The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1783-07-26 00:00:00, page 1

scy the UNITED-STATES in CONGRESS Assem
bled, Miy 26th, 1783.
On motion, Resolved,
%«Ha I' the commander in chief be inftrußed to
A grant furloughs to the non commiflioned officers
and (otaiers hi the service of the United States enlisted
to ierve during the war,' who shall be difeharged as
soon as the definitive treaty of peace is concluded, to
gether with a proportionable number of commissioned
officers of the different grades. And that the secretary
at war, and commander in chief take the proper mea
sures for conducting thole troops to their refpeßive
homes, in such manner as may be moR convenient to
thcmfebes and to the dates through which they may
pass , and t?at the men thus furloughed be allowed to
take their arms with them.
CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.
Upon the promulgation of this resolution, the fable
quent address was presented to the commander in
coief, by the officers of the army.
SIR,
IT is difficult for us to express the regret we feel at
being obliged again to solicit your excellency's at
tentiou and patronage. Next to the anguish which
the profpea of our own wretchedness excites in our
breads, is the pain which arises from a knowledge of
your anxiety on account of those men who have been
the sharers of your fortunes, and have had the honour
of being your companions through the variou, viciffi
tades of the war. Nothing, therefore, but necessity
could induce us to a representation wnich we know
matt give you concern.
Your excellency has so intimate a knowledge of the
condition of the army, as to render a particular deline
ation unnecessary. As you have been a witness of our
Bufferings during a war uncommon in its nature, and
unparalleled in many circumstances attending it, so
you are now, fir, no less a witness of the unequal bur
then which has (alien upon us, from the want of that
provision, to which, from our assiduous and unremit
ting services, we conceive, we are inritled. Having
recently expressed our fenle of what was due to our
diftrek—having repeated from your excellency the
confidence we had, that cur accounts would be liquida
ted, the balances afeertained, and adequate funds pro
vided for payment, previous to our being difperftd or
disbanded—having seen with pleasure, the approbation
which Congress gave our reliance —it is with a mixture
of afionifhment and chagrin, that we view the late re
solve of Congress, by which the soldiers for the war,
and a proportionate number of officers, are to be fur
toughed without any one of those important objects
being accomplithed; and to complete the scene of woe,
are to be compelled to leave the army without the
means of defraying the debts we have neceffanly in
curred in the course of service, or even of gratifying
those menials, in the pittance which is their due? much
less, to carry with us that support aid comfort to our
families, of which, from our long military services,
they have been deprived. No less exposed then, to the
iafults of the meanest followers of the army, than to the
arrests of the fheriff, deprived of the ability to assist
cur families ; and without an evidence that any thing
is due to us for our services, and, consequently, with
out the lead profpef tof obtaining credit for even a
temporary subsistence until we can get into bufinefs—
to what quarter can we look? we take the liberty to
fay, fir, only t° your excellency. And, from the sin
cerity of our hearts, we do it, no less from a persuasion
of the efficacy of your further efforts in our favour,
than from the kind affuraacee you have been pleased
to give us of your support.
To your excellency then we make our appeal, and
in the most so emn manner, from that abhorrence of
oppression and injustice which firfl untheathed our
(words, from the remembrance of the common dan
gers through which we have passed; and from the re
collection of those aftooilhing events which have been
effected by cur united efforts, permit us to solicit
further aid ; and to intreat, that the order of the 2d in
fant, founded on the a& of Congress of the 26th of
May la fl, may be suspended or varied in its operation,
so far as that no officer or soldier be obliged to receive
a furlough until that nonorable body can be apprised
of the wretched situation into which the army mu,ft be
plunged, by a conformity to it ; that your excellency
will endeavour to prevail on Congress—nay, that, on the
principles of common justice, you will insist that neither
officer nor soldier be compelled to leave the field, until
a liquidation of accounts can be effected, until the ba
lances are afeertained, certificates for the sums due giv
en, including the commutation of half pay to the offi
cer?, and the gratuity of eighty dollars to the soldiers,
and until a supply of money can be furnifhed fufficient
to carry us from the field of glory, with honour to our
selves and credit to our country. We kill wish to be
lieve, that that country, to which we have been so long
devoted, will never look with indifference on £he dis-
SATURDAY) , TUP r r /
JUL Y 26, 1783;
O R, THE
GENERAL ADVERTISER.
VOL. Xll.l
Published EVERY TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND SATURDAY.-Price S IX -P FNCE
To the foregoing Address, general Washington was
pleased to return the following answer, viz.
Head-Quarters, 6th June, 178 g.
SIR,
'°R' ' make a rep'y fc the fubjeft of the ad
dress of the generals and officers commanding the
r regiments and corps of this army, presented by your
-Ifell yeflerday, I intreat that tliofe gentlemen will ac
cept my warmest acknowledgment for the confidence
they have been pleased to repose in me ; they may be
assured it shall never be abused; and I beg they will
be perfuadsd, that as no man can poffihl, be better ac
quainted than I am with the past merits and Cervices of
the army, so no one can pofhbly be more flrongly im
pressed with their present ineligible situation, feel a
keener frnfibility of their difireffes, or more ardently
desire to alleviate or remove them—-but it would he
unnecessary, perhaps, to enter into a detail of what
I have done, and what I am Aill attempting to doin or
der to assist in the accomplishment of this interefling
purpose --let i. be fufficient to observe, I do not yet
despair of success; for I am perfedly convinced that
the slates cannot, without involving themselves in na
tional bankruptcy and ruin, refufe to comply with the
requisitions of Congress: who, it must be acknowledg
ed, have done every thing in their power to obtain am
ply nd complete juflice for the army, and whafe great
object in the present measure undoubtedly was, by a
reduction of exjence to enable the financier to make
the three months payment to the army which on all
hands had been agreed to b- abfoluteiy and indifpen
fibly necessary: to explain this matter, I beg leave
to insert an extras of a letter from the fuperintendant
of finance, dated the 20th ultimo.
“ It is now above a month since the committee con
ferred with me on that fubjeß, and I then told them
no payment could be made to the army, but by means
of a paper anticipation: and unless our expenditures
were immediately and considerably reduced, even that
could not be done. Cur expenditures have neverfhe
lefs been continued, and our revenues lessen ; the Bates
' growing daily more and more remiss in their collecti
ons. The consequence is that I cannot make payment
in the manner frit intended. The notes issued for this
purpose would have been payable at 'two, four and fix
months from the date, but at present they will be at fix
months, and eventhat will soon become impracticable,
unless our expences be immediately curtailed.
" 1 shall cause such notes to be issued for three months
pay to the army, and I must entreat, fir, that every
influence be used with the Rates, to absorb them, to
gether with my other engagements, by taxation."
Three days ago a messenger was dispatched by me,
to urge the necessity of forwarding these notes with the
greatest possible expedition.
Under this Rate of circumfiances, I need fctrcely add
that the fxpence of every day in feeding the whole ar
my, will increase very considerably, the inability of
the public to difeharge the debts already incurred, at
least for a considerable time to come.
Although the officers of thearmy very well know my
official situation, that I am only a servant of the public,
and that it is not for me to dispense with orders wh^ch
it i^ my duty to carry into execution—yet as furloughs
in all services are considered as a matter of indulgence
and not of compulsion ; as Congress, I am persuaded,
entertain the best disposition towards the arny, and as
I apprehend, in a very Ihort time, the two principal ar
ticles of complaint will be removed ; —until the further
pleasure of Congress can be known, 1 shall not helicate
to comply with the wishes of the army, under these re
fervatjons only, that officers fufficient to cooduQ the
men who cboofe so receive furloughs, will attend them
either on furlough or by detachment, the propriety and
necessity of this measure must be obvious to all, it need
not therefore be inforced ; and with regard to the n^n
commißioned officers and privates, such as from a pe
culiarity of circumfiances, with not to receive furloughs
at this time, will give in their names at twelve o'clock
to-morrow to the commanding officers of their regi
ments, that on a report to the adjutant-general, an
equal number of men engaged for three ye^rs may be
furloughed, which will make the faring of expences
exaaly the fame to the public.
I cannot but hope the notes will soon arrive, and that
the settlement of accounts may be compleated by the
afliftance of the paymafl-rs, in a few diys. In ti>e
mean time I shall have the honor of laying the fenti-
freffes of those of her Corrs, who have so essentially con
tributed to the establishment of freedom, the security of
property, and the rearing of an empire.
In the name and behalf of the generals and officers
commanding regiments, and corps in the cantonments
[Qfon's river, I have the honour to be, with the
bigheft respect, your excellency's most obedient fer
vsnt.
J un e 5, i 7 w. HEATH, M. G. Prefi.
0/2H'ed^ef&y //ex:,
(The 30th Instant, Jok)
At VIII o'CV k in the Mornin,, at Me. John Bar
clay's Storrs, on M:afeN Wharff,
"fill he Sold by Public Auction,
BOHEA IBA, Ahls, Black L~ad, Shot, Coiuar o .
I Cattle Yarn, seine Twine, Br. <he#, Humer,, & .&.„
bing tne remaining Put of the Cargo of tr Bn
pant ne Four Friends Peter Cornehur, matter, ;r m An:«
fterdam,damaged,md Solo by Order of the Court of A^#
urn Jr/ for this S.arc. CLEMENT BIDDLE, MrQh
Io be Sold by Public Auction,
On TUESDAY t'ezgh instant, at Wbitefiac'g wtaiffy
at I? %.jck in the Morning,
AQJANI ITY of Cjrdaye Window o^'o in
box% 6 Small Anhoj s , z Cafaol S^rhr,l
few btrndh? of Spades, 2> bolts of Sil Lu r,
White Wine Vinegar in ti fees B?ef and Ec.fr, Tal-
I># and white ^ax Cand es, W ting Paper of all kinds,
Coarse Wrapping Pape, Mtns Sh e„ &c, &,;
A L S 0,
A PireW o f BLOCKS for sh or, if varim r f„,„
A C:i) COURT will be held at the Court-
House in this city, on Monday the 28ch
infant, at Ten o'clock in the Lorenzen : of
which all persons bound by recognizance to ap
pear thereat, and all city cwßables are to take
notice and give their attendance accordingly.
All public housekeepers ir r the 'city arc ro ap
ply to this court by petition for recommenda*
tions for Licences for the enfiiing year.
WILLIAM WILL Sheriff July ^
T H I S D A Y, at Xll o'Clock,
at the Coffer-Hon e, will ba SOLD,
A large Quantity of London particular and
London Mark-t
Madeira Wines,
In Pipes and Quarter Cafxs, by lamp!, :
And on MONDAY following,
WEI be SOLD at the City V^r^hi- : tor?, at %
o'Clock in the Forenoon, A large QUANTITY ot
MERCHANDIZE,
as usual . 'Confakr/ rrf —
\„I"TE and brown Sheeting Linen?, Ozna^fTc,
' a Quantity cf Ironmen ,rr,, C :n<, G,b, Jap
pinned and Tin Ware, elegant P 3 per Haoguig^/nJ
Looking-Griffs, breakfaft Green Tea in quarter cheHs,
and a pared of Leather G ove% & m &c,
kly 26. JOH^ BAYARD. AnfUrr-r.
The two preceding Papers were inclofed in the follow
ing letter to his excellency the President of Congress.
Bead Quarters, Newburgh, June 7th, 1783.
S I R,
I HAVE the honor so enclose to your excellency, the
copy of an address, from the generals and officers
commanding regiments and corps, together with my
answer to it. These indlofures will explain the di;-
tresses which refolded from the measures now carrying
into execution in consequence of the resolution of the
26th of May, but the sensibility occafiaued by a part
ing scene, under such peculiar circumflances, will not
admit of defcriptlcm
The two fubjeds of complaint with the army ap
pear to be, the delay of the three months payment
which had been expelled, and the want of a settlement
of accounts ---I have thought royfelf authorifed to aft
sure them, Congress had and would attend particular
ly to their grievances; and have made some little va
riations refpeaing furloughs, from what was at firft
proposed: the secretary at war wil beable to explain
the reason and propriety of ths alteration.
While I confider it a tribute of juflice on this ocra
fion to mention the temperate and orderly behaviour
of the whole army, ana particularly the accommodat
ing spirit of the officers in arranging themselves, to the
command of the battalions which will be composed of
the 3 yra> s men; permit me to recall to mind all their
former (offerings and merits, and to recommend their
reafno/ye requetts to the early and favourable notice
o' Congress. I have the horor to be, &c.
merits of the generals and officers commanding reg'°
merits and corps, before Congress -they are expressed
in Rich a decent, candid and affeOing manner, that I 1
am certain every mark of attention will be paid rm them.
I have the honor to be, with very great esteem, fir,
your most obedient servant.
Major General Heath.
[NIjME. ic„