George Washington writes
the Continental Congress from his encampment at Valley Forge to
apprise them of the condition of his army. He fears that the army
may dissolve due to the lack of provisions. He must cope with
mutiny.
A proud man, he is disturbed that
he is blamed for the inactivity of his army, when the lack of
adequate support is at fault:
. . . finding that the inactivity
of the Army, whether for want of provisions, Cloaths, or other
essentials, is charged to my Acct., not only by the common vulgar,
but those in power, it is time to speak plain in exculpation
of myself; with truth then I can declare that, no Man, in my
opinion, ever had his measures more impeded than I have, by
every department of the Army.
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Detail of engraving.
Click for larger view. |
Washington refers to a visit of
a "Comee of Congress." ("Comee" is an abbreviation
for "committee.") This visit is depicted in a famous
engraving which can be seen by clicking on the image.
Washington's experience with the
Continental Congress and the pain that it inflicts upon him convince
him of the necessity of a strong national government. It is no
wonder that he will be a strong supporter of the new Constitution.
Valley
Forge, December 23, 1777
Sir: Full as I was in my representation of matters in the Commys.
departmt. yesterday, fresh, and more powerful reasons oblige me
to add, that I am now convinced, beyond a doubt that unless some
great and capital change suddenly takes place in that line, this
Army must inevitably be reduced to one or other of these three
things. Starve, dissolve, or disperse, in order to obtain subsistence
in the best manner theycan; rest assured Sir this is not an exaggerated
picture, but [and] that I have abundant reason to support what
I say.
Yesterday afternoon receiving information
that the Enemy, in force, had left the City, and were advancing
towards Derby with apparent design to forage, and draw Subsistance
from that part of the Country, I order'd the Troops to be in readiness,
that I might give every opposition in my power; when, behold!
to my great mortification, I was not only informed, but convinced,
that the Men were unable to stir on Acct. of Provision, and that
a dangerous Mutiny begun the Night before, and [which] with difficulty
was suppressed by the spirited exertion's of some officers was
still much to be apprehended on acct. of their [for] want of this
Article.
This brought forth the only Corny.
in the purchasing Line, in this Camp; and, with him, this Melancholy
and alarming truth; that he had not a single hoof of any kind
to Slaughter, and not more than 25. Barls. of Flour! From hence
form an opinion of our Situation when I add, that, he could not
tell when to expect any.
All I could do under these circumstances
was, to send out a few light Parties to watch and harrass the
Enemy, whilst other Parties were instantly detached different
ways to collect, if possible, as much Provision as would satisfy
the present pressing wants of the Soldiery. But will this answer?
No Sir: three or four clays bad weather would prove our destruction.
What then is to become of the Army this Winter? and if we are
as often without Provisions now, as with it [them], what is to
become of us in the Spring, when our force will be collected,
with the aid perhaps of Militia, to take advantage of an early
Campaign before the Enemy can be reinforced ? These are considerations
of great magnitude, meriting the closest attention, and will,
when my own reputation is so intimately connected, and to beaffected
by the event, justifie my saying that the present Commissaries
are by no means equal to the execution [of the Office] or that
the disaffection of the People is past all belief. The misfortune
however does in my opinion, proceed from both causes, and tho'
I have been tender heretofore of giving any opinion, or lodging
complaints, as the change in that departmt. took place contrary
to my judgment,(63)
and the consequences thereof were predicted; yet, finding that
the inactivity of the Army, whether for want of provisions, Cloaths,
or other essentials, is charged to my Acct., not only by the common
vulgar, but those in power, it is time to speak plain in exculpation
of myself; with truth then I can declare that, no Man, in my opinion,
ever had his measures more impeded than I have, by every department
of the Army. Since the Month of July, we have had no assistance
from the Quarter Master Genl.(64)
and to want of assistance from this department, the Commissary
Genl. charges great part of his deficiency; to this I am to add,
that notwithstanding it is a standing order (and often repeated)
that the Troops shall always have two days Provisions by them,
that they may [might] be ready at any sudden call, yet, no oppertunity
has scarce[ly] ever yet happened [offered] of taking advantage
of the Enemy that has not been either totally obstructed or greatly
impeded on this Acct., and this tho' the great and crying evil
is not all. Soap, Vinegar and other Articles allowed by Congress
we see none of nor have [we] seen [them] I believe since the battle
of brandywine; the first indeed we have now little occasion of
[for] few men having more than one Shirt, many only the Moiety
of one, and Some none at all; in addition to which as a proof
of the little benefit received from a Cloathier Genl., and at
the same time as a further proof of the inability of an Army under
the circumstances of this, to perform the common duties of Soldiers
(besides a number of Men confind to Hospitals for want of Shoes,
and others in farmers Houses on the same Acct.) we have, by a
field return this day made no less than 2898 Men now in Camp unfit
for duty because they are bare foot and otherwise naked and by
the same return it appears that our whole strength in continental
Troops (Including the Eastern Brigades which have joined us since
the surrender of Genl. Burgoyne) exclusive of the Maryland Troops
sent to Wilmington amount to no more than 8200 In Camp fit for
duty. Notwithstanding which, and that, since the 4th Instt. our
Numbers fit for duty from the hardships and exposures they have
undergone, particularly on Acct. of Blankets (numbers being [having
been] obliged and [still are to] do set up all Night by fires,
instead of taking comfortable rest in a natural [and common] way)
have decreased near 2000 Men. we find Gentlemen without knowing
whether the Army was really going into Winter Quarters or not
(for I am sure no resolution of mine would warrant the remonstrance)(65)
reprobating the measure as much as if they thought Men [the Soldiery]
were made of Stocks or Stones and equally insensible of frost
and Snow and moreover, as if they conceived it [easily] practicable
for an inferior Army under the disadvantages I have describ'd
our's to be wch. is by no means exagerated to confine a superior
one (in all respects well appointed, and provided for a Winters
Campaign) within the City of Phila., and [to] cover from depredation
and waste the States of Pensa., Jersey, &ca. but what makes
this matter still more extraordinary in my eye is, that these
very Gentn. who were well apprized of the nakedness of the Troops,
from occular demonstration [who] thought their own Soldiers worse
clad than others, and advised me, near a Month ago, to postpone
the execution of a Plan, I was about to adopt (in consequence
of a resolve of Congress) for seizing Cloaths, under strong assurances
that an ample supply would be collected in ten days agreeably
to a decree of the State(66)
not one Article of wch., by the bye, is yet come to hand, should
think a Winters Campaign and the covering these States from the
Invasion of an Enemy so easy [and practicable] a business. I can
assure those Gentlemen that it is a much easier and less distressing
thing to draw remonstrances in a comfortable room by a good fire
side than to occupy a cold bleak hill and sleep under frost and
Snow without Cloaths or Blankets; however, although they seem
to have little feeling for the naked, and distressed Soldier,
I feel superabundantly for them, and from my Soul pity those miseries,
wch. it is neither in my power to relieve or prevent.
It is for these reasons therefore
I have dwelt upon the Subject, and it adds not a little to my
other difficulties, and distress, to find that much more is expected
of me than is possible to be performed, and that upon the ground
of safety and policy, I am obliged to conceal the true State of
the Army from Public view and thereby expose myself to detraction
and Calumny.
The Honble. Comee of Congress went
from Camp fully possessed of my Sentiments respecting the Establishment
of this Army, the necessity of Auditors of Accts, appointment
of Officers, new arrangements, &ca. I have no need therefore
to be prolix on these Subjects, but refer to them after adding
a word or two to shew, first, the necessity of some better provision
for binding the Officers by the tye of Interest to the Service
(as No day, nor scarce an hour passes without the offer of a resignd
Commission) otherwise I much doubt the practicability of holding
the Army together much longer. In this I shall, probably, be thought
more sincere, when I freely declare that I do not, myself, expect
to derive the smallest benefit from any establishment that Congress
may adopt, otherwise than as a Member of the Community at large
in the good which I am perswaded will result from the measure
by making better Officers and better Troops, and Secondly to point
out the necessity of making the Appointments, arrangements, &ca.
without loss of time. We have not more than 3 Months to prepare
a great deal of business in; if we let these slip, or waste, we
shall be labouring under the same difficulties all next Campaign
as we have done this, to rectifie mistakes and bring things to
order. Military arrangements and movements in consequence, like
the Mechanism of a Clock, will be imperfect, and disorderd, by
the want of a part; in a very sensible degree have I experienced
this in the course of the last Summer, Several Brigades having
no Brigadiers appointed to them till late and some not at all;
by which means it follows that an additional weight is thrown
upon the Shoulders of the Commander in chief to withdraw his attention
from the great line of his duty. The Gentlemen of the Comee. when
they were at Camp talk'd of an expedient for adjusting these matters,
which I highly approved and wish to see adopted namely, that two
or three Members of the Board of War or a Comee of Congress should
repair immediately to Camp where the best aid can be had and with
the Commanding Officer, or a Comee of his appointing[ment] prepare
and digest the most perfect plan that can be devised for correcting
all abuses, making new arrangements, considering what is to be
done with theweak and debelitated regiments (if the States to
wch they belong, will not draft men to fill them, for as to enlisting
Soldiers it seems to me to be totally out of the question) together
with many other things that would occur in the course of such
a conference, and after digesting matters in the best manner they
can to submit the whole to the ultimate determination of Congress.
If this measure is approved of I would earnestly advise the immediate
execution of it and that the Corny. General of Purchases whom
I rarely see, may be directed to form Magazines without a Moments
delay, in the Neighbourhood of this Camp in order to secure Provision
for us in case of bad weather; the Quarter Mr. Genl. ought also
to be busy in his department; in short there is as much to be
done in preparing for a Campaign as in the active part of it;
in fine, every thing depends upon the preparation that is made
in the several departments in the course of this Winter and the
success, or misfortunes of next Campaign will more than probably
originate with our activity, or supinehess this Winter. I am &ca.(67)
Notes:
(63) The change was ordered by Congress. (See
resolves of June 10, Oct. 4, and Nov. 24,1777, in Journals
of the Continental Congress.) Return
to text
(64) Maj.
Gen. Thomas Mifflin. He had resigned as Quartermaster General
of the Continental Army Nov. 7, 1777, to become a member of the
Continental Board of War. Return
to text
(65) The Pennsylvania
Legislature addressed a remonstrance to Washington against putting
the Army into winter quarters. (See Pennsylvania Archives,
First Series, 6, 104,) Return
to text
(66) Col.
John Bayard and James Young were a committee of the Pennsylvania
Council of Safety which consulted Washington on the matter of
clothing for the Pennsylvania troops. Return
to text
(67)
The bracketed words in this letter are Robert Hanson Harrison's
efforts to improve Washington's diction. The letter sent is missing
from the Papers of the Continental Congress. It was sold
at auction in 1933 and, from the catalogue description, was a
copy, by Harrison, of Washington's autograph draft. Harrison's
copy, which Washington signed, shows a few minor verbal variations.
(See note to letter of Washington to the President of Congress,
Dec. 22, 1777, ante.) Return
to text
From The Writings of George
Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799. John
C. Fitzpatrick, Editor.— vol. 10 in the American Memory
Collection of the Library of Congress.
