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Letter from the Delegates of this State in the Continental
Congress to his Excellency the President:
"Philadelphia, 9th July, 1776.
"SIR: Enclosed are the resolutions of Congress respecting our Provincial forces.
"Enclosed, also, are some other occasional resolutions of Congress
"We have procured an order from Congress for three hundred thousand dollars, for the payment and disbursements of our troops; which will be forwarded to you as soon as possible. Congress have also given directions to the commanding officer in Virginia, about a fortnight ago, to send forward five thousand pounds of gunpowder to our Colony. Every day now is likely to produce something important. We have heard of Clinton' s arrival off Charles-Town bar, and most anxiously wait to know the event. General Howe' s Army from Halifax, said to contain ten thousand men, are arrived at Sandy-Hook. A part of them are landed upon Staten-Island. It is said he is waiting to be joined by twenty thousand more, who are coming from England, in the fleet under Lord Howe; when it is expected that New-York will become the scene of action. The Army under General Washington are in high spirits, and the Militia have taken the field with an alacrity that does them honour. From these circumstances we still hope for a Providential interposition, and that the virtuous efforts of America will be crowned with deserved success.
"With the greatest respect, we are your Excellency' s most obedient servants,
"THOMAS LYNCH,
"P˙ S˙ The express is to be paid for every day that he is detained in Carolina.
"His Excellency John Rutledge, Esq."
Letter from the Delegates of this State in the Continental Congress to the President
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We wish they may be agreeable to your Excellency; to our Assembly, and to the officers of
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our Army; if they are not, there is nothing compulsory in them. Congress would not strictly comply with the request we were ordered to make on this subject, lest they should establish a precedent which might be injurious to the general interest of America. We have, therefore, been obliged to vary our application, and to adopt such resolutions as seemed most conformable to the intentions of our Congress, and most likely to give satisfaction to the officers of our Army.
, and a very important Declaration , which the King of Great Britain has at last reduced us to the necessity of making. All the Colonies were united upon this great subject, except New-York, whose Delegates were restrained by an instruction given several months ago. Their Convention is to meet in a few days, when it is expected that instruction will be immediately withdrawn, and the Declaration unanimously agreed to by the thirteen United States of America.
THOMAS HEYWARD, Jun˙,
"EDWARD RUTLEDGE,
THOMAS LYNCH, Jun˙"
"ARTHUR MIDDLETON,