To George Washington from Major John Bigelow, 13 October 1778
From Major John Bigelow
Hartford 13th Octr 1778.
Sir
Last Evening I Received a Letter from Colo. Hamilton directing me to make an Exact Return of what Materials for Cloathing, and all Cloaths diliver’d by me, to whom and when,1 I am very Unhappy that my long detention at Congress has put the Business So far back, that ’tis not in my Power at present to make Such a Return as your Excellency Requires, and I could wish,2 the Accounts for making Soldiers Cloaths, are not yet <co>me in for the Connecticut Regts that renders it imposible for me to Assertain what Number of Suits Each Regt has Receiv’d. I have purchas’d a Considerable Quantity of Cloths &a which are now on the Road from Salem, and many Articles have Arriv’d here and are forwarded on to Head Quarters without Invoice’s as they are not yet come to hand. as Soon as I receive them, and can Collect the Accounts of Soldiers Cloathing diliver’d the Connecticut Regts the Return order’d shall be imediatly made out and forwarded on. I the Mean time have inclos’d Accts of Materials for Cloathing diliver’d [and] Goods on hand &ca as far as is in my Power.3 I have the Honor, to be Your Excellencys Most Obedt Hble Servant
John Bigelow
ALS, DLC:GW; Df, DLC: Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection, John Bigelow.
1. Hamilton conveyed this order in his letter to Bigelow of 9 Oct. (ADf, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW; see also , 1:560).
2. The text of the draft from this place in the text to the closing reads: “a Considerable Quantity of Cloths is now on the Road from Salem and not yet Arriv’d, a Quantity Likewise come on and forwarded to Camp without Invoice’s. I have inclos’d Such an Account as is in my power at Present both of Diliveries and what Materials is on hand. as soon as the Invoices come on and the Accounts of making Cloathing for the Connecticut Regts can be Collected I will imediatly make the Necessary Return.”
3. Bigelow enclosed a two-paged manuscript, “Acct of Goods Remaining in Store,” which he signed on this date at Hartford, and a four-paged manuscript document containing twelve short accounts of clothing delivered to the officers of the eight numbered Connecticut line regiments, Colonel Samuel Blachley Webb’s and Col. Henry Sherburne’s Additional Continental Regiments, and Col. John Lamb’s 2d Continental Artillery Regiment. Only three of those regimental accounts are dated: that for the 2d Connecticut Regiment, lately commanded by Col. Charles Webb, is dated June 1778; that for the 8th Connecticut Regiment, lately commanded by Col. John Chandler, is dated July 1778; and that for 4th Connecticut Regiment, commanded by Col. John Durkee, is dated October 1778. The regimental accounts document includes the following undated note to GW signed by Bigelow: “This is the Nearest Acct I can at Present Render your Excellency as I am furnished with neither Accts not [nor] Invoices. I as Soon as they come to hand shall make an Exact Return.” Both enclosures are in DLC:GW.