on Ticonderoga. Four of the Battalions raising here, with what they have already got, have been under marching orders for that place sometime. Some of them are gone; the whole may amount to 1000 or 1200 men, and I left the Court considering what other measures should be taken. I can't tell you what, if anything, has been done. The Court rose the day I left it, a fortnight ago by adjournment to the 5th March.

I hope the British Troops now at Newport will not be able long to keep that place. What remains of them after 2000 gone to York, are a considerable part invalides. I believe there will soon be an attempt made in that quarter. I hope the service will not be injured, by any dissentions or want of subordination there or elsewhere. Congress have been very rapid in their promotions, and possibly in some instances have not had the necessary information; but I could wish to see the officers appointed to any service so disposed that the spirit and authority of the chief should be able to check and controul all the subordinates of every rank, however impatient of submission. I am glad to hear that the enlistments to the Southward go on well. I hope by this means the service will be supported till the New England quotas are compleat. I thank you for the account you give of the perticular situation of the other Colonies. When we shall form our Constitution, or in what manner we shall do it I am unable to say. Our own delays have embarrassed us, and I am persuaded the longer we delay this business the greater will be the difficulty in executing it. I am therefore constantly urgeing the necessity of going about it. Various are the opinions both as to the manner of doing it, and as to the thing itself. Many are for haveing it done by a Convention, and many are for one Branch only. I hope both will be avoided. I don't see a better way as things are than by sending to the several Towns desireing them at their next elections to have it in view and vest their members with special powers for this purpose.2

I am extreemly pleased with the conduct of Virginia and Carolina with regard to religious establishments. The dissenters there you say by this means have compleat Liberty of Conscience. Do

I Works of John Adams, IX. 450.

2 Journals of the House of Representatives (Mass.), September 17, 1776.

you mean that all distinctions in point of privileges and advantages are abolished? This is an evidence that Episcopacy and Liberty will not flourish in the same soil. I have intended to write to you before this but have been prevented by the multiplicity of business on my hands. The House have set generally to near nine and sometimes to ten o'clock in the evening, and my station you know requires constant attendance. If you enquire what we are about, I must tell you, many things which in my opinion we have nothing to do with, and which ought to be done by your Gl here, if you mean he should do any thing for his pay and perquesites; and many others which would be done with more ease and dispatch if the powers of such a rara avis in terra were once defined and known, and whether the publick stores here might be applied to publick uses and how. As to news we have none. A few prizes, some of them valuable, have been sent in. Your Navy here still remains in port. When any of them go to Sea I can't say. The conduct of this part of your operations will be a subject of curious enquiry. I hear we are going to have another frigate and a 74gun ship built here. Will the conduct of this matter be put into hands of persons who scarcely know the difference between a ship and a wheelbarrow, and who seem to have no ideas of the importance of dispatch, or know not how to make it? I want to give you a few anecdotes and to say many things which I dare not commit to writeing. Adieu, my Friend.

[No signature.]

When will there be an end of requisitions to us? The Continent seem to consider us as the repository of manufactures and warlike stores. We shall not be able to supply their demands, and provide for our own defence.1

JOHN ADAMS TO JAMES WARren

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PHILADELPHIA, March 6, 1777

MY DEAR SIR, Dr. Jackson, by whom this will go, is a Manager of the State Lottery, and is bound to the New England States, 1 Adams' reply to this letter, dated March 18, 1777, is in Works of John Adams, 1x. 456. 2 David Jackson. Journals of the Continental Congress, vi. 982.

to forward the Sale of the Ticketts. He wishes to be recommended to proper Persons for the Purpose. If you can assist him with your Advise you will do a public service.

I can give you no News - but the Skirmish at Spanktown. This State of Pensilvania have at last compleated their Government. Wharton is Governor and Bryan 2 Lt. Governor. Their Council too is at last filled. Johnson is Governor of Maryland. Govr. Livingston's Speech you will see. I hope now the Loan Offices will supply us with Money, and preclude the Necessity of any further Emissions. If they don't, what shall We do? But they will.

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I am at last got to think more about my own Expences than any Thing else: twenty dollars a Cord for Wood. Three Pounds a Week for Board, meaning Breakfast, Dinner, and bed, without one drop of Liquor or one Spark of light or fire. I am lost in an Ocean of Expence. Horse feed in Proportion. Five hundred Sterling will not pay my Expences for this Year, at this Rate. Pray make every Body who has Money lend it, that Things may not grow

worse.

The loan Office in this Town is very successfull.

--

[No signature.]

GEORGE WASHINGTON TO JAMES WARREN

HEAD QRS., MORRISTOWN, March 15th, 1777

SIR, - I was sometime since honoured with your Letter of the 3d. Ulto. The polite manner in which you have been pleased to express your wishes for my happiness and congratulations upon the agreeable reverse of our Affairs, after a series of misfortunes, demand my gratefull acknowledgements; and assured that they are more than mere professions of Compliment, with equal sincerity I return you my thanks. The duties of my Office 't is true and the various business incident to it, allow me but little time for a

I Thomas Wharton, jr.

3 John Evans, Jonathan Hoge, George Taylor, John Lowdan, John Proctor, John Hubley.

4 Thomas Johnson, Jr.

2 George Bryan.

5 William Livingston, of New Jersey.

friendly correspondence. However, Sir, I shall ever be obliged by your Favors, and a communication of such things as you may consider either agreeable or interesting.

The policy adopted for raising your Quota of Men, I could not but reprehend in some degree, having regard to the influence of the Precedent upon the States at large. At the same time I am willing to ascribe it to the motives you mention, and am well convinced that those and those only gave rise to it. I heartily wish the Batallions may be soon compleated and for that purpose beg leave to suggest, that none should be wanting in their exertions. The Enemy now have a formidable force in the Country and are only waiting the Season to be a little more advanced, to begin their Operations; and I am persuaded, they indulge a pleasing hope of effecting some Capital Stroke, before we have an Army to oppose 'em, it behoves every nerve to be strained to baffle their views, and I flatter myself it might be accomplished, if our Troops can be collected, 'ere they open the Campaign, but of this I am not without the most painfull apprehension. A few days more, and the Spring is upon us, and nothing prevents their movements now, but the badness of the Roads. No material event has occurred of late worthy of mention and of which you will not have heard before this reaches you. Now and then there has been a skirmish which in the issue have been generally favourable.

You will be pleased to inform Mrs. Warren that I transmitted her letter to Mrs. Washington by the earliest Opportunity after it came to hand, and requesting a tender of my respects to her, I have the Honor to be with great esteem, Sir, Your most Obedt Servant,

Go. WASHINGTON

JOHN ADAMS TO JAMES WARREN

PHILADELPHIA, March 21, 1777

DEAR SIR, It is not easy to penetrate the Designs of the Enemy. What Object they have in View cannot certainly be determined. Philadelphia most probably, and Albany. They have near Ten Thousand Men in the Jersies, at Brunswick, Amboy,

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Bordentown and Piscataqua; the two last Posts are very near their main Body.

I think, but may be mistaken, that they will not hazard an Attempt upon this City or Albany, before they receive a Reinforcement. If they do, they must evacuate New Jersey, entirely, because they have not Men enough to leave sufficient Garrisons in Brunswick and Amboy, and march to Philadelphia, or to Albany with the Remainder.

It is the Opinion of our General Officers, however, that they will march, within a very few days from South Amboy, through the Pines towards the Delaware. They are building Boats in N. York which may serve either for the Delaware, or Hudsons River, or indeed they may serve to draw their Army off, from Brunswick, by Rarriton River, Brunswick being about twelve Miles from the Sound between N. Jersey and Staten Island.

What Reinforcements 'they will be able to obtain is uncertain. Is it not more probable that they will bring their Army round by Water, from Canada, and join General Howe, than that they will come over the Lakes? From England and Ireland, they can derive no great Reinforcement; it is not known how many they can obtain from Germany. The Russian Auxiliaries are uncertain, but if they come they will certainly bring a French War with them. But in all Events I think We need not fear any considerable Reinforcement from Europe before Midsummer. The British Troops here, are not more sickly than usual: But the Hessians are sickly with Pleurisies and other Fevers.

It is certain that if they should march to Philadelphia, and gain Possession of it, they have not Men enough to maintain a Line of Posts, by which a Communication can be kept open by Land, with New York. They must therefore evacuate New Jersey, which would leave their miserable Friends in that State in absolute Despair, and the Whiggs, already exasperated to a great degree, would assume new Vigour. Troops in the mean Time will be coming into N. Jersey from the Eastern States and into Pensilvania from the Southern; and the Militia of Philadelphia and Pensilvania will not be idle. So that they must expect to be cooped up in 1 Piscataway, New Jersey.