From George Washington to Brigadier General James Clinton, 27 November 1778
To Brigadier General James Clinton
Head Quarters Fredericksbg [N.Y.] 27th Novemr 1778
Dear Sir
In a letter from General Hand of the 20th instant, he transmitted a memorial from Major Whitcomb (who commands a Corps of Rangers) to Congress, in which he complains of want of regular pay for his own Corps and three companies of provincials under his command, who were raised to serve till December. The principal bar to obtaining his pay seems to have been the want of being properly mustered. Genl Hand in his letter says he has directed a Deputy Muster Master to go up to these Corps. If therefore their pay Rolls are produced to the pay Mas. at Albany made out agreeable to the musters be pleased to direct him to discharge them, and to continue so to do in future upon application made in proper form.1
I shall set out for Middle Brook in Jersey tomorrow, at which place I shall expect to hear from you when any thing material occurs. I am Dear Sir Yr most obt Servt
Go: Washington
P.S. If Genl Hand should not have left Albany be pleased to inform him that the German Battalion is ordered to Easton to be ready to march to the Frontier if circumstances should require it.
LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, PPRF; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. John Pierce, Jr. (d. 1788) of Litchfield, Conn., who had been appointed assistant paymaster general in February 1776, and was promoted to deputy paymaster in June 1779 and to paymaster general in January 1781, wrote to Robert Hanson Harrison from the “Pay Office” on 16 Nov. concerning payment of Maj. Benjamin Whitcomb’s corps and other troops at Albany, N.Y.: “I would be obliged if you would send by the bearer his Excellency’s directions concerning sending Money to Albeiny” (DLC:GW).
Harrison replied on the same date: “His Excellency has no objection to your sending Seventy thousand Dollars to Mr Reed at Albany, if so much is necessary, for paying the Troops in that Quarter. He has no particular instructions to give upon the occasion as he supposes those formerly received by Mr Reed from Mr Palfrey will govern his conduct” (DLC:GW).