1John Adams to Abigail Adams, 3 July 1776 (Adams Papers)
Your Favour of June 17. dated at Plymouth, was handed me, by Yesterdays Post. I was much pleased to find that you had taken a Journey to Plymouth, to see your Friends in the long Absence of one whom you may wish to see. The Excursion will be an Amusement, and will serve your Health. How happy would it have made me to have taken this Journey with you? I was informed, a day or two before the...
2John Adams to Abigail Adams, 3 July 1776 (Adams Papers)
Had a Declaration of Independency been made seven Months ago, it would have been attended with many great and glorious Effects. . . . We might before this Hour, have formed Alliances with foreign States.—We should have mastered Quebec and been in Possession of Canada. . . . You will perhaps wonder, how such a Declaration would have influenced our Affairs, in Canada, but if I could write with...
3Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 3 July 1776 (Adams Papers)
A Lame Hand still prevents me the free use of Either the Nedle or the pen. Yet I take up the Latter and Attempt a Line or two just to Let my Dear Friend know that both myself and Family are in better Health than when she was at Plimouth. I Enclose a Number of papers which Came to hand yesterday from Philadelphia, with Directions to send them to the foot of Pens Hill when Read. I also send...
ALS : American Philosophical Society <Crown Point, July 3, 1776: In the engagements near Three Rivers on June 8 the sixth Pennsylvania battalion, of which I have the honor to be lieutenant colonel, lost Colonel Irvine, Lieutenant Edie, and almost eighty privates, most of whom are prisoners. On June 21 Captains McLean, Adams, and Rippie, Lieutenants McKerran, McCallister, and Hogg, Ensigns Lusk...
5To Benjamin Franklin from Catharine Greene, 3 July 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I Gladly once more Welcom you To your own home though I Lament the occation hope by this you have Recoverd your Health and the Pheteiuge [Fatigue] of So Disagreeable a Tuor and have Resumd the Chearfull agreeable BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. Pray God to Preserve you long a Blessing to your family Friends and Injurd Country. We have Disagreeable accounts from N. York...
6To Benjamin Franklin from Frederick William de Woedtke, 3 July 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Woedtke died shortly after writing this letter. It is part of a series that he addressed to Franklin; the earlier ones have been lost, and another on July 4 is in large part illegible. His French bears out Father Carroll’s comment that the Baron had picked up just enough polish to accentuate his awkwardness. The handwriting is on a par with the spelling,...
7General Orders, 3 July 1776 (Washington Papers)
The Director General of the Hospital having laid before the General, a plan of conduct for the surgeons and Mates of the regiments, by which, in case of action, they will do their duty with greater ease and benefit to the service: And the General much approving thereof; they are to attend the Director General and each take a Copy of said plan, to which they are strictly to conform—The...
8To George Washington from the Elizabethtown Committee of Safety, 3 July 1776 (Washington Papers)
This Morning we have been Alarmd with a Party of the Enemy landing on Staten Island & proceeding to the point within two Miles of this Town where they took off the plank of a Draw Bridge & retreated to a House about a Mile from the Bridge. From the best intelligence we can get there are several Parties on the Island. The few remaining Militia we have are Collecting, but we are in distress for...
9To George Washington from the Fredericksburg Precinct Committee of Safety, 3 July 1776 (Washington Papers)
Whereas at a Meeting of the Committee of Fredricksburgh Precinct July 3d 1776 a Gentleman of Carractor appeared before Said Committee and declared volontarily that in Conversation with a disafected Person he was told that the Ministerial Party had a Post rid to the northward from New York to carry News as Constantly as the other Posts and that Said Post was lately gone to the northward And the...
10From George Washington to John Hancock, 3 July 1776 (Washington Papers)
Since I had the honor of addressing you and on the same day, several Ships more arrived within the Hook, making the number that came in then a hundred & Ten, and there remains no doubt of the whole of the Fleet from Hallifax being now here. Yesterday evening fifty of them came up the Bay, and Anchored on the Staten Island side. their views I cannot precisely determine, but am extremely...