Letter to the Council of Safety for Georgia

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In Congress, Wednesday, March 6, 1776.

The Congress met.
And the Journal of yesterday was read.

Mr˙ President laid before the Congress the following copy of the Letter, written by their order, to Georgia:

Charlestown, South-Carolina, March 5, 1776.

To the Honourable the Council of Safety for GEORGIA:

GENTLEMEN: Your letters of the 1st and 2d instant, and your resolutions, order, and proclamation of those dates, were laid before the Congress, transfusing a general and perfect joy. And the Congress, sensible of the vast importance which your exemplary conduct must be of to the American cause, unanimously voted their thanks; and I have the honour thus to transmit them to you, for your having decisively taken the noble, politick, and vigorous resolution, that the vessels in the ports of Savannah, ready to sail contrary to the interest of America, shall be forthwith unrigged and unruddered; and that, rather than the enemy shall possess those vessels and your Capital, all shall perish in a noble conflagration, lighted by yourselves — an instance of heroick principle not exceeded by any, and equalled but by few, in history.

Your conduct, In citing such of the inhabitants of Savannah as had abandoned their possessions in that town to return to its defence, under penalty of being deemed to have deserted such property, and of being excluded from any support towards obtaining an indemnification for any loss they may sustain by a general conflagration, received the highest applause, as being worthy of imitation; the policy and justice of the measure are equally conspicuous.

In short, the Congress feel the greatest satisfaction from their having anticipated your call for assistance; it is sufficient that we know our friends stand in need of our aid. We, hope that our forces under Colonel Bull will fully accommodate your necessities; and you may rest assured that we shall continue to afford to the friends of America in Georgia, every support in our power.

I have the honour to be, gentlemen, your most humble servant,

WILLIAM HENRY DRAYTON, President.