William Greene to George Washington, 7 June 1781
From William Greene
Warwick [R.I.] June 7th 1781
Sir
The General Assembly of This State, deeply impressed with the absolute Necessety of assem[b]ling a respectable Armey in the Field, did, in the Begining of the Last winter, chearfully adopt proper Measures for Filling up our Continental Battalion, agreeable to the Arrangement of the Armey.1 With unwearied Exertions, and at a vast Exspence, they have proved So far Successfull That the whole Number demanded have been inlisted, and mustered, Excepting Thirty nine; and Such Measures are now pursuing that I trust the Remainder will be very soon Compleated.2 Sensiable allso that to provide for the Cloathing and feeding the Troops was equally necessary, They have hitherto Supplied, and sent forward, their Quota of Fresh Beef, and have laid up considerable Qu[a]ntities of Salted provisions, and Rum; of the Former of which we now have nearly Seven Hundred Barrels, and of the latter about Eleven Thousand Gallons, besides what hath been delivered to the Troops who have done Duty in the State. They have allso provided and Sent on a Sufficiant Qu[a]ntity of Summer Cloathing for the Battanlion; and have on hand the Greatest part of the warm Cloathing for winter.3
I Laid your Exellencys letters of the 18th and 24th of May before the General Asembly,4 at their Session the Last week, they entered upon the Consideration of them with that Seriousness, and Attention, which their Importance required. They contracted for Thirty Thousand Pounds weight of Fresh Beef for the Month of June and the Same Quantity for July, to be delivered on the Hoof at Such place or places On the East Side of the North River as the proper Officer for reciving it shall direct. And the Character of the Person contracted with is Such that the punctual Performance of his Contract may be securely relied on.5
Although there was a Sufficient number of Tents in this State for the Use of our Battalion procured with money advanced by us, yet, the Service requiring them For the Southern Armey, the General Assembly appointed a Committee to procure the Materials for, and to Cause, One hundred and Twenty Tents to be immeadiately made for our Battalion.6 They will be Soon compleated and delivered to the Assistant Quarter7 Master General in this State.
In Consequence of your Exellency’s Letter of the 24th of May the General Assembly ordered a Regeiment of Militia to be embodied to do Duty on Rhode Island, for one Month: they are to rendervouse there to Morrow, Exepting Two Hundred of them who at the request of his Exellency Count de Rochambeau were ordered upon the Island Yesterday. I have recived Information that a Considerable Part of them have gone on. Col. Archibald Crary, an officer of Experience and Ability is Appointed to the Command of the Regiment and of the posts upon Rhode Island.8
I will not Excite in your Excellencys Breast Those disagreeable Sensations which must arise from a Detail of The Distresses of this Small State. I will only Say that it is impossable for us, without the assistance of the neighbouring States to garrison Newport. And Must earnestly request your Exelly to make an early Application to the other New England States for a just and equitable Propo[r]tion of Troops for the Defence of that Post which we concive to be of Great Consequence to our Allies as well as to us.
During the Time the Enemy were in great Strength at Rhode Island it frequently happened that this State was left in a Manner destitute of Succors from the Neighbouring States.9 At one Time there was not a Single Man from Conecticut, nor New Hampshire and but about One Hundred and fifty from Massachussetts. Sometimes all the fenciable Men in the State, Sometimes a third and at others a forth Part were called upon Duty. The intolerable Burthens we then laboured under are So recent and the Apprehentions of Suffering Simeler Distresses from a like Conduct in the neighbouring States are so Great that your Excellency will Excuse my being Importunate with you to make early Requisitions and in Such terms and with Such Precision as your Excellency Shall think best adapted to procure Seasonably the necessary Succors.10 I have the Honor to be with the Greatest Esteem Sir your Exellencys Most obedient and Most humble Servant
W. Greene
LS, DLC:GW; ADf, R-Ar; copy (extract), DLC:GW. The extract contains the final two paragraphs. Greene wrote a similar letter to Samuel Huntington, president of Congress, on this date (DNA:PCC, item 64; see also , 20:715).
1. See Greene to GW, 8 Dec. 1780; see also General Orders, 1 November.
2. During a session that began on 2 May 1781, the Rhode Island legislature adopted “An Act in addition to an act for completing this state’s quota of Continental troops,” which fined officials in delinquent towns (, 9:394–95). Noting during its session that commenced on 28 May that tax collectors in several towns “have refused to collect the money assessed upon the classes for filling up the Continental battalion of this state,” the legislature adopted resolutions that threatened “all such delinquent collectors” with monetary penalties and prosecution (, 9:414–15).
3. For additional encouragement to Rhode Island officials, see William Heath to GW, 29 May, and n.3; see also Heath to GW, this date, and n.1 to that document.
4. Greene refers to GW’s circular to the New England States, 10 May, which Greene received on 18 May (see the source note to GW’s letter; see also Document IV with The Wethersfield Conference and Aftermath, 14 May–16 June, editorial note).
5. The legislature contracted with William Rhodes to “procure and deliver … sixty thousand pounds weight of good merchantable beef, upon the foot, to be reckoned as so much beef for which Congress hath made a requisition upon this state” (, 9:429–30; see also Heath to GW, 24 June, and n.4 to that document). For congressional requisitions on Rhode Island, see Huntington to GW, 12 Nov. 1780, and n.1 to that document.
6. For this legislative resolution, see , 9:419–20.
7. This word appears only on Greene’s draft.
8. The legislature adopted “An Act for incorporating and bringing into the field five hundred able-bodied, effective men, of the militia, to serve within this state for one month, from the time of their rendezvous, and no longer; and not to be marched out of the same” (, 9:400).
Lieutenant General Rochambeau wrote Greene from Newport on Thursday, May 31: “I thank your Excellency for the orders you have been pleased to give to the militia, and for your sending Col. Crary, who I doubt not will answer all our expectations.
“I am quite ready to move with the French body. Gen. Washington desires it could be as soon as possible. I beg your Excellency to hasten as much as possible the calling and arrival of the militia. …
“As it is very important that the motions of the army should not be delayed, I wish that at least two hundred men be arrived here Monday night or Tuesday morning. I will move on Wednesday with the advance guard” (, 9:433). The legislature sent militia from existing companies to Aquidneck Island, R.I., to ensure “that a body of troops, completely armed and accoutred, should be on the island of Rhode Island, on or before Tuesday, the 5th day of June.” These troops would “be reckoned as so many men furnished” from their towns “towards their quota of five hundred men ordered to be raised at the present session” (, 9:417; see also Rochambeau to GW, 9 June).
9. British forces controlled Aquidneck Island for nearly three years beginning in December 1776 (see Newport Citizens to GW, 7 March 1781, n.3).
10. In his reply to Greene on 11 July, GW commended the legislature’s initiatives and reported his request that 500 Massachusetts militia be sent to Rhode Island (DLC:GW; see also GW to John Hancock, 4 June, found at GW to Rochambeau, same date, n.5).