The Gazette of the state of South-Carolina — Charles-town [S.C.], 1783-08-06 00:00:00, page 2

By the UNITED STATES in CONGRESS, 2 fc
fembled, May 2.th, 17g.
On motion, Refined,
THAT the Commander in Chief be inftrudej
to grant furloughs to the non commifficned
officers and soldiers in the leryrceof, the United
'States enlisted to serve during the war, who (hd|l
be discharged as loon as the definitive treaty of
peace is conclu ed, together with a proportionable
number of commiflioncd officers of the different br:-
:gades/ And that the Secretary at war, and Com
mander in Chief ake the proper meaitfies for Con
ducing those troops to their refpe&i<e homes, hi
such manner as may be most convenient to themselves
and to the States through which they maypars;
and that the men thus furloughed be allowed to take
their arms with them.
CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.
Upon the promulgation of this resolution. the sub-
Sequent address was presented to the Commander
re chief, by the officers of die army.
'SI R,
" TT is difficult for us to express the regret we
feelat b irg obliged again to solicit your excellen
cy's attention ana patronage. Next to the anguilh
which the profpefls of cur own wretchedness excites
in ui breasts, is the pain which arifesfrom a know
ledge of your anxiety on account of tho ! e men who
Live been the fharcts of'yeer fortun s, and have
• bid the hon hr of Serrig your companions through
the various vic ffitudes of the war. Nothing, there
fore but-neceffiry, could induce us to a ,9prefenta
tiou which we know must give you concern.
Your Excellency has so intimate a knowledge of
th" condition ofthe army, as to render a particular
delineation uanec.ffary. As you have been a witnos
of cur fuFeriogs during a war uncommon in its na
ture, and unparalleled ki the many ci cumhances
which attended it, so you are now, fir no less a
witnete of the unequal burrhen which Fas fallen or
ns, from the want of that provdion, to which, from
our arduous and Unremitting Services, we conceive,
we are intitled. Having recently exprelied our
sense es what was due to our didrefs- having re
peated from your Excellency the confidence we had,
that our accounts would be liquidated, the balances
afeertained, and adequate funds provided for pay
ment, previous to our being difperfid or d:fbanded—
having fen with pleasure, the approbation which
Congress gave our reliance —it is with a mixture of
aftonifhmmt and chagrin, ihat we view the I re re
solve of congrefsEby which the soldiers for the war,
and a proportionate number of officers, are to be
furloughed without any one of thole importart ob
tern being accomplished ; and to compleat the Icene
of woe, are to be compelled to leave the army with
out the means of defraying the debts we have re
ceffanlv incurred in the courfeof service. or even
o' gratifying thole menials, in the pittance which
is their due? reach less to carry with us that ftp
port and comfort to our tami ies, of which, from our
long military ferviee, they have been deprived No
less exposed then, to the insults of the meanest fol
lowers of the army, than to the arrests of the fheriff,
deprived of the ability to assist our families ; and
without an evidence that any thing is nue to us for
our services, and, cons qu ntiy, without the least
profped of obtaining credit for even a temporary
fubfifience until we can get into business —to what
quarter cm we lock? we take the liberty to fay,
fir, only to your Excellency. And, fiom the fin
ceriti of our hearts, we do it, no less from a per
suasion of the efficacy of your further efforts in our
favour, than from the kb d assurances you have been
pleased to give us of your support.
To year Excellency then we make our appeal,
^ R 4 in the most foLinn manner, from that abhor
rence of oppreflion and injustice which fi it uniheath
ed our swords, from the remembrance of the com
mon dangers through which we have pa ed ; and
from the recollection of those aftoniihing events
which have been effe&ed by our united efforts, per
mit us to solicit further aid ; and to intreat, that the
order of the zd inflant, founded on the aft of Con
gress of the 26th of Jay last, may be fufpenr'ed or
varied in its operation, so far as that no officer or
foldie- be obliged to receive a furlough until that
honourable b< dy cn be apprised of the wretched
situation nto which th : army muff be plunged, by a
conformity to it; that your ix.cHency will endea
vour to prevail on Congress —nay, that on the prin
ciples of common justice, you will i fift that neither
officer nor loldier be compelled to leave the fi H,
until a liqui Ation of accounts can b- effed-d. until
the balances are afee tained, certificates for th"
sums due gv n. including th 1 commutation o' half
pav to the officers, and the gratuby of eighty dol
lars to the foldie s and until a supply of m^r^y can
be furnifhed fuflicient to carry us from the field of
glorv, wi h honour to curfelves and credit to cur
country. We flill wife to believe, that that coun
try, to which we have teen so long devoted, will
never look with indifference on the dillreffes of those
of her sons, who have so effintially contributed to
the edablifhment of freedom, the security of pro
perty, and the rearing of an empire.
In the nme and in thebehalf of the generals and
officers commanding regiments, and corps in the
cantonments oh Hadfon’s rive. I have the honour
to be, with the highest refped. your Excellency's
most obedient servant. W. HEATH,M. G^Prefi.
June 5, I^B3.
To the foregoing address, General Washington was
pleaded to return the following answer, vfz.
SIR, Head-Quarters, June 6tb, 1783.
BEFORE I make a reply on the fubjed of the
address of the generals and officers commanding, the
regiments and corps of this army, presented by
^ourfelf yesterday, I intreat -those gentlemen will
accept my warmest acknowledgements for the con
fidence they have reposed in me; they may be as
sured it shall never be abused ; nd I beg they will
be perfuad d, that as no man can possibly b better
acquainted with the merits an pali services of the
army, so no one can possibly be more ftroagly im
proved with their prefect ineligible fituarion, feel a
keener sensibility of their distresses, or more ardently
desire to alleviate or remove them—but it would be
uhneceffary, perhaps, to enter into a detail of what
I have done, and am Hill attempting to do in oider
to assist in the acconiplilhment cf this interesting pur
pole—let it be fufficient to observe, 1 do not yet
delpai of success; for I am perfectly convinced that
the States cannot, without involving themselves in
national bankruptcy and ruin, refofe to comply with
the requisitions of Congress : who, it must be ac
knowledged, have done every thng in their power to
-obtain ample andcomplete justice for the army, and
whose great object m the present measure undoubt
edly was, by a reduction of the expence to enable
the financier to make the three mouths payment to
the army, which bn ah hands had been agreed to be
abfoluuly ard indifpcnfably necessary. to explain
rhis matter, I beg I ave to insert an extract of a
letter from tin lupcrintendant of finance, dated the
acEh ultimo.
" It is now above a month since the committee
confe red wi h me on that luoj (ft, and I then told
them no payn ent could be made to the army, but by
means of a paper anticipation: and unless our ex
pendituies were immediately and considerable redu
ced, even that could not be done. Our expendi
tures have Aeverthehfs been Continued, and our re
venues lessen; the States growing daily more and
more remiss in their collections. The consequence
is that I cannot make payment in the mannner firlt
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 even that will soon become impracticable, unless
dur expences be immediately curtailed.
“ l (hail cause such notes to be issued for three
rtfou'hs pay to the army, and I mutt intreat, fir,
that every influ nee be used with the States, to ab
ferb them, together with my other engagements,
by taxation."
'I hree day ago a meftnger was dispatched by me,
to urge the necessity of forwarding these notes with
the greatest poffi de expedition
Under this date of circumstances, 1 need scarcely
add that the exper.ee of every day in feeding the
whole army, will incieafe very considerably, the
inability of the public to difeharge the debts already
incurred, at least for a confider able time to come.
Although the officers of the army 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 which it is my duty to carry into execution—
yet as furloughs in all services are ednfidered as a
matter of indulgence and net of cempulfion; as
Congress, I am persuaded, entertain the best dispo
sition towards the army, and, as 1 apprehend, in a
very short time, the two principal articles of c in
plaint will be removed ; —until the further pleafdre
of Congress can be known, I (hall not hesitate to
comply with the willies of the army, under these
refervariote only, that officers fufficient to conduct
the men who choole to receive furloughs, will at
tend them either on furlough or by detachment, the
propriety and necessity of this measure muff be obvi
ous to ail, it need not therefore be inforced; and
with regard to the non-commissioned officers and
privates, such as from a peculiarity of circumstances,
wish hot to receive furloughs at this time, will give
in their names at twelve o'clock tomorrow, to the
rommanding officers of their regiments, that on a
report to the Adjutant-General, an equal number
of men ngaged for three ysars may be furloughed,
which will make the saving of expences exaCly the
fame to the public.
j cannot but hope the notes will soon arrive, and
that the settlement of accounts may be compleated
by the affilUnce of the paymasters, in a few days.
In the mean time T will have the honour of faring
the sentiments o' the Generals and officers com
manding regiments and corps, before Congi efs the,
are evpreffed in fuh a decent, candid and affecting
manner, that I am certain every mark of attention
will be paid to them. I have the honour to be,
with v^ry great eheeta, fir, your most obedient
servant.
Major-General Heath.
The two preceding papers were inclofed in the fol
lowing letter to his Excellency the President of
Congress.
Head-Quarters, Newburgh, June yth, 178 g.
SI R,
I have the honour to enc'ofe to year Excellency,
the copy of an,ddref, from theGenerals and offi
cers commanding regiments and corps, together with
my answer to it. These inclofares will explain the
dulreffes which resulted from the measures now
carrying into execution in consequence of the refuta
tions of the fth of May, but the sensibility occa
sioned by a parting feene. under such peculiar cir
cumstances. will not admit of description.
The two fibje&s of complaint with the army at
pear to be, the del y or the three months payment'
which had been expeded. and the want of a settle
ment of accounts —I have thought myfelf autho
rised to assure them, Gongrefshad and would attend
particularly to th dr grievances; and have made some
little variations refpeding furloughs, from what was
at firft proposed: the secretary at war will be able
to explain the reason and propriety of this alteration.
While I confider it a tribute of justice on thisoc
cafion to mention the temperate and orderly beha<
viour of the whole army, and particularly the ac
comuiodating spirit of the officers in arranging them
feives to ths command of the battalions which will
be composed of the 3 years men; permit me to
recall to mind all their former fuffcrings and merits,
and 0 recommend their r^afonable rtquelts to the
early and favourable notice of Congress,
1 have the honour to be, &c.
D A N away from the fubferibers
plantation at Daniel's- Island; St.
Thomas's Parish, about the Beginning
of the last month; a Negro man born in
Affiica, named CABO, between 20
and 30 years of age, 6 feet high, little
or no beard, has 1 remarkable fear on
the top of his hands that reaches from
the wrist to the knuckles, allo, another
fear on the top of his feet occasioned
by the fall of a fence rail, and one leg
much larger that the other; he joined
the British when in poffi ffion of this
town, and went Southerly, where pro
bably he may incline to go again. A.
reward of Two Guineas, will be given
to whoever takes up and delivers said
Negro, to Mr. Thomas Cochran, Be
don's-alley, No. 9, to John Lefefne,
No. 8, Union-fircet continued, to the
warden of the Sugar-house, or to the
fubferiber at Mr. Cockran's
SARAH LESENE.
August 6, 1783.
*JP HE fubferiber having just arrived after a Idkg
confinement in E r gland, gives this timely
notice to those persons indebted to him, to fettle
ther accounts of a long Handing, either by pay
i: g the mon p y due him, or giving bond and feuri
ty ; ^hat he may ths better enabled to fettle those
demares which may appear egainft him, Those
neglecting the fame, will reduce him to the disa
greeable .eceffny of immediately lodging his ag.
counts in the hands of an A ttorney at Law.
BENJAMIN COOKE.
CbarleJown, Au^uft §. 17^3.
For PHILDELPHIA,
THE fefrner GERRARD, MATHEW
STRONG, matter, will fail on Teefday, the
12th, inst. For flight or passage apply to said
mailer, at Beale's wh.rf.
SUPERFINE Flour, Ship Bread, ?nd a few kegs
Biscuit, just imported from Philadelphia,
be fold by ANDREW IH&MPSON.'
No. 23, Bay.