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Letter to Editor
May 28, 1778
The Newport Gazette
Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island
What is this article about?
A letter signed 'ORPHEUS' criticizes the neglect of Continental soldiers by the state in providing clothing and supplies, posing 12 queries about unfulfilled engagements, inefficient agents, and failures in procurement, while referencing General Washington's exposure to risks.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
Messrs. Powars and Willis,
Please to give the following a place in your useful and impartial paper, and you will oblige some of your constant readers, one of which is your friend ORPHEUS.
It is with diffidence I dip my feeble pen in public ink, but as no one has appeared to point out a reason, for the neglect shown to those soldiers who are now hazarding their lives in our defence—I trust that my motives will be a sufficient apology with the candid reader, a solution to the following queries.
1. When our continental soldiers were enlisted, were they to be supplied by this State, with cloathing and other necessaries?
2. Have not our engagements with soldiers been shamefully (to give it no worse name) neglected, when in our power to fulfill them?
3. Is not this neglect adding abuse to injury?—Abuse of that best man, General Washington; as it has deprived him of many worthy soldiers, and left him more exposed to invasion from inhumane foes; cruelty to the soldiers—as their foot-steps in the inclement season can witness.
4. Have the agents, commissaries, and other persons, appointed by this State to purchase necessaries for the supply of the army, ever paid or even afforded, the current price those necessaries were then sold at?
5. Have those teamsters, who have been employed in transporting these articles to the army been paid equal to those who transported private property?
6. Have all commissaries, agents, conductors, waggon masters, &c. &c. &c. of this State, rendered an account of all stores by them received?
7. Have not some of the aforesaid officers been deficient, and yet allowed to hold their offices?
8. Has no officer of known ability and probity, and no deficient, been dismissed the service, and the trust reposed in them committed to others, with no one qualification superior—not to say inferior?
9. Is there no cloathing to be purchased in the maritime towns by agents; that the country villages are called upon?
10. How Can it be, that any and every individual, can purchase shirts, stockings, Shoes, &c. and the vulture eyed agents, &c. be unable to purchase for the soldiery?
11. Why was not the towns called upon to furnish cloathing for their soldiers in September last, before the approaching winter?
12. Has there never been reasonable offers made of supplies to proper officers, and those offers refused or neglected?
With whom ah heavy and retarding weight,
Does expectation load the wings of time;)
When will occasion smile upon our
wither,
And give the torture of suspense a period?
Please to give the following a place in your useful and impartial paper, and you will oblige some of your constant readers, one of which is your friend ORPHEUS.
It is with diffidence I dip my feeble pen in public ink, but as no one has appeared to point out a reason, for the neglect shown to those soldiers who are now hazarding their lives in our defence—I trust that my motives will be a sufficient apology with the candid reader, a solution to the following queries.
1. When our continental soldiers were enlisted, were they to be supplied by this State, with cloathing and other necessaries?
2. Have not our engagements with soldiers been shamefully (to give it no worse name) neglected, when in our power to fulfill them?
3. Is not this neglect adding abuse to injury?—Abuse of that best man, General Washington; as it has deprived him of many worthy soldiers, and left him more exposed to invasion from inhumane foes; cruelty to the soldiers—as their foot-steps in the inclement season can witness.
4. Have the agents, commissaries, and other persons, appointed by this State to purchase necessaries for the supply of the army, ever paid or even afforded, the current price those necessaries were then sold at?
5. Have those teamsters, who have been employed in transporting these articles to the army been paid equal to those who transported private property?
6. Have all commissaries, agents, conductors, waggon masters, &c. &c. &c. of this State, rendered an account of all stores by them received?
7. Have not some of the aforesaid officers been deficient, and yet allowed to hold their offices?
8. Has no officer of known ability and probity, and no deficient, been dismissed the service, and the trust reposed in them committed to others, with no one qualification superior—not to say inferior?
9. Is there no cloathing to be purchased in the maritime towns by agents; that the country villages are called upon?
10. How Can it be, that any and every individual, can purchase shirts, stockings, Shoes, &c. and the vulture eyed agents, &c. be unable to purchase for the soldiery?
11. Why was not the towns called upon to furnish cloathing for their soldiers in September last, before the approaching winter?
12. Has there never been reasonable offers made of supplies to proper officers, and those offers refused or neglected?
With whom ah heavy and retarding weight,
Does expectation load the wings of time;)
When will occasion smile upon our
wither,
And give the torture of suspense a period?
What sub-type of article is it?
Persuasive
Investigative
Political
What themes does it cover?
Military War
Politics
Morality
What keywords are associated?
Continental Soldiers
Cloathing Neglect
General Washington
State Agents
Military Supplies
Officer Accountability
Army Procurement
What entities or persons were involved?
Orpheus
Messrs. Powars And Willis
Letter to Editor Details
Author
Orpheus
Recipient
Messrs. Powars And Willis
Main Argument
the state has neglected its obligations to supply continental soldiers with clothing and necessaries, leading to abuse of general washington and cruelty to troops; the letter poses queries to expose failures by agents, officers, and officials in procurement and accountability.
Notable Details
References General Washington
Poetic Closing Lines Expressing Suspense And Expectation