ance upon the Convention. Indeed, four days later (July 9th), Pendleton-writing from "Caroline"- asks Jefferson to let him know the cost of some wire which Jefferson had purchased for him, "[S] that I may remit it by Mr. Wythe"; on the 20th, Page - evidently at Williamsburg - speaks of Wythe as though present; and, on the 27th, Wythe himself writes from Williamsburg, to Jefferson: "[S] I had not reached this place before the appointment [June 20th] of delegates. An attempt to alter it as to you was made in vain 109 I have directed a carriage to meet me at Hooe's Ferry the third of September."

On September 14th, Bartlett writes from Philadelphia, to Whipple: "Mr. Wythe is come to Congress."

Stockton also, it seems likely, was elsewhere when, in the main, the Declaration on parchment was signed; for, on July 19th, he writes from Trenton, to Jefferson: [S] Upon my arrival at this place I waited upon the New Jersey Convention and proposed to them the agreeing to furnish 2000 men for the increase of the flying Camp. . ." We know, however, that he was chosen upon a committee in Congress on August 9th.

It even is possible that Gwinnett did not sign on the 2d; for the Journal for that day says that Congress "Resolved that M' Walton be appointed a member of the marine committee in the room of M' Gwinnet, who is absent." It is not at all unlikely, however, that he signed with the others and absented himself later in the day. At least, he must have signed on or about the 2d: for John Adams' debates show that he was present in Congress on July 26th; Thomas Jones writes to James

Iredell from Halifax, N. C., August 17th: "[I] As to news from the North, the following is nearly the substance, and which may be depended upon, as I had it from Mr. Gwinet, a countryman of ours from Gloucestershire on his return from the Continental Congress, of which he is one of the delegates for the State of Georgia"; and Charles C. Jones, Jr., says 110 that, on August 30th, Gwinnett presented to the Council of Safety, in Georgia, certified copies of certain resolutions passed by Congress on July 24th, that he became a member of the Council on October 7th, that he was elected President of the new government (of Georgia) on March 4, 1777, and that he engaged in a duel in May and died a few days later from the wound he then received. Indeed, though the Convention, on October 9th (1776), reelected Houston, Lyman Hall, Gwinnett and Walton and elected Nathan Brownson - only Hall and Walton signed the following letter, dated December 10th, to Hancock: "[S] We have received accounts of our reappointment to represent the state of Georgia in Congress, and will be ready to take our seats in a day or two "11", and we find no record of the attendance upon Congress of Gwinnett following July 26th.

Nor are we certain (though it is probable 112) that Williams had arrived by the 2d; for Charles J. Hoadly writes 113: "William Williams charged for attending Congress from July 22 to Nov. 21, 1776, 123 days. These are the dates of his setting out from home and of his return again; for on July 22 he was in Hartford, on his way to Philadelphia, and gave a receipt to the Treasurer of the Colony for money advanced.

November 21, he was again in Hartford and attended a meeting of the Council of Safety."

Paine also may not have signed with (most of) the others; for John Adams writes 114, to James Warren, July 27th: "[J] Mr. Paine has been very ill for this whole week, and remains in a bad way. He has not been able to attend Congress for several days, and if I was to judge by his eye, his skin, and his cough, I should conclude he never would be fit to do duty there again, without a long intermission . . . Mr. S. Adams 115, between you and me, is completely worn out.

My 116

case is

That Heyward too may possibly have been absent on August 2d would perhaps suggest itself to one reading the proceedings of the Assembly of South Carolina, sitting at Charleston, of September 30th; for they say: "It being suggested to the House, that upon a supposition that the seat of the Honourable Thomas Heyward became vacant in consequence of his being absent from this State as a Delegate at the Continental Congress, a new Representative for Charles-Town was elected in his room, and that such proceeding was irregular and invalid, it was, therefore, moved and seconded, that the House do resolve that Mr. Heyward has a right to take his seat, notwithstanding the said election. And it was resolved accordingly." A letter to the Committee of Safety of North Carolina, dated Philadelphia, September 3d, signed by Hooper, Hewes and Penn, says, however: "[NC] From the Newspapers, aided with the information which you will receive from our friend M' Heyward..."; from which 17 it would appear that

Heyward was the bearer of the letter and, therefore, cannot have left Philadelphia before September 3d. Beyond question, he was still present on September 4th; and he then purposed to leave on the 5th.'

118

Jefferson's letter to Page of July 20th 119 raises a doubt also as to Braxton's presence in Congress on August 2d; but we think, in view of all of the circumstances 120, that he probably did not leave for Virginia until after that day.

Indeed, since 55 members besides the President signed the Declaration on parchment, Jefferson's notes would seem to indicate the probable (though not certain) absence on August 2d of still others. The notes say:

on the 30th & 31 of that month [July] & 1 of the ensuing, those articles were debated which . . . the first of these articles

John Adams' debates show only that Jefferson, Sherman, Chase, Wilson, (Lyman) Hall, Heyward and