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.