West Point Officers' Statement to Congress on Extralegal Financial Matters
Item
Type
Autograph Letter Signed
Title
West Point Officers' Statement to Congress on Extralegal Financial Matters
Description
A signed statement from the officers of the garrison of West Point who were being discharged from the army as to their reasons for appropriating, without legal authorization, monies intended for the subsistence of the garrison's remaining officers.
year created
1784
month created
06
day created
21
sent from location
West Point New York
recipient
in collection
in image
content note
Note on the Resolution of Congress of 2 June 1784: This resolution discharged all the troops of the army except twenty-five men to guard the stores at Fort Pitt and fifty-five to guard the stores at West Point and other magazines.
For the signers of the letter the researcher may wish to examine pages 5 and 9 of the image. The names listed above are those that are most readily discernable.
See image 1784Xzh20 Hull to Pierce 06/21/1784 (document number 1784062160001) for the cover letter to this letter.
For the signers of the letter the researcher may wish to examine pages 5 and 9 of the image. The names listed above are those that are most readily discernable.
See image 1784Xzh20 Hull to Pierce 06/21/1784 (document number 1784062160001) for the cover letter to this letter.
notable person/group
Caleb Swan
congress
officers
Officers of the American Army
commander in chief
financier
Mr. Lovell
paymaster
regiment
Nat. Stone
Tobias Sumner
Nathan Leavinworth
John Mills
Jonathan Haskell
Samuel Wadford
James Surrye
James Surrye
C Feloin
Joseph Potter
Henry Nelson
Cunningham
F. Reed
Wm. Hull
G.T. Bauman
E. Fenno
William Richard
Joseph Bliss
Caleb Swan
James Sever
James Sever
Haskell
J. [Lord?
Outside of the letter is marked "From the late officers of the garrison at West Point"
Outside of the letter is marked "From the late officers of the garrison at West Point"
notable location
garrison at West Point
New York
notable item/thing
misappropriation of money
statement
deranged
resolution of congress
pay
expense
resolution of congress
officer dismissal
dismission
certificates
accounts
document number
1784062190101
page start
1
number of pages
4
transcription
Garrison of West Point, June 21st 1784
Sir
We the late Officers of the American Army, deranged by the Resolution of Congress of the 2nd instant having been reduced to the necessity of adopting a measure which may possibly by some be thought unjustifiable without the motives and reasons of our conduct being fully explained have thought proper in this collective manner to communicate the transaction and the Reasons on which it is grounded.
From the assurances of the <em>Commander-in-Chief</em> and the other characters who were intrusted by Congress to arrange the troops who were to remain in service after the 1st of January 1784 and in whom we placed the fullest confidence, we had every prospect of punctual payment for our service. With this view we gave up every Idea of business and [illegible] [illegible] very great Expence in making our [illegible] as military Characters, Having made every [illegible] for the pay. The Resolution of Congress which dismissed us [occured?] at a very unexpected period. [Illegible] made however by the Sovereign power of the Country we acquiessed [sic] with that chearfullness [sic] and obedience which becomes Servants of the public. The same Resolution of Congress by which we obtained our dismission granted us only two months pay on notes of the Financier, and directed final settlement Certificates for the discharge of the other four - upon an adjustment of our Accounts we found this sum by no means sufficient to satisfy those demands which had necessarily incurred during a service of six months.
In a situation so distressing we looked around for a possibility of Relief. Nothing presented itself but an Order on Mr. Lovell which you had placed in the hands of the Pay Master for the Officers subsistence. after deducting three months subsistence for those who were to remain in service, including the Invalids we found there was a sufficient sum to furnish us with six weeks pay and on an application to the person with whom it was intrusted for the purpose of exchange he delivered the money taking our receipts to that amount received of the Regimental Paymaster on account of our four months pay for the year 1784.
Thus Sir have we stated to you in the [illegible] [illegible] the reasons we have [illegible] and the necessity which induced them - We fully persuade ourselves they will be considered as perfectly just on our part and meet the approbation of all Concerned.
We are Sir
With great regard and Esteem
Your most Obedient
humble servants -
[Signed:]
Nat. Stone
[Tob.?] Sumner
[?][?]
Nathan Leavinworth
John Mills
Jon. Haskell
[Saml.?] Wadford
James Surrye
C Feloin
Joseph Potter
[?]
Henry Nelson
[?] Cunningham
[?] F. Reed
[Torn] [?]
Lt. [?]
[?]
Wm. Hull
G.T. Bauman
[?]
[?]
[?]
E. Fenno
William Richard
Joseph Bliss
Caleb Swan
[?] [?]
James Sever
[?] Haskell
J. [Lord?]
Outside of the letter is marked "From the late officers of the garrison at West Point"
Sir
We the late Officers of the American Army, deranged by the Resolution of Congress of the 2nd instant having been reduced to the necessity of adopting a measure which may possibly by some be thought unjustifiable without the motives and reasons of our conduct being fully explained have thought proper in this collective manner to communicate the transaction and the Reasons on which it is grounded.
From the assurances of the <em>Commander-in-Chief</em> and the other characters who were intrusted by Congress to arrange the troops who were to remain in service after the 1st of January 1784 and in whom we placed the fullest confidence, we had every prospect of punctual payment for our service. With this view we gave up every Idea of business and [illegible] [illegible] very great Expence in making our [illegible] as military Characters, Having made every [illegible] for the pay. The Resolution of Congress which dismissed us [occured?] at a very unexpected period. [Illegible] made however by the Sovereign power of the Country we acquiessed [sic] with that chearfullness [sic] and obedience which becomes Servants of the public. The same Resolution of Congress by which we obtained our dismission granted us only two months pay on notes of the Financier, and directed final settlement Certificates for the discharge of the other four - upon an adjustment of our Accounts we found this sum by no means sufficient to satisfy those demands which had necessarily incurred during a service of six months.
In a situation so distressing we looked around for a possibility of Relief. Nothing presented itself but an Order on Mr. Lovell which you had placed in the hands of the Pay Master for the Officers subsistence. after deducting three months subsistence for those who were to remain in service, including the Invalids we found there was a sufficient sum to furnish us with six weeks pay and on an application to the person with whom it was intrusted for the purpose of exchange he delivered the money taking our receipts to that amount received of the Regimental Paymaster on account of our four months pay for the year 1784.
Thus Sir have we stated to you in the [illegible] [illegible] the reasons we have [illegible] and the necessity which induced them - We fully persuade ourselves they will be considered as perfectly just on our part and meet the approbation of all Concerned.
We are Sir
With great regard and Esteem
Your most Obedient
humble servants -
[Signed:]
Nat. Stone
[Tob.?] Sumner
[?][?]
Nathan Leavinworth
John Mills
Jon. Haskell
[Saml.?] Wadford
James Surrye
C Feloin
Joseph Potter
[?]
Henry Nelson
[?] Cunningham
[?] F. Reed
[Torn] [?]
Lt. [?]
[?]
Wm. Hull
G.T. Bauman
[?]
[?]
[?]
E. Fenno
William Richard
Joseph Bliss
Caleb Swan
[?] [?]
James Sever
[?] Haskell
J. [Lord?]
Outside of the letter is marked "From the late officers of the garrison at West Point"
Item sets
Document instances
| In image | In source | Location in source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| [view document] (9 pages) | MBK06 (9 pages) | Collection: Letterbook No. 1, West Point 1784-1786. | P:46 |
Document names
| Type | Name | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Officers of Garrison at West Point | West Point New York | [n/a] |
| Recipient | Congress of the United States | [unknown] | [n/a] |