George Washington Papers
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From George Washington to Brigadier General Henry Knox, 2 May 1780

To Brigadier General Henry Knox

Head Quarters [Morristown] 2d May 1780.

Dear Sir

The Committee of Congress are instructed, among other matters, to enquire whether there is any thing defective in the Ordnance department, or whether any of the regulations at present in force may be amended or altered for the benefit of the service. I do not exactly know when they will take the Business up, but I would wish you to be revolving the matter in your mind, and preparing yourself to give the Committee such information as may appear to you conducive to the more perfect arrangement of the System.1

I have sent you by the Bearer a Copy of the Constitution of Massachusetts, which I received by the post,2 after perusing it, be pleased to return it to me, as I have not another. I am Dear Sir Your most obt Servt

Go: Washington

LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, KAbE; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW.

1GW is referring to the “Committee at Headquarters” (see his letter to Samuel Huntington, 3 April, source note). For Knox’s subsequent engagement with this committee, see Committee at Headquarters to John Jacob Faesch, 18 July, to Huntington, same date, and to Nathanael Greene, 21 July, in Smith, Letters of Delegates description begins Paul H. Smith et al., eds. Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774–1789. 26 vols. Washington, D.C., 1976–2000. description ends , 15:458–67, 475–77.

2GW recently had received a printed copy of the proposed Massachusetts Constitution (see James Bowdoin to GW, 6 April, and notes 1 and 3).

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