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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Dear Brother, Philadelphia June 30th. 1776
Our affairs in Canada are at length brot to a conclusion, and we have now to contend with all the bad consequences which have been apprehended from the Enemy's being in possession of that Country. You will see by the papers that Genl. Thomson was sent with 2000 men to dislodge a party of the Enemy at Trois Rivieres, but Genl. Burgoine having arrived with a considerable body of troops, our men were obliged to retreat with the loss of 150, leaving the Genl. & a few others in captivity. Burgoine pursued his advantage, and our Generals found it absolutely necessary to retire out of the Country with their sick & dispirited Army. The accounts of Burgoine's force are from 8 to 10,000. We cou'd not muster above 3000, all the rest being in the small pox. Our Army, being 7000 brot off all their artillery, stores, baggage & provisions; having destroyed all the forts & bridges behind them. They are now at Crown Point, where they propose to make a stand against Burgoine's Army, assisted by Canadians & Indians, by keeping the mastery of Lake Champlain, if possible which is much to be doubted, as he has bro't with him a great number of vessells ready framed. At New York Genl. Washington has not 19000 men, & 50 of Howe's fleet are now at the hook. None of the militia is yet come in, & Genl. Washington is apprehensive they will not, till it is too late, and there is reason to fear they will never join the Army at Crown Point for fear of the small pox, or if they do, that they will be rendered useless by it. Add to all this, that it is certain great numbers in the Province of N York will join the Enemy. A horrid plot was lately discoverd in the City, to deliver up our Army to the Enemy by spiking the Cannon & blowing up the Magazine & some say to assassinate the Genl. We have not yet the particulars but many are in goal. They had debauched two of the Genl's guards, one of whome is executed. (1) Thus you have a full view of the situation of our affairs, from which I dare say you will agree with me, that we are in a most perilous state, from which nothing but some extraordinary event, can extricate us. We have advice, that the crew of one of the Ships that sailed from this port last winter, loaded by the Congress, confined the Capt. & carried her into Bristol and discover'd the signals by which all the other ships were to distinguish their friends from their Enemies upon their arrival on this Coast. I have nothing to ballance this dismal Acct., but that we have taken about 700 of Frazer's highlanders; & that depending on the goodness of our Cause, we have not lost our spirit.
July 1st. This day the resolve for independency was considered
Page 343
JUNE 1776
Link to date-related documents.
& agreed to in Comtee of the whole, two dissentients S. Carolina & Pensylvania. N. York did not vote, not being empower'd. Tomorrow it will pass the house with the concurrence of S. Carolina. The Pensylvania delegates indulge their own wishes, tho they acknowledge, what indeed everybody knows, that they vote contrary to the earnest desires of the people.
This morning a unanimous vote of the Maryland Convention was brot to Congress, empowering their delegates to concur in all points with Congress. All the Colonies have declared their sense except N. York, whose new Convention, now choosing, is to do the business. We expect you will join us in August, as soon as Government is settled;(2) indeed it will be necessary as Col. Braxton talks of going away in 3 weeks, & I suppose Col. Harrison will go early in August, which will leave us a bare representation. 3 or 4 months will in a great measure decide the fate of America. Tho I think, if our people keep up their spirits, & are determined to be free; whatever advantages the Enemy may gain over us This summer & fall; we shall be able to deprive them of in the winter, & put it out of their power ever to injure us again. Yet I confess I am uneasy, least any considerable losses on our side shou'd occasion such a panick in the Country, as to induce a submission. The evil is coming, which I always dreaded, at the time when all our attention, every effort shou'd be to oppose the Enemy, we are disputing about Government & independence. My best respects to all friends, & believe me upon all occasions your most afft. friend & brow Francis Lightfoot Lee
[P.S.] Will you do the needful with respect to Mr. Lee's estate, before you returns I think Tom Belfeild will be as good a manager, as you can get.
RC (ViHi).
1 Thomas Hickey, a member of Washington's guard, was court-martialed for sedition, mutiny, and recruiting men for the enemy and was executed on June 28. Many of the rumors generated by his arrest, including that of an assassination plot, were not supported by the charges of his conviction. See Washington, Writings (Fitzpatrick), 5:182; and William Whipple to Joshua Brackett, June 23, 1776, note 3.
2 Richard Henry was at this time in Williamsburg attending the Virginia Convention. His letter of June 29 to Gen. Charles Lee, in which he reported that "I shall return to Chantilly in a few days and remain there until the last of August, when I go to Philadelphia," is in Richard Henry Lee, The Letters of Richard Henry Lee, ed. James C. Ballagh, 2 vols. (New York: Macmillan Co., 1911-14), I :203-5.
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