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Reed and Cadwalader

PAMPHLETS.

GEN. JOHN CADWALADER.

A

REPRINT

OP THE

REED AND CADWALADER

PAMPHLETS.

WITH AN

APPENDIX

E. UoH'-r, 1<ee« 3

MDCCCLXIIL

PREFACE.

THE following Pamphlets have been thought
worthy of prefervation in a more com
plete form than any in which they have
ever hitherto apppeared. One of them, known as
the Cadwalader Pamphlet, has been twice re
printed ; firfb at Trenton, N. J., in 1848, in an
inferior ftyle, and not without errors ; and again at
Philadelphia, in 1856; the latter edition having
annexed a feries of forgeries, called the Valley Forge
Letters, which threw difcredit upon the whole.
General Reed's pamphlet, to which Cadwalader's
was a reply, has never been reprinted, and is ex
ceedingly fcarce. The objecT: ofthe prefent edition,
which is limited, is to preferve for the hiflorical
ftudent as accurate fac Jimiles, as careful typography
renders pofhble, of two interefting memorials of
the paft, the originals of which time and other

( iv )
caufes are rendering fcarcer every year. The few
extracts in the Appendix, having relation to the
general fubjedl matter of the Pamphlets, are
thought proper to be added. Both fides of the
controverfy are, however, given, and the reader is
left to his own conclufions.
June, 1863.

nnnxfi nmn ¦ ¦¦¦>

REMARKS O N A
LATE PUBLICATION; W I T H A
SHORT ADDRESS'
TO THE
PEOPLE of PENNSYLVANIA.

####«################

REMARKS ON A
LATE PUBLICATION INTHE
Independent Gazetteer;
W I T H A
SHORT ADDRESS
T O T H E
People of Pennsylvania,
ON THE MANY
LIBELS and SLANDERS
WHICH HAVE
LATELY APPEARED against the AUTHOR.

PHILADELPHIA:
Printed by FRANCIS B.A I L E Y, in Market-Street.
M,DCC,LXXXIII.

To the Public.

I Apprehend little apology will be necefTary for
the delay ofthe following remarks, to thofe who
confider that the principal tranfadtions to which
they relate happened near fix years ago ; and in the
fucceeding fpace both papers and perfons have been
fo difperfed throughout this continent, as necefTarily
to require much time to refer to them. Some ofthe
former I find are now unattainable ; and many of the
latter have gone to that country, where the voice of
envy, faction, and flander is never heard. I confefs
I feel more difficulty in another point, I mean pro
ducing letters and certificates, which in any other
fituation would be extremely indelicate ; but as moft
of them contain cotemporary fentiments of my con-
duel, at a period when party and prejudice did not
exift (at leaft as to me) I flatter myfelf the candid
part of mankind will view them rather as teftimo-
nials or proofs of an injured character, than as lelf-
produced panegyrics. I have no defire to fuggeft
recollection, when it is fashionable to forget, and
had I been permitted to glide down the current of
private life, uncalumniated, I certainly fhould never
have obtruded them on the public My profef-
fional engagements, fome of which relate to the
ftate, muft alfo be necefTarily fuppofed to engrofs a
portion of my time. I have no doubt had I delay
ed thefe remarks till I could have heard from gene
ral Greene, with whom, from our firft acquaintance at

( 6 )
at Cambridge in 1775. I have had the honour to
enjoy a moft intimate friendfhip, I could have ad
ded a very refpectable weight to them : but that,
and a letter I wrote to general Wafhington in De
cember 1776, of a very interefting nature on the
ftate of our public affairs, which is at a diftance
from him, I am obliged to omit, though I am per
fuaded they would be highly favourable to me ; and
the letter, I have great reafon to believe, was influ
ential on the determination which was followed by
the furprife of the HefTians at Trenton ; an event,
which though brilliant and highly honourable to all
concerned, would not, I conceive, have been at
tended with decifive effects to America, had it not
been followed by the return of the army to New
Jerfey, and the fubfequent fuccefles at Princeton and
in Eaft Jerfey. I have now but one requeft to make
to thofe of my fellow citizens and countrymen of
this ftate, that they will for a moment lay afide their
prejudices, if any are imbibed, and read and judge
with candour. JOSEPH REED.
Nov. 1, 1782.
[QC/=:' The Printer thinks it his duty to apologize
to the Public and the Author, for the delay which
has happened by his means. He received the Manu-
fcript entire a conjiderable time ago, but after he had
printed above one half of it, the remainder was,
among other papers, accidentally dejlroyed. There
being no copy, and the author at Trenton, it became
necejfary to wait till he could replace it with a new
compq/ition.]

[So much time has elapfed fince the following
Publication, that it has been thought proper to
reprint it here, to render the following Remarks
more intelligible.]

To the Printer of the Independent Gazetteer.

SIR,
TT is much to the honour of America, that, in the prefent revolution,
there have not been many instances of defection among officers of
rank in the continental army. In Oliver Cromwell's time, we frequently
fee a general fighting one day for the king, another for the parliament ;
fo unliable and wavering were the opinion of thefe republicans.
The corruption of the times is now become a univerfal complaint, and
.one would be almost tempted to believe, that the former days were better
than thefe ; that our fore-fathers were pofTeffed of greater moral rectitude
than the prefent generation, did not hiftory and experience convince us
of the contrary. There is, however, one great evil peculiar to this age,
that of affuming the credit of being endowed with virtues, to which we
are perfect ftrangers. Cunning, addrefs and eloquence have often milled
the honeft but too credulous multitude ; and they have been taught to
confider many a man as a patriot and a hero, whofe real character was
marked with nothing but deceit and treachery to his country. It is alfo
amazing that fuch men fhould meet with the higheft fuccefs, ard bear
their blufhing honours thick upon them ; whilft modeft merit and true
patriotism, could neither gain the fuffrages of the people, nor the appro
bation of thofe who held the reins of government.
The reflections I am now making, have, in a ftriking manner, been
verified in this ftate. I fhould be extremely forry to accufe without a juft
foundation, or to adduce a charge, were I not convinced that it is of the
utmoft importance that the public, the people at large, fhould be enabled
to form a right opinion of fuch men, who have been honoured or may be
honoured, with their fuffrages, and thereby exalted to places of the higheft
truft and confidence.
Impreffed with this idea, and with a defign to elucidate fuch characters,
I fhall take the liberty to propofe to the public, the following queries :
i . Was

'( 8 )
i. Was not general R — d, in December 1776, (then A  1 G  1
of the continental army) fent by general Wafhington to the commanding
officer at Briftol, with orders relative to a general attack, intended to be
made on the enemy's poll at Trenton, and thofe below, on the 25 th at
night. 2. Two or three days before the intended attack, Did not general
R — d fay, in converfation with the faid commanding officer, at his quar
ters, that our affairs looked very defperate, and that we were only making
a facrifice of ourfelves ?
3. Did he not alfo fay, that the time of general Howe's proclamation,
offering pardon and protection to perfons who fhould come in before the
lft of January 1777, was nearly expired; and that Galloway, the Aliens,
and others, had gone over and availed themfelves of the pardon and pro
tection offered by the faid proclamation?
4. Did not he, general R  d, at the fame time fay, that he had a
family and ought to take care of them ; and that he did not underftand
following the wretched remains of a broken army ?
5. Did he not likewife fay to the faid commanding officer, that his
brother (then a colonel or lieutenant colonel of militia) was at Burlington,
with his family, and he had advifed him tc remain there, and if the enemy
took poffeffion ofthe town, to take a protection and fwear allegiance?
It is well for America that very few general officers have reafoned in
this manner ; if they had, general Howe would have made an eafy con-
queft of the United States. And it is very obvious, that officers of high
rank with fuch fentiments, can have no juft pretenfions to patriotifrn, or
public virtue ; and can by no means be worthy of any poft of honour or
place of truft, where the liberties and intereft of the people are imme
diately concerned.
BRUTUS.
Philadelphia, Sept. 3, 1782.

To

T O

General John Cadwallader.

THE following Remarks are with propriety ad-
drefTed to you, becaufe, though not the actual
author, it is to you I find I am really indebted for
the infidious attempt on my reputation, through the
medium of Ofwald's news paper of the 7th Sep
tember laft. Having long treated with contempt
the miferable flander of that paper, and its defpi-
cable authors, I prefume it became necefTary at the
approach of the laft election, to bring forward
fomething capable of attracting the public atten
tion ; and, like a baneful planet, whofe appearance in
either ftate bodes ftorms and mifchief, you offered
yourfelf for this honourable fervice. Formed into
habits of friendship in the days of innocence and
childhood, and even to our entrance upon the
ftage of life, till difTolved by a fudden acceffion of
fortune on your part, without perfonal injury or
provocation on mine, what principle that will not
ever difhonour you with the wife and virtuous,
could thus tempt you to injure one who never in
jured you ? who has ever done juftice, and more
than juftice to your fervices in the field, becaufe,
like charity, they were necefTary to cover the num-
berlefs faults and follies, which the intoxication of
B pride

( 1° )
pride and wealth were ever cafting up to public
view? Unhappy man ! againft whofe peace and
happinefs all are combined, who confult their own
reputation and profperity, and whofe confcious de
fects eternally fuggeft, that his own candle will not
fhine till every other is extinguished ; what, I afk,
could tempt you thus wantonly to tread the path
of obloquy, and wound the man to whom, under
your hand, you " acknowledge your country much
indebted" ?
You now fay, that in 1776, I meditated a defer-
tion to the enemy, and communicated fuch inten
tion to you. This I folemnly and expreflly deny.
And you fay, you have frequently mentioned it ;
and that general Arnold did the fame. I have no
objection to allow you the full weight you can derive
from this moft refpectable connection and teftimony.
But I muft obferve that Arnold only infinuated it on
his trial : that he derived it from you in the inti
macy which your mutual friendfhip and affection,
and kind offices to the internal enemies of your
country, created, we owe to your own information.
I muft confefs I always thought him intitled to the
whole infamy of the infinuation, till you confented
to divide it with him. That your fortune (accident
ally not meritorioufly acquired) affords you leifure
for mifchief, and that you thus employ that leifure,
both Maryland and Pennfylvania fufficiently know;
but that you employ it with fuch wicked induftry,
remained for us to learn, till you thought proper
yourfelf to communicate this alfo; and yet, inde
fatigable as you have been, I can truly declare, that the

( II )
the fubject of the prefent flander was not known
to me, till its appearance in the news paper. When
Arnold's infinuation dropt, a fmile of contempt
manifefted itfelf throughout the room, and his few
well wifhers exprefled their fears that it would in
jure the other parts of his defence; but that it
originated with you was never even fuppofed.
When at a future day your name was mentioned, it
was grounded upon the tranfaction which refpected
count Donop, the circumftances of which I knew
you to be acquainted with, and therefore confidered
it as an imputation on us both, unworthy the no
tice of either. If I did not fufficienfly meafure the
malignity of your difpofition, or thought more
favourably of you than I ought to have done, I am
content to acknowledge my error, and do you full
juftice in this refpect for ever hereafter.
As this performance is intended for the public
view, as well as yours, it is necefTary to ftate my
fituation a little before and at the period wherein
this fuppofed defection was meditated.
At the opening of the war, I accompanied gene
ral Wafhington from this city to Cambridge, where
the public fervice and his wifb.es unexpectedly de
tained me during the campaign. Having no view
of becoming a profeflional foldier, I returned in the
winter to the purfuits of civil life. At the opening
of the next campaign, general Gates being advanced
to a feparate command, I was earneftly preffed by
the commander in chief to accept the poft of ad
jutant general, with an intimation that the rank of
a general officer might be annexed; the latter I
declined

( 12 )
declined, to the former I reluctantly yielded. In
the courfe of thefe events, and the conftant follower
of all his fortunes, I was happy enough to gain a
very great fhare of his confidence and efteem. A
feries of misfortunes during the campaign foured
the army, and deftroyed the little difcipline we had
eftablifhed. It was my duty to preferve it. My
feelings on this fubject, and the inactivity of the
poft, confpired to determine me to refign it at the
dole of the campaign, which I notified in the au
tumn to the committee of Congrefs at camp, and
to fundry members, that a fuccefTor might be pro
vided. In the courfe of our retreat through the
Jerfies, I was difpatched on public bufinefs to the
legiflature of New "Jerfey at Burlington, where my
family had retired. By this time the enemy had
advanced to Brunfwick, where they propofed to
finifh the campaign, making that their advanced
quarters, as we intended ours at Trenton or Prince
ton. The time was now come when I conceived I
might refign my commiflion with propriety, and I
accordingly enclofed it to Mr. Hancock, then pre
fident of Congrefs. At midnight of that very day,
I received a meflage from general Wafhington, that,
invited by the broken ftate of our troops, the ene
my had changed their plan, and were rapidly ad
vancing towards the Delaware ; upon which I
inftantly fent off a fpecial mefTenger to recal the
commiflion, and refolved to return to the army and
abide its fate. He was in time to deliver my letter
before Congrefs had met, and returned with the
commiflion,

( i3 )
commiflion, with which I joined general Wafhing
ton at Trenton the next morning ; leaving my
family, confifting of an aged mother, a beloved wife
of delicate frame, with an infant a few weeks old,
and three fmall children, to find a retreat in the
pines of Weft Jerfey.
It is not necefTary to enter into a particular detail
of the proceedings of the army for the few days
they lay at Trenton. The difaftrous ftate of public
affairs had by this time brought out a great body of
the militia of Pennfylvania ; when the feeble con
dition of our army obliged us to crofs the Delaware.
The militia were ordered to Briftol, and the re
mainder of the troops cantoned along the river, so
as to oppofe any attempts of the enemy to crofs it.
In every ftage of our progrefs, on every movement,
the writer of thefe remarks was confulted either
publicly or privately, and often both. From
motives of fpecial confidence he was ordered to
Briftol, where general Cadwallader commanded,
and from that fpecial confidence communications
were made to him in preference even to the com
manding officer, as the general's letter of the 23d
of December will evince.
Though Specially fent by general Wafhington for
the exprefs purpofe of aflifting general Cadwallader,
(who, whatever his abilities were, had leTs experi
ence of actual fervice,) I was received with cool
civility, and very few marks of private attention ;
but at the fame time confulted without referve on
our military affairs. However, I rendered every
fervice in my power ; and as intelligence was of the
utmoft

( H )
utmoft importance both to general Wafhington. and
ourfelves, in conjunction with colonel Cox of New
Jerfey, every exertion in our power was made to
procure it. Tbis we were enabled to effect through
the medium of fome perfons of Burlington, with
whom our refidence had formed an intereft. In the
courfe of this bufinefs it was necefTary to paTs fre
quently to that place : On one of thefe occafions
the inhabitants applied to me for relief from the
incurfions of our troops, efpecially the gallymen,
who diftrefled them, without affording any advan
tage to us. As the Heflian patroles came daily to
town, I obferved it would be difficult and hardly
reafonable to reftrain our troops, unlefs the enemy
would fubmit to the like reftriction. It was then
fuggefted, that fuch a propofition fhould be made
to count Donop, who commanded the Britifh and
Heflian troops ; and I wrote a few unfealed lines to
that effect, which an inhabitant of Burlington un
dertook to deliver. The whole tranfaction was of
a public nature, and in the prefence of feveral gen
tlemen who had accompanied me from Briftol.
The bearer of my letter found count Donop on his
march to the Black Horfe, and brought back an
open letter mentioning that circumftance, and that
as foon as his fituation would admit, he would ap
point a place of conference on the propofition.
Having thus far complied with the defire of the
inhabitants of Burlington, who are chiefly of a
peaceable quiet character, and from their inoffenfive
conduct, as well as the fervices we were daily re
ceiving from fome of them, intitled to this office of
kindnefs,

( i5 )
kindnefs, I returned to Briftol : But that I may
clofe this tranfadtion, without interrupting my nar
rative of events, I fhall here obferve, that I was in
formed a flag came into Burlington a few days after,
with an open letter from count Donop, appointing
a place of conference, which was fent over to Briftol,
and delivered to general Cadwallader in my abfence.
The tide of American fortune foon after turned;
count Donop retreated to Brunfwick, and I never
faw or heard from him afterwards. This inftance
of humanity has been repeatedly perverted into a
criminal correfpondence with the enemy, by the
friends of thofe very perfons in whofe favour it was
exercifed, and propagated in a news paper which
derives its principal fupport from them.
It was about this period, that perceiving our
militia gradually diflblving, and thofe who remained
growing difheartened by a feries of unfortunate
events ; New Jerfey in a great degree conquered
and fubmitting to the enemy ; the firft of January
faft approaching, which terminated the enliftment
of a confiderable number of troops ; and authorifed
by that confidence and freedom with which general
Wafhington had ever treated me, I wrote him a
long and cogent letter, the fcope of which was to
convince him that we could no longer with fafety
adhere to our defenfive fyftem, for which I had
ever been an advocate ; that the time was now come
in which offenfive operations muft take place ; that
defeat would not have worfe confequences than in
activity ; and that the enemy's detached Situation, I
apprehended, afforded a fair opportunity of Striking a

( 16 )
a decifive blow. It is not one of the leaft of the
virtues of this excellent character, that his ears and
mind are ever open to information and advice,
when properly conveyed, even from perfons of
much inferior rank to that I then held. In a fhort
time after my letter was received, I was fent for to
his quarters ; where he in the utmoft confidence
communicated to me the outlines of the plan for
attacking the poft at Trenton, and expreffed ftrong
defires that in the mean time the enemy's pofts at
Black Horfe, &c. might be kept in alarm, if an actual
attack could not be made, and requefted that we
would concert fome fuch meafure from Briftol;
when I returned thither, the freeft communications
paffed between general Cadwallader and myfelf on
this Subject ; the refult of which was, that I Should
go over to Mount Holly to colonel S. Griffin, who
commanded a small corps of militia and volunteers,
and had advanced to that place within a few miles
of the enemy, and from whofe activity we expected
a vigorous co-operation. I accordingly went over
under cover of the night, accompanied only by
colonel Cox ; we found colonel Griffin very much
indifpofed, and the condition of his troops both in
number, and effective expectations, compared with
thofe of the enemy, fuch as extinguished every hope
from that quarter. We returned to Briftol at mid
night, and on the very next day the enemy diflodged
him with great eafe ; his corps foon after diflblved,
and he returned to Philadelphia. This was the
plan hinted at in general Washington's letter ofthe
23d December. At

( i7 )
At this juncture the plan of attack on the Hef-
fians at Trenton was completed, and preparations
made for carrying it into effect, on the morning of
the 26th of December ; when it was fuppofed that
the feftivity of the preceding day would make fur-
prife more eafy and conqueft more certain. As
foon as it was fully determined general Wafhington
wrote me the letter of the 23d December, which
will certainly convey to every unprejudiced mind, a
clear idea of the unbounded confidence repofed in
my fidelity, at fo critical a period, when the fate of
America hung in moft critical and awful fufpence.
This letter of courfe I communicated to general
Cadwallader ; and as colonel Griffin had retired, and
general Wafhington expreffed fuch earneft defires
that a diverfion fhould be made for count Donop,
we concluded to engage general Putnam, then at
Philadelphia, to attempt it, by crofling at Cooper's
Ferry, with the troops then daily coming in. A
difficulty then prefented, how we Should make the
communication to general Putnam, without entrust
ing this important fecret farther than prudence and
the general's Strong injunctions would warrant.
After various fuggeftions general Cadwallader, with
fome apologies, propofed th<3t I Should go and en
force it with perfonal influence. I accordingly fet
out in the evening, and reached Philadelphia at
midnight ; upon conference with general Putnam,
he reprefented the ftate of the militia, the general
confufion which prevailed, his apprehenfion of an
infurrection in the city in his abfence, and many
other circumftances in fuch Strong terms, as con-
C vinced

( i8 )
vinced me no afliftance could be derived from him.
I lay down for a few hours, and when the morn
ing came, a number of gentlemen, among whom I
particularly recollect colonel Moylan, Mr. James
Meafe and Mr. R. Peters, came, and anxioufly en
quired into our fituation and profpects. They can
tell whether defpondency or animation, hope or
apprehenfion moft prevailed, and whether the lan
guage I held was not the very reverfe of defpair ;
the former may remember, that when urged to ftay
and partake of a focial entertainment provided for
the day, I declared my refolution that no confidera
tion Should prevent my return to the army imme
diately ; and that in a private converfation I preSTed
him to do the fame, left he Should lofe a glorious
opportunity to Serve his country and distinguish
himfelf. I was not at liberty to be perfectly ex
plicit, but the hint was fufficient to a brave officer.
Having been longer detained by general Putnam
than I wifhed, it was evening when I reached Briftol,
and found the troops paraded to march to Dunk's
Ferry, in order to crofs at that place, and proceed
to Mount Holly, where count Donop then lay.
This was part of the general plan of attack formed
againft the enemy's detached pofts. Upon our
arrival at the ferry, the advanced parties paffed over
without difficulty : but we foon found, that, by a
ftrange inattention of our general to the tide and
ftate of the river, the paflage of the troops and
artillery would be exceedingly difficult if not im
practicable ; with the change of the tide the ice was
eaft up in fuch heaps on the Jerfey Shore that a
landing

( i9 )
landing for men was fcarcely practicable, for horfes
and cannon impoflible. A Single hour, which we
might have enjoyed with equal convenience and
equal riSk, if proper precautions had been taken,
made the difference of pafling to a fcene probably
of equal glory with that of Trenton, or returning
with mortification and difappointment to the village
we had juft left. The vigorous exertions of major
(now colonel) Eyres, and the officers and men under
his command, on the river did them much honour,
and convinced every one, that had it been poflible
the paflage would have been effected. For myfelf,
anxious to fill up the part of this glorious plan
affigned to us, and having often feen difficulties de
fcribed as infuperable, which on trial had been found
otherwife, I paffed over with my horfe to fee and
judge for myfelf. The difficulties I found in land
ing convinced me that the attempt to pafs the army
was vain, and thefe were foon heightened by a moft
violent Storm of fnow, rain and hail alternately, ac
companied with a furious wind at northeaft. I fent
a meflage to general Cadwallader, that the landing
of horfes and artillery was impoffible. Our great
anxiety then was to repafs the troops without alarm
ing the enemy, who were within a few miles, which
was not effected but with great hazard and infinite
labour. Having feen the laft man re-embarked,
and finding it impracticable to repafs the river with
horfes, I proceeded in company with another gentle
man, who was in a like fituation, before day to Bur
lington, where we remained in a kind of concealment,
till the weather and other circum Stan ces permitted usto

( 20 )
to join the troops again at Briftol. Here we all con
tinued near thirty fix hours in great uncertainty,
but with much anxiety for the event of the attack at
Trenton, which the found of the cannon fully in
formed us had taken place at the time propofed.
During this interval the impreflions which had been
made by our difappointment at Dunk's, the apparent
neceffity of keeping up thefpirits ofthe troops which
were hourly declining, the daily diminution of our
numbers, and the hopes we had formed of general
Washington's fuccefs, gave birth to a plan of croSiing
over into New Jerfey a fecond time, and attacking
fome ofthe enemy's pofts. Accordingly we march
ed on the morning of the 27th ; but experience
having taught us to pay fome attention to the tide
and circumftances of landing, a fuitable place was
pointed out two miles above Briftol, and a practi
cable time of tide Selected. When part of the troops
had croffed, and the remainder were ready to pafs,
we received an authentic account of the fuccefs at
Trenton : to which was added the important cir-
cumftance, that the victorious troops with their
prifoners had returned immediately to Pennfylvania,
and had refumed their former cantonments on the
banks of the Delaware. This immediately occa-
fioned a divifion in our councils : Many gentlemen
were importunate to return, among whom was
colonel Hitchcock who commanded the continental
troops, and thofe gentlemen who poflefled much
more of the commanding officer's friendship than I
could ever pretend to. My opinion, delivered with
earneftnefs was to remain in New Jerfey, and pro-
fecute

( 21 )
fecute our plan, as one that in our circumstances,
admitted of no alteration ; I urged the probability
of general Washington's return, as foon as his troops
were refrefhed, and his prifoners difpofed of; that
our militia were diflatisfied at being fo frequently
called out to an appearance of action, and being as
fuddenly withdrawn, that with the river between
us and Philadelphia, there would be lefs defertion,
and perhaps more confidence in time of danger, as
retreat was lefs practicable. Amidft this clafh of
opinions, perceiving general Cadwallader to hefitate,
and fearing he would incline to an immediate re
turn, as a middle courfe I propofed going to Bur
lington, from whence the troops might proceed to
Briftol, or againft the enemy as events or intelli
gence might direct. A letter feafonabiy received
from my brother, at Burlington, who had been very
ufeful to us in the article of intelligence, determined
the doubtful point in favour of that place. This
letter imported, that there was reafon to believe that
count Donop had broke up his pofts, and was re
treating. Almoft at the inftant of determination, intelli
gence came that fome of our people reconnoitering
a wood through which were we to pafs, had defcried
a party of the enemy evidently waiting for us, this
had nearly reverfed our new formed defign ; dread
ing its operation in this way, and doubting the truth
of the information, I requefted the troops might
keep their ground, and I would perfonally explore
thofe woods, which I did in company with colonel
Cox and colonel Cowperthwait, the gentleman who had

( 22 )
had been with me the preceding evening at Bur
lington. My fufpicions were juftified ; there was
no enemy there. Intelligence was fent to general
Cadwallader, and the troops moved on to Burling
ton, the two gentlemen proceeded with me towards
the enemy's pofts, which we found had been pre
cipitately abandoned the evening before, in confe-
quence of orders from count Donop. We then
proceeded on to Bordentown, which had been
evacuated in the fame manner ; here colonel Cow-
perthwait returned with intelligence of the enemy's
retreat, and that it was accompanied with every
mark of confufion and fear. From Burlington we
proceeded to Trenton, where we arrived about two
o'clock in the morning, and found it unoccupied
by troops of either party. I inftantly difpatched a
mefTenger to general Washington, to inform him of
the fituation of New Jerfey, of our having crofled
the river, and fubmitted to his judgment the pro
priety of pafiing over his own troops, to purfue the
flying enemy ; he approved my fentiments and con
duct in a letter I received from him the next morn
ing, which in this length of time, is loft or miflaid.
About twelve o'clock the advanced light troops
came into Trenton, with directions to receive far
ther orders from me ; which were to purfue, har-
rafs the enemy, and if poflible delay them till our
main body came up ; but they had advanced too
far for fuccefsful purfuit. After very animated ex
ertions, both by the continental troops and militia,
the enemy preserved an unbroken retreat to Brunf-
wick. The

( 23 )
The commander in chief came into Trenton on
the 29th December; on the 30th the militia were
ordered up from CrofTwicks to join the main army,
in confequence of intelligence being received of a
movement of the enemy from New Brunfwick.
The events of this critical interval, till we turned the
rear of the Britifh army, by our march to Princeton
and Morriftown, though of great importance in
themfelves, are not material to my prefent purpofe.
I fhall therefore only fay, that I doubt not the pen of
fome future military historian will do them juftice,
and defcribe them, as he juftly may (under Provi
dence) decifive of the fate of America. The nature
and value of the fervices rendered in thefe import
ant hours by the author of thefe remarks were then
well known ; but as they have no immediate con
nection with the prefent defign, delicacy forbids his
proceeding farther. One circumftance only he
would wifh to preferve from the oblivion to which
the fervices of thofe days are faft haftening, and
that for the honour of the city troop : this 'corps,
though fo redundant in more peaceable times, was
then diminifhed to about twelve or fifteen, who did
honour to the ftate and themfelves by their fervices
and perfeverance ; though I have not been favoured
with many recent marks of their regard as a corps,
they did not then think themfelves dishonoured by
the command which led to the victory and capture
of double their own number of Britifh dragoons in
the vicinity of Princeton : An event the more
honourable to them, as it Stands unrivalled; no
militia cavalry during the war, having to my recol
lection,

( 24 )
lection, performed any exploit of that nature, or of
equal gallantry.
From this narrative of facts, fupported by the
annexed letters and certificates, the judicious reader,
I think, will draw the following inferences :
Firft, That the author of thefe remarks flood
high in the confidence of the commander in chief at
the moft critical and dangerous period of the war.
Secondly, That he was intrufted with the moft
important Secrets of the campaign, a difclofure of
which either through weaknefs or treachery, muft
have been attended with the moft fatal confequences
to America.
Thirdly, That his regard to the public welfare
did not Shew itfelf in cold and lifelefs wifhes, but
by an active, vigorous, open opposition to the enemy,
and a zealous attention to our own interefts.
Fourthly, That at this critical and trying period
he reSumed his commiflion, which he had refigned
through miftake, and refolved to partake of the
danger of the day ; when, though not perhaps with
honour, yet with much lefs reproach and flander
than he has fince met with, he might have remain
ed a fpectator of events, and governed himfelf by
them. Fifthly, That no fuch fufpicions or doubts were
manifefted at that time ; but on the other hand, the
oflicers and militia in general were imprefled with
Sentiments of a very different nature.
Sixthly, That general Cadwallader, at the very
period in which he recollects an intended abandon
ment of the public caufe, communicated with him
without

( 25 )
without referve, afked, and followed his advice,
depended on his intelligence, and in Short put his
own fate, that of his troops, and even of his coun
try, into his hands.
I now proceed to fubfequent tranfactions, which
though not perhaps fo directly connected with my
fubject as thofe already related, will, I apprehend,
affift in forming a clear judgment of the fact in
queftion. After the fuccefles of the winter and Spring, I had
the honour of being appointed a general officer,
with a view to the command of the cavalry. Par
ticular reafbns, not necefTary here to enumerate,
prevented my acceptance of this command. How
ever, I ftill attended the army, where my fervices
were chearfully given, and favourably received.
From the entrance of the Britifh army into Penn
sylvania, till the clofe of the campaign in 1777, I
was feldom abfent. In this period, and fome Short
time before the battle of Germantown, general
Cadwallader joined the army as a volunteer : A
Similarity of circumftances. (he having alfo declined
the above command) together with common dan
ger and mutual Service, formed a new attachment
between us ; we went on the fame duty together,
and were frequently confulted by the commander
in chief in his operations. At the battle of German-
town, we fought by each other's fide ; at White -
marSh we aflifted general Potter in drawing up the
militia, though we did not on that day partake of
equal danger. The intercourfe arifing from thefe
D mingled

( 26 )
mingled duties and fervices, which were continued
until the army went into winter quarters at the Valley
Forge, foon did away the coolnefs which had for
fome years fubfifted, and in no fmall degree revived
our former habits of friendship. He faw the con
fidence placed in me by the general ; his own com •
munications plainly Shewed he did not diftruft me ;
he fuffered the former, nay joined in folliciting me
to come to head quarters, to aflift in council on the
moft interesting affairs, as his letter of the 30th
November 1777, will teftify. Either, then, nothing
unworthy of efteem and confidence had occurred ;
or, by that peculiar inconfiftency to which men of
weak judgment and Strong paflions are naturally
fubject, he carefled a man whom he ought to have
defpifed, and confided in one he ought to have dif-
trufted. In the fall of the year 1777, I urged him by
letter (o far to waive his difguft to the conftitution
of Pennfylvania, as to ferve in fome military char
acter under the ftate, againft the common enemy;
a character which required no teft or political en
gagements, and in which, with prudence and dif
cretion, he might probably have effected fome of
thofe changes for which he was fo zealous ; at leaft
it would have tended to unite the force of the ftate
againft the common enemy ; but thefe are qualities
which form no part of his character. His letter of
the ioth December ljjy, contains his anfwer;
and fo ftrcng and virulent was his antipathy to the
conftitution, and fuch his enmities to thofe who
adminiftered it, that I verily believe he would have
preferred

( 27 )
preferred any government to that of Pennfylvania,
if his perfon and property would have been equally
fee ure.
My appointment to Congrefs, and general Cad-
wallader's return to Maryland, again feparated us
for a time; but it was our lot to meet again a few
days before the battle of Monmouth ; here we were
again united in confidence and danger. After the
t battle we left the army together, and that period
;clofed our friendly intercourfe forever.
Upon our return to Philadelphia, general Cad
wallader became the open and avowed patron of
;thofe who are diftinguifhed by the appellation of
Tories: Not Satisfied with forbearance, and obli-
.vion of paft delinquency, he was ever exalting and
icareffing them. Such intemperate warmth did he
manifeft in their favour, fanned, no doubt, by their
:adulation and importunities, that he found himfelf
.unfupported even by thofe, who on other occafions
:did not chufe to defert him, however they might
.difapprove his conduct. Nor was his partiality to
.Britifh priSoners lefs extreme or ridiculous. One
inftance cannot be forgotten : In the regulation of
the city affembly, at which feveral gentlemen then
attended from political motives, who feldom make
amufement matter of ferious confideration, a queftion
was propofed, Whether American oflicers fhould
be admitted as fuch, or put on the footing of com
mon Strangers, who need a Special recommendation ?
The latter was warmly urged by general Cadwal
lader, for this ungracious reafon, that all our officers
were not gentlemen ; but at the fame time reverfing the

( 28 )
the reafon, he propofed that Britifh officers, prison
ers, Should receive this mark of attention, becaufe
they were all gentlemen : When it was obferved,
that American officers at New York, fo far from
receiving any fuch marks of civility, were treated
with the utmoft contempt, and that it would be
quite time enough to extend our politenefs in this
particular, when we faw a fimilar difpofition on the
part of the enemy ; he could fee no propriety in
the remark, but left the meeting in difguft. The
fame decifive tone of attachment to the Britifh army
and their adherents, has marked every fubfequent
period of his life too plainly to admit of doubt
or denial. I avow a different line of conduct.
While the war continues, and independency unac
knowledged, I think distinctions not only grateful
and proper, but indifpenfably necefTary : After the
war they ought to be permitted to wear away, not
to be ungeneroufly obliterated. Such oppofite Sen
timents could not remain long undifcloSed, or fail
of producing their natural effects ; but no oppor
tunity offered of openly manifefting them for fome
time. Having been called to the chair of government
by the unanimous voice of Council and Affembly,
among the latter of whom were general Cadwal-
lader's brother in law, and many of his intimate
friends and partizans ; and induced to accept it by
affurances from the leaders of the party, that it
would unite the difcordant interefts of the then
divided ftate againft the common enemy ; and
further, that if I would concur in offering to the
people

( 29 )
people a reconsideration of fome parts of the con
stitution, I fhould receive the utmoft Support and
refpect, let the iffue of the offer be what it might:
Influenced, I fay, by thefe considerations, I made
the facrifice of lucrative practice, of private eafe
and independence. All my part of the engagement
was honourably fulfilled ; but the people with un
expected unanimity rejected the propofition. From
that moment, an implacable oppofition, both per-
fonal and public immediately commenced, which
under one form or another has continued ever fince,
Confcious that the more my conduct could be fcru-
tinized the fairer it would appear, and ftill hoping
to reftore the wifhed for union, I invited a great
number of the moft refpectable citizens, including
members of affembly, council, magistrates, and
thofe efpecially who compofed a new fociety created
for the exprefs purpofe of oppofing the government,
to a public meeting ; I then in the moft open
manner called upon them to Support their imputa
tions, and fo effectually vindicated every part of my
conduct, that every gentleman (general Cadwallader
excepted) acknowledged his miftake, and at leaft
appeared difpofed to do me more juftice in future,
He, indeed, with that Angularity and abfurdity
which makes fo great a part of his character, thought
it was the duty of the prefident of the ftate to enter
into the violence of party on his fide of queftion,
and that to avoid interfering on either, was ex
tremely criminal. It would be injuftice to the
gentlemen of his party, not to add, that they did not
adopt his principles, although they never changed their

( 3° )
their conduct ; the effects of which have been fo
amply difplayed ever fince, much doubtleSs to the
honour and interefts of Pennfylvania. The flood
gates of Slander were immediately hoifted, and the
torrent has continued with little intermiSfion to this
moment. But facts were too recent, and circum
stances too well known, even for the envenomed
pen or tongue of party, to venture for a considerable
time fo coarfe and improbable a Story as the Subject
of thefe remarks ; the Stomachs of the people were
not prepared to digeft fo hard a morfel, till they
had undergone fome previous preparation. The
profecution of general Arnold, I have no doubt,
gave rife to it. In fcreening him from juftice, it
was necefTary to raife Some frefh calumny, that
might divert the people from his real guilt. His
kind and zealous friends, who did themfelves fo
much honour, and their country fuch eminent fer
vice in that bufinefs, firft whifpered what he after
wards insinuated ; and when a number of years had
elapfed, it was then thought Safe to ufher it to the
world under the aufpices of general John Cadwal
lader. From thefe facts, fupported by the letters and
certificates annexed, I draw thefe inferences :
Firft, That general Cadwallader, after the time
and fuppoSed tranfaction referred to, not only per
mitted general Wafhington to repofe intire confi
dence in me, but did fo himfelf, and renewed our
long fufpended intimacy.
Secondly, That he faw me raifed to the firft
office in Pennfylvania, his own . moft particular friends

( 3i )
friends voting for me, which as men of integrity
they ought not to have done, if I had been an un
worthy character ; or it muft follow, that he did
not think it of fufficient confequence to inform them
of what he now efteems a capital defect in my
character ; or that the fact did not exift at this time,
even in his own imagination.
Thirdly, That this imputation was not made
until parties ran high, and prejudices raifed, fo as to
favour the reception of any tale, without thought
or enquiry.
The evidence arifing from a train of well con
nected circumftances, muft be allowed to be fupe
rior to any other. The memories of men may fail ;
their minds are fubject to the warp of prejudice
and paffion ; they may convert into Serious import
what was dropt in jeft, and from falfe pride perfift,
in what they have faid, becaufe they have faid it,
even againft the conviction of their own confciences :
But circumftances cannot fo deceive, nor are they
fubject to the like errors. Now I appeal to every
unprejudiced reader, whether this tale is not only
unfupported, but even contradicted by every cir-
cumftance naturally arifing in the courfe of Such a
tranfaction. To fupport it, my intention and con
duct muft have been in the moft Strange unnatural
oppoiition to each other. Setting afide every pre-
fumption arifing from my early oppofition to the
claims of Great Britain, and the faithful fervice of
two campaigns, I afk, Whether it is probable I
meditated an abandonment of the American caufe
and army, when I refumed my commiSfion after
having

( 32 )
having refigned it ? When, inftead of taking care
of my family flying into the wildernefs they knew
not whither, I joined general Wafhington under
every circumStance of diftrefs ? Whether I medi
tated a junction with the enemy at the very time I
was exerting myfelf day and night to give them
effectual oppofition ? When I may fay (without
arrogating too much) 1 was the life and foul of in
telligence to the American army ; which the enemy
well knew. Was it the way to recommend myfelf
to their favour to do them all poflible injury before
I joined my fate to theirs ? And is this confiftent
with the experience and conduct of mankind in
fuch cafes ? Is it probable I Should have engaged
my brother in fimilar fervice, and fent my family
from eafe and comfort to hardfhip and diftrefs, if I
meant to reconcile him or myfelf to the foe ? But
thefe are among the leaft improbabilities. Is it not
utterly incredible, that I fhould withhold fuch a
communication or fentiment from my moft inti
mate friends and relations, and make it to a perfon
with whom I had held no friendship for many years,
who had received me with coldnefs, in whofe
power and whofe duty it was immediately to have
prevented the execution of fuch a defign ? My
enemies admit I have fome understanding, or my
destruction would not have been of fo much im
portance to them; but this behaviour would turn
me into an abfolute ideot. But what Shall we fay to
general Cadwallader, who before, at, and after the
fuppofed tranfaction not only intrufted me with all
his own military Secrets, but depended upon me for
intelligence,

( 33 )
intelligence, governed himfelf by it, and permitted
general Wafhington to do the fame, without the
flighteft precaution, or the moft diftant hint ; and
that too not on trivial and ordinary matters, but on
the moft critical occafions, when the fate of the
army, and moft probably of America, depended on
inviolable fidelity. It may be faid (becaufe it has been
faid) that the reafon why no meafures were taken by
general Cadwallader againft me was, becaufe the mi
litia, who had a confidence in me, would have been
too much alarmed. But could any thing be more
dangerous or juftly alarming, than to fubject an army
to destruction by betraying its Secrets, and perhaps
throwing it into the hands of the enemy ? Would
any man fit to command a body of troops fubject
them daily and hourly to fuch a rifque ? But admit
the abfurdity for a moment : Is there no way to
guard againft an apprehended danger of this kind,
but by open and violent meafures ? Might not a
perfon be fent away on fome pretence to a distance ?
Might not and ought not information to be imme
diately given to the fuperior officer, fo as to keep
the fufpected party from opportunities of knowledge
and communication, inftead of employing him on
the moft confidential occafions, and confulting with
him on every emergency ? It is well known, that
about this time we had more than one fufpected
character among us, but they were narrowly watch
ed, and excluded as much as poflible from every
fource of intelligence or obfervation. Is it not moft
aftonifhing and incredible, that at this very time the
militia fhould have preferved fuch a confidence in
E me,

( 34 )
me, and that no circumftance fhould occur to cor
respond with this imputation, but quite the reverfe;
fo that, though I have not troubled any of the offi
cers with any application on the fubject, I dare
fafely appeal to them, whether they did not give
me their utmoft confidence without fufpicion or
diftruft? When the attack on the Heflians at
Trenton was refolved on, was it not extraordinary
that I Should be Selected and follicited by general
Cadwallader to communicate the important intelli
gence to general Putnam, and concert a co-opera
tion with him, and that So much reliance fhould be
placed in me the Succeeding days until our arrival
at Trenton. Our affairs even then wore no very
bright aSpect, and yet general Cadwallader muft
acknowledge, that I bore no inconfiderable Share of
that very hazardous movement, when fecrefy and
fidelity were of fuch confequence, that it was in-
trufted to none but the general officers, and then
only on the point of its being carried into execution.
Now, if it can be Shown that in all this critical
feafon, general Wafhington had the leaft informa
tion given him, or fufpicion raifed, I will acknow
ledge that I may poflibly be mistaken, and that my
intentions and conduct were in diametrical opposi
tion to each other. How can it be accounted for
on any principle of reafon or confiftency, that
general Cadwallader, after fo long a filence, fhould
renew our former acquaintance, fee the continued
confidence of general Wafhington, call for my af-
fiftance and opinion, fee me elected and re-elected
to the Prefidency, without publishing this delin
quency

( 35 )
quency which he now thinks of fuch magnitude, if
it ever existed ; or if it was of fo little confequence
as not to deferve notice then, why is it now to be
raifed and propagated with fuch eagernefs, when I
am a private citizen, and feek no further concern
with the government ?
But fome perfon may afk, Would general Cad
wallader hazard fuch an affertion without founda
tion ? I anfwer, it is difficult to refolve what a man
of ungovernable paflions and defective abilities will
or will not fay, when his mind is inflamed by party,
and his breaft burning with difappointed and irri
tated ambition. I can only fay, that as no fuch
idea ever entered into my mind, I could not difclofe
it ; and he may have mistaken a converfation with
fome other perfon, or he may have at this distance
of time converted fome jocular expreffion (which I
do not recollect) into a premeditated dafign ; and
this does not appear improbable, if I have been
truly informed, that upon being questioned why he
had not put me under arreft, as he had power to
do, after fo alarming a converfation, he anfwered,
That he fhould have done fo, if he had fuppofed
me ferious. Or I am content to adopt that of a
celebrated modern writer, "That daily experience
" Shews us, that men not only pretend to, but
" actually do believe or disbelieve almoft any pro-
" pofitions which beft fuits their interefts and in-
" clinations, and unfeignedly change their Sincere
" opinions with their circumftances and fituations."
But even this will do little to retrieve general Cad-
wallader's

( 36 )
wallader's character, as it is equally injurious to me,
and deceptive upon the world.
I have now done with the gentleman, unlefs a
reply fhould become necefTary. If it fhould be
thought I have expreSTed myfelf in terms of too
great feverity, I hope it will be confidered what an
injurious and unprovoked attack has been made
upon me, and that I am in no refpect the aggreSTor.
Here I leave him.
And now, my fellow citizens and countrymen,
allow me to addrefs myfelf to you. That I am not
infenfible to your approbation and efteem, and that
I have been Solicitous to remove impreffions of a
contrary tendency, I fhall acknowledge ; perhaps I
have been too Solicitous ; but I aSTure you it pro
ceeded as much from a defire to juftify your choice
of me in a public character, as from any perfonal
feelings. In a government like ours, where the prefs
is under fo little reftraint even of truth or decency, it
appeared to me tomanifefta contempt of your good
opinion, if I had not fought to preferve it againft
flanderous imputations, of which I knew myfelf to
be perfectly innocent. If I have not in all cafes
fucceeded, it was becaufe the time was not come ;
but that it will come, I am as well aflured as of my
own existence. You have feen, you have heard the
numberlefs calumnies which have been raifed and
propagated, againft whom — againft a man who
wanted a revolution to repair a ruined fortune or a
Shattered character ? no ; you well know the latter was

( 37 )
was fpotlefs till I became the fervant of the public,
and that I left a lucrative practice and fair profpects
to impoverifh myfelf in your fervice ; Was it againft
a man whofe backwardnels in the public caufe pro
crastinated his entry upon it to a late hour, when a
judgment might be formed of the event ? no ; you
all know that before hoftilities commenced I was
among the foremoft, and when that event took
place I did not lofe my ftation or rank. Is it againft
a man who Shrunk back from danger, when the
clouds of misfortune darkened our political horizon ;
or held his life dear in the day of battle, when
deaths thickened on every fide ? no ! the thought
never exifted, until party and opposition engendered
it : And with refpect to perfonal danger, I knew
well that the weaknefs of our discipline, and that
fenfe of equality which reigns in this country, re
quired us to lead our troops and not to follow them ;
and where is the man who will fay I ever pointed
out a danger to him of which I did not equally
partake ? The proofs were too decifive to admit of
doubt or contradiction ; if they are already forgot,
it is not for me to remind you of them. When
the favourable opinion of my country led the Britifh
commissioners to over-rate my importance and in
fluence, and held forth fplendid offers of wealth and
power, I truft my country had no caufe to blufh
for me, or repent an ill-placed confidence. Yet I
owe it to the premature folly and malice of my
enemies, that I am not at this moment fubject to
the cruel imputation of palming upon the world a
groundlefs tale of oftentatious integrity. An acci dent

( 38 )
dent for which they are intitled to no thanks, pro
duced the only proof this country could afford, or
which I could ever have obtained in any. I have
faid on another occafion, and I now repeat it, that I
believe there are thoufands in America who would
have acted a fimilar part ; but I fhall be pardoned in
adding, that in any other cafe than my own, I Should
have thought them intitled to a far different reward
than cruel imputations and malicious calumnies.
When I left the army, I entertained no other
than the honeft and moderate ambition of becom
ing a private citizen, and healing the breaches of
an impaired fortune: This was not allowed me.
Parties, however differing in other refpects agreed
in this, and I was unanimoufly elected prefident of
the ftate of Pennfylvania. The exigencies of the
war, the unfortunate condition of our currency, and
above all the feuds of the ftate, made my duty dif-
cult and even dangerous : But did not the ftate at
this period in a very great degree recover from
confufion and diforder, to regular and eftablifhed
government, giving energy to all its operations
againft the common enemy, and peace and fecurity
to its own Subjects ? When on an unfortunate oc
cafion, the rafhnefs of one fett of citizens encoun
tered the imprudence of another, and broke forth
into a dangerous tumult ; when the very gentlemen
who had embroiled my adminiftration, and planted
the chair of government with thorns, had collected
themfelves, as it were, for their own destruction,
did I hefitate to facrifice every private feeling and
perfonal refentment to fave their lives, at no incon-
fiderable

( 39 )
fiderable rifque of my own. And yet this very
tranfaction has been Strangely perverted, to preju
dice me in the opinion of many well meaning citi
zens, who do not Sufficiently distinguish between
the proper and improper on every occafion. Had
they been my beft friends, I could not have done
more for their fafety and deliverance ; and yet, I
am forry to add, that it appears to have been a
fource of increafed enmity, inftead of generous con
ciliation. From the moment that the oppofition to the
conftitution was organized every Step was taken to
embarrafs and perplex the government, and vilify
thofe who administered it ; when their own internal
ftrength failed, they fought aid from the Congrefs
of that day, and foreign influence, in which they
were not always difappointed. Mercenary or party
preSTes, fraud, and falfehood were not wanting to
complete the arrangement, and thus they came
forth in battle array againft that very conftitution
which the greater part of them have Since fworn
to fupport and maintain. When defeated, they
changed their mode of attack, became fudden con
verts to this execrated form of government, and
opened the batteries of Slander and malice againft
the character of individuals who had fupported the
conftitution, now victorious over all its enemies.
It was my fortune again to have my importance
and abilities over-rated, and to be marked out, not
for temptation, but destruction.
And here I muft call the attention of every good
citizen of Pennfylvania to the difcovery of an im
portant

( 4o )
portant but long difguifed truth, that fince the de
claration of the people on the conftitution in 1778,
it has been an opposition to men and not to mea
fures. It clearly falls within Mr. Hume's idea of
perfonal faction or party, founded on perfonal
friendship or animofity; but, as he alfo obferves, is
generally the cafe, not unmixed with a real differ
ence of fentiment and intereft, in which the firft
principles of affection or hatred are predominant,
and have the greateft influence.
No new facts have been difclofed, no important
events have happened, to call for or even juftify fo
great and material a change, fo flagrant a contra
diction of thofe fentiments upon, and almoft abjura
tions of the conftitution. It is the fame as at firft
in every iota : But to poSTefs themfelves of the
offices and honours of the ftate, it was necefTary to
deftroy the public confidence, and calumniate the
private characters of thofe whom they now fought
to fucceed. They had not patience to wait till the
limited term of the conftitution expired, when they
might have appeared with confiftency and credit.
But now they have got into power by the moft un
worthy means, they loudly exclaim againft the
licentiouSnefs of the prefs, though it has been their
moft ufeful, and in fome instances fuccefsful engine.
With like confiftency they cry out for unanimity :
But is unanimity of more importance, now when
the independence of America is nearly acknow
ledged, and our enemies withdrawn, than when they
were at our gates, and our exiftence as a nation
doubtful and uncertain ? The whole is an infult

on

( 4i )
oh the understandings and feelings of an honeft and
enlightened people.
To raife the prejudices of any particular body or
profeSSion, is extremely favourable to party purpofes.
The cry of the craft being in danger, fet all the
Silver fmiths of Ephefus in an uproar, and they had
like to have ftoned an apoftle. Though not an
apoftle in any fenfe, the cry was raifed that I was
an enemy to trade, and if they did not attempt to
ftone my perfon, dirt was not wanting to foil my
character. The leaders of oppofition in the city being chiefly
in the mercantile line, this calumny rofe in that
quarter. To me were afcribed the committees for
regulating prices, inquiring into the fales of goods,
&c. They were the effufions of honeft but intem
perate zeal, to preferve the credit of the paper mo
ney: Time and experience have Shewn their futility;
but every perfon concerned in them, will do me
the juftice to fay, I neither originated nor conducted
them : In many refpects I oppofed them, as far as
decency and prudence would admit. The moft
obnoxious of their proceedings, by which I mean
calling upon individuals to anfwer publicly for their
tranfactions of trade, was evidently the angry relique
of that unfortunate quarrel which refpected Mr.
Deane. It was in a great degree an appeal to the
public by an individual, from the partiality and in-
juftice of Congrefs, which permitted the former to
leave America the defaulter of unaccounted mil
lions, and flanderer of every honeft man who Sought
to detect his villainy, and guard the public from
F his

( 42 )
his robbery. His cataftrophe alfo reflects much
honour on thofe who fupported him, and enabled
him to famifh our armies, defraud our public cre
ditors, and involve our beft citizens, the widow, the
orphan, and feeble old age, in all the diftreSTes of
want and woe. I cannot but believe that my
opportunities have given me good reafon for the
opinion, that if the firft fupplies from France had
been managed, not merely with common honefty,
but without the moft attrocious fraud, we Should
never have been that object of political horror, " a
" bankrupt republic — a proftitute among virtuous
" matrons — a bye-word and reproach among the
" nations." Posterity will hardly believe, that the
patrons and fupporters of this man, now alfo a de
tected traitor, are bafking in the funfhine of wealth
and power, while his enemies, and the friends of
their defrauded country, have not influence enough
to make a door keeper. But to return.
If it was enmity to trade, to exercife our power
and judgment in the appointment of office, consti
tutionally veiled in us, or on other meafures of gov
ernment, uncontrouled by a junto at a Coffee Houfe,
I will admit the charge ; but where is the applica
tion ever made in matters of commercial concern
that was not received with refpect and attention, or
what merchant can complain that he was treated
with pride or neglect ? To mention no more, was
the procuring and fitting out the Ship General
Greene, for the protection of their trade, from the
public treafury, without impoft or duty, a proof of
enmity to their interefts ? and what veflel ever gave
more

( 43 )
more effectual relief? But to fix prejudices in
honeft minds, who attentive to their own concerns,
received them without examination or proof, ferved
the purpofes of party. They were alfo by thefe
means fuccefsfully conveyed into every other ftate
in the union. Before Strangers could call our Streets
by their names, they were taught to confider us not
only as unworthy of public truft, but deflitute of
all knowledge and even the principles of common
honefly and morality. To revile the government
and its meafures, became fo fafhionable, that they
did not feem to confider it as improper, much lefs
highly indecent.
It Suited the fame purpofes to afcribe the embar
goes, which were fo long continued, to the council
of Pennfylvania, and in a particular manner to my
influence. Of all the falfehoods (and they have not
been few) none was ever propagated with more
eagernefs or more univerfally believed ; and that for
two reafons, firft, becaufe it raifed a violent and
general prejudice; and, fecondly, becaufe it con
cealed a real and moft profitable monopoly carried
on by a few individuals, under the mafk of public
character, and the exceptions in favour of our allies.
I challenge any man to Shew a proclamation, during
my whole adminiftration, that was not founded
either mediately or immediately on a refolution of
Congrefs, one for manning the ftate Ship, (which
lafted for a few days) only excepted ; but the files
of that honourable body will Show many letters and
representations againft embargoes. I challenge any
man to point out a fingle veffel that was ever de
tained

( 44 )
tained twelve hours by any order or direction of a
more private nature. Once mifled by the expecta
tions held forth from the city, when, for its par
ticular fafety from a mutinous and enraged foldiery,
and the general good, I promifed them gratuities
and relief in their diftrefs, and when difappointed,
I hinted at a neceffity of calling the ferious atten
tion of the mercantile intereft to our afliftance and
relief, by a temporary restriction, the clamour was
outrageous and violent, though no man received
the leaft prejudice. But the influence which pro
cured the embargoes in Congrefs, was fufficient to
uphold them, efpecially when Strengthened by the
representations of commiflaries and quarter mafters,
who erroneoufly fuppofed that exportation would
Starve the army. The Delaware ftate at length,
wearied with thefe weak and felfifh reftraints, per
emptorily refufed to comply with the requisitions
of Congrefs, diflblved the fetters which had fo long
bound us, and opened the treafures of Mexico to
our view. My opportunities of information enable
me to fpeak with fome degree of confidence on this
fubject, that had it not been for this influence that
beneficial trade would have been enjoyed at a much
earlier day, and its falutary effects diffufed to a far
greater extent : But it was too profitable to a few
to be laid open to all. The mift of prejudice and
deception is daily clearing away ; and the world
may, at a future period, probably fee the works of
that day in their true and genuine colours.
But what will thefe gentlemen fay, when it is
proved that after Congreflional embargoes ceafed, the

( 45 )
the very men who they have been taught to be
lieve the friends and favourers of trade, invented a
new restriction (but with fimilar exceptions) and
that thofe who they confidered as its enemies anx-
ioufly and induftrioufly fought to give them relief.
If there are any unbelievers, let them look into the
act paSTed by the prefent power, and under the fame
intereft, which obliged them to give up one third
of every provifion cargo, for public ufe, to be paid
for in depreciated paper ; and let them look into
the printed votes of the houfe, page 579, where
they will fee a cogent but unavailing reprefentation
to the aflembly, by the council, againft this reftric
tion, as oppreflive to the merchants and uSelefs in
itfelf. But it ftill continued, and while the trade
was generally bound in this miferable Shackle, there
were veffels constantly failing, which carried their
entire cargoes without deduction or restraint. At
length this was alfo given up, and at laft we faw
and felt the bleflings of a fair, equal and generous
commerce. Now judge ye worthy but mifguided
citizens, who were the enemies of your trade, or
hoflile to your interefts.
Lefs induftry has not been ufed to prejudice the
military of the ftate againft me, of which my pre-
deceflbrs and late fucceffbr feem to have fome Share.
The mutiny of the line, obliterated all my former
fervices and favours, though often acknowledged.
In that tranfaction, I preferred what appeared to
me to be the intereft of the public, to all other
considerations. If after the report of the affembly,
made by gentlemen chiefly in an oppofite intereft, in

( 46 )
in the prefence of thofe of the army who had coun
tenanced thefe unfavourable opinions, any thing
was wanting to my vindication, the common enemy
have fupplied it. Subfequent advices from Europe
Shew that our enemies had formed great and ex-
tenfive hopes on that event, all which by their own
confeflion were fruftrated and difappointed.
Under a load of obloquy and flander, the prefles
and the Coffee Houfe (a place never before ufed
for fuch purpofes) teeming with fcandalous libels,
it was ftill my fortune, while eligible to be unani-
moufly re-chofen to the Prefidency of the ftate.
When this had ceafed, and I returned to the flation
of a private citizen, I flattered myfelf that envy and
malice would now ceafe alfo, or find fome other
object; but it feems I was too dangerous to be
permitted to enjoy any character either public or
private, and the zeal of my enemies has betrayed
them into a thoufand inconsistencies : I have been
at the fame time defcribed as friendly and favoura
ble to the enemy, oppreffive and perfecuting of their
friends ; fo rich as to be dangerous, fo poor as to be
defpifed ; fo powerful as to be an object of terror,
fo contemptible as to be flighted by every one ; a
wretched coward, and pofTefling a fearlefs intrepid
fpirit, which no danger could deter from its pur
pofes; and when modern villainy failed to furnifh a
comparifon, recourfe was had to that of antiquity ;
the Catalines and Cleons, the parricides of their
country, men covered with crimes and infamy have
been brought forth from the darknefs of 2000 years
to illuftrate my character — this alfo ferved the pur
pofes

( 47 )
pofes of party, and fhews that even fome men of
education do not difdain this vile prostitution of
their talents. When this did not produce its full
effect, though encouraged by fome, and not difcou-
raged by others, who themfelves have fome char
acter to lofe, men of low and defpicable condition
were in fome instances excited to challenge me,
that at any rate they might be rid of a dangerous
man, whofe innocence might one day appear and
cover them with confufion and difgrace. It is
fomewhat Angular, but not lefs true, that for a long
time I was a distinguished object of equal abufe in
the publications of the enemy — it was natural for
them to wifh to deftroy the public confidence in a
man whom they had met in every Stage of the con
troversy, and to whom they thought proper to
afcribe fome portion of their difappointment : But
as foon as the work was taken out of their hands,
they intirely left it to their lefs able but more zeal
ous friends, who have gone far beyond them in the
difgraceful bufinefs.
I have been called a tyrant and an oppreSTor.
Let us fee wherein this tyranny and oppreffion con
sisted. The fad neceSfities of our army, and various
public exigencies, required a relief which a depre
ciating paper could not give. There was no alter
native, but destruction or coercion ; the whigs had
given and contributed till they had little left ; the
difaffected and neutral part of the community, had
borne no proportion of the public burthen. The
powers legally vefted in us were exerted to draw
forth the refources ofthe State, and I fought to make that

( 48 )
that equal which had been before unequal — for
after all that can be extorted from avarice and dis
affection, I fear the generous whig and friend to his
country with his fervices in the militia, his volun
tary contribution, his property taken by the enemy,
or given to the public without account, or in loan
office, quarter mafter, and commiffaries certificates,
will find his felfifh, tory trimming neighbour may
truly infult him by his comparative loSTes. Thefe
were alfo thrown into the fcale of party; many
who are intitled to the appellation of whigs, were
as clamorous as any. Let me call on fuch to pe-
rufe gen. Washington's letters ofthe 28th May and
4th July, 1780, No. 10, 11, and then blufh that
from little local views, they were thwarting and
cenfuring the meafures fo warmly urged by him
for the deliverance and falvation of their country.
To touch every Siring of popular complaint, it
has been fuppofed, (for they do not believe it) that
during my prefidency I acquired a fortune. To
acquire a fortune on a falary given in continental
money, and ek'd out with fome occafional allow
ances, is an idea that would have been laughed at in
any other ftate, but it found its patrons in Pennfyl
vania. For this alfo fuited the purpofes of party.
No, my countrymen and fellow citizens, if you can
confide in my affurances, you have not only had a
very valuable portion of my time, but fortune alfo.
I would not difgrace your appointment, by a mean
and unworthy Style of public life, however incon
venient to mySelf and prejudicial to my family.
When I left the chair I fought neither gratuity, penfion,

( 49 )
penfidn, or office. I fondly flattered myfelf that
my faithful fervices would have intitled me to your
future favour and good will, and that at leaft I fhould
have found the fame juftice and attention in Penn
fylvania, as a Stranger, or I myfelf Should have had
in any other ftate ; but in this I was disappointed.
Having been connected before the prefent war,
with fundry gentlemen in England, in a considera
ble landed intereft in this ftate, and New Jerfey,
which fuffered greatly for want of care, in confe-
quence of the war, and the agent's death in 1778,
and to prevent any cavil with refpect to legal pow
ers, I refpectfully applied to the houfe of affembly,
praying a Short act for this purpofe, during the war,
and to enable me to complete fundry contracts,
made by the agent in his life time, under fuch re
strictions and circumftances as they would think
proper. After much trifling, and that fort of delay
which is affected when perfons do not chufe to
grant what they know not how with decency to
deny, Mr. Speaker nominated MeSTrs. George
Gray, George Campbell, and Robert M'Pherfon, a
committee to hear and report upon my petition.
After more difficulty to obtain an interview, than
the meaneft perfon in the ftate ever had with
me while I was prefident, they wifely and decently
reported that an agent was necefTary, but that the
whole profits without even the exception of my
own intereft, fhould be fequflered into the public
treafury. If there had been laws for the purpofes
of fequeftering Britifh property, or any other in
stance of fuch a procedure, even in the cafe of thofe
G perSons

( 5° )
perfons who have retired to Great Britain during
the controverfy, I might have more readily acqui-
efced : but to fee eftates held in every part of the
State by fuch perfons, under agents receiving the
rents, to fee them making fales and transmitting the
proceeds to England, without notice or inquiry, to
fee difaffected convicts favoured with every fpecies
of indulgence to their property, while mine and
that of perfons connected with me, was thus
fingled out for confiscation, is fuch a mark of glaring
partiality and grofs injuflice, as I hope has not its
parallel in the legislative annals of America.
Permit me now to tell you how differently the
ftate of New Jerfey acted on the like occafion.
Tho' I had rendered them no fervices, or had any
other intereft than what aroSe from the propriety
of my requeft and their juftice, both houfes unani
mously paffed the act, as it refpected the lands in
New JerSey, in as little time as the neceSTary forms
would admit. I afterwards reprefented to the af-
fembly of this State, that as there was no law to
confiscate or fequefter Britifh property, that I had
never been attainted by proclamation, or convicted
of any offence againft the ftate, which drew a for
feiture of property, I apprehended there was a
peculiar hardship in the report, and prayed it
might be recommitted; this was granted, and an
addition made to the committee, in which a hoftile
majority was carefully preServed, and the bufineSs
has now far entered into its fecond year, and in the
hands ofthe third affembly, fince my firft applica
tion. It is not in my nature to pay perSonal and iervile court

( 5i )
court to individual members, to do what common
juftice and gratitude demand. So that it will pro
bably be handed over from afTembly to aflembly till
the neceffity ceafes, or it fhall fall into more honour
able hands. Now I appeal to you, my fellow citi
zens and countrymen, whether I have deServed fuch
treatment from your reprefentatives, whether this
and all the calumny and reproach which has been
heaped on me is a juft or generous return for the
fervices I have rendered you, and the Sacrifices I
have made, and whether it does not bear all the
marks of decided and perfonal party. But if I had
Sinned, what has an unoffending family done, that
they Should be impoverished and degraded from
their proper rank in life and education, when that
time and thofe talents have been devoted to you
which would otherwife have been profitably em
ployed for them ? Do you believe I had no oppor
tunities arifing from the rank and influence I have
had to better my fortune either in land or other
fpeculations, or fimilar means ? Be affured fuch
temptations are always at hand to men in high
office : I have had feveral. My uniform and con
stant anfwer was, while prefident of the ftate, I can
enter into no fuch meafure ; my rank and influence
were not given me for the purpofe of private emolu
ment, nor fhall they ever be fo applied. There are
more than one who have received this anfwer from
me while in the chair of government. But I did
not expect to be deprived or unjuftly precluded from
the enjoyment of private rights acquired many years

( 52 )
years fince, and which but for the war would have
been long fince favourably Settled.
Setting all private considerations afide, permit me
to add that if you can encourage fuch conduct, you
neither understand nor are fit for the government
you have eftablifhed. In a commonwealth, under
a republican conftitution, with conftant rotation of
officers, it is your wifdom and only true policy to
make the return to private life and former purSuits
as eaSy and honourable as poffible, when men have
Served you with fidelity, they have a right to ex
pect you fhould preServe their characters from Slan
der, and their property from depredation ; if you
do not, you will Soon convert ufeful citizens into
dangerous and turbulent Subjects. Look round, and
fee the numerous candidates for every vacant office,
and the ftill more numerous idlers in every part of
the ftate: do you wifh to increafe their number?
If you do, hedge up their return to their former
occupations and honeft induftry, by ill treatment
and reproach, they will foon become the venal
instruments of any tyrant or aristocratic junto, to
deftroy thoSe very liberties you So much abufe.
Of the number whom the war hath drawn forth
from their former Stations in life, how few have re
turned to them. The fubject will foon force your
confideration ; you have only to chufe whether you
will by your own conduct make them ufeful citizens
or burthenfome pensioners.
In enumerating the various reproaches which
have been eaft upon me, I cannot omit thoSe of be ing

( 53 )
ing born out ofthe ftate, and being of a particular
religious profeflion. The crime of being born in
New Jerfey, I fhall neither palliate nor deny ; fo far
from it that I am proud to boaft this accidental con
nection with a ftate, which for its heroic exertions
in the common caufe, and patriotic gratitude, may
be ranked with any ftate either ancient or modern :
If they are not afhamed of me, I certainly fhall
never be afhamed of them. It ill becomes any party
in Pennsylvania to raife fuch distinctions, as She
owes her profperity, in no fmall degree, to thofe
Strangers who have preferred her climate, laws and
government to all others.
. The other objection of religious profeflion is lefs
fpoke, but more thought of: When I am con
vinced of its errors, or afhamed of its characters, I
may perhaps change it : Till then, I Shall not blufh
at a connection with a people who in this great
controversy are not Second to any in vigorous ex
ertions and generous contributions, and to whom
we are fo eminently indebted for our deliverance
from the thraldom of Great Britain : Their great
misfortune is, that artful men of other parties and
perfuafions have always found means to dupe them
into divifions, difcord, and weaknefs. But it is
quite time to drop religious diftinctions in Pennfyl
vania, and meet on the equal floor of generous
catholicifm ; he who attempts to revive them, will
rouSe a Sleeping lion, and he will do well to re
member that there is no hierarchy, nor Great Bri
tain now to fly to, for countenance or affiftance.
I think it may be truly faid, that fince the revo
lution,

( 54 )
lution, religious distinctions have occasioned no pre
ferences in the offices or honours of government.
Men of abilities and integrity have been fought for
and found : It was our pride as well as duty ; and
I am content even at this day they Should be Strictly
reviewed. Many whoSe advancement was ground
of difcontent for a time, have Silenced the clamours
by their integrity and ability in office. ThoSe ap
pointments which are aScribed to my particular in
fluence, might gratify a man of much leSs vanity
than I poffefs. Let thofe who are difcontented go
into our courts of juftice, obServe the judges,
or hear the pleadings in behalf of the ftate ; let
them tranfact buSineSs with our auctioniers or mar
shal ; to conduct it without reproach, in Such a
difcontented felfifh age, is proof fufficient both of
integrity and ability. The Univerfity prefents an
inftance of moderation in the ufe. of power, feldom
found : All denominations of Christians are upon
an equal foot of enjoyment of its rights and ad
vantages ; inftead of the narrow and partial Scale
of particular domination : Upon this, upon the
gradual abolition of flavery, and demolition of pro
prietary power and influence, I am content to rifque
the merits of my adminiftration, and truft they will
far outbalance our involuntary errors. The firft
muft be acknowledged ; and had the Second been
the work of any other hands, it would have been
more meritorious ; I confider the laft not lefs im
portant than either, but its principal benefits are yet
to be felt ; I look forward with confidence to the
day when they will be feen and acknowledged by
all.

( 55 )
all. But it would ill become me to arrogate more
in thefe great concerns than a concurrence : I ever
found a difpofition in all thofe who acted with me,
to conduct the government on the moft free and
liberal principles, difcouraging every enquiry which
led farther than to afcertain the propriety of men
and meafures, unconnected with any consideration
of religious profeSfion, and local domeftic policy.
We could not fofter difaffection, nor reward timidity
or avarice.
A number ofthe charges brought forward againft
me in news papers and other publications, are pro
per Subjects of legal examination. Many of thofe
whom I am fo unfortunate as to count in the
number of my political enemies, have been long in
power; and is there not a man to be found amidft
all this clamour, to inftitute a Angle regular com
plaint. I will meet the greateft or the meaneft, or
from any of the intermediate ranks of Pennfylvania,
on this ground : But they well know, that all their
imputations would then vaniSh like the baSeleSs fabric
of a vifion, leaving not a wreck of truth or juftice
behind. I aSk no favour. I defy them all — them
felves being judges, fo the examination being open
to the world.
And after this will you, my friends and fellow-
countrymen, confirm the reproach on republican
governments, that neither life, character, or fortune,
are fafe from the machinations of envious and fac
tious men ? Will you deprive yourfelves of the
fervices of your beft citizens, who, by declining
your offices, will Shew that they dare not truft you
with

( 56 )
with thefe precious depofits ? Avarice, ambition,
and vanity, will always provide you with candidates ;
but will you live as free, fafe, or happy under them,
as under men, who can, for your fakes, conquer the
natural feelings of the human heart, and return to
an equality with you, to former purfuits and occu
pations, without murmuring or complaint: whoSe
knowledge of government, when out of office, will
make them watchful over thofe who are in ; fo that
your liberties and interefts may reft in Safety, and
none Shall dare to opprefs you? You have gone
great lengths to cure me of all ambition for public
office ; I have found fo much more eafe, folid Satis
faction, and real profit in private life, that it muft
be Something extraordinary to draw me from it
again : I therefore hope you will excufe the free
dom I take of offering you fome fentiments, the
refult of a little civil and military experience.
We may truly fay in Pennfylvania, it is not to the
rich or the mighty, we owe any obligations in this
great conteft : With a few exceptions, they left us,
as they fuppofed, to our own destruction ; they are
now impatient under the disappointment, and can
not brook that the honours of government, which
they confider as the appendage of wealth, but
which they cautioufly avoided in time of danger,
fhould now reft in the hands of men whom their
pride and ambition have taught to confider as their
inferiors. And even thefe exceptions fuppofe them
felves fo unequally yoked with their whig brethren,
that when power or profit are in view, they do not
difdain the alliance and Support of thofe, whom but
lately

( 57 )
lately they detefted and defpifed. Their motto is,
Si dii nequent acheronta movebo. Hence every means
has been uSed to leffen us in your good opinion, and
exclude us from marks of your favour. But their
mofi effectual engine has been, and yet is, to Starve
the officers of government. They know that many
valuable and ufeful fervants of the public do not
poSTeSs independent fortunes ; they therefore apply
to your frugality, or rather your parfimony, and
affect a concern for the public revenue ; but the
real object is the gratification of their own finifter
ambition. What is the difference between an ho
nourable Support of government, and one that will
difgrace you with its ignorance and meannefs, or
injure you with its pride, infolence, and tyranny?
It is not the fourth part of a farthing on the pound
rate of Pennfylvania. And does this afford a
temptation to commit ingratitude and injustice to
the public as well as individuals ? There are but
three clafles of men in Pennfylvania from which
you can draw the officers of government : men of
overgrown wealth who will ferve you for the ho
nour of the fervice, or the confumption of their
heavy time, and who pay no regard to the com
pensation : The number of thefe is very fmall ; for
it has been obferved, that the rich are as fond of
falaries as the poor. The fecond are thofe who
pofTefs fome certain eftate, but unequal to their
expence ; not having talents or inclination for pri
vate bufinefs, they feek to increafe their income and
confequence by an office, which of itfelf is not an
adequate fupport: The number of thefe is greater;
H but

( 58 )
but they may be truly be Styled the foundlings, not
the legitimate candidates for office ; they are gene
rally either indolent characters, or of defective abili
ties. The laft clafs confifts of men who by their
abilities and integrity have raifed themfelves into
notice and confequence ; but cannot in juftice to
their private interefts and families, give you their
fervices at fo great a lofs ; while they are taking
care of you, you muft take care of them.
Now judge ye from which of thefe clafles you
are moft likely to draw good magiftrates and faith
ful executive officers. No honeft man in fettled
times will ferve you to the certain ruin of himfelf
and family ; but many an honeft and able man will
ferve you for a moderate income, which depends on
the rate and expences of the place where his fer
vices are required, and the rank of the office which
he fills. Befides, mean inadequate falaries beget
low dependence and Servility ; the man is not Seek
ing how he Shall difcharge his duty, but maintain
his family. In the adminiftration of juftice it is of
the laft importance. The purity and independence
of the courts of juftice in England, have alone pre-
ferved the remains of their conftitution to this day,
amidft the corruption and venality, which in all
other cafes fo much abounds. To leffen the fala
ries and appointments of government, fo as not to
afford a fubfiftence to the officers, abridges your
choice, and confines it to men of riches and leifure,
and whatever may be faid, there is little cordial
Sympathy between the rich and the poor. Men do
not really feel for the hardships and inconveniencies of

( 59 )
of a Atuation which they never have, and moft pro
bably never will experience.
This leads me to what I have ever efteemed one
general Source of the enmity and Slander which we
have met with in administering the government of
Pennfylvania. I am a friend to fair and equal go
vernment, an enemy to all cabals and Machivalian
politics, and a deadly foe to enormous influence,
whether derived from wealth or power, or both
united. I confider it (becaufe the hiftory of the
world demonftrates it) to have been ever the fource
of corruption, productive of tyrannical monarchies,
or ariftocratical juntos, and fubverflve of all true
political happinefs and private fafety. My voice,
my pen, and, in cafe of extremity, my Sword, will
not be wanting to oppofe them — and my enemies
have Somehow or other an idea, that I poffeSs the
Angular quality of defpiflng riches when neceffarily
connected with dependance. Such a character may
indeed be troubleSome, fhould the establishments of
this country imprefs fuch ideas, and I confefs I do not
think we are without caufe of alarm. Almoft every
new eftablifhment Seems to have the principles of
undue influence, interwoven in it, from which cor
ruption muft unavoidably flow. Even that ufeful
and convenient establishment the bank, is formed
on a plan more unfavourable to civil liberty than
the like institution in England, where and in the
India companies, a regular rotation is eftabliShed,
by the exclulion of part of the directors annually.
That bank was eftabliShed as ours, at the clofe of a
revolution, but the patriots of that day well knew that

( 60 )
that the command ofthe national wealth, continued
in the fame hands, was dangerous to their liberties
and prefented too great a temptation to interested
individuals to apply it to their own purpofes. Un
happily for us the public neceSTities have laid us at
mercy, our imbecility has in a great degree abSorbed
the rights and powers of public and private judg
ment, and the language of too many feems to be,
Spare our money and take all befides. A chearful
and punctual payment of necefTary but not oppref-
five taxes, would foon reftore us to our firft and
natural independency of judgment and action.
My dear countrymen and fellow citizens, I hope
you will do me the juftice to believe that thefe Sen
timents are not thrown out to embarrafs thofe who
manage our public affairs. They have many natu
ral and unavoidable difficulties, it is not fair nor juft
to add thefe that are merely artificial. However I
have been treated in this refpect, I never did nor
ever will retaliate. My opportunities alone have
given me more knowledge of our public affairs
than moft of you who are in private life : and when
I fee your interefts, liberties, or political morals in
vaded or endangered, I will write, and I will fpeak,
unawed and uninfluenced, by any other motives
than thofe which ought to govern a good citizen ;
for that I have been ever fo in intention, whatever
have been my errors, I dare boldly aver to you and
all the world. Mv enemies freely give out, becaufe
they hope it will leflen your confidence, and injure
me in my private purfuits, that I am about to leave
the ftate. I have no Such intention, I have too
many

( 61 )
many friends in Pennfylvania to leave them — and
they know little of me, who can believe that I will
not even eat the bread and water alone of Pennfyl
vania, rather than gratify my enemies, and thus
admit an idea dishonourable to my paft life, and
public conduct. I mean to continue in a private
Station becaufe it is not only the moft eafy and pro
fitable, but there are circumftances in which it is
the poft of honour.
My fellow citizens and countrymen, I now moft
reSpectfully take my leave of you, earneftly wifhing,
that order may arife out of all this confufion ; that
you may find foldiers more brave and fkilful ; ftatef-
men more able and ufeful (for in fidelity and dif-
interefted fervices, I can "yield to none) and that
whoever may be your governors and rulers, you
may be a free and happy people.

The AUTHOR.

APPENDIX.

The ORIGINALS of the following Letters and
Certificates are left in the Hands of Mr. Bailey,
for the Infpection of those who may defire to be
farther aflured of their Authenticity.
(No. i.)
Certificate from the hon. John Cox, Efq. Vice-Prejident
of New Jerfey.
' ¦ ' H E S E are to certify that in the month of December 1776, the fub-
fcnber being then lieutenant colonel of the fecond battalion of Phi
ladelphia militia laying at Briftol, Mr. Jofeph Reed, the then adjutant
general of the continental army, came down to the militia by the direc
tion of the commander in chief (as the fubfcriber underftood) ; that he
quartered in the fame houfe with the fubfcriber, and was engaged in pro
curing intelligence from the enemy, and in the moft confidential com
munications of the operations of the army; that the fubfcriber accom
panied him in one to Mount Holly, to col. Griffin, and, as the fubfcriber
underftood, was treated with the moft unreferved confidence both at
Briftol and elfewhere, with refpeft to the movements and defigns of the
troops that his advice and opinion appeared to be much depended on,
particularly with refpeft to crofting over and remaining in New Jerfey,
which led to the fucceffes at Princeton, and the favourable iffue of the
campaign ; that the fubfcriber verily believes thofe communications to
have been made at fuch times, and under fuch circumftances, as muft
have fubjefted the troops to certain deftruftion, and the commanding offi
cer to the higheft cenfure, if on the one hand the perfon intrufted had
proved unfaithful, or on the other the commanding officer had reafon to
fufpeft him. The fubfcriber alfo well remembers, that when the troops
had paffed over into Jerfey, it was fuppofed that the enemy were not far
diftant from where we landed ; that it was propofed by feveral officers to
return to Pennfylvania ; that Mr. Reed was of opinion that recroffing the
river would greatly difpirit the troops, and therefore was againft it, and
offered to explore the country where the enemy was fuppofed to be;
which by the requeft of gen. Cadwallader he accordingly did, without
any covering party or company, fave col. Cowperthwaite, the fubfcriber,
and a guide ; that during the continuance of the militia at Briftol, the
fubfcriber was on terms of the moft unreferved intimacy with Mr. Reed,
and had frequent confidential converfations with him on the ftate of
affairs,

( 64 )
affairs, which then wore the darkeft appearance, in all which the faid
Mr. Reed never intimated, nor had the fubfcriber the leaft reafon to fuf-
peft he had, any intention of abandoning the caufe or arms of his country,
to join thofe of the enemy ; that it appeared to the fubfcriber, that general
Cadwallader, during his ftay at Briftol, depended in a great meafure for
intelligence on the faid Mr. Reed and the fubfcriber, which their know
ledge of the country and charafters about Burlington enabled them to ob
tain for him daily ; that the fubfcriber had frequent converfations with the
faid Mr. Reed during the time of our greateft difficulty and diftrefs, in
none of which did it ever appear to be the intention of faid Mr. Reed to
abandon the caufe of his country by joining the enemy, but on the con
trary -fhewed every difpofition to oppofe and counteraft them, and the
lubfcriber verily believes that had any fuch intention been formed by the
faid Mr. Reed, he would have communicated it to the fubfcriber; that
he never heard from General Cadwallader of his entertaining any doubts
of Mr. Reed's attachment to or perfeverance in the caufe of America, or
any opinion expreffed by him that induced a belief that faid Cadwallader
entertained other than a favourable one touching the faid Reed's zeal or
activity in the public fervice.
JOHN COX.
Trenton, Oftober 20, 1782. (No. 2.)
Affidavit by Daniel Ellis, Efq. formerly High Sheriff and
one of tbe Judges of the Court of Common Pleas, for
Burlington.
State of New Jerfey, Burlington County, ff.
PERSONALLY came and appeared before me, the fubfcriber,
one of the juftices of the peace in the faid county, affigned to keep, &c.
Daniel Ellis, of the city of Burlington, efq. a perfon to me well known and
worthy of good credit, who being duly fworn on the holy evangelifts of
almighty God, depofeth and faith, That fometime in the month of De
cember in the year of our Lord one thoufand feven hundred and feventy
fix, the Philadelphia militia laying at Briftol, the gallies in the river, and
the Heffians under count Donop at Bordentown and the Black Horfe, the
town of Burlington was much diftreffed by fmall parties coming in and
committing exceffes on the inhabitants ; that Jofeph Reed, efq. then adju
tant general of the continental army, being occafionally in town was ap
plied to by fome of the inhabitants, as this deponent underftood, to procure
them fome relief, and particularly to reftrain the galley men and militia
from coming into the town ; that in order to effeft this it was necefTary
that the enemy's parties fhould be equally reftrained, and the faid Mr.
Reed agreed to write a letter to count Donop to that effeft ; that this de
ponent went to the office of James Kinfey, efq. where the faid gen. Reed was

( 65 )
was, with col. Shee of Philadelphia ; that feveral of the inhabitants were
alfo prefent ; that the faid Jofeph Reed afked this deponent if his fon
would carry a letter to count Donop for the above purpofe ; to which
this deponent replied, that if it was for the relief of the town he would go
himfelf; upon which a letter was immediately writ ; that this deponent
went the next morning with the letter (which to the beft of this deponent's
remembrance was unfealed) and delivered the fame to count Donop, who
foon after returned an anfwer in writing, which this deponent underftood
from the faid count Donop was to appoint a place for a conference upon
the fubjeft, which letter this deponent delivered to the faid general Reed
(the faid Mr. Reed and col. Shee waiting for his return ;) that fome few
days after an officer came to Burlington with a flag, with a letter from
count Donop to the faid general Reed ; that the people of Burlington,
being anxious to effeft the bufinefs, exerted themfelves to get the faid letter
over the river; (the river being then full of ice) that upon getting over
they found that general Reed was at Philadelphia, fo that the faid officer
did not fee him, nor did any intercourfe pafs between them to this depo
nent's knowledge or belief; that this tranfaftion was of public notoriety,
and as this deponent verily believes, calculated for the fole relief of the
inhabitants of the faid town, then much diftreffed by the irregularity of
the troops and galley men, who came into the town under various pre
tences, and plundered and ill treated the inhabitants. And further this
deponent faith not.
DANIEL ELLIS.
Sworn before me, the 23d day
of Oftober, 1783.
Sam. How. (No. 3.)
Affidavit by Bowes Reed, Efq. Secretary of New Jerfey.
New Jerfey, Burlington County, ff.
BOWES REED, efquire, fecretary of the ftate of New Jerfey, and
heretofore a lieutenant colonel in the new levies of the faid ftate, being
duly fworn, depofeth and faith, That in the month of December annoque
Domini, one thoufand feven hundred and feventy fix, this deponent's
time being expired in the five months fervice, he returned in bad health
to Burlington in New Jerfey, the place of his former refidence, which
though not occupied by the troops of either party, was fubjeft to the in-
curfions of both ; that during that time this deponent's brother, then ad
jutant general of the continental army, frequently came over from Briftol,
where the Pennfylvania militia then lay, in order to procure intelligence
of the movements and defigns of the enemy, then laying at Bordentown,
the Black Horfe, and Mount Holly ; that this deponent affifted his brother
in faid fervice, by procuring and equipping fpies to go within the enemy' s
I lines,

( 66 )
lines, and communicating the advice occafionally received ; and this de
ponent farther faith, that during the faid time, or at any other, his brother
never intimated to this deponent, in the moft diftant manner, any advice
or encouragement to feek proteftion of the enemy, but on the other hand,
that he was too much expofed to the incurfions of the enemy, and wifhed
him to remove to a place of greater fafety ; and this deponent farther faith,
that during the faid time his faid brother never expreffed to him any
apprehenfions of the fuccefs of the caufe, but feemed wholly engaged in
procuring intelligence, and purfuing other methods to annoy and defeat
the defigns ofthe enemy ; this deponent farther fays, that his faid brother,
to his knowledge or belief, was not engaged in any other meafure, than as
abovementioned, except that at the requeft of a number of the people of
Burlington, who were greatly diftreffed by parties from each army, he
publicly fent a meffage to count Donop, who then commanded the troops
on the part of the enemy, propofing mutually to keep the faid parties out
of the town, on which count Donop fent a meffenger with an anfwer, as
this deponent was then informed, who returned without delivering it, as
his faid brother was then gone into Pennfylvania ; that in a few days after
wards the furprife of the Heffians at Trenton took place, and the war was
intirely removed from this part of the country, and farther the deponent
faith not.
BOWES REED.
Sworn before me, the 23d day
of Oftober, 1782.
Sam. How. (No. 4.)
General Wafhington' j Letter, dated Dec. 23, 1776.
Camp above Trenton Falls, 23d December, 1776.
Dear Sir,
THE bearer is fent down to know whether your plan was attempted
laft night, and if not to inform you that Chriftmafs day at night, one hour
before day, is the time fixed upon for our attempt on Trenton. For
heaven's fake keep this to yourfelf, as the difcovery of it may prove fatal to
us. Our numbers, firry I am to fay, being lefs than I had any conception
of; but neceffity, dire neceffity, will— nay muft juftify any attempt. Pre
pare, and in concert with Griffin, attack as many of their pofts as you poffi-
bly can, with a profpecl of fuccefs. The more we attack at the fame
inftant, the more confufion we fhall fpread, and the greater good will re
fult from it.
If I had not been fully convinced before ofthe enemy's defigns, I have
now ample teftimony of their intentions to attack Philadelphia, as foon as
the ice will afford the means of conveyance.
As the colonels of the continental regiments might kick up fome dull
about

( 67 )
about command, unlefs Cadwallader is confidered by them in the light of
a brigadier, which I wifh him to be, I defired general Gates, who is un
well, and applied for leave to go to Philadelphia, to endeavour if his
health would permit him, to call and ftay two or three days at Briftol in
his way.
I fhall not be particular. We could not ripen matters for our attack
before the time mentioned in the firft part of this letter. So much out of
forts, and fo much in want of every thing are the troops under Sullivan,
&c. Let me know by a careful exprefs, the plan you are to purfue. The
letter herewith fent, forward on to Philadelphia. I could wifh it to be
in, in time for the fouthern poll's departure, which will be, I believe, by
eleven o'clock tomorrow. I am, dear fir,
Your moft obedient fervant,
GEO. WASHINGTON.
P. S. I have ordered our men to be provided with three days provi-
fions, ready cook'd ; with which, and their blankets they are to march ;
for if we are fucceffful, which heaven grant, and other circumftances fa
vour, we may pufh on. / Jhall direEl every ferry and ford to be well
guarded, and not a foul fuffered to pafs without an officer's going down with
the permit. Do the fame with you.
To Jofeph Reed, efq. or in his abfence to
John Cadwallader, efq. only, at Briftol.
(No. 5.)
Colonel Moylan'j Letter, May 317?, 1777.
Dear Sir,
VERY foon after you was appointed a brigadier general, I wrote to
the commander in chief, mentioning that I fuppofed it would lay with
him to appoint you to what brigade he chofe ; that I was well affured the
command of the horfe would be moft agreeable to you, and equally fo
the officers of that corps, who had the pleafure of your acquaintance. I
received an anfwer to that letter this day, extrafts from which are as fol
lows :
" If Congrefs have it not in contemplation to appoint a general of
" horfe, but leave it to me to affign one of the brigadiers already ap-
" pointed, to that command, I fhall affuredly place general Reed there ;
" as it is agreeable to my own recommendation and original defign ; of
" this pleafe in my name inform him ; but add, as it would not be agree-
" able to me, and I am fure could not be fo to him, to be placed in a
" fituation that might be the ftanding of a day only. I could wifh to
" know what the views of Congrefs are on this head, which Mr. Thom-
" fon or any of the members, I fuppofe, can inform.
" I would have wrote to general Reed myfelf on this fubjeft and other
matters,

( 68 )
" matters, but my extreme hurry will not permit me to do it fully, and
" therefore I decline it altogether. Be fo obliging as to offer my beft re-
" gards to him, and affure him that I read his name in the appointment
" of brigadiers with great pleafure."
In a poftfcript to the fame letter he writes,
" Having occafion to write to Congrefs by this day's poll, I will re-
" queft a determination of the matter mentioned in this letter, refpefting
" the commanding officer of the horfe, that I may know with certainty
" on what ground to aft."
The letter is dated Morriftown, May 24th, 1 777. I propofe fetting off
for camp on Monday or Tuefday next ; I wifh to fee you there. If you
cannot come foon, let me hear from you, it will give great pleafure to
Dear Sir, Your affeftionate fervant,
STEPHEN MOYLAN.
Philadelphia, 31ft May, 1777.
General Reed. (No. 6.)
Extracl from General Cadwallader'j Letter, ^oth
November, 1777.
Head Quarters, 30th November, 1777.
Dear Sir,
W E were confuting about winter quarters when your letter came to
hand, and I detained your fervant in hopes of giving you their determina
tion, but the general has required the opinion of the officers in writing at
10 o'clock to-morrow morning. — I fhewed your letter to the general.
Many of the officers are for going into winter quarters, on the line from
Lancafter towards Eafton — If this is attempted, I am fure the troops will
march there only to be difappointed. By the beft information, thofe
towns are crowded with inhabitants from the eity, and little fhelter can
be found there.
The general officers will fet the example of going home, the field offi
cers will follow their example, captains and fubalterns will expeft the
fame indulgence, and the foldiers will apply for furloughs ; and if refufed,
will defert. By this means the army will be difperfed through the differ
ent colonies, and it will be impoffible to colleft them in time to open an
early campaign. The country on every fide will be left to be plundered,
and vaft numbers will apply for proteftion. The inhabitants will be
difpirited, the credit of our money ruined, the recruiting fervice at an
end, and inevitable ruin muft follow. It has been propofed to take poft
at Wilmington, and the little towns in that neighbourhood, and build
huts for thofe who cannot be provided with quarters. If we do not do
this, the enemy may take poffeffion of this poft, and with two thoufand men,

( 69 )
men, or three, which they can eafily fpare, and by this means fecure the
lower counties on the eaftern fhore. By taking poffeffion of this ftrong
poft, and bringing down the gondolas, we may annoy the navigation, and
by being on the fpot in the fpring, take fuch meafures as may oblige the
enemy to come out and attack us in the field. We have good informa
tion that Cornwallis is returned, and that the enemy had orders to march
at two o'clock yefterday morning. The orders were not given out till
dufk  the officers were driving about in great confufion, and were heard
to complain that the orders came out fo late.
Cannot you come here tomorrow and advife? You can think of the
matter to night. Your moft obedient and very humble fervant,
JOHN CADWALLADER.
[N. B. The remainder of this letter contains only camp news.]
(No. 7.)
General Wafhington'j Letter on the fame Subjecl.
Whitemarfh, Dc. 2, 1777.
Dear Sir,
I F you can with any convenience, let me fee you to day. I fhall be
thankful for it. I am about fixing the winter cantonments of the army ;
and find fo many and fuch capital objeftions to each mode propofed, that
I am exceedingly embarraffed, not only by the advice given me, but in
my own judgment, and Jhould be very glad of your fentiments on the mat
ter without lofs of time. In hopes of feeing you, I fhall only add, that
from Reading to Lancafter inclufively, is the general fentiment, whilft
Wilmington and its vicinity has powerful advocates. This, however, is
mentioned under the rofe ; for I am convinced in my own opinion, that
if the enemy believed we had this place in contemplation, they would
poffefs themfelves of it immediately. I am very fincerely, dear fir,
Yours affeftionately,
GEO. WASHINGTON.
General Reed. (No. 8.)
General Cadwallader'j Letter, 10th December.
Head Quarters, ioth December, 1777.
Dear Sir,
I F I have in the leaft degree contributed to promote the general caufe,
I fhall think my time well fpent — As foon as the army is fixed for the
winter, I fhall return to my family in Maryland ; but think it my duty to
render every fervice in my power at the opening of the next campaign.
I am forry I cannot think as you do, with refpeft to the accepting an ap
pointment in this ftate— I look upon the prefent powers eftablifhed, a moft
daring

( 7° )
daring and dangerous ufurpation ; and can never confent to fupport or
even countenance it. I oppofed it as long as thofe engaged appeared in
earneft, and as long as meafures, which muft certainly have fucceeded, were
fupported. The fame reafons which induced the gentlemen (who have
given up the caufe) to defer the oppofition till the prefent troubles were
over, will have as much weight when the ftates are tired out with a long
and expenfive war^as I conceive this government can never be changed
without another revolution.
Tour country is much indebted for your fervices ; and nothing is more
reafonable than to repair your lofs. — I fhall moft chearfully take the firft
opportunity of metioning it to the general — and if it cannot be done in
this line, will write to fome of the members of Congrefs — The army
marches to-morrow very early.
For God's fake endeavour to fupprefs this dangerous faftion, before it
gets too great a length ! If it fucceeds America is loft.
I am, Dear Sir,
with great refpeft and efteem,
your moft obedient humble fervant,
GeneralReed. J O HN C A D W A LL A D ER.
[N. B. This was an anfwer to a letter urging him to accept a military
appointment under the ftate, and intimating a wifh to have fome compen-
fation made for a valuable horfe fhot under me in the aftion a little time
before — This was the fecond, at the battle of Monmouth was a third, but
no compenfation was ever made for either.
(No. 9.)
Extratl of General Wafhington'j- Letter, iid Oclober,
1779. Weft Point, Oft. 22d, 1779.
" Dear Sir,
"THREE days ago I received your obliging favour of the 14th,
" and was forry to find you had been fo much indifpofed. Before this I
" hope you have perfeftly recovered. Your early attention and that of
" the affembly to my requifitions, have my warmeft thanks; and the
" more fo, from the fituation in which they found you. I could wifh,
" however, that the three months fervice of the militia had been made to
" commence, only from the time of their joining the army. I need not
" enter into a detail of reafons for this with you, as your own judgment
" and experience will, I am perfuaded, have already anticpated them.
" Your intention of leading your militia, in cafe they are brought to the
" field, is a circumftance honourable to yourfelf and flattering to me. The
" example alone would have its weight, but feconded by your knowledge
" of discipline, abilities, aftivity, and bravery, it could not fail of happy
" effefts.

( 7^ )
" effefts. Men are influenced greatly by the example of their fuperiors,
" and particularly fo, where they have both their confidence and affec-
" tion." (No. io.)
General Wafhington' j Letter, May n%th, 1780.
Morris Town, May 28th, 1780.
Dear Sir,
I A M much obliged to you for your favour of the 23d. Nothing
could be more necefTary than the aid given by your ftate towards fupply-
ing us with provifion. I affure you every idea you can form of our dif-
treffes falls fhort of the reality. There is fuch a combination of circum
ftances to exhauft the patience of the foldiery, that it begins at length to
be worn out ; and we fee in every line of the army the moft ferious fea
tures of mutiny and fedidon. All our departments — all our operations
are at a stand; and unlefs a fvftem very different from that which for a
long time has prevailed, be immediately adopted throughout the United
States, our affairs muft foon become defperate — beyond the poffibility of
reeovery. Now, my dear fir, I muft obferve to you, that much will depend on
the ftate of Pennfylvania. She has it in her power to contribute without
comparifon more to our fuccefs than any other ftate, in the two effential
articles of flour and tranfportation. New York, Jerfey, Pennfylvania, and
Maryland, are our flour countries : Virginia went little on this article the
laft crop (and her refources are called for to the fouthward ;) New York by
legiflative coercion has already given all fhe could fpare for the ufe of the
army — her inhabitants are left with fcarcely a fufficiency for their own
fubfiftence : Jerfey from being fo long the place of the army's refidence,
is equally exhaufted ; Maryland has made great exertions, but fhe can ftill
do fomething more ; Delaware may contribute handfomely in proportion
to her extent ; but Pennfylvania is our chief dependence : From every
information I can obtain, fhe is at this time full of flour. I fpeak to you
in the language of franknefs, and as a friend. I do not mean to make any
infinuations unfavourable to the ftate. I am aware ofthe embarraffments
the government labours under, from the open oppofition of one party, and
the underhand intrigues of another. I know that with the beft difpofitions
to promote the public fervice, you have been obliged to move with cir-
cumfpeftion. But this is a time to hazard, and to take a tone of energy
and decifion. All parties but the difaffefted will acquiefce in the neceffity,
and give their fupport. The hopes and fears of the people at large may
be acted upon in fuch a manner, as to make them approve and fecond
your views.
The matter is reduced to a point. Either Pennfylvania muft give us
all the aid we afk of her, or we can undertake nothing — we muft renounce every

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every idea of a co-operation, and muft confefs to our allies that we look
wholly to them for our fafety ; this will be a ftate of humiliation and lit-
tlenefs againft which the feelings of every good American ought to revolt —
Yours I am convinced will. Nor have I the leaft doubt that you will
employ all your influence to animate the legiflature and the people at
large. The fate of thefe ftates hangs upon it. God grant we may be
properly impreffed with the confequences.
I wifh the legiflature could be engaged to veft the executive with pleni
potentiary power. I fhould then expeft every thing practicable from
your abilities and zeal. This is not a time for formality or ceremony.
The crifis in every point of view is extraordinary — and extraordinary
expedients are necefTary. I am decided in this opinion.
I am happy to hear that you have a profpeft of complying with the
requifitions of Congrefs for fpecific fupplies ; that the fpirit of the city and
ftate feems to revive, and the warmth of party decline. Thefe are good
omens of our fuccefs. Perhaps this is the proper period to unite.
I am much obliged to you for the renewal of your affurances of per
fonal regard. My fentiments for you, you are too well acquainted with,
to make it neceffary to tell you with how much efteem and regard I am,
Dear Sir,
Your moft obedient and affectionate humble fervant,
G. WASHINGTON.
(No. n.)
General Wafhington' j Letter, \th July, 1780.
Head Quarters, Bergen County, July 4th, 1780.
My dear Sir,
MOTIVES of friendfhip, not lefs than of public good, induce me
with freedom to give you my fentiments on a matter, which interefts you
perfonally as well as the good of the common caufe. I flattter myfelf you
will receive what I fay in the fame fpirit which dictates it, and that it will
have all the influence circumftances will probably admit.
The legiflature of Pennfylvania, has veiled you in cafe of neceffity,
with a power of declaring martial law throughout the ftate, to enable you
to take fuch meafures as the exigency may demand ; fo far the legiflature
has done its part. — Europe — America — the ftate itfelf will look to you for
the reft. The power veiled in you will admit of all the latitude that
could be defired, and may be made to mean any thing the public fafety
may require. — If it is not exerted proportionably, you will be refponfible
for the confequences.
Nothing my dear fir, can be more delicate and critical than your fitua-
tion — a full difcretionary power lodged in your hands, in conjunction
with the council — great expectation in our allies and in the people of this
country — ample means in the ftate for great exertions of every kind — a
powerful

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powerful party on one hand, to take advantage of every opening to pre
judice you — on the other, popular indolence and avarice, averfe to every
meafure inconfiftent with prefent eafe, and prefent intereft. In this
dilemma, there is a feeming danger on whatever fide you take ; it remains
to choofe that which has leaft real danger, and will beft promote the
public weal. This in my opinion clearly, is to exert the powers entrufted
to you with a boldnefs and vigour fuited to the emergency.
In general I efteem it a good maxim, that the beft way to preferve the
confidence ofthe people durably, is to promote their true intereft. There
are particular exigencies when this maxim has peculiar force. When any
great objeft is in view, the popular mind is roufed into expectation, and
prepared to make facrifices of both eafe and property ; if thofe to whom
they confide the management of their affairs, do not call them to make
thefe facrifices, and the objeft is not attained, or they are involved in the
reproach of not having contributed as much as they ought to have done
towards it ; — they will be mortified at the difappointment, they will feel
the cenfure, and their refentment will rife againft thofe, who with fufficient
authority have omitted to do what their intereft and their honour required.
Extenfive powers not exercifed as far as was necefTary, have I believe
fcarcely ever failed to ruin the poffeffor. The legiflature and the people
in your cafe would be very glad to excufe themfelves by condemning you.
You would be affailed with blame from every quarter ; and your enemies
would triumph.
I write to you with the freedom of friendfhip, and 1 hope you will
efteem it the trueft mark I could give you of it. — In this view, whether
you think my obfervations well founded or not, the motive will, I am
perfuaded, render them agreeable. — In offering my refpefts to Mrs. Reed
I muft be permitted to accompany them with a tender of very warm ac
knowledgements to her and you, for the civilities and attention both of you
have been pleafed to fhew Mrs. Wafhington — and for the honour you
have done me in calling the young Chriftian by my name.
With the greateft regard,
I am, Dear Sir,
Your affeftionate humble fervant,
G. WASHINGTON.
His excellency Jofeph Reed, efquire. (No. 12,)
My Letter to General Wafhington, dated September
nth, 1782.
Dear Sir,
AFTER the fervices, fufferings, and anxieties of the winter 1776,
I little expected that period would be felefted as the feafon of my greateft
reproach, and that I fhould Hand publicly charged with not only meditat-
K ing,

( 74 )
ing, but aftually expreffing intentions of deferting to the enemy : Yet fir,
fo it is ; not mere news paper abufe, or tranfient report, but aftually coun
tenanced and fupported by a perfon of fome rank and appearance in the
world : Having never afked or received any public favour from Congrefs,
confcious of my own integrity, and deeply wounded with the cruel fuggef-
tion, I muft appeal to your juftice and candour, and moft earneftly requeft
you would by the bearer, who goes exprefs for the purpofe, favour me
with a few lines expreffive of your fenfe of my conduft in the fall and
winter of the year 1776; and particularly whether you ever heard, or at
any time entertained doubts of my fidelity, and whether under the com
munications made to me of our military operations, an apprehended
treachery on my part would not have made me a very dangerous character.
I would farther beg you would permit my making ufe of fundry letters
I have received from you, at a time when you appeared to repofe an un
referved confidence in me, and of which, I can appeal to that God who
knows the fecrets of all hearts, I was not (in point of integrity) unworthy.
As I never availed myfelf of your excellency's friendfhip to feek for
honour or profit, or even for the reparation of loffes aftually fuftained in
the fervice, I have the fulled confidence that you will moft chearfully
comply with this, to me, moft interefting requeft ; and fhould you de-
fcend to particulars, you will be pleafed to point them to the period which
intervened between our retreat from Hackenfack, and the revival of our
affairs at Princeton.
My memory fuggefts to me a letter I wrote your excellency from Briftol,
containing reafons for an attack on the enemy; if that letter can be ob
tained, I am perfuaded it contains fentiments of a very different nature
from thofe of which I complain, and would be particularly ufeful.
I fhall make no other ufe of any communications I now have, or you
may favour me with, than to vindicate my own character againft the ma
lignant imputation of intending a defertion to the enemy. And am
With the greateft refpeft,
Your excellency's humble fervant,
JOSEPH REED.
(No. 13.)
General Wafhington'^ Anfwer.
Verplank's Point, 15th September, 1782.
Dear Sir,
THE appeal contained in your letter of the nth inftant, is equally
unexpected and furprifing.
Not knowing the particular charges which are alledged againft you, it is
impoffible for me to make a fpecific reply. I can therefore only fay in
general terms, that the employments you fuftained in the year 1776, and
in that period of the year, when we experienced our greateft diftrefs, are

( 75 )
a proof that you was not fufpected by me of infidelity, or want of inte
grity ; for had the leaft fufpicion of the kind reached my mind, either
from obfervation or report, I fhould moft affuredly have marked you out
as a fit objeft of refentment.
While on our retreat through Jerfey, I remember your being fent from
Newark, to the affembly of New Jerfey, then fitting, to roufe and animate
them to fpirited meafures for our fupport ; and at the fame time gen.
Mifflin was fent to Pennfylvania for the same purpofe. This employ was
certainly a mark of my confidence in you at that time.
Your conduct, fo far as it came to my immediate notice, during the
fhort period we lay on the weft bank of the Delaware, appeared follicitous
for the public good. And your conduct at Princeton evidenced a fpirit
and zeal, which to me appeared laudable and becoming a man well affected
to the caufe we were engaged in.
It is rather a difagreeable circumftance, to have private and confidential
letters, haftily written as all mine of that clafs are, upon a fuppofition that
they would remain between the parties only, produced as evidence in a
matter of public difcuffion ; but confcious that my public and private fen
timents, are at all times alike ; I fhall not withhold thefe letters fhould you
think them abfolutely necefTary to your juftification.
If I have in my poffeffion any fuch letter as you particularly allude to,
it is not at prefent with me — being in the field perfectly light, I have di
verted myfelf of all papers, public and private ; but fuch of late date as I
thought I might have occafion, in my prefent fituation, to refer to, the
others remain at a confiderable diftance from me.
I am, Dear Sir,
Your obedient and moft humble fervant,
G. WASHINGTON.
The hon. Jofeph Reed, efquire. (No. 14.)
Extracl of a Letter from General Greene to Clement
Biddle, Efquire, dated September if?, 1782.
"I AM vexed to fee the ingratitude fhewn to general Reed. It is
" almoft enough to put one' out of conceit of ferving the public."
£A number of other letters from general Greene contain the fame idea.]
(No. 15.)
In General Affembly, Oclober 10, 1779.
Refolved unanimoufly,
THAT leaving to the judicial authority of the ftate to determine who
were to blame in the late dangerous tumult at and in the houfe of James
¦Wilfon, efquire, in Walnut Street, this houfe are fully fatisfied of the ne
ceffity

( 76 )
ceffity ofthe exertions of his excellency the prefident ofthe ftate, for fup-
preffing the faid tumult ; that the thanks of the houfe be given to his ex
cellency for his fpirited and prudent conduft on that unhappy occafion,
and that his excellency be affured, that this houfe will at all times fupport
him and the executive authority in fuppreffing all fuch dangerous and dif-
orderly proceedings, and in reftoring peace, good order, and a due obedi
ence to government, on which the liberty, happinefs and fafety of the
citizens fo greatly depend.
[N. B. Soon after, at the inftance of the author of thefe remarks, and
gentlemen in the fame political intereft, an aft of indemnity paffed ; by
which all the gentlemen who were in an oppofite intereft, and under re
cognizance to abide a legal trial, were difcharged without farther inquiry,
notwithftanding many lives were loft in the tumult.]
As many Gentlemen of the Army have received very undue
Impreffions refpefting the Settlement of the Mutiny of the
Pennfylvania Line, the following Letters and Report
are introduced into this Work.
Dear Sir, Princeton, 4th Jan. 1781.
THE unhappy defeftion of our line you muft have been made ac
quainted with by general Potter and colonel Johnfton. Colonel Charles
Stewart will prefent you with fome propofitions on the part of the troops,
together with our anfwer ; he will alfo be able to give you an idea of our
fituation and their temper.
Inclofed are copies of » very ferious queftion, and our reply; you will
therefore pleafe to appoint one or more of the council, to meet us at this
place with all poffible difpatch, with full powers to them and us to treat,
on the fubject ; and inform us what profpefts you have of furnifhing an
immediate fupply of cloathing and cafh, which will be indifpenfably ne
cefTary to infure fuccefs.
We fhall not attempt to exprefs our feelings on this unfortunate occa
fion; your own will be the beft criterion to judge them by.
We have yet fome glimmering of hope from the inclofed copy of a letter
giving intelligence ofthe enemy's intended manoeuvre, as the troops affures
us they will aft with defperation againft them : whether this be their real
fentiments or not, a few hours will probably determine. Be that as it
may, and fhould the worft events take place, we truft that we produce a
conviftion to the world that we deferved a better fate.
We have the honour to be, with fincere efteem,
Your excellency's moft obedient humble fervants,
ANTy. WAYNE,
His Excellency RICHd. BUTLER,
Jofeph Reed, efq. WALTER STEWART. A

( 77 )
A Copy of Gemral Way ne's Propositions the Day after
the Mutiny.
Mount Kimble, 2d January, 1781.
AGREEABLE to the propofition of a very great proportion of the
worthy foldiery laft evening, general Wayne hereby defires the non com
miffioned officers and privates to appoint one man from each regiment to
reprefent their grievances to the genera], who on the facred honour of a
gentleman and foldier does hereby folemnly promife to exert every power
to obtain an immediate redrefs of thofe grievances ; and he farther plights
that honour, that no man fhall receive the leaft injury on account of the
part they have taken on the occafion, and the perfons of thofe who may
be appointed to fetde this affair, fhall be held facred and inviolate.
The general hopes foon to return to camp with all his brother foldiers,
who took a little tour laft evening. (Signed)
ANTHONY WAYNE, B. G.
A copy,
W. Stewart, Col.
In purfuance of the within order, a fergeant from each regiment, met
general Wayne, colonels Butler and Stewart, and mentioned the following
grievances, viz.
1. Many men continued in the fervice, after the expiration of their
inliftments. 2. The arrearages of pay, and the depreciation, not yet made up, and
the foldiers fuffering every extreme for want of money and cloathing.
3. That it is very hurtful to the feelings of the foldiery to be prevented
from difpofing of their depreciation certificates as they pleafe, without
confulting any perfon on the occafion.
It is agreed on the part of the general and the colonels, that one dif-
interefted fergeant or private from each regiment, fhall, with the com
manding officer of the corps, when an inliftment is difputed, determine on
the cafe.
A fergeant from each regiment to be appointed to carry an addrefs to
Congrefs, backed by the general and field officers.
The fergeants then made feveral propofitions to general Wayne, which
with his anfwers are as follows .¦
Propofitions dated January 4, 1781, delivered to General
Wayne.
Propofals from the Committee of Sergeants now reprefenting the Penn
fylvania line, artillery, &c.
Article 1. That all and fuch men as were inlifted in the year 1776 or
1777, and received the bounty of twenty dollars, fhall be without any
delay

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delay difcharged, and all arrears of pay, depreciation of pay, be paid to
the faid men, without any fraud, cloathing included
Art. 2. Such men as were infilled fince the year 1777, and received
the hundred and twenty dollars bounty, or any more additions, fhall be
intituled to their difcharge at the expiration of three years from the date
of their faid inliftments, and their full depreciation of pay and all arrears
of cloathing.
Art. 3. That all fuch men as belong to the different regiments as are
inlifted of late for the war, that they receive the remainder part of their
bounty and pay, and all arrears of cloathing ; that they fhall return to
their refpeftive corps, and do their duty as formerly, and no afperfion to
be eaft, and no grievances to be repeated to the faid men.
Art. 4. Thofe foldiers that are inlifted and receive their difcharge and
all arrears of pay and cloathing, fhall not be compelled to ftay by any
former officers commanding any longer time than what is agreeable to
their own pleafure and difpofitions, of thofe that do remain for a fmall
time as volunteers that they fhall be at their own dilpofal and pleafure.
Art. 5. As we now depend and rely upon you, general Wayne, for to
reprefent and repeat our grievances, we do agree in conjunction from this
date Jan. 4. in fix days for to complete and fettle every fuch demand as
the above four articles mention.
Art. 6. That the whole line are aftually agreed and determined to fup-
port thefe above articles in every particular. Signed in conjunction.
General Wayne having maturely confidered the foregoing propofals and
articles prefented to him by the fergeants in behalf of themfelves, the ar
tillery and privates of the Pennfylvania line, thinks proper to return the
following anfwer :
That all fuch non commiffioned officers and foldiers as are juftly intitled
to their difcharges fhall be immediately fettled with, their accounts pro
perly adjufted, and certificates for their pay, arrearages of pay and cloath
ing given them, agreeable to the refolution of Congrefs, and the late aft of
the honourable affembly of Pennfylvania, for making up the depreciation,
and be difcharged the fervice of the United States :
That all fuch non commiffioned officers and privates belonging to the
refpeftive regiments, artillery or infantry, as are not entitled to their dif
charges, fhall be alfo fettled with, and certificates given them for their pay,
depreciation, and cloathing, in Hke manner as thofe before mentioned ;
which certificates are to be redeemable at a fhort period as the nature of
the cafe admits, to be paid in hard cafh, or an equivalent of the current
money of thefe ftates, and be immediately furnifhed with comfortable
warm cloathing, they returning to their duty as worthy faithful foldiers.
Thefe propofitions are founded on principles of juftice and honour,
between the United States and the foldiery ; which is all that reafonable men

( 79 )
men can expeft, or that a general can promife, confiftent with his ftation
and duty, and the mutual benefit of their country and the line, which he
has had fo long the honour to command.
If the foldiers are determined not to let reafon and juftice govern on
this occafion he has only to lament the fatal and unfortunate fituation to
which they will reduce themfelves and their country.
(Signed) ANTHONY WAYNE.
Commander Pennfylvania Line.
Princeton, January 4, 1781.
General Wayne then received the following note :
SIR,
WE would be glad you would inform us who thefe men are that you
mean, that are entitled to their difcharges.— As we jointly think, that you
don't deem the men inlifted with the bounty of twenty dollars, to be in-
titled to their dilcharges ; therefore, Sir, be punftual, what you fay and
do ; as we reafonably think it is our due. (Signed) Committee.
Wm. BEARNET, Sergeant.
To which General Wayne returned the following anfwer :
Princeton, Jan. 4, 1781.
THE queftion afked me by the committee of fergeants is one of fuch
important confequence, and on which fo great a variety of opinions are
given, and your not choofing to leave it to the decifion of a committee of
yourfelves, and the colonel of the regiment, where any difpute might arife,
agreeable) to the propofitions of yefterday) I cannot think myfelf fully im-
powered to decide upon the occafion ; but will immediately fend off an
exprefs to the governor and council of the ftate of Pennfylvania, and de-
fire a committee of that body to meet the line at Trenton, or elfewhere,
who with myfelf and colonels Butler and Stewart, will give you a full and
explicit anfwer.
General Wayne afterwards received the undermentioned note :
SIR,
AS we know we are upon a principle of honour, juftice and right, we
are now as well fituated to receive any gentlemen of rank, at this poft, as
if we were to march any further, and therefore I would not have you
think that we cannot fettle thefe matters, by fuch a formidable body of
men as we are : therefore fhould be glad you would be explicit in your
expreffions, or otherways we muft take fome meafures that will procure
our own happinefs.
To the above note, general Wayne, colonels Butler and Stewart would
not reply. (Copy)
- W. Stewart, Col. HIS

( 8o )
HIS excellency Jofeph Reed, efquire, Prefident, and the honourable
brigadier general Potter of the Council of Pennfylvania, having heard the
complaints of the foldiers as reprefented by the fergeants, inform them
that they are fully authorifed to redrefs reafonable grievances, and they
have the fulleft difpofition to make them as eafy as poffible ; for which
end they propofe,
Firft, That no non commiffioned officer or foldier fhall be detained
beyond the time for which he freely and voluntarily engaged ; but where
they appear to have been in any refpeft compelled to enter or fign, fuch
inliftment to be deemed void, and the foldier difcharged.
Secondly, To fettle who are or are not bound to ftay, three perfons to
be appointed by the prefident and the council, and who are to examine
into the terms of inliftment ; where the original inliftments cannot be
found, the foldier's oath to be admitted to prove the time and terms of
inliftment, and the foldier to be difcharged upon his oath of the condition
of the inliftment.
Thirdly, Wherever any foldier has inlifted for three years or during
the war, he is to be difcharged, unlefs he fhall appear afterwards to have
reinlifted voluntarily and freely ; the gratuity of one hundred dollars given
by Congrefs not to be reckoned as a bounty, or any man to be retained
in confequence of that gratuity. The commiffioners to be appointed by
the Prefident and Council to adjuft any difficulties which may arife on
this article alfo.
Fourthly, The auditors to attend as foon as poffible, to fettle the de
preciation with the foldiers, and give them certificates. Their arrearages
of pay to be made up, as foon as circumftances will admit.
Fifthly, A pair of fhoes, overalls, and fhirt will be delivered out to each
foldier in a few days ; as they are already purchafed and ready to be fent
forward, whenever the line fhall be fettled.
Thofe who are difcharged to receive the above articles at Trenton, pro
ducing their General's difcharge.
The Prefident hopes that no foldier of the Pennfylvania line will break
his bargain, or go from the contraft made with the public ; and they may
depend upon it, that the utmoft care will be taken to furnifh them with
every necefTary fitting for a foldier. The Prefident will recommend to
the ftate to take fome favourable notice of thofe who engaged for the war.
The commiffioners will attend at Trenton, where the cloathing and
ftores will be immediately brought, and the regiments to be fettled with in
their order. A field officer of each regiment to attend during the fetde-
ment of his regiment.
Purfuant to general Wayne's order of the 2d inftant, no man to be
brought to any trial or cenfure for what has happened on or fince new-
year's day, but all matters to be buried in oblivion.
[N. B. The above propofals are publifhed to reftify fome erroneous
opinions, that in the fettlement made with the revolted foldiery, greater
conceffions

( 8i )
conceffions were made than were necefTary, or would have been agreed to
by the officers with them. Thefe officers were confulted on thefe propo
fitions, which were approved by them. Let them be compared with thofe
made by the foldiers, the 2d January, page 77, and agreed to by the
general and colonels, on the 4th January, page 78, and then fee whether
the feelings of the officers would be moft wounded, by fitting in equal
judgment with their o<vn privates and fergeants, or by the mode propofed
and purfued. Extracl from Journals of the Affembly.
Saturday, June 2, 1 781. A. M.
The following letter from his excellency the prefident of this ftate, was
presented to the fpeaker, and by order read, viz.
SIR, Philadelphia, June 2d, 1 78 1.
IT is with concern I find myfelf under the neceffity of recalling the at
tention of the honourable houfe, to a fubjeft which I hoped would have
been buried in oblivion. I mean the mutiny of the Pennfylvania line laft
winter. Seeking no praife, but as I conceive, deferving no cenfure for the
tranfaftion, as conducted by general Potter and myfelf, I find prejudices
diffufed injurious, not only to our public characters, but to the intereft
and credit of the government. I am therefore to requeft the houfe would
be pleafed to re-appoint a committee of inquiry, upon whofe report, the
fenfe of the legiflature may be publicly declared : If it fhall appear that
the welfare of the ftate, the rights of the officers, or the more general in
tereft of America, have been wantonly or ignorantly facrificed, we are
content, and it will be the duty of the houfe, to affix a mark of difappro-
bation upon our meafures ; if otherwife, juftice and candour will, we truft,
equally lead to juftify and approve.
As fome gentlemen whofe prefence may be neceffary, are about leaving
town on public duty, I muft beg the favour of the houfe to expedite the
execution of my requeft if it meets with approbation. I am Sir,
With great refpect and regard, your obedient and humble fervant,
JOSEPH REED.
The Hon. Frederic A. Muhlenberg, Efquire,
Speaker of the General Affembly.
On motion and by fpecial order, the faid letter was read a fecond time,
and being confidered it was
Ordered, that Mr. R. Morris, Mr. Galbraith, Mr. Mifflin, Mr. J.
Harris, and Mr. Montgomery, be a committee of inquiry, for the pur
pofes therein expreffed. Monday, June nth, 1781, A. M.
The report of the committee of inquiry, made on the eighth inftant,
was read the fecond time, and on confideration, agreed to as follows, viz.
L The

( 82 )
The committee to which the letter from his excellency the prefident of
the ftate of the 2d inftant, was referred, beg leave to report,
That all the members of the committee, except Mr. Galbraith, were
members of a committee, appointed by the houfe, at their laft fitting, to
examine into the caufes, and the confequent tranfaftions of the mutiny of
the Pennfylvania line, of the army of the United States ; upon which they
reported among other things (as appears by the minutes of the houfe)
that all the engagements, or promifes made by his excellency the prefident
of this ftate, and general Potter, ought to be fulfilled as foon as poffible ;
and that the houfe fhould take moft effectual means to enable a compliance
therewith, that committee being perfectly well fatisfied that his excellency
the prefident and general Potter, had conducted the bufinefs, fo far as they
were concerned, with great zeal and attention to their country ; and that
general Wayne, col. Butler and col. Stuart, actuated by the fame zeal and
attachment, had alfo done every thing in their power to bring the foldiery
back to their duty.
Your prefent committee, agreeable to the requeft of his excellency,
having gone into the confideration of thefe matters, in confequence of re
ports that have been spread through the country to his difadvantage, and
having heard feveral gentlemen on the fubjeft, who were witneffes to the
whole or greateft part of thefe tranfaftions, are now of opinion that his
excellency the prefident of this ftate, and general Potter, did proceed upon
the bufinefs aforefaid, by appointment of the honourable the fupreme ex
ecutive council, and alfo at the defire and fpecial requeft of general Wayne,
cols. Butler and Stuart, as appears by their letter, dated Princeton, January
4th, 1 78 1, that they were likewife impowered fo to do by Congrefs, and
that their meafures were acquicfced in by a committee of Congrefs fent
there for the like purpofe. And finally it is the opinion of this commit
tee, that his excellency the prefident of this ftate, and general Potter, did
render on that occafion, every fervice to their country, that circumftances
and the nature of the tranfaftion would admit of.

FINIS,

A
REPLY TO
General JOSEPH REED's
REMARKS.

^^^^WWW'^'^'^'^S'^^ <m^w

To the PUBLIC.

WH E N an appeal is made to the public by
a perSon who has interested himSelf in
the affairs of America from the begin
ning of the prefent revolution, he has a claim to
their attention, with reSpecl: to tranfaftions that re-
fledr. either upon his political conduct or principles
as a patriot.
I wiSh, moft Sincerely, that all prejudices in fa
vor or againft General Reed, or myfelf may be laid
afide upon the prefent occafion ; and that truth
and juftice may influence the determination of the
public. The world is now in poSTefTion of General Reed's
addrefs to me, relating to a converfation I had with
him at Briftol, in the winter 1776, and as it con
tains the groSTeft reflections upon my character as a
man of veracity, and a patriot, it is incumbent on
me to reply.
Mankind have been much the fame, in every age,
with refpedt to their condudl in political life. Their
minds have been inflamed by the fame paffions,
prejudices and refentments ; and parties have gene
rally been fupported by complaints and reprefenta-
tions, which naturally grow into invective and
perfonal abufe. From

( 6 )
From thefe principles, General Reed has deduced
thofe arguments and conclusions, which he vainly
affefts to think will juftify him in afferting, that my
conduft has been influenced by motives of hatred,
refentment, and difappointed ambition. But when
it Shall appear, from the teftimony I have inferted
in the following fheets, that the converfation alluded
to, was Spoken of by me, in confidence, at a time
when he afferts that all former perfonal diflike was
removed, and that " we united in confidence and
danger at the battle of Monmouth," at a time too
when he admits, that " no party or prejudices ex
isted (at leaft as to him) ;" the premiies, from which
he has drawn his conclusions, muft be removed,
and, consequently, his arguments fall with them.
If my bare affirmative, againft his negative, was
the only foundation on which the public were to
found their judgment, our Several charafters, in the
article of veracity, would be fairly weighed by can
dor, and a verdift given in favor ofthe preponde
rating Scale.
If then, I had hazarded an affertion, without
other (the moft refpeftable) teftimony to Support it,
the confciouSneSs of my own integrity, would have
fuppreffed any fears, with refpeft to the public
opinion. The many and hafty movements of my family
during the preSent conteft, have diSplaced feveral
valuable papers relating to property as well as mili
tary affairs. I do not however deSpair of yet find
ing important ones relating to this matter, that
may fome time hence be published. But what
need is there of more than I Shall here adduce,

( 7 )
fince every prejudiced mind muft feel (if not ac
knowledge) the teftimony too refpeftable and pow
erful, to admit of apology or reply — Teftimony too,
obtained (in many inftances) from perSons to whom
I am fcarcely known — perSons refiding in other
States, who cannot be fuppofed to be the particular
enemies of General Reed, or in any way connected
with the politics of Pennfylvania.
Many other certificates fupporting and confirm
ing thofe I fhall here offer to the public, are omit
ted, as it is thought they will Swell the publication
to an unneceffary Size; and affidavits may, if re
quired, be obtained to all the certificates which
appear in this pamphlet.

M

As the publication figned Brutus, addreffed to
General Peed, containing certain Queries, is refer
red to, it is thought necejfary to reprint it.

Fo the Printer of the Independent Gazetteer.

sir,

I

T is much to the honour of America, that, in the prefent revolution,
there have not been many inftances of defeftion among officers of
rank in the continental army. In Oliver Cromwell's time, we frequently
fee a general fighting One day for the king, another for the parliament;
fo unliable and wavering were the Opinion of thefe republicans.
The corruption of the times is now beconte a univerfal complaint, and
one would be almoft tempted to believe, that the former days were better
than thefe ; that our fore-fathers were poffeffcd of greater moral rectitude
than the prefent generation, did not hiftory and experience convince us
of the contrary. There is, however, one great evil peculiar to this age,
that of affuming the credit of being endowed with virtues, to which we
are perfect ftrangers. Cunning, addrefs and eloquence have often mifled
the honeft but too credulous multitude ; and they have been taught to
confider many n man as a patriot and a hero, whofe real character was
marked with nothing but deceit and treachery to his country. It is alfo
amazing that fuch men fhould meet with the higheft fuccefs, and bear
their blufhing honours thick upon them ; whilft modeft merit and true
patriotifm, could neither gain the fuffrages of the people, nor the appro
bation of thofe who held the reins of government.
The reflections I am now making, have, in a ftriking manner, been
verified in this ftate. I fhould be extremely forry to accufe without a juft
foundation, or to adduce a charge, were I not convinced that it is of the
utmoft importance that the public, the people at large, fhould be enabled
to form a right opinion of fuch men, who have been honoured or may be
honoured, with their fuffrages, and thereby exalted to places of the higheft
truft and confidence
Impreffed with this idea, and with a defign to elucidate fuch characters,
I fhall take the liberty to propofe to the public, the following queries :
I. Was

( io )
I. Was not general R — d, in December 1776, (then A  1 G  1
of the continental army) fent by general Wafhington to the commanding
officer at Briftol, with orders relative to a general attack, intended to be
made on the enemy's poft at Trenton, and thofe below, on the 25 th at
night. 2. Two or three days before the intended attack, Did not general
R — d fay, in converfation with the faid commanding officer, at his quar
ters, that our affairs looked very defperate, and that we were only making
a facrifice of ourfelves ?
3. Did he not alfo fay, that the time of general Howe's proclamation,
offering pardon and protection to perfons who fhould come in before the
ift of January 1777, was nearly expired; and that Galloway, the Aliens,
and others, had gone over and availed themfelves of the pardon and pro-
teftion offered by the faid proclamation ?
4. Did not he, general R  d, at the fame time fay, that he had a
family and ought to take care of them ; and that he did ndt uriderftand
following the wretched remains of a broken army ?
5. Did he not likewife fay to the faid commanding officer, that his
brother (then a colonel or lieutenant colonel of militia) was at Burlington,
with'his family, and that he had advifed him to remain there, and if the
enemy took poffeffion of the town, to take a proteftion and fwear allegiance.'
It is well for America that very few general officers have reafoned in
this manner ; if they had, general Howe would have made an eafy con-
queft of the United States. And it is very obvious, that officers of high
rank with fuch fentiments, can have no juft pretenfions to patriotifm, or
public virtue; and can by no means be worthy of any poft of honour or
place of truft, where the liberties and intereft of the people are imme
diately concerned.
BRUTUS.
Philadelphia, Sept. 3, 1782.

T O
General JOSEPH REED.

TN the firft part of your late publication, which is no lefs an inveftive
againft me, than it is a defence of yourfelf; you have, with fufficient art,
infilled on my remarkably contentious, factious,* and jealous fpirit, which
fuffers no man undifturbed to enjoy his well earned fame, a circumftance
in my character you expected to derive confiderable benefit from in the
controverfy between us. For, this point being once gained, every fuggef-
tion, every article of charge againft you, which has its foundation and
fupport in me, would naturally be referred to thofe fierce and malignant
paffions you have fo unfparingly bellowed on me ; and no longer reft upon
the general credit and reputation, I truft, I have acquired and maintained.
But as I cannot, without injuftice to myfelf, make this conceffion to you,
I muft declare my general tenor of conduft to have been far otherwife, —
that in my private life, I have been at peace and harmony with all man
kind; and in my public, at enmity only with fuch public men as have
difgraced their country by their vices, or injured it by their crimes.
Wherein, until the prefent, except in a fingle inftance, have I drawn the
public attention by attacks upon the character of any man, and that in
ftance, of an impoftor like yourfelf, who had got into a feat of honour.
In this, it was virtue to become his accufer.
If you rely upon your inftance, as affording a proof of my eagernefs for
controverfy, it will not anfwer your purpofe. I have not brought you to
the public bar, for whatever was the amount of your offences, I neither
urged nor wifhed a public inquiry ; another has brought you there, and I
appear onlv as a witnefs againft you, challenged and defied by yourfelf.
This being premifed, I fhall enter upon my fubjeft, and reply to fuch
parts of your pamphlet as refpeft me, and therefore fpecially concern me
to notice. Your
* Here the following anecdote will afford an occafion of recriminating — When Mr.
Reed was propofed as a Brigadier in the army, Mr. John Adams, now our minifter in
Holland, openly objected in Congrefs to his appointment, faying, he was of a factious
fpirit, and had been notorioufly instrumental in fomenting difcords between the troops of
the different ftates.

( " )
Your remarks, you fay, are, with propriety, addreffed to me, becaufe,
though not the aftual author, it is to me you are really indebted for the
infidious attempt on your reputation.
That the public may have the moft authentic proofs of the manner in
which I have been involved in this controverfy, I think it necefTary here
to infert the original letters, that paffed in the courfe of our correfpondence
laft fall on this fubject.
SIR,
IHAVE for a long time treated the anonimous abufe which difgraces
our public papers with the contempt it deferves. But in Ofwald's paper
of laft Saturday, are a fet of queries figned Brutus, in which the author
not daring to make an open affertion, has infinuated that in 1776, I med
itated a defertion to the enemy. Though my foul rifes with indignation
at the infamous flander, I fhould treat it with fcorn if it did not feem to
deferve fome credit from a reference to you. Prejudiced as I know you
are, I fhould be forry to fuppofe you capable of propagating fuch a fenti-
ment, or decline the opportunity of doing juftice to my character, and in
fome degree your own. And this for two reafons, firft, the grofs falfehood
of the infinuation, and, fecondly, to preferve a confiftency in your own
character, which muft fuffer from your placing fuch confidence in me
with refpeft to the military operations of that period, and permitting
General Wafhington to do the fame after fuch a converfation as thefe
queries fuppofe. I need make no apology in this cafe for requefting an
immediate anfwer. — And am, Sir,
Tour Obedient Humble Servant,
JOS. REED.
Market-Jlreet, Sept. 9, 1782.
Gen. Cadwalader.
SIR,
I N anfwer to your letter which I received laft evening by Mr. Ingerfol,
relating to queries publifhed ih Mr. Ofwald's paper of laft Saturday,
figned Brutus, I can affure you (as I did Mr. Ingerfolj that I am not the
author of that publication, nor have I publfhed one fingle word fince I
came from Maryland relating to the politics of this ftate ; yet my char-
after has, unprovoked been traduced by you, or fome of your friends.—
But, Sir, I have repeatedly mentioned the fubftance of thofe queries to
individuals immediately after the converfation alluded to happened ; and,
fince that time, in many mixed companies. As charges of the fame na
ture had fome time fince been made againft you, to which you never made
a reply, the world, very juftly concluded they were true, efpecially as the
rank and character of the perfon who made the charge (at that time)
merited your notice. From this circumftance it occafioned an additional
furprize that you fhould in this inftance undertake to inveftigate the mat ter,

( i3 )
ter, and declare in your letter to me, that the " infinuation" was " agrofs
falfehood," I therefore now affert, that in a converfation with you at the
time and place mentioned in the above publication, figned Brutus, that you
expreffed the fubftance, and, I think, the very words contained in the
queries. If my character for veracity wanted credit with the world, one
or two other gentlemen could be named, who at nearly the fame time,
heard expreffions from you which created in them fentiments unfavourable
to your character. You feem to infinuate that there is an inconfiftency in
my conduft, becaufe I afterwards repofed a confidence in you, and be
caufe I permitted General Washington to do the fame. It would have
been very dangerous, at that critical period, to have expofed your weak-
nef and timidity to the militia, as fuch an example might have been at
tended with the moft fatal confequences to our caufe. And as your con
duft upon this occafion appeared to me to proceed from want of fortitude,
and not the bafer motives ;— and as from the obfervations I made to you
at the time, you feemed to refume more fpirited fentiments in converfa
tion, as well as from political motives, I continued to fhew an appearance
of confidence, and concluded it beft not to mention it to the General.
The fucceffes that foon followed, gave a happy turn to affairs ; and thus
you (with many others) appeared to poffefs firmnefs in profperity, who
had fhewn a want of it in times of imminent danger.
If your conduft in civil life had been fuch as could have been approved
of, former tranfaftions might have been buried in oblivion. But when I
fee a man endeavouring to injure the reputation of thofe whofe principles
and conduct, from the beginning of the conteft, have been uniformly ex
erted to obtain thofe ends intended by the revolution ; and when he denies
all merit to thofe who are not equally violent with himfelf, it is difficult
to be filent. / am, Sir,
Tour Obedient Servant,
JOHN CADWALADER.
Philadelphia, ioth Sept. 1782.
Gen. Reed. Philadelphia, Sept. 10, 1782.
SIR,
AFTER waiting fome time, and being juft about to fet off for Buck's,
I received your letter of this morning, and am at a lofs which to admire
moft, the depravity of your heart, or the weaknefs of your underftanding.
Your quoting General Arnold's teftimony to vindicate your own falfe
hood, is perfeftly confident. You fhall hear farther from me on my re
turn from Bucks. In the mean time I have made inquiry of Meffr. T.
Smith and Shippen, whom you mentioned to Mr. Ingerfol, as hearing
from you fentiments fimilar to thofe in the queries, with a view of com
municating them to me, which they never did, becaufe they deny the leaft
recollection

( 14 )
recolleftion of afty fuch information, which muft have been too ftriking to
them, and interefting to me, to have paffed unnoticed. Your talent for
invention is alfo difplayed on this occafion, moft probably.
Whatever you may fuppofe, feveral of my friends well know, that I
have been anxious to trace fome loofe reports that I had heard, which
your refidence in Maryland, and the improbability of your faying fuch
things had induced me to negleft.
As to your infinuation of my writing againft you in the news-papers,
or its being done with my privity, it is equally groundlefs with all the reft.
I have not wrote in the news-papers for a long time, nor at any time in
my life refpefting you. / am, Sir,
Tour very Humble Servant,
Gen. Cadwalader. JOS. REED.
To General REED.
SIR I SHALL make no reply, at this time, to the expreffions con
tained in your letter of the ioth inft. but as you inform me that you are
on the point of fetting off for Bucks, I do not think it incumbent on me
to remain here until you return, efpecially as I informed Mr. Ingerfol,
that I intended leaving town as foon as the dull was laid, and wifhed you
to take your meafures as foon as poffible, as I fhould make my arrange
ments accordingly. Some of my fervants are gone, and I have every
thing packed up ; it will therefore be very inconvenient to detain my
family, as you do not mention when you purpofe returning. As you fay
I fhall hear from you on your return from Bucks, I muft inform you that
the poft leaves this city for the Eaftern fhore every Wednefday, at three
o'clock ; be pleafed to direft to me in Kent county, Maryland, to be left
at Stewart's. You fhall have my anfwer by the return of the poft, or, if
necefTary, I fhall attend in perfon, for further inveftigation.
/ am, Sir,
Tour Obedient Servant,
JOHN CADWALADER.
Philadelphia, \2th Sept. 1782.
SIR,
Mr. CLYMER delivered me your letter of the 12th inftant. Your
fudden departure from this city was indeed unexpected — your declaration
to Mr. Ingerfol not implying it to be fo very foon, * and I fhould have
fuppofed
* When Mr. Ingerfol waited on me with General Reed's firft letter 9th September
laft, I mentioned to him the Situation of my family, and the neceffity of my leaving
the city. — This has been candidly related by Mr. Ingerfol to Mr. Reed, as appears by
the

( i5 )
fuppofed that my letter of the ioth would had fome weight to protraft
your journey. Before I received your's of the ioth, I had prepared a
fmall publication, which the receipt of your letter did not influence me to
alter or delay — as no fignature could change the nature of things and
make falfehood truth or truth falfehood. Having there declared the in-
finuation in Ofwald's paper of the 7th inftant to be falfe, I now apply the
fame epithet to your avowal of them, and am forry, though not furprized,
that your violence of temper fhould have occafioned fuch a deviation from
the line of veracity fo effential to the character of a gentleman.
I am already pofTeffed of fundry authentic documents ; a few days will
complete them, not to fhew my innocence, the improbability of your
charge, and inconfiftency of your own conduft, making that unneceffary,
but to fhew to what lengths a rancorous heart, puffed up by fudden and
accidental wealth, can pufh a man of weak judgment and ungovernable
paffions. I need not give you my addrefs, though I think it incumbent on me to
affure you, that if by inveftigation you mean a perfonal interview, I will
endeavour to make it as convenient as poffible, and will fhorten the dif-
tance between us. / am, Sir,
Tour obedient humble Servant,
Philadelphia, z^d Sept. 1782. JOS. REED.
Gen. Cadwalader. Maryland, ioth Sept. 1782.
SIR, I RECEIVED yours of the 23d inft. by the poft. From the
ftile of your firft letter (9th Sept,) in which you required an " immedi
ate anfwer," I fully expected an immediate interview. As you declined the
the following extract from his letter, in anfwer to mine of the 7th March, on this
fubject. ExtraS from Mr. IngerfoFs ktter, dated Phila. Stb March, 1783.
"THE converfation that paffed I reported with candor, and I believe with preci-
" lion, but ftill fuppofed that the reply from Gen. Reed would be founded entirely
" upon your anfwer. — Your declaration with refpect to your intention of leaving town,
" I think I can repeat in nearly the words in which you expretfed yourfelf.
" After difcourfing upon the fubject of the letter I had put into your hands, you
" mentioned to me that your furniture was packed up to go to Maryland, that you had
" been waiting for rain to lay the duft, and that if any thing was to come of this buli-
if nefs it muft befpeedily.
" I endeavour to give the -words, ufed — I certainly do not deviate from the purport
" of what was faid."
This is not the leaft of the many mifreprefentations in which Mr. Reed is convict
ed in the courfe of my reply. N

v *6 J
the interview I propofed through Mr. Ingerfol, and left town the next
morning, without faying when you purpofed returning, and having deter
mined not to " alter or delay" the " fmall publication," which you " had
prepared before the receipt of my firft letter," I am at a lofs to know
what could have occafioned your furprize at my departure before your
return from Bucks, after having promifed to the public the moft fatif-
faetory proofs, that no fuch converfation, as alluded to in the queries,
ever paffed, it was reafonable to allow you fome time to prepare your
" authentic documents." — Your laft letter (23d Sept.) informs, that they
were not then compleated. And could you reafonably expeft, that I fhould
have remained in town till this is compleated ? or could you fuppofe, I
would fuffer your publication, worked up as it no doubt will be with all
the cunning and mifreprefentation you are mafter of, to pafs unanfwered.
As you have protracted this affair by your engagement to the public, I
fhall not put it in the power of accident to deprive me of an opportunity
of laying the fafts I am poffeffed of, open to public view. The queftion
will then be, whether what I have avowed is true ? My wealth, judg
ment, or paffions can have no influence either way with impartial men.
My own character, the character of others concerned, and all the circum
ftances combined, will determine the judgment of the public. This bufi
nefs being ended, an interview may reafonably be expected.
/ am, Sir, Tour Humhle Servant,
JOHN CADWALADER.
General Reed, Philadelphia.
Having for feveral years given over every expectation of feeing thofe
changes made in the conftitution of Pennfylvania, which I have ever
thought necefTary to fecure that happinefs and liberty intended bv the re
volution, I retired, and have never fince even expreffed my fentiments
concerning the politics of this ftate, except among my particular friends.
Your vexatious adminiftration hath furnifhed an example to what a
dangerous length the authority of government may be carried under fuch
a conftitution. The particular circumftances of my family made it necefTary to fpend
a few months in this city laft fummer, without an intention of taking up
my refidence here till the conclufion of the war; and though I never inr
terfered in politics here, except among my particular friends, I was attacked
in the public papers by a party blindly devoted to you and your meafures ;
I made no reply, from a confidence that fuch intimations could not injure
me with thofe whofe good opinion I regarded. But whether a Friend
publifhed the piece, figned Brutus, in the mere fpirit of retaliation, or
whether it was calculated for political purpofes at the laft eleftion, let the
author determine. The converfation alluded to in the queries, was known to

( *7 )
to many long before that period ; among whom were fome of your friends,
in proof of which, I offer Mr. Prior's certificate.*
Having mentioned the converfation publicly, thofe who heard it were
certainly at liberty to make what ufe of it they thought proper.
Being intrufted with the command of the militia, and a New-England
brigade, which lay at Briftol, in December 1776, I had permiffion, from
the commander in chief, to make an attack on the enemy, wherever I
thought it could be done with fuccefs ; I was prepared, on the evening of
the 2 2d December, to attempt the enemy's poft above the Black Horfe,
with feven hundred men, and, about nine or ten o'clock, P. M. I re
ceived a letter from the General, requefting, if the enterprize was not
too far advanced, to lay it afide, as he intended a general attack on the
enemy's polls in the courfe of a few days. From this circumftance it
appears that the General gave me the information relating to the intended
attack the evening before you received his letter of the 23d December,
in which the precife time was fixed. As he knew my intention to
command the party myfelf, and therefore I might not be at Briftol the
next day, this will account for his letter of the 23d being directed to
you. . But here you mean to convey an idea that a preference in this
communication, was intended to you ; though he had given me, in effeft,
the fame information the evening before. This, too, you adduce as a
proof of the General's " unbounded confidence in you ;" and you fay you
were fent by General Wafhington, for the " exprefs purpofe of affifting
me," and, " whatever my abilities were, that I had lefs experience of
" aftual fervice than you had : — That you were received with cool civility
" and few marks of private attention," — though you acknowledged,
" that I, at the fame time, confulted you without referve on our military
" affairs." I will admit that your opportunities of acquiring experience,
were greater than mine, and confidering the extenfive command I then
had, (which was in number nearly equal to the force under the immediate
command of General Wafhington) I fhould have thought it no reflection
on my abilities, nor would it have hurt my feelings, if an officer of fupe
rior abilities and rank, had been fent to take the command — or even an
inferior officer to affift me. But whether your appointment was of the
mere motion of the commander in chief, or at your inftance (for affifting
me, or other purpofes) may, at leaft, become a queftion. That
* Being called upon by Gen. Cadwalader to recollect the converfation we had at the
Coffee Houfe, in the fall of the year feventy-eight, when he related what had paffed
between him and Mr. Reed, at Briftol, I remember the fubjed: corroborates with thofe
queries I have fince feen publifhed in Mr. Ofwald's paper ofthe 7th September, 1782.
I likewife remember giving him a hint that fome of Mr. Reed1s friends were prefent,
on which he repeated what he had related before, and then addreffed himfelf to the
Gentlemen, and informed them, if any of Mr. Reed's friends were prefent, they were
at liberty to make what ufe they pleafed of it.
THOMAS PRYOR.
Philadelphia, March 8, 1783.

( i8 )
That I received you with " cool civility and very few marks of private
attention," I do not remember ; but to give what you mean to convey its
full force, I will not hefitate to acknowledge it in its fulleft extent— as you
have granted that I " confulted without referve, on our military affairs."
In this inftance the world will do me juftice, as it appears that I did not
fuffer perfonal diflike to interfere with public duty.
Though the world have little to do with the caufes of private animofi-
ties, I fhall think myfelf perfeftly excufeable here, to fay a few words on
this fubjeft, as you have affigned caufes for the interruption of our inti
macy different from the true ones ; — and with a view of creating preju
dices againft me.
I acknowledge that fuch intimacy fubfifted between us in early life, and
you malignantly date its " diffolution" at the time of my fudden acceffion
of fortune, as owing thereto. — If I were to admit that you could properly
date this breach from the moment you mention ; I flatter myfelf you would
find it very difficult to perfuade thofe who know me to believe that to
be the true caufe. — But this was not really the faft. The unworthy mea
fures you took to evade the payment (till compelled by a judgment of the
court) of Mr. Porter's order on you in favour of my brother and myfelf,
which you had accepted, (to be paid out of a bond affigned by faid Porter
to you in truft) was the true motive of that diffolution you complain of.
If you turn to the records of the court, or review the correfpondence with
my brother on that fubjeft, you muft blufh at fuch a fubterfuge. — From
that time, and owing thereto, I avoided your company. — I could here
make the proper refleftions with refpect to your veracity and integrity ;
but the world will do you juftice.
The critical fituation of our affairs in the winter 1776 is well known to
every inhabitant of the United States ; — but thofe, only, who were at that
time in the field, can have a true idea of the circumftances which often
threatened the diffolution of the militia. My fituation gave me better
opportunities of knowing the feelings and temper of both officers and pri
vates than any other perfon ; and the happy expedients ufed, on feveral
occafions to prevent their going home in a body, are well known to many
officers whom I then had the honour to command.
The firft information we had of the capture of General Lee, was re
ceived by a flag which arrived at my quarters. To determine whether
this was a misfortune or an advantage to the caufe of America, is at this
time immaterial. — It was then, however, generally thought a matter of
great magnitude, in the Britifh as well as in the American camp. The
effeft it had on our army, is well remembered by thofe who were pre
fent, but particularly on the militia.
That men attached to a caufe upon principle fhould perfevere in a prof-
perous fituation of affairs, is not uncommon. — We were, at that time,
Separated from our enemies only by a river which we expected every day
might be paffable on the ice — greatly inferior in number, and difcipline, and

( 19 )
and almoft deftitute of every thing necefTary even for defence. Add to
this a proclamation of General Howe, offering pardon and protection to
thofe who fhould fubmit, and fwear allegiance before the firft of January
1777, and this time nearly expired. I fay, under fuch circumftances,
it would be wonderful indeed if no officer of the army funk under the
apprehenfion of thofe dangers that threatened him. That there were
more than yourfelf I well know, whofe expreffions difcovered a timidity
unworthy an officer and a patriot ; — who, notwithftanding, from the well-
timed and fpirited remonftrances from their friends, were induced to affume
a firmer tone of behaviour, and have fince rendered their country con-
fiderable fervices.
Having fully ftated the temper of men's minds at this alarming period,
and the fituation of public affairs ; I fhall now recite the converfation,
and circumftances, relating thereto, which I have avowed in my letter to
you of the 1 oth September, as having paffed between us at Briftol.
I had occafion to fpeak with you, a few days before the intended at
tack on the 26th December, 1776, and requefted you to retire with me
to a private room at my quarters — the bufinefs related to intelligence — a
general converfation, however, foon took place concerning the ftate of
public affairs, and after running over a number of topics ; — in an agony of
mind, and defpair ftrongly expreffed in your countenance, and tone of
voice, you fpoke your apprehenfions concerning the event of the conteft ;
that our affairs looked very defperate and we were only making a facri-
fice of ourfelves ; — that the time of General Howe's offering pardon and
proteftion to perfons who fhould come in before the ift January, 1777,
was nearly expired ; and that Galloway, the Aliens, and others, had gone
over and availed themfelves of that pardon and proteftion offered by the
faid proclamation ; — that you had a family and ought to take care of them,
and that you did not underftand following the wretched remains (or rem
nants) of a broken army ; that your brother, (then Colonel or Lieutenant
Colonel of the militia — but you fay of the five month's men, which is not
material) was then at Burlington with his family, and that you had advifed
him to remain there, and if the enemy took poffeffion of the town to take
a proteftion and fwear allegiance, and in fo doing he would be perfeftly
justifiable. This was the fubftance, and I think nearly the very words ; but that
"you did not underftand following the wretched remains (or remnants) of
a broken army," I perfeftly remember to be the very words you ex
preffed. That our fituation was critical, and the dangers that threatened us great,
were univerfally acknowledged ; but I was aftonifhed to hear fuch ex
preffions from the Adjutant General of the army, as your conduft had
been approved by report ; — for, your good behaviour was not perfonally
known to me. Judging from appearances, and from all circumftances at
the

( 2° )
the time, I imputed thefe fentiments folely to timidity ; and therefore to
roufe your feelings, and give new vigour to a mind weakened by fear, I
recalled to your memory your former public profeffions and conduft, and
endeavoured to paint, in the ftrongeft colours, the fatal confequences that
would enfue from fuch an example, particularly to the militia ; that if
officers (more efpecially one in your ftation) difcovered a want of firm-
nefs, we could not reafonably expeft private foldiers to remain in the field ;
and added that as I was commanding officer there, I fhould not pafs over
fuch expreffions in future ; — appearing to be invigorated by thefe remon-
ftrances, your fubfequent converfation induced me to hope from you a
more honorable refolution. The immediate turn in our affairs confirmed
this hope. I had, befides, at the moment a ftill ftronger diffuafive. I
forefaw, that an " arreft," or difcovery on my part, would produce all the
bad effects naturally to be apprehended from aftual defertion ; I mean
with refpeft to the difcouragement, which fuch an example would have
caufed in the army, but particularly in the militia ; and efpecially as, at
that time the militia were affembling at Philadelphia under General Put
nam, from every part of the country, influenced by the example of the
city troops, as well as by a fenfe of danger and duty. If, then, the city
militia had difbanded, no perfon can hefitate to determine what would
have been the fate of thofe from the country.
The reafons of my concealing it from the general were, that nothing
but an arreft, on his part, could have prevented the execution of this plan
of defertion, and the bad confequences enfuing from it, the betraying of
fecrets ; and fuch arreft would have wrought the other ill confequences I
have fpoken of. — In this dilemma I ufed a difcretion which I confidered
moft advantageous to my country ; and trufted to my hopes, that fo im
portant an event as your defeftion would not happen, and thus avoided
the immediate and certain Evil. And befides, I have in every flage of
the war fhewn a difpofition to overlook political weakneffes, conceiving
that every man we could retain in the fervice an acquifition, tending to
draw forth the whole ftrength and abilities of my country againft the
common enemy.
That the converfation alluded to is a new tale, devifed in the malig
nancy of party, has been afferted by you ; and on this affertion is founded
many of your ftrongeft conclufions in favor of your own innocence. But
what muft the world think of your effrontery when they read the follow
ing letter of Col. Alexander Hamilton, who was then aid de camp to the
commander in chief, and now a delegate in Congrefs, whofe conduft and
character are well known, and approved by the citizens of every ftate in
the union ; — a Gentleman who, being a refident of the ftate of New York,
cannot be fuppofed in any manner concerned in the politics of Pennfyl
vania. Philadelphia,

( 2' )
Philadelphia, \x\th March, 1783.
DEAR SIR,
THOUGH difagreeable to appear in any manner in a perfonal
difpute ; yet I cannot in juftice to you refufe to comply with the requeft
contained in your note. I have delayed anfwering it to endeavour to recol
lect with more precifion, the time, place, and circumftances of the con
verfation to which you allude. I cannot, however, remember with cer
tainty more than this ; that fome time in the campaign of feventy feven,
at head-quarters, in this ftate, you mentioned to me and fome other Gen
tlemen of General Wafhington's family, in a confidential way, that at
fome period in feventy-fix, I think after the American army croffed the
Delaware in its retreat, Mr. Reed had Tpoken to you in terms of great de-
fpondency refpefting the American affairs, and had intimated, that he
thought it time for gentlemen to take care of themfelves, and that it was
unwife any longer to follow the fortunes of a ruined caufe, or fomething
of a fimilar import. It runs in my mind that the expreffions you declared
to have been made ufe of, by Mr. Reed, were — that he thought he ought
no longer to " rifque his life and fortune with the fhattered remains of a
broken army," but it is the part of candour to obferve, that I am not able
to diftinguifh with certainty, whether the recolleftion I have of thefe words
arifes from the ftrong impreffion made by your declaration at the time, or
from having heard them more than once repeated within a year paft.
/ am, Dear Sir, with great efteem,
Tour obedient fervant,
To General Cadwalader. A. Hamilton.
At the time I communicated the contents of Colonel Hamilton's certifi
cate to him in confidence, it appears by your own acknowledgment that*
"no party or prejudices exifted (at leaft as to you") ; — "j" " the intercourfe
" arifing from thefe mingled duties and fervices which were continued
" until the army went into winter quarters at the Valley-Forge, foon
" did away the coolnefs which had for fome years fubfifted, and in
" no fmall degree revived our former habits of friendfhip ;" — % " but it
" was our lot to meet again a few days before the battle of Monmouth ;
" here we were again united in confidence and danger. After the battle,
" we left the army together, and that period clofed our friendly inter-
" courfe forever." — From thefe (your expreffions) you affeft to believe,
and with the world to think, that our former friendfhip was reftored. It
was not fo, I cannot call it friendfhip. The tranfaftion I have mentioned,
occafioned the diffolution of that intimacy contracted in early life, which
but little accorded with my notions of perfeft integrity. From that time,
and owing, folely, to that caufe, I took the refolution to avoid your com
pany as a private gentleman, and which I conftantly adhered to. Meet
ing in the army, where we ferved maft of the time in the character of
volunteers,
* See Gen. Reed's addrels to the public, -f- Page 25. J Page 27.

( 22 )
volunteers, I did not think it right to fuffer former diflikes to interrupt
the duties and fervices required of us by the Commander in Chief, fo
necefTary for mutual and general fafety. If, then, my diflike to you did
not proceed from fuch motives as fometimes induce men to feek for op
portunities of gratifying their refentments, for what purpofe could I have
invented fuch a " tale ?" or if my refentment was fuch as you reprefent,
why did I not gratify it by making it public immediately ? — at that time my
mind could not have been " inflamed by party" — becaufe you admit that
no parties then exifted ("at leaft as to you"); nor could my ambition
have been difappointed, — becaufe, being commanding officer of the Penn
fylvania militia, the Council of Safety (who then held the powers of
government) could not gratify me further. I could not have " miftaken a
converfation with fome other perfon," becaufe, there was not that " dif-
tance of time" which you fuppofe ; — nor can it be conceived, by the moft
credulous, to be " fome jocular expreffion," becaufe, the fituation of affairs
rather fuppreffed than excited, in you, the appearance of mirth. Having
mentioned this converfation long before parties formed here ; it muft ap
pear, to every impartial perfon, that it could not have been the mere in
vention of my own " brain," fuggefted in the fpirit of party ; — and it is
ftill more abfurd to fuppofe that I could have forefeen that you, who then
thought as I did concerning the effential objeftions to the conftitution of
Pennfylvania, fhould refufe the appointment of Chief Juftice, becaufe you
could not in confcience take the oath of office ; — that Mr. Wharton (the
firft Prefident) fhould die, — and yet, that you fhould afterwards accept
the chair of government. It is, however, inconteftably proved that the
converfation, alluded to, was fpoken of by me, at an early period, and
long before your appointment to the chair of government, and yet you
fay — " the profecution of General Arnold, I have no doubt, gave rife to
it." If I was to leave it to your ingenuity to explain to the world my
motives for inventing fuch a " tale" — to what purpofes could you poffibly
impute my defign ? — It could not be to gratify my refentment for the in
jury you attempted upon my property, becaufe I did not then make it
public ; — it could not be occafioned by any perfonal offence taken in the
year 1777 (when I privately mentioned it to Col. Hamilton), becaufe,
you contend that our " former habits of friendfhip" were revived, and
acknowledge that I never made it public for feveral years afterwards. —
Here then, the man of humanity may afk me — why did you at fo late a
date, publicly, mention a circumftance injurious to General Reed's repu
tation, as Adjutant General ofthe army, and a patriot, which after-fervices
ought to have configned to oblivion ? — The queftion is a natural one, and
I will give it an anfwer. The firft occafion of my mentioning this mat
ter, publicly, was this; foon after our return to the city in the year 1778,
among the viftims felefted for public examples, there was a young gentle
man with whom I had formed an intimacy in early life. I confidered
him, as he was by many (and his acquittal juftified the opinion) as un-
juftly

( n )
juftly perfecuted ; but General Reed who had refumed his original pro
feflion voluntarily aided the profecution, and with all the force of decla
mation laboured to inflame his judges and jury againft him. It was then,
recollefting how near he once appeared to the commiffion of the fame
offence which he charged upon the other, or at leaft to a defeftion from
the caufe, that my indignation broke out at the trial ; faying to thofe around
me, that " it argued the extremity of effrontery and bafenefs in one man to
"purfue another to death for taking a ftep, which his own foot had been once
" raifed to take." — *This was anterior to his elevation to the Prefidency,
and whilft his powers of doing mifchief, were he fo inclined, were cir-
cumfcribed by the narrownefs of his fphere of action — at fuch a time,
could I think his lofs of fame fo effential to the public good, or, if he will,
to the purpofes of party, as to be willing to attempt it, at the expence of
my private veracity, my honour, and confcience.
The inconfiftency of fuch oftenfiblc conduft, and the bafenefs of a
meditated defection, is not irreconcilable to thofe who have had opportu
nities of knowing that he is not incapable of fuch vaft extremes — who have
feen him at the bar of the Affembly, he himfelf difqualified, by non com
pliance with the teft-laws, as fince fully appears by a late publication
figned Sidney, unblufhingly attempt to fet afide the famous Chefter elec
tion, upon the fuggeftion of its having been carried by eleftors difqualified
from the like circumftance.
It is thus I would have anfivered the queftion, why I have mentioned,
publicly, your meditated defeftion, and I truft that fuch provocation
merited thofe reflections, which might otherwife have remained in my
own breaft.
The objection to the force of my fingle teftimony thus obviated, did no
other offer to corroborate it, I fhould not hefitate to fubmit it, under fuch
circumftances, to the judgment of the public ; refting their determination
upon the credit of my veracity againft yours. Having fupported an un-
blemifhed character, I dare defy any perfon to produce an inftance where
I have even been fufpected of an untruth, or of a bafe or difhonourable aftion.
* As a proof of my having made this declaration, and the occafion of it, I offer the
following letter.
Dear Sir,
I HAVE at your requeft charged my recollection with what fell from you in the
hearing of myfelf and feveral others at the trial of Mr. William Hamilton, on the fub-
jedl of Mr. Reed, who affifted the profecution ; it was in terms to this effect, — that it
indicated the extremity of bafenefs in him to attempt to deftroy another for taking the
very ftep he had once lifted his own foot to take. — This at the inftant made the
deeper impreffion on me, as having never till then, though living in the clofeft inti
macy, heard you drop the moft diftant hint of any intended defection of Mr. Reed, of
which I myfelf had no fufpicion. your humble Servant,
March 2, 1783. GEORGE CLYMER.
General Cadivalader. o

( 24 )
aftion. Confcious of the truth of what I have afferted, I have no fears
that my conduft will ever " difhonour me with the wife and virtuous."
The reafons I have affigned for the diffolution of our intimacy, ante
cedent to the war, will afford a better proof of your ingenuity than your
integrity ; and further, (with refpeft to your veracity) if any other in
ftance is neceffary, let me add one which happened at camp (at head
quarters) in the year 1777, foon after the battle of Germantown, when,
in my hearing, and in the prefence of three officers of the firft rank in the
army, you were charged to your face with a falfehood, and which was
fully proved the next day by the general officer who made the charge.
And, now, before I introduce the concurrent teftimony in fupport of
my affertion, I fhall take but a momentary notice here, of thofe difrefpeft-
ful expreffions with which you have decorated your pamphlet. Weaknefs
of head is an accufation of a kind which it would equally puzzle the fool
and the wife to reply to ; but againft that of badnefs of heart my known
tenor of conduft, in private and public life, muft be my defence ; if that
fails, it will be needlefs in me to fet up any other.
But if even prejudiced men fhould ftill doubt the truth of my affertion,
with refpeft to the converfation alluded to in the above rep refenta tion,
every doubt muft be removed upon reading the following certificates.
Hermitage, $th Odo. 1782.
DEAR GENERAL,
IN the winter 1776, after we had croffed the Delaware, General
Reed, in converfation with me, faid, that he and feveral others of my
friends were furprized at feeing me there. I told him I did not under
ftand fuch a converfation, that as I had engaged in the caufe from princi
ple, I was determined to fhare the fate of my country; to which he made
no reply, and the converfation ended. As I had the honour of com
manding the militia of New Jerfey, both duty and inclination led me to
ufe every exertion in fupport of a caufe I had engaged in from the pureft
motives. I was really much furprized at General Reed's manner, con-
fidering the flation he then acted in, and his reputation as a patriot ; but
I confidered it as the effect of defpondency from the then gloomy pro-
fpeft of our affairs.
This I mentioned to feveral of my friends at the time, who all viewed
it in the fame point of light. / am, dear General, yours,
P. DICKINSON.
General Cadwalader.
I DO hereby certify, that in December, 1776, while the militia lay at
Briftol, General Reed, to the beft of my recollection and belief, upon my
enquiring the news, and what he tho't of our affairs in general, Taid, that
appearances were very gloomy and unfavourable ; — that he was fearful, or
apprehenfive,

( 25 )
apprehenfive, the bufinefs was nearly fettled ; or, the game almoft up, or
words to the fame effeft. That thefe fentiments appeared to me very ex
traordinary and dangerous, as I conceived, they would, at that time, have
a very bad tendency, if publicly known to be the fentiments of General
Reed, who then held an appointment in the army of the firft confe-
quence.
JOHN NIXON.
Philadelphia, March 12, 1783.
A FEW "days before the battle of Trenton, on the 26th of December
1776, I rode with Mr. Reed from Briftol to Head-Quarters near New-
Town. — In the courfe of our ride our converfation turned upon public
affairs, when Mr. Reed expreffed himfelf in the manner following.
He fpoke with great refpeft of the bravery of the Britifh troops, and
with great contempt of the cowardice of the American, and more efpe
cially of the New-England troops. So great was the terror infpired by
the Britifh foldiers into the minds of our men that he faid when a Britifh
foldier was brought as a prifoner to our camp, our foldiers viewed him at
a diftance as a fuperior kind of being.
Upon my lamenting to him the fuppofed defeftion of Mr. Dickinfon,
who it was unjuftly faid had deferted his country, he ufed the following
words : " Damn him — I wifh the Devil had him when he wrote the
farmer's letters. He has began an oppofition to Great-Britain which we
have not ftrength to finifh."
Upon my lamenting that a gentleman of his acqaintance had fubmitted
to the enemy, he faid, " that he had acted properly, and that a man who
had a family did right to take that care of them."
The whole of his converfation upon the fubject of our affairs indicated
a great defpair of the American caufe.
Upon my going to Baltimore to take my feat in Congrefs, the latter
end of January, I mentioned the above converfation to my brother. I
likewife mentioned it to the hon. John Adams, Efq. with whom I then
lived in intimacy, a day or two after his return from Bofton to Congrefs.
I did not mention it with a view of injuring Mr. Reed, for I ftill refpeft
ed him, efpecially as I then believed that the viftory at Trenton had re-
ftored the tone of his mind, and diffipated his fears, but to fhew Mr.
Adams an inftance of a man pofTeffing and exercifing a military fpirit and
aftivity and yet deficient in political fortitude. To which I well remem
ber Mr. Adams replied in the following words, " The powers of the
human mind are combined together in an infinite variety of ways."
BENJAMIN RUSH.
Philadelphia, March 3, 1783.
I went with the Congrefs to Baltimore in Dec. 1776. — On the arrival
of my brother there a few weeks afterwards, I called to fee him, at the
houfe of a Mrs. Orrick where he then lodged. To the beft of my recol
lection

( 26 )
leftion Mr. Clerk and Dr. Witherfpoon, delegates from New-Jerfey, were
in the room with him. The two former after fome time withdrew and
my brother then mentioned the converfation as related by him above.
He informed me alfo of fome other converfation which paffed between
Mr. Reed and him which it is not necefTary at prefent to repeat.
JACOB RUSH.
Philadelphia, March 3, 1783.
JOSEPH ELLIS, a colonel of a regiment of militia in the county of
Gloucefter and ftate of New Jerfey, doth hereby certify, that, upon the
retreat of a body of militia from before count Donop in the neighbour
hood of Mount Holly, in Burlington county, in the month of December
1776, he met with Charles Pettit, Efq. then Secretary ofthe faid ftate —
that a converfation enfued between them, refpefting the fituation of the
public difpute at that period — that Mr. Pettit in faid converfation repre-
fenting that our affairs were defperate, Col. Ellis endeavoured to diffuade
him from fuch an opinion — when Mr. Pettit replyed — " what hurts me
more than all is my brother in law, General Reed, has (or I believe he
has) given up the conteft." That a good deal more paffed between Mr.
Pettit and Col. Ellis during the faid converfation, but omitted here as
being thought unneceffary. JOS. ELLIS.
Woodbury, March 9, 1783.
I do hereby certify that I was prefent at the converfation alluded to
above, that although I cannot recollect the exprefs words made ufe of in
the faid converfation, yet fuch converfation did take place, and that the
fubftance of it anfwers to the certificate of Col. Ellis.
FRANKLIN DAVENPORT.
Woodbury, March 9, 1783.
Thefe are to certify, that in December 1776 and January 1777 I the
fubfcriber was Major of the fecond battalion of Philadelphia militia,
whereof John Bayard was Colonel, and then lay at Briftol, and part of
the time oppofite Trenton on the Pennfylvania fide. — That while we lay
at Briftol, Jofeph Reed, Efq. joined us, that during his being there and
near Trenton he often went out for intelligence, as Col. Bayard told me,
over to Burlington, in which place the enemy frequently were, that being
abfent frequently all day and all night, I as frequently enquired what could
become of Gen. Reed. Col. Bayard often anfwered me, he feared, he
had left us and gone over to the enemy. One time in particular, being
abfent two days and two nights, if not three nights, Col. Bayard came to
me with great concern, and faid, he was fully perfuaded Gen. Reed was
gone to join the enemy and make his peace. I afked how he could pof-
fibly think fo of a man who had taken fo early a part and had acted
fteadily. He replyed, he was perfuaded it was fo, for he knew the Gen
eral thought it was all over and that we could not Hand againft the enemy, and

( 27 )
and at the fame time wept much. I endeavoured all I could to drive
fuch notions from him, but he was fo fully perfuaded that he had left us
and gone over to the enemy, that arguing about the matter was only lofs
of time — Col. Bayard often making mention, that he knew his fentiments
much better than I did. After being abfent two or three nights Gen. Reed
returned and I never faw more joy expreffed than was by Col. Bayard ; he
declaring to me he was glad Gen. Reed was returned, for he was fully
convinced, in his own mind, that he was gone over to the enemy.
Wm. BRADFORD.
Manner of ' Mor eland, Philadelphia
County, March 15, 1783. Philadelphia, x\th March, 1 783.
HAVING been called on by General Cadwalader refpefting a report
which has been propagated refpefting Mr. Jofeph Reed — I declare on my
honour the circumftances are as follows.
In the fpring of 1780 I obtained permiffion for an interview with my
brother at Elizabeth Town. In the courfe of converfation one day, he
happened to mention, that there were men among us who held the firft
offices, who applied for protection from the Britifh while they lay in New
Jerfey. I was alarmed at this affertion and infilled on knowing who they
were; — he faid that when the Britifh army lay in Jerfey in 1776, Count
Donop commanded at Bordenton, that he was often at that officer's
quarters, and pofTeffed fome degree of his confidence ; that one day, an
inhabitant came into their lines with an application from Mr. Jofeph Reed
the purport of which was to know, whether he could have protection for
himfelf and his property (there was another perfon included in the applica
tion whofe name it is not necefTary here to mention).— The man was im
mediately ordered for execution, but it was prevented by the interpofition
of my brother and fome other perfons who had formerly known him.
Perhaps Mr. Reed and his friends may fay that Count Donop would not
have ordered the man executed, had he not thought he came for intelli
gence. No doubt that officer would have juftified his conduft by putting
him on the footing of a fpy, but why was another perfon included in the
application, and one who was not looked on as a trifling character, his
name I will mention to any perfon who may apply to me — however, my
brother faid that the man who was fent with the application was a poor
peafant, and the moft unfit perfon in the world to fend for intelligence —
this argument was what had weight with Count Donop, and which faved
his life.* Thefe
* If the countryman was fent, as may be infinuated, for intelligence, and not for a
protection for Mr. Reed and his friend, is it not very extraordinary, in a cafe of this
nature, after the man had fo narrowly efcaped with his life, that no circumftance re
lating

( 28 )
Thefe circumftances being mentioned by a brother, and which he de
clared to be true, naturally produced an alteration in my fentiments of
Mr. Reed, for previous to this there were few men of whom I entertained
fo high an opinion.
On my return to Philadelphia I made no fecret of what I had heard ;
indeed I thought it my duty to mention it publicly, that it might prevent
further power being put into the hands of a man who might make bad'
ufe of it. — The report circulated daily, and I was often called on to men
tion the circumftances, which I always did ; and which I fhould have
done to Mr. Reed had he applied to me. I remember among the num
ber who came to me, was Major Thomas Moore, who faid he intended
to inform Mr. Reed, but whether he did or not I cannot pretend to fay.
There is another thing I wifh to mention. My brother came into the
river in a flag of truce on fpecial application from our Commiffary of
Prifoners, to take a number of prifoners who were exchanged, to fave us
the expence and trouble offending them by land — this was in the month
of May 1 78 1. He was detained about nine miles below the city up
wards of four weeks and never permitted to vifit it, although application
was made for that purpofe by feveral Captains of veffels who had been
prifoners and to whom he had rendered civilities. I declined making
application myfelf, as I fuppofed my being in the fervice from the com
mencement of the war, and having endured a rigorous confinement of
eighteen months in the worft of times, to have been fufficient to have ob
tained permiffion for a brother to have been in my houfe in preference to
the cabin of a fmall veffel in the river — however I endeavoured to make
his fituation as agreeable as poffible, by vifiting him often and taking my
friends with me
I remember Col. Francis Nichols went with me one day, to whom my
brother mentioned Mr. Reed's intended defertion, and who, I doubt not,
will acknowledge it on any perfon's applying to him— he is at prefent in
Virginia, but is expected in Town in a few days. DAVID LENOX.
HAVING been called upon by General Cadwalader to certify fo
far as my knowledge extends as to the matter herein aftermentioned, I do
declare,
lating to fo delicate an affair (tranfacted in fo private a manner) fhould ever have came
to my knowledge, till I heard this teftimony from Major Lenox.
I will venture to fay that no officer ofthe army, at that critical period, would have
riJked his reputation, though he had afforded no caufe to fufpect his firmnefs, by in-
ftrufting a fpy to apply for a protection for him, with a view of gaining intelligence- —
without mentioning it to his commanding officer before the tranfaction. But in the
inftance before us, it is worthy notice that, in fo critical a fituation of public affairs,
Mr. Reed knowing how dangerous fuch a plea, as the mefTenger had ufed, might prove
to his reputation in the hands of the enemy, fhould not have endeavoured to obviate
fuch a tale, by mentioning the circumftances to the commanding officer at Briftol, who
might have vouched for his innocence in cafe Donop fhould attempt to injure him af
terwards.

( 29 )
declare, that in the fpring of the year 178 1, I went, with Major Lenox,
of this city, on board of a flag of truce veffel, then lying in the river
Delaware, where fhe had arrived from New- York, and heard Mr. Robert
Lenox, deputy commiffary of prifoners, under the Britifh king, fay, that
in the year of 1776, a perfon had arrived at Count Donop's quarters,
near Bordentown, in New-Jerfey, who told the Count that he had been
fent to him by General Reed, and another perfon, whofe name I do not
think necefTary to mention, to procure a proteftion for them ; that the
Count refufed to grant them a proteftion in that manner, and was about
to treat the perfon who had applied to him, as a fpy, but was prevented
by the entreaties of the faid Robert Lenox, and fome other gentlemen.
FRANCIS NICHOLS.
Philadelphia, ljth March, 1783.
Here then, it fully appears that the teftimony contained in the above
certificates, all point to the fame objeft, and to the fame period mentioned
by me, fupporting and confirming each other. They likewife clearly
prove the whole progrefs of your premeditated defeftion ; they prove that
you deceived me by thofe profeffions by which I had been induced to
truft to your appearances of fidelity, as you abfolutely made an applica
tion for a proteftion to Count Donop — in which an intimate friend of
yours was included.
But what opinion muft the world form of your veracity when you are
detected in falfely afferting that you had not mentioned fuch fentiments to
your moft intimate friends and relations. " Is it not utterly incredible,"
you fay, " that I fhould withhold fuch communication or fentiment from
my moft intimate friends and relations, and to make it to a perfon with
whom I had held no friendfhip for many years, who had received me
with coldnefs." Mr. Pettit is your relation, and Col. Bayard your moft
intimate friend, with whom, at that time, you had the freeft intercourfe.
To thefe you communicated your fentiments as appears by the certificates
of Col. Bradford, Col. Ellis, and Mr. Davenport, but your friend hinted
at in Major Lenox's certificate had confented to accompany you in your
intended defertion. The height of your iniquity does not end here — you
endeavoured by your influence to fpread general difaffeftion : in order to
leffen your fhare of the infamy by dividing it among many. Had you
conferred with men whofe principles were, in every inftance, like your
own, you might have fucceeded ; as every perfon concerned might have
carried off his particular friend with him.
If all the evidence which now appears againft you, had been produced
at that time, what would have been your fate, as you then (being adjutant
general of the army) was fubjeft to the continental articles of war ?
In the ioth page you fay you can, "truly declare that the fubjeft of
" the prefent flander was not known to you, till its appearance in the
" news paper." Having mentioned it at the coffee-houfe (as appears by
Mr.

( 3° )
Mr. Pryor's certificate) in the prefence of fome of your friends, it was
reafonable to expeft they would have informed you of it ; but it feems
there is fome difference between private information, and a public charge
made in the papers. As a gentleman, there can, in my opinion, be no
difference ; as you fay in your letter of the 9th of Sept. laft that this in-
finuation feems to deferve fome credit from a reference to me. You
infinuate that if you had heard it, you fhould have noticed it. To this
however the world will give little credit, as you made no public or private
inquiry refpefting the charge contained in Major Lenox's certificate,
though he communicated it to Major Thomas Moore, fon of the late
Prefident, whofe permiffion I have for afferting publicly, that he informed
you of what Major Lenox had related, the very day he heard it.
The matters mentioned in Major Lenox's certificate and in that of Col.
Nichols reach vaftly beyond me — here you abfolutely apply for protec
tion — and if one report demanded your notice in referrence to my au
thority, why not another more alarming to you, your notice in referrence
to Major Lenox.
But the confcioufnefs of the communications made to confidential
friends and others, fuggefted the fear of farther proofs. As long as it was
only communicated by private information, you were willing to fubmit to
private cenfure. But, when a charge, which originated from me, was
made in the papers, it reduced you to the difagreeable alternative of a
tacit confeffion, or the hazard of public proof. And in the prefent in
ftance, if I am rightly informed, you was perfeftly difpofed to treat the
publication, figned Brutus, with that " filent contempt" which you fay
you have for a " long time obferved with refpect to the anonimous abufe
" which difgraces our public papers ;" — but your friends, feeling the
weight of the charge, goaded you into fo unfortunate a meafure. —
" Unhappy man ! — againft whofe peace and happinefs all are combined."
What anfwer can you make to the weight of teftimony here produced
againft you ? I fee nothing left but to declare to the world — that the
whole is a wicked combination to deftroy you ; you may fay — " you
thought me intitled to the whole infamy of the infinuation," till the above
mentioned witnefles "confented to divide it with me ;" and that — "if you
" did not fufficiently meafure the malignity of their difpofitions, or thought
" more favourably of them than you ought to have done, you are content
" to acknowledge your error, and do full juftice in this refpect for ever
" hereafter;" — and, if any perfon fhould aflc you, — would all thefe gen
tlemen hazard fuch affertions without foundation ? you may anfwer — " it is
" difficult to refolve what men of ungovernable paffions will or will not fay
" when their minds are inflamed by party, and their breafts burning with
" difappointed ambition," — may they not have " miftaken a converfation
" with fome other perfon, or, at this diftance of time, converted fome
" jocular expression into fuch fufpicions as they have mentioned ;" — and
you may add — " the memories of men may fail ; their minds are fubjeft " to

( 3' )
" to the warp of prejudice and paffion ; they may convert into ferious
" import what was dropt in jest, and from falfe pride perfift in what
" they have faid, becaufe they have faid it, even againft the conviction of
" their own conferences."
In your letter of the 23d September laft, you fay " you have declared
" the infinuations in Ofwald's paper of the 7th inftant falfe, — and you
" apply the fame epithet to my avowal of them." This affertion has
been fully refuted by the concurrent teftimony of your intimate friends
and others. In your friends you thought yourfelf perfeftly fecure, — but
the weaknefs of two of them has betrayed you, and the third is proved
your accomplice.
It would, indeed, have appeared fomewhat extraordinary, if you had
" not difcovered your intentions to fome of your intimate friends and
relations, and that " no circumftance fhould occur to correfpond with this
imputation," after having communicated the fame to me. Nor are proofs
wanting, if they were here necefTary, independent of thofe I have already
adduced, with refpeft to fome of your friends, who, at that time, held
confiderable commands in the militia.
And " though fpecially fent by Gen. Wafhington," as you fay, " for
the exprefs purpofe of affifting me," it may not be here improper to make
a fhort obfervation, in which, I conceive, I fhall be perfeftly juftifiable.
Though the duties of an Adjutant General would naturally confine you to
the continental army ; yet I can eafily conceive that there was no diffi
culty, by hints thrown out, or by the interpofition of a friend, to induce
the Commander in Chief to permit you to come to Briftol under the
pretence of affifting me — being, as you rcprefent well acquainted with the
inhabitants of Burlington, through whom you might obtain information.
But from the evidence which appears againft you, it will not be thought
uncharitable to conclude, that you conceived your plan could be better
executed at Briftol than under the eye of General Wafhington. Befides,
you might reafonably hope to fhake more eafily the conftancy of untryed
officers of militia than thofe in the army, whofe minds might be fuppofed
better fortified againft fuch attacks.
I am at a lofs for words to exprefs my indignation for the attempt you
made on my integrity ; for though I did not fee it in that point of view at
the time, yet the whole teftimony as now collected, fully proves fuch to
have been your intention; — -and happy I conceive it to be for my own
honour, and the fafety of my country, that you found, in me, that ftrength
of mind which you might not have experienced, in fome of your particu
lar friends, had they been in my fituation.
The circumftance relating to the letter you wrote Count Donop created,
at the time, no fufpicions, nor do I recolleft any publication which alludes
to it. This affair and that mentioned by Major Lenox, are diftinft
tranfaftions ; but is it not more than probable that, at the interview you
propofed under cover of ferving the inhabitants of Burlington, you in-
P tended

( 32 )
tended to confer with Count Donop upon the fubjeft of your own intereft
and perfonal fafety. This fufpicion, in my opinion, is perfeftly war
ranted by the indubitable proofs of your intended defertion. Another
circumftance relating to this affair, was equally unuTual and improper, —
Mr. Daniel Ellis* by whom you fent the letter with a flag, was univer-
fally known to be difaffefted ; — having been fo long in the fervice vou
could not be ignorant of thofe obvious reafons which prove the propriety
of fending men with flags, whofe attachment to the caufe is well known ;
and men of obfervation.
Every page almoft of your publication is full of refleftions againft me,
and almoft upon every fubjeft — fo intent have you been to injure my re
putation. The errors I committed during my command may ferve a
double purpofe ; becaufe he who committed them is fubjeft to cenfure,
and he who points them out claims the merit of the difcovery. That I
committed errors I readily, admit, — my friends have marked fome, and
fubfequent experience difcovered others ; but I am confeious they pro
ceeded from want of experience, not a want of integrity. Why then
need I feek to juftify myfelf, when from the nature of the war confidera-
ble commands were, from neceffity, intrufted to young officers ; there
being few amongft us, to whom the profeflion was not entirely new. But
I confefs, it would give me infinite pain, if, by " a ftrange inattention of
mine to the tide and ftate of the river," and the not arriving " one hour"
fooner at Dunks's Ferry, we had loft the opportunity of ftriking a blow at
Mount-Holly of equal glory with that of Trenton. When you infinuated
in the former part of your addrefs, a fuperior knowledge in military mat
ters, by faying you had more " experience" I gave up the point and left
you the happinefs of thinking fo, — for why fhould I have contended a
point with a man who throughout his pamphlet affumes to himfelf the
merit of all thofe brilliant fucceffes, fo highly commended even by our
enemies, and which determined the fate of American independence. —
And if I was fenfible that the charge you now make was true, or could be
thought fo by competent judges, I would fcorn to defend my error.
My orders was to make the attack one hour before day, and to effeft
a furprize if poffible. The impropriety therefore of fending the boats
from Briftol to Dunks's ferry, and marching the troops from the fame
place in open day, is evident, as fuch a movement muft have been ob-
ferved and communicated to the enemy. And now tell me the inftance
where even continental troops have arrived at the point of attack in the
given time ? It was General Wafhington's intention to have made his
attack on Trenton before day ; yet from unavoidable delays, he did not
arrive there till after eight o'clock in the morning. We reached Dunks's
ferry a little before low water, and can any perfon believe that if we had
arrived " one hour fooner ," we could have paffed over near twenty-five hundred
* I have ample proofs of Mr. Ellis's attachment to the enemy ; which may be pro
duced if necefTary.

( 33 )
hundred men, four pieces of cannon, ammunition waggons, and horfes,
and all the horfes belonging to officers in that time, in the night too, and
the river full of ice, with only five large batteaus and two or three fcows,
when it took us at leaft fix hours, (a day or two afterwards) to crofs above
Briftol, in open day, and the river almoft clear of ice. Strange " inatten
tion !" unhappy commander ! That " a Jingle hour which we might
have enjoyed with equal convenience and equal rifle" fhould be the only
obftacle to a fcene of equal glory with that of Trenton; and yet you have
reprefented to General Wafhington, as appears by his letterj dated 6
o'clock, P. M. 25th December, 1776, to me being the very fame night
and before we marched to Dunks's ferry, that you gave him the moft
difcouraging accounts of what might be expected from our operations below.
What then were thefe difcouraging accounts ? Why was I not acquainted
with them ? or were they thrown out to influence him from making his
attempt on Trenton, by reprefenting that no co-operation from our quarter
could favour his enterprize? In the General's opinion it is plain had
that tendency. But in the heedlefs fury of this ftroke at me you have
incautioufly unguarded your moft tender part.
" Anxious to fill up the part of this glorious plan affigned to us," you
" paffed over you fay with your horfe to fee and judge for yourfelf." You
" did fo. Having feen the laft man re-embarked you proceeded before day
" to Burlington." Here permit me to correft you, becaufe there is no cir
cumftance better afcertained than that many of the men were not brought
back till eight o'clock the next morning.
Your motives for going that night to Burlington were then thought a
myftery ; 'tis now no longer fo, and the '' other circumftances" that per
mitted you to join us again at Briftol are now clearly accounted for. —
General Wafhington's fuccefs or defeat was no doubt to determine whether
you were to remain a citizen of the United States of America, or to be a
fhameful deferter of your country.
You fay you went to Philadelphia at my requeft, to confer with General
Putnam ; — that you fet out in the evening (the 24th December) and
reached Philadelphia about midnight ; — but what credit can you reafona
bly expeft will be given to your " detail of proceedings" in other particu
lars, when you find yourfelf detected in fuch grofs contradiftions in the
following inftance ? In
\M 'Kcnkey' 's Ferry, zs,th December, 1776,
'Six o'clock, P. M.
DEAR SIR,
Notwithftanding the difcouraging accounts I have received from Col. Reed, of
what might be expected from the operations below, I am determined, as the night is
favourable, to crofs the river, and make the attack upon Trenton in the morning. If
you can do nothing real, at leaft create as great a diverfion as poffible.
I am, Sir, your moji obedient fer-vant,
GEO. WASHINGTON.

( 34 )
In the feventeenth page you fay, — " upon conference with General
" Putnam (at Philadelphia) he reprefented the ftate of the militia, the
" general confufion which prevailed, his apprehenfions of an infurreftion
" in the city in his abfence, and many other circumftances in fuch ftrong
" terms, as convinced me no affiftance could be derived from him" — and
yet in your letter to me dated Philadelphia 25th December 1776, 11
o'clock, you fay — " General Putnam has determined to crofs the river
" with as many men as he can collect, which he fays will be about five
" hundred — he is now multering them and endeavoring to get Proftor's
" company of artillery to go with them. I wait to know what fuccefs he
" meets with and the progrefs he makes — but at all events I fhall be with
" you this afternoon."
Here the reprefentation ftated in your pamphlet is contradicted by a
letter in your own hand-writing. Having forgot perhaps that you had
written fuch a letter, your ingenuity furnifhed materials for a plaufable
narrative fuitable to your purpofes — not fufpefting that fuch proof could
be adduced in oppofition to it.
Having returned to Briftol about day-light, on the 26th December,
with the greater part of the troops, I received an account about 1 1 o'clock
a. M. from a perfon juft arrived from Trenton Ferry, that General Wafh
ington had fucceeded in his attack — I immediately difpatched a mefTenger
with a line to General Ewing for information ; but all I could learn was,
that the viftory was ours.
From the continuance of the rain and wind, I concluded the ice muft
be deftroyed in the courfe of the day, and inftantly fent down to Dunks's
ferry for the boats. This being an extraordinary fervice, required of men
who had been expofed to the florin the whole night, was however chear-
fully undertaken and executed. I then confulted Col. Hitchcock, who
commanded the New-England brigade, to know whether his troops would
willingly accompany us to New-Jerfey, as I had determined to crofs the
river in the morning, if practicable, to co-operate with General Wafhing
ton. He informed me that his troops could not march unlefs they could
be fupplied with fhoes, flockings, and breeches, upon which I inftantly
wrote to the council of fafety, and obtained feven hundred pair of each
of the above articles, which arrived about funrife on the morning of
the 27th December. This fecond attempt being determined on, I went
with feveral officers in the afternoon of the 26th to fix upon a proper
place for croffing the river above Briftol; and the next morning before
day, viewed the Jerfey fhore in a barge for the fame purpofe. By your
relation, one would imagine that you had been the life and joul of this
fecond movement acrofs the Delaware, — as little privy to it as the emperor
of Morocco, — but it is no unufual thing for you to intercept the praife
due to others of creditable aftions. Inftead of being prefent to confirm
any propofed movements by your advice, you remained at Burlington,
" in a kind of concealment, till the weather and other circumstances " permitted

( 35 )
" permitted you to join«us at Briftol," after all our refolutions were taken
and the moft of our arrangements made. In the tiflue of your reprefenta-
tions it is your purpofe to infinuate my deficiency in military conduct in
the fubfequent tranfaftions. Let my relation of it be heard !
We marched on the 27th in the morning, and the ice being by this
time chiefly deftroyed we met with little obftruftion in paffing. The laft
divifion of the troops being embarked, and then crofting, we received
private information that General Wafhington had recroffed the river, and
returned to Newton in Pennfylvania, from whence he dates his letter 27th
December, 1776, informing me of the particulars of the aftion at Tren
ton, and which was not received, contrary to your affertion, till we had
marched above a mile on our way to Burlington ; — it was then read to
the troops who were halted for this purpofe. We had, however, before,
given full credit to the firft information of his having re-croffed ; on which
previous information I called together the field officers to confult what
was then beft to be done. From this circumftance Colonel Hitchcock
and fome others propofed returning to Briftol. I inftantly declared my
determination againft it, and recommended an attack upon Mount Holly ;
as, from the information we had of the force at that poft we might eafily
carry it, and fhould then have a retreat open towards Philadelphia if ne
cefTary. You then, " as a middle courfe," advifed our going to Burling
ton — in which thofe who had at firft propofed our return, joined in
opinion. This was the true caufe of that hefitation you remarked with
refpeft to me. Burlington was a pofition in my judgment very danger
ous, as in cafe we fhould be inverted there, and the river was impaffable,
we fhould be forced to fubmit at difcretion for want of provifions, or
hazard an aftion againft troops fuperior in difcipline, and perhaps in num^
ber, if their whole force was collected to that point. Having no other
retreat open to us, but that over the river ; it was evident that this could
not be effected, without the lofs at leaft of thofe who might be ordered to
cover the retreat. Having paffed the river in open day, it was probable
the enemy might be informed of it, — and in that cafe the poft at Mount
Holley reinforced. To determine whether we fhould take a pofition,
unanimoufly approved by the council, — but which I thought extremely
dangerous,-*— or, adhere to my own plan, unfupported by a fingle voice,
was certainly a queftion that required more than a momentary confidera
tion, even for an officer, at this ftage of the war. Being preffed to fome
refolution, as the day was far fpent, I waved my own opinion, and acqui*
efced in the defire of marching to Burlington — but it is ridiculous to fup
pofe, as yeu fay, that your brother's intelligence of Count Donop's retreat
could have influenced my acquiefcence, for it did not arrive till after our
refolutions were taken, and, befides, was not credited ; becaufe, if it had
reached us before, and been credited, I fhould not have acquiefced in fuch
defire ; if, even after, I fhould naturally have taken another courfe, and
purfued the flying enemy, inftead of going to Burlington, which was five
miles in the rear. Late

( ^ )
Late that night I received certain information that the enemy had evac
uated all their pods in the neighbourhood, and immediately difpatched a
meffenger to General Wafhington with the intelligence — in anfwer to
which, I received his orders very early the next morning, to purfue and
keep up the panic, and that he would crofs at Trenton that day. From
this circumftance it appears that the General had taken his determination,
before your pretended information or advice from Trenton could have
reached him.
In juftification of myfelf, I have thought it necefTary to point out your
falfe ftate of fafts, in thefe particulars — the multitude of leffer ones, relating
to military matters, I fhall pafs over, as this publication is already necefTarily
lengthened beyond my firft intention.
As I hinted in my letter, ioth September laft, that, "charges of the
fame nature had been fome time fince made againft you" by Arnold ; —
you fay you " allow full weight to fo refpeftable a connection and tefti
mony," to which you made no reply; though from the rank and char
acter of Arnold, at that time, they merited your notice. Arnold having
received his information from me, it cannot be concluded that I meant,
by his teftimony, to ftrengthen my own affertion, but merely to fhew, that
having before been charged, you did not reply, from which many be
lieved it true. And when he apologized to me for inferring it in his
defence, without my permiffion, I remarked that an apology was unne-
ceffary from the public manner in which I had mentioned it.
Arnold was commanding officer in this city, very generally vifited by
officers of the army, citizens and ftrangers ; — I received the ufual civilities
from him and returned them, and often met him at the tables of gentle
men in the city. To my civilities, at that time, I thought him intitled,
from the fignal fervices he had rendered his country, — fervices infinitely
fuperior to thofe you fo much boaft of; he ftood high as a military char-
after, even in France, and after your profecution, he was continued in
command by Congrefs ; appointed firft, by the Commander in Chief, to
the command of the left wing of the army, and afterwards to that im
portant poft of Weft-Point, where his treacherous conduft exceeded, I
fancy, even your own idea of his bafenefs. To what then, do your in-
finuations amount? They cannot criminate me without an implied cen-
fure on Congrefs and the Commander in Chief. But why contaminate
my name by connefting it, in his inftance, with fuch a wretch ? when
you yourfelf at his tryal, with a half fhamed face feemed to apologize for
being his profecutor, and became his fulfome panygerift. It confifted
however with that artifice and cunning which has ever been the fum of
your abilities, and the whole amount of your wifdom.
Your remarks on my letter of ioth December, 1777, are fo inconfift-
ent, I fhall beftow a few obfervations on them — " So firong and virulent,"
you fay, " was my antipathy to the conftitution, and fuch my enmity
" to thofe who adminiftered it, that you believe I would have preferred "any

( 37 )
" any government to that of Pennfylvania, if my perfon and property would
" have been equally fecure " and yet, it feems in the next fentence you
fay. — " but it was our lot to meet again a few days before the battle of
" Monmouth ; here we were again united in conf dence and danger." If
you really thought I would prefer any government to that of Pennfylvania,
why did you then take fo much pains to fhew that we again united in
" confidence and danger" at the battle of Monmouth, fo many months
after I had difcovered that virulent antipathy, and which now hath ex-
torted fuch grofs reflections ?
You fay my bread was burning with difappointed ambition; but how
does this appear, when immediately upon the formation of the new gov
ernment, I was appointed the firft of three brigadiers ; which created me
commanding officer of the militia. Could my ambition be gratified far
ther? But to obviate every objeftion, let me fuppofe you meant, that I
wifhhed to rife to power in the civil line, which however, has never been
even infinuated before ; — let me here call to your memory how eafy the
tafk was for any character to rife to the firft offices of government. I con-
fefs I do not think fo meanly of myfelf as to have dreaded any rivalfhip
from fome of the candidates of thofe days, nor do I mean by this declara-
tion to infinuate any extraordinary merit, when I eftimate mine, by that
of thofe I have alluded to. I could not have confented to make tbe facri
fices required, but you, however, and fome others, as much oppofed to
the effential parts of the conftitution as I was, freely made them, and
broke through every obligation of faith and honour.
The charge you brought againft a party in the ftate, of an oppofition
to its conftitution, deferves fome attention. I will digrefs a little from my
main fubjeft to examine how far this charge is true, and how far the thing
is in itfelf criminal.
Government is generally fo reverenced among men, that thofe who at-
tempt to fubvert any fyftem of it whatever, have to contend againft a very
natural prejudice. But this prejudice can only be in degree with the an
tiquity of its eftablifhment, for modern error, how high foever its authority,
has little claim to our veneration. This conceffion made, could it be ex-
pefted that our novel conftitution, liable at firft blufh to fo many import
ant objections, fhould not have its opponents, but that, in a moment, it
fhould be fubmitted to as implicitly, as if it had had the fanftion of ages?
what circumftance was there in the production of this whimfical machine,
that fhould filence at once all the remonftrances of reafon and fenfe againft
it? Was it not worth a paufe to examine whether this coat, wove for
ages, would fit us, or our pofterity; before we put it on ; or whether this
gift of our convention would not prove our deftruftion ? From an
apprehenfion that it would, an oppofition was formed that included a
majority of the ftate. Did thofe who compofed it think it criminal to
prevent the lingular ideas of a convention from being carried into execu
tion, againft an almoft general fentiment ; or did they not rather conceive it

( 38 )
it fafer and better for the community ftill to go on in the adminiftration
of governmental affairs, by thofe temporary expedients we had been in
the habits of, until their conftitution could be revifed ?
This idea, patriotic as it was, was defeated by the obftinate enthufiafm
of fome of thofe who trembled for this new Jerufalem of their hopes, and
by the fcandalous defertion of others, and efpecially yourfelf. The ends
of oppofition being thus rendered unattainable, but at the hazard of con-
vulfions that might endanger the great American caufe, the fame virtue
that began it, ended it, and it has long fince ceafed to aft.
This is a well known ftate of fafts, but what it did not fuit with your
own bye-purpofes to admit, could not be expefted from your integrity :
you have therefore conllantly kept up the alarm of a conftitutional oppo
fition, and on every occafion referred to this falfe caufe, that honeft and
ufeful oppofition which was created by your weak though violent and
tyrannical adminiftration.
That you was called to the chair of government by the unanimous vote
of council and affembly, you have often boafted, with a view of conveying
to the world an idea, that even the gentlemen oppofed to the conftitution
approved the choice. But they neither efteemed you as a gentleman, nor
approved your public conduct. They knew there was a majority, in
affembly in favour of your eleftion, and as their grand objeft was, the
obtaining a refolution of that body, recommending the calling a conven
tion for revifing the conftitution, fome of the party entered into an en
gagement for this pupofe ; and your eleftion was negociated. Tou were
to ufe your endeavours to prevail on the council to inforce the recom
mendation of the affembly by a fimilar refolution. From your own ac
knowledgement, at the city tavern, the refolution of the council was never
obtained, or even moved for by you, and for this flimfy reafon, that no
formal information, of fuch refolution having been paffed, had been com
municated to you, though known to all the world ; and that it could not
be expefted that council would " tag" after the affembly in a meafure
relating to the public. Yet you had the effrontery to affert, that " every
engagement on your part" was ftriftly performed.
At this meeting, you fay, you " in the moft open manner called upon
us to fupport our imputations, and that you fo effectually vindicated every
part of your conduct, that every gentleman (myfelf excepted) acknow
ledged his miftake." I own I made no conceffions ; and if the reafons I
then gave are not thought a fufficient juftification to the world of the
opinion I had formed, I am content to admit that it was not only " lin
gular," but " abfurd."
After a reafonable paufe I remarked, that from the repeated converfa
tions I had had with you on this fubjeft, you appeared to me as much
oppofed as I was to the conftitution before the evacuation of the city ; —
that you had refufed to accept the appointment of Chief Juftice, (becaufe you

( 39 )
you could not in confcience take the oath ,-*)-— that a fliort time before the
general election in 1778, you engaged yourfelf to the conftitutional party to
ferve in council for the county; and to the party in the oppofition to ferve in
Affembly for the city ; and, being chofen in both inftances, you hefitated
above fix weeks (though often preffed to a refolution) before you deter
mined to accept your feat in Council — depriving during this time the city
of a vote in Affembly, while an important point was debated concerning
the contefted Chefter election, and voluntarily advocating the queftion in
favor of the conftitutional party ; — that on the fate of this tryal depended
your hopes of fucceding to the Prefidential chair ; — that a determination
in favor of that party gave them a decided majority ; and that you in
ftantly accepted your feat in Council. To which you replied; and in
recapitalating my arguments endeavoured to juftify your conduft;— but
confcious of having failed in the capital points, you clofed your remarks
with fome warm expreffions which conveyed the idea of a threat — of
which I defired an explanation. After working up your paffions to a degree
little fhort of frenzy, you expreffed yourfelf in the following terms. — I mean
this — " if the publications traducing my public and private character are
" continued
* The following extracts from General Reed's letter to his Excellency the Prefident,
and the honourable the Executive Council, of the ftate of Pennfylvania, dated Phila
delphia 22d July, 1777, affigning his reafons for not accepting the office of Chief Juf
tice, may ferve to prove his opinion of the Conftitution at that time. " If there is any
« radical weakness of authority, proceeding from the Conftitution — if in any refpecf s
" it oppofes the genius, temper or habits of the governed, I fear, unlefs a remedy can be
'* provided, in lefs than feven years, government ivill fink in a fpiritlefs languor, or ex-
f pire in a fudden CoNyuL$l0N. It would be foreign to my prefent purpofe to fuggeft
" any of thofe alterations, which, in my apprehenjion are ncccffary to enable the Con-
" ftitution to fupport itfelf with dignity and efficacy, and its friends v/hhfecurity. That
"fome are neceffary I cannot entertain tbe leaf doubt. With this fentiment I feel an
" infuperable difficulty to enter into an engagement of the mojl folemn nature leading to
" the fupport and confirmation of an entire fyftem of government, which I cannot
" wholly approve"— Again, the difpenfation from this engagement,* firft allowed to
" feveral members of the AfTembly, and afterwards to tbe militia officers, has added
" to my difficulties, as I cannot reconcile it to my ideas of propriety, the members of
" the fame ftate being under different obligations to fupport and inforce its authority."
But he adds — " If tbe fenfe of the people, who have the right of decifion, leads to
" fome alterations, I firmly believe it will conduce to our happinefs and fecurity — if
" otherwife, I fhall efteem it my duty not only to acquiefce, but to fupport, as far as
" lays in my power, a form of government confirmed and fanctified to the voice of the
" people." Here then he fays, " he feels an infuperable difficulty to enter into an
" engagement of the moft folemn nature, leading to the fupport and confirmation of an
" entire fyftem of government, which he cannot wholly approve ; but he fhall think "it
* By the " difpenfation from tbis engagement," abovementioned, is meant, — that the
oatb prefcribed by the conftitution -was difpenfed -with, and many members of affembly -were
permitted to take another oath, in -which they -were not bound to fupport the conftitution.
2

( 4° )
" continued I mean to apply to the law: but if this will not do me that
" juftice, which, in fome inftances it cannot do — I know I have the affec-
'* tions, and command, of the lighting men of this ftate ; and if neceiTary
" I will make ufe of that influence and call forth that force ; — and if blood-
" fhed fhould be the eonfequence, be it on your own heads."
Such violent and unwarrantable expreffions from the firft magiftrate of
the ftate, and in the prefence of the whole bench of juftices, created the
higheft indignation, and were feverely reprobated by feveral gentlemen
prefent : which induced you afterwards to endeavour to foften your ex
preffions and meaning.
But if it was fingular or abfurd " to expect a Prefident of the ftate to
enter into the violence of party on my fide of the queftion ;" let me op-
pofe to this the treachery of your conduct in deferting the party to which
you at firft (from " confcientious" principles) attached, and yet as Prefi
dent enter into all the violence of party on the other fide of the queftion.
Again, " upon our return to Philadelphia," you fay, "I became the
" open and avowed patron of thofe, who are, diftinguifhed by the appel-
" lation
" it his duty to acquiefce and fupport the government — if confirmed and fanftified by
" the voice of the people."
How inconfiftent then muft his conduct appear, when it is notorious that he took a
decided part in fupport of government-^accepted of his feat in Council, and afterwards
the Presidency, long before the fenfe ofthe people was expreffed, by the fabricated injiruc-
tions to the members of Affembly, requiring them to refcind the refolution for calling
a convention for the purpofe of revifing the conftitution. And yet he fays, in the 29th
page of his pamphlet, -he " fo effectually vindicated every part of his conduct, that
" every gentleman (myfelf excepted) acknowledged his miftake."
Thefe were the oftenfible reafons for not accepting the Chief Jufticefhip and taking
the oath of office, — but an oath of another kind, no doubt., induced him to decline
this appointment, He had not taken the, oath of allegiance which the law (paffed
13th June 1777) required of every male white inhabitant, nor did he take it (as ap
pears by the publication figned Sidney, in the Pennfylvania Journal, No. 1565, 12th
February 1783) till the 9th of Oclober 1778, whicii was the very day he was elefted
a Counfellor for the county of Philadelphia. — Arid although disfranchifed of all the
rights of citizenfhip, and incapable of being elected into, or ferving in any office, place,
or truft in this Commonwealth, Mr. Reed* dared to difregard the voice of the people,
and violate the law, by accepting of the Prefidency and exercifing the powers of gov
ernment annexed to that office — If he had taken the oath of allegiance, agreeable to
law, why did he take it again, on the day he was elected a Counfellor ? — as the mere
oath of office only, upon that occafion, would have been required of him.
As Mr. Reed has not touched this point in his pamphlet, or furnifhed his friends
with a fingle argument to defend him againft a charge fupported by authentic proofs
from public records, the public have very juftly pronounced him guilty. If certificates
can be produced of his oaths of abjuration and allegiance, agreeable to law, why have
they not been publifhed ? If he is not disfranchifed of the rights of citizenfhip, why
was his vote refufed at the laft election ? — or, is this one of the fubjects referved for
" legal examination fy and if fo, why does he not fufpend the public opinion, by fuch
information ?

( 4i )
" lation of tories ; and my decifive attachment to the Britifh Army* and
" their adherents has marked every fubfequent period of my life too
" plainly to admit of doubt or denial." If you really entertained fuch
fentiments why did you in the month of February (after my marriage),
waving the indignity offer'd to you, in not paying you the ufual compli
ments of congratulation upon your appointment to the chair of govern
ment, pay me the firft vifit, and thereby make advances towards a recon
ciliation? Such a condefcenfion fo contrary to the ufual forms, can
fcarcely be reconciled even to a character like yours.
Men who acquire popularity by means difgraceful to a gentleman, dare
not hazard a fentiment that is not approved by the party with which he
is connected. I have on all occafions, and in all companies, private and
public, delivered freely my political opinions ; nor has the dread of lofing
the little popularity I poffeffed in Pennfylvania, ever induced me to make
a facrifice of my honor, by adopting opinions or meafures which I dis
approved or thotlght injurious to my country. Efteeming it the higheft
honor to deferve the approbation of my fellow citizens, I have ever been
folicitous
* That this opinion was not entertained by Congrefs may reafonably be inferred from
the following letter. Philadelphia 11th Sept. 1778.
SIR, "HIS Excellency General Wafhington having recommended to Congrefs the
" appointment of a general of horfe, the houfe took that fubjeft under confideration
the ioth inft. when you were unanimoufly elefted Brigadier and commander of the
cavalry in the fervice of the United States."
" From the general view above-mentioned, you will perceive, Sir, the earneft defire
" of the houfe that you will accept a commiflion, and enter as early as your conven-
" ience will admit of, upon the duties of the office, and I flatter myfelf with hopes of
" congratulating you in a few days upon this occafion."
I have the honour to be, -with particular regard and efteem,
Sir, your moft humble fervant,
HENRYLAURENS,
The Hon. Prefident of Congrefs.
Brigadier General Cadwalader.
But not wifhing to have it fuggefted that I entered into the fervice at fo late a
period of the war, for the fake of rank, as the French treaty had taken place, and I
had conceived all offenfive operations at an end, I declined the appointment in thefe
terms. SIR, Maryland, loth Sept. 1778.
I HAVE the higheft fenfe ofthe honor conferred upon me by Congrefs in ap
pointing me a brigadier in the continental fervice, with the command of the cavalry,
more particularly ^s the voice of Congrefs was unanimous.
I cannot confVnt to enter into the fervice at this time, as the war appears to me to
be near the dole. But mould any misfortune give an unhappy turn to our affairs, I
fhall immediately apply to Congrefs for a command in the army. I have the honor to
be, with the greateft regard and efteem, your Excellency's
Moft obedient humble fervant,
His Excellency JOHN CADWALADER.
Henry Laurens, Efq. Prefident of Congrefs.

( 42 )
folicitous to obtain it. You and fome others have induftrioufly propa
gated reports for the purpofe of injuring my reputation ; but confcious
that my political opinions and conduft will ftand the teft upon the niceft
fcrutiny ; and having never experienced any diminution of that efteem,
refpeft and warmth of friendfhip, which my fellow citizens have ever
fhewn towards me, a refutation of fuch calumny is utterly needlefs.
From the whole of what I have here laid 'before the public, fupported
by the teftimony of the moft refpeftable witneffes, the following conclu-
fions may fairly be deduced.
l. That the converfation alluded to, which I have afferted to have
paffed between us at Briftol, was mentioned by me, in Confidence, to
Colonel Hamilton, and fome others of General Wafhington's family in
the year 1777; and therefore could not have originated at the time you
mention ; or, to gratify my refentment againft you, as, at that time, you
acknowledge no parties fubfifted.
2. It could not have been invented to gratify my refentment for the at
tempt you made to evade the payment ot Mr. Porter's order; becaufe I
did not make it public at the time, nor till feveral years afterwards, and
you acknowledge all that coolnefs was done away, and our former habits
of friendfhip reftored.
3. As it appears by Mr. Clymer's teftimony, that I mentioned it pub
licly at Mr. Hamilton's tryal, which was before you were elefted prefi
dent of the ftate, it ought to be imputed to another caufe than that which
you have affigned.
4. As it appears by Mr. Pryor's teftimony that I mentioned it at the
Coffee-Houfe in the hearing of fome of your friends, we may reafonably
conclude you were informed of it, and this conclufion is ftrengthened by
your palling over unnoticed the information contained in Major Lenox',3
teftimony, which was related to you by Major Thomas Moore.
5. It cannot appear improbable, that you fhould have held this con
verfation with me, as your expreffions to General Dickinfbn, Colonel
Nixon and Dr. Rufh, convey fentiments equally injurious to your reputa
tion as a patriot, and Adjutant General of the army.
6. As it fully appears by the teftimony of Colonel Ellis, and Mr. Da
venport, and that of Colonel Bradford, that you had communicated fuch
fentiments to your brother-in-law Mr. Pettit and to Colonel Bayard con
trary to your declaration, we may with propriety affert that you have
forfeited that veracity which is effential to the charfter of a gentleman.
Laftly, from the teftimony of Major Lenox and Colonel Nichols, it
appears that you abfolutely applied to Count Donop for proteftion, and
that a particular and intimate friend of yours was included in it ; and
therefore, from this and the foregoing teftimony, all pointing to the fame
objeft, and to the fame period, fupporting and confirming each other, it
cannot leave the leaft room to doubt the truth of my afTertion.
In fome inftances a man's general good conduft has had great weight

( 43 )
to invalidate or weaken charges highly criminal ; but, unfortunately, yours
can receive no aid from fuch circumftances. Diffimulation and cunning
have for a time, deceived the moft difcerning ; but the fnares you have
laid for others will, moft probably, accomplifh your own deftruftion.
Having long fince known how to eftimate your charafter, I have not
any where pretended, in this performance, to fix it at higher value than
what it generally paffes current for ; you have, fince the term of your
adminiftration, repeatedly put yourfelf upon your country. Your name
has been offered to the people for a feat in the legiflature ; to the legifla
ture, for a feat in Congrefs ; to Congrefs, for pofts of continental truft ;
but that name, its counterfeit gilding at length rubb'd off and the native
colour of the contexture expofed, has depreciated like the continental
money with fuch velocity, that, though a few years ago worth a prefident's
chair, it would not, now, purchafe a conftable's ftaff ; nor is it more highly
rated in the fphere of polite life, than in the great theatre of the world ;
for its unfortunate owner flands alone, unnoticed, in the midft of com
pany, with full leifure to refleft on the fenfible effefts of the lofs of repu
tation. My immediate purpofe requires nothing further from me ; but your
adminiftration, the theme of your own folitary praife, might not impro
perly have been touched upon, but that it is a field too extenfive for me,
and that I have not afperity enough in my nature, to do juftice to the
fubjeft. I will yet obferve upon fome matters in your pamphlet not in
direft connection with one or the other fubjeft, but which are extremely
demonftrative of a temper in the writer to wifh evil to the community,
after the power of doing it has ceafed.
You who have ever been a rapacious lawyer, and have never omitted
any means of amaffing a fortune, have, with a truly confiftent fpirit, fhewn
an implacable enmity to all thofe who are raifed to a condition above
want and dependence. And though you kick againft the parallel drawn
between you and the Cataline of antiquity, you have in this point, proved .
its exaftnefs — he haranguing in the circle of his confpirators, exafperates
them againft the opulent citizens of Rome, you in your pamphlet labour
to create invidious diftinftions, would pervert the order of well regulated
fociety, and make fortune's larger gifts, or even its moderate bleffings,
criterions of difqualification for public truft and honours in Pennfylvania ;
and under a fpecious defcription of men, offer with your fword, to lead
the indigent, the bankrupt, and the defperate, into all the authority of
government. But in the fhallownefs of your underllanding, you have
miftaken the fpirit of the times ; it will not countenance or fupport a
Cataline. You would alfo, no doubt, as may be inferred from your pamphlet,
you who are fo deficient in morality, draw your fword in religious quar
rels, to bring you once more into play ; but 'tis to no purpofe you would
raife an alarm, as a very great and refpeftable part of your opponents confifts

( 44 )
confifts of perfons belonging to that fociety of which your profefs your
felf to be a member ; and there is a general and commendable coolnefs
and indifference for fuch quarrels, that will not eafily take fire on your
falfe and inflammatory fuggeftions ; fo that whatever you have catched at
to raife you from the earth, has broke in your hands, and brought you
again to the ground.
JOHN CADWALADER.

APPENDIX.

Extraft from Life of Jofeph Reed, . . .3
Extraft from Journal of Margaret Morris, . . 4
Extraft from Letter of Col. Jofeph Trumbull, . . 4
^I^t^W* :;1 •C[-Ci- A*
Lee's Letter to Reed, ...... 6
Reed's Letter to Wafhington, .... 7
Extrafts from Irving's Life of Wafhington, . . 8
Article from Firefide Vifitor, . . . ?

APPENDIX.

Extracl from Life and Correfpondence of Jofeph Reed, by
his Grandfon William B. Reed. Philadelphia, 1847.
Vol. II, p. 383.

OCCASIONALLY, controverfies of. a graver kind occurred at this
feafon of difeafed excitement. Of this defcription was one of a
very painful nature, which in the fall of 1 782, Mr. Reed was in
volved in, with his former companion in arms, General John Cadwalader.
Pamphlets of great acrimony were publifhed on each fide. Thefe pam
phlets are now before me, but it is moft confiftent with my feelings to the
living and the dead, that the controverfy fhould be difmiffed with this in
cidental reference which its importance at the time feemed to require, and
with the expreffion of the conviftion that had the lives of the parties, and
efpecially of him who made the aflault, been prolonged, and opportuni
ties fuch as we now have, been afforded, ot collating teftimony, and
allowing tranficnt refentments to fubfide, the fiercenefs of the controverfy
would have been fucceeded by far more amiable feelings. But in left
than three years from the date of the controverfy, both parties were in
their graves.

( 4 )
B.
Extracl from the Journal of Margaret Morris, who re-
fided at the time on the " bank," at the corner of Ellis
ftreet, in Burlington, N. J.
JANUARY 4, 1777. We were told by a woman who lodged in the
fame room where General Reed and Colonel Coxe* took fhelter,
when the battle of Trenton difperfed the Americans, that they (Reed and
Coxe) had laid awake all night confulting together about the beft means
of fecuring themfelves, and that they came to the determination of letting
off next day as foon as it was light to the Britifh camp, and joining them
with all the men under their command. But when the morning came an
exprefs arrived with an account that the Americans had gained a great
viftory. The Englifh made to flee before the ragged American regi
ments. This report put the rebel General and Colonel in high fpirits,
and they concluded to remain firm to the caufe of America. They paid
me a vifit, and though in my heart I defpifed them — treated them civilly,
and was on the point of telling them their converfation the preceding night
had been conveyed to me on the wings of the wind, but on fecond thought,
gave it up — though perhaps the time may come when they may hear
more about it. c.
Extracl from Letter written by Col. Jofeph "Trumbull to
Col. WiUiam Williams, dated Camp, near North Caftle,
\%th November, 1776.
T HEAR Jos. Reed has fent his refignation fometime ago ; in the name
of common fenfe why is it not accepted ? That man's want of abilities
in his office has introduced the greateft diforders and want of difcipline
into this Army ; it ought to originate from that office. Then he has done
more to raife and keep up a jealoufy between the New-England and other
troops than all the men in the Army befide. Indeed, his ftinking pride,
as General George Clinton expreffes it, has gone fo far that I expeft every
day to hear he is called to account by fome officer or other ; indeed, he
is univcrfally hated and defpifed ; and it is high time he was difplaced. —
Force's American Archives, V. 3. 1497-8.
-x- Was this particcps criminis of Reed's the Colonel John Cox, from whom Reed
obtained a certificate of good charafter, which he printed in the Appendix to his
pamphlet ?

( 5 )
D.
From Force's American Archives, Fifth Series, Vol 3, Column 793.
Jofeph Reed, Adjutant-General, to General Lee.
Hackensack, November zist, 1776.
]T\EAR General : The letter you will receive with this contains my
^-^ fentiments with refpeft to your prefent ftation ; but befides this, I
have fome reafons for moft earnellly wilhing to have you where the prin
cipal fcene of aftion is laid. I do not mean to flatter nor praife you at the
expenfe of any other, but I confefs, I do think that it is entirely owing to
you that this Army and the liberties of America, fo far as they are dependent
on it, are not totally cut off. You have decifion, a quality often wanting
in minds otherwife valuable ; and I afcribe to this our efcape from York
Ifland, from King's Bridge, and the Plains ; and I have no doubt, had
you been here, the garrifon of Mount Wafhington would now have com-
pofed a part of this Army : and from all thefe circumftances, I confefs I
ardently wifh to fee you removed from a place where I think there will
be little call for your judgment and experience, to the place where they
are likely to be fo necefTary. Nor am I fingular in my opinion : every
gentleman of the family, the officers and foldiers generally, have a confi
dence in you. The enemy conftantly inquire where you are, and feem
to be lefs confident when you are prefent.
Colonel Cadwalader, through a fpecial indulgence on account of fome
civilities fhown by his family to General Prefcott, has been liberated from
New York without any parole. He informs that the enemy have a fouth-
ern expedition in view , that they hold us very cheap in confequence of
the late affair at Mount Wafhington, where both the plan of defence and
execution were contemptible. If a real defence of the lines was intended,
the number was too few ; if the fort only, the garrifon was too numerous
by half. General Wafhington's own judgment, feconded by reprefenta-
tions from us, would, I believe, have laved the men and their arms ; but
unluckily, General Greene's judgment was contrary. This kept the
General's mind in a ftate of fufpenfe till the ftroke was ftruck. Oh,
General ! an indecifive mind is one of the greateft misfortunes that can
befall an army : how often have I lamented it this campaign !
All circumftances confidered, we are in a very awful, alarming ftate,
one that requires the utmoft wifdom and rirmnefs of mind. As foon as
the feafon will admit, I think yourfelf and fome others fhould go to Con
grefs, and form the plan of the new army, point out their defefts to them,
and if poffible prevail on them to bend their whole attention to this great
objeft, even to the exclufion of every other. If they will not, or cannot
do this, I fear all our exertions will be vain in this part of the world.

( 6 )
Foreign affiftance is foliciting, but we cannot expeft they will fight the
whole battle.
I intended to have faid more, but the exprefs is waiting, and I mutt
conclude ^ith/ipy clear and explicit opinion that your prefence is of the
laft irhportance.
I anvMftfh. .yery.anuch affeftion and regard, your very affeftionate,
humble fervent, JOSEPH REED, Adjnt. Gen.
Major-General Lee,' at the White-Plains.

-.-Mr, •..-.., -,t-.1(,/' .j- . j >. -p
Dr.:; A, IJO ' -.i'l:i.-i ¦• ; -i -,.;-i',-l
¦¦¦¦¦'' i General Lee to Col. Reed.
Camp, November 24th, 1776.
]Y/f Y Dear Reed : I received your moft obliging, flattering letter ; lament
with you that fatal indecifion of mind which in war is a much
greater disqualification than ftupidity, or even want of perfonal courage :
accident may put a decifive blunderer in the right, but eternal defeat and
mifcarriage "muft attend the man of the beft parts if curfed with indecifion.
The general recommends in fo'preflihg a manner as almoft to amount to
an order, to bring over fhe Continental troops under my command, which
recommendation or order throws me into the greateft dilemma from feveral
considerations. Part of the troops' are fo ill furnifhed with fhoes and
ftockings, blankets, &c, that they muft' inevitably perifh in this wretched
weather. Part of them are to be difmiffed on Saturday, and this part is
the beft accoutred for fervice. What fhelter we are to find on the other
fide of the river is a ferious confideration. But thefe considerations 1hould
not fway me. My reafon for not having marched already is, that we
have juft received intelligence that Rogers's corps, the Light Horfe, part of
the Highlanders, and another brigade, lie in fd expofed a fituation as to
give the faireft opportunity of being carried. I fhould have attempted it
laft night, but the rain was too violent, and when bur pieces are wet you
know our troops are hors du combat. This night I hope will be better.
If we fuccecd we fhall be well cpmpenfated for the delay ; we fhall like-
wife be able on our return "to clear the country of, all the articles wanted
by the enemy. ' In every view, therefore, the expedition muft anfwer.
I have juft received a moft nattering letter from Don Luis Venzaga,
Governor of New-Orleans. He gives me the title of General de los Efta-
dos'Vnidos Americanos, which is a tolerable llcp towards declaring himfelf
our ally in p'o'fitive term's, The fubftance is, that he is fenfible of the vaft
advantage's which muft refult from the fe'paratioh to his mailer and nation;
that he cannot pofitively enter into a regular fyftem without confulting his
mailer, but in the mean time he will render us all the fervice in his power.

( 7 )
I, only wait myfelf for (this bufinefs of Rogers and companyl being over.
I fhall then fly:to you} foii to- confefs1 a truth, I really think our Chief
will do better \vich me than without me.: i - ' i|; 'J '-'^< '"' -^\w
¦iur. i-s ;-, i ¦--, I am, Dear .Reed^ybtirs moft fincerely, ! ' -n --' '-. .'-'.-.•¦a
¦'.- \\->'.:r.,i>, n:.v.-, .----. I..;.-.,, v. .<"1..-.M br: . -1 .-. CHARLES LEE. >
;F fJrce's Aniemcan Archives,.^. '3, 8 3 1 -3 3 .' : M -'"<"¦ '-1i"'Mj-q
.... ¦jVKrl ai;:- 3.n'l_._.l» on:. .;•):/. h.o. ¦;-..,!¦..'¦.• -|...- -.,••. n.-; ion i ...I . w
._!¦-;._ "iii-! ; f> ?i L _:. I He ni • 1 -.j-.. ;.i-..)i-j tj i luuh.'-jj) .> ...... =-'.-'..'.j fl n ..ni -i...K>
3E ij-.>!/-j'. ;.n lo ._:> ul -jtj- u.i " .:">. 3. 1 ...pi 1 s.u ' i-.n.-.- 0.1:1 J/'.
fo n_q vm; a ' '• .!• ¦ )uj ;i I ¦;> 7 Ij-jiftf -li.Iij3.i-_- -^ •>;, -j.i.ij mi,
I..... ,noqq_'. Colonel Reed to General Wafhington. v-'.'-d arfj
Li..-, .o.i.v. "lo ul. .il s 1.. :,o( -jk.jIj .- ! . = - 1 j u i 1 _- . / li.'/ JOfi Jiij -.¦;.¦ L 'fjirl v
I:.-. .n-.O ,.-;f..-,j 0. fc-.i.t j J.J. .;.,9K Ms 'T^_t_.DEtPHtA; ti^aJ-cil.'l^C0^
"QEAR Sir :' The CcmprHaWn| adjourned' 'iofhis'ciliy.i fuppofe th^.
"^"^ will foon come to, fome refolution refpefting the .command ' of thd
horfe.., .As ambition for milita'ry command is riot my ruling paffion, I
makef"n6 doubt airy preference given to any other perfon will he founded
on fuch merit, as will give fafisfa'ftion'tb every one. ' I" am Yure it will give
it to me, as I love my country too well, and have too deep a flake in the
game, not to wifh it well played. I am very fenfible that fome obftruc-
tions have been thrown in the way by the gentlemen from New England ;
but I do not much wonder it fhoufd. be fo, and (herefore, do notblamp
theft_^,v'MyaijJciety to reform the teVrible' abufes which prevailed among
^-"jaj&ri^ed'mteo&j-lheV perhap'_1"than'•\Vas^pmdent:,, .efpeciaHy if I had
fought popularity or promotion,! whichl, did- tfot.-.c. Thfi-g00^01^ the &r~
vice was my objeft. Of this I may have mifapprehended the means and
mode. , , , . , .,,,,!, ,,, , ,,,). -f ,;.
'^" At all events',1 'my' dear s!ij-, 'I'rJ^'t'ter 'rhjrjfelf1 'nothing will ', arife from fhe_
detefiriirjation pf Coiigre'fs, 'that' w'ill give you any diffatisfa^ion.j .If am too,
mc'onftdef ab'le tb! be the fubjeft of the flighteft difficulty between the firft
ciyil'ahd' military powers. And my 'countrymen here are, partial enough
trj ' think' rfffe 'defer vihg of offices of honor and profit, which I fhould not
have prefupied to folicit ; {o that fhould things not go exaftly in the
li,ne, you have pointed out, perhaps the refult, may be better on the whole
th'ari' you ex^ecl ,'n™ ' '
~ T could have: wiflfed to'have'one hour of private converfation with you,
oh the fubject of a' 'letter written to me by General Lee before his .captivity, .
I deferred it in hopes of obtaining from him the , letter, to which his-was.an
anfwer. I fear, from what we hear, that he will be fent to England, and
of courfe there1 will be litde probability of my .obtaining it. Whjle he
flays in America I cannot give up my hopes, and in the mean time I moft
foJemnly affure you, that you would fee.nothing in it incOnfiftent with 'that
refpeft and affeftion, which I have and ever -fhall bear to your perfon andr
character. My preffing him moft earneftly to join you as foon. as poffible,
and mentioning that Mount Wafhington was taken before any decifion
.-/.i-.. ¦> ,'jA lo ,o .-j ...... ., i-ji-j.i ...b ,0 ,-.i--iv/ j.-t: oT =<

( 8 )
was had refpefting it, led to expreffions and an anfwer, which muft have
been difapproved by you, and which I was far from expecting. I had
rather multiply inftances than repeat affurances of my refpeft and attach
ment. No man in America, my dear General, more truly and ardently
wifhes your honor, happinefs and fuccefs, or would more exert himfelf to
promote them. I fay more upon this occafion, from a probability that
we fhall not renew our military connexion, and therefore can have no
other intereft than that of fecuring your efteem free from all felfifh principle.
At the fame time I make you a moft fincere tender of my fervices at
any time of particular difficulty, if you think they will lighten any part of
the heavy burthen, which you are called by Providence to fupport, and
which I doubt not will eventually elevate you to a height of honor and
glory, that a few happy men only in all ages are called to poffefs. General
Cadwalader does not accept of his appointment, which I am forry for.
It is a real lofs to the fervice.
I am, with unfeigned refpeft and regard, dear Sir, &c,
JOSEPH REED.
Sparks 's Writings of Wafhington, IV, 537-8.
G.
The following extracls from Irving s Life of Wafhington,
relate to the foregoing correfpondence between Gen. Reed
and Gen. Lee, in November, 1776.
A T this moment of care and perplexity, a letter, forwarded by exprefs,
arrived at head-quarters. It was from General Lee, dated from hi_
Camp at Northcaftle, to Colonel Reed, and was in reply to the letter
written by that officer from Hackenfack on the 2 1 ft, which we have
already laid before the reader. Suppofing that it related to official bufi
nefs, Wafhington opened it, and read as follows:*
.*. # # *
A glance over this letter fufficed to fhow Wafhington, that at this dark
moment, when he moft needed fupport and fympathy, his charafter and
military conduft were the fubjeft of difparaging comments between the
friend in whom he had fo implicitly confided, and a farcaftic and appa
rently felf-conftituted rival. Whatever may have been his feelings of
wounded pride and outraged friendfhips, he reftrained them, and enclofed
the letter to Reed with the following chilling note :
" Dear Sir : The enclofed was put into my hands by an exprefs from
White Plains. Having no idea of its being a private letter, much lefs
fuifpefting the tendency of the correfpondence, I opened it ; as I have
* fox [tibii whole of this letter fee ante p. 6, of Appendix.

( 9 )
done all other letters to you from the fame place, and Peekfkill, upon the
bufinefs of your office, as I conceived and found them to be. This, as it
is the truth, muft be my excufe for feeing the contents of a letter, which
neither inclination nor intention would have prompted me to,"&c.
The very calmnefs and coldnefs of this note muft have had a greater
effeft upon Reed, than could have been produced by the moft vehement
reproaches. In fubfequent communications, he endeavored to explain
away the offenfive paragraphs in Lee's letter, declaring there was nothing
in his own inconfiftent with the refpeft and affeftion he had ever borne
for Wafhington's perfon and character.
Fortunately for Reed, Wafhington never faw that letter. There were
paffages in it beyond the reach of foftening explanation. As it was, the
purport of it, as reflefted in Lee's reply, had given him a fufficient fhock.
His magnanimous nature, however, was incapable of harboring long re-
fentments ; efpecially in matters relating folely to himfelf. His perfonal
refpeft for Colonel Reed continued ; he invariably manifefted a high
fenfe of his merits, and confulted him, as before, on military affairs ; but
his hitherto affectionate confidence in him as a fympathizing friend, had
received an incurable wound. His letters, before fo frequent, and fuch
perfeft outpourings of heart and mind, became few and far between, and
confined to matters of bufinefs.
Life of Wafhington, Vol. II, pp. 441-444.
The following " profpeftive note " appears at the foot of page 444.
" We cannot difmifs this painful incident in Wafhington's life, without a profpective
note on the fubjeit. Reed was really of too generous and intelligent a nature not to
be aware of the immenfe value of the friendfhip he had put at hazard. He grieved
over his mi-take, efpecially as after events fhowed more and more the majeftic great-
nefs of Wafhington's charafter. A letter in the following year, in which he fought
to convince Wafhington of his fincere and devoted attachment, is really touching in its
appeals. We are happy to add that it appears to have been fuccefsful, and to have
reftored, in a great meafure, their relations of friendly confidence."
H.
The following is from the Firefide Vifttor, of July 26, 1856:
Irving s Wafhington and General Jofeph Reed.
THOUGH much has been recently faid upon the fubjeft of Mr.
Irving's Life of Wafhington, and his eftimate of Gen. Jofeph Reed,
ftill we do not think it necefTary to apologize for the infertion of fome
additional remarks upon apparent contradiftions and mifapprehenfions in
that work — feeling allured that the diftinguifhed author will look upon
fuch corrections as may be fubftantiated, with that candor and high-toned
impartiality for which he is fo juftly eminent ; and that he will ever re-

( io )
gard it as the duty of the hiftorian — however difagreeable it may fome
times be — to vindicate truth and expofe falfehood.
In vol. 2, pages 443-4 — referring to Reed's letter to Lee, Mr.
Irving, in the text, fays : " Fortunately for Reed, Wafhington never faw
that letter. There were paffages in it beyond the reach of foftening ex
planation." That Wafhington's " hitherto affeftionate confidence in him,
as a fympathizing friend, had received an incurable wound. His letters,
before fo frequent, and fuch perfeft outpourings of heart and mind, be
came few and far between, and confined to matters of bufinefs." Yet, at
the foot of the page, in a " profpeftive note" on the fubjeft — apparently
a fubfequent addition — he feems to contradift or modify what he had faid
above, and ftates, in exceedingly mild terms, that " Reed was really of
too generous and intelligent a nature not to be aware of the immenfe value
of the friendfhip he had put at hazard. He grieved over his miftake,
efpecially as after events fhowed more and more the majeftic greatnefs of
Wafhington's character."
The " after event,'' that was productive of fo much enlightenment to
Gen. Reed, and which doubtlefs caufed him to "grieve" over his "mif
take," was Wafhington's fuccefs at the battle of Trenton. Had the refult
of that battle been otherwife, it is well afcertained that Reed's " generous
and intelligent nature " would not have prevented his going over to the
enemy. The " profpeftive note " concludes with the ftatement that "a
letter in the following year, in which Reed fought to convince Wafhing
ton of his fincere and devoted attachment," we are happy to add, appears
to have been fuccefsful, " and to have reftored, in a great meafure, their
relations of friendly confidence." Does not this feem as though Mr.
Irving was endeavoring to take the " back track," or to " carry water on
both (houlders ?" If Wafhington's " affectionate confidence in Reed, as a
fympathizing friend, had received an incurable wound," how could their
" relations of friendly confidence " have been fo foon reftored ? And if
it was " fortunate " for Reed that Wafhington never faw the letter to Lee ;
that there were paffages in it beyond the reach of foftening explanation
(though the author of the Life of Reed calls it a " natural and very mo
derate complaint "), how can Mr Irving be " happy to add " that Reed's
fubfequent attempts to throw dull in the eyes of Gen. Wafhington " ap
pear to have been fuccefsful." Should it not rather have awakened his
honeft indignation at fuch duplicity ?
Mr. Irving again, on page 468, fays that "Wafhington, who held
Cadwalader in high efteem, affigned to him an important ftation at Briftol,
with Colonel Reed, who was his intimate friend, as an aflbciate. Mr.
Irving labors under a confiderable mifapprehenfion on this point, as
Gen. Cadwalader in his " Reply to Gen. Jofeph Reed's remarks,"
expreffly difclaims any " friendfhip," and ftates that difguft on account
of certain pecuniary tranfaftions of Reed, before the war, was the " true
motive of the diffolution of an intimacy " which he acknowledged " had
fubfifted in early life ;" that " from that time and owing folely to that

caufe he took the refolution to avoid his company as a private gentleman,"
and which he " conftantly adhered to ;" but that in 1 776, meeting offi
cially in the army, he " did not fuffer perfonal diflike to interfere with
public duty."
In 1777 Cadwalader had "confidentially" mentioned to Col. Hamil
ton, and fome other gentlemen of Gen. Wafhington's family, Reed's
treacherous expreffions and fentiments in 1776, but it was not till 1778
when Gen. Reed, at the trial of Mr. William Hamilton (who was acquit
ted), on a charge of treafon, took an aftive and violent part in the profe
cution, as a volunteer, that " his indignation broke forth," and he declared
publicly, that " it argued the extremity of effrontery and bafenefs, in one
man to purfue another to death for taking a ftep which his own foot had
once been raifed to take."
Although fuch expreffions were made openly at this trial, and at the
coffee houfe, and other public places, in the prefence of Gen. Reed's
friends, and communicated by them to him, ftill it did not fuit that gen
tleman to reply in any way; and it was not till 1782, when the publica
tion figned Brutus appeared, that his friends, feeling the weight of the
charge, fucceeded in inducing him to attempt to anfwer it, by the publica
tion of his Remarks.
In thefe Remarks Reed denied having heard of the " flander " before,
though it had been circulating publicly for fully four years, and exhaufted
the vocabulary in denunciations of General Cadwalader. Knowing the
value of any thing from Wafhington's hand, he wrote him an urgent letter,
foliciting his evidence in his favor, to which letter Wafhington returned a
very non-committal fort of an anfwer, dated Sept. 15, 1782, which is
printed in his appendix to the Remarks — in default, no doubt, of fome-
thing more explicit.
Then it was that the Cadwalader pamphlet appeared, in which, in ad
dition to the very firong teftimony of the author as to Reed's intended
defeftion, it appears among other things that in December, 1776, in con
verfation with Dr. Rufh (fpeaking of a friend who had fubmitted to the
enemy), Reed faid " that he had acted properly, and that a man who had a
family, did right to take that care of them :" that Mr. Charles Pettit, Reed's
own brother-in-law, faid that Gen. Reed had " given up the conteft :" that
Col. John Bayard, his moft intimate friend, mentioned to Major Bradford,
that " he knew his fentiments," and was " fully perfuaded that Gen. Reed
had gone to join the enemy, and make his peace ; and that Reed had
aftually applied to Count Donop for a proteftion for " himfelf and a
friend." The Reply was very complete and conclufive, and need only
be read to carry conviftion to the mind of the unprejudiced reader.
This publication was never replied to by General Reed, nor does his
intelligent biographer, in the Life and Correfpondence, in two large oftavos,
comprifing everything favorable to Reed that can be faid, attempt to an
fwer it j the charges therein made and proved are not even alluded to.
The author merely fays in a fhort paragraph, noticing the controverfy,

( " )
that " pamphlets of great acrimony were publifhed on each fide," and
that it is " moft confident with his feelings," that the controverfy " fhould
be difmiffed with this incidental reference, which its importance at the
time feemed to require," and with the " expreffion of the conviction "
that had " opportunities fuch as we now have, been afforded, of collating
teftimony, and allowing tranfient refentments to fubfide, the fiercenefs of
the controverfy would have been fucceeded by far more amiable feelings."*
He does not attempt to difcredit Gen. Cadwalader's reputation. That
were a vain talk. The truth is, that the Reply was unanfwerable. The
deliberate teftimony of fuch men as Dr. Benjamin Rufh, George Clymer,
Alexander Hamilton, Major Lennox and others, was not io eafily over
thrown. It was no " tranfient refentment " that elucidated the difagree-
able fafts therein contained, as they came from half-a-dozen fources, and,
as far as Gen. Cadwalader was concerned, had been more or lefs publicly
mentioned by him during a period of nearly feven years. And upon
what authority the learned author expreffes the " conviction " that this
" tranfient refentment" would have fubfided, we are at a lofs to imagine.
Certainly if the " opportunities, fuch as we now have, of collating tefti
mony," afforded him any peculiar advantages, he would fcarcely allow
fuch charges as falfehood, dilhonefty, and intended treafon, to pafs unno
ticed — if he could difprove them. If he could not, of courfe it would be
" more confident with his feelings " to difmifs the fubjeft with a very
" incidental reference."
It has been afferted that, after the peace, and after the difbanding of
the army, Wafhington received information, the truth of which he had
fatisfied himfelf of, of the treafonable defigns of Reed. Did Wafhington
ever fee the Cadwalader pamphlet? Is it not very probable that he did,
and that the plain, ftraight-forward, corroborative teftimony of his friends
and former companions-in-arms fhould have had due weight with him ?
At all events, if Gen. Wafhington had been on the terms of " friendly con
fidence" with Reed, that the author of the Life ofReediays he "continued
to be," is it not very ftrange that not a folitary letter or note of his, after
1780, appears in thofe volumes, which contain no lefs than fifty of his
letters between 1775-80 printed at large? The only letter of his after
that date, that we have feen, was that of September 1782, before referred
to, and which it was not confidered worth while to print in the Life.
Were there any others ? Does any one fuppofe that the ingenious author
would forego the opportunity of prefenting to the public any favorable
teftimony from that higheft of fources ? One of two things feems very
certain. That Wafhington either did not correfpond with Reed after that
time, or if he did, that his letters were not fufficiently complimentary for
the public eye. TRENTON.
Note. — The italics in the quotations from Mr. Irving's Life of Wafhington, and
from the Life of Reed, are ours.
*W. B, Reed's Life of Reed, ii, 383.

SB

5®