George Washington Papers

To George Washington from Nicholas Cooke, 20 June 1776

From Nicholas Cooke

Providence June 20th 1776

Sir

It is with great Pleasure that I do myself the Honor to transmit to your Excellency the inclosed Vote of the General Assembly.1

The putting the Colony Brigade upon the Continental Establishment for which we esteem ourselves so much indebted to your Excellency gave the highest Satisfaction. Mr Hopkins sent me the Commissions with Power to fill up those for the Captains and Subalterns as should be thought best here; but added that “As the Field Officers will be appointed or at least approved by Congress I could wish that you would transmit to me the Names of such Gentlemen as you may think most capable to fill those Offices.”2 The General Assembly have not nominated any Persons to those Offices. I most earnestly request your Excellency’s Attention to the Troops in this Colony and to the Necessity of appointing an Officer of Ability and Reputation to command them which is most ardently wished by every Body. I am, with great Respect, Your Excellency’s Most obedient and Most humble Servant

Nichs Cooke

LS, DLC:GW; copy, RHi.

1. This resolution, which the Rhode Island general assembly passed in its June session, thanks GW “for his favourable representation of the State of this Colony to the most Honourable the Continental Congress, and interposition in Procuring the colony’s Brigade to be taken into continental Pay” (DLC:GW; see also Bartlett, R.I. Records description begins John Russell Bartlett, ed. Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England. 10 vols. Providence, 1856–65. description ends , 7:554). Congress approved that measure on 11 May (JCC description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends , 4:347), and according to Stephen Hopkins, GW’s letter to Hancock of 30 April 1776 “had great influence in procuring it to be done” (Hopkins to Cooke, 15 May 1776, in Smith, Letters of Delegates description begins Paul H. Smith et al., eds. Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774–1789. 26 vols. Washington, D.C., 1976–2000. description ends , 3:681–82).

2. This quotation is taken from Hopkins’s letter to Cooke of 15 May (ibid.).

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    Washington Papers
    Title
    To George Washington from Nicholas Cooke, 20 June 1776
    Author
    Cooke, Nicholas
    Recipient
    Washington, George
    Date
    20 June 1776

    Reference

    Cite as
    “To George Washington from Nicholas Cooke, 20 June 1776,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-05-02-0028. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 5, 16 June 1776 – 12 August 1776, ed. Philander D. Chase. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1993, p. 55.]

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