Respected Sir, New York June 14th 1776

When I1 left the Camp at Cambridge I promised myself the pleasure of waiting on you in Person at Philadelphia before this time, but the necessary Duty of my station in the service of our Country has hetherto prevented, and the same service requiring the Attendance of the Director General at Philadelphia, I am obliged at least for the present to deny myself that happiness, which will I flatter myself excuse my addressing you by Letter, and I hope with what I have further to Offer will engage your Interest in my favour.

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It is not improbable the attempts of the abandoned british administration to subjugate the United American Colonies may require such a part of the Continental Army for Defence of the New England Colonies, as to render the Establishment of a Military Hospital highly Expedient, if not absolutely Necessary there. If that should be the Case I beg leave to offer myself a Candidate for and to solicit your Interest towards my obtaining the Directorship with such an appointment, and under such regulations as may best promote the good of the Service in general and be most agreeable to the honoura. Continental Congress. I have so high an esteem for that venerable Body, and do from my heart so much approve their resolve that promotions in the Army should not take place by Succession only, that I wave all Claim founded on the Title which my being senior Surgeon of the principal Hospital, or the length of time I have been in the service, might otherwise give me, & hope I may without the imputation of boasting mention some facts that upon the principle of encouraging a diligent attention to Duty in every Department, and begetting a laudable Spirit of Emulation amongst officers of all Ranks induce me to hope for your Interest on this Occasion.

At the Commencement of hostilities, I, the Day after the Battle of Lexington at the request of General ward quitted my family and private Business to attend such of our own people, and the Regular prisoners, as were wounded in that Action, without stipulating, or at that time expecting any other reward than the Consciousness of having served my Country. On the 17th of June 1775 by order of Generall Ward I attended at the Battle of Bunkers Hill, and Exerted myself in dressing and takeing Care of the wounded, while my native place, and most of my property were in flames before my face. By order of the Committee of Safety I opened, Attended, and Supplied the first Military Hospital established since the beginning of this War, in the Direction of which I continued untill it became Continental. Upon Doctor Church’s Arrest I was honoured by his Exelency General Washington with the pro-tempore Director Generalship, while the present director General was necessarily dedained at Boston adjusting Accounts and procuring Medicines for the Army. I was entrusted by him with the care of opening the Generall Hospital at head Quarters here. I beg leave to refer you to the Director General who honours me by Conveying this Letter for Information how I have discharg’d these trusts. Permit me to add that should a Younger Man than I am, or one who has never been in the service be sent to New England as Director of the Hospital 226there, it would not only greatly lessen my reputation among my Countrymen there, to most of whom I am personally known, but make me very unhappy in my own mind by begetting an Apprehension that the place I now hold was to the Exclusion of some person better quallified to Discharge the duties of it. Your friendly interposition at this time will be ever greatfully Acknowledged by much esteemd Sir, Your most obedeient and humble Servant,

Isaac Foster Jun.

RC ; addressed: “To The Honourable Robert Treat Pain Esqr. Member of the Continental Congress at Philadelphia. favd. by Doctor Jno. Morgan Esqr.”; endorsed; wax seal of [Foster?] coat-of-arms.

1.

Dr. Isaac Foster, Jr. (1740–1781), a native of Charlestown, Mass., and 1758 graduate of Harvard College, studied medicine in London and practiced in his hometown. He was active in patriot causes as a member of the local Committee of Correspondence and First Provincial Congress. As detailed in this letter, Foster served the Continental military hospital and hoped to be appointed as director general after the discovery of Benjamin Church’s treason. However, that position fell to Dr. John Morgan (the bearer of this letter), who instructed Foster to follow the troops to New York and open a military hospital there. On Apr. 11, 1777, he was appointed deputy director of Military Hospitals, Eastern District, and opened a number of hospitals throughout the region ( Sibley’s Harvard Graduates , 14:262–268).

Saturday, June 15, 1776

Resolved, That the report of the committee on General Washington’s letters of the 9th and 10, which was left unfinished, together with the amendments moved and seconded, be referred to the committee of the whole Congress.

The Congress then resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the several reports referred to them; and, after some time spent thereon, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. Harrison reported, that the committee have had under consideration the several reports to them referred, and have come to sundry resolutions, which they ordered him to report; but, not having had time to go through the whole, desired him to move for leave to sit again.

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The report from the committee of the whole being delivered in,

Resolved, That a committee of three four be appointed to digest and arrange the several resolutions reported, in order to be laid before Congress; and that the committee of the whole be discharged of the reports, so far as they relate to the cartel entered into between General Arnold and Captain Foster for an exchange of prisoners,1 and that the same be referred to the committee now to be appointed:2

The members chosen, Mr. Jefferson,3 Mr. Braxton, Mr. Paine, and Mr. Middleton.

Printed in Journals of the Continental Congress, 5:446.

1.

Gen. Benedict Arnold and Capt. George Forster of the British army were negotiating a prisoner exchange to include some 500 Americans captured at the Cedars near Montreal in May.

2.

Jefferson’s notes on an interview with Maj. Henry Sherburne, a Rhode Island officer who had been captured at the Cedars, along with the committee report, appear in The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, ed. Julian P. Boyd [Princeton, N.J., 1950– ], 1:396–404).

3.

Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), one of the Virginia delegation to the Continental Congress in 1775 and 1776, drafted the Declaration of Independence as chairman of the committee considering the issue. He resigned from Congress shortly after its signing and returned to Virginia. His later career included time as governor of Virginia (1779–1781), a return to the Continental Congress (1783–1784), times as minister to France and secretary of state, and then as vice president (1797–1801) and president (1801–1809) of the United States ( DAB ). RTP and Jefferson served on several committees together during this period.