late Maxwel's, who resigned on account of the mutinous spirit of his officers. He does not recollect the Pensilvania Generals. They have no troops in this quarter, of the more Southerly Colonies.

Washington's difficulties are now coming on, many of the American Officers as well as others in the country at large are jealous of his late promotion in the French Army, as a provision for himself at all events, and dislike that his Risks in the controversy are become less than theirs, And yet none of their Generals is so popular as he. It may continue a little longer. Mr Heron is confident the whole rebellion must fall soon from the internal weakness of the Country in General, and the still greater weakness of the party that have hitherto fomented the troubles, who lose ground every day, and divide from each other.-All subdivisions are for peace with Great Britain on the old Foundations.

Lately before the Committee of Accounts at Hartford, Mr Champion only Commissary for the purchase of cattle, shewed that he owed three millions of Dollars.—Mr Cottis the Deputy Commissary General for all the country East of Hudson's River, shewed his Debts for general purchases of bread &c, to be a million and a half, and the Deputy Quarter Master General for the same District, 7 or 8 hundred thousand Dollars—While these sums are withheld from the People, horrible Taxes are levying. The Committee are astonished and distressed. The Creditors are if possible to be paid out of new emissions.- but they insist upon the public bearing the loss, by the Depreciation of the continental money since the debts were contracted, that is to say, all beyond the Depreciation of 1778, when it was sunk only twenty for one.— Here is a copious source of animosity without remedy.

Jemiah Wadsworth of Hartford is Commissary of purchases for the French. The Vendors of cattle &c. looked to him for bullion, but the French have had the art to borrow of the Province new paper money, & give him that to lay out. Prodigious disgusts have arisen upon this account. What he gives away is with a depreciation of 3 for I. In short the Inhabitants in general, from an infinite variety of causes are so changed, that people of all classes in & out of the Army, pronounce the war at or near its end.

It is not doubted by any man that John Adams is authorized to make peace with Great Britain, and that he will be directed from time to time by Congress, according to the condition & prospects he is made acquainted with from hence, and his own views of events on that side of the water. Mr Heron thinks he will receive orders to strike this winter, upon the best terms he can get for the Continent, for it will be impossible, when the 3 months & 6 months men leave Washington, for him to figure with an army thro' the winter, or to form another in the Spring. By that time the whole strength of the Continent must be exhausted, and all public credit at an end.

Undoubtedly the majority of the Continent have long been for a reunion with Great Britain. From his intimate knowledge of Connecticut, he is firmly persuaded that not a tenth of the Inhabitants are for contending for the Independency, if well assured by the Government, that the Charter shall stand good. The greater part of the loyalists are for preserving the Charter, and many became loyalists, because they conceived the Independent Party, exposed it to Dissolution, by their intemperate measures. Others now listen to them as men of wisdom and patriotism, and execrate the danger to which an indiscreet heat has exposed the Charter.—It would strengthen the hands and increase the number of the King's friends, if Governm' would issue a Proclamation, promising safety to the Charter, on the Colony's returning with obidience.— They have conceived good hopes from Governor Robertson's Proclamation to the people of

New York, of the King's good Intentions. But the new Proclamation had better be postponed till some event favorable to the British turns up, or till after the 3 months men quit the Army 14th Oct He can't say what proportion they are of it. They were to be two fifths of the militia levies, and probably are more, because the objection to serve for 3 months was not so strong as for six

He hears of no Magazines for provisions in any part of the Continent. It was impossible to form any. No man would sell upon trust, & what is got is by force, & not enough for daily consumption. All contracts are now made in private dealings in bullion, whether the party can comply or not. All paper therefore is gone and congress has no other money. They are insolvent even with that at their command;—All departments in debt.—There is short sowing and short husbanding among all the farmers, that they may have no surplus to be seized — Not more than a third of the usual harvest of Indian Corn, will come in this fall, owing to a cold spring & the summer drought.

(No 6)

Lord George Germain to Governor Robertson.

[New-York, CLXXI., No. 6.]

Whitehall 9lh Novemr 17S0.

Sir,

I have received and laid before the King your Letter to me of the 1" of September, and I have the pleasure to acquaint you that it gave His Majesty much satisfaction to find that the restoration of the Civil Governor's Authority, by placing the direction of the Police of New York in your hands and the judicious measures you have adopted, have been productive of such good effects as rendering the people within the lines happy and content, and exciting an earnest desire in those under the Rebel jurisdictions to partake with them in the blessings of His Majesty's gracious protection and mild government: Nothing will more serve to promote & diffuse these favourable sentiments than the strict attention I have no doubt you will continue to pay to the characters and dispositions of such as you appoint Magistrates, or to exercise any branch of Civil Authority; and as the exemplary punishment Lord Cornwallis1 has so properly inflicted on such of the Rebel Prisoners as had broke their Parole and repeated their violation of their Oaths of Allegiance, will soon be known in the rebel army, and throughout the Country, the deserters from it will certainly increase in numbers, and many others will withdraw from the rebel cause when they find we are not afraid to punish, and may justly dread the consequences of continuing to support a rebellion, which is evidently declining to the last—Such of these as are willing to enter on board the King's ships or

1

CHARLES, 2d Earl and 1st Marquis Cornwallis, was born 31st December, 1738, and haying entered the army became Lieutenant-Colonel of the 12th foot 1st May, 1761, and Colonel of the 33d regiment 21st March, 1766; Major General, September 19th, 1775. He came to America in 1776 as Lieutenant-General under General Howe, and participated in the military operations during the war of the American Revolution, which closed by his memorable surrender at Yorktown in 1781. After his return to England he was appointed Constable of the Tower; was Governor of Bengal from 1785 to 1792, when he was created a Marquis; became a General in the army 12th October, 1793, and Master-General of the Ordnance in 1795. He was appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland in 1798, and returned to India, a second time, in 1804, aa Governor of Bengal, and died at Gauzepoor, 6th October, 1805. — ED.

privateers should be encouraged to do so in small proportions, and it will be a most acceptable service if you can induce those that are fit for recruits to join the regiments in the West Indies, or to engage in the Jamaica Corps, or take part in the enterprizes carrying on against the enemies possessions in that quarter.

I was always of opinion that the arrival of French Troops in America would produce jars and divisions and even if nothing further should be attempted on our part against Mr Rauchambeau and de Ternay than the confining them at Rhode Island, I am persuaded the cause of Great Britain will be much benefitted by it, tho' I am not without hopes something more important and decisive will be effected by our superior land and sea force. I have sent the usual notice of Mr Smyth's appointment to the Treasury to the end that the same allowance may be made him as was given to his Predecessor, but as the fund for paying the salaries of the American Civil Officers has become deficient thro' the neglect of the Revenue Officers to collect the Duties in such parts of America as are in the King's possession, I am afraid it will be some time before the Chief Justice will receive the Emoluments of his Office, unless proper diligence is used in collecting the duties, which I understand the Lords of the Treasury have enjoined, and which you will countenance and support as far as your Jurisdiction extends.

Your recommendation of Mr Ludlow to be Master of the Rolls will be duly attended to when it is judged proper to fill up that office and in the mean time the employment you have given him upon Long Island appears to be very necessary, and I doubt not the public will derive much utility from his exercise of it. Every fit means should be used to reduce the great expence of maintaining the King's faithful subjects who have been driven from their property by the rebels, and the parcelling out among them the rebel estates is a measure equally just and œconomical.

Governor Robertson.

I am &ca

GEO. GERMAIN.

Governor Robertson to Lord George Germain.

[New-York Enlrlei (S. P. 0.) CCCLIV.]

New York 28 Jan: 1781.

My Lord,

It has been suggested to me by an authority I respect "That as the prohibitory Act works "no incapacity in the Kings Officers, but only restrains them in the exercise of their Office the "instant that restraint is removed they are fully Authorized to do every thing they were "before empowered to perform; that from not understanding this, the revenue Officers had "done a great injury to the poor American exiles by not collecting the duties from whence "their allowance arose

A wish to relieve these Gentlemen and to correct every error that exists where I am supposed to have power, led me into a minute inquiry on the subject- All I am able to learn is collected in a letter from Mr Elliot to me tho' he supposes that Policy only restrains the exercise of Civil power but that the collection of duties is restrained by law Yet imagining a connection between the Subjects he has treated of the first, as an introduction to the second.

That I may not weaken the force of his reasoning, I will give the whole of his letter, tho' his opinion about civil Government is different from mine. I think that a loyal American Assembly, might at this time hold to Americans a language useful to Britain and I know that from the places within Our protection, we could call more than half the number of representatives that usually formed the Assembly—After making these observations I am induced to submit the whole letter and references to your Lordships observation, because I think beside all the matter relative to the present question it contains some information that under your Lordship's direction may be of Importance in future—If it procures me the honor of any directions from you, I will attend to them with the care and respect that becomes one who has the honor to be

My Lord &

James Robertson

Governor Robertson to Secretary Knox.

[New-York Entries (S. P. 0.) CCOLIV.]

New York 29 Jan: 1781.

Dear Sir,

By the Packet which Sailed last Thursday, I told you I would send to Lord George Germain a full state of all that relates to duties, it goes with this, I wish I could have shortened it, I will not add any thing to the subject as the task of perusing it will fall to your share, I will be very attentive to any directions I may receive in consequence, You will see that a circumscribed power like mine can do nothing. I told you then that the Jersey Brigade had revolted and that I was just embarking for Staten Island to improve the revolt At this season and when there is two feet Snow on the Ground, nothing but an opportunity of engaging the Enemy to advantage or of wining over the Revolters to join us, could justify carrying the Troops into the field, I therefore left the Troops in New York ready to embark and join me on a signal, If I could find a probability of accomplishing either of these views. I sent spies and offers to the Revolters, offered them the money due by the perfidious Congress, to receive them as friends without desiring them to inlist, offered to receive any person they might send to treat and to land with a body of Troops to cover and protect their March to Elizabeth Town till I should receive an Answer I was doubtful of the effect of an invasion perhaps the appearance of John Bull might have led the quarrelling dogs to a reconcilliation My intelligence did not tempt me to make the signal I am just returned tired and hardly able to write, happily an account of this matter to the Minister will come from Sir Henry Clinton it will not be impertinent in me to tell you, That Congress has made the same agreement with the Jersey Brigade as with the Pensylvania Line, every man who can prove or swear that the time for which he engaged to serve is expired is to have his discharge out of 900 all but 150 are under this predicament those discharged are to have cloathing and as there is no hard money for a dollar due in1 75 in paper is to be paid the 150 who remain are to chuse new Officers they insist that all but three of the old shall be turned off. The Brigade has gone back from Springfield to the Barracks at

-

1 Sic. “1780" seems to be omitted. See Pennsylvania Archives, VIII., 762. — Ed.

Pompton where they were quartered when the Revolt began to have the agreement executed, as the cause of the evil remains and will be encreased with the increased emission of Paper the disorder will soon break out again the Troops of all the other states have given in their claims and to prevent being forced Congress has ordered the same conditions to be granted, this has reduced Washington's Army to less than 5000 men and destroyed his hope of raising 35000 for the War according to the regulated Quotas which were to be furnished and paid by each Province, I am sorry to tell you that three French Ships having sailed from Rhode Island, the Bedford Culloden America & Adamant were sent by Admiral Graves to follow them, all of them were in a dreadful Storm on Monday night last, the Culloden was driven on Long Island her men Guns & masts will be saved the Bedfords masts were cut away, she is safe in Gardners Bay, The America and Adamant have been seen with their Masts standing since the Storm, we have the inhuman consolation to hope that the French have fared worse. We know from the Rebel Papers that Arnold has destroyed the Rebel Stores and taken their Archives at Richmond. I fancy he has done them a deal of Mischief as they burn and abuse him with double Malice; I have given by Henry White's advice an Office in Chancery to your Deputy. I am &c

JAMES ROBERSON.

Governor Robertson to Lord George Germain.

[Xew-York Entries (8. P. O.) CCCLIV.]

New York 6 May 1781.

My Lord,

On the 22d of April I had the honor of Your Lordships Circular letter of the 20 of Dec 1780. I have published this with the accompanying Manifesto and used every other means I could think of, to call the people to Arm Ships against the new Enemy the Dutch-But this Measure is at present obstructed by a still more important object.

The French men of War & Transports with Troops on board lye ready to sail at Rhode Island, while that under Adm1 Arbuthnot having landed 1400 Sick & Scorbutic men, is here unable to go to Sea for want of hands. On the Admiral's requisition, with the Commander in Chiefs consent, other applications having proved ineffectual, all the Sailors here have been pressed for the Fleet.

This at present puts a stop to Privateering but on my representation to the Admiral that by encouraging Privateers and giving all men an easy access to them, We not only hurt the Enemys Trade but lessen their Army, whereas by pressing we force the Sailors to fly and man the Rebel Ships of War, he has promissed that as soon as the important blow he now meditates is struck or as soon as a sufficient number of his Sick recover, he will discharge all the men now impressed and will not renew a measure which nothing but the present state of his and the Enemy's Fleet could justify. I hope soon to be able to revive the Spirit of Privateering the obstructions to this have given the Rebels but too many opportunities lately of carrying into their Ports many of Our Ships and great numbers of their own.

I am, &c.

JAMES ROBERTSON.