TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS. - George Washington, The Writings of George Washington, vol. VI (1777-1778) [1890]
Edition used:
The Writings of George Washington, collected and edited by Worthington Chauncey Ford (New York and London: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1890). Vol. VI (1777-1778).
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- The Writings of George Washington.
- 1777.
- To Major-general Putnam.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To Governor Henry.
- To the Council of Safety of New York.
- To John Augustine Washington.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Putnam.
- To Lieutenants Bird, Dorsey, Craig, Moore, and Gray. 1
- To Governor Clinton.
- To Benjamin Franklin, In Paris.
- To Benjamin Harrison, In Congress.
- To Brigadier-general Wayne.
- To Major-general Gates.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress. 2
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Sullivan.
- To General Cadwalader.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Governor Livingston.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Heath.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress. 1
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Lieutenant-colonel Alexander Hamilton.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Putnam.
- To Major-general Gates.
- To Lord Stirling.
- To John Parke Custis.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Sir William Howe. 1
- To the President of Congress.
- To Colonel Christopher Greene. Instructions.
- To Governor Livingston.
- To Brigadier-general Potter. 1
- To Lieutenant-colonel Samuel Smith.
- To Governor George Clinton.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Thomas Wharton, President of Pennsylvania.
- To Richard Henry Lee.
- To Baron D’arendt. Instructions.
- To John Augustine Washington.
- To Major-general Putnam.
- To John Hancock. 1
- To Major-general Sullivan.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Brigadier-general Forman.
- Circular to Pulaski and Colonels of Horse.
- To Major-general Putnam.
- Call For a Council of Officers.
- To Francis Hopkinson and John Wharton, of the Navy Board. 1
- To Landon Carter.
- To Lieutenant-colonel Alexander Hamilton.
- To Major-general Gates.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Brigadier-general Varnum.
- To Governor Livingston.
- To Sir William Howe.
- To Jeremiah Powell, President of the Council of Massachusetts.
- To General Thomas Nelson.
- To Col. Theodorick Bland.
- To Brigadier-general Conway.
- To Henry Laurens, President of Congress. 2
- To the President of Congress.
- To Brigadier-general Varnum.
- To Major-general Heath.
- To Governor Henry.
- To Sir William Howe.
- To John Parke Custis.
- To Alexander Hamilton.
- To Brigadier-general Conway.
- To Major-general St. Clair, Major-general Baron De Kalb, and Brigadier-general Knox. Instructions.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Richard Henry Lee, In Congress.
- To Major-general Putnam.
- To the Officers and Soldiers of the Militia In the Counties of Hunterdon, Burlington, Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Greene.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Greene.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Putnam.
- To Joseph Reed.
- To Major-general Gates.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Governor Livingston.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To George Read, President of Delaware.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the Executives of the Eastern States.
- To Major-general Conway. 1
- To Governor Livingston.
- 1778.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major General Gates.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Governor Wharton.
- To Major-general Arnold. 1
- To Sir William Howe.
- To Major-general Heath.
- To Major-general Putnam.
- To Major-general Gates.
- To Major-general Charles Lee.
- To a Committee of Congress. 1
- To Sir William Howe.
- To Henry Laurens.
- To John Parke Custis.
- To Governor Livingston.
- To Peter Colt. 2
- To Thomas Nelson, Jr.
- To Major-general Gates.
- To Brigadier-general Wayne. Instructions.
- To Sir William Howe.
- To Major-general Mcdougall.
- To Major-general Gates.
- To Governor Livingston.
- To Richard Henry Lee.
- To Governor George Clinton.
- An Address to the Inhabitants of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. 1
- To William Duer.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Bryan Fairfax. 2
- To Thomas Wharton, President of Pennsylvania.
- To Colonel George Baylor. Instructions.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Brigadier-general Parsons, At West Point.
- Copy of the Letter Referred to Above.
- To the Marquis De Lafayette.
- To Lieutenant-general Burgoyne.
- To George William Fairfax, In England.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Robert R. Livingston.
- To Philip Schuyler, James Duane, and Volkert P. Douw, Commissioners of Indian Affairs.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Governor Livingston.
- To Major-general Mcdougall.
- To the President of Congress.
- To James Bowdoin, President of the Council of Massachusetts.
- To Brigadier-general John Cadwalader.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Sir William Howe.
- To the President of Congress.
- To John Ternant. 1
- To Major-general Armstrong.
- To Patrick Henry.
- To Patrick Henry.
- To Governor Trumbull.
- To Thomas Mckean. 1
- To Colonel Josias C. Hall.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Colonel Mathias Ogden.
- To the President of Congress.
- To the General Officers In Camp.
- To John Banister, Delegate In Congress.
- To Major-general Mcdougall.
- To Major-general Charles Lee.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Gouverneur Morris, In Congress.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Governor Livingston.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Major-general Heath.
- To the President of Congress.
- To Henry Laurens.
TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.
Camp, Twenty Miles fromPhiladelphia,
3 October, 1777.
Sir,
Yesterday afternoon I had the honor to receive your favors of the 30th ultimo, with their enclosures. I was much obliged by the accounts from the northern army, though in general they had reached me before; and I flatter myself we shall soon hear that they have been succeeded by other fortunate and interesting events, as the two armies, by General Gates’s letter, were encamped near each other. I shall pay due attention to the resolution you refer me to; and no exertions on my part shall be wanting to collect what necessaries I can for the army. This, I am persuaded, will be equally attended to by the honorable Board of War; and I hope, by care and industry, many supplies may be obtained to relieve our distresses, which, in the articles of shoes, stockings, and blankets, are extremely great.
Since my letter of the 29th, no favorable change has taken place in our affairs; on the contrary, we have sustained an additional loss in the capture of the Delaware. She fell into the enemy’s hands in a day or two after they were in possession of the city, and in a manner not yet well understood. Some have supposed the crew mutinied, while another report is, that she was disabled in her rudder by a shot, and driven on shore. This misfortune takes off the success of Captain Biddle’s cruise. I will not dwell longer on the subject. Congress may rest assured, all the means in my power shall be employed to put our affairs in a more agreeable train, and to accomplish the end they so earnestly wish. I have the honor to be, &c.
P. S. Enclosed is a copy of Genl. Howe’s Proclamation issued the 28th ult.
“The prosperous complexion of our Northern affairs is a very pleasing and important circumstance. It is much to be wished they may continue in the same train, and have as favorable an issue as they seem now to promise. If they have besides the more immediate advantages that will accrue from the disappointing the views of the enemy in that quarter, it will necessarily have a happy influence upon our affairs here. . . .
“You will have heard before this gets to hand, that the enemy have at length gained possession of Philadelphia. Many unavoidable difficulties and unfortunate accidents that we had to encounter, concurred to promote their success. This is an event that we had reason to wish had not happened, and will be attended with several ill consequences; but I hope it will not be so detrimental as many apprehend, and that a little time and perseverance will give us an opportunity of making amends for our late ill fortune, and putting our affairs in a more flourishing condition than at present. Our army has now had the rest and refreshment it stood in need of, and our men are in very good spirits.”—Washington to Governor Trumbull, 1 October, 1777.
“The urgent necessity that the stores should be immediately secured forbids our being over-scrupulous in providing the means of doing it. If the civil power will not aid you with energy in getting wagons, you must not want them on that account, but must make a good use of the means you have, and get them at all events. Punctilios, in this emergency, must not hinder our doing whatever is essential to the good of the service.”—Washington to Col. J. Mifflin, 1 October, 1777.
As soon as the British had taken possession of Philadelphia they erected three batteries near the river to protect the city against such American shipping and craft as might approach the town. On the 26th of September, before the batteries were finished, Commodore Hazelwood, by the advice of a council of officers, ordered two frigates, the Delaware and Montgomery, each of twenty-four guns, the sloop Fly, and several galleys and gondolas, to move up to Philadelphia, and commence a cannonade on the town, should the enemy persist in erecting fortifications. The Delaware anchored within five hundred yards of the batteries, and the other vessels took such stations as were suited to their object. At ten o’clock on the morning of the 27th the cannonade began, but on the falling of the tide the Delaware grounded. In this disabled condition the guns from the batteries soon compelled her colors to be struck, and she was taken by the enemy. A schooner was likewise driven on shore, but the other frigate and small craft returned to their former station near the fort. The suspicion that the crew mutinied was never confirmed, nor was there any such hint in the British commander’s despatch describing the event.—Commodore Hazelwood’s Instructions to Captain Alexander, September 26.—Sir William Howe’s Letter to Lord George Germaine, October 10th.—Sparks.
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