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Open Anthology of The American Revolution: General Washington’s Instructions to Commissioners of Embarkation

Open Anthology of The American Revolution
General Washington’s Instructions to Commissioners of Embarkation
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table of contents
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Table Of Contents
  5. Introduction
  6. Questions to Guide Your Reading
  7. The Virginia Settlement
    1. Starving Time
    2. An Indentured Servant’s Letter Home
    3. Bacon’s Manifesto
  8. The Puritans of New England
    1. Early Education Laws
    2. Limits of Toleration
    3. Prologue to “The Tenth Muse”
    4. Connecticut’s “Blue Laws”
    5. Records of the Trial and Execution of Sarah Good
    6. Two Letters of Gov. William Phips
  9. The Old Colonial System
    1. Articles of Confederation of the United Colonies of New England
    2. The Navigation Act of 1660
    3. Commission of Sir Edmund Andros for the Dominion of New England
    4. Boston Revolt of 1689
    5. Bars Fight
    6. Albany Plan of Union
    7. The Way to Wealth
  10. The Revolution
    1. Second Treatise of Government
    2. Chart of Battles, Leaders, and Congresses During the Revolutionary War
    3. Petition from the Massachusetts House of Representatives to the House of Commons (in response to the Sugar Act)
    4. Patrick Henry’s Resolutions Against the Stamp Act
    5. Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania, To the Inhabitants of the British Colonies
    6. After the Boston Tea Party: Cartoons
    7. Continental Congress’s Declaration of Rights and Grievances against Great Britain
    8. Articles of Association
    9. The Alternative of Williamsburg
    10. Petition of the New York Assembly to George III
    11. Address from Joseph Warren
    12. The Charlotte Town Resolves
    13. The Olive Branch Petition
    14. His Excellency General Washington
    15. Oath of Allegiance to the King George III
    16. Letter from George Washington to John Hancock
    17. Common Sense
    18. Resolve of the Continental Congress Regarding State Governments
    19. Richard Henry Lee Resolution for Independence
    20. Appointment of Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams to Draft the Declaration of Independence
    21. Adoption of the Lee Resolution
    22. The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America
    23. The American Crisis
    24. Draft Notice
    25. Treaty of Alliance with France
    26. Address of the Congress to the Inhabitants of the United States of America
    27. Establishment of the American Army
    28. Marquis de Lafayette’s Oath of Allegiance
    29. Letter of John Adams to the President of Congress
    30. Details from a Providence (RI) Town Meeting About Quartering of Troops
    31. Letter from Elizabeth Burgin to Reverend James Calville
    32. Letter from General George Washington to Congress Announcing the Victory at Yorktown, Virginia
    33. Benjamin Franklin’s Draft of Preliminary Articles of Peace
    34. Treaty of Paris
    35. Minutes of a Conference between George Washington and Guy Carleton
    36. Letter from Joseph Warren to Benjamin Franklin
    37. Articles of Confederation
    38. Northwest Ordinance
    39. Thomas Walke’s Account of Capturing his Runaway Slaves in New York City
    40. General Washington’s Instructions to Commissioners of Embarkation
    41. Letter from Embarkation Commissioners to General Washington
    42. An Address to the Negroes In the State of New-York
    43. Thoughts and Sentiments on the Evil of Slavery
    44. Testimony of Deborah Sampson Gannett
  11. Appendix 1: More Readings

56

General Washington’s Instructions to Commissioners of Embarkation

April-May, 1783

George Washington

Background

This document records the appointment by George Washington of Egbert Benson, William S. Smith and Daniel Parker to be Commissioners of Embarkation. The three men would be responsible for overseeing the British evacuation of the United States out of New York at the conclusion of the Revolutionary War.

Washington instructed the commissioners to ensure that the British did not violate the Preliminary Articles of Peace, signed in Paris on November 30, 1782, which stipulated that the United Kingdom return all property that was seized during the War, including slaves.

Washington and Sir Guy Carleton, commander of British forces during the Revolutionary War, disagreed on the topic of former slaves. Washington demanded the return of escaped slaves per the treaty, but Carleton countered that, under the King’s orders, slaves reaching British lines were to be freed. Sir Carleton intended to keep the promise of freedom that was made to African Americans who joined and fought for the British.

The two leaders deferred the issue to future negotiations and ordered that the names be recorded of persons boarding British ships in New York. Appointing Commissioners of Embarkation was agreed upon by both sides as a partial compromise. Britain evacuated about 3,000 enslaved African Americans, indentured servants, and freedmen to the British colony of Nova Scotia in Canada along with British soldiers.

The “Book of Negroes, or “Inspection Roll of Negroes” as the American version is called, listed those who were evacuated – to tally the loss of “property” for which the British government might compensate the United States at a later date. (No record of that payment has been found.) In 1792, over 1,000 of the new African Canadians continued on and settled back on the continent of Africa, establishing the city of Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Background Courtesy: “George Washington’s Instructions to Commissioners of Embarkation” from the National Archive, Original License CC 4.0 BY NC SA

[in left margin: appoint. & Instruction]

By His Excellency George Washington Esquire, General and Commander in Chief of the Forces of the United States:

To Egbert Benson Esq. Attorney General of the State of new York, William S. Smith Esq. Lieutenant Colonel in the Service of the United States, and Daniel Parker Esq. ___

Whereas His Excellency Sir Guy Carleton Commander in Chief of the British Troops in the Posts now occupied by his Britannic Majesty contiguous to the Atlantic, did on the 14th of April last, unite to the Honble Robert R. Livingston one of theAmerican Ministers in the words following – viz –

New York – 14th April 1783

Sir-
“As I observe in the 7th Article of the Provisional Treaty, it is agreed, after stipulating that all Prisoners on both sides shall be set at liberty, that His Britannic Majesty shall with all convenient speed and without causing any destruction or carrying away any Negroes or other property of the American Inhabitants, withdraw all his Armies, Garrisons, and Fleets from the United States, and from every Port, Place, and Harbour “within the same” and as Embarkations of Persons and property are on the point of being made, I am to request that Congress would be pleased to empower any person or persons on behalf of the United States to be present at New York, and to assist such Persons as shall be appointed by me, to

inspect and Superintend all Embarkations which the Evacuation of this place may require, and that they will be pleased to represent to me every Infraction of the Letter or Spirit of Treaty, that redress may be immediately ordered –

Whereas Congress did, on the 24th of April 1783 refer the said Letter to me, with directions to take such measures for carrying into effect the several matters therein mentioned, as to me should seem expedient; And Whereas I have thought it expedient and necessary that Commissioners should be appointed for the purposes aforesaid, and to carry fully into execution the Instructions of Congress – “for obtaining the delivery of all Negroes and other Property of the Inhabitants of the United States in the possession of the British Forces, or any Subjects of, or adherents to His Britannic Majesty” –

I do therefore in virtue of the Powers vested in me as aforesaid, hereby nominate, constitute and appoint you the Said Egbert Benson, William S. Smith and Daniel Parker Com.

Commissioners on behalf of the United States for the purposes before mentioned, and you are to attend particularly to the due execution of that part of the 7th Article of the Provisional Treaty, where it is agreed that His Britannic Majesty shall withdraw his Armies from the United States “without causing any destruction or Carrying away any Negroes or other Property of the American Inhabitants” and you the aforesaid Egbert Benson, William S. Smith and Daniel Parker or any two of you, are hereby fully authorized and empowered to be present at New York, and to assist such Persons as shall be appointed by the Commander in Chief of the British Forces in New York, to inspect and Superintend all Embarkations, which the Evacuation of that place may require, and you are to represent to the said Commander in Chief every Infraction of the Letter or Spirit of the aforesaid Treaty to the end that redress may be obtained, furnishing me at the same time with Duplicates of all such representations or communications as may be made by you on the subject, with the result thereof, and making a general Report of your Proceedings at the termination of the Commission –

Relying on your Patriotism, fidelity and abilities I do hereby further authorize and empower you, in transacting the aforesaid business to act in conformity to your own judgment and discretion, in all such matters and things relative thereto, as are not particularly specified herein – This Commission to continue in force until the Evacuation of New York shall be compleatly effected, unless sooner revoked.

Given under my Hand and Seal at Orange Town, this eighth day of May 1783[1]


  1. Accessed at https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/washington-instructions-embarkation ↵

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