Naval Documents of The American Revolution Volume 3 AMERICAN THEATRE: Dec. 8, 1775–Dec. 31, 1775 EUROPEAN THEATRE: Nov. 1, 1775–Jan. 31, 1776 AMERICAN THEATRE: Jan. 1, 1776–Feb. 18, 1776 Part 7 of 8 United States Government Printing Office Washington, 1968 Electronically published by American Naval Records Society Bolton Landing, New York 2012 AS A WORK OF THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THIS PUBLICATION IS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. 1212 AMERICAN THEATRE 11 Feb. (Sunday) BRIGADIERGENERAL DAVID WOOSTER TO THE CONTINENTALCONGRESS ' Gentlemen Montreal I lth Feby 1776 This Letter will be delivered you by Mr [Thomas] Walker and Mr [James] Price two Gentlemen whose Friendship and Attachment to our Cause is well known and to whom the United Colonies are under many Obligations. - As they are the best acquainted with this Province of perhaps any two Gentlemen in it and as there are many Transactions of great Importance to be determined con- cerning it, I have requested them to wait upon the Congress that you may know from them fully every thing necessary for your Information. I have permitted the Merchants in this place Trading to the Upper Country to chuse a Committee to profer a Petition to the Honorable the Congress concern- ing their Indian Trade, you will hear from them and from Messrs Walker and Price what can be said for and against it, and your Determination in that and every other Matter I shall strictly attend to - Besides the Operation of War there are so many Civil & Political Affairs that require the greatest Care and most Delicate Management that I could wish a Committee of Congress might be sent into this Province. General Arnold has in a most surprising Manner kept up the Blockade of Quebec & that with half the Number of the Enemy he is now so well reinforced that I apprehend but little Danger from a Sortie should they make one. I intend to Join him as soon as this place can be left with Safety & necessaries propcrly Pro- vided for forwarding the Troops as they arrive from the Colonies. I fear we shall meet with Difficulty in taking the place for want of proper Artillery, Amuni- tion, &c but every thing possible will be done. Unless we keep up a greater Force in this Province from the Colonies than should be brought against us in the Spring, I fear we can place no great dependance upon the Canadiens & in that Case it might be attended with very unhappy if not fatal Consequences- How great a force the Ministry will send here is uncertain yet many Imagine they will make this Province the Seat of War. I hope we shall be able to keep the Field against them. I enclose you Copies of several Letters to General Schuyler with a couple of his to me - He writes me that he has observed to Congress that I had wrote him with unbecoming Subacis I think he might have pointed out to me the Exceptionable parts of my Letters before he made his Observations to Congress. It gives me Pain that I am obliged in my own Defence to trouble you with Examin- ing & Determining which of us has the greatest reason to Complain of ill Treat- ment. I am Conscious that my Conduct will bear the Strictest Scrutiny. I have ever studiously avoided entering into any Altercation with him fearing that the Public Interest might suffer by it, he began to Insult me immediately on my Joining the Army as you will see by his Letter of the 23d Octo last though I know no reason under heaven why he should treat me thus Cavalierly but merely to Indulge his Capricious Humour which in the Course of the last Year he has dealt out very liberally upon many of the Officers who have served in this De- FEBRUARY 1776 1213 partment complaints of which have frequently been made to me. happy would it be for him and for our Cause if he would learn to Bridle his Passions. The Letters between him and me will speak for themselves I shall send him a Copy of this Letter and also Inclose with this a Copy of my Letter to him of this Date - No Personal I11 treatment will ever prevent my steadily and Invariably continuing to pursue those Measures which shall appear most Conducive to the Public Good and I shall think myself happy if by doing every thing in my Power I can be in the least Instrumental in maintaining and preserving the Rights and Liberties of my Country. I am [&c.] Davd Wooster 1. Papers CC (Letters from General Officers), 161,II, 265-66, NA. BRIGADIERGENERAL DAVID WOOSTER TO MAJORGENERAL PHILIP SCHUYLER Sir Montreal Feby 11 1776. Your Letter of the 26th Ulto I have received In Answer to which give me Leave to observe to You, that I also claim a Right to be treated with the Re- spect due to me as a Gentleman and an Officer intrusted with a Command from the Honorable the Representatives of thirteen Colonies; Why Sir, are these posi- tive Mandates? Have I ever disputed your Orders? Since I have been in the Army I have exerted every Faculty to promote a Union among the Officem and have carefully avoided Every Thing that might have the least Tendency to cause Jealousies, In short Sir I have steadily and invariably pursued those Meas- ures that appeared to me conducive to the true Interest of our Country. How ungenerous therefore is It that an Advantage should be taken of my conciliating Disposition, Yet You will pardon me If I misjudge; I cannot account for your Imperious Conduct towards me, upon any other Principle, You will remember your Letter to me while I was at St Tohns founded in Fal~ehoodand which You could have no other Motive for Writing but to insult Me, I thought It at that Time not worth answering & shall at present take no further Notice of It, I shall however send a Copy of It to Congress & of your last Letter together with Copies of my own, Except the one You observe was wrote with unbecoming Subacity, that is somehow mislaid & I shall be obliged to You If You will forward It. - I can remember Nothing in It either disrespectful or Subacid and being confident Nothing of that Nature was intended, I presume the Congress will find that It is not expressed.- As You have already complained to the Honorable the Con- gress, I have thought It my Duty to shew them what has passed between Us and they will judge which of Us has the greatest Reason to complain of I11 Treatment.- For the present let the Matter rest: They will doubtless do Justice. This is no Time to altercate, the whole of our Time i~ little enough to attend to the Opera- tions absolutely necessary for the Defence of our Country. - You will give me Leave to inform You that the Commanding Officer who is with this Army is to give out Orders & is the Only competent Judge of what is proper & what Not for the internal Regulation of the Army & for the immediate safety of this Country, Since the Death of the Worthy and brave General Mont- gomery (with whom I had the Happiness to serve in the strictest Harmony & 1214 AMERICAN THEATRE Friendship & who ever treated me like a Gentleman) the Command devolves upon me & I shall give out such Orders as appear to me necessary, for the Public Good; And shall send out of the Country all Prisoners & such Persons as may be thought dangerous to our Cause as soon as It can be done with Convenience. The Returns of the Army shall be made out & transmitted to You. I shall also take Care that Your Orders to General Montgomery are executed as far as is possible. - I shall do Every Thing in my Power to carry into Execution every Resolve of the Congress. - Mr. Jordan has accepted the Bills for five hundred Dollars, when It is paid I shall Credit the Public. I mentioned to You in a former Letter that I thought It very necessary that an Artillery Company as well as Artillery Stores &ca should be sent into this Country, should be glad to hear whether they can be spared from the Colonies or Not & what Assistance of what Nature we may expect. I shall send a Copy of this Letter to Congress & shall also inclose with this a Copy of my Letter to Con- gress, If there are any Misrepresentations You will have an Opportunity to cor- rect them. - I am Sir [&c.] DavWooster P.S. I will just Observe further that I think It would have been much more Gen- erous in You to have pointed Out to me the Exceptionable part of my Letters before You complained to Congress. 1. Papers CC (Letters of Major General Philip Schuyler), 153, I, 556-58, NA. Die Solis, 10 HO. A. M. Feb. 1 lth, 1776. This Committee observing that the cannon and military stores on and near the battery are now under removal to other parts of the city, and knowing that this transaction, both in its design and execution, is without the consent of this Committee, and even without their knowledge, otherwise than as discovered from the transaction itself, and as, perhaps, such a removal may bring on a firing upon the city from the ships of war in this port, which may greatly endanger the public records of this Colony, this Committee is fully of opinion that the publick records ought to be immediately removed to a place of greater safety than that in which they now are : Therefore, Ordered, That the said public records of this Colony, together with Saml.