The following is an installment of “On This Day,” a series celebrating America’s 250th anniversary by following the actions of Gen. George Washington, the Continental Congress, and the men and women whose bravery and sacrifice led up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.Gen. George Washington is in Philadelphia. He gives the Second Continental Congress a blunt assessment of the burdens he wrestles with on the battlefields in New York and the theater in Canada.
Delegates debate regulating the price of salt, critical to preserving meat and sustaining both soldiers and civilians.
Washington writes Maj. Gen. Israel Putnam, who is running operations from his headquarters in New York until Washington returns.
Washington warns him that if the intelligence they receive confirms the British fleet is approaching, Putnam must send an express immediately.
ON THIS DAY: SMALL SCHOONER BEATS BACK MUCH LARGER BRITISH FORCE
