George Washington Papers
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To George Washington from William Livingston, 15 January 1779

From William Livingston

Princeton [N.J.] 15 Janry 1779

Dear Sir

On the application of Colls Biddle & Furman to the Governor in Council,1 the Council advised me to issue a Proclamation requiring the Magistrates to be attentive to the application of the persons employed in collecting forage for the troops & in executing the Law of the State for that purpose made.2 At the same time desiring me to represent to your Excellency, the general scarcity of grain & other forage in the State, & that there is a probability that the Inhabitants & their live stock will suffer for want, before the Spring supplies come in; & to request your Excellency to order out of New Jersey all the dragoon draught & officers horses that are not absolutely necessary during the winter3—I have the honour to be with the highest esteem your Excellencys most humble Sevt

Wil: Livingston

ALS, DLC:GW; ADf, NN: Lyon Letter Book.

1Clement Biddle, commissary general of forage, and Moore Furman, deputy quartermaster general, had appealed to the New Jersey privy council on 13 Jan. for assistance in supplying with forage the Continental troops quartered in that state (see Bernstein, N.J. Privy Council Minutes description begins David A. Bernstein, ed. Minutes of the Governor’s Privy Council, 1777–1789. Trenton, 1974. In New Jersey Archives, 3d ser., vol. 1. description ends , 1:108–9).

2For this proclamation of 14 Jan., see Prince, Livingston Papers description begins Carl E. Prince et al., eds. The Papers of William Livingston. 5 vols. Trenton and New Brunswick, N.J., 1979–88. description ends , 3:20–21.

3The general orders for 22 and 29 Dec. 1778 had directed that horses be moved away from camp (see also GW’s letter to Livingston of 31 Jan.).

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