Philadelphia May 19th. 1781
Sir,
We immediately upon receipt of the Letter you honord us with by Mr Croxall, laid it before Congress, who refered it to a Special Comittee. We have some reason to believe, the measure proposd cannot be carried into execution, as a report on an application to send provision to Charles Town for the prisoners there was rejected. It is therefore probable, the report will go no further, than that the State may send Tobacco for the purposes mentiond. The Board of War having wrote to Genl. Washington to know of Sr. Hy. Clinton whether Tobacco woud be receivd at Charles Town to be disposd of for the use of the prisoners, his answer may likewise determine whether it woud be receivd at New York. We hope to be able to inform you of the determination of Congress by the post1
& have the Honor to be, with great esteem, Yr. Excellencys Most Obt Serv,
Dan of St Thos Jenifer
Danl Carroll
Receiver’s copy, Maryland State Papers (Red Books), Maryland Hall of Records Commission, Annapolis. Written by Carroll and signed by Carroll and Jenifer.
1 In their letter of May 10, Lee and the Maryland Council sought Congress’ approval "to send a Quantity of Bread, Provisions and Lumber to New-York" to discharge the debts of Maryland officers who were held prisoner there and on Long Island. The bearer, Charles Croxall, would serve as the state’s agent in New York. The letter was read in Congress on May 17 and referred to a committee of three. See JCC, 20:515; and PCC, item 70, fols. 465 - 68. For the Council’s May 10 letters to Washington and Croxall, see also Md. Archives, 45:431 - 32. The May 2 letter from the Board of War to Washington to determine "whether Tobacco woud be receivd at Charles Town" is in the Washington Papers, DLC. His May 16 reply is in Washington, Writings (Fitzpatrick), 22:93. The committee assigned Lee’s letter reported on May 25, whereupon Congress ordered the Board of War to seek permission to send tobacco to New York and Charleston "sufficient to discharge the arrears due from the American prisoners." JCC, 20:534. See also Maryland Delegates to Lee, June 12, 1781 (1).