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TRANSCRIPT
GLC 5637
Charles
Thomson. Letter copy fragment: to George Washington, c.1775.
4 p.
Sir,
Your
letter of the 10th. Instant with the enclosed papers being only
received was laid before Congress and immediately taken into Consideration.
In
answer to the several matters therein contained I am to inform you, that the
Congress appointed a Committee to enquire what quantity of light sail cloth
sheeting & oznabugs or heklenburgs could be obtained in this town for the
purpose of making tents, & in this business, the committee are now closely
employed.
It
is agreed that low cloth will be most proper for hunting shirts, & of this
the Congress are informed a sufficient quantity may be obtained in Rhode island
& Connecticut. It is expected
you will give orders for purchasing there the quantity necessary
Agreeable
to your recommendation they have appointed Joseph Trumbull Esqr. Commissary Genl.
of stores & provisions for the army of the united Colonies.
The
appointment of a quarter master general Commissary of Musters and a commissary
of Artillery is left to you, the congress not being sufficiently acquainted with
persons properly qualified for their offices.
They
have ordered a company of <?>tropes to be raised in this city & put
forward Genl. [2] Thomas, they have appointed first Brigadier General in the
room of Mr Pomroy who did not ail under the commission sent him and have ordered
General Thomas’ Commission to bear date the same day Genl Pomroy’ did.
They
have empowered you, if you think fit to appoint three Brigad Majors of such
persons as you chuse to honour with that command and to commission these
accordingly.
They
have appointed a Committee to [inserted:
consider &] report [struck: the]the
establishing an Hospital & appointing a director. As soon as they have brought in their report and the congress
have come to any resolution on that subject you will be made acquainted with it.
Letters
are sent with a recommendation to the Colonies of New Hampshire, Massachussetts
bay Rhode Island & Connecticut to compleat the deficiencies in the regiments
belonging to their respective colonies, which you shall retain in the
continental Army.
And
it is earnestly recommended to Rhode-island to send forward to you three hundred
& sixty men lately voted by their general assembly and to Connecticut to
send forward fourteen hundred men lately voted by the general assembly of that
Colony.
Upon
intelligence that Mr Johnson is [3] endeavouring to instigate the Indians to
acts of Hostility the Congress have impowered General Schuyler to dispose of and
employ all the troops in the New York department in such manner as he may think
best for the protection & defence of these colonies, the tribes of Indians
in friendship and amity with us and most effectually to promote the general
Interest, still pursuing, if in his power, the former order from this congress
& subject to the future orders of the commander in chief.”
As
the Congress are not fully acquainted with the number of the Enemy you have to
oppose and the extent of your operations, they reposing confidence in your
prudence have resolved that such a body of troops be kept up in the
Massachussetts bay as you shall think necessary, provided they do not exceed
twenty two thousand.”
In
a letter from Lord Dartmouth to Govr. Martin dated White hall May 3d. 1775 after
recommending to him to embody such of the men in four Counties (which Govr
Martin had represented as favourable to the views of administration) as are able
to bear arms, in the following paragraph
“I
confess to you, Sir, that this appears to me to be a matter of so much
importance that I cannot too earnestly recommend it to your attention, &
that no time may be lost, in case of absolute necessity I have received his
Majestys commands to write to General Gage to apprize him of this favourable
circumstance & to instruct him that he do, upon application from you, send
some able & discreet Officer to you in order to concert the means of [4]
carrying 10 essential a Service into effect & if necessary to lead the
people forth against any rebellious attempts to disturb the public peace.”
Whether
the five vessels, you mention to have sailed from Boston on the 11. Inst, are
gone on this service time must manifest.
The
Bills ordered to be struck by the Congress are in great forwardness; as soon as
a sufficient quantity worth sending is completed, it will be sent to you
I
have the pleasure to inform you that the Congress have received a letter from
the provincial Convention of Georgia dated 8th Instant, informing
that all the parishes I that Colony except two, which it is supposed do not
contain a score of freeholders inhabitants, met by their delegates in convention
in the 4th instant; that those parishes that upon former occasions
seemed reluctant, have manifested a laudable zeal on this occasion, that several
gentlemen in Savannah, that have hitherto been <?> or declared against
Amoine; now speak of the proceedings of Parliament as illegal & oppressive;
that the convention had applied to the Governor to appoint a day of fasting
& prayer, with which request the Governor informed them he would comply;
that they have chosen five delegates to represent their Colony in this Congress
vis John Houston, Archd. Bulloch Esqr The revd Doctr Zubly, Lyman Hall and Noble
Wimberly Jones Esqr.; & lastly that they have resolved shortly to adhere to
the Continental Association & are heartily disposed zealously to enter into
every measure that the Congress may deem necessary for the safety of America.”
[docket]
To
General Washington
Copy.
A Letter
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