From George Washington to John Witherspoon, 20 January 1780

To John Witherspoon

Head Quarters Morristown 20th Jany 1780.

Dr Sir

I am much obliged to you for your favor of the 14th, and to your exertions at so trying a juncture for supplies for the army. Indeed all the counties of this State, from which I have heard, have attended to my requisition for provisions with the most cheerful and commendable zeal.1 What we shall obtain in this manner, in conjunction with the steps taken by Congress, and the States from which we are principally furnishd with provisions, will, I flatter myself, secure us from a recurrence of the evil.2

With regard to your suggestion for making the certificates given on this occasion a tender for the taxes for continental purposes, I do not consider myself at liberty to propose any particular mode to Congress. I shall however, as the good people of the State have been so zealous and liberal in relieving our wants take the freedom to mention the policy of discharging them as early as possible.

I shall enquire into the detention of the cattle—and am D. Sir Your obt & hble servt.

Df, in James McHenry’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.

1. For this requisition, see Circular to the New Jersey Magistrates, 7 Jan.; see also GW to William De Hart, 8 January.

2. For Congress’s latest measure taken to supply the army with provisions, see Samuel Huntington’s letter of 12 Jan. to the legislatures or executives of Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, in Smith, Letters of Delegates, description begins Paul H. Smith et al., eds. Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774–1789. 26 vols. Washington, D.C., 1976–2000. description ends 14:337; see also JCC, description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends 16:46. This letter was prompted by GW’s letter to Huntington of 5 January. On 11 Dec. 1779, Congress had called on the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia to furnish specified quantities of flour, corn, or wheat to the army by April 1780 (see JCC, description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends 15:1371–72). On 14 Dec., Congress authorized the extension of this system to all the states and added, in addition to provisions, such “other supplies for carrying on the war” as the army’s commissary and quartermaster departments might require (JCC, description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends 15:1377–78; see also JCC, description begins Worthington Chauncey Ford et al., eds. Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. 34 vols. Washington, D.C., 1904–37. description ends 15:1391, and Huntington’s letters to the states of 14 Dec., in Smith, Letters of Delegates, description begins Paul H. Smith et al., eds. Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774–1789. 26 vols. Washington, D.C., 1976–2000. description ends 14:267–69). On 25 Feb., Congress specified the quotas of provisions and forage to be provided by each of the states (see Huntington to GW, 29 Feb., and n.2 to that document).

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Source Project: Washington Papers
Title: From George Washington to John Witherspoon, 20 January 1780
Author: Washington, George
Recipient: Witherspoon, John
Date: 20 January 1780

Reference

Cite as: “From George Washington to John Witherspoon, 20 January 1780,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-24-02-0162. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 24, 1 January–9 March 1780, ed. Benjamin L. Huggins. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2016, pp. 194–195.]

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