Feby 19. 1778
I have this day seen a letter from Genl. Gates as president of the board of war directing general Mifflin to inform the commissioners appointed by the board to superintend the purchasing provisions &c that Congress had determined that the measures pursued by the State of Pensylvania were adequate to the supply of the army on the east side of Susquehannah and had therefore directed that they no longer proceed on that business, but lay all their accounts &c before Congress.1 Just when the resolution came to hand a considerable supply of provisions & forage was forwarding to head quarters by the persons appointed by the board of war & a great number of teams impressed for this purpose. The order of Congress has put a stop to the whole, so that all prospect of keeping the army together is now at an end and you may expect every moment to hear of its dissolution. The former letter I sent you from Genl. Washington painted to you their critical situation.2 Since that time about 1000 barrels of flour have been sent down by water from this place by Col Bird. But the river is now fallen & there is no probability of procuring an adequate number of teams in time agreeable to the laws of this state.
This you may declare to Congress as a fact that warrants have been out agreeable to the laws of Pensylvania for a month past for procuring teams for the use of the army & that none have as yet been procured in that way. The consequence of which is that all the horses in the army are now famished for forage and a mutiny has already arisen for want of a timely supply of provisions. It will be more than we have a right to expect, when the army disbands, which I think in a few days it must, if a great part dont join the enemy. A few nights ago thirteen of the Artillery (the best corps in the service) twelve of whom were sergeants deserted in a body to the enemy. This you may rely on as fact.
Transcription, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pa. In the hand of Charles Thomson and endorsed by him: "Extract of a letter from Mr Duer to col F. L. Lee in Congress Feby 19. 1778." This is undoubtedly the copy of Duer’s letter that on February 21 Congress ordered to "be sent by express to the executive Council of Pensylvania" and which Daniel Roberdeau sent to the Pennsylvania Assembly. See JCC, 10:189; and Daniel Roberdeau to the Pennsylvania Assembly, February 21, 1778.
1 On February 17 Congress had ordered the suspension of three superintendents who had been appointed by the Board of War to purchase flour in Pennsylvania for the Continental Army. Congress took this action not only because Pennsylvania had appointed its own commissioners to make this purchase, but also because the board’s appointees "without any authority, in direct violation of the laws of Pensylvania, and contrary to the instructions given by the Board of War, have presumed to fix and ascertain the prices of several articles wanted in the army, much higher than fixed by law in the State." On February 21 Congress, having read this extract of Duer’s letter to Lee, decided to send a copy of it to the Pennsylvania Council, together with a resolve requesting the council to forward to the army "by every possible means, supplies of provisions, (especially of the meat kind,) and forage, with the utmost dispatch." See JCC, 10:54 - 56, 166 - 70 176 - 77, 189. The council complied with Congress’ request on February 24 by issuing a circular letter to this effect to its purchasing commissioners. See Pa. Archives, 1st ser. 6:294; Daniel Roberdeau to Thomas Wharton, January 16, note 2; and Committee at Camp Minutes of Proceedings, February 16 - 20, 1778, note 5. In order to avoid exclusive reliance on state authorities in this matter, Congress also ordered the Board of War on the 21st to make immediate purchases of "meat and forage for the army having respect to the prices fixed by the laws of the State of Pennsylvania." JCC, 10:189. It is pertinent to note in this context that Duer and Lee were both members of the old Board of War, which had only recently relinquished its authority to a new board made up of nonmembers of Congress.
2 Duer may be referring to Washingtonâs comprehensive January 29, 1778, report to the Committee at Camp. See Duer to Lee, February 14, 1778, note 10.