Benjamin Rush to Richard Henry Lee

My letters I fear will prove troublesome to you but I cannot help it. Your industry as well as zeal in the Service of your country encourage me to convey every hint that occurs to me to your knowledge - being well convinced that if you think them of importance, you will force the congress to attend to them.

The Sufferings of our brave Continental troops from the want of cloaths exceed all description. I shall not give you or myself the pain of attempting to paint them. It becomes us to do every thing to remedy them as quick as possible, and guard against them for the future. For heaven's sake let it [be] a standing order of Congress that no subject should be broached there for three weeks to come but what relates to the cloathing and officering of the Army. I am in hopes we have got a sufficient stock of Woolens for the present year - But what shall we do for linnens? Every soldier in the British army is obliged to have four shirts, and to shift twice a week. Clean linnen is absolutely necessary to guard against lice and sickness. All the medicines in the world will not make an Army healthy without cleanliness. Suppose an Application is made to every man in America for one or two of his own shirts for the benefit of the Army? The application I am sure will be successful. Col: Griffin informed me that had our scheme for cloathing the Army with second hand cloaths proposed three months ago in Congress been adopted three fourths of the poor ragged fellows whose times are now expired would have reinlisted. Let nothing prevent the execution of this Scheme but a large supply of new linnen which I believe is not to be had. It would tend greatly to preserve the health of our Army if each soldier would have two flannen [sic] shirts instead of two linnen ones to wear in wet weather & in the fall of the year. But I fear we have not a sufficient stock of wool by us for that purpose.

Nothing new. Col: Griffin with only 800 men keeps How's whole army under constant alarms in New Jersey. He has had several successful skirmishes with them. Our militia who croud in daily call aloud for Action! Yours,

Benjn Rush