Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 3
I am now on my Return from Morris County. Col: Jacob Ford1 was marched with the Militia to Newyork. I therefore could not determin any Thing on account of his ore. There is a quantity of Sulphur ore at woodbridge 12 Miles from here, also about five miles from here another quantity; but in my oppinion it is too near the water and in Reach of the 241Enemy. I should, for that Reason advise not to errect any such works in those Places. I met a Man here this Day, who tells me, that there is an imense quantity of Pirithes near Charlottenburgh about 50 miles from here, in the woods of Morris County, to which Place I shall go tomorrow, take a Sample and examine the same. This Place will be remote and verry convenient for fire wood. The Person who told me of the Place in Bergen County, seems to be unwilling to discover it to me without a Reward; though it will not be worth a single Shilling to the owner. I wish on that head, that the Committee of Congress would be pleased to issue a more extensive order for the Di
I shall be with a Sample of different places, in Town by the latter End of next week. I am with the greatest Respect, Gentlemen Your obedient humble Servant,
Jacob Ford, Jr., was involved in a number of business ventures including an iron mine, iron forges, a grist mill, a hemp-mill, a gunpowder mill, and farms. He was colonel of the New Jersey militia from 1776 until his death on Jan. 10, 1777. Samuel Adams wrote that “The late Behavior of the People of Jersey was owing to some of their leading Men, who instead of directing & animating, most shamefully deserted them. When they found a Leader in the brave Colo Ford, they followd him with Alacrity.” In the winter of 1779–1780 General Washington used the Ford mansion in Morristown, N.J., as his military headquarters (Letters of Delegates to Congress, 6:64).
Had it not been for fear of interrupting the important business you are engag’d in, or breakg: in upon your more leisure hours, if such you have, I1 might have acquainted you perhaps with some things that have occurr’d in the Colony during your absence, the most material of wch: however I do suppose may have been transmitted to you.
The occasion of this is to know if you co’d inform me whether there have, or have not been two different impressions of the Continental four 242dollar bills, as from the variation of the words in the body, & the omission of the words FOUR DOLLARS in one corner of some that are passing, there are not wanting those who are willing by this & other ways to discourage the currency, & affirm they have been counterfeited on board the Asia man of war.2
I observ’d by the papers you had the honor of being one of the gentlemen that were appointed to go to Canada some time since; if any cause can be assign’d, why affairs in that quarter have been so unsuccessful, which may be communicated, & can be remov’d, I co’d wish it were in my power to satisfy many in these parts who are apprehensive of our upper towns & Settlemts: be
Orders are this week come from Court for raising men in this & Berkshire County. Some from Connecticut are on their march for Crown Point &c.3
My Complimts: if you please to the honble: Jno: Adams Esqr. I sho’d have done myself the honor of writing to him but for reasons as before mention’d, I had the pleasure of seeing his Lady well at Braintree a few weeks past; when I took a journey from hence to see what I had left, & as my friends had inform’d me, most of my houshold furniture & effects have been plunder’d & carried away, which occasions my stay a while longer here: I enclose this to Lt: Colo: Willm: Sheppard4 in the Army at New York, whose home is in this place, & who co’d forward a letter, if you sho’d send by a safe hand free of postage to him, in case you had not a more direct conveyance.
With wishg. the blessing of Heaven may attend your endeavors for the public good, I take the honor to subscribe myself Sir Your friend & hume. Servt:,
Joshua Green (1731–1806), a Harvard classmate of RTP, was a Boston merchant who moved his family to western Massachusetts during the Revolution. His wife, Hannah (Storer), was a friend and correspondent of Abigail Adams (
Sibley’s Harvard Graduates
, 12:380–381).
There are known counterfeit four-dollar bills from the issue authorized by congressional resolution of Feb. 17, 1776, but they were “so basely done, that, on the least inspection, no person could be deceived by them” (Pennsylvania Gazette, July 16, 1777; Eric P. Newman, The Early Paper Money of America [Racine, Wisc., 1976], 37, 407). The man-of-war H.M.S. Asia was part of the fleet which transported reinforcement troops from Halifax to New York in the summer of 1776 and at this time was still in New York (Naval Documents of the American Revolution, 5:935, 948).
On June 13, 1776, the House of Representatives resolved to raise 5,000 men to serve in New York and Canada. The apportionments by county were for Suffolk, 448; Essex, 457; Middlesex, 1,070; Hampshire, 742 Plymouth, 380; Bristol, 362; York, 105; Worcester, 1,102; Cumberland, 39; and Berkshire, 261 (Journals of the House of Representatives, 52, pt. 1:37).
William Shepard (1737–1817) of Westfield was at this time lieutenant colonel of the Third Continental Infantry. He was wounded at the Battle of Long Island on Aug. 27, 1776. Later Shepard became colonel of the Fourth Massachusetts Regiment (Whittemore, Memorials of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati, 549).