From George Washington to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., 13 December 1780
To Jonathan Trumbull, Sr.
Head Quarters New Windsor 13th Decemr 1780
Dear Sir
I have this day forwarded a passport to New York for the Brig Jenny to proceed from thence to New London as a Flag of truce with Cloathing for the prisoners at Rutland, and to carry back such of them as have been lately exchanged. An officer has permission to go with the Cloathing to Rutland and return. The Vessel is directed to lay in such part of the port as the commanding Officer there shall think proper. If you have any particular instructions to give on the subject, you will be pleased to lodge them at New London.1 I have the honor to &.
P.S. I have just recd information from New York, that a considerable embarkation is taking place—supposd for the Southwd—but it does not come through such a channel as to demand entire credit.2
Df, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. GW’s aide-de-camp David Humphreys wrote the postscript on the draft.
1. The Connecticut Gazette; and the Universal Intelligencer (New London) for Tuesday, 9 Jan. 1781, printed an item under the heading “NEW-LONDON,” same date: “The British Flag Jenny, sail’d from this Port last Wednesday, for New-York, with 168 land, and 23 naval Prisoners” (see also GW to Abraham Skinner, 8 Nov.). An advertisement had appeared in The Royal Gazette (New York) for 5 July 1780: “FOR Freight or Charter to any part of Great Britain or Ireland, to sail with the first Convoy, the Brig JENNY, a new vessel and sails very fast.”
2. For this intelligence, see Anthony Wayne to GW, 10 Dec., and n.2; see also GW to Thomas Jefferson, 9 Dec., postscript, and n.9, and GW to Trumbull, 2 Jan. 1781 (Ct: Trumbull Papers).