Party will receive his instruction from the Officer Command'g there. LETTER BOOK RESPECTING HIS MOST CHRISTIAN MAJESTY, 1780. Sir Phila 31st May 1780 Their being very Urgent & pressing Ocation for a Consider. able number of good four horse Teames to go over the north River & Remain their for about three months, I must request you will Immediately proceed to Cumberland County & apply to the wagon Master General of that County for his Aid and Assistance for which you have a letter from his Excellency 'the president of the State-the termes of pay are to be as Follows viz, every good four horse teame & driver to have twenty five pounds pr. day & found in provision & Forrage to have one months pay advance before they leave this Citty-every ten teames to have a Waggon Conducter, who is to have twelve Dollars p'r day & his Ration & Forage for his Horse & paid for the hire of his horse four Dollars p'r day— every teame to take at least Thirty days grain with them & provison and rum for that tme proper Commissaries and Forage Masters to go with the teames & to have money to pay for pasture &c., whatever forage & provision are furnished by the Owners shall be paid on their arrival in this City at the Current price here The teames to engage for three months but if they will engage for six months it will be better, to have liberty to discharge them sooner if we chuse it paying them for every Twenty miles one days pay Rations & forrage until they get to their owne Homes every Horse to be appraised by two Indifferent men of Good Character geer & Waggons to be appraised Allso and if taken or killed by the enemy or by our troops to be paid agreeable to the Appraisment— I am Sir Your most hum'l Svent JOHN MITCHELL Phila. 31 May 1780. Sir I request the favour of you to assist M'r James Smith with your Influance & advise to enable him to procure a number of good four Horse teames to enter in publick Servise & go over the North River, as it is a matter of the greatest Importance to the United States & the Termes are advantagous I hope he will be able to procure at least Fifty Teames-it is a perticular bisness independant of the Department. I hope you will be kind enough to render him every assistance in your power he has a Letter from the President of the State to the Waggon M'r General of the County, there has not been a matter of more Importance to the United States since the war then that, of obtaining proper conveyances for our Allies, who are daily expected-I flatter myself you would do all you can to forward this business. I am with esteem D'r Sir Your most humb'l svt. J. M. D. Q. M. G’1. Mr. Smith will shew you the Terms Robert Patton Esq'r D. Q. M. Gl. A Copy of the above sent to the following person's-VizColo. Hooper, Easton. Colo. Morgan, Reading. Colo. Davis, Carlisle. Captn. Baird, Pottstown. Majr. Howell, Downingstown. Ephm Steel, Esq'r, Carlisle. John Oliver Esq'r, Bristol. Sam'l Finley Esqr., Conegocheague. Sir Phila. 31st May 1780. I must request you will Immediately proceed to the State of Delaware & do all in your power to procure 3000 Bushells of Indian Corn, or one half Indian Corn & one half Oats-I must particularly observe that you should proceeed with the utmost caution & on no account suffer it to be known that you are on such business, as it might tend to rais the price of those Articles, and be of bad consiquence to the publick-you will engage to pay the money on the Delivery of the Corn here & pay part the purchase money on your makeing the agreement for w'ch purpose I have now given you twenty thousand Dollars I hope I need not recommend the greatest care & Atention in the purchase & a strict regard to the price, that it may be procurd on the lowest and best termes possible & without Delay If you can procure one or two Brigades of Waggons to enter into the servise, Load them with grainI am Sir Your most hum'l Svt. JOHN MITCHELL purchase as for yourself to prevent raising the price. James Sutter S. B. D. pt. Sir Inclosed you have my Letter to you on the Subject of procuring a number of Teames, as the Servise is urgent & the business of the Utmost Consiquence I must request you will undertake it as I am Certain you can do it to advantage, their Can not be an oportunity of serving your country of more importance then the present you may depend on all the Teames being & punctually complied with & every thing done that is promised you have a letter from the President to the W. M. General of the County & one to Coll. Ross & Robert Patton, Esq'r who will assist you I hope Col'l Maxwell will also do all he can for you let me here from you often & send the Teames down in Brigade in Brigade with the utmost dispatch, not a moment must be lost I rely Greatly on your Atention & exertions to to this Business have sent you fifteen 14 Vol. XIV-6th Ser. hundred Dollars to bear expences & send the Teams off all grain or Provisions the owners furnish shall be puntualy repaid here at the Market Price do exert yourself on this Ocasion. I will allow you Twenty four Dollars pr. day & your reasonable expences, lett me here from you by M'r Laurence. I am Sir M'r Will'm Smith. Your most hum'l Svt. JOHN MITCHELL Phila'd 6th June 1780. Sir I have just rec'd yours of the 4th Inst.-had I got it Sooner wou'd have Sent you the money before this-have now Sent you twenty thousand Dollars by M'r James Dugan, who will go to Christeen & from thence to Hamburgh. I believe M'r Porter near that place has a Q'ity of Corn, buy the whole I desire you if possible, the money is ready to pay on delivery, or on y'r order on demand, this may Assure them offI request you will do all in y'r power to procure the Corn-it will be much wanted. I am Very glad you have a prospect of some Teams, send all you can & as quick as possible-if you want more Money it shall be sent you, or you may draw for it Capt'n Cutter,— At Christeen, or Yrs. J. M. D. Q. M. G'l. Phila'a June 7th 1780. Sir I receivd your favour of yesterday, and thank you for your friendship Respecting the teames, you may be assured every part of the Conditions, given to M'r Smith shall be punctually complied with, this you may depend on upon my word,-as to Conductors, I am surprised they make any Objection respecting the pay, it is double what hath hitherto been and also the allowance of four Dollars pr. Day for the use of their own horses is very well-you may assure them, that they shall be on as good footing as any Conducters from any other County, which Engage in this business, and request you will support what I mention respecting the teame hire & people's being punctually paid-and doubt not your reading in doing every thing in your power to promote the Countrys good. I received yours this day am much pleased with your Diligence & hope you will be able to send me four Brigades of good Teames in a verry short time. You may depend on the Teams complied with fully-the Waggon Conducters have double pay to what they ever had & the four dollars p'r day for their horse & their Rations & Forrage makes it very good pay However they Shall have as much as any Waggon Master that comes from any other County & hope this will be sufficient for them, am sorry Col. Hooper would not assist you, if he has not Come from Easton, assure him it will serve me personally, I doubt not it will be in your power and Send as many Teames as posible and as soon as it can be done let them be good and strong and fit for duty. I must request you will purchase no more Corn or Oats, it can be got lower here. I wish you to come up immediately sending up what you have already purchased but if you can dispose of it for the same Money do it, if not forward it without delay. I am Sir Your most hum'l Servt. Captn. James Sutter. JOHN MITCHELL |