General Orders, 24 March 1780
General Orders
Head-Quarters Morristown Friday March 24th 1780.
Parole Felicity— C. Signs Glory. Gordon.
The officer commanding on the Lines is directed in case of any sudden and serious movement of the enemy in that quarter to caus[e] the Alarm Gun on the heights above Springfield to be fired; This is to be answered by the Alarm Guns in camp upon which the brigades are to form—on their respective parades and wait orders: As it may happen that the Alarm Gun above Springfield may be heard by some of the camp guards whose situation may render them more accessible to the sound, and not by the party with the Alarm-Guns in camp, the officers commanding those guards will send immediate information thereof by a trusty serjeant to the officer stationed at the guns.
Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
GW’s assistant secretary James McHenry wrote Col. Francis Johnston from Morristown on this date: “His Excellency is consenting to your sending Lt Armstrong after the deserters to Fish kill—should you think the object worth the expence but wishes at the same time in order to avoid further expence on this head that you would take proper measures before his setting out to inform yourself whether there may not be deserters from the rest of the line at or near the same place. You will be pleased to be particular in this and to instruct him accordingly, that they may be taken up” (DLC:GW).