to reflect on us for what we have done, or to throw any specious, or flimsey veil, over his Conduct, and Connections here, as represented in our remonstrance; we hope and wish an opportunity will be afforded us to confront him with such Evidence as will fully prove to your Excellency, to Congress, and to the World, that the Allegations we have set forth against him, are founded on the most stubborn Facts. … The Original Depositions and other proofs which Accompanies the Remonstrance to the President & Council of the State of Penna we make no doubt will come before your Excellency & Congress. In the meantime we beg leave to trouble your Excellency with a Copy of one of them respecting the Conduct of our Assistant Quarter Master” (DLC:GW). In an enclosed deposition sworn at Pittsburgh in April, David Tait, justice of the peace for Yohogania County, Va., accused David Duncan, deputy quartermaster at Fort Pitt, and Duncan’s clerk John Johnson of financial corruption (DLC:GW). Congress sent GW additional documents with allegations against Brodhead and Duncan (see Huntington’s second letter to GW, 6 June).
2. See Board of War to GW, 1 June, n.1.