Chapter X: Front Matter (10)

I have the Pleasure of informing you, that the Continental Troops under the Command of Major Genl Lee, have tryumphd over the British Forces in South Carolina, the particulars of which you have in the inclosd Paper. I trust this Blow has given so great a Check to the Power of the Enemy as to prevent their doing us any material Injury in that part of America. We look towards New York, and earnestly Pray that God would order a decisive Event in our Favor there--you must have earlier Intelligence from time to time of the Circumstances of our Affairs in that Department than you can have from this place. Yesterday Circular Letters with inclosd Declarations from Lord Howe to the late Governors of New Jersey & the Colonies Southward as far as Georgia, were laid before Congress. As they were orderd to be publishd, I have the Opportunity of transmitting a printed Copy of them for your Amusement. There were also Letters from London to private Persons probably procured if not dictated by the British Ministry and written with a manifest Intention to form a Party here in favor of his Lordship, to induce People to believe that he is a cordial Friend to America, and that he is empowerd to offer Terms of Accommodation acceptable to the Colonists. But it is now too late for that insidious Court to play such Tricks with any reasonable Hopes of Success. The American States have declard themselves no longer the Subjects of the British King. But if they had remaind such, the Budget is now opened to the World, and the People see with their own Eyes, with how much MAGNANIMITY the Prince offers them Pardon on Condition that they will submit to be his abject Slaves.

I was informd in a Letter I recd from London last March, that this very Nobleman declind to accept the Commission until he should be vested with Authority to offer to us honorable Terms-- that he made a Merit of it. And yet he now comes with Terms disgraceful to human Nature. If he is a good kind of Man, as these Letters import, I am mistaken if he is not weak & ductile. He has always voted, as I am told in favor of the Kings Measures in Parliament, and at the same time professd himself a Friend to the Liberties of America! He seems to me, either never to have had any good Principles at all, or not to have had Presence of Mind openly and uniformly to avow them. I have an Anecdote which I will communicate to you at another Time--at present I have not Leisure.

Pray let me have a Letter from you soon. You cannot do me a greater Act of Kindness or more substantially serve me than by writing often.

I am affectionately, Your Friend,

Will you be kind enough to let my Family know that I am in health. I wish you wd present my respectful Compts to my very venerable Friend D C----y.1 I hope the worthy old Gentleman is in Health & Spirits.

________________________________________________________________ 1Cf., page 155.

TO BENJAMIN KENT.

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

PHILAD July 27 1776

MY DEAR FRIEND

I must beg you to impute to the true Reason my not having yet acknowledgd & answerd your very obliging Letter of the 24 May. The WANT OF LEISURE often prevents my indulging the natural Inclination of my Mind to converse with my distant Friends by familiar Epistles; for however unequal I feel my self to the Station in which our Country has placed me here, I am indispensibly obligd to attend the Duties of it with Diligence.

It has been difficult for a Number of persons sent from all parts of so extensive a Territory and representing Colonies (or as I must now call them STATES) which in many Respects have had different Interests & Views, to unite in Measures materially to affect them all. Hence our Determinations have been necessarily slow. We have however gone on from Step to Step, till at length we are arrivd to perfection, as you have heard, in a Declaration of Independence. Was there ever a Revolution brot about, especially so important as this without great internal Tumults & violent Convulsions! The Delegates of every Colony in Congress have given their Voices in favor of the great Question, & the People I am told, recognize the Resolution as though it were a Decree promulgated from Heaven. I have thot that if this decisive Measure had been taken six months earlier, it would have given Vigor to our Northern Army & a different Issue to our military Exertions in Canada. But probably I was mistaken. The Colonies were not then all ripe for so momentous a Change. It was necessary that they shd be united, & it required Time & patience to remove old prejudices, to instruct the unenlightend, convince the doubting and fortify the timid. Perhaps if our Friends had considerd how much was to be previously done they wd not have been, as you tell me some of them were, "impatient under our Delay."

New Govts are now erecting in the several American States under the Authority of the people. Monarchy seems to be generally exploded. And it is not surprising to me, that the Aristocratick Spirit which appeard to have taken deep Root in some of them, now gives place to that of Democracy, You justly observe that "the Soul or Spirit of Democracy is VIRTUE." No State can long preserve its Liberty "where Virtue is not supremely honord." I flatter my self you are mistaken in thinking ours is so very deficient, and I do assure you, I find reliefe in supposing your Colouring is too high. But if I deceive my self in this most essential point, I conjure you and every Man of Influence by Example and by all Means to stem the Torrent of Vice, which, as a celebrated Author tells us, "prevailing would destroy, not only a Kingdom or an Empire, but the whole moral Dominion of the Almighty throughout the Infinitude of Space." I have Time only to add that I am very affectionately,

Yours,

TO JOSEPH TRUMBULL.1

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

PHILADE Augt 3 17762

MY DEAR SIR

Our Friend Coll W brought & deliverd to me your Letter of the--- July directed to Mr J. A. and myself. The Inclosures clearly show the deplorable State of our Affairs in the Northern Department and it is easy to see the Source of them. I am fully of opinion that ONE MAN must be removd to some other Department, to put an End to our Misfortunes there but this has hitherto been impracticable, though it has been attempted and urgd. A little Time may perhaps unravel Mysteries and convince Gentlemen that they have been under certain Prejudices to which the wisest Men are lyable. It appears to me very extraordinary that Mr L. should insist upon acting after being apprizd of the Resolve of Congress, and it is still more extraordinary that he meets with the Support of . . . . in such Conduct. I am very sure that our Affairs must greatly suffer if he is allowd to persist in so doing, and your Reputation as well as the Good of the Service may be at Stake. I think it would not be amiss for you to State the Matter to the General by which means it might be laid before Congress. You are the best judge of the part proper for you to act on this occasion in your own Department but I shall certainly do all in my Power to have the Evils you mention corrected. I have communicated your Letter to several Gentlemen who will joyn with me in every practicable Method for this purpose. Congress have this day passd several Resolutions which I hope tend to this good Effect. Paymasters & Deputy Paymasters are to make weekly Returns to Congress of the State of the Military Chests under their Direction. Jonn Trumble Esqr Pay Master in the Northern Department is to transmit as soon as possible an Acct of all the Monies which have passed through his Hands. Commissaries & Depy Comssys Genl in the several Departments are to transmit to Congress weekly Accots of Monies they receive of Pay Masters or their Deputies--Quarter Masters & Deputy Qr Masters to do the same--and the Commanding Officers in Each Departmt are to make monthly returns to Congress of the Drafts they make on the respective Paymasters. Comry General, Qr Masters Genl & their Deputies to make monthly Returns at least of Stores in their Possession & the Distribution of them. These Resolutions perhaps may not please EVERY BODY, but if they are duly executed, they may detect Mistakes or Frauds if any should happen. As to what has happend in Canada & near it, some person is in my opinion most egregiously to blame, and, to use a homely Proverb, the Saddle has been laid, or attempted to be laid on the wrong horse. I hope that by strict Scrutiny the Causes will be found out and the guilty Man made to suffer. My Regards to Genl Mifflin & all Friends.

I am respectfully, Yours,

Since writing the foregoing I have turnd to the printed Journals of Congress and find that on the 17th of July 1775 Walter Livingston Esq was appointed "Commissary of Stores & provisions for the New York Departmt during the PRESENT Campaign. "Upon what Grounds then does he speak of himself as vested by Congress with full powers to act TILL REVOK'D? The last Campaign wch limitted his power to act, is finishd. Under what pretence can he be supported by his Patron, especially since by the Resolution of Congress of the 8th of July last, you have "full Power to supply both Armies, that upon the Lakes as well as that at N Y, & also to appoint & employ such persons under you & to remove any Deputy Commissary as you shall think proper & expedient,"3 and for this express Reason "it being absolutely necessary that the Supply of BOTH Armies shd be under ONE Direction." Has not Genl S----- seen this Resolution? or if he has seen it, Does he judge that the Supply of the two Armies shd be under different Directions, & undertake to order accordingly? If the Persons whom you send to act under you in the Northern Army are confined & limitted by ANY other Person after they arrive there, unless by order of Congress, & without giving you Notice in case such order shd be made, we must expect a Repetition of the most mortifying Disappointments. Upon my Word I think it your Duty to remonstrate this, either to the Commander in Chief or to the Congress. The former I should suppose you would prefer.

Adieu,

_________________________________________________________________ 1Addressed to him at New York; commissary-general of the continental army. 2At this point reference should be made to the pamphlet entitled "An Oration delivered at the State House in Philadelphia . . . on Thursday, the 1st of August, 1776, by Samuel Adams." This was "reprinted" at London, and the text is given in W. V. Wells, Life of Samuel Adams, vol. iii., pp. 405-422. Wells, at vol. ii., p. 440, states briefly the reasons why he does not credit the production to Adams. See also, against its authenticity, Proceedings of Massachusetts Historical Society, 1st ser., vol. xiii., p. 451. The text has been published, with no allusion to its doubtful origin, as recently as 1900, in The World's Orators, edited by Guy C. Lee, vol. viii., pp. 239-265. John Eliot of Boston apparently had the matter in mind when he wrote to Jeremy Belknap, June 17, 1777: "Mr S. Adams is a gentleman who hath sacrificed an immense fortune in the service of his country. He is an orator likewise, & there is a famous oration upon the independance of America, which, it is said, he delivered at Philadelphia, January, 1776, but which was never seen in America before." Collections of Massachusetts Historical Society, 6th ser., vol. iv., pp. 124, 125. Cf., Sabin, Bibliotheca Americana, No. 344. 3Journals of the Continental Congress (Library of Congress edition), vol. v., p. 527.

TO JOHN ADAMS.

[MS., Adams Papers, Quincy; a text is in W. V. Wells, Life of Samuel Adams, vol. ii., p. 441.]

PRINCETOWN Augt 13 1776

DEAR SIR

Before this reaches you,1 you will have heard of the Arrival of near an hundred more of the Enemies ships. There are too many Soldiers now in Philada waiting for Arms. Is it not of the utmost Importance that they should march even without Arms, especially as they may be furnishd with the Arms of those who are sick at N York. Would it not be doing great Service to the Cause at this time if you wd speak to some of the Come of Safety of Pennsylvania relative to this matter. I write in haste. The Bearer will inform you of the State of things.

Your Friend,

________________________________________________________________ 1Addressed to John Adams at Philadelphia.

TO JOHN ADAMS.

[MS., Adams Papers, Quincy; a portion of the text is in W. V. Wells, Life of Samuel Adams, vol. ii., p. 442.]

N YORK Augt 16 1776

MY DEAR SIR

I sit down to write in great Haste as the post is just going. I reachd P. Ferry on Tuesday Six Clock P M & passd over the next morning--found the Genl & his family in Health & spirits. Indeed every Officer & Soldier appears to be determind. I have not had Oppty to view the Works here, but I am told they are strong & will be well defended whenever an Attack is made which is expected daily. I see now more than I ever did the Importance of Congress attending immediately to Inlistments for the next Campaign. It would be a pity to lose your old Soldiers. I am of Opinion that a more generous Bounty shd be given, 20 Dollars & 100 Acres of Land for three years at least--but enough of this--

The State of our Northern Army mends apace. The Number of invalids decreases. Harmony prevails. They carry on all kinds of Business within themselves. Smiths Armourers Carpenters Turners Carriage Makers Rope Makers &c &c they are well provided with. There were at Tyconderoga Augt 12 2,668 Rank & file fit for Duty at Crown Point & Skeensborough 750, in Hospital 1,110-Lt Whittemore returnd from his Discoveries--he left St Johns July 30 saw 2000 or 2500 at that place & Chamblee. Stores coming on from Montreal--counted 30 Batteaus. No Vessell built or building. This Accot may I think be depended upon. In my opinion we are happy to have G Gates there. The Man who has the Superintendency of Indian Affairs--the nominal Command of the Army--is the REAL Contractor & Quarter Master Genl &c &c has too many Employmtts to attend to the reform of such an Army--besides the Army can confide in the VALOR & MILITARY Skill & Accomplishments of GATES--SAT VERBUM SAPIENTI; pray write me & let me know the Confed. &c goes on. Major Meigs a brave officer & a Prisoner taken at Quebeck is at this time, as I suppose, at Philadelphia--he wishes to be exchanged--such an Officer would be very usefull here. I wish you wd give him your Assistance. I propose to sett off tomorrow for the Eastward.

Adieu,

Cap Palmer is in this City waiting for inlisting orders. I wish the Rank of the Navy officers was settled & the Commissions made out. Capt Dearborne of N Hampshire is in the same Predicament with Major Meigs. Coll Whipple who now sends his Regards to you, is very desirous that he may also be exchand--his Character is remarkeably good as Maj Meigs can inform you.

TO JOHN ADAMS.

[MS., Adams Papers, Quincy; a text is in John Adams, Works, vol. ix., pp. 441-443.]

BOSTON Sep 16 1776

MY DEAR SIR/

I very gratefully acknowledge the Receipt of your Letter dated the of August. I should have written to you from this place before, but I have not had Leisure. My Time is divided between Boston & Watertown, and though we are not engagd in Matters of such Magnitude as now employ your Mind, there are a thousand things which call the Attention of every Man who is concernd for his Country. Our Assembly have appointed a Committee to prepare a Form of Government--they have not yet reported. I believe they will agree in two legislative Branches --their great Difficulty seems to be to determine upon a free and adequate Representative, --they are at present an unwieldy Body. I will inform you more of this when I shall have the Materials. The Defence of this Town you know has lain much upon our Minds. Fortifications are erected upon several of the Islands, which I am told require at least 8000 Men. You shall have a particular Account when I am at Leisure,--by my Manner of writing you may conclude that I am now in haste. I have receivd no Letter from Philade or New York since I was favord with yours, nor can I find that any other person has. It might be of Advantage to the common Cause for us to know what is doing at both those important places. We have a Report that a Committee is appointed (as the expression is) "to meet the Howes," and that you are one. This, without Flattery gave me pleasure. I am indeed at a Loss to conclude how such a Movement could be made consistent with the Honor of the Congress, but I have such an Opinion of the Wisdom of that Body, that I must not doubt of the Rectitude of the Measure. I hope they will be vigilant and firm, for I am told that Lord Howe is, though not a great man, an artful Courtier. May God give us Wisdom Fortitude Perseverance and every other virtue necessary for us to maintain that Independence which we have asserted. It would be ridiculous indeed if we were to return to a State of Slavery in a few Weeks after we had thrown off the Yoke and asserted our Independence. The Body of the people of America, I am perswaded, would resent it--but why do I write in this Stile--I rely upon the Congress & the committee. I wish however to know a little about this Matter, for I confess I cannot account for it to my own Mind. I will write to you soon-in the mean time,

Adieu,

What has been the Issue of the Debates upon a weighty Subject when I left you, and another Matter (you know what I mean) of great Importance? Is it not high time they were finishd?

Pay my due Regards to the President Mess Paine1 & Gerry2 Coll Lees and other Friends.

_______________________________________________________________ 1Robert Treat Paine. 2A portion of a letter by Samuel Adams to Gerry, dated September 23, 1776, is printed in W. V. Wells, Life of Samuel Adams, vol. ii., pp. 447, 448.

TO JOHN ADAMS.

[MS., Adams Papers, Quincy; a text is in John Adams, Works, vol. ix., pp. 446, 447.]

BOSTON Sep 30 1776

MY DEAR SIR/

I am much obligd to you for your two Letters of the 8th & 14th of this Month, which I receivd, together, by the last Post. The Caution given in the first of these Letters was well designd; and had it come to me as early as you had Reason to expect it would, I should have been relievd of a full fortnights Anxiety of Mind. I was indeed greatly "concernd" for the Event of the proposd Conference with Lord Howe. It is no Compliment when I tell you, that I fully confided in the Understanding and Integrity of the Gentlemen appointed by Congress; but being totally ignorant of the Motives which inducd such a Measure, I was fearful lest we might be bro't into a Situation of great Delicacy and Embarrassment. I perceive that his Lordship would not converse with you as Members of Congress or a Committee of that Body; from whence I concluded that the Conference did not take its Rise on his part. As I am unacquainted with its Origination and the Powers of the Committee, I must contemplate the whole Affair as a Refinement in Policy beyond my Reach, and content myself with remaining in the Dark, till I have the Pleasure of seeing you, when, I trust, the Mystery will be fully explaind to me. Indeed I am not so sollicitous to know the Motives from whence this Conference sprang, or the Manner in which it was brought up, as I am pleasd with its Conclusion. The Sentiments and Language of the Committee, as they are related to me, were becoming the Character they bore. They mannagd with great Dexterity. They maintaind the Dignity of Congress, and in my Opinion, the Independence of America stands now on a better footing than it did before. It affords me abundant Satisfaction, that the Minister of the British King, commissiond to require and fondly nourishing the Hopes of receiving the Submission of America, was explicitly and authoritatively assured, that neither the Committee nor that Congress which sent them had Authority to treat in any other Capacity than as INDEPENDENT STATES. His Lordship, it seems, "has no Instruction on that Subject." We must therefore fight it out, and trust in God for Success. I dare assure my self, that the most effectual Care has before this time been taken, for the Continuance and Support of our Armies, not only for the Remainder of the present, but for a future year. The People will cheerfully support their Independence to the utmost. Their Spirits will rise upon their knowing the Result of the late Conference. It has, you may depend upon it, been a Matter of great Expectation. Would it not be attended with a good Effect, if an Account of it was publishd by Authority of Congress? It would, I should think, at least put it out of the Power of disaffected Men (and there are some of this Character even here) to amuse their honest Neighbors with vain hopes of Reconciliation.

I wish that Congress would give the earliest Notice to this State, of what may be further expected to be done here for the Support of the Army. The Season is advancing or rather passing fast. I intended when I sat down to have written you a long Epistle, but I am interrupted. I have a thousand Avocations which require my Attention. Many of them are too trifling to merit your Notice. Adieu, my Friend. I hope to see you soon.

TO SAMUEL MATHER.

[MS., Dreer Collection, Historical Society of Pennsylvania; a text is in the Emmet Collection, Lenox Library; and a draft is in the Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]

PHILADA Octob 26 1776

MY DEAR SIR,

On the Evening of the 24th Instant I arrivd in good health in this City--I give you this Information in Compliance with my Word, and flattering my self that I shall very soon be favord with a Letter from you--I will promise to give you hereafter as much Intelligence as the Secrecy to which I am in honour bound will allow.

I met with Nothing disagreable in my journey, saving my being prevented from passing through the direct Road in East Chester, the Enemy having taken Possession of the Ground there--Our Army is extended in several Encampments from Kings Bridge to White Plains which is 12 or 15 Miles Northward, commanded by the Generals Lord Sterling, Bell (of Maryland) Lincoln, McDougal, Lee, Heath & Putnam--I mention them, I think, in the order as they are posted from the Plains to the Bridge--The Generals Head Quarters are now at Valentine Hill about the Center of the Encampments. The Army is in high Spirits and wish for Action. There have been several Skirmishes; one on Fryday the 18th in which the Massachusetts Regiment commanded by Coll Glover distinguishd their Bravery and they have receivd the Thanks of the General. In this Rencounter the Enemy sustaind a considerable Loss, it is said not less than 700 Men--Another on the Night of the 21st. The infamous Major Rogers with about 400 Tories of Long Island, having advancd towards Mareneck1 on the Main, was defeated by a Party of ours with the Loss of 36 Prisoners besides killed & wounded. This valiant Hero was the first off the Field-- Such Skirmishes, if successful on our Part, will give Spirit to our Soldiers and fit them for more important and decisive Action, which I confess I impatiently wish for.--I have said that our Soldiers are in high Spirits; I add, that so far as I can learn the Character of the General officers of the Enemys Army, we at least equal them in this Instance, we have an excellent Commissary & Quarter Master General, officers of great Importance --Mifflin, who servd so much to our Advantage in the latter of these Employments, has condescended to take it again though he had been promoted to the Rank & Pay of a Brigadier General--The Enemy is posted in a rough hilly Country, the Advantages of which Americans have convincd them they know how to improve--Under all these Circumstances I should think that the sooner a General Battle was brot on, the better; but I am no Judge in military Matters.

An interresting Affair, about which a Circle of Friends whom I had the Pleasure of meeting at Dr Chauncys, is finishd, I think, agreably to their Wishes--I can only add at present that I am with the most cordial Esteem,

Sir your assured Friend & very humble Servant

_________________________________________________________________ 1Mamaroneck.

TO MRS. ADAMS.

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

PHILADA, Novr 14th 1776

MY DEAR BETSY

I wrote to you within a Day or two after my Arrival here by an Express. I cannot say that I was not disappointed in not receiving a Line from you by the last Post, as I thought I had Reason to expect. While I am absent from you I am continually anxious to know the State of your Health. I must therefore beg you to write to me often. I have not for many years enjoyd a greater Share of that invalueable Blessing than I have since I left Boston. I believe the journey on Horseback has been greatly beneficial to me.

We have lately receivd Intelligence from the Northern Army of certain Movements of the Enemy in that Quarter, of which you will see an Account in the inclosd News Paper. This day we have further Intelligence that they have totally abandond Crown Point & retreated into Canada. We have also just receivd a Letter from a Gentleman living on the Sea Coasts of New Jersey informing us that near 100 Sail of the Enemies Ships with two Frigates & a fifty Gun Ship were seen steering to the Eastward. It is supposd they are bound to England. We had before heard that the whole Force of the Enemy had marchd unexpectedly & precipitately into the City of New York. This evening an Express is come in from General Greene who commands on this Side the North River in the Jersys with Advice that ten thousand of the Enemies Troops were embarkd, and that it was given out that they were destind to South Carolina. This may be a Feint. Possibly they may be coming to this City, which in my Opinion is rather to be desired, because the People of this State are more numerous than that of South Carolina. In either Case however I dare say that a good Account will be given of them. It is said that Lord Dunmore is to take the Command. If this be true, it looks as if they were going to Virginia. Be it as it may, the withdrawing so great a Part of their Troops from New York, it is hoped, will make it an easy matter for our Army to conquer the Remainder.

It has not been usual for me to write to you of War or Politicks,--but I know how deeply you have always interrested yourself in the Welfare of our Country and I am disposd to gratify your Curiosity. Besides you will hope that from these Movements of our Enemies a Communication between Boston and Philadelphia will be more safe and we may the more frequently hear from each other.

Novr 17th I wish you would acquaint your Brother Sammy that General Mifflin is now Quartermaster General in Room of Coll Moylan--that when I was at Head Quarters I mentiond to the General the treatment your Brother had met with. He told me that he would have him state the Matter to him in Writing and that he would endeavor to have justice done to him. The Letter your Brother formerly wrote to me I left at Boston. If he will give me a full Account of the Matter in another Letter, I will state it to General Mifflin, but the Circumstances of things are such at present that I would not have him depend on its being immediately attended to. I will however do all in my power to serve him.

Our Friend Mr Lovell1 is at last exchangd. We receivd a Letter from him two or three days ago. Probably before this reaches you he will have arrivd at Boston. Pray remember me to my Daughter, Sister Polly with the rest of my Family & Friends, and be assured that I am most sincerely & affectionately,

Your,

_________________________________________________________________ 1Cf. page 248.

TO MRS. ADAMS.

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

PHILADELPHIA Novr 29 1776

MY DEAR BETSY

I take this Opportunity by Mr Chamberlain to acquaint you that I am in good health & Spirits. This Intelligence, I flatter myself, will not be disagreable to you. I have not receivd a Line from you since I left Boston which gives me Reason to suspect that your Letters may have fallen into wrong hands.

Traveling, it seems, is of late become somewhat dangerous; should this be intercepted and be seen by the two Brothers,1 they will have an opportunity of knowing that I am still most firmly attachd to the best Cause that virtuous Men contend for, and that I am animated with the full Perswasion that righteous Heaven will support the Americans if they persevere in their manly Struggles for their Liberty. I have no Reason to suspect the Virtue of the Generality of my Countrymen. There are indeed Poltrons & Trayters everywhere. I do not therefore think it strange that some such Characters are to be found in this City, but the indignation of the People kindles at the expected approach of the Enemies Army, and every proper measure is taking to meet them on the Road and stop their wild Career.--I am told that Lord Howe has lately issued a Proclamation offering a general Pardon with the Exception of only four Persons viz Dr Franklin Coll Richard Henry Lee Mr John Adams & myself. I am not certain of the Truth of this Report. If it be a Fact I am greatly obligd to his Lordship for the flattering opinion he has given me of my self as being a Person obnoxious to those who are desolating a once happy Country for the sake of extinguishing the remaining Lamp of Liberty, and for the singular Honor he does me in ranking me with Men so eminently patriotick.

I hope you will write to me by every opportunity. Pay my due Respects to my Family and Friends and be assured that I am most affectionately,

Your,

_________________________________________________________________ 1Presumably Admiral Howe and General Howe.

TO JAMES WARREN.

[MS., Chamberlain Collection, Boston Public Library.]

PHILADE, Novr 29 1776

MY DEAR SIR/

I inclose a Resolve1 passd in Congress and attested by the Secretary which I doubt not the Honbl House of Representatives will duly regard. Indeed I am in hopes your Committee for providing Cloathing &c for the Army have already in a great Measure answerd the Request. You will have heard of the Scituation of the Armies before this will reach you. A Part of the Enemy have got on this Side of Hudsons River, but I dare say you will have a good Account of them. I am more chagrind at the Disgrace than the Loss we have met with by the Surrender of Forts Washington & Lee. They should not have cost the Enemy less than thousands of their Troops. After all, what have the mighty Victors gaind? a few Miles of Ground at the Expence of many Millions of their Treasure & the Effusion of much of their Blood. But we must stop their Career. This I am satisfied can & will be done. Mr Gerry writes to you by this opportunity--therefore I need not add more than that I am very affectionately,

Yours,

_________________________________________________________________ 1A marginal postscript, in the autograph of Adams, reads: "Pray deliver the inclosd, if your Leisure will admit with your own hand."

TO JAMES WARREN.

[W. V. Wells, Life of Samuel Adams, vol. ii., pp. 452-454; an incomplete text.]

[PHILADELPHIA, December 4, 1776.]

It affords me singular pleasure to be informed that our General Assembly is now sitting in Boston. I have been of opinion that the public business could be done with more despatch there than elsewhere. "You have appointed a committee of war," with very extensive powers, "and appropriated to their disposition two hundred thousand pounds to purchase everything necessary to carry on the war with vigor next year." I heartily rejoice to hear this. I hope the committee are men of business, and will make a good use of the powers and moneys they are intrusted with. Let me tell you, that every nerve must be strained to resist the British tyrant, who, in despair of availing himself of his own troops which lately he so much prided himself in, is now summoning the powers of earth and hell to subjugate America. The lamp of liberty burns there and there only. He sees it, and is impatient even to madness to extinguish it. It is our duty, at all hazards, to prevent it.

But I am sensible I need not write you in this style. You and the rest of my countrymen have done, and I have no doubt will continue to do, your duty in defence of a cause so interesting to mankind. It is with inexpressible pleasure that I reflect that the mercenary forces of the tyrant have for two years in vain attempted to penetrate the Eastern Colonies; there our enemies themselves, and those who hate us, acknowledge that the rights of man have been defended with bravery. And did not South Carolina nobly withstand the efforts of tyranny? She did. Virginia too, and North Carolina, have in their turn acted with a spirit becoming the character of Americans But what will be said of Pennsylvania and the Jerseys? Have they not disgraced themselves by standing idle spectators while the enemy overran a great part of their country? They have seen our army unfortunately separated by the river, retreating to Newark, to Elizabethtown, Woodbridge, Brunswick, and Princeton. The enemy's army were, by the last account, within sixty miles of this city. If they were as near Boston, would not our countrymen cut them all to pieces or take them prisoners? But by the unaccountable stupor which seems to have pervaded these States, the enemy have gained a triumph which they did not themselves expect. A triumph, indeed! Without a victory! Without one laurel to boast of! For Bunker's Hill they fought and bled. They sacrificed their bravest officers, and we wished them twenty such victories. But the people of the Jerseys have suffered them to run through their country without the risk of even a private soldier! They expended their ammunition at trees and bushes as they marched! But I hear the sound of the drum. The people of Pennsylvania say of themselves, that they are slow in determining, but vigorous in executing. I hope that we shall find both parts of this prediction to be just. They say, We are now determined, and promise to bring General Howe to a hearty repentance for venturing so near them. I have the pleasure to tell you that, within a few days past, they have made a spirited appearance. In spite of Quakers, Proprietarians, timid Whigs, Tories, petit-maitres, and trimmers, there is a sufficient number of them in arms resolved to defend their country. Many of them are now on the march. Heaven grant they may be honorable instruments to retrieve the reputation of their countrymen and reduce Britain to a contemptible figure at the end of this campaign.

I am glad to hear our harbor looks so brilliant. I HOPE IT IS FORTIFIED AGAINST EVERY ATTEMPT OF THE ENEMY NEXT SPRING.

In your letters, you ask me two important questions. I dare not repeat them. With regard to the last you will understand me when I tell you, let not your mind be troubled about it.

TO MRS. ADAMS.

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

PHILADELPHIA Decr 9 1776

MY DEAR BETSY

My last by Mr Pliarne I hope you will have receivd before this reaches you. I am still in good Health and Spirits, although the Enemy is within Forty Miles of this City. I do not regret the