Knox, Henry (1750-1806) to James Bowdoin
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.03315 Author/Creator: Knox, Henry (1750-1806) Place Written: New York, New York Type: Autograph letter Date: 22 October 1786 Pagination: 2 p. : docket ; 31.6 x 19.6 cm. Order a Copy
Writes that he will receive by this post the act of Congress authorizing an additional 700 troops in the Ohio frontier, where the troops there are suffering attacks from local Indians. Reports that Congress has called for the states to pay into the treasury by June of the following year, but that they need money more quickly than that if they want to support the troops already in service and augment the force as well. Hopes that the wealthier men in Boston will agree to help support the government and that they can work out a measure in which they will be "confident of security, and a speedy reimbursement."
[draft]
New York 22 October 1786
Your Excellency will receive by this post the act of Congress for augmenting the 700 men now in service to a [legionary] corps of two thousand and forty men [inserted: & some official papers furnishing] the authentic information from the Ohio of the designs of the Indians, are so alarming as to render the propriety of an Augmentation fully evident - [struck: Accordingly] therefore Congress were perfectly unanimous on the [struck: occasion] measure.
In order to support these troops congress will call on the respective States to pay into the public treasury by the month of June next [500,000] dollars But this measure of [struck: the] itself will be utterly incomplete for the exigencies of the moment - Some plan must be devised in which the monied men shall be confident of security, and a speedy reimbursement Mr King and myself have given [struck: the most] positive assurances of the good dispositions of the gentlemen of Boston, [struck: whom] I hope [inserted: they] will [struck: not ev] [inserted: strikeout] [inserted: not evince on] this great occasion an ill timed dissidence which, [struck: must] [inserted: may] push all the establishment of an object essential to the public happiness.
[struck: H] It is the particular provision
[2] of the board of treasury to make the money arrangements, [struck: which I hope] I sincerely pray [struck: be adequate to the purpose] in which they will [inserted: I presume] depend greatly on the town of Boston and state of Massachusetts -
I am with great respect
[text loss]
[docket]
private
His Excellency Govr
Bowdoin 22 Octr
1786 -
Money
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