From George Washington to the Board of War, 8 August 1779
To the Board of War
West point Aug. 8th 1779
Gentlemen.
I have received a Letter from Colo. Spencer dated at Wyoming the 22d Ulto—inclosing a List of the Officers that remain in service of his—Malcoms—& Formans Regiments—I determined sometime ago to incorporate them1—and now transmit an arrangement of the whole2—upon which the Board will be pleased to issue Commissions where they have not been issued in consequence of the arrangement of the two first which was formerly transmitted.3 I have arranged Lieutenant Colonel Smith of the Regt late Lee’s—in the Corps—and am exceedingly happy there was an opportunity of providing for an Officer of his merit.4 The Board will be pleased to forward the Commissions to Genl Sullivan by the first conveyance that may offer. In my Letter of the 22d—I did not mention from what time Mr Burrowe’s should rank as Major—they will fix it at that date—unless they have already sent him a Commission and fixed his rank at an earlier day. I have the Honor to be with great respect & esteem Gentn Yr Most Obedt set
G.W.
Df, in Robert Hanson Harrison’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC: GW. Harrison wrote at the bottom of the draft: “vid. Spencers Letter 22 July & Arrangement in bundle of Arrangements—made conformable to one sent Bd of War.”
1. For the incorporation of the Additional Continental Regiments of Colonels Oliver Spencer and William Malcom, see GW to John Jay, 3 March, and GW to Spencer, 9 April (first letter) and 29 April. For the incorporation of Col. David Forman’s under-strength regiment with Spencer’s regiment, see GW to John Sullivan, 31 May (second letter). See also Jay to GW, 5 Feb., and n.1 to that document.
2. This arrangement has not been identified.
3. See GW to the Board of War, 9 June. The arrangement GW transmitted on that date was of Spencer’s regiment, but Malcom’s regiment had been incorporated with Spencer’s regiment in April (see n.1).
4. Spencer had requested Smith’s appointment to his regiment (see John Sullivan to GW, 8 May, and Spencer to GW, 22 July).