State of New Jersy, which is to be in force the first of next month, which I have enclosed. I am informed the law is absolutely to take effect at the time fixed, without any proviso in case the other States do not make similar laws. The State of Maryland has likewise passed a law for the regulation of prices. New York Assembly is called on purpose to consider of the matter. The Commissioners from several of the States that were present met last evening, pursuant to the recommendation of the Hartford Convention, viz., two from New Hamshire, two from Connecticut, one from New Jersy, and one for Pennsylvania, M' L'Homedieu was also present from the State of New York, but he says their Assembly made no special appointment for this convention, & supposes he has no right to act. I dont hear that any other States have appointed members. I believe they expected that the resolutions of Congress would supersede the necessity of this convention, so that I dont think it will be of any advantage for the Assembly to wait, in expectation of having a report from this convention, for I believe there will be none.

Mr Bryan informed us that a great majority of the Assembly of this State were in favour of a regulation of prices before they adjourned; they meet again the 19th of this month. I should think since the press is stopt it would not be difficult to reduce prices as low as twenty for one. Some people are much afraid the money will soon appreciate very rapidly, and be attended with more pernicious effects than the depreciation has been. It appears to me that it is of great importance to have its value fixed & stable. We have no news here but what is contained in the public papers.

I am, with great esteem & regard,

Your humble servant.

The Hon. ANDREW ADAMS, Esq.

ROGER SHERMAN.

SAMUEL HUNTINGTON TO JONATHAN TRUMBULL.

On public service. His Excellency The Governor of Connecticut. S. Huntington.

PHILADELPHIA, 8 Jany, 1780.

SIR, By the act of Congress of the 7th instant enclos’d, I am directed to address your Excellency and express their apprehension on account of the small supply of beef for the present necessities of the army, & to request the immidiate aid of the Legislature of Connecticut to the Commissary General or his Assistant in procuring & forwarding the same.

The present necessity of the army is truly pressing & alarming, & the matter of supplies seems to admit of no delay. The army are, it is said, without meat. The Commissary will forward a sum of money immediately to Connecticut to purchase supplies; in the meantime it is most earnestly requested that the Legislature of Connecticut will lend the necessary aid to the Commissary to forward a quantity of beef with all possible dispatch. Congress are using every endeavour to lessen the public expence & the quantity of provision as much as possible, consistant with the public safety; and if the supplies can be obtained for the present, it is to be hoped from the measures that are adopted it may be less difficult to obtain supplies in future.

I have the honour to be, with perfect respect,

Your Excy's hble, servt.

SAMLL HUNTINGTON, President.

His Excy Gov' TRUMBUL.

Indorsed: 8th Jan', 1780. President Huntington, de forwarding Beef, recd 21st ins'.

REPORT OF LEVI WELLS AND PHINEAS BRADLEY, JR.* Mess James Wadsworth, M: G: Andrew Ward, Brigadier Gener". NEW HAVEN, Jan1y 11th, 1780.

GENTLEMEN, -In compliance with your request we yesterday made an assay on the powder belonging to this State and made at the Mill in New Haven belonging to Messrs Doolittle & English. 'Twas propos trying the powder made about the time with that so much complained of, accordingly we took some that was dealt out from sd Mill in July last, to Capt Phineas Bradley & been in his custody ever since. As we were not under advantages to make the most nice & curious assays, mathematically to determine the exact strength of the powder, we contented ourselves with the following experiments with a double fortified four pounder, wt 12 cwt: 3: 4, which with three quarters of a degree elevation from an horizontal level & 14 powder carried a 4 ball to yo distance of one hundred & eighty nine rods over ye ice. A second shot made from about the middle of y° Long Wharf, with an elevation of 17 degrees & like quantity of powder carried the ball to a considerable distance below the fort into the cove, as the spectators placed at ye fort for observation inform. We saw several more shot made on a great depression of the piece, & on the

* Levi Wells, of Colchester, was commissioned as a Captain in General Spencer's regiment May 1, 1775. He was afterward a Major in Colonel Wyllys's regiment, and was taken prisoner at the battle of Long Island in August, 1776. After his exchange he again entered the army, and was taken prisoner again at Horseneck in December, 1780. (See Record of Connecticut Men in the Revolution, pp. 50, 107, 615.) Phineas Bradley, Jr., of New Haven, had command of a company of artillery for a short service at three different periods. (See Ibid., pp. 546, 551, 559. )— Eds.

whole were fully satisfied that the powder was not deficient in regard to strength.

With esteem, we are your most obed', humble servts.

Messrs WADSWORTH & WARD.

Indorsed

LEVI WELLS.

PHINEAS BRAdley, Jun2.

11th Jany, 1780. Lt Col Wells & Capt Bradley, de Mr Doolittle's Powder, recd from Gen1 Wadsworth, 2nd Mar., 1780.

ROGER SHERMAN TO JONATHAN TRUMBULL.

His Excellency Jonathan Trumbull, Esquire, Governor of the State of Connecticut, Hartford.

SIR,

PHILADELPHIA, Jany 11th, 1780. Enclosed is an Act of the Assembly of the State of New Jersy for procuring supplies. We are informed that the army have lately been at very short allowance of both bread and meat. Their principal dependance is on Connecticut for beef. I wish there might be the most vigorous exertion to furnish a present supply. The Commisary General informs me that he sent to your Excellency 200,000 dollars for that purpose; he will be furnished with a further sum and intends to come that way himself very soon. Stopping the press occasions a scarcity of money. The States, I believe, are now collecting their taxes; but if they done [don't?] keep the money collected for the continent seperate from that collected for their own use there will be danger of a deficiency of supplies to answer the warrants drawn by Congress, which may be attended with dangerous consequences. Commissioners are arrived from Maryland to attend the convention to consider of a limitation of prices. I was informed some weeks ago by one of the delegates of that State that the Assembly had passed a law for the limitation of prices, & he shewed me an abstract of the Act; but it proves to be a mistake. A

bill was prepared but not enacted into a law; and the Assembly is adjourned till March next. Whe [we] hear nothing from Virginia or Delaware respecting that measure; nor do I learn that any persons are appointed by Massachusetts Bay or Rhode Island to meet in Convention. We have reports that a forty gun ship & several others of the British fleet that lately sailed from New York were cast away on the N. Jersey shore; it was said that one of them was the Roe buck, but that is contradicted to-day. We have no foreign news here.

I am, with great regard,

Your Excellency's obedient,

humble servant,

ROGER SHERMAN,

P. S. I wish to have another Delegate come and relieve me; for I want very much to return home.

R. S.

His Excellency Governor TRUmbull. Indorsed: 11th Jany, 1780. Hono R. Sherman, de Supplies for the Army. Limitation Act, &c., reed 26th inst, p Mr Devotion.

SAMUEL HUNTINGTON TO JONATHAN TRUMBULL. On public service. His Excellency The Governor of Connecticut. S. Huntington.

PHILADELPHIA, January 12th, 1780.

SIR, - You will receive herewith enclos'd an Act of Congress of this day, together with extracts of three letters to which the Act refers. These I am directed to lay before the Legislature of Connecticut or in their recess before your Excellency in Council, as also the other States therein mentioned, and to urge in the most pressing manner that immediate supplies of provision be by those several States sent to the army.

After the facts stated in the papers enclos'd perswasion & importunity seems unnecessary. The army must soon