Delegates to Congress . Letters of delegates to Congress, 1774-1789, Volume 16, September 1 1780-February 28 1781
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Committee on the Pennsylvania Mutiny to To: Samuel Huntington


Sir,
Trenton, Jany. 8th, 1781.

   By Direction of the Committee, I have the Honor to Inform your Excellency That we waited at this place Yesterday in Expectation of hearing from President Read but received no Intelligence till This Day at noon, when he Informed us by Letter,(1) that upon his going into Town The Troops of the Pensylvanian Line Treated him with Every mark of Respect, That after a Long conference with the Board of Sergeants he offered them Such proposals as he thought Reasonable & about Midnight returned to Maidenhead, that he had been Informed by Straglers this morning that his proposals were in general agreable to the Troops-he respected the opinion of your Committee respecting the Terms which was immediately communicated and we flatter ourselves the Dispute will Soon be happily Terminated. The British Emissaries mentioned in our Letter of Yesterday were Delivered on Condition of being returned upon their Demand. This was a Circumstance not known to us when we wrote yesterday. They Demanded them Last evening but agreed that they should be forth Coming to the order of President Read. The Emissaries are now in Close Confinement. Another Invitation from the British was this


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morning found before the Colledge wrapt in Sheet Lead which they immediately Delivered to General Waine.

   They have in Every Instance Shown a Disposition to return to Duty upon receiving Compensation for their past Services &Justice being done to them respecting the terms of their Inlistments and by no means to Join the British but upon a Conviction that Justice could not be obtained.

   But from the Positions they have taken, their Demanding a return of the Emisaries and many other Circumstances it is evident they mean this as a Dernier Resort in case of their not obtaining Reasonable Terms.

   The Jersey Brigade & a Large number of the Jersey Militia are posted so as to prevent their Joining the Enemy in case Lenient Measures should not have the desired Effect.

   Since writing the above we have rec'd further Dispatches from president Read (2) Copies of which are Inclosed which with General Waines Letter & the papers Inclosed will give you Every Information which we can give.

   I have the Honor to be by order of the Committee Most respectfully Yr. Exc'ys most obedt. Servt.Jno. Sullivan


Note:

    (DNA: PCC, item 152). Written and signed by John Sullivan.



1 This was actually the first of three letters that President Reed wrote to the committee this day, for which see the committee's second letter to Reed, this date, below.



2 Ibid.