Amendment III

Document 4

Joseph Hawley to Elbridge Gerry

Secondly, I hope, sir, you will by no means forget to endeavour that there be the most peremptory and absolute order and injunction on all the generals and officers of the American army, that quarters for the army or any part of them, shall in no case be impressed, but by the intervention of a civil magistrate, or direction of the legislature of the colony. They have again (I suppose through the resentment and pique of Park, the assistant quarter-master) quartered a company on Major Thompson, against his will. Our assembly is so much on the wing, and the active members so generally gone, that it is impossible to make any proper remonstrance thereof to the general.

It is not easy to imagine what a handle such conduct as this gives to the tories, and how much they rejoice to be able to take such exceptions; besides, it is downright and intolerably wrong. It is much more necessary that congress should make some express order and regulation for their forces in every part, touching their behaviour in this particular; because, you know that the colonies in general, and this in particular, are in the hands and power of the army, by reason of the militia being in a great degree stripped of their arms and ammunition for the sake of furnishing the army.

The Founders' Constitution
Volume 5, Amendment III, Document 4
http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/amendIIIs4.html
The University of Chicago Press

Austin, James T. The Life of Elbridge Gerry. With Contemporary Letters. 2 vols. Boston, 1828--29.

Easy to print version.