Circular to Brigadier General Jacobus Swartwout and the Colonels of the Orange County and Ulster County, N.Y., Militia, 25 February 1781
Circular to Brigadier General Jacobus Swartwout and the Colonels of the Orange County and Ulster County, N.Y., Militia
New Windsor Feby 25th 1781
Sir,
When his Excelly Governor Clinton left Poughkeepsie to meet the Assembly of this State at Albany, he was pleased to desire me, in case there should be any sudden call for the Militia, to apply in my own name to the Commanding Officers thereof in the vicinity of this Post.1
I do not know that occasion will require me to use this authority, but as a considble detachment has Marched from the Army at, and in the vicinity of West Point, common prudence points out the expediency of having the Militia of these parts in readiness to give their aid with out loss of time if there shd be a call for them.2
I have therefore to request that upon firing the Alarm Guns—the Beacons—or any other notice of the enemys movement, you will repair without delay to West Point with the Militia under your Command; & put yourself under the orders of the Officer Commanding there.3
You will direct your men to come provided with at least Eight days provisions. I am Sir &ca.
N.B. Colo. Hay directed to assemble his Battn in the neighbourhood of Haverstraw and send detachments to possess the entrance of the Clove near sufferans and the other passes thro’ the Mountains to wait with the remainder in a good position for further orders.
ADf, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. The postscript of the draft is in the writing of GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman, who also listed the names of the militia commanders who received the letter: from Orange County, colonels Ann Hawkes Hay, John Hathorne, Jesse Woodhull, and Maj. Moses Hatfield; from Ulster County, colonels James McClaughrey, Johannes Jansen, Johannes Snyder, and John Cantine. Place of residence is included for each officer, including Swartwout, who commanded the Dutchess County, N.Y., militia.
2. For this detachment, see GW to Lafayette, 20 Feb. (second letter).
3. GW had alerted Maj. Gen. William Heath to anticipate militia (see his letter to Heath, 23 Feb.).