Letter from John Rutledge, March 6, 1781.
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from John Rutledge, March 6, 1781.
Creator
Date
1781-08-06
Subject
Description
Letters from John Rutledge, President of South Carolina, to the state delegates in the Congress of Philadelphia. Topics include the fall of Charleston, Thomas Sumter's victory at Hanging Rock, patriot and British troop strengths in South Carolina, battle of Eutaw Springs, execution of Isacc Hayne, John Laurens diplomatic activities in France, and election of J. Matthews to succeed Rutledge.
2023-05-11
600 dpi, 16-bit depth, color, Epson Expression 10000XL, Archival masters are tiffs.
Contributor
Cox, Danielle
Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to the Charleston Library Society. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Special Collections Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Charleston Library Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
Format
image/jpeg
Type
StillImage
Source
Ms. 140, John Rutledge letters, 1780-1788.
Language
English
Identifier
Ms140_Let16
Text Item Type Metadata
Transcription
High Hills of Santee August 6
1781.
Gent.
This will be delivered by Colo. Thompson to whom I refer you for a full acct. of Maters this Way - I have informed Commissions of the Peace, & qualified some Magistrates for each district - I have also circulated a proclamation agst plundering, which has prevailed to a great degree - & I am in hopes we shall put an immediate Stop to it - I wd. have issued special commissions of oyer & Terminer, to hold Courts in the Several districts, but, for want of the Judges & Attorneys Gen'., - Business could not be conducted, as well as I wd. wish to have it - I have wrote by this opportunity, requesting 'em to come on, immediately, & shall postpone issuing the Commissions, untill their Arrival, unless they make a longer stay than I hope they will, in which case,
I must make temporary appointments to those offices, but, this, I hope they will render unnecessary, by coming soon - I think the Circumstances of the State admit of electing a Legislature, but, as it wd. be ungracious to exclude our worthy friends lately prisoners in St. August. & C:Town from a share in the Legislature, (wch. might probably be the Case if one was immediately called,) & injurious to the publick, to deprive it of their Abilities & Services, I have determined to postpone issuing Writs of Election, for a while, & untill they, or most of 'em, arrive - However, Several Laws are absolutely necessary, & the having the Legislative, as well as the Executive & Judicial, Authority operating, in its full & proper Extent, throughout the State, wd. have a great Effect, on our Affairs, particularly abroad - I therefore wish most anxiously, to have an Assembly elected, & willing, as soon as possible - you will be pleased to press the Gentlemen of the Council, & such other Gent:, with you, as were Members of the last Assembly, or are of Weight & Influence in the Country, to come hither, with the utmost Expectations - I imagine the Gent. of the Council have already set out, & therefore I do not write to them - However, you will communicate this Matter to 'em, if still with you, & to such other Gent. as are at, or near, Philadelphia - pray have 'em accommodated, wth. what may be necessary for bringing 'em on any Expense, on that Score, shall be speedily reimbursed, by Means of Indigo
which I hope to be able to send soon, to Philadelphia - We are in very great Want of arms - I request, therefore, that you will not fail to procure, & send on, (if they are not already sent,) the Arms & other Articles abt. wch. I wrote to you by Phil: Will, the day I left Philada. - & pray forward the Cloathing wch. Gilson may bring, as soon as possible, & inform me, what other Articles his Cargo consists of - I request to hear from you, by every opportunity, & to receive the earliest Intelligence, of all material occurrences, particularly European I am with great Regard
Gent.
Yr. most obedt. Servt.
J: Rutledge
The Delegates of So. Carolina
P.S. Be pleased to send me 4 or 5 lotts of the [tear in page] consideration [illegible] wch are bound up together in a Volume
1781.
Gent.
This will be delivered by Colo. Thompson to whom I refer you for a full acct. of Maters this Way - I have informed Commissions of the Peace, & qualified some Magistrates for each district - I have also circulated a proclamation agst plundering, which has prevailed to a great degree - & I am in hopes we shall put an immediate Stop to it - I wd. have issued special commissions of oyer & Terminer, to hold Courts in the Several districts, but, for want of the Judges & Attorneys Gen'., - Business could not be conducted, as well as I wd. wish to have it - I have wrote by this opportunity, requesting 'em to come on, immediately, & shall postpone issuing the Commissions, untill their Arrival, unless they make a longer stay than I hope they will, in which case,
I must make temporary appointments to those offices, but, this, I hope they will render unnecessary, by coming soon - I think the Circumstances of the State admit of electing a Legislature, but, as it wd. be ungracious to exclude our worthy friends lately prisoners in St. August. & C:Town from a share in the Legislature, (wch. might probably be the Case if one was immediately called,) & injurious to the publick, to deprive it of their Abilities & Services, I have determined to postpone issuing Writs of Election, for a while, & untill they, or most of 'em, arrive - However, Several Laws are absolutely necessary, & the having the Legislative, as well as the Executive & Judicial, Authority operating, in its full & proper Extent, throughout the State, wd. have a great Effect, on our Affairs, particularly abroad - I therefore wish most anxiously, to have an Assembly elected, & willing, as soon as possible - you will be pleased to press the Gentlemen of the Council, & such other Gent:, with you, as were Members of the last Assembly, or are of Weight & Influence in the Country, to come hither, with the utmost Expectations - I imagine the Gent. of the Council have already set out, & therefore I do not write to them - However, you will communicate this Matter to 'em, if still with you, & to such other Gent. as are at, or near, Philadelphia - pray have 'em accommodated, wth. what may be necessary for bringing 'em on any Expense, on that Score, shall be speedily reimbursed, by Means of Indigo
which I hope to be able to send soon, to Philadelphia - We are in very great Want of arms - I request, therefore, that you will not fail to procure, & send on, (if they are not already sent,) the Arms & other Articles abt. wch. I wrote to you by Phil: Will, the day I left Philada. - & pray forward the Cloathing wch. Gilson may bring, as soon as possible, & inform me, what other Articles his Cargo consists of - I request to hear from you, by every opportunity, & to receive the earliest Intelligence, of all material occurrences, particularly European I am with great Regard
Gent.
Yr. most obedt. Servt.
J: Rutledge
The Delegates of So. Carolina
P.S. Be pleased to send me 4 or 5 lotts of the [tear in page] consideration [illegible] wch are bound up together in a Volume
Collection
Citation
Rutledge, John, “Letter from John Rutledge, March 6, 1781.,” Charleston Library Society Digital Collections, accessed May 19, 2024, https://charlestonlibrarysociety.omeka.net/items/show/1449.