To George Washington from the Committee at Headquarters, 30 June 1780
From the Committee at Headquarters
In Committee of Congress Morris Town June 30. 1780
Sir
We inclose you copies of our several letters to the states, agreable to the inclosed list.1
We must rely on your Excellency’s candor & generosity, to excuse us for not having done this sooner; but a variety of business has so constantly occupied our time, as render’d it impracticable to have copies of the whole made out before.
The committee have as yet received no answers to any of their circular letters except from New Jersey Rhode Island and Delaware, copies of which are also inclosed for your information. We are with the highest respect & Esteem Your Excellency’s Most Obt Humble servants
Jno. Mathews
Nathl Peabody
LS, DLC:GW; copy, DNA:PCC, item 11; copy, DNA:PCC, item 39. A note on the copy in DNA:PCC, item 39 reads: “sent this with the inclosures by Wm Laurance express July 1st 1780.”
1. The enclosed list of documents has not been identified, but the copies in DNA:PCC, items 11 and 39, list the enclosures: circular letters from the committee to the states of 25 May (two letters) and 2, 12, 19, and 23 June; a letter to Connecticut governor Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., of 20 June; an estimate of requisitions contained in the committee’s circular of 2 June (the list erroneously indicates that the estimate was contained in the committee’s second circular of 25 May); a letter of 28 June to Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer and Josiah Beall of Maryland; a letter from New Jersey governor William Livingston dated 28 June; a letter from Delaware governor Caesar Rodney dated 22 June (see also Rodney to GW, same date); a resolution of the Delaware legislature transmitted by Rodney on 21 June; and a letter from Rhode Island governor William Greene dated 25 June (see also Greene to GW, same date). All enclosed documents are in DLC:GW.
For the committee’s circulars to the states of 25 May, see GW to the Committee at Headquarters, that date, notes 1 and 5. For the committee’s circular to the states of 2 June, see Circular to the States, that date, n.1. For the committee’s circular to the states of 12 June, see the source note to GW’s letter to the committee of that date. For the committee’s circular to the states of 19 June, see GW to the Committee at Headquarters, that date, n.3. For the committee’s circular to the states of 23 June, see the committee’s letter to GW, 24 June, n.1.
For the committee’s letter to Trumbull of 20 June, see GW’s letter to the committee, that date, n.4. For the estimate of requisitions, see Circular to the States, 2 June, n.1. For the committee’s letter of 28 June to Jenifer and Beall, see GW to the Committee at Headquarters, 27 June, n.1.
Livingston wrote the committee from Turkey, N.J., on 28 June: “I beg leave to inform you that the law of this State for enlarging the powers of the contractors, direct them to hire, purchase or impress their respective quota’s of horses, teams and drivers assigned to each county, amounting in the whole to the number required; and empowering them to purchase more of any article of Provision, until the first of January next, than their quota fixt in the former law—And a resolution of both houses direct the magistrates to impress all the teams they possibly can, in the counties of Hunterdon, Burlington, Monmouth, Middlesex and Sussex.
“The Legislature has also passed a law for compleating the three regiments of this State, in the service of the united States, which is now carrying into execution. But they have not vested in any persons such powers as to enable them on the requisition of Congress or their committee to draw forth the Military resources of this State.
“This, Gentlemen, is all the answer I am able to give to your several favours of the 19th & 23d June instant” (DLC:GW).