To George Washington from Elias Boudinot, 30 May 1780
From Elias Boudinot
Baskinridge [N.J.] May 30th 1780
Dear Sir
It would have given me great Pleasure to have been favoured with your Company on Thursday,1 but am fully convinced of the necessity of Business being attended to; whenever your Excellency can spare a day I shall think myself very happy in being honored by a Visit.
The Person referred to in your Postscript, is a Major Ward of the new Levies, who has made very full Offers of this kind, on condition of his future acceptance with our Government2—I propose applying to the Govr & Councill for this Purpose, without mentioning Names, if your Excellency thinks it proper3—His Situation & advantages for Communication exceed any Persons that I know of—It is some time, since I had any Communication with him, but then he was anxiously desirous of being employed in any manner so as to make up with his Country.
Mrs Boudinot & Miss Susan4 join me in the most respectfull Compliments And have the Honor to be Dr Sir Your most Obedt Hble Servt
E. Boudinot
ALS, DLC:GW. The cover of the letter is marked “Private.”
1. The previous Thursday was 25 May.
2. No letter from GW to Boudinot mentioning either “Major Ward” or a visit to Boudinot has been found.
“Major Ward” probably refers to Uzal Ward (c.1726–1793), a stone-cutter from Newark, N.J., who had served as a major in the Essex County, N.J., militia. He sided with the British early in the war, and in late 1776 or early 1777 joined the British army in New York. Taken prisoner in early May 1780, he was considered for close confinement (see , 512–13; see also William Livingston to Robert Ogden, Jr., 8 May, in , 3:377). Ward subsequently served as a lieutenant in the New York City Associated Loyalist Militia.
3. No application concerning Ward from Boudinot to New Jersey governor William Livingston or to the state council has been identified.
4. Boudinot’s daughter Susanne Vergereau Boudinot (b. 1764) married William Bradford, Jr., in 1784. Bradford later served as attorney general during GW’s second presidential term.