The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Correspondence and Miscellaneous Writings 1760–1774 Continued
• 1771 - to Thomas Adams 1
• To James Ogilvie 1
• “ Inscription For an African Slave ” 1
• Agreement With John Randolph 2
• To Inglis and Long, Merchants At Portsmouth 1
• To Thomas Adams 1
• To Robert Skipwith
• Argument In Godwin Et Al. Vs. Lunan 1
• 1772 - to Messrs. Inglis and Long, Merchants At Portsmouth 1
• 1773 - to Chas. Mcpherson 1
• To William Fleming 1
• Advertisement In “virginia Gazette”
• Advertisement In “virginia Gazette”
• Advertisement In “virginia Gazette”
• 1774 - Notice of Fast 1
• Resolution of Albemarle County 2
• Proposed Arms For the United States 1
• A Summary View of the Rights of British America. Set Forth In Some Resolutions
• “ Defects In the Association ” 1
• To Archibald Cary and Benjamin Harrison
• 1775 - Motion In Convention of Virginia 1
• Draft of a Resolution of the Virginia Convention 1
• To Dr. William Small 1
• Address to Governor Dunmore From the House of Burgesses 1
• To Francis Eppes 1
• To Francis Eppes 1
• Drafts of Declaration On Taking Up Arms 1
• First Draft
• Second Draft
• Draft of Report On Lord North’s Motion 2
• To John Randolph 1
• To Francis Eppes 1
• To Francis Eppes 1
• To John Page 1
• To Francis Eppes 2
• To Francis Eppes 1
• To John Randolph 2
• Declaration Concerning Ethan Allen 1
• To John Page 1
• Report to Congress On Congress Committee 1
• 1776 - to Thomas Nelson 1
• Report of Committee On Canadian Affairs 1
• Proposed Constitution For Virginia 1
• First Draft
• Fair Copy
• Report On Cedars Cartel 1
• Report On Canadian Affairs 1
• To William Fleming 1
• Declaration of Independence 1
• First Draft
• Reported Draft
• Engrossed Copy
• To Richard Henry Lee 1
• To George Wythe 1
• Notes of Rules For Continental Congress. 1
• To Edmund Pendleton 2
• Resolution For Rotation of Members of Continental Congress 1
• To Francis Eppes 1
• To the Pennsylvania Convention 1
• Notes On Virginia-pennsylvania Boundary
• To the Governor of Virginia 1 (patrick Henry)
• To Col. Fielding Lewis
• To John Page 2
• To Francis Eppes 1
• To John Page 1
• To Francis Eppes 1
• To — 1
• To John Page 1
• Resolution to Encourage Desertions of Hessian Officers 1
• Resolutions On Peace Propositions 1
• To the President of the Continental Congress 1 (john Hancock)
• Notes On Religion 1
• Draft of Bill to Abolish Entails. 1
• Amendments to Bill to Abolish Entails 1
• Draft of a Bill to Remove Seat of Government 1
• Draft of a Bill For Raising Six Additional Battalions of Infantry On the Continental Establishment 1
• Draft of a Bill Establishing County Courts 1
• Draft of a Bill For Altering Rates of Copper Coin 1
• Report On Upshur 2
• A Bill For the Trial of Offences Committed Out of This Commonwealth.
• Draft of a Bill For Suspending Executions For Debt 1
• 1777 - Draft of a Bill For Providing Against Invasions and Insurrections 1
• Draft of a Bill For Regulating the Appointment of Delegates to General Congress 1
• To John Adams 1
• To Benjamin Franklin 1
• To John Adams
• First Report of Conference Committee 1
• 1778 - Second Report of Conference Committee
• Draft of a Bill Giving Certain Powers to the Executive 1
• Draft of Bill Designating Places For Holding Courts of Chancery and General Court 1
• A Bill Granting Free Pardon to Certain Offenders 1
• A Bill For the Speedy Recovery of Debts Due the United States 1
• Draft of a Bill For Providing a Supply For the Public Exigencies 1
• A Bill to Amend an Act Intitled “an Act For Raising a Supply of Money For Public Exigencies” 1
• Draft of Bill of Attainder Against Josiah Philips 1
• To Richard Henry Lee 1
• To —
• Resolutions Concerning Peace With England 1
• To Rev. Samuel Henley 1
• To David Rittenhouse 1
• A Bill For Giving the Members of the Assembly an Adequate Allowance 1
• 1779 - to George Wythe
• To the Governor of Virginia. (patrick Henry)
• To Richard Henry Lee 1
• To Gabriel Jones 1
• A Bill Concerning Escheats and Forfeitures From British Subjects 2
• Speech to General Assembly 1
• To John Page 1
• To William Fleming 1
• To Theodorick Bland, Jr. 1
• To Richard Henry Lee 1
• To Theodorick Bland, Jr. 1
• Report of the Revisors
• A Bill For Withholding British Property (chapter Xxxvi 1 )
• A Bill Concerning Slaves (chapter Li 1 )
• A Bill For Proportioning Crimes and Punishments (chapter Lxiv 1 )
• A Bill For the More General Diffusion of Knowledge (chapter Lxxix)
• A Bill For the Amending the Constitution of the College of William and Mary (chapter Lxxx)
• A Bill For Establishing a Public Library (chapter Lxxxi)
• A Bill For Establishing Religious Freedom 1 (chapter Lxxxii)
• To General Washington
• To the President of Congress (john Jay)
• Proclamation Concerning Escheats
• To General Baron De Riedesel 1
• To General Washington
• To the Governor of Canada (sir Guy Carleton)
• To Col. William Fleming 1
• To the County Lieutenant of Hampshire 1
• To the President of Congress (john Jay)
• To General Washington
• To General Washington
• To General Washington
• To Colonel George Mathews 1
• To the Speaker of the House of Delegates (benjamin Harrison)
• To the Speaker of the House of Delegates (benjamin Harrison)
• To the Speaker of the House of Delegates (benjamin Harrison)
• To the French Minister 1 ( Chevalier De La Luzerne )
• To the Governor of North Carolina 1 ( Richard Caswell )
• To the President of Congress (samuel Huntington)
• To General Washington
• Proclamation Laying Embargo
• To the President of Congress (samuel Huntington)
• To General Washington
• To the Speaker of the House of Delegates (benjamin Harrison)
• To the President of Congress (samuel Huntington)

to general washington

w. mss.

Williamsburg, Nov. 20, 1779.

Sir,

—Your Excellency’s letter on the discriminations which have been heretofore made between the troops raised within this state and considered as part of our quota, & those not so considered, was delivered me four days ago. I immediately laid it before the Assembly, who thereupon came to the resolution I now do myself the honor of enclosing you. The resolution of Congress of Mar. 15. 1779 which you were so kind as to inclose was never known in this state till a few weeks ago when we received printed copies of the journals of Congress. It would be a great satisfaction to us to receive an exact return of all the men we have in Continental service who come within the descriptions of the resolution, together with our state troops in Continental service. Colo. Cabell was so kind as to send me a return of Octob. 1779. of the Continental regiments commanded by Lord Sterling, of the 1st & 2d Virginia state regiments, and of Colo. Gist’s regiment. Besides these are the following viz., Colonel Harrison’s regiment of artillery, Colonel’s Baylor’s horse, Colonel Bland’s horse, General Scott’s new levies, part of which are gone to Carolina, and part are here, Colonel Gibson’s regiment stationed on the Ohio, Heath and O’Hara’s independent companies at the same stations, Colonel Taylor’s regiment of guards to the Convention troops: of these, we have a return.

There may possibly be others not occurring to me. A return of all these would enable us to see what proportion of the Continental army is contributed by us. We have at present very pressing calls to send additional numbers of men to the Southward. No inclination is wanting in either the legislature or Executive powers to aid them or to strengthen you: but we find it difficult to procure men. I herewith transmit to your Excellency some recruiting commissions to be put into such hands as you may think proper for re-enlisting such of our soaldiery as are not engaged already for the war. The act of assembly authorizing these instructions requires that the men enlisting should be reviewed & received by an officer to be appointed for that purpose; a caution less necessary in the case of men now actually in service, & therefore doubtless able bodied, than in the raising new recruits. The direction however goes to all cases, and therefore we must trouble your Excellency with the appointment of one or more officers of review. Mr. Moss our agent receives orders, which accompany this, to pay the bounty money & recruiting money, & to deliver the clothing. We have however certain reason to fear he has not any great sum of money on hand: and it is absolutely out of our power at this time to supply him, or to say with certainty when we shall be able to do it. He is instructed to note his acceptances under the draughts and to assure payment as soon as we shall have it in our power to furnish him, as the only substitute for money. Your Excellency’s directions to the officer of review will probably procure us the satisfaction of being informed from time to time, how many men shall be re-enlisted.

By Colo. Mathews I informed your Excellency fully of the situation of Governor Hamilton & his companions. Lamothe, & Dejean have given their paroles, and are at Hanover court-house: Hamilton, Hay, and four others are still obstinate; they therefore are still in close confinement; tho their irons have never been on, since your second letter on the subject. I wrote full information of this matter to General Phillips also, from whom I had received letters on the subject. I cannot in reason believe that the enemy, on receiving this information either from yourself or General Phillips, will venture to impose any new distresses on our officers in captivity with them. Yet their conduct hitherto has been most successfully prognosticated by reversing the conclusions of right reason. It is therefore my duty, as well as it was my promise, to the Virginia captives to take measures for discovering any change which may be made in their situation. For this purpose I must apply for your Excellency’s interposition. I doubt not but you have an established mode of knowing at all times through your commissary of prisoners, the precise state of those in the power of the enemy. I must therefore pray you to put into motion any such means you have of obtaining knowledge of the situation of the Virginia officers in captivity. If you should think proper, as I could wish, to take upon yourself to retaliate, any new sufferings which may be imposed on them, it will be more likely to have due weight, and to restore the unhappy on both sides to that benevolent treatment for which all should wish.