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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --THURSDAY, JULY 3, 1777
A letter, of 1, from General Washington, at Middlebrook, was read.
The Committee on Foreign Affairs brought in the form of a commission to a commissioner to the States General of the United Provinces: Whereupon,
Resolved, That the form of the commission and instructions to the commissioner to the States General of the United Provinces, be the same as those given to the commissioners to the Courts of Vienna, Berlin and the Grand Duke of Tuscany.
A letter of the 2d from General Washington, at Middlebrook, and one of the 25 June, from General Schuyler, at Saratoga, with sundry papers enclosed; one, of the 2d, from Joseph Trumbull; one, of the 30 June, from General Putnam, at Peekskill; one, of the 22 June, from Jonathan Potts, at Ticonderoga; one, of the 16 June, from John Avery, deputy secretary, dated council chamber, Boston; and one, of the 1st, from General Sullivan, at Middlebrook; were read:1
[Note 1: 1 The letter of Washington is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 152, IV, folio 313. Another of the 2d, read on this day, is on folio 317. It is printed inWritings of Washington (Ford), V, 461. That of Schuyler is in No. 153, III, folio 172; that of Putnam, in No. 159, folio 71.]
Ordered, That the letters from General Washington and General Schuyler, with the papers enclosed,and also the letter from General Sullivan be referred to the Board of War; that so much of General Washington's letter as relates to money matters, and the letter from Joseph Trumbull, be referred to the Board of Treasury; that the letter from Dr. Potts, be referred to the Medical Committee.
A letter, of the 22d of June, from William Greene, speaker of the general assembly of Rhode Island and
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Providence Plantations, to the delegates in Congress from that state, was laid before Congress:
Ordered, That it be referred to the Board of Treasury.
Congress took into consideration the letter from General Sullivan; Whereupon,
Resolved, That the president inform General Sullivan that Congress have not been accustomed to be controled by their officers in the measures which they are about to take in discharge of the important trust committed to them by the United States; that they mean not to be controled by his letter in their proceedings respecting Monsr du Coudray; for that whatever those proceedings may be, General Sullivan's resignation will be accepted by Congress whenever he shall think it proper to transmit it to them.
The Committee to whom the letter from David Hall and others, with the papers accompanying the same, was referred, reported "that they have attended to the business given them in charge, and have received the following information. That a considerable part of the inhabitants of Sussex county, in the State of Delaware, have ever since the commencement of the present controversy with great Britain acted as enemies to the American cause, and are now unfriendly and disaffected to the constitution and government of that State, and to the independence of the United States; that an open and avowed intercourse has been kept up by the disaffected in the county aforesaid with the British ships of war, by means of which intelligence has from time to time been given, and frequent supplies of provisions have been afforded to the enemies of the United States; that the disaffected in the said county keep up a constant correspondence with those of the same character in the counties of Worcester and Somerset in the State of Maryland; that some of
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them have promised to conduct British sailors to the houses of the well affected that they might be taken; that it is probable that enterprizes of this kind will be attempted to be put in execution; that one person has already been taken in this way and put in irons; that considerable numbers of men have been recruited for the enemy in Sussex county, and have been sent to New York; that the militia officers in that county have generally resigned, and the laws of the State of Delaware for punishing treason and disaffection are rendered altogether ineffectual by the insolence and the numbers of the disaffected; that a very large sum of counterfeit continental money has been brought from the enemy's ships into the said county, part of which has been circulated among the inhabitants; that there is the greatest reason to apprehend, that if the enemy were to gain the smallest advantage over the army of the United States, and the English fleet should appear upon the coast, there would be a general insurrection in that county in favour of the British king; that in May last the president of the State of Delaware sent commissioners to inquire into the state of the county of Sussex, and ordered them to make report of any treasonable practices they might be able to discover among the inhabitants of the said county; that a report mentioning the disaffection and treasonable practices, which the said commissioners, from the best information they could receive, and such observations as they had an opportunity of making, believed to prevail in the said county, was accordingly made; that the Assembly of the State of Delaware met a few days after the said report was made, but adjourned without any proceedings being held thereupon." Whereupon
Resolved, That the regiment of continental troops now in the State of Maryland under the command of Colonel
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Richardson be immediately ordered to march into the county of Sussex in the State of Delaware, to overawe and disarm the disaffected in that county, to put a stop to the intercourse which they carry on with the enemy by securing all the water craft and by every other measure which Colonel Richardson shall deem necessary, and toexecute such further measures as shall be directed by the President of the State of Delaware, or other Persons acting under the authority of that State apprehend, detain and secure the leaders in such highly criminal practices.
That the Governor of the State of Maryland be requested to order the Militia of that State who now do Duty with Colonel Richardson's Regiment, to march with that Regiment, and assist it in performing this service.
That the President of the State of Delaware be requested to order two hundred of the Militia of that State, to join and cooperate with Colonel Richardsoh's Regimentand the Militia from the State of Maryland.
That it be earnestly recommended to the Legislative or Executive authority of the State of Delaware, to adopt and pursue the most vigorous and effectual measures, for checking the [dangerous and] spreading of Disaffection inthe County of Sussex and particularly for discovering, apprehending, securing and punishing the Leaders of the highly criminal Designs and Enterprises which have been carried on in that Country that part of the State.
That for accomplishing this important End Congress will afford to the State of Delaware, every Assistance by the Continental Troops ordered into the County of Sussex, and by all such other Measures as may be found to be necessary.
Resolved, That the Board of War be directed to take effectual measures for Compleatly arming as speedily as possible Colonel Richardsons Battalion which is ordered into Sussex County in the State of Delaware.
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Ordered, That a Copy of the foregoing Report and Resolutions, and also of the letter of the 24th. June from David Hall and others together with Copies of the Depositions accompanying the same, be sent to the President of the State of Delaware, and to Colo: Richardson.1
[Note 1: 1 The report, in the writing of James Wilson, is in thePapers of the Continental Congress, No. 20, II, folio 205. The last two paragraphs are in the writing of Charles Thomson.]
The Committee on Foreign Affairs brought in the draught of a commission and instructions to the commissioner to be sent to the States General of the United Provinces, which were read.
Ordered, To lie on the table.
The several matters to this day referred, being postponed,
Adjourned to 10 o'Clock on Saturday.
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