To John Jay from Gustavus Risberg, 10 May 1779
From Gustavus Risberg
Philada. May 10 1779—1
Sir
This morning I waited on the Honorable Governeur Morris Esqr. one of the Committee for our Department to know if the Alteration proposed by Col. Stewart, Commissary General of Issues had pass’d the Approbation of Congress, when I was inform’d they had been reported—but nothing further done—2
As Col. Stewart is at Camp I beg leave to trouble you with these lines, and report, that for this four Months past I have with the greatest difficulty been able to prevail on the different Assistant Commissaries in my Department, not to resign in hopes that your Honorable Body would adopt such measures as would answer their Expectations and Services; Their Patience is now exhausted and Letters from every Quarter mention their leaving me, which I am sensible will be a great Injury ^to^ the Cause we are engaged in: And in Order the Service may not Suffer, I pray Sir, you will represent to the Honorable Congress the necessity of having the Department immediately arranged on Such a footing as will induce them to Continue.
I beg further leave to represent, that the Clerks employ’d in the late Deputy Commissary General’s Office have left us on Account of the Pay of Eighty Dollars, propos’d by Col. Stewart is deem’d very insufficient for their Support these times— I pray therefore to have Liberty to engage them on the best Terms I can, otherwise the Business required from me must inevitably Suffer—3 I am with respect Sir Your most Obedt. Servt.
Gustavus Risberg
D.C.G. of Issue Dept.
Honorable John Jay Esqur.
President of Congress—
ALS, DNA: PCC, item 19, 219–22 (EJ: 10490). Endorsed: “. . . Read May 11.” Addressed: “Honorable John Jay Esquire / President of Congress.”
1. Risberg, a resident of Maryland, had previously served as assistant quartermaster general of the Flying Camp, 17 Aug.–1 Dec. 1776.
2. Charles Stewart (1729–1800), a colonel in the New Jersey militia, served as commissary general of issues, June 1777–July 1782. Stewart’s letter of 1 May 1779 concerning salaries to employees in the Commissary Department has not been located. It was enclosed with one of the same date from the Board of War to JJ. The board remarked that Stewart’s letter “is but a Repitition of the Complaints we hear from that and all other Departments wherein there are Officers on Sallaries. We are at Loss what farther to say to these officers having exhausted all our stack of Excuses. . . . [W]e must take the Freedom to observe that unless something is speedily done for the Relief of the Officers in the civil departments of the Army all Kind of Business therein must inevitably stop.” The letters were read in Congress on 3 May and ordered “To lie on the table.” DNA: PCC, item 147, 3: 297; , 14: 540–41.
3. After Risberg’s letter was read on 11 May, Congress proceeded to consider a report of the Board of War dated 15 Apr. 1779 concerning pay scales for officers in the department of the commissary general of issues. The recommended salary schedule was adopted by Congress on the same day. , 14: 571–73.