Philadelphia 21st Oct 1778.
My dear Sir:
This will be delivered you by Major General Lincoln, a brave and able Officer, who goes to command the Troops that are to oppose any attempt of the enemy upon Charles Town in South Carolina. As the General can give you the news of this place I should not have troubled you with this letter, were it not for the following purpose. It was proposed to send 50,000 dollars to the paymaster in Virginia for the purpose of forwarding the thousand men designed to assist South Carolina - Whereupon I reminded the Congress of a motion long since laid upon their table, in consequence of letters from yourself & Mr. Page informing that arrears were due to the continental soldiers in Virginia & the militia that had been called into continental service1 - And I proposed making the 50, an hundred thousand dollars, and to word the resolve for the purposes "of paying the arrears due to the continental soldiers in Virginia, and to the militia of that state which had been the last year in continental service," as well as for forwarding the thousand men to S. Carolina. This was readily agreed to, and the money (100,000 dollars) is ordered forward.2 Now Sir, I presume that Gen. Lincoln will, on your application, and showing him the resolve, take measures, by ordering the payment himself if the accounts of arrear are ready, and if not, by authorizing you to call on the paymaster for the money when these accounts are prepared. I beg leave to refer you to the General for our news being in great haste.
I subscribe myself with much esteem and affection yours,
Richard Henry Lee.
Printed in William Wirt Henry, Patrick Henry, 3:196 - 97. Printed also in James Curtis Ballagh, The Letters of Richard Henry Lee, Volume 1, 1762 - 1778, pp. 443 - 44.
1 Governor Henry’s 23 May letter to the Virginia delegates requesting their assistance in obtaining a settlement of the state’s Continental accounts had been read in Congress on 15 June, but at that time Congress ordered "That the consideration thereof be postponed." See JCC, 11:606 - 7; and PCC, item 71, 1:143 - 47.
2 For this 20 October resolve, see JCC, 12:1026.
3 Congress had just authorized Benjamin Harrison, Jr., deputy paymaster in Virginia, to honor warrants drawn on Henry as soon as militia officers could submit authenticated records of service. As this resolve was adopted on 22 October, Lee doubtless added this postscript on that date. JCC, 12:1038 - 39.