Gentlemen ー

As I am a great hater of epistolary altercation, I was not willing to answer your long starter of difficulties, which seems to me a declared commencement of a paper war instead of an answer to my reasonable remonstrances of 2d instant; but as I am determined that you should not think yourselves unanswerable, I resolved this morning to honour your long answer with as short a reply as the nature of things will allow; at the same time assuring you that this is the last paper I shall blacken on this head, and that I will take care that my pen shall proclaim the voice of truth.

Your introduction seems intended to be of the humorous kind. You play on my words and call a conspicuous light what I called a rank. I will do no more than think as I did then; and as in a private station I have more than once exerted myself for America, you may rely on it that I will do no less, now I am honoured with the post and rank the [Provincial] Congress has conferred on me, the dignity of which commission I shall try to preserve with military vigilance and spirit.

To your first, wherein you say, "it was my duty to let the commissioners know the proportion of labourers wanted to the artificers." I knew my duty, I did it, and so I did to the Committee of Safety, which last, I dare say remember my complaint about it; and if the commissioners' memory fail them, some one of them may remember when one evening we were on that topic, I ventured to say, that since my plan was approved of, I thought myself the person who should direct all. The polite answer I got on that head I have not forgot, though it made me resolve an imposition of silence on myself till the state of affairs would naturally dispose matters to flow in their proper channels. How far you are judges of work I know not, as I am not acquainted with your extent of experience, but I often heard you complain about the freezing out of the masonry. I beg leave to inform you that on a single brick wall of 9 inches, a frost may take out 3 inches on each side, but it can not take out quite so much of. our wall; because, as the thickness increases, the effect of the frost decreases, and can not be more than 2 inches at most on the outside of our works, which must be pointed over again in the spring; and this new pointing I mentioned before ten stones were laid in the wall. All men who ever were necessitated to work late in thick work, will, from experience, vouch the truth of my assertion.

To your second and third, relating to the block house, I did not exaggerate my number of carpenters. I still stand to my promise and can do it. I do not remember any expostulations, except shrugging up shoulders can be called so, for that always was the answer to my many times repeated plaints in regard of hewing and rehewing of the timber, and whenever that kind of expostulation happened, I used to recollect your original polite answer of "We are not grown so old to allow you to direct the work." With regard to a road, you made your landing in a wrong place before I came here; and when I used to be angry at so many hands working on roads at unseasonable times and unnecessary. places, I always got my labour for my pains; and how shortly is it ago since I got the ill will of one of you for barely telling the labourers that there was no necessity to remove a certain stone laying near a road which was then making? My proposal of oxen was as soon as they became necessary, and I then said buying was preferable to hiring, unless people would bring forage along with them. You might have bought them, but instead of that, you countermanded some that were bought, as you did of getting of timber, even now before one-fifth of the timber is got that is mentioned in my estimate. What you mean by an elegant outside appearance, I cannot conceive. My calculations of the necessary iron work is just, except indeed, the rings and staples outside of the ports, which I never thought of, nor would have had them there had you not ordered some one to put them there. About the "inside lined with so much' nicety and expence," the extra cost of this, is no more than one day and a half easy work for a carpenter, (about 14s.) for it must be lined let who will live in it, and as it generally is the residence of an officer, as this is now for me, I thought passing the jack plane over one side of the lining was the least that could be done. What would you have said, had I lined the roof, divided the lower room with panel partitions, and put up a panel ceiling to remove and put up at pleasure? for most block houses are so, and the meanest are partitioned. It seems your ideas of a temporary work is, that it ought to last six months ー to build a new one again.

As to trunnels, I ordered 2,000 of oak, when locust was not to be had. I do not know what ruined your credit, but the badness of that among the country people prevents your getting anything regularly.

I planned, gentlemen, but remember you ordered even that, though you could not so well direct that case as you could when you spoiled my plan of the barracks. What you mean by a waste of timber, I am utterly at a loss for; my order of 18 feet long was right, and had I ordered them the just length, they might have come 3 inches too short, and then indeed it would have been waste; but had they been 3 inches too long, the sawing off of 3 inches would take as long time as sawing off 2, 3 and 10 feet, which I wanted elsewhere.

The day I got your epistle, I looked around the works for waste timber; I saw none but chips, and I confess, I was struck with the thought, what a pity it was nature gave our carpenters so much trouble. The truth is, gentlemen, you have no business with my calculations of the kind, you are to judge afterwards; you have before now, seen what your no trifling extraordinary expense of timber goes to. The mention you make of the pieces being unwieldy is curious; I can not see what odds it made to the men, to have them sawed at the landing or at the mill; they would have been 11 feet in either case; and excepting some trifling iron work, that was not finished, I was right in my judgment about the 10th of November, for that day I lived in it, and I received your letter there. By what necessity do you introduce the order for mounting 12 guns? have I ever opposed it, and are we not on the point of having 20?

To your fourth, I must tell you, that Mr. White, the master carpenter, being an acquaintance of Mr. [Samuel] Bayard, was indulged with the liberty to make evening visits to you, and this gave rise to a distinction, insomuch that Mr. Addams has been told to let Mr. White go on with such and such particular work, he, Addams, need not trouble himself about it; this produced two master carpenters, and Addams justly complained of the matter, because White, at first, treated him as his superior, but at length became his equal. Yet, still, I think as I did then, country carpenters are preferable, and what makes the use of them impolitic, is a conception beyond my ideas.

Fifthly. My calculation of the oxen's work is evident; I can show you how a teamster himself and one man may load his cart; but as every country clown knows how, it is below me, even while I am the paltry being that is not allowed to direct his own plan, for as the helping of the oxen is the finest skulking berth our labourers can find, I do not know whether I would be safe in destroying it, while I have no command. But, gentlemen, your wheels were too low, and when a new pair was bespoke, I pleaded long to have them timber wheels; but no, they must be common cart wheels; and now they are come, they are common cart wheels indeed. As to the six men employed to steady the stone, I only tried the oxen (twice) on the wall, and found the fear of the animals made it unsafe; I desisted, therefore, and men only have done it. You will please to remember, that that machine was no cart, and with it I have brought stones of two ton weight to the wall, very different from a piece of timber of 10 or even 8 feet long; it was my invention, but any body might have thought of that, as well as of Columbus's egg. If my calculation of forage is below the mark, please to know that it is far above what the people of the country allow to their cattle.

Sixthly. Labourers may be had under the regulations I mentioned; I can get 500 if need be.

In your seventh, you catch at my word "superficial," as drowning people do at straws. I will tell you something, perhaps to you extraordinary; what I call a "superficial" view, was such as most other surveyors would call a perfect survey. I am, from long experience, enabled to take more exact surveys of places with a piece of paper and pencil, than perhaps 99 beside me can, with all the circumstantial apparatus generally used. It is true, I forgot the iron for the barracks, but have you mended that mistake by using nearly as much on one block house as I intended to use for the whole work? Glass is a trifle; 318 panes cost about £6 12s.6d. Transport of stores surely includes freight for board and shingles: and work to be made on the spot by the blacksmith, surely shewed, that I was aware more iron would be required than I could think of: In short, I am more and more convinced, that my estimate is right; the price of the article of lime only, excepted, which I calculated at Philadelphia or New-England price, little dreaming that it cost above twice as much in New-York.

To your eighth, I insist upon it, you must have miners here. And as to the labourers mauling the stone, need I tell you, gentlemen, that I have of ten been out of all humour, to see them work in stone that would not split, as I knew how to get them to the wall of any size; but here, again, my authority failed me.

To the beginning of your ninth, I have perhaps gone a little below the dignity of my office. This proceeded chiefly, because I found that many of our gentry took the advantage of drawing their provisions when they intended to decamp the very next morning. But what I mentioned about tools in this article, is what you ought to have answered: here I spoke in my proper sphere; but this you waived, to proceed to a matter, which, had I not been convinced of the integrity of your transcriber, I could have never thought would have proceeded from you. It looks so much like the little vengeance of disappointed scolds. I deny your ever having requested me to send my negro away. Mr. [William] Bedlow once told me this: "Mr. Romans, you had better get a place for your negro;" but I could not construe this into a request, much less an order from men who have no manner of authority over me. The negro is more rogue than fool; but he is so harmless, that while people let him alone, he will be quiet. He is a new negro, and by his actions he sometimes diverts your people; but I defy you to point out a single instance of dissatisfaction on that score. Once, indeed, there was a complaint against him, for which I gave him a severe chastisement, and you know that I had reason to be sorry, when (almost immediately after) his innocence appeared. But, gentlemen, he never cost you nor the country any thing, as there was never an ounce of provision served out for him; he has lived on scraps from others; and he must be a sorry dog indeed, that does not deserve the crumbs from his master's table; he might at least, serve me to fetch wood and water. I have provided a place for him, but not in obedience to you.

It is hard indeed that I, who in my private station, have for many years past never been without a servant, or even two or three, should be raised to a public one, to be debarred that privilege. I know no place where so cruel a prohibition would take place; while I was in the service of the King my pay was greater, and I had sundry rations allowed, although my servants were in pay and drew provisions besides. Since I arrived last to the northward, now near three years ago, I have always maintained and fed a number of people, seldom less than six, at high wages, and now not to be allowed any attendance at all, is surely never meant. People whose duty it was to ask me whether I was in want of any thing, have been reprimended for coming to the block house; but your mention of Mr. Addams astonishes me beyond every thing; was it necessary, my copy book would show you his handwriting, to make it appear that he has for years back transacted my business; he is a gentleman in whose fortunes I am interested, and I will assist him with all my means. You say "He is an officer that you can by no means allow of." Sure I want him not to be your officer, if he is mine it is enough; and to it you add, "If you retain him, pay and procure provisions for him;" how mean the inuendo! I have often done it. It is true it was said Mr. Vandome was to assist me; he came up to be the clerk of the cheque, and as such you retained him; but since I saw him employed as commissary of stores, and as clerk to the commissioners as well as clerk of the cheque, I thought it cruel to ask assistance from him, my business well followed is three men's work. Perhaps you think me your officer too. Softly, gentlemen; that will never do. The [Provincial] Congress appointed me to a rank I esteem more honourable than any I ever held, yet for 14 years back I have been sometimes employed as a commodore in the King's service; sometimes at the head of large bodies of men in the woods; and at the worst of times I have been master of a merchantman fitted in a warlike manner. I will in future draw the provisions the Congress will allow me, and that will maintain us both.

To your tenth I have nothing to reply. But your lastly is too important to let pass unnoticed ー the necessary alterations must be made before the work goes on well; and as for seasons, such business as this waits none, if we keep not the work going, we will in spring again be new beginners. I interrupt none of your powers; I meddle with none; but you have hindered me from having as much again work done, and till I am sole director of my plan, things cannot go well. None can be more happy in the union you mention; but if I must be cap in hand, gentlemen, to be an overseer under you, it will not do, depend upon it, I have too much blood in me for so mean an action, and you must seek such submissive engineers elsewhere. If I execute my plan which is approved of, I have no business to consult you any farther than that you must find me people and pay them; if in that case, I do not comply with my enterprise, then is your [duty] to disapprove and complain, but not before. I am, gentlemen, [&c.]