The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1780-12-06 00:00:00, page 2

Doctor Shippen's Vindication.
IN the fourth charge, I am accused of neglect of duty,
whereby the sick and wounded American soldiers
fuffered and died in a manner (hocking to humanity:
this I look upon as a crime of the blacked dye, and
Should not think myfelf worthy an exigence had I
not acquitted myfelf of it before the court-martial,
and proved to them that I exerted every nerve, deno
ted every hour, and facrificed every private intereß and
pleasure, to relieve the unavoidable distresses of 1777/
and make the sick comfortable and happy. I have
abundant testimony of this, as will fully appear here
after. It was never denied, for it was unavoidable,
that there were many fufferingsin the hospitals after
the battles of Brandywine and Germantown ; but the
Witnesses brought by my enemies proved, when cross
examined, that they were not owing to my negled, to
any deficiency of wine and fuga-, of tea, coffee, rice
or vegetables, nor to a wantof surgeons, commissaries,
nurses, medicines, or any thing I ought and could
Supply. They arose partly from a want of eloathing
and covering necessary to keep the soldiers clean and
warm, articles not at that time procurable in the coun
try: partly from our army's being raw, unused to a
Camp life, undi fcipliaed, and being exposed to fatigue
and great hardships, from their being obliged to fly
before an army every way the reverse, in a cold, in
clement season ; and from our sick and wounded being
moved to a great distance in open waggons. For in
December, 1777, I was ordered by general Walkings
ton to remove all the sick from New-Jersey and the vi
cinity of Camp into Laneafter county, when scarce a
waggon was to be had from a quartermafler, or flour
from a commissary. Notwith (landing all these distres
sing circumstances it was effected with little loss; and
by the uncommon care and attention of the hospital of
ficers the consequences were not near as fatal as was
to he feared and expetted. If these fufferin^s were
not unavoidable, or had arisen from my neglect, why
did not officers of all ranks in the army complaint
why did they not apply to the commander in chief,
and to Congress, and procure my difmiffion, as they
had that of doctor Morgan, in 1776 ? his excellency's
attention and humanity to his sick and wounded sol
diery was too great not to have known of their fuffer
ings; and had my neglect produced them he would cer
tainly have brought me to condign punishment. Ile
saw their distresses, he dropped a tear over them; he
knew they were unavoidable : he saw me and my of
ficers exerting ourselves to the utmost for their relief,
and could not fay, as he did of the campaign of 1776,
on the eaf lfide of the river, where my accuser presided,
that his eyes and ears too were shocked with the looks
and complaints of poor creatures perilling for want of
care in the regimental or hospital surgeons. But it is
pretended that there were scenes of distress that would
Ihock humanity at Reading. Yes, Lord Stirling/
who was quartered there a considerable part of the
time; general Mifflin, who was there all the winter ;
and the feleft men of the town, made no complaint.
Is it credible that such shocking treatment of the sick,
as is pretended, would have escaped their observation
or knowledge; or that, if they saw or heard it, they
would not have been the firft to impeach the authors of
it, if it arose from willful negled?
But neither from lord Stirling, general Mifflin, or
the feled men, is there any complaint, or any certifi
cate of the exigence of these inhuman feenes, much
less of any neglect, cruelty and mifconduftin me. It
Would be trifling with the patience of the public to en
ter into the incompetency of the witnesses debtor Mor
gan produced, and the low arts he employed, to
draw from poor ignorant people certificates and depo
sitions which, had they underflood them, they could
never have given. It is fufficient to fay, that as these
arts were not practicable with more proper and compe
tent witnesses, he was obliged to have recourse to those
who deserve no credit. I will only take notice of Mr-
Peter Ozeas, who has given the most affecting descrip
tion, and is the most intelligent among them : when
cross-examined he deposed, that " he did not know
" that any sick or wounded soldiers ever fuffered or
'' died from my refufing to relieve them or neglecting
" my duty as director general :" “ That he thought a
" great deal of the fufferings of the sick at Reading,
" arose from their want of blankets and-change of lin
" nen ; to their coming in open waggons, in great
" numbers at a time : that those fufferings happened
« in January ;" " that he heard no complaints after
" doctor Latimer came :" and it is on oath before
the court, that doCtor Latimer went to Reading early
in December. Mr. Ozeae also gave the following cer
tificate, March the 10th, 1780: " I certify, that doc
-66 tor Morgan frequently called upon me, and conver
" fed with me about the hospitals in Reading and
" what I knew of them while I assisted the barrack
«' master general. I told him with great freedom that
" I thought they were not well attended, and that
" dodor Kennedy, who had the management, was ve
" ry cross and inhuman, and I thought did not do
" his duty. After these several visits and repeated
" conversations, he asked me to go before a magistrate
“ and depose these matters, telling me he had given
“ doftor Shippen notice to attend. I told him I had
" nothing against doctor Shippen, but that I looked
“ upon doctor Kennedy as the chief doftor. However
ft I went before squire Rush, and gave a deposition by
" no means intending to injure dodor Shippen, as I
« had no reason to do it from my own knowledge.
" And I further declare, when doflor Latimer took
“ the management upon doctor Kennedy's removal,
" the hospitals were better taken care of and I heard
" no complaints.
"PETER OZEAS.
" Attest. T. BOND, junior."
Doctor Tilton, who may be supposed to be a com
petent witness, is the only ore who has ventured to
give an instance of my adua! neglect. He deposed,
that " he sent me one written and two verbal meffa
" ges to Trenton, to have proper quarters prepared
“ for the wounded men from Brandywine; and that
" the barracks were the only quarters he found ready
" for them, out of which putrid cases had just been re
" moved. He found this out by some of his mens be
^ jpg taken with putrid symptoms, three or four days
" after they arrived at Frincetorf ; one died; therefore
" he was obliged to fufpe& the barracks as the caufe.'
It fully appears, that even this suspicion was falfe, for
doctor Otto, senior, and his son, who had attended the
barracks, 'have deposed there had not been any putrid
cases in them for three weeks before doctor Tilton ar
rived, and Mr. Kotts has sworn the barracks were well
Cleaned by my orders for their reception.
If Dr. Hutchinson, when answering all the unmean
ing queflions a Morgan could artfully suggest for
twelve hours, seemed to imply any neglect in me,
when cross- examined he removed every such idea, and
pofit'vely deposed, " that he did not know of any
“ sick soldiers fuffering or dying from my neglect of
" duty."
Doctor Brown is produced as an evidence against me ;
but Dodor Brown, white he reprobates the system with
which I have no corn ern teftifies to no negie& of mine;
but imputes all the fufferings of the sick to that fyf
tern, and to the causes I have before assigned. This
gentleman, in his letter to me written in his own clo
set, in his cool receding moments, without my foli
citition, and sworn to before the court-martial, fays,
" I know of nothing of which you can justly be
" impeached: your ConduH has been authoritative
" and obliging: you have gained the esteem of all
“ your officers." And in a letter to Congfefs, in
February, 1778, after all these fufferings of 1777, be
wrote thus : "I believe Doctor Shippen, the present
" director general, has performed tne intentions of
“ Congress as fully as any man could have done it."
In another letter, authenticated before the court too,
he fays, “ I am then to assure you, that I fincercly
" with you may honourably acquit yourfelf of all
“ the charges brought against you by Dolors Mor
" gan and Rush, part of them, from my own knowledge,
" I can pronounce you guiltless of; for the rest
“ I am ignorant; as you are unjufily calumniated
^ on one point, 'tis probably at least you may be so
" on another also" What Wronger testimony
could DoHor Brown give in my favour: and no man
was a better judge of, or better acquainted with, my
condu&; having a&ed with me as my assistant phy
sician in the flying Camp ; as my assistant director,
and as physician general, till his resignation last Aa
guft.
[To be continued.]
To THE PRINTERS.
Gentlemen,
Your readings to give a p^e in the Packet to *ny thing
which relates to our public affairs, leaves me co room
to doubt your inferring the following Observations on
Paper Money, Trade and Finance, which will be con
tinued in your next. T. G.
H E finance of a nation is one great branch of its
I government: It is that branch on which the sup
A port of fleets and armies must neceffardy depend.
All civilized nations meafare their own and their neigh
bours abilities to carry on a war upon this scale: And it
is the idea entertained by Britain, of our want of fkdl in
finance, or want of resources, which determines that in
veterate and defpey&te ration still to continue the war,
This confederation, added to the great distress daily ari
fingfrum our want of money in the Tresfory, is surely
(efficient to obtain from us some feriotts attention to this
great fubjeft; afubje& which requires the deliberate con
sideration both of Cergrefs and of the refpeOive States
in Union : And it will be well for us, if those who are
best qualified offer their sentiments upon it as freely as I
(hall, without apology, offer mine.
'lt is impoffitle to (peak of the finance of America, in
any tolerable degree pertinent to our present fifuatian,
and with any degree of justice to Congress, without tak
ing notice of some circumstances in which this truly
patriotic war was undertaken.
It is enough on this occasion to fay, that Congress had
no pretentions of authority to eflablifh funds for redeem
ing the bills of credit, which receffi+y compelled that
Honorable Body to emit, to support the war and defend
our country ; That, far from deriving aid frohr the pow
ers of government then existing, the genius of America,
unaided, had to contend against themall. To those who
furnished supplies for the army Congress had nothing to
pledge but the faith of that people whom they represent
ed : Th r s they pledged, and that people, now established
in diflina States, arc bound to make good the engage
ment, by every principle of found polity as well as of
jufiice. Indeed it remained, too long, aqueftion, what
were the real engagements which had been made, and by
what scale the claims of the public creditor Ihould be ad
justed: It is now decided, and Congress have done, per
haps, the best that human wisdom could have device,
in a case so difficult and so complex: The proportion to
be paid by each State is agreed upon, and it remains a
duty on the retpeHive States to provide and eftahlifh
funds for finking the bills of credit already issued ; for
paying the debt contrasted ; and for supporting tie war
so as to bring it to a happy end. For this purpose, it is
indifpenfibly necessary to support a paper credit, of some
kind, as a medium of commerce, or exchange of proper
ty : And it is a quefiion of some consequence to be de
termined, how this credit can be supported.
In this enquiry it may be of use, and, to an inquisitive
mind at leisure would afford amufemerit, to trace minute
ly the causes of depreciation in the Continental bills of
credit r but as a discovery es the weakness ot some wen,
and the wickedness of others, which have contributed co
this efFt€l, would more than balance the pleasure attend
ing the enquiry, I shall only (peak of a few of the train
causes, and of these only so fa as they immediately relate
to this queflion.
Whatever may have been the effeft of the uncertainly
of fu< cefs in our bold and virtuous attempt to support a
perfect independence, this cause must have, long firace,
ceased to aft : For even the minions and mad partizans of
the British tyrant have acknowledged, that their hopes of
final success against as is extinguithed.Thedifaffeaed have
grown weary of their foolish attempts, which have con
stantly injured them selves more than they have injured us;
except only a few of this description, who ar@ kept in pay
by the enemy and employed by them in buying and tell
ing of gold. These are now within the reach of that
punishment which they have long merited, and there is
reason to hope, that a circle will close, 'ere long, which
will take in the whole of them.
To forward this purred. I ffiaff lay rp'n t' ejr cona
duff, so as to leave it almost impoff ble to miflake am
honest man for one of those execrable traitors. Money
is put into their hands by the enemy, and whenever thero
arises an extra demand for fpeiir, from any cause whate
ver, with this money they fly through the city, making
a parade of purchase,, and buy just enough to raise the
exchange as far as they dare, without riiking a discove
ry of their wicked design. In a few days they fell of it
again to raise Continental, with which to repeat their
crime. A loss on this od'arious trade is certain and un
avoidable, by so much as the, raise the exchange pro
portioned ts the quantity 01 fpecia which they purchase.
From whence it is clear, that those who are concerned
in it, mull be employed by the enemy, who chearfully
repa- ths lob, together with a handsome reward to the
villains for wickedness. And they have found it the cheap
est possible mode of wounding our public credit, and
thereby injuring and distressing us.
Look round you, my fellow citizens, and fee who the,
are that have been employed in this kind of traffic; en-.
quire their means of living; the File and manner in
which they have lived; and the principles which they
have profeffed and practiced. Confider them a moment,
and try if you can pcffibly doubt their having been em
ployed by the enemy in this deftfuaive business. Your
late virtuous rtfolves have, fcr the present, put a total
flop to th-m; but look back, there is enough of their
former conduct before you to determine who they are.
For your own fake, for the fake of your country, report
th rn to authority, that they may not escape and, reiter
ating their guilt, finally deffroy us all.
Independent of the practices of the enemy, and the
effe&sof folly and of guilt the ma n causes of depreciati
on are, the ftaie of th® American trade in which the bal
ance is now greatly against her; and the want of solid
and well efDblhhed funds for finking the Bill of Credit
emitted by Congress and by the reffeßive Stakes.
When the balance of trade is against a nation, it is
extremely difficult, even in old and well established go
vernment*, to support a paper credit on a par with specie;
and in young countries those difficulties are much great
er: Approaching very nearly to impossibilities. Indeed^
in this case, the increase and improvement of a country
adds to the difficulty, and more especially where the
public credit has, by any means, bet^ wounded.
There are men in all nations who, from a variety of
motives, incline to hoard gold, and tid these are fatisfied,
or their means of obtaining it exhausted, 'tis in vain that
we cxpe& to find the precious metals in circulation-
While the balance of trade continues so much in favour
of a country that the eucreafr of fpe< ie is equal to the en
creafing abilites otthofe people, this disposition is injurious
on'y to theroftives; provided there is 111 circulation a
medium of paper, or any other kind of money, fuffi ient
for the ready exchange of property among the people :
For it is not difficult to prove, that p?per established oil
a solid foundation has many advantages over specie ^
This however would lead me beside the present design.
But when the balance of trade is against a nation the
hoarding of gold becomes extremely injurious to the credit
of the Slate ; and the injury is perpetually encreafing, so
long as the precious metals are really necessary to pay
that ballance.
When the circulating specie is exported and there flill
remains a ballance due to foreign countries, which muff
be paid in specie, the hoarder of the precious metals bar
if absolutely in his power to determine the value of our
paper money. The merchant mud give him whatever
he pleases to demand for his geld; or he rcuft quit so
much of his trade. There is a magic in buying and fel
lmg ° f gold which must be examined into and suppressed ;
or we shall be ruined. Let us try to comprehend it.
When exchange was at forty for one, a merchant
wanted a few half joes, which he found some difficulty
in purchasing at the common exchange : in order to tempt
the specie holder, the merchant offered him forty-five
fair one, the bargain was closed and the miser had fqueef
ed from the merchant five for one more than had been
given the day before. But does this business end so?
No. The merchant feels it to be his interest to have it
known, that exchange has risen ; for he must rife the
price of his goods accordingly, and the rife of exchange
roust be the reason assigned for it. The miser fet# out to
realife bis Continental, and improve the bargain he has
made; but he is astonished to find the whole city alrea
dy informed, that exchange is at forty five for one |
that his forty five dollars will purchase no more than the
forty would have dons had he not railed the exchange r
He determines not to be catched so again: He will keep
his gold ! Next day the merchant tempts another wretch,
of the fame cast, with fifty for one and instantly spreads the
intelligence: The price of goods is again railed ; or,
in other words, the value of our paper money is depre
ciated, the public isinjured and neitherthe merchant nor
the miser are a farthing the richer for it. The ignorant
are a ftonifliad at the Grange even's which happen, and
the whole appears to them like witch-craft. The com^
m*nt of every one is contained in one stupid queflion tea
thousand times repeated, Why don't Congress make th#'
money better ?
The faft t have dated, and its plain evident confer
quences are known to every one ; and yft if the ne
cessity of some regulations in trade is hinted at, you
are inftsatiy and fiercely informed, fom^iirnes even by
merchants o' eminence, that "Trade must regulate it
fe|t',' r as if that excellent general rule had no exceptions^
but was universal and applied to all possible cases.
Whereas t,e treth is, that trade never did, nor ever wilt
regulate itfelf, while the ballance ot it is against us, and
the real solid interest of the merchant requires, in cases
like the present, that it (hould be regulate, so far, at
least, as to prevent the balance turning against us.
There is an excellent maxim which feme of our most
intelligent merchants have adopted, and with good rea
son, " That the high price of goods of any kind, at any
market, will induce traders to fend those goods to that
market :' 'And this maxim is as true of gold as of any
oilier merchandize. But does this rule hand rhe test of
examination, with refpeT to specie, iu the present case *
Certainly, no : For, paradoxical as it may at firfl ap
pear, the higher the price given by the merchant, in pa
per, for g< I 1, the more scarce the gold has become, and
the more difficult to purchase. The reason is, that the
rule does not apply to the case : For in a fluctuating, me-
Gium 9 as our payer bus hitherto been, it .s impossible to