From George Washington to Major General William Heath, 9 February 1777
To Major General William Heath
Head quartr. Morris Town Febry 9th 1777.
Sir,
I have recd your several favors of the 5th 6th & 7th Inst. What I mentioned to you in a former letter about a second Attempt on Fort Independence was intended merely as a Hint, on which You might improve if Circumstances should favr.1 I did not desire that it might interfere with the Order to march some of yr Division this way, unless it should be found highly practicable.
When you arrive at home, You will order such of the Massachusett’s Continental Troops as are ready, to march immediately to Tyconderoga, sending with them all the Brigadrs, in Continental Service, residing in that State—Should their quota of the 88 Batallions not be complete, & I fear they are not, you will nevertheless forward all such as are recruited, under proper Officers; permitting as many to remain as are necessary for the recruiting service.2
Proper places are pointed out already to Mr Hughes at Peekskill for the public Magazines; to them all Stores of every kind must be removed—the Forage & Provisions taken by any of yr parties in the Vicinity of the Enemy should be carried to them. I am Sir Yr most Obedient Servant
Go: Washington
LS, in George Johnston’s writing, MHi: Heath Papers; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW; extract (photocopy), in Heath to the Massachusetts council, 10 Mar. 1777, DNA: RG 93, Photocopies of State Records, Mass. Archives.
1. See GW to Heath, 4 February.
2. Heath ordered the fifteen Massachusetts regiments to Ticonderoga on 10 Mar. after arriving home at Roxbury, Mass. (see Heath to John Nixon, that date, in MHi: Heath Papers, and Heath to GW, 16 March). On 13 Mar. GW altered the assignment of these troops by reducing the number of regiments for Ticonderoga to seven and ordering the remaining eight regiments to march to Peekskill (see GW to Heath, 13 and 23 March). Heath executed GW’s new orders on 27 and 28 Mar. (see Heath to GW, 28 March).