Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 3

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Extract from the Minutes of the Continental Congress

Continental Congress

Thursday, November 2, 1775

The Congress, taking into consideration the letters from General Schuyler and Genl. Montgomery,1 and Mr. Walter Livingston,2

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Resolved, That a Committee of three be appointed to repair to the northward, to confer with Genl. Schuyler, and pursue such instructions as may be given them in charge by the Congress.3

The members chosen, Mr. Langdon,4 Mr. Paine, and Mr. Dyer.

That a Comee. of five be appointed to draw up instructions for the foregoing comee.

The members chosen Mr. Lynch,5 Mr. Jay,6 Mr. Lee, Mr. Deane,7 and Mr. J Adams.

Printed in the Journals of the Continental Congress, 3:317.

Gen. Richard Montgomery (1738–1775) served in Canada with the British Army during the Seven Years’ War. Frustrated by his inability to purchase a major’s commission, Montgomery sold his captain’s commission in 1772 and moved to New York. He served in the Provincial Congress of 1775 and was appointed brigadier general by the Continental Congress on June 22. Generals Schuyler and Montgomery were ordered to lead an invasion of Canada, which was the subject of this committee’s investigation. On Sept. 16 Schuyler removed himself from command in favor of Montgomery, and on Nov. 11, Montgomery seized the city of Montreal. On Dec. 31, Montgomery was killed during an attack on Quebec ( ANB ).

Walter Livingston (1740–1797) was a delegate to the New York Provincial Congress in 1775 and to the Continental Congress (1784, 1785). He was commissary of stores and provisions for New York and for the northern department of the Continental Army in 1775 and 1776. In 1785 he was appointed as commissioner of the U.S. Treasury ( Biographical Directory of the American Congress ).

Eliphalet Dyer declined this committee assignment because of an “indisposition,” and Robert R. Livingston was appointed in his stead (Journals of the Continental Congress, 3:317, 339). The choice of the committeemen did not meet with general approval. On Dec. 12, Gen. Charles Lee wrote to Richard Henry Lee that “inter nos, I think it might have been better chosen. Payne has certainly not the mannieres—which, according to Lord Chesterfield, and my observation, are so requite to captivate the French” (The Lee Papers. Collections of the New-York Historical Society [1871], 1:228).

The committee departed for Ticonderoga on Nov. 12 with instructions to exert its “utmost endeavours to induce the Canadians to accede to a union with these colonies” and send delegates to Congress (Journals of the Continental Congress, 3:340). On the day they left, Gen. Richard Montgomery captured Montreal, and while en route the committee learned that St. Johns was also taken and heard a false report that Benedict Arnold had entered Quebec.

Despite working against weather that was “equal to Midwinter” (RTP Diary, Nov. 19, 1775), the committee reached Albany on Nov. 21 and Ticonderoga on Nov. 28. They reported to Congress on the New York-built fortifications and met with General Schuyler a number of times over the course of a week before returning to Albany without venturing into Canada because of the advancing winter. They did not have an opportunity to meet with General Montgomery, who was busy besieging Quebec, but wrote to him “to inform the Canadians of the Sentements of Congress, when he should find a proper Opportunity to Communicate them and to pave the way” for another committee. However, Montgomery was never able to fulfill that suggestion as he was killed at the storming of Quebec on Dec. 31. The committee report, written in Langdon’s hand and signed by RTP and Langdon, detailed their discussions with Schuyler and observations on the state of the army, appeared in the Journals of the Continental Congress, 3:446–452.

109 4.

John Langdon (1741–1819), a Portsmouth, N.H., merchant, was a delegate from his province to the Continental Congress, and later served as governor and as a Democratic-Republican federal senator.

Thomas Lynch (1727–1776), a South Carolina planter, was a member of the house of assembly regularly from 1751 onwards, a delegate to the First and Second Provincial Congresses and the Stamp Act Congress, and a member of the Continental Congress (1774–1776). Lynch was unable to sign the Declaration of Independence because of illness and died later in the year while en route home.

John Jay (1745–1829), a New York lawyer and graduate of King’s College, served in the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1776. Then he returned to New York to assist in drafting the state’s constitution and was appointed chief justice of the state but resigned in order to return to the Continental Congress as its president (1778–1779). Jay was minister to Spain and then one of the commissioners for the peace treaty with Great Britain. Upon his return to America he served as secretary of foreign affairs under the Articles of Confederation and upon the adoption of the Constitution became the first chief justice of the United States ( DAB ).

Silas Deane (1737–1789), a 1758 graduate of Yale, represented Connecticut in the Continental Congress (1774–1776) until he was sent to France in March 1776, first as a secret political and financial agent, and in September of that year as ambassador with Benjamin Franklin and Arthur Lee. He was recalled by Congress in 1778 and investigated for financial misconduct ( DAB ).

To William Whiting

Whiting, William RTP

Philada. Novr. 6th. 1775 Sr.,

I recd. yr. letter of Octr. 6th in which you give me an account of your progress in making Salt-petre. I hope before this time you have had a good account of working up the Meeting House Earth at G. Barrington; it is to little purpose that we make Experiments if we do not carry it to large practice; we want great quantitys of Salt petre, & not barely to know that we are able to make it, that we have known a long time, & I think we are wholly inexcusable if do not turn out very large quantitys of Salt petre by the Spring of the Year. We have specimens of exceeding fine Petre brought us here from many parts of this Colony, New Jersey & other places & nothing is clearer than that numbers of People in different places are able to make it. The grand matter is to propagate the making it in large Quantitys. I was in great expectation that the Resolves of the Congress on this Subject would have produced good Effects in the Tobacco Colonies, but on Enquiry I find that the Convention of Virginia did not take any steps to carry it into Execution (having many matters before them). Maryland voted a Sum of money but appointed no operators. The Congress very justly alarmed at the astonishing ~~neglect~~ inattention of the Colonies to 110this most essential matter, have appointed another Committee to devise Ways & Means to promote this Manufacture.

I have the honour to be one of this Cmttee., & great pains have we taken about it. We have not yet determined how, but we have under Consideration to send certain Germans who are here, & who have given Specimens of their skill, into the Tobacco Colonies to carry on the manufacture there. The great Works of this City have made no Salt petre valuable, the House of Assembly of this Colony have the matter under Consideration.

I hope Something Great will be done in New England—& this Sr. brings me to what I have principally in veiw in writing Vizt. there laying a foundation for a great quantity of Salt petre next Spring. There are two matters to be attended to forthwith. The first is to Search out & work up all the impregnated Materials that are now on hand or to be found & at the same time to provide mix & duly dispose suitable materials for impregnation in as large quantitys as possible. I hope this matter is not neglected—immediate Care must be taken. Sheds must be prepared over dry Land & the materials must not be put very thick if made in Beds under Sheds, for if they are thick or deep the Air will not impregnate it through. It is generally thought best that the Stuff should be made into Walls or fences as they call them. Some such are made in this city & they talk much of making many here. An easy method of making these fences is this. Let the Stuff be properly mixed & Cut Straw be mixed with it to make it stick together, then let your Walls be made about 15 or 18 inches at bottom, abt. 5 feet high & tapering to the Top to about 4 or 5 inches thick. In Order to make it Stand while forming let peices of Joyce or Poles be cut of a Suitable length & set in this Manner Λ see detail with the ends on

Detail from Robert Treat Paine to William Whiting, Nov. 6, 1775, William Whiting Papers, Massachusetts Historical Society. For image of printed page, see page break for 110.

111the Ground & little Stakes Stuck against the ends into the Ground. A number of Such pairs of Joyce must be set at convenient distances ranging as you intend the Walls shall go, rough boards are to be put on the inside of these Joyce frames so that when the dirt is put between them it may be kept up & so as you raise your Dirt you put more boards till you get to the Top, ramming the Dirt as you go along Sufficient to keep it from falling & yet not so hard as to prevent the Air from entering. These Walls should be covered with boards or straw so as to prevent the Rains from washing the sides. The Germans I have consulted on this Matter are of Opinion that if proper Materials are now put up in a judicious manner they will be so impregnated in 6 months as to yeild largely. Therefore at all events Materials must be forwith provided in as large a manner as possible.

Sr. it is my opinion that unless we exert our selves in this Matter & have some tollerable Success it is very uncertain whether every thing else we can do will Avail as much, & if we are successful in this matter in my Opinion every thing else favourable will come of Course.

I hope you Correspond with yr. Brethren of the Salt petre Cmttee. & also with other well disposed Active Salt petre Makers in any place that you know of, spurring them on to lay up proper materials in a proper manner. Pray shew this to Major Hawley, Mr. Gerry & other persons who are desirous to promote this matter.

Give my Regards to all Friends. The Express is waiting & I must Subscribe yr. friend & hble. Sert.

R. T. Paine

RC (William Whiting Collection, MHS).