These assertions I aver to be groundless ; and in proof, I refer to the following copies of re ceipts, the originals of which are deposited with Mr. Laban Bronfon, at 57, in Maiden-Lane, for merly one of my agents under the contract, for infpecflion of those who may wilh explicit fatis faiftion on this head. No. t. Received, Carlisle, 2(1 April, 1791, of Colonel William Dner, by the hands of Colonel George Gibfon, five hundred dollars, on account of provisions to be farnifhed by me to the army of the United States. Signed, 500 Dollars. No. 2. Received, Philadelphia, April 19, 179 1 » of William Duer, Esq. three hundred dollars, in poll notes, which I proniife to deliver to Mr. James Smith, near Carlisle, taking duplicate re cepts therefor. Signed, HIPPOLITE MALARTIC. N. B. The receipt of this sum is acknowledged in Mr. Smith's account. No. 3. Received, April 17th, 1 791, of Colonel William Duer, four hundred and seven dollars and forty-eight ninetieths, on account of sup plies for the troops raising at Winchester in Virginia. Signed, JOHN KEAN. No. 4. 13th April, 1791, Received of William Duer, two thoufana dollars, to be applied in pur chasing supplies for the troops on the western frontiers, and for which I promifeto account. Signed, 2000 Dollars. Exclusive of the above sums, I paid many of Mr. NeviU's drafts, previous to the time at which the committee flat eel he had received no money, as will appear by his account, deposited with Mr. Bronfon, and made large advances to several other persons, for supplies, to be furniflied at Pittlburgh, and other places ; the proofs of which are too voluminous to be inserted in this publi- cation. Here I might reft the defence on these points, but the following proofs of a more decisive an ture, from J to 9, prove how much I had at heart an honorable fulfilment of my contract; and that the measures which I took for this purpose, ■were not only fuccefsful, but acknowleded by -public documents, lodged in the war office, which the committee might have seen, if an impartial investigation had been the object of their re searches. No. J. Inftrutftions to Laban Bronfon Sir, The confidence I have, from pad experience in your activity, and regard for my interest, has induced me to appoint you my principal agent for managing all purchases on my account in the vveltern country, not only on account of the con trail, but on account of the French emigrants. 7n managi the former, yon will a<ft accord ing to your own discretion, and for my best in terefl ; in the latter, you will from time to time govern yourfelf by such special inftrudions as you lhall receive from me. Your principal and immediate attention must be devoted to fupplyin'g all the potts under the contraA for the space of four months and pro curing a complete supply of salted provisions for the months of May and June next, preferring pork, if you can obtain it. To enable you to commence your operations, you have herewith in Philadelphia bank bills, fifteen hundred dol lars, and a letter of credit on my agent Mr. Jo seph Hardy, at Philadelphia, directing to pay your drafts on him, drawn at not less than ten days fight, for i;oo dollars. You have likewise an order on Mr. Ludlow, directing him to pay into your hands what monies he may have undis posed of, of my last remittance, and all that he fliall receive from the French emigrants, who are under a convention to pay me for provisions sup plied them. With these resources, and that of the merchandize in the care of Mr. Swan (and who must dispose of them under your directions solely) I have no doubt you will be able to exe cute the objetfts entrusted to you. If further means are necefl'ary, inform me instantly, and you lhall have them. Immediately on your arrival at Buffaloeor Fort Pitt, you will give notice to Gen. Harmarofyour commission, the profpetfsyou have, andtheroea fures you propose adopting, and you will at the fame time transmit to me the fame intelligence. From the funds entrusted to Mr. M'Fat land previous to his death, and those in the hands of Mr. Fowler, I am persuaded considerable supplies mud have been procured. Obtain, as soon as possible, for me, a state of all purchases or con tracts made on my account and of the deliveries in confluence, fpecifying the special nature of the deliveries, and the polls at which they htive been received. This you will obtain through Mr. Israel Ludlow, who is appointed to superin tend all the iflues, and whose province it will be to \ifit the refpeftive ports. Although from Capt. Mills' letter to me it is mod probable that a fufficient supply has gone to Port Vincennes, yet it will be neceHary to ascertain this circum'- stance with precision, and to supply any deficien JAMES SMITH JOHN NEVILL cy in such mode as you may think jnoft advifea ble. In short, fir, in executing the business intrud ed to you, you will consider yourfelf unfettered by any other considerations than a regard to my interest which is inseparable from an honorable fulfilment of my contra# : and you will use eve ry exertion to retrieve any loss of credit, or re putation which 1 may have fuffered from the fate of Mr. M'Farland, or from the scandalous insi nuations of such persons as wish my contract to fail. As the season of the year renders the executi on of the office you have undertaken extremely fatiguing, and detaches you from the private pursuits you had in contemplation, I will allow you for two months service which you have pro mi led to devote to me, one hundred dollars per month, exclusive of your reaf&nable travelling charges, and before the expiration of that time I will think of a proper charadierto succeed you. You have herewith a special coinmiffion for the purposes mentioned in those inftru»fiions, which you will communicate when circuinftances may render necellary, and a general letter of credit to Mr. Willis at Buffaloe, who I doubt not will give you any aid in executing the trust reposed in you. 1 am, &c. yours with esteem, Wm. DUER. Mr. Laban Bronson In order that some parts of this letter may be more clearly understood, it isneceflary to menti on that it was written in consequence of a for mer agent's sudden death ; and the efFetft which it was fuppoled it might have on the fuppliesof the army at a very critical period, the Ohio ri ver was frozen that year much earlier than usu al ; a small part of the neceflary supplies had been sent down previous to that event, and a clamarous representation had been made to the heads of the Treasury and War departments, of my utter inability to supply the contradl. From what quarter, and with what views those representations were made ; I lhall probably have occasion to shew at a future period. No. 6. Return of provions on hand, May 2Jth, 1 791, at and near Pittsburgh. Total—Twelve beeves, 2356 lbs. of Pork, 792 lbs. of bacon, 3395 barrels of flour, 8628 1-2 gal lons of whilkey, 23 boxes of soap, 100 pounds of candles. N. B. This return was tranfimitted to the War- Office, and from that department to me. No. 7. Abftracft of provisions forthearmy, sent forward to the several pods under the contradt for 1791 —also, shewing the quantity on hand, July 28, 1791. Total sent forward—l 3 bis. of pork, 12257 1-4 lbs. of pork, 17 bis. beef, 39842 lbs. beef, 2674 bis. flour, 1366 kegs flour, 3243 gallons whilkey, 561 kegs ditto, 6028 3 4 gallons ditto, 1549, s candles, 2150 1-2 lbs. soap, 10 1-2 builiels fait, 197 gallons vinegar. Total on hand—l 38 bis. flour, 374 kegs of flour, 1068 gallons whilkey, 16 kegs do. 140 lbs. candles, 9200 lbs. soap, 43 1-2 buthels fait, 190 gallons vinegar. The above is exclusive of what has been issu ed to the troops, at Whelon, BufFaloe, Rackoon creek, Fort Pitt, (Reed's, Johnfton's and Loyal Hanon's stations up the Alleghany river) also to the trfiops on their paflage down the Ohio, and 28 head of beef cattle on hand at Fort Pitt, and 25 head at Mulkingum. No. 8. Return of provisions on hand the 12th day of December, 1791 —at Fort Washington. 400 barrels flour, 30,000 lbs. fait beef, 100 gal lons whiskey, 21 boxes soap, 10 bushels fait. Iflues at this place per day, 600 rations. Copy. (Signed) EDWD. EVANS. No. 9. Extract of a letter from Francis Mentges, Esq. inlpeftor of the troops of the United States, to the Secretary of War, dated Fort- Washington, June 2d, 1791. " The present contractor has supplied the se veral ports with good and vjholefoine provisions ; and great quantities 0} provifton is on hand." True extratft, Copy. JOHN STAGG, jun. Chief Clerk. N. B. This extrad; was tranfinitted to me from the War-Office. From the above documents the following fails are clearly established : Id. That as early as the 25th of May, there was collected as Pittsburgh, (exclusive of other articles of supply) 2395 bar rels of flour, and 8628 gallons of whilkev, which is equal to 469,420 complete rations of flour, and 552,192 complete ra tions of whilkev; whereas the amount o'" rations required for the troops whilst on the expedition, did not exceed, byGeneral St. Clair's requilition, 360,000 rations. 2d. That previous to the 28th day of July, there had been forwarded to the army (exclusive ol all the subordinate posts, b:ing in the mean time victualled) 2674 barrels, and 1366 kegs or half barrels of flour, and 9271 gallons of whilkev, equal to 657,972 complete rations of flour, and 593,344 complete ra tions of whiskey. 3d. That from the firft of January, 1791, at the time my contract commenced, to the 2d of June following, before any of the supplies above dated could 'have arrived at the army, ail the posts under the contract had not only been fuppliedwith GOOD AND WHOLESOME PROVISIONS, but that GREAT QUANTITIES OF PROVISION WERE ON HAND. 4th. That after the return of the army from the expedition, ar.d only nineteen days previous to the expiration of my con 446 dust, which was on the 3 (ft day of December last, 430 ban of flour, and. 30, 000 lbs. of beef were on hand at headquarter" for a garrison of 600 men; which is equal to 122 davs fuonlv of flour, and J3 of meat. It is unneceflary to mention my fupphes ot beef, because the reporter acknowledge a pleuti ful supply of meat : this article being furnilhed from Ken tucky, is not included in the Pittsburgh returns. tJhere remain two other cnarges, which require some no- One, that there a total failure in the supply of horse, which occasioned the commander in chief to direct i "iurchafe of betwixt fix and fe veil hundred, for which he ordered mv a-ent to draw bills on me, and of which I refufed payment This charge, so far as it refpefts my failure, is as void of foun dation as the other : But, at present, I (hall content mvlelf with observing— lit. That previous to the order issued by Gen. St Clair Mr. Wilkinsan agent specially employed for this purpose' was purchasing the number of horses which was judged necel fa?y for the expedition, when I undertook the supply ; and that this circumstance was publickly known in camp. ' 2d. That I have made attual payment manymonths since for all the horses purchased by this gentleman, agreeably t» my contract with him—and Lastly. That the loss of borfes, and any interruption in the regular supply of flour, is not imputable to the causes stated by the committee ; but to some of a very different nature and for which I am not responsible ; and that probably this want of flour existed principally on the retreat, after the victors had got pofleffion of all the pro-vifion—lf the limits of a riewfpa per would admit of my introducing the whole testimony ne ceflary to support those points, in that inconteftible manner which it is in my power to do, other obvious considerations restrain me from it at this time, I recnlleft on this occasion an observation made by Dr. Franklin to Mr. Morris, when fu perintendant of the finances, on a controversy about money with the Count of Vergennes, in which, after stating the CouMt's objections, the Doctor Ihrewdly observes, that he could have easily refuted all he had said, but that if he had GOT THE BETTER OF THE ARGUMENT, he fllOuld have GOT NO THING ELSE. I lhallconclude on this head with observing that the truth of this charge may easily bejudgedof, by the ac curacy OF THE OTHER PARTS OF THE REPORT OF THE COM MITTEE On those points where the means of official evidence, in direct opposition to what they have stated, were within their reach. As to the last point concerning the due bills is sued by my agent, and which is the only remaning one which deserves any comment, I lhall be but short. The report state s as an article of the contrail, " that the officer* had an eleitionof drawingthe whole of the rations, to which their rank entitled them, or of receiving the contrail once of them, in cash, &c. &r. This is not Jo. There is not a [ingle article of t his kind, or a Jingle exprejfion in my contrail, which can he tortured to i mply such an engagement — In proof of this, my original con trail is left wtth Mr. Bronfon for the perusal of those who with to be fatisfied as to the truth of this bold assertion. Indeed such an obligation would be too absurd for any contractor to fubjeil himfelfto; —for if this eleilion was to be in the officers of ait army, as the Contractor could not know when their fancy or wants might lead them to prefer one to another, he would be un der the neeeffity of double advances for the fame objeil ; one for the officers rations, theoMeruf cajh to pay for sfiem, if not de manded, and what would be still worse, he would not only run the risque of having the undra «vn rations on his hands, but if he paid for them at the contrail price, have according to an old fay ing, his labor Jor his pains. All tfiat has ever been usual ill thiscafe has been for the officers, and Contrailor to agree : which has generally been done by allowing in cash, not the contrafl price, but what the ration was c/liinateito coj at the place where the officers were entitled to receive it ; this order originated in an intention to make me pay to the officers what they had no right to exad; as will appear by the following extrail of my agent's letter to mc on this fubjeil, dated Sept. 26th, 1791. " General St. Clair has ordered the quarter maflrr of the dif ferent battalions to include all the rations allowed the officers in their returns, and direiled the commifTaries to iflue due bills for the rations not drawn, which it is expeiled will be paid by you. I should be glad you would give me your direilions on this head, and let me know at what rate they are to be paid ; for I done think you ought to fettle them at the contrail price ; there is no clauje in the contraQ that can oblige you to do it.'' Such are the charges and insinuations made againfl me by the committee ; and such the evidence I offer to invalidate them—lf it be asked how Congrels come to direil a publication of this na ture, tending to criminate individuals without knowing in what manner the charges againfl them had been fubflantiated, I reply that the report was foifled in the lafl day of the session, when ma ny members were absent, and the imagination of the few present so much on the wing homewards as to prevent the exercifc of that cool refleilion which in general marks the proceedings of that refpeilable body : l( Thus wretches hang, that jurymen may dine." As to the motivesof the reporters they appear fufficicnt ly obvious. I presume they thought it confiflent with policy and even with established precedent, that on this occasion some viilim should be marked out as an objeil of popular resentment. It would not do to charge Congiefs as the author of the calamity, because they are Joulbirds which bewray their own nejls. It would not do to charge the President fat least direflly) be cause his unremitted attention in executing with the mofl Icrupu lousexailuefs as well as ability, every pait of his executive func tions, and a conviilion of this on the public mind preclude a 1 hopes of success from such an attempt. It would not do to charge general St. Clair; firft, because a former committee of Congrels had made a very sorry figure in such an attack : — And secondly, because h.e was present to vindicate h Imfclf - Who then so proper to attack as mylelf ?—None—Firft, because was a Contrailor : and Contrafto's, from custom immcmoria.. always bear the blame of loft battles ; Secondly, bccaufe iny mi fortunes had fubjeiled mc to popular prejudices, and of cour e it was no great crime to charge me with an additional burt en , n laflly, because I was absent, and of course not capable ol defend ing myfclf. In these points of view (if I may be permitted to use a 1 jocularly a graveobfervationof the committee, arid pel .aps v* as much propriety at leafl as thev do) their order of a P pears to have been judicious and their ground of aflionwc c ojin. Wm. D U E R, late Contractor Jor the Wcjlern Amy. New-York, lyth May, 179? Advantage of a Red No/r.— We hear from En field, in the upper part of this county, that as tvv men were crofling a pond in pursuit of a . 00 » one of them being thirsty, and perceiving a o which had been cut through the ice by onie ermen, he stooped down to drink, but en l ? I fefled of a long red nose, a filh suppose ' some bait, and made bold tofnap at it, " u man fuddenlv throwing his head bac , <■ r a Trout which vveighed three pounds tour 0 Keene, (N.H.) March 22.
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