The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1780-09-02 00:00:00, page 2

floret as private property and negle^ing his duty, >y
Dr. Ruth, io April, 1778. The Congress ordered a Com
mittee to inquire into tie charges Dr. Rein refufed to
brineshi3 proofs befo < -thi; Committee, but offered to ap
p^rbeforea Court. Martial, provided one was appointed
immediately. Tin Coogre si° en engaged in otrer m.it
tera, then overlook .Itn,s oif<r, and Dr Snippen conti
nued his cilice, ^ih all the means of corruption- Had
DrSaippen b?cn arretted and tried at that time, all his
powers of (eduction and intimidation of witnefles, comi
not have fined him. Hundreds who were then under the
ii fluenceo reten'ment and pity'for the (offerings of the
sick (pen bHoret^eireyev) would have appeared as wit.
neffes against h®. If 'would have had against him, the
evidence of many refpeaable gentlemen, the force of
whife teftirnony be could not have eluded, who are now
removed to parts of the Continent too remote to be sum.
me mH as witnesses ;as well as feverai more who f^on af
terwards p-rhhed with the fever which his mil-manage
ment generates and kept up, by crowding the sick too
much together ; and lastly, he would then have had, at
least two of the wirot lies who appeared in his favour, to
have att-fim faffs, which with foine Courts-M rtisl,
perhaps that by which he was tried, might have been fuf
ficent to have brakehim. But a continuance in office
for near two years a ter this impeachment, afforded great
opportunities for a man of much hfs addicts than he, but
poffeffed n f the treasures of the public; the power of
creauag lucrative fine curts and offices, to awe and (educe
wrtoeffes, and to dispose matters in his favour.
Nor dil t-e influence of Dr. Shippen's office extend
only to his Deputies and Dependents in the Medic: 1 De
partm^nt. He has been able to make his own place a
mere fine cure, and an engine cf corruption and p^wer.
He refilled chiefly at Pnilade&ia from June 1778, till the
tinseof his trial, enjoying inpomp and pleasure the emo
luments of hi (peculations. Five hundred fell rations
wereiffued in a day by one of the Commissaries at the
Bettering House, afting by his authority and by virtue
of his appointment, for 162 sick. I blush to mention it,
whilst te was ifrp # ached of the highefi crimes of office,
men of elevated Nations in public affairs, eat and drank
at his table
Treats thus given are an American (pecies of corrup
tion. In entertainments to which he has been invited,
cl oice Madeira from the hospitals at I.is bidding, has plen
tifully flowed to cheer the guefis; and distressed soldiers
appl ing for a little for their sick and wounded compa
nions in the hosp tai*, have been driven away, as Mr.
Peter Ozeas has teftified, with severe rebukes. I could
with to pafh over in fiance, that the fleets of his office
did not dffert him wholly, even on his trial. A waggon
load of Acres, " proper for hofpitalr, inflead of his books,
accompanied him to camp, to refrefti himfel' and friends.
And no one better understands the force and application
of that kind of argument titan Dr. Shippen.
Although hr. Rush failed of fuceefs in his application
for a trial, Congress, at length, pierced with the conti
nua' complaints of the fu 'ering inhabitants of these States,
again ft the corrupt pradices of mm in office, (peculators
and defaulters, did, on the 30th day cf June, 1778 pass
a resolve, " That it is the duty of every officer and ofeve
" ry inhabitant of the United Spates, that is acquainted
c<wt l the mal praHices of any person in the public fer
" vice, to make it known that justice may be dene." A
Committer was also appointed by Coagrefs, to inquire
into mid reform abuses in the Quarter Matters, Commit
farialand Hip t 1 Departments. After this, io the month
cf May. 1779, Coagrefs dittreffed at tie dissipation of
the public m m o y, and anxious for the support of the ar
my and reOoration of public credit, in a circular letter
to the inhabitants of these States, ad raffed itfeif to their
public virtue, but with complaints of their bckward iefs
to bring public offenders to justice, tiros called aloud on
all " We bold owrfclves in duty bound to declare, that
"we are 11 : t onvinced there has been as much diligence
“ used in detecting and reforming abuses, as in commit
« ting er complaining of them."
Roofed witn a patriot indignation, and not doubting
o' fuppto, from this fiile, in so perilous, yet foimporr
art an undertaking, as that of attempting the demol t:on
cf undue influence, venality and corruption, I flopped
forth, and from a forfe of duty, impeached Dr. Wiliam
Slippen, jun Dr~tbr General of the Hospitals, before
Congress Ir quired toothings to render my attempt
fuce fAul, firfl, agreeable to the practice of all old coun
tries, and the usages of war in our own, that hr fhoqld
forthwith be put unaer an arrest, that he might be no long
er intrenchd m power .or guarded by the terrors and
Charms cf office : Secondly, that his books should be im
mediately implied, and a (peedy trial take place, so that
he might not, i' I detect d one crime, that cf fraud, have
it jo his power to Conceal or cancel it by the commission
of another, and fink it into that of simple (peculation ;
and that no Peps mig^t be taken to defeat tee prosecu
tion, and that it might not fuffer from tee death or remo
val of witness Bad these reqeifitions been granted,
willingly would I have fuhmitted to the penalty of all those
chirks I should bring -gainfl him, of which 1 should
fad in th- proof.
For your fakes, my fe low citizens, I must declare the
obflacles that flood opposed in this trial to a fuccefsful if
sue, that you may know on what ground you Hand, (hould
any man in private Re be so rath as to attempt the pro
secution of a criminal officer of high rank and power be
fore a Court Martial, when he is long permitted to re
main free bom arrest in the plenitude of power. Nor
is any man to fxp.il in that case, to escape the dabs of
secret and open enemies, aftons at law, and a combina
tion acaioft him of the agents and dependants es the per
son prosecuted. He must alfolay it to his account to take
the whole weight and expence of the prosecution 00 his
own (boulders, with all the embarrassments that can be
thrown in his way. To fay nothing of the fedudion of
witneffesby the fears and influence of office, refolve# of
Congress have been treated with disregard, memorials
and petitions to this Srue, grounded on a resolve of Con
gress to etlibhih tie testimony of witnesses, to encou
rage their personal appearance at camp, and to defray the
expt nee, have been laid aside and rejected.
Notwithstanding that Congress passed a resolve, that in
cates not capital, the depofi ionsof perlons cot in the line
or ftmf of the army, might be read in evidence, provided
the ptofecutcr and accused person a tended at taking the
fame, or that Efficient notice of time apd place was pre
viously given to the adverse party ; Yet, when I gave
Dr. Shipped due notice agreeable to those resolves, he did
not attend, altho' he wrote to CongreG that he should be
ready the firfl moment a Court was appointed to acquit
hifnfeb with honor, and C^ngrefs had furnifhed him pre
viously with copies of my letters, containing those very
charges on which he was tried, so that those demolitions
were made of no effect by his refuting to attend. Not a
member of the Court, however, could deny, that it was
the intention of Congress to confider me as the prosecutor,
and that depositions tai<en by me as above, were to be ad.
mitted in evidence. On the other hand, Dr. Shtppen had
liberty to examine feverai of bis witnesses out of Court,
fothat neither the President, nor any of the, members
had an opportunity to cross examine them. General and
negative evidence was admitted to remove the strongest
positive evidence of particular faffs ; and persons were
allowed to give evidence in hi# favour ; who appeared, by
pr ceeding testimony, to be acceffaries in Dr. Shippen's
guilt and equally criminal with bin;
Although I a&ed by deputation from the Judge Ad
vocate General, to attend and crofe-examine witnesses,
where he could not attend bimfrif, 1 was not allowed to
explain any matters in Court, as they arose, though no
ether person prefect knew the circtimftances, nor was I
permitted to give my tftimony as a witness, although
(worn by the Court as a witoefs and the only one in support
of thefifth charge; in vain the Judge Advocate expressed
his aftoniffiment at this determination of the Court, to
the Court : And that charge, equally valid with any ether,
was thereupon declared to be not on y groundless, but
malicious. I also named several perfobs belonging to the
army to be < ited as wiineffes to support particular charges,
efpecnily in relation to the adultera ion of wine and pecu
lation at Bethlehem ; and the not keeping regular books
and a Tempts, with proper checks and vouchers for the
expenditure of public monies and hospital flores ; but
they were tie ways compellable, or not enabled to attends
Nor was Dr. Shrppen obliged to produce his book?, al
tho' nothing was easier, if the charge was gruundlefs, than
to refute it by producing them. A Coromiffary% declara
tion of fits having had an order from a Surgeon, whether
written or verbal, without any receipt or other proof of
the orders being compil'd with, was deemed the only
proper and fufficient vou her for the expenditure of hos
pital Hores : Ver it was proved, on the oafhs ! cf the
Pnyliitns and Surgeons General, that their orders as
well as those of the Surgeons, were often disregarded by
the Commiilaries, and refufed, or only partially compli
ed with, and that their wh deiffues were gommon'y nude
without any orders at their own ple fore, and that of the
Stewards, and without receipts being taken far theiffue^
And on the oatn of two of the Surgeons tat flores wre
often iffited in less quantit es than t e order fpeciAed, thu„
for 241 b. of sugar, 181 b. was issued, nd so of other
particulars Of what u e then was it to !eive orders in
the hands of these fu ordinate miniflers of Dr.S ippen's
commands, without receipts, but bo defraud the public
with impunity. One of the Commiflariez swore, that up
on hit : aring written authority from Dr. Rush, one of
trie Poyfician? G°n rol, to issue no fiores withouta writ
ten order, as a voucner from the prescribing. Surgeon, Dr.
Shippen looked at the order with indignation, and bade
him rej &it in terms full of indecorum. In the deposi
tion of David Thomae, Esq, Reprefeoutive in General
Aifembly for this State,arid,his brother dwenTbdmaflhey
declare proem tordy, thit Dr. Shippen refofed to pay their
just and reasonable accounts for tie provifiin and accom
modati- 11 o f ficx foldiere billeted on them by Df. Kennedy,
(by order of General Washington, in a letter, of which
they are possessed) and without ever examining their ac
compts, or pretending they were unreasonable, or telling
them what he thould have deemed reafonabie, he treated
them unlike a gentleman And on one of them asking Dr.
Shippen what he would then have them done with the sick
as the holpHaU were too foil to receive any more, he (aid,
tuey mig^t have left them at the bofpial door, where
upon, one of them observed, that, in that severe winter
weather the men would have perilled there ; then, said
he, there ^would be an e^d of them. Ail this, in the efluna
tiou 0! Dr Shippen's indulgent Court-Martial, passed
for no proof of bis nefl,a of duty, or inhumanity to
wards the sick ; or of his oegha to pay just and reafon
abie hospital accompts, and misusing the persons who ap
plied far payment.
In the next place compare the character of the witnes
ses; the eminent Drifters Brown and Rush, Peyficians
General of roe hospital, next in authority to Dr. Ship
pro, and Dr. Hutchiofon, who then a&ed as Surgeon
General in the flying hospital, and now Physician Ge
neralcf this State : Add to their the humane and fkibul
Doctors Tilton, John Kuhn, and William Smith ofLong-
Ifbnd &c. They have ah fworu hat the frk fuff .cd
and died in a manner Stocking to humanity, from neg
lect of fupplies,the want of room, air, wine, and other
hospital flares, which it was Dr. Shippen'# Dufinefs to
provide. Dr. Rush has sworn that from these causes, at
least loco rave foidier# have died in the hospitals,
wno, otherwise, might have a change this day to be in a
situation of lighting the battles of their country. Some
have (worn that Dr. Shippen neglected and even refufed
to furndll those articles tho' applied to for them ; And
some of the witnesses have sworn that they saw wine and
lugar taken out of the hospital Rores, and fold as private
property, at tiie very time the sick were fuffering if not
dying from the want of them. Enquire into the charac
ters of these g&ntiuran : They were is luftriaus, humane
and attentive to the sick : They were refptaable former
ly in private life: They lived frugally in office ; and all
but one of them have retired, and that after faithfully ser
ving, without adding to their fortune by defrauding their
country.
Compare their situation and charaders with the situa
tion and characters of most of the witnetfes id rigour of
Dr Shippen : Many of them are his Deputies, Com
missaries, Stewards and dependants. John Brown Cut
ting, an Apothecary's lad from Boston, hie private factor
for sugars, and is one ofthe principal of them. Judge of his
obligations to, and the nature of his connexions with Dr.
Shippen,byhu ability to keep a pteton and four horses on
three dollars a day.Aad judgrof bis credibilitybyhiseffren
tery and falflio^d, in asserting in different number# of this
Packet, that Dr. Shippen was honorably acquitted of
rhe four firft charges brought against him. I have net
time to go through the character of that host of Corrmif
farics, &c. that swore an acquittal to every question that
was allied them ; Suffice it to remark, a principal witnefa
called upon by Dr. Shippen from this group of white
•wafoerj. was the man who wa, convicted in the evidenc
or Dr. Brown, of issuing more rations, by feverai hun
dreds a day, than there were sick in bit hofyi al. And
this man is flillintruded by Dr. Shi,pen in t % e fame of
fice, without even being called to account far it,, as a fit
minifler and reprefeut?tive of his authority.
Mr. Deane was charged with bring fufpefted, while
in office, of (peculating in the Briufh Innas, and of being
concerned in trade. For this fnfpic;eu, principal y, for it
has never been proved to be more, he was degraded from
his coinmiffiori, recalled, and afterwards periecured out
of the country. What services to America could Dr.
Shippen boast compared with Mr. Deane ? And yet
Dr. Snippen, who has been convifte I of having (pecula
ted in public fioree, and cf being concerned in private
trade, whilst Purveyor General of the bofpitals, is conti
nued in office : Where then is the boasted virtue of our
republics? If such practices paf# with impunity, America
will soon be the most wretched country under the fual
When I confider the nature es the charges brought a
gainst Dr. Shippen ; the fubflantial evidence with which
they were supported, and the cold and difomorable man
ner in which he was acquitted of four of them, by the
Court, and that Congress has refufed to ratify and pro
nounce his acquittal, I cannot help thinking it a disgrace
to an officer and a gentleman, to serve with and under
him ; and I must a^, it will be a difgra e ta those who
are free citizens; to fee such a man living any longer on
the (weu of your brows, and the (polls of your industry ;
who, with 39 suretarie# and Assistant Secretaries under
him, (more perhaps than belong to any Scretary of
State's Office of an Potentate in Europe) has refufe% for
upwards of two year? together to produce hrs books and
fettle his public accompts, contrary to an expr fs ref Ive
of Congress, til the Creditors ofthe Depart nen, ri place
of the fubflantial value of thrir accounts, are paid in a
depreciated currency of li tie value to them.
The following is a true °opy of Dr. Shippen's return
of the Hospital Offers taken from the Secretary's office
of Congress, January 1%, 1780, viz. 1 Dhtdor General,
2 Deputy Directors Gener 1, 5 Affifiant Deputy Direc
tors General, 24 Senior Physicians ano Surge ns, 39 Ju
nior Surgeons, 33 Surgeons Mates, to Secretaries ana 19
Assistant Secierori s, 2 Commiffarifs, 9 AHift rot Com
roiffarieSj 2 Apothecaries General, 9 Apothecaries Mates,
55 Stewards 36 Marrons, 100 nurses, 120 orderly men,
2) Stabler?, 10 Wag^o^er,, in all 494. Woit a ftroug bri
gade of Hospital renfoner# ! When I discharged the
duty of Dire&or General, 4 Surgeons and ,20 Mates
for an army cf 20,000 meo, were all that was allowed in
the prefcriptivehre of the Hospital. Have I not rightly
called Dr, Shippul's fy flem an engine of corruption and
power. Nor 3 theroa (ingle Infpeßor appointed to check
and cohtroul toe force of foch inordinate pow~r in tae
b.n ds of a man who has negrißed and ahufed his iruft.
During the whole tmv Dr Rush Proved in the Mil tar,
Hospital with Dr. Snippen as DT^or General, (wh?ch
was for the (pace of nne months) he 1 ever (aw him but
once in an hofpita!, altho' he bimfelf visited the bofpi
talsand (pent fomt houis in them daily ; but kedepofes,
that the Director General lived, at that time, in a con
stant round of pl&fyreabd diffipa ton, regard kfs ofthe ■r es
and distresses o. 'the sick committed to ! risrare, altoge
ther unbecoming*the importance of his station, or theteen
cri ical and a arming fituat:cc of hi# country. Can you,
my brethern, ell yourfeives free men, and with patience
behold that man foil fupreinein the hefp tal department,
under whose difteril authority, you have left 6 many
gallant (JJiers, and valuable c t : z ns, and fill) enjoy,
ing, in office, the fpo:ls of oppreffior .? Ard cap, you ' reck
to fee every attempt to brin; that man to just c p baffle ;i ?
I again ask where is that Spirit of virtue, that marked
you out in the ryes cf Europe, in the beginning of this
controversy, that you can let down contented, under a
man that has injured tun public with Ids (peculations, and
abated hi# trail with impunity?
Itis well known that feverai thousands of gallant sol
diers have died in the hospitals under Dr. S' tppen-sdi
reaiou, from the time of his being appointed Purveyor
in the flying camp, in 1776, to February 5, 1778 r And
since the Purveying b fin-fe war then taken out of his
hands, fewer have ci d there io 20 months, (accer ring to
Dr Brown's primed l« ter from Morra Town' 'than in
20 dcys before. To w^at war the &reat mortality owing
at that time? Did it not prevail, whilst Dr. S ippen was
engaged in (peculation, and refund or fold the rec ff^ry
fopplte# ? Whilst fu b mro are in places of the firft rank
and trust, surely, we stand on the brink of a prrrioice.
Y< t, thank God, we have nothing to fear but from our
selves his rom the folly and wickedness of men in
p?wer and office alone, t ar America has every thing to
dread. It is our duty then, to watch them with a jea
lous eye, and to call upon our Rulers, t® remove and
pu ifh them when they deserve it.
Gladly co Ib hold that Congress has no focner gone
through the confiJeration of the proceedig# of the Ceurt
Martial, on the trial o' Dr Shippen than ftru # k with
the enormities which have teen tranfaaed in the Hofpnal
Department, an 1 ferfiblethat no suitable pun fhment was
provided for them, it tas resolved, August 23d ult. "that
"itit of the utm r ft importance, to prev nt the further
"'wafte and embezzlement of hospital and other flores,
" and no adequate prov^on having been hitherto made
" for the just punishment of those crimes, the delinquent
" (half, in future, fuffer death, or such other pugiffi meet
' as (hall be directed by a G neral Court Martial."
In my next number I (hall produce the depefiticns of
witnesses in support of the firft charge against Dr. Ship
pen, viz. felling hospital stores as private property, &c.
JOHN MORGAN.
[ To be continued. 1
In CONGRESS, August iSth, 17S0.
CONGRESS resumed the confederation of the pro
ceedings of the Cofort.Martial on t e 'rial of Dr. William
Shipper, Director General, and thereupon passed the fol
lowing ordfr:
The Co^ri Martial having acquitted Dr Wiliam Ship
pen, ordered, that he be difeharged from arreji.
^xtraff from the Minutes,
„ CHARLES THOMSON, Sec'ry.