From George Washington to Robert Erskine, 16 August 1779
To Robert Erskine
Head Qrs West-point 16 Augt 1779
Sir
Lord Stirling writes me that a very good road might be opened from Ringwood into the clove, about a mile below Galloways, along the e[a]st side of Tucksets pond.1 This will be a shorter route from Morris Town to New-Windsor2—You will therefore be pleased to mark out the road, and make the proper communication to Lord Stirling that it may be carried into execution. I am
G.W.
Df, in James McHenry’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. Major General Stirling wrote to GW on 13 and 15 Aug., but neither of these letters has been found.
Tuxedo Pond, N.Y., was located approximately three miles north of Ringwood, N.J., and six miles northwest of Suffern, N.Y., at the present-day site of Tuxedo Park, New York. The pond and this new road from Ringwood, N.J., through Smiths Clove to Galloways appear on Erskine’s July 1779 map (see Map 2).
2. For additional reasons that Major General Stirling proposed to open this route for the army’s supplies, especially with regards to security, see Stirling to Nathanael Greene, 10 Aug. ( 4:313–14).