Papers of John Adams, volume 5
The Committee of both Houses appointed to consider a Letter from General Washington to the President of the Council dated Decr: 18th:2 beg leave to report that we think it expedient that the honorable John Adams, and Robt. Treat Paine Esqrs: two of the Delegates to the Continental Congress now in this State be desired to attend this Court, that from them we may learn the general State of Continental Affairs, and that some Person be dispatched immediately to desire Mr. Paine to attend this Court for the purpose abovemention'd as soon as may be.
Read, and Accepted.
Sent down for Concurrence
Read, and Concurred
A true Copy3
According to the MS record, the Council did not hear a report from the joint committee until 3 Jan., and a blank space is left where the report would normally appear. But marginal notes indicate that Paine and JA were to be consulted. The House Journal, however, shows that concurrence in the joint committee report was voted on 2 Jan. The next day the House voted concurrence to a report that the joint committee confer with the two men rather than have the two attend the General Court. On 4 Jan. the joint committee reported that it had conferred with JA; Paine had not yet arrived in Boston. In its report the committee urged the General Court to order the towns to fill their proportion of the fifteen battalions which Massachusetts was expected to furnish (Records of the States, Microfilm, Mass. A.1a, Reel No. 13, Unit 1, p. 415, 418; Mass., House Jour.
, 1776–1777, 2d sess., p. 210–211).
Washington painted a gloomy picture of the army's situation: men from the Flying Camp (a reserve unit intended to have mobility) had returned home on the expiration of their enlistment, field strength had been reduced to a “mere handful,” assistance from the militia was not forthcoming despite his pleas, and Gen. Lee had been captured by the British (
Writings, ed. Fitzpatrick, 6:394–396).
No copy has been found in the Adams Papers.