The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1780-04-18 00:00:00, page 1

L O N DO N.
The following are the various letters that
passed between the late and present Se
cretary at War, and Lieutenant Gene
ral Burgoyne, previous to that officer's
resignation of his mil itary employments.
[No.f.l
Correspondence with Lord Barrington.
SIR. War-Office, June 5, 1778.
TH E King, judging your presence
material to the troops detained pri
soners in New-England, under the Con
vention of Saratoga ; and finding a let
ter of your's to Sir William Howe, dated
April 9, 1778, " that you trust a short
time at Bath will enable you to return to
America," his Majesty is pleased to order
that you Ihall repair to Boston as soon as
you have tried the Bath waters, in the
manner you propose.
I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your most obedient humble servant,
BARRINGTON.
Lieutenant General Burgoyne,
Hertford street.
[No. ll.]
My Lord, June 22,1778.
I HAV E considered the letter I had
the honor to receive from your Lordship
the sth instant, with the attention and
refpe& due to an intimation of the King's
pleafore. I have now to request your
Lordship to lay before his Majesty a few
particulars of my situation ; and to offer
to' his royal consideration, with all humi
lity on my part, such of my complaints
as admit of confederation.
My letter to Sir William Howe, re
ferred to in your Lordflip's letter, was
writ in the fulnefs of zeal to renew my
service in arms the ensuing campaign.
The fatisfadion of succeeding in that ap
plication would have tended to my reco
very, or for a time might have prevented
my feeling an ill. Deprived of so anima
ted a support, and visited by new and un
expeded anxieties, I have now recourse
only, as far as the mind is concerned, to
a clear conscience, perhaps a more tardy,
but, I trust, as efficacious an affiflance.
The present season of the year, always
favourable to me, gives me the appear
ance, and indeed in some degree, the sen
sation cf health. But much care is still
wanting to restore me to my former state.
The remedies prescribed me are repose,
regimen of d ; et, and repeated visits to
Bath : my intention, in confeqhence was
to remain fame time in the country, to
repair to Bath for a diort time next month,
and to return thither for a much longer
space in the more proper season the au
tumn. But whatever may be the benefit
of all or any part oF this plan, I am pet-,
folded, that to expose my constitution to
fU ES DA Y, APRI L 13, i,Bo. t#E< aUMBERfy'.-
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AND THE
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the next American winter, is in probabi
lity to doom me to the grave.
That I should not hesitate at such an
alternative,in circumflances of exigency; I
am confident the King will admit, when
in his grace he shall recoiled how often
at his Majesty's call in this war I have
relinquished private duties and affedion,
more impulsive upon the heart than any
we <we to existence. The purposes in
timated for my present attendance in Ame
rica, would, I fear, be very different from
service.
The army I commanded, credulous in
my favour, and attached to me by the
series of conflids and misfortunes we
have in common sustained, would not
find material consolation from m% return
in disgrace ; and their difappointmen t
could not but be enhanced by such an in
dignation; that government eitherthought
it inexpedient to ratify the Covention of
Saratoga, or difpaired of a ratification ef
fectuating the redemption of that army ;
for they would not conceive it possible,
had the return of the troops been in view,
that any person would have advised the
King to what then might have appeared
so harsh ah ad as fending an infirm, ca
lumniated, unheard complainant, across
the Atlantic, merely to infeed their em
barkation.
Your Lordship will perceive the parts
of this letter which apply to the Council
of the throne, from whence I am to sup
pose the order I have received origina
ted, and in your juflice and generosity
you will guard me, my Lord,from my
supposable presumption of expostulating
with the King in person. But I apply to
the fame qualities in your tordthip's
mind, for pointing out to his Majesty,
independently ofhis Council, other letters,
among those transmitted to the Secretary
of State, alledging other reasons, and
those more prevalent than the attention to
health for my return to England ; and
permit me, my Lord, to add, that every
of them receives tenfold weight from
what has happened lately, for my conti
nuance in England. The special reason
upon which 1 chiefly rest at present, my
Lord, is a vindication of my honor.
Until that, by full and proper trial, is
cleared to my Sovereign and to my coun
try, I confefs I should feel a removal from
hence, though enforced by the term du
ty, the severest fentenee of exile ever im
posed; and when the time and circum
fiances cf such removal are farther con
sidered, that Britian is threatened with in
vation, and that after an enemy has set my
arm at liberty, I am forbid a Glare in her
defence by the council of my Sovereign.
After these confederations, can I, my Lord,
be deemed offenfive if I venture to de
clare, that so marked a combination of
difpleafufe and hard treatment, would be
more than I should be able, or perhaps
ought to bear ?
My cause, my Lord, thus committed
to your office and eharader, I have only
to add my reliance that you will do it
justice, and the refped with which I have
the honor to be, &e. &c.&c.
Lord Barrington. ,
(No. lII.|
SIR, War Office, June?;, 1778.
" I took the firft opportunity of lay
ing before the King your letter to me da
ted the lad instant. His Majesty con
tinues to think your presence with the
troops taken at Saratoga, and still detain
ed prisoners in New - England; of so much
importance to them, that he has command
ed me to acquaint you, it is his pleasure,
that you return to them as soon as you
can, without any rifle of material injury
to your health.
I have the honor to be; Sir,
Your most obedient humble fervanty
BARRINGTON.
Lieutenant-General Burgoyne.
Correspondence with Mr. Jenkinfon'.
(No. IV.)
SIR, War Office, September 24., 177^
I A M commanded by the King to ac
quaint you, that your not returning to
America, and joining the troops, prison
ers under the convention of Saratoga, is
considered as a negled of duty and diso
bedience of orders, transmitted to you by
the Secretary at War, in his letter of the
sth of June, 1778.
I have the honor to be, &c.&c. &C;
(Sgned) C. JE NKINSON.
Lieutenant. General Burgoyne,
fNo. V. J
SIR, Hertford street, Off. 9. 177^
I RECEIVED your letter acquaint
''in^ me, “ That my net returning to
" America, and joining the troops, pri
<' foners under the Convention of Sarato
" ga, is considered as a neglect of duty,
" and disobedience of orders, transmitted
" to me by the Secretary at War, in his
" letter of the sth of Tune, 1778."
During a service of more than thirty
years, I have been taught by the rewards
of two successive Sovereigns,' to believe,
that my military cor,du& was held deferr
ing of more favourable terms than those
which are applied to it in the above re
c tal. I have received from his present
Majesty, in particular, repeated and con
spicuous testimonies of diftin&ion and
good opinion : And I Should have been
the most ungrateful of men, if I had not
felt and uniformly endeavoured to mark
the warmed and most dutiful attachment