on the State of the Colonies, and the Army at
Cambridge and the Ennemy, heard me with
visible pleasure, but when I came to describe Washington for the Commander, I never remarked a more sudden
and sinking Change of Countenance. Mortification and resentment were expressed
as forcibly as his Face could exhibit them. Mr. Samuel
Adams Seconded the Motion, and that did not soften the Presidents Phisiognomy at all. The Subject came under debate and
several Gentlemen declared themselves against the Appointment of Mr. Washington, not on Account of any personal Objection
against him: but because the Army was all from
New England, had a General of their own, appeared to be
satisfied with him and had proved themselves able to imprison the British Army
in
Boston, which was all they expected or desired at that
time.Mr. Pendleton of
Virginia [and] Mr.
Sherman of Connecticutt
were very explicit in declaring this Opinion, Mr. Cushing and
several others more faintly expressed their Opposition and their fears of
discontent in the Army and in
New England. Mr. Paine expressed a great
Opinion of General Ward and a strong friendship for him,
having been his Classmate at Colledge, or at least
his contemporary: but gave no Opinion upon the question. The Subject was
postponed to a future day. In the mean time, pains were taken out of doors to
obtain a Unanimity, and the Voices were generally so clearly in favour of Washington that the
dissentient Members were persuaded to withdraw their Opposition, and Mr.
Washington was nominated, I believe by Mr. Thomas
Johnson of
Maryland, unanimously elected, and the Army adopted. The next
Question was who should be the Second Officer. General
Lee was nominated, and most strenuously Urged by many,
particularly Mr. Mifflin who said that General
Lee would serve chearfully under
Washington, but considering his Rank, Character and
Experience could not be expected to serve under any other. That Lee must be aut secundus, aut nullus. -- To this I as
strenuously objected. That it would be a great deal to expect of General
Ward that he should serve under any Man, but that under a stranger he
ought not to serve. That though I had as high an Opinion of General Lees Learning, general Information and especially of
his Science
and experience in War, I could not advize General Ward to humiliate himself and his Country so far as to serve under him. -- General Ward was elected the second and Lee the third.Gates and Mifflin, I believe had some Appointments, and General Washington took with him Mr. Reed of Philadelphia, a Lawyer of some Eminence for his private Secretary. And the Gentlemen all sett off for the Camp. They had not proceeded twenty miles from Philadelphia before they met a Courier with the News ofthe Battle of Bunkers Hill, the Death of General Warren, the Slaughter among the British Officers and Men as well as among ours and the burning of Charlestown. Mr. Hancock however never loved me so well after this Event as he had done before, and he made me feel at times the Effects of his resentment and of his jealousy in many Ways and at diverse times, as long as he lived, though at other times according to his variable feelings, he even overacted his part in professing his regard and respect to me. Hitherto no jealousy had ever appeared between Mr. Samuel Adams and me. But many Years had not passed away before some Symptoms of it appeared in him, particularly when I was first chosen to go to Europe, a distinction that neither he nor Mr. Hancock could bear. Mr. Adams however disguised it under a pretence that I could not be spared from Congress and the State. More of this Spirit appeared afterwards, when I had drawn up at his and Mr. Bowdoins desire a Constitution for Massachusetts, and it was about to be reported in my hand Writing. But after the Coalition between Mr. Hancock and him in 1788, both these Gentlemen indulged their jealousy so far as to cooperate in dissiminating Prejudices against me, as a Monarchy Man and a Friend to England, for which I hope they have been forgiven, in Heaven as I have constantly forgiven them on Earth, though they both knew the insinuations were groundless.
and experience in War, I could not advize General Ward to humiliate himself and his Country so far as to serve under him. -- General Ward was elected the second and Lee the third.Gates and Mifflin, I believe had some Appointments, and General Washington took with him Mr. Reed of Philadelphia, a Lawyer of some Eminence for his private Secretary. And the Gentlemen all sett off for the Camp. They had not proceeded twenty miles from Philadelphia before they met a Courier with the News ofthe Battle of Bunkers Hill, the Death of General Warren, the Slaughter among the British Officers and Men as well as among ours and the burning of Charlestown. Mr. Hancock however never loved me so well after this Event as he had done before, and he made me feel at times the Effects of his resentment and of his jealousy in many Ways and at diverse times, as long as he lived, though at other times according to his variable feelings, he even overacted his part in professing his regard and respect to me. Hitherto no jealousy had ever appeared between Mr. Samuel Adams and me. But many Years had not passed away before some Symptoms of it appeared in him, particularly when I was first chosen to go to Europe, a distinction that neither he nor Mr. Hancock could bear. Mr. Adams however disguised it under a pretence that I could not be spared from Congress and the State. More of this Spirit appeared afterwards, when I had drawn up at his and Mr. Bowdoins desire a Constitution for Massachusetts, and it was about to be reported in my hand Writing. But after the Coalition between Mr. Hancock and him in 1788, both these Gentlemen indulged their jealousy so far as to cooperate in dissiminating Prejudices against me, as a Monarchy Man and a Friend to England, for which I hope they have been forgiven, in Heaven as I have constantly forgiven them on Earth, though they both knew the insinuations were groundless.
I have always imputed the Loss of
Charleston, and of the brave Officers and Men who fell there,
and the Loss of an Hero of more Worth than all the Town, I mean General
Warren, to Mr. Dickinsons [illegible] petition to the King and his [illegible] , and the Loss of
Quebec and Mongomery to his subsequent unceasing though
finally unavailing Efforts against Independence. These impeded and parrallized all our Enterprizes. Had our Army been acknowledged in Season,which Acknowledgement ought to have been our first Step, and the measures taken to comfort and encourage it, which ought to have been taken by Congress, We should not have lost Charleston, and if every Measure for the Service in Canady, from the first Projection of it to the final Loss of the Province, had not been opposed, and obstinately disputed by the same party, so that We could finally carry no measure but by a bare Majority. And every Measure was delayed, till it became ineffectual. In the fall of the Year Congress were much fatigued with the Incessant Labours, Debates, Intrigues, and heats of the Summer and agreed on a short Adjournment. The Delegates from Massachusetts returned home, and as the two Houses of the Legislature had chosen Us all into the Council we went to Watertown and took our Seats: for such times as We could spare before our return to Congress. I had been chosen before, two Years sucessively, that is in 1773 and 1774 and been negatived by the Governor, the first time by Hutchinson and the second by Gage. My Friend Dr. Cooper attempted to console me under the first Negative, which he called a Check: but I told him I considered it not as a Check but as a Boost, a Word of John Bunyan which the Dr. understood. These negatives were indeed no mortification to me for knowing that neither honor nor profit were to be obtained, nor good to be done in that Body in these times I had not a wish to sit there. When a Person came running to my Office to tell me of the first of them, I cryed out laughing Now I believe in my Soul I am a clever fellow, since I have the Attestation of the three Branches of the Legislature. This vulgar, familiar little Sally was caught as if it had been a prize, and immediately scattered all over the Province.
finally unavailing Efforts against Independence. These impeded and parrallized all our Enterprizes. Had our Army been acknowledged in Season,which Acknowledgement ought to have been our first Step, and the measures taken to comfort and encourage it, which ought to have been taken by Congress, We should not have lost Charleston, and if every Measure for the Service in Canady, from the first Projection of it to the final Loss of the Province, had not been opposed, and obstinately disputed by the same party, so that We could finally carry no measure but by a bare Majority. And every Measure was delayed, till it became ineffectual. In the fall of the Year Congress were much fatigued with the Incessant Labours, Debates, Intrigues, and heats of the Summer and agreed on a short Adjournment. The Delegates from Massachusetts returned home, and as the two Houses of the Legislature had chosen Us all into the Council we went to Watertown and took our Seats: for such times as We could spare before our return to Congress. I had been chosen before, two Years sucessively, that is in 1773 and 1774 and been negatived by the Governor, the first time by Hutchinson and the second by Gage. My Friend Dr. Cooper attempted to console me under the first Negative, which he called a Check: but I told him I considered it not as a Check but as a Boost, a Word of John Bunyan which the Dr. understood. These negatives were indeed no mortification to me for knowing that neither honor nor profit were to be obtained, nor good to be done in that Body in these times I had not a wish to sit there. When a Person came running to my Office to tell me of the first of them, I cryed out laughing Now I believe in my Soul I am a clever fellow, since I have the Attestation of the three Branches of the Legislature. This vulgar, familiar little Sally was caught as if it had been a prize, and immediately scattered all over the Province.
Mr. Hancock came to
Boston home, but would not call upon General Washington. Dr. Cooper told me, he
was so offended, that Washington was appointed
instead of himself, that his friends had the utmost difficulty to appease him.
I went to head Quarters and had much Conversation with General
Washington, Ward, Lee,Putnam,
Gates,Mifflin and others, and went with
General Lee to visit the Outposts and the Centinells, nearest the Ennemy at Charleston. Here Lee found his Dogs inconvenient, for they were so attached to him that they insisted on keeping close about him, and he expected he should be known by them to the British officers in the Fort, and he expected every moment a discharge of [illegible] Balls, Grape or Langredge about our Ears. After visiting my friends, and the General Court, the Army and the Country, I returned to Philadelphia, but not till I had followed My youngest Brother to the Grave. He had commanded a Company of Militia all Summer at Cambridge, and there taken a fatal Dissentary then epidemic in the Camp of which he died leaving a young Widow and three Young Children, who are all still living. My Brother died greatly lamented by all who knew him and by none more than by me, who knew his worth the excellence of his heart and the purity of his Principles and Conduct. He died as Mr. Taft, his Ministerinformed me exulting, as his Father had done, in the exalted hopes of [a] Christian.
General Lee to visit the Outposts and the Centinells, nearest the Ennemy at Charleston. Here Lee found his Dogs inconvenient, for they were so attached to him that they insisted on keeping close about him, and he expected he should be known by them to the British officers in the Fort, and he expected every moment a discharge of [illegible] Balls, Grape or Langredge about our Ears. After visiting my friends, and the General Court, the Army and the Country, I returned to Philadelphia, but not till I had followed My youngest Brother to the Grave. He had commanded a Company of Militia all Summer at Cambridge, and there taken a fatal Dissentary then epidemic in the Camp of which he died leaving a young Widow and three Young Children, who are all still living. My Brother died greatly lamented by all who knew him and by none more than by me, who knew his worth the excellence of his heart and the purity of his Principles and Conduct. He died as Mr. Taft, his Ministerinformed me exulting, as his Father had done, in the exalted hopes of [a] Christian.
An Event of the most trifling nature in Appearance, and fit only to excite
Laughter, in other Times, struck me with into a profound
Reverie, if not a fit of Melancholly. I met a Man
who had sometimes been my Client, and sometimes I had been against him. He,
though a common Horse jockey, was sometimes in the right, and I had commonly
been successfull in his favour in our Courts of Law. He was always in the Law, and
had been sued in many Actions, at almost every Court. As soon as he saw me, he
came up to me, and his first Salutation to me was "Oh! Mr.
Adams what great Things have you and your Colleagues done for Us! We
can never be gratefull enough to you. There are no
Courts of Justice now in this Province, and I hope there never will be
another!" . . . Is this the Object for which I have been contending? said I to
myself, for I rode along without any Answer to this Wretch. Are these the
Sentiments of such People? And how many of them are there in the Country? Half
the Nation for what I know: for half the Nation are Debtors if not more, and
these have been in all Countries, the Sentiments of Debtors.