The Writings of Samuel Adams Volume III Part 39

MY DEAR SIR/

I intreat you to ascribe my not having yet acknowledgd the Receipt of your favor1 to the true Cause, a perpetual Hurry of affairs. I have not been unmindful of its Contents. Major Ward, as you have heard, is appointed Commissary General of Musters with the Rank and Pay of a Colonel. I have long known him a Man of Sense and a zealous and steady Patriot, in Times less promising than the present; and the Part he took on the ever memorable 19th of April 75, together with the Experience he has gaind by constant Application ever since in the military Line, int.i.tles him to particular Notice. I will bear in my Memory the Hint given in the Close of your Letter. If at any Time I may have it in my power to render benefit to a Friend by puting him in the Way of serving our Country it will afford me double Satisfaction.

You will have heard before this reaches you that General Howe has at length drawn all his Forces from the State of Jersey to New York. It is the Business of General Washington to penetrate his future Design. This City has been threatned for some Months past; if he ever had such an Intention, it is probable he has now laid it aside, and that he will attempt to force a Junction with Burgoyne, and subdue the Eastern States. [But] why should I hazzard a Conjecture of this kind who profess no Skill in military affairs. I hope my Countrymen are prepared to give the Enemy a proper Reception whenever they may be attackd!

I have written you a friendly Letter though a short one--short for want of time to write more. I have twenty things to say to you but at present must conclude with most respectful Complts to your Lady Family & Connections very cordially your friend,

_________________________________________________________________ 1Of March 25, 1777.

TO JOHN PITTS.

[MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]

PHILADE July 8 1777

MY DEAR SIR

I do not recollect to have receivd a Letter from [you] of a later Date than the 25 of Decr last, although I have been since writing to you as often as I cod find Leisure. I do not know that I have by any thing I have written given you just Cause of offence. If you think otherwise pray let me know it, and I will make as full Atonement as I am able, for I do a.s.sure you I wish to continue a friendly epistolary Correspondence with you. Be so kind as to write me by the very next Post and a.s.sure yourself that I am unfeignedly and most cordially,

Yr Friend,

TO RICHARD HENRY LEE.

[MS., Emmet Collection, Lenox Library.]

PHILADE July 15 1777

MY DEAR FRIEND

I wrote to you a Fortnight ago in so great Haste that I had not time to transcribe or correct it and relied on your Candor to overlook the slovenly Dress in which it was sent to you. You have since heard that our Friends in Jersey have at length got rid of as vindictive and cruel an Enemy as ever invaded any Country. It was the opinion of General Gates that Howes advancing to Somerset Court House was a Feint to cover the Retreat of his Battering Train, ordinary Stores and heavy Baggage to Amboy. I confess I can not help yet feeling myself chagrind, that in more . . . .

diminish his paltry Army in that State. If their Militia, among whom so great an Animation prevaild, had been let loose upon the Enemy, who knows but that they wd have destroyd their Army, or at least, so far have weakend it as to have put a glorious End to this Campaign, and perhaps the War? I will acknowledge that my Temper is rather sanguine. I am apt to be displeasd when I think our Progress in War and in Politicks is Slow. I wish to see more of an enterprising Spirit in the Senate and the Field, without which, I fear our Country will not speedily enjoy the Fruits of the present Conflict--an establishd Independence and Peace. I cannot applaud the Prudence of the Step, when the People of Jersey were collected, and inspired with Confidence in themselves & each other, to dismiss them as not being immediately wanted, that they might go home in good Humour and be willing to turn out again in any OTHER Emergency. I possess not the least Degree of Knowledge in military Matters, & therefore hazzard no opinion. I recollect however that Shakespear tells us, there is a Tide in human Affairs, an Opportunity which wise Men carefully watch for and improve, and I will never forget because it exactly coincides with my religious opinion and I think is warranted by holy writ, that "G.o.d helps those who help themselves."

We have letters from General Schuyler in the Northern Department giving us an Account of the untoward Situation of our Affairs in that Quarter & I confess it is no more than I expected, when he was again intrusted with the Command there. You remember it was urged by some that as he had a large Interest and powerful Connections in that Part of the Country, no one could so readily avail himself of Supplys for an Army there, than he. A most substantial Reason, I think, why he should have been appointed a Quartermaster or a Commissary. But it seems to have been the prevailing Motive to appoint him to the Chief Command! You have his Account in the inclosed Newspaper, which leaves us to GUESS what is become of the GARRISON. It is indeed droll enough to see a General not knowing where to find the main Body of his Army.

Gates is the Man of my Choice. He is HONEST and TRUE, & has the Art of GAINING THE LOVE OF HIS SOLDIERS princ.i.p.ally because he is ALWAYS PRESENT with them in FATIGUE & DANGER. But Gates has been disgusted! We are however waiting to be relievd from this disagreeable State of uncertainty, by a particular Account of Facts from some Person who WAS NEAR the Army who trusts not to MEMORY altogether, lest some Circ.u.mstances may be OMITTED while others are MISAPPREHENDED.

I rejoyce in the Honors your Country has done you. Pray hasten your Journey hither.

Your very affectionate,

TO SAMUEL COOPER.

[MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]

PHILADE July 15 1777

MY DEAR SIR

Before this reaches you, it is probable you will have heard of the untoward Turn our Affairs have taken at the Northward. I confess it is not more than I expected when Genl Schur was again intrusted with the Command there. But it was thought by some Gentlemen that as he had a great Interest & large Connections in that Part of the Country, he could more readily avail himself of Supplys for an Army there as well as Reinforcements if wanted upon an Emergency, than any other Man. You have the Account in the inclosed Paper, which leaves us to guess what is become of the Garrison. There is something droll enough in a Generals not knowing where to find the main Body of his Army. Gates is the Man I should have chosen. He is honest and true, & has the Art of gaining the Love of his Soldiers, princ.i.p.ally because he is always present and shares with them in Fatigue & Danger. We are hourly expecting to be relievd from a disagreable State of Uncertainty by a particular Relation of Facts. This Account, as you are told, is related upon MEMORY, & therefore some Circ.u.mstances may be OMITTED, others MISAPPREHENDED. But the Post is just going, & I have time only to acknowledge the Receipt of your favor of the 12 of June & beg you would write to me often.

I am affectionately, Your friend,

TO RICHARD HENRY LEE.

[MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library; the text, dated July 12, 1777, is in W. V. Wells, Life of Samuel Adams, vol. ii., pp.

484-486.]

PHILADA July 22 1777

MY DEAR SIR

Your very acceptable Letter of the 12th came to my hand yesterday. The Confederation, is most certainly an important Object, and ought to be attended to & finishd speedily. I moved the other Day and urgd that it might then be brought on; but your Colleague Colo H opposed and prevented it, Virginia not being represented. It is put off till you shall arrive; you see therefore the Necessity of your hastening to Congress.

We have still further & still confused Accounts from the Northward. Schuylers Letters are rueful indeed! even to a great Degree, and with such an awkward Mixture as would excite one to laugh in the Midst of Calamity. He seems to contemplate his own Happiness in not having had much or indeed any Hand in the unhappy Disaster. He throws Blame on St Clare in his Letter of July 9th. "What adds to my Distress is, that a Report prevails that I had given orders for the Evacuation of Tyconderoga, whereas not the most distant Hint of any such Intention can be drawn from any of my Letters to General Sinclare or any other Person whatever." He adds "What could induce the General Officers to a Step that has ruind our Affairs in that Quarter, G.o.d only knows." And indeed Sinclares own Letter of the 30th of June dated at Ty. would induce one to be of the same Opinion, for he there says "My People are in the best Disposition possible and I have no Doubt about giving a good Account of the Enemy should they think proper to attack us." Other Parts of his Letter are written in the same spirited Stile. The General Officers blame N E for not furnishing their Quota of Troops. It is natural for Parties to shift the Fault from one to the other; and your Friend General Steven, who seems desirous of clearing his Countryman from all Blame, in a Letter to your Brother says "Eight thousand Men were thought adequate to the Purpose. They (N E) furnishd about three thousand--for Want of the Quota the Place is lost & they stand answerable for the Consequences." The General forgets that five of the ten Regiments orderd from Ma.s.s. Bay were countermanded and are now at Peeks Kill. I will give you an Abstract of the Forces at Ty & Mount Independence the 25th of June taken from the Muster-master General Colo Varicks Return.

Fit for Duty of the 9 Continental Regiments Commissiond & Non commissiond & Staff Officers included 2738

Colo Wells' & Leonard's Regiments of Militia [their time expired the 6th of July] 637

Colo Long's Regimt of Militia [engagd to 1st of Augt] 199

Major Stephens' Corps of Artillery 151

5 Companies of Artificers 178

Whitcombs Aldrichs & Lees Rangers 70 _____ 3973

Men at Out Posts not included in the Above 218

Sick in Camp and Barracks 342 _____ 4533

Besides a Number of Recruits belonging to the Continental Regiments arrivd at Ty. between the 18th & 29th of June, that are not included in the above Abstract. General Schuyler in his Letter of the 9th of July says, "I am informd FROM UNDOUBTED AUTHORITY that the Garrison was reinforced with twelve Hundred Men AT LEAST, two days before the Evacuation." When the Commander in chiefe writes in so positive Terms, one would presume upon his certain knowledge of Facts; BUT AS HE WAS NOT PRESENT WITH HIS ARMY, let us suppose (though it does not seem probable by the general gloomy Cast of his Letters) that he has overrated the Numbers, and set down 967 and it would complete the Number Of 5500. Deduct the sick 342, and I am willing also to deduct the two "licentious and disorderly" Regiments from Ma.s.sachusetts who left Sinclare, though he acknowledges they kept with him two days upon the March, and there remaind near five thousand. Mentioning this yesterday in a publick a.s.sembly, I was referrd to the Generals Information to his Council of War, who says "the whole of our Force consisted of two thousand & Eighty nine effective Rank & file." But allowing this to be the Case, Is an Army the worse for having more than one half of its Combatants Officers?

Notwithstanding Nothing is said of it in the publick Letters Genl Sinclair writes to his private Friend that the Enemy came up with the Rear of the retreating Army, & a hot Engagement ensued. Other Accounts say that many were killed on both sides, that our Troops beat off the Enemy & that Colo Francis of the Ma.s.sachusetts & some of his officers were among the slain.

I shall not write you any more Letters for I hope to see you soon.

Adieu my Friend,

TO PAUL REVERE.