Papers of John Adams, volume 4
1776-06-21
The Congress having thought proper to appoint us to the Board of War and Ordinance, we do ourselves the Honour to transmit you the foregoing Extracts from their Proceedings establishing a War Office1 for the more speedy and effectual Dispatch of military Business. You will percieve, on Perusal of the Extracts, that it will be necessary for you forthwith to furnish the Board with an exact State of the Army under your Command and everything relative thereto. You will therefore be pleased, as speedily as possible, to give the necessary Directions for true and accurate Returns to be made to you, so as to en-322able you to give the Board the proper Information. As much depends on reducing into Method the Business recommended to our Notice, we beg you will forward all Measures conducive to this desirable Purpose by every Means in your Power. It is expected that in future monthly Returns be regularly transmitted to the War Office that Congress may frequently have a full and general Knowledge of the true Situation of their military Affairs without which it will be impossible to conduct them with Propriety and Success. We must farther request that you will keep up a constant and regular Correspondence with us that we may cooperate with you in such Measures as may tend to advance the Interest of America in general and the particular Department committed to your Care. You will be pleased in the Returns of the several Regiments to mention the Colonies in which they were raised, the Times when and the Periods for which the Men were enlisted as it will be necessary for us to have sufficient Notice of these Matters that Congress may keep up the Army to its full Compliment. We are your Excellency's most obedient and most hble. Servants,
The extracts would be the resolution on the Board of War in
JCC
, 5:434–435, which was passed on 12 June.
This letter was obviously sent as well to generals like Ward, Gates, Schuyler, and Lee. The New York Public Library has a copy among its Presidential Papers under JA.
1776-06-21
To remind our friends of their Inattention and Neglect must give Pain. I am almost angry with You.1 If You are inclined to oblige or please Me write constantly.
I found my Lady very ill, but have the pleasure to say she is better, tho' still very low and weak.
An Express from Canada and not one Line to acquaint Me of the 323Contents. General Sullivan writes Me, that he has the most pleasing Prospect, and refers Me to his Letter to Genl. Washington for the Account.2 I am almost resolved not to inform You, that a general Dissatisfaction prevails here with our Convention. Read the paper, and be assured Frederick speaks the Sense of many Counties.3 I have not been idle. I have appealed in Writing to the People.4 County after County is instructing.
Chase had not yet received JA's letter of 14 June (above), which was probably completed on the 17th.
Sullivan to Washington of 5–6 June, which was enthusiastic in its account of the prospects for the American army (Letters and Papers of Major-General John Sullivan, Continental Army, ed. Otis G. Hammond, 3 vols., Concord, N.H., 1930–1939 [N.H. Hist. Soc., Colls.
, vols. 13–15], 1:217–221; JA to Chase, 24 June, below).
The resolutions of Frederick co., dated 17 June, were printed in the Maryland Gazette and declared in part: “every resolution of Convention tending to separate this Province from a majority of the Colonies, without the consent of the people, is destructive to our internal safety, and big with publick ruin” (Force, Archives
, 4th ser., 6:933).
Chase's appeal to the people has not been identified. Since he did not return from Canada to Philadelphia until 11 June, it would have had to appear between that date and the date of his letter to JA (Burnett, ed., Letters of Members
, 1:xlv).