Second Continental Congress: June 28, 1775

Congress resumes consideration of the Articles of War. Samuel Adams writes that he is first on General Gage’s do not pardon list and Roger Sherman states that a “Vigorous application to Arms” is the only conciliatory Plan likely to succeed.

Link to date-related documents.

Journals of the Continental Congress [Edited]

The Congress met according to adjournment, and resumed the consideration of the Articles of War. After some debate the farther consideration of them was put off until tomorrow.

Adjourned till tomorrow at 9 o’Clock.

Samuel Adams to Elizabeth Adams 

Gage has made me respectable by naming me first among those who are to receive no favor from him.  I thoroughly despise him and his Proclamation.”  [Editor’s Note: On June 12, 1775, General Gage issued a Proclamation pardoning all who participated in rebellion except Samuel Adams and John Hancock]

Roger Sherman to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr.

The Congress sits from 9 in the Morning to 4 or 5 and sometimes 6 in the Afternoon. I have not been absent when the Congress were on Business So much as ten Minutes during the Session. The controversy between Great Britain and the Colonies has been carried to greater extremity than I expected but I have now no expectation that the Ministry will relax their Measures unless they are convinced that they cannot carry them into Execution. The Salvation of the Colonies under Divine Providence depends upon their united and Vigorous application to Arms, that is the only conciliatory Plan that appears to me likely to prove Successful, or at least without which no other will have any effect.

Edited with commentary by Gordon Lloyd.