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1778. woollens and linens, made or unmade, for the fervice of the fick; many of whom were loft for want of these articles. They also ordered doctor Shippen, the director general of the hospitals, and doctor Rush, physician general of the middle diftrict, to attend them on the 26th of January. A committee of five upon their arrival was chofen to fend for, and to hear them, and to report fpecially. The afternoon of the 27th, and the next morning, were spent in that fervice. A gentleman, who could not but know what paffed, wrote on the 28th"Doctor R fays in a letter, that one half of the foldiers that died last year, perished by the prefent medical establishment. A shocking black picture indeed doctor Rush painted-but by all accounts it is a just one. It is a very melancholy reflection, that buildings erected for the relief and comfort of the fick and wounded, fhould become tombs to them. A bad fyftem and a bad administration, have produced great mischiefs in the hofpital. Peculation and embezzlement of stores, prevail as much in this department as in others. I do not allege these things without authority or proof. They are facts too well authenticated." Another, in his corref pondence, expreffed himself thus upon matters" The wealth of worlds could not fupport the expence of the medical department alone, above two or three years. There is but one right fyftem for a military hofpital, and that is the one made ufe of by the British army, That would fave half a million a year to the continent, and, what is more, would produce perfect fatisfaction and happiness." On the 30th, Dr. Rush requested leave to refign, which was accepted. Congress, on the 6th of February, came to various refolutions, upon the report

of the first committee, for the better regulating the 1778. hofpitals of the United States. On the 25th, Dr. Rush fent a letter from Princeton to gen. Washington, containing a well-attefted certificate from Bethlehem, fetting forth, that the wine allowed the hospital was so adulterated as to have none of the qualities of Madeira-that none of the patients under the care of the figners eat of venison, poultry, and wild fowl, (unless purchased by themselves) and that large quantities were purchased by the director general—that the director entered the hospital but once during fix weeks refidence in Bethlehem, though the utmost distress and mortality prevailed-that the fick were too much crowded, and wanted blankets, fhirts, ftraw, and other neceffaries-that there died in the place two hundred foldiers (eight-tenths of them by a putrid fever caught in the hofpital) within three months. Dr. Rufh mentioned, that Dr. Shippen, in the height of the mortality, wrote to congrefs" No fatal disease prevails in the hofpitals, very few die, and the hospitals are in very good order." He faid-" Our director general was employed in felling large quantities of Madeira wine, brown and loaf fugar, &c. (which had been transported through the country in hofpital waggons, and fecured as hofpital ftores) under the name of private property." This, and another letter from the doctor, were read in congrefs, the third of April, when a committee was appointed and directed to inquire into the charges contained in the letters against doctor Shippen and into his conduct as director general, and to report specially to congrefs. The diminution of the army by fickness has been very great: and you will eafily conceive whence it was that no more of the fick recovered. The

1778. fickness of the foldiers, before going to the hospitals,

was brought upon them, not altogether through the want of clothes or provision, but of cleanliness in their huts and in the camp. Notwithstanding repeated pofitive orders enjoining cleanliness, in fome places of the camp the stench was intolerable, through the neglect or the want of neceffaries.

It has been refolved, that count Pulafki fhall raise and have the command of an independent corps, to confift of fixty-eight horse and two hundred foot; the horfe to be armed with lances, and the foot equipped in the manner of light infantry.

No mention has been yet made of one capt. Lee of the light dragoons, a bold enterprising young officer, who, if fpared, is like to make a confiderable figure; but a refolve of congrefs leads us to notice him. By the twenty-fecond of laft November, he and his little troop had taken a hundred and two of the enemy prifoners. The whole tenor of his conduct during that campaign proved him to be brave and prudent. He rendered effential fervice to his country, and acquired to himself and the corps he commanded, distinguished honor. The congrefs, to reward his merit, have refolved, "That capt. H. Lee be promoted to the rank of major commandant; that he be empowered to augment his prefent corps by inliftments to two troops of horfe, to act as a feparate corps." These inliftments are not to be made from among the prifoners. The commander in chief oppofes every thing of that kind, and has written" We have always complained against Howe, and still do, for obliging or permitting the prifoners in his hands to inlift, as an unwarrantable pro

cedure. The practice on our part would justify it in 1778. him. I believe no prisoners have ever been inlifted by us. I am fure none have through compulfion." But in the Maffachusetts, a number of the convention troops, upon offering themselves, were inlifted: which occafioned the general's writing, " Burgoyne could hardly fuggeft a more effectual plan, for plundering us of fo much money, reinforcing Mr. Howe with fo many men, and preventing us from recruiting a certain number of regiments." All the British deserters fent on from this ftate as recruits for one regiment,went off to the enemy by the end of March and of a detachment of fixty of them, which marched to join col. Henley's, only twelve or thirteen reached the camp. Part of the others made their escape and the reft formed a plan for the fame purpose, mutinied and were thrown into prifon. The conduct of inlifting the convention troops was fufficiently mortifying; but it was far more provoking to obferve the backwardness of the states in furnishing the recruits that were wanted. Instead of the army's being reinforced with eight or ten thousand troops, it was fcarcely joined by so many hundreds, by the twelfth of April.

Let us change the fubject, and confine ourselves, for a time, more particularly to the proceedings of congrefs.

On the 19th of January, they refolved to grant a brevet of lieut. col. to the chevalier de Maduit du Pleffis, as a reward for his fervices. Gen. Washington recommended him in a letter, adding, that "the gallant conduct of this young gentleman at Brandywine, Germantown, and at Fort Mercer, (on the Delaware) entitles him to the particular notice of congrefs;" that "he made feveral judicious alterations in the works at Red

April

12.

1778. bank, and showed great good conduct during the action, in which the Heffians were repulfed ;" and that "after the evacuation was determined on, he became the means of faving fome valuable artillery and ftores, and cheerfully undertook as volunteer the hazardous operation of blowing up the magazine, &c. without apparatus usually provided upon fuch occafions;" and concluding with"he poffeffes a degree of modefty not always found in men who have performed brilliant actions."

Two days after, congrefs, on the report from the board of war, refpecting the treatment of the American prifoners in New York and Philadelphia, refolved among other things" That the allowance of two dollars a week to officers, who are prisoners of war to thefe United States do ceafe, unless to thofe officers who may be entitled thereto by any contract made on or before their captivity or furrender; That in return for permiffion given to purchase provifions of the American commiffaries for the use of the enemy's prisoners, gen. Washington be directed to demand of gen. Howe, liberty to purchase clothing in fuch places as may be under his power for the use of the American prifoners: That the commiffary general of prisoners and his refpective deputies, be forthwith directed to call in all the officers and privates belonging to the enemy, and to confine them in fuch places, and order them to be fubfifted and treated in fuch manner as fhall render their fituation fimilar, in all refpects, to that of the officers and privates who are prisoners with the enemy; and that they continue this mode of treatment, till fuch time as a change of conduct on the part of the enemy shall induce congrefs, or the commander in chief of the armies of these

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