From George Washington to Nehemiah Hubbard, 27 March 1780
To Nehemiah Hubbard
Head Quarters Morris Town 27th March 1780
Sir
On the 7th instant the Quarter Master General laid before me, for my direction, Returns of sundry Accoutrements wanting by Moylans and Sheldons Regiments of Horse, and which had been demanded from you.1 Not knowing what provision might have been made by the Board of War, I did not look upon myself at liberty to give order in the matter before I had consulted them on the subject—In answer to my letter they inform me that they had provided Caps, Boots and leather Breeches and should direct the Commy General of Military stores to procure Swords—Pistols and Cartouch Boxes—They desire me to give orders to the Qr Mr General to procure, if in his power, the different Articles of sadlery—Portmanteaus, Oil Cloths and such others as come properly within his line. They inform me that they have reason to beleive that there is some sadlery ready made at Springfeild, which, should there be any there, are to be considered as part of the Quantity called for2—You will therefore make enquiry into that matter and after satisfying yourself, proceed as expeditiously as possible in procuring the deficiency. As the Board of War have not sent me back the Returns which I transmitted to them, I must desire you, if you have not retained Copies of them, to apply again to the commanding Officers of the Regiments—for them—& to whom you will deliver the several Articles as you obtain them from the Workmen.3 I am &.
Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
2. See GW to Board of War, 8 March, and Board of War to GW, 17 March; see also GW to Board of War, 25 March.
3. GW also wrote colonels Elisha Sheldon and Stephen Moylan from Morristown on this date: “I have recd a letter from the Board of War in which they inform me that they had, on the 18th Feby given directions to Otis and Henley to provide Uniform Cloathing for your Regt which I hope they will execute in a short time—They also inform me that they had undertaken to procure Caps—Leather Breeches and Boots for the Cavalry and had directed the Commy Genl of Military Stores to make provision of Swords—Pistols and Cartouch Boxes—I have written to Colo. Hubbard to endeavour to procure the necessary quantity of sadlery and when obtained to deliver what is wanting by the respective Regiments to the commanding Officers. Here I must take occasion to enforce a matter which the Board of War have recommended, and which is, to draw no more than the Articles which are indispensibly necessary, and no more of such Articles than are really deficient. The scantiness of our stores of every kind and the necessity of retrenching public Expences by all possible means makes me hope you will pay the strictest attention to this request” (Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW; a notation at the bottom of the draft indicates that Col. Stephen Moylan was sent the same letter “except the part which respects sheldons Cloathing”). GW returned to issues raised in this letter when he wrote Sheldon on 18 April (see also Benjamin Tallmadge to GW, 14 April).