Delegates to Congress . Letters of delegates to Congress, 1774-1789, Volume 17, March 1 1781-August 31 1781
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Virginia Delegates' Memorandum

Philadelphia April 27th. 1781

   Memorandum of an Agreement entered into this 27th of April 1781 Between the Honble The Delegates of the State of Virginia on the one Part, and Ebenezer Cowell of the City of Philadelphia on the other. (1)

   The said Cowell doth hereby undertake to Cut and put in good Repair two Thousand Rampart Muskets, the Property of the Said State,(2) in the same Manner, and of the same length as those now Shewn in the War Office, at the rate of Seven Shillings and Six Pence Hard Money, or the value thereof in Paper Money at the Time of Payment.

   And the said Cowell doth hereby engage to finish Twelve Hundred of the said Muskets in Fourteen Days from this Time, and deliver the same to the orders of the said Delegates to be transported to the said State of Virginia-and the Residue before the day of Payment.

   And the said Delegates do hereby engage to Pay the said Cowell or order the said Sum of Seven Shillings and Six Pence Hard Money or



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the real value thereof in Paper M[oney] for each Musket, in Sixty days from the day of the Date of these Presents; and they hereby agree that if it is not paid at that Day, that the Eight Hundred Muskets or so many thereof as shall be sufficient for the Purpose shall be immediately Sold to satisfy the said Cowell his demand according to this agreement. James Madison Junr

   Theok. Bland

   M. Smith

   Ebenezer Cowell

   Oct. 10th. 1781. It appears to Me by a Certificate given by Mr. George Nicolson (3) unto the above Mr Ebenezer Cowell that this Contract has been on his part duly, and fully complied with, as will appear by the said Certificate in My possession.

   Thomas Pleasants Jr C. A for the state of Virga. in Philadelphia


Note: MS (ViWC: Miscellaneous Manuscripts). In a clerical hand and signed by Bland, Madison, Smith and Ebenzer Cowell. Addendum written and signed by Thomas Pleasants. A copy of the document made by Bland for Thomas Jefferson is in the Executive Papers, Vi. Madison, Papers (Hutchinson), 3:86-87.

1 For Cowell's credentials as a gunsmith, see ibid., p. 87n.1.



2 The preceding day Congress had ordered two thousand rampart muskets in possession of the Board of War to be repaired and transported "with all possible despatch" to Virginia and North Carolina, "charging to the said states respectively the value of the muskets, with the expence of repairing and transporting them." See JCC, 20:450.



3 Nicolson and Thomas Pleasants, who prepared this October 10 testimonial, were Philadelphia assistants of Virginia commercial agent David Ross. Madison, Papers (Hutchinson), 3:87nn.5, 6.