George Washington Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-10-02-0376

To George Washington from Brigadier General George Clinton, 24 July 1777

From Brigadier General George Clinton

Fort Montgomery [N.Y.] July 24th 1777
8 OClock in the Evening

Dr Sir,

I this Moment received your Excelllency’s Order of the Day for sending 30,000 Wt of Hard-Bread from this Post to King’s Ferry to be transported from thence to Head Quarters.1

The Hard Bread was sent here in Bulk and by the Time it was Stored so much broken as to render it almost unfit to be used as I have no empty Casks at this Place to put it in I fear it would be impossible to convey it to Head Quarters but as the Order is positive I thought it my Duty to direct the Commissary to set about getting it on Board of a Vessel that it may be sent to King’s Ferry—In the mean Time I have sent a Copy of the Order to Mr Schenck at Fish Kill and directed him to send to this Post 30,000 Wt Properly put up in Casks to be forwarded to King’s Ferry lest it should be impracticable from the bad State the other is in to transport it to Head Quarters. If the Bread ordered from Fish Kill is received in Time the broken Bread may be returned from Kings Ferry—I have directed Mr Schenck to send no more Bread in the Condition he sent the last as it cannot be removed, if requisite, without great Trouble and Loss.2 I am with due Respect your Excellency’s most obedt servt

Geo. Clinton

Since Writing the above I have myself viewed the Bread and find it to be even worse than the Commissary represented it—Nor have we a single empty Cask to put it in and should this also be the Case at Kings Ferry it will be impossible to get it to Head Quarters.

ALS, DLC:GW. The cover of this letter is addressed to GW at “Ramapogh Pr Express.”

1Clinton is referring to Adj. Gen. Timothy Pickering’s letter to him of this date.

2Henry Schenk (Schanks, Schenck; 1743–1799) of Dutchess County, N.Y., was a major in the New York militia and the purchasing commissary at Fishkill. Schenk’s two brothers, Paul (1741–1817) and Peter A. (1755–1824), also were involved in the commissary department. Paul Schenk lived in a house at the upper landing at Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and Peter Schenk was the purchasing commissary at Poughkeepsie. For Clinton’s letter to Henry Schenk of this date, see Hastings, Clinton Papers, 2:129–30.

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