The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1780-09-19 00:00:00, page 4

F P 0073 of the feeo^d charge exhibited to the Court-
Marr 1, Gullit Debtor Wi 11m Shipper, ju& viz.
f^mlatmg in, and felling hq&ip.l flores, whjlfl the
ft ; wueperithing for want of them; accompanied
w th pe^htion and adulteration of hospital wines at
Bethlehem.
$ Sto Doftor Shippen's (peculating in, and felling hof
/3 r :t il ft )r ea purchased with public money, itis fully
proved by toe following extracts from the account of
Messrs. Samuel Barret and company, of Bolton:
Dr. Doctor William Shippen, Esq; Director General,
To Mf.ffrs. Samuel Barrett and Company, Cr,
To fubdries purchased by order of John Brown Cutting,
1777. viz
Aug. 29. To 37 hogsheads of sugar, at 151.
per ct. - - - £ 'S l ^ 511
Sept. 11. To 6 pipes of Port wine, of Capt.
Grist, - - - 1080 0 0
To 44 pipes bought of the Board of
War, - - - 792° 0 0
To sundries, expences, commif
ffions, &c. - - 846 15 10
16363 1 9
Dec. 15. 'To cam paid Do&or Scott, for
medicines bought by him of the
Board of War, - - £ 2505 9 7
To ditto for paper and package, &C. 24 3 0
TO2OO weight of coffee, at 12). • 120 0 0
To lolb. of pins, at 4/. lof - - 45 • 0
Toloo weight of chocolate and 2 boxes, 50 6 0
Fer sealing wax, - - - 416 0
30 For 20 flails of raisins, at 191. and
calks 51. • - 3'5 0 0
Cash paid Uriah Gibbs, for transport
ing two loads to BethiQtm, - 164 16 0
For further transportation and other
expences, - - - 383 10 9
exclusive of commissions, 1661. Bs. sd. —
20.046 3 I
Per Contra,
To pay the above, Doctor Shippen remitted an order
dron by the United States in his favour, payable
at the Loan-Office, for 67000 dollars, accepted and
paid, . - - £ 20,100 0 0
And then gave orders for felling as follows, viz.
Sold 10 pipes and 16 tierces of Port wine, £2BOO 0 0
A proportion of the wines transferred to
Doctor Foster, - - - 2600 0 0
The balance due to the United States, amounting to
betwixt five and fix thousand pounds lawful money, Dr.
Shipoen appropriated to further purcaafes, and put the
profits ofthe fates into his pocket. E. G.
He purchased 10 hogsheads of sugar, at 171. per Ct.
amounting to - - £ 3 0 55 5 9
And 300 bulhels of salt, at 84s. a buflitl, 1260 0 0
43^5 5 9
And fold the salt for - £IBOO 0 0
And the fegar at different prices,
from 451. to 751. per ct. lor 9296 10 10
Amounting to £ 11,096 10 10
So that Doctor Shippen put about seven thousand pounds
lawful money, into his pocket, by this (peculation with
public money. But is that all. Dd he not order the
property of the public to be firft fold, in ordr to r ife a
flock on which to begin his trade? I would fain afl<,
when all the stores comprehended in te firft pwrciafe,
were fold and expended, what sum of money did it cost
the public to replace them ? I am certain it w 11 be found
10 have cc R the public a great r sum for that purpose,
thin DoDur Shippen made by all his fairs, great as the
profits were. So that, in fa^, his trade was only rob
bing the pubic of so much money, at a time, when it
was of great-value, to put into his own pocket.
The fallowing deposition of Michael Bright will prove
the further sale of two hogsheads of sugar, after being
tracfported from Boflon to Bethlehem, and which were
then affirmed by John Brows Cutting, to be public pro
perty.
Reading, September 17, 1779.
To all whom irmay concern.
BEING called upon to declare what I know, con
cerning the sugars belonging to the General Hospital of the
United States, Benefited in my cel ar, about the begin
ning of the year 1778, on account of, and for 'he use of
the hospital: I do, by these presents, certify, That Mr.
Cutting, Apothecary in the General Hospital, under Dr.
William Shippen, jun. after lodging some time at my
house, during the winter of the year 1777, set out for
Dodon, as I have been since informed, to purchase flores
for the sick of the aforefaid hospital. Some little time be
fore his return, a quantity of sugar was forwarded to me
by the said Cutting, who desired I would store them for
ton. I accordingly received them into my cellar, and he
arrived himfelf Coon after. I observed a hole bored in one
ofthe hogflieads, by which I perceived that the sugar
contained in it, was ®f an extraordinary quality. Not
knowing, at that time, but it might belong to (aid Cut
ting, and be intended for sale, I offered to purchase it.
He thereupon told me it was public property, and belong,
ed to the General Hospital. In this 1 was confirmed by
Do&cr Slippen, the Director General, afterwards call
ing at my home, to enquire whether the said sugar was
fafe. Sometime after this, to my furprize, 1 was inform
ed that the sugar was fold by Doßor Shippen, as private
property : And m, wife told me one day, that whilst I
was from home, DoHor Shippen caree to the cellar, which
'obtained i f , together with Mr. James Biddle of this
town, and (he overheard them bargaining for it. Imme
diately after, my son Jacob Bright's dray, with one of
his men, De Wal. Miller, were brought to carry away
the sugar ; and my son Michael told me, that he assist
ed in getting it out of the cellar; from whence it was con
veyed to Mr. Bddle's store, his son and fervaot being
both in attendance, on the removal of it to that place.
And Mr. Biddle's son left a note for me, from Doctor
PHILADELPHIA: Printed and Sold by JOHN DUNLAP, in Market-street.
Shippen, containing his order for the delivery of said two
hoofheads of sugar to Mr. Biddle.
Do&or Potts called soon after, and enquired for the
sugar, Eying it was wanted for the use of the hofptals.
On my informing him that it was fold, he was struck with
aflonifhment, and exclaimed, good God, is it possible!
Sold! Yes, said I, it is fold. Soldi asked he again, with
an emphasis. Yes replied I, once more, it is fold. Well
said he, shaking his head and hands very fignificantly,
this is more of the fame, and worse and worse still, or
words to that effeft.
Ido further declare, that living at that time within
two doors of the hospital (lores at Reading, certain coun
try people, living at some distance from town, came to
my house, to borrow scales to weigh out some sugar, cof
fee, or both : One of these persons, at least, I remember,
namely Mr. Samuel Lee, of Oley, informed me, that he
had just been felling some fowls, and marketing, &c. to
the Debtors ofthe hofpitil, for their own use, in ex
change for which, they paid him in those stores, without
weighing or measuring them to him ; and came to borrow
my scales and weights for bisprivate fatisfaßion, that he
might know what fort of a bargain he had made. Find
ing it to bea good one for him, he then remarked, that
he had his doubts, whether the DoHors had any right to
dispose of those ft res, in that manners But I have beard
it wasa common thing for market people, on being offer
ed a price for their marketing, to (ay, they could go to
the hospital stores, and truck for what they wanted, out
of them, with the Doctors, to much greater advantage. In
testimony of the truth of the above relation of fails, I
hereunto fubferibe my name.
MICHAEL BRIGHT.
Affirmed before
Dan. L^van Esq;
FURTHERMORE, two pipes of Madeira wine, were
fold by Doctor Shippen, Torn the hospital cellars at Rea
ding; the firft to Mr. John Hartman, tavern-keeper at
Reading, the second to Mr. Henry Haff:, who then kept
tavern at the White Horie, four miles from Pottfgrove,
for which receipts were produced to the Court, of the
money paid to Dr. Shippen, in his own hand writing, be
ing for 400 L a pipe : And two pipes were also fold about
the latter end of the year 1777, from the hospital maga
zines at Lancaster, to Henry Deninger, tavern-keeper at
Coueftogo creek. That the wine was public property is
proved on a variety of testimony. But the account Dr.
Shippen gave of it himfelf to Dr. Brown, and Dr. Brown
to the Court, wasas follows:
Dr. Shippen told Dr. Brown, that a confounded noise
had been made about some sugars and wines he had pur-
Ghafed and fold again. He owned he had foldfeme su
gars and wises, by which he made ten thousand pounds,
which was n*t worth all the noise that had been made
about it. The wine I fold fays he, was fix pipes, which
I bought of Mr. Nelbitt, in the month of September,
1.77, when General Howe had landed at the Head es
Elk, and was on his march to Philadelphia, and which
Mr. Nefbitt could not get from Philadelphia. Dr. Ship
pen had told others, that he bought them of Mr. Morris
Rodgers, and was pressed to it by several friends, to pre
vent calling into the enemy's hands-That the whole of
this was a fidion, is proved from the following fads:
Toe quantity or wine which Dr. Shippen purchased of
Mr. Nefbiu, was fiv- pipes, April 30, 1777, long before
the enemy left New-York: And fix pipes of Morris
Rodgers and Allen Mocre, March 12, 1777, and thir
teen pipes, April 16, 777, itill earlier, all at one price,
viz. igol.a pipe. A true copy from the books of Messrs.
Cunn> ogham and Nefbitt, as above, were laid before f e
Court, as w 11 as from tme books of Morris Rodgers, de
chafed, and Mr. Allen Moore's deposition, as follows:
Philadelphia, March iz, i,20.
IDO hereby certify, that I was in paphernrip with
the late Mr. Morris Rodgers, deceased, in the purchase
of a cargo of wine in the year 1777, from Mr. Robert
Morris; that I was the principal ^erfonin disposing of that
wine, as Mr. Rodgers was in keeping the books and ac
compts—that Ifld a number of those pipes to Dr. Wil
liam Shippen, jun. as Dirtier General of the Ho(pitals,
at different times, agreeable to the prices entered into
Mr. Rodgers's books ; viz. c^fh received of Dr. William
Shippen, jun. for fix pipes Madeira wine, gool.and April
16 cdfh received of William Shippen, jun. for thirteen
pipe of Madeira wine, at 1501. Nineteen hundred and
fifty pounds; and that I used no further persuasion with
Dr. Shippen, to purchase them, than to fay they were
very cheap, and, as I (uppofed they might be wanted for
the hospital, I might tell him that he had better take
them, using (uch arguments as are common betwixt buyer
and feller ; nor did he take the whole of what I had upon
hand. ALLEN MOORE.
Sworn before)
Wm.Ruih, Justice of Peace.)
At the very times of making those purchases, Dr. Ship
pen drew large sums of money from the Treasury, to pay
for them, viz.
March 7, 1/77. He drew 20,000 dollars.
April 14., 1777. He drew 100,000 dollars.
Dr. Frederick Kuhn deposed, that the wines were
brought to Lancaster by a brigade waggon matter, and
deposited with other hospital stores, in Mr. Bawfman's
cellars, (which were taken for that use) and that when
he was sick himfelf, he lent for some ofthe wine, and used
of it, and considered it as publ c property.
Dr. John Kuhn deposes, that all the stores in Mr. Bawf
man's cellars, being for some time put under his care, in
the year 1777, and being called upon to make returns
thereof, he made regular returns of the fame, from time to
time, including the wines and spirits, as public property,
and never was told by Dr. Shippen that they were not so.
He deposes, that two pipes of what he thus returned as
public property, were afterwards fold as private proper
ty; and further deposes, that for many months, during
the greatest p rt of the time he had the charge of the
sick at La ncafter, they were not allowed any wine, spi
rits, &c. who being brought low by diseases, fuffired
and died for want of them, being forbidden by Dr. Ship
pen to make any tfe of them for the sick, and alttio'
there were a plenty of hospital stores in Mr. Bawfman's
cellars, he was not fuffcred to use them.
Dr Joseph Redman deposed, that when he attended
the wounded officers at Reading, at the desire of Dr.
Rufli, then Physician General, tie made application in
writing for Madeira wine, at the hospital stores, for Col.
Smith, then dangerously wounded, and obtained for an
swer, there was none belonging to the hospital ; all the
Madeira wine then in the hospital cellars being Dr. Ship
pen's private property.
William Reefer, Esq; of Reading, presented a long
lift of charitable subscribers, who contributed the feverai
fams set opposite to their names, to the truth of which he
affirmed ; which fubferiptions were large and generous, to
purchase comfortable refreshments for the sick and wound
ed in the General Hospital at Reading, and were eotruft
ed to him and Henry Hahn to distribute amoogft them,
and which they accordingly did : He declared that ma
ny of the poor soldiers told him, they could not obtain
them otherwise from the hospital, tho' in a very fufferlng
condition.,
According to Mr. Peter Czeas's deposition, th e fed
diers who came with tin cups to the hospital Buret
fora little wine for their sick and wounded com
panions, were reprimanded and sent away without any.
I have already quoted the authorities of Drs. Ruth,
Tilton and others, that the sick did fuffer and die for
want of wine, air, room, and other hospital ueceffaries fc
and (hewed that those (offerings took place at the very
time the wines were fold from the hospital magazines.
As to the latter part of the charge, peculation and adul
teration of hospital wine at Bethlehem, Dr. William
Smith of Long-Island, deposed ;—that he has often heard
the Stewards and Matrons complain, that when the Sur
geons ordered wine, sugar, tea or coffee for the sick, from
the issuing stores, that the quantities of several articles
delivered out on those orders which were to be kept as
vouchers, fell considerably short of what was ordered.—
For example, upon an order of 251 b. of sugar, they re
ceived only 18 @r 20 ; that during the extreme mortality
that prevailed amongst thefick in tbe General Hospital at
Bethlehem, in the winter of 1777, and beginning of 1778,
when good wine was wanted for the sick, instead of it,
they were served with an execrable, turbid and va
pid liquor, having none of those qualities that distin
guish good wine, and which was thought by feverd of
the Surgeons and Mates, to be an adulterous mixture,
containing perhaps a small portion of some kind of wine
to give it a denomination.
Thomas Stockton, Commissary at Princetown, depo
sed to his having once received from Bethlehem, for the
sick, by the way of Mendham or otherways, 12 or 16 gal
lons, which he thought to be adulterated.
Dr. Jacob Hall deposed before the Court, that he re
membered to have Den winegiven for the sick at Bethle
hem, which had the name, but net the qualities of Ma
deira.
As the Court Martial was so very complaisant to Dr„
Shippen as not to find him guilty of any particulars,
however strongly supported by the oaths of honest and
independent witnesses, unless he firft confcffed it himfelf,
it is not to be wondered at, that it ffiGuld acquit him of
the latter part of the charge, as he was not obliged to
confefs it.
[ To be continued. ]
MMMMXCXMMMXMXMMX^
TO BE SOLD BY
MICHAEL MORGAN OBRIEN,
At the south-west corner of Front and Chefnut streets,
Philadelphia,
WEST-INDIA R UM in puncheons, and
Mufeovado SUGAR in hogsheadsand barrels.
He has also a quantity of fine old high-flavoured
CANE-JUICE SPIRIT, which he will dispose
of in (mail quantities for the accommodation of private
families.
Io s 7;
On Thursday the 13th July last, between Penrofe's
Ferry and Philadelphia.
AN old leather POCKET-BOOK, containing two
printed certificates, signed Owen Biddle, Affift^nt
Commiffay Gen. of Forage, No. 68, for 2838 2-3 dol
lars; and No 69 fcr 1800 dollars, dated the 11th May,
1780, due to Capt. Archer; some bills for herfe keep
ing, and about one hundred and fi'ty dollars in Conti
nental money. Whoever has found the fame, and re
turns the tickets to the fubferiber at his Livery Stables,
back of the City Tavern, Shall be entitled to the money
which the Pocket-Book contained, and one hundred
dollars more on the delivery of the said tickets# They
are of no use to any perfen but the owner, as payment
is flopped. SAMUEL HODGSON.
Said Hodgfon has a genteel pair of HORSES and
good light WAGGON, with a careful driver to hire,
either by the day or job.
Avguft 22, 1780.
TO BE SO L D,
A N Elegant bay STALLION, to be seen at Samuel
" Hodgson's Livery Stable, near Walnut ffreet, be
tween Second and Third-ftreeri?
— W TA KEN UP,
On the 7th inst. (August)
A BAY COLT, turned two years old, with a long
I tail never docked, has some grey hairs in his face,
and is a natural pacer. The owner is desired to come,
prove property, pay charges and take him away in two
weeks from the date hereof, or he will be fold as the
law directs, by the fubferiber, on Richard Penn, Eq's
place, in the Northern Liberties.
August 25, 1780. JACOB LUTZ.