Philadelphia, 12 August, 1776.
Mr. A. and Colonel Whipple are at length gone. Colonel Tudor went off
with them. They went away about three o'clock this afternoon. I wrote by
A., and Colonel Whipple too; by the latter I sent two large bundles,
which he promised to deliver to you. These middle States begin to taste
the sweets of war. Ten thousand difficulties and wants occur, which they
had no conception of before. Their militia are as clamorous, and
impatient of discipline, and mutinous as ours, and more so. There has
been seldom less than four thousand men in this city at a time, for a
fortnight past, on their march to New Jersey. Here they wait, until we
grow very angry about them, for canteens, camp kettles, blankets, tents,
shoes, hose, arms, flints, and other dittoes, while we are under a very
critical solicitude for our army at New York, on account of the
insufficiency of men.
I want to be informed of the state of things with you; whether there is
a scarcity of provisions of any kind, of West India articles, of
clothing. Whether any trade is carried on, any fishery. Whether any
vessels arrive from abroad, or whether any go to sea upon foreign
voyages. I wish to know, likewise, what posture of defense you are in.
What fortifications are at Nantasket, at Long Island, Pettick's Island,
etc., and what men and officers there are to garrison them. We hear
nothing from the Massachusetts, lately, in comparison of what we did
when the army was before Boston.
I must not conclude without repeating my request that you would ask some
of the members of the General Court to send me horses, and if they
cannot, to send them yourself.