desertions of your militia have taken away the necessity of answering
the question, how they shall be armed. On the contrary, as there must
now be a surplus of arms, I am in hopes you will endeavor to reserve
them, as we have not here a sufficient number by fifteen hundred or two
thousand, for the men who will march hence, if they march in numbers
equal to our expectations. I have sent expresses into all the counties
from which those militia went, requiring the county lieutenants to exert
themselves in taking them; and such is the detestation with which they
have been received, that I have heard from many counties they were going
back of themselves. You will of course, hold courts martial on them, and
make them soldiers for eight months. If you will be so good as to inform
me, from time to time, how many you have, we may, perhaps, get the
supernumerary officers in the State, to take command of them. By the
same opportunities, I desired notice to be given to the friends of the
few remaining with you, that they had lost their clothes and blankets,
and recommended, that they should avail themselves of any good
opportunity to send them supplies.
We approve of your accommodating the hospital with medicines, and the
Maryland troops with spirits. They really deserve the whole, and I wish
we had means of transportation for much greater quantities, which
we have on hand and cannot convey. This article we could furnish
plentifully to you and them. What is to be done for wagons, I do not
know. We have not now one shilling in the treasury to purchase them.
We have ordered an active quarter-master to go to the westward, and
endeavor to purchase on credit, or impress a hundred wagons and teams.
But I really see no prospect of sending you additional supplies, till
the same wagons return from you, which we sent on with the last. I
informed you in my last letter, we had ordered two thousand militia
more, to rendezvous at Hillsborough on the 25th of October. You will
judge yourself, whether in the mean time you can be more useful by
remaining where you are, with the few militia left and coming in, or by
returning home, where, besides again accommodating yourself after your
losses, you may also aid us in getting those men into motion, and in
pointing out such things as are within our power, and may be useful to
the service. And you will act accordingly. I am with great friendship
and esteem, dear Sir,
your most obedient, humble servant,
Th: Jefferson.
LETTER XXII.--TO GENERAL EDWARD STEVENS, September 15, 1780
TO GENERAL EDWARD STEVENS.
Richmond, September 15, 1780.
Sir,
I beg leave to trouble you with a private letter, on a little matter
of my own, having no acquaintance at camp, with whom I can take that,
liberty. Among the wagons impressed, for the use of your militia, were
two of mine. One of these, I know is safe, having been on its way from
hence to Hillsborough, at the time of the late engagement. The other,
I have reason to believe, was on the field. A wagon-master, who says
he was near it, informs me the brigade quarter-master cut out one of
my best horses, and made his escape on him, and that he saw my wagoner
loosening his own horse to come off, but the enemy’s horse were then
coming up, and he knows nothing further. He was a negro man, named
Phill, lame in one arm and leg. If you will do me the favor to inquire
what is become of him, what horses are saved, and to send them to me,
I shall be much obliged to you. The horses were not public property, as
they were only impressed and not sold. Perhaps your certificate of what
is lost, may be necessary for me. The wagon-master told me, that the
public money was in my wagon, a circumstance, which, perhaps, may aid
your inquiries. After apologizing for the trouble, I beg leave to assure
you, that I am, with great sincerity,
your friend and servant,
Th: Jefferson.
LETTER XXIII.--TO MAJOR GENERAL GATES, September 23, 1780
TO MAJOR GENERAL GATES.
Richmond, September 23, 1780.
Sir,
I have empowered Colonel Carrington to have twelve boats, scows, or
batteaux, built at Taylor’s Ferry, and to draw on me for the cost. I
recommended the constructing them so as to answer the transportation of
provisions along that river, as a change of position of the two armies
may render them unnecessary at Taylor’s Ferry, and I am thoroughly
persuaded, that, unless we can find out some channel of transportation
by water, no supplies of bread, of any consequence can be sent you
from this State for a long time to come. The want of wagons is a bar
insuperable, at least in any reasonable time. I have given orders to
have Fry and Jefferson’s map, and Henry’s map of Virginia, sought for
and purchased. As soon as they can be got, I will forward them. I have
also written to General Washington on the subject of wintering the
French fleet in the Chesapeake. Our new levies rendezvous in large
numbers. As General Washington had constituted them in eight battalions,
and allotted none to Colonel Harrison, we think to deliver him about
four hundred drafts of another kind, who are to serve eighteen months
also. Unless Congress furnish small arms, we cannot arm more than half
the men who will go from this State. The prize you mention of tents and
blankets is very fortunate. It is absolutely out of our power to get
these articles, to any amount, in this country, nor have we clothing for
our new levies. They must, therefore, go to you clothed as militia,
till we can procure and send on supplies. They will be as warm in their
present clothing at Hillsborough, as at Chesterfield Court House.
We have an agent collecting all the beeves which can be got from the
counties round about Portsmouth, to send off to you.
They have there also plentiful crops of corn growing. We have instructed
him to try whether means of conveying it down into the Sounds, and up
some of the rivers of North Carolina, or by land to Meherrin river, and
thence down Chowan, and up Roanoke, cannot be rendered practicable.
I am, with every sentiment of esteem and respect,
your most obedient
and most humble servant,
Th: Jefferson.
P.S. I enclose a certificate, acknowledging satisfaction for the money
furnished Colonel Kosciusko. T. J.
LETTER XXIV.--TO GENERAL WASHINGTON, September 23, 1780
TO HIS EXCELLENCY GENERAL WASHINGTON.
Richmond, September 23, 1780.
Sir,
I yesterday forwarded to you a letter from Colonel Wood, informing
you of his situation. That post has, for some time past, been pretty
regularly supplied, and I hope will continue to be for some time to
come. A person whose punctuality can be relied on, offers to contract
for victualling it. If we can agree on terms, and the Assembly will
strengthen our hands sufficiently, we think to adopt that method, as
the only one to be relied on with certainty. I have heard it hinted
that Colonel Wood thinks of quitting that post. I should be exceedingly
sorry, indeed, were he to do it. He has given to those under his charge,
the most perfect satisfaction, and, at the same time, used all the
cautions which the nature of his charge has required. It is principally
owing to his prudence and good temper that the late difficulties have
been passed over, almost without a murmur. Any influence which your
Excellency shall think proper to me, for retaining him in his present
situation, will promote the public good, and have a great tendency to
keep up a desirable harmony with the officers of that corps. Our new
recruits are rendezvousing very generally. Colonel Harrison was uneasy
at having none of them assigned to his corps of artillery, who have very
much distinguished themselves in the late unfortunate action, and
are reduced almost to nothing. We happened to have about four hundred
drafts, raised in the last year, and never called out and sent on duty
by their county lieutenants, whom we have collected and are collecting.
We think to deliver these to Colonel Harrison: they are to serve
eighteen months from the time of rendezvous. The numbers of regulars
and militia ordered from this State into the southern service, are
about seven thousand. I trust we may count that fifty-five hundred
will actually proceed: but we have arms for three thousand only. If,
therefore, we do not speedily receive a supply from Congress, we must
countermand a proper number of these troops. Besides this supply,
there should certainly be a magazine laid in here, to provide against
a general loss as well as daily waste. When we deliver out those now in
our magazine, we shall have sent seven thousand stand of our own into
the southern service, in the course of this summer. We are still more
destitute of clothing, tents, and wagons for our troops. The southern
army suffers for provisions, which we could plentifully supply, were
it possible to find means of transportation. Despairing of this, we
directed very considerable quantities, collected on the navigable
waters, to be sent northwardly by the quarter-master. This he is now
doing; slowly, however. Unapprized what may be proposed by our allies
to be done with their fleet in the course of the ensuing winter, I would
beg leave to intimate to you, that if it should appear to them eligible
that it should winter in the Chesapeake, they can be well supplied with
provisions, taking their necessary measures in due time. The waters
communicating with that bay furnish easy, and (in that case) safe
transportation, and their money will call forth what is denied to ours.
I am, with all possible esteem and respect, your Excellency’s
most obedient and humble servant,
Th: Jefferson.
LETTER XXV.--TO HIS EXCELLENCY GENERAL WASHINGTON, September 26,1780
TO HIS EXCELLENCY GENERAL WASHINGTON.
Richmond, September 26,1780.
Sir,
The enclosed copy of a letter from Lord Cornwallis [See Appendix, note
E.] to Colonel Balfour, was sent me by Governor Rutledge: lest you
should not have seen it, I do myself the pleasure of transmitting
it, with a letter from General Harrington to General Gates giving
information of some late movements of the enemy.
I was honored yesterday with your favor of the 5th instant, on the
subject of prisoners, and particularly Lieutenant Governor Hamilton. You
are not unapprized of the influence of this officer with the Indians,
his activity and embittered zeal against us. You also, perhaps, know how
precarious is our tenure of the Illinois country, and how critical
is the situation of the new counties on the Ohio. These circumstances
determined us to detain Governor Hamilton and Major Hay within
our power, when we delivered up the other prisoners. On a late
representation from the people of Kentucky, by a person sent here from
that country, and expressions of what they had reason to apprehend from
these two prisoners, in the event of their liberation, we assured
them they would not be parted with, though we were giving up our other
prisoners. Lieutenant Colonel Dabusson, aid to Baron de Kalb, lately
came here on his parole, with an offer from Lord Rawdon, to exchange
him for Hamilton. Colonel Towles is now here with a like proposition
for himself, from General Phillips, very strongly urged by the General.
These, and other overtures, do not lessen our opinion of the importance
of retaining him; and they have been, and will be, uniformly rejected.
Should the settlement, indeed, of a cartel become impracticable, without
the consent of the States to submit their separate prisoners to its
obligation, we will give up these two prisoners, as we would any thing,
rather than be an obstacle to a general good. But no other circumstance
would, I believe, extract them from us. These two gentlemen, with a
Lieutenant Colonel Elligood, are the only separate prisoners we have
retained, and the last, only on his own request, and not because we set
any store by him. There is, indeed, a Lieutenant Governor Rocheblawe of
Kaskaskia, who has broken his parole and gone to New York, whom we must
shortly trouble your Excellency to demand for us, as soon as we can
forward to you the proper documents. Since the forty prisoners sent
to Winchester, as mentioned in my letter of the 9th ultimo, about one
hundred and fifty more have been sent thither, some of them taken by us
at sea, others sent on by General Gates.
The exposed and weak state of our western settlements, and the danger
to which they are subject from the northern Indians, acting under the
influence of the British post at Detroit, render it necessary for us to
keep from five to eight hundred men on duty for their defence. This is a
great and perpetual expense. Could that post be reduced and retained,
it would cover all the States to the southeast of it. We have long
meditated the attempt under the direction of Colonel Clarke, but the
expense would be so great, that whenever we have wished to take it up,
this circumstance has obliged us to decline it. Two different estimates
make it amount to two millions of pounds, present money. We could
furnish the men, provisions, and every necessary, except powder, had
we the money, or could the demand from us be so far supplied from
other quarters, as to leave it in our power to apply such a sum to that
purpose; and, when once done, it would save annual expenditures to a
great amount. When I speak of furnishing the men, I mean they should be
militia; such being the popularity of Colonel Clarke, and the confidence
of the western people in him, that he could raise the requisite number
at any time. We, therefore, beg leave to refer this matter to yourself,
to determine whether such an enterprise would not be for the general
good, and if you think it would, to authorize it at the general
expense. This is become the more reasonable, if, as I understand, the
ratification of the Confederation has been rested on our cession of a
part of our western claim; a cession which (speaking my private opinion)
I verily believe will be agreed to, if the quantity demanded is not
unreasonably great. Should this proposition be approved of, it should be
immediately made known to us, as the season is now coming on, at which
some of the preparations must be made. The time of execution, I think,
should be at the time of the breaking up of the ice in the Wabash, and
before the lakes open. The interval, I am told, is considerable.
I have the honor to be, &c.
your most obedient and humble servant,
Th: Jefferson.
LETTER XXVI.--TO MAJOR GENERAL GATES, October 4, 1780
TO MAJOR GENERAL GATES.
Richmond, October 4, 1780.
Sir,
My letter of September 23rd answered your favors received before that
date, and the present serves to acknowledge the receipt of those of
September 24th and 27th. I retain in mind, and recur, almost daily, to
your requisitions of August; we have, as yet, no prospect of more than
one hundred tents. Flour is ordered to be manufactured, as soon as the
season will render it safe; out of which, I trust, we can furnish not
only your requisition of August, but that of Congress of September 11th.
The corn you desire, we could furnish when the new crops come in, fully,
if water transportation can be found; if not, we shall be able only
to send you what lies convenient to the southern boundary, in which
neighborhood the crops have been much abridged by a flood in Roanoke. We
have no rice. Rum and other spirits, we can furnish to a greater amount
than you require, as soon as our wagons are in readiness, and shall
be glad to commute into that article some others which we have not,
particularly sugar, coffee, and salt. The vinegar is provided. Colonel
Finnie promised to furnish to Colonel Muter, a list of the shades, hoes,
&c. which could be furnished from the Continental stores. This list has
never yet come to hand. It is believed the Continental stores here will
fall little short of your requisition, except in the article of axes,
which our shops are proceeding on. Your information of September 24th,
as to the quality of the axes, has been notified to the workmen, and
will, I hope, have a proper effect on those made hereafter. Application
has been made to the courts, to have the bridges put in a proper state,
which they have promised to do. We are endeavoring again to collect
wagons. About twenty are nearly finished at this place. We employed,
about three weeks ago, agents to purchase, in the western counties, a
hundred wagons and teams. Till these can be got, it will be impossible
to furnish any thing from this place. I am exceedingly pleased to hear
of your regulation for stopping our wagons at Roanoke. This will put
it in our power to repair and replace them, to calculate their returns,
provide loads, and will be a great encouragement to increase their
number, if possible, as their departure hence will no longer produce the
idea of a final adieu to them.
Colonel Senf arrived here the evening before the last. He was employed
yesterday and to-day, in copying some actual and accurate surveys, which
we had had made of the country round about Portsmouth, as far as Cape
Henry to the eastward, Nansemond river to the westward, the Dismal Swamp
to the southward, and northwardly, the line of country from Portsmouth
by Hampton and York to Williamsburg, and including the vicinities of
these three last posts. This will leave him nothing to do, but to take
drawings of particular places, and the soundings of such waters as he
thinks material. He will proceed on this business to-morrow, with a
letter to General Nelson, and powers to call for the attendance of a
proper vessel.
I suppose that your drafts in favor of the quarter-master, if attended
with sixty days’ grace, may be complied with to a certain amount. We
will certainly use our best endeavors to answer them. I have only to
desire that they may be made payable to the quarter-master alone, and
not to the bearer. This is to prevent the mortification of seeing an
unapprized individual taken in by an assignment of them, as if they
were ready money. Your letter to Colonel Finnie will go to Williamsburg
immediately. Those to Congress, with a copy of the papers enclosed to
me, went yesterday by express. I will take order as to the bacon you
mention. I fear there is little of it, and that not capable of being
long kept. You are surely not uninformed, that Congress required the
greater part of this article to be sent northward, which has been
done. I hope, by this time, you receive supplies of beeves from our
commissary, Mr. Eaton, who was sent three weeks or a month ago, to
exhaust of that article the counties below, and in the neighborhood of
Portsmouth; and from thence, was to proceed to other counties, in order,
as they stood exposed to an enemy.
The arrival of the French West India fleet (which, though not
authentically communicated, seems supported by so many concurring
accounts from individuals, as to leave scarcely room for doubt,) will,
I hope, prevent the enemy from carrying into effect the embarkation they
had certainly intended from New York, though they are strengthened by
the arrival of Admiral Rodney, at that place, with twelve sail of the
line and four frigates, as announced by General Washington to Congress,
on the 19th ultimo. The accounts of the additional French fleet are
varied from sixteen to nineteen ships of the line, besides frigates. The
number of the latter has never been mentioned. The extracts of
letters, which you will see in our paper of this day, are from General
Washington, President Huntington, and our Delegates in Congress to me.
That from Bladensburg is from a particular acquaintance of mine, whose
credit cannot be doubted. The distress we are experiencing from want
of leather to make shoes, is great. I am sure you have thought of
preventing it in future, by the appointment of a commissary of hides, or
some other good regulation for saving and tanning the hides, which the
consumption of your army will afford.
I have the honor to be, with all possible esteem and respect, Sir,
your most obedient
and most humble servant,
Th: Jefferson.
LETTER XXVII.--TO GENERAL GATES, October 15, 1780
TO GENERAL GATES.
Richmond, October 15, 1780.
Sir,
I am rendered not a little anxious by the paragraph of yours of the
7th instant, wherein you say, ‘It is near a month since I received any
letter from your Excellency; indeed, the receipt of most that I have
written to you, remains unacknowledged.’ You ought, within that time, to
have received my letter of September the 3rd, written immediately on my
return to this place, after a fortnight’s absence; that of September the
11th, acknowledging the receipt of yours which covered drafts for money;
that of September the 23rd, on the subject of batteaux at Taylor’s
Ferry, wagons, maps of Virginia, wintering the French fleet in the
Chesapeake, our new levies, and provisions from our lower counties; and
that of October the 4th, in answer to yours of September the 24th
and 27th. I begin to apprehend treachery in some part of our chain of
expresses, and beg the favor of you, in your next, to mention whether
any, and which of these letters have come to hand. This acknowledges the
receipt of yours of September the 28th, and October the 3rd, 5th, and
7th. The first of these was delivered four or five days ago by Captain
Drew. He will be permitted to return as you desire, as we would fulfil
your wishes in every point in our power, as well as indulge the ardor of
a good officer. Our militia from the western counties are now on their
march to join you. They are fond of the kind of service in which Colonel
Morgan is generally engaged, and are made very happy by being informed
you intend to put them under him. Such as pass by this place, take
muskets in their hands. Those from the,southern counties, beyond the
Blue Ridge, were advised to carry their rifles. For those who carry
neither rifles nor muskets, as well as for our eighteen months men, we
shall send on arms as soon as wagons can be procured. In the mean time,
I had hoped that there were arms for those who should first arrive at
Hillsborough, as by General Steven’s return, dated at his departure
thence, there were somewhere between five and eight hundred muskets (I
speak from memory, not having present access to the return) belonging
to this State, either in the hands of the few militia who were there,
or stored. Captain Fauntleroy, of the cavalry, gives me hopes he shall
immediately forward a very considerable supply of accoutrements, for
White’s and Washington’s cavalry. He told me yesterday he had received
one hundred and thirteen horses for that service, from us. Besides
these, he had rejected sixty odd, after we had purchased them, at £3000
apiece. Nelson’s two troops were returned to me, deficient only twelve
horses, since which, ten have been sent to him by Lieutenant Armstead.
I am not a little disappointed, therefore, in the number of cavalry fit
for duty, as mentioned in the letter you enclosed me. Your request (as
stated in your letter of the 7th) that we will send no men into the
field, or even to your camp, that are not well furnished with shoes,
blankets, and every necessary for immediate service, would amount to a
stoppage of every man; as we have it not in our power to furnish them
with real necessaries completely. I hope they will be all shod. What
proportion will have blankets I cannot say: we purchase every one which
can be found out; and now I begin to have a prospect of furnishing about
half of them with tents, as soon as they can be made and forwarded. As
to provisions, our agent, Eaton, of whom I before wrote, informs me in
a letter of the 5th instant, he shall immediately get supplies of beef
into motion, and shall send some corn by a circuitous navigation. But
till we receive our wagons from the western country, I cannot hope to
aid you in bread. I expect daily to see wagons coming in to us. The
militia were ordered to rendezvous at Hillsborough, expecting they would
thence be ordered by you into service. I send you herewith a copy of
Henry’s map of Virginia. It is a mere _cento_ of blunders. It may serve
to give you a general idea of the courses of rivers, and positions of
counties. We are endeavoring to get you a copy of Fry and Jefferson’s;
but they are now very scarce. I also enclose you some newspapers, in
which you will find a detail of Arnold’s apostacy and villany.
I am, with all sentiments of sincere respect and esteem, Sir,
your most obedient
and most humble servant,
Th: Jefferson.