To George Washington from Colonel Henry Jackson, 14 February 1780
From Colonel Henry Jackson
Camp Morristown Feby 14 1780
sir
I inform’d your Excellency the situation of my Regiment with respect to the Mens Arm’s & Accoutrements & that the Soldiers claim’d them as their own have’g part of their bounty stop’d for that purpose—& they all expect to carry them home when discharged.1
Inclose’d is a true Copy of the Resolve of the State on that Subject,2 as some of my Soldiers terms of Service expire tomorrow, I wish your Excellenys direction in the matter—the Arms &ca were drawn from the Continental Magazines. I have the Honor to be with the greatest respect your Excellencys most Obt Humbe sert
Henry Jackson
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Jackson’s report to GW may have been verbal. No letter from Jackson to GW on this subject has been found. GW had questioned the commander of Brig. Gen. John Stark’s brigade regarding the wastage of arms and accoutrements in the brigade (see Circular to Major Generals and Officers Commanding Brigades, 22 Jan., n.4, and GW to the Officer Commanding Brigadier General Stark’s Brigade, 11 Feb.). Jackson’s regiment was assigned to Stark’s brigade.
2. This enclosure has not been identified. Jackson probably is referring to a “Resolve to encourage the raising of Colonels Lee’s, Henley’s and Jackson’s Regiments,” passed by the Massachusetts General Assembly on 30 April 1777. Under this resolution, the state promised to pay a bounty of £20 to every noncommissioned officer and private who enlisted in one of the regiments and brought his own “good effective Fire Arm,” bayonet, cartridge box, and knapsack, but only £15.10 to enlistees who did not supply such (Mass. Resolves, 6 March–10 May 1777, and Appendix, 1 Jan.–10 May 1777, 40, CLXXIV).