Letter from the New-Hampshire Committee of Safety to their Delegates in Congress

v3:1630

In Committee of Safety at Portsmouth, November 21, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: The Committee of Supplies, and others concerned in supplying and paying our Troops, have not as yet been able to close their accounts in such a manner as that we could make out the Colony account against the Continent. We have proceeded so far as to be sure that supplying and paying our Troops in the Continental Army under General Washington, to the 4th of August, with what we advanced to those gone in Colonel Arnold' s detachment, and those now in Canada, under the command of General Schuyler, will amount to upwards of twenty thousand Pounds, lawful money.

To avoid the necessity of emitting more paper money for our own internal charges, we desire you would request the honourable Congress to make us a grant of such a part of the aforesaid sum as they shall see fit, and our accounts shall be transmitted, as soon as a settlement can be made with the persons who have transacted the business.

The numbers of the inhabitants in the several Towns in this Colony, directed by our Congress to be taken by the several and respective Selectmen, and returned under oath, has chiefly been complied with. We send you enclosed the list as returned, except those where only the column for the sum total are filled up, which not being returned, we have set down by the best information we could obtain, and are confident we have done it very near the true number. However, shall forward those wanting when they come to hand, (which we daily expect,) that the whole may be completed by the Selectmen' s returns.

By order of the Committee:

WILLIAM WHIPPLE, Chairman.

To Josiah Bartlett and John Langdon, Esqs.