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Elias Boudinot

Elias Boudinot and Nassau Hall Coin
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Fourth President of the United States of America

in Congress Assembled
November 4, 1782 to November 3, 1783
http://www.eliasboudinot.com

Stanley L. Klos Collection CF-039

Boudinot, Elias - Autograph letter signed "Elias Boudinot," as President of the United States of America in Congress Assembled, to Major General Arthur St. Clair in Philadelphia, Princeton [N.J.], 9 July 1783.  "You may depend on Congress having been perfectly satisfied with your conduct."  On June 21, Continental troops--grown desperate to receive long overdue back pay--mutinied in their barracks at Philadelphia. Some 300 to 400, under arms, marched on Independence Hall, surrounded it, and kept the entire United States Government virtual prisoners.  The mutineers demands were made in very dictatorial tones, that “…unless their demand were complied with in twenty minutes, they would let in upon them the injured soldiery, the consequences of which they were to abide.”

Boudinot sought the help of the Pennsylvania Assembly, also in session, to call in the Pennsylvania Militia but that body refused believing they would only join the mutineers escalating the hostage crisis.  Word was immediately sent to Major General Arthur St. Clair:  

The mutinous soldiers presented themselves, drawn up in the street before the State House, where Congress had assembled. The executive Council of the State sitting under the same roof, was called on for the proper interposition. President Dickinson came in, and explained the difficulty under actual circumstances, of bringing out the militia of the place for the suppression of the mutiny. He thought that without some outrages on persons or property, the temper of the militia could not be relied on. Genl St. Clair then in Philadelphia was sent for, and desired to use his interposition, in order to prevail on the troops to return to the Barracks. His report gave no encouragement.

In this posture of things, it was proposed by Mr. Izard that Congress, should adjourn. It was proposed by Mr. Hamilton, that General St. Clair in concert with the Executive Council of the State should take order for terminating the mutiny. Mr. Reed moved that the General should endeavor to withdraw the troops by assuring them of the disposition of Congress to do them justice. … In the meantime the Soldiers remained in their position, without offering any violence, individuals only occasionally uttering offensive words and wantonly pointed their Muskets to the Windows of the Hall of Congress. No danger from premeditated violence was apprehended, but it was observed that spirituous drink from the tippling houses adjoining began to be liberally served out to the Soldiers, & might lead to hasty excesses. [i]

Major General Arthur St. Clair along with Alexander Hamilton negotiated the safe passage of Congress and the “soldiers, though in some instances offering a mock obstruction, permitting the members to pass through their ranks.”[ii]  President Bouidnot then quickly acted to move Congress to Princeton surrounding the town and Nassau Hall with 1700 New Jersey Militia men.  Boudinot wrot his brother of the incident:

My dear Brother Philada. 23 June 1783 -- I have only a moment to inform you, that there has been a most dangerous insurrection and mutiny among a few Soldiers in the Barracks here. About 3 or 400 surrounded Congress and the Supreme Executive Council, and kept us Prisoners in a manner near 3 hours, tho' they offered no insult personally. To my great mortification, not a Citizen came to our assistance. The President and Council have not firmness enough to call out the Militia, and allege as the reason that they would not obey them. In short the political ManOEuvres here, previous to that important election of next October, entirely unhinges Government. This handful of Mutineers continue still with Arms in their hands and are privately supported, and it is well if we are not all Prisoners in a short time. Congress will not meet here, but has authorized me to change their place of residence. I mean to adjourn to Princeton if the Inhabitants of Jersey will protect us. I have wrote to the Governor particularly. I wish you could get your Troop of Horse to offer them aid and be ready, if necessary, to meet us at Princeton on Saturday or Sunday next, if required.[iii]

 In this letter President Bouidnot replying to General St. Clair concerning the aftermath surrounding the hostage crisis:

Dear Sir, I duly recd your favor of yesterday but conceiving that you had mistaken the Resolution of Congress, I showed it to Mr. Fitzsimmons and we have agreed not to present it to Congress, till we hear again from you. Congress were so careful to interfere one way or the other in the military etiquette, that we recommitted the Resolution to have every thing struck out that should look towards any determination as to the Command, and it was left so that the Commanding officer be him who it might, was to carry the Resolution into Execution; and it can bear no other Construction. If on the second reading you choose your Letter should be read in Congress, it shall be done without delay … Elias Boudinot, President

P. S., You may depend on Congress having been perfectly satisfied with your conduct.

In the end, St. Clair saw that the mutiny ringleaders were arrested, tried and sentenced to death.  They were pardoned in September by the Pennsylvania Supreme Council and   through a resolution of Congress.  The Confederation government would never return to Philadelphia  Arthur St. Clair would go on to become the ninth President of the United States of America in Congress Assembled with his administration enacting both the Northwest Ordinance and the U.S. Constitution of 1787.

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Presidents of the Continental Congress

Declaration of Independence                  Continental Congress

Presidents of the United States in Congress Assembled

United States in Congress Assembled

*Huntington was elected as President of the Continental Congress but
ascended to the United States Presidency on March 2, 1781
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Eight Capitol Coins of the United Colonies/States of America
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Philadelphia	September 5, 1774 to October 24, 1774	City Tavern on September 4th and then Carpenters Hall
Philadelphia	May 10, 1775 to December 12, 1776	Pennsylvania State House
Baltimore	December 20, 1776 to February 27, 1777	Henry Fite House, Maryland
Philadelphia	March 4, 1777 to September 18, 1777	Pennsylvania State House
Lancaster	September 27, 1777	Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Court House
York	September 30, 1777 to June 27, 1778:	York, Pennsylvania, Court House
Philadelphia	July 2, 1778 to June 21, 1783	Philadelphia, College Hall, then Pennsylvania State House
Princeton,	June 30, 1783 to November 4, 1783	Prospect House and then Nassau Hall, New Jersey
Annapolis	November 26, 1783 to August 19, 1784	Maryland State House
Trenton	November 1, 1784 to December 24, 1784	French Arms Tavern, New Jersey
New York City	January 11, 1785 to November 13, 1788	New York City Hall
New York City	November 1788 - March 1789	Fraunces Tavern

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