Before this reaches you, it is probable you will have heard of the untoward Turn our Affairs have taken at the Northward. I confess it is not more than I expected when Genl Schur was again intrusted with the Command there. But it was thought by some Gentlemen that as he had a great Interest & large Connections in that Part of the Country, he could more readily avail himself of Supplys for an Army there as well as Reinforcements if wanted upon an Emergency, than any other Man. You have the Account in the inclosed Paper, which leaves us to guess what is become of the Garrison. There is something droll enough in a Generals not knowing where to find the main Body of his Army. Gates is the Man I should have chosen. He is honest and true, & has the Art of gaining the Love of his Soldiers, principally because he is always present and shares with them in Fatigue & Danger. We are hourly expecting to be relievd from a disagreable State of Uncertainty by a particular Relation of Facts. This Account, as you are told, is related upon MEMORY, & therefore some Circumstances may be OMITTED, others MISAPPREHENDED. But the Post is just going, & I have time only to acknowledge the Receipt of your favor of the 12 of June & beg you would write to me often.
I am affectionately,
Your friend,
TO RICHARD HENRY LEE.
[MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library; the text, dated July 12, 1777, is in W. V. Wells, Life of Samuel Adams, vol. ii., pp. 484-486.]
PHILADA July 22 1777
MY DEAR SIR
Your very acceptable Letter of the 12th came to my hand yesterday. The Confederation, is most certainly an important Object, and ought to be attended to & finishd speedily. I moved the other Day and urgd that it might then be brought on; but your Colleague Colo H opposed and prevented it, Virginia not being represented. It is put off till you shall arrive; you see therefore the Necessity of your hastening to Congress.
We have still further & still confused Accounts from the Northward. Schuylers Letters are rueful indeed! even to a great Degree, and with such an awkward Mixture as would excite one to laugh in the Midst of Calamity. He seems to contemplate his own Happiness in not having had much or indeed any Hand in the unhappy Disaster. He throws Blame on St Clare in his Letter of July 9th. "What adds to my Distress is, that a Report prevails that I had given orders for the Evacuation of Tyconderoga, whereas not the most distant Hint of any such Intention can be drawn from any of my Letters to General Sinclare or any other Person whatever." He adds "What could induce the General Officers to a Step that has ruind our Affairs in that Quarter, God only knows." And indeed Sinclares own Letter of the 30th of June dated at Ty. would induce one to be of the same Opinion, for he there says "My People are in the best Disposition possible and I have no Doubt about giving a good Account of the Enemy should they think proper to attack us." Other Parts of his Letter are written in the same spirited Stile. The General Officers blame N E for not furnishing their Quota of Troops. It is natural for Parties to shift the Fault from one to the other; and your Friend General Steven, who seems desirous of clearing his Countryman from all Blame, in a Letter to your Brother says "Eight thousand Men were thought adequate to the Purpose. They (N E) furnishd about three thousand—for Want of the Quota the Place is lost & they stand answerable for the Consequences." The General forgets that five of the ten Regiments orderd from Mass. Bay were countermanded and are now at Peeks Kill. I will give you an Abstract of the Forces at Ty & Mount Independence the 25th of June taken from the Muster-master General Colo Varicks Return.
Fit for Duty of the 9 Continental Regiments Commissiond & Non commissiond & Staff Officers included 2738
Colo Wells' & Leonard's Regiments of Militia [their time expired the 6th of July] 637