To George Washington from Lieutenant Colonel Morgan Connor, 15 November 1779
From Lieutenant Colonel Morgan Connor
Philada 15th Novemr 1779
Sir
I beg leave to inform your Excellency that I arriv’d in this City a few days ago from the Warm Springs in Virginia, whither I had gone for the recovery of my health, I have recd Some benefit from the use of them Waters, but they did not prove so salutary as I was led to expect.
My Physicians strongly urge me to try a Voyage to the Westindies, as the most probable method of producing an alteration in my present situation. The motion of a Vessel gives a continued exercise to the body not attended with fatigue, which often produces changes and effects not to be otherwise accomplished.
There are now in this Port, some Vessels of force which are to sail in a few days and wou’d afford me a convenient and in all probability a safe Conveyance, this is an oppertunity I wou’d wish to embrace with your Excellency’s permission as the reestablishment of health and to return to the duties of my office are my most desirable objects, I wou’d mean to return by the same conveyance which I hope wou’d be in about three months, I wou’d wish to know your Excellency’s pleasure on this head.1 I have the honor to be With the greatest attatchment and respect Your Excellency’s Most Obedient and Most humble Servt
Morgn Connor
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. GW replied to Connor from West Point on 23 Nov.: “I last night received Your Letter of the 15th—I have never considered myself at liberty to grant permission to any Officer, to go out of the States—and therefore I can not grant it to You. At the same time I think your request highly reasonable—and I am persuaded you will find no difficulty in obtaining it from Congress, to whom I would refer You. I regret the occasion which makes it necessary for You to go to sea—and very sincerely wish that you may derive the completest and most perfect benefit from it, in your entire & speedy recovery” (LS, in Robert Hanson Harrison’s writing, DNA:PCC, item 78; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. GW signed the cover of the LS.).
Connor wrote Samuel Huntington, president of Congress, while in Philadelphia on 2 Dec., enclosing GW’s letter. Connor’s letter to Huntington begins: “Having for some time labour’d under a paralytic weakness in my limbs produced by repeated colds, I’ve been advised by my Physicians to go to sea for a little time as the most probable means of re-establishing my health” (DNA:PCC, item 78). Congress read Connor’s letter on the same date and granted him leave for six months ( 15:1340). Connor was lost at sea in January 1780.