Diary of John Adams, volume 3
Saturday May 25. 1776. Resolved that a Committee be appointed to confer with his Excellency General Washington, Major General Gates, and Brigadier General Mifflin, and to concert a Plan of military Operations for the ensuing Campaign. The Members appointed Mr. Harrison, Mr. R. H. Lee, Mr. J. Adams, Mr. Wilson, Mr. R. R. Livingston, Mr. Whipple, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. W. Livingston, Mr. Read, Mr. Tilghman, Mr. Hewes, Mr. Middleton and Mr. Hall.1
Congress took into Consideration the Report of the Committee on the Letter from General Washington of 11 May, the Letter from 391Gen. Schuyler of the third &c. which was in part agreed to, as may be seen on the Journal.2
Resolved that the Consideration of the first Paragraph in said report be postponed, and that the third and fifth Paragraphs be referred to the Committee appointed to confer with the Generals.
Resolved that the several Reports on General Washingtons Letters, not yet considered, and the Generals Letters, which were referred to a Committee of the whole Congress, be committed to the Committee appointed to confer with the Generals.
Thus as Postponement and Embarassment had been for Many Months, the Object, We now had all our Business to go over again.
A Number of Deputies from four of the six Nations of Indians, having Arrived in Town and notified Congress, that they are desirous of an Audience.
Resolved That they be admitted to an Audience on Monday next at Eleven O Clock.
The history of this larger committee of conference is too complex to warrant a detailed account here. Its successive reports in the last days of May and early days of June (none of them, so far as the inadequate records show, written by JA) were taken up almost simultaneously in committees of the whole, and on 15 June Congress appointed a committee (of which JA was not a member) “to digest and arrange the several resolutions reported” as a result of recommendations by these and other committees that had been concurrently at work during the preceding crucial weeks in the military as well as political history of the Revolution (
JCC
, 5:446). See the draft reports prepared by Jefferson for the committee of review, in Jefferson, Papers, ed. Boyd, 1:389–396, and the editorial notes there.
JCC
, 4:391–392.
Monday May 27. 1776. Agreable to order, the Indians were admitted to an Audience.
Wednesday May 29. 1776. The Committee appointed to confer with the Generals brought in a Report which was read and considered, Resolved that the farther Consideration of the Report be postponed till tomorrow.
Thursday May 30. 1776. Congress took into Consideration the Report of the Committee appointed to confer with the Generals. Resolved that it be referred to a Committee of the whole Congress. Mr. Harrison reported one Resolution, relative to the defence of New York. Leave to sit again.
Fryday May 31. The Committee of Conference brought in a farther report which was read. Resolved that it be referred to the Committee of the whole Congress. Mr. Harrison reported a request to sit again. Granted.
Saturday June 1. 1776. Colonel Joseph Read resigned his Office of Secretary to General Washington.
Committee of the whole again. Mr. Harrison reported some resolutions. Leave to sit again.
Monday June 3. 1776 Committee of the whole. Mr. Harrison reported sundry resolutions. Leave to sit again.
Tuesday June 4th. 1776. Committee of the whole. Mr. Harrison reported more resolutions. Leave to sit again. Resolutions reported postponed.