From George Washington to Major John Bigelow, 29 November 1778
To Major John Bigelow
Fishkill [N.Y.]1 29th Novemr 1778
Sir
I have yours of the 18th inclosing a Return of Continental Cloathing in your Hands. I desire that the whole may be sent as expeditiously as possible to this place and delivered to Mr Measam or to his Deputy in his Absence. When you make the Return lately called for by the Board of War of the quantity of Goods purchased by you and how disposed of; you are to specify particularly what was delivered to Officers—at what price and by whose Orders.
You are not to suffer the Strouds to be cut up into Blankets as they will probably be wanted for other purposes. I am Sir Your most obt Servt
Go: Washington
LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, in private hands; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. GW had left Fredericksburg, N.Y., on 28 Nov. and was on his way to Middlebrook, N.J., which he reached on 11 December. Pvt. Elijah Fisher of the Commander-in-Chief’s Guard wrote in his diary on 28 Nov. that “His Exelency and also his Gard Left Fredericksburg and Marched for the Jarseys and at Night we Pitcht our tents by Clane’s Tavern in Philipespatten after the March of sixteen miles.” On the next day he wrote: “We left the Patten at seven of the fournoon and at five in the afternoon we pitcht our tents by Mr. Lents in Piekskill two miles from the King’s farrey after the March of seventeen miles.” (, 287).
GW’s quarters were near Fishkill, possibly at the Brinkerhoff House, where he had stayed in October (see GW to Horatio Gates, 1 Oct., n.1). On this date GW entertained some German officers from the Convention Army who were passing through on their way to Charlottesville, Virginia. One of the officers wrote that GW “speaks very distinctly and expresses himself rather more sincerely than complimentary, however, is quite polite. In short, he impresses you as a good man, who can be trusted. He has nothing extraordinary or great about him, which I expected” (, 137–38).