TO THE PRESIDENT OF PENNSYLVANIA. V. S. A. (JOSEPH REED.) IN COUNCIL. April 17th, 1781. SIR, I have been honoured with your Excellency's letter proposing the actual extension of our mutual boundary. I presume therefore that the propositions contained in the Resolutions of our Assembly of which I had the honour to com municate to your Excellency have been approved by your State and that the Boundaries are to be run on the principles therein proposed. No mode of determining the Extent of the five degrees of Longitude of Delaware river in the latitude of Mason & Dixon's Line having been pointed out by your Excellency I shall venture to propose that this be determined by Astronomical Observations to be made at or near the two extremities of the line as being in our opinion the most certain and unexceptional mode of determining that point which being fixed every thing else will be easy. Should this mode be approved by your Excellency we have appointed the Revd. James Madison as a Commissioner on our part to execute the work in the Western Quarter and the Revd. Robert Andrews to perform the office at the Eastern end in conjunction with the Gentlemen whom you have been pleased to appoint or any others on your part. To those before named we shall add an associate each that the work may not be retarded or frustrated by the sickness of one. We will send to the Westward the most necessary Instruments which we suppose to be a good Time piece and a transit Instrument and hope it will be convenient for you to furnish what may be necessary at the Eastern End; Our Commissioners will attend at their respective stations at any time which your Excellency may think proper to appoint allowing it to be a month after I shall have received your pleasure on that head. I will observe to your Excellency that the Resolutions of our Assembly after laying down the principles on which the boundaries were to be extended gave full powers to the Executive as to time, manner, and all other Circumstances so that there will be no necessity of awaiting their meeting to lay before them the Resolutions of your Council as desired in your letter of February 26th. TO THE PRESIDENT OF PENNSYLVANIA. V. S. A. (JOSEPH REED.) IN COUNCIL. April 18th 1781. SIR, I have had the pleasure to receive your Excellency's favour of March 27th and am to return you our sincere thanks for your Interposition in favour of Operations carrying on by General Clarke; operations which I hope will result equally to the benefit of yours as of our State, and which if successful will give us future quiet in our Western quarter. I beg you to be assured that Colo Broadhead has been altogether misinformed as to any restriction having been laid on a Mr Wilson or any other person in purchasing within the State Cattle for the use of Fort Pitt or that if such a restriction actually took Place, it was a private Act in those who presumed to impose it unauthorized by government, and which would have been censured and rectified had it been made known. We are so sensible which [what?] would result from such a line of conduct and so sincerely disposed to render the Union of the States more perfect that we shall on all occasions endeavour to render to our neighbours every friendly office which circumstances shall bring within the compass of our powers. I am further to thank your Excellency for the kind dispositions you entertain & the aids you were pleased to render to the expedition under the Marquis Fayette, which was intended for the immediate. relief of this State in particular as well as for those furnished to General Greene for the Southern States in general. Such is the general aspect of the war that it does not seem very probable its circumstances should be so reversed as to place us in a situation of returning the favour in kind; however we trust that while the contest was Northwardly our Contributions of Men and Arms and other necessaries were such as to prove we should not be wanting to our friends under a change of circumstances. With respect to your State particularly we shall take very great pleasure in cultivating every disposition to harmony and mutual Aid. That policy would be very unsound which should build our Interest or happiness on any thing inconsistent with yours. VOL. III. -2 V. S. A. TO COLONEL JAMES INNES. SIR, Within an hour after receiving your first Notification that the enemy were in movement we issued Orders to the militia of the Counties of Chesterfield, Prince George, Dinwiddie, Powhatan, Goochland, Hanover & Henrico to assemble immediately every man able to bear arms, and one half of those of Amelia and Cumberland and to bring with them the best Arms they had. They were to rendezvous at Petersburg and this place. Some volunteer Cavalry were also called for. These orders were com municated to Baron Steuben and the several letters of Information from you have been regularly & immediately forwarded to him. And I doubt not the moment the Militia come in and can receive (such as are unarmed) the Spare Arms from the South side of the River he will order them to your Assistance, now that it appears that yours is the post of their destination. Tho' our orders calling out the Militia went out on Thursday morning not a man is yet assembled here. I am told the Powhatan Militia will be in to day. Certainly those of this County will be as early. This fatal Tardiness will I fear be as unfortunate to Williamsburg on this Occasion as it was for Richmond. Be assured that no effort of ours for your Support shall be wanting and that the Resources of the Country as our powers will call them forth shall be applied to the relief of the part threatened. I must entreat you to let us hear from you daily while the scene is so interesting. P. S. You observe we said nothing of the militia of the Counties near Williamsburg because we supposed you would of course call for as many as you could arm. TO COLONEL BENJAMIN HARRISON. V. S. A. IN COUNCIL. April 22d, 1781. SIR,-We thought it best as I informed you in a former letter to call into service on this occasion the Militia whose families and property were not immediately exposed. Being circumscribed in our number of Arms it still appears best, that what we have should be put into the hands of those Militia.. Were we to send any to Charles City we must dismiss so many Militia now collected here and at Manchester; Experience has also shewn it preferable for another reason to put your Arms into the hands of those not exposed, because on the Enemy's coming into the exposed parts of the Country, the Militia of the neighbourhood will desert, carry off their Arms and perhaps suffer them to be taken off by the Enemy, we therefore think to retain the Militia collected & collecting here, who we expect every moment will receive marching orders from Baron Steuben & that yours should be permitted to take care of their families & property. I am informed the Enemy have got possession of the ship-yard and that by the most unaccountable Inattention the Lewis & safeguard gallies have withdrawn up Chickahominy instead of James River. |