army, to equip, regulate, quiet and inspirit them, and enough it is at times for us. Generals Washington and Lee I dare say will relieve us. . . . JAS. WARREN I have not been able to obtain the pamphlet you mentioned, and indeed after seeing it advertised in a [New] York paper have been less sollicitous, supposing you would have it from there. SAMUEL ADAMS TO JAMES WARREN PHILADELPHIA, June 28, 1775 MY DEAR SIR, - I have received your Letter of the 21 Instant and am beyond Measure rejoyed at the tryed Bravery of the American Troops in Charlestown. I hope speedily to receive a particular and exact Account of the killed and wounded on both sides. If the List on the side of the ministerial Army comes near to 1000, as seems to be the general opinion it may cool the Courage of the three Generals lately arrivd;1 of the Courage of Gage I have been taught to entertain no Opinion. I find by the Letters from our Friends that a Suspicion prevails of the Courage, Activity, or military Knowledge of some of our Generals. But, my dear Sir, take Care lest Suspicions be carried to a dangerous Length. Our Army have behavd valiantly. There may have been an Error; but that Error may have proceeded not from a Want of Spirit but a Want of Judgment. We have appointed the Generals you ask for. Preserve that Union upon which every thing we wish for depends. The Experience of Washington and Lee may make good all Deficiencies. Why should any of our Friends hesitate about the propriety of giving a Command to Genl. Lee?? He was not born an American, but he has heartily 1 Howe, Burgoyne and Clinton. 2 "I feel very, very happy in being able to give you assurances that will relieve an anxiety that I discover in your letter. You may rely on it, no suspicions, no uneasiness prevails at all with regard to our old generals, and everybody seems to be perfectly satisfied with the appointment of the new ones. I mean Washington and Lee. I have not heard a single objection to the last of them.... I know not what to say of your friend Lee. I believe he is a soldier, and a very industrious, active one; he came in just before dinner, drank some punch, said he wanted no dinner, took no notice of the company, mounted his horse, and went off again to the lines. I admire the soldier, but think civility, or even politeness not incompatible with his character. But this inter nos. I shall take care to speak highly of him on all occasions." James Warren to Samuel Adams, July 9, 1775. In Wells, Life of Samuel and sometimes on the side of Charlestown. Our army have taken every precaution in their power for their defence, and future operations. They are heaving up lines from Charles to Mystick River and have them in great forwardness. They are carried across Temple's farm, and his beautiful groves of locusts have fallen a sacrifice to the necessity of the times. At Roxbury they have fortified themselves in a manner almost as impregnable as Gage has done in Boston. We want but one article to enable us to act offensively, and make a vigorous campaign. Men in fine spirits, well provided with every thing but the one I mention. The Generals appointed give us great satisfaction, especially the first and the third, whose characters have for a great while been such as to fix our esteem and confidence. Your attention must be fixed on the article of powder, or — I will say no more. I can't but hope you will make some suitable provision for our General Thomas.1 His merits in the military way have surprised us all. I can't describe to you the odds between the two camps. While one has been spiritless, sluggish, confused and dirty, I mean where General Putnam and our Friend Warren's influence have not had their effects; the other has been spirited, active, regular and clean. He has appeared with the dignity and abilities of a General. We have no intercourse with Boston, get no intelligence from there but by those who steal out. From them we have certain accounts of the amazing slaughter made in the last action. Their men die of the slightest wounds, owing to the manner of living they are reduced to, so there will in the end be but little odds between being killed or wounded, and we may return perhaps 14 or 1500 killed. I am told General Howe says the army shall not return to Boston but by the way of Roxbury. A very pretty march. It is with confidence said that Burgoine has not been seen since the action, and it is given out that he is gone home. We are not without our hopes that we shall have little trouble from his enterprising genius. With regard to us, we are as busy as you ever saw pismires on a mole hill. Our attention is principally fixed on the 1 John Thomas (1725-1776), who had just (May 25) accepted the appointment of lieutenant general of the Massachusetts army. Journals of the Provincial Congress (Mass.), 258. army, to equip, regulate, quiet and inspirit them, and enough it is at times for us. Generals Washington and Lee I dare say will relieve us.... JAS. WARREN I have not been able to obtain the pamphlet you mentioned, and indeed after seeing it advertised in a [New] York paper have been less sollicitous, supposing you would have it from there. SAMUEL ADAMS TO JAMES WARREN PHILADELPHIA, June 28, 1775 MY DEAR SIR, - I have received your Letter of the 21 Instant and am beyond Measure rejoycd at the tryed Bravery of the American Troops in Charlestown. I hope speedily to receive a particular and exact Account of the killed and wounded on both. sides. If the List on the side of the ministerial Army comes near to 1000, as seems to be the general opinion it may cool the Courage of the three Generals lately arrivd;1 of the Courage of Gage I have been taught to entertain no Opinion. I find by the Letters from our Friends that a Suspicion prevails of the Courage, Activity, or military Knowledge of some of our Generals. But, my dear Sir, take Care lest Suspicions be carried to a dangerous Length. Our Army have behavd valiantly. There may have been an Error; but that Error may have proceeded not from a Want of Spirit but a Want of Judgment. We have appointed the Generals you ask for. Preserve that Union upon which every thing we wish for depends. The Experience of Washington and Lee may make good all Deficiencies. Why should any of our Friends hesitate about the propriety of giving a Command to Genl. Lee? He was not born an American, but he has heartily 1 Howe, Burgoyne and Clinton. 2 "I feel very, very happy in being able to give you assurances that will relieve an anxiety that I discover in your letter. You may rely on it, no suspicions, no uneasiness prevails at all with regard to our old generals, and everybody seems to be perfectly satisfied with the appointment of the new ones. I mean Washington and Lee. I have not heard a single objection to the last of them. . . . I know not what to say of your friend Lee. I believe he is a soldier, and a very industrious, active one; he came in just before dinner, drank some punch, said he wanted no dinner, took no notice of the company, mounted his horse, and went off again to the lines. I admire the soldier, but think civility, or even politeness not incompatible with his character. But this inter nos. I shall take care to speak highly of him on all occasions." James Warren to Samuel Adams, July 9, 1775. In Wells, Life of Samuel espoused the Cause of America and abhors the oppressive Measures of the British Government against America. Prince Eugene, if I mistake not was a Frenchman1 but he was a Scourge to France, and Marshall Saxe would have been equally, perhaps more so, if Great Britain had not foolishly slighted his offered Service. Admitting his Integrity, of which I cannot doubt, I think the sound Policy of appointing General Lee is evident, other English officers may from hence be assured that if they will afford a sufficient Pledge of their Merit they may have the Opportunity of distinguishing their Valor in the Cause of Liberty in America. So desirous was the Congress, that this Country should avail itself of the Abilities of Lee that they have voted to indemnify him for the Loss of property he may incur by engaging in this Service to the amount of £11,000 sterling, being the Estimate of his Estate in England, as soon as it shall be made to appear that such loss or any part of it hath happend. This I think interests him strongly, and I mention it by no means that it should be made publick, for I think that would be imprudent, but to induce our Circle of Friends with the greater Cheerfulness to reconcile his Appointment to any, if such there be, who have any Scruples about it. I sincerely lament the Loss of our truly amiable and worthy Friend Dr. Warren. There has scarcely if ever been a Cause so evidently just as that in which he fell so gloriously. Pray write to me by every Opportunity. I have not time to enlarge or even to correct what I have written. Adieu my Friend. S. ADAMS 4 The two inclos'd Letters to Mrs. Hooper and Mrs. Inman3 are from Wm Hooper, Esqr., one of the Delegates from N. Carolina who desires me to recommend them to your Care.5 Adams, 11. 315. Lee did not make a wholly pleasing impression on Mrs. Warren. Lossing, Field Book (1853), II. 224 n. See the "address" of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress and Lee's reply in N.Y. Hist. Soc. Collections, 1871, 186. I François Eugène, of Savoy (1663–1736), was born in Paris, son of the Count of Soissons and the niece of Cardinal Mazarin. 2 Annie Clark. 3 Elizabeth Murray (Campbell) Inman, wife of Ralph Inman, of Cambridge. 4 William Hooper (1742-1790). 5 A letter from Samuel Adams to James Warren, July 2, 1775, is in Wells, Life of Samuel Adams, 11. 317. MERCY WARREN TO JOHN ADAMS. ADAMS MSS. DEAR SIR, - I have had the pleasure of seeing several of your letters in which you complain that your friends are rather remiss with regard to writing you, which I think inexcusable at a time when the liberties of all America and the fate of the British Empire depends in a great measure on the result of your deliberations. For if that respectable body of which you are a member fails, either from want of early intelligence or from any other cause at this important crisis, to pursue the wisest measures, what but inevitable destruction to this country must follow. Could I have hoped it was in my power to give you either pleasure or intelligence, I should long ere this have taken up my pen, and added one more to the triumvirate of your friends. For be assured there are very few who can with more sincerity subscribe their names to the list. But as I write in compliance with Mr. Warren's request, I must tell you his application to public affairs leaves him little time to attend to the demands of private friendship. And could you look into a certain Assembly you would not wonder that his time is wholly engrossed, or that we ardently wish you may soon be here to assist in the public counsels of your own distressed Province. I shall not attempt to give you a description of the ten fold difficulties that surround us. You have doubtless had it from better hands. Yet I cannot forbear to drop a tear over the inhabitants of our capital, most of them sent naked from the city to seek a retreat in the villages, and to cast themselves on the charity of the first hospitable hand that will receive them. Those who are left behind are exposed to the daily insults of a foe lost to that sense of honour, freedom and valour, once the characteristic of Britons, and even of the generosity and humanity which has long been the boast of all civilized nations. And while the plagues of famine, pestilence and tyranny reign within the walls, the sword is lifted without, and the artillery of war continually thundering in our ears. The sea coasts are kept in constant apprehensions of being made |