On this day 250 years ago in Cambridge, Massachusetts, George Washington wrote Congressman Richard Henry Lee of Virginia that

we have only 184. Barls of Powder in all (including the late supply from Philadelphia) wch is not sufficient to give 25. Musket Cartridges to each man, and scarcely to serve the Artillery in any brisk Action one single d⟨ay⟩—under these Circumstances I daresay you will agree with me, that it would not be ver⟨y⟩ eligable to take a post 30 Miles distant (by Land) from this place, when we have already a line of Circumvalation round Boston of at leas⟨t⟩ 10 Miles in extant to defend any part of which ma⟨y⟩ be attacked without our having (if the Enemy will keep their own Council) an hours previous notice of it; and that, it would not be prudent in me, to attempt a measure which would necessarily bring on a consumption of all the Ammunition we have, thereby leaving the Army at the Mercy of the Enemy, or to disperse; and the Country to be ravaged and lai⟨d⟩ waste at discretion—to you Sir I may acct for my conduct, but I cannot declare the motives of it to every one, notwithstanding I know by not doing of it, that I shall stand in a very unfavourable light in the opinion of those who expect much, & will find little done, without understanding, or perhaps giving themselves the trouble of enquiring into the caus⟨e⟩—such however is the fate of all those who are obliged to act the part I do, I must therefore submit to it, under a consciousness of having done my duty to the best of my Abilitie⟨s.⟩

. . .

There has been so many great, and capital errors, & abuses to rectify—so many examples to make—& so little Inclination in the Officers of inferior Rank to contribute their aid to accomplish this work, that my life has been nothing else (since I ⟨came here) b⟩ut one continued round of a⟨nnoyance⟩ & f⟨at⟩igue; in short no pecuniary r⟨ecompense⟩ could induce me to undergo what I ha⟨ve espe⟩cially as I expect, by shewing so little Co⟨unte⟩nance to irregularities & publick abus⟨es to⟩ render myself very obnoxious to a gre⟨ater⟩ part of these People. But as I have alrea⟨dy⟩ greatly exceeded the bounds of a Letter I will not trouble you with matters relative to my own feelings.

Source: “George Washington to Richard Henry Lee, 29 August 1775,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-01-02-0270. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 1, 16 June 1775 – 15 September 1775, ed. Philander D. Chase. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1985, pp. 372–376.]

And on that day in Annapolis, the Maryland Council of Safety established by the Maryland Convention began meeting. The Maryland Council of Safety took over the functions of government that had been exercised by the Royal Governor. Maryland was effectively independent of Great Britain.

Source: https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc2908/000001/000011/html/index.html